Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2012

Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission Year 17

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Issue 7

In This Issue

1.

Vedanta Section:

Atma Bodha - Shloka-38

2.

Letter Section:

The Problem of Yoga

3.

Siddhanta Section:

Grief & Blessings

4.

Story Section:

Yagnavalkya & Maitreyi

5.

VM Programs:

Mission / Ashram Progs

From Poojya Guruji

Vedanta Sandesh

Hari om!

Spreading Love & Light

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

Jan 2012 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

Vedanta Mission is now 20 years old. We started in a small way in Mumbai, and now have our programs in many parts of the country as well as some countries abroad. It has been a very satisfying journey to share the amazing knowledge of Vedanta with so many sincere aspirants. That which makes me really happy is not really the numericals involved, but the uncompromising focus of all our teachers towards Vedanta. We know that this is is highest knowledge, and very less people are aware of it, and still lesser people are inspired to get this knowledge. Even those who do so sincerely, falter many a times at the altar of their own ego. No wonder the Upanishads declare that Self-Knowledge is not for the weak ones. Courage to even sideline one's small individuality and its small world for awakening to a nobler, magnanimous and real identity is indeed not everyones piece of cake. It many a times appears to be a gamble wherein we prefer the proverbial bird in hand rather than the possibility of two in the bush, wherein most often many succumb. However, it is only the courageous ones who can negate the imaginary snake and realize the truth of its substratum. Many if our devotees dare to tread this path of selfknowledge, and some of our dear ones could not continue, yet Vedanta Mission continues uncompromisingly to sing the song of Rishis.

A Sat-guru is one who dares to talk about the truth, that is why even in our daily prayers we say that 'May the learned ones dare to speak the truth, however much bitter it is'. While we do want to take the message of Vedanta to the world, we do compassionately try to feel the pains & sorrows of people, yet we never try to just appease their ego's, which just lives in darkness and all its other baseless imaginations. Rather, we lovingly try our best to help them realize the fact that their individuality is an imaginary entity, and their truth is somthing entirely different. Ignorance of that truth alone brings about the ego, which we then stick on as our identity, and then starts the endless journey of seeking, insecurity, dependence and inevitable grief & sorrow. Irrespective of the fact whether someone succeeds in the world or not, depenence brings sorrow and grief alone. The message of Vedanta is that there is 'one' infinite truth and basically we all are that alone. I also feel like singing 'Why this Kolaveri Di...' :). Why this unnecessary sufferings all over. Awake, Arise, Approach a Guru and dedicate yourself for the realization of this truth.

Email:

vmission@gmail.com

May Vedanta Mission become instrumental to take this amazing & redeeming message of Vedanta to many many more aspirants - uncompromisingly. I am happy Vedanta Mission, Mumbai has decided to commemorate this occasion to celebrate in a grand way. My Blessings & Best Wishes to all such blessed souls.

Love & om,

Swami Atmananda

Atma Bodha - Shloka 38 Vedanta Section

Solitude facilitates Assimilation In the previous sloka it was explained that one must incessantly practise meditation, without any distraction, on the various pointers to awaken into the akhandakar vritti of aham brahmasmi. This destroys the disease caused by ignorance and illusion just as medicine cures illness.

In this manner having discussed about savikalpa samadhi now the Acharya describes the nature of nirvikalpa samadhi by first preparing the Self physically and mentally. Physically by posture and the like and at the mental level by having purified the mind, and by having gone through the process of learning by shravan, manan and nididhyasan. The Acharya clearly explains the solitary ambience needed, the focused posture of a sincere aspirant and the mental poise of a person who has freed himself of personal likes and dislikes and a person who is a Master of his sense organs.

38 Vivikta desh aaseeno viraago vijitendriyah Bhavayedekamatmanam tamanantamananyadheehi.

Viviktadeshe: in a solitary place; aaseeno: seated; viraago: bereft of passions; vijitendriyah: with the senses controlled; bhavayet: should contemplate upon; ekam atmanam: the one atmanam; tam: that; anantam: infinite; ananyadheehi: with a mind undevoted to anything else; Seated in a solitary place, bereft of passions and with the senses controlled, one should contemplate upon that one atman infinite, without thinking of anything else.

Vivikta desh aaseeno: For steadiness in contemplation certain prerequistes are essential. In Gita chapter six Bhagvan Krishna speaks of the physical & mental preparation one needs to do before sitting for meditation. A basic discipline and balance is required at all levels of eating, sleeping, posture, ambience etc.

Here the Acharya first speaks of a solitary environment.

Practise of Contemplation & steadfastness in knowledge is brought about in two ways. One is by being amidst the various activities of the world and second is single-pointed contemplation in the seat of meditation. Retaining awareness in day to day situations is strengthened by constant and serious contemplation by meditation in solitude. But it is also significant to keep in mind that a spiritual Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2012

aspirant can be focused in mediation only when he has been a sincere and dedicated during sharavan and manan. Only such a person who has learnt the knowledge of vedanta at the feet of a Master and has clarified his doubts by manan will also qualify to be with himself in solitude. For such a person is advised to be seated in a solitary place where the meditator drops all thoughts by detachment with the external world and its experiences and revels in the akhandakar vritti of Aham Brahmasmi.

Viraago vijitendriya The Acharya further goes on to state another two prime requisites for a person who wishes to glide in samadhi. These are Viraago and Vijitendriya.

Viraago: means bereft of any kind of passion of this loka and parloka (this world and the celestial

worlds). Dispassion is not physically cutting off from the world or any suppression, but it is an outcome of the discrimination that has been done between the Real & Unreal, the permanent and the impermanent. When the imposition of the sense of reality drops by genuine knowledge then dispassion is a natural outcome of it. The scriptures say that so intense should be the dispassion as one has towards the droppings of a crow on one’s self. Dispassion on one hand is detachment towards all worldly pleasures on the other hand it also implies intense passion for Ishwara and the goal of moksha.

Vijitendriya: One who has a control over his senses and withdraws himself from all activities. Controlling of the senses is a very interesting term. Commonly it is understood like a strict teacher trying to control a chaotic classroom of children with fear and punishment. But our scriptures reveal a very refreshing implication of being a controller of the senses. It implies being such a Msater of the senses that one has the power and freedom to indulge in sensory activities and one also has the freedom to withdraw all the sense organs from their respective objects as required. It is again not a story of suppression and struggle to forcefully stop all the senses from experiencing the outside world. But it is all about understand the reality of the objective world and establishing right relationship with it. God has created a very beautiful world. There is no harm in experiencing all the beautiful things and nature but one needs to have the awareness that these are not real and permanent. All our money, car, house, material things, relatonships are only means to living life, they are not the goal and will not bring about total contentment which we are seeking. Contentment lies within us as our very own nature and cannot be attained by an experience in the outside world.

Once this awareness is brought about then a per-

son can engage and withdraw one’s senses like a tortoise as explained in the Gita who unfolds his arms and legs when wishes solitude, he just withdraws them.

Bhavayed ekam atmanam: Seated in the seat of meditation in solitude, having withdrawn all the senses from their respective stimuli, he should have single pointed attention on the ‘One’ without a second, as the nature of the Self.

There is only one reality, plurality does not truly exist.

All the differences we see in name and forms is a creation of Maya and the sense of discrimination that a jiva has is a product of ignorance. It is only when we do not have a vision of the One reality as a substratum of all that we see dvaita in the world. We think ourselves to be different from others, and thus all conflicts of good and bad, likes and dislikes, black and white, high and low come into existence. All the forms are made from the same panchamahbhutas The surface color may be different but ultimately we are all made of the same raw material and the substratum of all is one. The mud pot is not different from the mud toy nor from the mud house, because ultimately the mud is one alone. Vedanta thunders one truth alone, ‘Brahma satyam jagat mithya, jivo brahma eva na aparah.’ Brahma alone is real; the world of experiences is an illusion.

Tamanantam ananyadheehi: The Acharya says meditate on that Reality with a single pointed conviction, without any other worldly distraction. Meditate on Parmatma who is infinite.

One who is beginingless and eternal. Another word used here is ‘ananya’ Ananaya reflects two beautiful meanings, one is to have a conviction that this alone is the only goal of my life and second that it is only the One Supreme reality which is the truth of everything living and non-living. There exists nothing else other than Brahman and that Brahman I am.

2012 New Year Greetings Wishing all our Readers a very happy New Year.

May the year ahead dawn the light of love and knowledge for all.

Page # 5

House with Golden Windows The little girl lived in a small, very simple, poor house on a hill and as she grew she would play in the small garden and as she grew she was able to see over the garden fence and across the valley to a wonderful house high on the hill – and this house had golden windows, so golden and shining that the little girl would dream of how magic it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows instead of an ordinary house like hers.

And although she loved her parents and her family, she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and exciting it must feel to live there.

When she got to an age where she gained enough skill and sensibility to go outside her garden fence, she asked her mother is she could go for a bike ride outside the gate and down the lane. After pleading with her, her mother finally allowed her to go, insisting that she kept close to the house and didn’t wander too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl knew exactly where she was heading! Down the lane and across the valley, she rode her bike until she got to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill.

As she dismounted her bike and lent it against the gate post, she focused on the path that lead to the house and then on the house itself…and was so disappointed as she realized all the windows were plain and rather dirty, reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that stood derelict.

So sad she didn’t go any further and turned, heart broken as she remounted her bike … As she glanced up she saw a sight to amaze her…there across the way on her side of the valley was a little house and its windows glistened golden …as the sun shone on her little home.

She realized that she had been living in her golden house and all the love and care she found there was what made her home the ‘golden house’.

Everything she dreamed was right there in front of her nose!

Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2012

Letter of the Month

The Problem of Yoga Hari om S....., You are indeed blessed to have regular satsangs and also do sant-

Knowledge is all about being aware of the truth of what H o Yoga w e vand e r, is, while there is to one Bhakti aim change the mind for problem with the better, so Yoga, and that is technically they fall that Yoga not only in the category of p karma, r e - s uworking p p o s etos change something. duality, but also For knowledge even strengthens the a sankalpa to notion in us that change anything is God is apart from an impediment, because then us.

When heouris priorities change apart, then only we from knowing what need to join. is to working for - Poojya what shouldGuruji be.

- Poojya Guruji

sewa. It was nice to know that you got an opportunity in Hongkong to get further guidance of Yoga practices.

Yoga word is very interesting. Initially it implies ‘to join’, and so we need to bring about the necessary ambiance & compatibility at all levels of our personality for this so called union. However, there is one problem with Yoga, and that is that Yoga not only pre-supposes duality, but also strengthens the notion in us that God is apart from us. When he is apart, then only we need to join. The notion that God is apart from us, is the very cause of samsar, so we need to be very careful, and assure that all Yoga practices always lead and culminate into Brahma Vidya. It is interesting to see that every chapter of Gita ends with this statement that ‘Brahmavidyayam Yogashastre...’ So the great Acharyas made it a point to keep us conscious of this fundamental fact, then alone Yoga can bless.

My Gita Gyana Yagna at Mumbai is from 19th to 26th Dec, and the Camp at Indore from 21st to 25th Jan. I am sure Lalaji will send you the details.

Love & om to both of you.

SA

Page # 7

When Grief becomes a Blessing VedantaSandesh Sandesh- -Jan April 2009 Vedanta 2012

All of us go through ups and downs in life. Some situations bring us great joy and some situations bring about great pain. Commonly we all understand that ‘sukha’ (happinness) and dukha(sorrow) are two sides of the coin of life. Apart from these two there is another term called ‘Grief’. Although the word grief too can be commonly misunderstood as sorrow or dejection but grief is a far more intense emotion than sorrow. On one hand Sukha is associated with conducive situations and Dukha or sorrow is an emotion which we experience whenever we face inconducive situations. It is a pain that not only reflects hurt but also reflects a sensitivity towards life and its experiences. Grief on the other hand reflects an emotional state which is highly intense, to the extent that a person loses his balance of mind and the symptoms of which can be seen on the physical level too. Arjuna is a classic case of a person overpowered by grief leading to indecisiveness, anxiety, nervousness, and various symptoms at the physical level like sweating, shivering, etc. Grief is a consequence of misapprehension. Whenever a person is ignorant of the truth of life and then has misapprehensions a person is bound to be shattered by grief. But interestingly grief can become a blessing to. As we see in the case of Arjuna. Arjuna was highly grief-stricken. He goes on to say to Bhagwan Sri Krishna that he sees nothing on this earth and the other worlds, not even the attainment of the heavens and becoming the lord of the earth could relieve him of his grief. It is only when he surrenders at the Feet of Lord Krishna with humility to understand the secrets of handling such conflicts of rght and wrong that the situation of grief becomes the great blessing of his life. A blessing which not only not opens the doors of freedom for Arjuna but also gave us all the Gita, the divine song of the Lord which has been the Manual of Right decison making for all mankind. What are the intricacies of grief? How does it become a blessing? Let us see: Grief makes one introspect: Whenever a person goes through a situation of conflict, a situation of indecisiveness, a situation of intense emotional pain one feels compelled to think about life, about relationships, about experiences, about the reality of the world. We all know and experience that whenever situations are very conducive and goody goody one tends to go into a relaxing mode, a mode of enjoyment, and becomes complacent at the level of thinking. But whenever we go through a challenging situation which becomes a question of life and death we can either open the doors of knowledge for ourselves or spell doom by total hopelessness and dejection. On a positive note, In challenging situations one is compelled to think. It is at such times when we become the best of philosophers and analysts. This is the time when the individual starts looking within himself, trying to understand his own mind and also analyses the world outside. Right understanding of anything in the world alone brings about the joy of liberation. There is no alternative to knowledge. Hence tough situations are truly a blessing in disguise.

They may shake us to the core but at the end of the day one comes out a more stronger and intelligent person.

Page # 10

When does Grief become a Yoga: As said although each one of us goes through the highs and lows of life but tough times are not always a blessing for everyone. Only those people are blessed who have some higher to look up to, some one who believes in the existence of a cosmic power who is the creator and sustainer of all, one ho is all pervading, knowledgeable and compassionate.

Challenges are an eye opener for those who have faith in Learned Masters and who have the courage to break the shackles of their ego and surrender at the feet of such Masters. If one is humble enough to accept his ignorance and expresses his desire to learn and at the same time is also blessed by a right philosopher and guide, than the grief bound situation can become a great blessing. Humility and acceptance of one’s ignorance can bring about great sensitivity and full availability to learn and grasp the subtle truths of life. This was the case with Arjuna. Arjuna was faced with a tough situation of conflict between righteousness and unrighteousness. Shaken up the conflict he seeks guidance at the Feet of Lord Krishna. This surrender at the feet of a Master makes this grief stricken situation a blessing for Arjuna and hence the first chapter of the Gita is known as ‘Arjuna Vishad Yoga.’ or the ‘Yoga of Grief.’

Inspired by this great warrior and his situations we all too can be blessed by grief in disguise. The scriptures reveal that grief is the baby of ignorance and misapprehension alone. Like Arjuna we too are in the midst of the battlefield of life, where conflicting situations, weakness of the mind, indecisiveness, ignorance are all sorrounding us like the enemies in the attlefield. If one has to face these situations like a true warrior and come out victorious too then like Arjuna we need to make SRi Krshna our charioteer. We need to surrender and hold the compassionate hands of Learned Masters who can guide us with their knowledge.

IF If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise: If you can dream - and not make dreams your master, If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken, And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools: If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breath a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch, If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you, If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run, Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

- Rudyard Kipling Page # 9

The Cookie Thief A woman was waiting at an airport one night, with several long hours before her flight.

She hunted for a book in the airport shops, bought a bag of cookies and found a place to drop.

She was engrossed in her book but happened to see, that the man sitting beside her, as bold as could be. . . grabbed a cookie or two from the bag in between, which she tried to ignore to avoid a scene.

So she munched the cookies and watched the clock, as the gutsy cookie thief diminished her stock.

She was getting more irritated as the minutes ticked by, thinking, “If I wasn’t so nice, I would blacken his eye.”

With each cookie she took, he took one too, when only one was left, she wondered what he would do.

With a smile on his face, and a nervous laugh, he took the last cookie and broke it in half.

He offered her half, as he ate the other, she snatched it from him and thought… oooh, brother.

This guy has some nerve and he’s also rude, why he didn’t even show any gratitude!

She had never known when she had been so galled, and sighed with relief when her flight was called.

She gathered her belongings and headed to the gate, refusing to look back at the thieving ingrate.

She boarded the plane, and sank in her seat, then she sought her book, which was almost complete.

As she reached in her baggage, she gasped with surprise, there was her bag of cookies, in front of her eyes.

If mine are here, she moaned in despair, the others were his, and he tried to share. Too late to apologize, she realized with grief, that she was the rude one, the ingrate, the thief.

Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2012

Stories by Sages

Rishi Yagnavalkya & Maitreyi from Brihadaranyak Upanishad

on p u e Onc me ... a ti

The great seer Yajnavalkya had two wives, Maitreyi and Katyayani. Of them Maitreyi was a real seeker after truth. She was a brahmavadini, one who discusses the Brahman (the Supreme Spirit), and meditates upon it. Katyayani was, like all other ordinary women, attached to worldly things and busy with household affairs.

After leading a householder’s life for years, the Rishi Yajnavalkya thought of changing the mode of his life and of taking to Sannyasa or the fourth stage in life which is one of complete and final renunciation of the world.

He therefore called Maitreyi to his side one day and said to her, “I am thinking of renouncing the world. I want to be a sannyasi, I wish to detach myself completely from all affairs. I shall leave this home and go to some forest resort. I think it desirable to partition this property between you two before I depart.

Spiritual minded Maitreyi said, “Dear one, you are talking of property and its partition. But what would it avail me even if the whole world full of wealth were mine own? Would it make me immortal and take me beyond all sorrow and suffering?”

The sage replied. “No dear, not at all. Your life would be as comfortable as material means and wealth can make it. There is no hope of immortality through wealth.”

Maitreyi then said, “What then have I to do with things that do not give me what I really want? I want to be immortal. I want that which would give me ‘life eternal’.

Therefore I would urge you to teach me that spiritual knowledge which I believe you possess, rather than talk to me about things material. I hanker after that knowledge and I spurn everything else as dirt.”

The Rishi felt elated at this spiritual hunger of his dear wife. He took her by his side and endearingly said to her, “You are so dear to me, Maitreyi. You have asked me something that is nearest to my heart. I shall teach you as much as I know of it.

Listen to me attentively and meditate constantly upon it.”

The knowledge of the Atman includes the knowledge of all other things. It supersedes all other knowledge. This Atman is the first and the last of things. All this that is visible and invisible is the Atman. When that Atman is known, all else is known.

“When a big drum is being beaten, we cannot catch hold of the waves of sound that vibrate from it. But certainly when we hold and possess the drum itself, we control the sound as well. So too, when the Veena or the stringed musical instrument is being played upon, the numerous tunes that emerge from it are intangible and cannot be caught hold of. But certainly when we get hold of the instrument itself we can control the tunes and play upon it at will. So too can we know the essence of the multifarious world in all its wild variety only when we know the Atman, the inner soul of things that pervades all things.

Vedanta Sandesh - April 2009

Page Page##13 11

Dec’11 VM / VA Programs

Vedanta Mission / Ashram Programs

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Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2012

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

Dec’11 VM / VA Programs

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Page # 13

Quotes “The value of an idea lies in the using of it.”

“Being happy doesn’t mean that everything is perfect. It means that you’ve decided to look beyond the imperfections.”

“People love others not for who they are but for how they make them feel” -Irwin Federman “If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”

-Albert Einstein “The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers, but for the wide world’s joy.” Henry Ward Beecher “The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”

“If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything.”

-Malcolm X “If you see a friend without a smile; give him one of yours.”

“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity.”

-W. Clement Stone

Vedanta Sandesh - Jan 2012

Forthcoming Programs

Satsang at Jaipur: A 2 days Satsang by Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will be organized at Jaipur on 8th and 9th Jan 2012. This satsang is being organized by Sardar Surinder Singhji. The subject matter of the discourses will be Gita Sandesh.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Jodhpur: A six days Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will be organized at Jodhpur from 10th to 15th Jan 2012. The subject matter of the discourses will be Gita Chapter 14. The discourse series will be in Hindi.

Sadhana Camp-1, Indore: A five days Sadhana Camp at Vedanta Ashram will be organized next year from 21st to 25th Jan 2012. Delegates can arrive on 20th evening and leave on 26th. The subject matter of the discourses will be Drg-Dryshya Viveka and Gita Chapter 15.

Satsang at Malad, Mumbai: A one day Satsang of Poojya Guruji will be organized at the residence of Smt Mohini Dhingra at Malad, Mumbai. Poojya Guruji will visit Mumbai for two days to bless Shalin d/o Gul & Vinita Malani, on the occasion of her marraige with Bhushan (US).

Sadhana Camp-2, Indore: A Sadhana Camp prior to Mahashivratri will be organized at Vedanta Ashram, Indore from 15th to 20th Feb 2012. The campers should arrive by 14th and leave after Mahashivratri celebrations on 21st Feb. The subject matter of the discourses will be Vedanta Saar (Sadananda), Chapter 2.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Lucknow: A week long Gita Gyana Yagna of Poojya Guruji will be organized at Hari om Mandir, Lucknow from 28th Feb to 5th Mar 2012. The subject matter of the discourses will be Kathopanishad 1-3 and Gita Chapter 3.

Page # 15

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