WAYS AND MEANS OF HAPPY LIFE

Happy life  is an accomplished life that doesn't end with death but with eternal life !

(Angelo Scola)

The roots of Indian culture are in Sanatana Dharma, Eternal Faith or Righteousness. It is the original rather a natural yet logical and satisfying spiritual, personal and scientific way of living a life. Sanatana Dharma is not a religion; it is a culture, a way of life impregnated with vedic wisdom inherited through rushis and jnanis.

Iha para sadhana, which is quintessential way of life in the  Indian culture lends the thought of leading happy righteous life through this mundane sojourn and finally attaining the Ultimate Reality, the Eternal Life.

Here we have the knowledge about the ways and means of leading a happy life in this world described by Annamacharya in his sankeertana, "Vatti Lampatala Badi Boraluta Kante, Vottina Virati Nura Kundute Sukhamu" !

'Instead of this mortal body being carried away by the bondage and entanglements, to be still in quietude with detachment leads to happiness.

'Discarding of  all sinful deeds in this world fetches happiness.Possessing the attribute of maintaining peace by leaving anger results in happiness in life.By implementing steadfastly the instructions of wisdom received from one's guru keeps one happy.The day, on which one does not fumble into attractions desires and infatuations, is the happy one.

'In this world, the mind which relaxes, with all fickleness subsided, dwells in happiness. This birth is worthy of happiness when  the being is indulged in righteous chores passed down from the ancestors. Judicious selection and regular following one appropriate course of practice for deliverance in this world as well as for realization of the Eternal Existence, gives happiness.Being self contented rather than entertaining countless desires and expectations fetches happiness.

'Wealth acquired by fair means without squeezing fellow beings keeps one happy. Plain and truthful talk only gives one happiness. In this world, happiness lies in serving the Almighty with astute devotion and leading a well defined peaceful course of life in quietude'.

The words by William Law that "He who has learned to pray has learned the greatest secret of a holy and happy life", fortify the last line of the above text of sankeertana. Thus total surrender with devotion to the Almighty is the panacea for a holy, pious, happy life in this world and the other, the Eternal !

"Vatti Lampatala Badi Vada Boraluta Kante"(own tune)

Source of My Happy Life !

Om Shanti !

HELP THE NEEDY, NOT THE WELL OFF !

"Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya" ! From darkness (Ajnana) to light (Jnana), Oh Almighty, lead us !

Devotion towards Sakara Brahman (Almighty with Name and Form) to Total Surrender to Realization of Truth, the Nirakara Brahman (Formless Supreme Consciousness); It's a devotee's journey, a Pilgrim's Progress,  from dualistic vision to nondualistic reality about the Almighty. In the earlier part of dualistic vision, an astute devotee expresses  about the appropriateness of the Almighty in coming to the rescue of the needy instead of the well placed ones.

Annamacharya has ventilated his suggestions to the Almighty in unequivocal terms, in his sankeertana, "Teliya Chikatiki Dipa Mettaka, Velugu Lopalilki Velugela" !

'For the people who have lost their bearings and are groping in darkness (Ajnana), a lamp is needed for proper guidance towards destination; What is the necessity of a lamp for those who are already in bright light !

'One who is in difficulties or dangers, needs a word of solace, a word of encouragement and timely help. For the one who is already safe, secure and comfortable, no help is necessary. One who is caught up in floods direly needs to be rescued by whatever means possible. For the one who is in a safe and secure place on the banks, why one should think of rescuing? No help is necessary.

'Almighty has to  come to the help of and save those who are entangled by 'karma bandhas', all deeds of commission and omission in the past births and present birth. On the other hand, the liberated souls like yogis, do not require any  help from Him. One who is hungry with empty stomach needs to be fed with food. But the one who is satiated stomach full doesn't need any feeding.

'Almighty's help is needed for the one who is neck deep in committing sinful deeds. Why He should think of helping the pious one. So, O Lord ! What are you there for unless to come to our help and rescue us in time when we are losing courage and bewildered in entanglements !'

Thus, this sankeeertana brings forth our sincere thrust to look towards the "helping hand' which is none other than the "driving force" within this earthly name and form !

                      "Teliya Chikatiki Dipa Mettaka Pedda, Velugu Lopaliki Velugela"

Om Shanti !

TRANSIENT AND 'THE' INTRANSIENT !

"Men may come, men may go; But I go on forever " !

(Alfred Lord Tennyson) 

These Immortal lines of the nineteenth century poet laureate that bring forth the comparison and contrast between the immortality and permanence of the brook with the impermanence of the mortal human lives, are cherished in my mind as sweet memories of the bygone school days. And it would be even more amazing to find such lines of similar theme from the great poet savant, Annamacharya of  fifteenth century, four centuries ahead. It's all  about the transient beings under the spell of 'Vishnu Maya' vis a vis the Eternal Almighty! And the sankeertana is, "Aha, Emi Cheppedi Hari Ni Maya"!

'Ah! What shall I say about your Play of Illusion, Oh My Lord! What a bloom of passions right from the nascent youth!

'When taken into account, the earth is same  but the myriads of kings and emperors that ruled came and built their vast kingdoms and empires vanished in time; this earth, however didn't follow them but remained still in unchanging eternity.  As the sun and moon,  measuring days and nights pass for ages, the time ahead reminds it's nature of eternity.

' The abode of deities, 'Deva Loka' is same but many an incumbent donned the title of 'Devendra', sat on the throne, commanded over the deities and left with time; but Deva Loka didn't belong to any one individual 'Indra'. The Pancha Bhutas, Akasha (space),  Vayuh (air), Agni (fire), Apah (water) and Prithvi (earth) formed by Prakriti are same but make a profuse ramifications of branches of 'Sansara Vruksha', mundane existence of the beings.

'Oh my Lord! Here you are the one and the only one but your devotees are countless; how much intently we serve you, it remains insatiable. Oh my Lord! My devotion graced by you is a treasure trove; the intent and purpose of this human birth of mine is fulfilled!'

Thus, the discreet awareness of what is permanent and what is not, what is transitory and what is Eternal, in this mundane existence, enlightens us towards realization of the Intransient Eternal Existence!

                                                "Aha Emi Cheppedi Hari Ni Maya" (own tune)

                           

Om Shanti!

ALL BEINGS BORN EQUAL....BUT !

"Samam sarveshu bhuteshu tishtamtam parameswaram"- The Almighty is present in all beings, in all forms of His creation, in equal measure. All beings come into this world  with equal honour and dignity in their own placement accorded by the Almighty in His creation. However, the karmic patterns of  pious and sinful deeds in the life's journey of each individual beings,  influence their destinies. The  wise one who by discreet quest seeks the  Truth, comes to understand about the real 'manipulating hand' behind all the variegated patterns of lives of the beings as the play of the Almighty and thus becomes disillusioned !

The unveiled vision of 'Vishnu Maya' is well depicted in the sankeertana, "Puttugulu nokkate punya
papamule veru" by Sri Annamacharya. His benevolent passing of this divine wisdom makes the voice emotional.

'Births of all beings are same, neither less important nor more important, since it is the creation of the Divine with name and form. However, as the life's journey on this earth starts, with karma, actions whether of pious or sinful decide the destinies of the beings. Can any one interfere or influence with the course on which the being is ordained to pace through with  related pleasures and pains entwining the being?

'Day becomes night for certain beings and night becomes day for certain other beings. The beings which are active during day time rest at night and the beings which are active during night - nocturnal like bats, owls- become restful during day time. (Apart from the above apparent literal meaning for the  lines 'pagalE rEyi yI baDi konni jIvulaku, vogi nA rEyi pagalou nokarikini', we can infer implicit deeper spiritual meaning. While this precious and rare opportunity of human birth is wasted away in transitoy mundane pleasures with blissful ignorance and folly by some, the wise ones like Jnani-s are awake pursuing deeds befitting Enlightenment, when the former are asleep in bondages). In the same contrast, though Almighty is only one among all the beings,  the approach paths for His Realization are many making scope for sprouting of multiple religious faiths and practices. After all, this is a part of His illusory play and nothing else!

'Certain plants and trees, like neem (margosa) and bitter gourd, are bitter throughout, from root to leaf tip; at the same time, certain other plants like sugar cane grow with sweetness spread all over. Subtlety of Intellect is same in all, but creeds, postulates differ from person to person. After all, these are the clever entanglements as part of the illusory play of the Almighty and nothing else!

'The worldly existence itself is 'be all end all' of the Almighty's presence itself, for those who are enlightened.  Hence  they rejoice in this journey of earthly life. they see ocean (Almighty) in the drop (individual self). While,  for some others the deluding earthly pleasures are  as if the heaven itself has descended upon them. They are doomed for more and more entanglement of miserable quagmire  ruining their lives ultimately. How ever, when one renders service to Lord Venkateswara, intently with devotion, all the Vishnu Maya, illusory play of the Almighty, melts and slips away; leading to the realization of the Eternal Truth, all pervading 'Self'  !'....

This makes us understand more easily what the Almighty had said in Bhagavad Gita 7:7,
'Mayi sarvam idam protein sutre mani gana iva'; ' I am the string holding all the pearls' ! We are all in realization of that String Eternal !
                                               
                                          "Puttugulu Nokkate, Punya Papamule Veru"

                                                                 

Om Shanti !

REFLECTIONS OF A REALIzED ONE

Yastvatmaratireva syadatmatruptascha manavah

atmanyeva cha santushtastasya karyam na vidyate
(Gita 3:17)

(For those who rejoice in the Self, who are illumined and fully satisfied in the Self, 

for  them there is no duty) 

"Om Shanti" ! It's a word that is associated, in all these spiritual posts,  to a Form with a genuine effort to impart some thing good in this world before disappearance of the Form and the Name. It is true that no specified qualification of Scriptures or Gurus are necessary for the great and Ultimate Realization. And, Om Shanti has truly realized that there is NO such term as 'DEATH' which in this mundane world is construed to all created ones. All the forms and  names are only illusory  manifestations of the one single existence, that is the Supreme Consciousness, Suddha Chaitanya. There is only 'transformation' in between the un-manifest Eternal Energy, Suddha Chaitanya and  it's illusory manifestations (matter) in to various forms and names in cyclic pattern. Hence there is no particular 'point' called 'death' in this cycle. For example, every body knows that when heated solid ice transforms into liquid water, water into vapour; again when cooled, vapour becomes water and water transforms into solid ice once again. No one would say that ice met with 'Death' or water and vapour met with 'Death'. They transform from one form to another; And the innate Energy in all these three 'forms and names' is always same and indestructible, that is, Constant and Eternal!

Now, after this great realization that we are all 'deathless' the real eternal bliss cropped up which is undeterred and unaffected by the pains and pleasures afflicting this mundane body with Name and Form. On the other hand the happiness one feels he or she deriving from possessing an article, person, or occurrence of an event is subject to diminish gradually.

About this point of realization, I have come across a beautiful sankeertana by the great savant and poet laureate, Sri Anamacharya, "Mundara Galadani Mosa Poti Nide, Indune Tudi Pada Mekkitina"!

'I have been under the wrong deception that the much cherished after spiritual goal of liberation, Mukti, is still far away ahead; But Lo, now I realize that I have already climbed up and reached the final niche, the Realization.

'(As ordained by the Almighty) I bore this physical mundane body, passing through all stages of growth I remitted the necessary dues expected of me for my existence on this earth, Hope I have done enough pious deeds. I have seen the peak of youth with all its flirtations  and multiple relations and tastes. Being fed up cast off all filthy wanderings.

'I woke up from my slumber and realized the ultimate and Eternal Truth, knowledge of the Soul,  Pondered over various scriptures  and did holy chanting, performed various austerities laid down in the society, Now I attained the calming down of my flirting mind with peace.

'In this process, all along I had gone after worshiping multiple deities, traveled a lot and plunged in various teerthas (holy waters), of course without cherishing the Truth. Ultimately, It is You, Oh My Lord, who came to  my help for Salvation.  Now I am relieved, with peace and self satisfaction; I realized,  I am that Universal "ONE"!'

This is the much cherished keeertana because it reflects the springing bliss within always - as told in the opening quote, 'Rejoicing in the Self' !

'Mundara Gala Dani Mosa Poti NIde'
(own tune)

Jnana Deepa

         
Om Shanti !