WELCOME TO THE JANMASHTAMI ISSUE OF E-SANAI

Sri Sandip Dasgupta

Dear fellow devotees,

Welcome to the Janamashtami edition of our e-zine.  In this issue, I will reflect on some of Sri Sri Babathakur’s teachings.

In one of His lectures which was recently telecast on Zee Bangla’s “Talks on Self Identity" (that airs every Sunday at 8:30 a.m., IST), Sri Sri Babathakur vividly talked about a simple illustration that He had given to some scientists. The Master had asked that two vessels be brought – one small and one large. The small vessel was filled with muddy water and was placed inside the larger vessel (which was empty). He then asked that clean water be poured onto the small vessel containing the muddy water. Gradually the muddy water overflowed into the larger vessel and the water in the smaller vessel became clearer.  The dirty water in the larger vessel was emptied and the process was continued – till the water in the smaller vessel became absolutely clear! Sri Sri Babathakur went onto say that in the current age, there is no need whatsoever to study the Shastras or learn second hand knowledge – all one has to do is listen sincerely to the Sadguru’s words and Realization will dawn on the individual!

With the Master’s permission, please let me elaborate on what He was trying to tell us.

If the small vessel was covered, no amount of clear water poured over it would have made a difference in getting rid of the muddy water contained within it. Similarly, if we are biased by thoughts that we have gathered throughout our life, or if we try to measure the Master’s words by the limited knowledge that we have gathered, we shall not be able to make progress.  Just like a window shutter does not allow the sunlight to enter the room, our biases and pre-conceived notions can minimize the impact of a Realizer’s words on us.  So it is very, very important, that we surrender unconditionally to the Master and listen to His words with the intent of Realizing the Absolute within us.  Any kind of intellectual activity will render our efforts ineffective.

Once we have surrendered unconditionally, the Sadguru’s words are like the clear water being poured into the small vessel.  As we listen to His words (with an open, unbiased mind) and reflect on them, our mind will become clearer and clearer. To experience anything in this world we need light and consciousness – somebody has to tell us that Object A is called an Apple and we simply cannot comprehend that apple in darkness.  As we listen to a Sadguru’s words, we are given a different kind of light – that enables us to become conscious about our own Self. The teaching that we have received in this world will be used to continue functioning in the mundane world – but the new light will allow us to reach our Absolute goal.  As we consistently engage in this, we will find ourselves reaching the state of “No Mind” – where the mind is not controlling us, but we become conscious of our “Real I”.

In summary, Sri Sri Babathakur is stating that all we need to do is clear our mind of biases, listen to His words on a regular basis and reflect on them.  His words can be regularly listened to at:

·         "Talks on Self Identity" on Zee Bangla, every Sunday morning at 8:30 AM

·         "Swayam Se Sakshatkar" on Aastha Channel, every Sunday at 6:50 PM. Presented by Mr. P.C. Lahiri

·         CDs distributed by Saccidananda Society, Kolkata

Joy Babathakur! Joy Babathakur! Joy Babathakur!
 

Individuality to Universality

by Sri P.C. Lahiri

We have regularly heard Prajnanpurush Sri Sri Babathakur (the Master) making us aware of the outer, inner, universal and transcendental nature within our own being. We have gotten so accustomed to the outer nature and thereby become so engrossed in its captivating gross objects and mesmerizing activities, that we have no time to even think about our inner nature, let alone the universal and transcendental nature.  We’re completely oblivious to the fact that this lack of awareness negatively impacts each moment of our day-to-day behavior by being a stumbling block to the refinement process. Unknowingly we react, act and behave in a fashion which is not conducive to overall growth, peace and bliss. Consequently we suffer in almost every stage of life, albeit perhaps in varying degrees.  To permanently overcome the pain associated with the trials and tribulations of the outer nature, our inner nature (mind, swabhava) has to be schooled to look within towards the universal or central nature. The very word ‘universal’ gives us an idea of its meaning ― a nature or a state of mind which covers all, without discrimination.  The width and spread of such a mind has negligible divisions, demarcations and distinctions.  Thus, it can easily assimilate within itself all that is painful and dreadful to the individual mind engrossed in outer nature. The dread and pain becomes a playful activity for such a mind.  Master termed it as ‘no-mind’.

For easier understanding and step-by-step accomplishment of individual refinement, we can perhaps create a stage in between the individual mind and the universal mind― that of a collective mind. Individual mind in its common state is centered in and around the individual, a mind with the lowest width and depth. Universal mind is God/Ishwara, and encompasses the universe and all that is manifested of whatever nature and quality.  This is why actions of the universal mind-incarnate are termed as divine play; it is only for the universal creation, its preservation and final assimilation happening within the universal Being Himself.  There is no individual motive or design involved in those actions.  The world play is a ‘sportful dramatic sameside game’ for such a mind.  A collective mind shall be that which thinks, acts and implements for and on behalf of a group in a larger than normal area for their success, welfare and peace. Thus a collective mind has to be wider and more refined than an individual mind, but perhaps not to the extent of the universal mind.  To move further on this, an event is narrated below:

A group, consisting of about three hundred people, was listening to a lecture. Suddenly the speaker stopped and decided to do a group activity.  He gave each person a balloon.  Each person was then asked to write his/her name on it using a marker pen.  Next, all the balloons were collected and put in another large room.   The attendees were then let into that room and asked to find the balloon that had their name written on it in 5 minutes. Everyone started to frantically search the baloon that bore his/her name.  It created total chaos within the room.  Individuals were colliding with each other, pushing each other around, resulting in frayed tempers. The atmosphere became heated and chaos increased with each passing minute.  At the end of five minutes only two persons could find their balloons. They were called to the dais.  The proud collectors were asked to narrate their experience and how they were able to achieve the task against such heavy odds. Both of them narrated their experiences.  The common factor in their narration was the description of skills that they employed to achieve their goals, each in their own way.  The speaker, a highly experienced and deep rooted person listened quietly and without any comments, requested those two to take their seats along with the rest of the gathering in the adjoining lecture room.

The speaker put the balloons back in the large room. Now the gathering was asked to go back into the large room again and randomly collect any balloon and give it to the person whose name was written on it. Within minutes everyone had their own balloon.

The speaker then began, “This is exactly what is happening in our own lives.  Everyone is frantically looking for personal happiness all around, not knowing where it is. Our happiness lies in the happiness of other people.  Give them their happiness; you will get your own happiness. This is the purpose of human life― pursuit of happiness.”

Well said.  It is a fact that as soon as we are faced with a situation in life where something is to be done or accomplished or proven, or else there is a threat of whatever intensity - our self-defense or self-preservation instincts come to the fore and all other rational and balanced senses take a back seat.  Friends become enemies within minutes.  Animal nature takes over. More often than not, this happens unknowingly, our actions governed only by impulse and instincts, and devoid of rationality.  We humans have graduated in the evolutionary movement of world drama from the animal state.  Animals live on only impulse and instincts, minus rationality. As a being moves up in the animal world to its higher echelons, the impulses and instincts become sharper and wider, just as they happen in humans with rationality. This explains why the higher and better animal breeds are capable of doing certain greater and special things.  We often hear comments that this pet 'understands' just like a human; it is unfortunate that it cannot speak or explain itself.  This is why impulses and instincts are very much present in all humans.  Depending on the individual’s mental training, those impulses and instincts get expressed.

I am reminded of an incident that I heard of in my young days from one of the best, fearless and highly respected Commander and trainer of Indian Airlines. The son of an extremely influential and powerful person in the country, after having acquired the required qualification, requested to be trained under this Commander for his pilot’s license. The Commander rejected the request twice because he felt that such a boy cannot be trusted with the lives of so many people. The boy could have gone to any other Commander and got his license without a problem; however he begged and pleaded with this Commander.  His request was finally accepted when made a third time - with the provision that he would need to be ‘tested’ first.  The boy agreed.  The Commander administered the test to the boy well past midnight (when fatigue sets in), and on a flight with just the two of them in it.  After testing the boy, the Commander felt that the boy was a born pilot because his impulse, instincts and reflexes were that of a born flier. The impulse and instincts of a bright human gets expressed for the welfare of all or for the collective good and peace.  Untrained human mind will show impulse and instinct which will not only be self-centered, but also detrimental to others.

Coming back to the event being discussed - as soon as a rational and comprehensive approach was employed, the job of finding individual name-tagged balloons became a breeze. This kind of rational approach easily comes to a mind which is at least collective, if not higher. With its area of thinking and operation being wider than that of the individual mind, such a mind can easily devise an action plan that takes care of the needs and well being of a larger group.  The focus on individuality is minimal and that on collectivity, maximum.  The speaker went a step further when he said that an individual’s happiness is in the happiness of other people.  The very approach of picking any balloon at random and handing it over to the real claimant brings in its train, success, camaraderie and joy to one and all irrespective of any constraint whatsoever.  The beauty of it is that it accomplishes the task of all, including the collective mind, in an easy, playful and joyful way.  As such a mind moves on in life, training and refinement follow suit, provided he/she works devotedly towards common good and the happiness of all.  It will gradually reach the stage of a Vinobha Bhave, Anna Hazare, Mahatma Gandhi or such like refined souls. If lucky, he/she may get a perfect Realizer as Guru to become a Realizer himself/herself like Swami Vivekananda. The process of evolution ends there, when the universal nature reveals Itself in Its full glory and beauty.

Hail the Sadguru, the Master― Salutations to the all-Divine Master.

 

Awareness

by Smt. Susmita Devi

The word ‘awareness’ has multiple hues. It may be called consciousness, realization, notice or perception, alertness, wakefulness, knowledge or understanding - just to name some.  Marcus Aurelius once upon a time assumed: “Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the Truth”. Theories may be based on many, nay innumerable, presumptions, perceptions, impressions and suppositions, but the Truth is and can be only One.

 

The first of the mundane interpretations is bodily awareness. A toddler has already developed the first characteristics of a unique mind and soon finds out that howling can be a mean to an end. As the child grows, bodily awareness also grows along with the development of the brain and thus the more refined mind-work awareness sets in.  In that phase, various wants or perceived needs occur related to either self-preservation (which is not to be confused with the word 'selfishness', although it pertains to the individual self).  Physical or mental self-gratification may also prevail in conjunction with negative sentiments like jealousy and envy.

 

The above mentioned awareness can be categorized as self-awareness - with small ‘s’ - as one is aware only of one’s basic bodily and mental needs  - like a baby/child crying of hunger, or the need to be consoled or cuddled.  Amongst older children (and even adults), the wants and desires to be fulfilled are grow proportionally with age, and individual awareness and are not always based on physical needs.  Desires, actually, may become more and more fanciful and assume proportions that hamper wholesome development of an individual mind -thereby affecting behaviour patterns in a negative way.

 

The next small ‘s’ in the series of observations happens when a personality trait is developing relating to something that a child uses or wants - e.g. ‘it is my toy’. The self-perception grows along with the sense of ego and may, unfortunately, develop into selfishness/self-centeredness and often become the ruling trait of an individual. The background reason for that kind of development is usually the result of societal behaviour - or of intensely felt distressful upbringing.

Awareness of the third kind of Self (which, in fact, is the first, as it is the original), starts with a capital ‘S’ as a way to distinguish it from the developmental self in a body). That Self is the Divine flicker within all living things and individuals in the common known world. That Self is, definitely, the most interesting part of life to ponder upon.  The deeper aim of having got a human life is to seek and develop Knowledge of the Divine Self, and identify with It. It is a fundamental part of spiritual Awareness (with capital A). Various religions can equally be used as possible gateways to Self-realization if pursued with unreserved sincerity.

 

Mind and intellect are, no doubt, useful faculties and are therefore often used as possible starting points, although they might function as temporary blocks for higher Knowledge. Mind must however, sooner or later, be sufficiently controlled through crystal-clear mental practices like meditation, contemplation, japa (repetition of a name or verse from a scripture), physical/mental Yoga or other suitable means so that it can be moulded it into a willing tool before one can recognize the difference between the ordinary awareness of one’s being spiritual Awareness.  I have used both Japa and Pranayam and listened to religious songs and last, but not least, noted many of the talks of Sadguru Sri Sri Babathakur over a number of years.

 

The subsequent step is to intellectually discriminate between original injunctions from a Self-realized Soul, scripture interpretations and reading.  One must also be willing to change one’s lifestyle or mental conditioning accordingly.  There are essentially two ways to proceed – (i) devotion and (ii) Knowledge.  The formal worship/devotion way is long and arduous and may rely on time-honoured worship of a vast variety of deities - from animal to human forms (and even a combination of both) in all kinds of material.  Worship of various images functions basically as projections of one’s state of mind imbibed through scriptures and/or cultural patterns. Few are so lucky as to experience spontaneous revelations. The mind, a commonly distorted reflection of the Self, can however be cultivated and disciplined to look at the physical existence and the ensuing mind and intellect’s work as a Divine Game. Such transformation rarely happens overnight; it is rather a result of regular practice over time before Self-realization eventually happens. Sri Sri Babathakur expressed the concept as: “It (Self) is for, by, with, from, to.... Itself.”  The resulting Awareness on the other hand is no projection, and therefore, not illusory. Yet, to reach that level, rigorous and serious spiritual practices over an extended period of time is required - in combination with Guru’s Blessings.

 

Referring to the above, Sadguru Jaggi Vasudev often said in interviews and wrote in a newspaper column: “Awareness can either create or obliterate this [physical] existence. That is the magic of Awareness... the whole existence is just Awareness!” Linguistic forms and terminology are helpful in purifying and elevating mind and intellect to a higher level of awareness, but are often worded as metaphoric expressions of the inexpressible Self.

 

The question popping up in the mind of a seeker of Knowledge may be that, if all is a game, why then do we have a body, mind and intellect?  In my ruminations and piecing together many expressions from Sri Sri Babathakur’s talks over the years, I have come to the conclusion that a dictum of Sri Sri Babathakur: “Sportful Dramatic Sameside Game of Self-consciousness” is meant to elevate human insight to recognize the Supreme Unity between the creation and the Creator.

 

India's Progress through Discipline and Moral Conduct

by Sri Ajit Halder

The most important word in the title of this article is ‘Discipline’. The word ‘Discipline’ is frequently used in conversation, in the media, and by Indian politicians who are concerned about the lack of discipline witnessed in the social behaviour of many of our fellow countrymen. Before we discuss how the progress of our nation may be ensured, we ought to take a stock of the erosion of discipline in community life in India.

For several years in the recent past, India has been a victim of growing indiscipline in all walks of life. We have been witnessing the very disturbing phenomena of strikes, demonstrations, agitations, bandhs (forceful closure of shops and public transport not allowed to operate), vociferous processions impeding traffic flow in city streets and even rampages. Often the strikes are called by political parties having no consideration for the safety and security of public life. These activities bring civic life to a dead stop, causing extreme chaos to people’s normal life and extensive damage to commercial and business activities.  

Indiscipline in educational institutes, campus violence, class boycott, gherao of teachers, malpractices in examinations and even in gaining admission to courses by unfair means are common occurrences in our temples of learning.   An unacceptable evil act is ‘ganadholai’ – an occurrence when members of the public take law in their hands and punish a person who they think has committed a crime and that person is beaten to death.   A group of MPs often engage in ‘dharna’ at the entrance gate of the Lok Sabha Bhavan. This sort of behaviour is unacceptable as it disrupts normal function of the Lok Sabha and is not the role for which the MPs are elected.    We often hear persons in positions of authority making inaccurate, irresponsible statements of provocative nature which indicate their ignorance of facts. When asked to withdraw their comments, they often refuse to do what should be an honourable act.  The list of misdemeanours is endless.

A Greek philosopher once said: ‘If you want to destroy a nation, let it behave like a bunch of lunatics’.  The Indian Nation has become increasingly disorderly and restless. I do not wish our nation to suffer a catastrophe because of its misbehaviour.  It is high time we all put in our sincere efforts to make India a disciplined and thereby progressive nation.

The relevance of Discipline to the theme of this piece is immense and hence, the word deserves a careful interpretation and elaboration.  A couple of paragraphs devoted to explaining different strands of Discipline is neccessary to help readers appreciate the purpose of this article and its link to Moral Conduct that has a great role as a contributor to the nation’s spiritual and material prosperity.

Discipline means a range of things to different people and one single definition may not cover what this word is supposed to convey.  For our purposes, we will focus on the aspect of Discipline that is synonymous with self-control. The Bengali equivalent word closest to its core meaning is ’Samyam’   i.e. ‘self-restraint’ which asserts that any person, before taking any action, should pause a little while to contemplate on the merit of the task to be undertaken and think whether the intended action will result in a beneficial outcome or something worse is going to happen to cause harm or hardship to someone. If a person jumps straight into executing the act, without bothering to think of the eventual consequences, sometimes that action can lead to grief and disaster affecting that person and also precipitate disorder within the community.

Furthermore, Discipline also means the practice of abiding by and adhering to a set of rules that uphold the norms of social life and therefore encourages peace in the wider national community.  Discipline is what a person imposes on himself or herself taking it as a duty to God, to society or an institution which the person is attached to. It imposes a restraining influence in the exercise of one’s individual rights and privileges in the service of something greater than oneself.  The importance of the practice of discipline and restraint in individual as well as in community life cannot be over stressed.

We have discussed important aspects of Discipline. Many people are aware of these principles but do not act accordingly. The decline of discipline in national life is a cause of concern to all citizens.  The gravity of the situation makes us realize that simply knowing the principles of Discipline is not enough. In essence, Discipline demonstrates a person’s behaviour controlled by his or her judicious mental deliberation before he or she engages in an action and therefore requires us to think about moral choices and conduct.

It is clear that to behave in a disciplined way, the demand on a person’s attitude and eventual behaviour is huge, and that it cannot attained through physical endeavour only. Naturally it raises the query - ‘Do we need something more than just a set of narratives on Discipline or some higher and nobler doctrine to serve as an inspiration to help a person practise discipline?’ That person will need some inner force and moral instinct to guide him/her into taking correct action, also prevent any evil thoughts to corrupt his/her mind.  Clearly the performer has to empower and fortify himself/herself with morality to be able to act in a decent, civilized manner.  In this context, the word ‘morality’ means guidance to improve behaviour by being   (i) Ethical, i.e. adopting idealistic standards of right and wrong when taking a decision; (ii) Virtuous, i.e.  implying moral excellence and (iii) Righteous, i.e. emphasizing moral uprightness being applied to actions.

We now discuss how moral conduct boosts the self-confidence of a person and helps him/her act in a civilized manner  A vast literature on moral conduct is available and we should look for the one that is easy to understand and implement in practice.  The divine message of Sri Sri Babathakur serves such a purpose, well.

The message of Sri Sri Babathakur, as quoted below, will illumine the mind and empower us spiritually  It should always be borne in mind, for it will guide us to perform our actions in a disciplined manner.  To gain the necessary moral strength, he/she will do best to listen to the ‘Innerscient Message’ of Sri Sri Babathakur elaborating on self-reliance and self-confidence.  The doctrine of the Divine Master goes like this:

’It is the presence of the Divine – the embodiment of all-Existing Truth or Goodness, all-Power, all-Knowledge, Bliss, Love and Peace – which gives integral value to life.  It is the presence of Him in all beings and becoming and it is He who determines, shapes all beings, all actions, and their results sitting in the heart of all the Existence Absolute.  He is the Witness and Seer and as the indwelling He is the experiencer, enjoyer, knower and ruler of all the becoming of His Being, inwardly and outwardly, simultaneously.’

‘It is the Divine Consciousness that appears to be life consciousness in all.  As the unity of Oneness is the eternal character nature of the Divine Consciousness, the dearest law of It is the magnetic attraction, which is designated as the Love Divine.  Divine Love manifests Itself as Bhakti or devotion and Bhakti or devotion truly grows by nature into Divine Love.’ 

More such messages can be found in ‘Knowledge of Knowledge’ and other religious texts authored by the Master and published by the Saccidananda Society of Kolkata.

We feel that the message of Sri Sri Babathakur will offer spiritual guidance, motivate people to act sensibly, and usher in discipline into public life.  It will pave the way for India to move forward, promoting Peace and Harmony among communities and put our nation on a path of prosperity and continued progress.