Speech, Sarasvati and yogic principles

 Hari Aum.

I was reading about the major controversy that is rocking India at present-- the issue of religion (as usual). I was reflecting on the yogic principles of speech and how they apply here and would like to share my views.

Speech is regarded as a powerful tool according to yogis. They say it is a power in itself. The form of the Divine presiding over the power of speech is the Goddess Sarasvati. She is described as the embodiment of wisdom and benevolence, one who grants intelligence and intuition to spiritual seekers. She is the Divine Mother in the form of the Guru, the spiritual teacher, the One who removes all worldly suffering and grants us spiritual peace, bliss and wisdom.

One of Her many names is Vani, which in Sanskrit means Speech. She can be worshipped in all the usual ways (mantra recitation, charitable deeds, homams, pujas etc) but one special way of honouring Her is by using our power of speech well.

The yogis say we are all parts of the Divine, we are part of the cosmic manifestation of God. We are like small sparks of a blazing fire that is God. The sparks, although small, have the same nature as the blazing fire. Similarly the yogis tell us, the individual soul or Jiva, is similar to the Supreme Being or God/Paramatma.

Therefore, we each have the power of Sarasvati residing within us in the form of our power of speech (She represents our entire existence, not just speech, but speech is a special manifestation associated with Her). 

The yogis say that, to honour this divine power that we have each been given, we are to base our speech upon two key principles. These are:

1. Peace (based on non-violence or ahimsa)

2. Truth (Satya)

In other words, they tell us to reflect before we speak. To pause and consider whether what we say meets these two criteria, i.e. both truthful and peaceful/beneficial.

They also say that one should generally not speak what is true but not beneficial. Equally one should not speak what is untrue but pleasant. And we should obviously not speak what is untrue and unpleasant/harmful. It is obviously difficult to follow this perfectly. And this is the tricky part.

If we are honest with ourselves, we would all have broken these rules multiple times during our lives. For example, many of us tell polite untruths to avoid offending others. From a yogic viewpoint, this is not ok and we need to find another solution that does not involve untruths.

Equally, many of us say things that are true but not beneficial to the listener. This may be due to various reasons such as being angry, thoughtless etc. And, many of us say things under the influence of anger that are neither true nor pleasant. Anger unfortunately can have a major negative influence on our power of speech and we need to be aware of this and take extra care to manage our anger.

(Note- beneficial and pleasant are not always the same. Ideally, speech would be truthful as well as beneficial and pleasing/pleasant to the listener. However, on occasion, it is necessary to say that which is true and beneficial but unpleasant. Unpleasant truths do need to be shared sometimes, but one should be careful about this and only do this very sparingly, when absolutely essential, and when one feels it would be beneficial in the long-run.)

This brings me to the subject of the current religious and political tension in India. I do not want to discuss this complicated messy topic in detail but would only like to say the following. It seems to me that none of the parties involved are following the yogic principles mentioned above. People seem to be acting out of anger and egoism only. They only seem to consider their own viewpoint and disregard the feelings of the other side. 

All of us of course have a right to have our own opinions about everything in the world, including the various world religions and philosophies. Some religions/philosophies may appeal to us, and some may not. However, we absolutely do not have the right to publicly insult, mock and denounce the religious devotional feelings of others. This is completely against the principle of non-violence or ahimsa. This creates negative karma that we will have to face one day.

Also there are no double standards permitted according to the yogis. People cannot expect others to respect their religion, but show disrespect towards other religions. If we want our religious feelings to be respected, we have a duty to respect those of others (regardless of whatever our private opinions may be). This applies equally to the members of all religions.

Furthermore, threatening physical violence and calling for killing in the name of religion is one of the most appalling and abhorrent things that any religious person can do. It is the very opposite of the spirit of religion. It is the most diabolical, monstrous and vile of actions. One cannot mince one's words on this matter. There is absolutely no room whatsoever for violence in the name of religion. The yogis are emphatic on this. Those who commit violence in the name of religion, whether physical or verbal, will have to face serious negative consequences in accordance with the divine law of karma. 

From a yogic viewpoint, there is only one God who manifests in many forms and who has many names. The yogis advise respecting all the names and forms of God and all saints associated with Him. They tell us that all the world religions ultimately worship the same one God of the universe. They say no one name or form or saint is superior or inferior to others-- all are equally great and worthy of our reverence. This understanding is essential for spiritual progress. Disrepecting any names and forms of God and looking down upon the devotional feelings of others is a serious obstacle in spiritual life. 

This issue seems to be escalating quite seriously every day and leading to more and more conflict. I would like to suggest that we all do a little extra prayer every day to maintain our own balance of mind, and to pray for the mental balance of others. 

May God give good sense and intelligence to us all, that should be our prayer. May the diabolical tendency to fight over religion reduce, may people have the sense to practice the good that their religions teach. May there be peace. May Goddess Sarasvati bless us all with noble speech. 

Om Sri Sarasvatyai Namah.

Om Namo Narayanaya.

Hari Aum Tat Sat.

Guruvayurappan, Kerala and ahimsa

Hari Aum.

Guruvayur temple is a beautiful and famous Vishnu (Krishna) temple in the town of Guruvayur in Kerala. It is said to be very ancient, possibly at least 5000 years old. The deity of temple, known as Guruvayurappan by the people of Kerala, is a four-armed form of Vishnu holding the conch, discus, mace and lotus in His hands.

It is said that the idol of Vishnu in this temple was originally installed in Dwaraka, Krishna's kingdom, during His avatar on Earth. At the time that He left Earth and returned to His celestial realm, He gave it to the guru of the demi-gods (Brihaspati) and the demi-god of the wind, Vayu, and advised them to install it at its current location. The name of the temple is based on the two divine beings who created it, i.e. Guru and Vayu.  The mantra 'Om Namo Narayanaya' is propagated by the temple.

The temple attracts many devotees throughout the year. I have been fortunate enough to visit it a few times with my family. Many Hindus from Kerala keep a picture of Guruvayurappan in their homes, even if they move outside Kerala and live in various places in India and around the world. I was born in Kerala but grew up in Delhi. My parents always had a picture of Guruvayurappan at home. And now that I have my own home, I keep a picture of Him on my altar.

Kerala is facing the wrath of nature today. There are terrible floods all over. I was due to visit Kerala soon to spend time with some of my close family members who live there (by the grace of God they are all safe) but will very likely postpone the trip due to the natural disaster.

I know Kerala well although I have never lived there for any length of time. I used to visit often during my school holidays while I lived in India. It is such a beautiful place with lush greenery and fertile land. It was always an incredible sight to see so many coconut trees clustered together as the plane approached Kerala. Today, much of this beautiful land is under water.

The highest priority now for the people of Kerala is of course to save lives and rebuild cities and villages that have suffered great damage. But reflection is needed as to the underlying cause of such events to prevent them from happening again. The whole world is facing increasing natural disasters. As a species, we have to reflect on why this is happening.

The scientists and the yogis effectively provide the same explanation for the natural calamities we face but in different language. The scientists say this is due to our actions. They say we are all being careless in terms of how we treat nature. We create so much plastic and other waste everyday. Global warming is said to be occurring at an alarming rate.

The yogis say the same thing but use different words- they call it karma (meaning the reaction produced by our action). It we treat nature kindly, she treats us kindly. If we are harsh, she also becomes harsh to make us change our ways.

It pains me to see Kerala, the land where my roots are, experience so much suffering and distress (it is painful to see any part of the world in distress, however, when you know the place well, it is particularly difficult). Aside from making a donation towards the relief efforts and offering prayers, there is not much else I can do.

May Guruvayurappan bless and protect Keralites and give them strength to cope with this calamity. May He help them to walk the path of dharma, of goodness so that they may be blessed. May He remove all adharma from the land so that such misery does not happen again. May this troubled time be over soon.

I would also like to say something about diet. In Britain, which prides itself as a country of dog-lovers, buying or selling dog meat is illegal. Although, some other countries allow the killing of dogs and selling of dog meat (such as China and South Korea), Britain does not allow this. This is not taking away anyone's right to eat what they want- it's just that the majority of Brits love dogs and don't want to see them eaten. I would say that is fine.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/newsbeat-45085514

I am, however, unable to understand why India is unable to take a similar approach towards cow-meat or beef. The majority of people living in India love cows- they are gentle animals that give so much to humanity in the form of milk and dairy products. It is also a fact that, while yogis consider all animals sacred (not just the cow), the cow has a special place.

If the majority of Indians are unhappy at the idea of cows being killed, why do the media in India, and that of other countries (including Britain!) mock India when they want to ban the killing of cows and selling of cow meat (when countries such as the UK have laws on dog meat)! It is a hypocritical attitude that I find completely bizarre.

Kerala unfortunately seems to be particularly passionate about killing cows and eating beef. I can understand this phenomenon amongst non-Hindus, but I cannot help finding it sad that several Hindus too now eat beef in Kerala. This was rare among Hindus of my grandparents generation (most were strict vegetarians including in my family). Things seem to have changed in my parents generation unfortunately (however, I am glad that even those in my family who now eat meat, do at least seem to avoid beef!). As spirituality is reviving in Kerala under the influence of yoga teachers/Gurus, many are turning vegetarian once again.

Nothing good can ever result from the deliberate killing of another living being, be it an animal, human or other. Every living being is a manifestation of God according to the yogis and there will be a negative karmic reaction towards one if one chooses to harm other creatures made by God. We cannot give life to animals, God gave them life. He only has the right to take their life away- it is not our right to take away from other living beings the gift of life given to them by God.

While I am in favour of people having the right to eat what they like, I do also feel that (as in the UK), the sentiments of the majority, especially when it comes to abstaining from violence, must be respected.

Humans do not need to eat dogs or cows to live. There is also increasing medical research that shows red meat, including beef and pork, is linked with a higher incidence of colorectal cancer. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/red-meat-and-the-risk-of-bowel-cancer/

As a yogi, I hope and pray that one day, India will live in the spirit of the great Sanskrit saying: "Ahimsa paramo dharma", i.e. non-violence is the highest virtue.

It would be good to see humans treating each other kindly (no lynchings, mob-violence etc), and also treating animals kindly (not killing and eating them).

May Guruvayurappan make India, the land on which Krishna and Buddha walked, the land of ahimsa or non-violence.

Beautiful song in Malayalam (the language of Kerala) to Guruvayurappan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsMTW4EdZEY

Hari Aum Tat Sat

Homophobia and spirituality

Hari Aum.

I'd like to share my views on homophobia and spirituality. In the past few years, I have met some people who have told me that they developed severe mental health issues, particularly depression, because their families were strongly against them due to their being homosexual/gay/lesbian.

In some cases, these people even felt their lives was being threatened due to the strong religious opposition to their sexual preferences. They were socially isolated and experienced great mental suffering as a result of the negative reaction from their families and society. Some of them were forced to marry people of the opposite gender against their wish. This led to even greater misery.

I find it extremely sad that people who are gay are judged and criticised by those who are 'straight' (heterosexual) to varying degrees in all countries in the world. So many people, both religious and atheistic, seem to have strong negative opinions on this subject.

The fact is that sexuality is not a choice. People are naturally attracted to a particular gender (whether the same or opposite gender).

The scriptures of some religions strongly condemn gay people and advise violence against them. Other religions do not comment on the subject, but many of their followers still have negative views of gay people. This is very sad and completely against the principles of religion which is meant to promote love between people, with the understanding that all is divine.

I would like to share my views on being gay or straight, from a yogic perspective. Part of yogic discipline involves control of the senses. This includes gradual, mature transformation of sexual energy to spiritual energy (tejas).

From the yogic perspective, excessive sexual thoughts are counterproductive to spiritual progress. This applies equally regardless of whether one is gay or straight. There is nothing superior about having sexual straight thoughts versus sexual gay thoughts. Obviously sex needs to be between consenting adults, and should involve some respect between partners. Without this, it would be unethical from a yogic perspective. Also while it is true that straight sex is needed to conceive children naturally, there is nothing inherently superior about this- it is a biological fact, that is all.

These days it is unacceptable to be openly racist, sexist or against any religion in many countries.

However, unfortunately, it seems it is still fairly common, even in liberal Western societies, to openly make fun of people who are gay.

When I was at university in the UK about ten years ago, it was not unusual for the male students (who always seemed more homophobic than the women) to use the phrase "that's so gay" when they wanted to indicate their contempt for something.

Imagine saying "that's so black" or "that's so Hindu/Muslim/Jewish/Christian" as an insult. It would be regarded as absolutely outrageous. Nobody uses those phrases. But saying "that's so gay" is still not unusual today. This is absolutely disgraceful.

We need to be sensible about this. Gender, race, sexuality, height, eye colour etc are not choices. They are part of our natural physical-mental design. We are pretty much born with these features and they cannot be changed by force.

We would not like other people to treat us badly based on these, so we should naturally avoid being judgemental towards other when it comes to these factors.

We cannot change our natural physical-sexual characteristics. But what we can control is our character. And this is what really matters in spiritual life.

There is nothing wrong with being gay, from a spiritual perspective. But there is everything wrong with being homophobic, with disliking people because of their natural sexual preference, with being superior and judgemental towards others. These are very unspiritual attitudes.

Let us remember that one God resides in all beings, whatever the physical or mental characteristics, whatever the sexual preferences of a person. Let us therefore give all living beings the respect that is their due as divine beings, whether gay or straight.

I hope, one day, gay people all over the world are treated well by the straight majority and with the respect that they deserve.

I certainly believe that no spiritual progress is possible for those people who are cruel and judgemental towards others based on sexual preferences, race, gender etc. Straight people who look down upon gay people are sadly ignorant and will not be able to make any serious spiritual progress due to their negative attitude (a form of 'himsa' or violence towards others).

If one feels superior to other human beings, for any reason, one has a serious spiritual problem. Because one has forgotten that one God exists in all beings. And that God alone is the origin of whatever we are proud of in ourselves, and whatever we look down upon in others.

Let us reflect upon this well, and treat everyone with the respect they deserve.

Hari Aum Tat Sat