Ajapa japa Meditation Techniques

Techniques

       Ajapa japa can be practised in any meditational posture, or if it this not possible the preliminary methods can be practised while lying in shavasana.  The best time for ajapa japa practice is early morning between 4 and 6 a.m. or at night just before sleep.  Ajapa japa can be practised with or without a mala or rosary.

       There are many different stages in ajapa japa and the techniques for each stage progressively require a little more concentration and awareness.  Anyone wishing to practise ajapa japa should commence with stage one of preliminary ajapa japa and progressively work through and perfect each stage.  Little can be gained by randomly selecting any technique for practice.  It is also advisable to be acquainted with the practices of japa before proceeding to ajapa japa.

Preliminary ajapa japa - frontal passage rotation

       When practising preliminary ajapa japa the practitioner should try to feel the prana flowing in the fronal psychic passage between the navel and throat.  A little imagination may be necessary in the early stages.  You can imagine that the psychic passage is like a glass tube filed with water.  As you inhale, the water level rises from the navel to the throat and as you exhale, the water level drops back to the navel, or you can imagine that when you inhale, the breath comes from the navel and return to it when you exhale.

Stage 1:  Awareness of frontal passage and Soham

Feel the breath moving through the frontal psychic passage between the navel and throat.  Do not let one breath pass without your awareness.  Continue for a few minutes.

Now mentally synchronize the mantra Soham with the breath.  So sounds during inhalation and the rising of the prana in the psychic passage.  Ham sounds during exhalation and the descending of the prana in the psychic passage.

Continue in this way with total awareness of both the movement of prana and the mantra.

Practice this stage for a week or so, then go on to stage 2.

Stage 2:  Rotation of Hamso

The method is the same as stage one, but reverse the sequence of the mantra with the breath.  Each breath will start with exhalation on the mantra Ham followed by So on inhalation.  The mantra will now be Hamso.  After each Hamso pause briefly.

Practise this daily for a week or so, then proceed to stage 3.

Stage 3:  Rotation of Soham-Hamso

Merge the mantra So with the ingoing breath and Ham with the outgoing breath.  Thus, there is an endless circle of Soham-Soham-Soham.  Prolong the vibrations of Ham and join them with the ingoing vibrations of So.  Prolong the vibrations of So and join them with those of Ham.  Continuous repetition of Soham and Hamso without any intermission.

Practice this daily for a week or so, then proceed to stage 4.

Stage 4:  Spontaneous alternation of Soham-Hamso

In this stage,  you practise the techniques of stages one, two and three in a spontaneous alternation.

First be aware of he breath forming the cycle of Soham.

 

Practice this for a few minutes and then let your awareness shift to the continuation of Hamso.  After sometime, you will find that So and Ham have become connected on both ends.

Keep breathing with a continuous cycle of a Soham-Soham-Soham.

After some time you may spontaneously feel a change take place to Soham or Hamso.  Let it follow on its own course, spontaneously.  Be only a witness as your awareness shifts between the three mantras of is own accord.

Practice this daily for at least five days before proceeding to stage 5.

Stage 5:  With ujjayi and khechari

This stage involves the techniques of stages 1 to 4, but they are practised with ujjayi pranayama and khechar mudra.  After you have fully mastered this technique in all stages, go on to the intermediate practice of ajapa japa.

Ujjayi pranayama and khechari mudra

       Ujjayi pranayama helps induce a meditative state.  It is practised by contracting the glottis.  When performed correctly, a soft sound is produced like a cat purring or like light, gentle snoring.  One should feel he is breathing through he throat rather than the nose.  When a healthy child sleep, he always breathes by contracting his glottis and his breath can be heard in the throat.

       Khechari mudra is practised by rolling he tongue backwards so that the normal lower surface touches the upper palate.  Try to bring the tip back as far as possible.  If khechari mudra is practised correctly, in conjunction with ujjayi over a long period of time, the tongue will eventually go into the upper nasal orifice.

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Source: Excerpts from the Book on Sure Ways to Self-Realization' by Swami Satyananda Saraswati.
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Ajapa Japa Meditation practice

Introduction

       Ajapa japa is an important meditation practice by which we can plough our psyche, making it fertile and receptive.  Another name of ajapa japa is 'spontaneous awareness'.  Its translation is 'to see, to look within, to watch, to observe'.

       Japa is the constant repetition of a mantra.  Japa becomes ajapa (spontaneous) japa when the mantra automatically repeats itself without conscious effort.  It is said that ajapa japa comes from the heart, whereas japa comes from the mouth.

       Ajapa japa is particularly recommended for rajasic people with tension and problems.  The practices will help to divert one's attention from worries to higher spiritual ideals.  People who do a lot of study and mental work will benefit greatly from ajapa japa.  It provides a balance between mental and physical activity.  Whereas, study and mental work introvert the mind, ajapa japa requires one to be aware of his mental activities, while maintaining awareness of the movement of the breath and repetition of the mantra.  As well as these purely mental and physical activities, the practitioner begins to explore the more subtle regions of the psychic body - the psychic centres (chakras) and psychic passages.

       Ajapa japa is also a good practice for those people who have reasonable control over the mind and for those who want to develop greater concentration.  Ajapa japa is a combination of pranayama and meditation and it is said that through pranayama you enter the land of meditation.

Breath Awareness

       The first thing one must be aware of in ajapa japa is one's own natural breath.  You breathe 15 times per minute, 900 times per hour and 21,600 times in 24 hours, but you are never aware of this most vital process which is the key to life.  During practice of ajapa japa, the practitioners should watch the changing dimensions of breath.  Throughout meditation there are likely to be four dimensions of breath; natural, deeper than natural, relaxed and suspended.

       The second and most important point in ajapa japa is awareness of the movement of breath as it flows through the body.  This can be practised in many ways, but the most important is awareness of the breath in the spinal cord.  When the breath has assumed the relaxed third dimension it becomes ujjayi pranayama (psychic breathing) long, deep and soft, like the gentle snoring of a baby.  This relaxed breath is rotated up and down the spinal cord.

       In the preliminary practices of ajapa japa, the practitioner watches the breath flow through the frontal psychic passage between the navel and throat.  In the intermediate practices the breath is felt flowing through sushumna nadi and the practitioner feels the prana passing through each chakra from mooladhara to ajna and back down to mooladhara.  Advancd ajapa japa is similar to intermediate, with the breath becoming longer and slower, and the psychic passage extends all the way from mooladhara to sahasra chakra.

Mantra

     The third point in ajapa japa is the sound or mantra.  In the physical and psychic body there is a sound.  Some hear it as Soham or Om, others hear it as a different mantra.  Actually, any mantra can be used for the practice of ajapa japa although traditionally the mantra Soham is utilized since it correspond with the natural sound of inhalation and exhalation.  The mantra should be integrated with the breath.  When you inhale, the breath spontaneously makes the sound of So and when you exhale it makes the sound of Ham.  The most important thing is that the breath and the mantra should become one.  While you are inhaling through sushumna from mooladhara to ajna and exhaling from ajna to mooladhara, be aware of the movement of the breath combined with the movement of the powerful sound -- Soham.  This practice purifies the nadis, the pranic channels in the body.

       When mantra is awakened in the breath the whole body is recharged.  Psychic toxins are eliminated and blocks in the nadis, which are the main source of physical and mental disturbances, are removed.  The mantra should awaken sushmna nadi and permeate each and every particle of the body.  When sushumna nadi begins to vibrate, self-awareness becomes active.  When ida nadi starts vibrating, the mind becomes active.  When pingala nadi starts vibrating the prana becomes active and energy flows through one's whole system, extending even outside the physical body.

       When the awakening of sushumna nadi takes place with the help of mantra shakti, the elimination of karma takes place symbolically.  This results in the arising of inner sounds and fantastic experiences.  Whatever you experience is rising from your deeper consciousness.  It is mental shankhalprakshalana, part of the purging process.

       Ajapa japa is the basis for kriya yoga.  With its mastery pratyahara is achieved and the real practice of dharana begins.  When ajapa japa is perfected and fully realized, the samskaras are totally exhausted and the mind becomes one-pointed.  In this way dhyana yoga blossom forth.

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Source: Excerpts from the Book on Sure Ways to Self-Realization' by Swami Satyananda Saraswati.

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Is desire an evil?

       Among all living beings, human beings are considered the most superior and the most powerful.  Our sastras or scriptures give the reason for our superiority:  human beings alone are endowed with the three fold power known as icchasakti, jnanasakti and kriyasakti.  Icchasakti means the power to desire; Jnanasakti is the power to know and kriyasakti is the power to do.

       It is because of jnanasakti that we have so many educational institutions and research centers.  The body of knowledge is forever expanding.  And it is because of kriyasakti that the face of the earth has undergone such tremendous transformation, changes that we see all around us touching our lives every day -- from using the ATM to surfing the Internet.  Thus, science alone is not enough; science must be converted into technology.

       Equally important is icchasakti.  The power to desire is the driving force behind jnanasakti and kriyasakti.  Let us suppose we have the power to know (a keen mind and a sharp intellect) but not the desire to know.  The power to know is of no use if there is no desire to know.  Similarly we can have the power to do (the stamina and strength) but this power is useless if we have no desire to do anything.  The power to know and do is made meaningful by the power to desire. 

       In our tradition we respect all three powers equally.  In fact, we worship these powers considering them a blessing from God.  One of the names in Lalitha-sahasranama (verse 130, nama 658) is 'icchasakti-jnanasakti-kriyasakti-svarupini, - The One who is the power of will, power of knowledge and power of action'.

       Here we face a problem.  While we look upon desire as a blessing, our scriptures - despite glorifying the desire on one hand - strongly condemn kama or desire which is looked upon as an internal enemy.  In the Bhagavad-Gita (3.37) Lord Krishna calls kami (a person with desires) a great papi or sinner -  'It is desire, it is wrath begotten by rajoguna: all consuming, all sinful, know this as the foe on earth'. 

       Katha Upanisad (2.3.14) states - 'When a man has all his heart's desires destroyed, he attains immortality and becomes one with Brahman in this very life'. 

       Again, in the Bhagavad-Gita (2.25), Lord Krishna defines liberation as the destruction of all desires - 'when a man abandons, O Partha, all the desires of the heart and is satisfied in the Self by the Self, then he is said to be stable in wisdom'. 

       To the above scriptural references, we can also add the well known English saying 'Desire is the root cause of all evil'.

       Are the scriptures confusing us?  Is desire a blessing or a curse?  On every new year day we make resolutions which are nothing but expressions of our desire.  Should we continue to make these resolutions - considering desire a blessing - or do we refrain from doing so - considering desire a curse?  What should we do?  What is the scriptural stand?

       Scriptures cannot afford to condemn desires.  The very existence of the scriptures is only to fulfill desires.  Our scriptures prescribes four purusarthas or goals of life: dharma (values), artha (wealth), kama (desire), and moksa (liberation). 

       To achieve the above goals or purusarthas we must first have a desire for them.  A doubt can arise.  Desire itself is one of the purusarthas.  Does it mean we must have a desire for desire just as we hve a desire for the other three?  When desire is mentioned as a purusartha, it must be understood to mean desired objectives such as a successful career, winning a competition etc.  Veda-purva-bhaga (the earlier portion of the Vedas) contains elaborate procedures like homa and yajna for fulfilling our desires like getting progeny, acquiring cattle, property, etc.  Even God has desire. 

       Taittirya-upanisad (2.6) says, 'He, the Atman desired:  May I become many:  Let me procreate Myself.'  Bhagavan desired and created the world.  The incarnations of the Lord are manifestations of Bhagavan's desire.  If desire is to be condemned sastra itself becomes irrelevant.  Desire is the starting point, the basis, the foundation of for all our activities, endeavours, pursuits.  Desire is indispensable for every being.  Thus desire and desiring power are a blessing in the form of icchasakti because of which alone we are able to make use of our jnanasakti and kriyasakti and progress in life.  Hence, we look upon desire not as an evil or course, but a blessing.

       Then why do our scriptures condemn desire?  Why do scripture define liberation as giving up desire as we have quoted earlier?  When our scriptures condemn desire, we must understand it to mean abnormal desire.  To understand what abnormal desire is, we first understand what is 'abnormal' and for this let us consider an example.

       A friend says, "I have a sugar problem.'  Does this mean that the sugar in our system is a problem?  Sugar is essential for a healthy life, but the doctors have prescribed a limit on consumption of it.  It is only when this norm is exceeded or violated that a person has a diabetes.  Thus, it is not sugar per se, but abnormal sugar which is the problem.  Similarly, cholesterol is necessary for good health.  Yet we hear of people having 'cholesterol problem'.  Again, what is meant by abnormal cholesterol in the system.  In the same way, when our scriptures condemn desire, it means abnormal desire.

       Thus, what is abnormal desire?  It is a desire which exceed the limit, violates the norm.  A desire which is within limits, conforms to norm, is a normal or healthy desire.  Just as there are prescribed norms for sugar and cholesterol, there are certain norms (three in number) for normal or healthy desires.

 

1.  Appropriate desire:

       Krishna says in the Bhgavad-Gita (7.11), "In beings I am desire, not contrary to dharma, O chief of the Bharatas".  Lord Krishna defines an appropriate desire as dharmic desire.  Any desire that does not violate the norms of ethics, morality and justice is appropriate.  In fact, Lord Krishna says a dharmic desire is an expression of his vibhuti (glory).

       When adharmic desires arise in our mind we need not feel bad because we have no control over the their appearance.  But we do have control over their continuity.  And so, when an adharmic desire pops up in our mind, we simply nip it in the bud.  A desire is like a visitor - both welcome and unwelcome - who appears at our door unannounced.  While we have no control over who knocks at our door, we entertain and spend time only with the welcome visitor while turning away the unwelcome one.

       What is wrong, if we entertain adharmic desires?  We are likely to think 'nobody will know'.  But we know.  We lose respect for ourselves and our self-esteem is affected.  In our heart of hearts, we will not accept such behavior.  Such a person cannot be a happy in life.

 

2.    Balanced desire:

       There must be a balance in our desires.  All this is a two-fold balance.  The first balance is in getting and giving.  We all have the desire for acquisition and hoarding.  But, how many have the desire for giving and sharing?  The desire for acquisition should be balanced with the desire for contribution.  Desire for acquisition is natural; desire for contribution has to be cultivated.

       How can we contribute?  We can contribute time, energy, effort, knowledge and money.  Scriptures looks upon the entire universe as a gigantic, cosmic infrastructure.  We tap this infrastructure to fulfill our wants, needs and desires.  Scriptures call upon us to give back to the infrastructure which sastra describes as having five components.

a.  Nature: 

       Sastras or scriptures refers to nature as a panchabhuta or five elements: space, air, fire, water and earth.  These are a source of energy and our very sustenance.  In our tradition we look upon Lord as the panchabhutas or five elements.  And what have we done?  Rather than give back to nature (by planting trees, etc.,) we have polluted the air, land and water.  Global warming is the result of us going against nature.  We have to contribute to preserve nature.

b.  Living beings: 

       This includes all living beings, flora and fauna.  We contribute to their well being.

c.  Society:  

       We contribute to social welfare schemes that benefit the less privileged sections of the society.

d.  Educational Institutions:

       Scriptures attach great importance to eduction and teachers.  The role of educational institutions is to turn out responsible human beings who know what normal and abnormal desires are, healthy and unhealthy desires and more importantly have self control over abnormal desires.

e.  Family:

       Our scriptures consider family to be the most important infrastructure for a healthy mind.  We can enjoy a healthy mind only if we have the cushioning support of a family.  This especially applies to children and elderly people.  Institutions such as schools cannot give the love and care as effectively as a family.

       This five fold contribution - nature, living beings, society, educational institutions and family - is known as pancamaha-yajna and is referred to in sastras as devayajna, bhutayajna, manusyayajna, brahmayajna and pitryajna respectively.

       The second of the two-fold balance is balancing material pursuits and spiritual pursuits.  According to our scriptures, the entire universe is a combination of matter and spirit - prakriti and purusa.  We ourselves are a mixture of matter and spirit.  A spiritualistic person chasing money, entertainment, pleasure will feel a hollowness or emptiness in the heart, an inner sense of vacuum and incompleteness.  We must spend at least an hour a day for spirituality.  At a minimum we can study a few verses of Bhagavad Gita daily.  A spiritual person who neglects basic comforts - nutritious food, a comfortable place to stay - with a wish to eschew materialism would face needless and unnecessary hardships which actually hinder spiritual growth.  Hence, we must have a balanced mixture of both material and spiritual pursuits.

 

3.  Clean desire:

       Our scriptures say desire has certain byproducts which are harmful.  These toxic byproducts are krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (delusion), mada (arrogance) and matsaryam (jealousy), fear, anxiety, worry, rivalry etc.  A successful businessman desirous of being even more successful, plots to eliminate his competitors.  We should not entertain such unethical desires.  In other words, we cultivate 'clean' desires.

       Thus, we follow the above principle - we have Appropriate, Balanced, Clean Desires.  We can have any number of desires.  We need not feel guilty.  On the contrary, we can feel proud and privileged.  Swami Vidyaranya says in Pancadasi (6.262) that we can even have a cross desires - "When a person can dis-identify the Self from egoism and realize that the Self is in no way connected with egoism, then though he may have crores of desires, they will not bind him because he has cut the knot of the conscious with the unconscious."

       Let there be plenty of healthy desires!

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Source: Excerpts from the Talks given on new year day January 1, 2007 by Swamy Paramarthananda at 'Asthika Samaj', Venus Colony, Alwarpet, Chennai.

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Holy River Ganga

MYTHOLOGICAL STORY

  

     A mythological story describes story describes the river Jahnavi, better known as Ganga, descending from heaven to earth.  Ganga originated in heaven where she was personified as a goddess bearing the name Akasa-Ganga.  King Bhagiratha prayed to the goddess to descend from heaven to earth.  Akasa-Ganga granted the prayer but warned Bhagiratha that the earth would not bear the torrential flow of water from heaven.  The Lord Siva alone could withstand the force and receive the water.  Bhagiratha prayed then to Lord Siva to receive the Ganga water.  Siva acceded.  He received the water in his locks and retired to the jungle for meditation.  The Ganga remained in Siva's locks but did not flow on earth.  Hence, the king prayed to Siva a second time.  Now, to release the water to the world.  Siva granted his prayer.  The Ganga is presently believed to be the flowing from Siva's locks!

 

ALLEGORICAL SIGNIFICANCE:

       The story has a deep allegorical significance.  Ganga signifies Brahman, the supreme Reality.  Brahman remains above all terrestrial experiences.  Symbolically in the heavens.  King Bhagiratha represents an enlightened soul who alone can transmit the spiritual knowledge to the world.  Lord Siva represents  a tapasvin -- an austere, introvert, contemplating person - who qualifies to receive the knowledge.  After receiving the knowledge the seeker has to assimilate and absorb it.  This is indicated by Siva retiring to the forest for meditation with the Ganga in his locks.  The knowledge absorbed turns the seeker into a spiritual master.  He then imparts the knowledge gradually, carefully.  The people of the world can take it only in small doses.  Hence, Siva releases the Ganga in trickles from his locks.  Since the river signifies spiritual wisdom a dip in the sacred Ganga symbolises the devotee's union with Brahman.

 

Lord Krishna glorifies the river (Jahnavi) Ganga in Bhgavad Gita  Chapter X Verse 31

Among the purifiers, I am air.

I am Rama among those who bear weapons. 

And among the  fishes I am the Shark;

among the rivers, I am the Jahnavi (Ganga).

  

     Among the rivers I am Jahnavi, otherwise known as Ganga.  Her water is always fresh.  It is said that no bacteria can thrive in Ganges water.  Whether that is so, or not, every Hindu home has a pot of Ganga water, which never spoils.  And through association and the circumstances of her birth, Ganga stands for knowledge.  She is said to have come from Lord Siva's head.  And there are hundreds of stories associated with her as a source of knowledge and purification.  In India every river is worshipped.  But Ganga has a special place.  It is not just a river, but jnana-ganga, the unbroken flow of knowledge itself.  One dip is said to remove all sins.  That is the shraddha people have for Ganga.  She is looked upon as a devata.  

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Sources:

1. Commentary on Bhagavad Gita Chapter X by Swamy A Parthasarathy.

2. Swamy Dayananda's Bhgavad Gita Home-study-course Vol.III.

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Why do we have a prayer room?

In Indian Culture..

Why do we have a prayer room?

       Most Indian homes have a prayer room or altar. A lamp is lit and the Lord worshipped each day. Other spiritual practices like japa (repetition of the Lord’s name), meditation, paaraayana (reading of the scriptures), prayers, devotional singing etc, is also done here. Special worship is done on auspicious occasions like birthdays, anniversaries, festivals and the like. Each member of the family- young or old –communes with and worships the Divine here.

• Why do we have a prayer room ?

       The Lord is the owner of the entire creation.   He is therefore the true owner of the entire creation. He is therefore the true owner of the house we live in too. The prayer room is the Master room of the house. We are the earthly occupants of His property this notion rids us of false pride and possessiveness.

       The ideal attitude to take is to regard the Lord as the true owner of our homes and ourselves as caretakers of His home. But if that is rather difficult, we could at least think of Him as a very welcome guest. Just as we would house an important guest in the best comfort, so too we felicitate the Lord’s presence in our homes by having a prayer room or altar, which is, at all times, kept clean and well-decorated.

       Also the Lord is all pervading. To remind us that He resides in our homes with us, we have prayer rooms. Without the grace of the Lord, no task can be successfully or easily accomplished We invoke His grace by communing with him in the Prayer room each day and on special occasions.

       Each room in a house is dedicated to a specific function like the bedroom for resting, the drawing room to receive guests, the kitchen for cooking etc. The furniture, décor and the atmosphere of each room are made conducive to the purpose it serves. So too for the purpose of meditation, worship and prayer, we should have a conducive atmosphere – hence the need for a prayer room.

       Sacred thoughts and sound vibrations pervade the place and influence the minds of those who spend time there. Spiritual thoughts and vibrations accumulated through regular meditation, worship and chanting done there pervade the prayer room. Even when we are tired or agitated, by just sitting in the prayer room for a while, we feel calm, rejuvenated and spiritually uplifted.

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Source: Excerpts from the Book on In Indian Culture Why do we … by Swamini Vimalananda & Radhika Krishnakumar.
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The Dilemma of Choice

(Oliver Goldsmith 1728-1774)

       The world is constituted of three types of living beings – plant, animal and human.

       The plant kingdom ranges from banyan trees to creepers, flower-beds to weeds. They have a distinct character. They merely exist in the world at large exhibiting their nature. With no voluntary reaction to the world. No eyes to gaze at the environment around.

       Animals have a built-in programme to live their lives. They cannot tamper with their natural constitution. A tiger cannot become a vegetarian nor a cow a flesh-eater. Eating habits apart, the behavioural pattern of each species of animals is clearly defined by their basic nature, vasanas. The creatures of each species are constituted of the same vasanas. They possess a collective nature. All lions are ferocious. There can be no lion meek and mild. So are all deer soft and tender. And there can be no deer ferocious.

       The human species stands out distinct and different from all other creatures. The nature of each human being is singular. Each one is constituted of his individualistic nature, vasanas. No two humans possess the same vasanas. Consequently, each one expresses his or her own behavioural pattern. Hence human beings have to be treated individually, not collectively as in the case of other creatures.

       The behavioural pattern of animals follows their own nature. They have no choice to live apart from it. But humans are free to choose their course of life. All through life you are faced with the dilemma of choice. To get into business or profession, to marry or not to marry, to be a vegetarian or non-vegetarian etc. The problem lies not so much in making a choice but on what basis you make it. That requires a study of the forces that propel human action.

       Human actions emanate from either the mind or the intellect or a combination of both. The body executes action. But the body cannot act on its own. The actions of the body are driven by either:

1. Likes and dislikes, feelings, emotions, impulses of the mind.
                                                 or
2. Reason, discretion, judgement of the intellect.
                                                or
3. A combination of the above two.


       Here is an example of the above three possibilities arising from an action. Offer a sweet to a diabetic person who is fond of sweets. His mind wants to take it. His intellect decides against it knowing that he is diabetic. If his intellect is more powerful than his mind he will refuse it. If otherwise, his mind is strong and intellect weak, he would accept it. In a third possibility, if the person is not diabetic, his mind and intellect may concur and consume it.

       People the world over operate more on feeling and emotion rather than by reason and judgement. Sometimes even the reasoning of the intellect is overpowered by the mind’s emotion.

       In The Village Preacher, the poet Oliver Goldsmith shows how the human intellect should reign over the mind’s feeling and emotion. He describes the village preacher with a heart full of chaste emotions for his fellow-beings. But never does he let his emotions disturb his intellectual poise and judgement. His head rules over his heart. The poem concludes with this metaphor:

To them his heart, his love, his griefs were given,
But all his serious thoughts had rest in Heaven.
As some tall cliff that lifts its awful form,
Swells from the vale, and midway leaves the storm,
Though round its breast the rolling clouds are spread,
Eternal sunshine settles on its head.

       To have emotions is a virtue. But it would be a grievous error to let them interfere with your intellectual judgement. That would tantamount to human weakness. History reveals this intellectual weakness of human beings in letting their emotions overthrow discretion and judgement.

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Source: Abstract from 'The Fall of the Human Intellect' By Swami Parthasarathy
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Why Good People Suffer?

“Why do good people suffer or why do bad things happen to good people?”

       This question seems to be very common these days. It seems as though good people get the brunt of all suffering, while evil-doers enjoy life. But if we observe closely, we see that everyone undergoes suffering in some form. Keeping this in mind, our question becomes meaningless. Just because a person is good does not mean there would be no suffering in his/her life.

       But what do we mean by ‘good’? In Sanskrit, ‘sadhu’ is the word used for a good person. Sadhu comes from the word ‘saadh’, meaning ‘to accomplish’. If we work for ourselves and achieve great things, there is nothing laudable about it, but if we help others to achieve their goals, then it is an accomplishment. If someone is good to you and you reciprocate, that is common courtesy. But if someone is harming you, and despite that you continue to wish that person well without expecting anything in return, it is real goodness. A sadhu bathing in the river saw a drowning insect. He saved it from drowning and was stung in return. Again, the insect fell back into the river and the sadhu pulled it out of the water and placed it under a shady tree. On seeing this, a person asked the sadhu, “Why did you do that?” He replied, “The insect did not give up its nature, so why should I?”

       How can we achieve this goodness in our lives? To reach any target, we must first have a goal. Similarly, for achieving goodness, we must have a standard of goodness which is known to us, because only then can we rise up to the required levels. As long as we see differences in the world around us, true goodness will not manifest. This can be achieved only when we become aware of our oneness with others. An example will illustrate this point better. Every organ of my body is part of one whole. If the finger goes into the eye, there is instant forgiveness, because of the complete identification with the finger.

       Now that we know what is good, let us see what suffering is. Objective suffering befalls all people, good or bad. Situations leading to suffering could have their roots in past actions. Objectively, the existence of pain or any other physical handicap cannot be denied, but the degree of sorrow this leads to is entirely subjective. Riches or positions of power do not guarantee happiness. People become miserable over small matters. If a person claims that he is good and is suffering, while the dishonest person is flourishing, we can be very sure that the person is not good. For a good man, the real suffering is to do something against his convictions. Suppose a pure vegetarian is faced with a situation of remaining hungry or eating beef, the chances are that the former option would be more acceptable.

       All our spiritual practices cannot eliminate suffering, but they protect the mind and make suffering acceptable, just as on a rainy day, we cannot stop the rain, but can protect ourselves from getting wet with an umbrella. Bhagavan Krishna says, “A good person never suffers.” By some logic we feel that suffering and enjoyment is related to past actions. If we observe at the subtle level, we find immediate results of our actions. The moment a good thought enters our mind, we feel elation, and similarly a wicked thought causes agitation.

       Real suffering is when we lose our goodness. Compromising with goodness is the greatest suffering. Even though superficially it may appear that evil doers are flourishing, it should not be an excuse to compromise. The problem arises when one does not have an ideal or when one is not able to live up to one’s ideal. But the greatest problem is when one believes that the ideal is not worth living up to and has lost its utility. Remember, a good man will stand by his convictions, because “If you do not stand for something, you will fall for everything.”

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Source: An article by Swami Tejomayananda, President, Chinmaya Mission.
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Two Motivations

       Human desires manifest as two powerful motivations in life – acquisition and enjoyment. You want to acquire whatever you desire from the world. And after acquiring you long to enjoy what you have acquired. You build a house and enjoy living in it. You prepare a tennis court and enjoy playing the game. Etcetera. Propelled by these two motivations every human being craves to acquire and enjoy more and more in the world. He consumes his entire life chasing images of happiness. None has found true happiness in mere acquisition or enjoyment. Yet the chase never ends. People are ultimately exhausted with their futile efforts and become frustrated and unhappy.

       From the very beginning of life the mind has a tendency to acquire the wealth of the world. Yet it cannot qualify or quantify what it wants. Even in the present, when the mind acquires the object of its desire it forthwith pitches up something else. This thirst for acquisition continues. The wealthiest man in the world wants more wealth. The most powerful seeks more power. The most beautiful more beauty. Human beings face a real problem in their minds’ insatiable desire to acquire, aggrandise and the consequent agitation and frustration. The thirst can never be quenched by sheer acquisition of whatever the mind demands. Neither can the problem be solved by suppressing the desire for acquisition. In fact, there is no taboo to acquisition. You are advised only to control, regulate the mind’s indiscriminate craving for acquisition.

       The second motivation is the desire to enjoy what has been acquired. Here again, there is no objection to enjoyment. You are not to refrain from enjoying what the world offers you but to restrain, control your indulgence in them. The unrestricted craving for enjoyment agitates the mind and ruins your peace. You suffer. Also, you enjoy objects or beings only when you exercise voluntary regulation and moderation. If however you do not exercise control and plunge into indiscreet indulgence in sensual enjoyment you lose the charm of it. You cannot enjoy it anymore. Unrestricted indulgence kills the enjoyment that you seek.

       In truth there is no joy content in the objects and beings of the world. But it is extremely difficult, nay impossible to convince the layperson that the world cannot provide the enjoyment he seeks from it. He goes to an ice-cream parlour and orders Belgian chocolate. He enjoys it. How can he be convinced that there is no joy content in it? Yet the truth remains that none can find enjoyment in the external world.

       The following example can perhaps help you examine the veracity of the statement. You sit outside in your garden on a full moon light. You ‘enjoy’ the beautiful moonlight Just think. Does the moon actually produce light? Does it have light in it per se? No, not at all. Yet some believe that the light comes from the moon. Educated as you are, you know that there is no light in the moon. Whatever arguments you put forth, the ignoramuses can never accept that there is no light in the moon. They see the light coming from the moon. They experience it. They enjoy it. So it becomes impossible for them to conceive that the moon has no light in it.

       Similarly, the masses lack the wisdom to accept the truth that there is no joy content in the world. Their argument is similar. They can perceive the joy in the sense-objects. And argue that they gain enjoyment out of them. Hence they can never accept there is no joy in the external world. You may likewise hold on to your views but just ponder over the moonlight example.

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Source: An Extract from The Fall of the Human Intellect by Swami Parthasarathy
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Why do we celebrate Holi?

In Indian Culture
Why do we celebrate HOLI?

Holi, the festival of colors, is celebrated in the month of Phalgun (February-March).

Also called Phagwah, it is the full moon day in Phalgun that ushers in the spring season in India. It is also a celebration of the harvest season.

The festival gets its name from the Puranic story of Holika. Holika was the sister the demon-king Hiranyakashipu. The king, egoistic as he was, desired that everybody in his kingdom worship him alone. Much to his ire, he found that his son, Prahlada, was a worshipper of Lord Vishnu. It was then that Hiranyakashipu decided to kill Prahlada in connivance with his sister. Holika had been granted a boon that gave her the power to remain unaffected by fire. To lure Prahlada into a fire, Holika sat him on her lap and pretended to play with him while Hiranyakashipu ordered his men to set the place where they sat on fire. It was then that Holika's boon failed her. In her sinister venture to kill the Lord's devotee, Holika was burned to ashes while Prahlada came out unscathed.

Another reason why Holi is significant is its association with Raasleela, the Divine Dance that Lord Krishna performed for the gopis , his devotees in Vrindavan on this day.

‘Holi' comes from the word ‘hola' which means sacrifice. And the festival is a reminder that we must live our lives in a spirit of service and sacrifice.

Holi symbolises victory of our higher aspirations over our lower, base desires. It is the burning of our petty, material desires at the altar of our goal of self-development. It stands for the victory of good over evil, a theme that runs through every Indian festival. For it is impossible that those who live their lives by truth will ever be overcome by the corrupt.

Another important aspect of Holi is its joy and fun. Contrary to common perception, spirituality is about enjoying life to its fullest. The spiritual life is not about giving up our possessions but discovering higher, permanent joys. It is a path filled with serendipity and moments of sheer joy reflected in the life of Lord Krishna.

Thus, the spirituality that Vedanta speaks is of isn't meant only for ascetics in the Himalayas. It is a philosophy that is meant for men and women of the action. It is a vibrant, living knowledge that enables us to make life a celebration. So on Holi, we must remember to bring the color into our lives by living the principles of Vedanta

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Source: Excerpts from the article by Jaya Rao.
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Siva Linga

       THE INFINITE REALITY is beyond the reach of the finite equipments of man.  Reality cannot be experienced through pratyaksa direct perception.  The scriptures therefore rely mainly on two sources of knowledge, namely anumana inference and upama comparison, for expressing the inexpressible Reality.  Siva Linga is one such indirect means of communicating the Reality.

       Linga in Sanskrit means symbol.  Siva Linga is a symbol of Siva.  Siva in this context refers to the infinite Reality.  Symbolism is an art of representing thoughts and ideas, objectives and ideals etc., through the medium of signs or symbols.  Symbolism is not a science to be investigated.  A symbol merely takes one to the thing symbolised by virtue of some similarity between the two.  Hindu symbolism explains the Truth of religion and philosophy through idols and forms, signs and stories.  All Hindu symbols have spiritual significance relating to life.  The study of symbolism lies in proper and faithful interpretations of the relationship which exists between the Reality and the form symbolising the Reality.

       The Dravidians originated the Siva Linga as a symbol of the supreme Reality.  The Narmada river contained marble-like stones shaped beautifully in the form of an ellipsoid by the running waters.  An ellipsoid is shaped like an elongated sphere having two foci instead of one as in the case of a sphere.  The ellipsoid represents Siva-sakti.  The two foci of the ellipsoid correspond to the two aspects of the Reality.  Siva the immanent, sakti the manifest.

       The Siva Linga ellipsoid is fixed in such a way that one half of it lies embedded in the earth while the other half remains outside the surface.  The upper half that appears above the surface represents the seen, visible manifest world of plurality, sakti.  The lower half under the surface is unseen invisible substratum, the supporter of the upper half.  That rightly represents the unmanifest supreme Reality, Siva.  The properties of the ellipsoid are ideally suited for symbolising the two aspects of the Reality -- the unmanifest and manifest.

       A cross-section of the ellipsoid cut along its axis is an ellipse whereas its cross-section cut at right angles to its axis is a circle.  The ellipsoid thus is a combination of ellipses and circles.  The circle represents the supreme Reality.  A circle has no beginning or end.  The Reality also has no beginning or end.  One part of an ellipsoid, namely the circle, therefore, represents the unmanifest Reality.  The other part which is the ellipse represent the manifest universe.  The entire universe consisting of an atom right upto the solar system is in a way related to the ellipse.  The solar system consists of the sun with the planets revolving around it.  The motion of each planet around the sun describes an ellipse.  Strikingly similar is the motion  of the electrons around the nucleus in an atom.  The orbits described by the movements of the electrons are also ellipses.  Hence the other aspect of ellipsoid, namely the ellipse, is most suited to represent the universe.

       Another interesting reference to the Siva Linga is that it represents the phallus.  This has provoked criticism both from the West and the East.  The critics feel that this idea has reduced the Hindu ritual and worship to absurdity.  Whether the linga was originally meant to represent the phallus is difficult to establish authoritatively.  Nevertheless, a subtle inner meaning could be read in the seemingly absurd symbolism.

       Lord Siva represents the power of destruction while Lord Brahma and Vishnu represent  the power of creation and maintenance respectively.  These three powers are the manifestation of the supreme Reality in this world.  In fact, these three powers are inseparable.  In other words, they are only three facets of the same power.  There can be no creation without destruction.  Nor destruction without creation.  For example, when the morning is dead noon is born, when the noon is dead evening is born when evening is dead night is born and so on.  In this chain of births and deaths, creation and destruction, the day is maintained.  Thus, the third power namely the power of maintenance also is ingrained in the other two powers of creation and destruction.  To indicate this inseparable nature of creation and destruction Siva, the Lord of destruction, has been represented by the organ of procreation.

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Source: Excerpts from the Book on The Symbolism of Hindu Gods and Rituals by A. Parthasarathy.

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Why do we offer food to the Lord before eating it?

In Indian Culture
Why do we offer food to the Lord before eating it?

       In western tradition food is partaken after a thanksgiving prayer – grace. Indians make an offering of it to the lord and later partake of it as prasaada a holy gift from the lord In temples and in many homes, the cooked food is first offered to the lord each day. The offered food is mixed with the rest of the food and then served as prasaada. In our daily ritualistic worship (pooja) too we offer naivedyam (food) to the Lord. Why do we do so ?

• Why do we offer neivedya (food)?

       The Lord is omnipotent and omniscient. Man is a part, while the Lord is the totality. All that we do is by His strength and knowledge alone. Hence what we receive in life as a result of our actions is really His alone. We acknowledge this through the act of offering food to him. This is exemplified by the Hindi words tera tujko arpan from the arati "Jai Jagadisha Hare” – I offer what is Yours to you. Thereafter, it is akin to his gift to us, graced by His divine touch.

       Knowing this, our entire attitude to food and the act of eating changes. The food offered will naturally be pure and the best. We share what we get with others before consuming it. We do not demand, complain or criticize the quality of the food we get. We do not waste or reject it. We eat it with cheerful acceptance (prasaada buddhi). When we become established in this attitude, it goes beyond the purview of food and pervades our entire. Lives. We are then able to cheerfully accept all we get in life as His prasaada.

       Before we partake of our daily meals we first sprinkle water around the plate as an act of purification. Five morsels of food are placed on the side of the plate acknowledging the debt owed buy us to the

- divine forces (devta runa) for their benign grace and protection;

- our ancestors (pitru runa) for giving us their lineage and a family culture;

- the sages (rishi runa) as our religion and culture have been “realized”, maintained and handed down to us by them;

- our fellow beings (manushya runa) who constitute society without the support of which we could not live as we do and

- other living beings (bhuta runa) for serving us selflessly.

       Thereafter the Lord, the life force, who is also within us as the five life-giving physiological functions, is offered the food. This is done with the chant – praanaaya swaahaa, apaanaaya swaahaa, vyaanaaya swaahaa, udaanaaya swaahaa, samaanaaya swahaa, brahmane swaahaa (referring to the five physiological functions

– respiratory (praana) system,

- excretory (apaana) system, 

- circulatory (vyaana) system, 

- digestive (samaana) system and

- reversal (udaana) system.

After offering the food thus, it is eaten as prasaada - blessed food.

      
       To remember this concept, many chant the following verses of the Bhagavat Geeta (in sanskrit).

Brahmaarpanam Brahmahavihi

       Brahmaagnau Brahmanaahutam

Brahmaivatenagantavyam

      Brahmakarma samaadhina

Meaning

 -- Brahman is the oblation; the clarified butter; the oblation; the fire…… Brahman ( the Supreme) shall be reached by him who sees the Supreme in all actions

Verse

Aham vaishvaanarobbhutva

       praaninam debamaaashritaha

Praanaapaanasamaayuktaha

     papchaamyannam chaturvidham

Meaning
 

“Residing in all living beings as the digestive fire, I digest the four types of food eaten by them (as an offering to Me)”.

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Source: Excerpts from the Book on In Indian Culture... Why do we... by Swamini Vimalananda & Radhika Krishnakumar.

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Social Service verses Social Consciousness

Kahlil Gibran

Social service versus Social Consciousness

       Any form of giving is social work. What the World needs is not the social work. Yet you people believe. What the World need is social consciousness. People do not have the social consciousness. That feeling for others. When you hit animal on the road to the car, you have feeling animals has no business to come your way. Another may feel for the animal. Similarly, you may just want to give a lovely feeling. Other thing is to recognise the need of other. That is social consciousness. That is the meaning of charity begins at your home. You must be charitable at heart. Then social service is not necessary. Social service is necessary for the social cause. I know it is impossible to give. Social service verses social consciousness. If you have servants, you may notice that they don’t have proper medicals facility, education etc. There is no social conscious. You may give money plus bonus. The feeling of other persons need is social conscious. If every person can be social consciousness, then there is no need for social service.

       There are diseases. We can control diseases by looking into our health important. Is it important to get the treatment or curing the diseases? If everybody is in perfect state of health, then Hospitals are not required. If everybody is social conscious, then there is no need for social service. There are people used to go to the Night Party in a Star Hotels with a Car. The car driver is waiting for you in the portico. Can you imagine! From 8 p.m. to 1.00 a.m. that driver is waiting without having proper “food”. Has he had proper food? Did you ever think about it? This is social consciousness. If everybody takes care of environment, where is the necessity for social work. Work with no vision of social conscious. Giving is no meaning unless you develop the wonderful quality of social consciousness. Doctors have no meaning, unless you recognize the hygienic way of living.

Famous Quote of Kahlil Gibran on Giving

You give but little when you give of your possessions.

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.

For what are your possessions but things you keep and guard for fear you may need them tomorrow?

And tomorrow, what shall tomorrow bring to the overprudent dog burying bones in the trackless sand as he follows the pilgrims to the holy city?

And what is fear of need but need itself?

Is not dread of thirst when your well is full, the thirst that is unquenchable?

There are those who give little of the much which they have--and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.

And there are those who have little and give it all.

These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.

There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.

And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.

And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;

They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.

Through the hands of such as these God speaks, and from behind their eyes He smiles upon the earth.

It is well to give when asked, but it is better to give unasked, through understanding;

And to the open-handed the search for one who shall receive is joy greater than giving.

And is there aught you would withhold?

All you have shall some day be given;

Therefore give now, that the season of giving may be yours and not your inheritors'.

You often say, "I would give, but only to the deserving."

The trees in your orchard say not so, nor the flocks in your pasture.

They give that they may live, for to withhold is to perish.

Surely he who is worthy to receive his days and his nights, is worthy of all else from you.

And he who has deserved to drink from the ocean of life deserves to fill his cup from your little stream.

And what desert greater shall there be, than that which lies in the courage and the confidence, nay the charity, of receiving?

And who are you that men should rend their bosom and unveil their pride, that you may see their worth naked and their pride unabashed?

See first that you yourself deserve to be a giver, and an instrument of giving.

For in truth it is life that gives unto life while you, who deem yourself a giver, are but a witness.

And you receivers... and you are all receivers... assume no weight of gratitude, lest you lay a yoke upon yourself and upon him who gives.

Rather rise together with the giver on his gifts as on wings;

For to be overmindful of your debt, is to doubt his generosity who has the freehearted earth for mother, and God for father.

-- A poem on Giving by Kahlil Gibran.

 

       One businessman in Chennai remarkable fellow, when they asked Rs.3,000/-, he used to give Rs.5,000/-. True giving arises if you have the genuine desire to give. It heals you. It transforms you. There is no more mental tension. Just give.

Kahlil Gibran said about Giving, “You should not get pleasure in giving and displeasure in giving.”

No returns, no expectation. Just do it whatever you want in the life.

       These days we talk about discounts and discounts. A women sell a fruits in road said, you seems to bargain with her. A person who drives in a Mercedes Benz bargain with the lady. Give them. You won’t become poor. You have to give without any expectation in the life. When you talk about giving, i.t has to be reasonably showed. You got to be sure about, what is meeting the right cause. The true example is this. Many years ago, I was in somebody’s house at Penang, Malaysia. A Doctor rich person was sending money to his widow sister. Somebody said they may misuse it. When I saw, his sister and son had alcoholic and lie down. You must know where your money is doing. It is not dispensation of extra wealth. You must make reasonable sure about.

Apre’s vous

       Live life with the attitude of apre’s vous, after you. You then become the nucleus of happiness.

       Giving is not an easy thing says Kahlil Gibran. The problem is “I know what I am doing.” The greatest problem everybody suffering is “I know”. Deep conviction is “I know” what I am doing. Most arrogant egoistic person to the most humble, sincere person suffers from the same problem. The most devoted person has that problem.

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Source: Excerpts from the lectures delivered by Swami A Parthasarathy.

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Charity

Swamy Rama aTirtha

       Charity does not mean indiscriminate dispensation of wealth. The World comprises two types of people. The vast majority is far from being charitable. The rest indulge in unintelligent charity. Indiscriminate charity has resulted in a lot of misery. It has bred respectable beggars in Society. True charity emanates from proper judgment of the intellect. Not something that oozes out of a weak emotion of the mind. In its purest form, charity has the distinction of benefiting the done as well. Not just the donor.

       I drew circle. What you are giving is one dot here, Bill Gates is small dot here. These dots cannot solve the poverty of the World. Because, it is not done intelligently. Therefore, giving is not that easy. So, first of all you have to find what is your obligations. Your obligations is to give. But, the problem is nobody wants to give. Because it is so painful. But, once you learn the art of giving, it is most pleasurable thing. Doing exercise is most painful. But once you learned it and put into practice, you may feel sluggishness if you skip exercise one day. Everything is right, if you do it right thing at right time. Waking-up in the early morning by 4 am is very difficult. So difficult.

       Prophet Mohamed says he is best among you who is best in GIVING. That is a difficult thing to give. But once you give all the nakedness can be cleared and taken care of.

       One businessman from South Africa, confessed that he has 55 watches. What is he doing? The pain of giving is the problem. In the Old Testament, Moses went up to the Mountain, the voice of God told Moses to hold a life serpent and Moses hesitated. So frightful and difficult. Voice said, Hold it Moses and he plunged and killed that snake. Instantly, it became a famous star of the Mosses. You could achieve impossible things with the Star. What is the Star? If you do the thing, it is so painful in the beginning and it is a right thing. Your obligation is to share. If you catch the snake, it becomes a great benefactor. But you must practice it. You got get into that. Giving will pleases you. Unless you give the right of sharing, it will not please you.

Swamy Rama Tirtha

       During 1873 to 1906, Swamy Rama Tirtha was a greatest saint lived in Punjab, India. He uttered a famous statement in USA in the year 1902. He proclaims that: The way to gain anything is to lose it. The more you run after wealth, the more it recedes. The more you crave for it, the more it eludes you. Leave it alone, it follows you. Work dispassionately, the reward of work courts you.

Nature

       Take a look at nature. Learn your lessons from the Sun, Moon and Stars. They work tirelessly. Impersonally. The good Earth yields vegetation. The rivers flow. Flowers bloom. Give out sweet fragrance. With no ego prompting them. No personal motive. No selfish desire to fulfill. You find Sun giving vitality. It rises every morning and sets in the evening. If it does not still you have trouble. Meticulously it raises and gives vitality to the world. Gayathiri Mantras says “thank you Sun for coming and thank you for going’. That’s about all. We have to learn acknowledge the blessings.

       The clouds are giving rain throughout the World. It fills all the tanks and goes away. Without which we won’t survive. Earth gives vegetation over and over again. It produces same nutritious vegetables. Everything around the World working in a spirit of giving. Rose gives fragrance. Nightingale sings. Only a human beings wants to take. The more it gives, the more it has abundance. Sun is giving so much heat, now it becomes cold in Winter season. The more you give the more you have. The fear is to find out from the person who has given. The more you give, the more you have.

Lessons from Vigbyoric colours:

       The phenomenon of colours illustrates this law of life. Light is constituted of seven vibgyoric colours. When an object is bathed in light the seven colours impinge upon it. When the object absorbs, takes in all seven, it appears black. In effect, it loses all the colours. Whereas, when the object does not take in any colour, gives away the seven colours it appears white. When an object appears blue, it has actually given away blue and taken in the other six. It appears in the colour it parts with. An object gains the colour it gives away. Learn this lesson from nature. The more you give, the more you have in abundance. Your obligation to serve, sacrifice. Unless you get the taste of giving, it is difficult. Hence, taste the art of giving.

Story of a fake Sanyyasi or Saint

       The King of state was anxious to meet a sannyasi or sage, a recluse who has renounced everything in life. He enquired of his minister if he could find one such person. The minister took the king’s wish lightly and averred that there were many around. The king waited for a while. There was no response. One day, he summoned the minister and gave him a week’s time to fulfil his wish. The minister then realised that the King was serious. He tried hard to find one. But his attempts were all in vain. In utter desperation he devised a clever plan. He chose a young man to put on an act of sannyasi in return for a large sum of money. The man readily yielded to his request. He was dressed in ochre robe with other spiritual accessories to adorn his faked religiosity. He was asked to sit under a tree in a secluded place. The stage was set. The minister announced that he had located the sanyyasi. The King and his retinue was brought to the scene. The King was inspired at the sight of the feigned sannyasi. He prostrated at his feet. So did the queen. The King looked enquiringly t the minister. He had to prostrate too! The King offered trays of money, clothing and food. The sanyyasi would not accept any of them. The King was amazed at his spirit of renunciation. He reverentially took leave of the holy man and returned to the palace with his retinue.

       The minister rushed back to the scene. He commended the young man on his great performance. And offered him the promised payment. The sanyyasi refused to accept it. The minister was confused. He told him that the play was over and bade him accept the money. The young man gestured to the minister to sit down and spoke these words of wisdom, “Dear sir, did you not witness the beauty and grandeur of life in our episode? Have you not learnt a great lesson today? Do you realize I feigned an act of renunciation for a short while. The King, the Queen and the entire retinue were at my feet. Just an act of abstraction, a show of renunciation showered so much wealth and reverence upon me. What then would be the power of true renunciation? Realise that sir, and take back your money.” He became a great Saint thereafter.

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Source: Excerpts from the lectures delivered by Swami A Parthasarathy.

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