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Happiness is simply the absence of the “birds of negativity”, which are basically sadness, fear, and anger. Release these “birds” from the cage of your heart and you will be happy. How to release them? Simply by naming them and then talking about them, or diarizing them.
God bless you on your life’s journey.
A few days ago, a spiritual devotee, named Taj, sent me an e-mail from England. He asked me some very challenging questions.
He wrote, “During my trip to Toronto with Mahraz Ji, in May 2009, I asked him a question. I asked, ‘Sometimes when I’m about to do something that is not right I get a voice or feeling telling me that I shouldn’t be doing that. So who or what is that voice or feeling?’
Mahraz Ji replied, ‘It is your atma (soul).’
And recently, I was having lunch with one of my business suppliers, an Englishman. We began to discuss spirituality and Mahraz Ji.
Based on what I had learned from Mahraz Ji, I mentioned to my supplier that it’s your soul that tells you if you are doing something wrong. My supplier retorted, ‘No. That is your conscience.’ Dr. Bhopal, what is the conscience and how would we refer to it in Punjabi? Also, in a conversation that you were having with someone in Glasgow you said that in Christianity the soul and spirit have different meanings. When Christians refer to the soul and spirit what are they referring to? “
Taj, those are good but tough questions! I’ll try to answer them to your satisfaction.
Firstly, we need words to communicate but words also cause much confusion.
Living languages are always evolving, whether they are Punjabi or English.
Old words occasionally acquire new meanings, and new words, usually imported from other languages, often lose their original meanings.
So before discussing conscience, soul and spirit, let’s try to understand their proper meanings. If we don’t do so then we are at risk of sinking into a quagmire of unfruitful argument, especially when more than one person is involved in the discussion.
Such was the case with Alice in Lewis Carol’s delightful tale, Alice in Wonderland. Here’s an illustrative excerpt from that story:
`Then you should say what you mean,’ the March Hare went on. `I do,’ Alice hastily replied; `at least–at least I mean what I say–that’s the same thing, you know.’ `Not the same thing a bit!’ said the Hatter. `You might just as well say that “I see what I eat” is the same thing as “I eat what I see”!’ `You might just as well say,’ added the March Hare, `that “I like what I get” is the same thing as “I get what I like”!’ `You might just as well say,’ added the Dormouse, who seemed to be talking in his sleep, `that “I breathe when I sleep” is the same thing as “I sleep when I breathe”!’
Now, let me get back to Taj’s questions. Taj asked for the Punjabi word for conscience. It is zamir. In Punjabi, conscience can also be described as “dil dee awaaz”, which means voice from the heart.
Now, let’s look at the English word conscience. The word entered the English language around 1225 AD, having been adapted from the Latin conscientia, which means “knowledge within oneself, a moral sense,” from com- “with” + scire “to know.” But in my view, the key word in the above definition is oneself. What is the self?
The word self comes from the Proto-Indian-European (Sanskrit) word *sel-bho-, meaning “separate, apart”.
Vedic spiritual literature, which forms the basis of most Indian religions, and which influenced Plato’s (428-328 BC) philosophy, and in turn Origen’s (185-254 AD) mystical Christianity, speaks of the individual living entity (jivatma) as being eternal, being subject to re-incarnation, and being part of the Super Soul (paramatma).
The jivatma is the “I”. Modern psychology has done away with the concept of the soul, even though the Greek word psyche, from which the word psychology has come, itself means soul.
Modern psychology speaks of the ego as the self. The concept of the ego has replaced earlier conceptions of the soul.
In Freud’s psychology, the conscience is part of the super ego. The super ego judges the ethics of a person’s thoughts and actions.
Psychopaths have “holes in the super ego” – they have little conscience. While modern psychology is grappling with the perennial problem of psychopathy, ancient spiritual texts are full of descriptions of such characters and how to deal with them e.g. Ravana, Hiranyakashipu, and Satan.
Now to Taj’s other question: “When Christians refer to the soul and spirit what are they referring to?”
I mentioned Origen above. He was an early father of the Christian church. He believed in the immortality of the soul and in its re-incarnation but Augustine of Hippo (354-430 AD) rejected that. view
Instead, Augustine postulated that animals and plants do not have souls like humans do. A nimals and plants are deemed to have life - nephesh, which is a Hebrew word for life. In Augustine’s view, animals and plants did not have an immortal spirit and they didn’t go to heaven (see http://www.comereason.org/theo_issues/theo070.asp) In this view, man has ruah - Hebrew for soul . Ruah is the immaterial part of man, the spirit of man (Numbers 16:22). Doesn’t ruah sound very much like rhu, the Punjabi word for spirit.
In Christianity, much discussion, debate, religious politics, translation and mistranslation, and interpretation and misinterpretation of Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin words has led to inevitable confusion.
By contrast, Indian spiritual ideas, based as they are on the Vedas and the ancient Sanskrit texts have fortunately retained most of their precision in ideas and terms. But there is much debate here also. While Mahatma Buddha rejected the existence of the soul, calling it anatma (non-self), after the “neti-neti” (Letter-58) philosophy of Bhagat Prahlada you will notice that even in his own title, albeit imposed by others and not him, the word atma appears (maha – great; atma –soul).
In the Bhagavad Gita, the glittering jewel of the Vedas, Lord Krishna speaks of the soul: “Some look on the atma (jivatma) (soul) as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all.” Bhagavad Gita 2.29.
Beyond the atma (jivatma) is the Supreme, the paramatma. The Supreme is all pervasive and eternal. The Supreme’s cosmic play is manifest through two types of energies - the all-blissfull spiritual (yogamaya) and the not so blissfull material (mahamaya).
The atma (jivatma) is a minute, eternal, living part of the paramatma. If the paramatma is the fire, then the atma (jivatma) is the spark of that fire. If the paramatma is the father, then the atma (jivatma) is the child of that father. Just as a father fulfills the desires of the child, so does the paramatma fulfill the desires of the atma (jivatma). If the atma (jivatma) wants to enjoy paramatma’s material energy, then paramatma will oblige the atma (jivatma) with suitable material machinery to do so, namely the mind and the body.
If the atma (jivatma) wants to merge into paramatma’s spiritual energy, then the paramatma will by His Grace arrange that also. Bhakti (devotion) is the quickest path for the atma (jivatma) to merge with the all-blissfull spiritual energy of the Supreme.
In Vedic philosophy, the life form is comprised of three parts - atma (jivatma) (soul), man (mind) and the tan (body).
For most humans, consciousness of the the atma (jivatma) lies dormant. Humans think of it but generally dismiss it.
In most humans, the mind rules the roost, and is very active. Humans are continually submerged in a sea of thoughts, feelings, and actions. Sometimes, thoughts, feelings and actions touch the conscience (the inner self – the atma (jivatma)). Even so, we often proceed with the guilt producing act, thinking that no one is watching us, but the Koran reminds us otherwise: “There is no soul without a watcher.” (86:4).
The body is sometimes active and sometimes not (partly conscious and partly unconscious), and is ruled by the mind. The mind is very anxious about the body. Any sign of ill health, aging, or the prospect of death sends most of us into anxiety.
Most of us are hoplelessly lost in the material maze. The material life offers fleeting pleasure and frequent pain. Material gains are followed by losses, and vice versa. On this see-saw of gain and loss, we must lose eventually. Losses are inevitable. All these losses compound our grief.
Ultimately, we lose our bodies also. We think of death as the end of everything, and not as a door to the next life. Lord Krishna asks that even if we don’t believe in re-incarnation, and even if we believe that life is only a product of certain temporary configurations of chemicals (the vaibhasika philosophy), why lament? “If however, you think that the soul (or the symptom of life) will always be born and die forever, you still have no reason to lament, Oh mighty-armed one.” Bhagavad Gita 2:26.
The lesson in all this is that, in order to alleviate our suffering, we must learn to adopt a spiritual outlook. We must find ways to better connect with the spiritual.
Spiritual teachers appear on this material world in order to help us to make our lives better by connecting us to something higher – the spiritual.
Christ said, “I am come that ye might have life and have it more abundantly.”
Guru Nanak sings, “Kahai Nanak, gur prasadi jina liv lagi; tini wiché maya paya.” Translated this means: Kahai Nanak – says Nanak; gur - spiritual teacher; prasadi – grace of; jina - those persons; liv – meditative trance; lagi – achieve; tini – they; wiché - in; maya - the material world; paya - obtain.” In full, the stanza means: Nanak says, “Those who can achieve the transcendental state by the grace of the Spiritual Teacher, can reach God even while being immersed in this material world.”
My dear Taj, the topic is immense and I have only limited time and knowledge to explain it fully. In this letter, I have touched only the surface of this deep well of knowledgein but many thanks for asking about conscience, and concepts of the soul and the spirit .
SATSANG
By
HIS HOLINESS MAHARAJ TARLOCHAN DARSHAN DAS
On
OCTOBER 4, 2008:
At
9291 GORMOND ROAD RICHMOND BC V7E 1N6 CANADA.
Maharaj-ji began by explaining that a person (virajiva) exists between the spiritual (divyajiva) and beastly (pasujiva) domains. Like an ever-swinging pendulum, a person’s mind alternates between two poles – that of the spiritual and the beastly. The spiritual pole is ahead of man, and the beastly is behind. In the latter domain, man’s mind wavers much, being immersed in doubt and conflict. In order to move forwards, towards the spiritual domain, man must lead a life of dharma (spiritual principles). This is possible only by seeking out spiritual knowledge and by doing good works. As life passes by quickly, there is no time to waste. Fortunes will wax and wane, as will health. Nature will present its challenges for it also has cycles that are forever changing. In order to survive this sea of change, we must strive for the spiritual. Spiritual knowledge is obtained by visiting places of worship and doing spiritual practice, such as meditation. Maharaj-ji explained that the Satguru (Pure Teacher) advises contemplation (simran) of God’s Name (Naam). Without such practice, says the Satguru, man is like a poisonous snake. Why like a snake? The reason is that when a snake drinks even milk, it turns the milk into venom. So whatever good man does turns into poison unless man adopts a spiritual practice.
Further explaining the beastly (pasujiva) qualities, Maharaj-ji reminded us that the lion is considered the most vicious of predators. Yet the lion will kill only one or two or three creatures, perhaps even eight. By contrast, man kills millions. Hitler’s and others’ policies led to the 2nd World War, in which many millions were killed. Empire builders such as Genghis Khan and his grandson, Halaku Khan, killed thousands. Indeed, the horses of the cavalry of Halaku Khan trampled over thousand of dead bodies. Maharaj-ji said that instead of ruling over others, man must rule over his own thoughts. His Holiness reminded us of the many spiritual teachers who have come to preach the method of controlling thoughts and desires, holy personalities such as Ram, Krishna, Moses, Mahavir, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, Nanak, and others. These personalities were born of women, just as we are. They came as men but left as divinities. It is by listening to them and practicing what they taught that we become liberated from the beastly (pasujiva) mode of being. And becoming liberated is very important, for the beastly mode of being is not good.
Maharaj-ji pointed out that many lament that they suffer even though they read the scriptures and practice the spiritual path. In their hopelessness, they abandon God, saying that they have got no relief. But have such persons really looked into their hearts? For that is where they need to look. Also, they need to understand the true basis of contentment and suffering.
His Holiness explained that several factors determine our contentment and suffering, in other words our fates. The first factor is karma (the fruits of deeds). The saints believe in this factor. Good deeds, done in the past and present, yield good fruit. Karma is unavoidable. All of our existences, in past lives and present, involve karma. Life is about give and take. All our relationships are characterized by giving and taking – between parents and children, between relatives and friends, between employers and employees, between business persons and customers, and even between spiritual preceptors (gurus) and disciples.
The second factor that determines our contentment and suffering is graha (astrological influences). Maharaj-ji emphasized that the saints don’t believe in graha but those persons that do so consult horoscopes and wear talismans such as semi-precious stones in efforts to better steer their lives.
While discussing graha, His Holiness narrated the spiritual story of Hanuman, the Monkey-King and staunch devotee of Shri Ram. It is notable that, although Hanuman had half-animal qualities, he was not beastly for his mind was firmly towards the spiritual – his guru, Shri Ram. Hanuman represents the power derived from firm faith (bhakti), and that power existed in the past, is here now, and will be in the future. Shri Ram, in his spiritual pastime of defeating the evil king Ravana of Lanka (nowadays Sri Lanka), sent Hanuman to Lanka with the mission of wreaking havoc there. Ravana was a learned and powerful being, but his mind was beastly for it was directed towards evil. In his unquenchable lust, Ravana, in his wily ways, had kidnapped Srimati Sita, Shri Ram’s wife. Shri Ram instructed Hanuman to go to Lanka to free Sita. Hanuman had the power to fly and he flew to Lanka. On reaching the palace in Lanka, he set the tip of his tail on fire. Lashing that fire around, he unsettled Ravana. In the ensuing havoc and destruction, Hanuman released many prisoners. One set of prisoners that he freed was that of the powerful personalities of the Zodiac (horoscope). Ravana was so powerful that he had imprisoned even them. The high priest of the personalities of the Zodiac, being much grateful for being freed, wanted to grant Hanuman any boon that he would desire. Hanuman declined, saying, “Oh chief, I cannot accept anything. How can I ask you for something when I do not even ask anything from Shri Ram, whose devotee I am. I never need to ask anything from Shri Ram for He, being all knowing, knows my needs. I accept whatever He gives me, and nothing from anyone else. Therefore, I will not ask anything or accept anything from you.” The priest would not accept Hanuman’s answer, and implored him to obtain permission from Shri Ram. Hanuman-ji agreed to do so. Hanuman did not want to fly back as his mission was incomplete. Also, Shri Ram would not enter Lanka at that time. In order to invoke Shri Ram, Hanuman meditated deeply on Him. Consequently, Shri Ram appeared before Hanuman, who then put his quandary to Shri Ram. On hearing it, Shri Ram replied, “Oh Hanuman, the priest’s offer comes from the love he has for you. Just as I love you and give you what you need, so the priest wants to give you a boon out of love. Go ahead and accept the boon.” Hanuman now thought carefully about what to ask for. He said to the priest, “I ask this boon - that the forces of the Zodiac would have no influence whatsoever on those who are bhaktas (pure devotees) of the Supreme Lord.” The high priest had to grant this boon. Note that Hanuman did not ask for anything for himself, only for devotees. Hanuman’s boon ensured that, from that day, those who are pure devotees of the Supreme Lord would be completely immune to the influences of the Zodiac (horoscopes). Thus those who are pure devotees, no matter what path they follow – Muslim, Christian, or Hindu - are not influenced by the horoscope as long as they remember the Lord’s name (Naam) with complete faith. Maharaj-ji implored the sangat (congregation) to be firm in bhakti (faith), stating that that it is our vacillation that results in lack of spiritual progress. When in faith we take one step forward, but when we enter doubt, we take one step backwards. Thus there is no spiritual gain.
Maharaj-ji said that the third factor that determines our contentment and suffering is samskara (cultural heritage and upbringing). This samskara influence come first from the family of origin, then from society, and then most importantly from the holy scriptures and holy teachers. The true saint teaches in One God. One God is above all demigods, all angels, and above all trinities. That One God is the Grand Ruler of all. However, different nations worship that One God differently, according to culture and custom. Some describe God as He, and others as She but God is neither. God is a Force, One Force. Maharaj-ji explained that just as one river is never like another, just as one lake is unlike another, just as one ocean is unlike another, just as one mountain is unlike another, just as one animal is unlike another, and just as one leaf is unlike another, even though from the same tree, so the One God has no match. Just as Moses is only one, and there will never be another; just as Mohammed is only one, and there will never be another; just as Nanak is only one and there will never be another; so God is only One and there will never be another. Just as each entity is unique, so God is Unique. Maharaj-ji explained that due to the limitations of our language and samskara (cultural heritage and upbringing) we accord the One God different eponyms and gender. But God is One and the Same; only His messengers are different. Maharaj-ji explained that Guru Nanak clarified this understanding when he distilled down God’s Name to Truth. Guru Nanak’s message is parralled in all the great religions. In his hymn, the Japji Sahibi Guru Nanak graces us with five principles of living: 1. a life of spiritual conduct (dharm khand). 2. seeking spiritual knowledge (gian khand). 3. bringing humility into one’s heart (sharam khand). 4. doing good deeds (karm khand), and 5. making efforts to move towards the heavenly planes (sach khand, the abode of God Himself). These principles are paralelled in Islam, where the Islamic Shariat (Islamic law) resembles dharma khand (spiritual conduct) and the Islamic Hakikat (Realm of Truth) resembles sach khand (heavenly plane). The principles are also paralelled in other devotional paths.
Maharaji-ji said that Guru Nanak’s major message is that we should avoid false and meaningless rituals. Guru Nanak led by personal example, when even at the tender age of nine years, he took a stand and refused to wear the sacred Hindu thread, the janeu. His refusal was because the priests of the time were hoplesssly steeped in bloody animal sacrifice, a practice that Guru Nanak abhorred. Maharaj-ji spoke of the incident when Guru Nanak, later in his life, happened to be in the town of Sultanpur where he met a maulwi (a muslim priest) who was busy cleaning a spot off his clothing before entering the mosque to pray. Guru Nanak asked him why he was so worried about the spot. The maulwi said that his clothing had to be immaculately clean beofre he could offer prayers to God. When Guru Nanak noticed that the spot was red in colour, he asked the maulwi what happened. The maulwi replied that the red colour was from a spot of blood from a goat that he had sacrificed on the day before. In his haste to get to the mosque, the maulwi had forgotten to change his robes from the day before. Guru Nanak composed a spiritual couplet on the spot, the message of which is, “Oh man, you worry about removing the spot of blood on your clothing before you pray to God but what about the blood you have taken into your body? How will you clean that?”
In another spiritual anecdote, Maharaj-ji recited a conversation between Guru Gobind Singh and the emperor of India of the time, who happened to be Islamic. The emperor was of the opinion that even the biggest of sinners could go to heaven on the adoption of the Islamic faith. Guru Gobind Singh said, “Wait a little and I will respond to that.” Then the Guru pulled out a gold coin embellished with the emperor’s seal and called his disciple and gave it to him. The Guru whispered something in the disciple’s ear. The disciple left. The Guru and the emperor resumed their conversation. After a while, the disciple returned and said that the merchants in the market would not accept the gold coin. The emperor was shocked to hear that a gold coin bearing his own seal was not rejected. So the emperor had his treasurer examine the coin’s purity. The coin turned out to be impure. The Guru said, “Now I will respond to your statement. The gold coin bore your own seal but was not accepted in the market as the coin was impure. Then how would an impure man be accepted in heaven?” Maharaj-ji said that he gives this historical anecdote in order to emphasize that we must purify our hearts. What we show to the outside world should be what is in our hearts. We must not be two-faced. And we must speak compassionately, not sharply. We must be warm and loving. It is not sufficient to have an intellectual knowledge of the scriptures, we must live by that knowledge. Only by doing so can we honour our Saviour.
Maharaj-ji concluded by saying that we have to face forward to the spiritual (divyajiva) domain and not backwards to the beastly (pasujiva) domain. He also said that all those listening to this message should not think that he knows everything. He affirmed that if he himself ignores his own message, and does not swing the pendulum of his mind forward to the spiritual (divyajiva) domain, he feels that he has wasted his day. He said that we should spend a minimum of 10% of our day in spiritual practice. He quickly added that it is possible to spend 100% of the day in spiritual practice. One does this by connecting the remembrance of God (Naam simran) to one’s heartbeat. As the heart beats automatically, and as the breath also comes automatically, so we must learn to practice the habit of remembrance of God (Naam simran) continuously and automatically. He declared that this is his personal experience and that this is the only real way to true bliss.
Following the discourse, Maharaj-ji and his musical troupe further delighted the rapt audience by singing the hymn (shabad) “Mere Ram”.
God Bless. Allah Hu Akbar. Hare Krishna. Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhala.
Translated, abridged and adapted on October 13, 2008 by Das Pracharak Dr. Jaswant (www.jasbhopal.com)
After Lord Shiva’s benevolent action of drinking the posion (see Letter 108: “Pollution”) the Demigods and the Demons resumed the churning of the Ocean of Milk, and produced many wonderful things. The ultimate was the creation of the wonderful physician Dhanvantri, who came out of the Ocean of Milk carrying a jug of nectar - the elixir of eternal life. This nectar was to be shared but in their selfishness, the Demons cheated the Demigods by immediatlely snatching the whole jug by force. The Demigods complained to the Supreme Lord who, being always kind to his devotees, offered to bewilder the Demons by creating a quarrel among them and then recapturing the necatr. The demons began to fight amongst themselves for the nectar, shouting, “Me first, not you!” (perhaps this is the most ancient reference to the divide and rule policy”). The physically weaker Demons used their intelligence to forbid the stronger ones from taking all of it by saying that the Demigods have a share in it also.
In this commotion, the Supreme Lord assumed the form of an extremely beautiful woman, Mohini-Murti [SB 8.9: The Lord Incarnates as Mohinī-Mūrti].
She had a youthful luster, beautiful eyebrows, eyes, cheeks, breasts, waist, hips and legs, and a lovely aroma, and was decorated with earrings, bangles, necklace, ankle bells, and was dressed in a beautiful sari. Every one of the Demons was filled with lusty desires to possess her.
The Demons, mesmerized by her beauty, told her about their dispute over the nectar, and asked her to setlle it. Smiling and making feminine gestures, she asked them how they could put their trust in a prostitute, seeming to be joking. They laughed and handed the over the jug of nectar to her. She replied that she would only do what they wanted her to if they would accept whatever she did, honest or dishonest. Her sweet nature made them give a resounding yes.
Then the Demigods and Demons freshened up and sat in two camps. Mohini-Murti, with her resttless eyes, breasts like water jugs, walked around, swaying her big hips, her ankle bells tinkling, and with her sari’s border slipping slightly on her breasts. The Demigods and Demons were fully enchanted by her.
She first approached the demons but only sweet-talked them Then she went to the Demigods. Mohini-Murti fed all the nectar to the demigods, making them free from invaildity, old age and death.
The Demons stayed silent for they had promised to accept her decision, fair or unfair, and they did not want to lose her affection. One Demon, Rahu, realized what she was up to and he used his powers to quickly take on the garb of a Demigod and go sit with them. He got some nectar but was detected. As Rahu began drinking it, the Supreme Lord cut off Rahu’s head. As the nectar was still in Rahu’s throat the head remained alive but his body died.
After the nectar was distributed, Mohini-Murti disclosed her true form as the Supreme Lord. Although the Demigods and Demons were doing the same activities, in the same time, and for the same purpose, only the Demigods, the devotees of the Supreme Lord, got the ultimate benefit. The Demons, being selfish, were baffled by their selfishness and lustiness.
Actions done for personal material gratification are ultimately unfruitful, and actions done for the service of the Lord benefit everyone.
The Demons weren’t happy with the outcome and a mighty battle ensued. That’s another story.
God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.
I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: “The Holy Bible” Online version; “The Koran” as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); “The Bhagavad Gita As it Is” as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; “I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.
A friend told me that just recently he took in some fresh air at sunset while strolling along the beach at Ioco, Vancouver, BC. Vancouver might be relatively clean and low in pollution but it’s still in my country, Canada, that shamefully takes second place as a leading polluter, per capita. But the worst affected in our polluted world are Azerbaijan, China, India, Peru, Ukraine and Zambia.
We churn out industries that pollute the air, the waters, and soil with chemicals, and burden our planet with unwanted noise, heat, and light that all harm living forms, including us.
If you think that there is no ancient wisdom to guide us in this matter you’d be wrong. There is. Here is a spiritual story, probably 5,00 years old, from another place and culture that talks about Demigods and Demons toiling together to churn nectar from the Ocean of Milk. They churned and churned but first produced only poison that disturbed other living creatures:
“SB 8.7.18: The fish, sharks, tortoises and snakes were most agitated and perturbed. The entire ocean became turbulent, and even the large aquatic animals like whales, water elephants, crocodiles and timińgila fish [large whales that can swallow small whales] came to the surface. While the ocean was being churned in this way, it first produced a fiercely dangerous poison called hālahala.
SB 8.7.19: O King, when that uncontrollable poison was forcefully spreading up and down in all directions, all the demigods, along with the Lord Himself, approached Lord Śiva [Sadāśiva]. Feeling unsheltered and very much afraid, they sought shelter of him.”
Lord Shiva, the benevolent Lord of Destruction, helped out by drinking the poison and holding it in his throat. Doing that gave Him a blue line on His throat but no other harm. [Please, dont’ try this at home!]. Only after this were the nectar and other good thing produced.
The lesson is that we have to control the pollution and stop the harm. Only after we do this can we truly benefit (enjoy the nectar) from our industrial activities.
Pollution is an old word. In 1340 CE, this English word, having come from the Latin polluere “to soil, defile, contaminate,” [por before, luere to smear], meant “discharge of semen other than during sex.” By 1382, the word came to mean “desecration, defilement”.
Desecration of the environment is tragic but defilement of the mind is even more so, for the latter worsens the former. And how to control that pollution within? The body does it’s own job of churning its metabolism and ridding itself of impurities through the liver and kidneys but what of the mind? How to rid the impurities of the mind? How to avoid becoming a “demon”?
An anonymous author said, “Hate pollutes the mind.” The Bible has many references to defilement. The psalmist sings “Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” 51:2.
Guru Nanak sings that when the body or clothes become soiled we can wash them with soap and water, but the defilement of the mind can only be purified by the constant recitation of Naam, God’s name.
So, as you stroll along and watch the sun bleach, the rain wash the plants and ground, and feel the breeze cleanse the air, give some thought to how to sanitize the mind.
God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.
I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008References: “The Holy Bible” Online version; “The Koran” as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); “The Bhagavad Gita As it Is” as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; “I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.
March, named after Mars, the Roman god of war, was the first month of the year for the Romans.
For them, Spring brought with it a time for action and war. For us, March is the third month and a time for planning our gardens, or getting seriously ready for the summer. For those of us suffering from alcoholism or other detrimental habits this third month is a good time to reflect on the Third Step of the 12-Step Program. (See Letter # 56: “The First Step” and Letter # 90: “The Second Step” for the previous two steps).
Wikipedia describes the Third Step: “We made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood Him.”
There are several interesting words in this sentence. The word decision comes first for it is so important in curbing any habit. Decision comes from the Latin word decidere “to decide,” literally “to cut off,” from de- “off” + cædere “to cut”. Thus the decree of the third step is to cut off the old habit.
When it comes to the question of will and willpower, if Jesus can turn over his care into God’s hands, cannot we follow his example? Jesus said in submission: “Yet not as I will, but as you will.” [Matthew 26:39].
The word God comes from the Proto-Indo-European *ghut- meaning “that which is invoked”. Here, Third Step is alluding to the need to invoke a new power, a power above and beyond the frail mortal mind, a third party beyond the two principals of the habit and the person.
Finally, the word understand comes from the Proto-Indo-European root *nter- meaning “between, among”; compare this to the Sanskrit word antar meaning “among, between.” Here, the Third Step’s use of the word understand hints at an inner realization, a new intuition, the third eye so to speak.
Lord Krishna speaks of the misery that is generally in store for those who can’t move their minds into a new way of thinking: “But ignorant and faithless persons who doubt the revealed scriptures do not attain God consciousness; they fall down. For the doubting soul there is happiness neither in this world nor in the next.” BG 4.40.
Surrender has its benefits. The very word Islam means surrender to God. Muslims generally surrender to the ideals and laws of the Koran, and thus Muslim societies generally don’t suffer the ill consequences of addictions.
But support is needed to combat bad habits. Guru Nanak sings a super simile: “Jio mandar kau thamai thanman(u); Tio gur ka sabad(u) maneh asthanman(u), “As the pillar supports the roof of a house; So the word of God supports the mind” [SS Asht. 15 P153].
March brings in Spring with the return of the sun. Likewise, the Third Step brings in support and hope with the rising of a Higher Power.
God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.
I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: “The Holy Bible” Online version; “The Koran” as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); “The Bhagavad Gita As it Is” as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; “I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.
Luna Lovegood is a slightly “loony” but loveable character in the magical Harry Potter novels of J.K. Rowling.
Lovegood’s first name is born from affection, but calling someone a lunatic nowadays is derogatory. It wasn’t always so. Wikipedia tells of the Lunacy Act (1845) of England, which act improved the status of the mentally ill from prisoners to patients.
Have you ever wondered why the word lunar, which pertains to the moon, became associated with mind? Lunar comes from the 2,000 year old Latin word luna, meaning moon. Luna was name of the Roman goddess of the moon. By 1290, the word lunatic came to mean “affected with periodic insanity, dependent on the changes of the moon.” Other associated terms are “moon-struck” and “moon-sick” which are are to do with temper, humor, moods, whims, and fancies.
The phrase “lunatic person” was first recorded 1377, according to the Online Dictionary.
The ancient Greek word seleniazomai meant to be “be epileptic,” from the word selene, the moon.
The Bible speaks of the moon in conjunction with festivities, not mind: “Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed feasts and New Moon festivals—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the LORD your God.” [Numbers 10:10].
Likewise, the Holy Koran speaks of the moon in many verses but none in relation to mind, to my knowledge. “He makes … the sun and moon for the reckoning (of time).” [6:96].
But Latin, Greek, the Bible or the Koran still offer no clues of the connection between mind and moon. By contrast, the 5,000 year old Vedas do. These latter texts are the most ancient sources of the connection between moon and mind: “O Lord, … the god of the moon is your mind …” SB 8.7.27.
When it comes to mental illness, we generally become overwhelmed with embarrassment, shame and stigma. Even the best of our philosophers have expressed contrary views on the lunatic asylum, an outdated term for a psychiatric hospital. The German philosopher, Neitszche (1844 - 1900), said “A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.” The English psychologist, Havelock Ellis(1859 - 1939), saw more hope: “The place where optimism flourishes the most is the lunatic asylum.”
Serious mental disorders aside, the greatest part of our “modern day lunacy” comes from stress. Stress makes us “loony” and brings many ills. What is the cure?
Guru Nanak sings of the supreme remedy: “Anik upavai rog(u) na jae; Rog(u) mitai Har(i) avkhadh(u) lae”, which means “The malady which cannot be cured by many remedies can be cured by the medicine of God’s name.” [SS Asht 19. P 193].
You can click also here for more tips on relieving stress.
God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.
I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: “The Holy Bible” Online version; “The Koran” as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); “The Bhagavad Gita As it Is” as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; “I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.
In the comment section at Letter #100, on Romance, a reader asked an earnest question on love and its types. I honour that reader’s keenness to analyse, for I know from personal experience that such passion is mandatory for arriving at deeper realizations. In the words of Maharaj Nisargadatta, “You have to give your heart and mind to these things and brood over them repeatedly. It is like cooking food. You must keep it on the fire for some time before it is ready.” [”I AM THAT”. P489]
Analysis involves applying “word labels” to things but our compendium of words is often limited. A million of thinkers speaking a thousand languages for eons of time would still be tongue-tied in describing love fully.
Wikipedia gives a good introduction to the subject but love is perhaps best appreciated in silence. Having said that, let me present my brief thoughts on love.
The word love means many things but is itself derived from the Proto-Indo-European root leubh- “to care, desire”, which could also be the root of the Sanskrit word lobh, which means insatiable greed.
Opposites are often useful in trying to better grasp a concept. Love’s antonym, hate, comes from the Proto-Indo-European root kede- “to feel strongly”, which root also gives the old German word khatojanan, meaning hate.
The ancient Greeks classified love into three types: eros, philia, and agape.
Eros is passionate love, with sensual desire and longing, and when it is without physical attaction it is called platonic, after Plato. Plato taught that eros helps the soul (psyche) recall knowledge of beauty, and thus helps in appreciating spiritual truth; lovers and philosophers look truth by eros. Philia, taught by Aristotle, is a virtuous love, like friendship and loyalty. The ancient texts of the New Testament contain both the words philia and agape, which are both translated into the English word love with an inevitable loss of the deeper nuances of these types of love. Agapē is a general affection as opposed to the erotic love of eros. Wikipedia explains that one can have agape for a meal , or children or spouse.
The above three broad categories capture the various forms of love such as adulation, affection, amourousness, infatuation, devotion, friendship etc.
The streams of love flow are hard to control. Genesis 25:28 speaks of “Isaac, who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah loved Jacob.” But the ultimate message of the Holy Bible is to turn the direction of love to God. “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5.
At verse 8:63, the Holy Koran speaks of Allah as the source of love. “And (moreover) He hath put affection between their hearts: not if thou hadst spent all that is in the earth, couldst thou have produced that affection, but Allah hath done it: for He is Exalted in might, Wise.” The ultimate message, however, is that it is the turning of love to God that will be most beneficial. “If ye do love Allah, Follow me: Allah will love you and forgive you your sins: For Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” [3:31].
Lord Krishna speaks of two types of love - romantic and devotional. In the Bhagavad Gita at verse 10.28, He says “Of causes for procreation I am Kandarpa, the god of love…” and at 10.10, He states, “To those who are constantly devoted to serving Me with love, I give the understanding by which they can come to Me.”
Guru Nanak gives further direction: “Moh maya kai sang(i) na lep(u); Man maih rakhai hari(i) Har(i) ek,” which means, “He is unaffected by worldy love and mammon; He who keeps One God in his heart.” [SS Aht 18. P 187].
God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.
I wish to express my gratitude for your comments, which inspire me to carry on writing. Please forgive my fallibilities in presenting this material. Also, feel free to send this message on to someone that you might think would like to receive it. If you do send it on, my only request of you is that you send it as it is, in its entirety, and to not alter or modify any of the text, references or authorship information. Thus you will help to give credit or liability to where they are properly due.
Jas Bhopal
Copyright© 2008
References: “The Holy Bible” Online version; “The Koran” as translated by SV Mir Ahmed Ali 2005 ISBN 0-9761870-0-0); “The Bhagavad Gita As it Is” as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN 0-89213-268-X; The Srimad Bhagavatum as translated by Srila Prabhupada ISBN0-89213-259-0; “I Am That. Talks With Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj” ISBN 0-89386-022-0; The Dhammapada ISBN-10:1-84483-344-5; The Sacred Sukhmani ISBN 81-7205-098-4; Wikipedia.
For many of us birds are a source of pleasure. Big Bird of the children’s show Sesame Street makes sure of an endearing bird-human relationship right from childhood. While Big Bird, who’s like a turkey, represents fun and love, it is the Eagle, the first symbol of North America that symbolizes power and respect. However, for the First Nations it is a different bird, the Raven, that is supreme.
God Bless; Allah Hu Akbar; May The Forces Of The Universe Bring You Harmony; Hare Krishna; Radha-Swami; and Nanak Naam Chardi Kala Tere Bhane Sarbat Dha Bhalla.
