Krishna

Futile Outside-Cleansing Inside

Ensures6 Comments

There was this boy who thought he was being pestered by his father when he was asked to chant Bhagavad Gita everyday.

He demanded of his father “What is the point when I don’t understand a word of Samskruth it is in written in”

“Just do as I say, Son” replies the father. “you don’t lose anything anyway by chanting it”

A reluctant but choiceless son begins his Chanting practice everyday. A couple of weeks passes by. Apart from the fluency in chanting, he still doesn’t see any benefits or point in continuing this meaningless exercise.

He decides to rebel and goes back to his father, “It simply is torturous going through the motion with no benefits. Pardon me, with due respects to you, I don’t intend to continue this henceforth”

Basket-06

Father smiles and asks the boy, “See that basket (Tokri) there. Now use it and get water from river and fill this tank ?

Son see the futility of using this leaky basket but agrees nevertheless, anything to escape chanting Bhagavad Gita by rote. He picks it and goes to the river and fills water and walks towards the tank but water is drained out by the time he reaches there. He decides to do this a bit faster

Basket-04

No matter how fast he was, he was disappointed that he could not add more than a few drops into the tank, let alone fill it.

With a sense of resignation he goes back to his father and says, “I failed to achieve much but what was the point? When you well knew I could not fill the tank with a leaky basket)

Father smiles and replies, “Son, you really think that yours was a wasted effort? No! Look at the basket now. Your effort cleaned it as is now it is as good as new. Bhagavad Gita chanting seemingly appears pointless to you, but effects would be similar – It cleanses you!”

Basket-01

It was during our Kennedy Memorial School days, (in Wilson Garden, Bangalore) that we got a grounding on the spiritual aspect of life. We used to have (what we thought at that time, a meaningless ritual) Thursday mass prayer, where our Principal, Shri Sridhar (founder of the School and Chairman of Vivekananda Vidya Samsthe Trust or something like that). I am sure even he knew not everything can enter young minds and most of it flew over our heads, but he nevertheless did it diligently – A discourse on some chapters/stanzas of Bhagavad Gita. Like it made no sense to me personally then, I realise today it had profound cleansing effect on me internally, as in this story. Thank you Sir, wherever you are, everyone of us who studied there owe you a lot for this grounding.

During my National High School days, Bhagavad Gita Chanting was an essential part of our compulsory morning School Prayers (Starting with Namaste sate te jagat kaaranaaya… which in itself is an amazing sloka to begin the school day with).

National_High_School

Though not so enthusiastic at that time, “Compulsory for Attendance marking”  left us with no choice but to be a part of it. Led by either Sri KT Sundara Sampath Kumarachar (KTS) and Sri Alasinga Bhattachar (SAB), two of my Samskrutha teachers who lead the chanting session, I vividly remember once Sri KTS saying, “Lord Sri Krishna intended and offered different levels of knowledge/instructions starting with basic level meant for every seeker and then building on it to take a more serious and observant seeker to Elevated levels” It did not make any sense to me at all. It was more of those naughty, not-so-complimentary nick names for those abbreviations KTS & SAB that was more interesting 😉

I also recall when SAB elucidated what KTS said on another day. Bhagavad Gita has a level for everyone like that milk fed to calf first. After milking the cow it is collected in cans which is more elevated (and deeper). Then it has cream and when churned further it gives out Butter and on slow heating gives out Ghee. Each level of more clarified, deeper and purer essence.

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It is Bhagavad Gita discourse time these days from His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in The Art of Living Ashram. If you ever been here one of these days you would agree that, in HIS inimitable simple style,  He is elevating us to the next level of understanding Bhagavad Gita. Somethings that a few intellectuals with limited knowledge (even with the so called Science which itself has been proved and disproved again and again) would never understand. You want to see how beautiful the world is, with the guidance of  a Master, look through my eyes you will know the truth.

||Jai Gurudev and Jai Sri Krishna||

You can follow Sri Sri Ravishankar on various Social Media here (look for Verified mark for official accounts):

@SriSri (On Twitter)

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PS 🙂

I am on twitter https://twitter.com/surnell and on FB : https://www.facebook.com/SureshEn (Profile) and https://www.facebook.com/surnell (Page)

True Mantra

Ensures5 Comments

Couldn’t avoid reacting (though my Master Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of Art of Living says it is a bad habit in the spiritual path) to a few characters for no rhyme and reasons keep harping on some stupid problem of theirs on another of my favourite discussion forum and a spiritual community. It is said some people have simply decided to revel and enjoy being miserable and here is one person who fits this example to the “T”. As a timely reconfirmation and the reasons why I should recover and move on I received a nice story which I am posting here for the sake of retaining it for posterity. A story with loads of hidden and obvious messages equally applicable to both proponents and skeptics. Here we go…

Once there was a king who was very fond of flowers. He had bought a lot of expensive pots with beautiful & fragrant flowers. He had them arranged in the courtyard just next to his bedroom & hired a person to take proper care of them.

Once that fellow broke one pot by mistake while arranging them. The king became furious to hear about this. He was a cruel & senseless king. He sentenced his servant to death for this petty mistake. He was ordered to be hanged after two months. The king’s minister pleaded mercy for the poor fellow but he did not listen. To find death inevitable, the poor servant started praying to God.

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Meawhile the king declared a reward for anyone who could repair the broken pot & make it exactly same as it used to be. Many people came & tried their luck but in vain.

How could a broken pot be repaired exactly like before? How could any doctor bring back life to a dead person? This mortal human body also is irrepairable. Even if a surgeon tries his best to put back the broken parts, it can never be the same; there is always some imperfection remaining. Similarly a kite when torn apart can never be made to look like before even if one applies all kind of glues. How could anyone ever do this?

The servant on the other hand was counting his days. He would every now & then pray to God to somehow make king’s mind change so that his life is spared.

A month passed by like this. Then a saint visited that city. He heard about this reward which the king had declared for anyone who could repair the broken flower pot. He also learnt about the death sentence given to the poor servant who broke it.

That saintly person went to the king’s court & said “I take the responsibilty of joining back your broken pot. Show it to me” The king took the saint to his palace where all the flower pots were kept. The saint looked deeply at the broken pot. He also looked at all the other two dozen unbroken pots. He passed a divine smile towards the king. Then he asked for a stick. The servant brought him one. As soon as he got it, he started breaking all other flower pots. For sometime, the king totally confused at this scene kept wondering what is this way of repairing. May be this saintly person knows some new method. Then he looked at the saint who was standing fearlessly after having broken all the pots. He yelled “O saint! what have you done?”

The saint replied “I saved the life of two dozen poor people who at some point in time would have broken these pots.”

The king became furious & ordered that the saint be trampled under the feet of an elephant. The saint was a spiritually enlightened person. He had deeply experienced the teachings of the Vedas. He believed firmly in the universality of the soul & its oneness with GOD. He knew that the physical body is bound to be destroyed someday while the inner soul can never ever die. He’d never get frightened by even the worst of the worst situations since he was beyound death & birth.

An elephant was brought in front of him. The saint peacefully lied down on the ground & meditating on “So..hum.. Shivo..hum” (I am That.. I am Shiva ..The supreme lord) “Supreme Lord is prevalent all around. The elephant is also the supreme lord & so is its master. The king who ordered this execution is also the supreme lord & the one lying down on the ground is also the same supreme lord.” “The lord itself is playing with its own various forms. So..hum” “The minister standing in the corner is also the dear lord & the soldier holding a sword in the hand is also the same lord. The whole public watching this is also the supreme lord having taken various forms from tiny kids to veiled women.”

The blissful saint continued meditating like this visualizing the presence of supreme lord in every body around him. The master of the elephant whipped it hard but the elephant simply refused to go near the saint. Another elephant was brought in. But he also stopped within two feet of the meditating saint. His master also tried hard but in vain. The king finally gave up & asked the saint “Do you know any kind of mantra which brings every elephant under your control?” The saint smiled & said ” I do not know any mantra to control an elephant but I do know the mantra to control the self. I know the mantra of love”

No matter how bad one may think of you or make plans to hurt you, but if you do not think bad about him, then nothing in the world has the power to do bad to you. He may keep cursing you in his heart but he will never be able to do bad to you.

The saint said: “Oh King! When I lay straight then thinking about the Dear God in the elephant, you & me, I started loving Him & thought of good things to happen to the elephant. I thought of welfare of the elephant & you.

If I would have thought bad for you, then your bad qualities could have become powerful. If I would have felt jealous of you, then jealousy could have become powerful inside you. If I would have felt hatred for you, then hatred could have become powerful inside you. But friend! why should I pollute my heart by having hatred & jealousy for you?

I have got over ignorance by the grace of my Guruji. That is why the elephant could not hurt me even when it was pecked to do so again & again. If the destiny of the body would have been to die in this way, then nobody could have stopped the death. In that case even if you were protecting this body, it would not have lived longer. If destiny did not have this kind of death, then how does it matter if ten kings like you get annoyed! What harm can anybody do? Even if you get pleased how does it matter! I’ve done the work that I intended to do.

This body can die any second. It cannot become immortal. When this body is mortal then how can the pots become immortal. These will get destroyed & will vanish one day. The plant shall also die. You are taking the life of a servant for a plant which will anyway die soon. Therefore using the stick I broke all pots to give you a lesson that these are mortal objects. Do not ruin the kindness of your heart by having attraction for these immortal things.”

The king was highly influenced by the words of the saint. He came down his throne & begged for forgiveness. He cancelled the death sentence on the servant. Then he took “Guru Mantra” from the saint & set his journey on the road to God.

PS: The picture above is of His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji in one of those playful moments with Maheshwara, the Ashram Elephant

Tulsi Vivaha-Reward for Devotion

Ensures4 Comments

tulasi-dala-matrena
jalasya culukena va
vikrinite svam atmanam
bhaktebhyo bhakta-vatsalah

[Sri Krishna – affectionate toward His devotees, is partial to a devotee who offers Him merely a tulasi leaf and a palmful of water]

Uttana Dwadashi (12th day in the Waxing phase of moon) in the month of Karthika is Celebrated as Tulsi Puja (or Tulsi Vivaha with Vishnu). It is also called Ksheerabdi Dwadashi Vrata. It is the day where the Chaturmasa vrata ends (Chaturmasa vrata starts on Ashada Ekadashi – Pandarapur Ekadashi)

Tulsi Brindavana at Home

The story behind this Vrata according to Aparna (my better half):

Tulsi known for her utmost devotion, piety and unflinching loyalty to her husband, Shankhachuda makes him extremely powerful. Shankhachuda falls into evil ways and starts harassing the world but was invincible due to Tulsi’s austerities. He has a boon that he can be killed only if chastity (Pativratata) of Tulsi is violated. Bhagwan Vishnu appears in the form of Shankachuda and Tulsi mistakes her for her husband and serves him as loyally as always. Tulsi’s chastity and loyalty thus gets violated making Shankhachuda weak and gets killed. Tulsi realized her folly and immolates herself on a pyre. Despite the devotion towards Bhagwan Vishnu she was distressed that Bhagwan was stone-hearted to trick her and curses Him that he turns into a black stone – Lord Vishnu thus turns into Saligrama stone. Saligrama origin is in the River Gandaki and Saligrama has perpetual Saanidhya or proximity to Bhagwan Vishnu. And Tulsi has perpetual saanidhya or proximity to Maate Lakshmi. After the ceremonial rituals of offerings, Bhagwan Vishnu (in the form of Gooseberry plant) and Maate Lakshmi (in the form of Tulsi) is married and the Karta of this pooja is believed to have performed Kanya Daana (which is considered to be one of the most meritorius acts) in human life. This also marks restart of marriage season for Hindus after the brief hiatus during Chaturmaasa.

It so happens that Tulsi maata, before self-immolating curses Bhagwan Vishnu to suffer separation from his wife (Curse gets effected in Ramayana where Bhagwan Rama and Sita are separated).

Puja at home (Wife on the left and Son on the right)

Bhagwan Vishnu however blesses tulsi to take the form a Tulsi plant and insists that she forms an essential part of worshipping Him. He takes the form of Gooseberry plant and marries Tulsi. It is believed that Tulsi was born as Rukmini and marries Lord Vishnu’s incarnation – Krishna on the 12th Day (Dwadashi) on the shukla paksha (waxing phase of moon) in the month of Karthika. Tulsi puja is celebration of this marriage.

It is also believed that Bhagwan Krishna (Vishnu’s Avatars) who goes to sleep on Naraka Chatudarshi day (first day of Deepavali) wakes up on the Twelfth day (hence called Uttana Dwadashi)

Tulsi with Gooseberry Plant

Worship include lighting of lamps with Ghee Wick held in a Gooseberry and Deepa-Daana (Donation of Lamp) in the evening. Gooseberry Stalk along with Tulsi plant to signify Bhagwan Vishnu and Tulsi and the usual Puja samagris.

Ghee Wick Lamp in Gooseberry

Following items will be required for the Puja:

Tulsi Plant, Saligrama Stone, Kalasha (Small Pot), Tender Coconut, Coconut, Red Cloth, Flowers and Fruits, Beaten rice (avalakki/poha) naivedya or any other sweet preparation, Turmeric, Kumkum, Akshate, Jewellery, Gooseberry Stalk, Gooseberry, Sugarcane & Rangoli powder

Puja Process:

  • Place pot of Tulsi Plant in the Thatch made of Sugarcane (or a ready Mantapa)
  • Clean the area around and in front of Tulsi and prepare Rangoli design in front of the same.
  • Place Saligrama Stone near Tulsi, Plant Gooseberry stalk next to Tulsi plant in the same pot.
  • Light Lamps around Tulsi plant
  • Decorate Tulsi with Turmeric, Kumkum, Askhate.
  • Cover Tulsi with Red cloth
  • Spread rice (into form of a mat) and place Kalasha with Mango leaves and Coconut.
  • Offer Fruits & flowers
  • Offer Naivedya
  • Light Dhoopa (Agarbatti or incense sticks), lamp and Camphor Arati
  • Offer Nellikayi (gooseberry) Arati and
  • Circumbulate (pradakshine) 5-7 rounds around Tulsi & offer Namaskaara
  • Accept Prasadam with utmost devotion
  • Chant Tulsi Mangalashtakam and conclude the Puja

Thanks to His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji after a Blissful Art of Living Satsang in Jeevan Sandhya Home for Aged, what better way to sign off the day – with Tulsi Puja

Guru Puja and Satsang in Jeevan Sandhya -Home for Aged

namah tulasi kalyaaNi namo vishhnu priye shubhe |
namo moksha pradaayike devi namaH sampatpradaayike ||
Tulasige Namaskara

Yanmule sarva thirthani yanmadye sarva devatha |
yadagre sarva vedashcha Tulasi thvam namam mayham

||Om Tulasyayi Namaha||