DEIVATHIN KURAL # 45 (Vol # 7) Dated 29 Sept 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 45 (Vol # 7) Dated 29 Sept 2013

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavãL of Kanchi Kaamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are going ahead from page No 380 of Volume 7 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein ‘man/he’ includes ‘woman/she’ too mostly. These e-mails are all available at   http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated continually)

'Uallathai Kulippattungal' – Bathe Your Inner Self

(This is also For Children)

6.       'உடல் தூய்மை' - Cleanliness of the Body.  You children should not get various diseases of the skin such as psoriasis and other such infections.  Once you contact them, you are the sufferer, as you are not able to study, play, sit down, eat or even sleep.  How and why do such diseases occur?  They happen due to dirt.  If you keep your body clean, by bathing after rubbing your body with soap or Seeyakkai (soap nut) powder such infections will not occur.  It is not good enough to do that only one day but, you have to do so every day, because the dirt keeps accumulating on the body every day.  In fact it is even better, if you can bathe both in the morning and evening every day!  From childhood itself if you get used to bathing in cold water, it is even better.  This habit will be a safe guard against cold and cough throughout one's life.  Cold water revitalizes the nerves and the mind will also be rejuvenated instead of feeling tired.  Body will be clean and the mind will be bright and cheerful with dynamism in work.  Cleanliness known as 'tooimai' – 'தூய்மை' in Tamil is said to be next only to Godliness.  Then dirt will not come near you.  First I told you about keeping the body clean.  Next is your dress.

7.            'உடைத் தூய்மை' – Cleanliness of the Dress.  However much you may bathe, it will be a wasted effort unless you maintain your dress clean.  Even if the clothes are dirty infections will occur.  If you launder your clothes they will give you the clothes washed, dried and pressed.  Everybody cannot afford that.  It is best if you can wash your own clothes and that could also prove to be a good physical exercise.  The very feeling of satisfaction that we have washed our own clothes so nicely shining bright can give you a sense of rightful pride that will make your parents happy while cutting the laundry bill.  By these two actions of scrubbing your body clean while bathing and wearing your clothes washed every day, you would have endeavoured to get rid of dirt and skin diseases.

8.            'உள்ளத் தூய்மை' – Cleanliness of the Heart.  In addition to the body and dress, deep inside is the 'Heart of the Matter'!  I am not talking about the heart that pumps the blood but the mind or 'manas' in the human being!  Your very thoughts, attitude and outlook have to be clean and their cleanliness is the most important.  Without that inner cleanliness all the cleanliness of the body and dress are of no relevance whatsoever.  To ensure that the mind is not coated with dirt, it has to be often scrubbed clean and bathed.  What is the dirt that accumulates on the mind?  The errors, wrongs and sins are the sort of dirt in the mind.  That is the dirt in the intentions.  There could be some errors in our actions that just happen unintended.  That is not a big thing.  Even an elephant may slip sometimes.  When we are doing some service which is socially very important, so that we may not develop too much of a head weight that we are doing something great and so that we may develop the perspective that, it is God's blessings that is more important, such errors do happen.  On such occasions it is best to pray to God and that will cleanse the situation and solve the problem.

'Poyyum Bhayamum' – 'Lies and Fears'.

9.            But when we make a mistake or commit a blunder, what is our own response to it?  Like a smudge in the mind it keeps irritating us.  Our first reaction is to hide it so that others may not notice it.  Truthfully if we pray to God, as and when such slippage occurs, that prayer itself will resolve the situation.  Instead when you want to hide the error, you have to lie, further complicating and confounding the situation.  If dirt instead of being washed and cleaned is simply covered and hidden from view only, it will become something like a festering sore oozing with pus.  What hurts the inner being of us most is this falsehood only.  One such lie leads to yet another and like an infectious disease becomes worse causing us to scratch and bleed!

10.          Why do we wish to hide our mistakes?  We wish to hide our mistakes from others as we wish to be thought of, as being good and efficient or due to being afraid that we will be found out and taken to task or punished.  Anyhow the whole thing is a lie and a façade.  That lie is very much like the skin disease psoriasis.  We have to have love and respects towards our elders but not unfounded and meaningless fears.  This fear itself is like dirt that affects the cleanliness of the heart.  Even when you have committed a mistake, you should be telling the truth to your elders and not cover and hide by a lie.  It may happen that the whole thing may come out that we have not only erred but also bluffed!  Elders may excuse us for the error but, may not pardon us our bluffing.  That may cause a greater hurt to our ego.  If we tell the truth elders may pardon us.  Even if they punish us, it is alright as they have a right to do so.  We should accept that with courage and the sense that, 'for the mistake that we have done we are getting what is our due'!  Courage and truthfulness are like the soap and shampoo that remove the dirt of the mind.

Jealousy

11.     This is another bug bear that affects children as well as elders.  If another child is better than us in studies or games or wearing a silk dress and comes to the class with much pomp and show or has seen the latest cinema on the first day of its release, the very look of that boy or girl instigates jealousy.  As the very spelling correctly indicates, we are at once under the spell of a lousy feeling!  That dirt affects our mind more seriously landing us in all sorts of further aggravating the problem.  We will try and fight that other person and if we cannot win by a fair fight, we may resort to complaining and falsely accusing the other person by innuendo.  Thus one lie and bluff leads to another spreading exactly like an infectious disease!  In the bargain our attention to studies and keenness in sports and games will be less.  Thus we will spoil our own knowledge, physical fitness and reputation.  In fact this jealousy is a completely unnecessary and 'good-for-nothing' feeling!

12.          Competitiveness in Studies and Sports.  Young children should have competitiveness in studies, more than in any other field, that when you see other children getting good marks, you should also get motivated to do equally well or even excel.  By hard work and diligent application of one's utmost, one should try to do better to become knowledgeable with excellent behaviour.  Competition is alright, but not jealousy.  The same applies in all fields such as sports.  To keep the body strong and mind active, you should be playing games.  Even without my saying children are very much interested in games.  Here is where you have to be careful.  Sports and games should remain a motivator in your spare time and not become a hindrance in your studies.  So you have to control your keenness for games and channelize it within limits.  You may compete very seriously in sports but without giving in to jealousy and hate.  The one who beats you should become your best friend and not an enemy.  To be friendly with all other students will keep our own heart clean.  In God's big family, we are all children.  So, more than friendliness, we should inculcate a brotherly feeling towards all.  That will give us maximum pleasure in all our dealings with others in the world.

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 44 (Vol # 7) Dated 27 Sept 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 44 (Vol # 7) Dated 27 Sept 2013

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavãL of Kanchi Kaamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are going ahead from page No 377 of Volume 7 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein ‘man/he’ includes ‘woman/she’ too mostly. These e-mails are all available at   http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated continually)

(Note: - From this issue onwards PeriyavãL talks about his messages to small children, a little grown up children in schools and colleges and then about taking care of the cow, under the general heading Society.  Let us start with the first being the one for small children.)

'மூட்டை தூக்கி' – 'Load Carrier'

(For Small Children)

1.       Your home is a family for which Father and Mother are the heads or leaders.  Similarly the whole world is a big family for which Easwara and AmbãL are the parents.  You children should have love and respect for your parents.  Similarly towards Easwara and AmbãL as parents of this big family you should have love and devotion.  Between your small family of home and this big one of the world, there is yet another family known as the school.  All the students in the school are like your brothers and sisters at home.  For this interim family the Head Master or Mistress with the team of teachers should all be considered and viewed as parents with equal love and respect.

2.            During your stay in the school, your duty is to read study and learn.  All your attention should be completely in your studies only.  This is not the time to get involved in other extraneous matters.  However many other interesting subjects may be there, you may get involved in those things after due consideration after completing your education.  You should not be entering those things on the pretext that, 'Already I have some power and the mind to get involved in them.  So, I am going to enter those areas which do some good to the world.  Why shouldn't I'?  First you learn to take care of yourself before you start doing anything for this world!

3.            Say there is a load carrier who works for some payment of wages for each load.  When he feels cramps or muscle pull in the hip, what will he do?  Even if he has some power to carry the load, as he is not doing well, first he should look for getting some medical attention or at least some rest and try and relax his muscles, isn't it?  Otherwise he is likely to further harm his physical well-being.  Doing service to this world is also like lifting loads for others only.  Whether you do it for wages or do it for free, to do it, you have to have the necessary power.  Instead of building up one's own physical power and mental fitness, if we start doing social service, we will have both physical discomforts and psychological problems.  Instead of helping others we will need others help!  At a young age, before building up our own physical and mental wellbeing, if we get involved in things other than our studies, we will only be a sick person.

4.            Already we have many mental diseases such as desire, anger and many other deficiencies and disabilities.  These are our accumulated loads of the past sins.  Before this birth we have committed many crimes and sins in our past lives.  That is why we have this body as a load already.  We already carry the 'vãsanãs' – 'वासना' or 'smell' of our past sins, tendencies and proclivities!  That is why, before knowing anything, we have some likes and dislikes, desires and passions.  We go to school not to take sides on issues, but to know ourselves and get rid of our past 'vãsanãs'.  Ignorance as a disease is treated with education.  With that our bad habits and tendencies have to be got rid of.  For this education alone is not enough.  We need humility and patience.  With humbleness bad habits and bad character qualities can be got rid of.  With respectful devotion to Mother, Father, Teacher and God, if we pay due attention to our studies, we will obtain knowledge and at the same time our good character qualities will also grow and refine.

5.            Without humility any amount of accumulation of knowledge will only be a waste.  Mere knowledge will only inculcate the feeling that, we are highly knowledgeable and we will think of no end to ourselves, leading to boosting of ego and pride.  God will not help such people and without God's Blessings however erudite and intelligent we may be, we cannot be successful and happy.  For the disease known as 'the heavy baggage of past sins' the only medicine is education.  This medicine has to be carefully taken.  After all learning we have to reckon with our infinitesimal smallness and imbibe true sense of humility.  This we have to learn as the important lesson of education.  Doctor when he prescribes medicines, will also tell us to maintain certain strictness in our diet.  If we follow that, then only the medicine will have salubrious effect.  For you all with education, the only rule of diet is that you should also inculcate true humility that is, 'vidya and vinayam' – 'विद्या व विनयं', known as 'PaNivu' – 'பணிவு' in Tamil.  With PaNivu be devoted to God, Guru and your parents, be good students paying all your attention to your studies.  God will help you.  (Elders reading this e-mail may think of reading it out to your children.)

(Deivathin Kural will continue.)

Sambhomahadeva

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 43 (Vol # 7) Dated 25 Sept 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 43 (Vol # 7) Dated 25 Sept 2013

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavãL of Kanchi Kaamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are going ahead from the middle of page No 369 of Volume 7 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein ‘man/he’ includes ‘woman/she’ too mostly. These e-mails are all available at   http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated continually)

420.        How is that food the first link in the chain of six elements produced?  It is by rain.  All the unmoving life forms of nature of trees, creepers and plants are known as 'sthavara' – 'स्थावर' in Sanskrit.  We make use of their leaves, flowers, grains and fruits as food.  We are not talking about the mobile animals here, whose flesh is also eaten by man.  Animals are known as 'jangama' – 'जङ्गम' in Sanskrit.  Anyhow they also grow with the input of water available from rain. How is rain formed?  As said earlier as per the orders of the Emperor of the Universe, his officers or agents being the natural forces, the celestials known as Devas forming part of the entire system of Nature, work in cohesion.  So, we are to care more for others and not be too greedy and selfish, offer our best to God through oblations in fire, with the intention of welfare of all the people of the world.  By this sacrifice the celestials are pleased and in turn they do many things for the well-being of the people of the world at large.  Especially they cause the rain-fall that does the major contribution in producing food for the masses.  So the third link is 'rain from Yãga'.

421.        How did this Yãga come about?  The intention of Yãga or Sacrifice being in one's heart and mind, they take the shape of actions as Yãga and Yagnya with Mantras, making up the fourth link in the chain 'Yãga from Karma'.  If your next questions is as to from where those actions which become powerful by Mantras arose, the answer is that, they are from the Vedas.  Thus Sri Krishna connects the fifth link in the chain as, 'Karma from the Vedas'.  Now, how did the Vedas come about?  Vedas have no coming into being and vanishing or destruction.  They are for ever, the very breath of God, inalienably Him.  So the sixth part of the link in the chain, as Sri Krishna says is, 'Vedas from God'!  Thus through the chain of Cause and Effect he connects human beings with God, in three slokas 14 to 16 of Chapter 3 of Bhagawat Gita, completing the chain of six links!

422.        Still continuing his advice further, Sri Krishna says that as far as the human being is concerned, the Vedas are centred in Yãga that is, his intention of 'Thyaga' in the form of action as Karma.  Here it becomes clear that, we should live with the minimum of possessions and properties cutting down on the needs and our expenditure so as to be able to sacrifice for the sake of others      , is the Dharma as directed by God!  It is clear that Bhagawan Sri Krishna wishes to underline and emphasise the importance of this attitude of Thyaga from the fact that this link 'Yãga / Yagnya' which is the third link in the chain is repeated at the end his talk about the wheel of Dharma.  He also warns that, forsaking and ignoring this Order of Dharma Chakra, those who live for only for selfish ends, personal gratification and wastefully overuse materials; would have wasted a lifetime in sin!

423.        In Tamil there is this ThirukkuraL by ThiruvaLLuvar which is like Dharma Sãstrãs in Sanskrit.  In the first chapter he refers to God as 'aravãzhi andaNan' – 'அறவாழி அந்தணன்'.  Here this phrase could be interpreted as 'the God holding the Dharma Chakram'.  May God grant us that if not now at least in the near future, He may make us leave our tendency to be too selfish and open our eyes to cut down on accumulations and undertake a life of Thyaga and helping the world with all our vigour and enterprise.  The political freedom we have thus got, by God's Grace may thus be useful for us to imbibe Dharma and live with in minimum means to pull ourselves above the flimsy pleasures of life to aspire for the great pleasure of refuge in God!

Prayer for the Nation and Individual's Real Freedom

424.        For long this country has persevered for attaining freedom.  By God's Grace and blessings of great Mahatmas of our land, and people's incomparable level of sacrifice this Independence has been achieved.  Let us pray that by this independence, our country may flourish, be rid of scarcities, social unrests, religion and caste based conflicts and become lovingly caring for each other and live as one Indian Society, for which the omnipresent God may bless us!  With the nation's attainment of freedom, let us also persevere for our individual freedom.  Only when we get to know ourselves completely we can consider ourselves to be free.  Contrary to such a state, as of now, neither our minds nor our senses are under our control.   We are not able to control our anger and desires.  Both of them are pestering us always.  We never think of the golden mien of saying, 'enough' of anything.  The sadness of life still has us in its grip.  Even small inconvenience or sorrow disturbs us immensely.  How are we to reach the shore of such ocean of sorrow and sadness? 

425.        Our mind has to come under our control.  For long it has been under nobody's control going every which way.  To control our minds, we have to start making some effort at least in a small way.  If and when this mind comes under our control, that will be the real and complete freedom.  Every day at least for a few minutes keeping our minds peaceful, we should train ourselves to dwell in meditating on God, without any other thought.  Practice makes us perfect.  By doing Dhyãna, over time the mind gets clear.  This is an ideal means of controlling ones anger and desire.  For a person who takes to this habit, steadily step by step this Sãdhana will make Ãtma Gnãna a possibility.  That is real freedom from all debilities and compulsions. 

426.        Others' women should be considered and treated as one's own mother.  Other's life should be considered as one's own.  Even at the cost of death one should speak only the truth.  Gossip and social conflicts and class conflicts should be completely abhorred.  Equal love should be evinced with all.  Everyone should wish for all humanity's welfare and well-being.  Everyone should work for his own increase of knowledge and personal progress.  For all this we should be praying to God to grant us the mind, the right attitude and power.  Like the ancient India the present Independent India should also shine as an ideal for high sense of Thyaga and be a direction pointer for all the people of the world.  With that prayer and well wishes I greet you all in this occasion!

(Deivathin Kural will continue.)

Sambhomahadeva

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 42 (Vol # 7) Dated 22 Sept 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 42 (Vol # 7) Dated 22 Sept 2013

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavãL of Kanchi Kaamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are going ahead from page No 364 of Volume 7 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein ‘man/he’ includes ‘woman/she’ too mostly. These e-mails are all available at   http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated continually)

413.        It is very interesting to note as to how this Dharma Chakra could find a place in the Nation's Flag that too the center spot!  The persons entrusted with the task of designing the nations new flag were basically looking for a symbolic figure totally unconnected to God or Religion.  Finally they decided on Dharma Chakra, which is a design in the historically well-known pillar in Sãranãth near Ranchi, called the Ashoka Pillar.  Ashoka as an Emperor declared himself to be 'devãnãm priya' – 'देवानां प्रिय:', meaning 'the loved one of the celestials' and was much loved by the people of this country also and hence to have that symbol in the National Flag is a matter of pride and honour for all of us! Still ignoring God paying attention only to morality and justice as a principle of Dharma, is a bit of a come-down while being impractical too! 

414.        In his administration and management of this world, as the one to enact Laws as Dharma and ensure its prevalence and observance, as the benefactor for those who follow those rules and as the one who will ensure punishment of those errant defaulters and as the sort of C.E.O. of the whole world and universe and as the one who gives and takes away our lives, is how Hinduism depicts God.  When the masses have this idea in their minds, it is natural for them to have mix of devotion and fear of such a God.  This naturally evokes a sense of discipline in their minds.  Forgetting this practical truth when that religion of Buddhism that Ashoka followed and preached, it was not much useful practically.  The leaders of that religion too in fairly a short time, looking at the chaotic functioning of their 'Sangam' learnt their lessons fast enough.  So they conceived of the very founder of that religion, Buddha as God and raised temples and statues of Buddha bigger than any other Gods of the Hindus, while evolving Scriptures and procedures for his worship, exactly as it is for their Gods in Hinduism!  Then they virtually adopted all the pantheon of Gods, as it is in the Hindu religion, as part and parcel of their procedure for worship.   This is how, though the present political leaders with an attitude of reforming zeal in free India thought of Ashoka as non-religious!  Still he claimed himself to be, as I quoted earlier, 'देवानां प्रिय:' meaning that he is the 'beloved of Gods'. 

415.        Without paying any attention to these facts, taking only the fact that the founder of that religion is supposed to have said that basic power or driving force is 'damma chakka pavrtan' (which is a corruption in 'Pãli' language of the Sanskrit original 'dharma chakra pravartan' – 'धर्म चक्र प्रवर्तन', meaning 'to move the wheel of morality'), to be a declaration of agnosticism!  Thus it was by chance and with God's Grace the Wheel of Morality has come to adorn the central spot in our National Flag! In fact the real meaning of that phrase is 'to cause the wheel of morality move well', meaning to 'spread the tenets of that religion in all directions'!  Whatever it is, we can consider this as an indirect assurance that the free government of India will work hard for the spread and maintenance of fairness, righteousness and morals in the country and towards such a hope, we can be happy that it has come to stay as the central figure in our National Flag!

Vedic Statement as National Ideal

416.        There is one more thing to be happy about.  As a statement of the ideal of this country, there is an Upanishadic statement that has been selected as a national ideal.  It is 'satyameva jayate' – 'सत्यमेव जयते', meaning that truth will prevail.  This is the declaration by the basic scripture of Sanãtana Dharma, informing the people of the world that come what may, the eventual victor will be the Truth!  Here too suitable to the modernists who did not wish to touch anything Hindu with even a barge pole, this statement could never be thought of as having anything to do with Hinduism as a statement of human optimism!  Whatever it is, we appreciate the fact that this Upanishadic Statement has become the official declaration of the ideal by the free government of India!  Thus the Dharma Chakra, multi-sided-lion and this 'सत्यमेव जयते', became the Official Seal of our free Government of India.

Is it Dharma Chakram or the Wheel of Industry?

417.        There are people who wonder if the purpose of selecting this Dharma Chakra is something else!  The national character of India is basically and traditionally is about 'simple living' only.  The main leader of our Independence movement, Mahatma Gandhi was of the conviction that, this country of massive population should opt for handy-crafts and cottage industry which are mostly done with small equipments and tools with more input of human labour.  Symbolically he opted for the Charka, the hand driven   equipment for making threads from  raw cotton cobs, which are further used in making cloth with hand-looms.  That is why he got the Charka in the center of the Congress Flag.  But totally contrary to his views, enamoured of western life of luxury and huge machines as required for such a life; one wonders if the new crops of leaders of India have gone-in for the Dharma Chakram the wheel, indicative of opting for industrial revolution!

Dharma Chakram as Shown by Gita

418.        Whatever the truth of it, though we have forgotten God, with kindness and grace, God has manipulated the Dharma Chakra in to our flag, so that whatever be the present scenario, one day we may learn from our mistakes and give up this over-reliance on heavy industries and going by our traditional ways, opt for labour intensive technologies as a counter approach and be an anti-dote for the ills troubling the whole world!  So this Dharma Chakra is God's assurance making people like me hopeful that the future holds such a possibility.  The particular reason for my hopefulness is that, the same idea of 'dharma chakra pravartan' – 'धर्म चक्र प्रवर्तन', some five thousand years before Buddha thought of it, Bhagawan Sri Krishna has mentioned this in the 16th sloka of the 3rd Chapter, as to how the orderly system he has set up for human beings works, 'evam pravartitam chakram' – 'एवं प्रवर्तितं चक्रं', meaning this wheel thus keeps rolling.  If your question is as how does it work he explains that also.  Dharmam that is righteous living is the axle with the outer cycle being the manifestation of cause and effect.  Starting with the human as a series of six parts, it ends in divinity.  What is that series in six parts?

The Path of the Cycle: Sacrifice Its Essence

419.        Bhagawan Sri Krishna starts with 'Lives are formed from food'.  What is this food and why does it have so much of importance, let us see.  The eternal Veda Dharmam says that to give, sacrifice and renounce for others without being selfish is Thyaga, (the word त्याग in Sanskrit has all these meanings that also includes the idea of Yãga in it).  All your cherished valuable materials instead of keeping in store for oneself are offered in oblation in fire.  Fire is not just some thing or event in our understanding but, one of the five basic elements known as 'pancha bhoota:' – 'पञ्च भूत:' the others being space, air, water and earth.  What we offer in sacrifice, through the Fire-God reaches God's officers or agents and through them returns back to all living beings of the universe.  You may be far advanced technologically or industrially.  But you are equally affected when there is a Tsunami or flood or earth-quake or drought!  The idea is to give back to nature what belongs to nature.  When you give like that without feeling miserly about it, you get it back also with interest from nature!  So the Vedic rituals by Thyaga and Yãga ensure noble life of comfort for all humanity and other living beings.  Please note that these two acts of Yãga and Thyaga are both known by the one word in English, as Sacrifice!  Since you can do these acts only if you are living, keeping the purpose of feeding and catering for others as the main task, we should learn to make do with what is required for our survival essentially, as divine grace and live our life like that without greed.  This is the basic rule of Veda – as the first and foremost among all Upanishad-s, namely Esãvãsya Upanishad asserts in the very first sentence, that, "The whole Universe wherever and however small or big, is permeated and under the rule and control of Easwara.  So enjoy by giving and sharing, do not covet; since after all whose is all this wealth?" In that, giving food to others gets the pride of place, as it is like the first link in the chain of cause and effect that we are yet to discuss, that Sri Krishna starts off with the statement (in Bhagawat Gita 3.14) that life forms are born from food – 'annãd bhavanti bhootãni' – 'अन्नाद भवन्ति भूतानि'!

(To be continued)

Sambhomahadeva 

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 41 (Vol # 7) Dated 20 Sept 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 41 (Vol # 7) Dated 20 Sept 2013

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavãL of Kanchi Kaamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are going ahead from page No 357 of Volume 7 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein ‘man/he’ includes ‘woman/she’ too mostly. These e-mails are all available at   http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated continually)

403.        Here we wish to suggest a point of view for your consideration.  There is also a system in which a Government could adopt a religion that its people have been following for many years as the State Religion and give freedom to its people to follow any other religion with equal felicity and protection.  In our country, that is how the Kings of the past took care of its people by following Hinduism known as Sanãtana Dharma as the State Religion.  Except for some rare cases most of them have also been equally great benefactors of others' religions uniformly.  England which has earned a name for itself as being a much advanced country in modern technology, even today displays its faith in religion by having a song which says, "God save the King" as its National Anthem.  Moreover as one of the duties of that King, calls him the 'Defender of the Faith'.  In that too, Christianity as represented by the Church of England is the only religion England stands for, that is managed by the direct supervision of the Parliament.  This we must take into consideration for contrast.

404.        So, in Independent India too, Hinduism is the religion of the majority, as the foremost among all religions of the world and as the religion that has given the basic principles for many a religion.  It has a reputation in addition to all this, as a religion with a wide expansive vision, and as the one which has been saying that 'all religions are various ways of reaching the one God' and thus has always been the only religion which gives support to all other religions.  Most importantly it is the one religion which even in its golden era when its flags were flying high, never thought it necessary or indulged in Conversion.  Such a Hindu Religion is fit enough to be declared as the official State Religion, as we sincerely opine.  By doing so, one can rest assured that other religions' justifiable growth will not be hindered, as it is a historical fact.

405.        Still, presently because of the distrust and hate between followers of two main religions in the Indian subcontinent, there has been wide spread riots coupled with looting, arson, loss of life, dishonoring of women, damage to property and massive movement of human populations in panic in all directions as a result of dividing India into two nations!  In this situation, we are under constraint not to demand and simply give up the Hinduism's rightful position as the State Religion and accept that the Government should adopt 'Secularism' as its policy in a way, without jeopardizing the Government's equal support for all religions and not as an irreligious 'Secularism'!

406.        Suggested Changes in the Educational System; Giving Importance to Religious Teachings.  While adopting such a benign concept of Secularism, we wish to suggest a feasible and essential method by which Spiritualism can get rejuvenated.  That is, the System of Education as devised by the Britishers in India, in which all attention is focused on intellectual pursuit of worldly knowledge while religious education (of intrinsic matters of the heart, moralistic attitude and humane behavior) have been utterly neglected.  By this system the one most affected are the people of the Hindu Religion.  Religions other than Hinduism have continued with their religious education in schools run by them quite extensively. It is only the students in schools run by the majority community, who do not get any religious education at all.  As part of the general syllabus some Moral instructions are included as optional without any test of their absorption by the students.  Studies in the school followed by some homework on those very subjects and some play or entertainment, are occupying all the children's time.  So, their knowledge about their own religion, the attachment to the noble principles of that religion, have been denied to the children born to Hinduism in their most impressionable age!  This is the reason for Hindus having no pride in their own culture and a tremendous passion for the western ways of life!  Changing this from the basic foundation level, instead of name-sake religious teachings at only the peripheral level, all students should be enabled to get a fairly deep knowledge about their own religion.  To plan and execute such a system is the most important duty of the new and Independent Government of India.

407.        Like Political Freedom, People Should Fight for Religious Freedom Also.  Still seeing the trend, one wonders as to whether this government of Independent India will ever do these things that are being suggested here?  Will the national Constitution cater for such uniform and wholesome teaching of all its student population in their respective religions?  Such doubts and questions do arise.  The national leaders of today in India being seized mainly with the idea of worldly material, economic and monetary advancement, secularism has been misunderstood to mean 'governance without any connection to any religion' and this mistaken notion is what is going to be their attitude, it seems.

408.        (KTSV Adds:  As though to help me in my, this work of translation I came across an e-mail from a friend of mine quoting Lord Macaulay's address to the British Parliament dated 2nd Feb 1835.  I quote, "I have traveled across the length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is a beggar, who is a thief.  Such wealth I have seen in this country, such moral values, people of such caliber  that I do not think that we would ever conquer this country, unless we break the very backbone of this nation, which is her spiritual and cultural heritage and so I propose that we replace her old and ancient education system, her culture, for if the Indians think that all that is foreign and English is good and greater than their own, they will lose their self-esteem, their native culture and they will become, what we want them, a truly dominated nation".  Now relate this to what PeriyavãL has been saying and what he has to say further on the subject of education and religion.)

409.        By delinking themselves from all connections with religions, the leaders of Independent India have achieved much more by their adoption of the concept of 'secularism' than what the British strategic and tactical planners could ever have dreamt of!   India's has always been a unique stand of governance supportive of religions; contrary to what exists elsewhere in all the other countries of the world.  If we have to make an effort to get back to our traditional reputation, the intelligentsia of this country have to jump into the fray waking up the other citizens to join them, I insist.  Now while we have got Independence from the British Rule is the right time and a golden opportunity to make it really 'swa-tantra' that is, truly religiously oriented self-directed freedom!  But the way things are developing on the political scene, it seems more than likely that this golden opportunity will be willingly surrendered by the powers in being in this country. 

410.        So, it becomes more than necessary that some elite citizens of the nation, who sincerely feel the truth, will have to sacrifice their all and give a clarion call for all to join them as they avidly participated in the struggle for Independence, should now amass support for our intrinsic spiritual freedom and call forth for God's blessings and support.  I am praying for the support and help of all good people of this country to re-dedicate themselves and motivate others also to fight yet another struggle for freedom.  Like in the struggle for freedom, in this struggle for religious freedom also, the nation's people irrespective of caste or creed or religion, should be working united together.  We have to be clear that we got rid of the foreign yoke only so that, we may bear our responsibility of making the country strong, integrated and refined.   This is not the time for differences of opinions and one-up-man-ship, as otherwise we will lose the very purpose of our gaining political freedom.

411.        Majority Community's Labour of Love.  It is the duty of the majority community as a labour of love – to make the minority communities also develop love for the Indian Nation.  In this announcement by us on the policy of Secularism, we have had to point out some of the mistakes in the approach / methods adopted by some of the communities.  But that was done only to point out some of the lessons for the future and not to instigate further differences of opinion.  Past will remain as past and its only usefulness lies in the correct pointers for the future.  It is the duty of people of the majority community to assure followers of other religions that they are also equally the free citizens of this country.  They have to go out of their way to make others understand this.  Hindus must consider it their duty to make others feel at home as equal citizens of this country by their free and responsible attitude. Then only the people of minority communities will feel equally attached to this nation as their Motherland.  At the end of the freedom struggle many of the minority community were instigated by their own leaders as though they belong elsewhere leading to many avoidable calamities.  If we do not forget those horrendous days and if they remain nurturing alienation and animosities without developing a love for this nation, I shudder to think of future possibilities.  As equal members of one nation, as children of one God, if we all come together, we can still make this country uniquely capable of being a centre of religious unity despite our being a people of different religions.  We can and should demonstrate to the world as to how we can be integrated as a peaceful and progressive nation.

 Inner Reason for Dharma Chakra in the National Flag

412.        I started this talk saying that even though we did not give it due attention, without our being aware of it, that God himself has caused the Dharma Chakra to become the central figure in our National Flag.  To the extent I am aware of, they were influential leaders of modern ideas, who were responsible for the way the national flag was designed.  Though they were mainly concerned with economic, industrial and worldly material progress of the nation only, they were of sterling character, brave and capable of much sacrifice.  They were so keen on loyalty to the nation so much without an iota of selfishness, that so as to not hurt people of other religions, they did not wish to play or draw upon their being Hindus so much.  So they selected this Dharma Chakra as representative of the wheel of progress and the central idea of fairness, rather than as an ancient religious symbol.  There by they wished to depict all citizens should also cater for fairness and equality as a central issue in all their dealings.  That is how this Dharma Chakra became the central figure in our National Flag.

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 40 (Vol # 7) Dated 18 Sept 2013

DEIVATHIN KURAL # 40 (Vol # 7) Dated 18 Sept 2013

(These e-mails are translations of talks given by PeriyavãL of Kanchi Kaamakoti Peetam, over a period of some 60 years while he was the pontiff in the earlier part of the last century. These have been published by Vanadi Padippagam, Chennai, in seven volumes of a thousand pages each as Deivathin Kural. Today we are going ahead from page No 349 of Volume 7 of the Tamil original. The readers may note that herein ‘man/he’ includes ‘woman/she’ too mostly. These e-mails are all available at   http://Advaitham.blogspot.com updated continually)

392.        When the Government is legally sanctioning its citizens a right to embrace any religion of their choice, along with that, it should also be paying attention to the aspect of its responsibility in ensuring that such freedom is properly exercised without hindrance.  We had to make a mention of this and explain in detail as the Head of Kanchi Kãmakoti Peetam, as one of the important such organization of Hinduism, so that this aspect may not be left ignored. So, this is not to be taken as though we are objecting to the Act of Government of India in granting equal rights and support to all religions.  I am only concerned that such a support may be given in an equitable manner, possible loop-holes plugged and the fairness in its implementation may be carefully vouchsafed, which I explained in detail.  Otherwise this Act of Religious Freedom can prove to be an exercise in futility while disturbing a hornet's nest!

India's Life-Line is Religion and Spirituality

393.        People like Vivekananda who have many elevating and energizing ideas approved even by revolutionaries and foreign luminaries, like Madame Anne Besant, have insisted that the very life of India is based on its devotional spirituality centered on its religion.  As pointed out by such observers, however much this nation may progress in other fields, if it forgets its devotional-spirituality(known as 'ãnmigam' – 'ஆன்மீகம்'), all that progress will only be like decorating a cadaver!  This Hindu Religion known as Sanãtana Dharma meaning 'ancient and eternal virtuousness' has been effectively countering over involvement and indulging of its people in worldly matters that desires do not become passions and extremities are avoided in the attitudes and behaviour of its masses, like a control valve letting off steam!  The sense of spirituality and devotion  to divinity is inculcated in its people as daily and periodic symbolic actions centered on God.  Thus every individual in this religion is automatically made to understand that his birth in this world and all his thoughts and actions have to be essentially related to Righteousness, Devotion and Self-Realization. 

394.        Thus this worldliness of Iham has to be aimed at progress for Param, for which rules have been evolved as check points for the correct attitude, good behavior and clarity of aim centered on divinity!  As these ways and methods have been followed for ages, all the refined greats of the world have come to accept that, this land has given birth to Mahatmas aplenty, who have produced a steady stream of religious books and scriptures on the truth of reality – 'tatva-sãstra' – 'तत्व शास्त्र', including on Astrology, Physics, Chemistry, Dance, Sculpture, Construction including Vastu, Maths, Medicine, Surgery and Treatment, Economics, Yoga of all types, Language and Grammar,  Philology, Archery, Art of driving and maneuvering Chariots,  Magic and what not!  All those great masters were also far advanced in the Sãstrã of knowledge of Ãtma the Self and were true devotees of Humanity, Nature and God! 

395.        Thus this country has always been a counter balance between worldliness and spirituality for all countries of the world.  This land, this soil of Bharath has produced a whole stream of such greats from time immemorial till date.  Even today what we see is that, however much may be the industrial advancement of other countries, whatever may be the modern amenities, having experienced all the pleasures of such modern life, not finding the wholesomeness, feeling a sense of missing something, people keep coming to this land to find what they have been missing, a completeness of the inner being – 'poorNatvam' – 'पूर्णत्वं', only here.  Thus our country that has been considering it to be its duty to be the forerunner for spirituality for the whole world leading and showing the way, as it gains Independence, has slowly and steadily opted for the stupidity of blindly following rest of the world in crass materialism, ignoring its appointed role in spirituality, seems to have divorced from its past completely with the onset of Independence from the British!

The Deterioration of Religiousness: Past Millennium

396.        We came under the foreign yoke about a thousand years back.  Those who came then were foreigners from within Asia.  Within them also we repeatedly became the target of aggression, destruction and ransacking for quite some time.  Then we virtually came under their rule in the North slowly but steadily spreading down South, that in a country that was a torch-bearer for the whole world, truly and sincerely observing the customs and traditions as required by its religion; people were not able to observe those customs and traditions fearing reprisals and punishments in their own land, due to the domination by foreigners of other religions from within Asia (meaning Muslims of all denominations).  This started hurting the very innards of this nation's culture that was like the life-line for its uniqueness and rightful pride.  As time went on many of the foreigner's dress, language and habits started reflecting in the local people's way of life especially in North India.  Instead of totally copying the Muslims, there were some who were still retaining their uniqueness as the Indian Hindu in some pockets of the North and mostly deep down South.  The main reason for this was that the Hindus did not consider the foreigners as superior in culture and civilization!  After 7 Centuries had passed like this, ever since the westerners started capturing power, the condition of Indian's religiously based spiritualism reached an alarming situation.  (Sikhism had sprung up in the interregnum mainly to protect Hinduism and make them fight the tyranny of the Muslims!) 

Westerners Indirect Astuteness & Two Revolutions

397.        Clever that they were, mostly westerners managed their strategy of capturing power over India with the strategy of   subterfuge and tactics of divide and rule, playing one against the other!  Moreover they pushed our central life force of religiousness to the background and got us caught in their materialistic worldliness that we ended up converting our ways of life to become copy cats that, to be subservient to them became something to be proud of.  This was done so cleverly that the victim started believing that he has been saved.  They successfully duped us in making us believe that their culture and sophistication was much superior to our civilization!  Two revolutions helped the British rulers in this cause. 

398.        Timed with their capturing power over India was the occurrence of modern scientific discoveries, which were considered the world over as being amazing and astonishing!  This trend created the steam power and generated electricity that could move huge machines with which in a short time many things could be produced in huge quantities, replacing cottage and handy -craft industries to the background as a thing of the past.  Industrial Revolution with modern assembly-line technologies made the old ways obsolete in no time.  Countries with small population with an attitude of interest in comforts and conveniences could benefit from such discoveries.  This further enhanced the frenzy with which colonies were captured all over the world, so as to amass raw materials with which to produce finished goods, major portion of which could be sold back to the people of those very colonies.  Thus the industrial revolution benefited these nations immensely.  But for countries which believed in philosophies like, 'simple living and high thinking', and 'build small and live big'; thereby reducing worldly requirements to the minimum giving more importance to inner spiritual growth of the man; especially for India, this Revolution did maximum harm.  Especially we the Indians were bewitched by their ways and means and were enamored of their educational system which was only a tool of the Europeans' political, commercial and administrative interest of making available a continuous stream of subservient and disciplined cheap labor and clerical staff!  In the bargain we suffered a black-out of knowledge about our own great culture and thought of them as role-models and ended up completely accepting their culture as superior to ours!  We liked being addressed as 'Dorai' in the south and 'Brown Sahib' in the north!

399.        Hand to hand with the Industrial Revolution was the French Revolution of individual human rights.  It was alright where people were totally subjugated and shattered by autocratic and despotic rules.  To import of that in to India was too much of a culture shock for the benign Hindu society only to be exploited by vested interests.  Even within France the high ideal of freeing the human from extremes of tyranny was lost sight of by uncontrolled way the movement developed that, noble principles such as justice, discipline, and humaneness were the casualties.  Freedom led to chaotic situations within France and also started spreading all over the world.  In its wake, societies which were disciplined traditionally from generation to generation over thousands of years with durable ideas such as, respect for elders, morality, humaneness, self-control, reducing worldly desires so as to be able to control one's own mind and reach for higher ideals of human endeavor and such; became the sacrificial goats in the altar of so called freedom!  India got its Independence when such world trends were most rampant!

The Big Question before All of Us

400.        What are we going to do now?  Are we going to get back to our culture of politeness with devotional spirituality, humility in worldly life and stand apart with verve and panache as the only such nation in the world in matters of the heart and inner-being, where 'matter doesn't matter' but only spirit does?  Or are we going to wholeheartedly forget our culture of devotional spiritualism and give up whatever residual balances of it are left in us in the altar of Mammon and continue to be slaves of the west as one of the poor backward countries of the world?  This is the biggest question facing us today that bewilders and perplexes me personally!        Is India that is Bharath going to be truly an Independent nation or on the basis of – 'swatantra' – 'स्वतन्त्र', is it going to find its path or way of life uniquely on its own?  Or despite obtaining independence from the Britishers, because of the spirit of the west that has entered our beings, are we going to continue to be an abject slave of the western world?

Atmosphere of Distrust: Due to Non-Acceptance of Gandhi's Ideas in Letter and Spirit

401.        The ambient atmosphere does not generate confidence at all.  The one who led us in the Independence Struggle and came to be known as Mahatma, was deeply attached to our unique culture of devotional spiritualism also spoke about it to all as often as possible, emphasized its importance and remained true to it personally.  Still, among his followers, except for a few who seem to be true to this aspect, rest of the whole lot seem to have different opinions.  For the past few generations itself, foreign ways of life seem to have taken deep roots in Indian ethos!  Most of the general public too seems to be interested in the growth and proliferation of random western ways! 

402.        It is human nature to evince a sort of active interest in opposition it seems.  So in the matter of opposing the Britishers the people of the whole nation joined ranks and actively and enthusiastically followed Mahatma Gandhi, in that attitude of participating in opposition.  Without understanding the true meaning of freedom and independence, the majority seem to have been under the impression that freedom will mean automatic lifting of controls!  So, many seem to have followed Gandhi more with the expectation that after independence they may be able to do and live as they please!   In the bargain not much importance seemed to have been given to his views that our ways have to be in line with our unique culture coming down over ages.  It is doubtful if due attention will be given to what needs to be done.  That is, the leaders of Independent India should correctly understand Secularism to mean benign and equal care in all religions and thereby enable the people to cut down on their over reliance on crass materialism and lack of religiousness!

(To be continued.)

Sambhomahadeva