Surat: A polícia prendeu um membro-chave da turma de Sajju Kothari e irmão mais velho de Sajju, Yunus Gulam Mohammad Kothari de Nanpura aqui no sábado por seu suposto envolvimento em extorsão e custódia ilegal de carros de um residente de Navsari. Para recuperar um empréstimo de Rs15 lakh e juros, a gangue Kothari tinha tomado posse de propriedade, dinheiro e valores valor crores do queixoso desde 2012. A polícia está apertando o laço ao redor da gangue Sajjus, que é supostamente envolvido em várias atividades ilegais. A polícia prendeu Yunus após a recuperação de sete carros de luxo na sexta-feira de Jamrukh Galli de Nanpura. A polícia já tinha recuperado um Toyota Fortuner perto da casa dos irmãos e durante a investigação, descobriu-se que o SUV pertencia a Navsari residente e desenvolvedor de terra Sanjay Bagle. Durante o interrogatório, Bagle disse à polícia que seus oito carros foram levados com força por Sajju e seus homens juntamente com Rs3 crore em dinheiro, jóias no valor de Rs50 lakh e papéis de seu bangalô no valor de Rs1 crore. Bagle apresentou queixa contra Sajju, Yunus e sua gangue por extorquir dinheiro e ameaçando matá-lo para recuperar Rs15 empréstimo lakh com juros. Bagle, uma história-sheeter em Navsari, fêz exame de um empréstimo de Rs15 lakh em 2012 em 8 taxa de Sajju. Ele pagou uma quantia enorme em dinheiro por cinco meses para Sajju e percebeu que ele já tinha pago mais do que o montante do empréstimo. Mais tarde ele parou de pagar depois que Sajju e seus homens começaram a ameaçá-lo e tomou posse de seus carros, jóias e papéis de propriedade. O acusado, Sajju e Yunus, se recusou a aceitar o montante do empréstimo e insistiu que Bagle pagar os juros. Parece uma raquete organizada de dar empréstimo e mais tarde extorquir dinheiro de indivíduos, disse A M capitão, inspetor de polícia, estação de polícia de Athwa. Sajju foi preso no passado por executar casas de jogos em Nanpura. Ele também começou a financiar negócios e emprestou dinheiro apenas para aqueles com antecedentes criminais. Mais tarde, extorquiu o dinheiro da pessoa desde que a vítima não iria à polícia por causa de seu fundo criminal. A polícia recuperou cópias fotográficas de alguns documentos de propriedade da residência de Sajjus. Eles acreditam que mais vítimas irão abordá-los agora como a raquete tem sido busted. Uniconnect Atendimento ao cliente Atendimento ao cliente Números de telefone e contatos Mumbai 602-604, Midas Chambers Opp Laxmi Estate Ind, Off Link Road, Andheri (W) Mumbai 400 053 Telefone Não 91 99 6714 7000 91 22 2673 2288 1 800 22 3400 infouniconnect. in Aeroporto Internacional de Mumbai Opp. Portão nº 69 (Área de retenção de segurança), Nível 4, Novo T2 Opp. Akbar Forex (Antes da imigração), Nível 4, Novo T2 Delhi International Airport T3, International Departure Pier Opp. Fumar ao lado do quarto de oração Hyderabad Telefone 91 90 5275 0000, 91 90 5274 8000 hyderabaduniconnect. in Aeroporto Internacional de Hyderabad Perto da Porta 32B, Adj. Para Khao Galli Internacional SHA (Segurança segurar Área) Rajiv Gandhi Aeroporto Internacional de Hyderabad Shamshabad, Hyderabad 500409 avaliação de clientesLeitura de Mensagens, Notas Temáticas, Relatório de Viagem e Gestão Artigos de Swami Bodhananda A gama de temas e temas Swamiji endereços se estende do desenvolvimento humano potencial, E estudos de liderança para a experiência de quotabsoluta paz no meio de atividade dinâmica. Aqui estão as seleções de, os papéis e pensamentos que Ele escreveu em várias ocasiões. Correspondências e discussões entre Gurudev e Seus devotos através de cartas e reuniões, entrevistas públicas e relatórios de mídia. Mensagens que Gurudve escreve em ocasiões de importância espiritual e cultural. Estamos no processo de arquivamento das cartas e notas que Gurudev escreveu a Seus discípulos, associados e. al. Durante as últimas quatro décadas. Se você acha que há um assunto de interesse comum e bem-estar na carta que Gurudev escreveu para você, por favor, envie-nos o mesmo. Vamos hospedar as partes selecionadas nesta página. Mensagens Novas Sri Ganesha Chaturthi Mensagem - 29 de agosto de 2014 - Ganesha é o Deus do início auspicioso. Nenhum empreendimento humano deve começar sem invocar este Deus de cabeça de elefante, que é adorado em toda a Índia e leste da Ásia. O quarto dia (Shukla Chaturthi) da lua crescente do mês de Bhadra é o dia mais importante para os devotos de Ganesha. Alguns acreditam que Ganesha nasceu neste dia, enquanto outros dizem que Ganesha tem sua cabeça de elefante neste dia. No entanto, há histórias dizendo que Ganesha provou sua inteligência superior sobre seu irmão mais novo Kartikeya neste dia, ganhando o concurso de manga. Há mesmo histórias que dizem que neste dia Ganesha overate modaka e seu estômago estourou e, em seguida, ele tomou um voto apenas para comer arroz soprado. Diz-se também que a lua crescente riu ao ver o estômago grande estourar aberto eo Ganesha envergonhado e irritado impediu o público de ver a lua neste dia. Daí o uso chaturthi para irritante vista em muitas línguas indianas. Mas o verdadeiro significado deste dia é a transcendência dos três corpos, indo além do jogo de três energias, e realizando a quarta dimensão da consciência como nossa natureza real. O Ganesha Atharva Sirsha declara que Ganesha é Brahman manifesto e a importação do mahavakya, tattvamasi. Ganesha nasceu da essência de Parvati na ausência de Shiva. Significando que Ganesha é o inconsciente em nós que se coloca como uma ponte entre nossa consciência superior e inferior. Um encontro com Shiva e perda de ego-cabeça e aquisição de um tronco de discernimento é necessário para ganhar a unidade com Shiva ea experiência de Shiva-Sakti união. Ganesha é o eterno símbolo da regeneração espiritual e da redenção. Nada é completo nem bem sucedido sem as bênçãos de Ganesha. Portanto, vamos todos cantar o mantra: AUM GAM GANAPATAYE NAMAH. SWAMI BODHANANDA 28 de agosto de 2014 College Station, Texas Guru Purnima Saudações - 12 de julho de 2014 - Mensagem de Swami Bodhananda O quinto dia (Panchami Tithi) do Shukla Paksha (fase de cera da lua) do mês Vaisakha - é um dia memorável para hindus e indianos Filósofos. Este foi o dia em que o maior filósofo e líder espiritual hindu Srimad Bhagavad pada Sankaracharya foi acreditado para ter nascido. E este ano, Adi Sankara Jayanthi é comemorado em 4 de maio de 2014. Bhagavad Pada Sankaracharya (780-820 dC) é considerado um dos três pilares do grande edifício do Dharma hindu, juntamente com Sage Yajnavalkya (3000 aC) e Sage Veda Vyasa (1200 aC). Yajnavalkya forneceu a visão central do Dharma no pronunciamento, aham brahmasmiquot. Que o universo é uma teia integral e que a consciência I é o fator unificador comum. Mais tarde, Veda Vyasa expôs a mesma verdade matizada no então contexto sócio-político e lançou as bases para a cultura indiano-hindu e economia política, promovendo a liberdade individual e harmonia social. Posteriormente, à medida que o hinduísmo se tornou fraco devido à ortodoxia inflexível e ao sectarismo mutuamente antagônico e intolerante, o ateísmo budista, o ascetismo jainista, o dualismo Sankhyan e o materialismo Charvaka abalaram crenças convencionais e colocaram sérios desafios à integridade do pensamento e da unidade da sociedade indiana, O jovem sul-indiano Brahmin erudito e sábio Sankaracharya foi a definitiva, resurgente e robusta resposta hindu para os rebeldes e detratores. Ele arrumou o pensamento e as práticas indiano-hindus. Sankara foi um grande integrador de pensamentos e práticas diversas. O sistema Advaita do pensamento religio-filosófico que Sankara expôs com base no ditado védico de Uma Verdade - Muitas Exposições ainda permanece como o pináculo de sete mil anos de experiência espiritual e cultural indiano-hindu. Sankaras duradoura contribuição intelectual foi a seleção de prasthana trayi textos - o Bhagavad Gita, o Brahmasutras e os dez Upanishads, como o último sagrado referência livros de Hindu Dharma juntamente com a proposição dos quatro mahavakyas - quot Pajnanam Brahmaquot, quatTattvamasiquot, quamAyam Atma Brahmaquot e Aham Brahmasmiquot, como os princípios orientadores da contemplação espiritual. Os comentários de Sankaras sobre os textos de prasthana trayi são considerados a última palavra sobre o Dharma Hindu. Outros comentaristas, como Ramanujacharya e Madhvacharya, apenas mexeram com grandes pensamentos de Sankaras. É triste que não haja muita consciência entre as massas e até mesmo líderes indianos modernos sobre a importância de Sankara e sua contribuição para a espiritualidade e cultura indiana. Comemorando seu aniversário e dedicando este dia ao ensino de Advaita Vedanta, estaríamos não apenas pagando nossa dívida coletiva com este grande Guru, mas também trazendo o espírito de tolerância, acomodação e respeito mútuo a um mundo divisivo e conflituoso. Não tenho dúvidas de que Acharya Sankara seria o profeta do futuro e Advaita Vedanta o dharma da emergente sociedade multicultural global. Jai Jai Jai Sankara. Mensagem de Swami Bodhananda para quotVishuquot em 15 de abril de 2014 Vishu é um festival de colheita Uma ocasião para agradecer a Deus por uma colheita abundante. Para encontrar amigos e parentes em roupas novas durante uma refeição. Para quebrar piadas e desfrutar de fogos de artifício. Um dia para começar com novas esperanças e idéias, para cobrar como um barulho Ram no futuro desconhecido. Vishu é a celebração dos jovens, dos jovens e dos jovens. Os anciãos só jogam segundo violino. Crianças e adolescentes são acordados no início da manhã do dia Vishu para darshan (ldquokanirdquo) do altar especialmente decorado. Eles riem e balançam enquanto conduziam para o santuário com os olhos fechados. Em seguida, um novo mundo brilhante de flores amarelas, frutas, grãos, moedas de ouro e roupas novas revelam na frente deles Uma verdadeira festa para os olhos e mente imaginativa. O mais velho (ldquokaranavarrdquo) da família dá presentes (ldquokaineetamrdquo) de moedas e roupas para todos os membros da família, incluindo convidados e domésticos ajuda Uma oportunidade para renovar e aprofundar os laços humanos. A colheita mais significativa que Vishu celebra é a obtenção de qualidades internas eo despertar espiritual resultante. O florescimento do Self em todo o seu esplendor. A colheita de amor interior e alegria e compartilhá-los com todos. Vishu é um dia de auto-renovação. Amor, Swami Bodhananda. Retiro da Primavera em Patanjali Yogasutras em Nova Deli, março-abril de 2014 Swami Bodhananda dará palestras sobre Patanjali Yogasutras de 3 de março a abril de 2014 em Nova Deli. Local: 15, Avenida Oriental, Maharani Bagh Oeste, Nova Deli Para informações e Para assistir escrever para Arun e Rumney Gulati. Email: ltramni. gulatigmailgt Anual Sambodh quotFoundation Day Programquot em 27 de março de 2014 O aniversário do nosso Guru Swami Bodhananda em 27 de março é celebrado anualmente como o quotSambodh Foundation Dayquot. A Fundação Sambodh Nova Deli está organizando seu programa anual de dia da Fundação em 27 de março de 2014. Hora: 5.30 p. m. Local: 15, Avenida Oriental, Maharani Bagh Oeste, Nova Delhi Para informações e Para assistir escrever para Arun e Rumney Gulati. E-mail: ltramni. gulatigmailgt Hinduísmo global e identidade indiana - conversa de fluxo livre, de boca aberta com Swami Bodhananda - 22 de março de 2014 Hinduísmo e identidade indiana - conversa de fluxo livre e conversa aberta com Swami Bodhananda Junte-se a nós para esta conversa na noite de sábado (22 de março) no café do curso de Kunzum, vila de Hauz Khas, Nova Deli. Participe do Evento através do Facebook aqui. Contacto: Ratnesh Mathur Uma introdução curta - quotIndias busca para a identidade não pode ser divorciada da experiência religiosa e cultural hindu de 7000 anos. Na maioria das vezes o hinduísmo é definido em termos de geografia indiana com referências ao Himalaia e os rios Sindhu, Ganga e Brahmaputra. Palavras como Índia e Hindu se referem ao rio Sindhu ou Indus. Os estranhos conhecem e chamam todos os índios como hindus e não como Vedantins, Mussalmans ou cristãos. A tentativa moderna de criar uma Índia secular desconsiderando esse fato histórico será inautêntica e fútil. Os hindus estão em todo o mundo - nas Américas, Europa, Oriente Médio, Ásia-Pacífico, Caribe e África. A era da Internet trouxe-os juntos e multiculturalismo uma busca entre eles para a identidade. Visão religiosa do mundo e perspectivas culturais subjacentes a uma visão de povos à vida e interpretação de experiências. É neste contexto que nos empenhamos nesta conversa sobre a identidade indiana, tanto como nação quanto como hindus individuais pertencentes a diferentes países. Swami Bodhananda Lições sobre Isavasya Upanishad, 4-5 de abril de 2014 Swami Bodhananda dará duas palestras sobre o Isavaasya Upanishad em 4 e 5 de abril de 2014, em Noida. Contato: Shyam e Renu Khosla Email: ltsskhoslahotmailgt Tel: 9811722805 Palestra Pública no Centro Habitat Índia em 30 de março de 2014 Fundação Sambodh Nova Deli convida você e sua família para uma palestra pública de Swami Bodhananda sobre quotUnleashing seu poder espiritual, em: domingo 30 de março de 2014 , 7 - 20h15 Local: Salão Gulmohar, Centro Habitat da Índia, Estrada Lodhi, Nova Delhi Para informações contacte Dr BP Mathur, Smt. Nalini Sharma, Smt. Rumney Gulati ou Smt. Anu Khera. Email ltsambodh. indiagmailgt Palestra sobre Liderança da Sabedoria - 28 de março de 2014 - na AIMA Nova Delhi All India Management Association, Nova Deli está organizando uma Palestra e Sessão Interativa sobre Liderança da Sabedoria com Swami Bodhananda em 28 de março de 2014. (Participação apenas por convite ou inscrição) Venue amp Contato Anoobhav Sehgal, Gerente LMA Relações amperes Associação, All India Management Association, Casa de Gestão, 14, Área Institucional, Lodhi Road, Nova Delhi 110003 Email. Asehgalaima. in 27 de fevereiro de 2014 - Sivaratri Mensagem - SWAMI BODHANANDA Amar todos é amar o Senhor de todos Este ano, 2014, Shiva Ratri cai em 27 de fevereiro. Ratri significa noite, que é um termo místico para uma mente calma, reflexiva, livre de medo, preocupações, expectativas e frustrações. O olhar interior em devoção a Shiva tira todas as agitações da mente. A devoção é saber que, como agentes de ação e reação, fazemos parte de um todo maior, isto é Shiva, e temos que interagir com um sentimento permanente de responsabilidade intrínseca para com todas as criaturas que constituem nosso ambiente. Shiva é o Senhor de todas as entidades vivas e não-vivas. Na noite de Shiva Ratri, quando o mundo dorme, o devoto vigilante desperta para a verdade que ele / ela está apaixonada pela dança de Shiva, manifestada como este universo expansivo. Amar tudo é amar o Senhor de todos. Neste dia mais auspicioso, Shiva abre o terceiro olho e destrói o mal que suja nossas mentes e almas. O devoto, que vigia até altas horas da manhã, é redimido da escravidão das limitações assumidas por si mesmo e erguido para a terra da liberdade e da bem-aventurança. OM Nama Shivaya Shivohum. Bhagavad Gita e Wise Leadership - Conferências na AMA - 17-21 de fevereiro de 2014 5 Palestras de Swami Bodhananda organizadas pela Associação de Gestão de Ahmedabad 16-20 de fevereiro de 2014. O Bhagavad Gita amp Liderança sábia Desenvolvimento inclusivo, democracia, pluralismo, direitos humanos, Ambiente, energia verde, win-win soluções etc são as palavras de buzz atual. Mas o que falta ao mundo atual é a liderança sábia em todas as áreas da atividade humana para nos levar para fora de uma falta de sentido generalizada, materialismo grosseiro e paralisante relativismo moral. Swami Bodhananda discute, à luz do Bhagavad Gita, a atual crise de liderança ocupando cinco temas - 1. Auto-reflexão do líder sábio 2. Engajamento separado 3. O Grande e o Pequeno 4. O Problema do Outro 5. Luta para ganhar Swami Bodhananda fala em quotConsciousness - o Ultimate Human Resourcequot em 16 de fevereiro de 2014 Swami Bodhananda vai dar uma palestra no Retiro 3 Liderança organizado pela All India Management Association em 16 de fevereiro de 2014, em Goa. O Recurso Humano foi identificado como o recurso crítico para atividades inovadoras e produtivas. Swami Bodhananda recomenda ação reflexiva em espaços interativos como meio de explorar o recurso infinito da consciência. Uma nova estratégia para liderança inspirada. Palestras em Mumbai, 10-15 de fevereiro de 2014 Swami Bodhananda dará duas palestras sobre espiritualidade na vida cotidiana e Espiritualidade - um antídoto para desafios mentais em Mumbai, organizado por Sambodh Mumbai, nos dias 12 e 14 de fevereiro de 2014. Mensagem de Ano Novo 2014 de Swami Bodhananda Um ano novo é como um pacote recém-nascido de babya de esperanças e possibilidades. Um futuro incerto cheio de perigos e oportunidades. E os contornos do Ano Novo se desdobrarão à medida que os indivíduos, as comunidades e as nações fizerem escolhas de acordo com seus interesses e aspirações, guiados por suas perspectivas, conhecimento e auto-percepção. Uma consciência global emergente é freqüentemente frustrada por preconceitos sectários e medos e antagonismos primitivos. Os ideais humanos mais elevados, como o amor, a liberdade, a justiça e a comunidade, estão frustrados em toda parte por uma busca desmedida de poder, paz e prazer. 2013 foi inútil em muitos aspectos, mas também houve muitos atos de graça e caridade, de coragem e compaixão, que mantiveram a chama da esperança brilhante. Quando vejo brotos verdes e flores minúsculas em fendas de pedras, meu coração salta de alegria e clamo que a esperança ainda está viva. Todo bebê recém-nascido é um mensageiro da esperança. Assim também é cada Ano Novo, e 2014 não seria diferente. Segure-se à esperança, sonhe grande, assumir riscos, abraçar o desconhecido, agir corajosamente, e você nunca vai se arrepender. Que 2014 seja um ano de ação decisiva e faça um pequeno afastamento no universerdquo. SWAMI BODHANANDA 27 Dezembro 2013 Nova Delhi Rishi Vision 2014 Programa em Kerala Deepavali Mensagem de Gurudev (2012) Deepavali Saudações de Sambodh ÍNDIA. Aqui está a mensagem de SWAMI BODHANANDA Diwali / Deepavali é um festival de luzes. A Índia é um país vibrante e hinduísmo uma religião dinâmica. Diwali, o festival o mais comemorado de Hindus, é a celebração da esperança sobre a desesperança, conservação sobre o consumo, compartilhar sobre a avidez, amar sobre odiar, conservar sobre o empréstimo, e estar sobre ter. Mitologicamente, Diwali é o reviver da euforia do Senhor Ramas vitória decisiva sobre o demônio Ravana. Historicamente, Diwali significa a integração da Índia no paradigma Védico. Daí que Diwali comemora a unidade e a autoconsciência das Índias como uma cultura e civilização únicas. Para o indivíduo que busca, Ravana representa seu ego e Rama, o eu superior. O ego nubla o eu superior e usando a confusão que se segue abduz a mente indefesa para a ilha de prazer e pompa. Finalmente, o eu superior se afirma com a ajuda da autodisciplina (Lakshmana) e do trabalho altruísta (Hanuman) e resgata a mente do cativeiro dos egos e restaura a união da liberdade e da alegria. Swami Bodhananda 10 de novembro de 2012 A Sociedade Sambodh São Francisco Vedanta Retiro, Nova Iorque, Setembro 2012 Setembro 2012, Retiro Vedanta, Nova York (Foto Cortesia: Tilak Agerwala) Setembro 2012, Retiro Vedanta, Nova York (Imagem Cortesia: Tilak Agerwala) Gurú Guru é criador, Guru é sustentador e Guru é destruidor: Guru desmonta estruturas de ignorância, nutre valores positivos e Inspira pensamentos e ações criativas. Guru ensina em silêncio e por exemplo pessoal. Guru é um oceano de bem-aventurança e um armazém de sabedoria perene. Guru é profundo, calmo e abraçado. Guru é Deus, Guru é Self e Guru é Preceptor. O Guru é a porta para a Divindade. O Guru é Consciência suprema. Guru é sem piedade Compaixão. Guru é intérprete das escrituras. Guru é pai, Guru é mãe, Guru é amigo e Guru é o amado. Guru é um verdadeiro curandeiro e um médico eficaz. O Guru cura a doença do consumismo ea cegueira da mente estreita. Guru é o alquimista que cria transformação por um toque, um gesto, um olhar ou uma palavra. Guru é a natureza - as florestas, as colinas, os prados, os vales, os desertos, os rios, os oceanos, o céu, o sol, a lua, as estrelas - que ensina pelo ser justo. Guru é nossa respiração, nosso batimento cardíaco e nossa própria existência Guru é o sussurro de atman na quietude. Guru é amor sem demanda - um espaço onde um milhão de flores podem florescer, um milhão de sóis podem explodir e um milhão de cisnes podem levar vôo. Guru é alegre celebração - ananda utsava. Neste dia, 3 de julho, do mês de Aashadha, shukla-paksha, noite de pournami, nosso Guru Sri Veda Vyasa nasceu há milhares de anos atrás em uma ilha verdejante suavemente acariciada pelas águas prateadas de mãe Ganga. Filho de uma pobre pescadora, cresceu sem pai para se tornar o principal erudito e sábio do dia e fundador do Dharma Hindu. O Dharma é sustentado por uma inesgotável sucessão de preceptores vivos e praticantes. O Dharma deve ser interpretado e praticado de acordo com as necessidades dos tempos. Guru é o repositório, o veículo eo transmissor do Dharma. Shri. Veda Vyasa é o primeiro e acima de tudo entre todos os gurus hindus. Devotos do Dharma Hindu pagam seus respeitos e obediência ao Sábio Vyasa neste dia auspicioso, adorando aos pés de seu Guru vivo, cantando e oferecendo serviços e reafirmando seu compromisso com a tradição do Guru e ensinamento do Dharma. AUM SREE GURUBHYO NAMAH. Swami Bodhananda Sambodh Centro de Excelência Humana Kalamazoo, Michigan Fonte: Guru Purnima Mensagem por ocasião de Gurupurnima em 3 de julho de 2012 Mt. Kailas Manasarovar Yatra Então o Yak Caiu no Rio Guru Purnima Mensagem Fonte: Swami Bodhananda, Enviado: quarta-feira, 13 de julho de 2011 1:35, New York por ocasião de Gurupurnima em 15 de julho de 2011 As buscas espirituais e éticas são as mais altas Objetivos na vida. Desdobrar a felicidade ao interagir ativamente com o mundo é o significado da ética e da espiritualidade. Ouvir sobre a sabedoria do Ser de um Guru realizado por si mesmo e praticar reflexivamente a sabedoria no relacionamento sempre em desenvolvimento é o meio de auto-realização. O Sábio Veda Vyasa representa o amanhecer da Sabedoria Védica e é considerado o Guru que iniciou o ensino sistemático do autoconhecimento pela prática pessoal e intervenções sociais. Veda Vyasa trouxe os Vedas para a consciência indígena e expôs sua sabedoria através de numerosos comentários e narrativas. Ele é o detentor consciente das Índias e criador de valor. Nesta ocasião auspiciosa do aniversário de nascimento de Veda Vyasas, 15 de julho, no dia da lua cheia do mês de Ashada, nós, buscadores espirituais, prosternamos aos pés de lótus de nosso Guru e buscamos as bênçãos de todos os gurus que vieram e abençoaram a humanidade. Jai Jai Gurudeva Swami Bodhananda Fonte: Swami Bodhananda Enviado: segunda-feira, 6 de julho de 2009 10:52:43 PM, São Francisco Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Maheshvarah Guru Saakshaat Param Brahma Tasmai Sri Gurave Namah. Guru certamente é o criador Brahma, protetor Vishnu e libertador Mahadeva, Guru é um com o Brahman transcendental que é meu Atman Salutações ao supremo Gurudeva. O Guru é o removedor das trevas, nossos olhos vigilantes, o sol iluminador do mundo. Guru é luz e amor e nos leva à nossa alma interior. O Guru é uma metáfora para nossa jornada que começa quando tudo termina. Em uma manhã de nevoeiro, no meio de Ganga, em um barco de balanço, energia e experiência unidos em amor apaixonado. O ar da primavera dançava em alegria. Os vaga-lumes teceram tecido dourado em expectativa animada. O céu azul fechou seus milhões de olhos em tímida timidez. O Guru estava nascendo. O amanhecer da sabedoria. Os mantras permaneceram escondidos nos corações dos Rishis. Sabedoria enterrada nos mantras. Mundo perdido na escuridão. O sábio Vyasa lançou sua rede, como seus ancestrais de pescadores fizeram por gerações, mas agora por pérolas de sabedoria. Os Vedas vieram à luz. Em seguida, o meio-dia da cultura védica. Vivemos num mundo de metáforas. O Guru é nossa metáfora para a vida. Vyasa é nossa metáfora para o Guru. O amor é a nossa metáfora para Vyasa. Um amor que floresceu em um barco de balanço, em um Ganga ondulado em uma manhã de primavera. Fonte: Swami Bodhananda Enviado: 10h00, 5 de junho de 2008, Centro Sambodh para a Excelência Humana, Kalamazoo, Michigan Este ano, o aniversário do nascimento do Senhor Veda Vyasas cai em 18 de julho. Ele nasceu para o velho e enrugado Brahmin Sage Parasara na jovem e bela mulher pescadora Matsyagandhi. A união ocorreu em um barco raquítico, em uma manhã enevoada, sobre o poderoso Ganga. Era uma concepção incrivelmente misteriosa e única. O filho do oceano do conhecimento reunindo em arrebatamento a filha do oceano de águas. Um encontro raro de sabedoria e aventura de paixão masculina e curiosidade feminina uma união de experiência e juventude. Isso estabeleceu o terreno para o melhor florescimento da espiritualidade, cultura e letras hindus. Krishna (nome dado Vyasas) cresceu acima com sua mãe entre os povos dos pescadores em uma ilha arenosa acariciada pelas águas girando do Ganga. Dominava a natação e a pesca na própria idade. Todo mundo na comunidade de pescadores amou o garoto magro escuro com olhos grandes, lábios grossos, testa larga e cabelos encaracolados. Krishna era uma criança pré-cautelosa. Desde que cresceu em uma ilha, Vyasa também era conhecido como Dvaipayana, o ilhéu. Quando Krishna Dvaipayana tinha sete anos de idade, seu pai, de acordo com um acordo anterior, apareceu e levou-o embora e matriculou-o em um Gurukula para estudos védicos. O Gurukula foi criado e administrado pelo próprio Parasara. Parasara não era casado, era coxo em uma perna e era o maior erudito vivo nas interpretações védicas. O jovem Vyasa instantaneamente tornou-se seu assistente pessoal pais e companheiro constante. Parasara ensinou apenas um ramo dos Vedas, outros ramos foram mantidos e ensinados por outros Rishis como Bharadhvaja, Atri, Visvamitra, Kasyapa, Aghora, et al. Pessoas pertencentes a diferentes tribos se chocavam freqüentemente em nome de seus deuses para ganhar território, vacas e ouro. Como Vyasa cresceu até a masculinidade completa, ele partiu unindo essas tribos em disputa com seu famoso slogan: A Verdade é Uma, embora as interpretações sejam muitas. Ele passou por todo o Aryavarta, de Cabul a Kolkota, a terra entre os Himalaias e os Vindhyas, e encontrou-se com diferentes Rishis, coletou seu ramo dos Vedas e depois compilou esses hinos em quatro volumes - O Rik, o Yajus, o Saman E os Vedas de Atharva. A prática central de nossos antepassados védicos era o Yagna e eles acreditavam em muitos deuses e no conceito de Ritmo. Yajna é a troca subtil entre deuses e seres humanos através do sacrifício de fogo e Ritmo é o equilíbrio ea harmonia que existem no universo. Vyasa enfatizou a idéia de tolerância pluralista e desde então tem sido o maior ideal do hinduísmo. Krishna Dvaipayana obteve o título honorário Veda Vyasa por causa de seu serviço yeomen para a causa de Veda-coleta, edição, publicação e propagação. Vyasas mãe Matsyagandhi alias Satyavati eventualmente casou com o rei reinante Santanu da dinastia Kuru. Isso trouxe Vyasa para o turbilhão da política, o que lhe deu a oportunidade de testar a praticidade de suas teorias de ritmo, atma, brahma, yajna e dharma. Vyasa já chegou ao entendimento de que o indivíduo é parte de uma rede cósmica e que sua natureza essencial é a consciência pura. Para apresentar essas idéias num quadro contemporâneo, Vyasa escreveu seu magnum opus - o Mahabharata. Neste épico Vyasa retratado espírito humano apanhado em uma rede inescapável de redes e relacionamentos a tragédia de loucuras humanas eo triunfo eventual do espírito humano. A caracterização de Vyasas de Bhishma, Dharmaputra, Dhritarashtra, Duryodhana, Karna e Draupadi capturou inteiramente a complexidade e as contradições da natureza humana. O objetivo de Vyasas era descrever a natureza ea operação do dharma nas interações humanas. Vyasa escreveu o Brahma Sutras para explicar a lógica de sua teoria de que o indivíduo é a fonte última de todos os valores. O indivíduo é a fonte da existência, do conhecimento e da felicidade. A consciência que funciona no indivíduo é o fundamento de todo fenômeno. Vyasa era um espiritualista completo - que o espírito é a fonte da matéria, que a evolução é o processo de manifestar o que está escondido e latente na consciência. O Bhagavad Gita, uma parte do Mahabharata, é a crista jóia do pensamento filosófico Vyasas. Krishna, o herói guerreiro, ensina seu primo confuso, Arjuna, o arqueiro mais importante de sua época. Que um tem que executar seu / seu dever ao melhor de umas abilidade e consciência não obstante as conseqüências. Se tem que haver uma escolha entre o bem-estar eo bem-estar coletivo, o herói escolhe o último. O ator é responsável por suas ações realizadas como um chamado de dever, mas não tem controle sobre o desenlace do resultado da ação, não o ator, é medido pelo resultado, o ator está livre da cadeia de resultados da ação. O Bhagavad Gita é uma exposição magistral sobre a relação entre ator, ação e resultados. Uma ação feita fora do dever é livre da mácula do pecado mesmo se dói alguns. Um senso de dever dá clareza para fazer a escolha. Um guerreiro tem razão quando mata fora do dever. Vyasa que impregna suas esposas de meio-irmão está certo porque ele fez isso por um senso de dever. Um homem de meia-idade que estupra uma menina menor é uma abominação, pois nenhum dever está envolvido naquele ato desprezível. O ato impulsivo de um estuprador ou assassino é diametralmente oposto ao desempenho deliberativo do dever. Desempenho individual dos deveres, como uma oferta para os criadores, é o ensino central do Gita. Vyasa passou meses juntos na floresta de Badarika, seu retiro centra-se no Himalaia. Escreveu a maioria de suas obras lá. Ele adquiriu outro epíteto como resultado - o habitante da floresta Badarika, Badarayana. Os dezoito Puranas que Vyasa criou mostrar-lhe em seu melhor imaginativo. Puranas descreve os assuntos humanos como uma interação tangled entre deuses, seres humanos, anjos, rakshasas, asuras, gandharvas, kinneras, yakshas, animais, pássaros, répteis e mesmo árvores. Eles podiam se comunicar e conhecer a linguagem uns dos outros. Em vez de explicar cada experiência humana em termos do leito procrusteano da lógica, Vyasa levou a imaginação como uma ferramenta para interpretar a experiência e as conexões causais. Assim, se uma jovem solteira engravidar, não é seu comportamento imoral, mas o resultado de sua promessa a um Gandharva na vida passada, ou a paixão de um poderoso kinnara ou deus. Se os recém-nascidos morrem um após o outro, o casal teve um acordo nesse sentido em uma vida anterior ea tragédia só é esperada como resultado de um plano predeterminado. O que é experimentado no teatro da vida humana é apenas uma sombra do que aconteceu, acontece e acontecerá em outros teatros da vida. A vida humana ganha uma profundidade insondável - vários jogadores em vários níveis estão envolvidos no jogo de até mesmo um único episódio. The puranas depict life as a pullulating web of intricate patterns with dizzying depths, each strand showing a will, character and individuality of its own. Reading Vyasas puranas is a therapeutic experience. Krishna Dvaipayana Badarayana Veda Vyasa is the founder of Hinduism, as we know it today. He lived a long productive life. He was a thinker, organizer, teacher, interpreter, writer, counsellor, troubleshooter, consultant, political strategist, institution builder, tireless traveller and above all an enlightened master. There is no field of human activity that he has not set his mind and enriched. He is tallest and the greatest prophet or Guru of India. He is Adi Guru. The quintessential teacher. By offering prostrations at his hallowed image we are honouring all Gurus who have come and blessed humanity. When we remember Bhagavan Veda Vyasa we realize the meaning of the paean: Guru is creator Brahmaa Guru is sustainer Vishnu Guru is redeemer Shiva Guru is indeed the supreme Truth Unto that Guru our prostrations Love, Swami Bodhananda Sambodh Centre for Human Excellence Kalamazoo, Michigan 10.00am 5 June 2008 Source: Swami Bodhananda Sent: 11.42am, 17 July 2007, San Francisco In a pluralistic, living tradition, like the Hindu Wisdom tradition, the role of Guru is paramount. In such a culture wisdom is not locked in a book, however sublime and quintessential the book might be. In such traditions wisdom is possessed by living Gurus who have dedicated their lives to the disciplines of study, reflection, practice and teaching by exemplary behaviour. Every Guru worth his/her salt must experience the Truth directly and speak from the authority of personal enlightenment. The Sat Gurus words do not spring from memory learned by rot, but from the fresh springs of contemplative experience. The true Guru enjoys the freedom to interpret wisdom according to the needs of the times and circumstances without compromising the core vision. He alone has the clarity and steadiness to take spirituality to the everyday humdrum of practical living - to the workplace, to the family, to community life, to academics, and engage in creative dialogue with opposing belief systems and assumptions of reality. The Hindus believe that periodically paradigm shifts occur in human understanding and mighty movements led by great incarnations/avataras re-evaluate and reinterpret reality and redefine human aspirations. Rama, Krishna, Buddha and Gandhi, Moses, Jesus, Mohammad, Confucius, Newton, Darwin, Einstein et. al. were such epochal manifestations of the Divine. The Hindus had the unique good fortune of having great Gurus appearing from time to time to clean the Aegean stables of misunderstanding, corruption, confusion, greed and violence in human behaviour and community living. Sage Yagnavalkya, Sage Vashishta, Sage Valmiki, Veda Vyasa, Gaudapadacharya, Sankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Madvacharya, Tulasidasa, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, and Ramana Maharshi were some of them. Of all these Hindu Gurus, the name of Sage Badarayana Paraasara Krishna Dvaipayana Veda Vyasa, or simply, Veda Vyasa stands out as a beacon light through millennia of Hindu history. He was the compiler of Vedas, and the author of Mahabharata and Brahma Sutras. He laid the firm foundation of Hinduism by his crystal clear and uncompromising teachings and tireless dedicated work. Vyasa was a great synthesizer and emphasised on mystic statements like: quot Truth is one, but paths are manyquot quot Thou art Thatquot quot Consciousness is Truthquot quotThe creation is non-separate from the Creatorquot etc. In a multicultural global society and when science and technology has become the nursery rhymes of every child and material progress the dominant mantra, Vyasas insights and wisdom help us integrate the best in all traditions and systems of knowledge and create a unifying vision of ethics, conduct and meaning for human striving. I have no doubt that Sage Vyasas teachings will have more and more relevance as the world becomes more integrated, complex and multi-cultural. On the auspicious day of Guru Purnima/Vyasa Jayanti I wish all of you blessings from all Gurus who appeared and yet keep appearing on the planet to teach and enlighten humanity. Jai Gurudeva Jai Sri Vyasa Bhagavan Jai Sri Sankaracharya Love, Swami Bodhananda Source: Swami Bodhananda Sent: 30th June 2006, Kalamazoo, Michigan, On the occasion of Vyasa Purnima on 10th July, 2006 The birth anniversary of Sri Veda Vyasa falls on the 10th of July. He was born 5000 years ago to a fisher woman, in an island. His father was a Brahmin scholar called Parasara. From such humble origins Vyasa grew up to become the greatest spiritual and ethical preceptor of India. He is the founder of Hinduism as we practice it today. Hindus call him Adi Guru, the ancient teacher. The birthday of Sri Vyasa is hence celebrated as the day of fullness of Guru. Veda Vyasa systematised and edited the four Vedas that became the foundation stones of Hinduism. The cardinal principles of Vedas are: (1) There are many paths to the One God. (2) The world is a dynamic expression of God, hence Divine. (3) God is to be realised in the hearts of individuals who cultivate compassion for fellow creatures. Vyasa further developed these ideas into a system of ethics and social conduct in his famous composition, the Mahabharata. The Gita, the core sacred book of Hindus, is set in the Mahabharata in the midst of a battlefield. It gives the message of detached engagement in the performance of ones worldly duties as a path to spiritual growth. Ever since down to this day Hindus have followed the light shown by Vyasa. Guru is the vehicle of knowledge transference. It is true with any branch of knowledge, be it material science or spiritual wisdom. We stand on the shoulders of our forefathers. Without words and writing and teachers, civilization will come to a grinding halt. Gurus role is as important today as it was during the ages of oral tradition. It is Guru who transforms data into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom. He interprets symbols for day-to-day living. He welds the transcendental and the terrestrial into a happy harmony in human awareness. He is the Shiva who brings down the Ganga of knowledge from Heaven to earth. Guru is Acharya who teaches by practice, who walks his talk. The syllable Gu in the word GURU represents darkness and Ru in the sense of remover. Etymologically GURU means remover of spiritual darkness or ignorance. Guru is inspired by his inner energy and motivated by compassion for the suffering world. His words or actions have no tinge of self-aggrandising greed or ambition. Vyasa lived in the forest of Badarikaranya, away from the city, away from power and pomp. But he was there when the nation faced a crisis, with his ethical compass and spiritual torchlight. The whole community listened to him in abated breath. He set standards for kings, philosophers and businessmen to follow. A Guru is a RAJARSHI, that is, an involved spiritual beacon, contributing to the well being of people. Vyasa advised the Kuru dynasty, Vasishta, the solar kings and in modern times we have the glorious example of Mahatma Gandhi. A Guru never turns his face from the problems of the world. According to Sankaracharya, Guru is quotahetuka dayasindhuquot - an ocean of motiveless compassion. The Katha Upanishad says: quot uttishtata jagrata praapya varaan nibodhataquot - Arise Awake Seek company of great souls and gain enlightenment. The Mundaka Upanishad says: quottat vijnaanaartham gurumevabhi gachet, samitpanih srotriyam bramhma nishtamquot - to know the truth may the seeker approach a scholar well established in wisdom. The Gita says: quot tat vidhi pranipaatena, pariprasnena, sevayaquot - may you know the truth through surrender, enquiry and service. The Veda cautions: quotacharyavaan purusho vedaquot - blessed by a guru one comes to know the truth. In all these scriptures the importance of Guru is highlighted. Sant Tulsi Das dares to say: If God and Guru appear together, first prostrate to Guru and then to God, for it was Guru who opened our eyes to God. Shiva Purana says: Guru saves from Gods anger, but not even God can save when Guru is angry. Such is the reverence in which Hindus hold for Guru and the Guru Parampara, the succession of teachers. It is all the legacy of Veda Vyasa. His full name was Krishna-Dvaipayana-Badarayana-Paarasara - Veda Vyasa. Salutations to this Loka Guru/world teacher of India who taught us ahimsa paramo dharma - lsquocoexistence is supreme virtuersquo. This is the message the modern world, torn in several factions, urgently needs. Swami Bodhananda Kalamazoo, Michigan 30th June 2006 Source: Swami Bodhananda Sent: Thursday, 10 Jul 2003, 20:07:59, Kalamazoo, Michigan On the occasion of Guru Purnima on 13 July, 2003 We celebrate Guru Purnima on 13 July, the day five thousand years ago Sage Vyasa was born as a love child to Parasara Muni and Satyavati, the fisher woman. Vyasa was called Krishna because of his black complexion, and Dvaipayana because he was born in an island (dvip) flanked by the Yamuna. He was also called Badarayana, the inhabitant of the Badarika (Jujube tree) forest. Later this great saint came to be known as Veda Vyasa for his seminal work of collecting, editing, publishing, interpreting and propagating the four Vedas - Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva. Thus Vyasas full name was Paarasara Krishna Dvaipayana Badarayana Veda Vyasa. His independent works are, the Mahabharata, the Puranas and the Brahmasutras. The Prasthanatrayee, that is, the Brahmasutras, the ten principal Upanishads and the Bhagavad Gita are essentially the work of Sri Veda Vyasa. The Prasthanatrayee are the triple scriptures of the present day Hinduism. The great Acaryas of Hinduism such as Sankaracarya, Ramanujacarya and Madhvacarya and later Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo and Mahatma Gandhi wrote commentaries for at least one of these scriptures. Therefore Sri Veda Vyasa can be called the father/mother/Guru of Hinduism as we know and practice it today. Sri Vyasa was not only a scholar, but he also was an active statesman who took interest in the affairs of the nation. He came to the help of his mother/queen Satyavati in running the kingdom when his half-brothers, who were kings, were found inadequate for the task. Sri Vyasa even went to the extent of siring children in Ambalika and Ambika, the royal queens, who could not conceive from their husband kings - Vicitravirya and Citrangada. The central teachings of Vyasa can be condensed into the following: (1) Truth is one. but paths are many. (2) World is one family, hence to exist is to co-exist. (3) God/ Divinity lives in the heart of each human/being. (4) God/Divinity can be experienced moment to moment in a pure mind. (5) Purity of mind is attained when engaged in the world through self-giving work. Whenever Hindus have forgotten to live these immortal teachings of Veda Vyasa then they came to suffer humiliation and cultural degradation. That has been happening to us, Hindus, for the last 1500 years. Instead of responding creatively to challenges of the Muslims and the British, and grow in stature, we withdrew from the arena of action, and tried to find our god in seclusion and in the cocoon of our small self. Now Vyasas teachings are finding world acceptance and are experimented on the world theatre by globally conscious individuals. I have no doubt that Veda vyasas teachings will be the foundation of the emerging world spiritual consciousness. Salutations to Our Guru, Sri Veda Vyasa. Jai Jai Gurudeva, Swami Bodhananda Thursday, 10 Jul 2003, 20:07:59 Kalamazoo, Michigan Source: Swami Bodhananda Sent: July 21st, 2002, 3.30pm, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA On the occasion of Guru Purnima on 24th July, 2002 Guru Purnima falls on 24, July. This was the day Bhagavan Krishna Dvaipayana Paaraasara Veda Vyasa was born. He was born to Matsyagandhi Satyavati, the fishermans daughter, by Sage Parasara, the great master of the Vedas. Shri Veda Vyasa is the greatest proponent of Hinduism as we know and practice it today. Veda Vyasa enjoyed royal patronage of the Kurus as his mother later married the Kuru king Santanu. Santanus children in Satyavati were Vichitravirya and Chitrangada. They married the princesses of Kasi - Ambika and Ambalika. Since the princes remained childless, Vyasa procreated children in those princesses. These two boys were called Dritarashtra and Pandu. Shri Vyasa continued to take interest in the affairs of the state. This provided him insights into the behaviour of men and women in powerful positions. That is how Vyasa was able to weave spirituality into the nitty-gritty of daily life. The Mahabharata is a classic work of Veda Vyasa in which he describes the passions and drives that fuel people to do stupendous as well as horrendous deeds. The ethical issues arising out of dilemmaic situations and powerful men, caught in the web of their past, struggling to come out of the swamp of their inner confusions are fascinating themes depicted in this epic. And the great teaching of the Bhagavad Gita, showing a way out of this mental paralysis, a beacon light shines in centre of this storm. Shi Veda Vyasa composed, according to traditional wisdom, all the 18 Puranas including the Bhagavata Purana. He is the undoubted author of Mahabharata and Brahmasutras. Shri Veda Vyasa got his best spiritual training under the tutelage of his scholar-Saint father who was an authority in the Vedas. It was Vyasa who later collected the vast repertoire of the Vedic lore, edited and published in the form that we know the four Vedas today. There could not have been the future Hinduism without Vyasas foundational work. The later Acharyas like Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Nimbarka, Vallabha, Chaitanya, Tulasi Das and others have only interpreted variously the texts written by Vyasa. Shri Veda Vyasa was the defining moment in the long story of Hinduism. The Hindu world view and ultimate aspirations which determine the Vedantic culture of India and of one billion strong Hindus all over the world were inspired by this great Rishi. These are the reasons why Hindus worship Vyasa as the Guru of gurus - Adi Guru. Krishna claims in the Gita that among Muni-s He is Vyasa, who is considered an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Guru is one who guides us beyond the ocean of ignorance, limitations and sorrow. His energy arises from a vast sea of compassion, born of spiritual vision. Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Jesus Christ, Prophet Mohammad, Moses, Confucius, Socrates were all great teachers who strove to lift human kind from their little selves to the Oceanic Vastness of the Self. By offering Salutations to Vyasa we are actually honouring this long succession of teachers who manifested, from time to time, to bless suffering humanity. It is said that our biological parents bring us into the turmoil of the world and our Guru help us remain above those turbulences. On this auspicious Day of the Guru, we offer our prostrations at the lotus feet of our Guru, so that He may purify our hearts and lift our spirits to the presence of the all-pervading Spirit - The ultimate Bliss of Union. On this day we rededicate ourselves to the path of spiritual knowledge and self-realization, of ineffable Love and the all-encompassing Consciousness, to the study of the scriptures and a life of contemplation. Salutations Salutations Salutations At The Lotus Feet Of The Guru. Swami Bodhananda July 21st, 2002, 3.30pm, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA Source: Swami Bodhananda Chinmaya Jyoti, Vol.3, No.1, July 1981, pg.3 The socio-cultural dimension of mans existence is not inherited genetically, but acquired in the course of social living. It is culture and social awareness that distinguishes man from the animal. The process of acquiring this culture is education. The person who helps the transmission of culture is called Guru. Culture is a wide term which includes a vision of life, corresponding values, behavior patterns, goals and expectations in life. It sets the standards by which success or failure is measured. To some success is the increase in the quantity of desires entertained and fulfilled, whereas to others success is freedom from wants and enjoyments there of. The Hindu Vision of life remain unchanged from what it was 5000 years ago, say in the times of Sage Vyasa, Sage Yajnavalkya, Gargi, Sri Rama or Sri Krishna - the yearning for the limitless, love for renunciation, a happy acceptance of ones lot in life, and a deep respect for others living and non-living. Culture is a question of attitude, not of mere material advancement, of harmony with nature not of conflict and strife. Such an attitude can be imparted only by those who live that ideal. No amount of theorizing and pamphleteering can achieve it. Hence the need of a teacher who live by his convictions. His life and conduct is the teaching. The Hindu tradition is supremely fortunate in having a succession of teachers like Sri Vyasa, Acarya Sankara, Swami Tapovanam et. al. July 17th we celebrate Vyasa Jayanti as world teachers day. Krishna Dvaipayana, alias Veda Vyasa was the greatest of all Hindu teachers. He collected all Vedas, edited and published them. He devised a method of teaching and is the first spring of Guru Sisya Parampara, whose blessings we enjoy through our teachers. Our salutations to Sage Veda Vyasa, and Poojya Gurudev who blazes our path towards peace and Godhood. Source: Swami Bodhananda Chinmaya Jyoti, Vol.3, No.1, July 1981, pg.3 Source: Message written for the occasion of the celebration of Navaratra by His students and devotees of Sambodh Foundation Bangalore Chapter, India, in 1998 The other day we celebrated Navaratra the memory of the epic fight that the DIVINE MOTHER fought against Mahishasura, the buffalo demon, and the final victory of the good over evil. On the tenth day dasami the Divine Mother having accomplished the mission of HER advent, disappeared into the surging waters of the ocean. Her entire creation heaved a sigh f relief as the world was finally free from the scourge of Mahishasura, the epitome of ignorance and arrogance. Sakti is the power of the Lord by which HE deludes creatures as well as delivers them. In fact delusion and deliverance are two aspects of the same process. Both are His play. Only the deluded will know the value of deliverance. It is only when you lose the diamond that you know the value of the diamond. As the Mahisha of ignorance overpowers our faculties, the intellect get deluded, emotions are muddied, senses run riot, perception become warped, the spring of love in the heart dries up, words become bitter and acerbic, thoughts turn split, deeds become violently destructive, and the quality of life is totally and irreparably degraded. Mahisha also stands for death and disintegration. Mahisha wallows in filthy water. It is a beast of burden, oblivious of the hideous weight over its back. It is a symbol of voiceless suffering. Mahisha represents he unacceptable levels of suffering, suppression and disruption caused by kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya, damba, ahamkara, asuya and irsya all due to a fall from spiritual values and holistic vision. The ordinary human being is so steeped into this mire of psychological filth that all his attempts to pull himself out have come to naught. Like the TuskerKing Gajendra of Bhagavatam, he is carried deeper and deeper into the whirlpool of Samsara by the crocodile of his insatiable greed. It is at such dreadful moments of pitch darkness in midday, as all our struggles are frustrated by an enemy from within, that good people start fervently fasting and praying for the DIVINE intervention, for a fresh transfusion of life giving energy. When the Mahisha, that huge hulk of all devouring darkness straddle the length and breadth of the individual and social life, swaying menacingly its powerfully crooked horns, stamping its hoofed feet irreverently on anything holy, beautiful and vulnerable, its puffed nostrils shooting shafts of fury, its eyes bulging into venomous rage, it is then good people helplessly look heavenward with upraised open arms and cry their heart out for DIVINE intervention. It is then Lord Vishnu, Brahma, Siva, Indra, Varuna, the sun and the Moon, and all the other Gods, along with the Rishis and Munis pool together any pray to the most compassionate DIVINE MOTHER of the universe to intervene and take action. They all, in unison, beseech Her to put on Her terrible form, to jump on to the back of her snarling mount, the roaring lion, put out her eighteen hands and pull out the armory of eighteen missiles, to join battle with the Mahishasura, and vanquish him once for ever. Granting their collective prayer, the Universal Mother came down on the Mahishasura like bouts of thunderbolts, slicing and incinerating the dark monster into extinction. Darkness ended and there was sunshine again. Navaratra is a message of hope, of faith, in the ultimate victory of good over evil. Faith is an inbuilt mechanism of good asserting decisively when the balance of forces shifts in favour of evil. Navaratra heralds the regenerative, creative powers in the midst of entropy and death. Navaratra is the celebration of hope, and the reaffirmation of Faith. satyameva jayate na anrtam satyena pandha vitatah devayanah Truth alone triumphs, never untruth The paths to Gods are made of Truth. OM TAT SAT JAI MATA DI On Deepavali Swami Bodhananda Chinmaya Jyoti, Editorial, Vol.2, No.5, November 1980, pg.3 As the earth spins on its imaginary axis as ususal, ushering in the month of aswini, the people inhabiting the region between the Hindukush and the Arakhan, from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, prepares themselves to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights. Light has a special meaning and significance in human life. A devout traditional Hindu tends a permanent fire in his house. A modern Hindu keeps a lamp or a zero watt bulb burning in his pooja room. The Lord, the Self of all beings is of the nature of light - jyotisvaroopah. The early Vedic Rishis chanted: lead from darkness to light, from death to deathlessness. The ultimate reality, the consciousness, the Brahman is pure light. It is in the light of that consciousness everything that falls in the field of experience, including the sun and the moon, is illumined. He alone shines in his resplendent glory, and everything else shines after him. Chinmaya Jyoti, Vol.2, No.5, November 1980, pg.3 On Sri Ganesa, and Siddhi Vinayaka Kalasa Programme Swami Bodhananda in an email response to Naveen Budhraj Sent: Tuesday, December 16, 2003 10:01 PM Please use this message for the Spring News Bulletin. We, Ganesha devotees, have been chanting the mantra and offering charity in the Siddhi Vinayaka Kalasha for the last two years. Last year we reaffirmed our commitment to this sadhana program. Large number of new devotees came forward enthusiastically to join the Kalasha Sadhana. Some from the old batch left too. That has been always the case. But Ganesha blesses all of us unconditionally. With His curved trunk He removes all obstacles from our path. His small piercing eyes keep constant vigil on our deeds and misdeeds. His large, oversized years listen to all that we consciously and unconsciously say. With His single tusk He writes the script of our destinies. Shri Ganapati Bapa is a symbol of joy, contentment and mirth, of affluence and wealth, peace and health. His two consorts, Siddhi and Buddhi, constantly serve Him in His world redeeming work. Devotees of Ganesha are blessed with sharp intellect and fulsome success. In April,2003 we visited Sattal. Jasjit Mansingh, Marion (from Netherlands), Naveen, Alka and me spent three days in the gorgeous setting of the Himalayas, walking along the narrow footpaths visiting homes and chatting up with the villagers. Our purpose was to develop friendship with them, to assess their immediate needs unobtrusively and see what we can do for them on your behalf. Their urgent universal requirement was clean, running, drinking water. Later they may need schools, health clinics, roads, electricity, and the list goes on and on. Our team committed two lakhs for the water project. I am sure you will approve of that. Later, an utterly dejected and lost villager came to us and talked about his ailing wife, who required immediate medical treatment. We decided to grant him monetary help of Rs. 5000 on the spot. The fact there was somebody to listen to his tale of woe and bring some succor to his dark world of hopelessness brought a suspicion of a smile on the weather beaten wrinkled face of that man. For the first time I saw the face of God. Friends, this project that we have collectively undertaken is something we have to do on a priority basis. So many of our brethren are suffering. We have to do our bit for them. This is the way to do it, not with arrogance, but with humility - that Lord ganesha is giving us an opportunity to serve the world and purify ourselves. Sambodh Foundation and Sambodh Seva Trust are organising many programs for the spring. Naveen Budhraja will be detailing all of them in his report. Wishing to see you in all those functions. Jai Ganesha Maha Ganesha Love and regards, Swami Bodhananda Swami Bodhananda Sent on August15th, 2002, 12.11am, from Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA Onam is many things to many people - a harvest festival, beginning of the new year, nostalgia for a long lost kingdom of equality and justice, yearly reunion with their most beloved expatriate king-Mahabali, victory of divine piety over earthly might, conquest of ego by the spirit and above all an occasion for fun and celebration. We take off ten days from our busy schedule, decorate the forefront of our homes with floral designs and worship God (in clay statues) as the ideal king who visits each and every one of his citizens in their homes. For the masses God is a benevolent king, who protects the weak and promotes the good. But goodness alone is not enough. Goodness with out humility is arrogant display of power, a mindless standardization of human values. Who ever has tried that system has failed miserably. You may make every body equal, but humanity loses individuality in a mass of homogeneity. That is what happened to the ideal of Mahabali. Like the communists and socialists, he forcibly imposed equality, and people lost their quality and creativity and the zest for life. The young brahmachari Vamana by a creative intervention demolished the whole structure of inertia and somber statusquo in which mahabali ruled as the sole decision maker. Vamana came as a humble mendicant wanting only three square feet of land to spread his contemplation - cushion. The mighty Mahabali, secure in his power and glory, condescendingly, but thoughtlessly, granted, even against his teachers advise, the request. Apparently a good act, but with out circumspection. And the structure which Mahabali constructed over years on the principle of equality and inertia collapsed like a pack of cards, like the erstwhile Soviet Union. What is the message of this ambivalent story A good king was sent packing to the nether world by a just God for no apparent reason or justification There are two messages: 1) that power with out humility will not be lasting and 2) that equality without freedom for individual enterprise will not be sustainable. The spiritual message is surrender to God and do your best for the good of others. Love and hearty Onam Greetings Swami Bodhananda Sambodh Foundation Sambodh Foundation, India . is a not-for-profit charity and spiritual organisation, that works for social, and spiritual uplift, inspired by the vision and teachings of its preceptor, SWAMI BODHANANDA. An acclaimed Teacher of Vedanta, Gurudev with rare clarity and vision, through discourses, interviews, lectures, classes and seminars unfolds the answers to the perennial yet contemperaneous question who am I. Sambodh Foundation is a forum for philanthropists and service-minded Sadhakas, to pool their resources, to set up appropriate institutions, with a dream for the spiritual revival of the humankind. Guided by Gurudevs sacred vision Sambodh practises the inculcation of values such as respect for all religions, respect for the individual and his/her fundamental rights, respect for nature and humans symbiotic relationship, all with a scientific temper. The goal is noble. The work is rewarding. But the path is ardous. We need a reservoir of good will among the enlightened public. Finance is required. Workers are needed. But what is more precious is the good wishes of the people, of all of you. Join us and discover a new world and a new life of happiness, love, self-unfoldment and self-fulfillment. Let us participate in Gods work and let us feel Gods abundant grace every moment of our lives. Sambodh INDIA has centres in several cities in Kerala with ashrams in Trivandrum, Cochin, Calicut and Palakkad. The headquarters of Sambodh Kerala is in Trivandrum, at Bodhananda Kendram, beside the river Kalady, frilled by coconut palms, and with a picturesque vanatage point. There is a full fledged guest house, halls, and class rooms in Bodhananda Kendram. Bodhananda Kendram in Trivandrum is the oldest Centre of Sambodh India, and was started by the disciples of Gurudev in 1988. Siddhi Vinayaka is the patron deity of Sambodh Kerala and other Sambodh Centres. Devotees of Sambodh in India and the United States worship Siddhi Vinayaka with the Ganesa Gayatri mantra . and also contributing to microcharity through the Siddhi Vinayaka Kalasaradhana Programme. Read More Sambodh India has inspired a research foundation, Bodhananda Research Foundation for Management and Leadership Studies. BRF-ML was found in 1990 inspired by Gurudevs vision that leadership will be the most challenging issue in the twenty-century not only in corporate management, but all enterprises that would need innovation, imagination and team effort. BRF-ML organises seminars and courses on a wide range of themes on Indian management. The most recent event was a course on classical Indian ways of reasoning, with focus on the text Tarkasamgraha . Read More The activities of Sambodh Bangalore are primarily two-fold: The Sambodh Centre for Vedanta amp Siddhi Vinayaka Temple which is coming up in the city and the Sambodh Centre for Living Values in the outskirts of Bangalore which is devoted to activities that promote a green life style based on ecological principles. Sambodh Bangalore organises events to support underprivileged children with educational aids planting of trees, medicinal plants and organic farming and nurtures Sambodh Centre for Living Values, with a variety of a programmes that inspires interdisciplinary dialogues studying Vedantic texts and living with the nature. Currently, Sambodh Bangalore is overseeing the construction of the completion of Vedanta Centre and the Siddhi Vinayaka Temple. To Know How You can Support, See Brochure Sambodh Delhi is the central office for all Sambodh Centres in India. Apart from the administrative overview of the Centres, Sambodh Delhi organises annual lectures by Gurudev, and also study classes on Upanishads, Gita, and Vedantic texts, when Gurudev is in India. Apart from leadership and management studies seminars and lectures, Sambodh Delhi organises a variety of charity events to support the poor and underprivileged, and also supports a project for facilitating drinking water in Sattal, a Himalayan village. See Pictures Thematic Notes Sapta Padma -- The Seven Lotuses The human is a conglomerate of energy vibrations. Modern science says that human body is formed of 10 trillion cells. It is these cells that function as bone, marrow, blood, flesh, skin, neural networks, sense organs, and motor organs. Cells are a collection of atoms. Atom is a vibration of energy. This vibration rests in vacuum and vacuum rests in consciousness. It is this consciousness which Rishis know and realize through meditation as sacchIdananda and bodhasvarupa . Man ends up a samsari and unhappy person when he leads a body-oriented life without knowing these different dimensions of existence. Identified with the superficial manifests of consciousness such as nama (name) and rupa (form), and forgetting the essential relationship with the depths, he as a limited and insecure individual spends his lifetime, eating, sleeping, and procreating. Human consciousness which is trapped in the four expressions: kama (desire), krodha (anger), bhaya (fear) and dura (greed) needs to be awakened and heightened, led through the different dimensions of existence, and integrated with the comprehensiveness of consciousness. What is called for is a self-fulfilling pilgrimage from selfishness to selflessness. From desire through love to devotion from the navel through the heart to hrit from greed through austerity to compassion from Muladhara through anahata to the sahasrara . The Rishis with their subtle vision saw the totality of universe in the human form as virat purusha . The universe has the form of a man of perfect shape sitting in siddhasana . The extroverted human who walks carefree in his two legs is unaware of this secret. The universe is full of energy vibrations with different frequencies. The Rishis realize the totality of these vibrations as aumkara the pranava . The energy vibrations of the Yogi in siddhasana orchestrate with the cosmic energy vibrations. The sushumna nerve becomes enlivened in this meeting of the microcosm with the macrocosm. The potential energy which lies in slumber in the Muladhara needs to be awakened through this sushumna nerve, to the sahasrara . . Sushumna is the extremely subtle nerve which begins two inches above the anus, passing through the vertebral column of the spinal cord, like a long lotus reed, and reaching the brain. This nerve is not apprehensible through scientific instruments. The point above the anus, where the Sushumna nerve starts is called the Muladharam . and the other points upwards where the Sushumna touches are called Svadhishtanam . Manipurakam . Anahatam . Visuddham and Ajna . The Sushumna nerve ends in the Sahasrara which exists centred on and encompassing the brain. These energy centers which exist in the path of the Sushumna nerve are called Padma and Chakra . They are called Padma since they have the power to bloom like a lotus and radiate energy. They are also called Chakra since they are the sources of Sakti energy. Whereas Muladharam is two inches above the anus where the spinal cord ends, Svadhishtanam is two inches above Muladharam on the genital. Manipuraka Padma exists on the centre of navel, Anahata Padma is on the centre of heart, Visuddha Padma is on the Adams apple, Ajna Padma is on the bhrumadya between the eyebrows, and Sahasraram on the centre of the brain. Sahasraram is the Padma with thousand petals. If Sushumna nerve could be compared to a lotus reed, these Padma centres of Sakti could be compared to the flowers on that reed, placed at specific distances from bottom to top. The central point of attention of a body focused human is on the Muladharam where Ida and Pingala meet. Of these two nerves which begins at Muladharam going up encircling the Sushumna . Ida through the left nostril and Pingala through the right nostril relates with the bahyaprana outside Prana . Ida and Pingala nerves and Muladhara Padma form the substratum for the experience of duality. Ida by relating with the left side of the brain, and Pingala by relating with the right side of the brain becomes the substratum for the opposing forces in the individual and cosmos. When Ida is the substratum of buddhi intelligence, paurusha manliness, Surya sun and Agni fire, Pingala is the substratum of emotions, feminine qualities, moon and water. Human who is the slave of ahamkara ego, and mamaakara - mine-ness, identifying with Ida and Pingala nerves, exists in the Muladharam . influenced by kama desire, krodha anger, lobha greed and bhaya anger. The human energy caught up in the Muladharam needs to be liberated. This has to be achieved by the blooming of the Muladhara Padma. The four-petalled Muladhara could be awakened, by taking a long breath through the right nostril, holding it inside, and exhaling it through the chanting of Aumkara . The consciousness which is awakened and freed from the Muladharam becomes free of kama-desire. Further, with the chanting of Aumkara . consciousness liberated through the awakening of the six petalled Svadhishtana . and thus becoming free from anger awakening the ten petalled Manipurakam and becoming free from greed awakening the twelve petalled Anahata Padma and becoming free from fear awakening the sixteen petalled Visuddha Padma and becoming free from vasana-s awakening the two petalled Ajna Padma and becoming free from self-ignorance continued with the chanting of Soham and awakening the thousand petalled Sahasrara to the spectacle of thousand suns rising together. When consciousness awakens through the Sushumna transcending each Padma . gradually the levels of Panchabuta five elements, triguna and the seer-seen duality are also transcended. Sakti energy is limited consciousness. Siva is unlimited consciousness. Siva-Sakti-Samyoga is the limited consciousness awakening to the unlimited consciousness, like the river merges with the ocean-this is the awakening of Kundalini . Human consciousness confined to the Muladhara is called Kundalini the coiled snake lying in two folds. Since this snake is the reflection of Siva consciousness it is also said that it is coiled around the Sivalinga . Sushumna is the passage which guides the consciousness from the lowest level to the highest level. It is about reaching the seventh level of Sahasrara crossing the six Chakra, that the poet Tunjath Ezuthacchan wrote: padiyaarum kadannavide chellumbol Sivane kanaanaakum Siva sambho climbing the six steps one sees the Siva. Tantra sadana tradition describes the means and methods for the awakening of the Kundalini . and achieving Purna Prajna by the touching of Kundalini of Sahasrara Padma and awakening it. Agama Sastra also says that only by the direct guidance of a realized Guru, only a student who has renounced all desires, can get the complete realization through this path. Source: Article written by Swami Bodhananda, Sambodh News (Bangalore) Vol.1, No.1, 1996 Generally our happiness is due to a reason. Can you be happy without any reason Your very nature is happiness. When the sun shines, it is not due to any reason. It is its nature. In the same way can I be a happy person, since it is my nature Can I always remain in the state of happiness If you can then you are in Samadhi. A happy person is a Sanyasi, is a Samadhistha. Samadhi is not just siiting in padmasan. . You dont meditate for obliging the teacher, either. It is not for the sake of the teacher nor the society. It is for your own healthy being. It is to discover your own inner potential. Having touched that level of consciousness, you wont go around establishing relationships with an expectation of happiness. That state of consciousness where there is no seeking for happiness is Samadhi. It does not mean that you wont think of a car or a television. A happy person can also think of a car or a television. But understand that they can give you comfort not necessarily happiness. A television can set can give you pleasure and comfort. But comfort need not necessarily make you happy. You will be comfortably unhappy. That is all This is the greatest discover of the Rishi that comfort need not necessarily make an individual happy. You can have comforts. But for happiness, you have to meditate. For comforts you must work. . I am sacchidananda is not a conclusion. That is something which you have to experience in your daily encounters. Therefore, let us not say quotI am a limited personquot. Let us not say quotI am a unhappy personquot. The existential woe of the modern man is that he thinks that at the heart of human situation it is a cesspool of pain there is no joy at all man is unhappy, radically and deeply. This kind of a self-image has to be changed. When you dont understand yourself properly, when you belittle yourself, then nobody can uplift you. If you say that you are weak, you ARE weak. If you say you are strong, you ARE strong. It is your choice. You have the ability to respond to the situation as a useless person or as an intelligent person, as a unhappy person or as a happy person. This is the meaning of responsibility. You have the ability to choose your response to the situation. Nobody can deny you that ability, except yourself. (Selection from a lecture given by Swami Bodhananda in the year 1994) Meditation is seeing What is. To see is involves seeing is not. Seeing is and is-not is the vision of the whole. Seeing is when the blind is desire-free. Desire is always for the other. The other is not-seeing. And not-seeing is agitation. Not-seeing is seeing what one projects. What one projects is different from what is. Projection is an act of the desiring mind, and non-projection is a state of non-desire. A non-projecting mind is ever in meditation. It alone sees. Others see not. There seem to be two things - is and is-not. Is-not is never away from and adds nothing to is. Hence there is only is. Meditation is seeing is. Source: Chinmaya Jyoti, Vol.3, No.1, July 1981, lsquoMeditation for the Monthrsquo, pg.4 Desire and Desirelessness Desire is a natural impulse that drives human beings to act and express himself/herself. Desire is also the cause of self-alienation, mental agitations and the insatiable pursuit of possessions and pleasures. Every individual has to determine for himself the contours and the meeting points of desire and desirelessness. Desire leads to self-expression and success in the world. Desirelessness leads to inner stability and fulfillment. But the flipside of desirelessness is lethargy and otherworldliness that make individuals incompetent in the world of action. The challenge is to understand the significance of desire in human development and the meaning of desirelessness in human fulfillment. The Indian wisdom traditions teach a perfect balance between these two opposing directions of desire. Swami Bodhananda 21 May, 2006 Who is a Guru Guru is one who has the inner leisure to guide another person. Why should another person need guidance Because he has lost himself. Can one lose oneself The need for the other is the expression of loss of oneself. How does one lose oneself By trying to be somebody other then oneself. Why should one try to be somebody other than oneself Because he is not happy with what he thinks of himself. What does one think oneself to be One thinks oneself to be a wanting person. What does one want Happiness. What is happiness Happiness is a state of not wanting happiness. How can one attain that state By not striving to attain it. How does one give up striving for happiness By knowing that one is happiness itself. How does one know that he is happiness itself By sitting at the Lotus Feet of a Guru who has the inner leisure to allow the other to sit at his feet. Why should the Guru need the inner leisure Otherwise he will always be in a hurry. Why is one always in a hurry Because one is not happy. Why is one is not happy Because he does not know the source of happiness. What is the source of happiness The Lotus Feet of the Guru. How can the feet of Guru become the source of happiness Because he is happiness unbounded. How can happiness unbounded have feet and hands Not possible Then how can one sit at the Lotus Feet of the Guru By opening up ones heart to the abundant grace of the Guru. How does one open up to the Guru By loving the Guru. How can one love the Guru By giving up oneself totally to the Guru. How does one give totally to the Guru By serving him lovingly. Does Guru need loving service No. Then what is the point of loving service to the Guru Serving a Guru who does not demand service is the way to open up ones heart to the Guru. (Source: Sambodh News Bangalore, Vol.1, No.1, 1996) Differences are not opposed to the integral experience of events. Difference is not division. We all can be different, unique individuals. Still we all share a common existence. That common existence which we share, of which are integral parts and limbs, that is God. Human consciousness can experience that integrality of existence. When you become an integrated person, the whole existence can be experienced integrally. This is the idea of meditaion. It is an experience of the continous explosion of energies within you. You feel that energy streaming forth in all your activities. (Selection from a lecture given by Swami Bodhananda in the year 1994) One has to clearly see the demarcation between Kshetrathe field, and Kshetrajnathe knower of the field between the content of consciousness and consciousness. The world is the content of consciousness. Consciousness is the container which you are. Understand the clear demarcation. The contentthe world changes. The containerconsciousness does not change. When one changes the other does not change. You are the consciousness, which does not change. Whatever you experience is the content of consciousness, which changes constantly. In all your experiences, there is a changing and a changeless dimension. The changingallow it to change The changelessBe the Changeless. (Selection from a lecture given by Swami Bodhananda in the year 1994) In Vedanta, ahamkara means I am the doer attitude. Instead of saying I am doing it say He is functioning through me I am only a pencil in the hands of the Lord He is the great poet Using me He is scribing the great poem of my life. This should be your attitude, that you are not the doer, but an instrument, a vehicle through which the Lord expresses. Ahamkara is the feeling of I am the doer. Whatever you do you entertain such a feeling. You also feel that since you are the doer you should get the credit too. If you donrsquot get the credit you become violent, you react and feel miserable. One who does not feel that he is the doer, who feels that he has been given an opportunity to be used by the higher power--he is Anahamkarah--one who is free from the doership notion. (Selection from a lecture given by Swami Bodhananda in the year 1994) We gather memories in our lives, bitter and sweet, good and bad. An ordinary person cannot avoid gathering memories. An intelligent person will try to avoid memory. He will try to experience and integrate that experience. He will not allow the experience to hang out like a meaningless root from his personality. Most people are unintelligently led by memories. The past bothers them. The more the past bothers you, the less efficient you become in the world. When the speaker explains, most of the time you dont listen. Generally there are gaps in our attention. We are not able to give continuous attention. Because, memory comes in between. The memories that you gather of likes and dislikes are the adventitious roots. They are meaningless and useless growth from you. They become a burden for you. Memorieslikes and dislikescause further activities based upon the past experiences. If you are inimical to somebody, you keep that memory and you will react according to that memory for the rest of your life. Your life becomes a life of reaction and not action. Our actions are always reactions. And we dont know why we behave like that. If it is a good experience you want to repeat. Thus you miss the joy of newness in life. That is the reason for boredom. Because we all the time act on the level of memorieslikes and dislikes. We gather memories and unconsciously they operate in us. If you refuse to accumulate this garbage, if you keep your consciousness clean, if you hold on to the centre of your being, then you can enjoy the newness of life. Two kinds of memories are gathered in the business of living. One is the psychological memory and the other technological or factual memory. Whatever you learn is the technological or factual memory. But in the process of learning you gather some psychological memory too. Technological memory is very important to live in this civilisation which is man-created. It is the psychological memory that you gather along which becomes a drag on you. You must get rid of it as early as possible. Jealousy, agitation, envy, comparison, anger, insecurityall these are born of psychological memory. You accumulate these in the process of living. Mind is a combination of both technological and psychological memories. An intelligent person will gather technological memory and avoid psychological memory. We need technological memory. Otherwise we will be a cipher. We need knowledge. But we donrsquot need any disturbances at all. (Selection from a lecture given by Swami Bodhananda in the year 1994) One has to clearly see the demarcation between Kshetra -- the field, and Kshetrajna -- the knower of the field between the content of consciousness and consciousness. The world is the content of consciousness. Consciousness is the container which you are. Understand the clear demarcation. The content-- the world changes. The container-- consciousness does not change. When one changes the other does not change. You are the consciousness, which does not change. What ever you experience is the content of consciousness, wich changes constantly. In all your experiences, there is a changing and a changeless dimension. The changing-- allow it to change The changeless-- Be the Changeless. (Selection from a lecture given by Swami Bodhananda in the year 1994) In Vedanta, ahamkara means I am the doer attitude. Instead of saying I am doing it say He is functioning thorugh me I am only a pencil in the hands of the Lord He is the great poet Using me He is scribing the great poem of my life. This should be your attitude, that you are not the doer, but an instrument, a vehicle through which the Lord expresses. Ahamakara is the feeling of I am the doer. Whatever you do you enetertain such a feeling. You also feel that since you are the doer you should get the credit too. If you dont get the credit you become violent, you react and feel miserable. One who does not feel that he is the doer, who feels that he has ben given an opportunity to be used by the higher power--he is Anahamkarah --one who is free from the doership notion. (Selection from a lecture given by Swami Bodhananda in the year 1994) A Sanyasi is one who can stand apart and watch the situation, and make appropriate responses to it. While a Samsari gets caught up by a situation and becomes a victim of it, a Sanyasi stands apart and responds creatively. In the process he discovers himself, unfolds his inner potential. Sanyasa . which is the highest ideal is not running away from activity. It is looking inward for that extra magazine of energy. A Sanyasi . is therefore one who is self-inspired and self-motivated. We should not have the wrong notion that Sanyasa means renouncing everything and going back to the forests. For the last two thousand years we have been indulging in such thoughts: let us go back to the Himalayas let us go back to the forests. And that is the reason why we have come to such a pass. Renunciation means you have to create and renounce. If you dont create you have no right to renounce. To create means you have to invoke something unique out of yourself. Those people who can invoke their potential in their interactions with the world, alone can invoke their potential in their interactions with the world, can alone leave what they create for other people. They keep moving ahead. Sanyasa means a constant forward movement. Create and leave behind what you have created. (Selection from a lecture given by Swami Bodhananda in the year 1994 ) The entire thrust of the Bhagavad Gita is not to give a psychological or material explanation for things. The entire thrust of the Gita is to lift the individual and solve his existential and spiritual problems. And once your spiritual problem is solved, once you discover that you are inwardly strong--quotIn my being I am strongquot-- then what ever be the nature of the challenge you will emerge stronger and diviner. The world there after will not become a problem, but an opprotunity for you. Is it not The more you crush a piece of sandal wood, the more fragrance emanates from it. In the same way when you discover that you are inwardly strong, the world becomes an opportunity for you. The more you are crushed the more your fragrance emanates all around, the more your divinity manifests all around. And then you will not curse the world. You will stand in utter reverence to the world, because the world has given you an opportunity to discover and unfold your depth. Then you become a thankful person to God and to the world that is created for you. Unfortunately, since we dont know the technique of living, this art of living, the world has become a veritable prison for us. Hence throughout the Bhagavad Gita Bhagavan concentrates upon Arjunas self-awareness, his own self, his Being. (Selection from a lecture given by Swami Bodhananda in the year 1994 ) Bhagavad Gita - Ch. 15 W hen Arjuna became self-reflective, he paused for a minute between the impending action and his present status. And when he paused he suddenly realised that the war he was going to start is not going to solve any of his probelms. War and violence is no solution to human problem. There are conflicts in our daily lives, in our minds, at our homes, in the family, in the government. There are conflicts because we are all individuals. We have our own personalities and individualities, and we want full expression. When you try to express your individuality, to discover your self, to unfold your potential, there is going to be strife, struggle and conflict. But war is not the mechanism for solving conflicts. The two super powers had tried that for the last fifty years. They misdirected the resources of the world for accumulating nuclear stockfile and created a balance of terror. Finally they discovered the foolishness they have been practising. Arjuna discovers in the battlefield that war is no solution: quotI may win the war, I may get my kingdom back but I have to kill a lot of people--innocent people, innocent children, youth, women and all of them-- for my own gloryquot. Arjuna thinks about this situation, the consequences of his actions. This is the meaning of reflection--to think about the consequences of your action. (Selection from the Gita Jnana Yajna lecture on Bhagavad Gita:Ch.15 given by Swami Bodhananda 6 February 1994) Seven Spiritual Laws 1. Law of Brahman Every individual is a field of infinite potentiality. Everyone seeks expression of this potential energy, which is possible only through altruistic desire fulfilling activities The phenomenal world is always in a flux of constant change. Individual has to accept this fact of change and prepare to face change, psychologically and technologically, by designing innovative responses. Change is to be seen as a tool of Brahmans expression. 3. Law of Dharma Every individual is unique in nature and has different talents and needs. The talents have to be expressed and needs are to be fulfilled. This has to be done within the limits of Universal Dharma. The purpose of education is to develop natural skills to meet innate needs with awareness of dharma, which is the meaning of Svadharma. This Law is about the Cause and Consequences. Present life of an Individual is constituted by his past thoughts and deeds. And future life is determined by what is done presently. Law of Karma says that individual creates his/her own destiny by the moment to moment choices and actions. World exists based on the principle of Sacrifice that is nothing but give and take. In traditional yajna Devas - the controllers of Nature - are propitiated for materialistic and spiritual well being. This mutual nourishing and cherishing efforts ensure peace and happiness for the individual and also the society. To sacrifice is to receive, to possess is to lose. Detachment is the key to happiness. Detachment ensures ability to watch the thoughts and actions impartially like a witness while interacting with the world. It will help to cherish multiple perspectives and intuit diverse solutions to issues of life. Maximum productivity or efficiency is gained when mind is relaxed and playful. Effective individuals expend least energy while facing challenges and problems. This provides experience of self exploration and expression. (based on the book quotSeven Spiritual Lawsquot authored by Swami Bodhananda) Saint and Saintliness Saintliness cannot be acquired. It has to be discovered as ones own essential nature. when I appreciate my incapacity to hurt or get hurt by an individual, event or situation, I recognise the saint that I am. Thus the sure mark of a saint is this incapacity to wound or get wounded. Such a sanctimonious person remains ever as fresh and innocent as a morning lily, as pliable and tender as a tropical creeper, and as accommodating and unresisting as the infinite space. The external expression of saints varies according to conditionings that they have acquired down the millennia genetically, racially. But the essential sweetness and fragrance that emanates through such expressions remain the same. An Aurobindo cloistered in his wooden panelled study hatching out of wonderful phrases, ideas and imageries may appear diametrically opposed to a Ramakrishna Paramahamsa stammering out rustic tales and anecdotes clumsily squatting on a rickety charpai. A Vivekananda roaring down to the learned assembly of religious leaders, majestically dominating the stage in his gorgeous orange robes may look an incongruent counterpart of a Ramana Maharshi in his meagre loin attire silently smiling to an unlettered aspirant. A Christ on the cross meekly suffering the agony of crucifixion may seem an absolute antithesis to Lord Krishna, whip in his hand in the battle field exhorting the unwilling Arjuna to fight a bloody war. A Naranattu Bhrantan gleefully immersed in his purposeless labour of rolling a huge stone up and down the slopes of the mountain, resting in the graveyards, contemptuously looking down upon the tempting and seductive world may stand out ridiculous compared to a Krishnamurti elegantly employing slick words and streamlined phrases in Oxford accent to bring out the profound silence that he experiences. From a peripheral view, these saints look different from each other. But a perspicacious observer can see the golden cord of saintliness running through all their apparently contradictory expressions. They show a profound concern for the problems of the world, and an incredible unconcern for their own. They have infinite capacity to patiently suffer without being revengeful, to remain ever hopeful without being expectant they are always unpredictable and remain choicelessly alone. If nobody answers their call they prefer to walk alone. Saintliness is born out of inner contentment, is an expression of a state of non-desiring. The saints inner plenitude is not the least affected by the lavishness of his external munificence. That quality of total renunciation makes him loving and lovable. Nobody is afraid of a saint and the saint is afraid of anybody. Fear appears where give and take is involved. Who is a saint What are his marks What makes him saintly What is the essence of his saintliness Arjuna asked these questions to Lord Krishna: O Lord, tell me the marks of a wise man steadied in his vision. quot Lord answered that one who is ever awareful and has a mastery over his desires is a wise man, one who is contended with what he has, never desiring for a change. Slavery to desires is unsaintly. Hence, a saint, in Sanskrit is called a Swami, a master. The saints strike no roots anywhere. They are pathless people, their path cannot be mapped out nor can it be traced back. Their callings are different their source of inspiration is different. A saint is ever victorious for his victories leaves none vanquished behind. A victory without a victor and vanquished is a lasting victory. Such victories leave no bitter memories, nor any need for revenge. Christ murmured, O Lord, they dont know what they are doing. He on the cross betrayed no resentment or anger. He only felt sorry for his persecutors. In this sense a saint is most unpredictable by the ordinary standards. There can be scholarly or illiterate saints, mild or furious ones, flamboyant or self-effacing, socially committed or socially unconcerned, dynamic or dozing, of all shades and hues. Still they remain beyond all definitions, far beyond the confines of social, historical and psychological categories. They are what they are inspite of everything. They dont choose to be saints, but they discover themselves to be saints. Theirs is the only authentic, free and relaxed life. Their presence is often an enigma, sometimes even a nuisance to the selfish conformist world. Their style of living is a non-violent rebellion and a destabilizing factor in the security-mongering hypocrite world. A saint is a disturbing question mark and his saintliness gives him the authority to hurl at the world answerless questions. He is a mystery, always secure, living the most insecure life. He is the question and the answer, the beginning and the end. (From a published article by Swami Bodhananda in a magazine in 1981) The single most important cornerstone of a successful relationship is transparency - which means expressing ones needs, feelings and expectations sincerely to the partner. Transparency in relationship enables partners to understand each other better and adjust mutual responses with empathy and care. No lasting and successful relationship can be built without respect and sensitivity to each others needs. Experience teaches us that a strong sense of self-worth and self-sufficiency constitute a necessary condition for mutually nourishing relationship. Too much expectation from a relationship leads to inevitable frustration and dejection. Two happy people make a happier and fulfilling partnership. Happiness as an experience has to be independent of the ups and downs of relationships. Happiness is the quality of a detached and caring mind. Two happy people enjoy being together and bring out their best in a partnership of give and take and find space for each others follies and foibles. Accommodation, acceptance and trusting love are the sweet fruits of transparency. What is the need of the ONE to manifest as many Source: Reply to a post-graduate student of philosophy, in a letter dated 13.06.1989, sent from Kasarkode (North Kerala). You have raised an interesting question answering which I have to consider apparently irreconcilable facts. The realisation that body is a divine tool to win Gods grace and to attain self-realisation itself is a major attitudinal change. quotAre we diminishing the potentiality of all-pervading consciousness by contenting that body is a divine instrument for self-expressionquot In spirituality body does not mean just one body, it includes all the bodies - samashti sarira-s. The hymn to the cosmic person unveils the supreme consciousness as one with thousands of heads, hands and legs. One who is no more identified with one body can experience the manifestation of consciousness through all the bodies. All the gross, subtle, causal bodies are together known as Maya. And, consciousness is Mayavi - the wielder of Maya. quotWhat is the need for body for all the pervasive, omnipotent self-principle to manifest, isnt it already manifestquot Yes infact the body itself is a manifestation of the all-pervasive consciousness - mayabhih indrah pururupamiyate bahusyam prajayeyeti - (may I become many). So, body is not an external conditioning for consciousness, it in fact is consciousness appearing, without undergoing intrinsic changes (vivarta). quotWhat is the need of the body for one who is in Samadhiquot No Samadhi is possible without the body. What is known as jivan mukti is with the body - navadvarepure dehe aste sukham na kurvan na karayan (Gita ch.5) - When the body of a Jivanmukta falls it is called mahasamadhi. Sankaracharya was a Jivanmukta. Real samadhi is absence of doership (kartrtva) - na karmanam anarambhat naishkarmyam purushosnute (Gita ch.3) - Not doing action is not samadhi, ie. naishkarmyam. quotIs it neccessary for the infinite space to manifest through a potquot Pot-space is a euphemism for the infinite space - tatvamasi - Thou (pot-space) (is) That (infinite space). We find Muktapurusha-s supremely active - Sankara, Ramkrishna, Vivekananda, Yajnavalkya, Janaka and Sri Krishna. Their apparent acitivities (karma) were not opposed to samadhi (atma-akarma). Bhagavad Gita unfolds a vision of karmani akarma darsanam - actionless in the midst of acitivity - (freedom in action, not from action). To explain the phenomenon of realised savants being physically active, bodys divine instrumentality was suggested. Bhagavan Krishna suggests - Be just an instrument O, left-handed - nimittamatram bhava savyasachin. Now, you take a pot Is not pot in space Of space and nothing but space What are clay (pot) molecules but atoms what is atom except vast space and tiny matter of protons, electrons and neutrons are they also not just modification of space. Vedanta conetents that - atmanah akashah akasat vayuh etc. ie. consciousness modifies as space, and space modifies as air, fire, water and earth etc. So, pot is nothing but a manifestation of space, is in space, has space - therfore pot is space. Can you say space (the cause of pot) conditions or limits space (infinite space). So too the body is a manifestation of divine consciousness, is in consciousness, has consciousness - is nothing but consciousness. It is a dance of consciousness. Can you say that the dancer is conditioned or limited by her dance The whole universe is intelligence and consciousness. Meditate upon the Guru and sing his glories, but understand Guru, God and supreme consciousness are the same, like even the wedding ring, ring and gold are the same. One day you may lose value for the wedding ring, but still it is valuable as a ring then you lose value for the ring too, but you have value for gold. If you can see gold in your wedding ring that vision is real. So too see supreme consciousness in your Guru and sing the glory of Self which you are. And remember all values are given by you - so you are the ULTIMATE VALUE - Tattvamasi - You are that Love Swami Bodhananda Source: Reply to a post-graduate student of philosophy, in a letter dated 13.06.1989, sent from Kasarkode (North Kerala). About Swami Bodhananda Swami Bodhananda was born in a quiet village called Mattatur, 36 miles north east of Kalady the birth place of Adi Sankaracharya. From early childhood he showed great interest in reading and discussing i ssues pertaining to His country, culture, and geopolitics. He spent long hours of time either in solitude or dialoguing with his friends, teachers, and wandering monks. Everyday the young boy walked 10 miles to the school eager for the classes and to devour books in the public library. By the age of 14 he finished reading Nehrus Glimpses of World History . complete works of Swami Vivekananda, and Mahatma Gandhi, and by 17 he finished Marxs Das Capital . Adam Smiths The Wealth of Nations . Herbert Marcuses One-dimensional man, Regis Debres Revolution in Revolution . and Albert Camus The Rebel . The brilliant student, graduated with government scholarship from Christ college, (Irinjalakuda) Kerala, and subsequently chose economics for post graduation. Read More Prayer Blogs Ashrams amp Offices News
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