SHARED THOUGHTS. 12.12.2014.
Material & Spiritual life.
A man in pursuit of spiritual knowledge boasted to his Guru... I went
through the holy book Gita many times from cover to cover.... to which the
Guru asked him, how many times has Gita gone through you..?
We all pray and seek God.. while all the time we ignore Godliness.. residing
within us.
=============================================================
In an ancient temple, a number of pigeons lived happily on the roof top.
When the renovation of the temple began for the annual temple feast, the
pigeons relocated themselves to a church nearby. The “church” pigeons made
the necessary adjustments and happily accommodated the new comers.
Christmas was nearing and the church was being given a facelift. So all the
pigeons had to move out and look for another place. They were fortunate to
find a mosque nearby. The pigeons in the mosque welcomed them happily. When
Ramadan cam the mosque was being repainted and all the pigeons moved back to
the ancient temple.
One day the pigeons heard some communal clashes below in a market square.
The baby pigeon asked the mother pigeon "Who are these people?”
The mother replied; "They are human beings.”
The baby asked, "Why are they fighting with each other?"
The mother said "The human beings who go to temple are called 'Hindus' and
the people who go to church are called 'Christians' and the people going to
the mosque are called 'Muslims. They are fighting because they believe they
are following God's will.”
The baby pigeon asked, "Why is that so? We were pigeons whether we were in
the temple, church or mosque. Aren’t they similar?"
The mother pigeon said, “We don't have holy books to read, nor do we have a
fixed place to stay or worship, but we have experienced God. That's why we
can co-exist peacefully. Sadly, these people are yet to experience God.
Until they do so, they will continue to fight and kill each other."
===================================================
I received this mail from a person close to me, who embarked upon a journey
... a 23 day spiritual tour ... given below is his commentary on the tour..
which is some food for thought.
Material life and Spiritual life
Though I am convinced that leading a Spiritual life makes a Man happier and
contented than leading a Material life, a new concept of life was discussed
in the Ashram.
In material life you feel happy only when your desires or expectations are
realized in full. Unfulfilled desires, makes you feel sad and dejected. Even
in success, you are always bitten by deficiency syndrome and feel that every
task is incomplete / with gaps. In other words you always feel you could
have done better. The more you use your strengths, your weaknesses are
exposed and there is always a someone else who has done better than you.
Your scale of happiness is linked to the degree of security (artha) (by
wealth, power, influence and fame) and pleasure (kama) (sensual and sexual)
you enjoy. But the more you enjoy these, your happiness gets clouded with
fear, anxiety, jealousy, hatred, anger, pride and lust. So something gained
on one side is something lost on the other side. A material man’s gait and
demeanor are showy (expensive dress, jewellery and make-up) and wears a sly
smile.
Leading a spiritual life, your sense organs never get attached to the
objects of the world (does not wish to acquire or possess anything as your
own) you are satisfied with what little you have with no aspiration or
interest in others wealth, fame or power. Simplicity, loving, caring,
benevolent, sharing, non-violent, honesty and living without expecting
anything, are synonyms of a spiritual man. He considers any adversity or
pain as opportunities for building up fortitude, patience, compassion,
continence and austerity. He reads the scriptures, chants the glory of the
Supreme being (God or Brahman) and shares with others what he has learned or
experienced. He realizes the power of the Atman within him, practices
Ashtanga Yoga and dedicates every action of his to GOD, as service to the
under privileged. He enjoys total freedom from the bondage of obligations.
For him, a chain of Gold and a chain of Iron are of same value: only the
craftsmanship behind them is revered. His aim and only goal is to attain
Moksha, (total freedom from the dualities of life) and the path leading to
this goal is full of Supreme Bliss, devoid of chaos, misery and pain, both
physical and mental. He shaves his head, becomes a Brahmachari, and wears a
simple loincloth and braces a beaming smile.
Between the two types of life, Can a man lead a spiritual life WITHIN a
material life or vice-versa? This was my question to our mentor. “Yes, It is
possible”, was the answer; in fact when a material man decides to take to
spiritual path, he undergoes a period where both types of life merges. A
person undergoing this phase of life is called a Sadhaka. The Sadhaka
practices Sadhana (purifying the mind) to become a Sadhu. The more spiritual
he adores, the less materialistic he becomes.
In this world of intense competition and survival in a dwindling space,
leading a complete spiritual life, cannot be appreciated by the youth with
tender brains. Nevertheless, can we try to squeeze in some of the spiritual
traits into the material life and REMAIN there without becoming a Sadhu? In
other words, Can we live a Material life with a blend of Spirituality? – for
the youth; and a Spiritual life with a touch of Material - for the aged. I
strongly believe, leading this type of life (let’s call it SMART LIFE) may,
just may, cheer you up! Even if you don’t reach the summit of Supreme Bliss,
at least you can reach the ridges and mounts just below, which are more
beautiful than the summit!
If you believe you can have a blend of both types of life, as I do, let each
one of us put into practice this SMART LIFE, and share our experiences of
its merits and demerits.
There is plenty of flexibility or leverage that can be applied in our way of
living. As rightly mentioned, one should know what is a Good deed and a Bad
deed, what are good thoughts and bad thoughts. What is right and what is
wrong? Differentiating them is the key.
"My mission will be to imbibe the essence of each teaching, approach and
technique and come out with a comprehensive understanding of 'Life' and its'
complexities, within the realms of pure science and not from prophecies and
beliefs. "
I've heard a lot of lectures by eminent personalities on what is life, the
God within each of us, how to control the naughty mind and how to attain
true everlasting happiness. Nothing seems to convince me.
Vedas talk about 'Brahma sutra' as the ultimate path to attain Moksha;
Pathanjali talks about 8 steps (Ashtanga Yoga) leading to Samadhi (Super
Consciousness); Bhagavata says there is nothing greater than
Bhakthi yoga to get rid of all miseries; Lord Krishna in Geeta says a lot on
Karma Yoga, Gnana Yoga and Raja Yoga which when practiced can get you rid of
repeated rebirths on earth and take you directly to Deva Loga (Heaven);
There are still others who talk about 'Omniscience', 'Omnipresence' and
'Omnipotence' and the divinity what we are seeking for is actually within
'ourself'. .......
The Ten Commandments of the Bible and Five Pillars of Islam are other ways
of perfecting Man.
"There is nothing like, Living being and Non-living being; everything in
this universe is living".
"There is a creator behind every creation" and both are made up of the same
core matter and are interdependent".... and so on ....
============================================================================
=
I too would opt for the Smart Life theory ; but then, one need to be only a
very average person to be able to reach this option... does not require a
long search or a deep study to conclude thus.
I am now in Shantigiri Ayurveda hospital for a 15 day rejuvenation & therapy
session; this place is attached to an Ashram ; this place owes its root to
the founder Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru. I am hearing of him only after
coming in here. A visit to the website will provide very revealing glimpse
into a totally different line of thinking.... about Sanathana Dharma, how it
became irrelevant with the coming of Trimuthy system, how Hinduism gradually
fell into decadence as a result of caste system, the ills of the society
now, mistakes committed by various beliefs, practices & mindless rituals...
visit <http://www.santhigiriashram.org> www.santhigiriashram.org ;
You will be surprised to read his philosophy and the revolutionary impact
this line of thinking already has had and can cause in coming years... where
he urges Hindus to discard all forms of God and replace all rituals, break
the shackles of caste barriers ....
If one is already confused (as I am ) about the complexity of Hinduism, then
reading Karunakara Guru’s teachings will ensure the confusion is magnified
by geometric proportions. Having to get up early every morning, I am getting
the rare pleasure of watching various discourses in different TV channels
airing various scholars interpretations of the noble concepts from Gita,
Bible and Quran...
The more I read and the more I listen to the pearls of wisdom bursting forth
from various sermons, the more I am convinced of one fact... that I know
nothing .. that what I think I know, is one big shunyam..or zero...and I am
not alone at this level; not a consolation though.. but I am getting the
courage for stating what I think... ! This is neither being spiritual nor
religious, just practical.
To be religious, one can even be ignorant. Most among Hindus are ignorant of
the finer aspects of rituals; yet, can be deeply religious. Interpretations
of rituals can differ from one scholar to another. Very few among us attempt
to understand the ‘why’ and ‘how’ aspect of many practices we observe.. yet
we do them mechanically or as a habit. There is no organized stream for
learning Hinduism, very few exceptions apart, designed for specific
segments. There are no precise or definite ways of doing anything in
Hinduism unlike Islam or Christianity, where there is little scope for one’s
own discretion in one’s conduct on religious matters. Yet, I am a Hindu and
I can be religious... to the extent I want !! Therefore I am not guilty in
admitting my ignorance and I am not guilty in admitting I am not seeking any
higher knowledge.
I am not searching for Truth.. I am not attempting to digest the
complexities of life. I am not reaching out beyond what I can hold; simply
because I am not prepared yet for total renunciation, without which I feel,
it is just not possible to venture out seeking Truth...
“Bondage is indeed Karma to Man, cut the bondage and salvation is sure”.
I am unable to severe the bondage, nor am I attempting to do so. I am not
attempting either to learn all that is there in the scriptures... Seers are
great souls, who have sacrificed their life, body and mind for the cause of
dharma, owing to their omniscience, life of self-abnegation and spiritual
elevation.
Life is a blessing. A decent healthy life, with folks to love and be loved,
is a bigger blessing. Being wanted in society, with a rewarding vocation and
to be able to live up to the challenges is an even bigger a blessing. I can
go on and on... counting all the blessings.. notwithstanding the loss
endured along the way, ... so it is only fair that I give back something to
the society which has been kind to me all along.
My payback cannot be in the form of teaching others the Ultimate Truth or of
its meaning and relevance; yet, I believe I can contribute in whatever ways
possible within my limitations.
· Bring a sense of relief / a smile to someone, deprived of some of
the blessings that I can count. This is an ongoing mission, with so many
ways open and a highly satisfying one too.
· “Never hurt anyone below the belt”, so said my mentor at the start
of my career. Ever since I have consciously been aware of this advice. There
shall not be a drop of tear on account of my actions.
· Be the conduit as the answer to someone’s prayer... another
on-going mission; where deserving, give generously to make what I give
really meaningful...(“no one has ever become poor, by giving” )
· Be truthful and fair in anything I do.. a guiding principle with
no compromise.
This is my karma...being neither a sanyasi nor a yogi. This is the only way,
I know to ‘experience God’ .. and this is being as spiritual as can be
within a materialistic living, enjoying the pleasures of Life.
(pleasures of life as being distinctly different from happiness in life...
this is for another day)
=============================================================\
Have a peaceful week ahead all of you,
MOHANDAS. KP.
<http://mohandas-sharedthoughts.blogspot.com/>
Material & Spiritual life.
A man in pursuit of spiritual knowledge boasted to his Guru... I went
through the holy book Gita many times from cover to cover.... to which the
Guru asked him, how many times has Gita gone through you..?
We all pray and seek God.. while all the time we ignore Godliness.. residing
within us.
=============================================================
In an ancient temple, a number of pigeons lived happily on the roof top.
When the renovation of the temple began for the annual temple feast, the
pigeons relocated themselves to a church nearby. The “church” pigeons made
the necessary adjustments and happily accommodated the new comers.
Christmas was nearing and the church was being given a facelift. So all the
pigeons had to move out and look for another place. They were fortunate to
find a mosque nearby. The pigeons in the mosque welcomed them happily. When
Ramadan cam the mosque was being repainted and all the pigeons moved back to
the ancient temple.
One day the pigeons heard some communal clashes below in a market square.
The baby pigeon asked the mother pigeon "Who are these people?”
The mother replied; "They are human beings.”
The baby asked, "Why are they fighting with each other?"
The mother said "The human beings who go to temple are called 'Hindus' and
the people who go to church are called 'Christians' and the people going to
the mosque are called 'Muslims. They are fighting because they believe they
are following God's will.”
The baby pigeon asked, "Why is that so? We were pigeons whether we were in
the temple, church or mosque. Aren’t they similar?"
The mother pigeon said, “We don't have holy books to read, nor do we have a
fixed place to stay or worship, but we have experienced God. That's why we
can co-exist peacefully. Sadly, these people are yet to experience God.
Until they do so, they will continue to fight and kill each other."
===================================================
I received this mail from a person close to me, who embarked upon a journey
... a 23 day spiritual tour ... given below is his commentary on the tour..
which is some food for thought.
Material life and Spiritual life
Though I am convinced that leading a Spiritual life makes a Man happier and
contented than leading a Material life, a new concept of life was discussed
in the Ashram.
In material life you feel happy only when your desires or expectations are
realized in full. Unfulfilled desires, makes you feel sad and dejected. Even
in success, you are always bitten by deficiency syndrome and feel that every
task is incomplete / with gaps. In other words you always feel you could
have done better. The more you use your strengths, your weaknesses are
exposed and there is always a someone else who has done better than you.
Your scale of happiness is linked to the degree of security (artha) (by
wealth, power, influence and fame) and pleasure (kama) (sensual and sexual)
you enjoy. But the more you enjoy these, your happiness gets clouded with
fear, anxiety, jealousy, hatred, anger, pride and lust. So something gained
on one side is something lost on the other side. A material man’s gait and
demeanor are showy (expensive dress, jewellery and make-up) and wears a sly
smile.
Leading a spiritual life, your sense organs never get attached to the
objects of the world (does not wish to acquire or possess anything as your
own) you are satisfied with what little you have with no aspiration or
interest in others wealth, fame or power. Simplicity, loving, caring,
benevolent, sharing, non-violent, honesty and living without expecting
anything, are synonyms of a spiritual man. He considers any adversity or
pain as opportunities for building up fortitude, patience, compassion,
continence and austerity. He reads the scriptures, chants the glory of the
Supreme being (God or Brahman) and shares with others what he has learned or
experienced. He realizes the power of the Atman within him, practices
Ashtanga Yoga and dedicates every action of his to GOD, as service to the
under privileged. He enjoys total freedom from the bondage of obligations.
For him, a chain of Gold and a chain of Iron are of same value: only the
craftsmanship behind them is revered. His aim and only goal is to attain
Moksha, (total freedom from the dualities of life) and the path leading to
this goal is full of Supreme Bliss, devoid of chaos, misery and pain, both
physical and mental. He shaves his head, becomes a Brahmachari, and wears a
simple loincloth and braces a beaming smile.
Between the two types of life, Can a man lead a spiritual life WITHIN a
material life or vice-versa? This was my question to our mentor. “Yes, It is
possible”, was the answer; in fact when a material man decides to take to
spiritual path, he undergoes a period where both types of life merges. A
person undergoing this phase of life is called a Sadhaka. The Sadhaka
practices Sadhana (purifying the mind) to become a Sadhu. The more spiritual
he adores, the less materialistic he becomes.
In this world of intense competition and survival in a dwindling space,
leading a complete spiritual life, cannot be appreciated by the youth with
tender brains. Nevertheless, can we try to squeeze in some of the spiritual
traits into the material life and REMAIN there without becoming a Sadhu? In
other words, Can we live a Material life with a blend of Spirituality? – for
the youth; and a Spiritual life with a touch of Material - for the aged. I
strongly believe, leading this type of life (let’s call it SMART LIFE) may,
just may, cheer you up! Even if you don’t reach the summit of Supreme Bliss,
at least you can reach the ridges and mounts just below, which are more
beautiful than the summit!
If you believe you can have a blend of both types of life, as I do, let each
one of us put into practice this SMART LIFE, and share our experiences of
its merits and demerits.
There is plenty of flexibility or leverage that can be applied in our way of
living. As rightly mentioned, one should know what is a Good deed and a Bad
deed, what are good thoughts and bad thoughts. What is right and what is
wrong? Differentiating them is the key.
"My mission will be to imbibe the essence of each teaching, approach and
technique and come out with a comprehensive understanding of 'Life' and its'
complexities, within the realms of pure science and not from prophecies and
beliefs. "
I've heard a lot of lectures by eminent personalities on what is life, the
God within each of us, how to control the naughty mind and how to attain
true everlasting happiness. Nothing seems to convince me.
Vedas talk about 'Brahma sutra' as the ultimate path to attain Moksha;
Pathanjali talks about 8 steps (Ashtanga Yoga) leading to Samadhi (Super
Consciousness); Bhagavata says there is nothing greater than
Bhakthi yoga to get rid of all miseries; Lord Krishna in Geeta says a lot on
Karma Yoga, Gnana Yoga and Raja Yoga which when practiced can get you rid of
repeated rebirths on earth and take you directly to Deva Loga (Heaven);
There are still others who talk about 'Omniscience', 'Omnipresence' and
'Omnipotence' and the divinity what we are seeking for is actually within
'ourself'. .......
The Ten Commandments of the Bible and Five Pillars of Islam are other ways
of perfecting Man.
"There is nothing like, Living being and Non-living being; everything in
this universe is living".
"There is a creator behind every creation" and both are made up of the same
core matter and are interdependent".... and so on ....
============================================================================
=
I too would opt for the Smart Life theory ; but then, one need to be only a
very average person to be able to reach this option... does not require a
long search or a deep study to conclude thus.
I am now in Shantigiri Ayurveda hospital for a 15 day rejuvenation & therapy
session; this place is attached to an Ashram ; this place owes its root to
the founder Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru. I am hearing of him only after
coming in here. A visit to the website will provide very revealing glimpse
into a totally different line of thinking.... about Sanathana Dharma, how it
became irrelevant with the coming of Trimuthy system, how Hinduism gradually
fell into decadence as a result of caste system, the ills of the society
now, mistakes committed by various beliefs, practices & mindless rituals...
visit <http://www.santhigiriashram.org> www.santhigiriashram.org ;
You will be surprised to read his philosophy and the revolutionary impact
this line of thinking already has had and can cause in coming years... where
he urges Hindus to discard all forms of God and replace all rituals, break
the shackles of caste barriers ....
If one is already confused (as I am ) about the complexity of Hinduism, then
reading Karunakara Guru’s teachings will ensure the confusion is magnified
by geometric proportions. Having to get up early every morning, I am getting
the rare pleasure of watching various discourses in different TV channels
airing various scholars interpretations of the noble concepts from Gita,
Bible and Quran...
The more I read and the more I listen to the pearls of wisdom bursting forth
from various sermons, the more I am convinced of one fact... that I know
nothing .. that what I think I know, is one big shunyam..or zero...and I am
not alone at this level; not a consolation though.. but I am getting the
courage for stating what I think... ! This is neither being spiritual nor
religious, just practical.
To be religious, one can even be ignorant. Most among Hindus are ignorant of
the finer aspects of rituals; yet, can be deeply religious. Interpretations
of rituals can differ from one scholar to another. Very few among us attempt
to understand the ‘why’ and ‘how’ aspect of many practices we observe.. yet
we do them mechanically or as a habit. There is no organized stream for
learning Hinduism, very few exceptions apart, designed for specific
segments. There are no precise or definite ways of doing anything in
Hinduism unlike Islam or Christianity, where there is little scope for one’s
own discretion in one’s conduct on religious matters. Yet, I am a Hindu and
I can be religious... to the extent I want !! Therefore I am not guilty in
admitting my ignorance and I am not guilty in admitting I am not seeking any
higher knowledge.
I am not searching for Truth.. I am not attempting to digest the
complexities of life. I am not reaching out beyond what I can hold; simply
because I am not prepared yet for total renunciation, without which I feel,
it is just not possible to venture out seeking Truth...
“Bondage is indeed Karma to Man, cut the bondage and salvation is sure”.
I am unable to severe the bondage, nor am I attempting to do so. I am not
attempting either to learn all that is there in the scriptures... Seers are
great souls, who have sacrificed their life, body and mind for the cause of
dharma, owing to their omniscience, life of self-abnegation and spiritual
elevation.
Life is a blessing. A decent healthy life, with folks to love and be loved,
is a bigger blessing. Being wanted in society, with a rewarding vocation and
to be able to live up to the challenges is an even bigger a blessing. I can
go on and on... counting all the blessings.. notwithstanding the loss
endured along the way, ... so it is only fair that I give back something to
the society which has been kind to me all along.
My payback cannot be in the form of teaching others the Ultimate Truth or of
its meaning and relevance; yet, I believe I can contribute in whatever ways
possible within my limitations.
· Bring a sense of relief / a smile to someone, deprived of some of
the blessings that I can count. This is an ongoing mission, with so many
ways open and a highly satisfying one too.
· “Never hurt anyone below the belt”, so said my mentor at the start
of my career. Ever since I have consciously been aware of this advice. There
shall not be a drop of tear on account of my actions.
· Be the conduit as the answer to someone’s prayer... another
on-going mission; where deserving, give generously to make what I give
really meaningful...(“no one has ever become poor, by giving” )
· Be truthful and fair in anything I do.. a guiding principle with
no compromise.
This is my karma...being neither a sanyasi nor a yogi. This is the only way,
I know to ‘experience God’ .. and this is being as spiritual as can be
within a materialistic living, enjoying the pleasures of Life.
(pleasures of life as being distinctly different from happiness in life...
this is for another day)
=============================================================\
Have a peaceful week ahead all of you,
MOHANDAS. KP.
<http://mohandas-sharedthoughts.blogspot.com/>
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