Good is what reduces attachment with Samsara, Evil is what increases it

In the pursuit of Vedanta, you learn to transcend, to accept the Good and the Evil as necessities of the dichotomy in Maya. Birth means Death has to follow. The rise of Day also foretells the fall of Night.

If it's Happily Ever After, you are being cheated to say the least. You are not in the real world.
But you can go beyond, beyond happiness and joy, with dispassion in whatever you do. And be in Bliss no matter what pain you feel at the relatively gross levels.

But there is the risk still of falling into a "so what" non-chalancy. Of accepting things as they were, enjoying the bliss of non-attachment.
There is also the risk of "delusion" which I felt when I watched the film Aks where the serial-killer kept quoting the Gita. Or when I learnt that Hitler and co kept referring to the Gita to justify mass murder.

There is better understanding now, and Swami Sarvapriyanandaji's talks have helped a lot. He defines Good as what reduces our attachment with Samsara, and Evil as what increases it. So when at the level of the Samsara, you refuse to turn a blind eye, you refuse to serve. Or worse, you start causing pain to those around, then you are a form of Evil. It'll tie you down to Samsara. There is nothing called not doing action. So the only way is to do Morally Good action and dedicate it to Lord, or by such means not taking credit to the result..

Pursuit of pleasure means you don't know Joy

Where outside do you seek, this joy within
Why not imbibed still, all your learning

They will only tire you, the pleasures outer
Deny you the bliss, veil it inside

It is said, that you seek pleasure
It is pitiful, that you are hurting

But know that the balm, cannot be the cause
Transcend this world, connect to the bliss within

Let there be Rain

Let there be rain, the one that blooms
Countless trees, and flowers within

Let there be thunder, not the one that scares
But the one that beats the drums of joy

Let there be lightning, like a countless moons
And the mirth of beholding someone greater that self

I look forward to rains, the green and wet earth
To bask in the dry sun, beneath flowing clouds

Deep sleep like maya dissolution

I went to deep sleep, the world disappeared
I woke up only then it's back

There were no people, no objects, no life
Why do you think really this world exists

Yes things have changed, the day has moved
But then this Maya, she even let's you think

How then, within Maya, can you answer
Why not you start, by first accepting Maya

Even Maya dissolves, in sleep or pralaya
Know that you can, you do control Maya

What constitutes Seva

Seva (Selfless Service) is intrinsic to the the culture of Bharat. As much as "lokah samastha sukhino bhavantu" and "Sahana vavatu". There isn't a sense of competition.

Although for those in the corporate structure, Service is used loosely for industries ranging from Hospitality to IT Support. But in the Bharat of old, all these would have been "Dharma". Your duty as per your role in society. So the meaning of Seva had to be specified as "Selfless Service" than just "Service".

But I see "spiritual" NGOs today deploying to their advantage, an army of volunteers, to market and execute their work, earn revenue, and yet be made felt as doing "Seva".

This article is to introspect my point of view of this, which I'm sure is a question that comes in the mind of many.

It's very easy to determine when, on behalf of the NGO, you serve a third-party. Like a village or a charity. That is no-doubt Seva.

It is also easy to understand when you serve free food on behalf of the organization to those seeking food.

But what when you are working on activities that benefit the organization monetarily, would it be Seva? Well, what if you don't want any money. Well, then it definitely is Seva. But if the organization doesn't have a policy or plan to pay you, but will only go seeking other volunteers, it becomes a Business Model in my view, a very profitable one.

I've seen some organizations like the Art of Living channelizing the volunteer movement very effectively. The free follow-ups after you attend their courses, imply that they pay rent of the place they conduct these follow-ups, and the generous time and Seva of the teachers, in turn benefit you. For Rs 1500 Basic course, you get free Annadanam and lifelong follow-ups. And I've seen how, in the Art of Living, the followers themselves volunteer to go further. There is no pressure for me to get involved if I don't want to. There is no money talk, just comity. So definitely they've come up with a unique model of making people feel part of something bigger than themselves, perhaps at minimal cost in terms of teaching, but definitely worthwhile in terms of the follow-ups.

But what has irked me is when their followers use "Seva" for calling out people to market their courses. I've also seen very less "Seva" to outsiders, all seva at the ground level seems to be for internal revenue generation. 

Being an NGO, all their money goes into upkeep or charity. But does it go into funding AOLs subsidiary businesses on FMCG and Ayurvedic hospitals.

End of the day, I'd like to think there are systems where all this is duly audited. And while the Seva model by the AOL has its pros and cons, no question about the fact that they have involved in big money charity in countries they've been involved in. And Guruji's been very assertive in speaking his mind, be in social issues or in defence of our heritage. Given his stature, name and fame gained, there was no push on him too. That has indeed been a great form of Seva.

Attachment to objects: It's within

A strange thing happened recently: My car (and actually my father's) which I use for daily office commute, was being taken away by the pickup guy for regular maintenance.

And I feel a pang: as if a loved one was being separated from me! My mind took a step back to seek to understand this better. How can I feel thus, for something that's clearly a non-living object. Up until now, I would rationalize this feeling when placed for living beings, especially humans. This pang resembled when my son was going to Anantapur for a week in 2014 after we'd just moved back, to give me and wife time to set up home in Bengaluru. And of course, there is no comparing the two for me, in mind and heart. I'm hardly attached (at least I thought so) to what's "material".

I had to now accept it: This pang was irrespective of living or non-living. This was nothing but a feeling of possession, an attachment! And "material" constituted both the living and non-living. For me, for all of us!

And this realization is the first step. This awareness that this attachment is irrespective of the object. It's the feeling of attachment that lies within. It shows, no matter what you think you are, you still have some distance to cover in the practice of detachment.

And why's that detachment important? The further tied down, the lesser the freedom, the experience of true bliss. The less this feeling of pure happiness, the more the desire, the seeking of pleasure, and delusion, the pursuit of objects (aims/ambitions including) in this world.

Analogies of Brahman

On Brahman, the common analogy is that of a "witness". It's difficult to understand because of the problem of deep sleep: If Brahman (Atman) is the witness, why don't I witness/experience my deep sleep. I know I was in deep sleep only because I wake up afresh!

Brahman has two aspects for lack of a better word that comes to mind:
- Aspect 1: It lights up the Prana/Jiva/Individual Self
- Aspect 2: It gets mirrored/reflected/borrowed by the Individual Self to light-up/enliven the embodiment/body-mind

VishishtAdvaita is partly correct, its only problem being that it doesn't go into the next level of depth: We the individual self are not a sparkling image of the Perfected Being (not yet), but once enlightened (and we end up as Jivamukta / Videhamukta), there is no difference.

The Witness analogy is only applicable to Aspect 1 above, and that too only during the individual self's waking and dream-sleep/REM-sleep state.
The Mind (Ego+Intellect+Manas/Memory/Thought) turns off in deep sleep (in dream-state it still is partly active). Without the Mind, the Individual Self cannot be experienced. If the Mind is off, Brahman has nothing to reflect upon.
It is the same analogy as sunlight in space: Space seems dark because there is nothing to reflect light. Come an asteroid or satellite or planet, we see it beaming in sunlight! And this is why the Witness analogy fails in the deep sleep context.
The Witness analogy definitely should be practiced during the Jagrat (waking) state and is easy to reflect upon and understand the Swapna (dream) state.
So a combination of the Sun lighting-up objects and Witness analogies should be used to appreciate Aspect 1 of Brahman.

The Sun reflecting on objects analogy can  be used to understand Aspect 2 of Brahman.
Just as the sun falling upon the mirror in a room, then gets reflected by the mirror to the rest of the room, so too does Brahman enliven the Jiva, which otherwise does not have an existence of its own (the stand taken by Advaita).
Thus the quality of the mirror (Samaras/impressions on the Jiva built up by the collective past births and current birth) determines the quality of the reflection.
Likewise, the sun getting reflected upon a number of buckets of water is an analogy to (apparent) multiplicity of Brahman. Again in this analogy, the quality of reflection depends upon the purity/turbidity of water.
Another way of looking at Aspect 2 is like the relationship of the Ocean and a Wave in the Ocean. Water in the wave is same as in the ocean. But the nature of the wave can be foamy/small/large.
Thus a combination of analogies of wave-in-water and sun's reflection-on-objects is needed to understand Aspect 2 of Brahman.

There we go again

No time to sit in one place for us
There's just the tiring, draining, travel for us

Long train journeys, gusty breeze on face
The peculiar stench that evening baths wash

The dusty bus rides, nauseating roads
Oh to our envy, the carefree cyclist grins

But nothing makes up for, the memories built
Unlike the flight taken, over unfamiliar clouds

Nature is Us

From the core of this Earth, is the lava flowing
Like the anger suppressed, that boils in our hearts

Not one but generations will suffer its wrath
As we do without letting go, through multiple births

There is no way, you can win against nature
It can wreak its revenge, stealing your peace of mind

For you are It, you just refuse to recognize
That we are created, run by the same God that is Us

Adi Sankara and Vivekananda: Social Reforming Vedantins

The greatly revered Advaitins Adi Sankaracharya and Swami Vivekananda have a striking common theme in their lives: Not just were both of them great Communicators, but also tireless Social Reformers.

Both have written Bhashyas that have been held in high regard. While Sankaracharya achieved a vast more number of self written material in a systematic manner, Vivekananda's talks and lectures (published in the Complete Works) makes him seem a walking encyclopaedia.

Both are poets and convincing speakers with the power to influence listeners considerably.

While these are monumental achievements by themselves, these two stalwarts are best known for matching and exceeding their words with their work.

Both Swamiji and Jagadguru Bhagavatpada tried their best to rid the society of the negative effects of pedantic orthodoxy.

They exhorted listeners/readers to look beyond the ritualistic aspects of religion. Both asserted boldly that God resides within us, neigh verily God is nothing but our true realised Self. This is why their message had universal appeal.

While Vivekananda set up the Ramakrishna Mission to channelize the direction of the followers towards the spread of Jnana yoga, Sankaracharya had a much more daunting task of reviving the real Hinduism i.e. Sanatana Dharma itself. For this he set up four Mattas in the four corners of the country, all covered on foot. Vivekananda on the other hand, apart from being the rationalist, nationalist, fire-in-the-belly spiritual giant in Bharat, he crossed the seven seas reaching the shores of America, half the world away. A task no less daunting considering he was out spreading the word amongst a populace that was no doubt open hearted, but still which had never been exposed to such profound philosophy.

And as is seen today, so it will be in the future. While their teachings will continue to light up the minds of listeners, the more relevant change is the seed they've planted in the hearts of humans and humanity.

Analogies of Maya

Every teacher understands that a concept is best taught with analogies. A child would not understand what and why we do 1+1=2, until it's shown the relevance with an example, say mangoes.

This becomes all the more important when explaining profound philosophies of spirituality as Maya and Brahman.

For long if your spiritual reading is from also-ran articles on spirituality as in newspapers and magazines, the oft-referred example is that of the rope appearing as the snake. Well, it's important, but yet just an incomplete analogy, even difficult to grasp in its fullness if used as the first one.

For one, that analogy is used best to explain Maya. I have seen some usage of the snake-on-rope analogy to explain Brahman, but in my current view using it thus only confuses.

There are two powers of Maya: The Projecting power and the Veiling power.

I will elaborate how the snake-on-rope analogy is used to explain Maya:
- The Projecting power is that Maya projects the rope as the snake.
- The Veiling power is that it covers the fact that's it's in reality snake.
The Projecting power in itself is not bad. If I know it's a rope, then even that rope looks like a snake,  it wouldn't bother me.
The Veiling power, the fact that Maya hides the fact that it's a rope until conscious understanding, is the problem behind understanding this life and the world around us. The feeling that it's a snake I'm seeing, freezes me and makes me act in ways I otherwise wouldn't.

This is where the example falters in my opinion. In general, once I understand that it's not a snake, just a rope, my eyes will stop seeing the snake. But this isn't how Maya works in reality. Seekers, due to the dissection of this analogy, expect that after enlightenment they'd stop seeing the world; it's not so.

I'd rather use the analogy of the mirage in a desert. The mirage is projected on the desert; the desert is veiled by the mirage. But significantly, even after you know it's not water, you still see the mirage of water. That's precisely how powerful Maya is.

This is not to downplay the analogy in itself: When the enlightened King Janaka is praised by Sage Yagnavalka, it is by calling him "fearless". The reason why we are trapped in Samsara, is because we are unable to see the Brahman behind Maya and are deluded by fear. The root cause of desire (the need to possess) is fear. The snake-on-rope analogy reassures us to rid ourselves of fear. Which is why my take is that this is an analogy to be used in the advanced phase of transcending Maya, than to understand Maya itself.

Why feel happy that you have limitations

Why desperate to be, one among many
Why embrace the common, the pervasive anonymity

Know you are special, feel it with humility
Seek out and contribute, your skills as if duty

Know that potential, for supreme is infinite
Realize that verily, this is your identity

Eyes

The eyes, your eyes, have dreamt huge dreams
They have expressed wonder, and the desire to live

To cherish and remember, this world so living
To watch in silence, the sun and the shining

Come close have these eyes, to deep meditation
For in sleep there is nowhere, to trust and envision

Jallikattu: The messaging has to be different

Numerous bans, portrays of violence and gore, and years of turmoil. And all through this, the real message was not shared.

As with everything else, traditional practices had a reason behind it. While the case of choosing more civilized practices is something you can't push down, let not the intent be allowed to be swept under the mat.

Once such topic is Jallikattu: the traditional bull sport. One look at the event, and you'd write it off as barbaric. Both for the participants who could lose their lives, and the injury and trauma both the humans and especially the bull would go through.

But what was the reason for this sport being practiced. It was to find the more virile bull, that is then chosen to breed for the next generation. It was to ensure the healthiest variety of protein continues and perhaps the main reason it has passed on for centuries.

And what's being missed behind the calls for banning the sport, is the ulterior motive also. Corporates who want Jersey cows to be imported and used in our country.

As with Allopathy, as with fertilizers, and as with even cultural embrace of the Western world, be it dress codes or nuclear families, why do we choose to ignore of the problems they currently face: guns, sociopaths, divorce, terminal illnesses. And realize we are heading that way. Of course, the practice of corruption since independence has made our soul quite hollow. But still doesn't mean we can't redeem yet.

Why do we ignore our strength in world population being 1/6th. We are a progressing nation. I'm all for everyone learning English, but let Sanskrit be a close second. Wear the western clothes, but wear yours too equally. Choose Allopathy for quick relief, but stick to Ayurveda at all other times.

Viveka: That's the first practice taught in our spiritual disciplines, but what we utilize last.

Yes, choose to ban the sport if needed, but ensure there's an equally capable and sustainable alternative plan first to ensure the Indian breed is accepted by consensus.

Bite the bullet: If it's chewable you made it, if not it's experience!

Why hold back, just go chew it
What prevents you, from being struck by lightning

You know not how much, time you have in hand
You know not the next crippling experience that arrives

You have been blessed, you were born and grew up
Consider yourself, the most special to be here

Just don't go back, on the couch into a shell
Go out there, or the drawing board, make the big plans

There's nothing to lose, we all die to be sure
Just bite the bullet, go for it,
Go find out if, you were chosen for this!

The caught-on people

You see a lot of people from India in the US, some of who really don't fit-in, but just want to. Instead of holding on to who they really are, they want to gel-in. It's like they want to forget who they are, where they come from.  It' like the red-necks in downtown. But while the farmer holds on to identity, these Indians don't want to. I think it's an Inferiority complex, a low self-esteem.

These are people from the villages of India, those who'd even find the Indian city life alien. Typically the city-bred Indians are those who most easily fit in the US. Easily connect with their US compeers as they've both grown up watching the same TV shows and games. There is a cultural connect just right there. They think in English, like their US counterparts. They have a sense of how they carry themselves, very naturally being accustomed to the cosmopolitan life. Much of US is just that, a melting pot of the world's cultures, a nation of immigrants.
It is also these city-bred Indians who don't mind coming back home. But to an Indian city mind you. Because they were just as happy with the city life here, as they were with the life in the US. Given the right choices (career, online services, specialty hospitals, excellent education standard) , they will weigh options of family also being in India and just fly back without regret.

But the Indians from the villages are there first for the money. And there after to rub off who they are. They show that sense of belonging only when they want to show off back in their village. They'll even send pictures of their poor upbringing to their friends in the US, and vice-versa show back to the villagers back home, that they are still the same old village-bumpkin who loves dal-chaawal the most. But deep within they resent it, they are relieved they escaped it, and fear what if they have to come back here. To be fair, even an Indian city is as alien to these folks as a US downtown or suburb.
And so they've decided to just cling on. They are desperate to make, and clutch on to Caucasian friends. Also maybe African-Americans. They keenly observe these friends, and try to adapt their ways of life. But deep within, they are just not comfortable. They don't know why. If only they realized, that even by accepting their true selves, America will equally hold them in embrace.

Sigh, these caught-on people!

Atman just Is: Even Time is Within Atman

O Those of you, Who say Atman is Eternal
Why do you, knowing twist the point

For Atman is from where, the time-concept arose
Atman right now, past or future just don't say

With Atman realized, you go beyond time and space
Verily this whole universe, this very Atman projects

It is to be realized, but It wants Itself to be masked
Say legends that Creation cast
For Atman to forget loneliness

Catching up on email is fine, but don't lose the point

There are a lot of people who tell me at work "Got to catch-up on email". I wish like telling them back "Hope just the relevant ones". For beyond that, it's just plain reading. Not very efficient usage of time. Something that you can catch up on in a single status update meeting.

As the world has caught on to email, and gone beyond to messaging, it's time to realize just that. That now Email is a Saturated Medium.
I, for one, use a combination of Filters to ensure I read the emails from clients and important stakeholders. There could be other methods than filtering by Sender, depends on your context.

It's about Messaging, and the WhatsApp groups and Slack channels are all for this.

And above all, and I think for all time to come, will continue to be conversation between two people. Ideally face-to-face, but if not, over video call or via the phone. No form of text communication will ever be able to replace that.

Realize, and Prioritize for efficiency!

Infosys paintings: the profusion of talent

There were a series of paintings exhibited in the Infosys campus recently. And I was struck by how professional it all seemed like! I also kept an eye on who the painters were, and their employee numbers:

• Some of them must be straight out of college, and what amazed me was the keen eye to detail. 
• While others seemed to be quite senior employee numbers, which means they were devoting a significant part of their personal time towards this pursuit.
• I also noted that the same painter at times had multiple paintings. Each of them wonderful. Meaning this was genuine talent at display.

I wish our country had more avenues for them to prosper, just as painters. It's very obviously their first love, but they can't earn their meal with just it. Well, in another time maybe!

Hats off to each of them!!

The desire to possess, and then boredom

This is so true of anything you want to possess in this world. At the base level, objects. Be it the latest gadget or car or even home. And yet deeper, the desire to possess family: First the anticipation / the thrill of even not knowing what to expect, and then the boredom.
I have felt it for every gadget I looked forward to, whether purchased or gifted to me didn't seem to make a difference. Only the fact that it belonged to me, like the laptop from work or the Android phone I purchased. But in time, I've felt the feeling wane down. So much so, I now recognize and know that this is what will happen!
Likewise it is with family, you start a family and automatically have a series of expectations. Only it's all unfair. You can only, and only, do your duty. To them, your family. It's for yourself you are doing this duty, whether you like to portray as a sacrifice or not. With children, this expectation is even more deep-seated. For you truly change everything about yourself to make their life be good. But still, realize, you are doing it only for yourself.
The possessing or owning of things and being part of community, be it family or society is not incorrect. But the feeling of possessing or owning it is the beginning of the downfall. Have the feeling of serving each of the roles entrusted to you, and let each one fall off when you start with the next role, be it in your day, or your life. And feel that liberated feeling, the load lifting off, the openness in your embrace!!