BHAKTI AS A MEANS TO ATTAIN LIBERATION

Lord Krishna talked about different levels of Bhakti (up to 19^th Verse of 9^th Chapter of BG) which everyone would have to necessarily go through for spiritual development and Moksha or Liberation. He presents Bhakti as a means of liberation. He talks about three levels of Bhakti through which liberation is obtained. They are Karma yoga for purification of the mind, Upasana yoga meditation upon God/Lord and Gnana yoga a spiritual education program. Gnana yoga gives knowledge of Eswara and liberation. Higher nature of the lord, which was described as Para Prakruthi Gnana in the 7^th chapter. Bhakti is not a specific sadana. Bhakti is the common environment in which all the three yoga’s Viz., Karma, Upasana and Gnana yoga are practiced. It should be a reverential attitude and a reverential contribution. A coin has two sides. Vishwa Rupa has also two sides. It is similar to Day and Night.  Bhakti = Karma yoga+ Upasana yoga+ Gnana yoga. In the 12th chapter of “Bhagavad Gita”, there is a discussion on Bhakti. Out of the 35 qualities of a Bhakta the first and Foremost is the One who hates nobody. Who hates No creature. This is a quality of Bhakti and the Lord doesn’t talk about going to a temple.

Bhakti is classified based on the motive, which we have. In Vedic tradition before starting a pooja, we take Sankalpa. Bhakti is divided into Sakama and Nishkama Bhakti. In Sakama Bhakti, I see lord in everything except Spirituality. In Kathopanishad Sreyas and Preyas are discussed. Sreyas means ultimate good, and preyas means immediately palatable. Therefore, everyone should be interested for sreyas, not for preyas. Sakama Bhakti will be predominant in human life. The journey from Sakama Bhakti to Nishkama Bhakti is difficult. We have to increase Nishkama Pooja gradually and gradually decrease Sakama Pooja. Sakama Nishkama Vivekaha.

There are four differences between Sakama Bhakti and Nishkama Bhakti. Sakama Bhakti is deity specific. When I want to do pooja for a particular purpose, the pooja must be directed to a relevant/ particular deity. Nishkama Bhakti is not deity specific. You can invoke any devata and pray. The second difference is that particular result comes from doing the type of pooja. Sakama Bhakti is ritual specific. You have to select the time, Flower, Mantra etc whereas in Nishkama Bhakti any type of pooja can be done. Nishkama Bhakti is non-ritual specific. Third Diff; we have to follow all the rules properly going along with that pooja. If there are mistakes, the results will not be as expected one. It can be counterproductive. In Nishkama Bhakti, the result is always predictable and is always positive. It will take the person through all spiritual levels. He will get a Guru as a guide and will gain the capacity to grasp the teaching. Fourth Diff; even if Sakama Bhakti becomes successful the greatest result in Sakama Bhakti is finite in nature. He may go to Brahmaloka. This will end one day. You have to come back. We can enjoy the fruits for sometime and the palan is exhausted after sometime. Pleasure is for sometime only. Sakama Bhakti will give finite results and perpetuate Samsara. Nishkama Bhakti gradually takes you to Moksha and is predictable. Nishkama Bhakti is always successful and will lead to liberation in due course.

We have to keep in mind the three types of doshas or limitations with respect to all accomplishments. Every pleasure is mixed with pain. No satisfaction is there when you accomplish a certain thing. Comparison is the most painful thing. Jealousy is there in every field. Never there is total satisfaction for any one. In all these things, we depend more and more on external factors. Thus, I am travelling from dependence to more dependence to more dependence. Lord Krishna wants to highlight the perishable nature of these pleasures. For every drop of enjoyment, Amurtham/ Punyam, is debited like your credit card. Punyam earned is only finite and will get exhausted one day or other. Our prarabdha Karma is invisible. We do not know our date of death. This is the problem of Sakama Bhakti. Convert Sakama Bhakti/ pooja to Nishkama Bhakti/ pooja. In the Sankalpa, you say ‘Sarve Bhavanthu Sukinaga’. Expand prayer to universal Jignasu Bhakti.

Our whole life is spent in acquisition and maintenance. We want to acquire health. We have to maintain our health after acquiring it. This holds good for anything.     

The world is perishable. World is the product. God is imperishable. He is the cause. Objects will come and go. Eswara is Nithyaga. World provides food, shelter and clothing. Provision of food and shelter is not enough. We have something more to look for beyond food, shelter and clothing. The ultimate goal is Eswara prapti.  An intelligent person should choose Nishkama Bhakti. An intelligent person will prioritize. Balancing material and spiritual pursuit is wisdom.

When pooja is meant for universal well being and spiritual growth, it is accepted by bagawan. One can offer anything that is available with him for pooja. Always the attitude determines the ethics of pooja. In the seventh chapter, Jignasu Bhakti is discussed. Pure mind is the one who is interested in Moksha.

Enjoy your action by dedicating to the lord. There is a saying ‘Work is worship’. There must be excellence in any job that you do. A daily chore, which you consider boring, will become interesting in due course. You will never get boredom. It is an attitude like self-inspiration and self-motivation. Whatever action you do which is secular or sacred do it with devotion. You should be self-disciplined. You may follow willful denial of certain comforts on a particular day.  You should say No to that thing Viz., to food, to coffee, to A.C etc.   

Brigadaranya Upanishads talks about the study of Scriptures. By living a religious life, a person gets a desire for Vedantic study. He gets an opportunity to study the spiritual scriptures. Desire without an opportunity is useless. A vedantic person knows punya gives pleasure in the beginning and pain after the punya is exhausted. Arriving Punya will give me happiness. Ending punya will give me sorrow.    

Lord Krishna tells Arjuna to decide whether he wants Sakama Bhakti or Nishkama Bhakti. In the third chapter of Gita 30th verse, Karma Yoga is defined in the same fashion as Nishkama Bhakti. There is no difference between Karma yoga and Nishkama Bhakti. We can invoke Bagawan when we worship any devata. Jignasu Bhakti is described in the 7^th Chapter. As we seek, so we get the result. Pray for universal well being and seek inner growth.

Be blissful.

S.SEKAR

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A BIT OF WIT

A father left 17 Camels as an Asset for his Three Sons. When the Father passed away, his sons opened up the will.

The Will of the Father stated that the Eldest son should get Half of 17 Camels, The Middle Son should be given 1/3rd of 17 Camels, Youngest Son should be given 1/9th of the 17 Camels, As it is not possible to divide 17 into half or 17 by 3 or 17 by 9, the sons started to fight with each other.

Therefore, they decided to go to a wise man.

The wise man listened patiently about the Will. The wise man, after giving this thought, brought one camel of his own and added the same to 17. That increased the total to 18 camels.

Now, he started reading the deceased father’s will.

Half of 18 = 9. So he gave 9 camels to the eldest son.

1/3rd of 18 = 6. So he gave 6 camels to the middle son.

1/9th of 18 = 2. So he gave 2 camels to the youngest son.

Now add this up: 9 + 6 + 2 = 17 &

This leaves 1 camel, which the wise man took back.

MORAL: The attitude of negotiation and problem solving is to find the 18th camel i.e. the common ground. Once a person is able to find the common ground, the issue is resolved. It is difficult at times. However, to reach a solution, the first step is to believe that there is a solution. If we think that there is no solution, we won’t be able to reach any!

Be Blissful

Sekars Collections

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

ATTITUDE COUNTS

Having the right attitude is what counts. One should have the correct attitude in order to lift himself up in life. A positive mind and happy upbeat attitude will help you succeed. A person living in a happy state generally gets much more in just everything they do. Bad attitude pulls you down and won’t help you get your goal.

Attitude advice from a pup

My dog Yahoo turned one-year-old yesterday and she celebrated the day by doing what she does everyday – living it to the fullest! How does a puppy understand that the attitude with which we approach each day goes a long way towards defining how the day goes for us?

If you assign numbers to English alphabets in the ascending order, starting from 1you will find the word ‘ATTITUDE’ will exactly count to Hundred (A=1, T=20, I=9, U=21, D=4, E=5). This is Amazing! It pays to have the right attitude.

We picked up Yahoo 10 months ago and she had been a part of our family since. I take her for a walk every morning and evening – in the cold, in the dark, in the rain and in the heat. I have learned from her the meaning of attitude. Every morning we start off on a journey, me with my thoughts already beginning to organize my day and Yahoo with an open mind and full of energy and excitement. Every day, she looks for the squirrels, cats and occasional worms that may be out that morning. It’s not the actual sight of them that excites her, it’s the anticipation!

Yahoo understands the power of a positive attitude and how that attitude will determine how successful she will be that day and in her life. The same applies to people. After all, what do people notice first about you? Your attitude! This first impression has a great impact on all your personal and business relationships, and the great thing about a positive attitude is that it is not a product of heredity. With the right training and personal discipline, anyone can acquire and develop a great attitude.

What will you choose – a Positive attitude or a negative attitude?

The choice of positive attitude itself is easy, but sticking to that choice no matter what the setbacks are can be difficult. Always focusing on long term goals is one key to getting past the inevitable bumps that may occur. Another good habit is maintaining a positive inner dialogue through daily affirmations or, as some people do, use visualization to keep on the right course.

If you want to develop a more positive attitude, then you need to identify and stop any current negative attitudes that you may have. You will need to understand any underlying causes of your negative attitudes and you will need to rid yourself of the habits that supports these negative attitudes. Once you have identified what it is that’s holding you back, you are ready to take the next step and analyse where you want to see growth and development in your life. In order for anyone to be successful, they must understand the importance of living their life with purpose and passion. And, this must be their own purpose and passion.

Yahoo has taught me a very valuable lesson. The day in front of us is all we have, so live it to the fullest. She does not think it is too cold, too wet or any of a thousand negative thoughts, and she just goes on her walk. Yahoo simply wants to go and greet the day, whatever it may bring. And now she has me doing that same thing. I look forward to the newness each day brings and enjoy it wherever I find it. By the end of our daily walk, we are both in a great frame of mind and ready to face the day. We should all strive for a very positive attitude, which is the call of the day.

The Positive thinker, sees the Invisible, Feels the intangible and achieves the impossible. One thing that stands in the way of Success is your ability to believe in yourself. A positive mind and Happy, upbeat attitude will help you succeed. A person living in a happy state generally gets much more in everything he does. Bad attitude pulls you down and won’t help you meet your goal. Positivity brings Prosperity.

 Always be Positive and be a Winner Always!

Be Blissful.

S.Sekar 

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

'I didn't like my father'

His father was not an inspiration for him.

This boy asked his father -- Papa, why aren't we rich? 

His father answers -- Being rich is not about how much you have, it is about how much you can give.

This story is about a boy who is frustrated with his father's seemingly unambitious nature. Desperate to do better in life, he goes abroad, only to find his father's secret years later. His Father was donating to an Orphanage where there are disabled children. His Father goes with a clown’s robes on his birthday to the orphanage and makes the children there happy. His Father was a selfless man and it was his nature.

He comes back and gets to know about his father’s death. After he comes back from abroad, the boy goes through the letters in his home and finds the name of the orphanage where the letters have come from. He goes to the orphanage only to find that his Father has been donating on his behalf too. He was deeply moved by this. He decides that he will satisfy his father’s wishes and goes on his father’s birthday to spend time with the children and making them happy and see them smile.  

It is difficult, at times, to see the big picture, especially when it involves parents. The world is a competitive place, and everyone needs to keep up or get eliminated.

However, a situation like this is a reminder that the bigger things in life do not involve wealth and riches and are, yet, far more precious.

Find your true wealth today.

This story is Very touching. Even I cried silently. I feel such a father should tell the kids about their way of life. Isn’t it a good idea to take the kid to the place where the money is donated? If you see from the child’s perspective he was not aware of what his dad was doing and why they were not rich. If he had known he would had respected his father from beginning. As he was unaware, he felt his father is of no use and they can’t become rich. 

This story is so touching that it almost made me ponder over the true meaning of life

We need to see life in a broader perspective and contribute towards less privileged people and help humanity.

Every son thinks that his father has not done anything for him. However, he forgets the pain, and the effort taken by his parent to make him a successful person. Love Your Parents, Give them time and lots of Love and help them in their old age. Because once they leave your hand, it is not possible to grab it again though you have enough wealth. Once they go away, they will not come back.

S.Sekar

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Thirukkural – On Virtue

On Love or Affection – Kural 72

“Anbilar ellaam Thamakkuriyar Anbudaiyaar

Enbum Uriyar pirarkku”.

Those without affection in their hearts will keep all they have for themselves; the tenderhearted will even give away their bones.

Though in its immediate application, by virtue of its position in this chapter, this Kural would refer to the self-effacing love of a member of the family, its real meaning would cover all the self-sacrificing great men of the world. The idea is that such great men belong to mankind even to the very last drop of their blood. 

Be Blissful

S.Sekar

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

HEALTH IS WEALTH

You may be aware that Health is more important than wealth.

I say, "Health is Wealth". I feel Health is the top priority to be given by all.

Probable explanation may be:

Initially I Squander my HEALTH in Search of WEALTH
Then I Squander my WEALTH in Search of HEALTH
Finally I lose BOTH.

What a True statement it is. But it's justification in the modern era is a bit difficult to bear because earning bread and butter is now a tough task to achieve for many. When a person has the option to choose health or living one must go for living because this is the short-term achievement for a person. One knows that doing nightshift is taking them towards bad health but still they are doing just because of earning the living. Therefore most of us are well aware about this true statement but not sure, how many of us truly adhering it.

As a young boy, I understood that life gives us what we ask for. Therefore, I thought deeply about what I was looking for. I realized Health on all levels is the cornerstone of having a wealthy life. After the realization, my first desire was to cultivate Health on all levels in my life. This has allowed wealth to blossom in my life as a result. In the end, happiness arose in me like the sun and moon in a clear sky.

This is an old proverb. It means that it is always better to be healthy than wealthy. A man may be immensely rich. He may have all the luxuries one can dream of. However, if he has a grave disease like cancer or something, all his wealth will become useless. He will not be able to enjoy comforts. He will be slowly crawling inch by inch towards death. Apart from that, he has to suffer the mental agony arising from his realization. He will be as good as dead. But if a man is healthy even if he has no wealth, he can be happy. As he is healthy, he can always work and earn his daily bread. He can lead a happy and contented life with what he has. As he is healthy, there will be no diseases to bother him though he may not be able to spend lavishly or afford luxuries. Therefore, it is true to say that health is better than wealth.

I am able to see the awareness for Health is coming in many cities in India these days. Let it spread like a virus and result in health consciousness for all.

Be Blissful

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com

“Bhagavad Gita”, 6th Chapter

Verse Number 5.

Utthareth Athmana Athmanam Na Athmanam Avasadhayeth

Athmayeva E Athman Bandhu Athma Yeva Repu Athman.

One should raise oneself by one’s Self alone; let not one lower oneself; for the Self alone is the friend of oneself, and the Self alone is the enemy of oneself.

This is a Fatalism negating sloka.

Friends and enemies are not outside. They exist in the mind only. It is the mind that makes a friend an enemy and an enemy a friend. Therefore, the Self alone is the friend of oneself, and the self alone is the enemy of oneself. The lower mind or the Asuddha Manas (Impure mind) is your real enemy because it binds you to the Samsara, and the higher mind or the Sattvic mind (Suddha Manas or the pure mind) is your real friend, because it helps you in the attainment of Moksha.

Four types of grace, which are very important for us, are Eswara Grace, a culture that values Spirituality; Guru Kripa, which is an opportunity that enables you to get a guidance from someone; Sastra Kripa, which is an opportunity to study the Scriptures and understand what is spiritual life; Atma Kripa, which is the grace of oneself (self grace). We require learning from ourselves. It is in the form of Self confidence. Believe in yourself and tell yourself that you can follow the spiritual path and attain spiritual success. Eswara Kripa can do nothing for you, if you do not have self confidence. You should believe in your freewill. As a human being, we all have freewill and using our freewill, we can change our life. The first thing to be noted in spirituality is to renounce fatalism. We should not say that because of fate I am what I am today. Fatalism believes that faith is the only factor that determines our future life. Lord Krishna Negates Fatalism. There is no doubt that faith determines our future. It is not the only factor but it is one of the factors. We can use our freewill and change our future by the contribution of the freewill. We should have faith in Freewill. Having Self will is an important value. With self confidence and available freewill, I can influence my life confidently. The next is Self effort, which is putting your own effort in whatever you do. Have a healthy mind, which is your best friend. Always tell yourself that you can do it with the grace of lord. Integrate them for accomplishing Artha, Kama, Moga and Dharma.

Be Blissful

S.SEKAR

Contact: sekrajc@yahoo.com