This year, the festival of Raksha Bandhan falls on August 16th.  On this day, Hindus tie rakhis to one another as a promise to protect, spreading the bonds of love and friendship amongst all. This edition of Tattva covers the Raksha Bandhan festival; there is a wide variety of other articles, including one on the essence of Vedic Mathematics and one on the Upanishads.

We encourage all readers to contribute articles for the upcoming editions. Please e-mail your suggestions, articles, and feedback to tattva-editor@hinduyuva.org.

Please visit http://www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog/2008/08/ to read the August 2008 edition of Tattva.

When Arjun asks “What are the characteristics of those who have gone beyond the gunas” in Verse 21 of the Chapter IV, we expect a list of virtues. Instead Krishna delivers a surprise: Established within themselves, they are equal in pleasure and pain, praise and blame, kindness and unkindness. Clay, a rock, and gold are the same to them. Alike in honour and dishonour, alike to friend and foe, they have given up every selfish pursuit. Such are those who have gone beyond the gunas.  IV 24 & 25

Hallmarks of a Man of Perfection
We then have to resort to Sankara’s Vivekachoodamani to understand the matchless joy experienced by a man ‘who has gone beyond gunas’. He will not have the anxiety of an ordinary mortal to acquire the necessary things of life. He will accept and use whatever he gets. A child is not at all aware of itself or its hunger or it is aware of the mother feeding it. A man of realization is much the same. Sankara indicates that the perceived world for the man of perfection is like the world seen in a dream. Such a rare one sits ever merged in the Self, extremely relaxed and completely happy established in his divine Self.

Such a one is ever changeless and free from all ego-prompted selfish activities. He strives to serve all, at all times, without any trace of selfishness. He is absorbed in Awareness and is without any urge or passion. He has no “I-ness” and “my-ness”. The body just follows him like a shadow. No one can have ego-centric identification with his own shadow. The persecutions of your shadow have no effect upon you.

His experience of the Bliss and peace within is unbroken because his mind has been transcended and, therefore, the sorrows created by the mind are not there. In that condition, the world is exactly like things forgotten and forgotten things can not disturb him. He understands the trick of the mind which gives him hallucinations, so glorious in their beauty and ugliness. His equanimity cannot be broken by any happenings around. Established in Brahman he lives in a state of continuous experience of joy. Unruffled, the man of Perfection watches the passing parade of the world.
The realized person has got out of the circle of ignorance and into a “circle of happiness.” If the question arises “What do I want?” the answer comes “I want only reality, the Self.” Then it is immediately understood that I already am that reality. In that understanding there is happiness and fulfillment. Consequently, there is no need, and no room, for any other desire.
His thoughts are without any worry. He is never persecuted by uncontrollable agitations and sorrows. He refuses to think of failures and regrets of the past; even a street dog will not eat his own disgorging. He does not worry about the future and is totally indifferent to the cares of the present. Having rid of the ideas “I” and “mine’ he lives indifferent to tragedies and comedies that visit the flesh and its mind and intellect.

Nothing is ever there which is not Brahman. Thought is the father of all your sorrows, joys and sufferings. All of them have sprung from the non-apprehensions. One who apprehends Reality ends all apprehensions. Threats, punishments, persecutions, censures and worships, commendations, adorations and praises — they all merge into his bosom and disappear. Infinite consciousness alone remains.

A realized man never courts the objects of pleasure. However, when they are thrust upon him by others, they enter and merge into him. They do not add even an iota of happiness, nor do they cause him the least sorrow. Thousands of rivers bring millions and millions if gallons of water to the ocean, day in and day out. Yet the ocean does not rise even a centimeter.

For one who has experienced the Reality, there is no samsar. Samsar is the phenomenon of going and coming of repeated births and deaths. Extrovertness is the sign of ‘ignorance’. On Realization the vasanas become like roasted seeds. Roasted seeds look like seeds, but they will not sprout even under extremely favourable conditions.
He has completely relinquished all varieties of sense gratification, which arise from mental concoction. He is contented in the Self, and by the Self.  He thus remains undisturbed even amidst the so called “filth” or “impurities” of the material world. His mind is purified and enjoys the Pure Transcendental Consciousness. The mind of such fortunate person is perfectly in link with his God within.
A sadhak trying to lead a noble way of life should always mentally have the presence of his ideal or his Teacher before him so that his baser tendencies get weaker and he is always inspired to live the ideal way of life.

Thus, a Self-realized person — the knower of God — is ever unattached, free of sorrows, impartial, possesses patience and purified nature. He is enlightened, free of pride, most humble, kind, full of humility, full of spiritual bliss and peace. He acts in goodness, free from all worldly entanglements. He eats the food of Divine Knowledge, he depends only on One God and His Name, he ever remains absorbed in God’s meditation, he never suffers any doom, his mind is annihilated, he helps save other souls, his family is God, he is always awake, he is free of haughty intellect, he is free living liberated, he is worry-free and his doctrine is pure. In truth, he himself is the exalted and Formless God in human body and everything abides in his mind. He is priceless, he is the patron of the patronless, he owns the entire universe, and he is the highest of high.

A fool can not be identified as long as he does not speak. As soon as he opens his mouth, he reveals himself. Similarly, one of the most important qualities of a man in God Consciousness is his speech — the way he expresses his mind. The immediate symptom of God Conscious man is that he speaks only of God and matters related to Spirituality. This is the sum and substance of his expression or speech. To him, the speech of the Divine Name is the sweetest thing in the world. “Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer or give away, and whatever austerities you perform — do that, O son of Kunti, as an offering to Me.”–Bhagavad-gita 9.27
The practical application of this instruction is absolutely ecstatic.  Anyone who applies these teachings at every minute will feel how they are always living in the direct association of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Conclusion
Of all the sciences the self-realization science is the most important. There should be a self-realization department in every university throughout the world.

After realization, you find that you don’t mind how things go, whether you do one thing or some other thing. Why do you feel such indifference? Because you know that all that activity doesn’t really have anything to do with you. It is all happening according to the prarabdha karma, that is, according to those tendencies which have already been set in motion and which must come to fruition through the body and mind. This karma is like the arrow which has already been released from the bow. It cannot be stopped or turned back in its flight. That is your external life after realization. There is nothing for you to do. Similarly, when you know everyone is yourself, you don’t crave the company of particular people. You get on perfectly well with anyone and you are inclined to treat everyone with the same respect.

“Lead thou me

From the unreal to the Real

From ignorance to Enlightenment

From the ephemeral to the Eternal.”

The same Upanishad looks upon Brahman as infinity, completely self-contained. It cannot be added to or subtracted from.

Delusions are of several types. The most common ones relate to God. Kena Upanishad denies any comfort to those who assert that God is in their pocket. It says that it (God) is unknown to the ‘knower’. The ones who claim to know god do not know it. Tejabindhu Upanishad says that Brahman is beyond ideation. That God is unknowable by the human mind is affirmed by the Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad. It defines the Reality as indefinable. It asserts “Neti, Neti’ ‘not this, not this’. Brahman is not to be limited by definitions.

Brahman is not to be confined to books. Amrita Bindu Upanishad says, “Master all the texts but (in the search for Brahman) give up all of them completely like the one gleaning for grains rejects the chaff.” I take it to mean that information is not ‘knowledge’. What is contained in books is information. Knowledge has a certain ageless pristine quality that is more to be comprehended than learnt.

But information, looked upon as ‘lower knowledge’, has its value. Isha Upanishad accepts its importance in worldly life. It says, “Live according to the ‘lower’ knowledge and transcend it to acquire higher knowledge that alone gives insight into the Eternal.”

Worldly knowledge is an essential stepping-stone to the higher one. It is implied that the worldly knowledge should not be ignored. Spirituality does not stand alone. It has relevance only in the context of worldly life. One should be a whole or complete human being in the world before he aspires for the next world. Moksha is an evolutionary end product not the first or any other stage in life.

The Gita goes further. It recommends that ‘attachment’ should be given up as the fist step. Attachment is an emotional or ideological locus. The spiritual aspirant should renounce intuitively the limiting loci and the concurrent existential constraints by remaining objective. One could say, “Objectivity is the operative word of Vedanta.” Even this statement is a simplification.

Evolution is the heart of the Hindu approach. Taittiriya Upanishad details primordial evolution and postulates another stage not known so far. The Upanishad calls that stage, “Bliss”. That is perhaps for individuals like Bhrigu, the son of Varuna, to attain. There is no collective salvation. Sophistry does not lead there. Emphatically the Upanishad says, “Words are echoed back without any impact. So also is intelligence ineffective.” Bliss is an intuitive level.

Brahman is seamless continuity. It is intuitive Reality. It is pristine. It is pure.

Taittiriya Upanishad asserts Brahman is Satyam Gnyaanam Anantam, “Reality, Consciousness and Infinity.” This aspect of Brahman is attested to in other Upanishads.

The same Upanishad gives the logo of Hinduism, OM. “OM is Brahman,” it declares. “OM is everything.” OM has five limbs.

Cosmic consciousness is postulated, in Maandookya Upanishad, as a fourth state of consciousness extending beyond the wakeful and the two dream states. It is known as Turiya.

Cosmic consciousness is again the subject of the Aitareya Upanishad that says, “Brahman is cosmic consciousness”.

Energy is another constituent of Brahman. It is called Vaayu. Prasna Upanishad and the Shanti Patha of Taittiriya Upanishad assert this fact. The latter addresses Vaayu, “You are the Real Brahman. I accept this (as fact).” Brahmopanishad acknowledges this. It equates praana, energy in the context of the human body, as Brahman.

Light or Jyoti is another form of energy. It is the universal vector that determines Time. Both are irreversible.

Taittiriya Upanishad speaks of yet another component of Brahman: the Aakaasha or Space. It is on Space that everything rests.

Brahman is a five-component (Paanktam) composite of three-dimensional Space, Energy and Light or Time.

Kathopanishad is more mundane. It presents death not as a terminus but as another transit point on the road to Brahman. It takes us for a ride in a chariot that is the human body. The charioteer is the mind. The horses are the sense organs. If the horses are under control one reaches the destination. Otherwise it is a disastrous journey. “The path to Realization is like the razor’s edge.”

All this is not empty rhetoric. Taittiriya Upanishad gives the advice, “When in doubt consult qualified Brahmins of great learning and a high degree of objectivity. They should not be corrupt. They should be practical and interested in social consolidation and advance. They should have a stake in dharma with no personal agenda.” Hindu society had produced many such individuals. I mention two: Vidhyaaranya who inspired the Vijayanagar empire and Samarth Ramdas, the Guru of Shivaji.

In ancient times, when a guru initiated his disciple, he tied a sacred thread around the right wrist of the disciple. The thread was either red or orange in color. This multicolored thread tied around the wrist started the tradition of Raksha Bandhan or the Rakhi, which means, “promise to protect”.  Likewise today, a brahmana may tie thread around the wrist of a householder when renewing the sacred thread. This tradition signified the bond of mutual love and trust between the teacher and pupil.

In later times, women began to tie rakhis to their brothers. This signified the duty of the brother to protect his sister from troubles and danger. Women without brothers would tie rakhis to men who they considered to be brothers. So in this way, the rakhi became a symbol of affection between brothers and sisters and also became a means of showing respect to women, and Hindus use this as a way of spreading universal brotherhood.

Along with bonds between teacher and pupil, and bonds between sister and brother, there was also a tradition of members of the public tying a rakhi to their king. It symbolized their commitment to the town authority and the king’s promise to look after his subjects.

There are many stories associated with Raksha Bandhan. It is believed that Raksha Bandhan originated with Indrani, the wife of Indra, King of the Gods. Indra had to go to fight a large battle with the Asuras, the demons. Before he went to war, Indrani prepared a talisman which she tied on her husband’s wrist on Sravana Purnima. Because of this talisman on his wrist, Indra and the Gods were able to win the war against the Asuras. There is a similar story like this for the soldiers of Rajput. At the time of war when the brave Rajput soldiers prepared to go to the battle field, the women folk followed the ritual of tying a thread around their wrist after applying tilak on their forehead. This was considered a sign of good omen and the ladies believed that it would protect their men from the enemy’s blow and bring them victory. So even today, the rakhi is tied on the wrists of soldiers by children and women all around the country, filling the soldiers with pride to protect them against the dangers of the enemy.

There is yet another story about Raksha Bandhan and the brotherly-sisterly relationship between King Bali and Lakshmi Devi. When the demon King Bali’s devotion won over Lord Narayan, the Lord was forced to leave his abode, Vaikunth, to stay in Bali’s kingdom in the underworld. When Lord Narayan failed to return from the underworld, his distressed wife Lakshmi arrived in the underworld on Shravan Purnima. She accepted Bali as her brother by tying a rakhi on him. In return, Bali asked her to wish for a boon. She requested Narayan’s return. She grieved that despite having a consort she was experiencing premature widowhood in Narayan’s absence. However, the Lord had pledged to eternally protect Bali, by guarding his door. To resolve his dilemma, Brahma and Shiva agreed to guard Bali for four months each, while Narayan would guard him for the auspicious four months. The festival of Raksha Bandhan commenced when Lakshmi tied the rakhi on Bali Raja. Since Bali Raja offered devotion by sacrificing everything to the Lord, the day is also known as ‘Bali-eva’ or ‘Baleva’ for short.

These stories explain the significance of Raksha Bandhan and why the Rakhi is important. Today, we need this strength more than anything else. In a society where violence, hatred, and prejudice in the civilized society are becoming more frequent, it is important for us to spread the message of universal brotherhood.  This will create an environment of mutual love and lead to the goal of worldwide peace and happiness.

Tirthaji claims that he found the sūtras after years of studying the Vedas, a set of sacred ancient Hindu texts. However, labeling the mathematics he presented as ‘Vedic’ provoked great controversy amongst Indian mathematicians who question both the Vedic origin of the mathematics, and whether the sūtras can fulfill the claim of encompassing all mathematics. Nonetheless, the calculation strategies provided by Vedic mathematics are creative and useful, and can be applied in a number of ways to calculation methods in arithmetic and algebra.

Vedic math has some similarities to the Trachtenberg system and many of the arithmetic computational strategies are based on the same concepts.

Tirthaji and the discovery of Vedic mathematics

Jagadguru Swami Sri Bharati Krishna Tirthaji is described as having the “rare combination of the probing insight and revealing intuition of a Yogi with the analytical acumen and synthetic talent of a mathematician” (Pratyagatmananda, 1965). Born in India in 1884, Tirthaji was an exceptional scholar; by age twenty he had studied at a number of colleges and universities throughout the country, been awarded the title of ‘Saraswati’ by the Madras Sanskrit Association for his remarkable proficiency in Sanskrit, and had completed seven masters degrees, including Sanskrit, Philosophy, English, Mathematics, History and Science, with the American College of Sciences (Trivedi, 1965).
Around 1911, Tirthaji resolved to study several sections of the Atharva-veda that had been dismissed by Orientalists, Indologists and antiquarian scholars as nonsensical. He was part of a shrinking group of Indian scholars who believed that the Vedas represented an “inexhaustible mine of profound wisdom” both spiritual and secular. Tirthaji claimed that there were sections of the Atharva-veda labeled “ganita sūtras” or “mathematical formulae” that mysteriously made implicit references to mathematics. Tirthaji explains that he was determined to understand the “ganita sūtras” , and began studying ancient lexicons and lexicography in more detail. With this resolve, Tirthaji went to Sringeri, Karnataka, where he began years of solitary study and meditation.
Eight years later, Tirthaji emerged claiming to have deciphered 16 fundamental mathematical sūtras in the Vedas, which today have become the foundation of Vedic mathematics. According to Tirthaji, the sūtras cover every branch of mathematics, from arithmetic to spherical conics, and that “there is no mathematics beyond their jurisdiction”.
After discovering the sūtras, Tirthaji traveled around India presenting Vedic mathematics, and even lectured in the United States and England in 1958. In addition to lecturing, Tirthaji also wrote sixteen volumes, one for each basic sūtra, explaining their applications. Unfortunately, before they were published, the manuscripts were lost irretrievably. Before falling ill and passing away in 1960, Tirthaji was able to rewrite the first of the sixteen volumes he had composed. This text — simply titled Vedic Mathematics, and published in 1965 — has become the basis for all study in the area.

The sūtras (formulas or aphorisms)

Vedic mathematics is based on sixteen sūtras which serve as somewhat cryptic instructions for dealing with different mathematical problems. Below is a list of the sūtras, translated from Sanskrit into English:

1.    “By one more than the previous one”
2.    “All from 9 and the last from 10″
3.    “Vertically and crosswise (multiplications)”
4.    “Transpose and apply”
5.    “Transpose and adjust (the coefficient)”
6.    “If the Samuccaya is the same (on both sides of the equation, then) that Samuccaya is (equal to) zero”
7.    By the Parāvartya rule
8.    “If one is in ratio, the other one is zero.”
9.    “By addition and by subtraction.”
10.    By the completion or non-completion (of the square, the cube, the fourth power, etc.)
11.    Differential calculus
12.    By the deficiency
13.    Specific and general
14.    The remainders by the last digit
15.    “The ultimate (binomial) and twice the penultimate (binomial) (equals zero),”
16.    “Only the last terms,” by one less than the one before the product of the sum all the multipliers

Applications of Vedic mathematics

The most notable application of Vedic mathematics is in education. Vedic mathematical strategies may prove to be a useful resource for teachers and students, who may find elements of it easier and more accessible to teach and learn than conventional mathematics. In particular, these strategies may be an invaluable resource to students that already struggle with mathematics, and could benefit from alternative approaches.
One attempt at incorporating Vedic mathematics into education was made by Mark Gaskell, the head of mathematics at the Maharishi School Lancashire, England. The school has developed a Vedic mathematics curriculum equivalent to the national one with impressive results. According to Gaskell, the alternative curriculum has resulted in livelier classes, greater student enjoyment and understanding, and improved academic performance. In fact, the first set of students to complete the course were each able to not only pass, but achieve over 80%, on the General Certificate of Secondary Education, a proficiency test taken by all secondary school British students, a year earlier than their peers in the regular curriculum. If harnessed appropriately, there seems to be great potential for how Vedic mathematics can be used to teach, learn and understand mathematics. Perhaps the most important aspect of including Vedic mathematics in an education system will be taking the step towards becoming open to conceptually different mathematical approaches — approaches that could one day free and transform mathematics education.

Few Practical Demonstrations
Controversy and criticism

There has been much controversy amongst Indian scholars about Tirthaji’s claims that the mathematics is Vedic and that it encompasses all aspects of mathematics. First, Tirthaji’s description of the mathematics as Vedic is most commonly criticised on the basis that, thus far, none of the sūtras can be found in any extant Vedic literature. However, trying to locate Tirthaji’s references in the Vedic literature would be extremely difficult as it is possible that Tirthaji rediscovered and reconstructed the sūtras from stray references scattered throughout the Atharva-veda, making it difficult to trace them.
In response to criticisms that the sūtras cannot be located within the texts, several people have explained how textual references should not be the basis for evaluating the Vedicity of the mathematics. Some propose that Vedic mathematics is different than other scientific work because it is not logically worked out, but is based on a direct revelation, or an “intuitional visualisation” of fundamental mathematical truths. Tirthaji has been described as having the same “reverential approach” towards the Vedas as the ancient rishis that formed them. Thus, it seems as though some believe that Tirthaji may not have found the sūtras within the Vedas, but that he received them spiritually as the rishis did, which should validate them as Vedic.
The controversy about the Vedicity of the mathematics is further confused by the double meaning of veda. Since veda can be translated to mean ‘knowledge’, it is also possible that Vedic mathematics simply refers to the fact that the sūtras are supposed to present all knowledge of mathematics. Tirthaji’s definition of veda does not clearly clarify whether he uses it to represent ‘all knowledge’ or the Vedic texts; rather, it seems that he uses it to refer to both.
Considering the lack of references to the sūtras, coupled with the fact that the language style does not seem Vedic, some propose that the sūtras were simply composed by Tirthaji himself. In that case, one must consider what motivated Tirthaji to attribute the mathematical sūtras to the ancient texts. Was it because they are from the Vedas, or does claiming so give them more credibility? Other areas of controversy regarding Vedic mathematics focus on the actual mathematics itself. Tirthaji’s assertion that the 16 sutras of Vedic mathematics encompass all branches of mathematics is an extreme one even if true, and so it is not surprising that many mathematicians challenge it. They point to the inconsistency between the topics addressed by the system (such as decimal fractions) and the known mathematics of early India, the substantial extrapolations from a few words of a sūtra to complex arithmetic strategies, and the restriction of applications to convenient, special cases. They further say that such arithmetic as is sped up by application of the sūtras can be performed on a computer or calculator anyway, making their knowledge rather irrelevant in the modern world.
They are also worried that it deflects attention from genuine achievements of ancient and modern Indian mathematics and mathematicians.

References

•    Wikipedia
•    www.hinduism.co.za/index.html
•    “Aryabhatiya” by Aryabhatta

Written and Compiled by
Divya Alok
EC – I 1st year

This year, the festival of Guru Poornima falls on July 18th. On this day, we pay respect to Sage Vedavyas and other gurus, or spiritual teachers. This edition of Tattva covers the Guru Poornima festival; there is a wide variety of other articles, including one on the fascinating state Arunachal Pradesh and one on an interesting yoga event in Times Square, New York.

We encourage all readers to contribute articles for the upcoming August edition. Please e-mail your suggestions, articles, and feedback to tattva-editor@hinduyuva.org.

Please visit http://www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog/2008/07/ to read the July 2008 edition of Tattva.

Creator and Creation

Who created this world? The sun, the stars, the clouds, the cycles of the tides and the seasons, the laws by which these function? Who provided for the needs of every creature? The world is a furnished house meant to be enjoyed by all. All beings are equipped for survival. How can one account for this objective creation? Who authorized this intelligent, meaningful creation?

For any creation there must be a creator who has in mind the purpose and means of creating. A potter knows what a pot is and how to make it.  A bird has the knowledge and skill to make a nest, a bee to make a honeycomb. For this world, there must be a creator who has both the knowledge of the entire creation and the power to create it.

When asked, “Do you believe that there is a maker of this watch?” your reply has to be “Yes.” You did not see anyone make the watch, but you still say the watch-maker exists. Similarly, it is unnecessary to verify the existence of your great-great-grandfather though you may not have even seen his picture.

Belief is not based on knowledge so it can always be shaken. Is there any possibility that the watch can be without a creator? No. Therefore, what you have is knowledge of the existence of a watch-maker, not belief.

For anything that is created, there is not only a creator, the intelligent cause, who has the intelligence to make it, but also material with which it is created. Without clay a potter cannot make pots. But God finds the material in Himself, and from it creates the world, “just as spider spreads out and draws in the thread that it spins.”

Similarly when you dream, you are the author of the dream, you are the author of the dream creation, and you are also the material for it.  The ocean, mountain, sun, moon, and streets that are so vivid in your dreams are created by you out of yourself.

When you pick up a pot, you also pick up the material of the pot, clay; when you hold a gold chain, you hold gold. The object is sustained by the material of which it is made; an effect is never separate from its material cause. If the Lord is the material and efficient cause of creation, what is the distance between the Lord and Creation? There can be no distance. The Lord is the creation.

Personality of Godhead
“I am the goal of life, the lord and support of all, the inner witness, the abode of all. I am the only refuge, the one true friend; I am the beginning, the staying and the end of creation; I am the womb and the eternal seed.”  (IX: 18)

How we can know that God exists?  The question is, “How could God not exist?”
Are you the complete whole, the total existence?  Or are you a part of it? Because you are not the complete whole and are only a part of it, you are only conscious of the pains and pleasures in your body.  The complete whole, the total existence, on the other hand, is conscious of the pains and pleasures within all living beings.

How can we deny the reality of the complete whole, the total existence, when we are living within it at every moment?  That would be a most preposterous proposition.  So we must first, on the basis of common sense observation, accept the reality of the complete whole, the total existence.

We have to cover everything with the Lord Himself by really seeing God in everything. Thus we have to give up the world, and when the world is given up, what remains? God. You can see God in your wife, children, in every thing. The whole world is full of the Lord. Open your eyes and see Him. This is what the Gita teaches. The world was a dream, Maya. What existed was the Lord Himself. It is He who is in the good and in the bad; He is in the sin and the sinner; He is in life and in death.

“I pervade the entire universe in my unmanifested form. All creatures find their existence in me, but I am not limited by them.”  (IX: 4)

All reality has its source in Brahman. All reality has its grounding sustenance in Brahman. It is in Brahman that all reality has its ultimate repose. Hinduism, specifically, is consciously and exclusively aiming toward this reality termed Brahman.

Not that you should not have property, not that you should not have things which are necessary and things which are even luxuries. Have all that you want, and more, only know the truth and realize it. Wealth does not belong to anybody. Have no idea of proprietorship, possessorship. All belongs to the Lord because the Gita tells us to put the Lord in everything. God is in the wealth that you enjoy. He is in the desire that rises in your mind. He is in the things you buy to satisfy your desire. He is in your beautiful attire, in your beautiful ornaments. If you put God in your every movement, in your conversation, in your form, in everything, the whole scene changes, and the world, instead of appearing as one of woe and misery, will become a heaven.

A conception of God has been beautifully described thus: “He is the great poet, the ancient poet; the whole universe is his poem, coming in verses and rhymes and rhymes, written in infinite bliss.” If we perform right actions we will be able to read and enjoy this universe of God. Then everything will become deified. Nooks and corners, by-ways and shady places, which we thought dark and unholy, will all be deified. They will all reveal their true nature, we shall smile at ourselves and think that all this weeping and crying has been but child’s play, and we were all standing.

Communion with the Divine 
Work, says the Gita, putting God in everything, and knowing Him to be in everything. Many people do not know what an infinite mine of bliss is in them, around them, everywhere; they have not yet discovered it. It is the thought which is the propelling force in us. Fill the mind with the highest thoughts, think them day after day, and hear them week after week. Never mind the struggles, the mistakes. The ideal of man is to see God in everything. At least see Him in one thing which you like the best, and then see Him in another and so on. Take your time and you will achieve your goal.

New York born Dr. Frank Morales says, “When we speak of Brahman, we are referring neither to the “old man in the sky” concept, nor to the idea of the Absolute as even capable of being vengeful, fearful or engaging in choosing a favorite people from among His creatures. For that matter, Brahman is not a “He” at all, but rather transcends all empirically discernable categories, limitations and dualities.”

World-renowned scientist and innovator of the nuclear bomb Robert J. Oppenhiemer, on having his first successful test of the bomb, quoted nothing but this verse of the Bhagavad-Gita: “If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. Now I become Death, the destroyer of worlds.”

Conclusion
“If I were to choose one aspect, it would be the teaching that God is the only reality, which can be invoked through any name or form. All worship offered with a pure heart is valid. There can be million forms of worship, offered to any name or form that you choose. This is the universal outlook of Hinduism. Hinduism is a very profound religion, not based in simple beliefs. God is to be understood, not just believed in.”  So said Swami Dayanand Saraswati of Arsha Vidya in 2007. He went on to say, ‘I consider everyone a Hindu till he denies to be one.”

“God is the creator, and the best way of offering prayer to him is to be creative. God is all loving, and the best way to serve him is to serve humanity,” Swami Dayananda Saraswati (1825-1883), Hindu reformer, had said more than a century earlier.
To know God we must cultivate love and devotion (bhakti), for this is all that God asks of us.  Read the Bhagavad Gita daily.  Thus you will know more joy, more peace, more fulfillment, and more bliss than any human can ever give you.  You will directly experience the love of Bhagavan. 

Colonel Mahendra Mathur prematurely retired from the  Corps of Engineers of Indian Army in 1975 to build a highway in Tobago. Subsequently he was appointed Director of National Emergency Management Agency of Trinidad and Tobago before retiring in 1998. He has been a student of the Gita all his life and has talked about its message at some temples in Trinidad. You can contact him at mmathur@tstt.net.tt

Shri Vijay Swami is currently the executive director of the Research Institute of World’s Ancient Traditions, Culture, and Heritage (RIWATCH). Along with writing several articles and making documentaries on the history, traditions, and challenges of Arunachal Pradesh, he has coordinated and organized many service projects on behalf of Vivekananda Kendra, (http://www.vkendra.org). Dr. Joram Begi currently holds the chairmanship of RIWATCH and has one of the most inspirational life stories. Though born in a remote village and brought up in a place where there was no school, he kept his focus on studies and became the first graduate from his tribe. He is a popular speaker and is proficient in five national languages and many local dialects of Arunachal Pradesh. The two speakers provided us with an overview of the state and explained in detail the threats and difficulties the people face. However, they also pointed out certain opportunities that would restore its world standing. Below is a summary of the key points in their presentations.

Arunachal Pradesh is the largest state in Northeast India, and is bordered by two other Indian states: Assam and Nagaland. Arunachal Pradesh is also surrounded by three countries: Myanmar, Bhutan, and Tibet. Despite its statehood, it has remained isolated for a long time from the rest of India because the British never administered the land when they ruled India. Therefore, many inhabitants remain ignorant of the history and culture of their country. The population in the state is very diverse with 25 major tribes and 87 sub-tribes. However, in spite of this diversity, many of the prehistoric artifacts and tools that are found in the area also confirm that this land once shared a common culture with the rest of Bharat. Many of the tourist sites, like the Parashuram Kund (the place where Sage Parashuram is said to have washed all his sins) also show the location’s links to Hinduism. The current demographics show that in terms of religion, the state is predominantly Buddhist, and the rest mostly practice either Hinduism or animism. Arunachal Pradesh also has the second largest Buddhist monastery in the world, Tawang, which houses about 500 monks.

However, this land faces many difficulties. One of the major challenges has been security.  With fences and mountains that can easily be crossed, the borders between Bangladesh and Assam are quite porous. Therefore, people from Bangladesh have been entering Arunachal Pradesh through Assam. Since Arunachal Pradesh is strategically located, it also faces security and cultural threats from its neighbors, like the Communists in Nepal, the military junta in Myanmar, and the Islamic groups in Bangladesh. Another major problem has been China’s claim that portions of the state belong to South Tibet. Ever since the 1962 Sino-Indian War, where India’s army was ill-equipped and therefore lost most of the NorthEast Frontier Agency (NEFA), Chinese aggression grew stronger. They have even started to develop naval bases in islands located in the Bay of Bengal.

Economic and social backwardness have impacted the state greatly, especially in areas like transportation and education. There is great difficulty in building quality road networks because of the rough topography of the land. Transportation through rivers is also difficult because the rivers constantly change course. Since 75 percent of the villages are not connected by road, the only reliable and dependable source of transportation is by air. Air droppings are extensively used for transportations of goods and medicines. There is also a plan to build a Trans-Arunachal Highway for the lower belts of the land to transport goods by land. Education and healthcare in the region are also relatively underdeveloped, but on the verge of improvement. Some other social problems involve the drug menace, especially from Myanmar, which has also hindered progress in the region.

Religious influence and pressures along with an identity crisis have also proven to be a big challenge to the inhabitants of Northeast India. This is due to many separatist movements, especially one which wants to create a Christian nation called Nagalim with parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur. There have been big conversion forces which also disturb the area. Nagaland and Mizoram are the most disturbed states in the country due to tremendous conversions. At the same time, these men and women also face an identity crisis. Since their ancestors hail from places east of their inhabited land, many of the people of Arunachal Pradesh have features similar to East Asians. They always tend to get asked whether they are Chinese, Japanese, or Taiwanese, but never if they are Indian. In their own country they are often perceived as being “outsiders.” Therefore, the identity crisis leads to a sense of isolation from others and from the country itself.

Despite the geographical, political, economic, social, and religious challenges that face this state, Arunachal Pradesh does have many opportunities. The rivers in the region, due to their tumultuous activity, can be useful to produce hydroelectricity. Based on rough calculations, it is possible to accumulate 65,000 megawatts of hydroelectric power if it works successfully. That is enough to power the entirety of Asia! Another advantage is the biodiversity of the land, with its flora, fauna, scenic beauty, snowcapped mountains, and much more. There are many rare species and plants as well. Some plants are said to even have great medicinal value that can prevent cancer, reduce aging, or increase vitality. The scenery and beauty of the place makes it a great place of tourism as well. 

However, both speakers agreed that the most important solution to all of the problems and challenges is the patriotic education of the people. Education must not only help the youth modernize and get in touch with the real world, but must also instill patriotic fervor in them, so they consider India as their country and homeland. Ramakrishna Mission and the Vivekananda Kendra actively strive to promote such activities. At the same time, the youth must also not lose their indigenous culture. Along with English and the national language, schools promote the learning of Arunachali languages. Finding commonalities between cultures and traditions also helps to acquire a sense of patriotism. For example, a girl interested in dance researched to find commonalities between the traditional Arunachali dances and the ancient Indian dances. After her investigation, she found 52 Mudras and 110 steps in common between the two types of dances. Projects like this help develop the emotional integrity and pride greatly needed to unify the society. “Mobile science laboratories” with the teacher carrying all lab equipment in a backpack, have been organized to teach youth about modern science and technology. RIWATCH provides a platform for such activities to develop the individuals and the society. The end result of all these activities must be for the Arunachali inhabitant to feel like a proud Indian. 

Sai Tenneti is an undergraduate student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is studying Electrical and Computer Engineering. You can contact Sai at stenneti@student.umass.edu.
 

DAY 12
This day’s trek is the longest, covering a distance of 28 km. We started at 5 30 am IST. It was cloudy and we were all grateful it was not raining. The route is rugged and both the climb up and the fall are extremely steep. The highest point we reach is called the Dolma La Pass. It is at an altitude of 19,500 ft. This is the closest we get physically to the peak of Kailash. We were constantly being advised to walk slow and steady but this is certainly easier said than done. The climb to Dolma La Pass is the most strenuous and the only words I uttered were ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. It is definitely not easy. It is important here to conserve as much energy as possible and so I refrained from talking. Chocolates came in handy as they were an immediate source of energy. In some parts we had to walk on ice. It seemed like forever before I reached the pass.

Dolma Devi is Tara Devi and the spot is considered very holy by the locals. There were lots of flags of worship tied here. From the Dolma- La, we could see Gowri Kund, that is said to be Parvati’s bathing place. The spot is perfectly serene and the sight of the crystal clear water is soothing to the eye. As soon as I reached the pass, I heaved a sigh of relief at having finally done it. I was catching my breath sitting on a rock when the tour leader immediately told me to get going as the oxygen at 19500 ft was very minimal. The climb down was equally as hard as the path was very steep and the mud was loose. During the climb down, there was thin ice on the path and I accidentally drenched my legs. Walking with wet shoes and socks was getting increasingly uncomfortable but I did not have an alternative as my bags were with the porter who was nowhere to be seen just then. In some places, there was no trail to follow and I had to find my own path over the rocks. The indication of the end of the descend was a tent where I could see my fellow yatris resting. What a relief!

After a short break, we proceeded our trek. This stretch was not as strenuous as the previous one but just as tiring. We crossed many streams on the way and my bad luck my feet got drenched again! We also had to endure a bit of hail during this time. Otherwise the weather, thank God, was pleasant. We camped at Zuthul Puk and we stayed in a mud house again. I reached there at 5 30 pm – exactly 12 hours of trekking. When I removed my wet shoes and socks, my feet had become very pale and almost numb. It took me the whole night to get back to normal. As soon as we reached the camp, we were served hot soup by the Nepalese staff. I drank it to my heart’s content. There was nothing on my mind that night. I was simply experiencing the place; and I thanked God as I had never done before. As I lay in my bed, I realized the full magnitude of the Parikrama. I felt as though I had offered my life to god and he returned it back, just as we make an offering during a puja and get back prasad.

DAY 13
We started at 7 30 am IST. We were informed that our vehicles would be waiting for us at the end point at 12 noon. I assumed IST. The walk was not difficult. At 9 30 am IST, I was completely taken by surprise when I saw the vehicles. They had meant Chinese time 12 noon, implying 9 30 am IST! There, many yatris could not stop crying from happiness at having successfully completed the Parikrama. From there, we went back to Darchen. We immediately called home. After lunch, we proceeded to Manasarovar. We camped there for the night.

DAY 14
We started at 7 00 am IST for Paryang. The journey passed quite uneventful.

DAY 15
We started for Saga. I felt that the journey back was somehow going faster.

DAY 16
The 9 hour journey from Saga to Nyalam was worse than I had expected. It was extremely backbreaking and tiresome. When we finally reached Nyalam Hotel, I was quite exhausted.

DAY 17
In the morning, we were told there had been a land slide on the road from Nyalam to the border. The only two options we had were either we walk over the landslide or we wait at Nyalam for a week until the landslide was cleared. The latter was immediately ruled out as our Chinese visa expired the next day. So we all prepared to walk the distance of 5 km over the land slide.  It was clear that every yatri was determined to reach Katmandu that day.  There had been two landslides and the spot was 15 km away from Nyalam.

When we reached the place, we were told to stand back as a dynamite had been placed to break the huge boulders on the way. We finally reached the other end and here we were to wait till the vehicles that were to drop us at the border arrived. We spent a whole 3 hours waiting there. I had my lunch here. I was getting increasingly tensed every moment as the Chinese office closed at 4 30 pm IST. When we at last reached the friendship bridge it was 4 30 on the dot. A minute’s delay could have done all the damage!

We got into our buses after the Nepalese formalities and loading all the bags took almost an hour. We then got our currency changed back. When we started from Kodari it was 6 00 pm exactly. Nobody talked much in the bus. In half an hour everybody was asleep. It was 15 minutes to midnight when we finally reached Katmandu. We then had our dinner and slept.

DAY 18
In the morning I had a long shower after which we went to Pashupatinath Temple. After Darshan we went back to the hotel and packed our things. After lunch we stayed for a bit and we started for the airport. Our flight to New Delhi was scheduled for departure at 9 30 pm. By the time we completed all formalities at the airport and reached home, it was midnight.

At Delhi, I felt as if I had just been brought back from a stupor. The whole experience seemed to me like a dream. The numerous difficulties and hurdles posed to us now make the Yatra all the more memorable. Although we had obstacles at every stage of the Yatra, there is absolutely no doubt that God was with us throughout. For every problem He gave us, He also gave a solution. In this pilgrimage, there is very little humans can do against Nature’s wishes. This was evident during the landslide. Moreover, there is no guarantee for getting Darshan of Kailash. Even after enduring all the difficulties, the sky may be so cloudy that Kailash is hidden from view.

Also, this is one place where human beings are not allowed to make their own rules- every one follows nature’s laws. For instance, nobody can disturb the quiet of the place by shouting or talking loudly. This is ensured by nature for, at that altitude, we are so in need of oxygen we only care to conserve our energy by not talking. This is the place where I realized that we humans are absolutely nothing in front of God. Finally, after reaching home, everybody asked me the same question: how was your experience? My answer to them was always the same: excellent; although I was perfectly aware that this word only expresses 1% of really how amazing the experience was!

Sowmya Ranganathan is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo, Canada. She can be contacted at rsowmya90@gmail.com.

 I had the opportunity to participate in this event, along with 15 other volunteers from Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh. We all experienced a distinct way of celebrating the longest day of the year. As tag line of the event stated, “Anyone can find tranquility on top of a mountain. Can you find it in the middle of Times Square?”, it was truly a challenge to find tranquility in the midst of urban energy.

“Though it may seem ironic that we were trying to find inner peace in such a loud, lively place, it felt really great,” said Ruchi Munshi, a youth participant. “It was really invigorating to be able to do yoga, even in the midst of the city’s traffic and commercial activity.”

This event was organized by the Times Square Alliance, the group that conducts many Time Square events around the year, including the famous New Year’s Eve celebration. Forty-one different yoga studios across the city collaborated closely with the solstice group to organize this event. The instructor, Tim Tompkins, an American yoga teacher, was very soothing and persuasive while teaching us almost 20 different yoga postures.
 
It was very inspiring to see how the ancient Hindu practice of yoga is benefitting the mainstream American society. We all left the event with the message of maintaining inner harmony and composure, even during our hectic everyday lives.

Piyush Satapathy completed his Master’s in Computer Science and Engineering from University of California, Riverside. He currently works at Bloomberg LP in New York. You can contact him at piyush.satapathy@gmail.com

1. Spiritual practice according to the Path of Guru’s Grace (Gurukrupoyoga)
 1. Worship of the family deity (kuladevata)
  A. Worship of Lord Datta
 2. Chanting The Lord’s Name (Namasmaran)
 3. Satsang (holy company)
 4. Service of the Absolute Truth (satseva)
   . Best service of the Absolute Truth (satseva): The spread of Spirituality
   A. How can one accomplish it ?
 5. Being blessed by a Guru (guruprapti) and service unto the Guru
 6. Sacrifice
   . Donation (offering)
 7. Spiritual love (priti) for others
 8. Stance of a spectator (sakshibhav)
 9. Mission after attaining Self-realisation (dnyanottar karya)
2. Necessity of continual grace of the Guru

In order to be blessed by a Guru, points ‘1′ to ‘4′ and for the constant bestowal of His grace excluding point ‘1′ all the other points should be practised conscientiously. In point ‘2′ the only modification is that instead of the family deity’s Name, the Name imparted by the Guru should be chanted.

1. Worship of the family deity (Kuladevata)
The Lord chooses each individual to be born in that particular family (kuLa) whose family deity he needs to worship so as to make spiritual progress. Worship of the family deity also alleviates the intensity of the destiny which accompanies each one till the last breath. Due to these two main reasons, instead of any other spiritual practice, one should worship the family deity (kuladevata) in order to be blessed by a Guru. To achieve this end, one should perform its ritualistic worship (puja), chant verses (stotras) in its praise, recite holy books periodically (parayans), visit its temple (darshan) as often as possible, etc. Details about why one should undertake spiritual practice of the family deity is given in ‘Science of Spirituality : Chapter 9 - Path of Chanting The Lord’s Name (Namasankirtanyoga)’.

A. Worship of Lord Datta
Unlike the bygone days, nowadays since rites like shraddha, paksha, etc. for departed souls are not performed by most people nearly 30% of people are troubled by ancestors’ unsatisfied souls. (Refer ‘Science of Spirituality : Chapter 21 - Death and After’.) That is why there are obstacles both in worldly life as well as in one’s spiritual practice. Since an average person can never know whether he is included in those 30% or whether he will be troubled by ancestors in the future, one should chant three malas (rosaries) of ‘Shri Gurudev Datta’ daily. One should increase the chanting to six to nine malas if the trouble is severe.

2. Chanting The Lord’s Name (Namasmaran)
Chanting refers to the continuous remembrance of The Lord’s Name. Of all the Names of The Lord, chanting the Name of the family deity (kuladevata) is the most useful. In fact it is the foundation of all the spiritual practices incorporated in the Path of Guru’s Grace (Gurukrupayoga). As one does chanting gradually one’s spiritual level reaches 40%. Then chanting occurs automatically off and on and one is also able to perceive a little in the subtle dimension. Also due to chanting one forgets about other things and begins to experience Bliss off and on. Detailed information on chanting of The Lord’s Name is given in ‘Science of Spirituality : Chapter 9 - Path of Chanting The Lord’s Name (Namasankirtanyoga)’.

3. Satsang (holy company)
The Bliss obtained through chanting of The Lord’s Name is experienced automatically despite not chanting, at a satsang (spiritual meeting). Such an experience is obtained at a spiritual level of 50%. Due to the cumulative sattva component of all the seekers at the satsang, each one who attends it is benefitted by it, that is the raja and tama attitudes in each one gradually begin to decrease. It is much easier to obtain the experience of Bliss by attending a satsang rather than increasing one’s own sattva component by chanting. Hence a seeker diligently attends satsangs more often. If a satsang is conducted by an evolved seeker then attending it proves to be even more beneficial. Since the sattva component of an evolved person is substantial, the amount of frequencies of Bliss emanating from him is greater and as a result a seeker experiences more Bliss.

The importance of satsang will be illustrated by the story below.
Once an argument took place between the Sages Vasishtha and Vishvamitra on the relative superiority of satsang and penance. Sage Vasishtha proclaimed satsang to be superior whereas Vishvamitra was in favour of penance. To decide the winner of the debate, They went to God. The Lord said, ‘Only the serpent Shesh will be able to settle the dispute’. Then the duo went to the serpent Shesh. When They asked Shesh the question, He replied, ‘Please lighten the load of the earth on My head. Then I will think it over and answer your query’. So, Vishvamitra made the following resolve, ‘I offer the benefit acquired as a result of a thousand years of my penance. May the earth above Shesh’s head shift a little’. Yet, the earth did not stir. Then Sage Vasishtha expressed His resolve, ‘I now offer the benefit gained as a result of being in satsang (holy company) for half a ghatka (twelve minutes). May the earth lighten the load.’ The earth immediately moved upwards.

Another benefit of remaining in satsang is that one develops the feeling that the other seekers attending it are one’s own. Hence, even the younger generation starts living amicably forgetting the animosity present for generations together. From this very feeling the concept that ‘the entire universe is my home’ develops in due course of time.

More information on satsang is provided in ‘Science of Spirituality : Chapter 44 - Introduction to Spirituality and Individual Spiritual Practice’.

4. Service of the Absolute Truth (satseva)
After attending satsang for a while a seeker realises that the ones who are active participants at or those who conduct a satsang (spiritual meeting), so also if the satsang is being conducted by an evolved seeker, then they all experience much more Bliss than himself. So, the seeker who wishes to experience Bliss like them instead of merely being a passive listener starts participating in the activities at the satsang. Thus he participates in organising the satsang, for instance by distributing pamphlets giving information about the satsang, by pasting posters and putting up banners, giving information by personally contacting people, by tidying the venue of the satsang, spreading out mats or arranging chairs for the audience, etc. At a later stage he studies the matter himself and conducts satsangs. One should take special note of the following points with regard to service of the Absolute Truth.

        1. Service has to be that of the Absolute Truth. It has to be performed with the body, mind and wealth. Unless the spiritual level rises to 60% service does not occur wholeheartedly. Until then it is performed only intellectually. Service with the mind means chanting The Lord’s Name.

        2. By giving precedence to satisfying someone else’s desires, gradually one’s needs become less and the seeker becomes more adept at following the path of Spirituality.

        3. Service of the non-truth (asat), for instance the service of patients is mostly done under the influence of emotions considering illusion to be the truth. Also, the ego that ‘I am doing this service’ is present in such an attitude. As a result, as spiritual practice it is not of much use. As against this, to overcome the ego, one serves the Absolute Truth with spiritual emotion (bhav). Besides with service of the non-truth, a ‘give and take account’ is generated.

A. Best service of the Absolute Truth (satseva) : The spread of Spirituality
a . Importance
1. Doing whatever one can according to one’s potential for the Guru’s mission is the simplest and the most important path. This point will be highlighted with the following example : Suppose preparations are going on for a programme and everybody is busy doing different chores like cleaning or decorating the place, cooking or cleaning utensils. If one is busy in cleaning the place and at this juncture if another person steps in and joins the group busy with the cooking then one does not feel any closeness towards him. On the contrary if he comes forward to assist in the cleaning then one definitely feels drawn to him. The same is true for the Guru. The mission of Gurus and saints is to inculcate a liking for Righteousness (Dharma) and spiritual practice among the masses; to inspire them to practise Spirituality and to spread Spirituality. If one performs this task according to one’s potential then the Guru feels, ‘He is mine’. Such a thought in the Guru’s mind itself is the heralding of His grace (gurukrupa).
Once a Guru handed over some grains of wheat to two of His disciples and told them, ‘Preserve these grains carefully until I return’. On His return after a year, the Guru approached the first disciple and asked him, ‘Have you preserved the wheat carefully ?’ Replying in the affirmative the disciple brought forth the container with the wheat grains and showed it to the Guru saying, ‘The wheat You had given me is just as it was’. Then the Guru approached the second disciple and asked him the same question. The disciple then took the Guru to a nearby field. The Guru was overjoyed seeing a field flourishing with the wheat crop everywhere. In the same way, one should spread the Name and spiritual knowledge (dnyan) imparted to one by the Guru, to others.

2. The spread of Spirituality is more important than the superconscious state (samadhi)
The Guru is pleased to see that the disciple has attained the superconscious state.
He wishes to awaken him for the sake of the masses. - 52:5
He fondles him gently, embraces him lovingly, O dearest disciple return to the waking state. - 52:6
You have crossed the illusion of worldly life But if you remain in the superconscious state, The spiritual knowledge will remain obscured in you, Then how will the masses attain salvation ? - 52:7
- Shri Gurucharitra

3. Comparative importance : The following table gives the amount of the Guru’s grace (gurukrupa) that a disciple can acquire by performing a particular action.
The disciple’s action The Guru’s grace (Gurukrupa) %
1. Paying a visit (darshan) to the Guru 2
2. Asking questions only on Spirituality 10
3. Performing tasks at the ashram 40
4. Effective *part time spread of Spirituality 70
5. Effective *full time spread of Spirituality 100
 
* To spread Spirituality effectively one needs to have all the virtues of a disciple. It is not sufficient to preach like a politician or a social reformer.

4. Service unto the unmanifest (nirgun) and the manifest (sagun) forms of the Guru : The spread of Spirituality is service unto the unmanifest form of the Guru. This service has 70% importance in acquiring the grace of the Guru whereas service to the manifest form of the Guru has only 30% importance. To achieve the complete grace of the Guru it is essential for one to do both.

5. Spiritual practice for the sake of society (samashti) and individual (vyashti) spiritual practice
Spiritual practice maybe undertaken for the sake of society or maybe confined to an individual seeker. According to the influence of time (kaL) in the Kaliyug, the importance of practising Spirituality for the sake of society is 70% and that of practising it individually is 30%. Hence, to progress spiritually it is important to motivate as many people in the society as possible, to practise Spirituality. This is the service of the Absolute Truth in its real form. However to accomplish this one needs to increase one’s own spiritual level.

B. How can one accomplish it ?
Some people err in thinking that ‘When I myself am not well versed about Righteousness (Dharma) and Spirituality, how will I be able to spread Spirituality?’ When Lord Krushna lifted the Govardhan mountain with His little finger the cowherds and their wives (gopas and gopis) helped in their own way by supporting it with their sticks. Though the Guru, that is God is the one who will reinstate Righteousness each one should make one’s small contribution towards it. One should study and teach Spirituality or provide financial help for the mission, whatever is possible according to one’s ability. If both these are not possible then one can paste posters, put up banners, organise lectures or workshops on Spirituality, collect funds for the mission, etc.

5. Being blessed by a Guru (guruprapti) and service unto the Guru
With service of the Absolute Truth one’s spiritual level rises upto 55%. Then some saint accepts one as His disciple. Thereafter one begins doing service unto the Guru as explained in ‘Science of Spirituality : Vol. 3 - The Disciple’ under point ‘9 G. Service of the Guru’.

6. Sacrifice
Once a spiritual level of 60% is attained sacrifice in the real sense commences. One needs to give up the attachment to the body, mind and wealth in order to make spiritual progress. Of these, sacrifice of wealth is the easiest as it can be done physically. One can give away one’s wealth totally. However, the body and the mind cannot be sacrificed likewise. Yet one can sacrifice them before giving up wealth. This means that initially one can do service physically and chant The Lord’s Name mentally. Later, only when a seeker progresses upto 70% can he sacrifice wealth to some extent. This is akin to the trapeze artist in a circus. So long as the girl does not let go of the handle-bar of the swing she is clutching, the man hanging upside down on the opposite swing cannot catch her. Similarly, so long as a seeker does not sacrifice everything, God does not take care of him. How sacrifice of the body, mind and wealth goes on increasing stepwise is given in ‘Science of Spirituality : Vol. 21 - Introduction to Spirituality and Individual Spiritual Practice, point 10 C’.

Sacrifice does not mean giving away all of one’s belongings. Rather it is getting rid of one’s attachment to them. In the beginning, the Guru makes the disciple sacrifice the objects in his possession. Finally, when the attachment ceases, He showers him with plenty. Since Shivaji Maharaj had no attachment for the kingdom he had offered to Samarth Ramdas Swami, the Swamiji returned it to him.

A. Donation (offering)
Donation should always be of the nature of ‘donation to the deserving’, that is to ‘the one worthy of it’. In this world, there is none more worthy than saints. Hence, whatever one wishes to donate should be offered only to Them. This is possible only for a seeker in the stage of mental worship (upasanakanD). The one practising the inferior Path of Action (Karmayoga) gives alms to beggars, donations to schools and hospitals under the influence of emotions. One acquires only merits from it. Seekers desirous of Liberation (mumukshu) want neither merits nor sins, since only heaven and not the Final Liberation (Moksha) is attainable with merits.

Saints and Gurus are the manifest (physical) forms of the unmanifest God. Hence, any offering made to saints and the Guru is as good as an offering to God Himself. Thus offering back to God that which is bestowed by Him does not create a give and take account but completes it. As such, the offering made to saints reduces the accumulated account (sanchit) and increases the ability to withstand the effects of destiny. Moreover, neither is any give and take account thereby created, nor is any merit acquired. Hence, whatever has to be offered should be given only to saints or for the mission of the Absolute Truth.

7. Spiritual love (priti) for others
One feels spiritual love for others only after attaining a spiritual level of 70%. Spiritual love means love without any expectations. In worldly love, there are expectations. By practising Spirituality the percentage of the sattva component in oneself increases and one tends to satisfy the visible and invisible creation in one’s surroundings. There is an expansion of love and one develops spiritual love towards others. One is able to perceive the presence of The Supreme God in each and every object and the whole world becomes one loving family - ‘वसुंधैव कुटुंबकम् ।’. In order to achieve this, in the beginning, one has to make efforts to love others. For this, it is important to remain in satsang (holy company). At first, one begins to feel spiritual love for other seekers attending the satsang (spiritual meeting), then for seekers from other sects, still later for non-seekers and finally for all living creatures.

8. Stance of a spectator (sakshibhav)
After attaining a spiritual level of 80% one is able to observe everything including one’s own spiritual progress as occurring due to the Guru’s wish.

9. Mission after attaining Self-realisation (dnyanottar karya)
After attaining a spiritual level of above 90% the disciple lives with the feeling, ‘Now I am left only to repay the favours done by others’, that is one continues to live doing what is necessary for the society. With such spiritual practice the Guru’s grace is constantly showered upon the disciple and he progresses towards the Final Liberation.

Necessity of continual grace of the Guru
Once one is blessed by a Guru and is initiated with a gurumantra bestowal of His grace begins. To maintain it perpetually it is mandatory for one to conscientiously continue the spiritual practice recommended by Him throughout one’s life.
(Ref: Sanatan’s Publication - ‘Path of Guru’s Grace (Gurukrupayoga)’ and http://www.hindujagruti.org/hinduism/knowledge/article/how-to-win-guru-s-grace.html )

The author, Somnath Paramshetti, is a volunteer for Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (www.hindujagruti.org). The aim of Hindu Janjagruti Samiti is to bring awareness on current issues and to unite Hindus around the globe. By profession Somnath is a software engineer and works for ConAgra Foods Omaha, Nebraska.

“Earth,” to me, is the molecular agglomerate: simple compounds, polymers, physical aggregates, etc.
 
To sum up, I would translate pancha bhutas as: Space (Akaasha), Planck’s energy (Vaayu), Newtonian energy (Agni), elemental atom (Jalam), and molecule and molecular aggregate (Prithvi).

Dr. S.K. Balasubramanian completed his Ph.D. from IIS Bangalore. He went to business in Pune manufacturing fine chemicals. You can contact him at smanian@sancharnet.in.

As always, with each new month comes a new edition of Tattva. An important festival falls in this month-Hindu Sanghatan Diwas, or Hindu Unity Day. This day marks the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji, the 17th century Hindu king who defeated the invading Moghul rulers and established an ideal kingdom. This day reminds us that unity is strength.

As many will remember, last September to mark the first anniversary of Tattva, we released a special print edition of the magazine. This September, we will be printing another edition to mark the second anniversary. If you are interested in contributing to the second anniversary issue, please e-mail tattva-editor@hinduyuva.org. Ways you can help: write an article, help edit articles, suggest topics for articles, help with the formatting of the magazine, and encourage your friends to contribute to contribute to Tattva.

Please visit http://www.hinduyuva.org/tattva-blog/2008/06 to read the June 2008 edition of Tattva.

DAY 6
We were to stay in Nyalam this day. We did not have the facility to have a shower. The water was freezing cold in the taps but we could get hot water for brushing teeth. All we had to do was familiarize ourselves with our new environment.

DAY 7
The roads on the Nyalam-Saga stretch were definitely the worst and this doubled the strain and tedium we felt. We started from Nyalam at 6 00 am (IST). The drive was very long and consisted of infinite ups and downs. It felt like the wildest roller-coaster ride I could imagine. The roads are quite narrow and the drivers must have 100% control over the vehicles. If he loses concentration for one millisecond, then God help us.  On the way to Saga, we crossed Pikutso lake. A little later, we saw an amazing landscape around us. We were standing on desert sand with absolutely no sign of greenery. A little ahead of us was a river flowing in full rage and beyond that was a complete range of snow-capped mountains. Just before reaching Saga, we crossed Brahmaputra river. After crossing the recently built bridge, we stopped and went down to the river. We quickly came back and continued journey. In Saga, we were to stay in the Post Hotel. Here the toilets were only ground dug pits and they were not clean. However, there was a five star hotel nearby and we booked a room for the night, mainly because we were badly in need of a shower.

DAY 8
The road from Saga to Paryang is better than that from Nyalam to Saga. We started journey at 6 55 am IST. The distance to be covered was only about 185 km but there were 15 minute halts every 1 or 2 hours and these slowed down our progress. Our tyre got punctured on the way. We finally reached Paryang (altitude 15000 ft) at 3 00 pm IST. We lodged at Tashi Hotel. It was very comfortable except for the toilets, but here we had no other alternative. All the buildings were actually mud houses. It was quite cold at night.

DAY 9
We were at last headed for Manasarovar. We could not sight the lake or the mountain for a long time. At about 3 30 pm, we climbed a small plateau and we finally had Darshan of the sacred lake. However, Kailash was well hidden behind the clouds and we did not get to see it. As soon as we got out of our vehicle, we did sashtanga namaskaram to the holy mount and lake. Some people got so emotional they started crying. The place was completely quiet and the whole atmosphere was serene. It was actually quite sunny. For a long time, we were trying to figure out where Kailash was but we finally gave up. Then, all our eyes were on the lake. It was massive and I could feel a certain divinity about it. We then proceeded in our vehicles to the banks of the lake. We were to camp here. From where we stood, to the right was Kailash and to the left was Mandata Parvat (where Ganesh and Skanda were given birth to). At 4 0’ clock we reached Manasarovar and immediately, some people went for a bath. The tents ( accommodating two people each) were pitched. We were a bit cramped inside the tent. We slept in our sleeping bags. For many, me included, this was the first time in their lives.

DAY 10
After a dip in the lake, I sat for the Rudra Homam. As yet, we had not gotten Darshan of Kailash. Most of us were quite disappointed. After the Homam, we went for our lunch. Following lunch, we immediately started for our Parikrama (Pradakshinam) of Manasarovar. The distance covered by the vehicles is nearly 80 km. About 5 minutes after we started, the clouds around Kailash suddenly cleared and lo behold! What a sight! Mt Kailash stood right in front of us and we were taken by surprise. The scene now seemed to be complete. Seeing Kailash and Manasarovar together sent a thrill through my veins. We crossed several streams during the Manasarovar Parikrama and we stopped and collected a few small pebbles ( called ‘murthams’) as souvenirs. These are said to be ancient sages who attained the boon to be at Kailash forever; even today, they are supposed to be chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ all the time within themselves. We passed ‘ Rakshas Sthal’ during the Parikrama. It is a local belief that one should never stop at this place. Unfortunately, all the passengers in my vehicle had fallen asleep and I did not get to see it. After the circumambulation, we proceeded directly to Darchen. From here, we got our closest yet darshan of Kailash. The formation of snow on the black mountain was in such a way that it looked liked a person doing penance with closed eyes! I just did not have the heart to take my eyes off the mount. At Darchen, accommodation was positively the best we had had as yet. It was about 5 o’ clock when we reached there.

In the evening, we packed essential items like medicines, dry fruits and energy bars in our back-packs in preparation for the Kailash Parikrama starting the next day. During the Parikrama, the weather is extremely unpredictable. It could be scorching hot, rainy, snowy, cloudy and sometimes it can even hail all in a day’s time. There is no shelter you can expect during the walk. So it is necessary that you have a rain coat or water-proof trousers, just to be on the safe side. Horses and porters are available and they can be booked in advance, if necessity arises. Of the 28 people who left from Chennai, 17 people could do the Parikrama. Of these 17 yatris, only 5 opted for a horse while all others desired to complete it by walk. But, the Parikrama cannot be completed solely upon the horse. There are places where the path is so rugged that the horse absolutely cannot carry a passenger. So, any yatri undertaking the Parikrama should have 100% confidence in their physical fitness. The distance covered by foot is 52 km. Normally, 52 km in three days is not a very big deal, but the fact that we reach an altitude of 19,500 ft from 15000 ft on foot makes the trek quite challenging. This is enhanced by the fact that we have to face all kinds of hostile weather conditions; the lack of oxygen only makes things harder.

I am sure all the yatris who were undertaking the Parikrama  from our group were perfectly aware of what awaited them at this stage. To be honest, what kept us all going was only determination to complete the Parikrama and devotion to the Lord. That night before going to sleep, I shut my eyes and I pictured mount Kailash. It was unbelievable- we had finally got Darshan of the abode of God.

DAY 11
At 8.00 a.m IST we left the hotel. We were driven in our vehicles to the starting point of the Parikrama where we met our porters, horses etc. In the morning the sky was absolutely clear and we had beautiful darshan of Kailash. I decided to do the Parikrama by walk. As soon as we started, there was a small hill and I found this first climb difficult. The first day’s route consisted of numerous ups and downs that were not very steep. Overall, I felt it was good preparation for the next day’s rigorous trekking. During the walk, I saw a Tibetan doing their version of Parikrama, called the ‘ kora’. They follow the same route and the amazing fact is that they cover the whole distance by sashtanga namaskaram! Throughout the day’s trek, we had constant darshan of the mount on our right-hand side. We covered 18 km of the 52 km on this day. We camped at DeraPuk that night. A bed in a mud house for 40 Yuan was available for the night and most of us opted for these.

Sowmya Ranganathan is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo, Canada. She can be contacted at rsowmya90@gmail.com. This was the second of a 3-part series on her Kailash Yatra. Please be on the lookout for Part 3 in the next issue of Tattva.

Shivaji’s Guru, Samarth Ramdas, stood behind him in his quest as his philosophical guiding hand.  The philosophy of Samarth Ramdas is based on pragmatism, and consists of guiding principles for living life with fulfillment, yet being responsible to family and society.  Shivaji lived by these values.  He achieved a great deal but also gave it back to the society.,  so Samarth Ramdas rightfully acknowledged him as “Shrimant Yogi,” or a person achieving desires with detachment. 

Samarth Ramdas was an uncommon saint, who in addition to worship of Ram (Ideal) and Maruti (Strength), spoke unequivocally of the importance of the strength of the individual, society and self-governance by defeating the foreign enemy.  He eloquently wrote about the nature of humankind.  He wrote 205 verses about the human mind; chanting these is a very soothing experience, making the mind pure and stable, and makes us think of each action in its logical context.  In all his teachings and writings, Samarth Ramdas kept advising the practical importance of religious values.  He observed that any mass movement brings strength to society, but emphasized a good philosophical foundation and faith in God for its true success.  He asked people to always chant the 13 Devnagiri-letter mantra “Shree Ram Jaya Ram Jaya Jaya Ram”, and advised following “do’s and don’ts” which could be practiced at any time and place by an individual and by the society to achieve successes and higher meanings of life:

1. Keep your mind clear of evil thoughts. Purity of mind is a must.
2. Samyak among Mana, Vani, and Karma (i.e., thoughts, speech, and actions should be synchronized with each other)
3. There is God in efforts.  Keep trying. Don’t idle or depend upon others to do the job. Just like thirst cannot be quenched without drinking water, you cannot achieve Moksha without efforts.
4. Perform your duties toward the samaj (community) with honesty. Be socially responsible.
5. Run your household in a well-organized manner.
6. Be sensitive to the welfare of people in your surroundings.
7. Be vigilant of evil people and be harsh with them.
8. Be vigilant about your own behavior.
9. Stay away from ego (ahamkar).
10. Become a role model for people following you.
11. Be proud and feel good about yourself and your heritage.
12. Make sure there is a purpose behind your actions.
13. Develop a strong mind and strong body. Be very careful about your sharirik (physical) health.
14. Ask God for happiness for the world and peace of mind & nirmal mati (intellect) for yourself.
15. Don’t get caught up in Maya for your personal gratification. Rather, use your resources for helping others – your family and samaj.

Practicing these teachings helped Shivaji establish the “Hindu Kingdom” and change the psyche of the society. They will continue to help today in bringing forth a meaningful vision and far-reaching societal development. 

Strangely, Mongols also regard the Turtle as divine. There was a huge statue of the turtle in the unfinished capital of Ghengis Khan, Karakoram.
 
The turtle played a major part in the churning of the vast ocean of milk in the outer space. The purpose was to get to nectar. Many animal species and blessed forms of divinity emerge from the ocean. This is important because it confirms what the Padmanabha icon implies, namely, a divine hand/participation in evolution of life. This would correspond to what creationists, mostly based in the US, believe in. They call their belief “intelligent design.”
 
I am told that a sculptured model of the churning of the ocean of milk is placed in the lobby of the Bangkok airport in Thailand.
 
The next avatar is Varaha or wild boar. In this stage life has emerged from the aquatic environment and is wholly independent. Varaha is followed by the lower human forms known as Homo erectus in science and in mythology as Narasimha or the man-lion. This species stood erect but was still governed by animal instincts. We hear of monkeys assisting Shri Rama in the epic Ramayana. I would consider these monkeys as subhuman species living side by side with humans without interbreeding.
 
There is evidence that in an Israeli cave the Neanderthals and the humans lived without interbreeding for 50,000 years.
 
The midget human Vamana is the next stage in mythological evolution. From there evolution takes us to a rule-bound human in the form of Rama. The last stage of evolution is Krishna, the Purushottama or the perfect human being. This is why Krishna is worshipped in all stages of life- as infant Mukunda, as a child Damodara or Balakrishna, as a carefree teenager, Venu Gopala, as a lover Radhakrishna, as a warrior (Kamsa chaanoora mardana), and finally as the philosopher on the battle field of Kurukshetra. He represents the quintessential joy of life.
 
The Gita devotes one chapter (X) to evolution in all species. It concludes that all forms of excellence are divine manifestations. This chapter distinguishes Hindu evolution from the Darwinian. Every species evolves independently to the best within its limitations. There is no competition among the species for survival. With this chapter Hinduism rejects the idea that only the fittest survive. Peter principle is more relevant than Darwin.
 
Peter Principle states that in any organization every employee tends to reach his level of incompetence. When an employee is found efficient at any particular level he is promoted to the next higher level. The process goes on till he is promoted to a point where the employee becomes a misfit and stagnates. Species also tend to follow the rule. They stagnate at the level of their incompetence. Within each species the evolutionary trend is to produce the best. This is what the Gita says.

A corollary is that every one should try to reach the best of his potential. Excellence in any form, profession or activity is divine. If one wants to reach God the only way is to realize one’s highest potential. 
 
Arjuna poses a FAQ: “How does one recognize a divine manifestation”. (17)
 
Krishna answers:
 
“There is no limit to my manifestations. I shall tell you the major ones.”
“I abide in all beings. I am the beginning, middle part and end of all creation. (18, 19)
 
“I am Vishnu among the Adityas. Among the bright objects I am Ravi the Sun God. I am the moon among the stars.” (20)
 
“Among the Vedas I am Saama Veda. Among the Devas I am Indra. I am the mind among the senses, and consciousness of the created beings.”
 
“I am Shankara among the Rudras, Kubera of the Rakshasas, and Meru among the mountains. (22)
 
“I am Brihaspati among the priests, Skanda among the generals and the ocean among water bodies.” (23)
 
“Among the rishis I am Brgu. In forms of meditation I am Japa. Among the mountains I am the Himalayas. (24)
 
I am Ashwatta (peepul) among the trees; Narada among the devarishis; Chitraratha among the Gandharvas; and the Muni Kapila among the siddhas. (26)
 
“I am Ucchaishravas among the horses; know me to be born of the eternity;
I am Airavata among the elephants; among men I ma the king. (27)
 
“In the weapons class I am Vajra; among the kine I am Kamadhenu;
I am Manmata among the progenitors; Vasuki among the poisonous snakes. (28)
 
“Among the nonpoisonous snakes I am Ananta (who bears Vishnu in his coils in the Padmanabha icon). Varuna among the Yadasas;
I am Aryama among the forefathers; and Yama among the controllers. (29)
 
I am Prahlada among the Daityas; among the animals I am the lion; and Garuda among the birds.  (30)
 
I am the Wind God among the purifiers; Rama among the soldiers;
Among the fishes I am the shark; among the rivers I am the Ganga. (31)
 
Among the Vrishnis I am Vaasudeva and among the Pandavas I am Arjuna;
Among the Munis I am Vyaasa; among the poets Usana. (37)
 
Finally Krishna sumps up the divine manifestations. “ Wherever one finds brilliance, prosperity and durability recognize the same as a divine manifestation”. (40)
 
“I pervade the whole Universe and sustain it as my singular manifestation. (42)
 
 The important point is that under divine guidance every species evolves to its most brilliant form. In this respect Hindu evolution differs from Darwinian evolution. At every level there is divine blessing and sustenance for evolution to the best.

Dr. S.K. Balasubramanian completed his Ph.D. from IIS Bangalore. He went to business in Pune manufacturing fine chemicals. You can contact him at smanian@sancharnet.in.