Pearls of wisdom for prayer, worship and meditation.



Of what use are prayer and worship, if the heart is not pure, and the mind not clean?



Without mental peace, there can be no happiness.



Darkness disappears, when light enters. Similarly, ignorance disappears, when one is enlightened.



When there is the Enlightenment, there, ignorance cannot exist.



One, who is a slave of the senses, is a fallen man. Because, he is wandering into gutters and ditches for impermanent sensuous pleasures.



One who uses senses with care, intelligence, discrimination and devotion is an ordinary man.



But, one who has conquered the senses is a divine and noble man.



Our biggest problem in the spirituality is this: having God within us, we search for God everywhere.




It is like sitting in a temple of Lord Krishna and asking everyone " where is Lord Krishna’s temple? ' people will give all sorts of directions. But, in actuality, you are right there, in the temple of lord Krishna.



Similarly, God is within us. But, we are asking everyone: ' Where is God? '



We get different answers from different people. Some will say, God is in this temple, or, in that temple. Others will say, to see God, you have to visit this holy place, or, that holy place.



But, all the while," God is within us ". In other words, we are always looking for God" somewhere else".



‘God or self ' is our true nature. Self-realization is our goal. Hence our tendency is to reach the ' self' ', to realize the ' self ‘. In other words, we are trying to ' gain the self ', by going somewhere else and ' acquiring ' it.



If you gain something, you can easily lose it. That which can be gained, can also be lost. Whereas, ' self ' is not something that can be gained or lost.



‘Self ‘is us. It is our true nature. This self is hidden from us, because, we are deluded. Hence, we identify with our false nature. When I am dreaming, whatever is happening in my dream, it is true. Nobody can convince a dreamer, that his dream experience is false. It is only when he wakes up, he realizes that it was only a dream and it was false.



Similarly, when I am deluded and consequently identifying with my false nature (dreaming), it is not easy for the sages to convince me that, it is my false nature.



In my ignorance, I am identifying with the body mind and intellect as me. From now on, whenever I say BMI, it means body mind and intellect. In actuality, I am not this BMI, but, I am the Illuminator of thisBMI.



Let us take an example of a room and electricity. The room is illumined by electricity. If I shut electricity off, the room becomes dark. That means the room and electricity are two different things. Electricity is the illuminator and the room is illumined. The illuminator and the illumined are different.



Similarly,' I ' the illuminator and This BMI, the illumined are different. Hence, lord Krishna says in Gita, the song Celestial, that Arjuna in his true nature, is not that BMI, but, the illuminator of that BMI.



In other words,' self ' is our true nature. Identification with our BMI is our false nature. When, we identify with our BMI, we are egocentric. If I am egocentric, I develop the feeling that I am bigger than thou,holier than thou, richer than thou etc.



Identification with my BMI--- is EGO. All the sufferings come to this BMI. That means, the sufferer is the EGO. If identification with my BMI is EGO, and if the ego is the sufferer, to the extent I detach myself from the BMI, to that extent my EGO is dead, and if the EGO is dead, where is the question of suffering for the fruits of my actions?



By deduction, all of our suffering is because of our EGO .EGO is our false nature. In our true nature, we are EGOLESS.



' God ' is totally EGOLESS. Hence, an enlightened person is totally EGOLESS.



Why do we pray to God? Why do we worship God? Does God care whether we worship him or not?



As we go deeper and deeper into spirituality, we realize that God cares less whether we worship him or not. Because, he is totally egoless. If somebody praises me, I like that person. Because, I have ego. If I am totally devoid of ego, I care less whether somebody praises me or,curses me.



Similarly, God Cares less whether we worship him are not. God is totally ego less.



Then, why do we pray? Why do we worship God?



' Prayer and worship ' are not for ' GOD ‘. They are for us. Prayer and worship will make our mind calm, serene and equipoised...



After all,' mind is man ' and ' man is mind ‘. As is mind, so is the man. If the mind is disturbed, man is disturbed. If the mind is calm, man is calm. If man wants to calm the mind, he needs prayer, worship and meditation. Hence, prayer, worship and meditation are for us, not for God.

These are the tools to make our mind calm, serene, equanimous and equipoised.



A calm mind is meditative mind. If we are mentally agitated, we cannot meditate. If we are unmeditative, we cannot have peace. If we are not peaceful, how can we be happy? (Says, Lord Krishna).



Hence, through prayer and worship, we can develop mental equanimity. If we have quiet mind, then, we can meditate. In a nutshell, if we truly meditate, in our deepest meditation, we will become aware of our true nature.



Mind you, we did not gain our true nature. It was there already. Our ignorance has disappeared, knowledge has dawned. Hence we became aware of our true nature.



Our true nature , ' self ' will shine forth in all its glory, if we unlearn our false tendencies, egocentricity etc. so, let us arise, awake and make an effort to unlearn our false tendencies, so that our true nature will shine forth. That is Godhood or self-awareness.



I will conclude this article by quoting swamy Chinmayananda's memorable statement which is as follows: man awakened to the glory of self is GOD. GOD forgetful of his own glory became a deluded man. We are in effect deluded men at this stage of our spiritual evolution.



Dr. Eswara Dutt.

Which Path to follow for SELF –REALISATION ?

When Lord Krishna SAYS THAT YOU CAN REACH ME THROUGH karma yoga,bhakti yoga,and gnana yoga,you have probably many questions as to which path to follow.should I follow the path of karma yoga, or should I follow the path of bhakti yoga,or should I follow the path of gnana yoga. Which path is the best?is there one path superior to the otherpath?these are daunting questions which all of us have to answer to our selves. In otherwords, we need to do some introspection , through shravanam, mananam, and nidhi dhyasana.that means , we need to do self enquiry within our selves. We need to reflect and contemplate on these three paths.. supposing we want to go to the capital of the united states ,Washington d. c. ,which is the nerve center of the entire country, is there only one path to reach the place? There are many paths to reach Washington d. c.we can reach from north, south, east,or west. Similarly, to reach the goal of eternal self,we have many paths. Next question is, is there one path superior to the otherpath? We want to follow the best path? In our discriminating power, we always want to follow the best path.. that is our nature. But lord Krishna says in bhagvag gita, that no path is superior , or inferior to the other path.all paths are equal in reaching the supreme self. Then we may say that we want to follow all the paths. That is not a bad idea. But the problem is that we all have different vasanas. We need to exhaust these vasanas.very few of us are satwic, .some of us are rajasic,and some of us are tamasic, and most of us are a combination of all the three. If I am a sudra not because of my birth,but because of my gunas, karma yoga is the best for me. If I am a Brahmana ,not because of my birth,but because of my gunas., then gnana yoga is best for me. Bhakti yoga is some thing we all have to follow. Remember always, all the paths are equal. None is superior, none is inferior. An ideal spiritual seeker follows all three in different gradations. For example,a person wakes up in the morning, takes a shower and practices bhakti yoga for half an hour. Then he goes to work wherein he practices karma yoga. When he comes home, after dinner, he reads a scripture like bhagvad gita and that is practise of gnana yoga . . if one practices these paths either single ore a combinationof all the three in different gradations, even in small measure , one can make significant progress on the road to liberation. To be spiritual, you do not have to go to Himalayan caves, or jungles,or to dip in cold waters of ganges.these paths can be followed right here. .you reflect a little, contemplate a little and meditate a little , do some devotional practices and surrender your self to god with stead fast mind and single pointed devotion. . Daily sustained effort on the spiritual path is far more important than performing great rituals,or austerities.you will encounter problems , face them courageously, without taking backward step. Take an example of a tree .the moment it sends its roots ,in to the earth, and draws its richness from it, it begins to flourish. Similarly , the moment you seek your roots in god , through any path, your personality flourishes. And you bring the best you have to all your relationships with others. And ultimately, you become aware of your true nature as that immutable ,omniscient, all-pervading pure consciousness. .

K. Eswara Dutt.

Vasanas and the theory of Karma as enunciated in Bhagavad Gita

In Hindu religion we believe in Reincarnation. We need to ponder as to why we have birth-death and rebirth cycles. The reason for our birth-death and rebirth cycles is our 'VASANAS'. We need to understand the theory of 'KARMA' and the true meaning of Vasanas.


What are 'Vasanas'? In our lives, every desire we entertain will leave an impression on the shores of our mind. These impressions are called 'Vasanas'. In other words, any constant thought of a particular desire will leave an 'etching' on our mind. These are called tendencies, temptations, also called ' Vasanas '. These 'Vasanas' cause agitation in our minds. These Vasanas need to be exhausted, in other words, we need to fulfill those desires. Fulfillment of all desires is not possible, because, if one desire is fulfilled, ten desires will arise and if ten desires are fulfilled, hundred desires will arise and the vicious circle will continue. That means, we need to give importance to curtailing desires. Because, the more desires we entertain, the more Vasanas we create.


What is the cause for our desires? Why do we develop desires? Bhagavad Geeta has some succinct answer to this question. Spiritually speaking, we are innately 'full'. But, in our spiritual ignorance, we think we are not full. When I am not full, instinctively I want to fill it. This leads to desires at my intellectual level and incessant thoughts at my mental level. Thus, constant thinking of desires leads to footprints on the shores of my mind. If I cannot fulfill those desires, these 'Vasanas' keep on accumulating in my mind.


These Vasanas could be Sattwic, Rajasic or tamasic depending upon the texture of thought. All Vasanas have bondage, but, Sattwic Vasanas have least amount of bondage. I will discuss aboutSattwic, Rajasic and Tamasic gunas in a separate article later.


We need to understand the theory of ' Karma' here. Supposing a person has committed a crime in one city and moved to another city and changed his name, still a good detective will catch him. Because, he has left footprints in the previous place. Similarly, the 'Vasanas' that I have accumulated in my previous life if I did not exhaust them, will follow me to this life. In other words, the Vasanas that I have accumulated in my previous life will follow me to this life through my ' causal body'. In effect, I need to exhaust those 'Vasanas'. Past sins are responsible for my present sorrows. Present sins of mine will be responsible for my future sorrows.Sorrows ar nothing but state of agitation of the mind. The deeper meaning of sorrows is nothing but Vasanas. My past Vasanas are causing present mental agitations. If I accumulate more Vasanas in the present life, they will be carried forward in my causal body to my future life, causing further mental agitation.


For example, Arjuna, being a Kshatriya, has accumulated a lot of Rajasic Vasanas. He needed to exhaust his Vasanas. He had a beautiful field in the form of Kurukshetra battle-field to exhaust his Vasanas. But, Arjuna refuses to fight the battle and says to Lord Krishna that he does not want to fight the battle and he would rather go to jungle and spend the remaining time in meditation. But, Arjuna cannot meditate, because; he does not have an equanimous mind. That is because; his mind is filled with Rajasic Vasanas. Arjuna first must exhaust his Vasanas. That is when Lord Krishna starts Krishna cure of this Arjuna disease. Lord Krishna ultimately convinces Arjuna to fight the battle without anxiety for the fruit. If Arjuna can fight the battle without anxiety 'for the fruit', then he will not only exhaust his present Vasanas, he will not create any more new Vasanas. Vasana purgation is a pre requisite for deep meditation. Arjuna follows Lord Krishna's advice and fights the battle without anxiety 'for the fruit' and thereby exhausts his Vasanas. His mind becomes pure and equanimous. Then, he meditated and in his deepest meditation, he became aware of his true nature and got liberated and attained Moksha.


If we follow the advice that Lord Krishna gave to Arjuna, then we need to exhaust our Vasanas. To exhaust our own Vasanas,god has given us our own Kurukshetra battle field in this life. We need to follow our own Swadharma and try to purge our Vasanas. That means, we need to follow sattwic qualities of purity, nobility, self-control, compassion, charity, selfless love, and devotion, steadfastness, fortitude, truthfulness etc. Then, we must control our desires and gradually get rid of our desires. As our desires are reduced, our thoughts for those desires will be reduced and gradually our Vasanas will be eliminated. Desirelessness alone can lead to Vasanalessness. Elimination of Vasanas alone can lead to purification of the mind. Purification of mind leads to quietude. With that equanimous and steadfast mind, you can contemplate and meditate. And, in our deepest meditation, we too can become aware of our true nature as that immutable, omniscient and all pervading Brahman Which we are . As Swamy Chinmayananda says:'Man awakened to the glory of the self is 'God' '

Hence, let us arise, awake, and make an effort to gradually exhaust our Vasanas and purify our mind in preparation for meditation. I know it is difficult. We may not be able to succeed in this life. But, at least, we must start the process in this life to get head start in the next life.

Eswara Dutt.

What I learned from Bhagavad Gita

Swamy Chinmayananda was a great communicator. He left a legacy of
great spiritual knowledge in his pragmatic interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita in
simple language. In this article I will try to express my understanding of what the
Bhagavad Gita has taught me.
Bhagavad Gita is like a mother. When I was in trouble as a child I used to
run to my mother to comfort me. Today I feel Bhagavad Gita is like my mother.
Whenever I need comfort and solace I go to Bhagavad Gita and read a translation of
a few stanzas here and there. Immediately all my troubles will become so small that
I forget about them. Such is the greatness of the Bhagavad Gita.
The main thing I have learned from the Bhagavad Gita is about self. What is
self? Where is self? How can I become aware of the self? These are very important
questions that need to be answered.
Self has many synonyms. Self is also known as pure consciousness, bliss absolute,
beauty absolute, knowledge infinite, and vision absolute. When you become aware
of the self while you are still in this embodiment, you are called JEEVANMUKTA
(LIBERATED WHILE YOU ARE STILL ALIVE). If self awareness comes
to you after you leave this embodiment, then that state is called MOKSHA, or
LIBERATION, or NIRVANA.
Self is there in every one of us. Without self we cannot exist. It is self that
gives us the dynamism and vitality. Self illumines every part of our body, mind,
and intellect. Self is there in every cell of our body, in every molecule, in every
proton, neutron, and electron. In other words self is all pervading.
Now we understood what is self and where is self? Next, let us try to
understand how to become aware of self. Now you may ask why we should
become aware of Self? Because that is our true nature. Without self we cannot
exist. We are born in the self, we exist in the self and when we are decayed and
destroyed we merge in the self. That self is our true nature. In other words, we are
the self. But unfortunately, because of our delusion, dream state, camouflaging,
veiling, and maya disease we are unable to become aware of our true nature as that
immutable self. That means we need to get rid of these states which are veiling us
from the self.
How do we get rid of delusion, dream state, camouflaging, veiling and maya
disease? The Bhagavad Gita has answers to these questions. To get rid of these
states and to become aware of our true nature as an all pervading, imperishable self
we need to follow the below mentioned rules.
First we need to live a satwic life of purity, self control, nobility, compassion,
charity, selfless love, total devotion to god, steadfastness, non violence,
truthfulness, fearlessness, non-covetousness, humility, forgiveness, and egolessness.
Second, we must control our mind so that it may not wander into gutters
and ditches for sense gratification. Then only we can have mental equanimity or
stillness of the mind.
Third, we must develop non attachment or detachment or renunciation
of power, pleasure, and wealth. Most of us do this temporarily at some
point out of dejection, despair, and frustration because we cannot succeed
in some particular endeavor. But that is not a true detachment. True
detachment must come in an intelligent, mature, and discriminative fashion.
Fourth, you must reflect, contemplate, and meditate with a steadfast mind and with
single pointed devotion. This is called EKABHAKTI. If you follow the above rules
which I consider to be GOD’s LAWS, then you develop desirelessness which will
lead to vasanalessness, and in your deepest meditation you will become aware of
your true nature as that immutable SELF.
When once you become aware of your true nature as that immutable,
omniscient, all pervading, self luminous, imperishable self, you are in heaven upon
the earth. You are KRISHNA of your life and times. You may not have wealth, but
you are contented. You may not have power, but you are all powerful. You are
unequaled in society because you look at every body equally. You see the same
self in every person, dancing and glowing. In other words, you develop oneness,
togetherness, and no otherness. When you have become aware of your true nature
as the infinite self, your maya disease, delusion, dream state, and camouflaging
have disappeared.
In this state you are not this body, mind, and intellect any more. You are that
immutable, omniscient, all pervasive, self luminous, imperishable self. You have
reached deathlessness, moksha, liberation, or nirvana. You were identifying with
the fear of death before because you were deluded and once delusion is gone, your
limitation is gone. Now you are limitless and immortal. As lord Krishna says in
chapter 2 stanza 27, “O Arjuna, never did I not exist, nor you, nor will any one of
us ever hereafter cease to be in existence”. In other words, you and I were there in
the beginningless, we are here now, and we will be there in the endless. We never
cease to exist. We are immortal and limitless.
So, let us arise, awake, and become aware of our true nature as that bliss
infinite, as that beauty absolute, as that vision infinite, as that knowledge absolute.
Let us arise from this jeevatma to paramatma, from false self (ego) to true self, from
limitation to limitlessness and Krishna consciousness.
K Eswara Dutt