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Swamiji as I Knew Him
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Swamiji as I Knew Him
(part 5)
by D. S. Rao
Hinduism: Not a Religion
Hinduism is in existence from time immemorial. It is not a religion. It is Sanatana Dharma (Ancient Truth), a universal religion. It has a Guru parampara tradition. The knowledge flows from Guru to disciple down the line through the ages. Any one can practice it. It is the heart of all religions. It has a message to the world at all times. Other religions like Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Taoism and the like are of recent origin. They have all emerged to suit the changing psyche of the human mind. He only creates these religions and He only withdraws them when their relevance is lost to the society. Many civilizations which have perished in the past like the Indus Valley civilization have gone because they lost their relevance to the changing times. He alone knows it. He alone makes these changes. The essential principles of all the religions are the same. They differ only in matters of detail.
New Year Resolutions
Now this is the month of October. The year end is not too far. Let us make some New Year resolutions along the following lines:
Daily meditation at the same time and place.
Duration of meditation to increase by at least 50%.
Those with less than one hour should make it to one hour.
No break or stoppage even for a single day.
Weekly get togethers (satsang) for meditation and kirtan.
All should pray to Him for success in their resolutions.
Book Reading
Western mind is very inquisitive and they want to understand everything through the intellect. Everything cannot be grasped through the intellect. In fact, at a stage you experience that intellect is an obstruction to sadhana. Intellect only strengthens the ego. It is a great robber. It will rob you of your life’s aspirations. Book reading to get an understanding of the Reality could still the mind. To that extent certain amount of literature survey is necessary particularly for those who regularly meditate. Such reading is only a means and not an end in itself. There should not be over emphasis on book reading. I am listing a few selected books for every one to read. Further interests could be pursued according to one’s own requirements. A good central library or even an individual library could be thought of. Most of the spiritual literature is available in English. One should generally read spiritual books written by fully evolved souls.
Raja Yoga and Jnana Yoga by Swami Vivekananda.
Commentaries on Gita by Swami Sivananda
Quintessence of Vedanta by Shankaracharya
What Happens to a Soul after Death by Swami Sivananda
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananada
Food Is Your Best Medicine by Dr. Henry Bieler
It should not be reading for reading sake. Everything learnt should be internalized into daily practice. Read only that much which you can internalize. Undigested knowledge is not good for meditation. It gives rise to the assertion of the ego.
Time, Space, Causality
Yogis transcend time, space and causality. Every one who is meditating will also go beyond them. Let us explore this a bit further. All that which has a name and form will be swallowed by time. Everything is contained in time. Nothing can go beyond it. What is beyond is only God. God is not a name. It is an expression given to that which has no name and no form. Through meditation one has to transcend this name and rupa (form). Up to Brahma the Creator everything merges in time.
Let us understand Brahma’s life span. There are four Yugas (Epochs): Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga (analogous to the Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron Ages of the ancient Greeks). These four Yugas make up one mahayuga. A thousand mahayugas make a day of Brahma (4.3 billion years). Another thousand make for one night. On this basis Brahma’s life is 100 years, some 300 billion years. During the day of Brahma there will be life and during night of Brahma there will be no life. This is pralaya, dissolution. When Brahma’s life comes to an end everything comes to an end. Then there will be mahapralaya, universal dissolution. Thus life on this planet is cyclical in nature. For a certain period life is projected and then for the same period it is withdrawn. When we look at the electron spin that is the smallest unit of time. Thus measurable time extends ten to power minus fifteen to ten to power fifteen. It is indeed a very deep ocean even for science.
The same is with space. Birth of stars, black holes, big bang theory, explosion and implosion — all these theories of the universe are in conformity with the cyclical nature of time. The observable universe is 25 billion light years. (A light year is 10,000 billion kilometers.) Beyond this matter travels at the speed of light. Time and space have such gigantic proportions science may take millions of years to explore its secrets. The configuration of matter that is present in the atom is the same that is present in the solar system or the galaxies. If the meteor which hit Jupiter had hit the earth all life on earth would have vanished. He willing such a thing can happen at any time in this vast cosmos. Can science prevent it? See the gigantic nature of the figures: 250,000 billion cells in the body; 300,000 billion years in the life of Brahma; 250,00 billion kilometers of measurable space! Is it all accidental or is He being very meticulous in the order of His creation?
Science is an institution 400 years old. The knowledge it has gathered so far is only a small scratch on the surface of Mother Nature. Science has a long way to go. We are relentlessly degrading the environment depriving our posterity of pure water to drink and fresh air to breathe. Yet we believe ours is a science driven society and there is no room for superstition. Like the small child who puts his finger in fire not knowing it will burn, we are all small children in the lap of Mother Nature. It is full of cause-effect relationships finely balanced. We rarely understand them and always act in ignorance. Increasing levels of pollution, spiraling tensions, increasing numbers of incurable diseases, and the ever increasing threat of nuclear war: there are any number of such situations where we are helpless. A science driven society indeed! Science fails to understand even simple cause-effect relationships. There are so many diseases in society which are incurable. They know neither the cause nor the cure. Is science in its present form directed to human needs?
When sunbeams are focused on a piece of paper through a magnifying lens, the paper burns. Much the same way meditation focuses the mind and improves our awareness. A sharply focused mind is all that is needed to transcend the barriers of time, space and causality. Only when consciousness goes beyond these barriers we become super conscious. Yogi’s consciousness extends beyond these limitations. So let us all make an attempt to become yogis of tomorrow. Shri Krishna tells Arjuna, “Tasmat yogi bhava Arjuna.” (Gita VI:46, “Arjuna, be like a true yogi.”). If we are willing Swamiji’s blessings are always there with us. Let us put our first steps forward with firm resolve to transcend this barrier of time, space and causality. What science may take millions of years you can find it here and now, in this very life time. This is Swamiji’s challenge to the world. We must respond to it positively.
He Knows What Is Good for Us
We look at the present and decide what is good for us. When Swamiji advises us he looks at all our past, present and all future and tell us what is good for us. Swamiji knows what is good for me more that I think is good for me. In fact we do not know what is good for us. Only he knows. The cause and effect relationships in nature are so complex we hardly understand them fully. Only an evolved soul understands them. Once we accept that he alone knows what is good for us, we need not ask for anything from him. He gives us what we need and when we need in sufficient quantities. So why ask for anything? This attitude of mind will come with long practice and experience. We know Swamiji has asked for nothing from his Guru.
Mounopadesh
Some people used to complain that unlike many other swamis our Swamiji does not give speeches. Let us explore this a bit further. Take the case of a swami who is a good orator with a good knowledge of spirituality. He comes and gives an excellent speech to a spellbound audience of 500 people. At the end of the speech there will be clapping and mobbing of the speaker. He is hailed for his oratory. Then all would disburse. The memories no doubt will last for a few days, then it is all forgotten. There would be no change in us. We are just the same as before. As against this you have a Swami with you who by His mere presence changes and restructures your mental attitudes for the rest of your life and looks after your every need very silently without even speaking a word about it. The impact of his darshan is everlasting. You undergo a tremendous amount of transformation over a period of time. You may even take a long time to realize this. He does all that for your own good even without your knowing about it, not to speak a word about it.
When you set fire to a wild forest all the wild animals take to their heels. Much the same way all the negative tendencies in you like lust, greed, anger and the like will all be hurt up by his mere darshan. They take to their heels for all times to come. So which is better, a good speech that is quickly forgotten and lost or an everlasting transformation? This is mounapadesh or silent benediction which Swamiji so freely gives to one and all who come for his darshan.
Sarva
dharman parityajya namekam saranam vraja
aham tva sarva papebhyo moksha ishyami masuchaha.
(Gita XVIII:66)
Renounce
all truths and take refuge in Me alone.
I shall liberate you from all your sins.