WELCOME TO THE JANMASHTAMI ISSUE OF E-SANAI

By Sri Sandip Dasgupta

Welcome to yet another edition of our electronic magazine as we celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna. Many of us devotees have seen Mr. Arup Das' painting depicting our Master (Sri Sri Babathakur) being completely identified with Lord Krishna.  Just as Lord Krishna had descended upon the earth to clear the air about our religion, so to had our Master come to this world to guide us about Sanatan Dharma in the language of  the present day’s society.

Sri Sri Babathakur has repeatedly told us that in today’s age, there is neither the time nor the opportunity to worship the Lord using conventional methods.  He has also cautioned us against reciting mantras without understanding their true meaning.  He has therefore gone to the root of all Knowledge and taught us the ‘Science of Oneness’ – which unequivocally states that there is only ONE God, ONE Reality, ONE substratum. He has further gone on to say that everything is a reflection of that one Reality, and this world is a drama that is being played out by all players.  He termed it as “Sportful Dramatic Sameside game of Self-Consciousness”.

Just like in a drama where various actors and actresses are assigned specific roles to play – so too have we been assigned play various roles in the world drama (which is like a sport, where somebody will win and somebody will lose). The relationships between the characters in a play are imaginary and defined by the drama writer.  The relationships are temporary and last only for the period of the drama. In our world drama, the same is true – however our mind tries to hold onto the relationships (assuming them to be permanent) and hence we suffer.  The Reality is that our mind is a reflection of our Self-Consciousness – and hence our real relationship is with our Supreme I-Reality.  In the course of a phone conversation, Sri Sri Babathakur had clearly pointed out to me that I should forget about the relationships I have with my parents, children, wife, family members etc.  That statement came as a shock to me at that time, but I think I am gradually beginning to understand the importance of that statement now.

Many of our religious texts talk about surrender. Many people attribute such a surrender to austerity and living a simple life. While that is important, I think the Science of Oneness goes much further in defining surrender. In my humble opinion, surrender means that we need to give up our false sense of belonging and ownership of objects in life. We need to think that there is only one Supreme Subject – all the objects are reflections of that Supreme Subject, and that the objects all belong to that Supreme Subject. So, all results are owned by that Supreme Subject – not by us, the mortal Jivas in this world.  Essentially it means that we need to give up our sense of ownership, sense of belonging and any sense of association to objects.  The objects of this world are derived from that Supreme Subject, and the objects also were created by the Supreme Subject. If we create a body – it will be more like a doll. It will not be functional. Such an object will become real, only when it is energized by the Supreme Consciousness – much like electricity flowing through a filament lighting up a passive bulb.  Electricity cannot be recognized as a force till it finds a medium through which it can flow. Likewise, Consciousness cannot become visible to us until a medium like Jiva is created by the Supreme Lord.

Sri Babathakur has therefore asked us to perform our duties and work normally, but be conscious of the following:

      -  The Lord has energized our body (through Consciousness) and brought us to this world (we are temporary subjects)

·         -  The Lord has created all the objects, human beings and animals around us

·         -  The Lord has created our minds and relationships amongst ourselves and objects

·         -  The Lord has created the roles for us to play, based on our performance in previous births (Karma Yoga).   

-    -  Our current actions will dictate our role in the next birth

·         -     Our only relationship is to the Lord. He owns the subjects of the world, objects of the world, the results and the actions – we are simply enacting the role that has been assigned to us in this drama.

      If we follow this what will happen? We will see the Lord all around us (in people, animals, objects etc) – because everything is a creation of that Lord. Will we then need a separate Ishwar Darshan?  Never!

But we can’t think this way – the mind always wants a sense of ownership and makes the life drama more complex!  It is the however the same Lord who is making our mind think about this sense of ownership!!!  So we again have to surrender our mind to that same Lord and ask Him to silence it in order to always remain conscious of the ONE Supreme I-Reality all the time.

So, on this auspicious day of Janamashtami, let us all pledge to reflect on our Master’s words – and try to see the Lord all around us – in every object or subject that we see, in every action which we perform, and in every result that we experience! 

Joy Babathakur! Joy Babathakur! Joy Babathakur!

All-Acceptance, All-Embrace (Part 1)

by Sri P.C. Lahiri

What in Bengali was revealed to the Master (Prajnanpurush Sri Sri Babathakur) as ‘mene maniye cholo’, has been presented as ‘all-acceptance, all-embrace’ by Him in English.  ‘Accept all and embrace all as verily your own Self’ is the direction to follow. The word ‘all’ is to be treated as all-inclusive in the real sense of the term. Pairs of opposites which normally govern our thoughts and actions - like good-bad, right-wrong, true-false, accept-reject― in one word ‘this and that’― have all to be accepted as the same One Self-I that I verily am in reality. The almost universally followed habit of accepting the suitable and rejecting the unsuitable has to be replaced with the habit of equal acceptance of both the suitable and the unsuitable. Accepting the unsuitable does not necessarily mean that one has to follow or imbibe the unsuitable in life.  However it certainly implies that one must not degrade or reject that which is found unsuitable.  For example, one may not at all be in agreement with the viewpoints, behavior or habits of another person; this though should not lead to outright degradation or rejection of that person or even cause agitation within one’s own self.  The bottom line is― when faced with the unsuitable, one should not have any feelings of disturbance or contradiction within.  This happens only through constant, conscious practice of ‘all acceptance, all-embrace’ in day-to-day life.  In the beginning, a lot of effort may be needed to go on with this new practice given the tendency of the mind is to first reject any suggested change from routine. A lot of apparently logical arguments are brought forward by the mind against the acceptance of a new suggestion, howsoever practical and useful it may be. A person as highly qualified as Arjuna put forward seemingly logical arguments before Lord Krishna in the Kurukshetra war as to why he should not take up arms against his own kith and kin. In answer what was revealed by the Lord Sadguru not only took care of Arjuna’s mental block and ignorance, it also became the Bible of millions of spiritual seekers to this day.

With the overcoming of mental and other insinuations, the practice of ‘all-acceptance, all-embrace’ gets crystallized into a habit over a period of time.  Once the habit gets firmly established within us through continuous practice with awareness, it becomes a part and parcel of our very being. “Acceptance under all circumstances” then becomes the very nature of the practitioner.  It happens spontaneously without any effort in each and every situation, irrespective of its negative or positive impact.  In other words, pairs of opposites which were the guiding principle of life, become meaningless. The practice itself gets unified and identified with the practitioner.  This is when ‘all-acceptance, all-embrace’ becomes truly established within and without.

To begin our journey towards the realm of acceptance, a beginner’s example may help. Brushing our teeth every morning and night has become a habit for most of us.  We feel very uneasy if we don’t do it. But was that the case when we were toddlers? Perhaps not! Mother (the mahaguru) urges her child to brush every morning.  Reluctantly the child starts, at times even stealthily trying to avoid brushing, but the mother keeps a close watch and constantly inspires the child using various methods to go on with the practice – until it becomes acceptable to the child and ingrained as a habit. Once the child starts enjoying the fragrant and fresh clean feeling in his mouth following brushing, he continues with it on his own. This is a base-level example of the application of the science of acceptance of newer and better things in life.  Par-excellence of this is the ‘Science of all-acceptance and all-embrace’ as It is the ‘Science of all other sciences’ leading to the Ultimate Realization of the Supreme Truth within and without. Sadguru, the only qualified Soul to reveal this Ultimate Science, constantly narrates the all-pervasiveness and immortality of our True Nature from all possible angles, thereby making us more aware of the Supreme I-Reality within and without. Simultaneously, He reveals the most appropriate and easiest path to regain the lost paradise. The appropriateness and easiness of the path recommended is always with respect to the times and age in which He appears. This is why He is original and does not present or follow the beaten track.  The originality and uniqueness is only in the presentation, which is tailor-made for that particular age and time.  The Absolute Truth itself was, is and shall ever remain the same original and unique Supreme Self I-Reality.  Ironically, this is the very reason why we finding it difficult to follow Him.  Any original or new presentation is rejected by the mind since it does not fall within the mind’s limited yardstick.  We have discussed this point here in before.

Master says that the past is dead and that you need not worship or follow it.  If you live in the present, you need not anticipate or dream about the future as well, since it shall take care of itself just as you are taking care of the present. Living in the present means and includes ‘the acceptance of the revelation from a Perfect Master who has appeared in flesh and blood in the present, for the present’. Still a question might arise in a doubt-laden mind― why should I do this?  I am quite alright as it is.  Master reveals ― that is because the Absolute Truth or the Supreme I-Reality that we all verily are, in essence (not in appearance) is all-pervasive and equally omnipresent in all beings and becoming.  Therefore the ultimate peace and bliss for each one of us lies in getting unified and identified with that very True Nature of ours which is omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient.  Peace and bliss achieved through any other means or in any other state where duality exists shall be temporary, illusory and reactionary.  All of us, I am sure, have felt the temporariness of the high gained after some mundane achievement. The fact that it is illusory and reactionary shall also become clear if we carefully observe in the light of Sadguru’s teachings, the path that life as a whole takes after a worldly achievement.

The adoration and adulation last for a certain period.  As they starts fading away, the mind-intellect-ego feels a void and hankers for something similar, again.  It is the ignorance of the mind that leads us to the desire of re-experiencing only the favorable.  It is unable to appreciate that the favorable and unfavorable are both temporary, and are two sides of the same coin.  When we strive for the favorable, we create a cause to receive the unfavorable at some time.  Now, depending on one’s mental build-up, capacity, knack, education and training (except that which is received from a Sadguru), this desire to regain prominence takes shape. The weakest of the lot resort to anything that they can lay their hands on, including all kinds of unethical and illegal means; whereas the best of the lot get inspired, work on increasing efficiency and strive for higher and bigger mundane achievement. The weakest of the lot weaken the very structure of the discipline/subject which they are pursuing, and in some cases, even the cohesive fabric of the society. To relive the euphoric illusion of an earlier achievement, without upgrading their own efficiency, they themselves suffer reactionary results as well as spread the same vibrations in the society.

Now what happens to the best of the lot? They set higher goals and pursue it with renewed vigor. Their role models and masters/coaches spur them on to be always one-up over the rest of the field. The sense of competition and distinction which is inherent in this approach gets embedded and becomes part and parcel of their life. The more the use of ego to establish a separate identity distinctly better than the rest, the less is the peace and ease one finds in life. People with high skill levels, capacity and capability to do hard work generally get name, fame and wealth in the material world.  At what cost though? At the exorbitant cost of other niceties, subtleties and higher things of life which given their qualifications, they ought to be capable of experiencing. This creates a high degree of imbalance in life which is not recognized until it is too late. The superficial sparkle dazzles even the best of the lot. With the passing of time or due to any other variation of nature when that limelight is lost, they find it quite difficult to cope with it all because they are not trained to equally accept the highs and the lows. The training of being equally at peace with the ups and downs in life is invaluable and perhaps the most important of all training. Unfortunately, most of us do not recognize and accept it.  This is why such training is missing from schools, colleges or any other higher curriculum.  In the religious world, every one is so busy trying to establish their separate entity that they do not have any inclination to work for the all-round welfare of mankind.

The picture may not be rosy at the moment, but all is not lost.  Master appeared in these times and laid the foundation for the resurgence of mankind in general, with no distinction whatsoever.  We are only dreaming of “one world”, but have no clue of how to achieve it.  The Science of ‘all-acceptance, all embrace’ is not based on imagination, nor is it the product of a great intellect.  It is the revelation of the eternal Truth which pervades each and everything in the universe and beyond. Therefore, this Science cannot be consumed by time; infact, It is the very cause of time.  Effect cannot overcome the cause. Today, mankind may not be able to appreciate it fully, but a time will come when it will be the order of the day for one and all.  Even the path breaking discoveries of material scientists have taken time before garnering general acceptance.  We have to be patient and absolutely firm in our faith and belief.  If that is there, then devotion and dedication towards following this Science in life shall automatically come.  It will not only make our lives joyous, but also those of the people around us. Let us start in our own humble but sincere way, the rest will follow.  Let us try to be worthy followers of the Absolute personified Sadguru.

How is ‘all-acceptance, all-embrace’ demonstrated in the life of a perfect Soul? The best source of inspiration is a live demonstration from that enlightened One in whom has revealed this Supreme Science. I shall try to present certain events witnessed in the life of the Master which speak for themselves in the next article.  I shall also share my own joyous experiences in this regard.

Salutations to the Master.

Pure, Quiet and Calm

by Smt. Susmita Devi

The three key words in the title (Peace, Quiet, Calm) are extremely important for a seeker of Truth. The inspiration to write about how to bring into play these three words in life came from Ramen when I asked him what to write about. He was just then looking at a calendar published by Sri Sri Babathakur’s devotees, where the caption below the picture for the month of June was: “A pure, quiet and calm mind knows the Divine Will”. I felt it might be a topic I could manage to express something about, so here it is: 

‘PURE’ 

The questions – when considered from a spiritual viewpoint – have wide consequences in how one leads one’s life. Society at large today is definitely not ‘pure’ – neither physically nor spiritually. By definition ‘pure ’has various synonyms like: clean, uncontaminated, unpolluted, unadulterated, wholesome and untainted.

For spiritually non-aware people, words like ‘cleanliness’ only imply that we have a clean body, wear clean clothing, and perhaps do not use gross words or engage in lying.  The may also associate ‘cleanliness’ with keeping the environment clean... something which is difficult for most to do.  Nevertheless, what I want to emphasize here with regards to cleanliness is the purity of thoughts and expressions emanating from the mind and habits. It is extremely easy to get the mind fouled through one’s ego sense, with its unending desires for worldly acknowledgement and kudos, not to mention worldly possessions.

The difficult part of cleansing the mind lies in controlling the flow of thoughts. That, the various Sadgurus have, over countless millennia, told us can be achieved through the repeating of holy sentences (mantras) or names (japa) whenever undesirable thoughts occur, and through avoidance of extended interactions with people projecting implied negative or belittling expressions.  This is helpful to some extent, but for me, the crux of the matter is to completely eliminate such thoughts or words from one’s mind-work (and vocabulary).  In other words: cleanse the mind deliberately. It has to be a conscious decision and must be practiced every single day for quite some time to yield the desired result of goodwill, candor, truthfulness, benevolence, frankness and benevolence.

To achieve a high (or reasonable) level of spotlessness of mind and thus personality, one has to work long and hard – deliberately - by controlling the mind’s working habit. By nature, mind is indiscriminately absorbing, and it uses both positivity and negativity from the environment it functions in.  Remember though that mind is but a tool in life, and a tool can be made sharp or rendered blunt. 

‘QUIET’ 

The implied meaning of ‘quietness of mind’ is twofold:

·         The capacity to fully concentrate on one task at a time to achieve the perfect result - be it meditation, physical or mental work

·         The ability to generate benevolent, compassionate and soothing thoughts in one’s interaction with others and oneself.

The first point is very important in life, for the better one can concentrate on the work at hand, the better will be the result - flawless, perfect, unblemished and last, but not the least, accomplished through the maximum utilization of one’s physical and/or mental capacity. The second point relates to one’s interaction with others. People are actually yearning for compassion, a loving hand on an aching head, tummy, back or wherever needed.  They will eventually need some advice on how to avoid both mental and physical wounds.  A soothing hand, an encouragement, or praise makes a person sense genuine affection from the listener/helper.

One of the first necessary features of a seeker/devotee is to pay full attention during the instruction period(s).  If the mind is not for most parts directed towards the utterances, the statements may subsequently be misinterpreted by the listener based on his/her mindset.  Practically speaking, when one listens to the words of a Guru, that is where the quietness of mind becomes imperative.  If one is so fortunate as to get the opportunity to listen to a Sadguru and to attempt implementing His directives in one’s life, it is the best opportunity.  Mankind has a wider range of intellect than any other creature.

It is beneficial for one’s working capacity and devotion/Knowledge development to be quiet for some time on a daily basis. I used to keep silent every Monday – even if I was working – and still do so whenever the daily events seem to overwhelm the mind. The easiest beginning can be, for example, to practice Pranayam, given the mind is compelled to concentrate on getting the breathing sequences right.  With practice, when the mind is able to be controlled to some extent, one may add a mantra, which will further promote concentration and thus calm the mind till it becomes ‘no-mind’ (Aman). This is the stage of Absolute Peace and Knowledge (notice the words are written in capital, for they describe a state beyond mind and intellect). In my experience, silence also signals to others that too much chatter is no good for one’s inner development.  We have - all said and done - been allowed to pass some time in a human body only to progress spiritually, not to squander it away in futile actions and thoughts that are prompted by the ego. 

‘CALM’ 

To remain calm (and thus mentally composed) is a big challenge in midst of the hustle and bustle of modern life. There are two kinds of challenges:

·            The outer quietness may for example be disturbed by blaring loudspeakers, the high volumes from radios, televisions and motor vehicle horns (not to speak of public loudspeakers during festivals - at least when one lives in a city in India). The level of inner quietness disappears through divergence during discussions and may often take a turn towards the more shrill owing to the constant outer noise-level having impacted the normal level of hearing. The ego-sense also raises hackles and with that, the need to be heard and to hear one’s own voice becomes imperative.

·            The inner calmness is more difficult to maintain now-a-days as competition in so many areas of life have intensified - closeness between buildings, traffic congestion, time constraints, growing need for material things etc. The inner quietness can be found only through meditation, prayer or selfless service. I have noticed that while helping others in some way, the noise level is ignored to some extent because the focus is on the doing.

Another source disturbing one’s calm is a ‘noisy’ mind. By nature, the mind is used to conduct the daily activities: activities; however it can also be used initially to still itself.

By repeating sound combinations like mantras or names of saintly personalities, the ordinary mind can be diverted and thus be constructively used for spiritual purposes. Such diversion of mind happens at first in bits and pieces, but through regular and conscious practice, one can still the mind for quite long periods, even without the help of mantras. During such times the higher levels of the brain opens up to spiritual experiences of an intuitive nature.

The more the practice of some form of mental silence, the more balanced and efficient one’s mind will be in daily life.  So why not start with just a few minutes on busy days, and then take longer time ‘off’ when possible. The result is sure to be felt by your increased effectiveness and by the people around you. I started the practice during bus-rides from my residence to wherever I had to go. It even happened that I got so engrossed, I was unaware of the time elapsed.

The first and last requirement for a fruitful spiritual sadhana can actually be summed up in the three words used as the title of the article – namely, the practice of keeping the mind  pure, quiet and calm.
 

Character-forming Education Needed to Prevent Students' Unrest in India

by Sri Ajit Halder

‘Students’ Unrest’ is a serious problem in India; it starts at a particular institution, then the emergent culture of student solidarity provokes disruption of academic activity in other educational campuses. This scenario has always been an unfortunate experience for the whole nation, given that the students should be engaging full-time in the pursuit of learning, receiving skill training, developing adorable personal qualities and becoming useful citizens of the country. 

Reflecting upon the issue of ‘Students’ Unrest’, the first thing that comes to mind is the role of India’s educational institutions in shaping the character and behavior of students.  In the present context, ‘Character’ refers to how 'good' a person is, pointing at attributes like moral sense, pleasant manners, good behavior shown to others. These student qualities are considered to be desirable by the society. It is abundantly clear that the curriculum of the present educational system has failed to create a congenial learning environment that helps build the character of students.  A scheme of imparting liberal religious studies with elements of moral education should be introduced into the present learning system to provide character-forming education. True, the curriculum offers a variety of subjects covering Arts, Science, Technology, Nature Study and Religious Education.  It seems, however, that not enough emphasis is given to character-forming education; instead, more emphasis is placed on preparing students to pass examinations. Some changes in the curriculum to include elements of moral studies are thus called for.  It will be useful at this stage of our discussion to articulate the causes of students’ unrest, before proposing any changes in the curriculum aimed at rectifying the problem.

Causes of unrest 

Students’ agitations are characterized by actions based on feelings of injustice and frustration suffered by the student body and the emergence of a new style of student leadership directing students to boycott lectures and engage in protest demonstrations on campuses (which eventually spills over into the streets).  Agitators often resort to violence, destroying or damaging valuable properties. Given this is a problem of law and order, police occasionally opens fire on rowdy students.  There have been several casualties in the past as a result of such police firings.

We are discussing the unacceptable behavior of students who are in their late teens, and are thus expected to be mature enough to make reasoned judgment concerning the consequences of their actions.  Why do they then follow the ignoble path of violence and destruction?  There must be some genuine student grievances which ought to be listened to, and concerned authorities must act to resolve students’ discontent.

It cannot be denied that corruption and moral degradation have crept into our present society. Many senior members and politicians adopt dishonest means to make money.   Grown up students see indiscipline and dishonesty all around, and find no noble ideal to inspire them.  Then there is the serious problem of unemployment, making students feel uncertain and insecure about their future.  All pertinent parties therefore need to work sincerely towards generating a healthier learning environment in our schools, colleges and universities to emerge from this mess. 

Potential Remedies  

Any innovation introduced into the existing curriculum should put emphasis on such core values as social and emotional learning, moral and ethical reasoning, critical thinking and cognitive development, honesty, and respect shown towards others.  Developing personal qualities as those mentioned above is often seen as the purpose of character-forming education, and being trained in moral education may help attain this objective. This sort of education will help students grow into morally healthy, civil, traditional and socially acceptable members of the community.

Parents and teachers should exercise their guiding influence in shaping the character of students by instilling confidence in them.  Student unions acting in a disciplined manner while trying to advocate the interests of their members, and the government pumping funds into the economy aimed at creating more job opportunities should help to ensure a non-disruptive, congenial learning environment in our academies. 

Moral Education 

Given the moral degeneration in society, it is paramount that students learn how to practice virtues and good behavior and control their tendency towards aggression and violence.  So it is now clear that the purpose of education is greater than the propagation of knowledge; feelings are to be disciplined, passions are to be restrained, worthy motives are to be inspired, and above all, pure morality are to be inculcated in all situations.  It is thus strongly felt that character-forming moral education should be included into our school education so that it makes an impact on students’ righteous behavior right from an early age.  This education should in fact carry on through the college and university education systems.

Liberal religious views, not dogmas, are the foundations of morals and virtues as life-ennobling principles that play a great role in the moral development of a person. Educators must promote morality by teaching the young such values as respect, responsibility, trustworthiness, fairness, caring, goodness and civility.  Students trained to regard such values affirm human dignity, and define their responsibilities in a democracy.

Content drawn from religious books could serve as the main source of moral instruction to students about honesty, respect for others, kindness shown to fellow beings and animals, dedication to service of the community, piety, patriotism and many other virtues that ennobles the soul. The writings of Swami Vivekananda and Sri Aurobindo make for spiritually uplifting reading and are highly recommended as essential reads for students.  Study of texts on the principles of morality should be complemented with discussions, and students should be encouraged to participate in stimulating debates to develop their power of moral reasoning.  Activities of a spiritual nature such as yoga and meditation may be introduced as part of the learning program to bring mental peace and help calm down the restless minds of the younger generation.  Students need to be encouraged to use their intellectual and moral resources while making personal decisions based on their inner conscience.

The dominant materialistic approach to life in the current age is diverting students from listening to their inner voice – from where God speaks to humans and sustains them. The vision and mission of Sri Sri Babathakur if absorbed from his discourses and gained through a study of his works may inspire students to lead a spiritually enlightened life.  His ‘Sanai Tattva’ is a book containing answers to all questions that may arise in their minds and prepare them on their spiritual journey.  Another learned text, ‘Knowledge of Knowledge’ can help students grasp the significance of life-enhancing knowledge so clearly defined by Sri Sri Babathakur in this book. 

Conclusion  

Student indiscipline cannot be supported, nor can their acts of violence and lawlessness be ignored by peace loving citizens.  The essential step to stop student misbehavior though is to remove their legitimate grievances.  The severity of the problem demands co-operation and a determined effort to resolve the issue from both the authorities and the student body.  The leaders of the country (including educators), should set bright examples of nobility of character and service dedicated towards the welfare of students.  Similarly, students must exercise their fundamental rights to raise their voices, sensibly, and behave responsibly.  There is hope for the elimination students’ unrest from our community life by achieving the above objectives.