Spirituality

From ‘Bhaja Govindam’

MOODHA JAHEEHI DHANAAGAMATRISHNAAM
KURU SADBUDHIM MANASI VITRISHNAAM
YALLABHASE NIJAKARMOPAATHAM
VITHAM TENA VINODAYA CHITHAM
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM……….)

Oh, Fool! give up your insatiable desire for earthly possessions;
be sensible and develop serenity and contentment. Be satisfied
and happy with whatever you may earn by the sweat of your brow
and whatever has destiny marked for your lot.

SATSANGATWE NISSANGATWAM
NISSANGATWE NIRMOHATWAM
NIRMOHATWE NISCHALATATWAM
NISCHALATATWE JEEVANMUKTHIH
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM……….)

The company of the good weans one away from false atttachments;
when attachment is lost, delusion ends; when delusion ends, the mind
becomes unwavering and steady. An unwavering and steady mind is merited
for Jeevan Mukti ( liberation even in this life).

BAALASTAAVAT KREEDAA SAKTHAH
THARUNASTAAVAT THARUNEESAKTHAH
VRIDDHASTAAVAT CHINTHAASAKTHAH
PARASE BRAHMANI KOPI NA SAKTHAH
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM……….)

Childhood skips off on sport and play. Youth flies off in
pursuits of love-making. As one grows older he is drowned
in worry about the security and future of his wife and
children. One’s whole life gets spent in some kind of
worry or other. And at no stage does man find time to
lift his thoughts to God.

JATILO MUNDI LUNCHITAKESHAH
KAASHAAYAAMBARA BAHUKRITAVESHAH
PASYANNAPI CHA NA PASYATI MOODHO
HIUDARANIMITAM BAHUKRITAVESHAH
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM……..)

The ascetic with matted locks, the man with the shaven head or
one with hair pulled out, or the man parading in the ochre robes
— they all have eyes but yet do not see. All these are but deceptions
for cheating the world, for filling their bellies. ( Renunciation
does not lie in external appearance, but in inward thought, attitude
and feeling).

BHAGAVADGEETA KINCHIDADHEETAA
GANGAAJALALAVAKANIKAA PEETAA
SAKRIDAPI YENA MURARISAMARCHAA
KRIYATE TASYA YAMENA NA CHARCHA
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM……..)

Even a little study and understanding of the Bhagawad Gita, or
sipping of even a tiny drop of the waters of the holy Ganges or
even a little worship of Murari — these will surely save one
from confrontation with death !

PUNARAPI JANANAM PUNARAPI MARANAM
PUNARAPI JANANEE JATARE SAYANAM
IHA SAMSAARE BAHUDUSTAARE
KRIPAYAA(A)PAARE PAAHI MURARE
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM……..)

Undergoing the pangs of birth again and again, passing through the
throes of death again and again, lying in the mother’s womb over
and over again, this process of samsara is hard to cross over.
Save me from it, Oh merciful Lord !

KASTWAM KOHAM KUTA AAYAATAH
KAA ME JANANEE KO ME TAATAH
ITI PARIBHAVAYA SARVAMASAARAM
VISWAM TYAKTWAA SWAPNAVICHAARAM
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM……..)

Who are you ? Who am I ? From Where did I come ? Who is my mother, who is
my father ? — enquire thus and you will, then realise that the entire
world of experience, all the worries and problems are but a dream, a
mere hallucination, born of imagination and delusion. With such a
realisation, you will be freed from the delusions of the world.

SATROU MITRE PUTRE BANDHOU
MAA KURU YATNAM VIGRAHASANDHOU
SARVASMINNAPI PASYAATMAANAM
SARVATROTSRIJA BHEDAAJNYANAM
(BHAJA GOVINDAM, BHAJA GOVINDAM……..)

Do not look at anybody in terms of friend or foe, brother or cousin; do
not fritter away your mental energies in thoughts of friendship or
enemity. Seeking the Self everywhere, be amiable and equal-minded
towards all, treating all alike.

1-By Laksh, ET, Movies

Crimson Tide

Awsome movie!!

Gene Hackman and Denzel Washington are just brilliant in this Tony Scott’s film. While Gene Hackman plays a man who has earned his stripes in the battle, Denzel is smooth talking, Harvard educated tough soldier.

Set in a submarine, that is used to fire a nuclear missile, the movie exploits the best in acting talents of Denzel and Hackman. They battle it out, first in words, later in actions.  
The key aspect about this movie is a great and consistent characterization…once the shades are revealed, they continue till the end. For instance, the cocky demeanour of Gene Hackman is retained till the titles roll….
Spirituality

Truth=Realization=Happiness/Unhappiness=I((I(….)))=I(I(mu-I))= I(I in relation to the rest of the world)

 Please note that this realization could be as simple as knowing that fire burns..to the so called ‘one with God’ etc.

Let us leave this aside for a moment, and look at the rest of the equation.

Happiness/Unhappiness=I(I)=I(I(mu-I))= I(I in relation to the rest of the world) –Mu being the entire universe (Job, family, friends, work, stars, underground, mars, venus, love, thirst etc).

So, if you are ‘aware’ of your ‘relation’ to the universe…’aware’ of what goes on inside you in relation to the universe or ‘aware’ of the ‘perception’ that you create about yourself

As these two words–‘aware’ and ‘perception’ get finer and finer, larger and larger, higher and higher…when there is nothing else to be ‘aware’ of and the ‘perception’ melts, we can call such a state, i.e, if at all it exists, as supreme realization or the real ‘awareness’ or ‘enlightenment’.

Even if we do not believe in or aim for such a state, just being conscious of this equation, and stepping back from ‘I’ and look at I(…), the perception, produces interesting results..and sometimes even the so called miracles.

The above, is the essence of all the paths–Raja Yoga, Karma Yoga, Gnana Yoga or Bhakti Yoga.

Each one is a path to set yourself free from the perception…and promises you the ‘ultimate realization’ shamelessly like any ‘self-help’ book…except for the time period.

There is no ‘Be the real you in 21 days’  here. Instead, the goal is spread over ages…countless years and may be lives….but the realization is there for your taking that could be achieved in the next instant or in your 20th incarnation from the current one.

Which is the easiest of all?

I would say Karma Yoga…but, why?

Because ordinary mortals like us are tuned and trained to ‘work’ right from our childhood from “why are you idle beta, go and read” to ” we pay you the best man-hour rate’…we are tuned to like ‘activity’…

There are some who might say Bhakti yoga is easy too…but who can understand devotion as a complete surrender to God in the midst of so many activities and ‘trading’ of activities….?

So, if we agree Karma Yoga is the way to go…the first step is to set yourself to a) find and b) do something you really like….something that ‘dissolves’ the ‘I’ and ‘perception’.

Something that slowly makes you ‘feel’ more about ‘yourself’ rather than the bulge of your purse.Something that makes you even carry the cross, and do it all over again, just for the sake of doing it.

Once a and b are done, there will be no activity that will be mundane for you…no work an unpleasant chore…no object mean or menial…and once the ‘I’ is silent all the time, in any work you do, there comes a stage where you can really ‘see’…to ‘see’ that anything esle that comes out of work as incidentals–both carrots and sticks. (The ‘real’ thing that comes out of work will always remain with you and no one can see it…rest, only helps in show-off, a shade of luster, of all the gold you had accumulated inside you.)

And, the perception finally melts… to quote Jiddu Krishnamurthi ‘…You will find truth…that is, if it exists.’

ET, IT…and the rest