Monday, 22
July 2019
Quote from
the true charm and power of Vedanta
The Divine
charioteer
Thus far,
we have studied the significance of the chariot with the help of the teaching
of the Gita the allegory used in the Kathaopanisahd. However the presence of Lord Krishna on the charioteer
seat , towards which Swami Vivekandna has specifically drawn our attention ,
adds special significance to the whole picture. He is guiding the soul in
bondage represented by the confused and depressed Arjun . according to Rama
Charita Manas, anyone who have devotion to the Lord need not have any fear. We to
speak then of the good fortune of one who has the Lord Himself as the charioteer?
Having the
Lord as charioteer has another significance. Sri Krishna is not just a man of
steady wisdom who will reach the Vishnu –pada, the Supreme Abode of the Lord .
He is Lord Vishnu Himself. So, the allegory of the chariot represents a concept
higher than the sthita-prajna idea. Having attained the Brhami state a sage should
help and guide other souls who are still in bondage, towards that goal. This is
exactly what Sri Ramakrishna exhorted Swami Vivekandna to do when the latter
expressed the desire to remain constantly merged in the bliss of Nirvikala
Samadhi, . He wanted the Swami to accept the higher ideal-to be like a large
banyan tree which would provide peace and shelter to thousand of weary
souls-rather than care for his own salvation. This has been aptly summarised in
the following verse;
May the
wicked become virtues. May the virtuous attain tranquillity; may the tranquil
be free from bonds. May the liberated make others fee.
To Feel
Safe and Secure
The
Speaking Tree India | ET
By
CHAITANYA CHARAN DAS
Have you
seen how peacefully a child sleeps in the lap of his parent, even in a noisy,
crowded local train? The hustle-bustle disturbs everyone, but not the child,
due to his implicit faith in the protection of his parent.
All of us
strive diligently to overcome our many fears: financial, familial, social,
academic and physical. However, the necessary security measures like insurance,
helmet, buzzer alarm and health check-up fail to free us from a disconcerting
sense of insecurity within us. Why? All fear originates in an unbalanced,
unrealistic material conception of life.
The
material aspect of our life has its importance; we need to feed, clothe, house
and provide for us and our loved ones. Krishna says in the Bhagwad Gita that
when we seek our sense of identity, self-worth, security and pleasure
exclusively from our material positions and possessions, we open ourselves to
fear.
How
should we overcome fear? The more things change, the more we need to embrace
the things that don’t change, “Of the material, there is no endurance, and of
the spiritual, there is no cessation.” When we make our life’s work a
devotional offering for His service, we focus more on the object of our
service.
This
shift of focus releases large reserves of mental energy, which are choked by
our worry about the future. Chanting the names of God gives us the calmness to
see that almost all fears are more perceived than experienced.
The more
we become free from fear of the future, the more we can fully absorb ourselves
in our present duties.
DISCLAIMER
: Views expressed above are the author's own.
But, if
He exists?
I
drive joy There was a doctor in Benaras who spent 7 minutes in the morning and
evening for mediation on God. Knowing this, his colleagues and friends laughed
at him. One day they argued that he was wasting ten precious minutes on
something, which he had been misled into believing. The doctor replied, “Well,
if God does not exist, I agree that I am wasting ten minutes a day. But, if He
exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste ten
minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 10 minutes joy
that I derive 4m.
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