The Soul's Calling: Answering the Signal to Go Inside

 The Age-Achievement Relationship: Debunking the Myth

 It is a common notion that success is directly proportional to age, that one can only achieve greatness after decades of experience and hard work. However, history has shown us time and again that there is no such relationship between age and achievement. Success can crown someone at any age, from the young to the old, as talent and hard work know no age limit.

 Examples of successful individuals who achieved greatness at a young age abound. For instance, William Pitt became the Prime Minister of England when he was only 24 years old. Additionally, Goethe started writing when he was just 10 years old. His masterpiece, Faust, only saw the light of day when he was 80 years old. These examples demonstrate that age is not a barrier to success, as talent and hard work can lead to success at any age.

 Similarly, there are many individuals who achieved greatness in their middle age. For instance, Gladstone became the Prime Minister of England when he was 83 years old. Leonardo da Vinci painted his famous Last Supper when he was 77 years old. These examples demonstrate that age does not dictate one's ability to succeed in life.

 

Old age is not a barrier to success either. For instance, Coleridge wrote his famous poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner when he was 20 years old, while Kelvine made his first attempt at scientific research when he was 18 years old. However, he was 83 years old when he brought out an improved version of the navigator compass. These examples demonstrate that age is not a barrier to success, as long as one has the passion and dedication to achieve their goals.

 

Health and disabilities also do not determine success. For example, Milton was blind, and Beethoven was deaf, yet they both achieved greatness in their respective fields. Byron was also deaf, and Demosthenes stammered, yet they both were successful in their lives. These examples show that success is not determined by physical health or disabilities, but rather by one's ability to persevere and overcome obstacles.

 

In conclusion, the relationship between age and achievement is a myth. Success can be achieved at any age, from the young to the old. Talent, hard work, dedication, and perseverance are the keys to achieving success, regardless of age or physical health. History has shown us that age is not a barrier to success, and individuals with disabilities can still achieve greatness. The most important factor is one's determination and dedication to succeed.

 The Soul's Calling: Answering the Signal to Go Inside

 
At some point in our lives, a signal presents itself, calling us to go inside and explore the depths of our being. However, for many of us, this message goes unnoticed, hidden beneath the layers of our ego. It may take dissatisfaction or multiple wake-up calls for us to finally recognize and respond to this calling. Even those with progressive upbringings need to break free from conditioning and breathe in the freer air.

 

Ignoring the soul's calling is spiritual suicide, as the solution to our existential questions cannot be found on the surface. The first step towards answering this calling is to reverse the orientation of our consciousness, which requires Herculean effort and complete surrender at the end of our tapasya. We must remain vigilant and repeatedly realign ourselves to go deeper within.

 

Although it may be tempting to retreat into seclusion, Integral Yoga teaches us that the best way to transform ourselves is through the thick of life itself. We are constantly tested and must embrace our station in everyday life, stepping back continuously to retrieve our source. It is essential to maintain poise and protect our inner connection, eventually identifying with the Truth that sits inside. This process solidifies our awareness and transmutes it into consciousness, leading to profound inner change.

 

True Consciousness is always aligned with Force, Shakti, and is not merely a witness but an agent of change. The identity of consciousness with the soul shows us the way to inner mastery, enabling the conversion of our nature. The whole nature goes through a profound change, leading to a dynamic shift in our existence.

 

In our passage through lifetimes, the soul's calling will eventually come. If it arrives in this life, we must embrace it and hold it close to our heart, shifting everything inside and transforming our modality of existence. Surrendering to the calling leads to the discovery of our true purpose and the fulfillment of our soul's journey.

 

IF HE EXIST

 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 7 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 7 minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste 7 minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 7minutes joy that I derive 4m.-

 

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW :7th heaven moment of the week in ipl csk won by 7 wk ipl gt won by7 Rcb won by 7

The Three Phases of Advaita Vedanta: Sravana, Manana, and Nididhyasana

The Three Phases of Advaita Vedanta: Sravana, Manana, and Nididhyasana

 

Advaita Vedanta is one of the six schools of Indian philosophy and is based on the Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Brahma Sutras. According to Advaita Vedanta, there is only one reality, Brahman, and the individual self, or Atman, is identical to Brahman. To attain this realization, one must follow the three phases of Sravana, Manana, and Nididhyasana.

 

Sravana refers to the first phase of listening to the sacred texts. The Mahavakyas or the great sayings, such as "Tat Tvam Asi" or "Aham Brahmasmi," are considered the direct instrument of release. The second phase, Manana, involves reflecting on the teachings and understanding them intellectually.

 

The third and final phase, Nididhyasana, involves continued meditation on the teachings until one attains direct experience or intuition of the self. The Bhamati school of Advaita Vedanta holds that Nididhyasana is the means to remove Avidya or ignorance, while the Vivarana school believes that Mahavakya is the direct means.

 

Vachaspati, the author of the Bhamati, asserts that verbal testimony can only provide mediate knowledge, which can be transmuted into immediate intuition only by deep meditation. However, Surevara, in his Nashkarya Siddhi, disagrees with this view and asserts that the immediacy or mediacy of knowledge depends on the object of knowledge. If the content of Sravana is the self, which is most immediate, immediate experience can arise from listening to the Mahavakya.

 

The reason why we do not have this experience at once, even though listening to the sacred text, is because of the obstacles in the way. These may be in the form of wrong knowledge or lack of faith in the teachings of the Upanishads. When these obstacles are removed, Sravana of the Mahavakya will lead to immediate self-experience.

 

The example of the ten travelers crossing the river is relevant here. When they reach the other side, they count themselves and find to their dismay that they are only nine. The tenth traveler points out that he himself is the tenth person, and they are happy again. Similarly, wrong knowledge or lack of faith can be removed by hearing the teachings of the Upanishads and belief in them, which leads to the realization of the self.

 

Shuddh-Advaita: Vallabhacharya's Doctrine of Divine Grace

 

Vallabhacharya, a prominent Hindu philosopher, developed the Shuddh-Advaita or Pure NonDualism, which posits the path of Pushti-marga or Divine Grace. According to this philosophy, Brahmn is personal in nature, perfect, and the best of Beings. Vallabhacharya saw Brahmn as assuming the form of the world itself, possessing almost all the qualities of Para-Brahmn. The external world is real because it is the material form of Brahmn, emanating from the Self itself for the sake of divine lila or sport.

 

Vallabhacharya interprets the Upanishadic Self from a different standpoint than Shankara's Advaita. He bases his concept of Shuddh-Advaita on the notion of a personal God in the Brihadaryank Upanishad, where Brahmn desired to be many, and the Self manifested itself as a multitude of souls. For Vallabhacharya, Maya is the instrument by which Brahmn reveals the world from itself, and not the illusion which Shankara defined it as. His doctrine of Pushti-marga echoes the theistic strain found in the Mundaka Upanishad - that the knowledge of the Self is possible only through Divine Grace.

 

Vallabhacharya roots the immanence and transcendence of Brahmn in the figure of Krishn and develops his concept of Bhakti accordingly, giving it the character of a rasa or sentiment of love. God has assumed human form for the lila, to bestow His grace on the devotees. Liberation is to be sought in the interplay of emotions between the devotee and Krishn, in all the hues and colours of the Nav-Rasa or nine primary emotions. The Mukhar-Vinda Bhakti is the highest form of devotion, which is meditating on the physical form of Krishn, as the gopis of Vrindavan are alluded to have practiced unconsciously, in the Bhagavat Purana.

 

Vallabhacharya further postulates that this liberation is to be had in the figure of Krishn as Shrinathji, the boy Krishn lifting Mount Govardhan with his little finger. The tradition has it that Vallabha had the inner darshan of Krishn in the form of Shrinathji and was given the BrahmaSambhandha mantra, followed to this day for initiation into the Pushti-marga.

 

In the Vallabha tradition, complete surrender to Krishn seeking his grace lies at the heart of Shuddh-Advaita. The consecration of the self to Krishn, according to Vallabhacharya, awakens the soul to its real nature as part of God's consciousness. While the tradition lays down regular seva or divine service to God as part of the process, surrender to Krishn seeking his grace is the key to realizing that the manifest world is only a lila of Brahmn.

 

 

 

IF HE EXIST

 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 7 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 7 minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste 7 minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 7minutes joy that I derive 4m.-

 

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW :7th heaven moment of the week in epl son 7 scored a goal ipl gt made 177/7 RRwon scoring 179/7

                                                                                         

The Relationship Between Science and Religion: Exploring the Case of India

 The Relationship Between Science and Religion: Exploring the Case of India

 Introduction:

The relationship between science and religion has been a topic of debate for centuries. While some argue that scientific progress leads to the decline of religious influence, others believe that science and religion can coexist. This essay explores this relationship with a focus on India, which experienced a religious renaissance in the latter part of the 19th century, spurring interesting developments in the interaction between science and religion.

 The Absence of Inevitable Causal Relationship:

It is essential to note that there is no inevitable causal relationship between the advancement of science and the decline of religious influence. If there were such a relationship, the decline of religious influence in Europe, where science has advanced significantly, should have happened all over the world, but this has not been the case. Therefore, it is crucial to examine the case of India, where science and religion have had an interesting relationship.

 

India's Religious Renaissance:

In the latter part of the 19th century, India experienced a religious renaissance, spurred by the life and experiences of Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna's life proved that essential religion, which concerns the eternal truth of God and his relation to man, and man's possibility of seeing God and becoming enlightened, is always the eternal religion in its power and promise. No progress of science can have any negative influence on the fact of God because when God is seen, science can only become chastened by it.

 

Different Religions and the Universal Truth:

Sri Ramakrishna proved that what he experienced is true for all religions. Different religions may or may not acknowledge this fact, but when God is seen in the world by anyone belonging to any religion, all religions, irrespective of their differences, are strengthened in this fact. Therefore, it is crucial to recognize the universal truth in religion that transcends individual dogmas and beliefs.

 

Religion's Weaknesses:

However, when religion focuses on dogmas that are not necessarily spiritual, it weakens itself and loses its authority. In these days of vigorous free thinking, any religion that is not concerned with the broad facts of God, but instead, is preoccupied with dogmas that are not necessary, weakens itself further.

 

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the relationship between science and religion is complex and cannot be reduced to a simple causal relationship. Sri Ramakrishna's life and experiences showed that essential religion transcends individual dogmas and beliefs and is a universal truth that strengthens all religions. However, any religion that is preoccupied with dogmas that are not spiritual weakens itself and loses its authority. It is essential to recognize the universal truth in religion and to focus on the broad facts of God rather than individual dogmas.

 Jalatarpanam: The Significance of Water in Various Traditions and Cultures

 Water holds a special place in various traditions and cultures around the world. In Hinduism, Jalatarpanam is a unique ritual that involves standing in waist-deep water while facing the sun, filling the hands with water and allowing it to fall back. The Ganga river is revered as a Mother Goddess, where devotees immerse themselves as well as carry its water home. Water is not just a source of survival in Indic tradition but also a medium of psycho-spiritual cleansing.

 

Buddhist master Atisha noticed the purity of springs in Tibet and proposed water alone to be used as an offering. Bhutanese Yonchap made the daily offering of seven bowls of water a common practice, symbolizing mental purification from afflictions, resulting in clarity and calmness.

 

Water in Mithraism is revered as a living element that nourishes everything and is guarded by Goddess Anahita, Ava, associated with fertility, healing, and wisdom. Prophet Zoroaster considered offering water to be the most meritorious of actions, and Zoroastrians are sometimes called ‘water-worshippers.' Water is also a purificatory ritual in many cultures, such as Islamic wudhu and the washing of the deceased. Baptism symbolizes the death of the old self and the resurrection into a new life in Christ.

 

In Taoism, water is referred to as the watercourse way, and its pliability and ‘allowingness’ suggest humility, a sign of true intelligence and wisdom. Lao Tzu writes, "Water is the softest and most yielding substance. Yet nothing is better than water for overcoming the hard and rigid, because nothing can compete with it."

 

Water is also associated with health in the Rig Ved, which hails water as the reservoir of all curative medicines. Water is one of the five mahabhutas, great elements, and its association with health is due to its function as a healing and regenerating agent. It moistens tissues in the eyes, nose, and throat, carries nutrients and oxygen to the cells, and balances body temperature.

 

Water is a metaphor for resilience and freedom, as its unimpeded flow, even when facing obstacles, is adopted as a principle in martial arts, Qigong, and Tai Chi. Water is also capable of wielding great power, despite its seeming fluidity and weakness. Water metaphors are abundant in our language, with flow being the key to its use, and its stagnation likened to staleness or rigidity.

 

In psycho-mythological literature, water is regarded as the symbol of the unconscious and is connected to the moon. It is often depicted as an inverted triangle. Water in the Chinese tradition is yin, feminine, and its flow is downward, with energy of stillness and conserving.

 

Water is nurturing, gentle, and accommodating, and ancient sages advised virtuous people in leading positions to adopt these qualities. Water's evocations are felt in the fresh smell after rain, the tranquillity of the murmuring river, and in the playfulness of children jumping into puddles or splashing water. As Gene Kelly showed in the film ‘Singin’ in the Rain,’ water can also bring out the joy in adults.

  IF HE EXIST

 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 7 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 7 minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste 7 minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 7minutes joy that I derive 4m.-

 

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW :7th heaven moment of the week in ipl csk won by 7 in, kkr won scoring 207/7 epl son no 7 scored a goal

The True Path to Spiritual Enlightenment

 The True Path to Spiritual Enlightenment

 

The journey towards spiritual enlightenment is not a simple one. It requires continuous effort and dedication, rather than occasional japa or meditation practices followed by a life filled with material pursuits. True spirituality arises when every thought, action, and circumstance in one's life is imbued with spiritual essence. It must be a part of one's being, rather than just a set of practices. To achieve this, it is necessary to work with one's hands, talk to people about work and business with one's mouth, but always keep the mind fixed on God. Only through living in God can one truly find purpose and fulfilment in life.

 

To reach this state of enlightenment, one must possess humility, selflessness, and non-attachment. Understanding that God is the only reality and truth is crucial to maintaining this state. While it is difficult, it can be achieved through repeated practice. Sri Ramakrishna used the example of a village woman who was able to perform multiple tasks simultaneously while keeping her mind focused on her work as an illustration of this practice. She could cook rice, settle accounts, and breastfeed her baby all at the same time, while keeping her attention on the task at hand.

 

In conclusion, the path to spiritual enlightenment requires continuous effort and dedication, rather than just occasional spiritual practices. It is necessary to imbue every aspect of one's life with spirituality, and to keep one's mind fixed on God. This can only be achieved through humility, selflessness, non-attachment, and repeated practice.

 

True Happiness Lies Within The Illusion of Seeking Outside Oneself

 

The pursuit of happiness outside of oneself is akin to trying to capture a cloud with a lasso - an impossible feat. True happiness is not a material possession, but a state of mind that must be experienced and lived. Seeking happiness through worldly power or wealth is futile, as it can never be fully attained. The restlessness that comes from an outward focus of awareness only ensures that happiness remains elusive.

 Genuine happiness can only be found within oneself, and those who seek it elsewhere are like those chasing rainbows among the clouds. One must analyze sense-pleasures and recognize that they are a form of bondage, rather than freedom. The way to true happiness is through self-control, not further indulgence.

 Depending solely on external circumstances for nourishment gradually depletes one's reserves of energy. Material riches without inner peace are like dying of thirst while bathing in a lake. It is spiritual poverty, not material lack, that lies at the root of human suffering.

 It is essential to differentiate between one's needs and wants, and to minister only to the former. Pursuing limitless wants and false happiness outside oneself will only lead to less happiness in the long run. Do not be a slave to possessions, and even your needs should be boiled down to their essence.

 

True happiness can be achieved through self-control, plain living and high thinking, and spending less money. It is important to earn more so that one can be of service to others. The drama of life is an illusion, and the wise recognize this, seeking eternal happiness within themselves.

 

IF HE EXIST

 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 7 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 7 minutes a day. But, if He exists? I am afraid you are wasting your entire lifetime. I prefer to waste 7 minutes rather than a lifetime. Why should you grudge me the 7minutes joy that I derive 4m.-

 

ILLUSTRATED REVIEW :7th heaven moment of the week in ipl pbk won by 7