WHAT MATTERS IS - IT IS ALL WITHIN

We may have a healthy seed and an entire forest can come out of that seed. But if the soil is not fertile, If you throw the seed into that soil, the seed will die or it will not flourish. We can blame it on the seed, but it is not because of the seed, the soil was not ready to absorb it. A very ordinary seed, but the soil is very fertile and the soil was able to absorb the seed, nourish it, allow it sprout and it has grown into a tree from which a forest can come.

When you are ready, even an ordinary thought can transform you for the lifetime, but when you are not ready, even a scripture cannot have a bearing on you. It can do nothing to you.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny

 matters compared to what lies within us”. (Ralph Waldo

 Emerson). 

Be Blissful

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY

Religion is often practiced out of Fear.

Fear is required to keep a person in Dharmic path, until maturity comes to him.

If you don't follow the law, you will be punished. Later it should be replaced by Wisdom.

Fear should be replaced by Wisdom based appreciation. Prayers are performed to get out of Fear.

Some chant fear removing Prayers. Siddhas are great Rishis having miraculous Powers. They say let there be Peace and Auspicious happening.

Some say Prayers, talking about all the glories of the Lord.

In Spirituality, there is no question for Fear.

In Spirituality, you will have calmness, serinity.

In Spirituality you will have Bliss.

You are fulfilled and always Anandam.

The last and the main bedha, difference is :—

Religion practices Quid Pro quo(a favor for a favor) , meaning Bhagavan I give you this and you give me what I desire.

In Spirituality there is no question for Giving and Taking or Asking.

No icha, no desire for anything. The only desire is that "Lord, I want to merge with you".

We have to decide what we want.

You can start with Religious practices and move gradually to Spiritual practice over a period of time.

Spirituality involves Vedanta and Shastras study.

After all, everyone is born with a single goal which is Freedom from Samsara or Liberation also called Moksha.

For getting Liberation or Moksha, one has to move forward to Spirituality and study Vedanta, with the help of a Guru, who himself is well versed in Vedanta and who himself has studied Vedic scriptures and practiced over a period of time and is available for teaching for the benefit of the seeker of Vedanta.

For this, one has to move from Karma Margam to Gnanam Margam.

If your intension is good, and you lead a Dharmic Life and if you follow Sattvic practices, God will surely give you an opportunity to join a SATsang group and give you the opportunity to study Vedanta and you will find the Truth by yourself that God is not anywhere outside of you. God is inside you only and you will claim that you are Brahman yourself and say Aham Brahma Eva. I am that Brahman.

I thank you for your kind understanding and cooperation.

Be blissful.

S. Sekar - On a spiritual path 

Cat has nine lives but I have only one

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

Date: 02 - 10 - 2023

Om Purnamada Purnamidham - Isha Vasya Upanishad - Vedanta Vichara

Shanti mantra, (Poornamada poornamidam...) - IshaVasya Upanishad

I took the liberty of writing about this Shanthi mantra as per my understanding of its meaning from Acharya in Chennai. 👇👇👇

Om Purnamada Purnamidham

Purnath Purnamudachyate

Purnasya Purnamadaya

Purnamevava dishyathe

Om Shanti!Shanti!Shanti!

This is a Shanti mantra and appears primarily in Ishavasya upanishad.

All upanishads involve us in Vedanta vichara.

This is the smallest Upanishad and has only 18 mantras. 'Ishavasya' is a mantra Upanishad because of its content which is Atma Vidya or Poorna Brahma Vidya.

Adi Sankara has written bhasyam for this Upanishad.

Vedas stand on Upanishadic knowledge.

Shukla Yajur Veda Shanti mantra is 'Poornamada....

.....'

Now we will make effort to understand the meaning of this Shanti mantra.

MEANING: —

That is Poornam.

That Paramathma is Poornam.

This Jivathma is also Poornam.

From this Poornam, this Jivathma came from Paramathma.

From this Poornam Jivathma, if Poornam is taken, leftover is only Poornam.

Paramathma is Jivathma only. Both are Poornam.

So, there is only one Poornam.

Paramathma Poornam is KARANAM

Jivathma Poornam is KARYAM

There is only one, since both are the same.

I will give you an analogy 👆 to make you understand better.

Wave, Ocean and Water example.

Water is Poornam.

Wave is Jivathma. 

Ocean is Paramathma.

For both Wave and Ocean, Water is the KARANAM (reason for existence).

Similarly, when you remove 'Atma' (the truth), Anathma cannot exist alone. Anathma is MITHYA (Maya).

The underlying principle is : —

Paramathma Satyam. Jivathma Mithyam.

Jivo Brahmaiva Naparaha

Hope every one is clear.

Since it is a Subtle subject, it will be difficult to understand in the beginning. On dwelling deep into the subject you will be clear.

For those who have read and have an understanding of Vedanta, I suppose it will give them clarity. 

The above information is what I learnt from Acharya in Chennai. 

Thanks for your kind understanding and cooperation, Bhagini and Mahodaya.

Dhanyavadaha.

Punarmilamagha 

Be blissful.

S. Sekar - On a spiritual path.

                 Cat has nine lives but I have only one

Email : sekrajc@yahoo.com

Blogsite : ssekar.blogspot.com

Date: 06-09-2023

i

TRUE BELIEF LEADS TO SUCCESS

 

True Belief leads to Success

 

Desire is a great creative energy. No achievement is possible without a desire to achieve it. Desire can be and should be cultivated, controlled and most importantly directed in the right direction. None of the inherent laws that govern the world, can be suspended or repelled by any force on the same plane, but it goes without saying that a higher law can overcome a lower one.

 

By giving all your energy to a strong positive desire that will lift you, the smaller insignificant ones can be negated. For example, when you nurture a strong desire to win the marathon, your desires to eat sweets and pastries is taken over by the desire to win the race. When you nurture a strong desire to top the class, you easily give up your desire to watch the cricket match during exams.

 

By fostering a strong desire to finish the project on time, your desire for the sleep goes for a toss. Your desire to own a house is so persuasive that you don’t mind forgoing your weekend and working for it. The list is endless… It boils down to what is that one desire that you will continuously ignite and pledge your life with, and the rest fades away in insignificance.

 

We often see men and women of strong mentality empower those around them. They emanate such strong desires as vibrations, which, coming in contact with minds of others, causes the desires of the latter to be in accord with the mind of the strong individual.

 

Great masters possess this to a great degree. Their influence is felt far and nearby making others ‘want’ to act in accord with them. In this way, men of strong desire and imagination exert powerful influence over the minds of others, leading the latter in the way desired. Leadership is nothing but empowering the mass with your desires and leading them by giving their desires a sense of direction.

 

When the desires of a tree, for water, makes it lift water through 367 feet (tallest tree in the world) overcoming gravity, what should be the power of a human desire? Unimaginable! This is where one has to tread cautiously, for desire is a tool, which can cause destruction or creation depending on how and for what purpose you use it. Both a Hitler, who wanted to vanquish the Jews, and a Gandhi, who perpetuated non-violence became legends by making the people feel along with their desires.

 

No man is ever created without the inherent power in himself to help himself. There is a divine potency in every human being and even for that to happen desire is required. Ignite that desire in you, which is beneficial not only to you, but also for hoards of people around to such gigantic proportions that it engulfs all your other desires. The only way to work is to perform all your actions in tune with that strong desire, but not be desperate for the results.

 

Those of us, who understand that mind is a great creative power, also understand that nothing is impossible.

 

When you truly believe you can, no force on earth can stop you…

 

Wishing you most and more

 

Have a wonderful day!

 

 

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

 

 

PEACE OF MIND

The Owner of a coffee shop had been busy all day. Being Saturday, his shop was very crowded and the customers seemed unending.

He had been on his toes since morning. Towards the evening he felt a splitting headache surfacing.

As the clock ticked away, his headache worsened.

Unable to bear it, he stepped out of the shop leaving his staff to look after the sales.

He walked across the street to the Pharmacy to buy himself a painkiller to relieve his headache.

He swallowed the pill and felt relieved. He knew that in a few minutes he would feel better.

As he strolled out of the shop, he casually asked the salesgirl, where is the Chemist? He's not at the cash counter today.

The girl replied, Sir, he was having a splitting headache and said he was going across to your coffee shop. He said a cup of hot coffee would relieve him of his headache.

The man's mouth went dry and he mumbled, Oh! I see.

This is a typical case of looking outside ourselves for something that we have with us.

HOW STRANGE, BUT TRUE.

The Chemist relieves his headache by drinking coffee and the coffee shop owner relieves his headache by taking a pill.

Similarly, many of us travel across the lengths and breadths of the earth and also visit various shrines and holy places to find peace.

Eventually, we come to realize that Peace is within us at all times in our own heart & mind.

Peace of mind comes from being content with ourselves & being grateful for what we have with us.

*There is a peaceful way of going through life, but all depends on our willingness to change our attitude towards everything in life*

The older we get, the more we realize... the ultimate luxury of life is *Peace of Mind*

-collected.

Be blissful.

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

HOW TO BE HAPPY IN LIFE

 

Happiness!!!  Happiness!!!  Go, Search for Happiness!!!

 

Wherever is Happiness go for it. We search for Happiness throughout our life. But, we look for Happiness at a wrong place. Real happiness lies within you only.  It is time to comprehend the real definition of Happiness.

 

There are two varieties of Happiness. Let’s understand them and get clarity.

 

1.    Being Happy is our inherent Nature. Happiness is our state of mind.  Due to our ignorance we go in search of Happiness outside (from the world)

2.    No one can give you Happiness. If you seek Happiness from the world, it will be only fleeting and temporary. Permanent Happiness comes from within.

3.    Being Happy is in your state of mind. There is no other way that you can get Happiness.

To put it simply in an equation:

 

HAPPINESS = Number of desires fulfilled

                         --------------------------------------

                         Number of desires you have

 

Life is a blessing for a Sanyasi. A Sanyasi is ever Happy. He is Ananda Swaroopam always. He is a fulfilled person and has Poornathvam.

Life is a burden for a Samsari. He is ever Sorrowful and always unhappy.

 

Prepare your mind to Study, Understand and Assimilate the Scriptures. Happiness will come to you naturally.

 

Be blissful.

 

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

09-06-2023                        

HOW DO THOUGHTS SHAPE OUR DESTINY

 

Thoughts impact every aspect of our life.

 

The “Panchadasi” by Vidyaranya says, “The mind is the reason for Bondage and Liberation”.

 

The mind is the factory that creates thoughts. These thoughts are seeds and our actions grow out of them. In this Human life, we have the responsibility to tend to the garden of our mind. We have to use our intellect to discriminate what is right and what is wrong and make an intelligent action. We have to plant good seeds and weed out unwanted things. We must ensure that negative thoughts don’t fall into our minds, by filtering our thoughts, or we will have to bear the consequences. This is Wisdom. Share the wisdom with everyone you know.

 

If you develop good thoughts you will attract good.

If you develop diseased thoughts you will attract disease.

Use your discriminative power and act accordingly.

 

Be blissful.

 

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

Date: 14-05-2023

RECEIVE WITH GRACE

For living a happy and peaceful life, one has to do his Dharma (duty). At the same time, we should become a contributor and not a consumer. The joy of giving is very much more than when you take from others. I gave chocolates to the young school going kids in my area and I got more joy when I saw them eating the same with happiness. Giving gives you more pleasure than taking and you have to experience the same by yourself.

 

At the same time, we should learn to receive things from others with grace. We need not feel inferior or diminished as receivers nor do the givers become superior in any way.

 

Khalil Gibran in his famous book The Prophet succinctly says that while it is the nature of a bee to suck honey from a flower, it is the nature of the flower to give the honey. Thus, neither is inferior or superior to the other.

 

Karna’s nature is always to give others and Seedhakkadi vallal (lived in Kilakarai) gave a golden ring to a poor man even after his death. As the legend goes, the great philanthropist Seedhakkadi the generous, is said to have donated his ring to a poor man even after his death. The poor man approached him a bit late when his body was in the burial ground and Seedhakkadi, the dead body, stretched its hand towards the poor man offering him the ring on its finger.

 

When we receive from someone, it is very likely that we begin to feel indebted. Thus, we either try to quickly give back and repay the obligation or continue to live with a sense of indebtedness. What we do not realise is that it is as much the giver’s need to give as it is ours to receive. We are not diminished by receiving nor does the giver become superior. When the fruit is ripe, it falls to the ground and does not ask the ground whether it is ready to receive. So also, we must recognize that the giver also has a need to share, to give and discharge his or her obligation.

 

As a receiver, we must learn that there will come a time when we will also have to give and if we only nourish the thought of indebtedness, we will never be able to give with a full heart. If we cannot receive with an open heart, with genuine thanks and belief that it is our right to receive, we will never give back with the same alacrity and gratitude.

 

Receiving therefore, does not make me less of who I am, nor does giving make me superior. Each role has a part to play in maintaining the balance of life, for if there is no one to receive who will we give to? Likewise, if there is no one to give us where can we receive from?

 

The next time we receive, let us recall Gibran’s wise thought and celebrate the reception, in so doing we will be able to rejoice when we give.

Perhaps one thing we can keep in our mind is that we should give more than what we take. Our thought may be oriented such that we try to give a lot more that what we get from others. The joy that you will get while giving has to be felt by you because ‘Joy’ cannot be measured and must be felt (experienced) by the person.

 

Can we say that let all of us “Give and Take” as the saying goes. May be giving more than what we take will be the appropriate thing to do for getting immense Joy and maintaining the balance of life.

 

Be blissful.

 

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com 

SEEK THE COMPANY OF SPIRITUAL THERAPISTS

Ordinary perception allows us to see only the separateness. It takes extraordinary perception to see oneness.

If a drop of water falls on a hot surface, it will instantaneously evaporate. Similarly, if you come into intimate contact with people who are hot with anger, jealousy, hatred and the negative feelings of lust and greed you and your peace of mind will vaporize. That is the effect of Satsang, association.

 

सत्संगत्वे निस्संगत्वं,
निस्संगत्वे निर्मोहत्वं।
निर्मोहत्वे निश्चलतत्त्वं
निश्चलतत्त्वे जीवन्मुक्तिः॥9॥

In Bhajagovindam Adi Sankara says, from Satsanga, company of Good people comes non attachment. From non attachment comes freedom from delusion or confusion, which leads to self-settledness. From self-settledness comes Jivan Mukti. Sankara says don’t get attached to nonsense things like alcohol, bad friends. Company of good people leads to non attachment (Nitsangathvam). Over influence of anything is bad. When we are free, we are not overpowered by desires. Sanchala is that which Moves. Nishchala is not moving, which is settled.  From Nischala comes Jivan Mukthi and we feel happy at the end of our life. Our life will be good and peaceful.

The most desirable type of association is Satsang with Uttama Purusha, association with the excellent. An Uttama purusha, illustrious person, is one who shows highly evolved tastes and immense strength of character under all conditions.

Think of the water drop as if it had been trapped inside an oyster. The water drop would get inexplicably transmuted into the most lustrous object, a pearl. If you are in touch with the right people for the right period of time, you will experience a similar transformation.

Nothing in the external environment, no amount of marine pollution, for example, is going to affect the purity of the pearl. The company of the excellent similarly has a protective, elevating effect on you.

Be blissful.

S.Sekar

Contac: sekrajc@yahoo.com

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME SELF – REALISED

 

We are not the body because our body is continuously changing. Body cannot be true. Truth does not change continuously. Just as a man casts off his worn out clothes and puts on new ones, so also the embodied-Self casts off its worn out bodies and enters others which are new. The Jiva removes the outermost layer (Physical body) at the time of death. At the time of death the body dies but the Soul remains. The Soul is the eternal Atma. This is the truth.

 

When we see the world with our eyes, the world around us becomes seen and our eyes the seer. But without the aid of mind, eyes cannot see. So now the eyes along with the world around become seen and the mind becomes the seer. Bu if there is no existence of consciousness or Self, the mind is non-living. So the Self is the main subject without which the existence of the mind along with the eyes and world around us is non-living and worthless. So the consciousness is the ultimate seer and all other matters are seen. The consciousness is the ultimate cause of all effects.

 

During Durga Puja, murtis of the goddess are made from clay and during immersion, the murtis become clay again. Similarly, originally we have come from consciousness. We are different in colour, shape, and name. But when we merge with our origin (consciousness) we become one.

 

Thoughts about worldly matters make us restless and thoughts about Spirituality make us calm and quiet.

 

By continuous thinking about the Self, our mind becomes silent and stops thinking. When you filter your thoughts, you will come to a single thought. When that single thought vanishes you stop thinking. This is the point when we will realize the Self. It may take a long time, or it may happen within a fraction of a second. The light can come within us removing all ignorance. This is called Self-realization. It does not matter how much time we pass in front of the murtis of god and goddess. The main thing is whether we can think about the Divine or not, whether we have realized him or not. Then and then alone Oneness will be achieved. You will merge with the Divine.

 

Be blissful.

 

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

Date: 07-01-2023