Secrets of Hinduism 5

Secrets of Hinduism 5 (लय चिंतन)

Atmagyan, ‘know thyself’ is the question, and all the Hindus are searching for it’s answer. Dhoop, deep, pujan, archan, bhajan, kirtan, daan, vrata-upvas, tirtha paryatan, punya, sadkarma; consciously or unconsciously, the culture is in search of God, in search of it’s root. 

The answer is simple: Atma (thyself) is Parmatma (Brahman). But how to believe? The cause Brahman is not separate from the action the Atma. Therefore, the world around us is the expression of the Brahman. As Atma is Brahman and the world around is Brahman, therefore everything around is expression of mine. Then whom should I complain for good or bad?

We know the development and changes in our body from womb to death. The body we live in is passing through the stages of life cycle and becomes our identity: foetus, Baby/infant, toddler, preschooler, child, adolescent/teenager, young adult, middle age adult, retired, elderly and dead. One can easily travel back thinking of his/her present body, and the body of past as adult, youth, child, baby, foetus and fusion stage of the egg and sperm. By thinking of effect and it’s cause, step by step, it is easy to rest in the roots of the body and it’s creator the parents. Our parents live in us.

If the Pot (effect) is seen through it’s cause Earth, the pot becomes earth. Similarly, all the ornaments made from Gold are Gold. The effect and cause are the same. Look at a flower. It has come from a plant (cause). But the plant has come from the earth, therefore it is Earth only. The earth has come from water, therefore, it is Water. The water has come from fire, therefore, it is Fire. The fire has come from the air, therefore, it is Air. The Air has come from ether, therefore, it is Ether/Sky. The ether has come from Virat, therefore it is Virat. The Virat has come from Hiranyagarbha, therefore, it is Hiranyagarbha. The Hiranyagarbha has come from Ishwara, therefore, it is Ishwara. The Ishwara has come from the Brahman, therefore the flower is Brahman. If our intellect stays in cause instead of effect, it is easy to rest in the main cause, the Brahman. 

We have five sense organs and five action organs. Through them we enjoy five subjects (sound, touch, form, taste, smell) while eating, drinking, mating, etc, during the cycle of human life. Five subjects have roots in our mind. Therefore, rest them in the mind. The mind has command from the intellect, therefore, rest the mind in the intellect. The individual intellect has roots in universal intellect (Mahat), therefore rest the intellect in the universal intellect. The Mahat gets strength from the Chaitanya, the Peaceful Soul, therefore rest it into the Peaceful Soul, our Swaroopa. 

This is called “Laya Chintan”, merger of action into it’s cause. Slowly slowly, with long term practice, the mind rest in the peace, not after the death but in this life only. आत्मज्ञानी भवतु। 😂 

ॐ द्यौ: शान्तिरन्तरिक्षँ शान्ति:,
पृथ्वी शान्तिराप: शान्तिरोषधय: शान्ति:।
वनस्पतय: शान्तिर्विश्वे देवा: शान्तिर्ब्रह्म शान्ति:,
सर्वँ शान्ति:, शान्तिरेव शान्ति:, सा मा शान्तिरेधि॥
ॐ शान्ति: शान्ति: शान्ति:॥

Punamchand

31 May 2018

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Secrets of Hinduism-4

Secrets of Hinduism-4

The Supreme Being is Omnipresent, Omnipotent. There is no space in the Universes where He is absent. Whether in the five elements of nature: ether, air, fire, water and earth; or in the life of the creatures, He is present everywhere in the Universes. He is Chaitanya, live, always with us wherever we are. 

The Supreme Being embodied with knowledge of creation, Maya was formed, and from Maya the sprout Hiranya Garbha born and he creates the subtle world along with the five elements (panchikaran) of the nature. Supreme Being is Chaitanya (live) and Omnipresent, therefore, HE is everywhere, in live objects as well as in non-live objects. For an example, HE is present in me as well as HE is present in my office table. My body, in a format is a physical body and Jada like the table, but my body looks live and moving but the table doesn’t. 

Why? 

Because I am not only a physical body but also carrying a subtle body. The table doesn’t have the subtle body. The subtle body embodied with my physical body has a capacity to reflect the image of the Supreme Being. For an example, there is a wall and there is a mirror. The wall won’t reflect the Sunlight but the mirror will accept and reflect it. In theory, the subtle body is Jada, but as it is made of Satva, it is pure, therefore it accept the light of the Chaitanya, therefore, it looks alive. We all are not real but are the reflectors of the light of the Supreme Being. (The pictures before us are like a cinema, where everything on the screen is light only but we see the pictures in it) 

From all the creatures on the Earth to the other creations in the universes: yaksha, gandharva, kinnar, Devas, Asuras, Rakshasas, etc, whether living in the Seven higher worlds: bhu, bhuvas, svar, mahas, janas, tapas, and satya; or in the seven lower worlds or underworlds are atala, vitala, sutala, rasaataala, talatala, mahaatala, paatala; all are Jeevas, enjoy the good or bad fruits of their Karmas and move on into the cycle of birth and rebirth. The Indra and Brahma are the titles hold by the Jeevas till they carry the power of the fruits needed for the posts. 

Our subtle body is made of 17 elements: five knowledge senses, five action senses, five Pranas, mind and wisdom. The mind and wisdoms (inner core) carry the strength to accept the light of the Supreme Being. When a person dies, the subtle body departs, and his physical body becomes Jada like the Table. Then the dead body and the table are the same, Jada. The departed subtle body then holds a new body and takes rebirth. In the new birth, the mind continues the same. If somebody commits suicide to get rid off his mind, he can’t, because the mind travels with him in the next birth. Look at our siblings, they are born from the same parents, but their minds and wisdoms make them different from each other. 

The journey of birth and rebirth continues till the cycle doesn’t end with the knowledge of thyself. If the universe created by the God disappears (with his will) (night of Kayamat), the story doesn’t end. When the new Universe is created the jeevas/creatures have to follow the path of the fruits of their Karmas of previous Universe. 

Knowledge of thyself is the only answer for the Moksha (liberation), freedom from the cycle of birth and rebirth because the Samsara in any form is full of misery. The Samsara is like a stem of banana or like an onion,  one may remove the slice after slice but won’t get anything out of it. 

Hinduism is a religion of 80% Karmakand (rituals), 16% Upasana (prayers) and only 4% Gyan (knowledge). The Vedas and Six Vedangas give knowledge of Apara, to attain worldly things in 14 lokas with the help of rituals and prayers but can’t give liberation. 96% of the rituals and prayers are for the lot who wishes to continue in the drama and only 4%, the Knowledge of Upanishads, the Para, is for the Jeevas to resign from the drama and to liberate from the Samsara !!!

Some of the questions have no answers? Which came first, the chicken or the the egg? the tree or the seed? The Brahman, the Maya, the Ishwara, the Jeeva, the World, the ignorance, are eternal. None has answer, when they begin and when end...अनादि अनंत: 

Atma Gyan (know thyself) is the only answer for the liberation. One has to search for the answer, Who am I ?

Who are you?

Punamchand
28 May 2018

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Secrets of Hinduism-3

Secrets of Hinduism-3

There is Supreme Being (परब्रह्म), Highest Brahman, the ultimate reality, pure, Akshara, named as Nirgun (without qualities), Nirakar (formless) Brahman by the Hindus and Maha Shunya by the Buddhas. But HE is Chetan-Live, therefore, the story of creation begins. When HE closes HIS Eye, (don’t imagine him in body and eye term), the Jagat (Universe) disappears (अव्यक्त), and when HE opens his Eye, it appears (व्यक्त). 

How is the Universe created? Upanishads say, it was created step by step by the Sankalp/desire of the Para Brahman (Supreme Being). 

तपसा चीयते ब्रह्म ततोऽन्नमभिजायते ।
अन्नात् प्राणो मनः सत्यं लोकाः कर्मसु चामृतम् ॥ ८ ॥
(1.8, Mundakopanishad)

(The Nirgun Brahman with तपसा (knowledge of creation) expands like a seed before the sprout. From HIM, Maya (nature) created (अन्नं अभिजायते). From Maya, the Prana (Hiranyagarbha), from Prana the mind (समष्टि मन), from Mind the bhutas (5 elements, panchikaran) (सत्यम stay long), from Bhutas the loka (14 bhuvanas and the creatures), then the Karmas (actions with desires) and their fruits were created). 

Nirgun Brahman combined with Maya (reason) became the ISHWARA, the Creator. Ishwar is one  only but with His acts of creation, maintenance and destruction named as Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh in Hinduism. 

Hiranya Garbha (the Prana) is the first body/baby of the Supreme Being, the “Action Brahman”, named as Brahma, Sutratma, Samasti Linga, Jagadatma. He is the sprout of Supreme Being combined with Maya. He creates the Subtle World (सूक्ष्म सृष्टि), the gyan shakti, the kriya shakti, srusti prapancha, the universes, where we are appearing and disappearing following the path of our karma and their fruits. 

The whole world is a Bhogshala (Maya Nagari). We consume the five types of Bhoga: sound, touch, form, taste, smell (शब्द, स्पर्श, रूप, रस, गंध), the quality of five elements of nature: ether, air, fire, water and earth respectively; through the five external organs of senses: ears, skin, eyes, tongue, nose; and five organs of actions: larynx, hand, foot, the excretory and generative organs. Our Karmas decides our future (including next birth). The courier system of the Ishwara is the best, keeps the fruits of our karma ready. The rule of Karma keeps the packets of fruits ready and deliver it timely, wherever we are. The Karmas can’t be ended without the consumption of their fruits. All the creatures on earth (animals, birds, etc) except the humans are considered ‘Papa Yoni”, exist to consume the fruits of their Karmas of past lives. Humans are also the ‘Bhogyoni’ but they have been given freedom to change their Karmas and their outcome/fruits. The cycle never ends except the ‘Atmagyan’ to know the thyself. 

Are we real live entity or a mirror image of someone else, we shall examine it later. But believe or not, this visible world is a creation of God/Hiranya Garbha, and will exist till the power of the desire (Maya) of the Supreme Being ends. 

Punamchand
25 May 2018

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Secret of Hinduism-2

Secrets of Hinduism-2

Hindus worship the Sun, the river, the ponds, the tree, the cow, the snake, the girl, the woman, the idol, to all, and see the presence of the Almighty in all. It is an unique way of worshiping the God and those people who don’t understand the meaning of it, look at it as the madness of the search of the God in the mortals. 

All believe that the universes, the creatures, the visible and invisible world is a creation of the God. All believe that God is everywhere. 

Upanishads explain the truth.

Who created this world? 
How was it created?
Why was it created? 

In any formation there are two causes: material (upadan) cause and efficient/moving (nimitta) cause. Generally both the causes are independent to each other. Earth, Gold and wheat are the material cause of pot, ornament and chapati, respectively. Potter, Goldsmith, Cook are the efficient causes of these things respectively. With the knowledge of earth, gold and wheat, one can understand the creation of pot, ornament and chapati. 

What are the material and efficient causes of this universe? 

यथोर्णनाभि: सृजते गृह्यते च, यथा पृथिव्यामोषधय: सम्भवन्ति। 
यथा सत: पुरूषात्केशलेमानि, तथाक्षरात्सम्मवतीह विश्वम्। । (1.7, Mundakopanishad)
(As a spider projects forth and absorbs back (the threads), as plants grow on earth, as hairs grow on the body, the universe emerges from the Imperishable Being).

Urnanabhi, the spider create thread from it’s own saliva and makes the net, God creates this world without external material. The way varieties of plants and herbs are grown from the earth, there is varieties in creatures. The way hairs (jada) are grown from a live man, the material world is created from the Chetan (live) God. All the universes emerge from the Almighty. He is the abhinnanimittaupadan (inseparable efficient material) cause of the Universe. HE is manifested himself as Universe. Brahman, Akshara (imperishable) is the cause of the Universe. From where the Universes emerge, stay and get destroyed is the HE, the Brahman. 

But there is a question. If the world is created by the God than what happened to Him? Where is He? If earth is used in making pots, it reduces or turns into pots. If Gold is used in making ornaments, Gold becomes ornaments. 

The Upanishad explains, there are two types of material causes: result oriented and vivarta (look different than it’s form). Milk becomes curd, seed becomes tree, etc, are result oriented cause in which one form is changed into another form. But in Vivarta, the form of the cause is not changed but it is seen differently. The famous example of Rajju-Sarpa (chord and snake). People see snake, stick, necklace, water fall, etc images in a Chord. The chord doesn’t change but the observer sees it differently. Similarly, the God is as HE is, but we see the Jagat (world) in it. Water is seen as bubble, wave and froth but it is water only. With the creation of bubble and it’s disappearance the water remains water. With the names and forms it is Jagat (world) but it is God, the Being Himself. Whether it a dust particle, or the creatures or the visible and invisible universes around, they are manifestation of the one and only, the God, the Brahman.

Therefore, Hindu culture pray HIM in all formats whether Sun, Cow, Snake, human, tree, or an idol. There is nothing around except the Brahman, the Almighty. 

Now, when you see a Spider (उर्णनाभि) making a net, don’t forget to see the creation drama of the God in it. 

Punamchand
18 May 2018

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Secrets of Hinduism (Mundakopanishad)

Secrets of Hinduism (Mundakopanishad)

Saunaka asked Sage Angiras, कस्मिन्नु भगवो विज्ञाते सर्वमिदं विज्ञातं भवतीति? (1.3 Mundakopanishad) “What is that, through the knowledge of which everything becomes known?”

The Sage explained that two kinds of vidhyas (knowledge), Para (higher) and Apara (lower) are  to be known. Higher knowledge of Brahman and lower knowledge of empirical world. 

Vedas (wisdom), the oldest sacred text of Hindus are considered apauruseya (not of a man) and called Sruti (what is heard). But verse 5 of the Mundakopanishad place all four Vedas the Rig Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sama Veda, the Atharva Veda and the Shadanga: Siksha (phonetics), Kalpa (rituals) Vyakaran (grammar), Nirukta (etymology, vedic dictionary), Chhanda (prosody) and Jyotish (astrology), into lower (apara) category of incomplete knowledge. 

In one stroke, it has placed all the major shastras of Hinduism out of the higher category of attaining the knowledge of the Supreme being, the Brahman. Karmakands (rituals), prayers, pilgrimage, outer worship, etc, may be useful to prepare the runway, but are not the means to know the Supreme, the Akshar Brahman. 

Karmas of Dharma, Adharma, Punya-Paap, etc, often leads to bondage of this world but not liberation. However, by good karmas impurities of mind can be purified. Aberration can be removed by Bhakti. Yagya, Daan, Tapa, Bhakti, purify the inner cause (mind, intellect, memory, ego) and generate curiosity to know the Brahman. They prepare the base to acquire Para. 

What is Para vidhya? 

‘सा विद्या या विमुक्तये'। (knowledge is that one liberates) That is knowledge (real) which leads to liberation (emancipation from the cycle of birth and rebirth).  

Karna was Kauntaiya but he believed himself Radheya. Had he accepted that he was Kauntaiya, the war of Mahabharata would had been avoided. Similarly, Brahman is our identity, but our belief of being a Jeeva has put us in the sufferings and in the cycle of birth and rebirth. Para gives the knowledge of the Parmatma and Peace (शांति) is the outcome. It frees the individual from all karmas and their bondage.

Parmatma (God) can’t be described by words or can’t be attained through human senses. Therefore, Upanishads use adjectives, to guide the path of liberation.

यत्तदद्रेश्यमग्राह्यमगोत्रमवर्णचक्षु:श्रोत्रं तदपाणिपीदम्। नित्यं विभूं सर्वगतं सुसूक्ष्मं तदव्ययं यद्भूतयोनिं परिपश्यन्ति धीरा: | (1.6 Mundakopanishad)

THAT (Parmatma/God) is
Adrashya (inperceptible), not a subject of sense organs; Agrahya (ungraspable), not a subject of organs of action; Agotra (without origin/root/lineage), not created by someone;  Avarna (colourless), not have special Varna/matter; Achakchustrotam (eyeless and earless), not have sense organs; Apanipadat (without organs of actions); Nityam (eternal); Vibhu (all pervading), manifests through different forms, the universes and creatures; Sarvagatam (omnipresent); Susukshamtam (very subtle), beyond the reach of human intellect; Avyayam (imperishable); and the source of all beings (generate, stay and destroyed in HIM). HE is beheld by men of wisdom (धीरा:)

There are five basic elements of nature: ether, air, fire, water, earth. Each one has quality/tanmatra. Ether/Space has sound (ॐ); Air has sound and touch; Fire has sound, touch and sight; Water has sound, touch, sight and taste; Earth has sound, touch, sight, taste and smell. With the increase of qualities/gunas, the element gets more dense, and occupy less space. Water occupies more space than earth, fire occupies more space than water...and so on. More the subtle, it spreads more. Parmatma is susukshmatam, the sixth range, without any guna/quality, very subtle than the ether (beyond imagination), therefore, ubiquitous, omnipresent. 

The Vidhya with which one knows Akshara (God) is Para, and the rest are the Apara. Those who have Brahmajigyasa, (अथातो ब्रह्म जिज्ञासा) can start with. And those are Dhira (man of wisdom with stable mind) can behold HIM and liberate from the bondage. Dhira is Adhikari, who has Viveka, Vairagya, Shadsampati (six virtues: shama, dama, uparati, titiksha, shraddha, samadhan) and Mumukshuta. He can see the Parmatma everywhere, present through HIS creation. He can behold the Brahmagyan of the Akshar (न क्षरति इति अक्षर) Brahman. 

Mundakopanishad is talking about the Mund, means the Brain, directs the thought process and light the path to attain Akshar Brahma following the path of Para Vidhya, the knowledge that destroys ignorance or the means of attuning oneself with the true Existence. Our national logo of सत्यमेव जयते। was taken from Mundakopanishada. 

Punamchand
13 May 2018

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Monsoon 2018

Monsoon 2018

IMD has predicted normal monsoon this year and the pre monsoon activities of the season has started with the dust storms. Ants become very busy, running around in collecting foodstuff and filling up their storehouses. Cuckoos are yearning love desires with their beautiful sounds ku...hoo. Crows may considered themselves smarter, but some cuckoos will lay their eggs in their nests. Peacocks are getting their new feathers and some are busy in impressing upon the Peahens with their beautiful dance and te...hook sound of love. Cassia fistula the beautiful trees are blooming with yellow flowers expressing joy of the nature. The blooming of the flowers started around 31/3/18, and it is at the pick nowadays. Counting 45-55 days from it, Monsoon is likely to onset a weak early in the fourth week of May over Kerala coast this year. 

There is no El Niño but weak La Niña (cool phase- ENSO) will govern the season. The fear of band of warm water flowing under east central Pacific Ocean has gone. The sea surface temperature and air pressure over Indian Ocean will be positive for normal monsoon this year.

What do the Stars indicate? 

With the transits of Solar Family in different fields (watery, fiery, earthy, windy), the monsoon season will be governed. 

The union of Saturn and Mars (kept on hold many things!) ended. Bhoomiputro (son of earth) Mars has moved to Capricorn (exalted house), the earthy sign on 2/5/18 and marked it’s journey with the dust storm over some areas of the country. 

Saturn will continue in Sagittarius, but is retrograde from 17/4/18 to 6/9/18, won’t remove the uncertainty in the atmosphere. Retrograde Rahu will continue in the watery sign Cancer, but realising it (water) slowly. Retrograde Jupiter in Libra will be progressive from 10/7/18 and will move to Scorpio from 12/10/18. Venus is in Taurus will transit to Gemini from 14/5/18 and then to Cancer from 9/6/18 and will travel through Leo and Virgo during the season. Mercury is in Pieces and will transit signs upto Virgo during the season. 

Sun is in Taurus will transit to Ardra nakshatra of moon sign Gemini from 15/6/18, the traditional date of onset of monsoon over Gujarat. Sun will transit from each nakshatra for a fortnight. And the character of each fortnight will decide the fate of next fortnight. One has to observe the days very closely. 

Moon will transit from each sign for 2.5 days but when it is transiting from the watery signs (Cancer, Scorpio and Pieces) will mark the days as rainy days. If other planetary movements are positive, these may be heavy to very heavy rainfall days.

As Mars is behind the Sun during the season, therefore, it’s negative effect over monsoon is diminished. It will remain in the exalted house of earth sign Capricorn during the season, therefore, will grant pleasures to the earth and to it’s cultivators the farmers. However, the period from 15/7 to 15/8 when it is transiting opposite to Sun and creating angaraka yoga, few days may go dry.

Venus, the planet always positive for rain is transiting watery sign Cancer from 9/6/18 to 5/7/18. During this period Moon will be transiting from the watery signs of Pieces, Cancer and Scorpio on 5-14-22 June. Therefore, we may see widespread monsoon activities during the period in June. Monsoon is early this year. 

During July, Venus will be in fiery sign Leo, Rahu may dry up the watery field of Cancer, Mars may make the fields windy, Saturn in fiery sign Sagittarius may add up dryness, therefore, July generally marked for the big spell of rains of season, may not yield that much rain. However, Jupiter is getting progressive from 10/7/18 will improve the season in the second half of the month. There may be cyclonic activities, with some areas may be getting more and some areas are getting less rainfall. 

As soon as Venus is getting free from the fiery files of Leo and transiting to Virgo from 1/8/18, it will bring the normalcy of the season. August will be a month for normal rainfall. September also will remain normal rainfall month. 

Jupiter will transit in Libra during the season and will move to Scorpio from 12/10/18, and with few days of moon unionise with it, it may bring some post monsoon showers over some parts of northern/ northeastern India before the season ends. 

It is going to be a Normal Monsoon Year as predicted by the IMD. Planets this year, are avoiding to come in conflict with the IMD. Lol.😆😂😜

Punamchand

5 May 2018

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