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 |   As the first blog entry got exhausted. My second book |
| Evolution of Love Part 2 |
| To the question 'what does one have to do, what efforts must one make to stop conceptualizing', Maharaj's answer is: Nothing; no efforts. Who is to make the effort? What effort did you make to grow from a tiny sperm cell to a full grown baby in your mother's womb? And thereafter, for several months when you grew from the helpless baby to an infant, what efforts did you make to sense your presence? And now you talk of 'efforts', which 'you' must make! What efforts can an illusory, conceptual 'I' make to know its true nature? What efforts can a shadow make to know its substance? Realizing one's true nature requires no phenomenal effort. Enlightenment cannot be attained, nor forced. It can only happen, when it is given the opportunity to do so, when obstruction by concepts ceases. It can appear only when it is given a vacant space to appear in. If someone else is to occupy this house, says Maharaj, I must first vacate it. If the conceptual 'I' is already in occupation, how can enlightenment enter? Let the conceptual 'I' vacate and give enlightenment a chance to enter. Even making a positive effort to stop thinking as a method of getting rid of conceptualizing, is an exercise in futility, and so is any other kind of 'effort'! The only effective effort is instant apperceiving of truth. See the false as false and what remains is true. What is absent now will appear when what is now present disappears. It is as simple as that. Negation is the only answer. |
| Fear and anxiety are emotional issues we have all perhaps experienced in our lives, some more, some less. It has haunted mortals over ages. Shree Shree Ma Anandamayee says that the mortal world is indeed filled with fear and misery. âThe world indeed is fearsome. If you take refuge in fear, will you not be afraid? To expect fearlessness there, is useless. To get protection from all misery, it is oneâs duty to take shelter only with God.â Elsewhere, She said, âFear and pain are due to desire.â Sage Ashtavakra too voices the same in Ashtavakra Gita during his famous discourse to Kind Janaka. He says, âit is anxiety and nothing else that is the root cause of misery in this worldâ. Fear and anxiety both stem from obstacles to the fructification of our desires or vasanas. FEAR AND ANXIETY âFear is the result of a threat or impending danger. Anxiety is a word we use for some types of fear that are usually to do with the thought of a threat or something going wrong in the future, rather than right now. Anxiety is a natural human emotion in response to a stressful or perceived threatening situation that may occur, rather than one that is occurring around us. Although the focus of the responses are different in fear vs anxiety, fear and anxiety are interrelated. When faced with fear, most people will experience the physical reactions that are described under anxiety. Fear can cause anxiety, and anxiety can cause fear.â(Baton Rouge Behavioural Hospital) DESIRES, FEAR AND ANXIETY Swami Krishnandaji of Divine Life Society says that when the deep rooted vasanas in our chiita or memory or sub-conscious gets triggered, the âsignalâ goes to the mind and it searches for appropriate âobjectsâ in the world outside to mitigate the âthirstâ of our inner desires. The sense organs and organs of actions then play their role through âactionâ or karma to get desired results. Unfortunately for us, the cycle does not stop there. If we are happy with the results, we either fear of how to retain our gains or long for further gains. If we are unhappy with the results, frustration and anger follows, followed by renewed âkarmaâ to correct the situation. Both instances leave another set of fresh impressions in our âchiittaâ as the next set of actions ensue. This mind-desire duo and the attachment to objects and results leads to our getting submerged in the âquick sandâ of the world or âjagatâ. And the world of fear, anxiety, anger, depression, griefâŚâŚ.. Desire is not just limited to what we like. It covers rag dwesha, likes and dislikes, attraction and repulsion. Ma and our scriptures have pointed out various paths and techniques to free ourselves from the cycle of fear, anxiety and grief : THE PATH OF FAITH AND DEVOTION Maâs pronouncements at various times are of interest: âHe is there. Where am âIâ if He is not. If you dwell in the feeling: âHe is touching meâ, you will see â it is He alone. âIf I exists, let it be like a servant or maidservant. In that case I am not far from him.â For the arousal of this attitude constant japa is necessary. The more one is mindful of the Ishta the more there will be devotion. Be one-pointed without allowing the mind to wander in all directions. Why is there the thought of fear? âHe is not near meâ â indeed because of this feeling. Why fear? He is holding you. Holding on to fearlessness where is the question of fearâ? âWhat are you afraid of? He is there all the time; let Him do as He wills. Whatever He does is for the good â remember thisâ. âMa is there. Why worry?â THE PATH OF KARMA The right perspectives on all karmas or actions that we do in daily life would be a great help. Ma says, âIn this world do not become an owner, become a gardener. All problems occur when you become an owner. There are no fights if you can become a mere gardener. The world belongs to the Lord; I am only the servant, that is all. I will keep on serving according to His orders. If you can always live the life of a householder with this emotion, no new bonds will be forged. You are only experiencing the karmas for which you have taken birth (prarabdha). If one can live life always remembering this, where is the question of any fear? He will put everything right.â THE PATH OF KNOWLEDGE Ma says, âSo long as there is coming and going, there will be birth and death. He, who is jubilant at the birth of a child, must be prepared for tears of grief at the time of death. While everything in life is uncertain, it is an undeniable truth that every man must die. To end this ceaseless coming and going, there is only one expedient which is the realization of the One Supreme Being. Unless through sadhana the mind becomes purified and absorbed in Him, one cannot enter His domain of peace.â Sage Ashtavakra too echoes this in Ashtavakra Gita. He says, the man of wisdom, i.e. the one who has realized his Self, is ever free from the vagaries of the mortal world. âIn the conviction that it is anxiety and nothing else that is the root cause of misery in this world, the man of wisdom, with his desires annihilated, remains free from anxiety, happy and contented.â âIn the conviction that happiness and misery, birth and death are parts of the natural process of causality, the man of wisdom, without any need to accomplish anything, is free from anxiety and does not identify himself with anything he happens to be doing.â |
| ********************** It was the coldest winter ever. Many animals died because of the cold. The porcupines, realizing the situation, decided to group together to keep warm. This way they covered & protected themselves; but the quills of each one wounded their closest companions. After a while, they decided to distance themselves one from the other & they began to die, alone & frozen. So they had to make a choice.. . Either accept the quills of their companions or disappear from the Earth. Wisely, they decided to go back to being together. . They learned to live with the little wounds caused by the close relationship with their companions in order to receive the warmth & heat that came from the others. This way they were able to survive. *The best Group is not the one that brings together perfect people, but where each individual learns to live with the imperfections of others & at the same time, admire the other person's good qualities as well.* *Better to be surrounded by 'warm wounds' than be frozen in solitude!!!!!!* đ |
| *Please remember what these few organs are afraid of?* Kidney: Afraid to stay up all night. Stomach: Afraid of the cold food. Lung: Afraid of smoke. Liver: Afraid of fatty stuff. Heart: Afraid of salty food. Pancreas: Afraid of binge eating. Intestinal: Afraid of eating seafood indiscriminately. Eyes: Afraid of mobile phones and computers screens. Gallbladder: Afraid of not eating breakfast. So please take real good care of yourself! đBecause spare parts may not fit. đThey are very expensive and not necessarily in stock. |
Context : Corporate World. On a birthday, a family decided to go out for dinner. Husband asked wife, where to go? Thinking that he likes Gujarati food, she said: âLetâs go to Agashiye - The Terrace Restaurant!â His son and daughter nodded in agreement. On their return, the son remarked, âI wish Papa had taken us to Mainland China, as he loves Chinese food. Or at least to Shere-E-Punjab for the wonderful tandoori chicken.âadded his daughter. âYes, I too would have loved to go Mainland China!â, the man said. Wife looked surprised: âBut didnât we all unanimously agree to go to Agashiye,â she asked. He said sheepishly âI didnât want you to feel bad.â And both children nodded in agreement. Here were four people who of their own volition would not have gone to âAgashiye - The Terrace Restaurant, but collectively agreed to go there. This also happens in the corporate world. This is the Abilene Paradox. Prof Jerry Harvey calls it 'The Inability to Manage Agreement.' The Abilene Paradox occurs when a group of people collectively decide on a course of action that is contrary to the preferences of most of the individuals in the group. Prof Harvey states in his paper âThe Abilene Paradoxâ, âOrganizations frequently take actions in contradiction to what they really want to do and therefore defeat the very purpose they are trying to achieveâ. This is the inability to manage agreement. He adds, âThe inability to manage agreement, not the inability to manage conflict, is the essential symptom that defines organizations caught in the web of the Abilene Paradox.â In the corporate world, when the top boss throws an idea, the group immediately agrees. This is because everyone in the group thinks he would look stupid if he disagrees. Standing out as a lone voice is very embarrassing. This leads the group to decide on âyesâ when ânoâ would have been the personal (and the correct) response of the majority. If the top boss always disagrees with rest of group, then the organization will never have group giving honest opinion. I love this from Ayn Rand, âIf we have an endless number of individual minds who are weak, meek, submissive and impotent. Who renounce their creative supremacy for the sake of the âwholeâ and accept humbly the âwholeâs verdictâ, we donât get a collective super-brain. We get only the weak, meek, submissive and impotent collection of minds.â |
While getting married, most of the guys say to girl's parents, "I will keep your daughter happy for the rest of her life". Have you ever heard a girl saying something like this to the boy's parents like "I will keep your son happy for the rest of his life"???? Nooo.... because women don't tell lies! đđ -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- A small argument between a couple turns violent. Husband says: Donât let the animal in me come out! Wife replies: Whoâs afraid of a mouse?? -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- If wife wants husbandâs attention, she just has to look sad and uncomfortable. If husband wants wifeâs attention, he just has to look comfortable & happy. -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- A Philosopher HUSBAND said:- Every WIFE is a âMistressâ of her Husband⌠âMissâ for first year & âStressâ for rest of the life⌠-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- Do you remember the tingling feeling when you took the decision to get married? That was common sense leaving your body. -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- Son : Dad, l got selected for a role in a play for annual day! Dad: What role are you playing? Son: A husband! Dad: Stupid, ask for a role with dialogues! -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- Man outside phone booth: âExcuse me, you are holding phone since 29 minutes and you havenât spoken a wordâ. Man inside: âi am talking to my wife!â -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x- A very intelligent girl was asked the meaning of marriage.. She said- âsacrificing the admiration of hundred guys, to face the criticism of one idiot.â -x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x Position of a husband is just like a Split AC, No matter how loud he is outdoor, He is designed to remain silent indoor! -x-x-x-x-x-x-x- Husband to wife : U should learn to embrace your mistakesâŚ.. She hugged him immediately. ----- đđđ¤Łđ Share to make others smile...laughter works like medicine! ââââ |
| When four of Santa's elves got sick, the trainee elves did not produce toys as fast as the regular ones, and Santa began to feel the Pre-Christmas pressure.. Then, Mrs. Claus told Santa her Mother was coming to visit, which stressed Santa even more.. He went to harness the reindeer, he found that three of them were about to give birth and two others had jumped the fence and were out, Heaven knows where.. When he began to load the sleigh, one of the floorboards cracked, the toy bag fell to the ground and all the toys were scattered.. Frustrated, Santa went in the house for a glass of cider and a shot of rum.. He went to the cupboard, he discovered the elves had drunk all the cider and hidden the rum.. In his frustration, he accidentally dropped the cider jug, and it broke into hundreds of little glass pieces all over the kitchen floor.. He went to get the broom and found the mice had eaten all the straw off the end of the broom.. Just then the doorbell rang, and an irritated Santa marched to the door, yanked it open, and there stood a little angel with a great big Christmas tree. The angel said very cheerfully, 'Merry Christmas, Santa. Isn't this a lovely day? I have a beautiful tree for you. Where would you like me to stick it..?' *_And so began the tradition of the little angel on top of the Christmas tree._* |
Ma's Accessibility to Women There seem to be three main ways in which Ma's being a woman particularly benefited and inspired women. The first way, which has been well documented in the interviews throughout this study, is that, because Mä was in a female body, women had greater access to her and, therefore, greater intimacy with her. In watching the films and videotapes of Mä, it is striking to see the number of women, both householders and brahmacharinis, surrounding MĂŁ at public events. I have been able to see the faces of many of the women devotees whom I interviewed hovering around Mä. I can only imagine that, in Ma's private moments, men were absent, and many women had the opportunity to serve God as MĂŁ very closely. It is easy to understand how those women who physically cared for MĂŁ might have been particularly devastated by her death. Chitra, a brahmacharini, movingly expressed the grief of many women close to MĂŁ in a 1984 article in Ananda VÄrtÄ. She says, "My pained heart cries out in anguish to take shelter in the pure haven of love that was our Mother's lap." While women devotees' privileged access to MĂŁ offered them a rare spiritual opportunity to have a personal relationship with God as MĂŁ, caring for her and being cared for by her, it also offered them an emotional opportunity, Most Hindu marriages, and certainly Bengali ones, require a young woman, who is often a mere teenager, to leave her own mother and spend the rest of her life in the household of her husband, receiving what motherly attention is available, which may be little or none, from her mother in-law. The heart-wrenching separation of a daughter from her mother at marriage is sung about and ritualized in the time preceding a traditional Hindu wedding, so that nearly every young girl, although prepared for it, also dreads it. 14 After the marriage, depending on the regional and caste customs, a young bride is allowed to visit her own mother only at specific times of the year and, depending on distance, perhaps not even once a year. For married devotees, in the absence of a continuous and nurturing relationship with their own mother, MĂŁ fulfilled that motherly role. Women often mentioned that the kind of intimacy that they enjoyed with MĂŁ mirrored their relationship with their biological Mä. For example, Krishna Bhattacharya, presently in her sixties or seventies, reminisced about a time when MĂŁ invited her to come to Naimisharanya. Just like a daughter who after so many days goes to her parent's house, I was looked after by everybody with care. In that way I was. Naimisharanya is a very quiet and peaceful place, and Mä used to ask me every day whether I have seen everything there, and whether I have taken my food, lunch, etc. MĂŁ would let me take her hair down and lie on the cot. We would chat, just as mothers and daughters do. She would say, "What did they feed you? Was the food good?" And I used to ask her about the proper way I should make my rituals and things. And at that time, she used to ask everybody to leave the room, so I could be alone with Mä. For Ma's brahmacharini devotees, the choice to live with MĂŁ as celibate women meant that they could have a lifelong relationship with both mothers, their own biological mothers and their spiritual mothers. For example, when I interviewed the brahmacharini Malini-Di, I also met her mother, who was living in the Kankhal ashram with her. Mother and daughter seemed to be enjoying an intimacy and a proximity not usually possible when a daughter leaves home for her husband's household. In addition, as Malini intimated, whereas an unmarried daughter is considered an embarrassment and a potential disaster, a brahmacharini daughter, safe in the confines of Ma's ashram, can be a source of pride. Mä as an Advocate for Spiritual Equality for Women The second way in which Ma's being a woman benefited women was that MĂŁ, because of women's accessibility to her, was in a better position to advocate for their spiritual equality with men. In particular, she was able to inspire some of them, the ones who she determined were suited, to take a vow of lifelong celibacy and become brahmacharinis, pursuing full-time sadhana. Eight of the twenty-five women had taken such a vow. This act of renunciation apparently had both associated difficulties and boons. On the one hand, "Ma's girls," as they were called, lived a rather cloistered life in which they had few personal possessions and little or no privacy, were told what to do and where to do it, and engaged in various levels of tapasya, or austerities, such as sleeping on a thin mat on the floor. On the other hand, they were just that, "Ma's girls," and as such they enjoyed the enviable position of living and traveling with MĂŁ most of the time. Certainly many of them must have been motivated to become brahmacharinis for this reason. While women householder devotees came and went, based on their husbands' permission and their family responsibilities, "Ma's girls" stayed on, caring for Mä. Although it would be tempting to think of "Ma's girls" as doing more combing of Ma's hair than meditation, it is apparent that along with physical proximity to MĂŁ came Ma's close scrutiny of their spiritual progress, Swami Gitananda, the only sannyasini whom I interviewed, described the benefits and the demands of the "girls"" relationship with Mä. [The girls] who wanted to be closely related to Mä were treated differently by MĂŁ. She was open with them. She liked to scold them in front of the assembled people. MĂŁ had a free, unrestrained relationship with us and took pleasure in speaking to us. And we girls took pride in our status. MĂŁ would scold us in public for the smallest infractions. It was only for show and then she would say later. "Now, I can scold you with all my heart. I can be very direct with you. I do not have to hide anything" This was our pride that MĂŁ thought we were special. With us Mä felt every little, tiny behavior had to be so fragrant and fruitful as a rose in full bloom. You see, MĂŁ wanted us to blossom into So pointed out even the smallest failing so that we will improve and make our life beautiful like a rose. Chitra's article, "Let Us Be Filled with Sweet Memories," explains the blessings and the challenges inherent in the relationship between MĂŁ and her brahmacharinis. In this article, Chitra reproduces a letter dictated by MĂŁ to her and five of Mä's other "older friends," whom MĂŁ had left in Kishenpur ashram in Dehradun during the "three severe winter months to practice intensive sadhana." Although Chitra frames the article by saying that "there is no one now who lavishes grace and compassion on us as did our adored Ma," practicing sadhana in the bitter cold of the Himalayan foothills in December and January without central heating and without Ma must have been pure tapasya. Ma, indeed, acknowledges this point in her letter, saying that "we are told that for the sake of concentrated sadhana, sadhus and sannyasins [both terms for male practitioners] often stay in cold places since this is congenial to meditation." She says that spending too much time traveling with MĂŁ and "meeting too many people becomes an obstacle." Thus, for their "spiritual welfare," MĂŁ has had the kheyala that they should be away from "this body." MĂŁ chastens, Therefore, this splendid opportunity should not be wasted. The aroma of the sadliana of these tapasvinis [female ascetics] must be noticed in their looks, their way of speaking; each movement should manifest their progress towards Truth. Every effort must be made to speak the truth, to remain steeped in the spiritual, to advance toward immortality, The letter goes on to address each brahmacharini individually with both motherly advice and compassion and guru-like corrections. For example, MĂŁ is happy to hear that Pushpa's and Chitra's inflammation of the throat has subsided. Yet MĂŁ says, "Udas is growing old, wrinkles have started on her face. When will you concentrate on sadhana? Are you going to spend your whole life attending to this body? Complete your japa and do your sadhana with enthusiasm and steadiness."20 She cautions against drinking too much tea in winter and recommends hot water instead. At the same time she says, Many a day have you spent watching the sights of the world, joking and laughing in the worldly way; now, friends, be pilgrims on the journey to your real Home! Do not think that just because you have not felt His presence and the touch of Him you are free to while away your time in frivolities, this can never lead to your real welfare. |
| Mathematician Ramanujam didnât have any close friends- someone asked him the reason. He replied that although he wanted to have close friends -nobody was up to his expectations. When pressed how he expected his friend to be - he replied - like numbers 220 and 284! The person got confused and asked what is the connection between friendship and these numbers! Ramanujam asked him to find the divisors of each number! With much difficulty - the person derived and listed them 220 â 1,2,4,5,10,11,20,22,44,55,110,220 284 â1,2,4,71,142,284 Ramanujam then asked the person to exclude the numbers 220 and 284 and asked the sum of the remaining divisors The person was astonished to find: 220 â 1+2+4+5+10+11+20+22+44+55+110=284 284 â1+2+4+71+142=220 Ramanujam explained that an ideal friendship should be like these numbers- to complement each other - even when one is absent - the other should represent the friend! The person thought - no wonder this genius is on the worldâs top list of mathematicians!! |
*Mother:* I fought with death when I was giving birth to you. I spent sleepless nights when you were sick and crying. I never ate without feeding you first. I bore so many pains to bring you to the stage that you are in today. _How will you repay me my child_? *Child:* When I grow up, I will find a good job and earn lots of money for you so you can enjoy the pleasures of this world. *Mother:* Your father is doing this already and I do not expect this from you too. By the time you are earning I will be old and will not be in need of any worldly luxuries. *Son:* I will find a pious lady and marry her so she can cook for you and take care of you. *Mother:* That is not her duty my son and neither should you marry for that reason. It is not compulsory on her to do any service to me, neither do I expect this from her. Your marriage should be for you, a companion and a comfort for you as you go through this journey of life. *Child:* Tell me mother how can I repay you then? *Mother:* (With tears in her eyes) Visit or call me often. A mother only requires this much from you while she is alive. Then when I die give me your shoulder and bury me. Whenever you perform prayers, supplicate for me. Give out in charity for me. Remember your every good deed will benefit me in the hereafter so be good and kind always. Fulfill the rights of all those around you. _The sleepless nights and pains I took to bring you up was not a favour to you but was for my creator. He blessed me with you as a beautiful gift and as a means for me to attain His pleasure. Your every good deed becomes my repayment._ Will you do it my child...? *Child*: (Cannot speak and had tears in his eyes) |
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