Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2010

Monthly eMagazine of Vedanta Misssion Year 13

Kbo!3121

Om Suryaya Namah!

Our glorious Sun - from close quarters

Issue 7

In This Issue

1.

Vedanta Section:

Atma Bodha - Shloka-14

2.

Letter Section:

Real Motivation

3.

Traditions Section:

Sankranti

4.

Story Section:

Glory of Katha Sravana

5.

VM Programs:

Mission / Ashram Progs

From Poojya Guruji

Vedanta Sandesh Spreading Love & Light

Hari om!

Monthly eMagazine of Vedanta Mission Sharing the message of Vedanta and Sanatan Dharma

Jan 2010 On the Net since 1995

Started by:

Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji

Editor:

Swamini Samatananda

Published from:

Vedanta Ashram E/2948-50, Sudama Nagar Indore-452 009, India

Web:

www.vmission.org.in Email:

vmission@gmail.com

Global Warming is a matter of extremely urgent concern for one & all. The very existence of our beautiful Earth is at stake, alongwith the lives for billions of living beings, including man. The sense of urgency at Copenhagen by rich & poor countries was well called for, but certainly not the proposed solutions.

The magnitude of human interference today is leading to the destruction of the very life on earth, whether on land, sea or air. Many species have already become extinct, and others are on the verge. Wherever there is the so called development, it is difficult even to breathe fresh air, and get fresh water. Where is this going to lead? Is this cost of the so called development justified?

The basic cause of this thoughtless human interference and the consequent squirm of nature appears to be subjective rather than objective. It is our minds, it is the way we think we need to live. No animal or even wise men ever go against nature, but those who are other-wise think that they need to conquer nature, control it, change it, plunder it. The life of the majority has become so artificial & superficial. Somehow there seems to be a notion that man alone has the right to live and also plunder, and unfortunately we have power to do all this today. We destroy glaciers, denude mountains, pollute rivers & air, kill animals, fishes & birds, just to support our artificial & whimsical lifestyle. Our definition of an ideal life calls to change the things outside. Our present life is basically againgst the very order of nature. It is rather positively destructive. It has no fragrance of mutual co-existence or acceptance of things as they are.

No Love. Why? Because deep within we are insecure and have a deep sense of lack, and then our obvious and rather compulsive motivation is to create a more secure ambiance ‘outside’ which shall bring more pleasures & fulfillment. If only this deep-rooted sense of lack & insecurity was not there, we would have accepted the world as it is. We would have seen the beauty & properiety of nature & its forces as they are. Vedanta tells us that this deeprooted sense of lack & insecurity is an untruth, it is baseless & imaginary. Not knowing the proverbial rope as rope we are seeing a non-existent snake, and then we go about ‘solving’ our imaginary problems. Only when man awakens to his real truth, that the plunder & destruction shall stop. There shall be peace within and also outside. Time has come to again give the ancient call to all mankind to Awake & Arise, and realize the truth of themselves. Please leave the nature to itself, and turn to the cause. Everything will be fine soon, including me & you.

Love & om,

Swami Atmananda

Atma Bodha - Shloka 14 Vedanta Section

The Causal Body In the last couple of slokas the Acharya explained the nature of the gross and the subtle body. The underlying implication of knowing about these two bodies is basically to see that this is not my true identity and discover my true identity. If my real identity is something other than the gross and the subtle bodies then what is the cause of seeing these bodies as my real self and what is the cause of the manifestation of these bodies? This is answered in the present sloka where the text reveals that ignorance is the root cause of the manifestation of the gross and the subtle bodies and hence known as the Karan Sharira or the Causal Body.

14 Anadyavidyanirvaachya karanopadhiruchyate Upadhitrayadanyam Atmanamavadharayet Anadi: Beginningless; Avidya: Ignorance; Anirvachaya: Inexplicable; Karanopadhi: the Causal Body; Uchayate: is said; Upadhi-tritayat-anyat: Different from these three bodies; Atmanamavadharayet: Discern the Atma to be.

Karana Sharira, or the Causal Body is the beginningless, inexplicable Ignorance. Know the Atma to be different from all these three bodies.

Anaadyavidyanirvaachyaa: Anaadi: Ignorance has no form, and no one can ever pin-point a particular time when the ignorance of a particular thing started. If I say I do not have the knowledge of computers, I do not have it but since when I am ignorant of computer knowledge cannot be explained. So it is logical to say it is beginningless. In that case should one think that if ignorance is beginingless it is endless too? No. its not. The best part is that it ends. Just as darkness immediately ends with coming of light so also ignorance ends as soon as knowledge dawns.

Avidya: It is of the nature of ignorance of ones Self. As long as one does not know his Self, so long the two bodies will continue to be Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2010

taken as our Self.

Anirvaachya: Ignorance is inexplicable.

It has no shape, size or quality. It cannot be described by words or grasped by the mind. It simply implies lack of knowledge. It does not truly have any existence so it cannot be called Sat, yet it cannot be aid to be fully non existent either, because we experience its effects of sorrow and pain. It manifests as the gross and the subtle bodies. Ignorance is no object as such, yet it veils the subject, that’s its inexplicability.

Karanopadhihuchyate: Ignorance of a particular thing leads to imaginary conclusions regarding it, just like imagining the existence of a snake in the rope. Simi-

larly our understanding of the gross body and the subtle body to be the true Self is a consequence of a grave misapprehension which has ignorance as its root cause. The ignorance of the Self alone deludes our mind to see the Anatma as the Atma and puts us on an seemingly endless jorney on the road of samsara binding us to the cycle of continuous birth and death.

This is is what is meant by saying that ignorance is the Karan Sharira or the Causal Body.

‘Karan’means it is the cause and ‘Sharira’ meaning the body because ignorance can also end just as the physical body.

Upadhitrayadanyam: The Acharya says that the Self is none of the three bodies. My true Self is beyond the gross, subtle and the causal bodies, that which does not undergo any changes, is eternal, that

which does not have any constraints of time, space and body. It is the eternal substratum that actually sustains and pervades all existence and ally sustains and pervades all existence and yet is truly untouched by any manifestation.

Atmanamavadharayet: The Atma should be understood as distinct from the three bodies. By the process of negation Atman should be discriminated from the Anatma. Know it to be of the nature of Satchitananda. The scriptures stress on the fact, aim to see the real nature of the Self. This is the ultimate goal of a human life and this awareness can be brought about only as a human being.

Even the devatas do not have the previlage of gaining this sublime knowledge. Discover this treasure and free the self of all dependencies and sorrows.

Love is Universal This is a true story that happened in Japan. In order to renovate the house,Someone in Japan breaks open the wall.

Japanese houses normally have a hollow space between The wooden walls.

When tearing down the walls, he found that There was a lizard stuck there.

Because a nail from outside hammered into one of its feet.

He sees this, feels pity, and at the same time curious,As when he checked the nail, It was nailed 5 years ago when the house was first built !!!

What happened? The lizard has survived in such position for 5 years!

In a dark wall partition for 5 years without moving, It is impossible and mind-boggling.

Then he wondered how this lizard survived for 5 years! Without moving a single step-since its foot was nailed! So he stopped his work and observed the lizard,What it has been doing, and what and how it has been eating.

Later, not knowing from where it came, appears another lizard,With food in its mouth.

Ah! He was stunned and touched deeply. For the lizard that was stuck by nail,Another lizard has been feeding it for the past 5 years...

Imagine? It has been doing that untiringly for 5 long years,Without giving up hope on its partner. Imagine what a small creature can do That a creature blessed with a brilliant mind can't.

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Happy New Year - 2010 How beautiful the turning of the year!

A moment artificial yet profound: Point upon an arbitrary chart Passing like a breath upon the heart, Yearning with anticipation wound, New hope new harbored in old-fashioned cheer.

Even when the boundary line is clear, We recognize the oneness of the ground.

Years, like circles, do not end or start Except we lay across their truth our art, Adjusting dates as they go round and round Revolving to a tune long sung and dear.

Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2010

Real Motivation Dear R..., Hari om!

I am very happy to read your mail and also the Letter of Appreciation of your bosses. Such beautifully worded letter speaks highly of your boss too. Very rarely you get blessed by such people, who know how to pat the back of someone so nicely.

Your

ideal

should not be a flower blooming

in

the

solitude & wilderness of a jungle, but a lotus which

blooms

&

smiles in the water untouched.

- Poojya Guruji

I am also happy to see that you humbly attribute your success to your teachers and thus to the great art of living as revealed in our amazing scriptures like Gita. Your successes are an indication that you are sincerely trying to live what you have learnt and believe to be the right way to act & live, and are also an indication about the efficacy and validity of the dynamic & holistic art of living revealed therein. May your Karma continue to be your worship. 'Enjoy' every responsibility and challenge, they are an indication of the confidence reposed by someone, including God, on you. Challenges help to invoke your hidden & latent potential. If there were no challenges then we will never know our real potential & truth. The right art of living not only brings great results, but also facilitates more finer things like SelfActualization and Self-Realization, and this alone really matters. Success & failures will come & go, but this subjective growth alone will remain as your real wealth. Aim for that alone, leave the rest for the world to talk about.

What others will say will basically reveal their minds. Some will like, and some will not, some will applaud you and some may not. See all these things very objectively, and continue to invoke your drive & motivation from more subtler and subjective dimensions. Such is the beauty & greatness of these subjective goals that soon we have to simultaneously learn to live with more & more success, prosperity and fame.

My best wishes and blessings to both of you.

Lots of love & om Guruji

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Makar Sankranti Customs & Traditions:

14th Jan 2010

Makar Sankranti

Makar Sankranti is an important Hindu festival celebrated with religious fervor in almost all parts of India. The festival is celebrated to mark the beginning of the bountiful harvest season after few months of chilly winter. It falls on January 14, every year, as per the Solar calendar. Both geographic and religious significance are associated with the festival. On the day, Sun begins to travel northwards, by leaving the Tropic of Cancer in order to enter the Tropic of Capricorn (corresponding to the zodiac sign 'Makar' meaning Capricorn). The traditions observed during the festival are different according to different regions of India. Read on to get information about the rituals of Makar Sankranti.

-In Maharashtra, there is a custom of exchanging sweets made of jaggery, as the first sugarcane crop for the year is harvested during the period. According to a tradition, the Marathis wear black clothes, because they consider the black sesame as auspicious.

Til Gul (Sesame-Jaggery sweet) is prepared and exchanged on the day.

-Flying kite is one of the popular Makar Sankranti traditions of Maharashtra. Colorful kites, made of different shapes and sizes, are also flown in Gujarat, as a part of the celebrations of Makar Sankranti. This is primarily because, the festival coincides with the International -Kite Festival held at Ahmedabad (capital city of Gujarat), on January 14.

-Charity forms a significant part of the traditions of Makar Sankranti. In the state of Uttar Pradesh, one can witness people donating Khichdi (rice cooked with lentils) to the poor and needy. People in Andhra Pradesh also indulge themselves in charity of clothes.

-Taking a holy dip on the day is considered auspicious and hence, it is a popular custom followed in Uttar Pradesh, where people flock the religious places in the state to take a ceremonious bath in holy River Ganga. It is believed that taking dip in holy rivers provides moksha (salvation) from all the sins done previously.

-Makar Sankranti is known as Pongal in Tamil Nadu. There, it is a three-day festival, starting from January 13 until January 15. January 13 is celebrated as Bhogi, followed

by Makara Pongal (Sankranti) and then culminated by Mattu Pongal on the next day.

Similar tradition is seen in Andhra Pradesh, where the third day of Makar Sankranti is known as 'Kanuma'.

-The customs followed in villages of India, on Makar Sankranti, have a unique charm.

Varied festivities including singing and dancing mark the celebrations of the harvest festival. Courtyards and swept and sprinkled with a mixture of water and cow dung, while the homes are scrub-cleaned for the festival. People would make Rangoli or Kolam in their courtyard. The villagers extend their gratitude to Mother Nature for a good crop.Infact he believes his deepest motivations are an inspiration and will of God,

translating itself to bring a smile on the faces of one and all. Thus he lives a refreshingly inspired life, bubbling with dynamism and creativity. A life where boreVedantaSandesh Sandesh- -Jan April 2009 Vedanta 2010

Page # 10

dom, dullness, fatigue and a sense of retirement dont exist. He enjoys the very performance of actions, rather than wait for some joy that will come in the future as a fruit of action. Challenges for such a person is like God himself playing a game of tennis with him, where he sends his shot and the devotee replies it with a sporting spirit of faith and inner courage. He does not insist on changing the situation but faces it as a will of God. And at the end of it whatever the fruits of action its a blessing.

This Vision of life expressed in the Gita indeed blesses us here and now with a positive life, but it also prepares us for a more sublime goal in life. That is knowing the truth of Self, the world around us and its creator.

May Lord Krishna bless us with this divine vision of life.

Lessons of Life - Four Seasons There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things too quickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a great distance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngest son in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they had seen The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it was covered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and looked so beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life and fulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but only one season in the tree's life.

He told them that you cannot judge a tree, or a person, by only one season, and that the essence of who they are and the pleasure, joy, and love that come from that life can only be measured at the end, when all the seasons are up.

If you give up when it's winter, you will miss the promise of your spring, the beauty of your summer, fulfillment of your fall.

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Quotes of Poojya Guruji “Capacity of complete and selfless attention is love. It not only purifies the mind, but also paves the path for knowledge.”

“Selflessness is to live with the sraddha of ones fullness & completeness.”

“Love is the art of being happy in the happiness of others.”

“As a Grihastha gets an opportunity to deeply love & serve, so Grihastha has potential to become an Ashram.”

“Impurity of mind is the incapacity to see a thing objectively, because of the helpless & choking self-consciousness. Everything is seen only in a conditioned way, thus there is always a distorted perception leading to all miseries.”

“Knowledge is all about seeing a thing ‘as it is’. This alone liberates.”

Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2010

Stories from Shiv Purana n o p e u .. c n .

O e m a ti

Glory of Katha Sravana Sage Sanathkumara was Brahma’s son, Sanathumara had gone to visit Yama, the god of death. While they were conversing, a shining vimana brought a man to Yama who immediately stood up to honour the guest. Yama worshipped him and said, I am honoured. I hope you had no problems on the way. The vimana will take you to Brahma’s residence in Brahmaloka. After this guest had left, another shining vimana brought another guest who was also worshipped in similar fashion by Yama. Sanatkumara was mystified at this. He asked Yama, Who are these two people? I have never heard of Yama worshipping anyone in such glowing terms. These two must be holy men indeed.

They must have accumulated a lot of punya. Who are they? Tell me their stories. Yama obliged.

There was a city named Vaidisha. The king who ruled there was named Dharapal. Nandi was cursed by Parvati that he would have to spend twelve years on earth as a jackal. His crime was that, when Parvati had gone to perform tapasya, Nandi had permitted a false Parvati to enter Shiva’s palace. Nandi was born as a jackal. The jackal went to the confluence of the rivers Vitasta and Vetravati. There it set up a linga and prayed before it, going without food and water.

After the twelve years passed, the jackal died and adopted a shining form. In this form, Nandi returned to Shivaloka. King Dharapala had seen the jackal fasting and praying. He also witnessed its strange death. The king’s wonder knew no bounds. He erected a temple in that wonderful place. He brought several brahmanas to the temple and made them recite the Puranas there. When Dharapala died, it was decided that he would go to Brahmaloka because of all this punya.

This was the first guest who had come before Yama. Such are the wonderful virtues of worshipping Shiva and the Puranas. What about the second guest? asked Sanatkumara. The second quest used to be evil. He had never donated anything in his life. But he once heard the Paranas being recited and was completely converted. He arranged many recitals of the Puranas on his own and donated gold to the reciters. This punya was going to take him to Brahmaloka. Such are the wonderful virtues of hearing and reading the Puranas. Doing this is tantamount to worshipping Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva.

Vedanta Sandesh - April 2009

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Dec’09 VM / VA Programs Gita Gyana Yagna, Mumbai:

Vedanta Mission / Ashram Programs

A Gita Gyana Yagna of Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji was organized at Bandra Hindu Association Hall in Mumbai from 8th to 14th of Dec 2009.

The subject matter of the six days discourse series were Ashtavakra Gita Chapter 2 in the morning and Bhagwad Gita Chapter 1 in the evening sessions. This was for the first time that Poojya Guruji gave a full Yagna for the first chapter of Gita, and it turned out to be very enlightening. It helped to appreciate the exact nature of problem of Arjuna, and thus appreciate the real subject matter of Bhagwad Gita. We could see how the shift from Sreyas to Preyas brings unimaginable disaster & consequences. In the 2nd chapter of Ashtavakra Gita the topic was about the Atma being Brahman.

Blessing the Newly Weds: This December there were spate of marraiges in the families of various devotees and acquaintainces. Poojya Guruji and Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji blessed Amruta an Aditya on 7th Dec at Mumbai. Amruta was the youngest sister of Swamini Samatanandaji in her poorvashram, and had visited Vedanta Ashram too.

Earlier there was a marraige of the nephew of Arun Kapoor, who handles the publishing of Vedanta Piyush. The newly wed couple Yash and Shubhi came over to Ashram to take the blessings of Poojya Guruji. This alone is the right way, wherein the newly weds come to God or their Guru for their blessings, rather than inviting them to public receptions for their blessings. Very rarely they go also, but the value and intensity of blessings obviously increase depending upon the efforts of going the extra mile for the blessings.

Birthday of Poojya Guruji: Poojya Guruji was at Mumbai on 14th of Dec, the eve of his birthday.

Various devotees gathered at the residence of Gulu & Vinita Malani and brought a beautiful cake to commemorate the occassion. These systems are expressions of the love, respect & devotion of the devotees. How the feelings express depends upon the samskaras of the people, but the important thing is always these heartfelt emotions & love. Poojya Guruji thanked & blessed all. By 14th night he was back at Indore.

At Vedanta Ashram, the ashram inmates and various devotees celebrated the occasion in a grand way. After the evening Aarti of Bhagwan Sri Gangeshwar Mahadev, there was chanting of stotras, singing of Bhajans and then a lovely program of Flute playing by Salil and Soham Date. Salil is a well-known Flute player of the city, and he writes bhajans also. Later there was bhandara for all.

Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2010

Dec’09 VM / VA Programs

Vedanta Mission / Ashram Programs

Flute & Other Programs at Indore: In the Flute Program, first Soham Date, the young budding artist, first presented a Birthday Song which he had just set, followed by a number of a bhajan. Then, Salil, his father first presented some of his own bhajans, and then he presented the flute rendering of a bhajan sung and liked by Poojya Guruji very much, Mera Satchitananda Roopa Koi Koi Jane Re. Later Poojya Guruji sang that bhajan too.

On 25th Dec, Poojya Guruji was invited by Computer Gallary people to inaugurate their third Computer Show Room in the city. This one is a first ever Dell Exclusive Show Room in the city. This show room which is just opposite to the Bansi Trade Center is nicely located & accessible. First Poojya Guruji cut the ribbon, amidst the chanting of Swasti Mantras and then lit the lamp.

Snacks followed.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Ahmedabad: A Gita Gyana Yagna was conducted at Ramkrishna Kendra, Maninagar, Ahmedabad by Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji from 23rd to 30th Oct. The subject matter of discourses were Ishwar Siddhi Bhashya of Kenopanishad, and Gita Chapter 13.

In the Ishwar-Siddhi Bhashya, Bhagwan Bhashyaakara Sri Adi Sankaracharya logically presents the case of not only the existencee of God, but also about his capacities, nature, divine work and finally his relationship with Jiva. It is almost a complete section on the topic which is worth reading and contemplating thoroughly by every person.

In the 13th chapter of Bhagwad Gita Poojya Swaminiji revealed the importance of viveka after the karma and upasana have made the mind ready. Thereafter one just needs to very clearly & directly know the Kshetra and Kshetragna, the Purusha and Prakriti.

Ashram Activities, Indore: 1. Kathopanishad by Param Pujya Guruji: In the morning session Poojya Guruji is conducting discourses on the first chapter of Kathopanishad. Right now the section pertaining to the third boon of Nachiketa has started, and the teacher is testing the sincereity and seriousness of the student by trying to shake him up by giving other worldly attractions.

2. Gita Classes: From 11.30 onwards for an hour there is yet another class.

That is conducted by Pujya Swamini Amitanandaji, and this is for a group of elderly students. This session is also going on for more than a year, and now Poojya Swaminiji is teaching the 16th chapter of Bhagwad Gita.

3. Classes On Sadhana Panchakam: P. Swamini Samatanandaji conducted a week long session of Sadhana Panchakam discourses from 23rd-31st Dec. to the same group of students.

Check out the detailed Photo Albums of the various functions on VM News Blog at : http://vmissionews.blogspot.com/ Page # 15

Sadhana Camp at Indore A five days Sadhana Camp is being organized at Vedanta Ashram, Indore from 23rd to 27th Jan 2010.

Daily Routine at the Camp Morning: Meditation Morning pravachan: Mundaka Upanishad by P. Guruji Swami Atmanandaji.

Rudrabhisheka+Arti / Chanting Pravachan on Sri Hanuman Chalisa by P. Guruji.

Sankirtan+Evening Arti at Sri Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple.

Bhajans+Ques/Ans Any VM Member or a devotee who is interested in this knowledge, is physically fit and can settle himself in the humble arrangement at the ashram can participate in the camp. Participants must reach the Ashram on 22nd Jan, and can leave on 28th. They must bring along with them some loose clothing comfortable to sitdown and practise the routine of the camp and also some warm clothings.

Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2010

Forthcoming Programs

Sadhana Camp, Indore: A four days Sadhana Camp will be organized at the Vedanta Ashram, Indore from 23rd to 27th Jan 2010.

The texts of the discourses will be announced later.

Trip to Pachmarhi: The next Mahashivratri is on 12th Feb 2010.Special Programs will be organized on that day. Please look out for further announcement in our Blog for the occasion.

Mahashivratri Camp, Indore: Three days prior to Mahashivratri there will be a small Shiv Upasana Camp. This will have discourses on Shiv Apardha Kshamapana Stotram and daily Rudrabhisheka.

Mahashivratri, Indore: The next Mahashivratri is on 12th Feb 2010.Special Programs will be organized on that day. Please look out for further announcement in our Blog for the occasion. The next Mahashivratri is on 12th Feb 2010.Special Programs will be organized on

Gita Gyana Yagna, Lucknow: A week long Gita Gyana Yagna will be organized at Hariom Mandir from 20th Feb to 27th Feb 2010 by Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji. The subject matter of the discourses will be 1st chapter of Bhagawad Gita and also the 1st chapter of Ashtavakra Gita.

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Hari om !

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Om Tat Sat