The Quest for the True Self

 

On this amazing journey from the womb to the tomb, we all strive to live well and lead a happy and successful life. Majority of people consider 'God' as their provider and protector and worship deities of their own choice to seek blessings. But very few try to understand the truth that God is much more than the beautiful form we worship. He is the Supreme power that governs this universe and pervades it. He is seated in every living entity in the form of Paramatma - the cosmic power which resides deep in every individual soul. Thus spirituality is not just about connecting with the divine but also understanding our true nature and our relationship with the divine. 

The ancient sacred scriptures of our country, the Vedas and Upanishads, are a compilation of the divine experiences of the Rishis. They were completely immersed in their sadhana and many of them preferred not to reveal their names as they sought oneness with the divine.  Their goal was to impart knowledge of the divine to humankind without any sense of proprietorship. 

While the majority of population strives to acquire wealth and enjoy material pleasures, a spiritual seeker realizes that this human life is a gift which needs to be utilized for understanding the magnificence of creation. The true purpose of life is to know the creator, connect with Him, develop qualities in oneself akin to the divine and ultimately go back to Him. 

The greatest gift humankind has received is the gift of 'conscience'. It is our God-given ability to think, rationalize, discriminate and act righteously. These abilities set us apart from the other life forms on Earth. If this conscience is utilized for the betterment of self and welfare of others, then the world can truly become a magical place to live in. Every word, every thought and every action done correctly can bring us closer to the Divine and rekindle the divinity within each one of us. 

However, when we consider the challenges that life throws at us, this is easier said than done. But if we are determined to take this path, then the way begins to appear. Life is a series of experiences that is meant to mend us, awaken us and help us listen to the inner voice, the voice of our true self. It is important to realize that every experience good and bad is a part of growth and never a hindrance. Once we embark on the spiritual journey we will learn that every bitter experience is a catalyst that will transform us from within and bring us closer to the divine. 

Spirituality is not meant only for those nearing the end of their lives. It is meant for everyone who wishes to live a meaningful and enriching life, imbibing the qualities of kindness, compassion, patience, perseverance, selflessness, forgiveness and unconditional love. We can embrace the world that we live in as a manifestation of the divine only when we acknowledge the presence of the divine within us and connect with Him. Hence the ultimate quest in life should be the quest for the true self- the quest for the Divine. 

In verse 7.18 9of Bhagwad Gita, Bhagwan Shri Krishna says the following:

Bg. 7.18

उदारा: सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम् ।

आस्थित: स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम् ॥ १८ ॥

udārāḥ sarva evaite

jñānī tv ātmaiva me matam

āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā

mām evānuttamāṁ gatim

Translation

All these devotees are undoubtedly magnanimous souls, but he who is situated in knowledge of Me I consider to be just like My own self. Being engaged in My transcendental service, he is sure to attain Me, the highest and most perfect goal.

Special thanks to my mentor : Prof Shalini R Pujari

MOHA

 

 Love is the magnetic energy that sustains humanity. It is the basis and very essence of all relationships. It is love that creates a bond between mother and child, husband and wife , siblings, friends and extended family.  Relationships  thrive when love is  mutual and unconditional. 

In a world of dualities everything should be consumed in moderation. Even the Great lord Buddha preaches about taking the middle path in life.  We need to balance between abundance and adversity. Too much or too little of anything can create havoc in our lives. Similarly the energy  called Love should  flow  in moderation and unconditionally.  Giving love only when our expectations are met is nothing but barter system. Love becomes "MOHA or attachment" when we become possessive and begin to control the lives of our dear ones in the name of concern.  There is a fine line between love and attachment which we often fail to acknowledge.  When we cross these boundaries bond turns into bondage.  It is these invisible strings of attachment that cause suffering and suffocation in relationships. It also  leads to feelings of being not good enough, low self esteem and unworthiness. 

TRUE love is about empowering each other by giving space for one to grow, understanding different perspectives  and having healthy  boundaries. It also means that we should work towards building up emotional  independence in each other and allow our loved ones to live life to the fullest. This awareness prevents us from taking advantage of each other, maintain mutual respect and promotes personal  growth. 

Love is the purest of all emotions that has to be given wholeheartedly. It should never be coated with self interests, greed or unrealistic expectations. Humanity will thrive only when this magnetic energy  flows with no strings attached .

AATHMEEYA

 

AATHMEEYA

The emotional anchor 

 

Meera bai sat quietly, gazing at the idol of her beloved deity - Lord Krishna. Her eyes conveyed everything she wanted to say in silence. This was her daily ritual, which she had been practising since childhood. Her deity - Sri Krishna was her confidante and her eternal friend. It was to Him that she could bare her heart and unburden herself.  She would share her insecurities, worries, feelings and all the bottled up emotions which she otherwise could not share with her family or friends. Her deity was the emotional anchor of her life. 

An emotional anchor plays an important role in every individual’s life. We all need someone who can listen to us and understand us without judgement. We constantly look towards our near and dear ones for that emotional support. But not everyone meets our expectations, leading to feelings of frustration and inadequacy in relationships. Lack of emotional support is the major cause for disappointments in relationships. 

LIFE LESSON 

 Our emotional dependency is the major cause of disappointments in life. It is important to understand that everyone is fighting a battle of their own and our loved ones may not always be able to cater to our emotional needs due to their own shortcomings. Thus, it is unfair to blame them for not being there for us at those critical times of need or distress. It is also important to understand that practically all relationships have certain limitations. If we all turn towards “God” for emotional support, we can find tremendous courage within ourselves to face life and let go of all the emotional baggage that we carry. The Supreme is the only force that can bring emotional stability within us because the purpose of “Sanatana Dharma" is to connect with the divine. We can find true happiness and contentment only when our mind, faith and refuge are completely established in Him for He is our “Aathmeeya”, the true emotional anchor of our life. 

 

Bhagwan Shri Krishna says the following to Arjuna: 

Bg. 5.17 

तद्बुद्धयस्तदात्मानस्तन्निष्ठास्तत्परायणा: । 

गच्छन्त्यपुनरावृत्तिं ज्ञाननिर्धूतकल्मषा: ॥ १७ ॥ 

tad-buddhayas tad-ātmānas 

tan-niṣṭhās tat-parāyaṇāḥ 

gacchanty apunar-āvṛttiṁ 

jñāna-nirdhūta-kalmaṣāḥ 

Translation 

When one’s intelligence, mind, faith and refuge are all fixed in the Supreme, then one becomes fully cleansed of misgivings through complete knowledge and thus proceeds straight on the path of liberation. 

 

Written by : Saraswathi M V

Mentor: Prof. Shalini R Pujari

The Path to Perfection

 The Path to Perfection

From the moment we are born we are constantly told that life should unfold in a certain way to attain success and happiness. At every stage we are told to meet certain expectations which are vital for our progress, right from taking our first steps to achieving all the goals society has set for us to obtain the certificate for a perfect life. The bucket list of accomplishments considered worthy to be given this certificate includes social etiquette, education, career, material assets, marriage, children, etc. Consequently everybody strives hard to attain the goal of a perfect life.

However, no matter how hard one tries, sometimes life just doesn't match up to fit the blueprint we create for ourselves. People fail to understand that there is no such thing as a perfect life.  Inevitably, unfavorable circumstances occur which compel one to confront the reality of what life actually is - a mixture of both joy and sorrow. In the pursuit of chasing success and happiness, some ardent desires remain unfulfilled, making one feel inadequate, frustrated, trapped and miserable, causing immense pain. This is the time when we introspect to find the root cause of our suffering and turn towards God, seeking answers for all the unresolved queries of life so that we can find the true meaning and purpose of life. 

Life Lesson

When God wants all our attention, He creates situations that put us on the path that leads to him. He brings us to the state where our false beliefs shatter and transform our perspective towards life. The concept of a ‘perfect life’ set by society is unrealistic for if life was perfect, nobody would seek the Divine. No one would look beyond the temporary nature of this mortal world. It is the imperfections of life that drive us towards seeking the absolute truth. The unresolved questions about life turn us into seekers and compel us to find Him.  We then realize that the ultimate goal of human life is to reach out to the supreme, know him and re-establish our eternal bond with Him. That is the real meaning of liberation and the rightful path that leads us to true perfection.

Like a mother longing for her child’s affection and attention, Bhagwan Shri Krishna says the following to Arjuna:

Bg. 9.34

मन्मना भव मद्भ‍क्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु । मामेवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवमात्मानं मत्परायण: ॥ ३४ ॥

Bg. 9.34

मन्मना भव मद्भ‍क्तो मद्याजी मां नमस्कुरु । मामेवैष्यसि युक्त्वैवमात्मानं मत्परायण: ॥ ३४ ॥

man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru mām evaiṣyasi yuktvaivam ātmānaṁ mat-parāyaṇaḥ

Translation

Engage your mind always in thinking of Me, become My devotee, offer obeisance to Me and worship Me. Being completely absorbed in Me, surely you will come to me.

Written by : Saraswathi M V

Mentor: Prof. Shalini R Pujari

Samavrtti-Embracing the Dualities of Life

 

Samavrtti-Embracing the Dualities of Life

SKY- the celestial sphere - is admired by all for its fabulous color, ethereal beauty and vast space of limitless quality. It is also the seat of cosmic power. Every living creature looks up to it, which makes it truly a magical part of our world. 

The most admirable quality of the sky is that it remains unperturbed whether birds and clouds glide past or thunder and lightning chase each other. It remains unfazed through day and night, embracing both darkness and light. Showing no preference it enhances the beauty of both the enchanting rainbow and the mesmerizing rain. The sky truly has no limits to its all- encompassing nature. 

LIFE LESSON

We humans have been bestowed with beauty and grace of the divine residing in each one of us as Paramatma and a powerful mind as vast as the celestial sphere, with its limitless capacity for rational thinking, imagination, creativity and understanding. We have been blessed with the ability to evolve as individuals, provided our thought process is channelized in the right direction. However, the biggest hindrance to our growth is our inability to embrace the dualities of life. We get so entangled in them that we forget our life purpose – to become the best version of ourselves. We can overcome this hindrance by bringing in stability in our nature. Meditation helps one to achieve stability of mind but in order to develop stability in nature we must learn to be equipoised. Equanimity can be achieved only when we develop detachment to the fruits of our actions and solely concern ourselves to doing our duty without yearning for the results of our actions. This is the nature of a true Karmayogi whose actions do not bind. When we perform our work selflessly as service to God, we then perceive both positive and negative fruits of our work as the ‘Will of God’, and joyfully accept both. 

The first step towards developing equanimity within ourselves is to practice MINDFULNESS. We need to live in the present moment with greater awareness of our thoughts and actions. We also need to learn to RESPOND and not REACT to situations… to focus on what is necessary and let go of all that disturbs our peace of mind. We need to stop taking everything personally, distance ourselves from situations so that we can analyze them from a neutral perspective for better understanding. Self awareness can help us control our thoughts, desires and emotions, for the art of true knowing lies in knowing what to ignore and what to focus on.

Bhagwan Shri Krishna says the following to Arjuna:

Bg. 4.22

यदृच्छालाभसंतुष्टो द्वन्द्वातीतो विमत्सरः । समः सिद्धावसिद्धौ च कृत्वापि न निबध्यते ॥ २२ ॥

yadṛcchā-lābha-santuṣṭo dvandvātīto vimatsaraḥ samaḥ siddhāv asiddhau ca kṛtvāpi na nibadhyate

Translation

He who is satisfied with gain which comes of its own accord, who is free from duality and does not envy, who is steady in both success and failure, is never entangled, although performing actions.

Written by: Saraswathi M V

Mentor: Prof. Shalini R Pujari

DEVOTION - An expression of love

 Devotion

An expression of love

Devotion literally means an expression of love. Generally when we hear the term devotion, the first thought that comes to the mind is the religious sentiment that has been associated with this term since time immemorial.

All of us have our own ways of expressing our devotion. Majority of people express their devotion towards God, the highest cosmic power. Some follow elaborate rituals of worship like offering incense sticks, camphor, fruits, flowers and prasadam to their beloved deities. Others visit places of worship like temples. Some believe in helping the poor while others offer selfless dedicated service towards their families. Some meditate upon the holy name while others prefer to express their devotion by studying scriptures to understand the supreme truth. For many others, devotion means being dedicated to their work. They believe in the mantra, ‘Work is Worship.’ 

Thus the definition of devotion varies from person to person as it has many forms. Devotion can also mean the ability to love life as it is, love the people around us and the work that we do. It is the ability to embrace the dualities of life, remain calm amidst storms and connecting with the divinity within ourselves.

If one needs to truly understand the term devotion, then one has to view it from the spiritual perspective. Devotion in its purest form means love towards our creator, the cosmic power that sustains the entire universe. It is the light of love that shines the brightest and illuminates the entire universe.

In Bhagwad Gita, Lord Krishna says the following to Arjuna

Bg. 9.27

यत्करोषि यदश्न‍ासि यज्ज‍ुहोषि ददासि यत् । यत्तपस्यसि कौन्तेय तत्कुरुष्व मदर्पणम् ॥ २७ ॥

yat karoṣi yad aśnāsi yaj juhoṣi dadāsi yat yat tapasyasi kaunteya tat kuruṣva mad-arpaṇam

Translation

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform – do that, O son of Kuntī, as an offering to me.

Written by: Saraswathi M V

Mentor: Prof. Shalini R Pujari