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 .

Sixteen-Step Puja

         A simple puja is a pancopacara puja which consists of five steps . A more elaborate puja is a shodasopacara puja which consists of sixteen steps . The most elaborate puja is catushshashti-upacara-puja . Here we are going to focus on the sixteen-step puja only .

Items Needed to Perform the sixteen-step puja :

1) An altar with a vigraha , idol , of the deity to be worshipped . If an idol is not available , a picture of the deity may be used .

2) An oil lamp , oil and a wick . One lights the lamp at the beginning of the puja and makes sure that it remains lit until the puja is completed .

3) Akshatas , unbroken rice grains to which turmeric powder is added .

4) Pancapatra , a vessel with water and spoon for offering water . The water may be poured into another cup during offering .

5) Candana , sandalpaste and kunkuma , vermilion .

6) Dhupa , incense sticks .

7) Vastra , cloth

8) Dipa , a small oil lamp

9) Naivedya , food offering

10) Pushpa , flowers kept on a plate

11) Ghanta , bell

12) Karpura , camphor with a holdero for burning it .

- The altar should be clean and can be decorated as one wishes . Metal vessels and utensils are  preferable . If these are not available , paper plates and cups may be used .The utensils for the puja should be kept apart and not used for other purposes .

[ If some of the offerings listed above such as vastra , pushpa and so on , are not , available , one may use akshatas instead .]

Brief Explanation On the Steps

After lighting a lamp , one performs the sankalpa . The sankalpa identifies the person doing the puja(yajamana) and the purpose for which the puja is done . A common purpose in all pujas is ‘durita-kshaya’ – the removal of duritas , impurities of the mind . One may pray for other reasons, but an important element in all prayers is to seek a mind free from confusion and wrong thinking .

The initial step is invoking the presence of the Lord in the given symbol . Once invoked , the symbol becomes the Lord and is looked upon as such until the puja is completed . The Lord is received with an attitude of devotion and is  then offered acamana ,  vastra (cloth)and the other items described .

While offering flowers , one addresses the Lord by the various names that reveal the Lord’s nature or describe his glories . One may chant sixteen , one hundred and eight , or one thousand and eight names of the Lord .

Naivedya is then offered at the altar . For naivedya , one may offer fruits (fresh or dried) , nuts or    cooked foods . It is customary that we do not offer the Lord pre-made , store-bought or leftover foods .

Arati is performed by dimming or switching off the electric lights in the room and offering lightes camphor .

When visiting a temple , one may go around the deity clockwise three times in an act of salutation . Since the Lord also abides within , one may turn around oneself three times , in a clockwise direction while remaining in the same spot. Both these acts are known as pradaksina .

In performing the puja , there may have been errors of omission or commission  . One asks for forgiveness of the Lord for these .

After the puja , the Lord is requested with a prayer to return to his original abode . The prasada is then taken from the altar and distributed to all .

What Is A Puja ?

     Puja is one of the most beautiful ways to bring out the devotee within oneself and establish a relationship with Isvara  , the Lord . Puja is called kayikam karma , an action involving one’s limbs . It also includes speech and mental actions in the form of chanting and thinking of the Lord .

           In a physical form of worship , such as a puja , there is a greater field of expression of one’s devotion than is possible in purely oral or mental forms of worship . The body , mind and speech are all involved in a puja.The  forms , colours , fragrances and sounds of the various items of worship arrest one’s mind and aid in evoking devotion in oneself ,

            A puja is performed to express one’s gratitude to Isvara for all one has been given in one’s life . The very creation in which one is born is considered to be a gift of the Lord . The body-mind-sense complex is made up of five basic elements : space , air , fire , water and earth which also constitute the creation . Through the sense perceptions backed by the mind one perceives the Lord’s vast creation and appreciates his gloried .

            Traditionally , a form of worship known as pancopacara-puja , worship with fivefold offering is performed . This worship acknowledges the presence of the Lord and makes a simple offering of the five elements through a symbolic offering of puspa , flowers , dhupa , incense , dipa , light ,  naivedya , food and gandha , sandalwood paste . These objects represents the elements space , air , fire , water and earth , respectively .

Prayer - What Is It ? (Part 2)

Three Types of Prayer

            Prayer is expressed in three ways :physical , kayika ; oral , vacika ; and mental , manasa . A ritual or a puja is a physical form of prayer . Singing in praise of the Lord or chanting verses and Vedic hymns is an oral prayer . Japa or worship done silently is a mental prayer . 

The Results of Prayer 

            Like any other action , prayer produces a result . The result is twofold : one is immediately seen , drsta-phala and the other is unseen , adrsta-phala . 

           The immediate result of prayer is the inner comfort that comes from acknowledging one’s limited capacities and accepting a power higher than oneself . Being objective about situations over which one has no control and praying to that all-knowing source is an act that frees one from anxiety regarding the expectation of a result . 

          The unseen result of prayer refers to the subtle result called punya , which accrues to the doer of the action . Punya manifests in the form of comfortable situations whether in this life or later . When one prays for success , the accrued punya , which one may call “grace”, helps neutralise obstacles that one may not forsee . The ‘grace’ may not ensure success , but without it the outcome could be worse .

Purpose of Prayer 

          A prayer may carry a different intent for different individuals . In the Bhagavad Gita , Lord Krishna describes four types of devotees . The first one is called an arta . This individual remembers the Lord only during crisis and difficulties . When things seem to be going fairly well , the arta attributes success to his efforts alone . 

          The second type of devotee is said to be an artharthi . This is a religious person who is aware of the Lord’s grace in his life , but whose motivation for prayer stems from seeking personal ends , The artharthi is committed only to material gains and pleasures . Like the arta , he also prays for relief from distress .

          The third type of devotee is a jijnasu . This person pursues knowledge for moksha , freedom from unhappiness  . Though moksha is a desirable end for all , only a jijnasu recognizes knowledge as the means to this end and pursues it . His prayer is for inner growth and maturity for the sake of gaining this knowledge .

           The jnani is the fourth type of devotee.This is a wise person who knows his identity with the Lord , In the Bhagavad Gita , Lord Krishna describes the wise person as being one with the Lord . The jnani’s prayer is an expression of wisdom , and is the highest form of prayer .

Invoking the Unknown Factor 

            There are three factors necessary in accomplishing an end . The first factor is adequate effort , prayatna . One cannot accomplish anything in life without adequate effort . The second factor is time , kala . One effort is made , time is necessary for the results to fructify . For example , when one sows a seed , time has to elapse for the plant to grow before it bears fruit . The length of time varies according to the nature of action and the result desired .

            Despite making adequate effort and allowing sufficient time , the result may not always meet one’s expectations . One’s knowledge and  power being limited , one cannot foresee and make things happen as one wants .There is always an unknown element , the third factor , often called chance or luck .

            A person who is sensitive and acknowledges the presence of the Lord sees this third factor as daivam . Such a person knows that the Lord’s laws govern the results of actions and through prayer , the person invokes the grace of those laws for obtaining desired results . The laws being non-separate from the Lord , prayer is efficacious in accomplishing a given end ,

The Meaning of Omkara and Santi

           Om is the name  of Brahman , the cause and the basis of creation . Om , as a sound symbol , also indicates auspiciousness and is chanted at the beginning of prayers and religious studies . Om is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root ‘av’ , meaning ‘to protect’ . 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 second syllable ‘u’ , stands for the dream world , the dreamer and the dream experience.The third syllable ‘m’ , stands for the sleep world , the sleeper and the sleep experience . As one chants Om repeatedly , the silence between the chants (called amatra) stands for the awareness , the consciousness which is the basis of the three worlds , the three experiencers and the three states of experience . Om thus represents all that exists and the basis or substratum of all that exists .

           In any pursuit , including education , there can be a number of obstacles , tapas  . These obstacles fall into three categories :

1      Adhidaivika – Obstacles which are natural and over which we have no control . e.g. storms , earthquakes , floods .

2   Adhibhautika – Obstacles created by one’s surroundings , e.g.  noisy neighbours , traffic , distractions caused by one’s family .

3   Adhyatmika – Obstacles and distractions created within oneself , e.g. tiredness , an agitated or distracted mind .

          Any of these obstacles can prevent one from achieving success in a given endeavour .  Santi (peace) is , therefore , chanted three times for the mitigation and the removal of these threefold obstacles .