Why Did God Create the World? Part 6

Why Did God Create the World?

Part 6

God being infinite has infinite potential (Maya). This power is not different from Him. He became aware of it. He thereafter spontaneously and naturally manifested the same as this world. He sported in it. Till then all was fine. He later identified with a finite part of His creation, thought Himself different from the rest and got infatuated by his creation. Thus from the Creator He became a creature, the individual. When we loose sight of the Infinite Self, identify with the finite and consider the world different from us, we suffer. Thus suffering is of our own making. For God or for one who knows the pure Self, creation is a sport, a manifestation of the Infinite creative Power.

The question arises, “What then is the purpose of the world for the individual, the Jeeva?” Is the creation meant for his recreation also or is there some more meaning to it? Also why does the world become a problem to him?

God’s creation is vast, beautiful, joy giving and works according to His laws (natural laws). In His creation we create our own little world of likes and dislikes, tensions, worries, competition, jealousies, pollution, noise, concrete jungles, traffic jams, wars etc. Clearly it is the latter alone that is problematic. If we stopped projecting our own egocentric world, caused due to identification, we too would find life to be a sport (lila).

“I” the individual finite being is the center of my world. We must discover our own purpose of life on earth and try and fulfill it. It was said, ‘Find a purpose, the means would follow.’ If man seeks more and more of the same, he remains in the rat race of life. Even if he wins the race, he still remains a rat! When he starts seeking a higher and higher purpose, there is greater fulfillment and joy. Gradually he realizes that the purpose of life and the world is to realize the Truth of the world and not just pleasure seeking (jivasya tattvajijnasa nartho yaseeha karmabhih.)

Let us discuss the topic of God as the Creator and His purpose behind creation in another way. For every effect (karya), there must be a cause (Karana), a creator (Karta). The creator must have the knowledge and strength to create. A pot-maker must have the knowledge of how to make the pot (ghatajna), and the strength to do so (Ghatasaktiman). Similarly the world too must have a creator (Sarva-Karta), who is Omniscient (Sarvajna) and omnipotent (Sarva shaktiman).

Om Namah Shivay

How to Raise Children-1

How to Raise Children-1

Practice, don't preach. If you are truth, they'll follow you.

Many parents write to me asking how best to raise their children so they are better prepared in life to handle the challenges of our world. Recently, aparent wrote:

My question is how can we, as parents, teach spirituality to our children without confusing them? I would like to give them this tool of self awareness without it being too overpowering...We feel this world is too confusing for us, children need stronger foundation for their journey ahead...

It is every parent's concern that their children grow into strong and independent youths. Perfectly understandable. Many parents also want their children to be religious and spiritual. That's fine too. But, often parents think that teaching rituals or preaching religion will somehow give their children strength and conviction. That is rarely the case. I'm not against religion for it's an integral part of any culture and relaying religious values is a way of passing on the tradition. But, there's more to life.

The great Persian poet, Sadi, once shared a meaningful incident from his life. Quoting literatim; he wrote:

I used to be a pious child, fervent in prayer and devotion. One night I was keeping vigil with my father, the Holy Koran on my lap. The others in the room began to slumber and soon everyone was fast asleep, so I said to my father, “None of these sleepers opens his eyes or raises his head to say his prayers. You would think they were dead.”

My father replied, “My beloved son, I would rather you too were sleeping like them than slandering.”

The essence couldn't be summed up any better. Far more important than have them cram religious texts or stories, is to help them practice the three most important human values. As follows:

1. Compassion
Just being compassionate towards our loved ones is only one tiny aspect of compassion. True compassion means having a sense of sympathy for all sentient beings, it means to have a feeling of empathy towards everyone around us.

Think of compassion as a response. When we come across those who are less fortunate than us, or those who have harmed us, we have an option to choose how we want to respond. Compassion is one of those choices.

2. Karma
By karma, I don't mean that we need to teach them good karma or bad karma as such. Most children have a better and clearer sense of karma than their parents because parents often twist the truth to suit their convenience whereas children haven't yet learned such trickery. By karma, in the present context, I am narrowly referring to helping them see that their future depends on their present choices.

If we could help them see that they are responsible for the choices they make in their lives, most children will grow into stronger and more responsible citizens of the world. Many youths and adults, even those who had a decent childhood, take refuge in self-pity and self-denial. Karma means we own up to our choices.

3. Truthfulness
Truthfulness of the conduct, words and actions is the greatest virtue one can practice. It is not easy but it's highly enriching. The greatest reward of truthfulness is peace and inner strength. By truth, I don't mean that you are not entitled to have a private life or that you must state absolutely everything that's on your mind, or that you need to be brutal in your speech. No, it means to be free of falsity as much as possible.

Om Namah Shivay

Power of Brahmacharya | When Swami Vivekananda Memorized 10 Volumes of an Encyclopaedia (Part 2)

Power of Brahmacharya | When Swami Vivekananda Memorized 10 Volumes of an Encyclopaedia (Part 2)

In this post are presented 2 beautiful stories from the life of Swami Vivekananda, which capture his tremendous power of memory attained through the practice of brahmacharya.

Story #1 – Swami Vivekananda Memorizes Several Volumes of an Encyclopedia

The following conversation with Swami Vivekananda (Swamiji) was recorded by his disciple Sharat Chandra Chakravarty in the year 1898.

In it Swamiji highlights the extraordinary fact that on account of his practicing strict Brahmacharya (sexual abstinence in thoughts, words and deeds) his entire life, he developed such tremendous powers of mind, that he could effortlessly commit to memory 10 volumes of the Encyclopaedia Britannica in one single reading alone.

At the time this conversation took place Swami Vivekananda was 35 years old.

A few days ago, a new set of the Encyclopaedia Britannica had been bought for the Math (Belur monastery). Seeing the new shining volumes, the disciple said to Swamiji, “It is almost impossible to read all these books in a single lifetime.” He was unaware that Swamiji had already finished ten volumes and had begun the eleventh.

Swamiji: “What do you say? Ask me anything you like from these ten volumes, and I will answer you all.”

The disciple asked in wonder, “Have you read all these books?”

Swamiji: “Why should I ask you to question me otherwise?”

Being examined, Swamiji not only reproduced the sense, but at places the very language of the difficult topics selected from each volume. The disciple, astonished, put aside the books, saying, “This is not within human power!”

Swamiji: “Do you see, simply by the observance of strict Brahmacharya (vow of celibacy in thought, word and deed) all learning can be mastered in a very short time — one has an unfailing memory of what one hears or knows but once. It is owing to this want of continence that everything is on the brink of ruin in our country.”

Story #2 – Swami Vivekananda’s Unique Manner of Reading Books

The following account has been taken from the book The Life of Swami Vivekananda, Volume 1 (Chapter: Wanderings in the Himalayas). Prior to his journey to America, Swami Vivekananda travelled across the length and breadth of India as a wandering monk. At the time of this story, Swamiji was staying in Meerut with some other direct disciples of Sri Ramakrishna, one of whom was Swami Akhandananda.

At the Swami’s (Swami Vivekananda’s) bidding Akhandananda used to bring books for him from the local library. Once the Swami asked him to bring the works of Sir John Lubbock. Accordingly Akhandananda brought them, one volume each day.

The Swami would finish a volume in a day and return it the next day, saying that he had read it. The librarian argued with Akhandananda that the Swami had surely returned the volume without reading it, and remarked that the latter was only making a show of reading.

Hearing this, the Swami himself went to the librarian and said, “Sir, I have mastered all those volumes: if you have any doubt, you may put any question to me about them.” The librarian then examined the monk, and by doing so became fully satisfied. Great was his astonishment.

Later Akhandananda asked Swamiji how he could do it. The swami replied, “I never read a book word by word. I read sentence by sentence, sometimes even paragraph by paragraph, in a sort of kaleidoscopic form.”

Om Namah Shivay

Inner Peace

Inner Peace

A monkey, which leaves the tree and swims in a lake, is inferior to fish. A racehorse kept in a beautiful and posh apartment, is inferior to a rat. A good swordsman given a plough to cultivate a piece of land is inferior to a peasant. In the same way people feel inferior, if they are not awakened to a higher self.

‘I am uncomfortable talking to people, I can’t mix with people, I feel diffident in getting jobs done from others, I am an introvert. How can you help me?’ a lady asked a Guru.

The art of living is about balancing. We have to balance our work, home, and mind. We should balance being outer winners and inner winners.

Reflect on this.

A woodcutter was toiling to earn two meals a day. He met a monk. The monk advised him, ‘Drop being at the edge of the forest and go into the forest. Your daily hours of work will fetch you one month’s food.’

The woodcutter followed the advice. Deep within the forest, he found sandalwood trees. He was very happy. He expressed his gratitude to the monk for having guided him.

The monk advised again, ‘Take the risk of going still deeper into the forest. A day’s work will fetch you food for six months. Fortunately, this also turned out to be true; for he found a silver mine. He thanked the monk again, profusely.

The monk further advised, ‘If you trust me and go further deeper into the forest, a day’s work will make you earn enough to fetch you food for a life time.’ This also turned out to be true; for he found a gold mine.

The woodcutter wondered, ‘why then does the monk still stay at the edge of the forest and not venture into the forest, as he has been advising me?’

He expressed his doubts to the monk. The monk replied, ‘If you want to be eternally happy, sit under this tree and I will teach you to go within. Then you will be eternally happy.’

To be outer winner, one has to explore the outside world. To be an inner winner, one has to go within oneself. The kingdom of heaven is within us.

One should balance being an outer and inner winner. Only then would one feel happy.

Understand shyness is another form of ego. Don’t support it. Just as you reject poisonous food, reject the ego games of your mind. Then you will see the truth of what is and not illusions

Reflect on this.

A woodpecker was pecking an oak tree. A lightening struck the tree and felled it. The woodpecker flew away and boasted, ‘I never know I was so strong; I could make a tree fall.

Drop your ego. You will find people as God’s messengers conveying divine messages to you; teaching you through their mistakes and successes.

Most of us are like an oak tree in a flower pot. The flower pot is like the ego and our being is like the oak tree. Do not limit yourself to the ego. Drop your lower self and let your higher self guide you. This is the meaning of yoga; being yoked to higher self.

Om Namah Shivay

Vettakkorumakan & Urppazhassi Theyym (VIDEO)

4th Post - Divine incidents happened during #Shiva journey to #Amarnath Cave. (More Posts to Follow)

4th Post - Divine incidents happened during #Shiva journey to #AmarnathCave. (More Posts to Follow)

Sheshnag : After Pissu Top, the next destination is Sheshnag. Bhagwan Shiva had dropped the snake from his neck here. There is a lake of blue water here, which proves that this is the place of Sheshnag. It is 12 kms from Chandanbadi.

Kalakootam is the name of a poison created from the sea when Devas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) churned it (Samudra manthan) in order to obtain Amrita, the nectar of immortality.

Kalakootam is the name of a poison created from the sea when Devas (Gods) and Asuras (Demons) churned it (Samudra manthan) in order to obtain Amrita, the nectar of immortality.

Fourteen different ratnas (gems) were recovered in this exercise, mostly retained by the Gods after the Demons tried to cheat them. But before Amrita could be recovered, Kalakootam/Halāhala ("the most vicious and venomous poison of universe") was produced, which started killing both sides. As no one could bear the poisonous fumes emitted by the poison, both Devas and Asuras began to collapse due to asphyxiation. They ran for help to Brahma, who looked to Vishnu for advice. Vishnu said that only Shiva could digest the deadly poison. So both parties went to Kailasha and prayed to Lord Shiva for help. Shiva chose to consume the poison and thus drank it. His wife Parvati, alarmed, stopped it in his throat with her hands, thus earning him the name Viṣakaṇṭha (the one who held poison in his throat). He was later saved by the mahavidya (tara) who is also a form of parvati. The poison made his throat turn blue; hence, he is also known as Nīlakaṇṭha (the one with a blue throat).

courtesy: Wikipedia