Durga saptasati

Durga saptasati is a collection of 700 verses which is recited be people all over India during the month of Navaratri....To know more about Durga saptasati see my earlier post...In essence durga saptasati describes the transition from Tamasic to rajasik to satwik and ultimately to gunatit stage.

Tamasic refers to a state of inaction, rajasic is a state of luxary and satwik is a state of tranquil.. According to Hindu belief these kind of gunas are present in every people and their specific combination determines the nature of the people. It is much like the genetic theory which states the role of genes in predicting the behavior of a person. Hindu mythology emphasizes the interplay of gunas in every action which is done. However, unlike the genetic theory the gunas are mutable...One can by way to tapas or penance can alter the combination of gunas to reach satwik stage.

A satwik person is better than a rajasik and a tamasik person....However he is not the best. This is because there are still gunas present in him. Until the point there are gunas he is bound by the cycle of birth and death. A farther advanced stage is the state of gunarahit when there are no longer any gunas present him. When a person reaches this stage he is set to be free from the cycle of life and death.

Here, I give you a collection of selected hymns of Sri Sri Chandi sung by Sanaysins of Ramakrishna Mission. Click on the following link to download these beautiful vedic hymns...

                              SELECTED HYMNS OF SRI SRI CHANDI


may god bless all....om tatsat

Consciousness-2

The first breakthrough in understanding consciousness came in 1929, when German neurologist Hans Berger used electrodes placed on the skulls of subjects to measure electrical activity within the brain. Called the Electroencephalogram (EEG), it allowed Berger to discover two types of electrical activity, called alpha and beta waves, that seemed to be linked with key aspects of consciousness.  Whatever consciousness is, it is likely to be linked to so-called brain waves- the rhythmic flows of electrical activity between neurons. Hard-working brains show the fastest type- beta waves with frequencies up to 40 cycles a second (Hz), while resting brains typically show slower, larger amplitude alpha waves. Drowsiness or meditation produces even slower theta waves of 4-7 Hz, while delta waves of just 1-4 Hz appear only during sleep.

Although its systematic study has only just begun, consciousness- in the opinion of some eminent scientists’ today- is an absolutely fundamental part of this universe and cannot simply be computed away as airy metaphysics.

Having to embrace the concurrent existence of complementary properties to explain the quantum world- such as the simultaneous existence of both wave and particle nature for electrons- paves the way for science to find an essential link between consciousness and primary field. From this viewpoint the fundamental realities of the primary field and consciousness are inseparable aspects of the same underlying process.

David Bohm has named this underlying process the implicate order. Basil Hiley suggests: “Mind and matter are but different projections from the deeper implicate order where such a division does not exist.” He also emphasizes that “the implicate order is not some woolly metaphysical construction, it is precisely a description of the underlying process,” which is supported by credible mathematical analysis.

Since coherent superposition is an inherent characteristic of the quantum world, space and time are not expected to be mere numbers at some level. At the deepest level of space even the Plank’s dimensions can be deemed merely as expectation. Bohm and Hiley call this pre-space, which gives rise to John wheeler’s proposed pre-geometry. At the pre-space level according to Bohm and Hiley, the universe is an undivided whole-everything is connected to everything else, and made coherent by the self-organizing property of the quantum potential.

The essence of the implicate order is the one source that unfolds both the primary field (the common source of at least everything physical) and consciousness. Based upon this thesis, it would be logical to infer that the one source of the world’s great spiritual traditions is grounded in scientific reality.

Schrödinger believed in the Vedic concept that all conscious beings are aspects of that same universal entity.(“filled with Brahman are the things we see, filled with Brahman are the things we see not. From out of Brahman floweth all these, from Brahman all, yet he is still the same.”- Isha Upanishad).

 Expressed in terms of our scientific worldview today, consciousness would be manifest when the individual brains quantum state is in resonance with the cosmic potentiality of consciousness. After Schrödinger, we may humbly assert that we are all equipped to be tuners of the universal source of consciousness....

OM TAT SAT....

The Big Bang-1

It was in 1916 that Einstein published his general theory of Relativity. It was a defining moment not only for physics or science but for mankind as a whole. It would forever change the way we look at the universe. Before Einstein came out with his theory of relativity space was considered static. But Einstein’s space is dynamic. It curves and bends due to the presence of mass in it. It appears almost like a living entity which reacts to its surrounding. Einstein’s general theory of relativity thus stated that the planets which moves in orbital paths around the sun or the way in which every other heavenly body moves is not due to the action of the force of gravity but are actually moving in the simplest of paths that is formed due to curving of space.

When Einstein’s equations of general theory of relativity were applied to the space a more startling and bewildering discovery was made. It was found out that the space was actually expanding. The idea was so adverse to common sense logic that Einstein became convinced that there must be something wrong in his equations. So Einstein went again to his drawing board to reintroduce a cosmological constant in his equations to stabilize the expanding universe that his equations predicted. But Einstein was going to fix something that wasn’t broken. The fact that universe was expanding was shown by Edwin Hubble.

(Hubble knew that for a light source moving towards the observer the waves emitted by it would get compressed and so the light would appear to be blue in color. On the other hand for a light source that is moving away from the observer the waves would get stretched and the light would appear reddish in color. With this knowledge in mind and armed with the hooker telescope Hubble saw that most of the galaxies were red shifted and the further the galaxies were the faster were they moving apart.) 

Einstein paid a visit to Hubble and saw this with his own eyes. 

Einstein later admitted that changing the equations would have been his greatest scientific blunder. Hubble and Einstein jointly came to the conclusion that if the universe was expanding now then at some time in the past the universe must have had a beginning.  If the future was taking the galaxies far away, then it stood to reason that in the past they must have been closer together. So close ultimately that the matter’s compression might result in what Einstein’s equations predicted to be a point of singularity. (Upanishad’s rishis also said the same thing thousands of years ago and the termed the singular point ‘Dahar’)

The fact of physics pointed to clues that eventually made the case for a cosmic explosion as the event that kicked off the expansion of universe. Georges Lemaître, a Belgian priest conceived the idea, and British astronomer Fred Hoyle, in jest coined the term “Big Bang” to describe the explosion.

It is however important to note that it was an explosion of the space itself and not an explosion in any existing space. In the expanding universe today, it is the space between galaxies that is expanding. There was no space before; it appeared along with the Bang.

My discussion on Big Bang and reality continues in my next article...But before that let me discuss about the weird nature of quantum world because this infinite universe was shaped by this weird quantum world at its infancy...Om tat sat

Idol worship or not- which is a better option?

The practice of idol worship has been dealt with negatively especially by the abrahamical religions like Islam, Christianity and judasism. This form of religious worship has been termed as pagan religious beliefs and people have been advised to abstain from such acts. Although; what actually is meant by idol, is a matter of debate among the three religions. However if we turn our heads towards Hinduism we see the rampant practice of not only idol worship but also polytheism. It is said that there are 33 crores of gods in Hindu religions. So the question that arises is which is the true path?

Although the different religions talk of different things... i.e one preaches idol worship while other talk against it, one concept is core to every one of them- “GOD IS ONE AND ONLY”. People following Hindu religion may find this fact disturbing but it is true as evident from following lines that I use from Wikipedia.

“A text in the Shukla Yajur-veda (32.3) reads, “Of Him there is no likeness (pratima), whose glory is infinite”. The Upanishads, which form the philosophical ‘conclusions’ (vedanta) of the Vedas, repeatedly stress the formlessness (nirākāra, no material form) and unimaginable nature of God, and advise the aspirant to realise the divine presence inwardly.”

However, it was evident to the Indian mystics from very early on that it is very difficult to focus on a all pervading but a formless, unimaginable god (especially for beginners) for the purpose of worship and meditation. So they preached idol worship but didn’t in any way recommend idol as god. They only recommended visualization of the single god or ‘eka bramho’ through idol. This idea is also stated by lord Krishna in ‘Bhagabat Gita’ Chapter 12, Verse 5, -

“

It is much difficult to focus on God as the unmanifested than God with form, due to human beings having the need to perceive via the senses.

”

In another context if we look at the other religions, the Islam has shunned the practice of idol worship and considered it as a great sin. This may have arisen due to the fact that Prophet Muhammad emphasized on the fact that he is only messenger of God and that people should worship only that true god ”allah”. This is the reason why there is no image, statue or even tomb of Muhammad. Muhammad and the Christians likewise emphasized on the practice of worship without an idol form because they believed that people would in time begin to associate the idol to be the true god and forget that it is only an image (a representation or a means to imagine the unimaginable). But if we look at the recent historical findings it is to be seen that at the time bible was being written and before that time in israel people widely practiced idol worship and polytheism. The bible in a bid to overthrow this polytheistic view emphasized again and again on the worship of single god.

The problem with idol worship is that people over time tend to associate over time the image or sculptor or any other inanimate or animate objects over time to be god. While the essence of this philosophy is that they should only be considered as a medium. The situation is best explained by these lines from a poet…

Rathyatra lokaranya, maha dhum dham.

Bhaktora lutaye pore, korichey pronam.

RATH bhabhe ami deb PATH bhave ami,

MURTI bhabhe ami deb hasey ANTARYAMI

Explanation--The poet explains a situation in which the rath (chariot of the god laden with image of deities)is taken through the streets. The devotees are rolling in ecstasy at the sight of the chariot to pay their homage.The chariot thinks itself to be the god, the road things it is the god, the images think that they are god but the true god or brahmo is only laughing at the plight…..

The true nature of atma as described by Gita and upanishad..

In chapter 2 of Gita lord krishna tells about atman for the first time. But before that he tells
   nasato vidyate bhavo,nabhavo vidyate satah
   ubhayor api drsto ’ntas,tv anayos tattva-darshibhih
                                                         .......B.g.chap2..sloka..16
English translation-"Those who are seers of the truth have concluded that of the nonexistent  there is no endurance and of the eternal  there is no change. This they have concluded by studying the nature of both."
Who is this destructible? Lord krishna says
             antavanta ime deha,nityasyoktah saririnah
          anasino ’prameyasya,tasmad yudhyasva bharata
                                                                        .......B.g.chap2..sloka..18
English translation-"The material body of the indestructible, immeasurable and eternal living entity (soul or atman) is sure to come to an end; therefore, fight, O descendant of Bharata."
So it is clear that soul is undestrucible..it is the only truth, and this living body is untruth.
Describing characterstics of atman lord krishna says..
na jayate mriyate va kadacin,nayam bhutva bhavita va na bhuyah
ajo nityah sasvato ’yam purano,na hanyate hanyamane sarire 
                                                        .......B.g.chap2..sloka..20
English translation-"For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal, ever-existing and primeval. He is not slain when the body is slain."
 vasamsi jirnani yatha vihaya,navani grhnati naro ’parani
 tatha sarirani vihaya jirnany,anyani samyati navani dehi
                                                 .......B.g.chap2..sloka..22
English Translation:-"As a person puts on new garments, giving up old ones, the soul similarly accepts new material bodies, giving up the old and useless ones."
       nainam chindanti shastrani,nainam dahati pavaka
     na cainam kledayanty apo,na sosayati marutah
                                                .......B.g.chap2..sloka..23

English Translation-"The soul can never be cut to pieces by any weapon, nor burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind."

  acchedyo ’yam adahyo ’yam,akledyo ’sosya eva ca
  nityah sarva-gatah sthanur,acalo ’yam sanatanah
                                          .......B.g.chap2..sloka..24

English Translation:-"This individual soul is unbreakable and insoluble, and can be neither burned nor dried. He is everlasting, present everywhere, unchangeable, immovable and eternally the same."

avyakto ’yam acintyo ’yam,avikaryo ’yam ucyate
tasmad evam viditvainam,nanusocitum arhasi
                                     .......B.g.chap2..sloka..25

English Translation:-"It is said that the soul is invisible, inconceivable and immutable. Knowing this, you should not grieve for the body."

The fact that atma is indestructible and all powerful is also expressed in Isha Upanishad..



It is motionless, one, faster than mind ; and the Devas (the senses) could not overtake it which ran before.Sitting;, it goes faster than those who run after it. By it, the all-pervading air (Sutratnum) supports the activity of all living beings.
                                         .....isha upanishad..sloka 4

It moves, it is motionless. It is distant, it is near. It is within all, it is without all this.
                                         .....isha upanishad..sloka 5
This concept is explained by lord krishna in Gita where he refers to one who knows and sees atman as tatvadarshi and refers to the rarity of such an individual in chap2 sloka 29.
ascarya-vat pasyati kascid enam,
ascarya-vad vadati tathaiva canyah
ascarya-vac cainam anyah srnoti,
srutvapy enam veda na caiva kascit
                        .......B.g.chap2..sloka..23
English Translation:-"Some look on the soul as amazing, some describe him as amazing, and some hear of him as amazing, while others, even after hearing about him, cannot understand him at all."
The upanishad also goes on to add that.....
Who sees everything in his Atman and his Atman in everything, by that he feels no revulsion.                   .....isha upanishad..sloka 4
This concept is also pointed out by lord krishna..
   vidya-vinaya-sampanne,brahmane gavi hastini
   suni caiva sva-pake ca,panditah sama-darsinah
                             .......B.g.chap5..sloka..18
English Translation:-"The humble sages, by virtue of true knowledge, see with equal vision a learned and gentle brahmana, a cow, an elephant, a dog and a dog-eater [outcaste]."                                          

So, till now we have seen that atman is pure atman is the only truth, atman is indestructible. But lord krishan doesnot stop here in his description of atman and continues his discussion in later chapter over the topic of atman....