Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s 2015 New Year Message

  
Happy New Year. Ring in the new. Ring out the old. Past is gone. it is there only in our memory. The future is going to unfold and whatever it is going to unfold, we are ready to receive. We need to be ready.Years of our life help us receive the New Year with a better poise, with a better capacity to understand. We have better perception in short. We want our desires to be fulfilled in the New Year.
 
From our past experience, we know that all our desires do not get fulfilled. In the diary only the first page is written. Desires can be fulfilled. It need not be fulfilled. We work for fulfillment of our desires. Desires constitute one’s life. If they do not get fulfilled, they leave the person unhappy. In the New Year we make a decision to have desires, but learn to manage them.

If fulfilled we are happy. If not, we try to fulfill them. There are so many reasons for the desires not getting fulfilled. In all of them we cannot claim success. Being in the right place at the right time is success. We do not know what is the right place and right time. Therefore we just pray.

Prayer brings about grace as its result. Earn this grace by prayer, by good deeds and reaching out deeds. Keep some grace under your belt.

This year will be meaningful and graceful. May the year give you a lot a grace.

This is my New Year wish.

Happy New Year. Thank you.

THE MEANING OF NĀRĀYANA

There are many ways of looking at the meaning of the word nārāyana , one of which is particularly relevant here . The word nara is used to refer to a human bing . It also means indestructible , that which always remains ( na rīyate , not destroyed ) . Nara , therefore , can only refer to that which pervades everything and is timeless which is ātmā .

Ātmā here refers to the “I” , the essence of the subject who performs various actions and enjoys various forms of experiences . This is an entirely different meaning from what we commonly understand by the word “I” . Therefore , the real meaning of the word nara , human being , is to be understood from the śāstra to be the all-pervasive and timeless ātmā , paramātmā .


That which belongs to the nara is nāram or jagat , the world . The world is born out of all-pervasive , timeless paramātmā , is sustained by paramātmā and goes back to paramātmā .

Nāra , then , is the entire world and the one who knows it (eti) is Nārāyana , the omniscient Lord , Parameśvara , with reference to the world . Therefore , the same ātmā , the nara-ātmā , the human being , is the omniscient paramātmā , Parameśvara , the Lord .

Because this omniscient Nārāyana was the one who was teaching Arjuna , everything that was taught in the Gītā is considered valid . Nārāyana is the one who knows and is also the one to be known through the Veda .

~ By Swami Dayananda Saraswati in "Introduction to Bhagavad-Gita" book

Sri Hanuman Jayanthi 2014

SRI HANUMAN JAYANTHI ( 21.12.2014 )

"Man has been searching for God on earth and in heaven since time immemorial and the search has been fruitless. his search for God represents the human urge for fullness, for inner fulfillment, in an otherwise afflicted existence. This timeless pursuit is beautifully depicted in the great epic Ramayana, in the form of Hanuman's (हनुमान) allegorical search for Sita (सीता) .

Sita represents Santi (शान्ति) or inner quietude, another name for the bliss of fulfillment. Hanuman does not succeed in his search as long as he remains searching in Lanka, the city of Ravana (रावण), which represents world with its myriad sense objects. However, the moment he turns his back on Lanka, he is in the asoka grove (अशोक वाटिका), and finds Sita without any effort. Similarly human heart is asoka grove, wherein abides timeless and boundless quietude, the santi and fulfillment of our prayers; man has only to look within."

By : Swami Tattvavidananda Saraswati  

HINDUISM - Part 1

Hari Om .
  

HINDUISM

In the contemporary world , there are many religions of recent origin . Likewise , many ancient religions that existed earlier are now extinct . Neo-religions are “founded” in the sense that they were started by individuals at specific points in time . When we trace the history of these religions , we find that they have emerged at the cost of disturbing pre-existing religions , and destroying indigenous cultural traditions in different parts of the world . In Europe , a new organisation known as “The World Congress of Ethnic Religions” has been formed by some individuals who are interested in preserving indigenous religious traditions in Europe . Although the membership base of this organisation is negligible , we must give them credit for having survived the onslaught if new religions and having come together to form an organisation . The secretary of this organisation recently appealed to Hindus on the Internet , requesting the Hindus , as the representatives of the largest ethnic tradition , to come forward and lead the movement to preserve indigenous religions in the contemporary world .

Hinduism is “Sanatana Dharma”

The Hindu religion is the indigenous religion of India , and is different from the neo-religions in the fact that it was not founded by any particular person . Krishna did not found Hindu religion . Rama was born within the religion , which is testified by the fact that he was the product of a particular Vedic ritual called putrakameshti . When he was born , he was given the name “Rama” , and a ritual known as jateshti was performed . Even though Rama and Krishna are worshipped as incarnations of the Lord within the Hindu tradition , they were not responsible for the Hindu religion . In fact , they were born within the Hindu tradition , and their own lives exemplified the values unfolded by the Vedas . Just as we cannot trace the origin of physics to a specific person or a given intellect , the Hindu religion cannot be traced to a specific individual . The Hindu religion is simply a view and way of life . The Hindu Dharma offers a very clear view of life and a view of reality , which can be accomplished by a self-conscious human being . The Hindu Dharma is therefore called sanatana-dharma . This compound can be broken in two ways : sanatanasya dharmaḥ , sanatana-dharma or sanatanascha asou dharmascha , sanatana-dharma . The first meaning of sanatana-dharma is Isvarasya , sanatasya , dharmaḥ . It is a dharma of the Lord , and therefore has no worldly beginnings or endings . The second meaning of this compound can be understood in the sense of pravaha-nityatvam . The dharma flows perennially , and keeps re-emerging with each cycle of creation .

Just as the science of physics has no particular author , the Hindu dharma also cannot be attributed to any specific personality . Similarly , everybody has some knowledge of physics , including the monkeys . A monkey could not jump from one branch to another without some knowledge of gravity . Even a newborn monkey knows that if it lets go of its mother , it will fall down , which could have hazardous results for its health , and for the propagation of the species . The only difference between the body of knowledge known as physics and the body of knowledge that is known as sanatana-dharma is that the first deals with a variable reality , and the second with the invariable . Even within sanatana-dharma , certain day to day aspects of the tradition might undergo a few changes ; but the truth of this religion will always remain the same . In Sanskrit , truth is defined as abhaditam . Satyam or truth . is that which is not subject to negation or improvement . Anything that is subject to modification , or is dependent upon something else for its existence cannot be satyam . Expounding the nature of truth is the greatest asset of sanatana-dharma .

~ Swami Dayananda Saraswati

Hinduism and Spirituality

The Hindu Dharma is simply a view and way of life which can be accomplished by a self-conscious human being . Hindus do not subscribe to a set of beliefs because beliefs may be a view but they are not pragmatic enough to manifest into a way of life . You can go to the most remote village in India and ask them , “Where is God ?” and they will answer “ He is everywhere” . This is Hindu Dharma . It is a pragmatic view that beautifully unfolds into a way of life .

The Hindu tradition is rich with various religious practices and rituals that are meant to introduce spirituality in a Hindu’s life . There may be a scientific reason behind these practices and rituals or there may not be anything scientific about it . But , there is definitely the component of spirituality that is the underlying basis of these practices and rituals .

In the contemporary world , many neo-religions have come into existence . These religions are founded by particular persons and they subscribe to a set of beliefs . All the followers of neo-religions are religious people . There is no doubt about it . They lead a prayerful and religious life to prepare them for the hereafter . But , there is no such thing as spirituality in these neo-religions .

Spirituality is unique to our Hindu Dharma . Spirituality does not mean indulging yourself into mystics and mysteries . It is simply a search , an inquiry about yourself . When the word “you” is mentioned , it refers to “I” which also includes the Lord and the creation also because there is no second person other than “I” . I always look upon myself as separate from everything else that I see . But from the standpoint of totality , the observer (myself) is also included in all that I observe . If not , how can I deem it to be total when I am excluded from it ? Therefore , since I am not separate from the total , the inquiry about myself naturally also involves an inquiry about the Lord and the creation .

In short , the view and way of life that expounds the reality of oneself , the Lord and the creation is Hindu Dharma . Seeking the true nature of oneself alone is spirituality and without spirituality , nothing exists in Hindu Dharma .

Acceptance

When I accept something , what do I do ? Is it just a sentence , “I accept” ? A mere sentence does not imply acceptance . Sometimes I accept something without saying so .

Acceptance implies a certain attitude on my part . When I accept something , I give it the freedom to be what it  is . I do not want the thing to be different from what it is . 

Acceptance implies granting freedom to the object of acceptance to be what it is . In giving the freedom , I do not demand that the object of acceptance to be what it is . The mere word , acceptance , without understanding its implications does not help . I accept a child as the child is . I accept a tree . I accept the sun , the moon . I accept a bird , its colours , its behavior . I accept a chemical as it is . I accept sugar as it is . I accept poison as it is . Acceptance does not imply that I have to use it . In acceptance , there is objectivity . I let things be as they are . 

With reference to my past , however , I do not let it be as it is . I do not accept it because the past has caused me pain . Due to my helplessness I subjected myself to pain , to hurt . Therefore , the painful past is not acceptable to me . Can I bring myself to accept the past ? When I bring myself to bear upon the past , can I be the same person that I am when I accept the sky ?

How do I accept the sky ? What frame of mind do I have when I accept the sky ? That same frame of mind I bring to bear upon my mother and father –whether they are alive or not . In the same way , I accept my friends , my relatives , employees , my grandparents , my children , my partner in life . Individually , I accept every one of them because I give them the freedom to be what they are . I do not blame the sky because it is or is not blue .

I bring this same person to bear upon those with whom my life has been cast . They are all different characters in the drama of my life . I free myself from blaming any one of them . I blame no one , nor do I blame myself .

“ O Lord , please give me the serenity , the clarity , to accept gracefully what I cannot change and change what I can . I cannot change the past for it has already happened . But I can change my attitude , my understanding . I can bring about a change in my attitude towards myself , towards the world , by widening my understanding  . Let me change what I can , and grant me the wisdom to know the difference between what I can and cannot change . " 

~  Written by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati ( Arsha Vidya Gurukulam )

Who Is Bhagavan ?

Bhagavān is the one who has bhaga (the six-fold virtues) in absolute measure . These are : all knowledge (jñāna) , total dispassion (vairāgya) , the capacity to create , sustain and resolve (vīrya) , absolute fame (yaśas) , all wealth (srī) and overlordship (aiśvarya) .

To have all knowledge (jñāna) means to be free from all ignorance . Thus , the one who has jñāna does not require a mind , perception or a means of knowledge with which to know . If we require a mind to know , there is always ignorance . Thus , whoever is endowed with a mind in order to know cannot be Bhagavān – as an individual , that is . We will see how it is possible to be one with Bhagavān later . Bhaga , then , is jñāna , all knowledge .

The one who has total , absolute dispassion (vairāgya) has no longing  , no insecurity . He or she is full . Vīrya is absolute power or śakti , meaning the capacity to create , to sustain , and to resolve . The one who has this absolute power is called the Almighty .

Absolute fame (yaśas) means all fame , including your own or anyone else’s . One who is endowed with the ability to sing , for example , may gain some fame , a ray of glory , but that fame belongs to the Lord , the one who has all fame . The Lord also has all wealth , all resources (srī) . Any wealth you may have really belongs to Bhagavān , the Lord , and you are only a trustee of whatever resources you happen to have .

Finally , the one who is not caused , who is not ruled by anyone , who does not subject himself or herself to the laws of someone else , has what is called aiśvarya . We , as individuals , have to go by the laws ; we cannot go against them . Even an engineer who is responsible for planning , commissioning , and running a thermal plant cannot touch a live wire without consequence . In other words , the engineer cannot behave as he or she likes merely because he or she is the author of the electricity . It was because of the laws alone that the engineer was able to generate electricity in the first place .

The one who does not subject Himself to another’s law or laws is the Lord . If the Lord is ruled by someone else , then that someone else becomes the Lord – and it is this Lord that we are talking about . These six absolute virtues , then , constitute bhaga and the one who has bhaga is Bhagavān .

Source : Bhagavad Gita Home Study Book by Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati

The Meaning of Omkara

Om is the name for Brahman , the cause and the basis of creation . Om , as a sound symbol , also indicates auspiciousness (mangalam) and is chanted at the beginning of prayers and religious studies . Om is derived from the Sanskrit verbal "av" , meaning "to protect" . It refers to the Lord who protects and sustains everything . When one chants Om with the understanding that it is a name for the Lord , it becomes a prayer for one's protection .

Om etymologically is composed of three sounds , "a" , "u" and "m" . The first syllable , "a" , stands for the waking world , the waker and the waking experience ( the physical body and the physical world) . The second syllable "u" , stands for the dream world , the dreamer and the dream experience ( the thought world - dreams / imaginations / thinking ) . The third syllable "m" , stands for the sleep world , the sleeper , and the sleep experience (the unmanifest condition) . As one chants Om repeatedly , the silence between the chants (called amātrā) stands for the awareness , the consciousness which is the basis of the three worlds , the three experiences , and the three states of experience .

Om thus represents all that exists and the basis or substratum of all that exists . Om is complete . This Om is a comprehensive name for the Lord and Om is the Lord .