Ramayana - The autobiography of a Rishi?

The story of Ramayana is embedded in the heart of every Indian, educated and uneducated alike, irrespective of religious affiliation. It is very much doubtful  if there ever was  another work by a single person,  inspiring and influencing in such an undiminished  manner for more than two millenniums. Many in India and the world have continued to celebrate the birth of Rama on the Ramanavami day with same  reverence and religiosity as has been done for centuries. However, after having read and re-read this epic and its multiple interpretations many a times over, I had recently started to wonder if in fact we had failed to recognize the real hero of this epic. Valmiki, the author of Ramayana, didn't name the book as Rama katha (story of Rama) or Rama Charitha (historical exposition on Rama). He instead chose to call it as Rama ayana ,i.e., Rama's journey. It is quite reasonable to suspect if Valmiki had seen a reflection of his own spiritual journey in Rama's travails. Is the  story of Valmiki deftly hidden inside this story of Rama and is he the real hero here?

The story of the origins of Valmiki is that he was a robber in the forest, who would mercilessly attack the passers by for loot. He is supposed to have been transformed by a group of Rishis who forced him to consider the futility of living such a sinful life.  This robber, Rantakara, takes to a life of contemplation and is so lost in his meditation that a Valmikam, i.e., anthill forms all around him. Awakened from this deep meditation, Ratnakara emerges from the anthill as a Rishi and is named Valmiki. 

Now, consider this. Aren't each of us actually living the life of a robber, taking from the world what comes by, for own survival?  Isn't this very system of having to kill in order to live that actually bothered Ratnakara?   We again find this agony coming from Valmiki, when he encounters a hunter who kills the male partner of a pair of birds.  The answer of saints and philosophers to this fundamental question has mostly been practical only to those few who were ready to withdraw into a shell from the general society.  And, to that scenario arrived Valmiki, refusing to stay in the shell and asking the question, is a perfect life feasible while living in the midst of this world? And, thus begins the spiritual journey of Valmiki and the story of Ramayana. (Ramayana starts with the words 'thapa' and 'swaadhyaya', contemplation and self-learning, the two fundamental 'must have' s for a a spiritual journey)

The story begins with the four sons who are born to King Dasharatha; Rama, Lakshmana, Bharatha and Shatrugna. This could be an attempt to represent the self as partitioned into four; an intelligent self (Rama), an aspirational self (Lakshmana), a transactional self (Bharatha) and a survivalist self (Shatrugna). Logically, every one of us have these four parts within us. It is ideal for the intelligent self to be the ruler. However, the attempt of the intelligent self to be the ruler is prevented by the Rajo guna of Prakriti, (Kaikeyi) who prefers the transactional self to be the ruler. The pathway for the intelligent self to become the ruler of self is a journey  inward, which is depicted in Ramayana as a banishment to the forests of  the south.

Encountering and eliminating many negative forces, Rama mostly spends his time in forest at Chitrakoota. From the perspective of the inner world, Chitrakoota or the place where the images are formed, is where our many perception of external world  conglomerate. One of the major steps in the spiritual journey is to be able to have an objective view of these images and destroy the negative tendencies that adversely impact them. From Chitrakoota, Rama moves to Panchavati, the mount with five gardens. The concept of the five Pranas as the energy fields of the life force is well known in the Hindu schools of philosophy.  Again, the control of Prana and objective disassociation of one's self from the movements of prana is the next important stage in spiritual practice.

We haven't yet discussed the important character of Rama's wife, Sita. The word 'Sita' appears to be  derived the word 'Satva', the quality of goodness and luminescence. The goal of every spiritual practitioner is to increase the Satva nature of self and minimize the Rajas and Tamas natures. In the context of Ramayana, Sita appears to be the sole companion of Rama, as goodness must be that of the intelligent self of a spiritual practitioner. As Rama comes to find out soon, there is an extreme difficulty to being good.

More of that journey on the next blog post. Have a wonderful Sri Rama Navami!

The Hindu way of living

One of the definitions that gets thrown around for Hindu Religion is that it is a 'way of life'.  I have wondered many a times what exactly that means, because there is considerable variation in the way life is lived by the many Hindus. Some are very ritualistic and some are not. Some believe in holy places, holy cows, God men or God women  etc. and some are vehemently opposed to these . Some Hindus can recite from memory the voluminous scriptures while the majority seem to  have not even read a few lines of the same texts. What then is common in the way of living that could be classified as 'Hindu way of living'? Here are some thoughts.

To start with let's look at what could be a definition of 'way of living'. The closest definition I could come up with was that 'way of living' is a consistent pattern of behavior and attitude exhibited in life by a group of people who share a common set of beliefs and value systems. Fair enough?

In the last blog post, 'Who is a Hindu and what it means to be one', I had tried to examine the belief system of Hindu religion. Now, the question remaining to me was, what exactly is the value system of Hindu Religion?

As we all know, any value system must comprise a set of guiding principles and virtues as well as a set of injunctions on what to do and what not to do. Here is a quick summary of what I found these to be from the Hindu Religion perspective.

The Guiding Principles

The guiding principles are like the North star. They set us on the right direction and one would try to align with them as much as possible. However, an absolute determination of one's position with respect to them turns out to be a futile exercise. Here are three guiding principles that are prominent in Hindu Religion.

Non-violence (Ahimsa): Ahimsa is a commitment to not cause intentional harm or injury, especially with the motive of making personal gain or having pleasure. However, it does not mean cowing away when need arises to fight injustice or protect oneself or one's own. Resorting to violence is considered only as a last resort and also is expected to be done with a clear conscience and control (not mindless violence).

Truth (Satyam) : Satyam is the commitment to maintaining truthfulness in words, deeds and thoughts. This is founded on the Upanishad saying 'satyameva jayate na anritam' (Truth alone becomes victorious, not falsehood) that also happens to be Republic of India's motto on the national emblem.

Ethical Living (Dharma): The meaning of Dharma is broader than ethics because in addition to maintaining ethical standards, it also implies performing one's expected duty to the family, society and the world. The intent of Dharma is to live a life that supports the preservation of goodness and harmony.

The Virtues

Virtues are qualities of character one would consciously develop but demonstrate unconsciously. Virtues offer only one thing in return, they simply make us a better human being. Here are few of the virtues that are most important to the Hindu.

Humility (amaanitvam & adambitvam): Boisterousness and arrogance stem from two kinds of wrong understanding. One, that accomplishments or possessions are the sole result of own abilities and effort. Two, that one's power, social status, abilities, family connections etc. are permanent and always supportive.  True humility, not the pretentious kind, is completely free of such misunderstandings. It is based on a sense of equality with other human beings, genuine gratitude to others and the belief that God's grace has a role to play.

Forbearance (Kshaanti): As we all know, life is not perfect or fair. There will be times when things do not go our way and there will be situations that provoke us to stray from the guiding principles and shun virtues. Forbearance is the virtue that helps us to tide over such difficult times and stay true to our goals.

Straight forwardness (Aaarjavam):  Conceit is an attractive strategy for those who relish opportunistic, short term gains. However, the price we pay for the gains made through conceit is the complexity and insecurity created within our minds and the resulting absence of inner peace. Simplicity in thinking is the hallmark of a person who  has purified himself internally. Maintaining straight forwardness in thinking and actions goes a long way in helping one to experience inner peace and tranquility.

Compassion (Daya):  Compassion and empathy emanating from the feeling of oneness with fellow beings alone is free of selfishness. The acts of charity that follow such compassion offer the greatest relief to those who suffer.

The Injunctions

Injunctions are call to action, either in terms of doing or avoiding. Here is an example from the Taitiriya Upanishad:

'satyam vada dharmam chara matru devo bhavah pitru devo bhava aachaarya devo bhava aditi devo bhavah'

'Speak the truth, live ethically, be worshipful of your mother, father, teacher and the guests'

While there are many injunctions that are distributed all over the Hindu scriptures, the following five, called as Pancha Maha Yagnas, arppear to be comprehensive and are considered as 'must do' for a Hindu.

Offerings to God (Daiva Yagna) : An offering to God could be a two minute silent prayer at home or worship at a temple or a ritualistic fire sacrifice. The value of Daiva Yagna is not as much in the elaborateness or pompousness of the rituals as the consistency and continuity of remembrance of God during a day's activity. A great master like Adi Sankara had achieved a state of mind where he could easily declare 'yad yad karma karomi tat tat akhilam sambho thavaaraadanam' , meaning 'O Sambho, every single action of mine is done as an offering to you'.

Offerings to parents and ancestors (Pitru Yagna): It is a Hindu custom to remember one's ancestors on the New Moon day and the days of solstice. However,  any action that shows respect, gratitude and reverence to those who had been here before us is a Pitru Yagna. In its least but not insignificant form, Pitru Yagna is reflected in the respect accorded to the elders of society.

Offerings to Society (Manushya Yagna): Acts of common good, sharing, charity as well as selfless social endeavors fall into the category of Manushya Yagna.  Human race would never have been what it is today but for the willingness of many to perform this voluntarily.

Offerings to Beings (Bhuta Yagna): The awareness that humans are not the only ones who need to be cared for was entrenched in the Indian thinking process a long time ago. Caring for nature and its beings are equally important to the Hindu as offerings to God. This has also been expressed in many parts of India as worship of animals and trees.

Offerings to Knowledge (Brahma Yagna): Commitment to gaining knowledge, spiritual or material, is expected to be a daily practice in a Hindu's life. The importance education has in India is probably a result of this practice that was well ingrained into the Indian culture. Even those masters of Hind Religion who have gained mastery over the scriptural texts make it a point to spend some time every day to educate themselves as well as share their knowledge.

What is not a Hindu way of life?

If the above are the components of a Hindu way of living, what is not a Hindu way of living? Here is a description of that from Bhagawad Gita:

'kaamam asritya dushpooram  dhambamaana madaanvitaa

mohaat grihitva asat grahaan pravarthanthe asuchi vrataa' (B.G Chapter 16 Sloka 10)

"Counting on insatiable desires (to motivate), influenced by boisterousness, vanity and arrogance, hankering for the impermanent in delusion, acts a person who is committed to the unwholesome'

I am sure  this sounds familiar as we see it all around us in society (and occasionally in the mirror too!) . Be aware that unwholesome acts are not part of Hindu way of living!

Who is a Hindu and what it means to be one

Approximately 1/7th of the world's population claim their religion to be 'Hindu'. Out of this 1 billion plus people there are not many who can clearly articulate what makes them Hindu or what it means to be a Hindu. The term 'Hindu' itself was originally constructed to encompass all the people living in the geographical region east of the Sindu (Indus) river. Even today, if you are a citizen of India and you haven't accepted any other faith as your religion, guess what, you are most likely identified as a Hindu! There is no religious authority in place who could bestow admittance to Hindu religion or take it away from someone. Neither are there any mandatory  injunctions on what a Hindu must do. In this context, let us take a fresh look at what exactly makes someone Hindu.  

What makes one a Hindu?

What makes one a Hindu is best defined by the sanskrit expression 'Shraddhaa  Bhakti Samanvita'  meaning '(living a spiritual life) led equally by Shraddha and Bhakti'.

1. Shraddha (Faith) To be a Hindu, one must have shraddha in the Veda, Ithihaasa and Puraana texts as well as their corollaries found in the Hindu faith system. (In case you are not familiar with these terms, please read the previous blog post 'An aerial survey of Hindu religion' to know more about what Veda, Itihaasa and Puraana are)  Shraddha does not mean  a binding, limiting, unquestioning faith in a book, ideas, a specific 'named God' or the historicity of the mythological stories . Shraddha is an attitudinal disposition that enables one to approach the Veda, Ithihaasa and Puraana texts with a positive frame of mind. In other words, approaching them with the conviction that there is truth worth pursuing within these texts, even when that truth may not be apparent. Again, Shraddha does not mean a blind allegiance to every single word or idea within these texts, especially in a literal sense.
2. Bhakti (Reverence to God). Hindu religion is theistic and believes in a single 'God principle', and not a single 'God person'. Every Hindu is imbued with a reverence to this God principle that they may symbolize this in many God images and natural phenomena.  There are many degrees of intensity to which this reverence is expressed using images and objects as 'proxy'.  At its core, Bhakti is the love and reverence to a God who is the essential, single awareness in every being.

Can a Hindu believe in other religions?

Hinduism is a broad, all encompassing, diverse and tolerant religion. A Hindu can attend, participate and even practice another religion's rituals and practices as long as this is done without compromising Shraddha and Bhakti as explained above. For example, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa had taken instructions and  practiced both Christianity and Islam in addition to his Hindu faith. In the same token, those in other religions who want to practice or participate in Hindu religion should be allowed to do so. However, since it is not possible to belong to more than one religion the same time, it would require for one to have the mindset of keeping Hinduism as the primary religion to be considered a Hindu. 

Should one offer worship in a Temple to be Hindu?

Temple worship only forms one component of the Hindu religion and is not considered mandatory. One may choose not to step into any Temple and could still be a Hindu. Temples provide a great way to bring the Hindus together as a community and also serves a spiritual purpose (Please see the previous blog post on 'what I see when I go to a temple' for details). There are three core tenets to the Hindu religious practice. They are 'thapa' which is contemplation and meditation, 'swaadhyaaya' which is spiritual learning and 'ishwara pranidhaana' which is  an attitude of surrender to God. This surrender to God aspect could be expressed either in the form of daily prayers at home, temple worship, charity work or a combination of all of them.

Should one have a 'caste' to be Hindu?

Caste is one of the most misconstrued social phenomena that is attributed to Hindu religion. Hindu religion had a 'varna' classification and this classification was later interposed with the social division of castes in the Indian society that was based on professions. The end result was a chaotic situation that proliferated discrimination and social inequality.

The word 'varna' means color. It was intended to indicate what colors our actions, viz., what motivates people to perform action, especially religious action. As we all know, two people may perform an exact same action, but they could have very different motivations.  In the Bhagawad Gita Krishna says 'chaatur varnyam mayaa srishtam gunakarma vibhaakasa' , meaning 'the four varna classes, delineated by the quality of actions were created by me'. What are these quality delineations? Let's examine.

The four 'varna' classification in Hindu religion are Brahmana (Priestly class), Kshatriya (Warrior class), Vaisya (Trader class) and Sudra (Working class). All four of them are Hindu by the definition we discussed earlier. Those outside of the Hindu religion were called as 'Daasyu' and were mostly constituted of the tribal population who lived away from the civilized populace.

A Sudra (Worker class) is religious because of fear and insecurity. He or she would remember God and religion when feeling threatened and will forget both as soon as the danger passes. Most of those who did manual labor for living in the cities of olden times were identified as Sudra as their religious fervor was generally inconsistent. Hence the Sudra were not initiated into learning the Veda, a studentship that  required many years of austerity and hardship. A Sudra's action were colored by fear, and was associated with the color Black.

A Vaisya (Trader class) is religious because of his desire for prosperity. He or she would be more than happy to share a part of earned wealth for temples and charity etc. with the intent that such actions will bring them or their progeny still more prosperous life in future. The traders and industrialists have traditionally been identified as Vaisya because of their eye for profit in transactions. A Vaisya's action are colored by materialistic thinking  and is associated with color of Bronze.

A Kshatriya (Warrior class) is religious because of his desire to accomplish and excel. He or she seeks strength and power from religion so as to do better in their field.  The Kshatriya of olden days were warriors and kings but in modern times, they probably are the Corporate Executives and CEOs! A Kshatriya's actions are colored by aggression and is associated with color Red

A Brahmana (Priestly class) is religious because of  desire for knowledge and God realization. He or she is not driven by any worldly, tangible motive and are generally self-directed in their quest. The Brahmana of olden days were mostly priests and teachers. In modern times, they could just be in any profession, continuing their search for truth in parallel to whatever else they may do for living. Because of a Brahmana's propensity to learn and enlighten, they are associated with the color White.

The latter three, other than Sudra, were called as 'Dwija' or twice-born. They all were required to make an explicit commitment to learn Veda as a student  and this initiation ceremony, Upanayana, was considered as their second birth. Only the Brahmana was authorized to teach Veda since  only they put in the required effort for mastery.

It was easy for the society to enforce the norms that the progeny of, say a Brahmana, would be a Brahmana and thus was started the concept of 'kula' or lineage and duties called as 'kula dharma' based on birth. This had, however, not prevented others from learning or teaching. Sage Viswamtra  who is the Rishi of the most highly revered mantra  called Gayatri, was a Kshatriya by birth.  The wisest and most learned person in Mahabharatha, Vidura, was born to a sudra woman. There are many stories in Upanishads were a Brahmana seeks out a Kshatriya King for spiritual instruction.

I am a Hindu and what does this all mean to me?

If you are a Hindu,  make sure to ask yourself what motivates you to be in the religion. All answers are right. Whatever the answer is,  try to stay true to that motivation until it shifts naturally.  It will be possible to shift the motivations to higher levels in time by simply being aware of one's own motivations and letting them evolve consciously.

Have a great religious life!

Valentine's Day Thoughts: What I remember from my wedding

It has been more than two decades but sweet memories of a wonderful day still linger. Apart from the happiness of family reunion and excitement of new relationships, few other aspects of the day are still fresh in mind. 

Hindu weddings, especially those in the traditions followed by the Brahmin community, can be extremely elaborate stretching over two days. I had probably spent a good six hours in front of the smoking sacrificial fire and uttered many mantras that I hardly knew the meaning of. Boy, how I wish I knew that would be the easiest part of married life :-)

Looking back, out of the many rituals that we had performed, few of them stand out to me as having been most meaningful. Many Hindu rituals have great meanings encoded within them, unsaid but left for us to discover on reflection. Here are some from my reflections:

1. Agni - God of Fire as witness: The marriage was solemnized by the God of Fire, symbolizing that as long as he stood in our body, this commitment that we were making that day would be honored
2. Vastra - Giving of attire:  We both gave each other our dresses that we wore for the ceremony. The dress is a symbol of our character and our values since it is through them that we present ourselves to the society. When we  gave each other the dress to wear, what we were symbolically doing was accepting each other's values into our lives. Isn't it true that only those marriages where the couple share the same core values last?
3. Haara - Garlanding: This  was not a quick exchange of garlands but an elaborate ceremony that involved exchanging at least three different kinds of garlands and also the challenge of reaching out to each other as we were often lifted up in air by the immediate family! This ceremony symbolized the adoration we held for each other that day. Some of that adoration may have worn out in the many years since, but I still think the core appreciation we had for each other has lingered.
4. Maangalya- The 'thaali' and tying of knot: This is one ceremony that every single  culture in India have adopted, irrespective of religion and geographical diversity, the Mangalya Sutra, the talisman on the necklace called 'Thaali', had two shiva linga shaped lockets in it, This to me where the  core of our hearts united on one string, When I tied that string around her neck, I was entrusting to her this great symbol of our union for safe keeping, close to her heart.
5. Saptapadi - The walking of seven steps: The tips of our dresses were tied together and holding her hand, I led her around the sacrificial fire taking an important first seven steps  of our journey together in life. Why seven? Because there are seven things that we had committed to share with each other: what we see, hear, smell, taste, touch, feel and think. This symbolic ritual meant a commitment to maintain total transparency with each other, another major aspect of marriages that last.
6. Akshathai - Receiving of blessings: It is a custom to handover a little raw rice, colored yellow in turmeric and a small piece of flower to every person elder to us among those who had come to the wedding. They sprinkled these on our bowed heads at the end of ceremony as a symbol of showering their blessings. A good starting lesson that our life is not necessarily made by just the effort of two of us but also the graceful support we have received from our families and friends

Next time you are in a Hindu wedding, watch closely. You may find more!

A dialogue with Death (Based on Kathopanishad)

Death and after-life are definitely two of  the most sensitive but extremely intriguing subjects of interest in both religion and philosophy. Since there are no definite scientific or factual information available about what death is or what may happen after death,  the subject has naturally become a fertile ground for wild speculations and blind assertions. Tapping into this uncertainty, various religions have for many centuries enforced morality and follower-ship in society based on promises of heaven for adherence and punishments of hell for deviance. Epicureans in the West and followers of Chaarvaaka in India had taken to the opposite extreme of living an amoral life because they believed Death is an end in itself. The truth, as usual, lies somewhere in-between. Where exactly? Let's see what the Upanishads have to say about it.

Fundamental to the question about Death is the consideration whether there is a soul that occupies the body during life and leaves it after death. The Hindu religion firmly believes that there is a soul that has an association with the body during life. It also believes that death is the ending of an association of the soul with one body and the beginning of its association with another body. Some texts talk about a period between death and rebirth during which the soul enjoys the merits of its good deeds in heaven or the world of manes and suffers for bad deeds in hell. One thing that has been positivelly asserted across different texts is that the soul, other than that of a liberated person, will have a rebirth at some point of time following death, carrying with it the vaasana (the tendencies or inclinations of the soul based on the impressions left on it by experiences)  and karma (potential for undergoing certain experiences based on past actions) from previous life.

There is an extensive treatment of the subject of Death and after-life, in the texts of the Kathopanishad and Brihadaaranyakopanishad.  In addition to talking  about the soul's journey etc. the Upanishads, more interestingly, also offer  a deeper perspective from an entirely different philosophical plane, discussing the nature of reality.

In the Kathopanishad, we find the story of this young boy Nachiketa who was unintentionally given as an offering to Lord of Death, Yama, by his father during a sacrificial ritual. To fulfill the words of his father, Nachiketa finds his way to the abode of Yama to meet the Lord of Death.  Very pleased with the innocence and commitment of this young boy and also as a compensation for having made him wait for three days without food, Yama offers him three boons to choose. With the first boon, Nachikata seeks favorable disposition with his father on his return to earth. With the  second boon, he seeks instructions of a sacrificial ritual with the potential benefit of near-permanent stay in heaven after death. And, finally with the third boon, he asks the question,

'yeyam prete vichikitsaa manushyai

astityeke naayamastiticheke

etad vidyaam anusishta tvayaaham..'  Kathopanishad Canto 1, Mantra  20

"On the departing of the soul, a doubt arises among the humans whether 'It' exists or does not exist. I would like to be instructed by you (on the truth about this)"

As profound as it is, there is a lack of clarity in the question as Nachiketa does not make it clear whose existence he is inquiring into. Most of the commentators have assumed that the question is about the soul's existence beyond death. That is an easy conclusion to arrive at  but not necessarily very sound one because in the previous boon,  Nachiketa was already seeking the way for soul to reach heaven after death. If he was in doubt of soul's existence after death, he would not have sought that? And, remember that Nachiketa is supposedly speaking to the God of Death whose very duty is to direct the souls to where they should reach based on their actions in past life!  Moreover, Yama warns Nachiketa that this is a question that even the celestial beings of yore are not certain of the answer. So, we will need to assume that the question is much deeper than mere validation for the existence of soul.

I am of the opinion that Nachiketa's question is not whether soul exists after death but whether this world that was left behind by the soul, exists anymore from the perspective of the soul, after death. In other words, how real is this reality that we take for granted while living? At death, did the person die or did this world die to the person, just as a dream world would die to the dreamer at the end of a dream?

After a brief exchange of words with Yama, who fails to compel Nachiketa to back off with promises of all the riches of the world etc., Nachiketa digs in further, offering a clarification to his question:

'anytra dharmaat antra adharmaat

anyatra kritaa akritaat

anytra bhutaascha bhavyasch

yathad pasyati tad vada'  (Kathopanishad Canto 2, Mantra 14)

"Tell me about whatever is that you perceive to be beyond good and evil, transcends what is done and what is not done,  and is apart from whatever is in the past as well as future"

Nachiketa now makes it clear that what he is seeking to know about is what transcends the limitations of the world in terms of cause and effect, time and the considerations of good and evil. The key question, again, is not whether there is life after death but if there is a different and true reality for the soul where both life and death become equally irrelevant. It is quite doubtful if there is any question greater than this asked anywhere in the entire Upanishad literature! The closest parallel I can point to, though an imperfect comparison, is the quest of Neo in the Hollywood movie Matrix. (Not that you should  turn to Hollywood for giving you  life's philosophy  but Matrix was a good one)

Kathopanishad, through Yama, answers the first question about soul's perception of world's reality in these poetic words:

yathaadarso thadaatmani

yathaa swapne thadaa pithru loke

yathaapsu pareeva daddhruse thadaa gandharva loke

chaayaa taporiva brahma loke                       (Kathopanishad Canto 2 Chapter 6 Mantra 4)

"(The soul's experience of reality is ) like a reflection on mirror in the mind (on earth), like a dream in the world of manes, like the reflection in water in the world of Gandharvas and like light and shadow in the world of Brahma"

Depending on the levels of self-awareness, the granularity of distinction perceived by the soul changes. In the day-to-day world where we are highly individualistic, the world is full of divisions and everything is colored by our projections on it. When we broaden the picture and become one with our family or fellow beings (with the view that we are all of same origin), the world is less distinctive as in a dream. When we lose ourselves in music or dance or art or other aesthetics, the world again is lesser distinctive like the reflection of everything in same water. In the highest level of self-awareness as in meditation, the world is like a light and shadow projection, devoid of distinctiveness and specificity. Irrespective, in any state of awareness the world is still a reflection, devoid of true reality!

Sri Aaadi Sankaraachaarya says in the beginning words of the Dakshinaamurthy Stotram:

"viswam darpana drisyamaana nagari tulyam nijaanthargatham

 pasyannaatmani maayayaa bahirivo bhutair yadaa nidrayaa"

"(The soul perceives) the world like a city reflected in a mirror within It, and experiences the illusion of the image projected external to it, as in a dream"

If the world is devoid of true reality, what then is Real? The Lord of Death answers in one brief sentence, "The true Reality is called OM". To understand why Yama says it is 'Om' we will need to look at the symbol of OM.

(picture courtesy: www.in.com)

Here is the way I like to look at this symbol of OM.(Not necessarily the only way). The top semi-circular half of OM (top half of the '3') is the future. The bottom half is the past. And where the future and past meet, i.e., the present, that is where the soul experiences the world. The soul is the curve to the right, meeting the present and curving into itself. The single dot on the top is the Brahman and its effulgence that illuminates consciousness is the crescent below it. The darkness between the crescent and the soul is the Unmanifest, or Avyakta. And to me, this is the briefest depiction of the concept of reality as explained in the entire Vedic philosophy!

So, what is the instruction for Nachiketa?

angushta maatra purushontaraatma

sadaa janaanaam hridaye sannivishta

tam svachariraat pravruhen munchaadive ishikaa dhairyena

tam vidyaat sukram amritam tam vidyaat sukram amritam iti  (Kathopanishad Canto 3 Chapter 3 Mantra 16)

"The indwelling self that is of the size of thumb, is seated all the time in the hearts of beings. Separate Him diligently from rest of the body as one would remove the stalk of Munja grass (from its outer shell). Him you should know as pure and deathless. Him you should know as pure and deathless"

Do not concern yourself with death and after-life and instead of focus on realizing that divinity which is within you and is your true nature. This in a nutshell is the instruction of Kathopanishad.

What I see when I go to a Temple

Visiting temples and offering prayers are an integral part of life for the practitioners of Hindu religion. Mostly this is done as a custom or as something one is used to doing rather than as a mandatory or thoughtful act. It is also a well known fact  that temples and deities were a later development in the Hindu religion, the fire sacrifices known as 'yagna' and 'yaaga' being the central forms of worship in Vedic times. The stream of thoughts  presented in the Upanishads also are not oriented towards temple or deity worship. Given this, what does someone, especially those who have embraced the philosophy presented in Upanishads as the spiritual truth, see when visiting temples?  I will offer you my perspectives.

In my view, a visit to temple is nothing but another orchestration of the act of going into one's own self during meditation. To understand this better, let's take a look at the structure and organization of the temple.

At the outer periphery of a temple, there are usually entry points called as 'gopura dwaara'. The Sanskrit word 'go' stands for source of knowledge , 'pura' means a residing place and 'dwaara' means a port. The 'gopura' are the entry points of external knowledge just as the sense organs in our body are.

Having entered through the 'gopura', one would see the 'dwaja stamba' or the flag post. This is a declaration of the identity of the temple. As we peer into our own self, the initial answers to the question of 'who am I' will be our sense of identify in terms of name, relationships, societal position, gender etc. This is the dwaja sthamba in our heart, some of which happen to be extremely tall!

Past this point, one enters the 'praakaara' or the outer sanctorum. Going around the 'praakaara', one would find installations of a number of  different deities. These deities represent the powers that make the world function in a macro sense and the different organs in our  body function, in a micro sense. Though we identify with our body, we don't directly control the functioning of any of our bodily organs. They all seem to somehow work magically in a coordinated fashion to sustain life in our body. How many of us are constantly aware that the heart pumps or the lungs  breathe or that the kidney does its work? In the 'praakaara', tracing a path around the inner sanctorum, I would offer my gratitude and prayers to the deities to keep the world and my body functioning uninterrupted!

One of the most interesting installations found in the temples is the 'Nava Graha'. These are traditionally considered as the nine 'planets' that influence the fortunes based on their relative celestial position at the time of our birth. The Sanskrit word 'graha' actually means to grasp or seize. Hence, I personally like to think about them as nine different emotional states that grasp my mind at different points of time. There is 'surya' or Sun representing bright, positive, 'in the flow ' state of mind; 'chandra' or Moon denoting affection and love; 'sukra' or Venus representing the mood to learn worldly knowledge; 'guru' or Jupiter representing the mood to immerse in spiritual learning; 'kuja' or Mars that represents active or combative mood; 'budha' or Mercury that represents compassion; 'sani' or Saturn that represents gloom and negative tendencies like envy;  'raahu' that represents fear and 'ketu' that represents anxiety. Both raahu and ketu have no bodies - raahu has only a head and ketu has only a lump and tail -  just as our fears and anxiety are mostly without a body of substance. Interestingly, each of the 'graha' also have a color associated that correspond to the 'color of mind' for that emotional state!

Around the 'praakaara', on the outer walls of the inner sanctorum, one would find images of all kinds of worldly pleasure including sexual acts, either carved into stone or placed as murals. The presence of such art in a place of worship is something that has baffled many. The inner sanctorum represents what we figuratively calls as our  'hridaya' or heart. And, all our worldly sources of pleasure are imprinted into the outer layers of 'hridaya'. Normally,  we stop at this outer wall of heart and do not go any further into the 'hridaya'. The temple invites you to make that important entry into the depths of our own heart, past the distractions of engagements in pleasure, because that is where you will find the presence of divinity.

Entering into the inner sanctorum, we find the 'garbha griha' or the sanctum sanctorum where the main deity is located. The word 'garbha griha' literally means 'home of the fetus'.  In the middle of the 'hridaya' is our essential being and from it emanates everything that we call as 'I'. Hence, it is called as the 'garbha griha'.

If the deity of the temple  is Lord Siva, we find the 'siva lingam' or 'sign of siva', located here. The 'siva lingam' has again been wrongly interpreted as representing phallus. The 'lingam' is given its shape based on the poetic Upanishad declaration 'angushta maatra purusho antaraatma', 'the inner dweller of all beings is of the size and shape of thumb'. The lingam is usually located in a heart shaped or circular base indicating its placement in the center of heart. The divinity residing in the core of our hearts is an absolute that defies all means of direct perception. The 'siva linga' is an attempt to express this absolute as a sign of its presence.

Standing in front of the 'garbha griha', one should close the eyes offering prayers to the One, cosmic principle that is also very much within us, remembering the Upanishadic statement 'avrittha chakshuhu amritatvamicchann', "eyes closed and turned inward, desirous of immortality".

What is the benefit of doing so? The Kathopanishad boldly declares:

'eko vasee sarva bhutaantharaatma

ekam roopam bahudhaa yah karoti

tam aatmastham yenupasyanthi dhiraah

teshaam  sukham saasvatam  netareshaam'

" The single controller of the entire universe, who is also the inner self of every single being, produces all these different forms (found in the world) though he is of (only one) single form. Permanent peace descends only on those who realize one's own self to be That and not anyone else"

One of the most common forms of worship of the deity is the 'abhisheka' process where the priest pours different edible liquids on the deity, one after the other, giving the deity  a shower in each one of them. This process has come under criticism recently for wastage of edible food.  The process of 'abhisheka' is nothing but an orchestration of a spiritual practice that combines the teachings of both Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga. The intend is to inspire the devotee to consider all worldly experiences poured into one's own self as an offering to the divinity present in the heart.  The key thing to note is that none of these liquids poured on the idol stick to it and are washed away in the same way as the results of experiences fail to stick to the soul of a person who has realized the  innermost divinity.

Remember that a visit to the temple is not an opportunity to rattle out worries and wishes but rather an opportunity to have a wonderful spiritual experience. That experience should enable us to take the journey into our own inner self and help to connect with the cosmic principle of Brahman. Hope the next time you go to a temple, it will be a different experience!

Consciousness: The Tale of Two Birds (From the Mundka Upanishad)

Here is a question to begin with:  how many 'me' are inside you? One, two? Very quickly you will realize that there are more number of 'me' than what you can count on your fingers.  'Me' the father or mother, 'me' the son or daughter, 'me' the colleague, 'me' the citizen etc. All of us understand and take on these many 'roles' in life, sometimes consciously and sometimes unconsciously. Now,  here is a trickier question: how many 'I' are inside you ? You may think the answer is one, the single 'I am'. (Even for one who may be schizophrenic, the answer is still one at given point of time). And, here is where the Upanishad will beg to disagree with you. It says that there is not one but two "I" inside us. One of them is 'I- the experiencer' and the other is 'I- the witness'.

'dva suparnaa sayujaa sakhaaya

samaanam vriksham parishasvajaate

tayoranyah pippalam svaadatthe

anasnanyo abhijaakasih" (Mundaka Upanishad, Book 3, Chapter 1, Sloka 1)

'Two birds with beautiful feathers are perched together on the same tree. One pecks on the fruits while the other watches, not eating'

samaanam vriksham purusho nimagno

aneesaya sochati muhyamaanaah

jushtam yadaa pasyatyanyameesam

asya mahimaanam iti veetasokah (Mundaka Upanishad, Book 3, Chapter 1, Sloka 2)

"On the same tree are these two embodied souls (birds), one of who is deluded, powerless and sorrowful and engrossed completely (in pecking the fruit) . When it perceives the worshipful glory of the other who lords (over the tree), it becomes free of all sorrow"

The metaphor of the tree is used to depict the world of action with its many inter dependencies and the fruit of the tree stands for the experiences that the world produces. The bird that pecks on the fruit is the 'experiencer' who becomes happy, sad, angry etc. depending on the experience. The bird that is watching is the 'witness' who is silently observing, not subjecting itself to the happiness or sorrow of the experience.

There is an 'I' in us that is continuously watching, unaffected by the many experiences we have. We are rarely conscious of this 'I - the witness' within us and when we do and identify with it, the world stops affecting us any further. Interestingly, the common advice given to someone who gets carried away by emotions is 'get a hold of yourself'!

The first step of spiritual journey is to recognize this 'I-the witness' in the self. How can one perceive the 'witness' within and become one with it? Here is a four step process instructed for the purpose.

'satyena labhyah thapasaa hi esha aatma

samyag gnaanena brahmacharyena nityam' (Mundaka Upanishad, Book 3, Chapter 1, Sloka 5)

'By the practice of truth, intense and focused contemplation, total wisdom and continuous striving on the path to Brahman is this Aaatman obtained'

First and foremost, be true to yourself and maintain complete integrity. Second, contemplate with focus and intensity on the teachings of the Upanishad about what is self and what is not self. Thirdly, fill yourself with the total understanding that this contemplation will create about the self and the world. And, finally strive continuously and do not stray from the spiritual path even for a minute. Only such a person realizes the Aaatman.

And, what is the self-realization like?

'brihascha tad divyam achinthya roopam

sooksmaat sookshmataram vibhaati

dooraat sudhoore tadaantiket cha

pasysthihaive nihitam guhaayam' (Mundaka Upanishad, Book 3, Chapter 1, Sloka 7)

'(this seeker) perceives within the hidden caves of heart that effulgent Aatman which is larger than the largest, subtler than the subtlest, farther than the farthest and nearer than the nearest'

 A self-realized person not only gets the perfect understanding of the real nature of his own self but also obtains the understanding of the cosmic truth of the Brahman, as was discussed earlier in the Upanishad.

Is the method described above a guaranteed means that always produces the intended result of self-realization? Unfortunately that is not the case because then self-realization becomes a temporary result of an like the other results of actions found in the world.

'naayamaatma pravachanena labhyah

na medhayaa na bhahunaa srutena

yamaivesha vrinute thena labhyah

yasyaisha aatma vivrinute  thanumswam'  (Mundaka Upanishad, Book 3, Chapter 2, Sloka 3)

'This Aatman is not obtained by scholarship of scriptures, by plenty of listening to scriptures or by intellectual prowess . This Aatman is obtained by the one (who strives for it) to whom the Aatman choses to reveal itself'

As intense as the desire for self-realization may be within the heart of a seeker, it is only when even that desire itself becomes totally self-less would the Aatman reveal itself to that person. At that point, the only thing that can be said about self-realization is that it happened because of divine grace and the grace of the Guru, not because of any ardent scholarship or listening to spiritual matters.

How would such a person who has realized the self be?

'vedanta vignaana sunischitaarthaa

sannyaasa yogaath yathaya sudha satvah' (Mundaka Upanishad, Book 3, Chapter 2, Sloka 6)

'paryapta kaamasya kritaatmanastu

ihaiva sarve pravileeyanti kamah (Mundaka Upanishad, Book 3, Chapter 2, Sloka 2)

'with a perfect understanding of the vedantic  knowledge, a soul that has become pure through the practice of total renunciation and a heart that has no discontent from unfulfilled desires, the desires of such a person dissolve here itself (and do not cause rebirth)'

The knowledge of the person who has achieved self-realization is not merely scriptural but embedded with total clarity and without an iota of contradiction within his soul. And, this knowledge is not intellectual but lived every second of life. And, for such a person there will be no trace of unfulfilled desires at the time of death as the unfulfilled desires are said to be the cause of rebirth.

'Thad eva satyam' . "That alone is the Truth" (Mundaka Upanishad)