Karma Yoga - Part 2

               Another important definition is samatvam yoga ucyate - sameness is called yoga . The sameness of he mind with respect to the responses , in the wake of desirable and undesirable situations is yogah . How to gain this sameness ? Lord Krsna says that with reference to karma alone one has a choice , one has got freedom , never with reference to the result . The answer lies in this statement .

               This statement of the Lord is interpreted / translated as "perform action without expecting results " . Lord Krsna would not talk to Arjuna without expecting the result of his teaching being understood by Arjuna . And the person who translates thus and publishes the book should perform action without expecting the result !

I asked him , " Eh , how many copies did you print ? "

He says , " I printed 3000 copies" .

"Why not 5000 copies ? "

"No Swamiji , money will get locked up and I cannot afford . It is very difficult to sell " .

" When do you expect to sell all the 3000 copies " ?

" I think in two three years I can sell them all " .

"Do you expect that " ?

"Yes , I expect that . "

                 What does he write in this book ? Don't expect any result for action . It is foolish , nobody can perform an action without expecting some result . Even a fool will not perform an action without expecting result . He is a fool because he expects a result that is not there . " Perform action without expecting results " - is not the teaching of the Lord . What Lord teaches here is this : you have a choice over your actions , not over the results of actions . As a human being , you have got the freedom to do , or not to do , or to do differently . A donkey doesn't have this freedom . Action is very important . What one does is very important . Others may not care what one thinks . Thinking will change automatically if one does what is proper .

                  You have a choice over action .You can clap , you need not clap , you can keep your hands on your head also , you have all the freedom to use your hands as you want , as long as things go well  . Once I perform an action , the result is taken care of . As even I bring my hands together to clap , the result is there - the sound . An American came to India , for some business collaboration . As he was leaving New York , he asked one of his Indian friends who were around to send him off , " How do you greet each other in India ? " . He demonstrated namaste by joining the palms of both the hands together and in the process he created sound also . This American was received in Bombay with garlands , and he went about  greeting everybody doing - namaste  , clapping aloud . Indian friends were shy of saying anything to him because he was an important person . He wanted to meet a Swami because he had heard a lot about them . I happened to be in Bombay at that time and they brought him to me . He said , " Swami , namaste (Clapping) " . Then , I called him aside and told him - "This" (clapping) is not namaste , this (clapping) is perhaps for killing mosquitoes . Just bringing hands together without making sound is namaste. The sound is not part of namaste  . I can produce sound while joining the hands , or I can gently put my hands together and create no sound . There is a difference in action . But suppose he claps and keeps saying "Hands ! Don't make noise , don't make noise " , they will make noise . You have choice over your action , not over the result . Result is taken care of by the laws and the laws are impartial , they are infallible . One of the laws is the law of karma . When you buy stocks , they go down thereafter and when you dispose them off , they go up sometimes , not always . This is what we call karma . That karma also may be part of your ownpast actions getting unfolded day after day . They may function as an inhibiting factor in getting what you want . You can only plan and act .

                    Now , any result that comes is of four types . It is either equal to your expectation , or more than your expectation , or more than your expectation or less than your expectation or totally opposite to your expectation . My standard example is crossing the road and getting the bus . You want to cross the road and catch the bus . You crossed the road and caught the bus - equal to your expectation . You crossed the road and got a lift to your house , a friend stops his car and takes you to your house . This doesn't happen every day but it does happen  - more than your expectation . You were crossing the road  and after two days you woke up in the local hospital asking certain philosophical questions like , " Who am I ? " . The emergency ward is always full . Nobody goes there with a prior appointment . You do not call up the emergency ward and say "Tomorrow at 4 o'clock I am going to meet with an accident , please keep a bed ready for me " . Every action is fraught with these four types of results from the standpoint expectation , equal to what you expect , more than what you expect , less than what you expect , or opposite .

Karma Yoga - Part 1

               One should learn to interpret dharma at a given time . The Gita definitely has much to say about dharma . Every human being is required to know that dharma . The Gita says - yataf pravrttihi bhutanam yena sarvamidam tatam svakarmana tamabhyarcya siddhim vindati manavah - One accomplishes success by worshipping Isvara through one's own karma from whom this entire jagat has come , also by whom it is sustained , by whom it is pervaded ; he who manifests himself in the form of jagat .

                One can become successful by worshipping Isvara . How to worship Isvara ? What is the worship ? Doing one's own karma is worship . What is that karma ? That which is to be done in a given situation . And what is to be done in a given situation is nothing but Isvara in the form of dharma (svadharma -one's own duty) . Generally what you like is what not to be done and what you dislike is what is to be done . These conflicts are common to all . I am not inclined to do this , but it is to be done and when I do it , it becomes my svakarma .Who decides "what is to be done " ? . Isvara , manifest as dharma decides it . Anything appropriate in a given situation is the manifestation of Isvara and that exactly determines svakarma . Svakarma is doing the right thing at the right time and the right place . When I do the right thing , I am in harmony with dharma , in harmony with Isvara . This is called deliberate conscious way of living .

                Your awareness of Isvara in the form of dharma also implies what is appropriate and what is inappropriate . There is no dharma and adharma in eating etiquette or table etiquette . Table etiquette is a big thing in the West . You are supposed to follow certain things . People talk so much while eating . Marriages are decided , big contracts and declarations are signed , national discussions and dialogues take place while eating . That is their etiquette there . I don't say it is right or wrong . But here , in India , you have been told not to talk while eating .

                If that is one way of eating , this is another way of eating . There is no dharma or adharma involved here . There is no right and wrong , but there is such a thing as appropriate and inappropriate . Your behaviour can hurt a person in some way or the other . It is a hurt , a small little hurt , disturbance . Your way of life , your behaviour , your conduct , your words , all these disturb and as long as you find that you disturb people , that means you have room to grow . When I live a life of least disturbance , that is called yoga .

                That is possible only when I am in harmony , when my words and deeds are in harmony with dharma , which is Isvara . As a father , as a mother , as a human , as a son , as a daughter , as a citizen , as a responsible human being , I have certain things to do and certain things I don't do . These actions of mine would be in harmony with Isvara , only if I have the awareness of Isvara . That is the real essence of yoga . There is no secular karma-yoga . Lord Krsna defines yoga as - yogak karmasu kausalam . Skill in action is the general translation of the word kausalam . Kausalam is discretion in action . Doing what is appropriate , doing the right action at the right time , in the right place , using proper words with alertness is called kausalam . That is yoga . It is a life of alertness . If it is in keeping with dharma , karma-yoga is Isvara .

Guru Purnima 2013 Speech

GURU

             by Dhesegaan a/l Bala Krishnan

                                Sosanam bhavasindhosca , jnapanam sarasampadah

                                Gurof padodakam samyak , tasmai srigurave namah

Hari Om !

                A very good day to His Holiness Sri Swami Jitatmananda Saraswati and fellow spiritual seekers who are present today . I thank Sri Swamiji for giving me this opportunity to talk today  . On this very auspicious day , I wish to present you a talk entitled “Guru” .

                Today , the biggest conflict a spiritual seeker faces is to find the right guru . Nearly everyone claim to be  a qualified guru . Worst still , many are carried away by whims and fancies when we talk about guru . They think the man with the longest and whitest beard in town is a guru . If they hear of miracle men at some corner of the city , they rush there and make him their guru . Why ? Because many don’t know what it means by a guru .

                 “Gu” means darkness and ”ru” means dispeller or remover . Thus , the word ”guru” means the dispeller of darkness . Darkness represents ignorance because in dark , you cannot see anything . So too the veil of ignorance covers whatever that exists . To remove darkness , we need light . Light represents knowledge . In the presence of light , whatever existing can be seen . The light does not bring anything new into the room but it makes everything in the room visible to you . So is the nature of knowledge . It does not create something new but it sheds light to whatever it there . That is when you find something new , you say you ‘dis-covered’ something . You dis-covered it . It was there but covered and you uncovered it with a certain amount of knowledge .

                That is exactly what the guru does . He imparts knowledge on you and the ignorance is removed . Honestly speaking , he did not create something new out of you . He just removed the veil of ignorance . Just like a sculptor . The sculptor has a clear vision of the Lord’s form in a piece of stone but you cannot . To make you see the same vision as he can , he removes the parts and pieces of the stone that covers the form he can see . After that sculpting , now you can see what he can . The guru has already identified himself with Isvara . But , he comes down to your level of understanding and lifts you up to his level , helping you to get the same vision that he already has Therefore , you call a guru daya-sindhu .

                Do I really need a guru ? Can I self-study the sastras ?  After all , its just another language and with a dictionary , I can learn it . Why need a guru ?

                Perhaps you could do so if the Vedas was just any ordinary literature text . Why , today people even do PHD researches on Shakespeare’s literature works , saying that his words are so rich in meaning that it is worth doing a research on it . If a puny mortal’s words could be so meaningful  , how would the words of the Isvara’s be ? The Vedas are directly from the Isvara , so it has many hidden and indirect meanings which can be unfolded only by a proper methodology . This methodology is what we call sampradaya . Only a guru who has been through this sampradaya can help you to discover the meanings of the sastra .

                The sastra itself highlights the need of a guru in one’s spiritual pursuit . Lord Krsna and Arjuna were very close friends . But , when did Krsna taught Arjuna the Gita ? He did not say , “ O Arjuna , are you free now ? Come , I tell you a story called Gita “ . At that moment , Arjuna would surely not be bothered by what Krsna was going to say . Nor would Krsna’s words be valued if it was told then . But , in the battlefield , when he was in the biggest dilemma of his life , Arjuna asked for the teaching . Note that the teaching is only given when it is asked . Even than , Krsna waited until Arjuna mentioned “sisyas teham “ . Only when Arjuna accepted Krsna as his guru , did Krsna accept Arjuna as his sisya and imparted the teaching . In the Katho Upanishad , we see a young spiritual seeker called Naciketas asking Lord Yama himself to teach him self-knowledge . Though Lord Yama tried to delude Naciketas with wordly desire , Naciketas was firm in his spiritual seeking . He accepted the Lord as his teacher and he asked for the teaching . Only then he got it .

                In both examples , we see that only if there is asking , then the teaching is given . At the same time , there is an attitude of acceptance between the guru and sisya . The guru accepts the sisya and the sisya accepts the guru . That is why the dialogues between a guru and sisya is a samvada (discussion ) and not just a vada ( argument) . For the sisya to develop acceptance for his guru , he must have sraddha in the words of the guru . Adi Sankara defines sraddha as “ guru-vedanta-vakyesu visvasah sraddha” , meaning sraddha is trust in the words of the teacher and the scripture . Another way of saying it is  “ The guru is the sastra and the sastra is the guru “ ., I am referring to intellectual trust not just a blind trust .  Vedanta  offers something to understand not a set of beliefs . So , there is work for my intellect . To believe that I will go to heaven after death , I don’t need an intellect . To believe that there is a  judgemental God waiting to throw me into hell for my sins , I don’t need an intellect . If I am born just  follow a set of beliefs , then I would say God has wasted his grace on me by giving me an intellect .

                Here , sraddha means , “ If I don’t see the fact , then there are doubts in my understanding and not in my teacher’s words . So , I have to clarify that doubts to see the fact “ . It is just like when I wake up in the morning and I open my eyes , I’m sure I can see something . That certainty , that unwavering trust is called sraddha .

                Sometimes , people say that when they look into their guru’s eyes , they get the answers for all the questions . It seems as though the guru is able to converse with them only with his eyes . If this was really possible , then God would not have taken the trouble to give you a mouth to talk . He would have made us all mute so that we develop this “talking-by-eyes” power . For any learning to take place , a dialogue has to take place between guru and sisya . Lord Dakshinamurti did not teach in silence . He used silence as a pramana , as an instrument to explain Brahman . In silence , no learning can take place . Even if you sit in silence for years , skies will not open and drop knowledge on you . In silence , there is just silence ! Nothing more .

                Adi Sankara said that there are three very rare and precious boons(varam) in a human’s life . First , to be born  as a human itself is a very rare and precious boon . Second , to desire for moksa (mumukshutvam) is another very rare and precious boon . Thirdly , to get the right guru to guide you in your spiritual pursuit is a very rare and precious boon . Blessed with a wonderful guru right in front of us , let us make use of this boon well to attain moksa . 

Thank you 

Sri Daksinamurti - The Form

Lord Daksinamurti is the presiding deity of Brahma-vidya (self-knowledge) . He is given a particular form for the purpose of worship and contemplation .

Lord Daksinamurti is shown seated under a banyan tree , surrounded by disciples . The Lord is seated on Nandi , the bull who is traditionally the vehicle of Lord Siva . The Lord has four hands . In his lower right hand , He exhibits the cin-mudra and also holds a japa-mala . In his upper right hand , the Lord is holding a damaru ( a small drum ) and a pasa , a noose . In his upper left hand , we see fire , and in the lower left hand , a book . The sun and the moon adorn the crown of the Lord . We also see in his matted locks the maiden figure representing the Ganga . In his right , the Lord wears a man's earring , and in his left ear , a women's earring . He is adorned with necklaces and armlets , a belt and bracelets . His left feet is resting on his right thigh ( in the posture called Virasana ) and his right foot presses a dwarf-like crouching demon called Apasmara .

In understanding the form of Lord Daksinamurti , I will categorise the features in the form into two :

1) The features associated with Lord Siva in general

2) The features unique to Lord Daksinamurti

For now , we will only look into the aspects of Lord Daksinamurti that is generally associated with Lord Siva .Lord Siva is the substratum upon which the play of the creation , sustenance and resolution takes place .

Here is the list of features of  Lord Daksinamurti and their meaning :

Sun and moon ~ eyes of the Lord

The third eye ~ eye of wisdom , representing knowledge

Ornaments of the Lord ~ glories of the Lord

The Lord's vehicle , Nandikesvara ~ represents dharma , justice and virtue

Lord Siva is also known as Ardhanarisvara ( half-male and half-female) representing the union of male aspect (purusha) and female aspect (prakrti) in the creation . In Lord Daksinamurti , this is represented by the Lord wearing a male earring in one ear and female earring in another ear .


The 5 basic elements (panca-bhutas) from which this universe is made are also present in the form :

1) Ganga on the Lord's matted locks ~ element water

2) Damaru ( the small drum ) ~ produces sound , therefore represent element space & symbol of creation

3) Fire ~ element fire & symbol of destruction

4) The matted locks ~ element air

5) Ashes smeared on the Lord's body ~ element Earth

Signing off ,
~Dhesegaan~

Sri Daksinamurti - Introduction

Lord Daksinamurti is Lord Siva manifest as the first teacher . He is brahma-vidya sampradaya karta , the iniator of the teaching tradition of self-knowledge . According to the Puranas , Lord Brahma created four manasa-putras ( sons born out of Brahma's mind ) known as the Sanatkumaras ( Sanaka , Sanandana , Sanatana and Sanatkumara ) in the beginning of the creation . Lord Brahma asked them to join him in the task of creation . However , the Sanatkumaras being renunciates by nature , set out towards the northern direction in search of the truth and performed penance . Pleased with them , Lord Siva appeared as Lord Daksinamurti ( facing south ) and imparted brahma-vidya to them . Lord Daksinamurti also taught brahma-vidya to Nandikesvara , the bull that Lord Siva rides on  . In the Puranas , it is said that Nandi is an ardent devotee of Lord Siva . He performed great penance at a place called Uttaramayura-ksetra . The Lord , pleased , appeared before Nandi and imparted Brahma-vidya to him .

The following verse from Guru Vandanam tells us that Lord Siva as Lord Daksinamurti is the first teacher of the guru-sisya parampara :

sadasiva samarambham , sankaracaryamadhyamam 

asmadacaryparyantam , vandeguruparamparam

I salute the lineage of teachers , beginning with Lord Siva ( Lord Daksinamurti ) , linked by Sri Sankaracharya in the middle , and extending down to my own teacher .

"Daksina" means south and "murti" means south . So , Daksinmaurti means the form that faces south . The word "uttara" ( north ) , in Sanskrit , means to rise and cross over . Therefore , the word symbolizes the rising above the senses and crossing the ocean of samsara ( cycle of birth and death ) . So , northern direction is associated with knowledge , evolution and freedom . South , on the other hand , is associated with ignorance and death . Knowledge flows from north to south . So , the students face north to receive the knowledge from the teacher . The teacher faces south because he is enlightened and has conquered death .

We see that the teacher , Lord Daksinamurti is young but his disciples are all old and aged . The Lord is ever-young because the self never ages . The Lord is beyond time and therefore , He is free from the cycle of birth and death and all other modifications of time (kala ) . The Lord is of the nature , ananda , fullness . The disciples are also of this nature . But , they take themselves to be the physical body . Therefore , they are subjected to time and thus , they are also subjected to the cycle of birth and death . The old age of the disciples is also a symbol of maturity because generally , as you grow older , you are expected to be more matured .

Signing off ,
~Dhesegaan~

Story of Ganga

Sagara was the king of Ayodhya during the Iksvaku dynasty . He had two wives , Sumathi and Kesini . Sumathi had sixty-thousand sons while Kesini had only one son , Asamanja . Sagara arranged for an Asvamedha  ( horse-sacrifice ) ritual . As part of the ritual , the consecrated horse was set free to be captured by anyone . The king would fight that person and recover the horse , defending his authority and sovereignty .

Lord Indra , threathened by Sagara's Asvamedha sacrifice , stole the horse and hid it in a cave . Kesini's sixty-thousand sons went in search of the horse and found it in a cave  Sage Kapila was meditating nearby the cave . Mistaken that Sage Kapila stole the horse , Kesini's sons rushed to kill the sage . Offended , Sage Kapila cursed them to become ashes .


Ansuman ( son of Asamanja ) , Sagara's grandson went to search
for the horse and his uncles . He located the horse at the cave and also

saw Sage Kapila . The devoted Ansuman saw Lord Visnu in Sage Kapila and glorified him . The sage , pleased with Ansuman , asked Ansuman to take the horse with him . He also narrated the fate of Ansuman's uncles to Ansuman .

"Only the holy waters of Ganga can redeem their sins , " Sage Kapila told Ansuman .

King Sagara completed the the Asvamedha sacrifice . He installed Ansuman on the throne and left to forest to love a life of prayer and contemplation . Ansuman and his successor , Dilipa tried to bring Ganga to Earth but they failed . Bhagiratha , Dilipa's son , was very committed to bring Ganga to Earth . He gave his ministers the mandate to rule the kingdom and went to forest to perform severe penance .

Goddess Ganga , pleased with Bhagiratha's penance , agreed to descend to Earth . But , she was worried that her powerful descend might break open the Earth and she will flow into the nether world . Then , the nether world people will bathe in her , washing their sins and make her impure . Bhagiratha promised Goddess Ganga that he will find a way to hold Ganga's forceful descend .

" Even if the people of nether world wash their sins in you , dear Goddess , you will remain eternally pure because the holy men of Earth will also bathe in you " , he added .

Bhagiratha then worshiped Lord Siva , seeking the Lord's help to hold the forceful descend of Ganga . Lord Siva granted Bhagiratha his request . As Goddess Ganga flowed from the heaven , Lord Siva contained her force by folding her in his matted locks . He then gradually released her as a river on Earth . Bhagiratha led Ganga to the spot where Sage Kapila cursed his ancestors to ashes . Purified by the holy waters of Ganga , Sagara's sons arose and ascended to heaven .

Ganga is also known as Bhagirathi ( one who is born out of Bhagiratha's efforts ) , Akasa Ganga ( one who flows in the heaven ) , Tripathaga ( one whose path extends to the three worlds , namely heaven , earth and the nether world ) , Jahnavi (daughter of Sage Jahnu) and Mandakini ( one whose flow is gentle in the heavens ) .

Originating at Gomukh in the Himalayan ranges , Ganga flows through Gangotri ( place where Bhagiratha performed penance ) and passes the citied of Rishikesh , Haridwar , Allahabad and Varanasi ( Kasi ) . A temple for Goddess Ganga has been built at Gangotri .

It is believed that a dip in the holy waters of Ganga river will purify one from all sins and grant the person moksa or liberation .

Signing off ,
~Dhesegaan~

Q & A on Isvara

The creation does not exist apart from Isvara . In simple words , Isvara manifested as the creation . With this understanding , many fundamental questions about Isvara can be answered .

Q : Where is Isvara (God) ?

A : What exists in the creation is Isvara alone . Since the god is material cause , the material   ( panca-bhutas : air , fire , space , water and earth ) is not separate from Isvara .Thus , Isvara is all-pervasive (everywhere) . He is not bound to any particular desa(place) , kala(time) and vastu (form) . He is aparichinnaha ( not limited ) .

Q : Is Isvara male or female ?

A : God is neither male or female . Isvara is formless and thus has no gender . The pronoun " He " is just used conventionally .

Q : How many Gods do Hindus have ?

A : There is only God in the creation . So , Hindus believe in only God . We do not believe in one God or many Gods . We believe and worship only God .

Q : Why do Hindus pray to forms (stones , trees , animals and etc.) ?

A :  Since God is the creation , then all forms that exist in this creation is God . Since all forms are the Lord's form , then I can invoke and worship God in any given form because there is divine spark in every form . Hindus do not pray to forms . We invoke and pray to the divinity abiding in these forms . This divinity is God .

Q : Why do you need a form ?

A : The forms serve as a focus or concentration point of our devotion during our prayers and rituals .

Q : Fine , but you can just choose one form and pray to God through that form . Why do Hindus have  so many forms ?

A : When you look at the Lord from a given law or function , the Lord becomes the presiding deity , devata of that law or function . For example , from the function of creation , the Lord is seen as the Brahma devata Since there are countless laws and functions governing the creation , so the Lord can be worshiped through countless forms also . For a particular desire to be fulfilled , one invokes a particular deity and worships that deity  Just like when you are having a stomachache , a headache medicine will not resolve your problem . Only a stomachache medicine will because its function is to cure a stomachache .  However , one has to be clear that prayer to any deity is prayer to the Lord alone .

Q : How were these forms introduced to Hindus?

A : These forms are vision of the Rishis to express to the people who are unable to have access to the Vedas . Every forms represents the power within us .

Q : Who are the Rishis ?

A : As the creation came about , the Vedas were revealed in the form of sound by the Lord . Rishis or seers were capable of receiving the Vedas and handing over the knowledge to posterity for the benefit of humanity .

Signing off ,
~ Dhesegaan ~