Celebration

The twelfth of Rabi ul-Awwal, the third month of the Hijrah, Islamic calerdar, is both the day Prophet Muhammad came into this world and left for the Hereafter. On the same date he arrives in Madina, the hijrah, migration happened from Mecca marking the beginning fo the Hijrah calendar. This month invites reflection on the prophetic personality.

Rabi-ul- Awwal, literally meaning ‘the first spring’ symbolizes birth and renewal. A time when the Lord splits open the earth to reveal His bounty within, without which His servants could not subsist. More importantly, it is the season of beautiful moderate weather, free of bitter cold or stifling heat. It reminds of the prophetic call to moderation and his repeated warnings of extremism, ‘Moderation. Moderation! For only with moderation will you succeed.’

Prophet Muhammad inspired with the words, ‘I have come to perfect noble character.’ Ayesha, his wife once commented, ‘His character was the Quran.’ Prophet Muhammad said the bankrupt ones are those who despite good deeds of prayer and worship, abuse one another treat neighbors badly and lack good character.

The prophet’s character was based on moderation in spirit, generosity, justice, dignity, moral excellence, humility, bravery and firmness in the face of death, good fellowship, sympathy for others detachment of the world and constant fear of the Lord. He chose poverty over wealth, sleeping on the floor with a bed made of stuffed palm fibres.

The most forgiving of people, the Prophet never sought revenge despite 13 assassination attempts on his life. He told his followers not to respond to persecution with aggression assuring that Allah rewards those who exercise patience. He remained sympathetic to those who had left Islam due to persecution from their families and no sanctions were issued against them. Ubaydullah Ibn Jehsh, who migrated to Abyssinia with the first batch of Muslim immigrants, converted to Christianity. He abandoned his wife Um Habiba, the daughter of Abu Sufiyan whom the Prophet later married. None of the Muslims took any action against him and he died upholding the Christian faith. When the prophet settled in Madina, he made it clear that he wanted relations with the new society to be egalitarian.

When the Prophet entered Mecca, he encountered his staunchest enemies. These people who had inflicted so much suffering on him and his followers expressed their desire to be treated nobly. The Muslim army readied for revenge, but the prophet did not allow it saying, “Today I shall say to you what prophet Joseph said to his brother, ‘You may leave. No reproach this day shall be on you. May God forgive you, He is the Most Compassionate’. Laying great emphasis on the heart Muhammad spoke of it as a repository of knowledge, sensitive to the needs of the body. He said that wrongdoing irritates the heart for it perceives wrong action and is designed to be in a state of calm.

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Important lesson of life

An important lesson in life is to value ourselves. If we do, we will walk with confidence and see ourselves and our experiences from the right perspective. We cannot avoid people holding us and our achievements in contempt. Once we learn to believe in ourselves, our innate goodness and our value as unique beings created in God’s image and likeness, we will start living from a different paradigm. We will start also begin looking at others s fellow human beings, all on the path to the divine and sharers in this journey of life.

All areas in life are important after ourselves and maintaining ourselves physically, keeping our spirits high and in tune with the divine, widening our horizons keeping ourselves centered and being conscious of the spiritual and divine.

Innate value is something that is independent of the circumstances of our birth, socio-economic status and the slot we occupy in life. We will find that all the joys of sharing a simple life and a humble position have led us to add value in life. While the most fundamental moral values are almost universal, life does not stop with morality. Life is also about giving and taking, about love and friendship, about generosity and vision.

We will find that even if unconsciously, we all have a mission statement in our lives. This mission statement will encompass all the good we do on life and all the potential we develop to do good to others. On the other hand, if we continue with narrow motives, what we would have really is a distorted view of the world. With narrow world views we will judge others by our own subjective standards that are colored often by prejudice and acrimony.

If, on the contrary we look at life as an open book on which we write messages of harmony, brotherhood and sisterhood, encourage others to brave living and see our actions as a furtherance of the divine purpose, our lives will be informed by the values that are close to true humanity.

True humanity is represented by true values. We will not look only for gains but for opportunities to serve others. Everything in nature has an intrinsic value – fields, flowers trees, sky, infinite space, stars and all living beings. As human beings we need to realize our true potential and value.

Once we realize our intrinsic value, we will stop playing to the gallery; we will not look for constant approval or appreciation. Whatever we do, we will rest in the assurance that we have contributed something worthwhile.

This means that we accept ourselves as we are and remain content with what we have so far achieved. We do not respond to put downs or rejection with despondency or a sense of failure. We don into miss the point even if others have about us. It is strange how we sometimes have to experience ‘failure’ many times before something ‘works out’

Trial and experimentation are part of the process. We become more giving in our relationships, and receive life with open hands. Yes, it is possible, in fact probable that people will devalue us. But once we know who we are –precious children of a common God who is Father to all – we will become worthy children of God. “Not a sparrow falls from the skies without His knowledge”.

Forgiveness is a great power

The call to forgiveness and reconciliation is vital for the survival of the human race. “Forgiveness is the key that unlocks the door of resentment and the handcuffs of hate. It is a power that breaks the chains of bitterness and the shackles of selfishness,” wrote Corrie ten Boom, a Holocaust survivor.

Our capacity to for. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do,” pleaded Jesus as he endured the Cross. The2000 year’s old plea continues to be the subject of meditation for Christians as they observe Lent every year. The example set by Jesus is the cardinal doctrine built into the faith that of forgiveness. The day of crucifixion, observed as Good Friday, is a reminder to reflect and learn to forgive.

The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was but fulfillment of a prophesy that a Messiah would arrive to intercede for the sins of the human race and would rescue them from the power of darkness and b ring them into the Kingdom of Light. Had the Roman soldiers known that they were crucifying the ‘Lord of Glory’ they would have averted it.

Jesus provided a new way – the way of Grace – that whoever believes in His atoning sacrifice on the Cross would receive forgiveness and salvation.

Through the work of Jesus Christ the seeker discovers the love of God and the forgiveness of God. This transference from darkness to light, from slavery to freedom and from condemnation to forgiveness is all implied in the atoning death of Jesus on the Cross and his resurrection.

The cause of many of suffering is the feeling of vengeance, jealousy and greed, yet we have a choice before us, to not succumb to these negative aspects. By forgiving those who wrong us, not only do we create the right environment for harmony and peace, we also promote physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

Miracles happen when two alienated people start all over again. An estranged father holds out his hand to his daughter; those on the brink of divorce suddenly undergo a change of heart; bitter enemies become friends as suspicions get lifted – transforming relationships happen through the melting away of bitterness and animosity.

When Jesus directed his followers to love their enemies and to forgive offenders ‘seventy-times seven’ he was prescribing not any ways of protecting their souls, but also their bodies from various illnesses that arise out of anger and frustration.

Forgiveness is an act of love. It has the power to heal. The life of Jesus is an example of the fact that at the heart of love is forgiveness and compassion. Forgiveness creates the possibilities of release from an unfair or unpleasant past. It takes us off the escalator of revenge providing an escape from gradual and total ruin. To forgive is to put down heavy baggage from one’s back. It is setting oneself free from bonds of hatred.

Today when terrorism and hatred suspicion and greed seek to create chaos and uncertainty all over the globe, understanding atonement and forgiveness need to be propagated improve the quality of our lives and evolve on the spiritual path. Forgiveness holds the key. Its give and take that will open doors to greater brotherhood  and understanding, and renew hopes in the hearts of those who live in remembrance of what Good Friday stands for.

Worship

The following biblical adequately captures the essence of why we need to focus on repentance and forgiveness which signify the inner meaning Ash Wednesday that was observed this week, marketing the beginning of the period of Lent: “Remember, O man, you are dust and unto dust you shall return” (Genesis 3.19). Ash Wednesday falls on the first day of Lent, on a Wednesday, after Quinquagesima Sunday or Hall Sunday followed by Blues Monday and Shrove Tuesday. The Lenten season is a 40 day period of abstinence and fasting which culminates in the feast of Easter on April 23.

Masses or services of worship are held for Christians in churches. During this prayerful service the faithful approach the altar to receive the application of ashes. The officiating priest applies the ashes in the shape of a cross on the forehead or on the tonsured head of the clergy, while reciting the litany “for dust you are and to dust you shall return”. The applying of the ashes reminds the believers of their inherent mortality and transgressions and that repentance is essential to become one with God.

The cross symbolizes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. It is through Him salvation is possible for faithful. The ashes are obtained Sunday of the preceding year. This is so because Palm Sunday is celebrated to rejoice Jesus’s arrival into Jerusalem, and later on realizing that he came only to die for our sins. In the blessing of the ashes, four ancient prayers are invoked. The penitents allow the ashes to remain till evening before washing it off. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of repentance, penance and a spiritual flowering of the spirit with the aid of absolution and confession.

The earliest mention of Ash Wednesday can be traced to the Gregorian Sacramentary. On this day, Christian believers repent for their sins b fasting, praying and asking for God’s forgiveness. The purpose of observing Ash Wednesday is to remember Jesus Christ, who died for the dins of the whole world and was crucified on the cross and repent for all the sins that they have committed. The believers also confess their sins this day to priest. The whole rationale is to mourn, repent, fast and pray, and find one’s way to the Lord to attain forgiveness through which one gets eternal life.

Today, the practice of wearing sackcloth and applying ashes on the whole body as a sign of repentance is disappearing from the Christian customs. For Jesus himself cautioned people saying, “Moreover, hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to people to be fasting…. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face so that you do not appear to people to be fasting, but to your heavenly Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Mathew 6:16-18)

Jesus was telling people to be more bona fide in their deeds. Thus, the essential constituent of Lent is true repentance with genuine prayerfulness.

Krishna and love in Bhagwat Gita

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna makes special mention of the soul. When the warrior Arjuna declines to fight and kill his relatives, Krishna says that he is not killing anybody, because the soul is immortal. Just as we abandon worn out clothes take new ones, the soul, likewise, abandons worn out bodies and takes new ones. It is the body that has birth and death. Soul does not come in the purview of the mundane laws governing birth and death. Soul is not cut by weapons. It is not consumed by fire. It is neither washed away by water nor blown away by the wind. Thus soul is not destructible by any state of matter or energy.

According to the Bhagavad Gita, the soul cannot be perceived by material means. In other words, one can not use tools that characterize matter. Eyes, ears, noses, hands and mouth which are common tools to probe matter, cannot probe the soul. The first step, indeed, is to deactivate these biological sensors. By controlling all sense organs, fixing the mind in the heart concentrating all energy in the head, reciting the one syllable AUM and engaging in firm yoga, one can probe the soul. (8:12). this prescription is completely spiritual and is beyond the reach of a common individual.

Prior to this, Krishna emphasized the role of knowledge in understanding the soul. (4:39). He who has faith can acquire the supreme knowledge about soul. The other requirement, as mentioned earlier, is the absolute control of senses. In this process knowledge gained would lead the knower to ultimate peace. In the next verse he says that those who doubt would perish.

Scientists are not comfortable with this idea of knowledge by faith and end by doubt. Science is not inclined to gaining knowledge by faith. Knowledge must be acquired by experimentation and should be free of all ambiguities. Doubts lead to further experimentation, which leads to the confirmation of the knowledge. Thus in the realm of science, faith is not acceptable but doubt ism in contrast to spirituality, where there is a reversal of roles that is, faith is the buzz word and doubt is the outcast.

This perspective apparently points to a disunity between science and spirituality. However, we cannot entirely rule out a unity in diversity. Spirituality is mostly intuitive while science is based on experimentation and reasoning. But many great scientific ideas initially came from the intuitions of their creators, which were later confirmed by both experiment and theory. There is of course a common ground. Both science and spirituality are not easily discernible to a lay person.

Of late scientists have taken interest beyond their domains. Social, economical and political domains are explored by considering them as statistical systems with some common unity. However, in the past these things did come under the purview of science, except of course in erstwhile Russia, where everything was considered as science, even religion. Thus a scientific approach to spirituality is also the need of the hour to porch to life. By doing so, we could put an end to the compartmentalization of knowledge and begin to see things from a holistic perspective.

Dharma the right conduct

Dharma is the principle of righteousness. It is the unifier and sustainer of social life. The code of righteousness is meant to help us regulate our lives in this world – just as we need a constitution, written or otherwise, that helps us make the framework for the governance of a country or an institution.

Since the Constitution of a country is conceived and framed by human intellect. It could become out of context over the passage of time and therefore, amendments may become necessary from time to time. On the other hand the rules of righteousness are evolved by the supreme – they are valuable and relevant in any context and hence they are eternal. \there is no room for corruption in its implementation. All are equal before it. Righteousness brings as its consequence happiness both in this world and in the next. If we protect it, it will protect us.

That which elevates is righteousness. It leads us to the path of perfection and glory and helps us to have direct communion with the supreme. Righteousness is at the heart of ethics. Striving intently to uphold it is the purushartha or the concept of pursuits of life. And these are dharma or righteous conduct, artha or acquisition of wealth by honest means, kama or desire for physical and mental well being and moksha or liberation of the embodied soul from the vast ocean of acquisitive life.

Scriptures say that dharma and moksha are like the riverbed to artha and Kama, and so should never be breached. At the end of the Mahabharata war, Bhisma lying on a bed of arrows tells Yudhhisthira that whatever creates conflict is nor-righteousness and whatever puts an end to conflict and brings about unity and harmony is righteousness. Anything that helps to unite all generates love and universal brotherhood is righteous. Anything that creates disagreement, divide and disharmony is nor-righteous. Any righteous act brings good karma.

“Dharmo rakshati rakshita”. An ancient during the Mahabharata war illustrates this. During the war in the thick of combat Arjuna sees the blurred vision, like a figure exuding a flame like radiance, in the opposite camp. At the end of the day an intrigued Arjuna asks Vyasa: “What was that blur of light, a figure, I think, I could see in the opposite camp”? Vyasa asks: “Son did you notice the figure holding a trident”? Arjuna says “yes, I could see a trident than Maha Rudradeva: He is helping you since the war which you Pandavas are fighting is dharmic” Arjuna asks “If shiva wants to assist me in the war, why is He in the Kaurava camp? What is He doing there?”

Vyasa tells Arjuna that Maha Rudradeva does not tolerate adharma. He is there to deter those who have supported adharma. He is known for destruction; by His mere presence in their camp He is sucking all the vigor of the warriors on that side. Hence Kaurava warriors who were known for their strength now seem weak, sapped of energy. Vyasa tells Arjuna that whatever is done in righteousness, the support to that act comes from all sides. Vyasa says in the Mahabharata: “Do not forsake your code of righteousness out of desire, being overwhelmed by fear or greed or even when threatened with death – as righteousness is eternal whereas being happy or unhappy is momentary. The embodied soul is eternal and the gross body is perishable.”

Purpose of mediation

The purpose of meditation is to look inward, to reach a state of inner spiritual bliss. We are conscious of our soul’s connectedness with God and all life. We are strengthened by the fearlessness that comes with identifying with soul. We live in the knowledge that we are immortal. By looking inward, we go to the source of wisdom from which all outer knowledge is derived. Through meditation we can go beyond the door of death to meet the bliss and beauty that await us beyond. We no longer live in fear of death.

Saints who have seen past this world say that death is not something to fear, but something to embrace. Kabir said, “The death of which other people are afraid is a source of happiness for me. It is only with death that I attain everlasting bliss.” St. Teresa of Avila has said of death. “I do not die. I enter into life.”

For enlightened beings, life as we know it on earth is sleep. Death and entry into the kingdom of God is walking up. St Paul said, “Oh death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

Behind many fears is the fear of loss, pain and death. Having experienced our immortality, our fears begin to dissolve. The soul, in its state of oneness with the Lord, fears nothing. It only fears ignorance of that oneness. In reality, sin is merely ignorance of truth. Sin means being unaware of God and the laws of truth and love that govern all the universes. It is a simple formula. Virtue is what brings us closer to God, sin or evil takes us away from God.

If we walk on the path of righteousness, observing the laws of non-violence, truthfulness, chastity, humility and selfless service and spending time in our spiritual practices of meditation, then we have nothing to fear in this world or in the beyond.

When we see the same Light that is within our soul in all other souls, we experience connectedness with all forms of life. With such a bond of unity, we realize that all beings are members of our family and life becomes one joyous reunion with everyone we meet.

The joy of family gatherings extends to the whole of humanity. Love permeates all our dealings because we are among our universal family and friends. By journeying within, we can reach this state and consider all creation our family and all places our home.

Unending bliss is ours when we look inward. Sufi saint Shamas -i- Tabreze offers a glimpse into this state of bliss: “Please do not ask me about my inner state of being. My senses, intellect and soul are intoxicated, and they have achieved a permanent bliss of intoxication. The roots of these trees are drinking the secret wine of love. Have patience, because one day you too will wake up into this state of intoxication. In my mind there is a festival of intoxication. Feel the effect of the wine of Divine Love, so that even the walls and door are intoxicated.”

When we are in love with an earthly beloved, the whole world takes on the color of love. We see things as rosy and blissful. Similarly, when in a state of bliss from within, it colors the whole world in bliss. We then see ecstasy wherever we look.

Divinity power

Billion of people live on earth. Every second as many thoughts take birth and dissolve, even as beings come and go. There is a process in life; to come and to go. Have you seen any wave in the ocean that stays still? No, it comes and goes. Thoughts also come and go, reactions come and go, everything comes and goes.

Considering the transitory nature of life, it makes senses to not cling to things. And why are we so serious? Perhaps we are so serious because we have so much negativity. Even if something happens that helps us, and we refuse it. We are unable to see the difference between a diamond and mere stone.

What causes you pain often turns out to be the most beautiful blessing of your life. If any source gives you pain, feel gratitude for that. For suffering creates the opportunity for change. Sometimes we need pressure and pain to make us change for the better.

When sculptor takes a stone, he removes all the unwanted parts and discovers the figure in that stone. Pain and pressure in life are processes that help remove all unwanted substances from our lives and realize our true self.

Aurobindo said that pain is a hammer in the hands of the Divine. Divinity is trying to make a true figure. He is removing all the unwanted substances very slowly, and all around you, for some it could also be their near and dear.

Keep alive your aloneness. We came from One and we have to become One. One is alone; alone means One. The highest possibilities of life come in aloneness. When you are two, nothing comes to you, two is a pastime. If our life is happy, if it is full of the divine blessings, blessed by divine grace, it is because life gives us the fruit of aloneness. Only the Divine is alone. The Divine is one, He’s not two.

We should feel gratitude if something or someone gives us the experience of aloneness. Only when we are alone, are we able to understand ourselves, to know who we are, to become aware of ourselves, to be alone, to be single, we want to become two, and two takes you out from you. Becoming one is a process of life.

When I say, “I do Yoga,” what does yoga mean? To become One. You are two and now you want to become one. Yoga means to become One and One is God. One is the highest source of possibilities. If you want only a pastime you can become two, three or four.

If we feel alone, we should try to live with this aloneness for a long. And the tree that comes from the seed of aloneness gives us love, peace, harmony, joy, bliss, everything.

But we have to hold this aloneness with all the patience. Remember that we are blessed with divine grace if aloneness comes into our life, because this comes to very few people. This world is so strange that it always keeps us involved, always busy. So keep alive your aloneness and play the game of life with that

Spiritual path

On the spiritual path there are three factors: Buddha, the master or the presence of the enlightened, sangha the commune or group, and dharma, your true nature. Life blossoms naturally when there is a balance between the three.

The Buddha is a doorway, and the doorway needs to be more charming than what lies beyond so that people come to the doorway. If you are out in the street and there is rain and thunder, or scorching weather, you feel the need for a shelter. You look and find a doorway. Have you noticed that then, the doorway is more inviting and joyful than anything else in the world?

Similarly, the closer you get to the master, the more charm, newness and love you feel. Nothing in the world could give that much peace, joy, and pleasure. It’s like depth without a bottom. This is a sign that you have come to the master.

Once you enter the door, you see the world from there, from any situation you will think, “how would the eyes of the master and the world looks so much more beautiful as a place filled with love, joy, cooperative and compassion.

Looking through the doorway there is no fear. From inside your home, you can look at the storm and the bright sun too; yet you can be relaxed as you are in the shelter. Such a sense of security, fullness and joy comes. That is the purpose of having a master.

Sangha is charming from a distance but the closer you get, it pushes all your buttons and brings out all the unwanted things from within you. If you think a group is good it means you are not yet completely with the group. When you are totally part of that group, you will find that some bickering will come up. But you are the one who makes the group – so if you are good, your group will also be good.

Sangha has a reverse nature to Buddha. Buddha makes your mind one pointed; sangha because it is of so many people, can scatter your mind, fragment it. Once you are used to a sangha, it loses its charm. This is the nature of sangha. Still, it is very supportive. If it were repulsive all the time, then nobody would be part of sangha.

Buddha uplifts with Grace, love and knowledge, Buddha pulls you up from above and sangha pushes you up from below.

Dharma is to be in the middle. Avoiding extremes is your nature – to be in balance, to smile from the depth of your heart to accept entire existence totally as it is. Often you crave for Buddha and are averse to sangha, and you try to change; but by changing sangha or Buddha, you are not going to change.

The main purpose is to come to the centre deep within you, which means to find your dharma. A sense of deep acceptance for this moment, for every moment, is dharma. All problems and negativity are generated from our mind.

The world is not bad; we make our world ugly or beautiful. So when you are in your dharma, your nature, you will blame neither the world nor the Divine.

Dharma is that which puts you in the middle and makes you comfortable with the world. It allows you to contribute to the world, be at ease with the Divine, to feel part of the Divine.s

Reshuffling of atoms

What is death?

In nature there is no such thing as death but only a reshuffling of atoms. Death occurs only when there is a need for atoms to maintain the balance of energy in the universe. This organism has no way of finding out that it was born at a particular point of time and is going to die at another point of time, and also that it is living at this moment and not dead.

If you ask me the question “Are you alive?” I would say that I am alive. Because the question is born out of the idea of how a living human being functions, acts, and thinks. That is an idea, so naturally, if you ask dead?” I would say I am very much alive, because that question brings all the knowledge that we have about the behavior patterns of living human beings. But we have no way of experiencing the fact that this is a living thing. You see, thought id dead. It is trying to capture something that is living pulsating.

Does the body have the understanding minus the thoughts?

The heart does not for a moment know that it is pumping blood. It is not asking the question. “Am I doing it right?” It is just functioning. It does not ask. “Is there any purpose?” To me, that question has no meaning. The questions, “Is there any meaning?” Is there any purpose?” take away the living quality of life. You are living in a world of ideas.

Is there life after death?

When people ask me whether there is any such thing as reincarnation, my answer is that there is reincarnation for those who believe in it, and there is no reincarnation for those who do not believe in it. If you ask a fundamental question, “Is there any such thing as reincarnation as the other laws in nature like gravity?” my answer would be negative. It is not as much part of nature as gravity is. But if you want to believe that it is so, it is a different matter.

 The belief in reincarnation is born out of the demand that something will continue after your so-called death. It is the same mechanism which wants to know what will happen after death. For exactly the same reason you are asking the question. “Is there any meaning is there any purpose in life?” For some reason that mechanism, that movement of thought, does not want to come to an end.

You have seen people dying there. So, the belief that there is a centre here, that there is a spirit here, that there is a soul here, is what is responsible for that belief, that there must be something beyond. But if you want to know if there is anything beyond you have to die now. When the question or belief about that comes to an end, death will take place here right now. Clinical death will take place.

Then the question whether there is an afterlife would not at all arise, because the living organism has no way of knowing that it is alive. The belief has to go. The end of belief is death.

Thought is your energy. Mind shattering conversation with the man.