VedantaSandesh - Jan2015

Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission

Year 21

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Issue 7

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Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission Jan 2015 : Year 21 / Issue 7 Editor: Swamini Samatananda Saraswati

eu'p{kqjknsfoZ;D q r% Lo;a ;ks eu'p{kqjknseu Z 'p{kqjkfn% A eu'p{kqjknsjxE;Lo:i% l fuR;ksiyfC/kLo:iks·gekRekAA That which is itself devoid of mind & eyes etc., yet it is the very mind of mind and the eye of eye etc., but still that which is beyond the comprehension of our mind & sense organs - ‘I’ am that effulgent, ever-existing Self.

Hastamalaka Stotram - 7

Published by

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

Section Index

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2.

4.

5.

6.

7.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

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 Conversion is Violence Excerpt from a letter of H.H. Swami Dayanandaji to the Pope Among the world's religious traditions, there are those that convert and those that do not. The non-converting religious traditions, like the Hindu, Jewish and Zoroastrian, give others the freedom to practise their religion whether they agree with the others' tenets or not. They do not wish to convert. I would characterise them as nonaggressive. Religions that are committed by their theologies to convert, on the other hand, are necessarily aggressive, since conversion implies a conscious intrusion into the religious life of a person, in fact, into the religious person. This is a very deep intrusion, as the religious person is the deepest, the most basic in any individual. When that person is disturbed, a hurt is sustained which is very deep. The religious person is violated.

The depth of this hurt is attested by the fact that when a religious sentiment is violated, it can produce a martyr.

People connected to a converted person are deeply hurt. Even the converted person will suffer some hurt underneath. He must necessarily wonder if he has done the right thing and, further, he has to face an inner alienation from his community, a community to which he has belonged for generations, and thus an alienation from his ancestors. I don't think that can ever be fully healed. Religious conversion destroys centuries-old communities and incites communal violence. It is violence and it breeds violence. Thus, for any humane person, every religious sentiment has to be respected, whether it is a Muslim sentiment or a Christian sentiment or a Hindu sentiment.

Further, in many religious traditions, including the Hindu tradition, religion is woven into the fabric of culture.

So, destruction of a religion amounts to the destruction of a religious culture. Today, for instance, there is no living Greek culture; there are only empty monuments. The Mayan, Roman and many other rich cultures are all lost forever and humanity is impoverished for it. Let us at least allow humanity to enjoy the riches of its remaining mosaic of cultures. Each one has some beauty, something to contribute to the enrichment of humanity. In any tradition, it is wrong to strike someone who is unarmed. In the Hindu tradition, this is considered a heinous act, for which the punishment is severe. A Buddhist, a Hindu, a Jew, are all unarmed, in that they do not convert. You cannot ask them to change the genius of their traditions and begin to convert in order to combat conversion.

Because it is the tradition of these religions and cultures not to convert, attempts to convert them is one-sided aggression. It is striking the unarmed. I respect the freedom of a Christian or a Muslim to practise his or her faith.

I do not accept many of their beliefs, but I want them to have the freedom to follow their religion.

You cannot ask me to respond to conversion by converting others to my religion because it is not part of my tradition. We don't believe in conversion, even though certain Hindu organisations have taken back some converted people. Thus, conversion is not merely violence against people; it is violence against people who are committed to non-violence. I am hurt by religious conversion and many others like me are hurt. Millions are hurt.

There are many issues to be discussed regarding conversion, but I want to draw your attention to only the central issue here which is this one-sided violence. Religious conversion is violence and it breeds violence. In converting, you are also converting the non-violent to violence.

Tattva Bodha Viveka is Discrimination of Nitya & Anitya The Acharya is innumerating the four-fold qaulifications as a pre-requisite for the study of Vedanta. In the previous edition we discussed on the first qualification which was ‘Viveka’ i.e. Discrimination between the Real & the Unreal. We will now go on to discuss the second qualification of a student of Self-knowledge. The second qualification is ‘Vairagy-Dispassion”.

What is Dispassion (Vairagya) ?

The absence of the desire for the enjoyments (of the fruits of one’s actions) in this world and or in the worlds hereafter.

Understanding Vairagya: Vairagya means 'vigat ragah'i.e. absence of ragah (attachment). Vairagya is the art of keeping a healthy relationship with everyone around, people, situations and objects. It is the capacity to be able to live amidst everything and yet be able to objectively see every dimension of things, all the pros and cons, without any conditionings of individual likes & dislikes. Vairagya is commonly misunderstood as a mind set that has aversion towards various experiences and towards all things around. But intelligence does not lie in cutting off from things physically, because life is a flow of all such relationships and interactions with the objective world, whether a person lives amidst society or even goes to the jungles. Let’s take the example of Money. We use money in day to day life, so is money real or unreal? One cannot say that money is totally unreal because money has buying power and we cannot do without money, this is a practical reality. But if one thinks that money alone can make someone secure and happy in life then that is superimposing a sense of absolute reality on money. We all know that money is an extremely important medium but it cannot buy us peace and happiness. So Vairagya is the capacity to look at something objectively, and to be able to relate with the objective world in an intelligent manner, being aware of the impermanency

of all that is objectifiable. When we superimpose an object to be something else or when we add a value to something which is not there at all it is a lack of objectivity, which in the scriptural language is lack of Vairagya. So Vairagya is not a physical aversion towards things, people, relationships, work etc but it is the capacity to see the reality and unreality of things and thereby keeping the mind free of any kind of attachment to it. An intelligent person who has acquired an authentic understanding of vairagya based on the scriptures comes to reflect vairagya as a detached, real and positive relationship towards everything where there is no attachement and neither there is any deliberate aversion.

Attachemnt and aversion both reflect a mindset of seeking, insecurity and fear. One may cut off from things physically but the mind may still be distracted and overpowered by the thoughts of all that is avoided. On the other hand true vairagya is an effortless detachment born of maturity and discrimination between the Real & the Unreal. It is just like getting detached from our childhood toys as we grow up or an effortless sepeartion of the fruit from the tree. Raga & dvesha are mental attributes of an ignorant worldly person, who is convinced about seeking pleasures in the outside world. But there is another mind set which is now seeing the limitations of worldly experiences, it's ephimerality and

Vedanta Sandesh

Discrimination: When indulging in worldly experiences or pleasures it is very important to experience the world by living in the present moment fully with a total integration of the senses, the mind and the intellect. More than often we crave for some experience, work hard towards it, and when the moment comes we are not fully available, we indulge half heartedly, either due to the mind wandering elsewhee, or by worrying about the past or the future. A person who does not awake to vairagya after having experienced the world a lifetime over it only means that this peron has not been fully available in his experiences. A definite error has occured in and through all experiences. An intelligent person not only goes through experiences and enjoyments by the senses alone but he can intelligently see the reality and unreality of all the objects of his experience. If on one had one can sense the goodness of an experience then for an wise person it is not possible to miss out on the ephimeraity of the various objects and their experiences.

Dispassion is a product of being sensitive and thoughtful to the changeable and ephimeral nature of the world.

desires to know the truth of himself and the world. He is no more interested or desirous of any extraneous pleasures.

This fellow has analysed upon the nature of all worldly experiences & is now ready to persue the truth of the Self & the world.

Vairagya is being from worldly pleasures in this world and the worlds beyond: In Tattva Bodha the acharya defines vairagya as Iha swarga bhogeshu iccha raahityam that is dispassion from pleasures in this world and the heavens. Thus he doesn’t aspire for anything either of this world or even things beyond, because they also come in the realm of objectivity and limitation of time & place. Man in his ignorance is constantly seeking happiness in the material world and in his varios relationships with mankind with the hope that this experience or yet another one will satisfy him if not today then tomorrow, and with this false hope he goes on & on seeking and acheiving one experience after another.

It is only the rare wise ones who have lived in this world with their eyes open and who are able to see the ephimerality and limitaion of all worldly acheivements.

These are the people who amidst their journey of life soon come to realise that in spite of all their achievements, their name, fame, family, money, prestige, they still feel an emptiness within which cannt be filled by any worldly achievements. These are also the people who have not only seen the reality of this world but also have the intelligence to see the limitation of the world beyond, the heavens. They have come to see that the most glorious of pleasures in heaven are also momentary and heaven is just like a 7star holiday resort acheived by meritorious living on earth. As soon as the the merits are spent one gets a return ticket fm heaven too and thus the journey of seeking goes on endlessly. Here the Acharya says that a qualified student of Vedanta is one who has the quality of dispassion towards all worldly pleasures here and beyond.

Righteous living & Swadharma: Living a God-centric life and living as per one’s natural inclination are the keys to unlock the attribute of dispassion. Whilst living a God-centric life or Karma yoga inspires a person to be an instrument of God and serve selflessly, the practise of Swadharma or one’s natural inclination leads to freedom from the self-oriented concern of the end result of an action. A selfless attitude in all aspects of karma, be it the action or the fruit of action all lead to invoking Dispassion towards the worldly experiences. It evolves a person from the level of rajo guna which is selfcentric attitude to sattwa guna which is a selfless attitude further also bringing about dispassion. It is a journey upwards in the Varna system where a person rises form the selfish attitudes of a Businessman to the sattwik attitude of a Brahmin. In the Mundaka Upanishad it is said ‘Brahmano nirvedam ayat’-A person with a mind set of a Brahmin alone is blessed with dispassion & the qualification to gain this knowledge.

Vairagya is brought about by righteous living and discrimination:

Wishing all our Readers a very Happy, healthy and an enlightening New Year.

May 2015 bring in the fulfillment of your dreams, and more so the truth of the Self - of the one who is dreamimg endlessly.

-7-

A Bowl of Noodles That night, Sue quarreled with her mother, then stormed out of the house. While enroute, she remembered that she did not have any money in her pocket, she did not even have enough coins to make a phone call home.

At the same time, she went through a noodle shop, picking up sweet fragrance, she suddenly felt very hungry. She wished for a bowl of noodles, but she had no money!

The seller saw her standing wheat faltered before the counter and asked, "Hey little girl, you want to eat a bowl? But … but I do not carry money … she shyly replied. Okay, I’ll treat you – the seller said – come in, I will cook you a bowl. A few minutes later the owner brought her a steaming bowl of noodles. Ate some pieces, Sue cried. What is it?

– He asked. Nothing. I am just touched by your kindness! – Sue said as she wiped her tears. Even a stranger on the street gives me a bowl of noodles, and my mother, after a quarrel, chased me out of the house.

She is cruel!! The seller sighed: Girl, why did you think so? Think again.

I only gave you a bowl of noodles and you felt that way. Your mother had raised you since you were little, why were you not grateful and disobeyed your mom? Sue was really surprised after hearing that. “Why did I not think of that? A bowl of noodles from a stranger made me feel indebted, and my mother has raised me since I was little and I have never felt so, even a little.” On the way home, Sue thought in her head what she would say to her mother when she arrives home: “Mom, I’m sorry. I know it is my fault, please forgive me … ” Once up the steps, Sue saw her mother worried and tired of looking for her everywhere.

Upon seeing Sue, her mother gently said: “Sue, come inside honey.

You are probably very hungry? I cooked rice and prepared the meal already, come eat while it is still hot …” Can not control any longer, Sue cried in her mom’s hands.

Vedanta Sandesh

Vasana & Samskara Hari om,

Samskaras basically give us something great to live, and in fact dehypnotize

the

deep & negative impressions of our vasanas. Vasanas lead us to a life of Preya,

while

Samskaras lead us to a life of Sreya.

- PoojyaGuruji

Both Vasana & Samskara are impressions on our minds. Vasanas are impressions which we have inculcated unconsciously from childhood onwards.

The innocent and impressionable mind of a child has been colored by the situations he/she got in their lives - good or bad. The effect of these impressions is that they take control of our minds and make us helplessly gravitate in that direction. All these impressions have been thoughtlessly imbibed, and act like conditionings. Our responses to situations are influenced by these conditionings. Not only responses, but even the dreams, desires and thoughts are influenced by these deep-rooted impressions. To the extent these impressions are powerful, to that extent we proportionately lose our freedom to act in any other way. Conditionings make our life mechanical & thoughtless, in fact they take away the very freedom which is unique to man - the freedom of response. Freedom of response is indeed the essence of our freedom, and by this alone we live thoughtfully, creatively & uniquely. Conditionings make us robots.

Samskaras are also impressions, but those which have been deliberately inculcated by our teachers, scriptures & elders. However, these impressions are in the form of values for a more thoughtful & sensitive life. Impressions which are more conducive for a healthy & holistic living. Our body and minds are slowly made more compatible & sattwic. We get a role model who is enlightened & wise, and are motivated into the means which help such an enlightened living. Our prayers are like 'May all be happy & wise', 'May my intellect become more thoughtful & awake', 'May the Gods bless me to live a more divine & noble life', etc. Samskaras basically give us something great to live, and in fact dehypnotize the deep & negative impressions of our vasanas.

Vasanas lead us to a life of Preya, while Samskaras lead us to a life of Sreya.

Vasanas motivate us to 'enjoy' life, while samskaras motivate us to 'understand' life. Vasanas make us extrovert, while samskaras make us more thoughtful & introvert. Vasanas are driven by Karma-Phalasakti - enjoying the fruits of actions; while samskaras impress us to make the best of karmas & enjoy the very living rather than depend only on the situations for our joy.

People driven by vasanas dont seem to grow up, they mechanically & thoughtlessly keep doing something endlessly with the hope that they will become happy with this way of life alone. Gratifications, aggrandisement of things & wealth, ego-fulfillment etc is the way to go for them; while the right impressions are a loving life, thoughtful disposition and wisdom even to understand the truth of ego etc. Samskaras maybe impressions to begin with but this way of life culminates in freedom & knowledge, while life driven by vasanas is like living like a puppet in the hands of the ways of the world.

Love & om Swami Atmananda -9-

by

Niyatam kuru karma tvam (contd)

Swamini Samatananda

Vedic Rishis have contemplated upon life from the visible gross level to the most subtle aspects of life thus prescribing a pattern of life that caters not only to the aspect of physical survival and emotional happiness but awakens human life to the depths of the reality of the Self and all the other living and non-living beings.

This pattern of life as is being discussed is based upon the four Ashramas. The four ashramas namely the Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha & Sanyas Ashrama are a journey of human physical, mental, righteous and spiritual evolution.

It is necessary to mention here that one must negate the false and misguiding understanding that the journey of the four ashramas was ever divided into 25 years each of a total life span of a hundred years of a human being. The journey of the four ashramas is a mental graduation of a person from one phase of life into another which involves a specific pattern of life that helps a person not only to sustain righteously in society, fulfill one's desires but also invoke a curiosity to know the truth of life and ultimately awake into it.

So far in the last two editions we have discussed on the first two ashramas Brahmacharya and Grihastha and in this edition we will now look into the fine aspects of Vanaprastha Ashrama.

Graduation from the Grihastha to the Vanaprastha: The essence of grihastha ashrama was to experience life fully at all levels physical, objective, & emotional by means of a family and social life. Keeping in mind that a human being has various desires, physical and emotional the Vedas gifted man with manuscripts of righteous living. The lifestyle of a householders life was not fulfilling one's desires insensitively but the very nucleus of his life was to look after all needs in a holistic and righteous manner. A householder practised a life of fulfilling all desires by tuning one'self to God and seeing himself as an instrument of God. He lived life with total integration, enthusiasm and intelligence in everything that he did. In all spheres of his life, in the field of action, looking after his family and society, being sensitive to animals and mother earth, showing respect towards saints and elders, and fulfilling ones own desires too, everything reflected dharma(righteousness) and fine tuning with God as his divine instrument. This pattern of a holistic living naturally brought about a satisfaction in life and awakened a curiosity to know that which is beyond the objective world and it's experiences.

A householders life when lived rightously with Ishwara as its nucleus inevitabely awakens the desire to know that ishwara whom he has been worshiping all his life. it awakens a desire to the truth that will bring absolute and unconditional bliss.

A righteous householder comes to realize the ephimerality and limitation of the world & all its experiences and hence the quest to know that which is permanent.

This evolution inspires a good grihasthi to now graduate into a life of a Vanaprasthi that is a life of withdrawal from the worldly life going away into solitude like a forest or some ashrama and practising a life of a full time devotee.

Vedanta Sandesh

Life of a Vanaprasthi: The physical life of a Vanaprasthi is a very simple one with basic minimum requirements of food clothing and shelter. He deliberately choses to live a life brushing aside all comforts and securities of home, the securities of relationships, money etc, to mould his body, his routine and his samskars in a way that will support his spiritual evolution. He now lives a life focused on devotion, knowledge and contemplation about Ishwara and the truth of life. Ishwara now is not just a subject of faith but there is a strong deisre to gain the authentic knowledge of the nature of ishwara, his creation, & his relation with the individual jiva. He is not only aware of the human goal of life of awakening into the truth but he now strongly aspires to awaken into it.

The Goals of a Vanaprasthi:

A Vanaprasthi practises austerity, simplicity, upasana, knowledge only with

1-Fulfilling the spiritul All sadhanas and awake to the highest reality of the Self. A austerity, simplicity, only with the aim to Jiva, Ishwara and the curiosity to know the discover the oneness Ishwara. It is now a phase convictions about the Self

goal: tapasya basically aims to goal of awakening to the vanaprasthi practises upasana, knowledge gain the knowledge of the world. It is now a state of reality of Ishwara and between the Jiva and to question one’s own and the world.

the aim to gain the knowledge of the Jiva, Ishwara and the world.

- Samatananda

2-Study of the Scriptures: A Vanaprasthi’s first priority is the study of the Scriptures and contemplation on them. So far as a householder the journey was based more on faith towards Ishwara with the major part of life being focused on karma yoga and certain rituals and devotional practises. But now he aims to study the scriptures in an authentic manner at the Feet of a Sadguru. So life is focused on Vedantic study of the scriptures.

3-Living a life of great simplicity and austerity: A Vanaprasthi deliberately gives up social and family ties, to live a life more focused on treading the path of Self-analyses. During his life span as a householder one tends to acquire various habits and impressions of attachments, comforts and personal likes and dislikes. As a dweller in solitude he practises a simple life deliberately giving up all comforts and habits of likes & dislikes and prepares the body and the mind for gaining Self knowledge. Austerity in our scriptures is not an end by itself but it is a means that frees a mind of various unknowlingly acquired conditionings of the mind and the body, thereby moulding the two as per the goal of knowledge, making the mind more quite, subtle and focused.

- 11 -

Quotes Character is the ability to carry out a good resolution long after the excitement of the moment has passed.

Many people look forward to the new year for a new start on old habits.

An optimist stays up until mid-night to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.

The future ahead has numerous surprises for you. Be open to changes.

The way to get started is to quit talking and start doing.

Cheers to a new year and another chance to get it right.

One thing with gazing too frequently in the past is that we may turn around to find that the future has run out on us.

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.

Vedanta Sandesh

Wandering in Himalayas

Gangotri

30

During such sojourns, I pay my visits to Gomukhi once a year. There I spend some time in the enjoyment of supernatural beauty and peace. Sometime I pass even beyond. On such occasions the sight of the Himalayan peaks like Shivalinga and Sumeru, which shine like burnished gold just above Gomukhi and at no great distance, fills my heart with ineffable joy. Kedarnath and some other peaks also are in the neighbourhood.

If you leave Gomukhi, travel over the snow, and ascend a 19,000-foot pass, you reach Badrinath at a short distance on the other side. This passage is a shortcut, but it is impossible for the common man to negotiate it. Except for the saintly souls who have detached themselves completely from the world. life among the Himalayan peaks is almost an impossibility. Even if possible, it cannot be to the taste of common men. Only people with a certain degree of mental refinement can enjoy the solitary grandeur of those heights so far away from worldly pleasures. For them pleasures of the senses are so many tortures. A life of poverty affords them heavenly bliss.

"My son, are you not bringing disgrace upon your royal dynasty by wandering about the streets of you capital like a common mendicant, a begging bowl in your hand? If you want to learn philosophy, why dont you do so as a prince, still living in your palace?" inquired Lord Buddha's father.

"Revered Sir, my begging cannot disgrace your family for I have always been a mendicant, and no wonder he abandoned the sceptre for the begging bowl. Thus a man's samskara-the sum total of his inborn tendencies inherited from previous lives-turns him into a sannyasin. The saying that saints are born and not made is literally true and highly significant.

Excerpts from the Travel Memoirs of Param Poojya Swami Tapovanji Maharaj

An extensive plain without trees or plants-masses of dazzling snow to the north, east, and west-moutains looking black or red after the melting of the snow-a small stream issuing from snowy peaks in the north and flowing between rocks through the middle of the plain-heaps of snow not yet thawed by the heat of the sun, looking like boulders of silver, resting here and there on the plain.

Pilgrims, both sadhus and householders, moving slowly among the level land, their hands across their breasts , their teeth chattering like castanets beacause of the extreme cold- a few of the pilgrims plunging into the ice-cold water which could freeze the blood in a minute or two, as if to overcome cold with cold. A few stray birds on the wing-youthful rays of the sun reflected back from the bright snow with redoubled brilliance, but with little warmth. A grandeur and an otherworldliness matching the extreme cold-an all pervading Divineness and Spirituality which declares the relationship between the place and the Rishis and the Godsone or two small, stone-built temples on the northern boundary of the plain, infusing into the pilgrims a new love and ardour. In short, a landscape full of beauty, peace, and holiness-such was my first impression when I visited Kedarnath years ago.

- 13 -

Rama asks how can he attain to that state Vasishtha have indicated. How

by Swamini Vidyananda

to become free, how to become jivanmukta?

This state is not achieved somewhere else by some actions. It is what you already are, so it requires only enquiry, the deep understanding of what is already.

Actions bring only limited results, they cannot give you limitless. Limitless is not possible without you, otherwise it would be limited by your absence. If limitless includes you, when who you are? Just think about that. You cannot be anything but this limitlessness itself. It is your very self, it is what you are. If you think you are limited, you are mistaken.

24

Remember, how you feel when you suffer? The world becomes small, centered on the pained you and your problem, and nothing else matters. You don’t notice other things, - blue skies, birds happy and chirping, beautiful spring, or summer, or autumn, or winter. You don’t notice loving people around, you see only that which causes you the pain and you are in the center of that pain, and you suffer. Your world is contracted, becomes limited, and nothing else is noticed.

Objectively, not much has changed, the rest of the world remains the same, but you limit yourself to a problem, and suffer because of this. It is like when a little finger of your hand is hurting, and you say “I am sick”, this way limiting yourself to that little finger, really becoming that little finger. The more are the limitations, the more is the suffering. When you stop limiting yourself to the problem, when

Adhyatmic Teachings of Guru Vasishtha to Sri Ramji

you see the bigger picture, the suffering magically goes away, and birds, and skies and beautiful weather start matter again.

So, the root problem is how we perceive ourselves. If you think of yourself as small and suffering, you’ll find yourself to be so. If you dare to think big, explore your own conclusions of yourself, you’ll discover you are much bigger, and wise people say you are not just “much bigger”, but you are the limitlessness itself! And jivanmukta is one who knows himself to be so. Dare to repeat their discovery by yourself? Limitlessness is one and non-dual, so by the right self-enquiry you are bound to discover the same truth wise people of the past and present know. You are not that hurting little being, you are not just something Vedanta Sandesh

bigger, you are limitless! And “limitless” means also no suffering, because suffering is always brought about by some division and limitation.

The limitless Self is not an object, not something to be perceived outside, but it is the very subject who perceives. The Self is not something which can be logically established, because it is the very one who deliberates and do logical

How to become a Jivanmukta?

conclusion. The Self is not based on perception and logic, it is unfolded by the Upanishads

and Veda-based

words of wise

guru. When the

ignorance is

removed, the Self

reveals itself

as

something

which cannot

be

removed or

negated,

because it is self-

evident, self-

shining. The Self

IS; indeed, it

alone is, without

anything else

existing besides

itself.

And

liberation of the

liberated in life

jivanmukta is that

absolute Self.

That

perceived

here as “I”, “you”,

“this”

and

“that” only seems

to be, these

notions do not exist

apart from the

Self. Only the Self

is and it is

even wrong to say

which

is

the Self becomes all these worlds, because the Self never becomes anything else. Self, or Atma, is ever free from any attributes, all attributes being incidental.

In ornaments I see only gold, in waves I see only water, in space I see only emptiness, in mirage I see only heat, and naught else; similarly, I see everywhere only the pure Self, and not the worlds, its objects, its joys and sufferings.

Sftpmw f!up!mjw f!mjlf!b!Nbtufs!jo!3126 ftpmwf!up!mjw f!up!mjwf!mjlf!b!Nbtufs!jo!3126 Xf!nbz!opu!cf!bcmf!up!dibohf!uif!ejsfdujpo!pg!uif!xjoetcvu!dbo!dfsubjomz!bekvtu!pvs!tbjmt!bddpsejohmz Mfu!uif!Ofx!Zfbs!csjoh!boz!tjuvbujpo!ju!xjtift kvtu!cf!xjtf!fopvhi!up!bekvtu!zpvs!tbjmt/ -7-

The Five Yamas 4. Aparigraha Absence of accumulation of more than what we need. We live in a big, beautiful & great world, which is being managed by none other than the omniscient & omnipotent God himself. We are never alone, are where we may be we are always being taken care of by God, by providing us necessary water, wind and what not. SO there should be no need to accumulate too much wealth etc.. Only the insecure ones resort to such tendencies, and greater is the sense of insecurity greater will be the wish to accumulate all that which makes us secure. With such a deep rooted insecurity within who can help make such people truly happy & free. As long as this isolating & limiting perception is there resulting in resorting to accumulation then such people can never even dream of happiness and real security. greater the accumulation, greater will be their insecurity and isolation and thus the pangs of limitations. Moreover, in their baseless feeling of insecurity, they even snatch what is the due of others, and thus in the long run such people and tendencies alone are responsible for the various social and even law & order problems every where. Only the strong, secure, and the truly self-reliant ones need not resort to such tendencies. If such a personality is our goal, then this value too should be very dear to us.

Vedanta Sandesh

Trishanku

Story Section

It was in the lineage of Purukutsa that Satyavrata or the well known Trishanku was born. The latter kidnapped a Commoner bride from her Vivaha-Vedika or Wedding Platform and his father, King Traiyaaruni-as prompted by Sage Vasishtha the Guru of the King, banished him for life into his Kingdom; while living in the outskirts of

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

the Kingdom Satyavrata adopted the ways of a Chandala or the lowest caste of the Society. Sage Vishwamitra once left away on a long Tapasya for a period of twelve years and as a long drawn ‘Anavrishti’ (famine) broke up in the Region, Satyavrata provided food to the Sage’s wife and children. But the latter stole Vasishtha’s cows in his Yagna Shaala and fed Vishwamitra’s wife and family with cow meat and the unsuspecting family ate it especially due to hunger. Yet, on return from his Tapasya, Vishwamitra was extremely pleased and felt highly obliged that Satyavrata supported his family for twelwe long years!

However, Vasishtha never excused Satyavrata on three counts: he adopted the ways of Chandala ; he stole the cows from his Ashram and finally he fed cow meat to the innocent and gullible family of a fellow Sage. Thus he cursed Satyavrata as Trishanku on the basis of three unpardonable sins especially to Brahmana families! He cursed Satyavata to become a fulfledged Chandala thus transforming his body complexion and ways of living. But Vishwamitra espoused the cause of Satyavrata; he not only restored the latter’s original position as a Prince but also sought him to despatch him in his mortal form to Swarga by the power of his Tapasya. Devas refused the Prince’s entry to Swarga and the Sage took it as a challenge and created a duplicate Swarga in the outer space near the original and thus caused the Prince to hang him upside down creating Trishanku Swarga of the Thrice-Sinned Trishanku!

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Vedanta Sandesh

Hjub!Kbzbouj!Dfmfcsbujpot-!Joepsf; Gita Jayanti is celebrated in a grand way at Indore. Poojya Guruji inaugurated the grand celebrations at Agrasen Dham, and was also invited to address the huge gathering at Gita Bhawan. Swamini Amitanandaji and Swamini Samatanandaji also addressed the devotees at Agrasen Dham. On 2nd Dec, the main Gita Jayanti day there was chanting of the entire Bhagwad Gita at the Ashram. A lovely altar of Bhagwan Sri Krishna was made with Bhagwad Gita in the center.

Boboe.Mbibsj-!Nvncbj; On 6th Dec the 2014 edition of Anand-Lahari was organized at the Manik Sabhagruh at Bandra, Mumbai. The program which was compered by Asha Bacchani started with Bharat Natyam & Oddisi dances by Mitali & Raul D’souza. Poojya Guruji conyed his blessings to all, and the final section was the musical presentations by Bindhu Malini and Vedanth Bharadwaj.

Qsfsob!Ubmlt-!Nvncbj; The first edition of Prerna Talks was organized at the Terapanth Bhawan, Kandivili, Mumbai on 7th Dec. The topic of the talks was Hindutva for National Integration & International Peace. The speakers were Dr Subramanian Swamy and Poojya Guruji Swami Atmanandaji. The Convener of the program & ICF Trustee Adv Satish Sharma welcomed the guests and the house-full gathering. Master of the Ceremony was Adv Suman Sharma. ICf honored Dr Swamy with a citation and title of Bharat Gaurav. The talks got standing ovation from the audience and everyone highly appreciated the meticulous arrangements and entire program.

Hjub!Hzbob!Zbhob-!Nvncbj; A very satisfactory Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Guruji was organized at the Vivekananda Auditorium in the Ramkrishna Math, Mumbai from 8th to 14th Dec. The subject matter of the discourse series were Gita Chapter 11 and Mundakopanishad 2-2. Both the discourse series were attended nicely and the subject was dealt with very thoroughly.

Tbmjm!Tboeizb!.!Cjsuiebz!pg!Qppkzb!Hvsvkj; On 15th Dec, the birthday of Poojya Guruji a grand program was organized at the Vedanta Ashram - Salil Sandhya, a lovely Flute Rendition program. Different old & new bhajans were presented for more than an hour. This was followed by cutting of the cake and a lovely Bhandara for all the guests.

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Vedanta Sandesh

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This Moment is Momentous

Surprises exposed at each turn Our past failures we must not burn.

Refletion is essential For future to have potential.

Determination holds our fate While our passion opens the gate For our dreams to be complete Starve our fears, faith we must eat.

Courage displayed earns our esteem Our confidene begins to teem For success is upon us This moment is momentous.

Vedanta Sandesh

Vedanta Course (English), Indore : Poojya Guruji has started a Vedanta Course for his foreign students (in English) and is currently taking classes on Isavasya Upanishad along with Shankar Bhashya. Br Ram (from Samara, Russia) is at the Vedanta Ashram to study Vedanta and also get initiated into Sanyas Ashram. Many others are also following the classes on the Net.

Mahashivratri Camp, Indore : A five days Vedant Camp is being organized at Vedanta Ashram, Indore from 12th to 16th Feb 2015. Poojya Guruji will take ten classes on Advaita Makaranda and P. Swamini Amitanandaji will conduct classes on Gita Chapter 14. Apart from these there will be claasses on Meditation, Chanting, Bhajans and Shiv-Puja.

Mahashivratri Celebration, Indore : In 2015 the Mahashivratri falls on 17th Feb. This is always celebrated at the Vedanta Ashram in a grand way. Apart from various special Rudrabhisheks at different times of the day, there will also be the Sanyas Deeksha of Br Ram (from Russia), who is undergoing the Vedanta Course at Ashram and and has decided to enter the Sanyas Ashram.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Lucknow : A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna will be organized at the Hari om Mandir, Lal Baug, Lucknow from 11th to 17th Mar 2015. The subject matter of the discourse series will be Gita Chapter 6 and Kathopanishad 2-3.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Bhubaneshwar : The first week-long Gita Gyana Yagna will be organized at the TTDK Kalyan Mandap, A 6/1, Jaydev Vihar Colony, RPL Campus at Bhubaneshwar from 13th to 19th Mar by Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji. The subject-matter of the discourse series will be Gita Chapter 1 and Kathopanishad 1-2. The discourses will be in Hindi. She will also be visiting the famous Jagannath Temple at Puri.

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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