VedantaSandesh April2015

Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission

Year 21

Bqs!3126

Issue 10

Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission Apr 2015 : Year 21 / Issue 10 Editor: Swamini Samatananda Saraswati

fujLrfo"k;klaxa lfUu#)a euks g`fnA ;nk ;kR;qUeuhHkkoa rnk rRijea ine~AA When the mind is free from the desires & obsessions of the sensual objects, and abides peacefully in its heart, then the mind is said to have attained ‘mindlessness’. In that one realizes that which is the truth of oneself - that is indeed the highest state, and one is verily free.

Amrutbindu Upanishad - 4

Published by

International Vedanta Mission http://www.vmission.org.in / vmission@gmail.com

Section Index

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Message of P. Guruji Tattva Bodha Letter Gita Reflections Jivanmukta Yoga Vasistha Story Section VM News VM Activities Album VM Programs

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5 6-7 9 10-11 13 14-15 17 18 19 20-21 23

from Poojya Guruji Advaita & Solipsism Advaita Vedanta reveals that there is only one truth, and this truth exists as the Self of everyone - ‘Atma satyah, tad anyat sarvam mithya iti’, and everything else is all an illusion. Every perceptible thing is continuously changing and are thus ephemeral & perishable. It was not there earlier and shall not be there after a point in time. On the other hand our ‘Atma’, the self-effulgent ‘I’, alone reveals all our objects of experience. It is always there. This consciousness alone is the one, non-dual, infinite, timeless reality.

Whoever realizes this fact clearly is an enlightened one. The perceptible world is certainly an illusion from our point of view, but so are ‘we’ from the point of view of others. The point to be noted here is that this realization is necessary by ‘every’ person. There is a seer and the seen objects. Seer of all is of the nature of consciousness, and everything apart from it is changing. There are some people who try to extend the proposition of Vedanta to such absurd limits. Such people propose ‘Ek-Jivavada’. That when I will realize the truth then everything shall disappear too - because it is all ‘my’ illusion. Such propositions were not only imagined in earlier times - in the form of ek-jivavada; but even in modern times too, some philosophers propose similar hypothesis and this is called as Solipsism. Vedanta does not accept Solipsism. These both are very different.

Solipsism says that the perceptible world is just a projection & presentation of ‘my mind’. You all are creation of my mind alone. You have no independent existence apart from my mind. So the implication is that when I will get the vivek of nitya & anitya, and thus negate all ‘my illusions’, then there will be no jiva & jagat left in the world. This is obviously never seen. There are so many enlightened people in the world even today, but their realization has not physically effaced others in the world. Vedanta very clearly says that this knowledge is required by ‘every person’, not just by one-person. Realization of the changing nature of the world around simply removes our dependence on the world and, the realization of the changeless nature of our Self effaces all fears, seeking & sense of limitations. Both these together bring about a paradigm shift in our perceptions & identity. It is this viveka which liberates us from endless & baseless dependences, expectations & limitations. It is our inflated values on things outside which are the real culprits. They are called adhyaropa, superimposition, and valid knowledge just negates that not the perceptible forms of this beautiful world, which together constitutes the various individuals & objects. So even after our Self-Realization the world, with all its problems & beauty, shall continue to exist, and everyone will have to personally realize this truth personally for their individual empowerment & liberation. Realization by just one person is not enough, what we need is a system of education to educate & enlighten everyone.

Tattva Bodha Six Divine Qualities: Uparama The Acharya has discussed the first two qualities in this section of the six divine qualities. Shama and Dama. Shama is the mastery of the mind and bringing it back from its distractions. Dama is the restraint of the sense organs and bringing them back from their distractions and focusing them. In this edition we shall see what the Acharya explained as the next divine quality which is Uparama. Uparama is indicated as a capacity to fully apply oneself in doing his or her duties.

Q: What is Uparama ?

A: Answer: It is indicated as a capacity to fully apply oneself in doing his or her duties.

What is 'Uparama'?

The word ‘Uparama’ literally means ‘to revel in something near’(Upa–saameepye, Ramanam-to revel). It indicates someone who is reveling in his ‘self’.

Uparama is an external manifestation of peaceful introvertedness. It points out to a person who revels in his own Self as God has made him. He is at home with himself translating his aptitudes in the field of action lovingly as a service to God. 'Uparama' is Swadharma Anushthanam: The Acharya defines Uparama as 'Swadharma anushthanam' which is living as per one's dharma, one's natural inclinations and aptitudes. As an individual each one of us is a very unique human being having certain intrinsic qualities which in the Gita Sri Krishna calls 'Swadharma'. In Sanatan Dharma this is also uniquely called as one's 'Varna'. At the level of the body, mind and intellect we all are unique. Each one of us has a physical appearance unique to one's own self & at the level of the mind each one of us has intrinsic inclinations and aptitudes exclusive to the self. Not one person on earth is a copy of another. God has created all of us being unique in our own way. Children may

have certain traits similar to their parents physically & mentally, twin siblings too may look very much alike yet they can never be a true copy of another. In this sense when a person recognizes his natural inclination and not only accepts himself the way he is but also respects it, working lovingly in his field of action as an instrument of God, it is having the quality of Uparama.

A person having this quality lives a life of contentment with what he is and has no regrets, but makes the most of what God has given him.

'Uparama'is being honest to one's Swadharma: In the Gita Lord Sri krishna says 'swadharme nidhanam shreyah paradharmo bhayavahaha'-It is better to die living ones natural inclinations than living by false inclinations which only bring about fear and anxiety. The concept of swadharma or varna in Sanatan Dharma is the most unique idea which is found no where in the world or any other religion. Living as per one's swadharma is a journey inspired from within. Often we tend to take up a field of action prompted by the 'in-thing' factor or that which brings about more money, fame & success. When someone choses his work field which reflects his passion and

Vedanta Sandesh

love for it then action performed in it is an expression of joy, love & creativity. Not only this but a person goes about it tirelessly coming out more refreshed and recharged. One enjoys the journey of performing the task and the fruit of the action is like icing on the cake. On the other hand any work taken up by blindly following another person, or is motivated by factors like money and fame comes with a family of anxiety, fear, insecurity, a sense of limitation, jealousy, stress and incompatibility to perform well in that particular field. It only reflects sheer attachment to the fruit of action rather than enjoying the journey of performing the action. By practising one's swadharma one enjoys living in the present moment whereas a person only fascinated by some glamorous job is stressed out by the pressures of attachment towards the results of action. Energy is thus dissipated by worrying more about the future and result of the action, incapacitating the person to enjoy the present moment fully. There is no creativity or love to enjoy the moment but a hastiness to somehow reach the goal of success. If in case success is achieved by practising something against our intrinsic inclinations then too it only brings about an egoistic sense of achievement and arrogance. Hence from the worldly point of view and even as a preparation for Self-knowledge practising Uparama is an important prerequisite to bring about a pure, intelligent and subtle mind.

Uparama-Being an instrument of God: Uparama is lived by first associating one's existence with God. I am a creation, a part of God and it is my privilege to serve him is the soul of Uparama. There is a deep sense of gratitude and every action becomes a joyous expression of the gratitude within. I not only see myself as a creation of God but the entire world and all it's living & non-living beings as his creation and therefore consider myself

as a part of the whole. My actions are thus motivated by a sense of an offering towards this totality, being untouched by a sense of individuality which results in an attitude of selfishness. My aptitudes in the field of action are a medium to serve God hence whatever my field of action small or big is an expression of worship, love and gratitude. I am proud to be an instrument of God whatever my field of action working for the welfare of the Self and at the same time being sensitive to other people and mother nature as well.

In Uparama the motivation comes from within. Outside it is acceptability of every situation & responsibility and their sincere effort to give out their best. Their sincere belief in God being their best well wisher insulates them from all worries and life for them is a continuous shower of blessings from God. Discover your love: Uparama is the blessing of Karma Yoga.

Karma yoga is the art of selfless action where work is elevated to the level of worship. For Action to be translated as karma yoga it is extremely important to discover one’s love in the field of action. Although one’s passions can also be practiced with a self-centric attitude yet recognizing one’s love in the work field is the only step forward to associating one’s actions with God and making karma a yoga. Karma Yoga helps one discover that joy lies within and all creation is an expression of the joy within. In fact such people alone seem to really believe that ‘Atma is of the nature of Ananda’. They alone will be ready to see this fact directly having translated this concept primarily in the field of action.

Hence it must be a top priority of parents, teachers and the Self as well to help discover one’s swadharma and help one revel in the real peace within irrespective of all situations outside.

Om Sri Ramaya Namah!

Wishing all our Readers a very auspicious, enthusiastic & devoted

Hanuman Jayanti -7-

The Carrot, Egg and the Coffee Bean A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. It seemed that, as one problem was solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots, the eggs and the coffee in three seperate bowls.Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," the young woman replied. The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.

She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile.

Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened! The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water. "Which are you?" the mother asked her daughter.

"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

Vedanta Sandesh

Sewa of a Sanyasi Hari om !

Sanyasi’s basically study life and wish & pray for the well-being of everyone. Let’s say they are Wellness Specialists. They always did this sewa earlier and even today work silently to help bring about the well-being in the life of everyone - rich or poor, educated or the uneducated, young or old. Their target crowd is the whole world, and such is the importance of their work that they are pretty busy people too. Some time motivating people and at other times enlightening them about secrets of life.

Wellness is a very broad word and the understanding of the source of wellness differs from person to person. Even though the understanding of wellness may differ but the factors facilitating this are fundamentally same. There is a whole science

Sanyasi’s

behind it and ultimately it all boils down to our positive mind & right understanding.

Having a positive mind too is easily said than done. What is a positive mind, what all

basically study life,

factors help bring this mind. what is right understanding? etc. These specialized masters go deep into these factors and try to get valid answers, so that wellness is

and wish & pray for

brought about in everyone. Life is complex, and every query has so many propositions.

Everyone needs to appreciate life in right perspective. This is the role of a Sanyasi,

the well-being of

and obviously these people play an extremely important role.

everyone. Let’s say

There are some people who are extrovert - fascinated & obsessed with the world, they already have such conditioning, they seem to already know what they want,

they are Wellness

and all what they wish is the sureshot ways to fulfill their dreams. They think that their wellness depends on some securities, comforts & gratifications; but they are

Specialists.

- PoojyaGuruji

also aware that the competition in the world is tough, it is literally the survival of the fittest. So they just want some guidance for being the so called ‘successful person’ in the world. The prescription given to such people for ‘wellness’ is however not applicable to others. Others either already have all they wanted, so in some cases have seen the baselessness of such conditionings that this is the real way of getting lasting & deep-rooted wellness. They discover that inspite of everything they are still a wanting & insecure person. What is required for such people is some deep-rooted knowledge about our mind & self. Sanyasi’s study all this and then they guide or enlighten their subjects appropriately.

The work of a Sanyasi is indeed very noble & subtle, and no wonder all those who come in their contact feel so blessed. Where ever a sanyasi lives, everyone there should definitely be blessed with wellness.

Lots of love & om Guruji -9-

by

Chanchalam hi Manah

Swamini Samatananda

The mind is the most beautiful, powerful and dynamic instrument a human being has. A human being is looked up upon as the most superior living beings only because of the mind. But this mind as much as it is the glory of a human being so also it is the cause of great struggle if handled incorrectly. The mind being the inspiring source of all our actions seems to have earned a more notorious reputation of being a hyperactive and restless mechanism. In the sixth chapter of the Gita when Sri Krishna explained to Arjuna the art of meditation and the art of being able to sit quietly with one's Self, Arjuna came up with a question that most commonly crops up in our minds too reflecting an obstacle faced by all of us. Arjuna says, "O Krishna! This mind is extremely unsteady and it is as hard to control the mind as hard it is to control strong winds". Inspired by this question of Arjuna let us try and understand the dynamics of the mind.

What is the Mind?

Mana or mind is defined as that faculty where a 'sanakalpa' & 'Vikalpa' takes place. Sankalpa is a resolve to do something and vikalpa is an alternative to the resolve.

So the mind thinks to do & then becomes conscious of the other alternative too, weighing the pros & cons in a given situation. Initially there is a vacillation between sankalapa and vikalpa until the intellect comes into the picture & takes the final decision. All resolutions born in the mind are the products of our past impressions on the mind and the impressions created by our environment. Our past experiences create impressions of likes & dislikes which thus lure us into having various desires and their alternatives. It is the mind that opens the world in front of us. In fact the Scriptures thunder that the entire creation is borne of the mind. Any creation first takes place in the mind and then it is translated in the objective world. The entire play of the world is actually a play of our thoughts, our convictions and our dreams. Superficially we all are aware of this but only at the level of fulfilling our dreams and ambitions. We know we have a desire in the mind and this desire in the mind will be translated as a fruitful situation in our life. But we havn't dived deep enough to see that this reveals the mind as the soil where the seeds of desires are sown and from where this entire creation is created. Another significant truth about the mind is that not only it is the driving source behind all creation but it is a humble instrument of the Self which can be mastered or directed as the Self directs it. The only irony is that we are not aware of this art of educating the mind and in this process we do not realise when the control of the mind slips out of our hands and soon the mind becomes the master and we become the slave. At the end of it we land up having a constant tug of war trying to control the mind forcefully, or through suppression, through fear or even by bribing it. Hence when ever there is a strong need felt to have a controlled mind it is extremely important to understand what is the mind, how it functions & what is the nature of mind-control?

Controlling the Mind: Mind being the perpetual soil of sprouting desires and their alternatives is never a problem as long as these resolves are intelligently directed by a well educated intellect having the right knowledge of life and its various facets. In fact an active mind having some goals in life is a sign of a dynamic and living entity. It is never possible nor is it required for the mind to be totally desire less or inactive. What is needed is to educate the mind in a manner that it functions as per the directions of the master which is the intellect.

If the intellect itself is veiled and unclear about the ways and means of life then we will Vedanta Sandesh

Any creation first takes place in the mind and then it is translated in the objective world. The entire play of the world is actually a play of our thoughts, our convictions and our dreams.

- Samatananda

surely have a mind which is like a spoiled child. A child is never born uncontrolled, it is the upbringing of the parents and teachers who first spoil the child with misdirections and then beat up the poor child to forcefully bring it under control. As said our mind is a humble servant it will only become what we make of it.

Abhyas & Vairagya help to control the mind: Sri Krishna very compassionately agrees to Arjuna’s statement as the mind being extremely unsteady, & having a powerful control over us, as though pulling us away from our goal like the powerful winds and so he gives Arjuna a formula of two words extremely potent in handling this state of mind.

Abhyas: Abhyas means ‘Practise’. It is a costant repetition of doing something until we have mastered it. Nothing in the world is mastered in the first effort or if taken in a lose manner. Musicians, sportsmen, artists, anything in the world is mastered through practise. Due to wrong practises our mind too has been trained to be hyperactive, unsteady, restless, jumping from one subject to another. As a spiritual student this mind has to be trained to focus in the chanting of the Lords name, in devotional practise and in the seat of meditation. As a habit the mind will get distracted by its predominant impressions on the mind. But a sincere student needs to compassionately bring the mind back to its focus again and again. We need to remember that it is our wrong knowledge and practise that has created this spoilt child like mind. The mind is not to be blamed for it. So we need to be calm, compassionate and patient with it and re-train it to become an introvert mind. In fact this is the a role of all sadhanas which begins primarily in the field of action, and then japa, puja & meditation. So consistent practise is a key sadhana that Sri Krishna gives us here.

Vairagya: Vairagya is Dispassion from ephemeral worldly things and exclusive passion towards God and the truth of that which is permanent. Such vairagya goes hand in hand with practise. Practise by itself can become a mechanical act after sometime. In fact the very motivation to live up to something consistently is love for it. Sri Krishna reveals here that if one wishes to invoke deep love towards God and sincere motivation towards this knowledge it is extremely important to see the limitations of worldly pleasures and bring about Vairagay or dispassion for all such momentory things in life. One must understand that the mind only goes to things which we give much importance to. On the hand knowledgeable masters also reveal another beautiful meaning of Vairagya which is having special attachment or love for God and his knowledge. It is equally important to discover and invoke such love for god and our relationship with him. The mind is a faculty of love, emotions and desires so it is never possible to have a mind which is devoid of love and sankalapa. What the scriptures suggest is to have a Saatwik mind, a pure mind. An unsteady and hyperactive mind is a product of Rajoguna. One should not strive to have a suppressed, thoughtless, desire less mind but one should upgrade the mind from Rajo guna to Sattwa guna which is a selfless, devotional and inquisitive mind available for knowledge. A sattwik mind alone can sit calmly with the self on the seat of meditation and also go through the various ups and downs of life in a balanced way. Such a mind alone can aquire knowledge of the Self to awaken into a state beyond the limitations of the mind and it’s self-centric desires. A calm & poised mind cultivated by Abhyas and Vairagya overcomes all obstacles of an imposing and unsteady mind and soon we become the masters of the mind and the mind becomes our humble instrument.

- 11 -

Quotes Your time is limited so don’t waste it living someone else's life.

Do what you fear and your fear disappears, otherwise it remains a False Event Appearing Real.

If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never been in the dark with a mosquito. Never underestimate the power you have within to make a difference to the world.

You can suffer the pain of change or suffer remaining the way you are.

Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.

Its not what you say out of your mouth that determines your life, its what you whisper to yourself that has the most power.

Gratitude doesn’t change the scenery. It merely washes clean the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors.

Enjoy the little things in life for one day you’ll look back and realize they were big things.

Vedanta Sandesh

Wandering in Himalayas Kedarnath : The way continues to rise along stretches of rock until it reaches Kedarnath. As devotees draw near their destination, cries of "Kedarnathji ki jai!"(Victory of Kedarnath!") rise from their throats in unison. The whole place reverberates with those shouts. Even

Kedarnath

the people whose main object is sightseeing feel supremely happy. As for devotees, they are in a state of ecstasy. No longer mindful of physical discomforts, they plunge into the cold water; then filling their waterpots with water and gathering a few flowers on the way, they enter the temple shouting, "Har Har Mahadeva!" Forgetting all the world outside, they press forward into the presence of Kedarnath for a darshan for which they have dared all the dangers and discomforts of the pilgrimage. At the door of the temple all distinctions between man and woman, rich and poor disappear. Here all are equal. miraculous indeed is love. Its sweetness and power ae alike great. Great poets like

33

Valmiki, Vyasa and Kalidasa, with their powerful imagination, have portrayed in their immortal works, a few aspects of love. Love and devotion are not two different things.

Love for those above us is called devotion; love for the Gods or God is of this type. Love for one's equals is called friendship. When stainless devotion to God gets deep-rooted in the mind of man, we consider the object of his existence already attained.

Badrinath : In 1924 I travelled from kedarnath to Badrinath for the first time. On this occasion I could not stay long at Badri. Fortunately, since then I have visited the place again and again. In 1930 and 1931 I travelled to Badrinath from Rishikesh, and on both occasions I spent some time there in devotion.

Excerpts from

Even while I was passing my days in Badrikashram and other holy places in the Himalayas, I came to feel, every now and then, that the wonderful power of maya(illusion)

the

was at work everywhere. It was not inactive even in the peaceful solitudes of these remote regions. Grasses and plants and trees flourish on water, blossom and bear

Travel Memoirs

fruits, streams and rivers flow on, winds blow, the sun shines. If the inanimate things are themselves so active , what about the animate ones?

of

Birds fly and sing; cows graze on the meadows, roam about and rest. Men, too, whether ignorant or enlightened , eat and play and sleep. Thus everywhere you find

Param Poojya

ceaseless activity. And no wonder. Action is the natural order of the world. The lifeforces continues to stir all living bodies at all times. There is no state of inaction. A

Swami Tapovanji Maharaj

desireless peaceful state of existence where the distinction between the Knower and the Known disappears, is difficult to attain, wherever men may be. That distinction fades awayonly when man has crossed the stream of action which shows itself in the activities of the physical senses producing pleasure and pain. But crossing the stream means the complete conquest of illusion, and illusion is certainly very difficult to overcome.

- 13 -

Rama asks - O Lord, is there only one jiva that is cosmic, or are there many

by Swamini Vidyananda

jivas or is there a huge conglomerate of jivas?

And his question seems perfectly reasonable. We all see other beings around us, other people and animals, birds and bugs and even plants. Are they all separate beings, are they all conscious or is there just one cosmic jiva and everything else is just his perception? But this is a valid question only if you did not understand or forgot that which was said previously! And Vasishtha immediately puts the things straight. He answers - Rama, there is neither one jiva or many nor a conglomerate of jivas. Jiva is only a name! What exists is only Brahman.

27

There is only one reality, without divisions. And because there is nothing besides it, it cannot be even called “one”, because existence of “one” pre-supposes existence of “another” and “many”. In that reality of the pure Consciousness there is no one or another or many, big or small, far or close. That One alone appears as many because of the ignorance. Brahman, or the pure Consciousness, alone is the cosmic Mahajiva and the millions of jivas. There is nothing else, nothing at all.

That what I really is, is cit, the pure Consciousness, complete and peaceful in itself. That what you really are, is cit, the pure Consciousness, complete and peaceful in itself. That what a plant or an animal really are, is cit, the pure Consciousness, complete and peaceful in itself. There is no real transformation

Adhyatmic Teachings of Guru Vasishtha to Sri Ramji

or even a deluded appearance, for there is nothing other than Consciousness.

The ocean is water, the waves are water, and when these waves play upon the surface of the ocean, ripples (also water) are formed. When water is water and wave is wave and their play is just a play, no problem exists. Water does not have any problems being water. Wave, as such, also don’t suffer or has any other problem. The problems and desires and cycles of birth and death starts only when a wave, being always water, looks upon itself and thinks “I am this small wave!”

This is the moment a jiva, or limited being is born! It is born with a notion of being something else besides its reality (water). Before this notion, wave does not suffer, Vedanta Sandesh

and after this notion is gone, the wave does not suffer. Suffering exists only for the one who has wrong notion of being a separate and limited. A wave which takes itself to be a wave, has a birth date and will surely have a death date. It can compare itself with other waves and think “Oh, I am small!” (or crooked, or dirty, or too fast or too slow). Now, it becoming limited, it will have problems with size,

Negation is the way to the Truth

weight, relations, appearance, inner content and outer surrounding, with things missing and things which have to be acquired. This is the story of the limited being and its desires and problems. Trying to be whole and complete, the wave will run after others, imagine ways to fix its problems and trying to fix them, and fear its end. But these

problems of the

jiva cannot be

solved till its

ignorant notion of

being separate

from

continues

water

to

exist. Whatever it

thinks

and

whatever it does,

it cannot reach

perfection being a

separate wave.

But the perfection

of untouched

water, where are

no problems, is

already the nature

of that wave! It

does not need to

be reached or

obtained, it just

have

realized.

The

wave, realizing

itself to be water,

is free from all

shackles of the

l i m i t e d

existence, all its

problems of a

to

be

separate wave are gone forever. Water is untouched by whatever happens to wave, ripple, bubble, swirl or foam. Water was always here, and wave was always water, but it just imagined to be itself separate. All what is needed is to drop this notion of separation and see the whole, which is you.

O Rama, give up all these false notions of “I” and “you”, by renouncing even the notions of a jiva and its own cause, separate from pure Consciousness.

This can be done only by accurate analysis and negation of all transient notions and qualities. When all these have gone, you will realize the truth which eternal and self-evident.

-7-

Pilgrimages Pilgrimages have a very important role to play in bringing about greater devotion towards God, getting satsang of various saints, interaction with other devotees, purity of mind, integration of society, and bringing about greater proximity with nature etc. There are pilgrim centers of every deity. Most of the pilgrim centers were in remote places, so that a devotee had to really believe in God to go there. Going there itself was a great tapasya. The three great sadhanas of Yagna, Dana & Tapasya were integrated into this package. Earlier, in the Teertha Yatra, the yatra was important sadhana, now it is just the place which has become more important. The government too, wants to just encash the tourist potential of the place, and thus lots of facilities & commercial development has taken place in all these places. So because of ignorance the original objective & spirit is very rarely seen.

Vedanta Sandesh

The Doves In a mountain known as Brahmagiri there used to live a hunter who was very

Story Section

cruel. He not only killed birds and animals, but brahmanas and sages as well. The hunter once went on a hunt. He killed many animals and birds and some he put in his cages. He had penetrated so far inside the forest that he was far from home. It became night and also started to rain. Hungry and thirsty, the hunter lost his way. He climbed up a tree and decided to spend the night there. But his mind kept going back to his wife and children at home. For many years a dove and its family had lived happily on that tree.

Both the male and female had gone out to look for food. But although the make dove

n o p u e c On e ... m a ti

had returned to the nest, the female dove had not. In fact, the female had been captured by the hunter and was now inside a cage. The male did not know this. He mourned for his wife.

These words of mourning were heard by the female dove inside the cage and she made her presence felt. The male dove came down and discovered his wife inside the cage. "The hunter is sleeping now, " he said. "Now is the time for me to free you."

"No," replied the female dove. "You know how it is with living beings. One living being lives on another. I can find not fault with the hunter, he is merely collecting his food. He is like a guest to us. And it is our duty to offer up our bodies for the sake of a guest." "You are quite right," said the male dove. "I lost my sense of propriety. We have to serve our guest. But how do we serve our guest? We have nothing that we can call our own." "At the moment the hunter is suffering most from the cold," replied the female dove. "We have to light a fire to warm him up. Go and find a fire and bring plenty of dead leaves and branches so that the fire may burn."

The male dove found a flaming branch. He also brought many dry leaves and branches so that the fire could burn. The rain had stopped and the fire warmed up the hunter. "Now," said the female dove, "free me so that I may immolate myself in the fire.

My roasted flesh will serve as food for the hunter." "Never," replied the male dove. "It is my right to serve the guest first". Saying this, the male dove hurled himself into the fire.

The hunter had heard the entire conversation and marveled that two doves could be so altruistic. The female dove now requested the hunter to free her from the cage. And as soon as he did this, the female dove also hurled herself into the fire.

This selfless deed of the two doves was so wonderful that a space vehicle (Vimana) came down to take the two doves straight to heaven. The cruel hunter was also impressed and repented his past misdeeds. He told the doves, "You are indeed blessed. Before you go to heaven, please tell me how I may perform penance for my sins." "Go to Goutami Ganga and bathe there for fifteen days," replied the doves. "Your sins will also be forgiven." The hunter did as he had been asked to. The place where the doves immolated themselves became a holy tirtha known as kapotatirtha, since the word kapota means dove.

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Wfeboub!Njttjpo ' Wfeboub!Btisbn Ofxt

Vedanta Sandesh

Tbutboht!bu!Cibsvdi!0!JQDM!Tdippm!jo!Wbepebsb; On 1st Mar, right after the GGY at Vadodara, Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji was invited for a Satsang at Bharuch. The satsang was organized in the palatial bunglow of a well-known businessman of the city, Sh Manojbhai Kulchandani. The satsang was on the topic of ‘Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam’. It was an interactive session wherein she asked for the views of everyone, including the enthusiastic youngsters. It was an enlightening experience for all.

Earlier at Vadodara, Poojya Swaminiji was invited to the well known IPCL School to address the children. The occasion was Rashtriya Vigyan Diwas, and the topic of her address was ‘Dharma & Vigyan’. Later she was taken around the labs by the teachers & staff, wherein she saw various creative work being done by the students. A satsang was also organized at the house of Sh Ajitbhai Kalaria in Vadodara.

Hjub!Hzbob!Zbhob-!Mvdlopx; Poojya Guruji conducted a week-long discourse series at Hari om Mandir, Lucknow from 11th to 17th Mar. The subject-matter of theGyana Yagna were Gita Chapter 6 and Hastamalaka Stotram. On the last day there was a loving Bhandara offered by the Mandir authorities. This time Poojya Guruji was hosted by the Dubey family staying in the Aliganj area of the city.

Sbn!Obwbnj!Dfmfcsbujpo!bu!Btisbn; Ram Navami was celebrated at Vedanta Ashram on 28th Mar. A special altar was made & decorated inside the Ashram Mandir with a photo of Bhagwan Sri Ram. Right at 12 noon the Ashram inmates and few devotees celebrated the birth of Bhagwan first with Aarti and then with the chanting of doha’s of the janam section of Ramayan. Later everyone sang some bhajans.

Ibovnbo!Dibmjtb!Tbutboh!.!Nbs!3126; On 29th Mar, the Mar’15 edition of the Hanuman Chalisa Satsang by Poojya Guruji was organized at the Satsang Hall of the Vedanta Ashram. The summers have started and with the morning temprature crossing 35, the satsang was shifted to the ground floor. In this session Poojya Guruji first recapitulated the essence of the 2nd chaupayi. He said that creation of great men is not a matter of chance, but involves not only the right purushartha of the person concerned, but also the tapasya of ones parents, teachers & mentors. Starting the discussion on the third chaupayi - Mahavir bikram bajarangi, he said that Hanumanji is an embodment of strength at all levels of personality. This will continue next time.

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Btisbn0Njttjpo!Bdujwjujft!.!!!!!!!!!!

Tbutboh!bu!Cibsvdi

Tbutboh!bu!JQDM!!Tdippm!0!Lbmbsjbt-!Wbepebsb

Vedanta Sandesh

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.!jo!Qjdt;!Nbs!3126 Hjub!Hzbob!Zbhob-!Mvdlopx

Ibovnbo!Dibmjtb!Tbutboh-!Joepsf

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Isn’t It Strange Isn’t it strange how a 20 rupee note seems like such a large amount when you donate it to temple, but such a small amount when you go for shopping?

Isn’t it strange how 2 hours seem so long when you’re at Temple, and how short they seem when you’re watching a good movie?

Isn’t it strange that you can’t find a word to say when you’re praying, but you have no trouble thinking what to complain to God? Isn’t it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bhagwad Gita, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel ?

Vedanta Sandesh

Gita Gyana Yagna, Bhubaneshwar : The first week-long Gita Gyana Yagna will be organized at the Sivananda Ashram Satsang Hall at Bhubaneshwar from 6th to 12th April by P. Swamini Samatanandaji. The subject-matter of the discourse series will be Gita Chap 1 and Kathopanishad 1-1. The discourses will be in Hindi. She will also be visiting the famous Jagannath Temple at Puri.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Jalgaon : A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Swamini Poornanandaji will be organized at the Dutta Mandir, Jalgaon from 14th to 20th Apr 2015. The subject matter of the discourse series (in Marathi) will be Gita Chapter 4 and Kathopanishad 2-1.

Youth Camp, Indore : A four days Youth Camp has been planned at Vedanta Ashram, Indore from 8th to 11th May. There will be groups from Vadodara, Bharuch, Ahmedabad & Lucknow. The subject matter of the Camp is ‘Holistic Living’. All Ashram Mahatmas will conduct it.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Ahmedabad : A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna by P. Swamini Amitanandaji will be organized at the Ramkrishna Kendra, Maninagar, Ahmedabad from 13-19th May. The subject matter of the discourse series will be Gita Chapter 11 and Kathopanishad 2-2.

Gujrati Camp, Indore : A four days Sadhana Camp (In Gujrati by P. Sw Amitanandaji) will be organized at Vedanta Ashram, Indore from 23rd to 26th May. There will be usual sessions of Meditation, pravachans (Bhaja Govindam), discussion, bhajans & puja.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Mumbai : A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Guruji will be organized at the RK Mission’s Vivekananda Auditorium at Khar, Mumbai, from 25th to 30th May. The subject matter of the discourse series will be Gita Chapter 12 and Mundakopanishad 3-1.

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International Vedanta Mission http://www.vmission.org.in/

Vedanta Mission Blog: http://blog.vmission.org.in/

Indian Cultural Foundation http://icf.vmission.org.in/

Earlier ‘Vedanta Sandesh’ issues http://bit.ly/1oGD4TK

Om Tat Sat