March 8, 2009

Q: Vivek Agarwal, Study Group: What is the significance of number 18 in Hindu tradition?

Swami Shantanandaji: Bhagavad Gita has 18 chapters. Mahabharata War also lasted 18 days. Number 18 stands for victory as per numerology. How does 18 come about? There are five elements or panca bhoothas – Akash, Vayu, Agni, Apa, Prithvi (space, air, fire, water, earth); five organs of perception or jnana indriyas (eyes, ears, nose, tongue, skin); five organs of action or karma indriyas (hands, legs, organs of speech, genitals, organs of evacuation). These fifteen plus, mind, intellect and ego come to 18. Unless we transcend these 18 (tattvas) we cannot attain liberation (mukti). The truth is beyond these 18. In Sabarimala temple dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, you have to climb 18 steps to have the Darshan of God.

Q: Subramanian: Study Group: Self Unfoldment

Given the demands of modern life, we all have very little time available for prayers or spirituality. How best can we spend few minutes of the day being aligned with God?

Swami Shantanandaji: In Srimad Bhagavatam, there is the story of Vamana Avataram. Bhagawan appeared before Mahabali as Vamana, a diminutive persona, and requested three steps of land, measured by his own feet. There is a lot of significance to this story. The general understanding is that Bhagawan increased his size, occupied this whole world with first step, the other world with the second step. Since there was no place for the third step, he put it on Mahabali’s head and pushed him below, into Patala. Nowadays, people say that Bhagvan was very unfair to Mahabali. However, here is the significance of the story. We are all living in the modern world. We have no time – as they say, “Marne ko be phursat nahi - we have no time even to die!”. Everyday, Vamana comes to everyone’s doorstep, asking for just three minutes of our time. He says, “Give me just three minutes. I will then become Virata Purusha and influence your whole life. Gain entire life for only three minutes.” Just spend three minutes every day sincerely in the Pooja Room. You don’t have to spend hours chanting all mantras and slokas. Just three minutes of sincere prayer, whether you know mantras or not. If you know Gayatri Mantra or Triyambhakam, chant that. (If you don’t know, ask your child in Bala Vihar, they will teach you!). You will receive peace and strength for the entire day.

Whatever time you spend in the Study Group or Satsang, is what is going to come with you when you depart, not your money, bank balance, wife, or children. What comes with you is the Punya that you have gained – how much time you spent thinking about the Lord. The merit that you have gained in Satsang is what is going to come with you.

In these Study Groups, we start thinking about what’s life, what’s the purpose of life, what’s our goal, how do we get the best of our lives, how to be happy in spite of problems. Everyone is interested in freedom and happiness. What’s the knack with which we can keep the happiness going? Experiences come from different quarters unasked – wife, husband, children, office. Experience by itself doesn’t give happiness or sorrow - it is the interpretation of the experience that gives us sorrow or happiness. Interpretation is the key and it is in our hands. How to handle such experiences is what we learn in our Study Groups. Don’t say you don’t have time, you have to find time for prayer, just three minutes, just as you have time for parties or watching TV.

Q: Gopal Babu, Study Group: Self-Unfoldment

In Sadhana Chatushtayam, Why are 9 qualifications required for attaining Moksha? How do I know that I have these skills and how do I develop them?

Swami Shantanandaji: The Shamadi Shatak Sampatti (Shama etc. six assets) are the six attributes, called sampatti, assets, to be cultivated just like wealth – they have to be acquired with our efforts. The other three, Viveka, Vairagya and Moksha are a result of our enquiry, Vivechanam.

Viveka is discrimination, the ability to know the lasting from the temporary, truth from untruth. Out of enquiry we develop Viveka, out of Viveka comes Vairagya. Unless you understand what is bondage, you won’t yearn for liberation, Moksha.

Shamadi Shatak Sampatti are Shama, Dama, Uparati, Titiksha, Shradhdha and Samadhan.
Control of mind and the senses (shama and dama).
Strict observance of one’s duty (uparati).
Forbearance (titiksha).
Faith (shraddha).
Balance of Mind (samadhana).

These qualities you have to develop. How? With Nirantar Abhyas, constant observation. Swandhyaya, self study. It is advised, Vedo Nityam Adhiyatayam, read scriptures everyday. There is no shortcut.

We all have a little bit of fire in us. That fire has to be kindled into a conflagration. Everyone has Viveka – the ability to discriminate between sat (truth) and asat (untruth). Vairagya is a result of our Viveka. We all have these qualities but they are not fully developed. We only use them for day to day mundane things. To buy say a TV, we do lot of market research, that is viveka. We discard obsolete model of TV we own with little sense of loss, that is vairagya. To develop these qualities for use in higher purpose, we need to read our scriptures on a daily basis.

Q: Gopal Babu, Study Group: Self-Unfoldment

What is the significance of chanting Geeta Chapter 15 slokas before taking food?

Swami Shantanandaji: Teachings of Bhagavad Gita are concluded in Chapter 15. Subsequent chapters, 16th, 17th and 18th are all appendices. In this chapter, Bhagawan says:

gam avisya ca bhutanidharayamy aham ojasapusnami causadhih sarvahsomo bhutva rasatmakah //13//

aham vaisvanaro bhutvapraninam deham asritahpranapana-samayuktahpacamy annam catur-vidham //14//

“As Sun, I myself fertilize the land and bring up vegetables for nourishing mankind. As moonlight, I give food value to the vegetable kingdom. The vegetables come to the kitchen for cooking - fire, water, spices which are used for cooking are all me. All these are found in nature. When food comes to the kitchen, the understanding is that “Lord, you have come to serve me and therefore I offer my thanks.” That’s the reason for prayer before taking food.

February 8, 2009

Q: Prasad Bapatla, Study Group: Raji Edamadaka, Self Unfoldment Class:
Last year hundreds of people died in a stampede at a temple in north India. How do we explain this? Why is God punishing people who came to have his darshan. Similarly, why did innocent people get killed in Bombay attack?

Swami Shantanandaji: Now, it is not God that is not punishing them, please! People stampede and get killed in a temple because of their indiscipline. When it comes to religion, the discipline is somehow forgotten. You see, in other religions like Islam and Christianity, when people go to their mosques and churches, there will be pin drop silence. Thousands of people offering prayers and they will be very quiet, silent and totally disciplined. When it comes to temples and our festivals, we are the most undisciplined people. We cannot attribute this tragedy to Bhagawaan. It is the consequence of our own behavior. Bhagawaan sitting inside us may be warning us not to behave in such way, He may be telling, “Don’t go, Don’t stampede, Don’t rush!”. .. But we do not listen. In that case, even Bhagawaan is helpless.

Innocent people getting killed in Mumbai – Terrorism is not new in India, it was there in Ravana’s time too. Kansa too used to destroy many innocent people. Because of their cry, Bhagawaan himself came and punished the evil doers. When innocent people die, it is a sacrifice. Karma will never go unpunished. Those killers will also suffer. In the hands of nature, it will never go unpunished.

So why is it happening?. Every thing in this world happens because of thoughts. Whenever people think in a particular direction, things will happen that way. If everybody thinks of peace, peace will reign. And let us say, a large number of concentrated people think of this terrorism, then terrorism will happen. There will be victims. But then unless the thought is corrected, and people think properly, these things can not be avoided.

Q: Subramanian: Self unfoldment class, Harish Bhatt:
In a previous lecture, you mentioned that Sati Devi went to Daksha’s yagna without Lord Shiva. What can we learn from this episode, when we have to make choices in life?

Swami Shantanandaji: Now Bhagawaan gave upadesha, advice to her. But then you can only give advice. You can not insist that the advice you give should be followed. Bhagawaan understood that Sati Devi will die either way, whether she goes or not. Sometimes in your own family, you can only advise children - ”Beta, If I were you, I would not have done this.” And leave them alone. If you go after them and insist they follow you, things may become worse. I think that this is the message that Bhagawaan is giving us.

Q: Balasubramanian, Tatvabodha class: Our culture is result oriented. That is, Results = Success = Wealth = Power.
Results are important at work, at home, at school. How do you balance this results oriented life with our scriptures which teaches to focus on actions, not results?

Swami Shantanandaji: Actually, This advice is also result oriented. If you look at what is said in the scriptures, your focus should be only on action and not on the result. Every result of an action is determined by the quality of performance of your actions. If the quality of performance of your actions is high, definitely you will get high quality results. But, if the quality of performance is mediocre, you can not expect high class results.

Now, in order to perform in the best way, behind every piece of action, your mind presence should be 100%. In order to bring utmost energy behind the piece of action, it is necessary is to check the dissipation of energy.

How do we dissipate our energy? When we focus our attention on the result before performing the action, our enthusiasm and our energies get diverted. To check this diversion or the dissipation of energy, scriptures advise: focus on the action; perform the action well and the result will take care of itself.
That is why our culture was not a poor culture. It produced a wealthy civilization. Our country was very rich. That is why it attracted foreigners, foreign invasions. No body will go and invade a poor country. How many people have invaded us? Looted, plundered and taken our wealth. All other countries became rich because of our country. Now, even then, in spite of all that, we are doing very well. Please understand that our philosophy is not against wealth or Power. It is telling you how to become prosperous.

Q: Raju and Rajan Narayanswami: Can you please explain the concept of Loka in Hinduism. When one gets freedom from rebirth on earth, is he reborn into Devaloka?

Swami Shantanandaji: There are fourteen lokas according to our scriptures. Bhuh, Bhavah, Swah, Mahah, Janah. Tapah, and Satyam; Seven lokas. Seven up and seven down. The seven worlds down below are Atala, Vitala, Sutala, Rasatala, Talatala, Mahatala, and Patala. It will come in Bhagawatam later and I will then explain. Who are the residents of each loka? In Devaloka, Devas, the gods are the residents. And kinnaras, gandharvas, yakshas have a particular place too to live, and Sapta Rishis, Jeevanmukta purushas have a place to live too. Likewise there are residences for all living. Just now we saw Dhruva Loka, that is polar star, there is a particular type of residence there. And DevaLoka is considered beyond Surya, the Sun. The earth is in space in between sun, And beyond sun, is called Deva Loka. When a person dies, if he has done lot of charities, lot of punyakarma, service to the humanities, he will go to heaven. The soul will reach heaven and in heaven he will be given a celestial body, and with that celestial body he will enjoy. The soul is the one that will be taken to Deva loka or Naraka.