Celebrating Diwali, The Hindu Festival Of Lights

Diwali is India’s biggest festival (Photo Credit: By Khokarahman [CC BY-SA 4.0 ], from Wikimedia Commons)

Every year, around October or November, Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains worldwide celebrate Diwali. Also referred to as Deepavali or the Festival of Lights, the five-day event, whose exact date is determined by the Hindu lunar calendar, dates back over 2,500 years. Hence, it should come as no surprise that Diwali, which will be commemorated from November 5 to November 9 this year, is India’s biggest and most significant holiday.

Buying jewelry is considered lucky on Dhanteras (Image Credit: Pixabay CCO creative commons)

The fun begins with Dhanteras, which is dedicated to Goddess Laxmi and Lord Kubera, the two deities of wealth. To celebrate the occasion, worshippers pray for the prosperity, success, and well-being of their loved ones. They also welcome the two gods into their homes and businesses by decorating entrances with colorful lanterns and traditional temporary designs, or rangolis, created using materials like colored rice, lentils, flowers, and powder. Since making a purchase on this day is considered auspicious, many people head to the neighborhood shopping areas to treat themselves to beautiful jewelry, clothing, or household goods.

Beautiful rangolis are a fun Diwali tradition (Photo Credit: Subharnab Majumdar [CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons)

The second day of the festival is known as Kali Chaudas, or Narak Chaturdashi. For some, it is a day to abolish laziness and drive away demons or evil spirits from homes with traditional rituals. Others think of it as “Choti (small) Diwali” and use it as an excuse to start the festival celebrations early with feasts and fireworks. Regardless of their beliefs, everyone looks forward to Diwali which is observed on the third day.

Colorful sweets feature prominently in the five-day festival (Photo Credit: By Kanwar Sandhu (CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Diwali celebrations begin early with a visit to a place of worship, such as a temple, to seek the blessings of the deities. After that, families and friends get together to exchange gifts and sweets. Those not satisfied with their shopping haul on the first day of the festival head to the malls to purchase additional items. As the sun sets, festival observers worldwide light up their homes with glittering diyas (small oil lamps) and share scrumptious, traditional food with their loved ones. For the residents of India, the real fun begins late in the evening when entire neighborhoods take to the streets to light up the skies with colorful fireworks. While the young revelers seek out sparklers, teens and adults prefer to light up bigger illuminations. The spectacular show continues until every last firecracker has exploded.

Diwali as seen from Chennai’s Adyar Bridge in November 2013 (Photo Credit: By Sriram Jagannathan [CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

The folklore behind the origin of this ancient festival differ depending on the state. Some believe that Diwali was first celebrated by the residents of Ayodhya to mark the return of their king Rama, his wife Sita, and his brother Lakhsmana, after a 14-year-long exile imposed by the king’s mother. Others believe it began following the taming of a goddess who, unable to control demons through conventional warfare, began a rampage that threatened to not only destroy the evil spirits, but also wipe out every living creature on Earth. It was only after her husband, Lord Shiva, intervened that she came to her senses and stopped. Though the tales may vary, they all celebrate the victory of good over evil!

Fireworks are the highlight of the five-day event. (Photo Credit: By Sunciti _ Sundaram’s (CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)

For the residents of the western states of India like Gujarat, Diwali marks the end of the calendar year. On Thursday, November 8, they will welcome the first day of the year 2075. The 57-year gap between the Hindu and more familiar Gregorian calendar is due to their use of shorter lunar cycles. In the Northern state of India, the day is widely celebrated as Govardhan Pooja in honor of Hindu god Lord Krishna. The fifth and final day of the festival, celebrated by all, has been set aside to honor the bond between brothers and sisters and is celebrated with more delicious food and prayers.

For children in India, Diwali is similar to Christmas. In addition to a week off from school, they are also treated to gifts, new clothes, fantastic food, and fireworks. It is no wonder that the festival ranks high among the country’s favorite celebrations.

Resources: About.com, BBCnews.com, huffingtonpost.com, in.lifestyle.yahoo.com

Devali with ancient Hindu Tribes of Cholistan

The festival of Devali is celebrated by Hindus with a religious fervor and enthusiasm. The history of the festival is associated with the ancient folklore. According to Hindu scripture during ‘Treta yug’ (initial period of tr world), Dasrath Ram the king of Audhiya exiled his son Shri Ram for fourteen years to jungle enticed by his youngest wife Rani Kekaai.

Rani Kekkai, opposing the title of Ram as crown prince insisted the king to exile him to wilderness because as his step mother she didn’t want him as next king of sultanate. His wife Sita and brother Laxman accompanied him

During a war Rani Kekaai had saved the king’s life and in return Dasrath Ram gave her a vachan (promise) that she could demand anything of him and he won’t refuse. The story goes on to show how Rani Kekkai, opposing the title of Shri Ram as crown prince insisted Dasrath Ram exile him because has is step mother she didn’t want him as next king of sultanate.

When Shri Ram who is the avatar of Vishnu Bhugwan was sent to jungle for fourteen years exile his wife Sita and brother Laxman accompanied him. In the period of exile Sita was kidnapped by a Rakhshas (evil) and later rescued by Ram with the help of Hanomaan (Monkey God).

According to Hindu scripture the fourteen years period of exile was difficult and challenging for Shri Ram, Sita and Laxman but they survived with great patience. After the completion of te exile when Shri Ram came back to his kingdom. The people of the kingdom warmly welcomed him. They came out of their houses and they lit earthen lamps on his way to welcome the loving prince of Audhyia.

The festivities of Devali start a night earlier among the Cholistani Hindu Tribes. At the night of Devali the brightness of earthen lamps can be seen everywhere in desert, it creates a dramatic and inspiring scene in the desert. Most of the people of desert set the earthen lamps on their top of the roof’s wall which look beautiful. Some of Cholistani Hindus also practice vart (fasting) for blessing and prosperity.

At the night of devali the Bhils and Megwals people come out from their houses in the form of a procession with handmade mashals. they take long sticks and tie a piece of cloth on the end usually the piece of cloth is dipped in oil for long lasting fire. Some fix the candles on the end of sticks. During the festivity they move street to street then to nearby temple or open desert by singing religious songs.

In the lights of Devali every face looks is glowing and beautiful. After their festivities they fix their mashals around the temple or in open desert to say a warm welcome to Shri Ram G in his kingdom however the practice of Hindus who are residing in city areas can be differ. They prepare sweet dishes on the festival and avoid cooking meat on the festival.

Like other festivals the ancient Hindu tribes of Cholistan wear new clothes and exchange gifts with each other ,they distribute sweet dishes to the neighbors they also invite each other to share joy and happiness. They feed each other on this event this is also observed that a guest cannot take food by his own hand rather they come one by one and feed the guest. In Megeal tribe they specify a place where every family sends some food and each member of every house participates in this feast. The lunch does not start even a single participant is reached there.

Like other festivals the ancient Hindu tribes of Cholistan wear new clothes and exchange gifts with each other ,they distribute sweet dishes to the neighbors they also invite each other to share joy and happiness

The brightness of earthen lamps shows the victory over darkness. The message of devali is actually to create harmony, tolerance, love, obedience and commitment. In this associated folklore it shows how a husband (king) was committed with a given vachan(promise)| to his wife. He completed his vachan and sent his son to jungle for fourteen years exile. Here the obedience of son is also remarkable who accepted the order of his father king and happily agreed to go to jungle for exile. Shri Ram did not argue with father or mother in this connection and did whatever is said to him. It shows that how faithful, loyal and obedient son he was.

The festival also shows the unconditional love of Ram’s brother Laxman and wife Sita who accompanied him in this hard time. The great message of devali teaches the love, respect of elders and obedience. Happy Divali.

Published in Daily Times, November 6th 2018.

Bantwal: Hinduism reveres women – others should review opinion on it ‘ – SL Bhyrappa

Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (SP)

Bantwal, Nov 3: “Hinduism has given the status of god to women. But people belonging to other religions continue to nurse ulterior opinion about Hinduism. They need to question themselves about this attitude and re view their stand,” felt noted Kannada novelist, Saraswathi Samman awardee, Padma Shri Dr S L Bhyrappa.

He was addressing the students after going through academic and other activities being organized by Sri Rama Vidya Kendra, Kalladka near here on the evening of Friday November 2.

“Islam has not given liberty to women. In Christianity, there is a tendency to believe that women cause downfall of people to hell. We should feel proud for being Hindus as Hinduism has given the status of God and mother to women,” he said.

Till we became independent, ‘Vande Mataram’ was treated as our national anthem. Stories were circulated to make us believe that we won independence because of the non-violent movement preached and practiced by Mahatma Gandhi. In fact, the British left India because of revolutions like the Sepoy Mutiny. The first Prime Minister of India followed the same technique which the British had employed in the past. This ploy continues to be employed during elections too. At present, the political power continues to be inherited by the same family,” he noted.

Bhyrappa insisted that true education should hone intelligence among the students besides giving rise to curiosity and thinking power. It also should strengthen ethical values and personalities of students. The concept of ethics cannot be cultivated without the concept of God, he opined. He expressed the view that the fear to keep one’s acts within the confines of ethics should always be present in our minds, and that texts and curriculum should be in such a way that they should give rise to morality. He expressed the view that ethics can be cultivated by schools like Sri Rama Vidya Kendra.

Chairman of Vivekananda Vidyavardhaka Sangha Puttur, Dr Prabhakar Bhat, who welcomed, said in his introductory address that the stature of Bhyrappa is such that he brings value to awards. “Bhyrappa is 88-year-young, and a noted patriot. He is the one who has honed and groomed people through his ideas and concepts. He has been literally following his ideal of breathing Kannada. I had since long nursed the hope that Bhyrappa would visit my school one day. My wish has been fulfilled today,” he said.

Bhyrappa said he had been gathering information about the activities of Sri Rama Vidya Kendra since the last several years, and also had learnt about the stoppage of midday meal scheme provided by a temple last year. “Then I could not understand why the chief minister did so, but after I personally saw the activities and refinement here, I have realized the purpose behind that act. It was a clash between two cultures, and I can understand that the government is opposed to the values advocated by these schools,” he noted.

On this occasion, Bhyrappa was felicitated on behalf of the Vidya Kendra. School convener, Vasantamadhava, joint convener, Ramesh, and president, Narayana Somayaji, were at the dais.

Lecturer, Krishna Prasad, presented the programme and proposed vote of thanks. Before this, Dr Bhyrappa visited different classes, views activities, and expressed his appreciation. Dr Prabhakar Bhat provided all information about the school. 

Hinduism is a religion, but it is something more: David Frawley

The crowd that gathered at David Frawley’s Why I Became A Hindu, braving the afternoon heat, seemed almost geared for battle. In the end, they simply listened, spellbound. There were others too, seeking comfort and hope, who found their eyes well with tears as Frawley, one of the most acclaimed Vedic scholars of the day, described “the religion not of one God, but innumerable Gods. Hindu dharma recognises the unity of the universe but accepts the diversity of everything within it.” Later, his wife, Shambhavi, gracefully draped in a red saree, unwrapped a set of bangles with some ceremony, remarking, “It is Karva Chauth,” almost daring her audience to defy her. Their journey has had its share of challenges, as different narratives of history compete for dominance, heavily influenced by political sway. Frawley’s attempt to debunk the Aryan invasion, for instance, fetched him a great deal of flak, although the validity of his claims are being acknowledged today, by scholars and Indologists. Then again, as controversy keeps up its relentless courtship of David Frawley and his yogini wife but they shrug off the criticism with great elan – the wisdom of the Vedas is simply too precious to relinquish over petty political struggles. David Frawley, the author of several books on Hindu dharma, astrology and Vedic History, tells Darshana Ramdev about a journey which began with the young boy who liked to look up at the stars… 

How did it all begin?
When I was nine years old, I taught myself all the constellations in the sky (no, it’s not too difficult!). I can take a telescope with a laser point and even now, show you about two or three hundred objects in the sky. What I really enjoyed, though, was meditating under the stars, which led eventually to an interest in astrology and Jyotish. I began to read works by Swami Yogananda and B.V. Raman but to me, astrology has always been integrated with sadhana and understanding planetary deities. The seven planets in astrology are cosmic forces, each planet is a relay station. When you understand these cosmic forces, you see that they exist everywhere.
The symbology and metaphor of Hinduism has been reduced to a limited, literal interpretation. Would you agree? 
There is a story from the Upanishads, about the Ashwins, the healers of the Universe. They approach the son of Atharva, seeking the knowledge of immortality, the only thing that had been kept from them. The seer said he couldn’t, for fear of being beheaded by Lord Indra. The Ashwins told him then, that they would give him a horse’s head, learn the secret to immortality and when Indra appeared to behead the seer, the Ashwins could give him back the original. All of this is deeply metaphorical – even the concept of agni, or fire, is highly nuanced. The sages refer to the agni of the mind, the agni of the body – agni was a concept, a way of correlating everything to cosmic unity. We say today, that something is here or there. The ancient seers said, “It’s here, it’s there and it’s also everywhere.
Carl Jung was perhaps the first thinker in the West to bring Eastern wisdom into mainstream Western thought. You have had a lot to say on Jung and Psychology, for that matter…
Jung borrowed a great deal from Eastern wisdom but that never got the point of paramatma or transcendence. He borrowed a great deal from our wisdom and in the end, turned against it. He was invited to see Ramana Maharishi, which he declined, saying his wisdom would suffice. His vision of evolution was merely to be a better person. He did great work, yes and brought in the concept of the collective unconsciousness, that is true. What they didn’t have, however, was the concept of samadhi and collective transcendence. Freud was limited too, he never got beyond the first two chakras – everything begins and ends with sex. Yes, Jung thought beyond that but even then, their psychology is very primitive, is limited to one’s personal life and tied to the physical.  
Developments in Science, especially Physics, seem to be in keeping with ancient Vedic ideas… 
The Western civilisation is caught up in the idea of the physical but science seems to be saying something else. Physics has reduced the world from matter to energy and information. 
Is there a universal principle that holds religions together? 
Would you say all art is the same? Or that all people are the same? Religion is as varied as any other aspect of life – you can’t say all laws are good or that all political leaders are bad. Religion has good and bad too, just like everything else. It is as fallible as the human beings who practice it. The idea of a ‘religion’ in itself is a very Western concept. 
What is religion, then? 
A Western term that at a general level, signifies Christianity. Monotheism is seen as the ultimate route to salvation, while Hinduism has been classified as polytheistic. The word religion means to unite, although people don’t use it that way!  About 20 years ago, we were in London, having been asked to do a book on Hinduism. We were given a template, a blueprint of how to define religion. It said: Book, founder, prophet and God. We sent it back, saying this template didn’t work for us, we had to create our own. 
How is the Hindu philosophy different from the typical notion of religion? 
Both Christian and Islamic traditions place monotheism at the very top and emphasise the idea of salvation by belief. If you believe in Jesus, you will be saved. Hinduism isn’t like this, we have various concepts like dharma, moksha, ishwara and brahman but we don’t adhere to the idea of salvation by belief. Hinduism is a religion but something more – religions have monastic orders, places of worship and rituals. Yes, Hinduism has all these but it also has sadhana, art forms – it is based on santana dharma, to use all that is relevant.
Technology, leaps in communication – mankind has become fixated on the journey without. What about looking within? 
The senses only look at the outside. We have lost the ability to look within. Only those who look within can find the truth, that knowledge exists and needs to be brought out. This idea of looking within the self doesn’t exist outside of Hinduism and a few mystics, like the Sufis. Also, today, you can google an answer to everything, this is the age of instant information. It reminds me of a tale in the Upanishads, where the guru tells his disciple: Meditate in the forest for a year and I will answer your question. The other argument to that, however, is that if everything you see is outside of you then you are inside everything
What is enlightenment or moksha? How does one attain samadhi? 
The idea is to reach the paramatma, which is something that cannot be known directly. If we try to understand it through the mind, which is embodied consciousness, we can only do so through an idea or a word. The yoga sutra, for instance, outlines the journey to the direct understanding of the paraatma, you have to understand the mind, the sadhana, the tapas – all these things are part of the journey. As long as you operate through the mind, you cannot attain a direct awareness, or samadhi. 

 

Do You Have Any Plans For Your Rebirth or Reincarnation?

by Jayaram V

For a non-believer this is but one life, but for a believer of Hinduism, this is one of the many. This may be the final one for a self-realized yogi, or the seed for another for those in whom desires are not yet cremated in the fire of renunciation.


This discussion is not about what you want to achieve in this life. It is what you want to do in your next life, or how you want to shape it. If you believe in rebirth, planning for your next life is as important as planning for your current one. Since your current life becomes the seed for your next life, your planning for your current life must be done in the context of your next life only, and you must pay particular attention to the problem of karma and how you want to resolve it. Even if you do not plan for it in detail, you must have some concern about your rebirth and how you may want to spend your future life. At least, you should be able to visualize, either as an aspiration or as a desire, what type of life you want to lead in your next birth. If you do not believe in rebirth, this discussion is not for you and you can conveniently skip this section.

Two possibilities

According to Hinduism two possibilities exist for each being at the end of this life, liberation or rebirth. The advantage with liberation is that it will end rebirth and free you forever from mortal existence. You will not be reborn even when the world ends and a new time cycle begins. However, liberation is difficult. Even if you strive hard and advance well on the spiritual path of renunciation, self-purification, and detachment, there is no guarantee that you will achieve liberation. Therefore, if you are pursuing liberation as your main goal, you must not lose sight of the possibility of rebirth and you must still prepare for it. There is a third possibility, that of falling into darker hells, which is the destined fate of the most sinful, haters of God. We are not discussing it here because if you are reading this article it means that you have past action merits, and you do not fall into the category.

What happens when you achieve liberation? According to the Upanishads, when you achieve liberation, you will travel by the sunlit path or the path of light to the immortal world of Brahman. The journey said to take almost a year in earth’s time as it happens in several phases over 12 months. You will be able to enter the world of Brahman only if you are completely free from all impurities. If you are unable to resolve all your karmas but perform good actions and lead a righteous and dutiful life, you will go to the world of ancestors by the gray path or the path of smoke, and return after exhausting your karmas. Your current life, thus becomes important both from the perspective of your afterlife and your next life.

What part in you goes to the next world? According to the Vedas, your soul goes to the next world. At the time of death it leaves the body from the heart region in your body through an aperture in the top of your head for the mid-region (space), accompanied by the breath, and sense organs which are considered the aspects of heavenly deities. From the mid-region they return to their respective spheres, while the soul moves on along the path of either the immortals or the ancestors, according to its destiny as determined by its past actions. The soul remains immutable and pure even when it exists in the body. It is the impurities that accompany the soul in the form of past life impressions and the strength of the astral body that is built in the ancestral world by the sacrifices and the offerings made by the descendants upon earth which determine the time and nature of its rebirth.

Things to remember

When you think of your next life, certain principles and certain aspects of your life and behavior become important. For example, you should not become too attached to your current identities, priorities, preferences, and preoccupation, and you must perform your actions with a spirit of surrender and sacrifice. Hinduism puts a lot of emphasis upon detachment and renunciation. The following illustrate why they are important in the context of your rebirth or afterlife.

1. There is no guarantee that you will be born in the same family and in the same country. Therefore, becoming too attached to your current family identity or national identity, or living too selfishly for your sake or your family sake only are detrimental to you, to your next life, and to your future wellbeing.

2. You cannot be sure which religion you may practice in your next life or which language you may speak. You should therefore show tolerance and compassion towards all communities and people of all religions.

3. Your future life largely depends upon how you would perform your obligatory duties, and deal with people, relationships, gods, ancestors, animals, and other beings. You must not only act responsibly towards them but also ensure that your current actions do not cause them pain and suffering.

4. By practicing certain meditative techniques and strengthening certain memories of your current life, you can improve your chances of recollecting your current life in your next one. Remembering your past lives can have certain advantages such as resolving problems whose causes cannot be easily determined.

5. Our scriptures suggest that whatever you think of at the last moment, or at the time of your departure, will have a strong influence upon the course of your next life. By training your mind in the contemplation of God or certain sacred thoughts, you can either completely avoid the possibility of rebirth, or earn a right to enter the higher worlds.

6. If you have committed any cardinal sins in the past, atone for them sincerely, and seek the help of God through prayers or the guidance of a spiritual master to neutralize them.

7. Excessive desires and passions, anger and hatred, pride, envy, and deceit are some of the worst destroyers of happiness and the chances of a good rebirth. Avoid them by cultivating virtues such as love, compassion, honesty, contentment, devotion, detachment, and nonviolence.

8. Know that suffering is a teacher, and learning from it is the key to progress and improvement. If you learn your lessons from your current suffering, failures, and setbacks, you can avoid their repetition in future.

9. For a believer in rebirth, death is just a phase in the existence of a bound soul. Therefore, if you believe in rebirth, you should not be afraid to face death, but consider it an opportunity to make a new beginning and correct your past mistakes. Truly speaking we are born everyday, and everyday we have opportunities to be different and better.

How to prepare for your next life

Your next life is a sum of what have done in your past lives and your current life. Karma is a continuous and never ending process. As you keep exhausting your past karmas, you keep on incurring new karma as you perform actions. As the Bhagavadgita says, it is impossible not to perform actions and avoid karma. You cannot resolve the problem of karma by action or inaction. Even if you do not engage in physical actions, your mind and body keep functioning which may result in positive or negative karma. The problem of karma is resolved only when you achieve liberation. Since liberation may not always be possible, or guaranteed, it is better to remain prepared for the possibility of your rebirth, and focus upon the following.

1. Your thoughts and actions: Karma arises mainly from desire-ridden actions. Intentions are therefore important. Understand the motivation behind your actions. Whether it is earning wealth or helping others, know why you want to do it. Karma arises from your thoughts, words, and deeds. You should therefore focus upon all the three, and learn to practice restraint.

2. Your desires: Your predominant desires form the seed for your next life. They create strong impressions in your consciousness and leave the residue in the form of causative consciousness (karanachitta). You cannot get rid of it easily without practicing detachment and renunciation. As the Upanishads declare, desire for the fruit of your actions is even more binding. Therefore, you have to see with which attitude you perform your actions and what you want to achieve out of them.

3. Your attachments: The bonds you form with the things of this world are difficult to overcome. If you do not overcome them, they will force you return to the same places and situations and deal with them. Attachments are also responsible for many undesirable traits and negative consequences which result in the continuation of suffering from birth to birth.

4. Your relationships: They are the most obvious form of your attachments. Your relationships with others, and material things in your life produce various types of positive and negative karmas. When you deal with people, it is difficult not to incur karma since your actions and their actions will result in positive and negative consequences for you as well as for them. Therefore, you have to examine your relationships, and release them from all obligations and past hurt.

5. Your character: The Bhagavadgita enumerates certain qualities that are considered divine and certain qualities that are considered demonic. They arise from the predominance of the gunas, namely sattva, rajas and tamas. Examine which quality is predominant in you and try to cultivate sattva through your thoughts and actions. As the scripture declares predominance of sattva ensures either a good rebirth or even liberation. It is also important that you lead a pious and virtuous life, without succumbing to evil temptations, selfishness, cruelty, or immorality. It is better to act according to your best discernment.

6. Your obligatory duties: Karma yoga means performing your expected duties sincerely without expectations, with a sense of responsibility, sacrifice and surrender. Your duties arise from God and they are meant to ensure the order and regularity of this world and the welfare of all those upon whom you depend for your own welfare and wellbeing. According to our scriptures, obligatory duties produce good karma. Hence, you must focus upon living responsibly and dutifully, without expectations, and do your part in the world of God.

7. Your knowledge and awareness: Cultivating the right knowledge is important to overcome the delusion and discern the truth about your own existence and the existence of this world. When you have right discernment, you know that you are neither your mind nor body but the eternal soul. You become aware that you are but an instrument of God meant to perform his duties upon earth. You also come to the realization that you cannot take credit for your actions or achievements or claim ownership of your wealth. Right knowledge comes from the practice of yoga, self-purification, and study of the scriptures. You can also learn from the wisdom of enlightened masters.

8. Your mind: It is very difficult to train your mind and regulate its movements. As stated before, having control over your mind is important because our scriptures suggest that whatever thoughts that predominate your mind and prevail in your awareness at the time of your death determine your next life or liberation. You can gain control over your mind only by restraining your thoughts and senses and by practicing meditation and concentration.

9. Atonement: The best way to neutralize your negative karma is by atoning for it and resolving not to repeat the actions that produced it. In some religions you have to go to a third person and seek his intervention for your atonement. In Hinduism you can do it by yourself by praying to God or your personal deity. You can also perform certain rituals with the help of trained priests to cleanse your sins, but it is not always necessary. Make it a habit to atone for your sins every day before you go to bed. Let your prayers be prayers for the atonement of your sins. You can also atone for your past sins by performing good deeds, such as giving charity, helping the poor and needy, contributing to social or religious causes and so on.

Extend your vision

Unfortunately, even though many people believe in the possibility of rebirth and reincarnation, most of them do not show much concern about it or feel responsible for it. They become so absorbed and involved with their current lives that their thoughts do not go beyond this life or this planet. The attractions of life are such that many are naturally drawn to them, and become involved with them. In the process, they become attached to their current identities, families, nationalities, communities, religious identities, relationships, possessions, achievements, and professions and regularly engage themselves in actions to fulfill their current desires and resolve their current problems. Ironically, nowadays Hindus are excessively becoming attached to their faith and religious identity, although the scriptures suggest that their current existence is but a phase in the journey of their souls and they must transcend their identities to stabilize their minds in their eternal Self. It is time we extend our vision and look beyond this life or view it in the context of soul’s eternal existence.

Sanatana Dharma teaches you that when you plan for your current life, you must also plan for the next. You must either seek liberation or plan for a better life. Human life is precious and a great opportunity to improve the quality of your existence or return to your source. Therefore, you have to think beyond your current life and relationships, and live more responsibly and virtuously, knowing how your thoughts and actions may create your future life. Since as a believer in karma you are aware of the consequences of sinful actions, you should not live selfishly or pursue evil desires. To free your mind from past life impressions, you should transcend your attachments and concerns for your identity, nationality, religion, relationships, achievements, political beliefs and ideologies, possession, status, etc., and as you understand the importance of virtue, you have to show compassion and consideration for others, act charitably, and conduct yourself humanely or righteously. In short, let this life be a part of your journey into eternity and infinity.

The Importance of the 10th Chapter of the Bhagavadgita, Day 38

by Jayaram V

Notes: I have translated the Bhagavadgita twice. The first one was a loose translation. The second one was a word to word translation with a detailed commentary. The commentary is however different from what you will find here. In this section I will share with you my thoughts about the knowledge, philosophy and wisdom of the Bhagavadgita as I understand it from my perspective. Jayaram V


 

The Bhagavadgita has 18 chapters. Of them some are considered more important than others. One chapter that is not read or studied by many is the 10th chapter on the manifestations of God. People presume that God is all pervading. He exists in all. Therefore, there is nothing new about what you read in the chapter. What they miss in the process is an important lesson to learn and practice.

While we do acknowledge that God exists in all, we do not actually live and act that way. We choose what we like and discard what we dislike. We respect some and disrespect some. Life also teaches us not to trust everyone. Thus the idea that God is all pervading remains on paper and in theory and rarely becomes the driving force of our perceptions, behavior, attitude and relationships.

You might have also noticed that your knowledge is greatly limited by your attitude and perspective. If your perspective is limited, your knowledge remains limited. Your knowledge is also conditioned and shaped by your desires and interests. For example, nowadays many people do not read religious books or scriptures because they are disinterested. Thereby their faith remains weak, and their knowledge limited. The same holds true with regard to the knowledge of God or the knowledge of Self. If you want to know them, you must be interested in them, and you must look for them, search for them and learn about them.

Then there are natural limitations to your knowing, which neither interest nor desire can resolve. For example, there is no way you can see God or your own Self with your naked eyes. Therefore, it is practically impossible for anyone to feel the presence of God in everything they perceive. Our scriptures say that when direct experience is not possible to ascertain truths, one should rely upon either inference (anumana) or scriptural testimony (sabda). For common people, these two are like two eyes to discern transcendental truths.

Inference is indirect evidence. For example, if you see smoke coming out of a distant forest, you can presume that there may be fire from which it is rising. You might not see the fire but you can guess using logic and commonsense. Similarly we can infer the presence of evil in a person if you see in him or his conduct traces of wickedness, cruelty, or sinful behavior. We can use the same logic to infer the presence of Brahman in the objects of the world by the presence or absence of certain qualities, states and conditions.

Most religious scriptures are authored either by God himself or by prominent spiritual masters or messengers who were able to establish a psychic connection with transcendental knowledge. They are therefore considered reliable to ascertain truths. The Bhagavadgita is considered a reliable source of divine knowledge. Hence, we can use it to expand our spiritual knowledge or learn truths about God.

It is in this context, the 10th chapter becomes relevant and immensely useful to discern the presence of God in the world around you and develop God-centric awareness. From the list of manifestations described by Krishna, we realize that God is present in all things that are bright and beautiful. You can be certain that although God is hidden in all, in some he becomes more prominent and visible, which then become worthy or worship and admiration. For example, you can be certain of the presence of God wherever you find uplifting, inspiring, elevating and enlightening qualities such as light or effulgence, purity, beauty, knowledge, divinity, leadership, wisdom, intelligence, excellence, melody, harmony, strength, character, honesty, friendship, selflessness, power, patience, fortitude, fame, skill, devotion, perfection, royalty, charity, time, speech, reasoning, sacred sounds and chants, spirituality, saintliness, victory, shrewdness, power to punish, seeds of all things, support, prosperity, energy and so on.

What should you do when you find these qualities in others or in the things you perceive? If you happen to see them in others, you should feel neither resentful nor envious, but acknowledge the deity who is hidden in them. If you find them in yourself, you should not feel pride, vanity or arrogance, but acknowledge that their source is the Self in you and you have them because of its presence. Thus whatever good you see in you or in others, you should attribute it to your divine nature and feel grateful, and whatever qualities you may not have you should cultivate them. This is the advantage of studying scriptures like the Bhagavadgita and paying attention to the truths they contain. They help you cultivate not only better awareness, knowledge and wisdom, but also discernment whereby truths become self-evident.

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The Meaning and Significance of Heart in Hinduism

by Jayaram V

The purpose of this essay is to introduce to you to the significance of the heart in Hinduism in different planes or dimensions of existence, not just as a physical organ in the body but as a spiritual entity and representative of God and Soul in the micro and macrocosms of creation.


For many people the heart is simply an organ that pumps blood to various parts in the body and keeps it alive. For some it is a symbol of love. They would say, “I have given my heart,” or “Your heart is mine, etc.” The physical love you experience is usually tinged with desire and its source is usually the lower chakras. Your love elevates to the extent you elevate your thoughts and to the extent you purify your mind and body. When it emerges from the heart chakra it becomes pure, selfless, giving, forgiving, unconditional, expansive, soulful, and liberating, but before you reach that stage you have to build your inner strength and sattvic resolve.

The five dimensions of the heart

In Hinduism the heart has a great significance both as a place where the soul rests and as a representative location of the abode of Brahman. It is the hub and the center of life. As the center or hub of all movements and actions, it has the following five dimensions.

1. In the physical body the heart is the deity that houses the soul. It has five openings through which it nourishes the organs with prana and keeps them alive. It also has several veins (hits) which extend not only to the other parts in the body but also beyond. The heart is also plays an important role in procreation since a part of its energy said to go into the formation of semen.

2. In the breath body, it is the cave into which the soul descends at the time death along with the breaths. It has hundreds or thousands of arteries called hita (means) through which energy (prana) flows. Through one of them the soul travels to the top of the head and from there escapes into the mid-space (antariksham), or the space between the heaven and the earth.

3. In the mental body it is the mind itself which is responsible for all your thoughts and emotions, and different states of consciousness. Since the soul rests in the heart during sleep, it is also the source of your dreams and deep sleep state. The Yoga Sutras (3.34) says that by concentrating and meditating (samyama) on the heart the knowledge of consciousness (citta-samvit) ensues.

4. In the intelligence body it is the connecting link that opens your eyes to the truths of your existence and helps you discern truth from the illusions and ignorance to which you are subject. Since the Self resides in the heart, it partakes its essential nature, which is intelligence.

5. At the highest level, in the bliss body, as the abode of the Self, the heart is responsible for your experience of self-absorption and bliss, beyond all duality and delusion. It happens when you withdraw your senses into your mind, your mind into your intelligence and your intelligence into the Self, which is the source of all these.

Thus, the heart has many dimensions in the macrocosm and microcosm of God’s creation. In the cosmos, the heart is where Brahman resides as the center and support of all existence. The only way one can enter it is through the heart of Brahman, which is possible only if you connect your heart to his heart through duty, knowledge, devotion, surrender, service, identification, sacrifice and silence.

The heart as the seat of divine love

According to Hinduism, the heart is the connecting link between the heaven and the earth. It is where you experience the love of God, express your love for him, or enter the dream state or deep sleep state. It is the secret cave in your body where you come face to face with the very secret of your existence. Your heart is also your vulnerable spot, and unless you protect it well you can succumb to negative emotions, and through them, to astral attacks. It is therefore important that you fill your heart with love and positive energy.

The Narada Bhakti Sutras declare that God is of the form of love and eternal bliss, and so is the Self. He who attains it becomes eternal and blissful. We do not experience the love of the Self because we are cut off from it by our own illusions and duality. The love of Isvara, the manifested God and the Lord of the Universe, which emanates from his heart is without duality and without an object, like an infinite ocean of love in which nothing else exists.

It is more intense and powerful than any human being can image. It is not love for any specific thing or being, but love that radiates in all directions and touches anyone and everyone who comes into contact with it, just as the light radiates from the sun as its very essence and touches everything in its path. His love is so intense and yet so tender and vulnerable that no human being can sustain it for long. God’s love also makes him vulnerable to the love of his devotees and come out of his strong shell of detachment and indifference. However, since it is pure love, no evil can touch it or stand before it.

Here is an important lesson for everyone to learn. If you want to stay free from negativity, you must fill your heart and mind with love and compassion of the purest kind. Unless there is love in your heart, you cannot experience the love of God or for that matter, the love of anyone else. At the lowest level the heart manifests as desire, at the intermediate level as love and compassion, and at the highest level as devotion, bliss, and unconditional love, which is not of this world.

Meaning and significance

The Sanskrit word for heart is hrid or hrdayam, which is usually translated as the mind, the soul, the heart, the chest, the bosom or breast. It is also used to refer to the emotional state of love, or affection, or the essence of things. Since it has a spiritual and philosophical significance, it is also used in conjunction with other words as epithets of gods or to denote certain physical or mental states. For example, Shiva has the epithet of Hridayanath, the lord of the heart, and Parvathi, Hridayeswari, the goddess of the heart.

Although, I have not found this explanation anywhere, I believe hidden within the word hrdayam is its generic meaning as the source of emotions. There are two root words, hr+udayam in hrdayam. Hr means any impelling emotions such as anger, fear or guilt, and udayam means dawn. Therefore, it appears that the word hrdayam has an unintentional or coincidental connotation as the seat or cause of emotions.

Descriptions of heart in the Upanishads **

The heart is mentioned in the Upanishads as an internal organ, and mostly in a passive sense as the location where the Self is present or where the Self gathers up the breaths before departing from the body. Very rarely it is classified as an organ but mostly as a location and as a symbol of heaven, which is self-supporting. It is a very important location in the body, just as the light is to the sun and the world. In the body it is the abode of the Self and the heaven itself, which connects the beings to the gods, the Sun and the moon, and does not require any further support (Br.3.9.25). It is also the safe haven for the Self when the body is asleep or when it journeys to the higher worlds upon departing from the body.

The following statement by Yajnavalkya in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (4.1.7) sums it up all, “The heart, O Emperor, is the abode of all things, and the heart, O Emperor, is the support of all beings. On the heart, O Emperor, all beings rest. The heart truly, O Emperor, is the supreme Brahman. His heart does not desert him, who, knowing thus, worships it.” In the earlier Upanishads, we find descriptions of the heart as heaven. In the latter Upanishads we find references to it as both the divine city of Brahman (Mun.2.2.7) and the cave in which is hidden the Self. Sometimes it is also described as the golden sheath that houses the Self.

By all means, the heart in the body is not of this world. Its source is in the heaven. If the body is the Asvattha tree, the heart is where its roots are located and its branches in the organs. And if the body is the wheel, the heart is the center where the arteries in the body are yoked together like spokes (Mun.2.27). Because the heart is not of this world, it is through the heart you speak to the gods and reach out to the Supreme world, with your mind and speech. These ideas are affirmed and reaffirmed in several other Upanishads.

According to the Chandogya Upanishad (3.18.2), in the body of the Universal Being (Vaisvanara, if his chest is (comparable to) the sacrificial pit, his heart (becomes comparable to) the sacrificial fire. The essence of that heart is space (akasa) or heaven. “As far as this (outer) space extends, so far is that space in his heart (extends). Both the earth and the heaven are inside it, both fire and air, both the sun and the moon, both the lightning and the stars. Whatever there is of him, and whatever is not, all that is contained in it.”

You also come to know why the heart is called hrdayam. It is because the Self is located in the heart. “Truly, the Self is in the heart,” so goes a sloka (8.3.3) in the Chandogya Upanishad. “Of that, this is the etymological explanation. Hrdayam means hridi, in the heart, and ayam means this is. Hence it is called hrdayam. He who knows this goes day by day into the heavenly world.”

The Brihadaranyaka (5.4.1) provides a different explanation, “This is Prajapati, this heart. This is Brahman. This is all. This has the triple syllables. They are ‘hr’ ‘da’ and ‘yam.’ Hr is one syllable. To him who knows this, his own people and others make offerings. Da is one syllable. To him who knows that his own people give. Ya is one syllable. He who knows this goes to the heavenly world.”

The same Upanishad (Ch.3.12.4) compares heart to the subtle body. It is the body of the Purusha in us where the breath rests. “That which is the body of the Purusha, truly, is that which is the heart in the Purusha, for it is in the heart the breath rests but not beyond.”

According to Shankara, the six syllables in the Gayatri meter symbolize the six organs of Purusha, namely, “Speech, Purusha, the Earth, Body, Heart and the Breath.” In the same section, we further hear that the space which is outside the body is Brahman, and it is the same which is located in the heart. The heart has five openings (according to Mundaka seven), through which five kinds of breath travel in the body and keep it alive and nourished (Ch.3.13). Its eastern opening is Prana, southern opening is Vyana, western opening is Apana, northern opening is Samana and upper opening is Udana.

The importance of heart in the body extends beyond superficial symbolism. The heart is vital to life and existence upon earth, because it is also the physical location for the Self in the body. This is affirmed by the teachings of Sandilya (3.14.3). “This is my Self within my heart, smaller than a grain of rice, than a corn of barely, than a mustard seed, than a grain of millet or the kernel of a grain of millet.” Since the Self resides in the space in the heart, it is also the source of intelligence and where perceptions rest (Br.3.9.20). Even faith (sraddah) rests upon heart only (Br.3.9.21).

The heart is thus a very important location in the body which houses both the breaths and the Self. Because of its subtle nature, it also keeps a connection with the dream world and the heaven. Through that the Self travels into the astral world during sleep and to the Sun or the Moon upon death. It is facilitated by numerous arteries called hita (energy channels), which extend from the heart all the way to the heaven (Ch.8.6.2). Just as a path between two villages extend from this to that, “They start from that sun and enter these arteries; and starting from the arteries, they enter the sun.” The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad(4.2.3) is even more graphic, “Just as the hair are a thousand fold, so become the arteries called hita that are established in the heart. Through them flows that which flows.”

The heart is thus a connecting link between the heaven and the earth and between the microcosm and the macrocosm. What protects people from harm when they are asleep and defenseless is also the heart (Ch.8.6.3). When a person is deeply asleep, he enters the arteries of the heart and there no evil can touch him. “When one is thus fully asleep, resting and serene without seeing any dreams, then he happens to enter these arteries. Then no evil touches him for he has attained the brilliant light.”

The idea is reaffirmed in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (2.1.18) by Ajatasatru who confirms it to Balaki. The heart is the place where a person rests when asleep. It is also the doorway to the dream world (Br.2.1.19). “Now, when he falls asleep, when he does not know anything, by the seventy two thousand arteries called hita, which extend from the heart to the entire body, he travels and rests in the body. As a boy, as an emperor, as a great Brahmana may rest, having attained the supreme bliss, so also he rests in the body.”

The heart is the door to the dreams and the heaven because during creation it was from the heart that the mind was separated and from the mind the moon (Ait.1.1.3). So also, during the formation of the body the moon entered the heart becoming the mind (Ait.1.2.4). Since the heart is the location of the Self, it is also the source of intelligence (Ait.3.3). “That which is the heart and the mind, That is consciousness, perception, discrimination, intelligence, mental brilliance…”

According to the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (3.9.22) the heart is where life begins and comes into an end, and where gods assemble to unite in the body during birth and disperse at the time of death. “Upon what does the semen rest? Upon the heart, he said. Therefore, they say of a newly born who resembles his father, who appears as if he has sprung out of his heart, that he is made out of his heart. It is in the heart does the semen become established.” And when he dies, he goes up by the same arteries to the Sun or to the other worlds.

Since the heart is the abode of the Self, all the deities descend into the heart when a person is about to die and join the Self (Br.4.4.1). “That Self when becomes weak and benumbed, as it were, then the breaths gather around him. Taking with him these effulgent ones he descends into the heart. When that person in the eye withdraws from all sides, then he becomes unconscious of forms.” The Chandogya (8.6.6) explains what happens later, “Hundred and one are the arteries of the heart; one of them goes to the top of the head. Passing through that one attains immortality; the others serve as the means for going in different directions, yes in different directions.”

The process of liberation also begins from the heart because it is where the Self, of the size of the thumb, is held in bondage with the knots of desires (Katha.2.3.15-17). They have to be cut asunder and the Self should be patiently separated from the body “as one separates a blade of munja grass from its midrib.” Then “the mortal becomes immortal even here.”

According to the Mundaka Upanishad (1.2.11) the heart must be tranquil, as the mind, to achieve liberation. The heart must be pure to experience the highest bliss (Pain.3.9). For that the mind should rest in peace, with the senses withdrawn into the mind and the mind into the heart (Sv.2.8). “Having established the mind and the senses in his heart, a wise person should cross, by the boat of Brahman, the streams of fear.” If he persists by the grace of Siva he will be able to “perceive Him as majestic and become free from sorrow.”

Since the Self is located in the heart and mind is the doorway to the heart, it is only through the heart and the mind that we can know the Self (Sv.4.20). One must focus upon the heart, having made it pure and without passions (Kai.6-7). “Focusing upon the center of the lotus of the heart, which is without passion and pure, and meditating in the center upon that which is pure without sorrow, unthinkable, unmanifested, infinite in form, auspicious, peaceful, eternal and the cause of Brahma,” the sages attain Him, the Supreme Lord.

Why the polytheism of Hindus (and their texts) leaves the monotheistic West confused

[A longer version of this article first appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books.]

Polytheism can be a terribly confusing affair to monotheists. The confusion is not just spiritual but material and cultural. Non-practising or secular people brought up in monotheistic cultures are just as likely to find polytheism bewildering. Attitudes toward polyandry or polygamy in societies that enshrine monogamous partnerships display a similar dynamic, but the problem is not merely the one versus the many. That’s just the surface manifestation.

For starters, the practice of representing divinity in a sensory plenitude of forms is confusing to those who believe in a single, formless god. But the plot thickens as the gods and goddesses represented in polytheism often behave in ways that appear morally chaotic to the sterner moral authorities of Abrahamic religions. “I recall,” writes Amit Chaudhuri in his introduction to the Vintage Book of Modern Indian Literature (2001), “some of the British critics of Peter Brooks Mahabharata noting in wounded tones the Machiavellian, unfathomable nature of the Hindu god Krishna.”

It is scarcely surprising that, to British critics of Protestant or Anglican heritage (whether secular or religious), a god who conveys an important gospel, engages in ruthless statesmanship, and indulges in transcendental erotic play with thousands of women, all in the same lifetime, may come across as a bit much.

It is hard to conceive of a similarly ambivalent and playful figure of central significance in the Abrahamic religions, which appear far more austere, abstract, and cerebral next to the sensual ambivalence of Hinduism – or, for that matter, Hellenism.

Until the Lions, the 2015 book of narrative poetry by the dancer and choreographer Karthika Naïr, retells the story of the Mahabharata in the voices of anonymous and outcast soldiers, abducted princesses, tribal queens, and a gender-shifting god. During a conversation, Naïr told me that such a retelling does not violate or overturn the original in any way, as the potential for violation is already latent in the text. Indeed, the Mahabharata creates the very conditions for that violation – one can go so far as to say that it encourages it. The character of Krishna tells us why.

Peter Brooks depicted the classical, scriptural version of Krishna as the giver of the key gospel, The Bhagavad Gita, consigning the Machiavellian Krishna and the playful, erotic Krishna to the status of folk aberrations. I don’t know if that set-up helped soothe any moral injury among British critics, but it is quite far from true. The same character does all of these things, consistently, in all versions of his story. That generations of Indian poets, lyricists, and writers have been fascinated by such a character is natural and almost inevitable; the pioneering Bangla novelist Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay has a famous essay on this subject: “Krishna Charitra” – the character of Krishna.

Krishna is an impossibly multivalent character both because and in spite of the fact that there are many Mahabharatas.

I have come across a few myself in the course of growing up in Calcutta, mostly in Bangla but also in other Indian languages, in text and performance. In her 2009 book, The Hindus: An Alternative History, Wendy Doniger busts apart the myth that oral texts are fluid and changeable while written texts are preserved in a singular form. “The Rig Veda was preserved orally,” she writes, “but it was frozen, every syllable preserved for centuries, through a process of rigorous memorisation. There are no variant readings of the Rig Veda, no critical editions or textual apparatus. Just the Rig Veda.”

The Mahabharata, on the other hand, was both written and oral. But, unlike the Rig Veda, “this text changed constantly; it is so extremely fluid that there is no single Mahabharata; there are hundreds of Mahabharatas, hundreds of different manuscripts and innumerable oral versions.”

But no matter which version I experienced, the fluidity of Krishna’s character was a constant. This moral complexity and ambivalence – chaotic perhaps, to certain value systems – extends to the entire pantheon of gods and goddesses in Hinduism.

In the famous chapter of Mimesis entitled “Odysseus’ Scar”, Erich Auerbach contrasts Homeric and Biblical narration: the former is externalised, sensory, digressive, while the latter is more obscure and abstract, directed unrelentingly toward a single goal. Unlike the Homeric epics, which take delight in sensory effect and lie and fabricate when necessary, the biblical stories lay claim to the singularity of an absolute truth.

“The Bible’s claim to truth is not only far more urgent than Homer’s,” Auerbach writes, “it is tyrannical – it excludes all other claims.” It follows naturally therefore that “the scripture stories do not, like Homer’s, court our favour, they do not flatter us that they may please us and enchant us – they seek to subject us, and if we refuse to be subjected we are rebels”.

The Hindu epics – and, more importantly, the worldview behind them – resemble the Hellenic pantheon and Homeric narration far more than they resemble the biblical insistence on absolute truth.

But that is only part of the story. The larger truth is that Hinduism is vast enough to contain multitudes; that something much like the Abrahamic insistence on a singular, abstract godhead and its ultimate authority is also part of Hinduism. Hinduism is both monotheistic and polytheistic, even though to Western eyes the polytheism overwhelms everything else.

Why does a devotee of god need both monotheism and polytheism? The poet Rabindranath Tagore offers the most beautiful answer: “I have dived into the ocean of forms to find the formless treasure.” In her book Bodies of Song: Kabir Oral Traditions and Performative Worlds in North India (2015), Linda Hess reminds us that a keyword associated with Kabir, the 15th-century Indian mystic poet who drew from – and criticised – both Hinduism and Islam, is “Nirgun”, which literally means “no quality”.

“Nirgun” is the ultimate quality that cannot be concretised in any sensory form, much less visualised through language. Even though it expresses a negativity, Hess reminds us, “it simultaneously invokes emptiness and fullness.” Tagore’s invocation of the formless treasure, like Kabir’s “Nirgun”, seeks to go beyond the various beatific forms of polytheism and arrive at the formless divinity who eludes any kind of sensory representation.

Tagore’s poetry is defined by the mutual entanglement of the divine and the erotic, often depicting god as lover, as in the poetry of John Donne, whom he deeply admired. Here he offers the aesthete’s explanation of polytheism: the pantheon of gods, and the icons and images that represent them, matter because they offer concrete forms for imagining god, ways of becoming intimate with divinity. Moreover, these forms are beautiful; the word “roop” in Sanskrit, as in modern languages like Bangla and Hindi, means “beauty” as well as “form”.

It is the beauty of Saraswati, the goddess of learning, sitting with her book and her musical veena; the appeal of the blue Krishna, playing his flute and wielding his fatal weapon, the chakra; the terrifying beauty of the demon-slaying goddess Durga; even the violent rhythm of Shiva’s dance of destruction that earns him the name “Nataraj”, the lord of dancers.

Saikat Majumdar’s novels include The Firebird (2015) and the forthcoming The Scent of God (2019). He tweets here.

Kaivalya, the State of Aloneness

by Jayaram V

So long as there is a limitation, deficiency or imperfection, that far one should serve the teacher. Kaivalya Upanishad, From the Selected Upanishads by Jayaram V

When the self-restrained ascetic attains the state of mental inertia then only he reaches that highest state. Wherever the mind of the self-restrained ascetic rests that alone is the highest state. Kaivalya Upanishad, From the Selected Upanishads by Jayaram V


For a spiritual person who knows the nature of pure Self, knowledge is an impediment. It prevents you from having balance and stability in your inner being. As Aurobindo stated, up to some stage in your spiritual life, knowledge is a facilitator. Then it becomes a stumbling block since you cannot get rid of it easily and achieve the deeper silence which is essential for your self-realization.

The same is true with many aspects of your life, including your body, mind, possessions, occupation, relationships, interests, goals, scriptures, your spiritual guru, and even your notions of God and religion. At some stage, you have to leave them all behind and become lonely in thought and deed to reach the highest stage of aloneness or liberation. That state of liberation is also called Kaivalyam because it is without and beyond any duality.

Our scriptures ask spiritual aspirants to live in seclusion and shun worldliness because unless an aspirant learns to lives with himself and becomes comfortable with himself, he cannot realize his true self. Aloneness (kaivalya) also means not having any associations or attachments and being free from social influences and conditioning. If you respond to events either by impulse or by habit or desire, it means you are not yet ready to be alone.

This is an important test. If you cannot live without the world, if you depend upon it for your peace, success, happiness, or achievement, you are not ready for the journey. In this regard, mental isolation is more important than physical. Your life begins with many relationships, dependencies, and attachments. Until you are free from them, the world will hold you back and influence your life and actions.

It is for the same reason that pursuing knowledge under a spiritual master is prescribed for worldly students who want to take up householder’s duties, and self-study (svadhyaya) for the spiritual aspirants who want to achieve liberation. In svadhyaya you have no guru other than yourself. God or Self (Isvara) becomes your guru, and faith becomes your support and shelter. You have to study the scriptures by yourself and acquire the knowledge by yourself.

Svadhyaya gives you an opportunity to study in silence and without distractions. With these two you not only acquire knowledge but also achieve peace and stability. You will not struggle to know or make sense of the scriptures. With an attitude of renunciation, you accept whatever knowledge that comes to you. You will also not study with any particular aim to excel in anything. You study to help your mind focus upon pleasant and liberating thoughts and engage your mind in the higher planes of knowledge and wisdom.

Spiritual people go to gurus. Then what happens? They become more involved with the world of their gurus. The join their Ashrams and live there forever. As they form a mental or spiritual bond with their gurus, they become their trusted followers, guards, and even part of their armies to defend them against external attacks. They become conditioned by their knowledge and teachings, and in the process either become mental slaves or lose their personal freedom.

It is a delusion to become attached to your spiritual master because at the level of the Self, you cannot have any relationship with anything or anyone. You cannot have that duality of preferring anything else or having anything else other than yourself. You have to be secure and contended in the confines of your own consciousness. It is the true state of freedom. If you do not prepare for it or if you are not ready for it, how can you achieve the ultimate liberation? It is like leaving a prison with cuffs on your hands or a chain to your leg.

Your infatuation with your guru may temporarily give you a relief from daily worries and help you experience temporary peace. It is but escapism, a kind of illusion that gives you the comfortable feeling that you are a spiritual person and you have a special relationship with your spiritual master. But is it different from other relationships you develop in your life that add more chains to your bondage? Does it help you achieve liberation when you are still bound to those chains?

Over dependence upon gurus or their knowledge can become a big stumbling block in the progress of their followers. If you develop a deep attachment with or dependence upon your guru, know that you have moved back in your spiritual journey rather than made progress. You have added one more layer of attachments and desires to your Self. You have become another child with a new parent, a parent of your idealism, and put another prism of delusion upon your mind and aspiration.

At some stage you have to leave your guru behind and journey alone, having collected whatever gems of wisdom he or she has gifted to you, with a feeling of gratitude. The guru takes you up to the base of mountains. From there on you have to reach the summit by yourself. You cannot go to the world of Brahman carrying your guru on your shoulders or a backpack of your karma and attachments. You have to burn it at the foot of the mount Kailas.

To go further or climb higher, you have to stop looking back, and renounce everything, your home, life, preferences, relationships, knowledge, religion, guru, path, and even God. Only then you become qualified to reach the summit and enter the doors of liberation. Aloneness does not mean you have to stop interacting with the world. It means you have to stop relating to it and remain alone even in a crowd. Hence, we have so much emphasis upon renunciation and detachment.

Hinduism And The Evolution of Life And Consciousness

by Jayaram V

The evolution of life in Hinduism through the transformative and diversification process of Prakriti is not only about the evolution of the physical body, but also the evolution of the mind, ego, and intelligence in which desire and dynamism are the first manifestations, bondage and delusion, the intermediary, and liberation, the final. Jayaram V


Hinduism believes in the concept of evolution of life on earth. Although it is not the same as the one known to modern science, in many ways and in a very fundamental sense, it is not much different from the latter but wider in scope. The Hindu theory of evolution speaks about the evolution of not only physical life but also consciousness and intelligence

Modern science speaks of physical evolution and the evolution of nervous system, starting with simple life forms and proceeding to more organized and complex beings with well developed and self-regulating biological and mental mechanisms. Man is so far the known and the ultimate product of this very complex and continuous process.

Hinduism, on the other hand, presents a broad spectrum of the physical, mental and spiritual evolution of life on earth. Evolution in Hinduism is an integral and natural aspect of creation, which starts not with the emergence of life forms, but with the formation of matter itself as a movement of Nature under the will of God. It does not happen just on earth but universally from the highest to the lowest planes of existence. Creation, preservation, concealment, expression, and destruction are its fundamental driving and supporting mechanisms in which different realities (tattva) appear and disappear to create the illusion of duality, separation, impermanence, and diversity. On earth it is controlled and regulated not only by life but also by Death itself, which is also known as Time (kala).  It speaks of the evolution of the beings from a state of ignorance to a state of illumination through progressive and successive intermediate states of partial ignorance and partial illumination. It alludes to a process that proceeds through several primary and secondary stages. For brevity and convenience, we have grouped them into seven stages (please refer to the illustration above). However, there can be more stages and more detailed processes which the scope of this essay does not allow us to discuss.

The seven stages of evolution

The first stage  in the evolution of forms consists of the activation of Primordial Nature (mula Prakriti) and separation of the five base elements (mahabhutas), namely earth, fire, water, air, and space, and the activation of the three dormant modes (gunas) of dynamism, namely, sattva (the positive forward force), rajas (the balancing will force), and tamas (the negative, regressive or obstructive force). The admixture of these results in the emergence of inert and inanimate world. This is the first stage. In this phase tamas is predominant in the manifested objects.

The second stage consists of the emergence of life in the form of small organisms guided by the Rajasic force of desire for self-preservation and the tamasic force of instinct and impulse. It is followed by the emergence of body parts (karmendriyas) and one or more senses (jnanendriyas). The organisms at this stage possess one or more senses and limited perception. This is the third stage of the evolution (parinamam) of Prakriti.

In the fourth stage the organisms develop the lower or the primitive mind (manas) whereby they possess some awareness and limited ability to store memories, think, and act, which lead to the formation, development and strengthening of individual centers of consciousness in physical bodies that are mostly and vastly very inert and unconscious and driven by the force of blind instinct and natural impulse. The 2,3, and 4 are the stages in which rajas begins to predominate over tamas.

In the next two stages, organisms develop limited intelligence (buddhi) in varying degrees which results in the consolidation and concretization of individual consciousness into individual egos with the ability to act under their own individual and independent wills powered by the energy of desires, and the instinct of survival. This is the stage in which human beings emerge with varying degrees of knowledge and intelligence. It is also the stage where the beings possess well developed gross and subtle bodies, and sattva begins to gain ascendance over rajas and tamas.

The seventh phase consists of the development of discriminating awareness (parisilanatmaka buddhi) among human beings as they perceive the world around and learn through enquiry and exploration to discriminate truth from falsehood, and understand the causes of their suffering and their resolution. Some renounce the world and practice austerities, which leads to the gradual surrender and ultimate dissolution of their egos into Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. Beings in the liberated state possess soul consciousness or pure intelligence. They overcome the duality, including the duality of life and death, and cause and effect. It means they step into the shoes of the Creator and develop immense powers to create as well as destroy worlds and realities by mere thoughts. They will have resplendent ethereal bodies filled with pure light (suddha sattva).

The scientific model of evolution vs. Hinduism model

Thus, as we can see, the evolutionary process which we find in Hinduism is a transformative process of Nature from the primordial and unmanifested state (asambhutam) into a full blown and diversified manifested state (sambhutam). It is not only a physical process involving the evolution and emergence of the body and its parts, but also a subtle process involving the evolution and emergence of consciousness, individuality, intelligence and discriminating awareness. The process encompasses the evolution of the gross body as well as the subtle bodies. While science heavily rests upon the evolution of the physical being, Hinduism goes a step further to explain a more comprehensive and holistic vision of the evolution of the mental, intelligent, and spiritual being.

Science is yet to come to terms with the theory that man can consciously and willingly direct his evolution through the exercise of his will, intelligence and choice, whereas in Hinduism there is no such self-limiting belief. Science is yet to acknowledge that all creations of humans, including the intelligence they create through the so called “artificial” means, is part of Nature and an expression of Nature, and Nature works through humans and other beings as much as it works on its own to fulfill its designs and further the process of evolution. However according to the tenets of Hinduism, evolution is very much a product of individual effort that can be consciously willed and controlled under the guidance of an enlightened and discerning wisdom.

According to science, evolution is a process directed by Nature for its own inexplicable ends. It tries to maintain balance in the physical world and evolves forms that are progressively competent and mutually self-destructive. The evolving beings are at the best experimental models in its gigantic laboratory. Here each individual being has little freedom to determine its own evolutionary course or that of its species, and it has to participate passively in the drama authored and directed by Nature. Science cannot even definitively confirm whether Nature is an intelligent and self-guiding system or an accidental association of random processes.

In contrast, Hinduism explains the process of evolution from a wider perspective. It views the whole subject on a universal scale, going beyond the visible and the manifest forms of life to explain the mechanism that is responsible for the creation of not just the earth or its beings, but the entire universe in which exist different planes of reality and consciousness.

The vision that we come across in the scriptures is much wider and comprehensive. In them Nature is a powerful agent, an eternal indestructible but mutable entity that plays a very dominant role so long as an individual being is willing to remain under its control. When wisdom and insight prevail, the beings realize their folly and try to escape from its field of influence to return to their true essence, which is pure intelligence.

In the mortal world, only humans have such an ability and direct opportunity. Through their will and sincere efforts, they can succeed in overcoming their limitations that are imposed upon them by Nature and achieve liberation from its overwhelming and deluding dominance.

Evolution and involution

Thus, Hinduism interprets the process of evolution both from within and without, both as a mechanism of Nature and a product of self-effort, with a hidden purpose, which is the ultimate liberation of the soul. The objective is accomplished through the withdrawal of the senses and purification of the mind and the body. The transformation begins with a new awareness of the Self  and the responsibility to detach the Self from external confusion, commotion, and surface reality. It leads to the gradual withdrawal of the being from the external world and a journey into itself and its core beingness. The next step involves elimination of all forms of desires, egoistic effort and impure thoughts, preferably under the guidance of an advanced being who has purified and upgraded his consciousness and awareness through self-effort and inner evolution. In the third stage one has to make desireless effort through detachment, devotion and self-surrender to realize the Highest Truth.

From unreality towards reality, from darkness towards light and from death to deathlessness: these are the chief aims of the terrestrial evolution of life in this world. Its primary objective is liberation, not control and domination, and immortality, not survival. It is a movement away from primeval Nature, and towards light and boundlessness. Its aim is not to render the being into a fit instrument under the control of Nature, or into a better player in the game of survival, but to establish the divinity in the being through the purification of intelligence so that it can transcend Nature, both within and without and attain immortality by returning to its pure and original intelligence.

Evolution is the expression of each individual being seeking to escape from the cycle of births and deaths and regain its lost glory. The process is neither instantaneous nor uniform, neither uniformly progressive nor easily predictable. There is no one particular way. There is no particular result. The paths are many and so also the methods as well as the outcomes.

There are no definitive standards here, except those that are sanctioned by the laws of creation. Intuitive awareness may help us to predict the possibilities and explore the opportunities. But the limitations are always there. The difficulties on the path are innumerable. Only an enlightened soul-intelligence can guide us safely across the mirage of life. So long as the being (jiva) is in love with its own chains and its distracting dreams, desires and faulty actions, the embodied soul has no escape and no hope from his own illusions.

The laws of evolution are applicable to all beings both in the mortal worlds and  in the worlds of devas and the demons, for they too are a part of the creative and evolutionary process. The plants, animals, and the worlds of mere forms too evolve in their own limited ways towards light and delight.

The advantages of human life

In this play of God, humans have certain rare advantages. In the chain of evolution, they stand at an important threshold. Rare and precious indeed is the mortal life, which is attained after innumerable births and deaths, and which sometimes even gods envy for the opportunities it offers to humans not only to surpass themselves but also the gods and celestial beings to reach world of Brahman. While those worlds are fixed until the end of creation, the mortal world is impermanent and changeable. Hence, the opportunity to achieve liberation is inherent and integrated in its very design.

However, Nature does not let the humans achieve liberation without struggling and undergoing fundamental transformation in their core consciousness, knowledge and awareness. The pitfalls on the way are also many. By their wrong actions beings may falter and fall temporarily on the path and descend into the lower worlds, taking birth as animals, birds, insects, trees or plants. In extreme cases, they may also degenerate into demons and evil spirits. However, it is not the end.  The beings who descend into hells and lower life forms can ascend again into higher life forms through good actions or with the help of the compassion and forgiveness of spiritual people.

The key to liberation is the right exercise of buddhi or discerning wisdom. When intelligence becomes sharp, the mind becomes stable, as people make right choices and follow righteous paths. It is by knowing the reality from unreality, truth from falsehood, right action from wrong action, right knowledge from wrong knowledge, one can ensure progress towards the state of supreme intelligence or the all knowing awareness. None can help him in this process except himself and his wisdom. In this great effort, the Self is one’s own friend as well as one’s own enemy. Those who fail to discriminate truth from falsehood have to relearn the same lessons until they become adepts in their knowledge of discrimination. They must have balance in their minds and bodies, without ignoring or giving up their worldly duties and responsibilities. Humans must participate in God’s creation as his active agents to manifest his intent and will and uphold the order and regularity of the world. Those who fail to do so have to live with the consequences (karma). The Isa Upanishad (I.1.3) clearly warns those who want to shun the world and ignore their obligatory duties. “Demonic worlds enveloped in blinding darkness they enter after death those who are the slayer of the self.” So does Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita, (Chapter 9, 14 and 16).

Evolution from here on, the vision of modern seers

According to Hinduism evolution happens both in the macrocosm and the microcosm, without any correlation between the two. Thus beings can quickly evolve even in a primitive world through self-effort and intelligent actions, while the world itself may have to wait for Time to reveal the will of God and push further the wheels of progress.

Shri Aurobindo was one of the contemporary seers of modern Hinduism who saw the vision of supermen evolving out of the present race of humans and establishing the foundation for a new world of super humans to emerge. With the awareness of an awakened soul who saw within himself the supramental designs of the universe, he declared that man could hasten his own evolution from the state of an ignorant consciousness being struck in an animal body struggling to express itself to the august state of a supramental consciousness manifesting itself in a divine and immortal body of light and bliss. He even prophesied that it would be possible to attain immortality at the cellular level of the human body by making each cell self-conscious in itself.

“To know, possess and be the divine being in an animal and egoistic consciousness, to convert our twilit or obscure physical mentality into the plenary supramental illumination.- this is offered to us as the manifestation of God in matter and the goal of Nature in her terrestrial evolution,” he wrote.

Thus, it can be concluded that Hinduism believes in the cyclical nature of life as a result of the descent of consciousness into matter through association and diversification and its subsequent ascent into spirit through isolation and integration. Evolution happens through the involvement of consciousness in matter and liberation through their disassociation. From unity to diversity and then to unity. This is the intended order. Creation begins with the retrogressive process of the descent of the Universal Self into a playground of names, forms, and modifications, and ends in progressive phases with its ascent from the world of illusion into the reality of an eternal and indivisible state. Each being that comes into existence into the manifest worlds is in a state of transformative flux, with a hidden intent and purpose, to seek liberation from ignorance, darkness, delusion, and mortality, and move towards knowledge, light and immortality through a process of purification and illumination. Thus, the Self descends into the morass of mortal  world to move the wheels of creation and bides its time until it is liberated

In Hinduism we learn that everything in creation has a purpose and a role. Existence is characterized by duality. Nothing can exist without an opposite. Creation and destruction are part of the same duality. The ultimate aim of all this is to facilitate the forward movement of life. Creation hides in its bosom the seeds of destruction and destruction hides in its design creation as the effect. If the birth of an individual is creation, his death is destruction in which is again hidden the source of his rebirth. It is through this repeated process of creation and destruction that  individual beings evolve gradually through tiers and stages. The One indivisible Self, divides Himself into many in order to become One again. “In a word, godhead; to remake ourselves in the divine image.”

The same is true with regard to cause and effect. They are inseparable. In the cause itself is hidden its effect, which only Time can reveal. Those who transcend Time by transcending Death (Kala) can bridge that duality and instantaneously precipitate an effect from its cause without the intervention of Time. It is what we call the ultimate Siddhi or the highest perfection, which is considered the power of God (divya shakti) or the Miracle of Manifestation (maha shrishti). That power is yours when you have the highest and purest intelligence beyond all duality, division and separation.

This in brief is the story of evolution in Hinduism.

Hindu, Hinduism, Dharma, Hindu Culture