Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission

Year 21 Issue 10Bqs!3126

Monthly eMagazine of the International Vedanta Mission

Apr 2015 : Year 21 / Issue 10

Editor: Swamini Samatananda Saraswati

Published by

International Vedanta Mission

http://www.vmission.org.in / vmission@gmail.com

When the mind is free from the desires & obsessions of the

sensual objects, and abides peacefully in its heart, then the mind

is said to have attained mindlessness. In that one realizes that

which is the truth of oneself - that is indeed the highest state, and

one is verily free.

fujLrfo"k;klaxa lfUu#)a euks gfnA;nk ;kR;qUeuhHkkoa rnk rRijea ine~AA

Amrutbindu Upanishad - 4

Section Index

1. Message of P. Guruji - 5

2. Tattva Bodha - 6-7

4. Letter - 9

5. Gita Reflections - 10-11

6. Jivanmukta - 13

7. Yoga Vasistha - 14-15

7. Story Section - 17

8. VM News - 18

9. VM Activities - 19

10. Album - 20-21

11. VM Programs - 23

Advaita Vedanta reveals that there is only one truth, and this truth exists as the Self of everyone

- Atma satyah, tad anyat sarvam mithya iti, and everything else is all an illusion. Every perceptible thing

is continuously changing and are thus ephemeral & perishable. It was not there earlier and shall not be

there after a point in time. On the other hand our Atma, the self-effulgent I, alone reveals all our objects

of experience. It is always there. This consciousness alone is the one, non-dual, infinite, timeless reality.

Whoever realizes this fact clearly is an enlightened one. The perceptible world is certainly an illusion

from our point of view, but so are we from the point of view of others. The point to be noted here is that

this realization is necessary by every person. There is a seer and the seen objects. Seer of all is of the

nature of consciousness, and everything apart from it is changing. There are some people who try to

extend the proposition of Vedanta to such absurd limits. Such people propose Ek-Jivavada. That when

I will realize the truth then everything shall disappear too - because it is all my illusion. Such propositions

were not only imagined in earlier times - in the form of ek-jivavada; but even in modern times too, some

philosophers propose similar hypothesis and this is called as Solipsism. Vedanta does not accept

Solipsism. These both are very different.

Solipsism says that the perceptible world is just a projection & presentation of my mind. You all

are creation of my mind alone. You have no independent existence apart from my mind. So the implication

is that when I will get the vivek of nitya & anitya, and thus negate all my illusions, then there will be no

jiva & jagat left in the world. This is obviously never seen. There are so many enlightened people in the

world even today, but their realization has not physically effaced others in the world. Vedanta very clearly

says that this knowledge is required by every person, not just by one-person. Realization of the changing

nature of the world around simply removes our dependence on the world and, the realization of the

changeless nature of our Self effaces all fears, seeking & sense of limitations. Both these together bring

about a paradigm shift in our perceptions & identity. It is this viveka which liberates us from endless &

baseless dependences, expectations & limitations. It is our inflated values on things outside which are

the real culprits. They are called adhyaropa, superimposition, and valid knowledge just negates that -

not the perceptible forms of this beautiful world, which together constitutes the various individuals &

objects. So even after our Self-Realization the world, with all its problems & beauty, shall continue to

exist, and everyone will have to personally realize this truth personally for their individual empowerment

& liberation. Realization by just one person is not enough, what we need is a system of education to

educate & enlighten everyone.

Advaita & Solipsism

from Poojya Guruji

Vedanta Sandesh

Tattva BodhaSix Divine Qualities: Uparama

What is 'Uparama'?

The word Uparama literally means to revel in

something near(Upasaameepye, Ramanam-to

revel). It indicates someone who is reveling in his self.

Uparama is an external manifestation of peaceful

introvertedness. It points out to a person who revels in

his own Self as God has made him. He is at home with

himself translating his aptitudes in the field of action

lovingly as a service to God.

'Uparama' is Swadharma Anushthanam:

The Acharya defines Uparama as 'Swadharma

anushthanam' which is living as per one's dharma,

one's natural inclinations and aptitudes. As an individual

each one of us is a very unique human being having

certain intrinsic qualities which in the Gita Sri Krishna

calls 'Swadharma'. In Sanatan Dharma this is also

uniquely called as one's 'Varna'. At the level of the body,

mind and intellect we all are unique. Each one of us

has a physical appearance unique to one's own self &

at the level of the mind each one of us has intrinsic

inclinations and aptitudes exclusive to the self. Not one

person on earth is a copy of another. God has created

all of us being unique in our own way. Children may

have certain traits similar to their parents physically &

mentally, twin siblings too may look very much alike

yet they can never be a true copy of another. In this

sense when a person recognizes his natural inclination

and not only accepts himself the way he is but also

respects it, working lovingly in his field of action as an

instrument of God, it is having the quality of Uparama.

A person having this quality lives a life of contentment

with what he is and has no regrets, but makes the

most of what God has given him.

'Uparama'is being honest to one's Swadharma:

In the Gita Lord Sri krishna says 'swadharme

nidhanam shreyah paradharmo bhayavahaha'-It is

better to die living ones natural inclinations than living

by false inclinations which only bring about fear and

anxiety. The concept of swadharma or varna in

Sanatan Dharma is the most unique idea which is

found no where in the world or any other religion. Living

as per one's swadharma is a journey inspired from

within. Often we tend to take up a field of action

prompted by the 'in-thing' factor or that which brings

about more money, fame & success. When someone

choses his work field which reflects his passion and

The Acharya has discussed the first two qualities in this section of the six divine qualities. Shama and

Dama. Shama is the mastery of the mind and bringing it back from its distractions. Dama is the restraint of the

sense organs and bringing them back from their distractions and focusing them. In this edition we shall see what

the Acharya explained as the next divine quality which is Uparama. Uparama is indicated as a capacity to fully

apply oneself in doing his or her duties.

Q: What is Uparama ?A: Answer: It is indicated as a capacity to fully apply oneself in doing his or her duties.

- 7 -

love for it then action performed in it is an expression

of joy, love & creativity. Not only this but a person

goes about it tirelessly coming out more refreshed

and recharged. One enjoys the journey of performing

the task and the fruit of the action is like icing on the

cake. On the other hand any work taken up by blindly

following another person, or is motivated by factors

like money and fame comes with a family of anxiety,

fear, insecurity, a sense of limitation, jealousy, stress

and incompatibility to perform well in that particular

field. It only reflects sheer attachment to the fruit of

action rather than enjoying the journey of performing

the action. By practising one's swadharma one enjoys

living in the present moment whereas a person only

fascinated by some glamorous job is stressed out by

the pressures of attachment towards the results of

action. Energy is thus dissipated by worrying more

about the future and result of the action, incapacitating

the person to enjoy the present moment fully. There

is no creativity or love to enjoy the moment but a

hastiness to somehow reach the goal of success. If

in case success is achieved by practising something

against our intrinsic inclinations then too it only brings

about an egoistic sense of achievement and

arrogance. Hence from the worldly point of view and

even as a preparation for Self-knowledge practising

Uparama is an important prerequisite to bring about

a pure, intelligent and subtle mind.

Uparama-Being an instrument of God:

Uparama is lived by first associating one's

existence with God. I am a creation, a part of God

and it is my privilege to serve him is the soul of

Uparama. There is a deep sense of gratitude and

every action becomes a joyous expression of the

gratitude within. I not only see myself as a creation of

God but the entire world and all it's living & non-living

beings as his creation and therefore consider myself

as a part of the whole. My actions are thus motivated

by a sense of an offering towards this totality, being

untouched by a sense of individuality which results in

an attitude of selfishness. My aptitudes in the field of

action are a medium to serve God hence whatever

my field of action small or big is an expression of

worship, love and gratitude. I am proud to be an

instrument of God whatever my field of action working

for the welfare of the Self and at the same time being

sensitive to other people and mother nature as well.

In Uparama the motivation comes from within. Outside

it is acceptability of every situation & responsibility and

their sincere effort to give out their best. Their sincere

belief in God being their best well wisher insulates

them from all worries and life for them is a continuous

shower of blessings from God.

Discover your love:

Uparama is the blessing of Karma Yoga.

Karma yoga is the art of selfless action where

work is elevated to the level of worship. For Action

to be translated as karma yoga it is extremely

important to discover ones love in the field of

action. Although ones passions can also be

pract iced wi th a se l f -cent r ic a t t i tude yet

recognizing ones love in the work field is the only

step forward to associating ones actions with

God and making karma a yoga. Karma Yoga helps

one discover that joy lies within and all creation

is an expression of the joy within. In fact such

people alone seem to really believe that Atma is

of the nature of Ananda. They alone will be ready

to see this fact directly having translated this

concept primarily in the field of action.

Hence it must be a top priority of parents,

teachers and the Self as well to help discover

ones swadharma and help one revel in the real

peace within irrespective of all situations outside.

Om Sri Ramaya Namah!

Wishing all our Readers a very auspicious, enthusiastic & devoted

Hanuman Jayanti

Vedanta Sandesh

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and

how things were so hard for her. It seemed that, as one problem was

solved, a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled

three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came

to a boil. In the first, she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs,

and in the last she placed ground coffee beans.

She let them sit and boil, without saying a word. In about twenty

minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots, the eggs and

the coffee in three seperate bowls.Turning to her daughter, she asked,

"Tell me, what do you see?" "Carrots, eggs, and coffee," the young woman

replied. The mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots.

She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg

and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg.

Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted

its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the

same adversity - boiling water - but each reacted differently. The carrot

went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to

the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile.

Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior. But, after sitting through

the boiling water, its inside became hardened! The ground coffee beans

were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had

changed the water. "Which are you?" the mother asked her daughter.

"When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a

carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"

The Carrot, Egg and the Coffee Bean

Sewa of a Sanyasi

S a n y a s i s

basically study life,

and wish & pray for

the well-being of

everyone. Lets say

they are Wellness

Specialists.

- PoojyaGuruji

Hari om !

Sanyasis basically study life and wish & pray for the well-being of everyone. Lets

say they are Wellness Specialists. They always did this sewa earlier and even today

work silently to help bring about the well-being in the life of everyone - rich or poor,

educated or the uneducated, young or old. Their target crowd is the whole world,

and such is the importance of their work that they are pretty busy people too. Some

time motivating people and at other times enlightening them about secrets of life.

Wellness is a very broad word and the understanding of the source of wellness

differs from person to person. Even though the understanding of wellness may differ

but the factors facilitating this are fundamentally same. There is a whole science

behind it and ultimately it all boils down to our positive mind & right understanding.

Having a positive mind too is easily said than done. What is a positive mind, what all

factors help bring this mind. what is right understanding? etc. These specialized

masters go deep into these factors and try to get valid answers, so that wellness is

brought about in everyone. Life is complex, and every query has so many propositions.

Everyone needs to appreciate life in right perspective. This is the role of a Sanyasi,

and obviously these people play an extremely important role.

There are some people who are extrovert - fascinated & obsessed with the world,

they already have such conditioning, they seem to already know what they want,

and all what they wish is the sureshot ways to fulfill their dreams. They think that

their wellness depends on some securities, comforts & gratifications; but they are

also aware that the competition in the world is tough, it is literally the survival of the

fittest. So they just want some guidance for being the so called successful person

in the world. The prescription given to such people for wellness is however not

applicable to others. Others either already have all they wanted, so in some cases

have seen the baselessness of such conditionings that this is the real way of getting

lasting & deep-rooted wellness. They discover that inspite of everything they are still

a wanting & insecure person. What is required for such people is some deep-rooted

knowledge about our mind & self. Sanyasis study all this and then they guide or

enlighten their subjects appropriately.

The work of a Sanyasi is indeed very noble & subtle, and no wonder all those who

come in their contact feel so blessed. Where ever a sanyasi lives, everyone there should

definitely be blessed with wellness.

Lots of love & om

Guruji

- 9 -

by

SwaminiSamatananda

The mind is the most beautiful, powerful and dynamic instrument a human being

has. A human being is looked up upon as the most superior living beings only because of

the mind. But this mind as much as it is the glory of a human being so also it is the cause

of great struggle if handled incorrectly. The mind being the inspiring source of all our

actions seems to have earned a more notorious reputation of being a hyperactive and

restless mechanism. In the sixth chapter of the Gita when Sri Krishna explained to Arjuna

the art of meditation and the art of being able to sit quietly with one's Self, Arjuna came up

with a question that most commonly crops up in our minds too reflecting an obstacle

faced by all of us. Arjuna says, "O Krishna! This mind is extremely unsteady and it is as

hard to control the mind as hard it is to control strong winds". Inspired by this question of

Arjuna let us try and understand the dynamics of the mind.

What is the Mind?

Mana or mind is defined as that faculty where a 'sanakalpa' & 'Vikalpa' takes

place. Sankalpa is a resolve to do something and vikalpa is an alternative to the resolve.

So the mind thinks to do & then becomes conscious of the other alternative too, weighing

the pros & cons in a given situation. Initially there is a vacillation between sankalapa and

vikalpa until the intellect comes into the picture & takes the final decision. All resolutions

born in the mind are the products of our past impressions on the mind and the impressions

created by our environment. Our past experiences create impressions of likes & dislikes

which thus lure us into having various desires and their alternatives. It is the mind that

opens the world in front of us. In fact the Scriptures thunder that the entire creation is

borne of the mind. Any creation first takes place in the mind and then it is translated in the

objective world. The entire play of the world is actually a play of our thoughts, our convictions

and our dreams. Superficially we all are aware of this but only at the level of fulfilling our

dreams and ambitions. We know we have a desire in the mind and this desire in the mind

will be translated as a fruitful situation in our life. But we havn't dived deep enough to see

that this reveals the mind as the soil where the seeds of desires are sown and from where

this entire creation is created. Another significant truth about the mind is that not only it is

the driving source behind all creation but it is a humble instrument of the Self which can

be mastered or directed as the Self directs it. The only irony is that we are not aware of

this art of educating the mind and in this process we do not realise when the control of the

mind slips out of our hands and soon the mind becomes the master and we become the

slave. At the end of it we land up having a constant tug of war trying to control the mind

forcefully, or through suppression, through fear or even by bribing it. Hence when ever

there is a strong need felt to have a controlled mind it is extremely important to understand

what is the mind, how it functions & what is the nature of mind-control?

Controlling the Mind:

Mind being the perpetual soil of sprouting desires and their alternatives is never a

problem as long as these resolves are intelligently directed by a well educated intellect

having the right knowledge of life and its various facets. In fact an active mind having

some goals in life is a sign of a dynamic and living entity. It is never possible nor is it

required for the mind to be totally desire less or inactive. What is needed is to educate the

mind in a manner that it functions as per the directions of the master which is the intellect.

If the intellect itself is veiled and unclear about the ways and means of life then we will

Chan

chal

am h

i M

anah

Vedanta Sandesh

Any creation

first takes place in the

mind and then it is

translated in the

objective world. The

entire play of the

world is actually a

play of our thoughts,

our convictions and

our dreams.

- Samatananda

surely have a mind which is like a spoiled child. A child is never born uncontrolled, it is the

upbringing of the parents and teachers who first spoil the child with misdirections and

then beat up the poor child to forcefully bring it under control. As said our mind is a

humble servant it will only become what we make of it.

Abhyas & Vairagya help to control the mind:

Sri Krishna very compassionately agrees to Arjunas statement as the mind being

extremely unsteady, & having a powerful control over us, as though pulling us away from

our goal like the powerful winds and so he gives Arjuna a formula of two words extremely

potent in handling this state of mind.

Abhyas: Abhyas means Practise. It is a costant repetition of doing something

until we have mastered it. Nothing in the world is mastered in the first effort or if taken in

a lose manner. Musicians, sportsmen, artists, anything in the world is mastered through

practise. Due to wrong practises our mind too has been trained to be hyperactive, unsteady,

restless, jumping from one subject to another. As a spiritual student this mind has to be

trained to focus in the chanting of the Lords name, in devotional practise and in the seat

of meditation. As a habit the mind will get distracted by its predominant impressions on

the mind. But a sincere student needs to compassionately bring the mind back to its focus

again and again. We need to remember that it is our wrong knowledge and practise that

has created this spoilt child like mind. The mind is not to be blamed for it. So we need to

be calm, compassionate and patient with it and re-train it to become an introvert mind. In

fact this is the a role of all sadhanas which begins primarily in the field of action, and then

japa, puja & meditation. So consistent practise is a key sadhana that Sri Krishna gives us

here.

Vairagya: Vairagya is Dispassion from ephemeral worldly things and exclusive

passion towards God and the truth of that which is permanent. Such vairagya goes hand

in hand with practise. Practise by itself can become a mechanical act after sometime. In

fact the very motivation to live up to something consistently is love for it. Sri Krishna

reveals here that if one wishes to invoke deep love towards God and sincere motivation

towards this knowledge it is extremely important to see the limitations of worldly pleasures

and bring about Vairagay or dispassion for all such momentory things

in life. One must understand that the mind only goes to things

which we give much importance to. On the hand

knowledgeable masters also reveal another beautiful

meaning of Vairagya which is having special

attachment or love for God and his knowledge. It is

equally important to discover and invoke such

love for god and our relationship with him. The

mind is a faculty of love, emotions and desires

so it is never possible to have a mind which is

devoid of love and sankalapa. What the scriptures

suggest is to have a Saatwik mind, a pure mind. An

unsteady and hyperactive mind is a product of Rajoguna. One

should not strive to have a suppressed, thoughtless, desire less mind but one should

upgrade the mind from Rajo guna to Sattwa guna which is a selfless, devotional and

inquisitive mind available for knowledge. A sattwik mind alone can sit calmly with the self

on the seat of meditation and also go through the various ups and downs of life in a

balanced way. Such a mind alone can aquire knowledge of the Self to awaken into a

state beyond the limitations of the mind and its self-centric desires. A calm & poised mind

cultivated by Abhyas and Vairagya overcomes all obstacles of an imposing and unsteady

mind and soon we become the masters of the mind and the mind becomes our humble

instrument.- 11 -

Vedanta Sandesh

Your time is limited so dont waste it living someone else's life.

Do what you fear and your fear disappears, otherwise it remains

a False Event Appearing Real.

If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never

been in the dark with a mosquito. Never underestimate the power

you have within to make a difference to the world.

You can suffer the pain of change or suffer remaining the way

you are.

Follow your bliss and the universe will open doors where there

were only walls.

Its not what you say out of your mouth that determines your life,

its what you whisper to yourself that has the most power.

Gratitude doesnt change the scenery. It merely washes clean

the glass you look through so you can clearly see the colors.

Enjoy the little things in life for one day youll look back and

realize they were big things.

Quotes

Wanderingin Himalayas

Kedarnath

Excerpts from

the

Travel Memoirs

of

Param Poojya

Swami

Tapovanji

Maharaj

33

Kedarnath :

The way continues to rise along stretches of rock until it reaches Kedarnath. As

devotees draw near their destination, cries of "Kedarnathji ki jai!"(Victory of Kedarnath!")

rise from their throats in unison. The whole place reverberates with those shouts. Even

the people whose main object is sightseeing feel supremely happy. As for devotees,

they are in a state of ecstasy. No longer mindful of physical discomforts, they plunge

into the cold water; then filling their waterpots with water and gathering a few flowers on

the way, they enter the temple shouting, "Har Har Mahadeva!" Forgetting all the world

outside, they press forward into the presence of Kedarnath for a darshan for which they

have dared all the dangers and discomforts of the pilgrimage. At the door of the temple

all distinctions between man and woman, rich and poor disappear. Here all are equal.

miraculous indeed is love. Its sweetness and power ae alike great. Great poets like

Valmiki, Vyasa and Kalidasa, with their powerful imagination, have portrayed in their

immortal works, a few aspects of love. Love and devotion are not two different things.

Love for those above us is called devotion; love for the Gods or God is of this type. Love

for one's equals is called friendship. When stainless devotion to God gets deep-rooted

in the mind of man, we consider the object of his existence already attained.

Badrinath :

In 1924 I travelled from kedarnath to Badrinath for the first time. On this occasion

I could not stay long at Badri. Fortunately, since then I have visited the place again and

again. In 1930 and 1931 I travelled to Badrinath from Rishikesh, and on both occasions

I spent some time there in devotion.

Even while I was passing my days in Badrikashram and other holy places in the

Himalayas, I came to feel, every now and then, that the wonderful power of maya(illusion)

was at work everywhere. It was not inactive even in the peaceful solitudes of these

remote regions. Grasses and plants and trees flourish on water, blossom and bear

fruits, streams and rivers flow on, winds blow, the sun shines. If the inanimate things

are themselves so active , what about the animate ones?

Birds fly and sing; cows graze on the meadows, roam about and rest. Men, too,

whether ignorant or enlightened , eat and play and sleep. Thus everywhere you find

ceaseless activity. And no wonder. Action is the natural order of the world. The life-

forces continues to stir all living bodies at all times. There is no state of inaction. A

desireless peaceful state of existence where the distinction between the Knower and

the Known disappears, is difficult to attain, wherever men may be. That distinction

fades awayonly when man has crossed the stream of action which shows itself in the

activities of the physical senses producing pleasure and pain. But crossing the stream

means the complete conquest of illusion, and illusion is certainly very difficult to overcome.

- 13 -

Rama asks - O Lord, is there only one jiva that is cosmic, or are there many

jivas or is there a huge conglomerate of jivas?

And his question seems perfectly reasonable. We all see other beings

around us, other people and animals, birds and bugs and even plants. Are they all

separate beings, are they all conscious or is there just one cosmic jiva and

everything else is just his perception? But this is a valid question only if you did not

understand or forgot that which was said previously! And Vasishtha immediately

puts the things straight. He answers - Rama, there is neither one jiva or many nor

a conglomerate of jivas. Jiva is only a name! What exists is only Brahman.

There is only one reality, without divisions. And because there is nothing

besides it, it cannot be even called one, because existence of one pre-supposes

existence of another and many. In that reality of the pure Consciousness there

is no one or another or many, big or small, far or close. That One alone appears as

many because of the ignorance. Brahman, or the pure Consciousness, alone is

the cosmic Mahajiva and the millions of jivas. There is nothing else, nothing at all.

That what I really is, is cit, the pure Consciousness, complete and peaceful in

itself. That what you really are, is cit, the pure Consciousness, complete and

peaceful in itself. That what a plant or an animal really are, is cit, the pure

Consciousness, complete and peaceful in itself. There is no real transformation

or even a deluded appearance, for there is nothing other than Consciousness.

The ocean is water, the waves are water, and when these waves play upon

the surface of the ocean, ripples (also water) are formed. When water is water

and wave is wave and their play is just a play, no problem exists. Water does not

have any problems being water. Wave, as such, also dont suffer or has any other

problem. The problems and desires and cycles of birth and death starts only when

a wave, being always water, looks upon itself and thinks I am this small wave!

This is the moment a jiva, or limited being is born! It is born with a notion of being

something else besides its reality (water). Before this notion, wave does not suffer,

Vedanta Sandesh

Adhyatmic

Teachings

of

Guru

Vasishtha

to

Sri Ramji

by

SwaminiVidyananda

27

- 7 -

and after this notion is gone, the wave does not suffer. Suffering exists only for the

one who has wrong notion of being a separate and limited. A wave which takes

itself to be a wave, has a birth date and will surely have a death date. It can

compare itself with other waves and think Oh, I am small! (or crooked, or dirty, or

too fast or too slow). Now, it becoming limited, it will have problems with size,

weight, relations, appearance, inner content and outer surrounding, with things

missing and things which have to be acquired. This is the story of the limited being

and its desires and problems. Trying to be whole and complete, the wave will run

after others, imagine ways to fix its problems and trying to fix them, and fear its

end. But these problems of the

jiva cannot be solved till its

ignorant notion of being separate

from water continues to

exist. Whatever it thinks and

whatever it does, it cannot reach

perfection being a separate wave.

But the perfection of untouched

water, where are no problems, is

already the nature of that wave! It

does not need to be reached or

obtained, it just have to be

realized. The wave, realizing

itself to be water, is free from all

shackles of the l i m i t e d

existence, all its problems of a

separate wave are gone forever. Water is untouched by whatever happens to

wave, ripple, bubble, swirl or foam. Water was always here, and wave was always

water, but it just imagined to be itself separate. All what is needed is to drop this

notion of separation and see the whole, which is you.

O Rama, give up all these false notions of I and you, by renouncing

even the notions of a jiva and its own cause, separate from pure Consciousness.

This can be done only by accurate analysis and negation of all transient notions

and qualities. When all these have gone, you will realize the truth which eternal

and self-evident.

Nega

tion

is

the w

ay t

o th

e T

ruth

Vedanta Sandesh

Pilgrimages have a very important role to play in bringing

about greater devotion towards God, getting satsang of

various saints, interaction with other devotees, purity of

mind, integration of society, and bringing about greater

proximity with nature etc. There are pilgrim centers of

every deity. Most of the pilgrim centers were in remote

places, so that a devotee had to really believe in God to

go there. Going there itself was a great tapasya. The

three great sadhanas of Yagna, Dana & Tapasya were

integrated into this package. Earlier, in the Teertha Yatra,

the yatra was important sadhana, now it is just the place

which has become more important. The government too,

wants to just encash the tourist potential of the place,

and thus lots of facilities & commercial development has

taken place in all these places. So because of ignorance

the original objective & spirit is very rarely seen.

Pilgrimages

Once up

on

a time

...

StorySection

In a mountain known as Brahmagiri there used to live a hunter who was very

cruel. He not only killed birds and animals, but brahmanas and sages as well. The

hunter once went on a hunt. He killed many animals and birds and some he put in his

cages. He had penetrated so far inside the forest that he was far from home. It became

night and also started to rain. Hungry and thirsty, the hunter lost his way. He climbed up

a tree and decided to spend the night there. But his mind kept going back to his wife and

children at home. For many years a dove and its family had lived happily on that tree.

Both the male and female had gone out to look for food. But although the make dove

had returned to the nest, the female dove had not. In fact, the female had been captured

by the hunter and was now inside a cage. The male did not know this. He mourned for

his wife.

These words of mourning were heard by the female dove inside the cage and

she made her presence felt. The male dove came down and discovered his wife inside

the cage. "The hunter is sleeping now, " he said. "Now is the time for me to free you."

"No," replied the female dove. "You know how it is with living beings. One living being

lives on another. I can find not fault with the hunter, he is merely collecting his food. He

is like a guest to us. And it is our duty to offer up our bodies for the sake of a guest." "You

are quite right," said the male dove. "I lost my sense of propriety. We have to serve our

guest. But how do we serve our guest? We have nothing that we can call our own." "At

the moment the hunter is suffering most from the cold," replied the female dove. "We

have to light a fire to warm him up. Go and find a fire and bring plenty of dead leaves and

branches so that the fire may burn."

The male dove found a flaming branch. He also brought many dry leaves and

branches so that the fire could burn. The rain had stopped and the fire warmed up the

hunter. "Now," said the female dove, "free me so that I may immolate myself in the fire.

My roasted flesh will serve as food for the hunter." "Never," replied the male dove. "It is

my right to serve the guest first". Saying this, the male dove hurled himself into the fire.

The hunter had heard the entire conversation and marveled that two doves could be so

altruistic. The female dove now requested the hunter to free her from the cage. And as

soon as he did this, the female dove also hurled herself into the fire.

This selfless deed of the two doves was so wonderful that a space vehicle (Vimana)

came down to take the two doves straight to heaven. The cruel hunter was also impressed

and repented his past misdeeds. He told the doves, "You are indeed blessed. Before

you go to heaven, please tell me how I may perform penance for my sins." "Go to

Goutami Ganga and bathe there for fifteen days," replied the doves. "Your sins will also

be forgiven." The hunter did as he had been asked to. The place where the doves

immolated themselves became a holy tirtha known as kapotatirtha, since the word kapota

means dove.

- 17 -

The Doves

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Vedanta Sandesh

Tbutboht!bu!Cibsvdi!0!JQDM!Tdippm!jo!Wbepebsb;On 1st Mar, right after the GGY at Vadodara, Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji was

invited for a Satsang at Bharuch. The satsang was organized in the palatial bunglow of a

well-known businessman of the city, Sh Manojbhai Kulchandani. The satsang was on the

topic of Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam. It was an interactive session wherein she asked for

the views of everyone, including the enthusiastic youngsters. It was an enlightening

experience for all.

Earlier at Vadodara, Poojya Swaminiji was invited to the well known IPCL School to

address the children. The occasion was Rashtriya Vigyan Diwas, and the topic of her

address was Dharma & Vigyan. Later she was taken around the labs by the teachers &

staff, wherein she saw various creative work being done by the students. A satsang was

also organized at the house of Sh Ajitbhai Kalaria in Vadodara.

Hjub!Hzbob!Zbhob-!Mvdlopx;Poojya Guruji conducted a week-long discourse series at Hari om Mandir, Lucknow

from 11th to 17th Mar. The subject-matter of theGyana Yagna were Gita Chapter 6 and

Hastamalaka Stotram. On the last day there was a loving Bhandara offered by the Mandir

authorities. This time Poojya Guruji was hosted by the Dubey family staying in the Aliganj

area of the city.

Sbn!Obwbnj!Dfmfcsbujpo!bu!Btisbn;Ram Navami was celebrated at Vedanta Ashram on 28th Mar. A special altar was

made & decorated inside the Ashram Mandir with a photo of Bhagwan Sri Ram. Right at 12

noon the Ashram inmates and few devotees celebrated the birth of Bhagwan first with Aarti

and then with the chanting of dohas of the janam section of Ramayan. Later everyone

sang some bhajans.

Ibovnbo!Dibmjtb!Tbutboh!.!Nbs!3126;On 29th Mar, the Mar15 edition of the Hanuman Chalisa Satsang by Poojya Guruji

was organized at the Satsang Hall of the Vedanta Ashram. The summers have started and

with the morning temprature crossing 35, the satsang was shifted to the ground floor. In

this session Poojya Guruji first recapitulated the essence of the 2nd chaupayi. He said that

creation of great men is not a matter of chance, but involves not only the right purushartha

of the person concerned, but also the tapasya of ones parents, teachers & mentors. Starting

the discussion on the third chaupayi - Mahavir bikram bajarangi, he said that Hanumanji is

an embodment of strength at all levels of personality. This will continue next time.

- 19 -

Vedanta Sandesh

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Tbutboh!bu!Cibsvdi

- 21 -

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Ibovnbo!Dibmjtb!Tbutboh-!Joepsf

Hjub!Hzbob!Zbhob-!Mvdlopx

Vedanta Sandesh

Isnt it strange how a 20 rupee note

seems like such a large amount when

you donate it to temple, but

such a small amount

when you go for shopping?

Isnt it strange how 2 hours seem so long when

youre at Temple, and how

short they seem when youre

watching a good movie?

Isnt it strange that you cant

find a word to say when youre praying,

but you have no trouble

thinking what to complain to God?

Isnt it strange how difficult

and boring it is to read one chapter

of the Bhagwad Gita, but how easy

it is to read 100 pages of

a popular novel ?

Isnt It Strange

- 23 -

Gita Gyana Yagna, Bhubaneshwar :

The first week-long Gita Gyana Yagna will be organized at the Sivananda Ashram

Satsang Hall at Bhubaneshwar from 6th to 12th April by P. Swamini Samatanandaji. The

subject-matter of the discourse series will be Gita Chap 1 and Kathopanishad 1-1. The

discourses will be in Hindi. She will also be visiting the famous Jagannath Temple at Puri.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Jalgaon :

A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Swamini Poornanandaji will be organized

at the Dutta Mandir, Jalgaon from 14th to 20th Apr 2015. The subject matter of the discourse

series (in Marathi) will be Gita Chapter 4 and Kathopanishad 2-1.

Youth Camp, Indore :

A four days Youth Camp has been planned at Vedanta Ashram, Indore from 8th to

11th May. There will be groups from Vadodara, Bharuch, Ahmedabad & Lucknow. The

subject matter of the Camp is Holistic Living. All Ashram Mahatmas will conduct it.

Gujrati Camp, Indore :

A four days Sadhana Camp (In Gujrati by P. Sw Amitanandaji) will be organized at

Vedanta Ashram, Indore from 23rd to 26th May. There will be usual sessions of Meditation,

pravachans (Bhaja Govindam), discussion, bhajans & puja.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Mumbai :

A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna by Poojya Guruji will be organized at the RK Missions

Vivekananda Auditorium at Khar, Mumbai, from 25th to 30th May. The subject matter of

the discourse series will be Gita Chapter 12 and Mundakopanishad 3-1.

Gita Gyana Yagna, Ahmedabad :

A week-long Gita Gyana Yagna by P. Swamini Amitanandaji will be organized at the

Ramkrishna Kendra, Maninagar, Ahmedabad from 13-19th May. The subject matter of

the discourse series will be Gita Chapter 11 and Kathopanishad 2-2.

International Vedanta Missionhttp://www.vmission.org.in/

Vedanta Mission Blog:http://blog.vmission.org.in/

Indian Cultural Foundationhttp://icf.vmission.org.in/

Earlier Vedanta Sandesh issueshttp://bit.ly/1oGD4TK

Om Tat Sat