A Life Free of Burden

Why are we not able to progress quickly?

The reason why people do not progress quickly is that they are loaded with a pile of external opinions and thoughts.

If you go for a walk in the morning and someone asks you where you are going, you reply cheerfully that you are taking a walk. How cheerful your face looks!

At 10 or 11 am, if you are going the same route and someone asks you the same question, you answer dispiritedly: "I am going to office/" You no longer exude cheer. Why? Because your mind is full of all kinds of ideas - " I have to do this, I have to do that ……." - you are burdened with the sense of doer-ship. This is not the way. Go to the office or your shop, but plan your day in such a way as if you were a prince at play. You should take all your duties as if they are acts of amusement.

You may think, "If I take my work like pastime, my business will suffer."You're wrong. If you free yourself from anxiety and stress, you will work better. Why should you worry? You have seen the events of the past, you are seeing the present and you will also see what will come to pass in the future. At the most, you will die, and die you must some day or the other. Don't be afraid of death; don't try to save yourself from death, and don't try to escape it either: Invite and welcome troubles with a challenging and playful curiosity. Then they will lose their severity.

Many people are in perpetual fear of being insulted. Insult is far better than the fear of death. Death is preferable to the fear of death. Criticism is better than the fear of criticism. Fear fans the fire of distressing thoughts; it diminishes your energy. So live life free of fear, worry and stress.

Poet Melton's wife would chide him when he set out to walk with the aid of a walking stick. "Every day you go for a walk, but what do you seek to gain from this? You can't even see properly now"

Milton would reply, "Birds sing, winds play about and cress me. In that fresh morning air, when the dawn comes tearing the nocturnal darkness apart, it brings an untold beauty. I go to see that beauty."

His wife would say, "But you don't have vision. How can you see beauty?" Milton would reply: "Beauty is not seen with external eyes. The eyes that see beauty are within us"

Similarly, to analyze our life there is no need of the external eye; we need the internal eye. To see how calm or happy we are, or what is the state of our mind in adverse circumstances, we don't need external vision. We don't require external eyes to see if we behave with equanimity in the face of troubles and insults.

We require the internal eye to respect or we remain untouched by them. This insight to make life joyful and free is available only from satsang and company of saints who have awakened to their real Self; and is perfected through the practice of developing the 'witness' attitude. Therefore, instead of carrying the burden of the sense of doer or enjoyer, one should seek refuge in the enlightened ones and comprehend their witness absolute, eternal, pure, knowledge personified real self free from all bondage.

Glory of the Lady-of-the-house

Meaning: According to the line of Rigved 10/85/46 — O daughter-in-law! Lead you, life in such a way that your mother-in-law all respect and honor you.

Message: After the marriage, the wife leaves behind everything in her father's home and comes to her husband's home. Everything is left behind including her mother, father, brothers, sisters, family home- everything. She leaves behind the entire milieu of love where she was born, spent her childhood, studies and entered her youth and after becoming related to an unknown stranger, goes to his home. Is she at a loss by this renunciation of her previous family? No. In return for her renunciation, her total surrender to her husband's family, she becomes a very important member of her new family. Now that family becomes her own family, where she gets the status of the lady-of-the-house. She becomes the owner of the family and the entire responsibility of the family comes on her head.

In this new family she becomes the Empress over her mother-inn-law, father-in-law, and sister-in-law. Just as an Emperor looking after the happiness, comfort, and maintaining cordial relations among all pays attention to the progress of the kings and their populace under his ruler ship, similarly by becoming the chief member of the family, the new bride has to carry a very big burden of properly organizing the comforts, meals and the family paraphernalia for all the members of the family. It becomes her duty to think of the interests of all the family members, big or small. Because of maintaining all these duties, she is aptly called the owner or the Empress of the family.

The meaning of becoming th4e Empress or owner of the family does not imply that she establish her supremacy over the others. The implied meaning of the above title is that she should fulfill her important responsibilities, deal courteously with all and administer the house with the guidance of the elders by benefiting from their experience. By coming to the new milieu, she should not consider herself as a servant and feel inferior in any way that is why she has been given the glorious status of an Empress. All the members of the family should conduct themselves with love and warmth towards her by giving her proper respect.

But today most men ignore this loving, healthy viewpoint and do not accord the proper status to the new bride. By considering her as a servant, mother-in-law, sister-in-law and others keep on ordering her every moment. They find fault in her proper work. She is ignored,, neglected, beaten and sometimes even killed. Why does this come to pass? It is a matter of great sorrow, grief and worry. There is smoothness in dealings when the parents-in-law consider the daughter-in-law as their own daughter and she also considers them as much more than father and mother. The question is, 'who should make a beginning" Parents-in-law or the daughter-in-law? Being the elders, the parents-in-law should give her the love and warmth which they would accord to their own daughter, so that the void she feels in her heart because of separation from her own parents, is filled up. After that her enthusiasm for looking after the needs and comforts of her empire will automatically double up.

In this only lies the glory of the Lay of the house.

Music of the Soul

Tension is triggered when we stretch ourselves beyond our mental, physical and financial capacities and capabilities. The root cause is our expectations. When what we expect to happen does not happen, frustration lead to tension. This in turn leads to compression of the spiritual heart, which is the foundation of Bhakti or devotion that connects us to our soul.

To overcome stress, we need to release tension and come to enjoy a serene and a tranquil life and for this we need to introduce Bhakti into our lives. You might ask, is devotion different than prayer? Prayer is a concentrated effort from us directed towards God, where in devotion is to acknowledge that energy as God.

Devotion helps to release pressures of unwanted thought. Thinking without incorporating devotion creates jagged thought patterns which strain the mind, creating pressure, leading to more stress and tension. Wherein thinking with devotion - that is, thinking with love creates soft, soothing thought patterns which bring about calmness, serenity and lends that musical resonance to our thoughts without pressure, stress or tension. This kind of devotion was followed by great Bhakti saints like Kabir, Namded, Mirabai, the Namazhwars, Purandaradasa, Kanakadasa, Tyagaraja and Tansen.

Devotion helped Bhakti saints to cultivate an awareness of soul through music. This awareness brought them clarity from the ocean of thoughts that tend to cause storms and imbalances in the mind. Devotion brings about focus and awareness with devotion makes possible the experience of unconditional love. A sincere devotee comes to understand the import of true love and its essence.

Remember here the difference between alertness and awareness. Alertness is focusing our thoughts on a particular task externally through the mind where in awareness is being in focus of our tasks all the time through devotion and love.

Devotion and love lubricate the soul and the absence of any friction makes possible the creation or discovery of the rhythm of the soul that is reflected in the cosmic rhythm. Music loosens the knotted heart knot known as rudragranthi. Seamless and fluid love helps to remove rusty thoughts and rigid mindsets and thus begins the clearing of all doubt. Shruti or rhythm converts itself in a musical form and rhythm converts itself in a musical form and this we call raga.

The rhythm we experience creates in us positive, divine thoughts from within like a series of air bubbles rising up to oxygenate fish in a fish tank. We enjoy these patterns of thoughts which bring about visualization and a state of realization in us.

Raga like Pahaad, Bhoopalim Kalayani and Yemen in classical Hindustani music traditions and Mohana, Ananda Bhairavi, Yemen Kalayani, Hindola and many more in classical Carntic tradition. Bach and Tchaikovsky for instance in classical western tradition or just devotional renderings lead one to experience joy and peace and could well lay the foundation to progress on the path of bliss-attainment.

Therefore, sing, dance and experience joy for life is beautiful.

Spirituality of Married Life

Meaning: according to the line of Rigved 2/35/4 — those young men and young women should marry whose hearts are clean and pure. A man possessing physical strength should brighten his family by getting married.

Message: Born and brought up at two different places in two different families and in different atmospheres, an adult man and woman, although of different nature and different physical forms, fulfill the aim of life by joining in total unity. The real meaning of marriage is to end the separate identity of two different persons and to be dedicated to each other. Only by this dedication and harmony a joint authority develops which can be termed as 'two bodies, but with one soul (or one identity)'.

Marriage means not only a union of two bodies but also a union of two souls. This is a spiritual endeavor. The basis of spiritual progress is love. A man is an ideal man in proportion to the deep and pure love in his heart. Devotion means sentimental love for God and a devotee means a lover of God. The spiritual endeavor of love for God is to make our life full of the divine sentiment of love. Only love is God. The experience of God in a man's heart is expressed as a surge of love. The practical experience of this spiritual grandeur of love learnt in childhood is possible only in the laboratory of marriage life. Unique inseparable belonging and dedication for each other, faith, goodwill, equality and faithfulness makes the life full of love and warmth. A sense of belonging is a unique feeling. The one for whom this feeling develops, becomes very dear to us. The husband and wife do have human weaknesses and faults, but if, by understanding the aim of life, there is a mutual sense of belonging, dedication, unity and warmth, then the householder's life progress with joy. A man will automatically reform personal weaknesses and faults if he thinks 'nothing for me but everything for my life-partner'. Experiencing an inner love, both the husband and the wife, experience goodness at every moment.

To-day the people has forgotten the high aims and ideals of marriage which has now become a certificate for animalism of sex. Boys seek beautiful girls who will excite them so that their lust can become intense. Along with this the girls look for a moneyed boy so that along with sexual gratification, they also get luxury and comforts. People forget that the foundation for success of marriage is the mentality, culture and idealism of the life-partner. The principal aim of marriage is spiritual and with it the marriage life becomes happy and only then happiness, peace, prosperity and bright cheer reign in the family.

This is the spirituality of married life.

Crime Against the Society

Meaning: As stated in the line of Yajurved 23/21 — "the woman or man who spreads adultery by indulging in sexual lust, must be punished, mead-eaters too should not be spread punishment. They are criminals in the society".

Message: The influence of the bad deeds and bad thinking is like a continuous dose of poison gripping the conscious and the subconscious mind. These poisons are then transformed as the high mobility, agitation, impulsiveness, anguish of the mind and make a man like a half-mind person. He is not able to do any deed with a focused mind and is always torn between the states of whether to perform the deed or not. As a result he receives failure at every step and stumbles along. Because of his unbalanced conduct and therefore failures, he sulks, becomes dissatisfied, non cooperative, and a criminal. A man used to quarreling with everyone in the family and the society is always in an abashed and anguished state of mind. He is not able to think properly. A man in ill health and in mental anguish is suffering hellish torture and spoils the societal atmosphere also.

Addiction is more painful than death. An addiction free man obtains happiness after death also, whereas a man trapped in addictions dies every moment in downfall. The reason for a man's grace is his lack of addiction. A man who does not take intoxicants is certainly considered better than a man taking intoxicant. A man not eating flesh will be considered better than as meat eater. Similarly a non gambler gains honor and reputation compared to a gambler.

A man trapped in bad deeds, bad conduct and addiction not only becomes the cause of his own downfall, but also commits grave crime against society. Because of him anarchy and unrest prevails in society and nobody knows how many people's lives are badly affected by such men's influence. A man indulging in adultery and rape suffers lifelong mentally.

Where these bad habits or addictions are a crime against the society, meat-eating is a crime against all living beings. It makes man wild and uncivilized and warps the intelligence. With meat-eating, the sentiment of pity disappears from a man's heart. It obstructs his physical, spiritual, mental and intellectual progress and leads towards downfall. Meat, fish and eggs are not man's food, (i.e. they are a food for meat-eating animals, but not for man). Therefore they must be considered taboo. Almost all the great thinkers of this world have been vegetarians and have condemned meat-eating because of its bad effects on man and because of the violence involved. Meat-eating is done only by rejecting non violence. Our sages have always praised the grandeur of non violence. It has been clearly mentioned in Mahabharat "Ahimsa paramo dharmaha; sarwapranbhootaam vara" i.e. not killing any animal is the supreme religion. There is no religion higher than non-violence.

These people committing crime against the society and other living beings in the world, these opponents of humanness must be punished properly. We must plan projects for rooting out these bad activities. Only then can we properly fulfill our societal responsibilities.

God has Handed Wife for me.

Meaning: According to the line of Athervaved 14/1/52 —, O wife! God has handed you over to me. The responsibility of maintaining you lies with me. Let us both have children and live up to hundred years.

Message: The responsibility of a happy home-life lies with both husband and wife, although of course, the responsibility of the husband is more because the wife leaves her family to join the husband's family. God the Supreme Father has created the opportunity for the union of two souls and the conduct of both must be excellent. By doing this, happiness in family and good luck are achieved. Good luck of married life does not lie merely in getting married, but there should be loving adjustment between the husband and wife and only by that type of behavior, permanent happiness is achieved. Good luck remains stable where there is mutual sharing of love and happiness or sorrow between the two. To maintain this happiness of married life, it is necessary to maintain this tradition and to have healthy children. In this way both remain happy and achieve longevity with good luck.

For a happy future of the bride-to-be, it becomes necessary to evaluate the qualities of the husband-to-be. A worthy, learned and addiction-free man can carry the burden of a successful and happy family. He should not only be highly knowledgeable and with good qualities, but simultaneously physically strong and free from bad tendencies, bas activities and addictions. Addictions are like poison in a family. A man trapped in liquor, gambling, etc destroys the family's happiness and peace, and gets insults and bad name, and along with him his wife also undergoes mental pain.

From a practical view-point, the wife's area of work is within the home and the husband's area of work is outside the home. His responsibility is to look after the family with a proper display of his worthiness, learning etc. The woman's work area lies in properly organizing the home. It is the woman's duty to make proper use of money earned honestly by the husband to maintain house, cleanliness etc and to feed the family. Both must make proper adjustments in their above duties and make arrangements to run the family satisfactorily within limited means. It is the wife's duty to maintain a cheerful atmosphere within the family even by bearing hardships. A man is not as skilful as a woman in organizing the home. A heavenly atmosphere prevails in a neat home

A man must be prosperous as far as food-grains and other means of comfort are concerned. He should be bright and cheerful. Only such husband can fully satisfy his wife and keep her cheerful.

Nature of Renunciation

Don't desire sense-enjoyments. The body is being maintained by providence any way. Have no attachment towards any thing because everything is ever-changing. Know this and be contented. The Supreme Self, witness to these changes, is eternal. Know the majestic glory of the Eternal and be one with that. Enjoy both, the ever-changing and the eternal. Don't allow yourself to be dragged down by the ever changing and do not turn back from the eternal.

For ages we have been wandering through numerous forms of life because of our desire lust and attachment. "Get rid of the sense of 'I' and 'mine' of the pairs of opposites like pleasure and pain. Destroy all ignorance and differences.

Have no attachment and no hatred; eradicate all defects from the mind. Root out desire from your heart. Bring supreme good to your real Self. Destroy duality; contemplate on Self abiding in all/" Thoughts of duality breed vices like attachment and hatred, fear, grief, worry remorse desire and the sense of 'I' and 'mine'. Contemplate on the Universal Self.

What is desire? I want to get something. To seek pleasure in doing something, grasping, seeing and listening. We have been hankering after these desires for ages; yet we didn't get happiness that lasted. Had we got lasing happiness as much as the water on the tip of a needle, we would have had tons of happiness with us by this time. But nothing of that sort happened and we are left with zilch for all our efforts.

Krishna says" Renounce desire; next renounce longing as well. Even after this, attachment or the sense of 'mine' is left. This too brings misery. Renounce the sense of 'mine' as well. But even after renouncing attachment, desire and longing, there remains the ego of renouncing these. This ego too has to be renounced. Ego is of two kinds — natural ego, an evolutes of Prakriti and unnatural or ignorance borne ego.

Natural ego is limited to the body alone. It preserves and protects the body. It says, 'I am the body'. If the body feels hungry, the natural ego provides food to it; if the body is tired, it takes it to the bed. If the mind feels bored it takes the body to a place of entertainment. Natural ego is not that painful.

Ego in transient things like this is my house, I have this much money, I have this much land, I have so many friends is unnatural or ignorance-borne ego.

In reality true renunciation means complete disbelief in favorable and unfavorable conditions because the favorable gives rise to attachment, and the unfavorable to hatred. The absence of attachment and hatred is the only renunciation. Renunciation brings in theism, and then it gets transformed into love and after having experienced theism in absolute sense that love gets culminated in knowledge. Liberation is achieved by renunciation of desire and not by giving up things. The mind becomes free from prejudice after renouncing vanity; it attains peace and the ability to attain to Supreme Brahma.

Desire, longing, the sense of 'mine-ness' and ego or the sense of 'I-ness are the causes of rebirth. If one renounces these four one becomes liberated here and now.

The Light of the Sun

Who has time nowadays for reflection? But it is only by devoting a bit of time to this activity can we explore awareness of being, oneness with universal spirit and celebration of a healthy and happy life.

We need light to show us the way that can take us towards the higher Self. What could be a better path-shower than what is referred to as the 'Living God'? The sun? The sun is perceived as the co-creator and sustainer of life on earth.

The sun's rays blend with our aura to enrich receptiveness of cosmic energy and guidance. This universal light force can be used in the ongoing process of cleaning, balancing, healing and evolving. This can create conditions that can enable us to be more positive, aware and sensitive and take initiative while driving away negative emotions.

What needs our attention most, according to Sri Surya Jowel (sooryaji) is the effort to elevate our mind and transform our lifestyle. "For this we require a light and energy source that can reach the dark corners of our mind and reveals to us life in its true perspective. And what could be better than the living energy source of the entire solar system, the sun?

This cosmic energy imbibed through eyes at sunrise (sooryoyog) can heal, elevate and transform us, which in turn can bring about shift in perception for a better world. We create our own surroundings.

Sunlight is nature's gift to mankind. We need the sun to survive and to be healthy in body and mind. The rays of the sun contain seven different colors which correspond to our energy centers or chakras. Unique vibration of each color in the rays of the sun can be used as tools for healing physical, psychological and spiritual ills.

Each of these chakras is related to a basic element. The mooladhar (basic chakra), the earth element, is red. The swadesthan (sex) chakra is orange with water as its element, and fire is associated with the manipura, the solar plexus. The color of anahat or heart chakra relating to air element is blue, the visudhas or throat element is either. The color of the third eye or ajna chakra, the forehead, is indigo - the light element while sahasrar or crown chakra, violet, signifies pure awareness. Thus when we take in sunlight at down, these chakras or subtle energies help to balance and promote healing physical, emotional and spiritual.

The earth receives the highest degree of positive energy at sunrise. At that point of time the human organism is most receptive towards solar energies. In fact, an hour before sunrise, solar energies exert positive psychological influence on the cells of the body, as they refresh and invigorate them. The sun's rays improve digestion and enhance nutrition, quicken blood circulation, facilitate elimination of impurities through skin, and make bone structure stronger. Sunlight lifts one out of depression and thereby helps to elevate the mind.

Sun can bring about transformation in body, mind and spirit that well could be gradual but a fulfilling experience ultimately. "As within, so without" - sooryayog is all about discovering Sakha, your Atma Soorya or the inner sun that could be your best friend.

Heavenly Atmosphere from the Family

Meaning: According the line of Athervaved 7/36/1 — let us husband and wife, look at each other with the gaze of love, always speak sweet words and reside in each other's heart. Let us be two bodies but with one mind only.

Message: What is the aim and ideal of marriage? Right from the beginning of civilization, why is this institution of marriage still continuing? If satisfying only the sexual desire is the reason for marriage, then this deal is very costly and troublesome. In this deal both sides seem to be heavy losers. Like the oil-miller's bullock tied to the grinder's beam and moving round and round throughout 8 to 10 hours, man also is crushed under the drudgery of earning for the family and the woman ruins not only her health and personality but also her life in the vicious circle of producing children. The aim of marriage is never like this. If that was the aim, the organization of the human society would have been completely destroyed and had been at a level lower than that of animals.

Marriage is a spiritual endeavor. This is a union of love which is nourished on the high ideals of self-denial and generosity. This is for men of goodwill and men who are brave. For a happy home-life, the life of the would-be groom and the bride-to-be should be of a high level, and both should be persons with quality and virtue. The groom should know the Vedas, properly educated, cultured and tolerant. The bride-to-be should be pure and impressive. With internal cleanliness of the body, the mind and intellect become pure. If the mind is clean, then the intellect and the mental tendencies too would be pure. With the body's inner and outer cleanliness comes the purity of conduct, good qualities develop and the light of knowledge and determination spreads around. The test of man's life is based on knowledge and character. Bright men and learned women, proven true on the above test, can achieve spiritual progress by joining in marriage and by living a 'yagyiya-life'. If the bond of marriage is making on the basis of capacity, learning and worthiness, then the life of husband and wife becomes happy.

The situation in the present times is indeed very strange. Maximum importance is given to pomp and wealth, but inner beauty (i.e. virtues) and personality in the form of qualities are ignored. As a result generally dissatisfaction and distrust are seen. In the absence of real sympathy, warmth and unity, despite living together, they live like lifeless strangers. They remain deprived of the inner joy and enthusiasm of the happiness, naturalness and tolerance of married life. A woman attuned to modality turns the peace of home into restlessness.

Husband and wife are complementary to each other. The objective of a successful family-life will be achieved if both consider each other venerable and work diligently for the success of marriage with mutual faithfulness, closeness, service, honor, cooperation, goodwill and generosity. For this holy objective, the husband and wife must be completely loyal to each other, and not think of any other woman or man.

By doing this, a heavenly atmosphere will be created in the family.

Ocean Creates the Rain

Meaning: According to the line of Athervaved 14/1/13 — when the ocean creates the rain (through evaporation of its water into clouds), the rivers get water, that is, the ocean controls the rivers. Similarly, o wife! You too make the entire family happy by becoming the owner of the house.

Message: The life of a householder is full of responsibilities. Only men whit deep insight, understanding and practical skills can be successful in this phase of life. Even educated men commit mistakes because of lack of practical skills, then what to say about uneducated persons? One develops practical-ness by living with experienced men. It is not possible merely by getting high education. A person must obtain the knowledge from experienced people about the practical conduct with parents, parents-in-law, brothers, sisters and other family members after matrimony.

The joint family system in our country is a blessing in disguise and a person gets exposed to family's responsibilities right from childhood. There is great importance of the joint family system from the spiritual and sentimental viewpoint also. Service to parents, help to brothers and sisters and to think of problems of the family members as one's own and getting involved in their solution, reduces one's selfishness. And increases generosity of mind and heart. Those thinking of only their own bodies and the comforts of their wives may obtain certain facilities in early life, but they have to suffer the punishment for their narrow-mindedness for the remaining life. The usefulness of a joint family is realized during illness, weakness, calamities and quarrels and fights and at that time the other members of the family help in their own way and lighten the burden on the family. The inclusion and maintenance of unworthy, incapable, mad and wicked is possible in a joint family system. Left to themselves, such men would have found even begging and survival difficult.

The new bride is the centre of the family and all family members have some expectations from her. The maintenance of the family's cheer, joy, enthusiasm and harmony depends on her practical skills. If mutual goodwill warmth, courtesy, respect and cooperation are maintained, then dissatisfaction and malice are never produced. Every member of the family must fulfill his duties properly and must not claim undue rights. It should not happen that because of being seniors some persons keep enjoying and the juniors have to work like the ox carrying the burden of drudgery in an oil-mill. This leads to the division of the family.

The administration of a family should be like the mutual relationship between the ocean and the rivers. The ocean is the master of all the water in the world. The water of the rivers also flows down into it, but the ocean never considers the water as his exclusive property. Through clouds, he rains down the water to every nook and corner of the world. Similarly it is expected of the new bride that, becoming the mistress of the happiness and comforts of all members, she should consider as her supreme good-luck to think of their interests with sobriety and gain the love and respect of the family members.

The Prime Mover of Life

The ground state or vacuum state is an inexhaustible field of creativity, energy, orderliness and intelligence: Literally a field of all possibilities. Everything in the universe - animate and inanimate - emerges from this quantum mechanical level. It is the total potential of Natural Law. All of the innumerable laws of nature the impulses of nature's intelligence responsible for governing all diverse tendencies in the universe, are found here. This same field of nature's unlimited potential can be located within each individual at the source of thought, the most settled state of one's awareness. Acting from this level of pure consciousness, one inherits the infinite organizing power of natural law, making all power of natural law, making all things easy of attainment.

Imagine a wave on the sea. Even a very big wave has limitations; it is only this high and that wide. Now imagine that wave settling down, until it merges with the sea. Its value then assumes the unlimited, infinitely more powerful status of the sea. The wave, which was bound before, has gained boundlessness.

The mind is capable of the same settling down, or transcending process. During Maharshi's Transcendental Meditation ™, the waves of thought 'retire' to the source of thought. The word 'transcend' means to go beyond; "Meditation" refers to thinking. During TM the mind experiences progressively less excited states of thought until one transcends thought completely to arrive at its source. The agitated, limited value of thought gains the unlimited status of Being, the silent depth of the ocean of consciousness.

Transcending thought is as effortless as thinking. The mind is like a body of water; choppy on the surface, silent and stable at its depth. When we experience only the 'noisy' surface level of thinking, difficulties abound. If we could anchor the surface mind to its vacuum state - if we could enliven the stability inherent at the depth of consciousness - we would be insulated from 'the winds of change'.

In the Bhagavad Gita (2.48) Krishna says; 'Yogasthah kuru karmani': - Established in yoga or pure consciousness, perform actions. Here the mind is most powerful, most effective. 'Yogah karmasu kaushalam' (2.50): Yoga is skill in action. From this level we "do less and accomplish more". The growth of inner silence is the basis of spiritual unfolding and material success.

Consciousness is the prime mover of life. Everything we do depends on the quality of our consciousness. If your mind is sleepy, agitated, or negative, then everything you perceive. Speak or do reflect that incoherence. But if your consciousness is orderly, fresh and alert, the world appears much different. Knowledge is different in different states of consciousness. When you wear red tinted glasses everything appears red and when you wear green tinted glasses everything appears green, The Vedas say that knowledge is structured in consciousness. The world is as we are. If you are anchored to the silent, blissful state of consciousness, everything you do becomes joyful. Maharshi summarizes simply, "Handle that one thing - consciousness - by which everything else is handled".

Fame Spread in the World

Meaning: According to the line of Athervaved 6/39/3 — may my fame spread in the world, in the same way as the fame of Sun, Moon and Fire. May I be more famous than all persons?

Message: We feel the brightness of some person by the light in his heart. Some person's face shines with the brightness of knowledge and good deeds, whereas the speech of someone is so profound and exciting that it goes straight to the heart of the listener. Some people's walk is such that with their every step, the earth shakes, and some people have such a sharp graze that just by a mere look from them the arrogant enemy's pride is shattered. Only such bright men automatically receive honor, trust, respect, fame and supremacy in this world. Does Sun ever have to give a lecture about his own excellence? Does Moon ever have to declare his cooling pleasantness? Does deity of fire ever have to plead not to be crushed? Does lion, the king of the jungle, ever have to beg for votes to be elected as the undisputed leader of the jungle? They are all famous only because of their qualities. The Sun and the Moon are constantly working for the benefit of the whole world. With brightness, heat and energy, the Sun vitalizes the living beings. Along with it, the Sun also dries up the filth and thereby destroys it. Their only aim is nurturing of good qualities and eradication of bad tendencies and they achieve fame because they are constantly busy in trying to achieve this objective. The same is the objective of human life. Real spirituality lies in working for the welfare of the world till one's last breath.

A spiritual life is extremely necessary and important from the view-point of human glory, bright future, societal organization, spiritual bliss and inner satisfaction. Those who become inspired for and aspire for such a life should be called lucky and far-sighted in real sense. For leading such a divine life, nobody has to wear monk's robes or leave the home, nor beg for food like a monk, nor is it necessary to be involved throughout the day in recitation (of God's name or mantra), austerity, observing vrat (a combination of fasting and worship), ritual baths, visiting temples for bowing down before the icon of God and in singing psalms and hymns. It is enough to do spiritual thinking or self study and worship. But the main point is to implement in our thinking, faith and work-system, the spiritual principles and ideals. Man's life becomes successful only with that.

The meaningfulness of spiritual life lies in putting into conduct the principle of 'simple living and high thinking' and simultaneously observing in the life the principle of every woman is my mother, the wealth of others is for me like dust and that every living being has the soul similar to mine. It is both necessary as well as natural for men of excellence to look with purity of heart upon all women. With the necessity for procreation, there is bound to be sexual desire between husband and wife, but during the ordinary times there is no such thinking for each other, and it helps in maintaining this attitude of purity (i.e. men looking upon other women as their mothers or sisters, women looking upon other men as their brothers). The basis of a healthy society will be created only when men and women maintain this purity of outlook and all citizens have the strength of character. Every woman must be looked upon as mother, sister or daughter depending upon the age.

Ideal Family

Meaning: According the line of Athervaved 3/30/2 — in an ideal home, children are obedient to their parents. The parents are well-wishers of their children. The husband and wife's mutual relationship is sweet and happy. Only such families always thrive and are happy.

Message: On the basis of the Vedas, the rishis (sages) have divided the human-life into 4 'ashrams'. The four ashrams are - brahmacharya ashram, gruhastha ashram, vanprastha ashram, and sanyas ashram. Considering a life-spam of a hundred years, these ashrams have been specified. Only in the Vedic religion, these ashrams of 25 years each have been categorized and this is the specialty of the Vedic streams of thought. The word brahmacharya is made of two words i.e. 'Brahma' or God and 'aacharan' means conduct. Thus it implies the conduct as followed by God. The second meaning of brahmacharya is celibacy. Thus the combination of two meanings implies the attainment of physical, mental intellectual and spiritual strengths, through celibate living up to attainment of 25 year for a successful material and spiritual life. During gruhastha ashram which means the life of a householder, the above powers are used and the man employs his earnings in deeds connected to a householder's duties and to fulfill to his wife's and children's needs. Then he reinforces his powers in the 3rd phase i.e. vanaprastha ashram through 'brahmacharya' (i.e. celibacy), self-study, japa (i.e. recitations) and tapa (or(austerities). In the sanyas-ashram he distributes to the society his acquired knowledge, wisdom and experience. This organization of a man's life into four ashrams is a very great specialty of Vedic religion.

If brahmacharya ashram is the foundation of life, then gruhastha ashram is a beautiful building constructed on it. Gruhastha ashram has its own importance, usefulness and achievements. In gruhastha ashram, the sentiment of self denial gets strengthened. The family members with love and cooperation for each other are eager to bear hardships for the sake of other members of the family. And in what words to describe the great sacrifice of a woman? She is the very incarnation of self denial. As wife, sister, and daughter or as mother her self denial contributes to the divine joy in the family. A restrained life contributes to excellent health. The householder making a living through pure means maintains sweet relationship with his relatives, associates to get the facilities for making his life happy, peaceful prosperous, and so also the society.

A family is made up of more than one person living together. Thus besides the husband and wife, there are; son, daughter, brother, sister, mother, father, aunt, uncle, grand-father, grand-mother, father-in-law, mother-in-law etc. The sweetness and purity of relationships between them creates an atmosphere of a special cheerfulness, happiness, joy and lively bustle. If there is a closeness of love and trust between the husband and wife, then the feelings of love, affection, faith and service for each other will be created. All will think of the interest of each other and will do beneficial work, and the situation of giving importance to money above everyone else, including family members, will not arise. With a sense of belonging, generosity and cooperation, all will serve each other and there will be joy and happiness in the family.

Only love and friendliness are the foundation of an ideal family.

Purity of Thinking

Meaning: The man, who robs a woman of her virtue, commits a friend's murder and does not obtain knowledge despite becoming aged, achieves downfall.

Message: The Vedic religion lays great stress on good conduct and morality. Every act should be for all regions, supreme and applicable at all times. It should not be related to a particular region of time. Speaking the truth, serving others and obliging others are such deeds only. Sadachar (good moral conduct) means those deeds which satisfy man's conscience and which give him the feelings of cheer and enthusiasm. By doing such good deeds, a man will never feel ashamed and his soul will be satisfied. This virtuous and moral deeds itself is called "Sadachar" or good deeds or good conduct. The opposite of it, i.e. the deeds by which a man feels ashamed, sorry or grief-stricken is called 'doorachar' or bad deed or bad conduct.

The general broad meaning of 'doorachar' is bad conduct and wicked dealings, but one of its meanings is also adultery. Obscenity and bad conduct are very closely related and the possibility of a man who accepts obscenity going for 'doorachar' always exists. Our ancient sages have laid great stress on 'vaasanaatmak pavitrataa' (i.e. purity as far as the desires for sex are concerned). The means for this purity is freedom for addictions and staying away from addictions are imbibing of liquor and other intoxicants, eating meat, fish and other animals, obscenity, adultery, and gambling, which becomes the cause of man's downfall. Among these the addiction of sexual lust is the most dangerous and therefore keeping it under control is the most important 'sadaachar' (or good conduct). As long as the fire of man's sexual lust is not aflame, till then man's greatness, learning, gentlemanliness, status and discretion remain. This itself is the measure of Nepalese 'sadaachar' or good conduct.

The man who decides to keep his eyes, ears, speech and mind in a pure state and keeps them pure, i.e. uncorrupted, he surely will be saved from obscenity. To save oneself from bad thoughts, not only are these restrictions necessary, but also along with it one has to adopt devotion to God, reading of god books and the company of morality pure men. Obscene thoughts will be away from us in proportion to our devotion to God, and bad thoughts will be away from us in proportion to the reading of morally good books. The company of good men will inspire us to proceed on the path of 'sadaachar' (morally good conduct).

The objective of Vedic religion and culture is to reach God while making use of means provided by Nature. God is 'shuddha swarup', i.e. God is the embodiment of purity itself and nothing but purity. Therefore to reach this pure Form, man's soul will have to become cleansed and pure. For refinement and purity of the soul, good conduct must be adopted along with the rejection of all addictions and bad habits. Good moral thoughts are produced in the mind only when 'saatvikta' (a combination of morality and simplicity) is made the basis of our lives. With that, high clean and pure thoughts are produced, which inspire us to adopt moral conduct.

Purity of thinking is the principal basis of 'Sadaachar'.

The real Truth

One's true home is obtained by serving the True One. Real Truth comes by being truthful. By falsehood and greed, no place of rest is found, and no place in the world hereafter is obtained.

Guru Nanak

Truth is one; only it is called by different names. All people are seeking the same Truth.... Everyone is going towards God. They will all realize Him if they have sincerity and longing of heart

Ramakrishna Paramhansa

To see the universal and all pervading spirit of Truth face to face, one must be able to love the meanest of all Creation as oneself.

M.K. Gandhi

Truth is one; there cannot be two. For two can only be one, occurring twice.

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

There is only one truth. it is being where you are. And where you are is where your body is.

Barry Long

Divine Chord

Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without Confucius

Music fills the infinite between two souls

Rabindranath Tagore

What I am trying to say to you is a kind of music I have heard. It has not been heard verbally. It is in the sound of running water. It is in the wind passing through the pine trees. It is in the song of the birds. It is in the dancing rays of the sun. It is all over the place

Osho

There's music in the singing of a reed: There's music in and the gushing of a rill: There's music in all things, if men had ears: Their earth is but an echo of the spheres.

Byron

Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body.

Oliver Wendell Holmes

Gambling is not Good

Meaning: According to the line of Rigved 10/34/10 — the wife of a gambler suffers grave hardships. His mother keeps weeping. He is always sunk under debt and entering other people's homes, steals money from there, Gambling is a very obscene adduction. One must also save himself from it.

Message: Superficially it appears that dishonesty is necessary for earning quickly and more. Most wealthy person seems to be working with dishonesty in their work. Most honest persons appear poor. Therefore, by ordinary understanding it appears that if we also remain honest then we shall become poor. There is tremendous importance of money in the present times and only with money can comforts, facilities, means success and honor be achieved. That is why people are busy in becoming wealthy very quickly through dishonesty or some such means.

But if the situation is studied closely, this distortion in thinking vanishes and we come to know that we made a great mistake in accepting the glory of dishonesty. Wealth cannot be earned in this way and if earned so, then it cannot be maintained steadily. When does not mean that the result will be beneficial only. Daring, hard work, insight and understanding, pleasant talk and organizing ability are the qualities which contribute to earning. The earning with the sweat of one's brow is pure as nectar. Only bad name, non cooperation, distrust, hatred, state punishment, dejection etc, result from money earned through dishonest and improper means. Real earning is made only through good qualities contain the elements of productivity. Big projects, big trades, big plans in this world have been established and succeeded only on the basis of honesty. Not with wealth, but with good intelligence and good activity only progress is achieved. A man of good character (and not a man with wealth) becomes happy.

The addictions of gambling and lottery are also spreading wide on the basis of quick money through any means. Every man wishes to become wealthy by earning the maximum money in the shortest time. This act goes against the tenets of religious book and is a condemnable act. It leads to internal division and leads to quarrel. To bet with one another on the slightest excuse, and speculation and similar act re various forms of gambling only. Its addiction destroys the essential purpose of man's life. He is busy only with one thought that, if not today, certainly tomorrow the number on which he bets, will win and whirling in this vicious circle, he bets more and more. As a result he goes on wasting away his wealth. Whereas he does not get the wealth of a win, he loses whatever he has got. In the ensuing hopelessness man starts sealing his family's ornaments, utensils, and even clothes and puts the money on bets. Becoming poverty stricken, the person even resorts to suicide. In addition, the family undergoes hell.

Because of gambling only, Dharmaraj Yudhishthir along with his brothers had to become a slave of Duryodhan and had to undergo the terrible torture of witnessing the evil Duryodhan trying to disrobe his wife Draupadi. Gambling produces such horrendous results only.

If you wish personal welfare, never gamble in any way. Reject it completely.

Material Happiness

Meaning: According to the line of Rigved 10/31/2 — for those wishing material happiness and spiritual salvation, it would be proper to have truthful dealings in mind, speech and deeds and to be partners in good deeds. This is the only means of achieving permanent happiness.

Message: There is a very close relationship of mind, speech and deeds. Whatever thoughts that arise in our minds are expressed through speech and our deeds are in accordance with that. After that we have to bear the result (good or bad) of those deeds. The mind is supreme because it is in contact with the organs of sensation as well as organs of action. No organ can become active in any work without the cooperation of the mind.

Only with firm willpower it is possible to keep the highly mobile mind under control. This mind goes on wandering from moment to moment and the fundamental basis of spiritual life is to keep it ruthlessly at one spot. Concentration in and dedication for any work is not possible at all without keeping the mind under control. Only with the reins of the mind, do the organs come under control and wicked activities do not survive. In this way it becomes easy for men to discard faults and wicked tendencies, he gets saved form sinful acts and gains real spiritual knowledge by self study and 'satsang' (good moral company and study of scriptures) by making good use of time.

This true knowledge remains like an armor over the mind and prevents the entry of sinful tendencies. With the slightest weakness in this amour, sinful tendency enters the mind. With the company of excellent men and by listening to their lectures with respect, we can strengthen this armor and open up the road to success in life.

Tremendous alertness and carefulness is required for saving the mind from sinful tendencies. Man experience sweet thrill in sinful feelings. Those who save themselves from this temptation are saved from destruction.

When man obtains excellent knowledge by controlling his mind, then his speech is truthful and so also are his deeds. With good and truthful conduct only, the works for the welfare of the people are carried out and with that only, is God's grace achieved. to experience God, one's total mind has to be surrendered to God. Spiritual development is not at all possible without constant practice of trying to experience closeness with God and experiencing God's existence during every moment of one's life.

We are able to obtain true knowledge by controlling the mind through satsang, and through self-study as well as worship and spiritual endeavor but very quickly we wander away from our objective, lose whatever has been obtained and become unhappy.

For permanent happiness and salvation it is necessary that, believing in God as our witness, we always keep ourselves away from sinful deeds.

Some Facts

Be the Truth

The subject on which I meditate is truth. The practice to which I devote myself is the truth. The topic of my conversation is truth. My thoughts are always in truth. Lo and behold, I have become the truth.

Gautam Buddha

Meeting them, all filth is washed off, bathing in the pool of Truth, one becomes truthful, with intuitive ease.

Guru Govinda Singh

Truth is an experience, not a belief. Truth never comes by studying about it; truth has to be encountered, truth has to be faced.

Osho

What belongs to 'sat' or good people, is satyam of truthfulness.

Maha Narayana Upanishad

Truth is like all beautiful things in the world; it does not disclose its desirability except to those who first feel the influence of falsehood.

Kahlil Gibran

Art Matter

Red is a color I've felt very strongly about. May be red is a very Nepalese color, may be it's one of those things that one of those things that I grew up with and recognize at some other level.

Anish Kapoor

Art is not the application of a canon of beauty but what the instinct and the brain can conceive beyond any canon.

Pablo Picasso

An artist needn't be a clergyman or a church warden, but he certainly must have a warm heart for his fellow men

Vincent Van Gogh

Making films is not purely a business; it is an art form. It is unwise to follow Lakshmi in this business; that's the starting point. If you follow Saraswati, then Lakshmi will follow but if you follow Lakshmi, both willeave.

Aamir Khan

I think having land and not ruining it is the most beautiful art that anybody could ever want to own.

Andy Warhol

Nothing has to be changed, because all is beautiful - that is enlightenment. All is as it should be, everything is perfect

Osho

What we call our joy; God calls our perfection. Each human being has come into the world with the message of perfection.

Sri Chinmoy

Your aim should be high and wide, generous and disinterested; this will make your life precious to yourself and to others. Whatever your ideal, it cannot be perfectly realized  unless you have realized perfection in yhourself.

Sri Aurobindo