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Piominentspeakers in Birth Centenary program (BCp) Temples of 24 shaktis of Mother Gayatri and in their rnidst replicas of sajal Shraddha antl prakhar Pragya monurnenis
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shraddheya shair Jiji and shraddhey Dr pranav pandya on the Gyan Maneh A rnarnrnoth audience listening to discourses from Gyan Manch {lnset - A senior parijan offering floral tributes at the altar) :':,J,
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bhurbhuval.r sva[i tatsaviturvare4yarh bhargo devasya dhlmahi dhiyo yo nal.r prachodayat ll (Mav Alrnightv illuminate our intellect and inspire us t":#5:Hil:.lf,ffrfiili,
weda3t3i,2w,3ot2,36tj
FOUNDER-PATRONS
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-I
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Mala Blnguati Deui Sharnta
January-February 2Ol2 Date
of Publication: Ol.Ol. 2012
,Afrrdt Chintarr
Abroad: Rs. 1000.00
CHIEF EDITOR Dr. Pranno Pnndya
Thoughts: The $haPers of Dexiny
It is said that a man's destiny is written on his forehead. This destiny is called the blueprint of the future. Only thoughts determine the shape of future life and materialize the possibilities. So, any way we think, it is true that plans for all actions are first created in the forehead only! Here forehead means brain, and brain means mind or the thought process. Hence, the psychologists are right in indicating that our future is based upon the style of our thinking. The thrust of our thoughts and their influence compel one to act accordingly. Therefore, whatever language our scriptures may use; the final truth they reveal is that the action is never performed automatically. Its background is always gradually, slowly prepared over a long period of time according to the thought process. Therefore, one should carefully watch one's thoughts as they are the shapers
of destiny. - Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya
-#@z+9*9,,/+\.â‚Ź){_-$rgs=Akhand Jyoti: The Light Divine Team tMshes its Readers A Very Happy, Healthy
and Prosperous New Year 2Ot2
Learn to work in teams. The challenges ahead are so complex that no individual will be able to face them atone. Akhand Jyoti January-Februuy Z)12
l
Contents 01.
Arnrit Chintan Powerof Thoughts: The Shapers ofDestiny
02. From Chicf Edi,lor's Desk
03.
Wonderfrrl, Unique and Unforgettable
05
How to Become an Effective Leader?
10
04. Let Us dchieve
a
Holistic Progress ---
13
05.
Science and Spiritualily DecipheringtheScienceof Emotions----:--:---
06.
Irt
Jounealism Become a Sacred Mission
M.
Odysset of the Enlightened - 23 Call from the Himalayas - 4 -----------
08.
Youth Column
------
Realize the Value ofTime
(D.
10.
11.
28
Supemormal benefits of Gawtri - 9 Awakening of Kundaliniby GayatTi Sadhana
-l
Yoga Therap!-24 Yogic Treannent of lrucorrhoea among Women
Talks on the Gita
- 24
Contemplation of God's Manifestations
a------------ ---------- 20
30
33
- 2 ---------
12. 13.
How To improve SeH-Confidence? ---------------
t4.
TherapyForThe Soul
15.
Amrit Vani
---- 45
How to Chant God's Name and Why?
Afihand.Jyoti.donuaryr#ebruary#0,12
-,4E
From the Chief Editor's Desk
Wonderfiil, Unique & Urtorgettoble the The year-long Centenary Celebrations reached their pinnacle during October 2011, when entire town of Haridwai began to get decorated. People from all around the country and the world came to Haridwar and discharged their assigned responsibilities. It was a matter of time the that the day of November 1 arrived and all the facilities and exhibitions were opened to public. The details given here are for all those who could not come and for those who lu1.:t" but were busy in their assigned tasks and couid not see all the locations owing to lack of time' and the number The life of Shatabdhipwush parampujya Gurudevisso mulli-faceted and varied; for of his followers so huge that the spacious holy town of Haridwar also app6ared to be small the celebrations.
t.
This was the central location for activity and was situated at the heart of Ganga - on the plateau of Laljiwala and in front of Har ki Paidi. [t took 4 months to construct and decorate thts yagyashala. The Dev Manch(Altar) was given the form of Kedarnath temple and the main entrance was made like Badrinath temple. This yagyashala, divided into 55 partitions, had 1551 havan kunds which included krrrds that were triangular and crescent shaped too. 700 flags were placed all round the place. The decoration of Dev Manch was (energy forms) of superbly artistic. On the right side were erected the temples of 24 shaktis Gayatriandin their midst was placed dharmadhwaja(flag of righteousness) and the replicas of Sajal shraddha-prakhar pragya monuments. The entire yagyashalawas coated with several layers (Sprouts) of wheat seeds were grown around yagyashala. Four wide iron of cow d,rrrg. yagyashala
-
Jaware bridges were constructed for people to enter from the waiting halls.
i.
AcCommodation - Accommodation was provided in several places. It comrreriiied from Fant Dweep where the base camp was first prepared. This was also the closest l:t", *o: Shantikunj. Pant Dweep had two dining halls and tents to accommodate one lakh people. Facilities for water, bath and toilets were prepared by the engineers. People from foreign countries enjoyed staying in the tents. About 1500 non-resident Indians and foreigners câ‚Źune from around the world. All of them stayed in Swiss cottages close to river Ganga. All of them found this setup as a wonderful camping site. Our delegates from Russia were stupefied at the arrangements here.
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In addition, tent-townships were also erected in Bairagi Dweep (for Rajasthan, Gujarat, Delhi-NCR and South Indian delegatgp), Gowli Shankar to 4 (for Madhya pradesh, Uttar .'1, Pradesh, Utterakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Chattisgarh, Nepal, Bengal, and Northeast delegates) and accommodation for all voluatqers workin gin KaIa Manch, Vichar frIancfi, Media
Center, Uniyersity and Exhibitio4 was arranged in Rodi Belwala. This has been a unique mammoth arrangement ever m4de. in this religious town of Haridwar. A 100-bed hospital and township for doctors was also established in Rodi Belwald.
3. Dining
Halls - A total of 12 dining halls were setup. The one in Pant Dweep worked as the mother kitchen from where food was'supplied to other places. 300 sisters from Chhattisgarh and Orissa donated 4 mgnths of their time for this. Kitchens were set up separately for Rajasthan
and Gujara!, Chhattisgarh and Uttar Pr4dqsh. Parijans from Bihar also performed Chhath Puja after Dwali- and also operlted their own kitchen. Parijans from South Irrdia served food
from Balaji Kitchen to all the pe.ople from 4 southern states. Kitchens and dining halls remained operational till the evenir-rg, of 10ft November.
Manch- This was setup in Laljiwala in close proximity to yagyashala. The huge replica of Himalayas was done by Avinash and Vaishali's team from Pune while the magnificent statue of Gurudev was done by Aru Ashish Sahoo's team from Orissa. The entire Gyana Gyand
Manch was a feast to the eyes. On the backdrop were Neeldhara and Chandi Devi while Har ki Paidi and Mansa Devi were to the front. People could be seated in large numbers to listen tq the discourses being given from Gyana uanch.
Gyono Shareer of Gurudev(Two book stalls) - One was set up close to yagyashala and. the other near the exhibition in Rodi Belwala. Each one was of the size of 10000 sq ft- The stalls contained all the published literature of Pararn Prjyu Gumdev, audio/video cassettes etc. All the translations published till now were also available there. The medicinal herbs from Shantikunj pharmacy wers.also available, All the pu"pl" could assimilate the thoughts of Gurudev, see them and take thgm home. There was an arrangement of 14billing computers
5. The
connected to barcode scanners.
6. A unique exhibition depicting the life of Gurudev -
The portion tttled'Chetana ki Shikhar Yatta' featured sorne mernorable incidents and prominent places depicted in the form of stafues, picfures, memoiis e!c,,P,.eop!e.were mov.e{ to tears on seeing the rare items used by Param Pujya Gurudev placed in rri, ,oorrrurrd oldt*unsion of Aurl*Jlkh"da. The second part of'the exhibition focused on Rjstuparamparaand seven revolutions. The third part focused on the achievements and fulu.rg,prospecls,of Dev sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya. There was a
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rf.continuous stream of visitors to see the exhibits starting from November 1 itself. The natural and unique rangolisalong with the replica of Pragyeswar Mahadev in Dev Sanskriti University exhibition were among the special attractions. A part of the exhibition dedicated to Ayurveda and the one depicting the miniature plan of action of DSW had a profound influence on the visitors. In addition to this, the exhibits showing ideal village scenario, disaster managementcum-training, a glimpse of 'shriram Smriti Upavan', self-reliance with Khadi cottage industry and exhibition on Bhartiya Sanskriti Gyan Pariksha were worth visiting. A media center was also set up with 40 computers to address the press and media. The distinguished invitees spoke to the media from here. Situated in Rodi Belwala, this place was teeming with people ever since it was inaugurated. It had capacity to seat 20,000 PeoPle: Many eminent people from other organizations, groups and religious traditions came'here to share their views about 'Yug Nirman Yojana and Acharyashri'. One full day was dedicated to the yoqth and another day was given to women empowerment. Vichar manchwas active from 1" Nov to 8e Nov. All the speeches given from this dais are being compiled to be released in the form of a book'
7. Vichor Monch
-
8. Samskar and Kota Monch- Programs were conducted from Samskar mancft on 7-8 November and from Kala manch from 1 to 7e November. Performing samskaras in a novel way is distinctive only to the creative teams of Gayatri Pariwar. All kinds af samskaragwere performed here. Kala manchand, samskar manchwere located near each other. Artistic SrouPS from various
parts of the country had come to present their talents through kala manch. There was participation from all regions of India. Studertts of Dev Sanskriti Viswavidyalay presented a variety of programs.
9. '
Kolash Yatrd - Kalash Yatra was splendid and stupendous. Volunteers from 24 countries participated. 2-3lakh parijans clad in yellow attire, carrying 24,000 Kalashas, Mantralekhan and Pragya Puranbooks, with tableaux showing the life of Param Pujya Gurudev and activities of the miSsion were part of the Kalash Yatra. Tttis Kalash'yAtra of 6'h Nov created history. After hoisting the flag (Dhwajarohan), Kalash yatra started with doing puja of 24,000 kalashas. Kalash yata covered a distance of 7 km and reached yagyashala at 3 PM after a circumambulation of
Amri*umbh of Har ki Paidi. On the whole, the Birth Centenary Program was wonderful, unique and unforgettable: For the centenary celebrations of Yugrishi, an area eciuivalent to that taken up for the Kumbh of 2010 was chosen. To make arrangemelnts in suih an area during Kumbh, while the government system in collaboration with mutts, ashrams and spiritual organizations from tndia and the world-over took more than a year, our srujan sainiks got the arrangements done in a record time
E7
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of merely 4 months, much to the awe of the world. Including a bridge on the main stream of Ganga, a total of 8 bridges, category-wise accommodation, kitchens and dining halls for requisite number of people, Yagyashala, Gyana Manch, Vichar Manch, KaIa Manch, Exhibition and Multimedia presentations were arranged exquisitely and were praised by everyone. The government provided its full support. In addition to giving advice, and providing requisite permissions, they also provided available resources generously. Print media and electronic media
provided their enthusiastic support. They expressed their thoughts in the following manner --.
'
Yug Nirman volunteers have set such a high standard of disciplined effort that it does not look possible for somebody else to equal or surpass it.
'
Along with exquisite arrangements, the method in which deep thoughts were projected was very good. Handling such a huge number of people in a disciplined and organized manner while not curtailing their freedom was an achievement in itself. The dining halls served sattvic, healthy and tasty food where people maintained discipline while eating food. The variety of meaningful programs on the daises of KaIa Manch and Vichar Manchwerc described by audience as unparalleled. In addition to Yugrishi's literature and the activities of the mission, there were exhibits on other topics like medicinal herbs, Gramodyog, ecological balance etc.
o o '
An unfortunate incident: On 8a'November, between 10-11 AM, an unforfunate incident occurred near the bridge at the errtrance of the yagyashala. People were waiting amidst the barricades in multiple lines to enter the yagyashala. Suddenly the crowd around them increased and some strangers broke the discipline and entered the queue, creating stampede. This led to barricades getting broken. Twenty Persons who were stuck between the barricades in this confusion lost their lives and some otSers got injured. The organizers responded in a timely manner and evacuated the dead bodies and the injured to the hospital. Tlne yagya.resumed. after that and continued till2 O,clock in the afternoon. Post-mortem of the dead bodies was done and handed over to their family members. As per the request of the families, either final rites were performed at Haridwar itself or arr.rngements were made immediately for transporting them to their home towns. The injured were treated in a timely manner and only a couple of them had to be shifted to other hospitals. The whole Gayatri Pariwar is co-sharer of the intense grief and pain suffered by the bereaved families.
Develop a passion for learning. lf you do, you'il never cease to grow. Akhand Jyoti January-February 20t2
8tr
Response: Keeping in mind the extra crowd that was expected owing to the Kartik Poomima Meh,ong-l0ftNovember, the state government asked us to stop yagya and other programs. An Sabha was announcement was made on the night of 86 Nov in adherence to that order. Shanti the conducted fuom Gyan Manchon the same day from 5.30 to 7.00 PM. On the morning of 9ft, Pumahutifor the yagya, Dev vidaiwas performed through deepa yagyaalong with the announcement
marking the end of the celebrations. Let your heart not grieve:
o
incideni The incident that happened is certainly unfortunate. We have to learn from this We should and be more qgrlant and work iowards gaining more discriminative wisdom. not let ourselves be dePressed.
o
pujya Gurudev used to tell that this is like the war between the gods and the demons' In this;ihe aswaswill definitely show their power. We have to remain ever vigilant and wary (on Pages 38 40 in September about their efforts and move forward. The article writtenby him version of this 1956 issue of Akhand fyoti) throws ample light in this context. The translated article has already been published in Nov-Dec 201L issue of this magazine. two We have done pnyajfor Centenary Celebrations of Param Pujya Gurudev for the last years,aspartofwhichsngan fudhanaMahapwarcharan,Manfralap,andothersadhanaanushthans alo.g with mantra lekhanwere done. Tlne pumLahufi was performed during the Navratri at more than one lakh places in the country rn yagyashalaswhere yagyas ranging fr om1'-24 kundis
o
were performed.
o
On the day.of Yugrishi's spiritual birthday, on Vasant Panchami 2011 also 1' to 24 ku4di yagyaswere performed at more than one lakh places. There has been nothing lacking in our
dhara"
o
The well-intentioned efforts put in place for,the magnificent Centenary Celebrations arranged
for boosting the enthusiasm of parijans will go a long way in benefiting the mission' There will-be nothirig lacking in the divine flow of yug srujan Hence parijans should not be di'sheartened. They should put in their wholehearted,enthusiasm in the anuyaiPrograms. ' This is the command of the Yugrishiand this is what is o-efitting of a yug sainik-
i
t
i
With prayer-filled wishes for an enlightening New Year,2O12,
6dl' ,9r,* - Pranav PandYa
I L -:*
-
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loses a lot;
-he
who loses hope, loses all. Akhand'.lyoti Janury:Fc[nriny$l2
How
To
Become An
Effiive Leg,der? Leadership is an art and not just a personality Jrait. People all over the world want to be effective leaders and are willing to invest in
Work hard: People who believe that work-is worship can not only perform extraordinary tasks but can also inspire their coworkers and subordinates in reaching their true potential.
training and classes to develop leadership skills. Good leadership is the essence of management and it is required whether you are running a team of two members or an organization with thousands of employees. It is developed only when an individual develops his overall personality, inculcates
Behave responsibly: A leader should not only take responsibility for his own work but should also be brave enough in taking the responsibility for the failures and mistakes of his subordinates. Unless he/she does that,
virtues and shows character.
winning the trust of subordinates is not possible.
The factors that leadership can influence positively in a workplace are amicable environment, cooperation from colleagues, dedication towards work, continuity of successful endeavors, emotional attachment of employees to the workplace, and the reputation of the company. A person is a good leader when he is respected by his Lo[eagues, superiors and subordinates,
has an admirable personality, and his subordinates are very dedicated. To be a good
leader, following virtues are essential: Love discipline: A leader should lead a very disciplined life and try to complete all the tasks on time. This will inspire the subordinates to be disciplined and complete their tasks in a
timely fashion.
Be objective: Successf.rt teaae, is not partial in his behavior and is objective in his thinking; he does not allow personal feelings to mix
with
business relations. Be brave: A leader should bravely face all the situations and perform his duties without fear or favor. Those who don't have self-confidence
and courage are not able to manage the situations very well; even small challenges shake up their leadership skills. Subordinates also slowly lose respect for such an individual.
Therefore, it is very important courageous in all situations.
to
be
Exhibit self-control: A leader should be able to exercise control over his speech and actions. A person who cannot control his speech and
God gives every bird a worm, but he does not"throw it into the nest. Akhand Jyoti
t
January =F ebruary 20
t2
:10,8
actions in accordance with his responsibilities cannot guide his subordinates correctly. A .leader's unrestrained behaviour can make subordinates disrespect and disobey his
Planning ahead: A leader cannot just work by making guesses all the time. It is very important for a successful leader to work out
guidelines whereas a leader's controlled behavior will influence others to perform well and excel in the discharge of their duties.
Also, everyone should be made aware of the
Ability to take the right
decisions: who person Objectivity and wisdom of a changes his decision frequently - are questionable. That's why a good leader should take a decision after completely weighing all the pros anil cons and taking into account the long term effects of the decision. When a leader has given good amount of thought into a decision, only then he can enforce it with conviction.
a clear plan of action and then stick-to the plan.
complete plan in- advance
to
Preserv'e transparency. When the goals of a team are broken down in clearly manageable tasks and tracked to completion then success comes
naturally to that team or organization.
Being compassionate: People like to support a leader who is optimistic and compassionate about a team member's needs. A leader, who cares abqut his subordinates,
does not try to affect them negatively and helps subordinates as much as possible, wins the trust of his team.
The year 1913 was tragic for Bihar, as it witnessed simultaneous floods in two of its maior rivers, Punpuna and Damodara. Huge losses of life and prbperty were recorded. Flood water destroyed the standing crops on the one hand and killed people and the livestock on the other. This devastating crisis compelled a true philanthropist to serve his motherland. Setting aside his professional obligation, Dr. Rajendra Prasad gave priorityto his nationalobligation. He and his companions began serving the flood victims. They spent many sleepless nights on the platform.
The first President of free lndia has a long record of serving the mankind. An eminentCongress leader, a successful lawyer and a diligent person, Dr. Rajendra Prasad was imprisoned by the British government in 1934. The same year, a massive earthquake struck North Bihar. While in jail, he appealed to the government and the fellow countrymen to help the victims. He was soon released for serving the ailing masses. His simplicity and compassion touched the hearts of the entire nation.
lndia could attain independence only because of such benevolent and altruistic personalities. He who has health, has hope and he who has hope, has everything. tr11
Akhand Jyoti January-Fctrruary 2012
Modest behaviour: It is said that a man makes friends or enemies by what he speaks. Amiability in speech and modesty in behaviour get the leader acceptance in a group, which plays a very important role for the success of a leader.
Attitude to cooperate: A
successful leader
ineulcates the value of cooperation in his work,
believes in the idea of one-for-all and ill-forone. A leader should see his success in the collective success of his team. Keeps egb at a distance: A leader should not get too worked up about his weaknesses and qualities. He should have the courage to face the reality. The fear that coworkers will take the leader's position or replace him in any capacity makes the leader weak and inefficient.
manage/s lack of knowledge. So, it's irperativethat the leader knows the work that he erqpecls his subordinates to c_omplete.
Meaningful contacts: Successful leaders always develop meaningful professional and non-professionai contacts. The resourcefulness of a leader in the time of need directly depends on cultivating good contacts. This helps in gaining the trust of others and solving unseen problems at the workplace.
lnformal relations:, A good leader strengthens his relations with his coleagues by adding a personal touch to tl+e relations with his peers/ subordinates. He/she can do so by personally attending the social functions like marriage,
birthdays, etc. and offering heartfelt condolences i1 the moments of grief of peers/ subordinates of the leader. This creates mutual
Dedication towards the institution: A leader should lead by example to inspire coworkers towards the institution or a conunon goal. An official who is not dedicated himself cannot expect subordinates and coworkers to do the
trust and respect for the leader.
same.
any direction cannot accomplish anything, whereas a small battalion of army under able leadershi-p ean wqk wonders. If one follows the points mentioned above, he/she can
Knows the work: A manager who does not know how his department / company functions, is often fooled by his coworkers,and subordjnates. They take advantage of
Good leadership is an art which can be used to solve even the most complicated situations with ease. A large unorganized crowd without
becomea good and effective leader and inspire
others to do so as,well.
"Champions aren't made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them : a desire, a dreaffi, d vision."
- Muhammad Ali Winners must have two things - definite goals and a burning desire to achieve them. I
fi
!
h
Akhand Jyoti January-February 2012
12tr,
Let Us Achieve A Holistic Progress Every particle in the world is in motion; everything moves ahead with the flow of time;
everything transforms or evolves and continues its journey. This movement is the nature of creation. Induced by this nature, every inanimate and animate element of Nature has to continue its journey. Man is also bound by this rule. He goes ahead with the developments in his life from birth titl death. Even after this evolution (of the consciousness) continues.
It is essential for every wise man and woman to know the science of how to achieve a holistic progress and complete this maridatory journey with grace-and excellence. Just as
it is necessary for a blacksmith to know the work of smithy,
for a confectioner to know how to prepare sweets and for a farmer to know farm-work, so it is necessary for a person undertaking a journey to have substantial details associated
with it, know its destination and the optimal route. Planning, preparation and organization are essential before execution of every great task. fourney of life is also a huge project and there
is no alternative to ProPer planning and execution to complete it successfullY. But the question is how to plan and execute? The answer
is
that
the
mental consciousness is the source of all creative potentials. Ln the fertile soil of mind sprout forth various kinds of creative urges. With proper nurturing and nourishment they grow to
maturity and make a very impressive impact in the â‚Źuena of practical life. Such persons
keep reading
in the annals of
human civilization Those who have been able to
develop their latent creative potentials are like shining stars in the human firmament.
Their -.
extraordinary
achievements and glory act as
beacons of inspiration for others. People longingly gaze at these luminaries, quite oblivious of the fact that many such potential stars are
hidden in their own interiors too. Only, their brightness has to be brought to the fore. Then they, too, can sparkle and shower their illumination on the world. For this the potential lying within has to be developed and awakened.
are honored by the world as geniuses. They not onlybring
"I have nothing like this in me", "I do not see any
laurels to themselves but the whole world benefits from their invaluable contributions. It is this secret that lies
distinction in me" - One often
behind the extra-ordinary talent of those luminaries whose amazing stories we
comes across
negative
refrains of this type. Such persons are advised to look within once again a little more minutely and deeply, and also objectively. The moment we
Don't do things that prove others wrong, do things that prove you right tr13
L
Akhand Jyoti January-February Z)12
s
It I
{I l I
j
E
do it, we will definitely notiec
renders, 'some special
something special in .usi
in. .If we are contented with
assistance to the one on whom
something that distinguishes us from others and iltakes us unique. It could be that there exists in us no philosopher or scientist, in whose anticipated uncovering we have been making futile searches and finally got tired. It is possible instead that in some remote corner of our inner space a
He bestows special
the past breath and think that only that much air is adequ4te
budding sportsman, or
a
musician,-or'a' singer may be dimly twinkling but whom we have alwayd overlooke.t on.i.
are paying no heed even today. Remember, tlrere is an inexhaustible store of creative energy in everyone. God.is not partial. He has not
-love-
There is a well-known saying
progressive nature to make
for us, why tak'e more, then this thinking will prove harmful, it would hinder the sustenance of life. The same is applicable in respect "of progress. The virtuous
their endeavoring iourney
potential you had earnecl
smooth. This is how getting sudden, indefinite, unknown assistance becomes possible.
earlier l'rad strengthened and
- "God helps those, who help them'selves". The Supreme
Father presents means of assistance for the people
The holy gible
with
states
"Demand and you
will
be
glanted;'knock and it will be opened to you." The iroly Ramayana also implies the same
"He, who loves something truly, will get it undoubtedly."
-
It
has often been observed that people after achieving success fall in slumber. But to move ahead further and further, new strengtl'r needs to be cultivated continuously. Air, that we inhale, enters the body; its oxygen conterrt
awakerred, developed and
provides:'r' red,ness (ar-rd essential ene:rg!) to blood.. Tlrereafter that air becomes
God is also pleasetl with the earnest efforts of those wlro have a strong desire to excel, who wholeheartedly make effrrrts and strivc for clrisc'letl refinement and progress. Tl'rere is no surprise if God
now. The footl that was taJ<-e'n earlier in tl're day, its worth lras been used; it lras exhhustecl
deprived anyone in this whole creation of his grace. Believe it, you are unique in yourself, and this uniqueness is tl-re creahve potential which always yearns inside you for release. This yearning is the originality of our lives,: Only, it l-ras'to be properly channelized.
improved your life to an extent. That potential is
worthless; tlre body expels it. That air was very useful when it was breatlred in, but after the processing it lost its utility
been digested, so new food is
recluired later. Air, that was ir-rhaled last moment, has been
utiIized; llew breath
is recluired now. The improvement achieved once had rendered pmgress at that
time. To gain
further additional strength, to rise
further, [o eilrll
rl(,w
motivation, new imprurverrrent is rnecessary. The car has mt'rved ten nriles with one gallon petrol, now if it has to move alty ftirther the clriver has
to'pnrvitle it more petrol; otherwise it will stay put where it is; further ntovenrent will not be possible.
for that specific purp()se. Now irew air is rc'tluirecl
It is no use following the footsteps of that worthless
Freslr air needs to be breathecl
man who falls in deep sltrmber
.
Laugh a$ muchrs*you.,breathe and,love as long as you Akhand Jyoti i
I
t
.larruar
y-Fch rlrlry 2e12
14tr
F
the moment his stomach is full, and turns and grumbles only when hunger agitates him again. Watch the small ant, which prepares for,its future. It collects grain in its hole for the time ahead, so that it can face struggles in its renewed with life determination, so that it can remain alive even if it does not get an opportunity to get
Tempted to acquire these riddlti-siddhis; many seekers
out of its l'role for several days
materialist front as well, people leave no stone ' learns to stand up leaving unturned to become rich, crawling arvl learns to walk on perform arduous physical his feeti and keeps up his
due to rains. The small honeybee also plans today for its tomorrow. So it is certainly
not proper for man, the 'intelligent being', not to think ahead after fulfilling his needs for the day. If you intend to tread the path of refinement and improvement continuously in this life and in the lives thereafter, then it is quite essential that you care to organize 'proper food' to continuously gain strength in the iourney. Whatever virtues and potentials you have earned so far, will prove very useful iir future; ,by augmenting them further the journey ahead will progress with greater speed and ease.
Supernormal talents and extrasensory potentials (nava-
effrirts. When a small child crawls on his knees, his
.
'
mother teaches him to stand and.walk. She shows him a piece of sweet at a slightly higher point so that the child stands up to get it. When he haq learnt to stand up, she.
adopt irscetic disciplines and
endeavor arduous yoga-
'.
sodhands. Warriors embrace
the risk of death and rrrarch towards the battlefields to attain victory. . Devotees undertakg journeys in the mountains covered by dense forest in their search of divine
bliss "of heavens. On
.
' :
tempts.him with a fruit,
'
d
gwee! a toy etc to teach him to walk on feet and encourages the child. In this process her hidden aim is that the child
. .
i
ii l !
i
.
exercises to become stronS, burn mid-night oil in studies to become learned. These examples show that our inner
sense renders
special for need to the importance improvement and ascent, and we take great risks to fulfill that need and also volunteer to undertake intense efforts. The test of a fake need and a real need is that for anything false or fake there is no willingness to sacrifice, but for real needs one would be willing.to take pains and sacrifice. This world is God's cornplete creation in all respects;
nothing is lacking or lying disorderly here. All can be
nidhi,' .a;la siddhis) are attainable by devout yoga
achieved provided there is an
practices (yoga-sadhanas).
accompanied
inner desire, a strong will
with
intense
:
progressive journey. Likewise,
God has presented the attractions of name and fame, . .
'
wealth, property, wisdom, strength etc so that we strive zealously to aihieve them. But that is not the end of it.
As the child matures and grows into a responsible
I
citizen he does not need any such incentives and strives for excellence on his own. We, the matured intelligent beings should also know.rthat the incentives of status and recognition in the society are there only to plant and nurture the seed of progress. As we progress, we should learn to look at the new horizons of ascent beyond these incentives and envisage the higher realms of holistic progress of our beings.
It's not the number of awards you win; i$s the number of fiearts you capturc. tr15
Akhand Jyoti January-Februry
2Of
2
r
DectPheringThe Science OfEmotions The transition of the new millennium took place with simultaneous paradigm shifts in several spheres of life. Prominent 4m-qngthese is the shift in outlook towards success and development, which until recently was confined to materialistic domain and
intellectualism. Now'management' of resources is. given greafer importance than mere generation or mobilization of resources. The definition of 'resources' too has widened
and embraced 'human resources', or more specifically 'healthy human resources' in its fold. The concept of health has expanded beyond the human body and now incorporated in it is the essential factor of mental well-being. With realization of the crucial role of mind beyond intellectual sharpness, understanding and management of emotions has also become significantly important.
is constantly changing. A broadly definition so far is that it describes an abiliry capacity, or skill to perceive, assess, m:uurge the emotions of one's self and of with whom one interacts. Interesting there is still not complete understanding what emotions are? Where and why do exist? Can emotions; be controlled? Ca emotions be cultivated or 'groomed'? Is feasible to raise the EQ? Can emotions evolved? Deciphering the answers to these would be distant dream for *oderr, researchers considering the fact that several of the 'theories' differentiate between'feelings' and 'emotions', andr'emotions' and'sentiments', whereas some others mingle these as one and the same thing. Let us look at the excerpts of
some So much so that investigations
of these modern definitions
and associated psychological and neurological
in the 'science' of emof,ions.,has become an active area of research in psychology and neurobiology. Not
perspectives.
only that, in place of intelligence quotient (IQ), 'emotional intelligence' and hence the emgtional quotient (EQ) has now become a yardstick of selection at many important
Modern Scholars like Cornelius, adopt the perspective derived from Darwin's evolutionary theory. This perspective started in the late 19th century with Charles Darwin's
positions of high-responsibility, decision-
book on the expression of emotions in man and
making and management. However, being a relatively new area of psychological research, the definition of emotional intelligence itself
animals. Darwin's original thesis was that emotions evolved via natural selection for reasons of warning other creatures about your
Knowing is not enough, we must apply. willing is not enough, we must do. Akhand Jyoti January-February 2012
t
16tr
intentions (e.g. a cat with a high back is angry and will strike you unless you back of0. Darwin argues that for rn*ankind emotions are no longer functional but are epiphenomena of functional associated habits. Such an evolutionary origrn would predict emotions to be cross-culturally universal. Confirmation of this biological origin was provided by Paul Ekman's seminal research on facial expressions
in humans. Other research in this area, substantiatea Uy neurobiological experiments, focuses on physical displays of emotion including body language of animals and facial expressions in humans. The increased potential in neuroaging has allowed investigation of this idea focusing on the working brain itself. Important neurological advances were made from this perspective in the 1990'sby, for example, |meph LeDoux and Antonio Damasio.
lit: I
', I
According to modern neurosciences, feelings convey information about situations, on both consclous and subconscious levels, via more than thirty neurochemicals acting alone or jointly in complex ways.
The feeling of fear, for example, is an anticipation of injury, as broadly defined. It raises the levels of neuro-chemicals such as adrenalin and cortisol.In healthy subjects, fear is triggered by stimuli that indicate the presence of risk or direct danger. However, even in the absence of a direct threat, thoughts (recorded in terms of the active comparing and
contrasting of data), subconscious brain patterns, and imaginings can also promote
fearful responses.'Fear can therefore be deliberately induced. Based on discoveries made through neural mapping of the limbic system, the neurobiological explanation of human emotion is that emotion'is a pleasant or unpleasant pental state organized in the limbic system of the mammalian brain. These findings have also deciphered that the neurochemicals and brain
portions are resPonsible for 'functional expression' of several types of 'emotions'.
Defined as such, these emotional states are specific manifestaticrns of non-verbally expressed feelings of agreement, amusement, anger, certainty, control, disagreement, disgust, disliking, embarrassment, fear, guilt, happiness, hate, interest, liking, love, sadness,
shame, surprise, and uncertainty. If distinguished from reactive responses of reptiles, emotions would then be mammalian elaborations of general vertebrate arousal patterns, in which neurochemicals (hormones)
llke dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonine, enhance or inhibit the brain's activity level, as visible in body movements, gestures, and postures. In mammalsi primates and human beings, feelings are displayed as emotional signals.
For example, the human emotion of love is
hypothesized to have evolved from paleocircuits of the mammalian brain (specifically, modules of the cingulated gyrus) designed for the care, feeding, and grooming of offspring. Paleocircuits are neural platforms for bodily expression configured millions of
Accept challenges, so thatyou may feel the exhilaration of victory. Akhand Jyoti January-February
i
i.
Zll2
years before the advent of cortical circuits for
hypotheses of their possible interrelations
speech. They consist of pre-configured pathways or networks of nerve cells in the forebrain, brain stem and spinal cord. They evolved prior to the'earliest mammalian
different brain-functions are growing rapidly that it is difficult to judge which
ancestors, as far back as the jawless fishes, to
pertain only to the 'functional expression' manifestation of emotions.
control motor function. Presumably, before the mammalian brain, life
in the non-verbal world
was. autoriratic, preconscious, and predictable. The"motor centers of reptiles react to sensory cues of vision, sound, touch, chemical, gravity, and motion with pre-set body movements and programmed postures. With the arrival of night-active mammals, circa 180 million years ago, smell replaced vision as the dominant sense, and a different way of responding arose from the olfactory sense, which is proposed to have developed into mammakan emotion and emotional memory. In the so-called 'jurassic Period', the mammalian brain invested heavily in olfaction to succeed at night as reptiles slept - one explanation for why olfactory lobes in mammalian brains are proportionally larger than in the reptiles. These odor pathways gradually formed the neural blueprint for what was later to become our limbic brain,
these findings is confirmed or definite and going to remain so in future. Moreover, all t
Further, these experimental findings a hypotheses do not explain the fact t perception of the physical world does necessarily result in a universal reaction (a the feeling generated thereby) among
but varies depending on one's tendency handle the situation, how the situation rela to the receiver's past experiences, and a number of other complex factors.
As per the wfdely accepted definition the modern psychologists, 'lemotion", in most general sense, is a compl psychophysical process that ari spontaneously, rather than through consci effort, and evokes either a positive or negative psychological response and expressions, often involuntary, related feelings, perceptions or beliefs about elemen objects or relations between them, in reali or in the imagination.
It is indeed remarkable to note advancement of neurobiology
This perception of emotion, thou
neurosciences in elucidation or at least provided hypotheses and models for understanding of the 'anatomy,, 'physiblogy' and 'chemistry' of emotions to a great extent. But the discoveries of new neurochemicals and supporting results of
point of view also deals mainly wi
that and general, have helped in
comprehensive from modern psychologi 'experience' of an emotion. Interestingly, theorists who propagate this perception clai
that this definition differentiates 'emotio from 'feeling'. But, they do not elaborate u how or why? Anyway, we need not
You don't have to be smart to accomplish a goar; you iust have to be Akhand Jyoti
b
l-
January -F ebruny 2Ot2
trapped in this debate here. Rather, we should focus on the basic questions of the origin and nature of emotions and the possibilities of their control and evolution.
While neurobiological research is confined to experimental osbervations and hence on physiological and/or physico-chemcial activities of the brain and the nervous system, the psychological approach also has its limitations when it comes to understanding and,analyzing emotions in human beings. The subject rnatter of psychology emanates and largely reriolves around behavioural studies and treatment of disorders of mind vis-i-vis normal (socially acceptatble) behaviour of individuals. It thus lacks understanding of the mulitple dimensions of mind and its deeper cores which certainly cannot be neglected in the human beings.
The science of consciousness and scientific spirituality may lend the support necessary to compensate the limitations of neurosciecnes
(including human psychology), as it encompasses manifested as well as extrasensory or sublime realms of Consciousness-Force beyond the space-time
Patience with family is love, Patience with others is respect, Patience with self is confidence and Patience with GOD is faith.
constraints. Ancient texts
on scientific
spirituality, the Upnishads for example, accept the deterministii existence of the mind-body sytem and the role of manifested-Nature, but emphasize the continuity of life and its impact on mental makeup and intrinsic character. At the same time, fhese texts also signify the creative freedom of spirit for transcendence and unbounded evolution. The Upanishads and other ancient Indian texts
of the science of consciousness take into account the intellect and the conscious, well as the unconscious and superconscious horizons of mind. The origin, existence and nature of experssion and
subconscious as
perception of thoughts and emotions (be those physicochemically manifested experiences, inner feelings or deeper sentiments) are
attributed here to the sublime impressions inscribed in the unconscious mind. 'The 'consititution' and 'creation' of mind (including intellect) is as precisely descirbed in the Upnishads as that of the manifested or material susbtance of Nature in terms of the pancha tatvas (five basic elements) and the trigunas (three basic tendencies - sat, taj and tam). These and related texts of Indian
Philosophy and Spirituality thus explain, without any ambiguity or obscurity, the existence and nature of thoughts, emotions, conscience and other basic characteristics of our
beings and also give the methods of their control and evolution. We shall discuss these aspects in detail in the next issue.
: tto O" concluded in the next issue) lf you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it' tr19
Akhand JYoti January-February 2012
Let ]ournalism
Become
A Socred Mission The newspapers that are getting published today neither have the enthusiasm of a missionary activity nor do they have any such agenda. The time has come for publishing such newspapers which do not look at journalism as a profession but as a mission through which they can throw
Iight on each and every aspect of human life. 'Param h$ya Gurudev: The greatest nd
the era - Creatio4of noble litqature Akhand lyoti, June 1965, page 44
A renowned person in the
relevant authorities should be
field of journalism, P. Sainath is of the opinion that journalism has ceased to be just a medium for publishing and broadcasting information
compelled to change their
and news. This is a profession that is moved by the empathy
of the people and aims at creating empathy for the same
in others. The duty of
a
journalist is to create public awareness on topics related to general welfare. In addition to this, a journalist has to kindle the fire of rebellion against tyranny, immorality, oppression in the masses such that the foundation of the
government and ruling authorities is shaken. The
I
of
.
stricken people. His grandfather V. V. Giri
rules and laws. P. Sainath is a senior journalist in a leading English newspaper- In today's times, when the vision of the journalist as wellas journalism
served as the President of India. He _ says "My grandfather was a freedom
is blurred with the glare of power and glamour, he is discharging his duties undeterred. Even today,
He used to recount
the stories of those adventurous
iournalisrn"is a mission and a
about the important role
national responsibility for
played by the journalists and
him.
journalism in achieving
He was born in a renowned family of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. He has never seen or lived in poverty, but his heart has always been empathetic towards the sorrows and
Independence". Makhanlal Chaturvedi, about whom it is said that he was churned by his devotion towards the nation and he churned the hearts of the entire nation through the medium of journalism.
problems
of the poverty-
fighter in the Indian Independence Movement.
times in an interesting manner. I learnt from him
Dreams know no boundaries; they just need belief. Akhand Jyoti January-February
20 I 2
20tr
. will make you a true Shankar Vidyarthi said, "A . journalist." country that' needs no It is exactly this experience improvement cannot be a part
He said - "The source of inspiration for me is the generation of: journalists during the period of Indian
of
Independence."
Great journalist
Ganesh
this
perpetually transforming world." His
clarion call to the youth was * "Youth of India! The task that is in front of you is very great. Until and unless the sons of not hundreds or thousands, but millions of mothers don't
offer their entire
lives towards the service of the nation, this mammoth task cannot be achieved." He also said - "[f you want to become a true journalist, learn to resonate to the sorrows of the
people. Experience the pain and suffering of the people within your own self. It is this empathy and experience that
that has inspired P. Sainath to keep wandering in the villages of India for the past 18 years. He spends about 270-300 days of the year in villages. Nobel laureate and world renowned economist
Amartya Seir speaks thus about him - "P. Sainath is the expert researcher in the field of famine and hunger. He has emerged as the voice of the oppressed, dalits and the poverty-stricken people of the backward villages. He is a ray of hope to all those people today." When his companions and friends asked him about what inspired him to do this.
When
coinpared with the present generation of journalists, he initially smiled and then slowly said - "Most of the journalists in the present times and the newspapers
write and publish about the top 57o of those in
tgovernment and society. Their entire services are limited to that percentage. small However, my entire focus is in understanding and writing about the bottommost SVo of the people. I try to offer myself in entirety to this."
POWer,
The rhetoricaldescription ot'Swarga'(heaven) and'Narkd(hell) are merelythe presumptions of the ancient lndian philosophers. Actually,'Swarga'symbolizes contentment. Perennial elation depends on one's feelings and thoug[1s., '. One with a refined vision and idealistic approach should be considered living in heaven. While, the negative thoughts of the evil hearted would constantly burn his inner faculty in the fire of hell. The wicked tendencies of worry, fear, anger, envy and anxiety are no less aggrieving than the perceptions of hell,
Pujya Gurudev
Punctuality is the soul of business'
t21
Akhand Jyoti January-Rbruary
2Ol
2
is
this in some form or ,the
his duty to address the issues
other, Hence I am ashamed to a.ccept any award from the
P. Sainath, who says that
of the downtrodden,
it
has
toured 10 poorest districts in 5 states. This tour of his has spanned a distance of 1 lakh kilometers, out of which he covered 5000 km by foot. In this context, his book titled 'Everybody loves a good dralt was widely acclaimed
and entered the list of bestsellers. He spent the money ear'ned through this book for the benefit of journalists in the villages. A Canadian film producer was inspired by the work done by
Sainath and made a documentary film'A tribe of his own'. This film won many
prestigious awards too. Apart from Ramon Magsaysay award, which is considered the Nobel Prize of Asia, the list of awards that he has won is too long. He is a visiting
professor
in many world-
Giri was intbrested in
government."
P;Sainath is worried about the journalism of modern times, but he has not lost hope
on it. He says that there have been iou?nalists like Rajendra
Mathur, Girilal B.B.Verghese,
Jain,
Ajit
Bhattacharya, Dharmavir Bharati, Prabhash |oshi etc from whom we should all learn. The need of the hour for journalism is to focus on inclusive development and ennobling thoughts. It is sad that the focus today is on
India
conferred on him the titlE of
Padmasri, he declined to
it
When asked about the reason for doing so, he said - "In the last 10 years, approXimately 2 lakh farmers have committed suicide. The government is responsible for accept
spirituality along with politics. He_was deeply devoted to Neemkarori Baba of North India. When he visited Baba; he told him that there was a great paucity of saints, reformers and thinkers. The Baba said - "I do a little bit
of penance, but
Pandit
Shriram Sfarma Acharya, in addition to being a great and high-level tapasvi and spiritualist, is also a saint, reformer and thinker.
He does the_journalism of
crime and politics. The topics related to development and
elevating thoughts. The youth of the country should learn
thought elevation have been
from him." V.V.Giri would have certainly told these words to his grandson. The
left far behind. There
is nobody who is looking at them, while they should have been the prime focus. .!
famous universities. When the
Government of
There ,,are some anecdotes related to P.Sainath's grandfather V.V.Giri - Sri
Happiness is, the meaning and the
purpose of life, the whole aim and
end of
human
existence. - Aristotle
present-day journalists should
understand that their prime responsibility is to awaken the consciousness of the nation towards issues related
to inclusive development and thought upliftment. Sainath is doing all these things with a smile. Many a youth are getting inspired by
his life and writings. We need thousands of P. Sainaths in journalism.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts. Akhand Jyoti January,Februny 2012
22tr,
Odyssey of the Enlightened
-
23
oc/II From The Himaloyos On entering the cave, Shriram saw that there were some stones. Gurudev pointed to-a stone and asked him to take his seat. Shriram sat on that stone. He kept his bags and other belongings on the floor and began to look affectionately at Gurudev. Gurudev was looking at something in the vessel kept near the Dhuni (fire-place). He lifted the vessel and went upto the back-door. There was no adequate light in the cave and hence everything was looking blurred. Shriram only saw that Gurudev stood at the door for a while and then came back to him. He gave the vessel to Shriram and asked him to drink from it.
When he woke up, there was nobody in the cave, not even Gurudev. There was also no message or instruction from him. The moment he came out of sleep, Shriram stretched his body and sat up. There was no lethargy that is typically present when one wakes up. He looked around the cave."Near the stone, there was a basket with two fruits. The basket was made out of the tough skin of a forest fruit. That fruit rnust be bigger than the size of a coconut. He felt like eating those fruits, but his mind and intellect put a check on his desire. He did not know how much iime had passed while he slept. One has to take food only after completing
Shriram did not even have a desire to ask him about the contents of the vessel. When he drank it, it was warm and the taste was salty-sweet. Seeing Shriram drink, Gurudev said, "It is the potion of Sanjeevini. After drinking this, your hunger and thirst will be quenched. The body will get adequate nourishment." Truly, after drinking the potion, Shriram felt a sense of contentment and began to feel sleepy. Gurudev was seated at the Dhuni. After putting some fire-wood it started burning brightly and the atmosphere became warm. Before sleeping, Shriram prostrated before his Gurudev and then folded his right arm and using it as a
pillow, he went into sound
I
-4
tlrte
sandhy av and an.
Shriram stood up and walked towards the cave's entrance. The cave was not arranged in any particular manner, but it was very clean. There was no dust or sand in that region, hence
there was no chance for dust to be,deposited anywhere by the wind. When he came out, he felt the path towards the cave was a little
rugged and that he should walk carefully. \{hgn he had entered it along with Gurudev, such caution did not even cross his mind. Then he had felt as though someone was carrying him in his arms. Now, walking alone outwards, he placed his feet carefully.
"leep.
e' andthen useyour gifts and talents to live your life on purpose.
I I tr23
Akhand Jyoti January-February Z)l 2
Wherever his eyes could see, there was only snow and nothing else. There were colorful
plants and flowers here and there. Sun was shining bright in the sky. The scene that was present when he came into the cave was totally different from what he was witnessing now. This did make him feel that a lot of time had passed by. But even then, he had no idea about how much time he had spent inside the cave. The entrance to the land of Siddhds For some time; Shriram spent time in enjoying the beauty of nature. He saw that there was a stream near the cave. He felt like going near it. He went to the bank and liked the touch of water. The water was neither cold nor hot. It
had the temperature of the water in the
and that rdusing it was enough without stating
the reason. The young sanyasi said, ,,your Gurudev has sent me to give this to you.,, Aquestionarosein his mind as towhyGurudev had to send his representative here. He could have instructed Shriram directly, just as he had been doing till then. The moment this doubt. arose, the young sanyasi said, "I am your Gurubhai.I came here on getting an instruction from the Guru. This root is very useful to sadhaks. This root not only satisfies hunger and thirst, but also protects the body from cold and makes it flexible for Yog sadhana." Shriram's mind was partly convinced with this answer. From a different quarter of his mind, a voice said, "There is no need to be ashamed. One has to be careful." Then another message came, the import of which was-to have faith in the person on whose call he had come all the way there. Shriram ate the root given by the young sanyasi. It had the taste of a water chestnut and Shriram was feeling contented
streams in the plains during sununer. Since the valley was cold, it felt nice to touch the water. The moment he touched water, he remembered that he had to do sandhyavandan. Shriram immediately took bath and sat there to do a ndhya. He offered arghya to Sun, completed pndakshina and began to do his routine fap. After he had offered lrtis jap to the Lord and got up, he saw a young sanyasi standing there. He must have been twenty five or twenty six y.ears old. llhough the body looked lean and thin, the way he stood tall and strong made one feel that he was healthy and strong. He had some root in his hand. When Shriram got up, he held out the root and asked him to eat it.
"How long have you been living in his company?" - asked Shriram. The Tapasvi
Shriram replied, "Pardon me. I have come to my Gurudev. Without his permission,I cannot take anythingJ' After having replied thus, he felt that he had divulged more than required
months or years here. Nobody even pays attention to this method of keeping track of time. One can only experience sunrise and sunset which is all one requires.,,
after eating just a piece of it. Shriram asked the young sanyasi, "Does Gurudev live in this cave?"
Tapasvi said, "He also stays here. This is one of his many residences. He comes here at any time
and goes off when there is a need elsewhere.,,
replied, "There is no practice of counting days,
v@
you value yourself, you won't time, you will not do iustice with it. Akhand Jyoti January-Feb.ruary 2012
b f-
you value your
I
l I t
J
"Then how can one know about a person's age?" asked Shriram. The young tapasvi rcplied, "There is no need for that. Only people who have reached a certain spiritual stature can come to this place. This is the entrance to Siddhabhoomi. The bodies of the sadhaks who have attained this level are free from the effects
of time and space." Shriram was lost in thought and a'call gcit him out to the external world. It was the-call of Gurudev who was asking him to wake up' He had just uttered 'shriram' and the moment he heard it, Shriram woke up as though someone shook him out of his deep sleep' On seeing Gurudev standing in front of him, his hands
naturally got raised in the gesture of prostration. Gurudev said, "The time has come to move forward." Saying just this much
Gurudev started walking after signaling Shriram to follow him. Shriram did not understand whether it w as Vaikhatior Para vani in which these instructions were given' It was
Divine Land: Divine speed Gurudev entered the lake. He was walking on the water iust as he walked on the land' When he walked, neither were there any ripples in the water nor it appeared as though he placed his feet in the water. Shriram stood at the bank dumbfounded at what he was witnessing' Gurudev stopped at a Btahmakamal that was blooming on the other side of the lake' He touched the flower and lifted his hand' The flower automatically followed his hand' It was smaller than a normal flower and was of the shape of a bud' He picked the Brahm akamal and came back to the bank of the lake and gave the'
flower to Shriram. The moment he touched Brahmakamal, Shriram
felt his body growing weightless' He was not even feeling the cold. Even before, he did not shiver owing to the cold wind and snow' It was as though Gurudevis presence had enveloped his body with warmth. On taking ttre Brahmakamal into his hands, he experienced
more possibly done such that the instruction was given through his inner consciousness'
a new zeal. Whatever little fatigue he had felt because of walking fast also vanished'
This did not require throat or voice' On Gurudev's gesture to follow him, Shriram began to whlk behind him. He did not even remember about the bags he had got from
His guide moved forward. Shriram followed closely behind him. He felt as though his legs were above the ground and did not'feel any kind of strain in walking.In his mind, Shriram began to realize why the siddhis were needed' They ensured that the body did not get tired by walking on rugged roads so that one could sit and do meditation and other spiritual
Aanwalkheda. Gurudev was walking fast' The way he was walking, it felt as though he was
gliding rather than walking. It looked
as
though he was not affected by gravitation at all. He was gliding in the air as though he was made of cotton or smoke. Shriram did not find difficulty in following him. Both of them stopped at the banks of a lake'
practices.
Gurudev who was walking ahead slowed down and said thus in reply to Shriram's
Set your goals high and don't stop till you get there' Akhand Jyoti January-February 2012
thoughts - "Well, it is not just confined to that. Siddhis act as indicators in the journey of a sadhak. If one attains those siddhis,then one can be assured that the sadhana is progressing in the right direction. But one should not get stuck here. It is not essential that the level of the sadhanais gauged onlyby looking atthe siddhis. The journey c;rr move ahead
without them too."
Shriram was following Gurudev as though his
body was made of air. They would-have traveled for several miles. He began to get fanriliarized with every nook and corner of the region. He did not have any sense of time even
after traveling dL hundred miles. He felt as though it took only an hour or less. That place was completely desolate. There were no signs of human presence. In spite of that he experienced a feeling that people were there and that they have gone out now. He could experience the warmth of their breath. There was a pleasant fragrance in the atmosphere.
The maftatmas in subtle bodies must be performing yagya$ agnihotrahere. just as their bodies are subtle, so must be the entire yagya process. The moment Shriram realized this truth; he did not repeat his question. They circumambulated the entire place and then
Gurudev stopped at a piace and signaled Shriram to stop. He sat on a stone and Shriram stood in front of him with folded hands. Gurudev had assumed a physical form and hence one could touch and feel him. Through a gesture he asked Shriram to look in a certain direction. Shriram turned his gaze in that direction. The moment his eyes fell there, he could hear the
sound of Veda mantras.In the valley in front of
them, twenty four sanyasr's were performing yagya in twenty four separate kunds. All the sanyasis were of different age aird physical stature. Looking at them, he felt as though their ages ranged betwp.en thirty - eighty years. Their tone and way of chanting the mantras appeared to be of a very ancient period. The body of the tapasvislooked healthy and strong. Even after looking at them from a distance, one would not feel that they had fasted for long periods or had subjected their bodies to any self-tortuous Tapasya. Special instructions " On seeing agnihotra, Shriram lost his outer consciousness. Gurudev, who was seated on the stone, said, "These are Rishisaffas. They are ever engrossed.in penance and anushthan so as to establish sat-dharma (righteousness) in the
world. They do not need any sadhana for their personal liberation. They are already in the state of liberation. They are doing the penance out of compassion for the world. To maintain the balance of the universe, there will be need for penance, yagya and anushthans. You will have to take up this responsibility."
Search a beautiful heart not a beautiful face. Beautiful things are not always
good but good things are always beautiful.
lf life were predictable it would cease to be life and be without flavor. I
Akhand Jyoti January-February 2012
L
Shriram bowed his head
in
response to Gurudev'srlvords, indicating that it would'be followed tlt all costs. Gurudev continued, "To cleanse the subtle atmosphere, it is not sufficienl to perform the ritual alone. There should be life in the ritual. Only those souls who have done penance can introduce life in
l
yagya, anushfft an and other religious rituals. You have anyway sthrted that great penance. You
J
will have to exert specially to cleanse the subtle worlds and to wake up and enerfize the sleeping souls. I will keep guiding you as regards lhe methods and procedures for the same at appropriate times."
1 $
to say that they materialized themselves there. Onseeiirg them prostrate before Gurudev with faith and humility, Shriram als*o prostrated at his feet.
Gurudev said, "From now on, listen to the voice of your inner self. Whatever inspiration surges forth from within, follow it and move in that direction." Shriram heard this instruction. He also heard the assurance that wherever Shriram went, his protection and the Rishi sattas'purifying tantrawould be available. An inner inspiration arose that asked him to continue on this path and go to Gangotri and spend some time thefe. It did not take much
Gurudev concluded his talk with these words. The way he stopped, it appeared as though it was sufficient to say this much using the Vaikharivaniandthe rest of the message would
time to reach Gangotri. After holding the Brahmakamal in his hands, Shriram felt weightless at all.times. He could increase or
emerge from Shriram's inner being itself. Gurudev prepared to leave. Shriram experienced that the great souls performing the yagya had stood up and were apProaching them. They appeared to be twenty four people earlier but now their count had increased. It appeared as though they were coming from all directions. It would be more appropriate
he took the Brahmakamal into his hands, he had
decrease the speed by mere thought. The moment
obtained an instruction from within to stop using
it after going out of the Himalayan region. Shriram remembered this instruction. Shriram traveled at the speed of wind and reached Gangotri. He spent two - three days there and returned to Aanwalkheda. Taiji was happy on seeing her son safe and sound.
'Madhav Nidan' is a great workon Ayurveda. lt contains three shtokaswhich illustrate the reasons why do the 'Vata', 'Pitta'and'Kapha' elements of our body get unbalanced and cause diseases. The abnormal increase in the 'Pitta'element is ascribed to anger. Persistent anger may lead to stress and cause a wrathful temperament. This augments 'Pitta'. This is a major reason behind most improperly diagnosed stomachaches. Neither the medicines of the doctor, nor the anli-PittaAyurvedic decoctions prove beneficial. The sole remedy to this problem is - anger management, which would relax the mind.
Know the true value'of time; snatch, seize and enioy every moment of it. Akhand Jyoti January-February 2012
Youth Column
Realize The Vdlue Of Time
We should know the value of
time and honor its sanctity. All the secrets of life are encapsulated in this. Every instant, every moment is invaluable rn itself, because it
brings with it
unique
us. moment missed is opportunities {or
One one opportunity gone. Whatever that opportunity could have
given us, we are
now
completely deprived of that. Every moment is thus priceless, because it has no equal, no substitute. What it was meant to bestow on us can never be given to us again by any other moment. To grasp the unmatched importance of tinie we should always lO.ear in mind that it was a moment that gave us life. From that instant of birth till today, we have drifted in the stream of time formed by ceaseless drops of moments. It is another matter that in this drift we practically remained unconscious and kept losing
many things, missing the unending gifts of time. If we go into'its reasons, the lion's
wont. Latent urges of the unconscious, habits and
share of responsibility may be
sarhskdrs havesuch a spell
laid upon our inconsciencedriven lethargy. The other reason is our disorderly lifestyle and its concornitant bad habits. Caught in this whirl, we have become perpetual losers of opportunities in life. In our dim and dumb stage of
mind we are not
even cognizant of this loss, and if,
on being reminded
by
somebody, we do take notice,
or rather do not, as is opr
over our consciousness that we just do not have the sense to do
the right thing at the right time, and opportunities keep skipping by us.
. If change has to come, sit up right now, even as you
are
reading these lines. Come out of the stupor and wake up because the value and significance of this moment is
it is of no purpose because by that time it has become too late. The great poet-saint Tulsidas very aptly says:
has arrived bearing for you the golden gift of awakening. It
"Stmaya chnki puni
ka
has come to make you
pachhitane, ka varga jab kysi sukhand'. (Meaning: There is
is rain when the crop has
conscious of the sanctity of time and your own ordained duty. Do not let this moment pass in vain; do snatch benefit from it. Be firmly resolved
dried?)
this moment that you will
no point in repenting after the
time has passed. Of what use
more than all the past and
future moments. It
swim like a
More or less the same is the plight of our lives. Still we fail to imbibe this truth and do,
champion swimmer in the inexorable flow of time. He who determines the direction of
lf you want to live a happy llfe, ile it to a goal, not to people or things. Alfiand Jyotl
January-February 2012
28tr
his course, makes his own pat{F,1 ,upq with unti{ing enue*a+6'iiUi;euks,the hold of
The first key to the observance
studies, social obligations etc.
Fifthly, this annual plan
ultimate.ly able, io ,.ubh th"
of the rules of Kala or Time is thatrwe recognize the truth that our life is floating in the great stream of time. Only by
shore.
purposeful use of the
'
approaching moments and seconds and days can we actualize life's potential. The second key is that the life is our pious responsibility; we have to carry.it out with full
'
the strong current,
is
There is a corpse-like state of
existence too. The corpse, too, drifts with the current, but being lifeless and senseless, is not in a position to do anything. The waves toss,and fling it about at will. It has neither any goal nor the ability to reach it with proper utilization of time. But then, what can it do after all? A corpse that it is! Let us pause and mull over our situdtion. If we are being unable to make right use of time, is the nature of our existence any better? Yugrishi Gurudev in his regular
addresses to the parijans frequently emphasized the importance of time. He would say that the other name of
"'
. '
' '
.
should have a break-up of monthly, fortnightly and daily schedules, too.
The daily schedule would form our daily routine. The nature of this daily routine should be that every day could be consciously lived in its entirety. A rebirth every
wakefulness. The third morning, every night death important point is that on try to experiment with this every birthday, when the intrinsic feeling every day. . .
.
arrives, . Time-wasting bad habits, casino, cinema, we should prepare and adopt like a work-plan for the next one . nightclubs and the like year. Ensure that the plan is, ' should be driven out. Start framed in a way that it ' today, this moment. Do not make excuses for these permits fruitful utilization of urges, and your habitual every day and every moment. Iaziness in the name of The fourth point is that this recreation. For recreation, work-plan should assign due go for good and healthy importance, with proper time allocation, to all the pastimes. Thus, only by making meaningful use of dimensions of life, viz. the time will we be able to body and health, intellectual fashion a positively rtragnetic and spiritual pursuits, family personality. responsibilities, office work, exact time of our birth
.
samaya (time) is Kala (the Time
Spirit), which is the controller of life in all respects and all aspects. He who does not resp.ect Kdla is annihilated by Kala;he,who fo.llows its rules, has his glory immortalized by Kala.
Never think hard about PASI lt brings Tears...
Don't think more about FUTURE, lt brings Fears...
Live this Moment with a Smile, lt brings Cheers!!!!
To think too long about doing a thing often becomes its undoing. Alhand Jyoti
January-February 2012
Supernor:nal Benefits of Gayatri
-
9
Awakening Of
ri There are several organs (energy centers) in the human body. These extra-ordinary organs are vulnerable and delicate, as they are vital centers of dormant spiritual energies. If they are awakened, a person can be transformed. F.{e canbe flooded with such marvellous divine energies'that people will stand amazed before his presence.
Sadhcrne -
Sushumna'is produced. Ganga and Yamu meet in Prayag. By this conjunction a thi invisible (subtle) current, which is known Saraswati, is formed. The confluence of three rivers is known as Triveni. In the spi cord also; the meeting of Ida and Pingla the third current Sushurnna and this is known as Triveni in spiritual tefms. This Triveni:i connected to the top centre of the brain, as Brahmarandhra or Sahasra Kamal, at end , and to the base of the spine in the of the genital area at the other end..
The spinal cord encased within the spine is the
main vital part of the body. Spine consists of thirty-three small disc-like bones known as vertebrae which contain divine energies. The spinal cord represents thirty-three deities, because the powers which are centered in them are found within these thirty-three vertebrae. The powers of eight Vasus, twelve Adityas, eleven Rudras, Indra and Prajapati are,found in seed form in the spinal-cord.
,
Three subtle currents, which are known asV
Chithani and Brahmanadi flow in Sushumna. by cutting the stem of a plantain tree one layers of bark one after the other, so also as
is Vajra inside Sushumna, Chitrani inside Vaj
and Brahmanadi inside Chitrani.
Thi
Brahrnanadi is the vital channel of divine
According to scriptures, there are several channels in this hollow spinal-cord, three of whiclu namely,Ida, Pingla and Sushumna, are the main ones. They cannot be seen by the naked eye because they have no physical
form
and there are Layers, one after the other, over meant for its protection. '.
'
When this Brahmanadi reaches the top of head in brahmarandhra it spreads all-a in thousands of branches. This portion i known as Sahasradal Kamal (Lotus flowe
and are related to the subtle world. In fact, ' this is like invisible flow of electric current. Electricity is produced when positive and I having a thousand petals). In rhetorica negative of the current source meet. Ida is called language it has been described as Vishnu's negative or Chandra Nadi and Pingla is called of Sheshnag (thousand-headed cobra). In t positive or Surya Nadi. Broadly speaking, they . statues and pictures of incarnations li can be called cold and hot currents. When both Buddha, a special cluster of curly hair can these currents meet, a third current, known as . noticed on their head. This is nothing but
Time is Akhand Jyoti
b
's priceless. You pan't own it but yotl can use it. Once you've lost it. vou can never it back. January -F ebruary 2072
artistic picturization of Sahasradal Kamal which
Sheshnag. The basis of this story is that the shape
is connected to subtle pnergies pervading the ritrri#sse. SounA waves-are trgnsrnitted in the gPace by the ra-dio transmitters and received by'the receivers, Sahasrar Kamal is just like an aefial / antenna of the brain. It picks up infinite energy waves of the Omniscient God from the invisible subtle cosrlos'. When a hungry python awakens; it takes a deep breath and by its terrific power attracts into its grip birds'flyttg
of Brahmanadi coiled around the koorma, is
in,the sky and swallows them. Similarly, Sheshnag, with its thousands-hooded head, which,is also known as Sahasrar Kamal, attracts divine powers from the infinite space. |ust as hissing of an angry python makes the surrounding atmosphere poisonous to a certain extent, a person with an enlightened Sahasrar Kamal (brain) emits strong waves of emotions which can influence living beings not only in
this but also in other worlds. American by a powerful transmitter can be heard in India. The flow of emotional
broadcasts relayed
currents from a powerftrl Sahasrar can move the subtle layers of this world as well as other realms.
Coming now to the lower end, Brahmanadi which is subtle-most in Sushumna, coils around a hexagonal blackish element at the end of the spinal cord- To fasten a thatched roof, holes are made,in the wall and the roof is tied with pegs by. rope. In the same way by fastening Brahmanadi with the hexagonal blackish element, arrangement has been made to fasten the hurnan body with the vital energy of Pran. Rhetorically, this hexagonal element has been described as koorma because it resembles a tortoise. According to koorma-puran, this earth rests on God in the form of Koorma. According to another story, the earth rests on the hood of
sustaining life. If Brahmanadi abandons its base, human tife
will
come to an end, instantly.
The location of interlocking of Brahmanadi with koorma is known, in spiritual language as Kundalini. It coils three and half tirnes around the koorma with its mouth downwards. It is for this reason that in marriage ceremony the couple takes three and half or four rounds, with their head bowed down, because the sound foundation of building future life of the couple is as importapt as the meeting of Brahmanadiwith koorrna of Kundalini is essential in trniting the body with the Pran.
It almost amounts to groping in darkness to understand perfectly the importance/ power and utility of Kundalini. Atom has become a great puzzle these days for the research scholars of physics. The world has seen the miracle of the process of breaking it in the form of devastating atom bomb. Several of its other catastrophic and constructive aspects are yet to be discovered. When the power of an atom of inert matter is so great and so amazing it is difficult to imagine how far more powerful a spark of Pran (vital energy) is? There are descriptions and evidence about Yogis possessing amazing powers. Several tales
are told about almost unbelievable divine powers (Siddhis) of Yogis. Fut there is no question of any disbelief and astonishment for persons who are familiar with the power of an inert atom as well of sparks of Pran (vital energy). Just as scientists of every country today are busy in doing research on physical atom, the spiritual scientists, rishis who had
Your only obligation is to be true to yourself. Akhand Jyoti January-February 2012
realized the truth, had conducted deep research in ancient times on living atoms in human body
in seed form. Kundalini centre is the most suitable location for breaking and uniting two living atoms and for transforming them, because living (Chaitanya) atoms at all other places in the body are round and smooth, whereas in Kundalini this pair clings together. It is easier to regulate the movement of living atoms located in Kundalini, according to one's desfue. Research about Kundalini was dbne with the same precision in ancient times as scientists are doing these days in respect of material atoms. As a result of these researches Rishis had discovered several secret laws of super-nafure which are known today as miracles of Yoga.
Madame BlavatskY had undertaken considerable research in respect of the Power of Kundalini. According to her, "Kundalini is an all-pervading subtle electric Power, more
powerful than physical electricity. Its movement is oblique like that of a serpent and so its shape is said to be like a serpent. The speed of light is one Lac eighty-five thousand miles per second but that of Kundalini is three Lac forty-five miles per second-" Western scientists call it as "Spirit-fire" or "Serpentpower".ISirJohn Woodruff has done a detailed analysis
i
in this
respect.
Kundalini can be called a deeply buried trove of secret energies. For keeping valuable jewellery a safe is kept hidden in an unknown place and it is locked by several locks so that thb wealth kept in it may not be touched by any unauthorized persons. The keys of these locks are entrusted to competent persons who
alone can, in case of necessity,.oPen them and have access to its contents. The locks which are Put on (undalini are
known as six Chakras. Human soul reaches the Kundalini after penetrating through these Chakras. Then alone can it master the hidden energy and derive benefit from it. Ordinarily, Kundalini of all the people remains dormdnt in a helter-skelter manner. But when it is awakened it leaves its place and seeks an entry into that lok (realm) which is the storehouse of spiritual powers. There is no doubt that by the influence of Kundalini,
a person's
vision becomes
divine and he becomes all-powerfirl and hapPy-"
Sahastradal lying scattered in the brain (brahmarandhra), also normally remains dormant like Kundalini. Despite having such' priceless equipments and treasures, man ordinaril;r remains poor?-weak, mean and insignificant and leads a life like an insect by becoming slave of sensuousness and lustfulness. But when he gets acquainted with these equipments and treasures, knows how to use them wisely and exercises control over them, he inherits all the competence and powers of Almighty God. Yoga-Shastras are full of interesting and detailed discussions:about the advantages of awakening Kundalini. Everything'in the world can'be aftained by awakening the power of Kundalini. Nothing remains unattainable for a person so awakeired' [Excerpc from'superscience of Gayatri' {English
abridged version of 'Gayatri Mahavigyan'(in I{indi) by Pt Shriram Shanna Acharya}, revised edition,20(X, Published byYW Nirman Yoiana, Gayatri Tapobhoomi, Mathural
Anger is one letter short of danger.
L
Akhand Jyoti January-February 2012
32rl
Yoga Therapy
- 24
Yogic Tiemment Of
Leucorrhoeo Among Women Minor infections of vaginal tract and leucorrhoea are
tract then microbes that cause
pills, and also due to usage of '
disease begin to grow.
tight
undergarments. All these lead to disturbance in the natural form of vagina leading to disorders.
simple and common diseases
among women/ but when these diseases are not treated
due to lack of knowledge or due to inhibition, they can turn problematic. Vaginal infections can be due to microbes, viruses, fungi etc. Release of normal discharge in excessive quantities is called leucorrhoea. This quantity can be different for different.women. This is not a complicated disease. However, if the. problem persists for a long time, it can lead to complications. This disease is contracted only when body's resistance is weak or -there is some chemical imbalance.
Symptoms infections
of
vaginal
Due to infection
an
unpleasant, fish like srnell is generated. Pain is experienced during intercourse and blood
Bacterial laginitis This affects women between 25 to 35 years of age and is caused by Lactobacillus and Gardenella Vaginalis bacteria. This infection happens due to abortion, early- start of labour pain, and pelvic inflammatory disease. This is not a sexually transmitted disease. Some
may ooze too. Pain is experienced in lower abdomen. Pain during urination, reddening and swelling in outer skin are also
symptoms of infection. Infections are caused by growth of different bacter,ia, microbes and fungi. Abnormal discharge, itching and pain are other symptoms of infections.
specific soaps and perfumes can
also cause it.
Trichomoniasis
This disease is caused by
Types
Vaginal infections are of lnfection in vaginal tract Normally several live bacteria reside in the vaginal tract. They release certain acidic elements, which protect from harmful bacteria and fungi. When acidity is reduced in the
various types: Thrush
protozoa called Triehomonas Vaginalis. This'protozoa is contagious and spreads by sexual contact. The symptoms
are release of thick green or yellow discharge with fish like
This infection can happen
during pregnancy and menstruation, in diabetic
with this
condition, due to intake of contraceptive or antibiotic
presancy, this infection causes weight loss of the child.
Having right attitude is sometirnes more
smell. Infertility is associated
disease; and in
importantftil knowledge or skills. Alfiand Jyoti
January-February 2Ol 2
where there is no visible
excess sweets are directly related to this disease. These food items increase secretion of mucous u"a increase discharge. They affect acidic state of vagina which results in rapid increase of disease causing microbes there.
swelling or inflammation, but the amount of discharge
Leucorrhoea is also related to
Chlamydia
Leucorrhoea
This is a British sexually transmitted disease, which is caused by bacteria called Chlamydia trachomatis. It destroys the inner wall of
Normal fluid secretion in
the vagina and causes pain in the waist, inflammation during urination, and
diseased states comes a state
infertility.
vagina provides protection against diseases. Infection in vagina leads to disease. In between the healthy and the
increases suddenly. This state
constipation. Quantity of discn-arge increases due to constipation because weak
Gonorrhoea This is a dangerous Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD) caused by the presence of Neisseria Gonorrhoeae bacteria. Its symptoms are
is called leucorrhoea. When infection is present, the discharge is thick and has a strong smell. Pain, inflammation, itch, fever, reddening and swelling in the
hormones secreted by
excessive discharge and unbearable pain during
outer skin are
other
endocrine glands also cause this disease. Mental illnesses cause weakness of the nervous system and this also
Ulcer at the mouth of uterus is the first symptom of
leads to diseases like
urination. In the initial stages there are no symptoms of the disease-
symptoms of infection. Causes
of Leucorrhoea
walls of vagina get subjected to excessive pressure. Imbalance in some of the
Genitd Herpes
leucorrhoea. Normally
This is also an STD caused by a virus named Simplex virus. In normal state the virus lies dormant, but when it attacks for the sâ&#x201A;Źcbnd time it becomes very dangerous.
elderly women are affected. However, 95 Vo of women in
leucorrhoea. This physical disease is intricately related to mental stress. It is necessary to reduce the stress
the age group of 15 to
levels.
ttO
years
also get affected from this disease at least once. Always get the doctor to examine the ulcer because malignancy also
Genital Warts This is caused by human Papilla Virus. This leads to abnormal growth of cells. This
is a contagious disease that spreads by touching.
Yogic treatment
The first important step in
starts from ulcer only. Lack of
yogic treatment of all diseases related to vagina is'sufficient
sufficient sleep, improper
rest. Yam-Niyam and
food intake, mental tension adoption of proper food habits and stress further aggravate and lifestyle is the primary this disease. Fast foods, cold requirement. In case of drinks, excess coffee or tea, . serious ailments, allopathic spicy and hot food, sugar/ . treatment must be resorted to
Do not think yourself to be a slave of circumstances. You are the maker of your destiny. Akhand Jyoti January-February 2Ol2
34tr
without any inhibitions; After the disease is controlled,yogic practices must be adopted.
and sitting in warm water is helpful. During menstrual cycle however, this treatment should be discontinued and
Ayurvedic treatment In consultation with a good Ayurvedic doctor, take the following :' medicines:
Naturopathy
only dietary restrictions should be followed. As per one's capacity the patient should fast
Ashokarishta, Pradarhar vati,
Affected woman must douche daily with lightly warm Neern water for seven days. Water for douching rnust be stored and exposed to the sun in blue
or green bottle. After
seven
days, douching can be given
every alternate day. After douching, patient must sit in bearable hot witer in a tub for without clothes. With this practice in 2-3 weeks there would be a reduction in vaginal infection and quantitY of discharge. Neem water removes infections and
for 3 to 6 days. Continue with normal baths. Take milk kalpa for 6 weeks. If that is not possible then take fruit iuices and fruit diet. One must stay on,the diet of fruits and milk only for about 6 weeks.
Patrangasav, Lodhrasav, Pradarantak, Lauh and Pushyanug churna. In ra\ta pradar, Kamdudha ras, Kahawa
Pishti, Praval Pishti, Ashokarishta, Lohasav, Dugdhapashan
Bhasma, Pushyanug Churna can be taken.
10-15 minutes
regulates discharge. After douche and sitting in warm water, apply a layer of butter or ghee made from cow milk around the vagina. At the time
of
sleepin
g, apply a cold
water pack on the vaginal opening-for the whole night. Continue this treatment till full relief is attained.
In case of vaginal pain, applying hot cloth on abdomen, fomentation with hot water, drinking warm water, applying warm mud pack over vagina and pelvis
The great philosopher Socrates was put to trial by the court. He was accused of misleading the youths. When the proceedings of the court began, he did not beg pardon, rather he cursed everyone present there. When the day's proceedings were over, a group of elite citizens of Athens, who were familiar with his altruistic nature, approached him and assured - "We have settled your matter. Just stop the youths and you would be saved frorn,capital punishment." At this, Socrates said firmly - "To me, accepting your advice would mean insulting the Almighty. lf I can't talk of the righteous conduct and can't carry on self-analysis, then my life would be a waste. lnstead, it would be better for me to consume poison and die."
the iefining and improving of your own life keep you so busy that you have no time to criticize others. tr35 -Iet
Aldrand Jyoti January-Febmary
2O1
2
Yogic Treatment By yogic practice not only
Asan
diligence since these are
Practice Stryq
leucorrhoea but all other diseases of women can be completely,cured. Yogic practice helps in regulating and controlling Prapic flow. Diseases happen because of irregularity in Prdp. Yogic
v aj
iis
rds
an,
s
has hfinkAs
Namaskar, an,
m
drj iiri
2. Undergarments shotild be
halasan,
shalabhasan, dhanurdsan, chakrasan, Whichever of these dsan create
made of cotton and must be loose. Nylon based clothes create wetnes's and warmth which cause
excess pressure could be
growth of bacteria.
Viprlttkarap mudrd
the imbalance, energises nerves and purifies blood. This helps in removing the disease fiom its roots. Do not perform asans in acute stage. After disease gets under control follow the following practices.
etc.
avoid€d, practice simple dsar first.
Pr?ipdyiim
-
Practice Nddi Shodhan, bhastrikA, ujjayi, and
Prlipakarshan
Prdpdydm. Prdpdydms are quicker and more effective for this disease than even allopathy. By their continuous practice even old
and chronic diseases get
Never give way ange
r
Bandh - mnl bandh and uddtyan
bandh are very effective for
othenruise in one
leucorrhoea.
you
Dhyan and Shithiltkarap
could,burn up the
-
Since this disease is related to
joy that you
stress, yog nidrii, shavdsan, antarmoun help relieve from stress, which in turn provides relief from the disease.
collected over a long period. -Lnknown
3.
Abstinence and purity
need to be followed very strictly by the affected women or this disease can lead to sexual diseases. 4. Keep negative emotions away. Negativity weakens immunity and that causes diseases. 5. Practice positive thinking,
mental chanting
cured.
moment
disease.
sarviingdsan,
an,
p a s chimo ttdnds an, bhuj angds an,
practice removes
to
the basic factors that cause
and meditation. The cosmic energy obtained through these processes helps remove the disease.
Leucorrhoea is a simple disease which can be cured with dietary restrictions and continuous practice of Yoga. Physical and mental strength along with spiritual strength get enhanced by practice of
. Other important precautions: 1. Hygiene and dietary
Yoga which helps cure
. .
must be carried out
restrictions must be followed with complete
diseases. So yoga practice
regularly.
Life can gave you hundred reasons to thousand reasons to smile. Akhand .lyoti
January -F ebruary
2At2
36tr
Talks on the Gita
- 24
Contemqlortion Of God's
Manifexotions I God in human form The first and the foremost form of the Lord for us is our mother. The Veda says,'Mattidevo bhavat' (Let your mother be your God). Who but the mother does the- new-born baby see first? She is the Lord incarnate in the form of love. We ian move on from- the worship of the mother to the worship of Mother India and still further to the wors[ip of Mother Earth. But in the beginning the mother is the highest form in which the Lord apPears before the child. It is quite possible to attain salvation through the worship of the mother. Worship of the mother means worship of the Lord as love incarnate; the mother is just the medium. The Lord endows her with His affection and impels her to toil for her child. The poor mother does not understand why she feels so much love and affection for the child. Does she do everytl'ring for the child
with the
calculation that it might be of use to her in her old age? Not at all. She undergoes labour pains while giving birth to the child. That pain makes her passionately attached to her child. That pain makes her love the child- She just cannot help
loving it. The mother is the embodiment of boundless service. To worship her is the highest
form of the worship of the Lord. It is
as
'Mother' that we should address the Lord. Is there a word nobler and more exalted than
this? Mother is the most prominent
6d
the simplest manifestation of the Lord that we come across. Learn-to see God in her; and then
in the father and in the guru. The guru imparts knowledge to us, makes us human beings in the true sense. How indebted are rn'e to him. Thus, we should start with seeing God in the conspicuous forms of the mother, the father, the guru and the saints, in this order. Where else can we see Him if not there? Likewise, how nice would it be
see Him
if we could
in children! Dhruva,
Prahlad, Nachiketa, Sanak, Sanandan, Sanatkumar - all these were children. Vyasa and other authors of the Puranas (the ancient mythological tales) are so fond of them that they are never tired of talking about them, of extolling them with love and admiration. Even as children Shuka, Shankaracharya, ]nanadeva were free from desires and attachment. Nowhere qlsg,did the
Lqrd manifest Himself in a purerrfoum.
Jesus
was greatly fond of children. Once his disciplgs
asked him, "You talk so much about the Kingdom of God. Who can enter it?" Jesus lifted up in his arms a child standi4g, nearby and said, "Only those, who are like this child." I,Vhat Jesus said is indeed true. Saint Ramdas was once pLaying with children. Someone asked him urith su{prise, "What has happened to you today?" Ramdas said,'Vayen por te houn gele,
Motivation is what gets you started; habfr b,tfiS,ftQsps you going.
f Esd Jyoti January-Fekua;y.209
vaye thor tec/rortoun ffi ele'(Meaning:'Children
haveattained greatness, while those advanced iri age haVe proved.to be scotindrels.') As tl,rb age'advancesi initocerrce gets eroeled. One becomes clever and presumptuous. Then one
harclly thinks of the Lord. The minds of children are pure and urisullied.,We,teach'a child, "Do not tell lies." It asks, "What is a lie?" Their we explain that the statement must coirespond to the facts. The child is norrplussed. How can one make a statement thht doâ&#x201A;Źs not'correspond iothe facts? It is like
telling that.? rbctangle'must be callecl
a
rectangle and'not a circle. The child is surprised
at this teaching. Children are the purest manifestations of God. It is the adults who teach them falsehood. In short, if we cannot in the mother, the father, the guru, the saints and the children, we will not be able to see Him in any other form, as these are His best mariifestatiorrs. One must first learn to recognize Him in His gentler manifestations, wherein divinity is inscribed in bold capital lettErs - where it is the most ionspicuous. see the Lorcl
God in creation We must first learn to see Him in pure and gentle formb among human beings. Likewise we shoulf iilbo see Him first in His grand and beautiful fcltms in naturd. .
ia
'.
':
I
Look at the divine glow tl'rat precedes sunrise on the horizon. The Vedic Sages looked upon it as a godiless and danced in ecstasy while singing her hymns: "O (Jsha! You are the mbssenger of the Lord. You are bathed
in dew drops. You are the'barrner of immortality." Sb captivating and magnificent their descriptions
are! The Vedic sage says, "lf I drj not comprehend Him even after seeing you, the divine'iiressenger, w}rat else can convince me of His presence?" Such is the splentlour of Usfta ht the horizon. But do we ever notice it? Likewise, look at the Sun. To see'him is to see the Lord. He keeps on painting an endles-s variety of pictures on the canvas of the sky. Artists labour hard for months in trying to catch the beauty of the sunrise on the canvas. But rise early in the morning and just have a look at the Lord's aft on the horizon. With what can we c'ompare that divine art, that infinite beauty? Btrt who bothers to look at that? The Lord is tlibre with all His splendour; but man, the wretched creature, covers his head with a blanket and continues to snore. The Sun says,
"You lazy man!
I shall not let you
sleep anymore," and it wakes him up witlr his warm r ay s.' Sury a a a tma j a ga ta s t as thush ashcft a'* The sun is the soul of all that moves and all that is still. It is the support of everything animate and inanimate. The sages have called it'Mitra' (the friend) - ' Mitro janan yatyati bruvano mitro dadhar prithivimutdyam- 'This friend calls out people and makes them work. He sustains the heaven and the earth.'The Sun is indeed the support 6f life. See God in hirn.
And the holy river Ganga! When I was at Kashi (Benares), I used to go and sit alone on her banks in the silent hours of the night. How lovely and pleasing the Ganga is as she flows by! That serene and majestic expanse and the countless stars in the sky reflected therein would make me silent. This holy river has descended from the matted locks of Lord
The fi ifi g'is'ahiaf$ fight,to' do' what is' ri ght. Akhand .lyoti January.February 20t2
38tr
Shiv4, tlrat is, from the Himalayan fprests. Many kings cast off their kirlgdoms, conside:ing them no better than a bauble, and p,erformed austerities and penanFe on its banks
for Self-realization. The sight of that holy river would give me an experience of sheer peace. How can I describe that peace? Words fail in clescribing it. I would then realize why a Hindu wishes that if he cannot take a bath in the Ganga during his life-tin're, at least lris rbrnains should be immersed ir-l her after clea'th. Yotr may ridicule such sentiments; that cloes not matter. I find strch sentiments sacred ancl worth cherishirlg. It is a custom to p$t a couple of drops of the Ganga water in the, prc'ruth of a dying man. Thrrse clrops symbolize God's grace. The Ganga is a form of the Lord. In the form of the Ganga, it is His compassion that is flowing. Like a mother, Mother Ganga cleans us all over, washesoff all the impurities of our brxly and mind. lf you do not find the Lorci in the Ganga, where else coulcl you find Him? fiie Sun; the rivers, the majestic roaring ocean, all these are fornrs of the Lorcl. Ancl the winds! Whelrce they come ancl where they go, nobociy knows. They are the rnessenllers of the Lorcl. In Inclia, wincls blow from the unnrovirrl; Himalayas in the north as well as fnrm the serelle oceall in tl're south. These holy winds touch us antl aw-aken us. They whisper melodies in our ears. Bnt who cares to hear their message? lf the iailor withholcls an orclinary letter atlclressecl to yt'ru, you feel cleiectecl. Poor wretch! What is there
so lirecious in that letter? The winds irre bringing the Lortl's loving nlessages every morrreut. Listen to them. To be idle is a shortcut to death
. The Vecla has prescribed fire.worship' Fi.re . (Agni) too is a form of God. How bright.anfl . glowing it is!When you rub two woeclenstictq ' against each other, it reveals itsJlf. Who knows ' where it was hicltlen till then? It is so warm ' and lutrineus!' Jhe very first hyrnn irr tbe ' RigVeda, irr fact, is about fire-worship 'Agrtitnile '. pttrolti tam y gy asya dev ryri tv ij anr. Flofa{.rnr '. ratnadhatntant'. Look at the,fire, with whose . worslrip the Veda begino. The flames of fire - remincl me of the rprest of the human soql.!o . reaclr up to the Lorcl. The flames nray be frpnl . a kitc,hen stove or they rnay lrelorrg to,the . forest fire - tlrgy 31e nl.ways striying to, gr1 upwards. ; "' ri, a
,
They are always agitatecl and restless. Scientists
may say that their flutterirrg is cltre to ether or air-pressure- But I see in it the rluest of the Iuminous flames to reach the Srrprenre Spirit, to reach the Sun=gocl who is the ocean of Itrminosity. It is a quest of the pdrt to nrerge into the whole. The enclless tprest of tlte flanres starts with.their creation and ceast's only.on their extinction. That the Sun is too clistant never bothers them; all they know is to nrake tl're best possible effort. [t appeqs that the briglrt ancl glowing heat of vdi.ritgyir, lras assrrnreel the fornt o[ the fire. Thg,flanre of vairagyt't also cloes uot remain st{ll,w[rereveq it is. That is why the Vecla began with the wtrrcl 'Agrr intild.
[Reproduced
with kind permission of
Paramdham Publication, Pavnar from Chapter
10 of 'Talks on The Gita'by Sant Vinoba Bhave, 16h edition $an 2005)l
andtobe dligent is a way of life. Alhand Jypti
J
nn
ulry.R'.t{rs.u:altU 3
Stronge Woys Of Plont Kngdom Trees and plants have their own wonderful and unique world. Behaviour of certain trees and plants is so strange
really crying. Some people feel that probably this way, this tree expresses its own internal pain. Another tree
world famous tree is 'Ravenala madagaxariensil
that one wonders whether
named Madhock has a shape
they belong to plant kingdom at all! These wonderful trees and plants draw everyone's attention towards thern with their unique activities. Their
that re$embles a human being.
Rain is scarce in Canary Island. Since there is almost no rain, the island does not
From a distance it appears as if a human being is standing lost
have any rivers, streams, lakes etc. But nature makes its own
in himself. The tree even
activities don't just incite
If uprooted it cries inconsolably
curiosity: In rnany ways they render special benefits to human beings also. Their activities demonstrate and establish that trees and plants arâ&#x201A;Ź verli sensitive and they, in a natural way, get drawn by feelings and sensitivities of human beings.
like a child. Probably it says let me also live just as you live, don't uproot me.
special atrrangements there which -in no way are less strange and mysterious. There are some trees on this island, which slowly keep shedding water continuously from theil leaves and branches. Standing below these trees for some time one can fully enjoy bathing, and people there do have this practice. All their needs for water for all activities are met with the hdp of these trees. The
appears to have a human face.
Though plants and trees have been rendering their selfless
service
to humanity for
centuries but one tree named
'Traveller Palm' found in Madagasear Island benefits
is a tree that cries human beings in a direct wayinconsolably like a child. This It quenches thirst of humans. strange and unbelievable It looks like a banana tree and :behaviciur of a tree can be . has big feather like leaves on There
witnessed in Canary Islands. ThistreenamedLagalaisoften
found weeping. The tribal
pgople ,living in
the {tpighbogrhood 9ay t-hat at
. . '
its upright stem. The base of the leaves is swollen. A lot of water gets accumulated in
water is
den
and tasty- These
trees are called rainy trees.
. One tree is famous for . rendering milk like a cow. ' Such trees are in a plenty in
. these leaf-bases and this ' the forests of America. These ' water is clean and potable. To : trees have a dry appearance ' quench -l------- thethirst, this water ' but the moment their stems
i-g:;l!-1.- ::l:-----ri-rf -.--.- :a -1rug!tr,9".s.gund,appearstobe full of pain, just like humans. can be extracted by cutting the and branches are pierced a The sound creates an illusion base of the leaf with a sharp stream of milk flows out. This as if some human being is knife. Biological name of this milk is as tasty as that
Ityou wish to be tryly sbrt living for others; love,,them, l?.ppy, trust them, respect them.
Akhand Jyoti January-Febtuary 2012
40tr
obtained from animals. People
living there consume only this milk. A tree known as'Candle Tree' is found in Central America and has qualities true to its name. It bears beanslike fruits that are three to four feet long. This tree contains so much oil that even its green branches burn easily
giving out bright light. A thread can be passed through these beans just like wick of a candle and then they also light up like candles. In the dense forests of California a peculiar tree is found which shines brightly itself. It emits so much light that in its brightness a book can also be easily read. Trees produce music as well, melodies of which can enthuse
hearts. A particular class of trees in Sudan IIoft forests of West Indies sends out musical sounds whole day and by evening these transform into 'sad song'- music depicting sadness. In the ravines of the African country of Barbados some strange trees are found which have beans and leaves torn and broken in peculiar ways and have appearance like musical instruments. When wind blows through them various kinds of musical notes are produced
tr41
depending upon the wind's intensity. In the night these
notes are very terrifying. Anyone passing by these trees at the night would shiver with fear. People in the neighborhood of these ravines narrate various folk tales related to these trees. Soms of these trees are called 'talkative trees'. In the srunmer season leaves of these trees flutter in such a way that from a distance it appears as if.many people are engaged in a loud conversation.
Every one knows
that sunflower turns to face the sun, but a tree named 'Cadalumbra' indicates directions also. All branches of this tree are bent towards the south direction. So this tree
guides a person who has lost his way or orientation. It is found in Malay. Many trees found in plenty in America, Australia and many countries in Southern Hemisphere also have a unique quality in their leaves. Their leaves point to
north-south direction like
a
compass needle. These trees are about six-seven feet tall.
Orientation can be judged even in the night by toudring the leaves of these trees.In the forests of Africa a trembling
tree is found. This
tree gathers its branches in the day time and in the moonlit night spreads therrr and starts trembling. If this tree is cut it ghows strange movements and immediately changes its colours also. Besides these peculiar and strange trees there are some other trees which create fear, trouble and even the consequence of death in humans. Such trees are found in Malay, Madagascar, Trinidad, Barbados and some other countries of hot tropical regions. These trees are about eight feet tall. Each tree has twenty to twenty four leaves. During rains or storms leaves of these trees collide with each other and create fearful sounds. A person having no knowledge about these trees can get totally shaken by this sound. These are called 'Travellers Tree'. In the Morelos state of Mexico, trees by name 'Bad Woman' are found. The branches of these trees have no leaves and are
fully entangled within themselves and are lifted upwards. If these branches are dumped on an individual or an anim-al an unbearable pain and fever will be felt and
Love is an abitity to see beyond thâ&#x201A;Ź faillb of others and to discover the beauties of theirhearts. Alhand Jyoti
January-FeAru4ry 2012
even death can occur. This tree is so dangerous that government has branded these trees with danger signs. Besides, these trees have been
encircled by barbed wire fencing. Cattle keepers are advised not to take their cattle near these trees.
A tree named 'Machinil'
is
found in plenty in the forests of tsrazil. This tree is very attractive'but its effects are fatal. It produces flowers in spring season. Laden with dark red flowers this tree appears very beautiful. A large quantity of pollen appearing like yellow powder gets produced in these flowers. Even with a small breeze the pollen gets scattered densely all around. \Mherever
it
bombs from a canon. These trees have long beans which contain fruits like round balls. On ripening these beans get dried and the fruits are scattered with blasts. They are thrown away so fast that a passerby can get hurt badly.
any poisonous gas but preys with its branches. If a person or any living being stands below this tree ii-encircles him with its branches. When the trapped animal is dead ihe branches loosen the grip and return to original state awaiting their next prey.
One,stich tree is found in Mexico. The fruits on these
Trees have their own strange
One tree throws out fruits like
trees are bell shaped, and the
the atmosphere 4round and is
world. The peculiar and strange trees and plants described here show that Nature can make anythi4g improbable happen. These peculiar activities of trees establish this fact. Greatest specialty of these trees is that they are very sensitive to feelings and affection. The specialists wdrking in this field statc that thorns on a plant describe its own internal pain.
harmful to health.
lf
somebody works with patience and closeness with
A tree emitting poisonous gas is found in the forests of Java, Malay and Celebes also.
them for sufficiently long, these thorns could be astonishingly
Poisonous gas continuously gets emitted from this tree.;The gas is so poisonous that even the birds flying within the periphery of half a kilometer fall dead. That is why no birds fly over these trees, nor do any human beings pass through the area affected by these trees. A preying tree is found on the sea shores of lava. It does not emit
can be said that similar
external cover of these fruits is very hard. When they are
fully ripe they blast with a loud sound. At that moment if a person or an animal is within a periphery
of
ten or fifteen feet of the tree there is every possibility of getting
hurt. This fruit contains
a
poisonous gas also which affects
gets deposited on
the body, itching develops and
later on, the skin gets rashes at
that location. Trees of
a
particular cla!-q f6qn6 in some 'Jamaica parts of and Guyana
shed'a
sticky liquid continuously. If this liquid enters a person's eyes he could
turn blind. Besides this the poisonous effect of this liquid is fatal. It is said that nobody taking riight rest below this tree has ever come away alive. This
tree is known as'Suicide Tree'.
reduced to a large extent. So it closeness and affection would
have existed with those trees which indulge in benefits to humanity, and the trees which hurt or kill must have faced ill treatment- In view of this we should maintain sensitive relationship with trees so that
environment around
us
remains refined and ck:an.
You can't enjoy the fruits of success if you have to argue with your own conscience. Akhand Jyoti
January -Fel>ruary 2012
42tr
How To improve SelFConfidence? One who wants to lead a fulfilting life should try to develop self-confidence, which is the only source of courage/ success and victory. Those possessing self-confidence are capable
of
accomplishing anything. DifficultiesT obstacles and hurdles can: neither deter nor discourage them. On the contrary their courage
multiplies thousand fold during adverse circumstances. They always go on marching with a positive attitude of achieving success.
Circumstantial hindrances may sometimes compel them to stop or to retreat but they never get disheartened under such situations. They take a pause and restart their struggle with fresh agtity and redoubled courage. A self{mfidentqlan never accepts final failure 3nd lgl,Ilever fails finally because of his conlident will power. He firmly believes the grand truth of his identity as the undecaying, immortal, pious; enlightened and liberated soul. Being the child of the Almighty l,ord he concretely feels himself to be the source of infinite powers. This very specific faith endows him with success in every noble endeavor. But this deep self-confidence should not give way to self- conceit. Both are entirely different. A self-conceited man attributes his success to his own mental and physical powers. Success puffs him up with pride while failure throws him into the dark dungeons of frustration. When
an egotist person gets success, applause ahd honors he starts treating others with disdain. On the contrary, depression caused by failure starts pushing him towards cowardly suicidal tendencies.
Genuinely'self-confident persons treat their achievements as godlygifts. They try their best to utilize their talents, prosperity and powers to relieve suffering pain and distress of the needy and the helpless. Their struggle for success becomes a process to cultivate and promote virtues while failures help them to trace their own deficiencies. They do not have a tendency to grab success, credit and fame by fair means or foul. All these automatically come to them because of their virtuous qualities and attributes. How to develop self-confidence? The truth is that we go on molding ourselves according to our own perceptions. A man who thinks himself dust is definitely trampled upon. Everybody walks over dust but none moves over glowing coal. The persons who think themselves capable of doing hardest jobs and believe in their own capabilities create favorable circumstances all around them. The moment we firmly resolve to do a job, it is already half done; while habitually indolent people go on building castles in the air like a
Akhand Jyoti JanuaryFebruary 2012
conventional fool. Self-confident persons
courage should be resolutely awakened to
always ultimately achieve their goals. Potential of a huge tree is always inherent in a small seed. fitis seed when sown in the soil with proper mamrre and water sprouts up irrto a large shady tree. Similarly all fossibilities lie dormant within us like seeds, which can be
meet the challenge.
activated into sprouting with the water of discrimination and manure of virtuous thoughts. If we are able to touch and tap unimaginable powers and capacities lying dormant within us we can very easily achieve the highest peaks of greatness. While addressing a meeting of volunteets, Yugrishi reverend Gurudev detailed out some specific guidelines for developing selfconfidence. Practicing his inculcations in life anyone can achieve grand self-confidencd.
5.
Whatever we term as distresS or difficulty is actually a means provided by God to
aqaken our
will power and dormant
capacities.
6. A truly self-confident
man has three
intinsic qualities: determination,
courage
aird a positive attitude of ultimate success.
Fof him moments of struggle are welcome challenges, which develop his will power and strengthen his talents. .
As regards obstructions in the path of awaltening self-confidence Gurudev indicated following factors:
These guidelines are:
1. .
Habit of worrying. Those who always worry can never be self-confident.
2.
Erwious nature. In fact one feels envy only when he assumes himself inferior to others, while we all being drildren of God are uniquely equat.
3.
Doubts and strspicions do not let us concentrate and rely on us.
4.
Those who suffer from fear of uncertainties
A firm belief and deep faith that we are immortal souls inseparable from the Supreme Spirit
2.
1
A belief that we dormantly contain all attributes of God - we have just to awaken them from dormancy into activation.
3. . :
We dre capable of executing the toughest of jobs provided it is in tune with the innate attributes and qualities of our soul and the Supreme soul because a self-
and apprehensions always lack self-
confident person cannot do anything
confidence.
unvirtuous under any circumstances.
Get
4.
rid of these vicious
tendencies and
Even the hardest situations of life are just
inculcate the qualities of self-confidence and
a'challenge and never a misfortune. Our
self-esteem.
feel inferior without your consent No one can make - you q 'a' :_ t '
Akhand'{Otl tdtft eryiFebtrufiti"a0! S
44tr
Thercrpy Fo,r The During World War II, a US marine was separated, from his unit on a Pacific island. The
fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the cross fire he had lost touch with his comrades. Alone.in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers
coming in his- direction, Scrambling for cgver, he
one. Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered
strand after strand of wgb across the opening of the cave.
rock. Quickly he crawled
Hah, he thought. What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense
inside one of the caves.
of humour. As the enemy
found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the
Although safe for
the
moment" he realized &rat once the ureuy soldierq looking for
hin
swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.
drew closer he watched from the darkness of'his hide out and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready
As he waited, he prayed: "Lord, if- it be your will, please protect me. Whatever
your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen." After praying, he lay quietly lis{ening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this I
1
E
i'
i"''I
to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on.
Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. Lord, forgive me, prayed the young man. I had
forgotten that in you
a
spider's web- is stronger than a brick wall.
We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget the victories that God would work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways.
Do you know why God created gaps between
fingers?
So
that
somâ&#x201A;Źone whois special
to you comes and fills those gaps by holding your hands forever.
Remember:
Whatever is happening in your life, with God, a mere spider's web can become a brick wall of protection. Believe He is with you always and you will see His great power and love for you. lReceived through emaill
with the young, compassirmate with the aged d'trleiant ofthdwealk'errd tlie *mnal:ii*#j"i'ti :
Resolve to be tender
Soul
Anrit Vani
How To Chont God's Nomâ&#x201A;Ź, & Why? (Translation of excerpts of a discourse by Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya on the topic "Japa Ka Gyana aur Vigtana") Let us begin with the collective ehanting of the Gayatri Mantra:
"Om
,Bhfrr, Bhuvalt
Swafu,
Tatsavihrvare7yarit
Bhargo Devasya Dhtmahi, Dhiyo Yonalt Prachodaydt I
l"
Sisters and Brothers,
she was kidnapped by the demon Ravan. As described in the epic "Ramayana"'he had made frantic search: for her in the forest, crying "Sita, Sita..." in loud voice. Similar would be the immediate reaction of anyone who has suddenlylost a dear one.
temporarily and illusorily, worldly pleasures give it sorne feeling of joy. The mind keeps rgandering and we also
keep getting driven by its haphazard agility. As an easy mode to control the agility of your mind, I advise you-all topracttce japal.
On many occasions we
But, do our hearts
repeatedly call somebody's name especially while searching for someone lost. If a child is missed from the mother's sight in a crowded place, she wou,ld immediately
implore sometimes for our
start crying in panic and shout
ignorance), we have forgotten
recitation of some prayers/ God's names, or devotional hymns that usually describe Flim with great esteem. You
the child-s name several times
Him since ages! That is why our inner self keeps crying,
think thisis amode of pleasing God so that He would shower
hunting for Him - the source of absolute light, peace and bliss. That is why our mind keeps wandering in search for joy and pâ&#x201A;Źace,but without any
His grace, eliminate
in one breath, or would screaxr, repeatedly with anxiety - "Where is my child? 10'mybeloved child, my cute
baby, where are yolu?", etc., I-ord Ram's heart had implored for Sita when he did not find,her in or,around the hermitage in Panchavati, as The, sunqhiBg
also
absolute neafest and dearest one viz., our real Self - the Soul, the God? We have'lost'
God (in the thick nonpenetrable smog of our
clue of where they are? It keeps trying to find these in the worldly pleasures, as
But do you know whatis japa and why is it important? Well,
you all know that it
is
repeated chanting or (mental)
all adversities and sufferings from your life and fulfill all your desires. If this is what you mean and this is why you do' japa then, I am sorry to say
that your interpretation, your effoit,.' your purpose is
gfiyour smile noight clm$;cbnds,sf:Serrgutiffqlt ogrnegne's.life ; so-make
ita
toachievethis
You regard japa as a means to
been no need of religion, ethics or moral:diseiplines anywhere. Then'evea after committing heinous crimes,
fulfitl your petty worldly
ene would become a
goals, your selfish'wishes, your cravings for instinctive pleasures and what not! You pray for having luxuries, riches, and all sorts of comforts for your family, you want to possess lots of money and worldly resources. and also beg fdr succ,ess of your
'respected devotee' simply by
inferior and mean. It reflects lowel level of yqur {h11king,
children's business,
job',
arranging grand ceremony of
worship or by paying for erection of grand idols and shrines of the deity and loudly chanting His names and singing lqng prayers in front of it. Please do not degrade religion, devotion and God Himself by such
farming or whatever they do. Your imagination of God and your aims of worshiping Him are also substandard like your
misconceptions, Better don't take His name and don't talk of spirituality.
aspirations, and your
Many of you may perhaps not
thinking. What you regard as His devotion is in fact contrary to the very principles of spirituality and.devotion.
be so greedy that
It hurts me to see that you are attempting to cheat God. Do you think the Almighty is a kid who rnrould be easily attracted by the 'lollypopsl and 'toys' of your.worshiprituals? Or, is He a foolish, egotist ling,who ia.pleased by the.extravagant lgiftsr or 'songs and speeches' f.ull of His praise presented b5l the sycophants? If this were the case then there would have The'rtnorc yd'r
your
prayers would beg for such
worldly things, But, just introspect and ask yourself haven't you most of the times prayed to get something? May be to get rid of the adversities or tensions? Whenever you face hardships.or challenges
of ,
bearing your responsibilit!,,fou eall Him. You want to put your burden on His shoulders. 11Oh God, how will I arrange the marriages of m5r daughters, I don't have,sufficient money. Please,take care sq,that they get happily,.r4arried,,to,good
grooms....
,
"
Or,, "Ggd construction of my house is etc"
obstructed in the middle, kindly get it cortrpleted...", etc, and what not. You thus want God to be concerned about your duties and bear the responsibilities of fulfilling-
them.
Often it happens that your mind uttqrB the, aspiration or the problem (in the form of prayer) before your,tongue utters the devotional, words or chants His name. Peep into your mind and examine whether you too do so or not? If not, tell me whether you do japa or prayers without any
aim? Then how does your mind concentrate on it? If not, what is the purpose of your japa? Well,I can tell you about my purpose of. doing japa.
Ido japa thr,qugh the depth of my heart' It iqto call, to search Him. tr am eager to" fjpd God who has disappeared frqp nny sight. It's like implori.ng of a mother's heart to find her lost child; or/ a cry of ,a lost child in search of his mother. When a near and dear one is.lost,in a"fair, at a railway,station, or in,a cr,owded funetiqn, his famify meqrbers or other
psalsHaffiFcâ&#x201A;Źlsraf+'lif,q,sietreutgru':isin,lito to;b&le6fatâ&#x201A;Źr'
companions who Were with 'him statt huhfing arourid for him iri all diiections and 'loudly call his nante. 'sometime they even announce
attachmen ts
l,u,
-
v ti s
an ei,
ffi
gTrd
(passions) and' ahar*kara (falsr,
se'lf-pride, ,: ego), .krodha (anger), or their variants and amalgamations in one form or
his'riame through the loud speaker. Why? $o that tte
the other.
' You have'a house, you have ' money; ' and you have . enormous variety of worldly ' resourced. Only two things . thut you donft seem to have . and you don'd care for are : . ybu/ soul and the Suprerne . Soul: :Devdid of (the . knowledge o0 these two, life Have you seen gods Shiva, . is like snake's hood without Ram, Krishna,l....l, or divine ' the gem; it's like a dry Ieaf mother goddesses Parvati, ' floating tumultuously in the Saraswati, Shakti, [....1? Have ' air. Beiflg ignorant of our you ever called them as ' souls and the paramafina, we anxiously as a mother screams ' are humans only in physical for her little child who has ' form; our infler personalities disappeared from her sight? ' are empty, hollow, lifeless. Has your jtvdtmd called its ' We are somehow dragging 'eternal 'Mother' (origin) - . lifu under the burden of "paraniiitnid. lldVe you heard . selfish ambitions, cravings, .'any such' cryjof your soul? ' sins and vices..We are never 'Perhaplhot. Your inner voice ' "t 'p"u"", we are nev'er 'seemb to have become dumb. : heppy.' 'we" hre worried, 'You don't seem to know, or . tensed and feel insecure. We don't even seem to hdve . are desperate, anxious, -experiericed the existence of . mentally irritated, yorlrr jtuatma. Therc is no . anguish€d, or suffering in paramdtmii for you. Your being . one wayrrbr the othei. Why? - his'. almost become'. an . Because,'wer'have'ilhosen to would hear them imd respond immediately.My .iapaalso is a similar exercise that continues day and night. I keep chanting 'His name; keep calling Him ' through the practice of japa,so that one day He would listen to me and respond.
'rdmbbdiiitertt of' onl y' toblta
(cravings), moha (selfiSh
Otr'ancient texts define God (Wm&ma) as - raso vai saft -
absolute p_ervasion of unalloyed joy, an infinite
oc€an of
everlasting enlightening happiness. But we have never even tried to experience or eveln to know about this limitless supreme joy. Our life continues to crawl in the web of passions, tensions, i'rritations, and wofries,of one kind or the other. ,Even if a glimpse'of His light had entered our life, it would have illumined our being with' enormous bliss and content. But we never let fulfilling sniile express itself on our face; we prefer to remain :'ignorant and discontented. We seem to have got used tobeburdened with a stressful, worrisome life-style. The thread inside a candle burns and also ruins itself compl€tely. We have also'burnt ourselves with the fire '"of '" tensions, anger, jeal'ous;;'69o, worries arid many. '. other negative tendencies , and become hollow frorn inside; even the Sheath of our body outside has
. igrrbre; ot'to loie,lthe
become weak and diseased. What a pity!We kept running after; sensual,comfortS, and
.
inStinctive plea5ures, now
elixir of real joy arrd peate in life.
relts;lS wgrugi*ffidfdvbutdfelr8aaet
u# ftru naffi ns,rterrcrx tuffdeutim.
:i'i
these,pleasures and luxuries would 'consume' us!
After his discourse a sanyasi (Yogi) asked whether anyone in the audience had ever tasted the real joy of life. Then
he replied to himself - "Oh, whom am I asking? These unfortunate fellows keep dying for joy but don't even know what it is". Well, we too have neither experienced, nor even tried to find out
in your life so far? What have you done to experience natural peace and blissfulness? You would not
acquire, not even have a glimpse, of this treasure, as you have blocked all the routes to reach there. You have burnt your own (inner) resources to 'enjoy'the glitter of fireworks. Your cravings, ego selfishness seem to have
enslaved and blinded you. You have kept searching for
what blissfulness is. Only
peace and happiness here and
thing we do is to burn out our
there, but how would you get
happiness in the 'fire' of cravings. A dog keeps
them when you can't even
chewing the piece of bone of his prey; in the process his gums start bleeding and he keeps sucking his own blood thinking that it is being secreted from the bone. Our condition is no better. We also keep chewing the bone of sensual lust and instinctive joys. Driven by our insatiable passions for bodily pleasures and thirst of our false pride, we drain out our own strength, integrity, courage, patience, and all resources of happiness dwelling in our
are kying to find them in soil
sense or'recognize' them. You
(land-property), in money, in material things" in name-fame, etc. But my dear child, how will you find inner peace and joy there? They do not qxist
in
these inert things or
illusions. They are
an
expression and experience of your conscience. They can be
found only in the innerself with the enlightening support of saintly feelings, ideals, principles and noble deeds. All of these may sound unrealistic, imaginary, 4llegorical and unnecessary to
hearts.
you. You have Examine yourself and tell me
whathave you really achieved
hardly
bothered to inculcate them, never aspired to do so! So, for
you there is no possibility of support from.within.. Then what will you do to ge! rid of *worries the sufferings, and tensions and to acquire the peace and joy that you have been dying for all your life?
It is said that when ma{ realizes his limitations he
begins
to call upon the
Almighty's Grace. You might have read the story of an elephant jn some Purana. If describes,that when a mighly elephant went to drink water in a river, his one leg was caught by a huge crocodile. The victim tried his level best to pull out but the attacker attempted with greater forcg to draw him inside. The tussle
continued for long. When the exhausted elephant could not find any rescue and saw ng hope of rescue, he beseeched Lord Vishnu's help. He implored through heart while chanting the Vislmum$a*anam
(devotional composition of thousand names of . Lor{ Vishnu). The sincere prayers
of a devotional heart
are
always heard and answered by
the Omnipotent. Lord Vishnrr came running to help this devotee and rescued him in time.
Evaluate your stranglhs and b$ild on,tFertlo'flsllieye,succgsâ&#x201A;Ź in lite. tgianO +iPlr, {aqraryf${!'eq{aoJ 2
,]
il
:l I
The elephant in this anecdote was mighty and had only one
our inner self to spread this prayer everywhere so that it
of his four legs caught. But
would reach Him from
I lcnow that the law of karrha is absolute. Nobody can escape the consequences of
what about us? We, the weak,
somewhere and His savoring
his
delicate, confused human beings are caught by six
grace would elevate and
'crocodiles'! Don't you know these 'crocodiles'? These are - kdma (lustful passions and I
worldly desires),
krodha
I
(anger), lbb h a (cr av tngs), moh a
(selfish'attachments), mada (fafse pride, arrogance), and matsar (hegative tendencies like hate, jealousy, lethargy, dishonesty, etc). These six invisible dreaded enemies have captured every part of our being. It is pathetic that we don't even realize that we are captured and enslaved by these hidden.enernies. When we would, we won't wait any longer and will start fighting to rescue ourselves from their
We seek his light,
his blessings when we chant
'Dhiyo
Yonah Prachodaya('
why should I beg before you to"forgive and annul my So
A Bengali song by eminent
penalty. I am ready to face.the
poet Rabindra Nath Tagore expresses similar feelings of a true devotee in a beautiful way: the devotee tells God that I am not going to bother you by requests for b-lessing me with wealth. You have already given. me mind and body using which I should try to earn it myself; I will try my level best and be satisfied with what I gain through my efforts. Why should I complain and trouble you? You have gifted me this beautiful life and also so
punishment for my wrong
happily. If I work hard and make wise use of whatever I have got, I can acquire substantial worldly things to live without any problem. That is why I am not going to bother you. It further says that, God! I am not going to praise you like a sycophant, neither am I going to beg before you. I am ready to bear the fruits of my deeds.
immense grace.
.
We chant loudly through our
{teart, through the force of
deeds.
Indeed a true devotee is truly brave and contented. He is nqt scared of anything
and .has no complaints
against anything
or anybody. He has unflinching faith in himself (his soul) and his Creator. Notes:
1.
Repeated lapa: enunciation or rhythmic chanting of Vedic Mantras, God's names/ or sacred hymns and prayers with mental engrossment.
'2.
Jj*atma: Soul manifested
as a being, individual self.
' ' .
which should be given freel Akhand Jyoti January-February 2012
*:
emancipate us.
many faculties to live
tlutches. But when we find that our best efforts also are 'not going to help us escape the sink,Jhe-decline, the ruin, then we implore for God's
deeds.
3.
Paramatmq: Supreme soul, God.
(To be concluded issue)
in next
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Glimpses ofActivities on Vichar Manch
E' F&G H&|
J&K L&
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Shantikunj musicians presenting Pragya geet Release of Souvenirtitled'Brahma Kamal'on the eve of BCp Release of other books by H. H. Smt Kamla Beniwal, Governor, Gujarat and other dignitaries lnternational Seminar on Women Upliftment during BCP internationalYouth Convention during BCP 'ri:i,&,
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RNI No, UPENGI2003I9850
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