INDIA HERALD • WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2014 • PAGE 17
RELIGION/ SPIRITUALITY Gita as national scripture is an oxymoron By Narayani Ganesh To designate a day in the calendar to celebrate yoga globally is one thing. But for a cabinet minister to declare in a public gathering that the Bhagwad Gita ought to be India’s ‘national scripture’ and for a chief minister to say that the Gita is ‘above the Constitution’ is to open two cans of worms. First, in a secular country, no scripture can be singled out as a national scripture nor held above the Constitution. Second, to declare the Gita as a national scripture is an oxymoron; to imprison it in a narrow slot like ‘nation’ is to go against its very tenet to transcend all identities. Both the secular and philosophical aspects need elaboration and discussion but this column will confine itself to the second, metaphysical aspect. Nowhere does the Gita specify that Krishna’s advice to Arjuna is bound by time, space, territory, religion or nation. In fact, the Gita is viewed from a metaphysical plane, with the battlefield at Kurukshetra resonating the ‘daily Kurukshetras’ we battle in the mind. Charioteer Krishna is the voice of reason while Arjuna is the despondent aspect in us that tends to pull us down. The dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna has nothing to do with religion, nation or even scriptures, though the Gita is indeed being described as scripture for convenience. Then why reduce an all-embracing philosophical treatise to a narrow, parochial, even territorial slot? Surely we understand the Gita’s message better than to dub it a national scripture? Krishna does not even want us to be circumscribed by the hallowed vedas, believed to be the fulcrum of Hindu thought. He says, where the vedas end, vedanta begins – that is, the entire body of work that is the contribution of sages and savants over ages including the upanishads, the various gitas, puranas and the rest, both oral and written wisdom, the treasure trove of philosophy that the Indic region fostered and released to the rest of the world, creating ripples of knowledge and reflection. Even a purana like the Ramayana that is sought to be appropriated by fringe groups is not restricted to one version. There are umpteen versions of the Ramayana that have flowered in different regions, from China, Russia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, to Cambodia and the West Indies, for example – including
regional versions in India -- each with its distinct flavour and context, yet connecting all to a unified whole through plots and sub plots, infused with wisdom tales. And the Gita is by no means the only major philosophical work in the vast body of Hindu texts. Then why single it out for confinement when the Gita is really a straightforward do-ityourself guide to freedom? Some might ask, why do Hindus swear by it in a court of law? Well, it would be impractical to cart an entire library of work to court, wouldn’t it? And in a secular country, where equal importance is given to all faiths, major and minor, whether one follows one holy book or several or none, and where atheists and agnostics have as much legitimacy as a religious believer, why is it of such importance to designate one among many works as a national scripture? What next? State scriptures? Let’s not belittle either the secular nature of our Constitution or the secular, universal appeal of the Gita by calling it a ‘national scripture’. The Gita in fact advises one to move beyond all such identities, to transcend all constrictions and free oneself from all labeling -- and reach for boundlessness. —
The first step of the day By Thich Nhat Hanh Walking on the Earth is a miracle! Each mindful step reveals the wondrous Dharmakaya. This thought can be reinforced as we get out of bed and our feet touch the floor. It can also be used during walking meditation or any time we stand up and walk. Walking on the Earth is a miracle! We do not have to walk in space or on water to experience a miracle. The real miracle is to be awake in the present moment. Walking on the green Earth, we can realise the wonder of being alive. If we make steps like this, the sun of the Dharmakaya will shine. Opening the window, I look out onto the Dharmakaya. How wondrous is life! Attentive to each moment, my mind is clear like a calm river. After you wake up, you probably open the curtains and look outside. You may even like the open the window and feel the cool morning air with the dew still on the grass. But is what you see really “outside”? In fact, it is your own mind. As the sun sends its rays through the window, you are not just yourself. You are also the beautiful view from your window. You are the Dharmakaya. Dharmakaya literally means the “body” (kaya) of the Buddha’s teachings (Dharma), the way of understanding and love. Before passing away, the Buddha told his disciples, “Only my physical body will pass away. My Dharma body will remain with your forever.” In Mahayana Buddhism, the word has come to mean “the essence of all that exists.” All phenomena – the song of a bird, the warm rays of the sun, a cup of hot tea – are manifestations of the Dharmakaya. We too are of the same nature as these wonders of the universe. When we open the window and look out onto the Dharmakaya, we see that life is infinitely marvelous. At that very moment, we can vow to be awake all day long, realising joy, peace freedom and harmony throughout our lives. When we do this, our mind becomes clear like a calm river. Awareness is a mirror reflecting the four elements. Beauty is a heart that generates love and a mind that is open. The moments during the day of looking in a mirror can be moments of deep awareness. The mirror can serve as a tool for cultivating mindfulness so that we develop a broad capacity to understand and love others. Anyone who maintains awareness in the present moment becomes beautiful and naturally emanates peace, joy and happiness. A calm half smile and a loving heart are refreshing, and they allow miracles to unfold. The Buddha’s smile is beautiful because it expresses tolerance, compassion, and loving kindness. In traditional cultures, the four great elements were earth, water, fire and sir. The Vietnamese poet True Vu wrote: The flower, whose fragrance is ephemeral, is made of the four elements. Your eyes, shining with love, are also made of the four elements. The poet is saying that the four elements are neither mind nor matter. They are the universe itself revealed to us. When your mind is the clear mirror of meditative awareness, you will know that you are the outward expression of the essence of reality. So please smile. Smile with your eyes, not just with your lips. Smile with your whole being, reflecting the four elements in the mirror of mindful awareness.
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When the mind becomes a battlefield By Anup Taneja Before embarking on the path of meditation, it is important for the seeker to ponder over the nature of the mind, says Swami Muktananda, the sage of Ganeshpuri. It is essential to grapple with questions like: What exactly is the mind? Of what substance is it made? How does it come into existence? How can it be subdued? Awareness of the nature of mind helps in making it calm and peaceful. Meditation comes easily to one who has true knowledge of the mind. The ‘Yoga Vasishta’ says that the world is ‘manomatram’ or imagination. The throbbing of ‘prana,’ the life-giving force, makes the mind move. The movement of mind in turn brings into being a wondrous universe with myriad names and forms. The creation of universe is due to the force of ‘vikshepa’ or movement of the mind. The ‘vikshepa’ force operates both in the waki ng and dream states of Consciousness; therefore, the world appears in these states. According to Swami Sivananda, the legerdemain of the world is enacted by the mind alone. Like a dream generating another dream in it, the mind, having no concrete form, brings into being that which is non-existent. The perishable universe has no independent existence other than the mind. With annihilation of the mind, the subjective universe too comes to an end. The mind borrows its light and intelligence from its source, Pure Consciousness, in the same way as an iron-rod borrows its heat and effulgence from fire. A typical feature of the mind is that it is ‘chanchala’ or ever-fluctuating and keeps moving from one object to another at rapid pace. This is why it is often compared to a monkey that keeps jumping from one branch of tree to another. The mind is constantly drawn towards objects and creates countless worlds according to its own ‘sankalpas’ or thoughts. The main reason why the mind is ever-fluctuating and restless is that it is under the constant sway of the three ‘gunas’ or qualities of prakriti, namely, ‘sattva,’purity and light, ‘rajas,’passion and activity and ‘tamas,’inertia and darkness. If ‘sattva’ dominates the mind, it becomes one-pointed and the seeker enters into a meditative mood spontaneously; if ‘tamas’ dominates, the mind is enveloped by darkness and loses its power of discrimination; and if ‘rajas’ holds sway, the mind hankers after power, position and prestige and becomes over-ambitious. It is important for the seeker to remember two things: First, ‘sattva’ cannot exist in isolation; it is always mixed with ‘rajas’ and ‘tamas’. In order therefore to make progress on the path of meditation, the seeker should constantly endeavour to increase the ‘sattvic’ modifications of love, magnanimity, mercy, and forgiveness in relation to the other two ‘gunas’ by taking recourse to light, ‘sattvic’ food and by moving in the company of wise people (satsang). Second, the purpose of meditation is not to battle with the mind and to eradicate thoughts by force; it is to witness the mind from a distance. You should remain firmly anchored in the understanding that you are the witness, the Self, and not the fickle mind. If you meditate with this awareness, your mind will become calm very soon and you will be able to give it a new, inward direction. Swami Muktananda says: “No matter what thoughts and images arise in the mind, be aware that there is no concrete material from which they are being manifested. They are simply a phantasmagoria of Consciousness”.
Points to ponder The greatest legacy one can pass on to one’s children and grandchildren is not money or other material things accumulated in one’s life, but rather a legacy of character and faith. — Billy Graham Every heart sings a song, incomplete, until another heart whispers back. Those who wish to sing always find a song. At the touch of a lover, everyone becomes a poet. — Plato It’s a form of love just to talk to somebody that you have nothing in common with and still be fascinated by them. — David Byrne There is no end to education. And it is not only about what you learn in school. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning. — J Krishnamurti.
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