Who am I? - Part 2
Hello all,
Namaste! Hope all of you had a fantastic week where you were able to start your path towards the question of 'Who am I'? Yes, it is not easy and of course, it takes time, effort, contemplation, mental confusion, and emotional toll many times. But believe me, it is worth each time and every time.
This week it is Thanks Giving in the United States. Who are we giving Thanks to? As per the Wikipedia, the first "President of the United States, George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide Thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God". So, we are giving Thanks to the divine.
Before proceeding further, I want to wish all my Blog readers and Quora readers a very 'Happy Thanksgiving'. May all of us, Thank the divine for the physical existence we have been given to see the beautiful as well as not so beautiful sights of the world, hear all the sounds of the world, speak all the truths of the world, smell all the smells of the world, and touch all the things of the world, that are able to be touched. Above this may all of us feel the magnificence of the Universe in our hearts through the sixth sense called the 'intuition', only through which we can really know the presence of the Almighty called the 'Universal intelligence'.
At this juncture, let me with all my heart Thank the Divine, who is making possible this venture called 'Swaroopa' as well as the Quora answers and all other interactions that I am guided to make. Without the divine support, I would not be able to write one letter of my Blog or the Quora answers. So, I Thanks the 'Great Thee'! Now, I want to Thank all my dear, Blog readers as well as the Quora readers who are making this effort of mine worthwhile. If there are no eyes to appreciate my words, and no minds to think about my words, this venture becomes useless from its inception itself. So, I bow my head to all of you in gratitude for lending your eyes and mind, for the small span of time you decided to spend with my words and sentences. From the bottom of my heart, "Thank you", for making my Blog, Quora answers and my thoughts, a part of your life. Thank you!
Attitude: Now, back to the blog. Last week, we discussed the attitude we need to have as an eternal student like Ganesha, to start moving towards the life path. This week as it is also 'Thanksgiving', let us elaborate more on the attitude we need to have even before deciding to walk the path of 'Who am I'? What is the true attitude we need to have? Would the divine guide us if we are considering ourselves all knowing, filled to the brim with arrogance, ego, self-centeredness, and brash?
Before moving further, let us take an example. Consider a cup filled to the brim and consider a totally empty cup. Which one can we fill with pure crystal clear water? Say, the filled cup is filled to the brim with attitudes, notions, ego, arrogance, and self-centeredness. Would the divine be able to add one drop of his/her own pure essence? Even that essence would become muddied by whatever there is in the cup. Pure crystal clear water can only be filled in an empty cup. The other cup has to be emptied, washed thoroughly, wiped and then filled with the pure essence.
All of us, in our own lives, are in the process of varying stages of being emptied, washed, and wiped off our cup that is filled with social conditioning, archetypal thinking, emotional burdens, psychological hang-ups, subconscious patterns and more. Only once these are emptied and wiped clean even a drop of the pure essence of knowledge and light can get in. If a cup is filled to the brim, how can it even have another drop of anything?
So, what is the best way in the satchel of the Divine to make us turn towards wiping our own cup clean? Life experiences, situations that totally doesn't work out, people who interfere in our life to their heart's content, our own boredom, stagnancy, the meaninglessness of life, and having a confusion for our life. Every single one of these are the tools the Divine has in its hand to make us realize truly 'Who we are'.
Nowadays, this confusion from the individual and family level has gone to the levels of the Globe. The Globe itself is now in the total folds of Maya, 'the grand illusion or in other words total confusion'. Can you see it? It is playing out in every arena, whether it is religion, politics, news, social media, internet, big groups or associations. The vices of arrogance, ego, self-centeredness, fear, confusion, anger, and competition are being played out in the individual, familial, societal, political, religious, country, and even global level. Competition to show whether 'Are you greater than me or am I greater than you' is being played out everywhere, whether it is between religions, political parties, countries, organizations, or groups.
The confusion can be at the individual or at the group level. In the individual level, it is according to the people, news, and the groups we interact with. In the group level it can be with the principles, propaganda, or the group objectives we associate with. For example, let us take a particular group. They may have particular principles, mission, and organizational statements. Followers who join the group are given classes and seminars, again and again, to make them understand and value the principles.
What as of now I have understood is that anything if said enough times, principle or propaganda, gets into our mind. But as it has been said enough times, our mind doesn't really go into deep contemplation about that. So, now that thought gets stuck in our mind. We think enough times about it, it from the conscious mind goes to the subconscious. Now, it becomes a behavior we do. Enough times we do the behavior, it becomes the attitude. Enough times we have the attitude, it becomes the value. Now, once it becomes a value, it has been engraved in our conscious as well as the sub-conscious deeply. Now, if anyone tries to challenge our values, we are ready to fight to the end of the Earth. This is what is happening with every type of mission or principle/propaganda of any organization.
There are even research papers where it is shown that the brain chemistry, neural networks, hormonal secretions, and perceptional attitude shifts happening in laboratory research animals, according to the group or the behaviors they are associated with. (Yes, I understand this blog post is going deep into societal and social conditioning. But only after coming out of this, emptying the cup, we can even think of starting to fill the cup). Just for example here is a paper on how 'Social dominance is making changes in the neural mechanisms.'
If we take this thought further, being associated with a group or organization, and if we are using a particular brain neural network more, wouldn't that network become strengthened more and the network that is not used, wouldn't it get attenuated more? So, from this, we can guess that being associated with a group, once we think enough times can grow one network strong and another network week. That is why being associated with a particular group for a long time, a person cannot think about the other side that can exist. They literally don't have the other network to think about the other side of the coin. From the brain and neural chemistry itself that capacity has been lost or that neural pathway has gotten attenuated.
So, we have to really think very deeply before we associate with any group, organization, or thought streams. Because we do change our brain, brain chemistry, and brain structures and we are changed deeply from the brain, thought and mind level. This is why many of the terrorist organizations capture kids at 7-15 years of age. Their brains have not been fully formed, and the brain structure and function can be deeply affected by constant lessons, incessant instructions, and being associated with that particular group.
They are never given a chance to be associated with another thought process or group attitude. So, the brain develops exactly the neural connections the leaders want. There would be no questioning of the leader or the leadership. So, basically, the propaganda is being engraved from the mind, brain and thought process itself. It is very difficult to transform such a person and bring them to make them realize, yes in the Universe everything has another possibility. They don't have that capacity even from an innate level. So, think about it. How dangerous and terrifying it can be.
Universal attitude: Until now we discussed the attitude a human or a group can take. Now, let us come to the attitude of the Universe. What is truly it's attitude? The universe in the physical world exists as dual, 'Dvaita' in Sanskrit. Now, there is the level of 'Advaita'- Non-duality. But this state is actually in the higher realms of the mind, as per my intuition. In the physical world of materialism, everything is dual. More like a scale, with one end totally one and the other end totally the other. Let us take some examples.
If there is, good in this world, there is also pure evil. Good is one end of the scale while evil is the other end. If there are humans who are honest, trustworthy, and good, there are also humans who are dishonest, deceptive, and evil. Then there is the middle of the scales where people can be honest or not according to the situation. Every possibility exists within that scale.
Now, light and darkness. If there is light, there is also darkness. The total pure light is one end of the scale while total darkness is the other end. In between every kind of possibility for dark and light exists. The same we can take for knowledge and ignorance. If one end of the scale is pure total knowledge (in other words, Divine), the other end is the total darkness of ignorance (Devil). Now, another. If one end of the scale is the pure virtue (honesty, integrity, humility), the other end is the pure vice (greed, anger, jealousy). In between, every gradation of the scale exist.
So, as per the Universe, the physical world is 'Dvaita', a scale with black and white at the ends with a lot of grey in between. Someone who totally realizes this is open-minded enough to accept the white, dark, and the grey also in between. You can put any scenario of our social structures into this. Say for example for a white person, there is a brown person, there is also a very dark person- in case of skin tones. Another example, for a well educated, wise Professor in this world there is also the illiterate country bum, with all the permutations and combinations in between. Now, another scenario. For a well educated, but arrogant University Professor there is also illiterate, the country bum who is very humble. The the other scenario of a well educated, and very humble Professor, there can be also an illiterate, but arrogant village person.
So, in these scales anything and everything is possible. All the permutations and combinations can happen. This is how the Universe works and exists. It has no one correct way. But numerous ways that can be used to achieve the goal. But even within this perspectives, the best way the Universe supports is the highest path that also works for others as well. The universe would not do anything against the people who don't find their highest path. There is the 'Principle of Karma' to take care of that. But in case, we need the help of the Universe, the only way to operate is in the highest good of ourselves while considering the good of others. That is the only place, where the Universe extends its support. The true path of Dharma.
Human attitude: Now, back to our human attitude. Do we operate from here? Being open-minded to the million possibilities that exist? We already discussed the attitudes of people associated with groups, organizations, and political or religious groups, where many times even from the deep level of mind and brain, they have no option but only to think what they are doing and thinking is correct. Now, to the individual level. Do we exist in a state where we are open enough to accept another person, with all his/her attitudes, perspectives, and notions? No! Even in our own close and extended families, we have a tough time to accept a person unconditionally. Yes, myself included. I also struggle with how to come to terms with something that doesn't go well with the perspective I have in my mind.
Once we decide, a particular thing should be like this, we have eliminated the other every possibility that can exist. So, we have become close-minded to all the other possibilities, except for the possibility we have in our mind. So, we have filled our cup, with that only one possibility we have in our mind, eliminating every other possibility that could have existed. Can we really see that? We are accepting that one possibility while eliminating every other possibility that could have given us a better result. 'Close-mindedness' in the deepest sense.
So, this kind of 'close-mindedness is the first thing we have to let go off if we are proceeding to know, 'Who I am'. Once we are stuck on 'I am' should be like this, we have eliminated every other possibility. But if we keep our mind open, we can be everything we are, and we can be everything we can be as well. Total open-mindedness in the truest sense. This is the attitude we should have to walk this path. Once we decide to walk this path, the thought of choosing just one option for ourselves we have to eliminate, or we would be forced to eliminate by the life experiences we would be provided. It would be much easier if we decide for ourselves and be open to the experiences that show up. Otherwise, we would miss out on our chances.
Let us say, for example, I started my Blog in 2016. I wrote for around one year. In April 2017, I chanced to come up on Quora, while I was researching something for my blog. The Divine was showing me an application called 'Quora'. I could have just read that particular write up and left it. Instead, as it came before my eyes, I decided to explore. Today I am going to complete around 5000 answers. See, if I had been close-minded, I would have eliminated another option and stuck with just my blog. But because I decided to explore, I have a blog as well as I have a vibrant Quora account. Both happening at the same time. I could have shot down the Quora opportunity and just continued as a blogger alone. But, my higher-self has been drumming into me to keep an open mind.
See, keeping the mind open for possibilities. That is the true open-mindedness, which would do good for every one of us. So, now let us come back to 'Ganesha- the eternal student' like attitude. What is this attitude? Think back when we were in a childlike state in school. How were we? We were open to any knowledge the teacher was providing us. We had no perspectives or notions of our own. We were a blank slate, the empty cup, Ganesha- the eternal student. The same open-mindedness we discussed till now. Many times once we become adults, we close our minds to what can happen and only pursue what we 'think' should happen. We lose that childlike openness. We just go for what we 'think' should happen and eliminate all the other possibilities that 'could have' happened.
Now, in Vedic mythology, we can consider 'Brahman' or the Universe as 'Dakshinamoorthi' or Shiva, who is considered the 'Adiguru'- the first Guru or teacher. So, in other words, the Universe is the eternal Guru, waiting ready to teach us. But, to learn the lessons from the eternal Guru, who we should be? We should become the eternal student, Ganesha. Removing all our pre-conceived notions, ideas, attitudes, perspectives, psychological hang-ups, emotional baggage, mental thoughts, subconscious patterns, we have to become Ganesha, the student who is open to the lessons the Universe is ready to teach.
Now, how can we start removing all the junk we have filled our cup with, we would discuss next week. I can elaborate on how I have tried to do it. Not fully successful, but getting there. Let us finish with the stuti (hymn) to Dakshinamoorthy, the first Guru or Brahman.
Gurur Brahma gurur Vishnu
Gurur devo Maheswara |
Gurur sakshat Parambrahma
Tasmai sree gurave namah ||
Meaning: You are in the form of the teacher Brahma, you are in the form of the teacher Vishnu, you are also in the form of the god and the teacher, Maheswara (Shiva). You are the real Guru, Parambrahma (Brahman- the eternal, Universe). To such a Guru who can exist in all three forms, I give my Pranams (bows).
I wish you a good weekend and I'll see you next Friday!😉
Next week: Who am I? - Part 3
Note: Images from Wikipedia Commons and Swaroopa Blog.
Ralph Waldo Emerson writes, "There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance ; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried".
All rights reserved to Jayasree Padmanabhan and SwaroopaBlog.
To my Blog readers: As all of you know, the European Union has passed laws regarding the collection of the user data. This is just to inform all my EU blog readers, I just use Google Analytics, which Google provides, to look at from where readers are reading my blogs. I also use Specific feeds to use their service for subscription list. I don't collect or intend to collect user data to sell or provide to third-party applications. Regards,
SwaroopaBlog.
Namaste! Hope all of you had a fantastic week where you were able to start your path towards the question of 'Who am I'? Yes, it is not easy and of course, it takes time, effort, contemplation, mental confusion, and emotional toll many times. But believe me, it is worth each time and every time.
This week it is Thanks Giving in the United States. Who are we giving Thanks to? As per the Wikipedia, the first "President of the United States, George Washington proclaimed the first nationwide Thanksgiving celebration in America marking November 26, 1789, "as a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God". So, we are giving Thanks to the divine.
Before proceeding further, I want to wish all my Blog readers and Quora readers a very 'Happy Thanksgiving'. May all of us, Thank the divine for the physical existence we have been given to see the beautiful as well as not so beautiful sights of the world, hear all the sounds of the world, speak all the truths of the world, smell all the smells of the world, and touch all the things of the world, that are able to be touched. Above this may all of us feel the magnificence of the Universe in our hearts through the sixth sense called the 'intuition', only through which we can really know the presence of the Almighty called the 'Universal intelligence'.
 |
| Happy Thanksgiving! Image courtesy - Pixabay.com |
At this juncture, let me with all my heart Thank the Divine, who is making possible this venture called 'Swaroopa' as well as the Quora answers and all other interactions that I am guided to make. Without the divine support, I would not be able to write one letter of my Blog or the Quora answers. So, I Thanks the 'Great Thee'! Now, I want to Thank all my dear, Blog readers as well as the Quora readers who are making this effort of mine worthwhile. If there are no eyes to appreciate my words, and no minds to think about my words, this venture becomes useless from its inception itself. So, I bow my head to all of you in gratitude for lending your eyes and mind, for the small span of time you decided to spend with my words and sentences. From the bottom of my heart, "Thank you", for making my Blog, Quora answers and my thoughts, a part of your life. Thank you!
Attitude: Now, back to the blog. Last week, we discussed the attitude we need to have as an eternal student like Ganesha, to start moving towards the life path. This week as it is also 'Thanksgiving', let us elaborate more on the attitude we need to have even before deciding to walk the path of 'Who am I'? What is the true attitude we need to have? Would the divine guide us if we are considering ourselves all knowing, filled to the brim with arrogance, ego, self-centeredness, and brash?
Before moving further, let us take an example. Consider a cup filled to the brim and consider a totally empty cup. Which one can we fill with pure crystal clear water? Say, the filled cup is filled to the brim with attitudes, notions, ego, arrogance, and self-centeredness. Would the divine be able to add one drop of his/her own pure essence? Even that essence would become muddied by whatever there is in the cup. Pure crystal clear water can only be filled in an empty cup. The other cup has to be emptied, washed thoroughly, wiped and then filled with the pure essence.
All of us, in our own lives, are in the process of varying stages of being emptied, washed, and wiped off our cup that is filled with social conditioning, archetypal thinking, emotional burdens, psychological hang-ups, subconscious patterns and more. Only once these are emptied and wiped clean even a drop of the pure essence of knowledge and light can get in. If a cup is filled to the brim, how can it even have another drop of anything?
So, what is the best way in the satchel of the Divine to make us turn towards wiping our own cup clean? Life experiences, situations that totally doesn't work out, people who interfere in our life to their heart's content, our own boredom, stagnancy, the meaninglessness of life, and having a confusion for our life. Every single one of these are the tools the Divine has in its hand to make us realize truly 'Who we are'.
Nowadays, this confusion from the individual and family level has gone to the levels of the Globe. The Globe itself is now in the total folds of Maya, 'the grand illusion or in other words total confusion'. Can you see it? It is playing out in every arena, whether it is religion, politics, news, social media, internet, big groups or associations. The vices of arrogance, ego, self-centeredness, fear, confusion, anger, and competition are being played out in the individual, familial, societal, political, religious, country, and even global level. Competition to show whether 'Are you greater than me or am I greater than you' is being played out everywhere, whether it is between religions, political parties, countries, organizations, or groups.
The confusion can be at the individual or at the group level. In the individual level, it is according to the people, news, and the groups we interact with. In the group level it can be with the principles, propaganda, or the group objectives we associate with. For example, let us take a particular group. They may have particular principles, mission, and organizational statements. Followers who join the group are given classes and seminars, again and again, to make them understand and value the principles.
What as of now I have understood is that anything if said enough times, principle or propaganda, gets into our mind. But as it has been said enough times, our mind doesn't really go into deep contemplation about that. So, now that thought gets stuck in our mind. We think enough times about it, it from the conscious mind goes to the subconscious. Now, it becomes a behavior we do. Enough times we do the behavior, it becomes the attitude. Enough times we have the attitude, it becomes the value. Now, once it becomes a value, it has been engraved in our conscious as well as the sub-conscious deeply. Now, if anyone tries to challenge our values, we are ready to fight to the end of the Earth. This is what is happening with every type of mission or principle/propaganda of any organization.
There are even research papers where it is shown that the brain chemistry, neural networks, hormonal secretions, and perceptional attitude shifts happening in laboratory research animals, according to the group or the behaviors they are associated with. (Yes, I understand this blog post is going deep into societal and social conditioning. But only after coming out of this, emptying the cup, we can even think of starting to fill the cup). Just for example here is a paper on how 'Social dominance is making changes in the neural mechanisms.'
If we take this thought further, being associated with a group or organization, and if we are using a particular brain neural network more, wouldn't that network become strengthened more and the network that is not used, wouldn't it get attenuated more? So, from this, we can guess that being associated with a group, once we think enough times can grow one network strong and another network week. That is why being associated with a particular group for a long time, a person cannot think about the other side that can exist. They literally don't have the other network to think about the other side of the coin. From the brain and neural chemistry itself that capacity has been lost or that neural pathway has gotten attenuated.
So, we have to really think very deeply before we associate with any group, organization, or thought streams. Because we do change our brain, brain chemistry, and brain structures and we are changed deeply from the brain, thought and mind level. This is why many of the terrorist organizations capture kids at 7-15 years of age. Their brains have not been fully formed, and the brain structure and function can be deeply affected by constant lessons, incessant instructions, and being associated with that particular group.
They are never given a chance to be associated with another thought process or group attitude. So, the brain develops exactly the neural connections the leaders want. There would be no questioning of the leader or the leadership. So, basically, the propaganda is being engraved from the mind, brain and thought process itself. It is very difficult to transform such a person and bring them to make them realize, yes in the Universe everything has another possibility. They don't have that capacity even from an innate level. So, think about it. How dangerous and terrifying it can be.
Universal attitude: Until now we discussed the attitude a human or a group can take. Now, let us come to the attitude of the Universe. What is truly it's attitude? The universe in the physical world exists as dual, 'Dvaita' in Sanskrit. Now, there is the level of 'Advaita'- Non-duality. But this state is actually in the higher realms of the mind, as per my intuition. In the physical world of materialism, everything is dual. More like a scale, with one end totally one and the other end totally the other. Let us take some examples.
If there is, good in this world, there is also pure evil. Good is one end of the scale while evil is the other end. If there are humans who are honest, trustworthy, and good, there are also humans who are dishonest, deceptive, and evil. Then there is the middle of the scales where people can be honest or not according to the situation. Every possibility exists within that scale.
Now, light and darkness. If there is light, there is also darkness. The total pure light is one end of the scale while total darkness is the other end. In between every kind of possibility for dark and light exists. The same we can take for knowledge and ignorance. If one end of the scale is pure total knowledge (in other words, Divine), the other end is the total darkness of ignorance (Devil). Now, another. If one end of the scale is the pure virtue (honesty, integrity, humility), the other end is the pure vice (greed, anger, jealousy). In between, every gradation of the scale exist.
 |
| The scale - white, grey, and black (the gradient)! Image courtesy - Pixabay.com |
So, as per the Universe, the physical world is 'Dvaita', a scale with black and white at the ends with a lot of grey in between. Someone who totally realizes this is open-minded enough to accept the white, dark, and the grey also in between. You can put any scenario of our social structures into this. Say for example for a white person, there is a brown person, there is also a very dark person- in case of skin tones. Another example, for a well educated, wise Professor in this world there is also the illiterate country bum, with all the permutations and combinations in between. Now, another scenario. For a well educated, but arrogant University Professor there is also illiterate, the country bum who is very humble. The the other scenario of a well educated, and very humble Professor, there can be also an illiterate, but arrogant village person.
So, in these scales anything and everything is possible. All the permutations and combinations can happen. This is how the Universe works and exists. It has no one correct way. But numerous ways that can be used to achieve the goal. But even within this perspectives, the best way the Universe supports is the highest path that also works for others as well. The universe would not do anything against the people who don't find their highest path. There is the 'Principle of Karma' to take care of that. But in case, we need the help of the Universe, the only way to operate is in the highest good of ourselves while considering the good of others. That is the only place, where the Universe extends its support. The true path of Dharma.
Human attitude: Now, back to our human attitude. Do we operate from here? Being open-minded to the million possibilities that exist? We already discussed the attitudes of people associated with groups, organizations, and political or religious groups, where many times even from the deep level of mind and brain, they have no option but only to think what they are doing and thinking is correct. Now, to the individual level. Do we exist in a state where we are open enough to accept another person, with all his/her attitudes, perspectives, and notions? No! Even in our own close and extended families, we have a tough time to accept a person unconditionally. Yes, myself included. I also struggle with how to come to terms with something that doesn't go well with the perspective I have in my mind.
 |
| Possibilities or options -The way of the Universe! Image courtesy - Pixabay.com |
Once we decide, a particular thing should be like this, we have eliminated the other every possibility that can exist. So, we have become close-minded to all the other possibilities, except for the possibility we have in our mind. So, we have filled our cup, with that only one possibility we have in our mind, eliminating every other possibility that could have existed. Can we really see that? We are accepting that one possibility while eliminating every other possibility that could have given us a better result. 'Close-mindedness' in the deepest sense.
So, this kind of 'close-mindedness is the first thing we have to let go off if we are proceeding to know, 'Who I am'. Once we are stuck on 'I am' should be like this, we have eliminated every other possibility. But if we keep our mind open, we can be everything we are, and we can be everything we can be as well. Total open-mindedness in the truest sense. This is the attitude we should have to walk this path. Once we decide to walk this path, the thought of choosing just one option for ourselves we have to eliminate, or we would be forced to eliminate by the life experiences we would be provided. It would be much easier if we decide for ourselves and be open to the experiences that show up. Otherwise, we would miss out on our chances.
Let us say, for example, I started my Blog in 2016. I wrote for around one year. In April 2017, I chanced to come up on Quora, while I was researching something for my blog. The Divine was showing me an application called 'Quora'. I could have just read that particular write up and left it. Instead, as it came before my eyes, I decided to explore. Today I am going to complete around 5000 answers. See, if I had been close-minded, I would have eliminated another option and stuck with just my blog. But because I decided to explore, I have a blog as well as I have a vibrant Quora account. Both happening at the same time. I could have shot down the Quora opportunity and just continued as a blogger alone. But, my higher-self has been drumming into me to keep an open mind.
See, keeping the mind open for possibilities. That is the true open-mindedness, which would do good for every one of us. So, now let us come back to 'Ganesha- the eternal student' like attitude. What is this attitude? Think back when we were in a childlike state in school. How were we? We were open to any knowledge the teacher was providing us. We had no perspectives or notions of our own. We were a blank slate, the empty cup, Ganesha- the eternal student. The same open-mindedness we discussed till now. Many times once we become adults, we close our minds to what can happen and only pursue what we 'think' should happen. We lose that childlike openness. We just go for what we 'think' should happen and eliminate all the other possibilities that 'could have' happened.
Now, in Vedic mythology, we can consider 'Brahman' or the Universe as 'Dakshinamoorthi' or Shiva, who is considered the 'Adiguru'- the first Guru or teacher. So, in other words, the Universe is the eternal Guru, waiting ready to teach us. But, to learn the lessons from the eternal Guru, who we should be? We should become the eternal student, Ganesha. Removing all our pre-conceived notions, ideas, attitudes, perspectives, psychological hang-ups, emotional baggage, mental thoughts, subconscious patterns, we have to become Ganesha, the student who is open to the lessons the Universe is ready to teach.
 |
| Dakshinamoorthy -Adi Guru (first teacher)! Rammohan65, [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons |
Now, how can we start removing all the junk we have filled our cup with, we would discuss next week. I can elaborate on how I have tried to do it. Not fully successful, but getting there. Let us finish with the stuti (hymn) to Dakshinamoorthy, the first Guru or Brahman.
Gurur Brahma gurur Vishnu
Gurur devo Maheswara |
Gurur sakshat Parambrahma
Tasmai sree gurave namah ||
Meaning: You are in the form of the teacher Brahma, you are in the form of the teacher Vishnu, you are also in the form of the god and the teacher, Maheswara (Shiva). You are the real Guru, Parambrahma (Brahman- the eternal, Universe). To such a Guru who can exist in all three forms, I give my Pranams (bows).
I wish you a good weekend and I'll see you next Friday!😉
Next week: Who am I? - Part 3
Note: Images from Wikipedia Commons and Swaroopa Blog.
Ralph Waldo Emerson writes, "There is a time in every man's education when he arrives at the conviction that envy is ignorance ; that imitation is suicide; that he must take himself for better for worse as his portion that though the wide universe is full of good, no kernel of nourishing corn can come to him but through his toil bestowed on that plot of ground which is given to him to till. The power which resides in him is new in nature, and none but he knows what that is which he can do, nor does he know until he has tried".
All rights reserved to Jayasree Padmanabhan and SwaroopaBlog.
To my Blog readers: As all of you know, the European Union has passed laws regarding the collection of the user data. This is just to inform all my EU blog readers, I just use Google Analytics, which Google provides, to look at from where readers are reading my blogs. I also use Specific feeds to use their service for subscription list. I don't collect or intend to collect user data to sell or provide to third-party applications. Regards,
SwaroopaBlog.
Disclaimer: This is a personal blog. The opinions and perspectives shared here are that of the author/owner only. Even though the author/owner will try to research well before posting the information, the author/owner of this blog does not make any portrayal of the accuracy or correctness of the content on this blog or the links provided. The author/owner will not be liable for any omissions or inaccuracies occurred. The author/owner will not be liable for any damages or losses due to the use or display of this blog. These terms and conditions can change at any time.
This blog is purely for informational purposes only.
©Jayasree Padmanabhan and Swaroopa, 2017- 2018
This blog is purely for informational purposes only.
©Jayasree Padmanabhan and Swaroopa, 2017- 2018
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