AWAKENINGS

2010 - New Year Noble Thoughts By S. Sankaran “Let noble thoughts come to us from every side” – Rig Veda chants thus for us. How can one make the noble thoughts to come to us? ‘To us’ means to our mind. Thoughts are either noble or evil. Thoughts reside in the bosom of Mind. Mind resides in the brain. Brain activates five sense organs triggered by sight, smell, speech and taste, hearing and touch. Legs and hands act as directed by the brain under the spell of sense objects. Thoughts may be passing like passing clouds, floating like waves of the sea, or fixed like a rock affecting Mind in various degrees and intensities. Imagine Mind as a vast vessel in the brain. Actually Mind is shapeless, formless and non-perceptible. Imagine thoughts as vast sea water in Mind vessel. Memories are floats over the sea called thoughts. Forgetfulness is rocks in the sea. Loss of memories due to forgetfulness is to erase thoughts from Mind. If Mind is filled with noble thoughts, the nature of Mind become...

Infatuated Decision An allegorical story of a blind girl and her boy friend highlights infatuated decision. The allegorical story is as follows: "There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind. She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her. She told her boyfriend, 'If I could only see the world, I will marry you.' One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend. He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?' The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him. Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.' " The story ends with this ...

Incorrect Opinion A short story of a couple by Gaudy Maupassant, a famous French short story writer highlights incorrect opinion in a succinct manner.. The story line goes like this: There is a public park. Two persons are seated in the park talking. A couple is coming from a distance. One of them watches the couple. They may be husband and wife. The lady is seated in a wheel chair which is being pushed by her man. The lady has lost one of her legs and is always dependent upon others for her movements. The person seated in the park and watching the crippled lady and her husband expresses his deep sense of sorrow and pity to his friend. 'What a pity? The man is destined to suffer throughout his life with this crippled lady. For such a beautiful man, God has given only such a handicapped lady!' "Oh, my friend you are thoroughly wrong. They are most happy and ideal husband and wife. I know their story. If you hear their story, then you will not pity them, but, wonder 'O, ...

Mind is Matter The heading ‘Mind is Matter’ may give an impression that Mind is a thing or an object. It is not so. Here it conveys that man should always have concern and conscious of his mind, as the mind is the most powerful aspect in his life. Mind is the important matter to be considered, as it plays a pivotal role in taking decisions in the day-to-day daily life. Mind resides in the brain. Mind is invisible. Mind’s other qualities such as size, weight and shape are not perceptible and they seem to vary with each individual human being. Five senses are activated by the brain but the guidance comes from the mind. Here mind is a teacher to the five senses, while the brain is their power provided for their various activities. Incorrect opinion, infatuated decision and improper action are sometimes being taken by the mind due to the effects of various forces acting on the five senses. There are specific three stories to illustrate these three stages of the mind. They are: 1. A short s...

Om asato ma sadgamaya tamaso ma jyotirgamaya mrtyorma amrtam gamaya Lead me from the unreal to the real. Lead me from darkness to light. Lead me from death to liberation. - Brhadaranyaka Upanishad. Prelude to Spiritual Newsletters: To-day is Vaikunda Ekathasi – a very auspicious day. Every year, it occurs on the 11th day after new moon in the month of margazhi which is equally an auspicious day, as Sri Krishna proclaims in the Bhagavad Gita – “Amongst the months, I am Margazhi.” It is also believed that Vaikunda Ekathasi was the day, when Sri Krishna delivered his sermons called Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. The day is also synchronizing with the opening of gates of Heaven and also the coming up of Nectar from the churned ocean of Vishnu with the snake Vasuki as a rope and Mountain Manthara as a stick. Symbolically, all Vaishnava temples, specific gates – christened as Heavenly Gates will be opened on this day only. Devotees passing through the gates on this day are supposed to have shun...

Chapter 4 - Characteristics of Brahman Uma, the Goddess Parvathi, replied to Indra who enquired to know ‘Who is This Yaksha actually?’ thus: That is Brahman by whose power the battle was won. Only because through this victory, you have thus become great. Thus Indra had realized the truth behind their victory and glory. As Indra was the first god to meet and know Brahman, Indra did excel other gods. Fire God and Air God had also excelled other gods like Indra, as they had also met Brahman in the most proximities. Power of Brahman is enormous and all pervading. Whether in the flash of the lightning, or in the wink of the eyes, the power that is shown is the power of Brahman. In respect of man, the man’s mind is to be powered by the power of Brahman. For proper propelling of the mind, a man needs to meditate upon Brahman day and night. Brahman is the adorable being in all beings. Hence, one should meditate as such. He who mediates upon Brahman as such is honored by all other beings. A d...

Chapter 3 - Ego There were fierce battle between Asuras and Devas. The Brahman had sided with Devas and got them the victory. The Brahman had concealed Himself in obtaining victory to Devas. Therefore, the Devas thought that the victory were theirs only and that they were really great in this Universe. The Devas had thus become egoists and thought that they were very powerful. The Devas who fought the battle against the Asuras were Fire God, Air God and Indra, the Chief God. The Brahman wanted to make these Gods to know their limitations and also to eschew their egoism. Hence the Brahman appeared before the Devas as a Yaksha – a venerable being or spirit. The Devas – Fire God, Air God and Indra – Chief God, could not make out about that Being. In order to find out ‘who was that spirit?’, the Fire God was asked to find out thoroughly about that Being. Fire God went to that spirit. Spirit: Who are you? Fire God: I am Fire God. Spirit: What power is there in you? Fire God: I can burn all ...