Sanatana Dharma - My view......
Hello all,
Namaste! All of you, my dear blog readers, know about my website-swaroopa.net. I have started my business, Swaroopa store, which can be accessed from Shop tab on my website, for beings who are interested in a personal reading. There is also the Swaroopa Store link, on my blog's left side. Now to the post.
Hope, all of you are doing well, staying safe and taking care of yourself and your loved ones. This has been my mantra for the last three years, I feel. As I understand, humans accrue Karma- cause and effect, Bhoomidevi or Gaia or Earth also as an energetic entity, accrues her Karma. May be this is the time of Karma release for her by making her energetic residents go through hassles, struggles, and energy transformations.
Why do I consider Earth as an energetic, living, breathing entity? Because Earth has 7B+ living and thriving beings. Above that there are numerous animals, trees, and inanimate objects. Below all the physical matter we see, every single thing is ions and atoms. When those ions and atoms are taken into account, they transform as energy, the power that is hidden underneath everything. This makes Earth a huge ball of energy that due to bad or evil thoughts, intentions and acts of humans can bring down the vibrations of these ions and atoms to a lower state or heavier slower vibrations.
It is at these lower vibrations, diseases, sickness and eventual death occurs. So, from this point we can understand why negativity brings diseases and deaths. How were we doing for the last 100 years? Wasn't there a lot of wars, fights, chaos and confusion? It was only a matter of time, before a very negative energy like the pandemic got attracted to our midst. When the whole Earth got bogged with negativity of humans, it attracted an even more negative thing- a pandemic.
Now, we can understand why it is necessary to maintain a positive mindset and outlook. Health, healing and wellness are a feature of higher vibrations or near to bright light. Hence in energy perspective, the Universal energy or divine is considered the brightest light of a thousand Suns. In Laltha Sahasranama there comes a name- Udyatbhanu Sahasrabha- Udyatbhanu - Rising Sun, Sahastrabha- 1000 brilliance. If we read it correctly, it can also be the brilliance of a thousand rising Suns. Lalitha Devi is said to have the color of the orangish pink morning sky, the hue of the rose gold color of the morning rising Sun. But as brilliant as thousands of them.
So, it is at such high vibrations, the cells of the body work efficiently and optimally. Such a person having high vibrations would find themselves in good, positive thoughts/ intentions and by virtue of that good health and wellness. How can we expect to have good health and wellness, if our mind is bogged down with negative thoughts and perspectives? The mind is sitting within us, not outside with others. In that scenario, the matter- the body follow the mind. If that mind is very sharp and smart, the person's negative thoughts would manifest as sickness in their body- negativity of the body. You can understand why I got deeply hooked to the mind and philosophy. Mind has the capacity to create- whether positivity or negativity according to the thoughts, intentions and actions of the person.
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| Isha Upanishad Image credits - See page for author, via Wikimedia Commons |
Mind and the Soul: I own a copy of the Upanishads translated in English by Sri Eknath Eswaran. No, I don't know every sentence or phrase or quatrain (four lines). Usually, when a concept or idea strikes, I actually check with my Upanishad copy to verify whether that thought or idea can be correct and true. Reverse analysis. Not reading the Upanishads and later analyzing my mind. But checking when I feel doubtful about something.
This Upanishads from this end to that end explains the power of the mind and its ability to create. The concept of the mind and it's creative abilities are sitting in the very middle of the Upanishads which comes as later addition of Vedas, called Vedantha- end of Vedas. Nowadays, I even consider it as Vedanga- a limb of the Vedas. Any way Upanishads deal only with mind, Self, their manifestations, alignment/non-alignment and creation. A mind that is open and smart enough to understand gets it, knows it and uses it. Others who just look at it from intellectual point of view, argue, debate and intellectualize it. Debating and arguing is still mind and there is no heart involved. Creativity comes in the realm of heart, emotions and then mind. Without emotions and heart, a person cannot create, build life or abundance.
This the gist sitting within Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism. Now, to reach this point of living, a person has to remove a lot of gunk or negative perspectives and thought process they have accumulated through lifetimes of Soul life. People can come and fight with me, saying there is no Soul, it is all apparitions from your mind. Okay, let us explore. Shall we? Let me take the example from my own life. This is my life and experiences. I cannot prove it to anybody as a movie, video, cassette or song. I cannot. Also, I write about spirituality and truth, from my insights and intuition. Anytime I speak or write untruths away from my own truths, the flow of my intuition and insights would eventually stop. So, I am required to maintain the highest of my personal truths and integrity. I should and I must.
So, example. From eighteen to forty-seven years of my life, I studied science and biotechnology. Was a scientist and a researcher. So, am I not supposed to know more about science and biotech? The amount of spiritual or philosophy books I read can be counted on fingers. May be a few temple mythology and Puranic stories. But I am writing a blog on philosophy and spirituality with majority of the posts on philosophy, spirituality and the mind. How? How can I write so many concepts, ideas and perspectives without really learning anything in this life? Same way why do I have this deep passion and a burning drive to pursue this field to the end of the Universe? Why I never pursued science with this passion? I gave up my science career. But here I even stand up to to others and defend my point of thoughts or view.
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| The inner being or the Soul of a person! Image credits - Pixabay.com |
So, this shows, the knowledge I have not acquired in this lifetime. I have brought it with me from another lifetime, which was sitting dormant or sleeping for 47 years. When it was time for it to wake up, it woke up. That shows there is something deeper than just the body or the mind. My mind never learnt so much of knowledge on spirituality in my 47 years of life. It was more of science and the subconscious mind should have more of science knowledge. But what if there was already 1000 layers of spirituality and philosophy within my subconscious mind that I brought with me as a Soul when I came into this lifetime and another layer of science was just added to it. Can happen, isn't it? So, from my own life, I have signs that such a Soul exists and it knows much more than the human mind of that person can ever grasp.
Upanishads: This is the central theme of the Upanishads. How to differentiate Self from ego. Then, how to use the mind to access the gifts of the Soul through the heart and emotions to create a life of beauty for oneself and others. The path of Dharma whose key is held by the Soul. Access through the heart and emotions. But this is high level of spirituality and philosophy. A normal ordinary mind of a human cannot digest these higher ideals and concepts. To reach these realms of higher thought process first the human needs help and guidance. So, for such a simple every day human the Vedas, Puranas and the mythological stories are written.
For example the Rig Veda is about mantras/ chants and the Yajur Veda is about the fire rituals. When a person starts to practice the rituals and mantras, his/her mind becomes focused and starts to move away from the lower vibrations of chaos and confusion. A mind that too a very smart mind when not given a worthwhile task starts to become a monkey and creates ruckus on the human having that mind. Nelson Mandela has written about this. He was kept for twenty seven years almost always in solitary confinement in Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. So, it is the task of the human to first bring his/ her own mind to focus and intention. If the mind is not giving support to the human, the Soul knowledge or wisdom can never be accessed.
So, to bring the mind into track, focus, keep the ego in check and to live a good, fulfilling life, the Vedas, Puranas and other mythological stories of Sanatana Dharma are provided. But instead of understanding and using these perspectives, humans read and interpret these concepts without understanding, realizing or using it. Think this. You have a screwdriver. Do you sit, and elaborate on the screwdriver, it is green in color, it has a handle? the end is star shaped with a steel shaft or use it to tighten a screw or open a plug point? Of course, use it.
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| Nelson Mandela quote Image credits - AZ quotes |
Whoever is reading and intellectualizing the Vedas or Upanishads is sitting and describing the screw driver rather than using it. I have had people who come and argue with me, this paragraph says this, this mantra says that etc. Great! But is the mantra or the stanza being put to use in our life. When we say a Durga mantra, does our body feel electrified with the positive physical energy that mantra brings? Using the screw driver. Durga as a Goddess is physically very active. Chanting her mantra should make us do something, take actions towards our Dharma for our life. The energy working in our life. Not sitting and describing the screw driver.
Same way, when we say Ganesha Ashtakam, the eight slokas for Ganesha, does our buddhi- intellect and manah- intelligence open to see the hidden opportunities sitting within our lives, presenting themselves to us? This is how truly the mantras; concepts and the ideas should be used. The spiritual practice of Sanatana Dharma. Every time I sit to write my blog, first I bow to a Ganesha idol and then to my other Gods/ Goddesses for the flow of words to start. Keeping our mind to the side and surrendering our heart to a higher divine objective and will. The true way "the way of life"- Sanatana Dharma must be practiced. My life and this career of creativity provides me ample proof.
Current reality: Ramakrishna Paramahansa was an 18th century mystic who lived in Dakshneswar praying to his mother Goddess Kali. In his early days, for a couple of years he tried to live as a Muslim to understand the religion called Islam. He finally concluded every religion in its inner most core upholds the oneness of life, hearts and the humans. This was to mention, other religions may have highest of ideals within their folds and the way humans are interpreting may not be correct way to live and embrace those religions. But as I am not from those ways of life- I would leave that analysis for those scholars. But even there a question do come up in my mind- Doesn't every human has the right to pursue their free will and personal choice? Is everyone able to pursue that? A question many leaders of organized religion need to ask themselves and wonder about.
In the last few paragraphs, I mentioned how a mantra or chant should speak to us, when we truly surrender to that mantra. Instead of trying to reach this level of surrender what are many Hindus doing now? They are trying to deliberately force others to accept the religion of Hinduism and its royal stature. If we are forcing others to accept our religion as the one and only religion- Hindutva, what is the difference of Sanatana Dharma from other religions? It also has fallen culprit to the same closed mindset. Any religion, if we are forcing another to accept our way as the only right way- then we are closing the door on free will and choice of that person.
If a person is not meant to use free will and choice, why are they given such thoughts on their interests and passions? Then, the whole Hindus should have the same interests and aspirations, right? Why are when some people feel closer to Durga, some are feeling the vibe with Ganesha, Vishnu or Shiva? These Gods are able to coexist in many temples. So, why us Hindus who boast we are very open minded nowadays cannot accept other religions and cultures. Same question, I have for other religions. If you feel your religion has a right to exist, don't the other religions have the same right? The globe is for all- not for just Hindus, just Muslims, just Christians, just Jews or just atheists.
All are ready to debate, argue and make a tussle in the name of religions. But what about living according to the guidance provided by those concepts? Why try to force others when we are not ready to live our own highest personal truths written within ourselves? We read the stories of Krishna, Jesus or Prophet Mohammad. What is the first truth we need to realize? They didn't go and try to change others. The first thing they did was to live their truths. Standing and operating from their truths they guided others. First and foremost, they upheld their truths.
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| The free will to pursue our personal choice! Image credits - Pixabay.com |
Personal truths and duty: If we are not ready to live from our personal truths, what else can we really uphold? So many of the humans are ready to fight a war or make a tussle for their religion. But shouldn't we realize our religion may not be a truth for another. For example, I feel deep devotion towards Krishna and Lalitha Tripurasundari. That is because I was born and raised a Hindu. But a Muslim or Christian may not be able to feel the same devotion towards a Hindu God. Same way I was not born or raised a Muslim or Christian. So, I may not feel the same devotion towards Allah or the Christian God. But I can definitely respect the devotion a Muslim feels for Allah or a Christian feel for their God or Mother Mary. Same way a Muslim or Christian or even an atheist should respect my right to practice my religion or my spirituality the way I want. The concept of LIVE and LET LIVE!
This is the truth as long as we are not hurting, killing, blocking, devaluing or debasing anyone. This is the true gist and respect Sanatana Dharma has, the openness to respect another exactly as they are, not as "what we think" they must or need to be. This openness is being lost in all religions nowadays, even with Hinduism. The movement Hindutva doesn't have this openness. According to Hindutva, it is an ancient and the first religion, which suddenly gives it a super status for a religion. Okay, the religion is super terrific. But what about the humans practicing the religion?
The same question, I have about other religions, as well. If our religion- take any religion is super terrific and awesome, we who practice that religion should also uphold gleaming and brilliant values of those religions, shouldn't we? If we are ready to butcher or humiliate others because we consider our own religion or values terrific, are we really upholding the golden values we profess about our religion? Every religion preaches about the kind and compassionate Gods or deities they have that are very honest and truthful. Same way atheists speak about treating every person as human. Then my question becomes- can't you find that same compassion for another human who chose to practice another religion or way of life or for an atheist, can't you see the human underneath the attire of a believer they chose to wear for this life?
If we cannot even see a human underneath all that perspective and only see that value/ perspective/ mindset/ religious attire they chose to wear, are we really practicing the concepts or values we preach? A true believer or an atheist should first and foremost uphold those values and perspectives in their own life, find the holes in themselves and fix it, rather than trying to fix the whole of humanity who they perceive as at fault. Before talking the talk, walking the walk. It is so easy to preach to others about the values we find as important. But are we making an effort to practice those values before preaching in our own lives? For myself, everything I write, first I would have practiced it for more than one or two years. I write only about those concepts that work for my own life. Period!
In Sanatana Dharma a huge tenet is -"Satyam Vada, Dharmam Charah"! Satyam Vada- speak the truth, which comes in Taittireeya Upanishad. What kind of truth? Our personal truth. Not what is written in the Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita or Mahabharatha. That we always can read to help us towards our living. Most definitely. But the truth that must be spoken is the truth written in our heart and Soul. My truth is I am a Sanatani upholding my spiritual truths living from a spiritual way of Sanatana Dharma- Hinduism in the current lingo. Not the Hindutva.
Now, Dharmam Charah! Walk your duty! What is that duty? Not something written in the Vedas, Bhagavad Gita or Mahabharatha, but the purpose or duty written within our heart. If a Hindu heart comes with duty or Dharma written there, the same way being a human a Muslim or Christian heart also must come with a duty written within their hearts. If the person is not ready to take up that personal truth as well as duty written in their heart and live according to that guidance, who else would come to do that duty?
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| The inner Sun of the personal truths! Let it arise! Image credits - Pixabay.com |
Now, can we realize what is happening to humanity? Instead of accessing, upholding and living the personal truths and Dharma (duty) written within their own heart and Soul, every human is going and fighting for an outer organized religion or a concept or value they think is important. If it is important to us, let us practice it in our life to the glowing brilliance. Seeing its outer manifestations in our life, getting inspired, let others turn within themselves and practice their truths and Dharma to the glowing edge in their life. In that space where is going, fighting, arguing and debating with anyone? If we are not meant to uphold and practice, why are we given personal truths or duty of purpose or Dharma for each one of us? To self- reflect and find it, even that comes under our duty.
That is why I like the spiritual practice of "Sanatana Dharma- The eternal way of life". Not Hindutva. In this space of spiritual practice, there is no chaos, confusion, noise, arguments, debates, putting down, devaluation, conversion, diversions or anything. There is only deep self-reflection, contemplation, self-evaluation and rectifying any brokenness we may have within ourselves. If we are not even ready to look at ourselves and fix our own weaknesses, who are we to go and preach about our truths to others. A person who is not ready to self-reflect, analyze, walk the walk, and then talk the talk has not earned the right to guide, or preach to others.
So, let us first do - Saytam Vada and Dharmam Charah! Walk the Walk and then, Talk the Talk! Otherwise, let us be silent and hold our peace for eternity! At least the globe would see better days with peace and prosperity! Tadasthu- So be it!!🙏