vedantasandesh_april2012

8/2/2019 VedantaSandesh_April2012

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Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission

Year 18 Issue 10Bqs!3123

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In This Issue

1. Vedanta Section: Atma Bodha - Shloka-41

2. Letter Section: Understanding Attachment

3. Gita Section: 4 Components of Karma Yoga

4. Story Section: Matsya Avatara

5. VM Programs: Mission / Ashram Progs


3/16

From Poojya Guruji

Hari om !So many people ask this question that when God alone does everything

why do bad people exist in the world, or for that matter why is anger, jealousy arro

etc there in all of us. If even a leaf doesnt move without his wish then why does

remove all these thorns from the minds & hearts of people, and make this w

beautiful place to live in. Whoever has such questions they need to go deepe

their own understanding of what they mean by God. The problem lies there a

What they react to is not about the truth of God, but to their own understanding o

God is. First they entertain some baseless & childish understanding about God

then keep wondering why 'this God' has done this or that. God just provides us a

potential and opportunity to do karma; subsequent response is strictly our freed

discretion. A wise person takes the path of righteousness, while the ignorant

gravitate towards the easy path of personal whims & fancies, this ego-centric oalone is the cause of all insensitivity & sins.

Lets understand this using the example of a Computer. The creative po

God just provides us an amazing hardware and its perfect OS. All softwares

later installation, and we can just install anything, including a highly destructive

Dont blame the creator of this amazing machine for what 'you' install at a later s

Anyways even if we did inadvertently install some negative thoughts, then w

always run some anti-virus s/w and clean ourself. God is that creative power wh

given us this amazing capacity & opportunity to install & run just anything. Think

is the role of God, and having freely & lovingly given to us this amazing portable

charged, always on, shoulder-top, with all its astounding processing, mem

multimedia capabilities, including its extremely fast connectivity - God then just

free, he is indeed someone who truly believes in you. Thereafter we can indeedor mar our lives, and he still doesnt interfere, he continues to believe in us and

that all our happiness & sorrows themself will facilitate our better understandin

enlightenment. Let us not expect him to be like the proverbial mother-in-law

interferes in everything that others do. Good teaching is not about interferin

correcting others all the time, but in soft facilitation to help a person to realiz

awake; so rest assured God will never interfere, whatever be the intensity of pa

problems of the people of world. God is a magnanimous creator who not only c

this astounding & amazing creation with all its beautiful sun, moon etc, but the

believes in you fully. No one in the world believes and loves you as much as God

and therefore he never interferes. He does not control the mind of anyone, h

gives this amazing mind with all its equally amazing powers to us - freely, lov

without any obligations.

Alongwith our amazing mind, he also gave us the instruction manuals,

form of scriptures; in fact he sent the manual much before we landed here. Thos

do not learn the truth of mind, self & the life, alone keep getting all the pain

problems, not everyone. Intelligent people never waste their energies in blamin

God, but they keep humbly learning about life & its truth. When I am the one wh

created problems, then it also means that I am capable of setting things right

With such an understanding the ball is always in our court, we are truly empowe

do just anything, at anytime, so why complain. The very understanding of such

culminates in wordless gratitude, blessed existence and loving selfless respons

Swami Atmananda

Vedanta SandeshSpreading Love & Light

Monthly eMagazine of theInternational Vedanta Mission

Sharing the message of Vedanta and Sanatan Dharma

Apr 2012

On the Net since 1995

Started by:

oojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji

Editor:

Swamini Samatananda

Published from:

Vedanta AshramE/2948-50, Sudama Nagar

Indore-452 009, India

Web:

www.vmission.org.in

Email:

[email protected]


4/16

Gyatrugyangyeybhedah:In the state of ignorance I see myself as a

limited being and the world of objects as a sourceof fulfilling this limitation. Such an understanding ofthe Self and the world gives birth to a triad of anexperience i.e. the experiencer, the object of expe-rience and the experience. Such triads of experi-ence are seen at various levels. At the level of knowl-edge there is a knower, the known, and knowledge,when I look at the world I am the seer, the world is

the object of the seen and there is an experience ofseeing. (drishta, drishya, darshan), in the seat ofmeditation I am the meditater, an object of medita-tion and the experience of meditation and (dhyata,dhyeyea, dhyan), similarly there is karta, karma,kriya i.e. that is the doer, action, and the field ofaction. In all these cases at the root level we see asense of limitation which compels one to seek ful-fillment. As long as this triad is there samsara andseeking will exist. There is a state of duality, a stateof seperate existence of the Self and the world. Any

object of experience and the experience is alwayseperate from the experiencer. There is a alwaysdifference of seeker and sought. As long as thsense of duality will exist so long I the seeker walways need to run behind something for the sakof happiness. There will always be a goal seperafrom me to be achieved, that goal which will givme joy and satisfaction. Joy is always seperate frothe Self in some object and its experience, whicmeans joy is always somewhere far in the horizo

But people of knowledge know and reveal that aiming for any goal other than the self is like sailintowards that horizon which as though appears be there but in reality it has no existence.

Here the Acharya reveals that the Atman beyond the three components of the knower, thknown and the knowledge.

Pare Natmani Vidyate:That which is my true nature is the essenc

and substratum of everything. I am pervading e

In the previous sloka the Acharya described the attitude of a Realised person. One who has realisethe Supreme Brahman gives up all forms, colors and the like and rests in his own intrinsic form which is contentenment, consciousness and Bliss Absolute.

In the world the distinction of knower, knowable and knowledge are known to exist, a question thearises how is it possible to achieve the pure contemplation of non-dualism. This is answered next:

Vedanta Section

Atma Bodha - Shloka 41

No Fragmentations exist in Non-dual

anta Sandesh - Apr 2012

Gyatrugyangyeybhedah pare naatmani vidyateChidanandaikarupatvaddeepyate swayameva tat

Gyatrugyangyeybhedah: the distinction of knower, knowledge and knowable; pareatmani: inthe Supreme Atman; na vidyate: does not exist; Chidanandaikarupatvat: on account of it beingsole consciousness and bliss; deepyate: shines; swayameva: of itself tat: that.

The distinction of knower, knowledge and knowable does not exist in the Supreme Atman.On account of its being but sole consciousness and Bliss Absolute, it shines by itself.

41


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erything and everything is born unto me, is sustainedin me and dissolves in me. Just like in the dreamworld, it is created, sustained and glides back intomy very Self. As long as I am in the dream state Iam the experiencer of the happenings in the dream,when I wake up I am aware that the dream existedin me. The dreamer, the dream experience and the

objects in the dream all are me. I see my self as thesubstratum of the whole dream world. There is noseperate existence of the dreamer and the dream.Duality exists only when the objective world appearsReal to me. One needs to see the world is only asmuch Real as thr rope in a snake. In Vedanta Brah-man is known as the Vivart karana; a cause of theworld which is not really seperate from the worlditself. Just as the rope is the cause of the snake butnot really a cuase because the rope is not seperatefrom the snake, and nor is the existence of the snakea reality. The existence of the snake in the rope isimaginary and the moment one sees the reality ofthe rope there is no existence of the snake. Just aright awareness wipes off the snake lock stock andbarrel. Similarly the Atman is substratum of all ex-periences. All the worldly experiences and the worlditself is like an imaginary snake. Once the sense ofreality towards this snake is dropped one can seethe Real nature of the Self as Brahman. In that casesince the Atman alone is and there is nothing other

than the Self there is no seperate existence of thethree components of the triad of experiences.

Chidanandaikaroopatvaat:The Atman is of the nature of pure conscious-

ness, Bliss and one without a second. The triad ofexperience is because of this nature of the Atman.Being the nature of pure consciousness I am the

substratum of the knower, it is with my light that I aware of the world and its objects. Being eternal I the substratum of the whole objective world, and ing Blissfl by nature I am the substratum of all exriences.

The nature of knowledge is awakening into tvery nature that I am the substratum of everythi

There is nothing other than me. I am one withousecond. I alone manifest into all the componentsexperiences and yet there is no real existence of theexperiences.

Deepyate Swayameva hi:The Self is pure consciousness which is s

revealing. It does not need another source of lighbe revealed. If it was not self revealing and was knoby another light, first of all there would be a dualitythe enlightening light and the enlightened one. Athing that is enlightened by another source of lighconsidered inert. But the Atman is Self-revealing aone without a second.

This awakening of the self is brought aboutNididhysanam, by contemplation on the Seat of metation, by retaining continuous awareness of the Rself as Ahambrahmasmi. One should see the Selfthe substratum of the triad of experiences. Medtion which culminates in such an awakening of Self alone is true meditation, otherwise it may

come another means to escape into some imaginworld, to be lost in some imaginary identity of the S

All sadhanas of rituals, worship, japkarmayoga , upasana are means to bring about right atmosphere for contemplation. Having prepathe mind by these sadhanas it is then importanttake up shravan, manan and nididhyasan, culmining in pure existence of the Self.

Greetings to all our readers on the auspicious occassion of

Sri Ram Navami

Karuna sukh sagar sab guna aagar jehi gavahi shruti santaSo mama hit laagi jan anuragi bhayau prakat srikanta.

Sri Rama, the ocean of compassion and happiness, the one with all the virtues, the one whohas been described by the Vedas, that Lord has incarnated just for my welfare and for blessing alhis devotees with his devotion.


6/16anta Sandesh - Apr 2012

Long time ago, there used to be a Renunciate. People used to

respect him and many used to come and gain knowledge from him.He was a well known Man of wisdom. He had many disciples. Heenlightened the path of spritual aspirants. Even Kings and his courtmenused to come to him to get his blessings and gain knowlege from him.

In course of time the Monk became very old. He was aware it will soonbe time for him to leave this physical body. He spent his time in variousspiritual activities meditating and sharing his knowledge Knowing this,a huge number of devotees from all parts of the country came thereto get the last blessing and words of wisdom from the wise man. Truedevotees came to get blessings of the Sanyaasi and get someknowledge if possible, while some came expecting to get somemiraculous or some materialistic benefit from the Monk. One of themwas a very rich fellow. However he was very miserly, greedy andexploitative of others. Hoping to get some more wealth he came tovisit the Monk.

The renunciate, who didnt want to meet anybody, seeing this greedyand miserly fellow called him to see him. As soon as the Monk calledhim, though many many were waiting, the ego of the Rich fellow gotall the more bloated. He looked at others with an expression like seehow great I am. The Great Man has called me only.

The greedy guy wanted to ask the renunciate why he chose him onlyto come in. Repeatedly he kept on asking this. The monk then repliedThese people waiting outside will some or the other time, have a chanceto get a glimpse of Holy people. Whereas a greedy, cunning, andegoistic person can never get such a blessed opportunity. So I calledyou in first.

True Love


7/16

Hari om A..,

All your questions indicate the lack of clarity of the word attachme

When you take care of your relatives - children, husband or pare

for 'their' well-being, then it is love, but if you take care of them, prim

for your ego-satisfaction, security or any such personal pleasure, t

you will tend to hang-on to those people; such a relationship is alw

borne out of inner lack, insecurity & weakness; such a relationsh

called attachment.

The root of attachment is self-centricity, wherein the concern for you

dominates everything else. You may continue to love & serve oth

but the basic motivation is self-centric. One requires lot of wisdom

turn the tables in favor of selflessness, in everything, whether

relationships or any other habits. So when you eat with thoughtfuln

for good health, and not merely for the appeasement of your lik

then also it is not attachment, but rather a sattwic & righteous act.

A sattwic life facilitates vairagya, because with such an attitude you

only start with, but also keep affirming your intrinsic fullness

appreciate the secrets of a sattwic life, then in spite of any relationsh

responsibilities, comforts or gratification etc, your vairagya graph

keep going up, because then you will happily use 'every' thing at 'ev

level - only for the happiness & well-being of others. Vairagya nei

implies absence of relationships, nor even sensual experiences,

just reveals the fragrance of inner strength wherein you can affor

live for the well-being of others at all levels.

Love & om

Swamiji

Understanding AttachmentLetter of theMonth

The root of

attachment is self-

centricity, wherein

he concern for

yourself dominates

everything else.

You may continue

o love & serve

others, but the

basic motivation is

self-centric.

- Poojya Guruji

Pa


8/16danta Sandesh - April 2009

NoCa

useForG

rief

anta Sandesh - Mar 2012

Action: Our Privilege

Action is the signature of life. Life means action. Wherever action ceases to e

it is as good as being dead. Not even a moment can we live without performing

action. Everyone has roles that must be performed. Even a blade of grass plays its in balancing the ecological system. Action is that previlege for a human being by w

a man becomes an architect of his own life and the world around him. All prospe

growth, development in technology, blossoming of a personalitiy, all is a reflectio

action. So act we must. Act we must in a way that brings about the well being of the

and all around.

One must understand that action by itself is not binding in any way, but it is

attitude of action that either binds a person or evolves a person on the path of dha

and spirituality. In one of the most significant & famous slokas of the Gita Bhagw

Krishna gives us very important four components of the Art of Action which make

field of action a blessing. Let us see these four components:

You have the privilege of performing actions (Karmanyevadhikaaraste):

As a human being you have the privilege and the right to perform actio

Considering action as a burden of life is only a trait of the lazy, escapist, disenthu

and the uninspired ones. Infact not only is action our previlege but we are also bles

with the freedom to act. We can perform actions or not perform them or we can cho

an entirely different way of performing an action. That is totaly my freedom. We may

have a choice in the situations that confront us but we have the choice to respond

particular situation in any way we deem fit. Therefore the beauty of living is not in escafrom action, seeing it as a burden or loosely performing an action, but the art of liv

lies in enjoying and excelling everything that we do.

You do not have a choice over the results of actions (Ma phaleshu kadachan

This sentence has not only confused an average person but also many a scho

interpreting the Gita who interpret it to mean that one should perform actions with

expecting the results. This is the most absurd and illogical reflection of this statem

Never can there be an action which will not result in any fruit of the action. Then wh

Lord Krishnas statement? It means that you have a choice over the actions but you

not have a choice to determine the fruit of the action. There is a cosmic intellige

highly powerful and knowledgable who handles this aspect. An individuals total fo

must be on performing the action with love, enthusiasm and full dedication and with

attitude of dedicating the action to the divine entity called God. There is no doubt

every action will surely bear its deserving fruit and we too must aim for great goa

life, but believing that God gives the fruits of action relieves one of great burdens

sense of doership and with a light heart one can totally focus ones energy in perform

the action. A person burdened with the sense of doership will constantly worry about

results of action, will be anxious and his energy will be dissipated. Such people who

FourC

omponent

sof

Ka

rmaYoga



9/16 Pa

too anxious about the result of action and yet do not make the best possible efforts bec

very gullible to exploitation. Anyone can make them dance to thier tunes. Such pe

alone are on the look out for astrologers and pandits who can get them their desired

without working for it. So intellingent people focus on doing the best that they can

have a humble attitude of leavig the rest to God.

Prasad Buddhi:

In case of fruits of actions another beautiful concept given by the Gita is to haPrasad Buddhi for the end result. Just as when we visit a temple we get a prasad. It

be in any form a big laddoo or a small piece of sweet, but any person who has faith

reverance towards god does not see it as an ordinary piece of sweet but it is a bles

from God and therefore one takes it with a lot of respect and humility, and then has

too for every believer in God every situation in life is a prasad from God and he acce

with grace and gratitude. Having performed your action to the best of your ability tak

result as a blessing from God.

Do not consider yourself to be the author of fruits (Ma karma fal heturbhuhu):

One must understand that although you have made efforts in fulfilling an ac

never take your self to be the cause in bringing about the fruits of an action. The res

actions are governed by the laws of nature that are not under our control. We live

world governed by laws that are not created by an individual. We are born accordi

these laws and the reaping of fruits too is based on these laws. The author of these

is what we call as God or Iswara. It is by his laws that I get a particular result of actio

by my choice. Therefore believing the Self to be the creator of all success only resu

a big fat ego. An ego of this kind only takes a person downhill. Such an egoistic pe

also gets isolated when failures come, because if I am responsible for my success t

am also responsible for my failures. So one musnt sing the glories of the Self, but taas a bessing from God and have a feeling of gratitude for all those people and factors

have supported to bring about the result of an action.

Never be attached to inaction (Ma te sangah tu akarmani):

The fourth component of this sloka is never take up to inactivity. It is indeed a

previlege of Man to perform actions. While here in this world dream big, dream not

for the self but to do something for others, to do something for the happiness of God

has blessed us with this beautiful life. Life lives with action. No action and life is dead

mechanically living, or living an uninspired, disenthused life is worst than an anima

So have great dreams and give everything of yourself to it. Challenges, ups and do

success and failures will always be there, but the spirit of a karmayogi is to live life to

fullest.

These four components make up the package of karma yoga, which make

field of action a blessing. It is important to understand the nature of actions and

results. A field of Action is not merely a means to fulfill ones desires and make arrangem

to live a comforatble life but it is a divine means to prepare ones mind for a higher knowl

of the Self. A kowledge which requires a condition free mind, a mind free from the bond

of likes and dislikes. Such a mind alone is ready to grasp the subtle truth of the Sel

Pa



People are not Difficult People are Different. If we can understandthis we can save many relationships in life.

Good relations are like needles of the clock. They only meet forsometime but always stay connected.

No poison can kill a positive thinker. No medicine can cure negativethinking.

Dont make your voice loud, to make others listen to you; make yourgood attitude so loud that others beg to listen to you.

The greatest mistake of human beings: We listen half, understandquarter, think zero, and react DOUBLE and remember forever.

Be silent in two situations: when you feel one cant understand your

feelings by your words and when one can understand you without anywords.

Fighting with the world is easy. You either win or loose. But fightingwith a close one is difficult; if you lose you lose, and even if you win

you loose.

Repeated success makes a person arrogant, repeated makes aperson feel defeated, Occasioanal success and occasional failure

makes a person mature.

Quotes


11/16Pdanta Sandesh - April 2009

Pa

Onceup

on

atime...

Stories bySages

Matsya Avatara

Once a King named Satyavrata was performing a sac

ceremony beside a river. While scooping water from the riveraccidentally caught a tiny fish in the palm of his hand. The begged him not to throw it back into the river where it wouldeaten by larger fish. The king felt sorry for the little fish and toohome to his palace where he put it in a small bowl. Next mornthe fish had outgrown the bowl and begged the king to put isomething larger. The king then transferred it into a pond, bvery quickly outgrew that too, so he put it into a small lake. Wino time the fish had outgrown the lake and had to be put into

largest lake in the kingdom. Soon, however it had grown so that even this was not large enough and the amazing fish hadbe put in the ocean.

By this time the king concluded that the fish must be avine appearance of God. He offered prayers and asked it whhad taken this form. Matsya, the fish incarnation of Vishnu,plied that in seven days a huge devastation would engulf the lowpart of the universe. He told the king to call the seven great saand gather samples of all the herbs and seeds and all kinds

living creatures. He promised that he would send a large boasave them all. After that the king would fully understand whowas. Then he swam away.

As Matsya had predicted, huge clouds appeared fromdirections and began pouring incessant water on land and sSoon the ocean overflowed onto the land. Then Satyavrata aall his companions saw a large mysterious boat floating towathem across the waves. Remembering the words of Mats

Satyavrata led them aboard it and they found safety. Matsya, wby now was a golden fish of inconceivable size, then appearethe ocean. Using the giant serpent Vasuki, they tied the boaMatsya's horn and he towed it, full of all the different specieslife, across the waters of devastation. For countless years daness covered the worlds and together they wandered across stormy wastes waiting for the waters to subside. During their joney Vishnu-Matsya instructed King Satyavrata and the sagethe spiritual knowledge of the Vedas.


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24.2:ui!Nbs!3123

Mar12 VM / VA Programs

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VedantaMissio

n/Ashram

Programs



13/16

VMNewsBloga

t:http://vmissionews.blogspot.

com/

Pa

Mar12 VM / VA Programs

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31ui!Nbs!3123

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It is only a tiny rosebud -a flower of Gods design;

But I cannot unfold the petalswith these clumsy hands of mine.The secret of unfolding flowers

is not known to such as I.GOD opens this flower so easily,

but in my hands, they die.If I cant unfold a rosebud -this flower of Gods design -

then how can I have the wisdomto unfold this life of mine?

So Ill trust in God for leading

each moment of my day;I will look to God for guidancein each step along the way.

The path that lies before me,only my Lord knows.

I trust God to unfold the moments,just as HE unfolds the rose.

Unfolding A Rose


15/16

Page # 15

Forthcoming Programs

Gita Gyana Yagna, Lucknow:A week long Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji will be organized

in the Satsang Hall of Hanuman Setu Mandir, Lucknow from 18th to 24th April 2012. Thesubject matter of the discourses will be Isavasyopanishad and Gita Chapter 12.

Vedanta Camp, Rishikesh:A Sadhana Camp will be organized at Sw Dayananda Ashram at Rishikesh from 11th

to 16th June by Poojya Guruji and Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji. The subject matter of thediscourses will be Drg-Dryshya Viveka and Gita Chapter 5. Campers to arrive by 10th eveningand leave by 17th morning.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Dehradun:A week long Gita Gyana Yagna of Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will be organized at

Dehradun from 9th to 13th Apr 2012. The subject matter of the discourses will beKathopanishad 1-3 and Sthitha Pragna Section of Gita.

Vedanta Camp, Indore:A week-long Vedanta Camp is being organized at Vedanta Ashram, Indore from 11th

to 17th Aug, just after Sri Krishna Janmashtami on 10th Aug. The subject matter of thediscourse series will be Sri Ram Gita of Adhyatma Ramayana.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Mumbai:A Gita Gyana Yagna of Poojya Guruji will be organized in Mumbai from 30th April to

6th May 2012. The subject matter of the discourse series will be Kathopanishad 2-2, and GitaChapter 6.

Page


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Web Site of the International Vedanta Mission:http://www.vmission.org.in/

International Vedanta Mission News Blog:http://vmissionews.blogspot.com/

This is a Net Publication of the

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Om Tat Sat

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