Iyya

• CHAITANYA CHARAN DAS

IMAGINE yourself on a jaunt in a foreign land. Suddenly you see a person rushing towards you with both hands upraised shouting in an alien tongue. Instinctively you raise both hands to counter-attack. But that person rushes by you and you hear heavy blows landing on someone. Surprised, you turn around and understanding dawns. A ruffian had been creeping up to attack you from behind and the person ahead had only been rushing to save you. He had been warning you in his foreign tongue, but being unable to comprehend his words you had completely misunderstood his intentions. Your regret? If only I had known his language…
Could this be the way we misunderstand God when problems suddenly rush into our lives? There is amazing intelligence that arranges for all our basic needs — air, heat, light, water and food. Equally awesome is the organisation that enables all the life-sustaining bodily mechanisms like metabolism, respiration, blood circulation. Only after shedding intellectual sweat for centuries have scientists begun to understand partially the functioning of the universe. Sadly, most people hardly spare even a thought to understand the purpose of the universe. And when things don’t work out according to the plans they make in a few minutes or hours with the few grams of their puny brains, they conclude that God is perverse, negligent or non-existent. Like in the story above, they can’t understand the language in which God is speaking to us.
Therefore, God gave us scriptures to serve as translators for us to understand His message and Plan. The Vedic scriptures — and indeed all religious scriptures — assert unequivocally that God is our greatest wellwisher. Through them God alerts us of the imminent onslaught of misery, old age, disease and death. God’s ultimate plan is to save us from all suffering and reinstate us in our eternal blissful life in His abode. As a part of His plan, God often breaks things to transform them into something far more valuable. He breaks clouds to give rains, breaks soil to give grains, breaks grains to give bread and breaks bread to give nourishment. Similarly He sometimes has to break our plans for temporary material enjoyment to enrich us with everlasting devotional bliss. Therefore, the next time when Providence seems to inimically charging at us, let us empower ourselves with divine wisdom to respond with faith and surrender.

Source: The Economic Times

Iyya Comments:

godku edhunga language? enna language avarukku puriyadhu?

THERE are three simple ways to reach bliss, three keys. The first key is acceptance of life. Never grudge or grumble. If you accept, you will have the intelligence to accept life!
A middle-aged lady went to Buddha with her son’s dead body early one morning, and pleaded: please revive him. Buddha knew that whatever he might say would be unacceptable to her. He said: go and get a handful of mustard seeds from a house where no one has died. She went from house to house, and was unable to find even one such house. Just like her, everyone had lost someone. There is no house in this world where someone had not died.
You worry and you feel others do not have worries. If you realise every one else has worries too, you will not worry. You need to see others unhappy to reduce your unhappiness.
When the lady understood the truth she became a nun. She said, “Even if you had given my child life, my life would have gone on as usual. Now I am transformed.”
Giving life is not a miracle; transforming one’s life is the miracle.
If you welcome all that happens with intelligence, you will be ever blissful.
The second key is the conscious decision to live joyfully.
The great master Abdullah was always happy, in laughter, in bliss. Some one asked him: how you are so joyful? Please teach me the secret of your bliss.
He said: “every day when I get up I ask Abdullah, ‘what do you want today? Joy or suffering? Mind says, ‘I want bliss.’ I say, ‘have bliss’ that’s all.”
It is like the radio that is tuned to a particular station. You get what you consciously tune in to. If you tune in to bliss, you will get bliss.
The third key is this.
Abdullah is asked what happens if the mind chooses suffering instead of bliss. Abdullah says, ‘if your mind wants suffering, enjoy the suffering!’
The problem is the conflict that you have when you want something and you cannot enjoy when you get what you wanted. It’s like ordering food in a restaurant and not wanting to pay the bill. You do not like the consequences of what you desire. You forget that pleasure is not forever; pain may follow.
So if suffering happens, enjoy it as your choice.
Follow these three techniques, and your path and goal will be bliss.

Source: The Economic Times

AN ALTERED state of consciousness can be achieved by meditation. In such a state, perception of external reality is enhanced and among advanced practitioners can inspire a feeling akin to what St Paul called the “peace that passeth all understanding,” what Buddhists call satoriand yogis samadhior moksha. In other words, true awareness, often leading to enlightenment.
Those are the various mental aspects of meditation which have been known by people for a long time. However, it’s only been in recent years that researchers have begun investigating some of the physical aspects too. For instance, in 1972 Scientific American published a study where transcendental meditation was shown to affect the human metabolism by lowering the biochemical by-products of stress. In 2003 Dr Herbert Benson of the Mind-Body Medical Institute, which is affiliated with Harvard and several Boston hospitals in the US, reported that meditation induced a host of biochemical and physical changes in the body, collectively referred to as the “relaxation response”. This includes changes in metabolism, heart rate, respiration and blood pressure. The actual brain too apparently undergoes change. Emeritus Professor of Neurology, University of Colorado Health Science Center says in his book, Zen and the Brain, that Zen meditation actually rewires the circuitry of the brain. This has been confirmed using functional MRI imaging techniques which examine the electrical activity of the brain.
The question that naturally arises, therefore, is that if there are indeed physical correlates to the meditation activity, then could the process also work in reverse? That is, if such palpable body and brain states can be brought about — say, by the use of medication, electrodes or implants — can the mental cognates of meditative states be achieved as a result?
Of course, it’s generally accepted by adepts of most schools of meditation that the experience cannot be artificially induced by drugs, but there are exceptions. These include some forms of Hinduism and the Rastafarianism movement which have a long tradition of cannabis use by mystics. In addition, certain Native American traditions allow the ingestion of psychotropic plants such as peyote in a religious setting. Thus, perhaps it’s time this question was addressed in greater depth. After all, if a whack on the head by a Master can often make a novice Zen monk see the light, what’s wrong with a smack to the brain?

Source: The Economic Times

Karna is cast as Mritunjaya (Death-triumpher) in Shivaji Savant’s award-winning novel. Cast away at birth, the eldest Pandava is rescued by a charioteer. Despite his divine looks and ability, Karna is insulted throughout his life for ambition disallowed to his caste. Meanwhile, Arjuna, Karna’s half-brother, leads a charmed life. As he sails smoothly from one triumph to another, he acquires appellations by the dozen, all synonymous with victory, chivalry, dexterity and other virtues.

On the eve of the epic battle, Karna finally gets to know the secret of his parentage yet he vows to spare the lives of his half-brothers except Arjuna, against whom his mind is made up for mortal combat. Arjuna knows nothing of this nor is he told anything because then he would simply refuse to fight.

This trait, and the fact that Arjuna harboured deep misgivings about the fratricidal war, weakens the great archer’s character in the novel, which has Krishna deriding Arjuna as a stuttering, shambling doubter whose failing courage needs to be psyched up with repeated bouts of magic and pep-talk!

Savant thus echoes a widespread prejudice against protagonists who question. Most spiritual traditions advise, train, order, and warn you not to doubt. The doubting soul is ultimately destroyed (samshayatma vinnashyati) says even the Bhagvad Gita. You also find it articulated in the putting down of the female scholar Gargi and in the gagging of the doubting Nachiketas in Kathopanishad. However, the Upanishadic tradition also seems to suggest that doubt is a softer, more open state than closed-minded certitude.

It’s possible to learn more when you’re in touch with doubt than when you are dead certain or condescending. “If you haven’t yet developed your confidence, it’s better to stick with your real situation of doubt than to armour yourself with attitudes of superiority,” says Shambhavi Sarasvati of the Kashmir Shaivite tradition. “Doubting is a middle position.

When we are in doubt, we have not yet decided. We are suspended between or among. We can absorb. We can change. We can learn. Although many traditions recommend faith or belief as an antidote to doubt, my teachers have always advised that belief and faith are of no consequence. Imagine if, instead of confessing his doubt, Arjuna had scoffed at Krishna? The greatest story of the human condition would not have been written.”

Source: The Economic Times

Iyya Comments:

Behavioural pattern and attitude of individuals are formed not necessarily on the considerations of morality, ethics or propriety, but on what an individual rightly or wrongly perceives as being in conformity with one’s interests. It is because of this premise that the process of unlearning is more important than the process of learning. When we subject ourselves to a process of unlearning we are necessarily having to eschew a conviction or pretense of our supposed knowledge.

The process of unlearning which follows the process of learning allows an unprejudiced and objective analysis of the subject matter in question — which facilitate rational thinking leading to an informed choice or an appropriate decision. News paper editorials can be unbiased only when they have objectively examined all issues of the subject matter threadbare after the most elaborate fact-finding and dismissed those propositions whose veracity was in question. The same principle applies to criminal investigation.

However, knowledge has its impermanence. If that were not the case Galileo would not have to had to revise his theory regarding the earth being flat or Wright brothers would not have invented the aeroplane, believing heavier than air objects can’t get airborne. “The sum total of what a man knows is vanishingly small: what seems in the end more important is that one should pursue knowledge” says Bertrand Russell. It is for the above reason that unlearning assumes an even greater importance than learning.

Bible (Proverb Ch 1) says, “the fear of the Lord makes humans sufficiently aware not to tread the path of sin and destruction.” Similarly, Hindu scriptures say human journey through life should follow the norm “asatoma sat gamaya, tama soma jyotirgamaya, mrit yo ma amritam gamaya” (from untruth lead us to truth, from darkness lead us to light and from the cycle of birth and death lead us to immortality). As per this axiom the cycle of birth and death is caused due to human imperfection and the theory of karma.

Life in the ultimate analysis can be best lived by anyone who has the uncanny ability to make the right choice, be it pertaining to one’s career, life partner or anything else. Once a person is erroneously deceived by the thought that his or her learning is complete, he or she will stumble into a road block.

Source: The Economic Times

A traveller started his journey towards the holy city of Varanasi. He started from his hometown after making a few preliminary enquiries. Having travelled far and fearing he may have lost his way, the traveller asked a sanyasin who seemed to be returning from Varanasi, “Oh Master, how far away is Varanasi from here?”

The sanyasin said, “Before I reply, you must answer two of my questions.”

The traveller found this strange, and having no choice agreed.

The sanyasin asked, “Do you clearly know why you want to go to Varanasi?”

The traveller felt that this question was foolish and the answer was obvious. He said, “Oh, Varanasi is a holy place. I will be blessed if I go there, scriptures say.”

The sanyasin asked the second question, “Before starting, have you thoroughly enquired about the path to reach Varanasi?”

The traveller felt that this too was irrelevant and said, “Yes, I enquired a little bit. I left it at that, thinking that I can find out more as I travel further.”

The sanyasin calmly said, “If you had had clarity as to why you should go to Varanasi and had known clearly all the details about Varanasi, you would not have asked me as to how much distance you should travel further to reach Varanasi.”

Thoroughly confused and irritated, yet still polite, the traveller said, “Oh master, you have not replied my question at all.”

The sanyasin said, “You have already come forty miles beyond Varanasi.”

We are much like the traveller not knowing where he is going and why. We rarely question: Why we have taken birth in this world? Why do we continuously struggle and suffer so much? Where are we headed? All of us lead our life in search of some goal or other. It may be any material goal like a good education, good job, fame or wealth, or it may be something different. One’s mental set up determines the type of desire one has.

The desires may be many, but the aim of all these desires is only one: Peace, Joy, Bliss. Every one journeys in his own way, only to achieve these goals. There is nothing wrong at all in this journey, this searching. Problems arise when you embark on the journey without knowing the path. Spirituality through meditation helps you define the path. Once you are in the right path, the destination happens by itself.

Source:

The Economic Times

Iyya Comments:

enna panromnu therinju pannunga…

“uppittavarai ullalalavum ninai” na ennanga?

uppu na enna? residue. uyir sakthi. adhaan namma odambula irundhu veliyerudhu- as viyarvai, malam, siruneer in all ways. adhai ullayae vechutta eppomae irrukalam.

adhai yaaru ungallulukku ulla vechadhu? kadavul thaan. avanai thaan irrukara varaikkum ninai….

idhaan arththam…

The assigned purpose of the influential Web magazine, Edge, is lofty enough. It’s to seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves. Recently, Edge asked a group of world class scientists and thinkers its 10th Anniversary Question: “What are you optimistic about and why? Among the respondents were leading American philosopher Daniel C Dennet and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins — both pretty rabid proponents of atheism.
   Dennet was of the opinion that within 25 years religion will command little of the awe it instils in people today and their fascination for it will disappear. He said the spread of information through the Internet, television and cell phones will generally and irresistibly undermine the mindsets requisite for religious fervour. Dawkins maintained that once scientists discover the so-called “theory of everything” it would be the end of the road as far as faith was concerned. “This final scientific enlightenment,” he said, “will deal an overdue death blow to religion and other juvenile superstitions.”
   What are we to make of these grand pronouncements? Firstly, people had said similar things when radio was invented and later spread rapidly all over the world. Unfortunately for them, evangelists also used the new medium extensively to spread the message of their respective scriptures, much faster and to larger audiences than ever before. The same thing is now happening within all the newer electronic media too. Secondly, just because there’s more dissemination of information possible doesn’t necessarily mean there’s actually more information available to enable people to decide one way or the other. Thirdly, the quality of accessible information is heavily contaminated with taint, bias and outright lies; not to mention subversive pornography and mindless violence.
   As for the “theory of everything”, most physicists are under the impression it will indeed explain everything. Nothing could be further from the truth, because what it will explain is only all aspects of natural phenomenon in the forms of matter, energy and their various interactions. It’s not going to explain most biotic, psychological, social and cultural phenomenon. It’s probably not even going to explain how the brain works. Forget “final enlightenment”, it won’t touch on profoundly core areas of humanity that guide its moral dimension. So much for doing away with religion!

Source: The Economic Times

Iyya Comments:

kadavul onnu thaanga, unmai onnu thaanga, adhai thaan ellorum sollraanga. “Theory of everything” na ennanga? ellamae avan thaan….