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Thursday, December 21, 2006

Some insight into 'Self-Realisation'

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JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,
Radhekrishna once again!

If you can recollect, then we explained the meaning of the terms such as 'Sukshma Shareeram', 'Pithru Yagnam', 'Sadam Vayu' etc in our precious article. We hope the meaning of these terms is clear now. Continuing from where we concluded the previous article,

When this SUKSHMA SAREERAM (SADAM VAYU) approached 'Nammalvar', HE drove away the VAYU by the POWER OF HUNGARAM (A form of Nama Japam i.e. chanting).

Now let us discuss as to what exactly is meant by liberation or self realization? How can one achieve this state of being?

To attain this state, the first and foremost prerequisite is remaining neutral. (Remember the feature of zero? Neither Positive nor Negative?).

It is not possible to achieve this state if one keeps accumulating the positive and negative energies by performing good and evil deeds respectively; i.e. one cannot attain liberation by adding PUNYAM (Positive Energy). One cannot attain liberation by subtracting PAPAM (Negative Energy).

One can attain liberation only through achieving equilibrium, between PUNYAM and PAPAM. The neutral state represents the MUKTHI. The state of equilibrium attained by annulling the positive and negative energy accumulated in the body, by virtue of actions, will bring in a NEUTRAL STATE. This neutral state is called as MUKTHI.

At this stage, a person begins to see one's own reflection in each and every living and non–living thing i.e. he begins to appreciate 'that which is common' in all the things, be it living or non–living; that common thing being the existence of Lord Krishna in it. An example from the glorious hindu tradition would be that of Bhakta Prahlad. When asked by his father the great demon Hiranyakashyap as to where is his Hero Lord Hari, Prahlad very aptly replies, he's everywhere! in me, in you, in the plants, in the pillar, everywhere. This state attained by the child 'Prahlad' is self–realization. When one's soul starts feeling the sanctity of Lord everywhere, there is no room left for miseries, sorrow, jealousy, materialistic pleasures, physical pain etc. All that is left is eternal bliss. In this stage, the mind remains detached from parts of the human life like money, social status, prestigious post in any job, pleasures of a family life, satisfaction of the sensory organs etc.

IT IS TO BE NOTED HERE THAT 'BEING DETACHED' DOES NOT MEAN ABSTAINING FROM ACHIEVING OR OBTAINING THE ABOVE THINGS. IT MEANS THAT 'NOT LETTING ONESELF GET AFFECTED', BY THE GAINS OR LOSSES OCCURING TO ONE IN THE PROCESS OF ACHIEVING THE ABOVE.

This also means that one has to treat success and defeat 'equally' which is a very difficult thing to adhere to. It's so natural to being happy in times of prosperity and grumbling in times of adversity. But that’s precisely the reason why not everyone attains this state! If it was so easy then everyone would have achieved it! But unfortunately its not so.

Going back to the Nammalvar Charitram,

The Alwar had driven out Sadam Vayu from affecting him in any manner.
He did so by the power of 'Hungaram'. Hungaram is a form of napajapam (chanting)
as said earlier.

So now let us discuss about the power of Namajapam (chanting)
Why do we keep telling time and again that do continuous chanting of Radhekrishna namam to get peace of mind? What power does it have? We will be discussing on this question in our forthcoming articles.

Till then Radhekrishna!

Sarvam Guruvarpanam

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Linking an electromagnet with the soul

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JAY SHREE POOJYASHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Radhekrishna once again to all our readers.
We continue our discussion on the topic started in the previous article.
Following is a brief description of the soul.

The soul of living things is neutral. Just as the number zero is neither positive nor negative. The soul is devoid of punyam and paapam. It means that the good deeds and evil deeds performed by a person do not in any way affect the soul.

It is generally said in our Hindu culture that we reap in the same manner as we sow.
If a person uses his/her hands to steal something then depending upon facts and circumstances the person could reap the fruits in the following ways:

1. There might be a theft in the house of that person.
2. The stolen thing may get lost from the hands of that person.
3. The persons hand may get injured in an accident or the hands might get paralyzed etc

On the other hand, if a person uses the same hands to perform good deeds then he will reap equally good fruits for the same.

If a puppy (young one of a dog) has fallen in flowing water and is unable to swim its way out and if a person takes it out of that water then there will be a time when there would be someone else to lend a similar helping hand to the person who saved the puppy and that helping hand would bring the person out of trouble.

All this is like maths! 4 – 3 = 1, 5 – 8 = –3

Assume the first digit in each of the above two examples (4 and 5) to be the good deeds and the second digit (3 and 8) to be the evil deeds. The net effect of our good deeds (punyam) and our bad deeds (paapam) shall always decide our fate. More the number of good deeds and the lesser the number of bad deeds, the better it is and more the number of evil deeds and lesser the number of good deeds, the worse it is. So one must always try and be in the first category and not in the second category i.e. perform good deeds and avoid evil deeds.

So as one can observe that depending upon the magnitude of the deed the proportionate fruits will be reaped by the person.
The above examples can be applied to all the acts done by us. And the fruits of such acts if not reaped in the present birth gets carried forward to the next birth! So there is no escaping the rewards and punishments!
However there is an exception to all the above explanation. That exception is the soul.
The soul always remains unaffected by the good deeds and bad deeds performed by a person.
The punyam and paapam acquired by a person is the positive and negative energy respectively, accumulated by a person. This accumulation happens till the time the living thing gets salvation. Salvation is attained by a person when he undergoes self–realization i.e. becomes one with Lord Krishna. Till then at the end of each birth the accumulation of punyam and paapam form an envelope around the soul. When a living thing dies, the action of the soul of that living thing leaving the body happens. When the soul departs the body, this envelop also departs along with the soul. This envelope covering the departed soul is called as 'Sukshma Shareeram' (The invisible person).

For the sake of pleasing the 'Sukshma Shareeram' after the death of a person, we perform certain rituals. Its called as 'Pithru Yagnam'. It’s a divine ritual performed to please the departed soul. (For more explanation on this concept please go through the articles of our other blog Vedhapremamrutham at poojyashrishriamma.blogspot.com)
The 'Sukshma Shareeram' reaches another body. The energy disappearing from the dead
man reaches the newborn baby. When the soul enters the new body, the envelope of punyam and paapam also enters that body. The form in which this envelop enters the new body is called 'Sadam Vayu'.

Doesn’t this word sound familiar to the ear, dear readers? Yes of course it does. In our past articles we told you about 'Nammalwar Charitram' and its relation with scientific concepts. That’s where we mentioned about this word 'Sadam Vayu'.

Thus, dear readers, Sadam Vayu is the envelope of good and evil done by a person in all the previous births. This Sadam Vayu engulfs the life of each and every living thing in the Universe. Thus we are caught in the trap of Maya (illusion) of material life.

The living things do not remember what good deeds and evil deeds they have done in their previous births. Hence they can never predict whether something good is going to happen or something bad at any point in time in any birth of theirs. Hence all of us need to be extremely unattached to things and people dear to us because one never knows that how and when will one reap the fruits of one's good and evil actions performed in the previous births. Everything that happens to one in his lifetime needs to be taken as it comes by telling oneself that its a fruit of one's good and evil actions performed over the number of births and a conscious effort has to be made to perfrom more and more good deeds and avoid performing bad deeds. This cycle of addition of punyam and subtraction of paapam is called as 'Samasara Sagaram' (The endless ocean of birth and death) in Hinudism.

Do more and more chanting and realize the true bliss in life.
Till then Radhekrishna!

Sarvam Guruvarpanam.

 

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