Gita chapter 10- God is everywhere

Hari Aum.

In the tenth chapter of the Gita, Krishna tells Arjuna that He is the origin of everything and that knowing this, the wise worship Him.

"Aham sarvasya prabhavo, mattah sarva pravartate,
Iti matva bhajante mam budha bhavasamanvitah"

Meaning (as per my Guru, Sivananda):

"I am the source of all; from Me everything evolves; understanding thus, the wise, endowed with meditation, worship Me".

He then says (this is a well-known sloka of how devotees enjoy discussing the Lord):

"Macchitta madgata-prana, bodhayanta parasparam,
kathayantashcha mam nityam, tushyanti cha ramanti cha"

Meaning (as per Sivananda):

"With their mind and their life wholly absorbed in Me, enlightening each other and ever speaking of Me, they are satisfied and delighted."

Krishna then says that those who worship Him with love are blessed by Him with wisdom. Out of compassion for them, He says He destroys the ignorance within them and lights the lamp of knowledge (beautiful description).

Arjuna then asks Krishna to tell him how to think of Him (how to train his mind to see God everywhere). He asks Krishna to tell him all about Himself.

Krishna replies saying that there is no end to His manifestations and glories (these are infinite!). He therefore tells Arjuna that He will provide an outline of the main manifestations so that Arjuna can learn to see Him everywhere and in everything (and thus reach a stage of constant remembrance of God-- which purifies the mind and leads to attainment of God).

He then describes a portion of Himself to Arjuna. He says that He is the:

1. Self (soul) in the hearts of all beings
2. Beginning, middle and end of all beings
3. Vishnu amongst the Adityas (a class of celestial beings)
4. Sun
5. Marichi amongst the Maruts (a class of celestial beings)
6. Moon
7. Sama Veda amongst the Vedas
8. Vasava amongst the devas (demi-gods)
9. Mind
10. Consciousness/intelligence (chetana) in living beings
11. Shankara amongst the Rudras (a class of celestial beings)
12. Kubera (the guardian of wealth)
13. Pavaka (fire)
14. Meru (the celestial mountain)
15. Brihaspati (guru of the demi-gods)
16. Skanda (the chief of the army of the demi-gods and Shiva's son)
17. Ocean amongst water bodies
18. Bhrigu (one of the seven great sages)
19. Om amongst all words
20. Japa (mantra recitation) amongst all sacrifices
21. Himalayas amongst immovable things
22. Peepul tree amongst trees
23. Narada amongst the divine sages
24. Chitraratha amongst the gandharvas (celestial musicians)
25. Kapila amongst sages
26. Ucchaishravas (celestial horse) amongst horses
27. Airavrata (divine elephant) amongst elephants
28. King amongst human beings
29. Thunderbolt amongst weapons
30. Kamadhenu (celestial cow) amongst cows
31. Kamadeva (demi-god of romance, worldly love)
32. Vasuki (divine serpent) amongst serpents
33. Ananta amongst nagas (a class of celestial beings)
34. Varuna (demi-god of water)
35. Aryaman amongst pitris (ancestors)
36. Yama (demi-god of death)
37. Prahlada (great devotee of God) amongst asuras (demons)
38. Time
39. Lion amongst animals
40.  Garuda (divine eagle) amongst birds
41. Beginning, middle and end of all creation
42. Science of self-realisation amongst all sciences
43. Logic (of those who engage in debates)
44. Sound 'A' amongst syllables/letters
45. Dvandva (dual Sanskrit words) amongst compounds
46. Everlasting Time (an eternal principle beyond our ordinary time)
47.Giver of karma (fruits of actions) who is omnipresent
48. Death
49. Prosperity
50. Fame
51. Speech
52. Memory
53. Spiritual intelligence (medha)
54. Firmness/endurance (ability to bear suffering)/detachment (dhriti)
55. Forgiveness (kshama)
56. Brihatsaman among hymns
57. Gayatri metre (amongst Sanskrit metres)
58. Margashirsha (occurs in Dec-Jan) amongst lunar months
59. Spring amongst seasons
60. Gambling amongst the fraudulent
61. Spiritual splendour (tejas)
63. Victory (jaya)
64. Determination)
65. Goodness (sattva)
66. Vasudeva/Krishna amongst Vrishnis (a human clan in which Krishna took birth)
67. Arjuna amongst Pandavas
68. Vyasa amongst munis (wise seers)
69. Ushanas amongst poets
70. Sceptre (danda) amongst punishers
71. Statesmanship amongst those seeking victory
72. Silence (maunam) amongst secrets
73. Knowledge of those who know
74. Seed (cause) of all beings

Krishna concludes His description of some of His manifestations by saying that "there is no being, whether moving or unmoving, that can exist without Me".

He then says that there is no end to His divine glories and this is only a brief outline. Whatever exists that is glorious, prosperous or powerful, that He says is a manifestation of a part of His splendour.

He concludes by telling Arjuna that He supports the whole universe of creation by just a part of Himself. Sivananda says that this verse is connected to the Purusha sukta (the famous hymn of the Rig Veda) that states that all creation constitutes just one-fourth of the Supreme Being; the remaining three-fourths is divine and transcendental (beyond this worldly existence).

To be continued....

Om Namo Narayanaya

Hari Aum Tat Sat

Sivananda and the pandemic

Hari Aum.

In the past couple of weeks, like many people, I have been closely following the current coronavirus pandemic (causing the illness, Covid 19)-- as it has now made its way in a major way into the country where I live. The healthcare system will soon be overwhelmed and the government is already putting out an SOS call for even retired doctors and nurses to return to work (and many of them are doing so).

I am currently on maternity leave and was intending to return to work in late-June when my daughter will be almost a year old. If the crisis deepens and more doctors are desperately needed, I will have to try and find a way of returning to work sooner. Since there will be no childcare for my daughter before June (my local nurseries with spaces only accept children who are twelve months or older), I will have to consider working evenings/weekends in the emergency services (normal working hours will be difficult as my husband works full-time and I will need to look after my daughter when he is working). The entire healthcare set-up here is changing day-by-day to deal with this Covid crisis; my doctor friends are advising me to wait until the working arrangements are clearer before returning to work. Let us see. I need to find a way to balance my responsibilities towards my daughter and towards the public.

There is so much uncertainty-- it is extraordinary. Doctors and nurses here and around the world are getting the Covid 19 infection and ending up on ventilators themselves, fighting for their lives. Some are dying. A dead doctor cannot help anyone-- yet the local politicians have not yet bothered to arrange proper protective gear for us. Even with the protective gear, medics have a much higher risk of infection as we are exposed to hundreds of patients with Covid 19 every day. I feel saddened and angry hearing of my colleagues in the healthcare service who are dying due to the lack of planning by politicians. This is a war on a virus. Doctors and nurses are key soldiers in the army. Would we send soldiers to a war without bullet-proof vests? Weapons (vaccinations and drugs) are yet to be found--though research is underway. But protective gear exists (even though it is not perfect); why can't politicians and businesses work quickly together to provide this gear to medics who are risking their lives to help others? Every day this is delayed is costing lives. It is appalling.

In the middle of this, some people are in denial. They wander hither and thither spreading the infection. Such selfish behaviour at such a time is mind-boggling.

We should all take steps to reduce the chances of catching and spreading the infection. We  must act responsibly. A war requires the whole country and every person to act rightly.

As spiritual aspirants, we have one further duty. That duty is to pray. To pray for the welfare of those who are suffering, for those who are on ventilators, for those who are dying alone in hospitals (relatives are often not allowed near Covid 19 patients dying in intensive care due to safety concerns and government restrictions). We have a duty to pray for the relatives who are weeping after their loved ones have died, for the children without parents, for everyone who is suffering. Many tears are being shed already, and many more will be shed in the coming months. Perhaps we will ourselves weep for our loved ones, perhaps our loved ones will weep for us. Who knows? Only God knows what will happen here.

The name of God is a powerful tool. My Guru, Sivananda, lived through the last pandemic, that was called the Spanish flu (mistakenly called this, as it did not start in Spain and affected the whole world, not just Spain). At least fifty million people died in that pandemic (of all ages) which lasted from 1918-1920. (By the way, the current pandemic is leading to lots of younger people even in their 20s and 30s ending up on ventilators fighting for their lives, not just older ones-- everyone needs to be careful).

My Guru was working as a doctor in Malaysia at the time (this is before he became a monk and attained realisation). He would have had to watch helplessly as countless patients around him died. Right now, doctors in Italy and around the world are experiencing great stress due to this pandemic. We are not robots. We feel the pain of our patients and their weeping relatives. It is not easy to decide who to give the ventilator to and who not to give a chance-- these choices have to be made due to limited resources, but they are very difficult and painful. My Guru would also have shed many tears seeing his patients die in great numbers.

Some of his disciples said he was living as a householder at the time, and that his own wife and child died in the pandemic--I don't know if this is true as apparently he never discussed anything with his disciples that was not directly relevant to their spiritual lives (and discussing his past would probably not have been relevant). In any case, three years after the pandemic was over, my Guru gave up his medical career and took up monastic life. After attaining realisation through mantra japa and selfless service for over a decade, he again took up his stethoscope (when he established the charitable hospital at his ashram in Rishikesh).

My Guru understood the need for the stethoscope (modern medicine) but he also understood the healing power of the name of God. He advised 'Divine Namapathy' as he called it for health problems. He said the name of God is the most powerful healer and gives people the strength to bear the most difficult of conditions.

He used both the japa mala (the name of God) and the stethoscope (modern medicine) to help people. Just because we cannot immediately see the effect of chanting the mantra of God does not mean it does not have an effect. Everything has an effect. When people take an antibiotic tablet to cure their tonsillitis, they usually do not know how it works-- but it works. Same thing with japa-- we do not know how it works, but it works.

Let us take every practical step to protect ourselves and others during this pandemic by following medical and government advice. At the same time, let us commit to daily recitation of any mantra of God that we like for the welfare of all. This is an important thing that we can do. Every one of us who does japa for the welfare of humanity today is helpful. Each one of us can be of help here, even if we do not have a medical degree, or if we have not yet attained realisation.

Let us do it together. Whatever we can commit, let us do it.

On a different note, I had stopped my Devi sadhana when I started the fifth purascharana this month earlier than intended (the Devi sadhana was supposed to have been done before starting this purascharana). Anyway, last night I had a dream of Devi in the form of a young girl-- I remember feeling joyful after She appeared in the dream; I had the feeling that this was auspicious.

Chaitra navaratri starts in two days on March 25. This is a good time to worship the Divine Mother. After seeing Her in the dream, I feel that I would like to do some worship of Her during this time-- will recite the Saptasloki Durga, listen to the Mahishasura Mardini stothram and chant Devi mantras.

Let us invoke our favourite form of the Divine during the coming navaratri and every day to ask God to bless every human being with true devotion to the Divine, with dharma, with peace. Let us also request healing where possible; if not possible due to karma, may God bless those people with a peaceful departure from Earth and give their relatives the strength to bear the loss.
May all beings be blessed by God. Let us pray daily for this.

Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya
Om Sri Durgayai Namah
Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat

Start of purascharana five

Hari Aum.

I started my fifth purascharana of the ashtakshara mantra of Vishnu today. This is an auspicious day as per Vedic astrology with siddha yoga consisting of dwitiya tithi occuring on a Wednesday. The nakshatra today is Hasta which is good for spiritual activities.

I was planning to take a longer break of about six weeks after completion of the fourth purascharana. However, I found that I was not really enjoying the 'break' at all. The perils of the coronavirus in particular made me feel that this is the time to do more sadhana/spiritual practice not less!

I plan to do 15 malas (i.e. 15 x 108 recitations) per day with the aim of completing this in approximately one year and five months. Obviously this depends on health and other circumstances but I would like to do my best to complete it in this time-frame.

The purpose of this purascharana, as with all the others, is spiritual progress and for the peace and wellbeing of beings in all lokas (planes of existence). May we all develop true devotion to God and thus experience spiritual peace, bliss and wisdom--this is the sankalpa/intention behind doing this purascharana.

Specifically, in these difficult times, when the world is facing a pandemic, I hope this purascharana will go some way in alleviating the suffering of people (my Guru, Sivananda, and other gurus say that mantras of God reduce physical and mental suffering and give people peace and strength).

Aside from prayers to God, we all have a responsibility to take action to reduce the risk of coronavirus infection for ourselves and others. Self-effort draws the grace of God.

As I'm sure you know, outside of China, the country that is most seriously affected by this infection at present is Italy. In the last couple of days, Italian doctors working with coronavirus patients have spoken openly about what a nightmare it is. They have said the infection spreads easily between people and also that it seriously affects the lungs, so that patients require intensive care (including middle-aged people, not just the elderly).

The point here is not to panic (as panic does not help anyone) but to emphasise that this should be taken seriously and every possible action to protect ourselves and others should be performed. No healthcare system in the world will be able to cope with huge numbers of very sick people needing intensive care (and therefore many will die if this happens). The following actions have been advised by public health teams of various countries and are sensible (I am following this advice):

1) Wash your hands frequently often (thumbs and wrists included) for at least 20 seconds. (If you are in a place where you can't wash your hands, use hand sanitiser/alcohol gel)
2) Do not cough/sneeze on anyone. Use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth while coughing/sneezing and then throw the tissue away. If no tissue available, use your bent elbow instead
3) If you have travelled to a high risk country or have had contact with a person with confirmed coronavirus, you should stay at home and avoid contact with anyone for 14 days. If you become sick, seek medical advice by contacting your local medical service (but do not just walk into hospitals and clinics as you can infect others; check to see what your local public health guidance is for people with suspected coronavirus. In some countries, doctors/medical teams visit suspected cases at their homes to reduce the risk of spread to others).

I am staying at home as far as possible and avoiding public transport and crowds as much as I can to reduce the risk of catching the virus; I am particularly worried about the possibility of my young daughter and elderly members of the family getting it (the very young and very old are usually at most at risk from infections). I hope that, by the time I return to work as a family physician in a few months (after my maternity leave is completed), routine consultations in this country will be mostly done online instead of face-to-face; this will help to reduce the risk to both patients and doctors, and would be a sensible approach worldwide.

See link below for the World Health Organisation information on coronavirus Covid-19. Please pay particular attention to the section 'what can I do to protect myself and prevent the spread of the disease?'

https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses

See link below on how to wash hands properly:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-51754472/coronavirus-how-to-wash-your-hands-in-20-seconds


Hope we all stay well and can continue our sadhana to attain knowledge of our true blissful immortal nature, beyond all the sufferings of this world.

Hari Aum Tat Sat

Gita chapter 9- how to live life as a yogi

Hari Aum.

Let us now look at the ninth chapter of the Gita-- one of the most interesting chapters in my view. It also contains some of the most famous verses of the Gita (and we will discuss these here).

In this chapter, Krishna builds upon some important points that He had mentioned in previous chapters. He tells us a bit more about who He is and the path of devotion. He tells us how to convert our entire lives into yoga-- how to connect with Him at all times

Remember, in chapter 6, He had said that the best among yogis, is the one who practices devotion to God, one who practices the presence of God. In chapter 7, He states that refuge in God is the key that grants one spiritual success (thus reassuring Arjuna who had said the mind was impossible to control and that he was worried about failure in the spiritual path). In that chapter, He had also said that, when people desire various material and spiritual goals, He is the one who grants them the faith they need to make efforts to acquire their self-chosen goals. In addition, He had given some examples of how the world around us consists of His manifestation as the sun, water, fire and so on.

Now, in the 9th chapter, Krishna gives Arjuna more knowledge related to Himself and the path of devotion to attain Him. At the beginning of the chapter, He tells Arjuna that the knowledge that He is about to reveal is supremely purifying and also easy to perform (as Arjuna had previously complained that the spiritual path involving control of the mind seemed very difficult).

He then goes on to say that He is omnipresent, pervading everything that exists. He states that all beings exist in Him just as air exists in space.

He then explains a bit about the cycle of samsara, saying that all beings (who have not attained liberation) dissolve into Him at the end of a kalpa (an extremely long cycle of time). These beings spring back into existence again at the start of the next kalpa (when creation begins afresh). He states that His power, known as Prakriti, creates everything under His guidance.

Krishna then explains the different fates of people who are spiritual versus those who are materialistic.

He declares that people who believe there is nothing beyond material existence do not attain Him (do not realise their own immortal nature) and return to this world where death exists (for the body/mind). He says the knowledge and deeds of such materialistic people on Earth are all in vain (because these involve only temporary material things and do not lead to everlasting peace and joy). People who are greatly materialistic are often willing to go to any lengths to acquire wealth and other objects of their desires, even if these involve negative actions-- Krishna therefore says that the minds of materialistic people are undivine (thus clouding their own true, divine nature). (The yogis say that the sufferings in this world eventually transform materialistic people into spiritual people--this may take lifetimes--eventually all will attain God and experience peace and bliss).

In contrast, He says that His devotees have a divine nature--they focus their mind upon Him and worship Him in a variety of ways. He makes a powerful statement declaring that He takes care of every need of His devotees, both material and spiritual (as they have sought refuge in Him). This is a famous promise of His and is stated below.

He says:

"Ananyash-chintayantoh mam ye janah paryupasate,
tesham nityabhi-yuktanam yogakshemam vahamyaham"

Meaning (as per my Guru, Sivananda):

"For those people who worship Me alone, thinking of no other, for those ever-united, I secure what is not already possessed, and preserve what they already possess".

Sivananda explains that this means that God takes care of all needs, material and spiritual, of those who take refuge in Him (He does not impose Himself on us-- if we feel we can manage without Him, we are welcome to try our luck. But the challenges of this world are not easy to face alone and so many people turn to God for help. Ideally one would turn to Him not just in bad times, but also in the good).

He then makes another famous well-known statement declaring that it is not difficult to connect with Him, to please Him.

He says:

"Patram pushpam phalam toyam, yo me bhaktya prayachati,
tadaham bhaktyupahritam-ashnami prayatatmanah"

Meaning (as per Sivananda):

"Whoever offers Me with devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or a little water--that, so offered devotedly by the pure-minded, I accept".

Sivananda explains this verse as meaning that God does not require expensive donations and elaborate rituals from us; rather, He prefers simplicity and true devotion. In the Srimad Bhagavatam too, Krishna tells Uddhava that He is pleased with simple offerings made with love rather than lavish presents made without devotion/with egoism.

Another beautiful and famous verse follows the above one. This is written below:

Krishna says:

"Yat karoshi yadashnasi yajjuhoshi dadasi yat,
yat-tapas-yasi Kaunteya tatkurushva madarpanam"

Meaning (as per Sivananda):

"Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in sacrifice, whatever you give, whatever you practice as austerity, O Arjuna (Kaunteya), do it as an offering to Me"

Here Krishna is telling us to make everything into yoga-- an act of connecting with God (actions performed in this way do not produce any karma; they become the divine, karma-free actions Krishna describes in chapter 4 of the Gita).

This verse is the basis of the message of the Gurus who tell us that yoga is not something we do for half an hour a day as a wellness exercise. No, they say, it is much more than that. It is a change in our vision, a change in our outlook, a complete way of life.

Externally, a yogi appears like everyone else-- eating, drinking, walking and so on. But internally, a yogi is different-- s/he offers all this mundane actions to God, thus making the whole of life into a yogic practice, a means of attaining God. This is what Sivananda and other true Gurus advise. Quietly, secretly, not ostentatiously/publicly, make the whole of life into an act of worship. This leads to God.

Obviously, making every action into worship may not feel like an easy task as we often forget God. To remember God constantly is not easy for the mind. But as Krishna says (when Arjuna complains it is too difficult in the sixth chapter), "Abhyasena tu Kaunteya"-- keep practising Arjuna!

Sivananda says that if we ask God to help us on the spiritual path, then He will definitely respond. He says that God takes ten steps towards us if we take one step towards Him. This is encouraging.

At the end of the chapter, Krishna again reinforces the message of the above verse.

He says:

"Manmana bhava madbhakto, madyaji mam namaskuru,
Mamevaishyasi yuktvaiv-atmanam matparayanah"

Meaning (as per Sivananda):

"Fix your mind on Me, be devoted to Me, sacrifice to Me; bow down to Me; having thus united your whole self to Me, taking me as the supreme goal, you shall come to Me"

Aside from the above famous and valuable verses of spiritual instruction, Krishna makes some other important points in this chapter. These are as follows:

1) Krishna states that He views all beings with equal vision (He does not reject anyone, nor is He partial to anyone). However, He says that those who worship Him with devotion are in Him, and He is in them.

Sivananda says that God is like the sun which shines equally on all, both the saint and the sinner. However, if we close the doors of our heart and stay indoors, we cannot enjoy the sunshine. We need to come out of the house to enjoy the sun. In other words, the grace of God is always upon all beings. However, we need to make some effort and do some spiritual practice to experience this in our lives.

2) Even the "most sinful" person who begins to worship Him, becomes purified of all sin and attains the supreme abode of peace and bliss. Krishna states that His devotee "never perishes".

3) People go after death to the being that they worship during their life on Earth. Those who worship the demi-gods, lower spirits and other entities go to these beings in the afterlife (they do not attain moksha, so will be reborn on Earth again after some time). Those who worship God go to God (and attain liberation from the suffering of samsara)

4) Having come to this "impermanent and unhappy world", Krishna tells us to worship and attain Him (and thus experience spiritual peace, bliss and wisdom)

5) As in chapter 7, Krishna provides some further description of His manifestation all around us (this is an aid in remembering Him).

He says that He is the:

1. Father/grandfather and mother of the world (the creator)
2. One who gives us the results of our karma (the creator of the law of karma)
3. One thing to be known
4. Purifier
5. Om
6. Rik, sama and yajur Vedas
7. Goal of human life
8. Support of all beings
9. Lord of all
10. Witness of everything
11. Abode of all existence
12. Shelter of all beings
13. Friend of all beings
14. Origin,end and foundation of all creation
15. Treasure of all beings
16. Imperishable seed, the cause of all beings
17. Sun, the giver of heat to the Earth
18. Controller of the rain (who holds it back and sends it forth)
19. Immortality
20. Death
21. Existence
22. Non-existence
23. Enjoyer and Lord of all Vedic yajnas (sacred fire rituals)


Summary:

This concludes the 9th chapter of the Gita. The overall message of this chapter is that God is pleased with even small acts of devotion made sincerely/with our best efforts.

He is our friend, protector and refuge. By fixing our minds on Him with devotion and living our life as worship of Him, we shall certainly attain Him (and thus experience our own true, immortal nature).

To be continued....

Om Namo Narayanaya

Hari Aum Tat Sat