WELCOME TO THE JANMASHTAMI ISSUE OF E-SANAI

by Sri Sandip Dasgupta

I am delighted to report that by His Grace, the North American volunteers of Saccidananda Society organized a wonderful evening of His revealed bhajans at the LePetit Trianon in San Jose, California, on May 29, 2011. The function was attended by close to 110 individuals which included local devotees and seekers, as well as followers from New Jersey, Colorado, Canada, and Luxembourg. In this editorial, I will try to briefly describe that joyous evening.

As the attendees entered the venue, they were greeted by a life-size picture of Sri Sri Babathakur blessing everybody with both His hands. A beautiful Rangoli of fresh flowers had been offered at His lotus feet by Ms. Aditi Mukhopadhyay. At the registration booth, attendees were handed a folder of Saccidananda Society containing a CD entitled “Voice Divine” that included selected quotes of Sri Sri Babathakur. Each attendee was also given a specially prepared brochure containing a short introduction to Sri Sri Babathakur, Saccidananda Society, a list of publications and the meaning of the emblem of the Society. The brochure also contained translations of the bhajans that were to be presented later that evening. Several attendees browsed through the publications and the CDs of Saccidananda Society – some also chose to purchase a personal copy for themselves. The stage had been beautifully decorated by Mr. Tapan Kundu who enlarged a photograph of our Master (approx. 4ftx5ft in size) and got it printed on canvas. The elegant floral decorations for the stage were also done by him. (see picture below).

The program began with Mr. Partha Guha giving an inspiring speech on the All-Divine Master Sri Sri Babathakur, His unconventional teachings, and His ‘missionless mission’. He introduced the theme of our program, ‘I-Reality,’ and explained the original nature of the revealed bhajans, stressing the fact that these were not composed bhajans but had rather been revealed to Sadguru Sri Sri Babathakur at different times, mainly after prolonged samadhis (a state of deep trance). Mr. Guha concluded his speech by introducing the artists -- Ms. Shaoni Mitra, an accomplished singer from Kolkata, India, accompanied by the equally well-known Mr. Debashis Ghosh on harmonium, Mr. Pritimoy Goswami on tabla and Mr. Tapas Rajderkar on the Manjira.

Ms. Shaoni Mitra began by paying homage to our Sadguru through an excellent rendering of the bhajan --- ‘prem se bhaja mana sri guru charana .…’. Ms. Swapna Banerjee, who had the good fortune of being in contact with the Master for a very long time, came on stage next to introduce the DVD of Sadguru Sri Sri Babathakur . The DVD was subtitled in English, enabling the audience to follow Him easily.

The video captured our Sadguru singing one of His revealed bhajans – ‘vishudha cid ekarupam sadasat vilakshanam ….’ followed by a speech explaining the meaning of the bhajan in English along with the description of the True Nature of the Self. One of the most poignant moments of the presentation was our Master asking, ‘I accept all of you as my Self, can you accept me as your Self?’ Further expanding on the True Nature of ‘I-Reality’ and the ‘Science of Oneness’, He emphasized that ‘the I is all positive and all negative’ and that the ‘universe is a passing show’. The DVD ended with the Master singing another revealed bhajan --- ‘bhulo na mon, bhulo na mon ….’ (Do not forget, O mind … forget not your very own Self I-Reality ….).

The video presentation was followed by a brief note from Soubhik Patranabis, an old devotee of the Master, speaking of his experiences with the Master and pointing out His philosophy of ‘many in many, many in One, One in many and One in One’, which summed up the idea of the ‘Science of Oneness’ as revealed to and explained by Prajnanpurush Sri Sri Babathakur. Soubhik then introduced the next two bhajans to be sung by Shaoni Mitra and the DVD presentation of Mr. Kedar Bodas, singing the bhajan --- ‘nahi hoon main jiva kabhi ‘(This body is not the Real I). Mr. Kedar Bodas, a veteran classical singer and the son of the eminent musician Mr. Narayan Bodas, had learnt the bhajans under the direct tutelage of the Master and has single-handedly rendered most of Sri Sri Babathakur’s revealed bhajans. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend the program because of visa-related issues.

Shaoni Mitra rendered two more bhajans -- ‘anande bhaja mana’ and ‘giridharilal mere madan mohan’ each of which was preceded by the translations read out by Swapna Banerjee. Soubhik Patranabis further introduced the last video of Sri Sri Babathakur’s discourse on I-Reality emphasizing that everything we experience in our everyday life is only possible because of the eternal presence of the Real I. Without the existence of our very Being (our True Nature), we cannot have any experience. He strongly reminded us that we are not the slaves of our mind. We have to rise above it and discover our True Nature within us which is always with us even if we are not aware of It.

Finally, Mr. P.C. Lahiri, an ardent follower of Sri Sri Babathakur, recited the ‘Song of I-Reality’ that reveals the True Nature of our Real Self; how and why have we forgotten our ever-pure, ever-free, ever-fulfilled and ever-blissful True Nature which is, was, and shall always be Sat-Cit-Ananda (Saccidananda); how can we regain this lost paradise to be completely free from the ignorant, mischievous, and painful game of our mind, intellect, and ego (inner being).

The program concluded with the recitation of the purna mantra by Sri Subbu Venkatakrishnan. As per Sri Sri Babathakur’s instructions, Prasad was served to all attendees. The success of the program left all attendees filled with a deep sense of bliss and fulfillment. The thirty odd volunteers felt blessed to have received an opportunity to organize such a unique event.

We (the volunteers of Saccidananda Society) surrendered completely to Him, and He ensured the success of the program. The attendees continue to provide positive feedback on the content and the quality of the program. The volunteers of the North American Chapter sincerely hope to continue with this effort and opportunity to share Sri Sri Babathakur’s message with an eager and wider audience.

Om Tat Sat!

Saccidananda! Saccidananda! Saccidananda!

Déjà vu

by Sri Ramen Basu

The title is French and means ‘already seen’. Quite a few times in this span of life, I have come across faces and places that appear to be uncannily familiar. I experience vibrations that produce a feeling of having seen that/been there before. Magical, that is.

Esoterically it is said that we are all connected to each other in one form or other since there is an affinity of souls. One I–Reality manifests as many and vice versa. To elucidate the point - there is One in many, and many in One. We are all units of consciousness personified and well connected to the collective soul, which is a part of Saccidananda Absolute, the Undivided Whole. This manifestation of Consciousness (i.e. Shakti or energized Consciousness or Creatrix) , is Maya at the outer gross plane, Mahamaya at the inner plane of consciousness, and the inherent source of Energy (i.e. Yogamaya of the Self). In scientific parlance, creation falls under the ‘Big Bang’ theory. First there was matter, then the evolution of various species followed. The mother is ‘Matter’ and the father is the ‘Supreme Being’, Puroshottama. This is the principle of creation. As a unit of awareness, we play the same role - knowingly or not. The not-knowing trend is solely due to our unawareness.

Basically the cosmic mind creates through imagination. The individual mind being part of the Cosmic mind, is participative in similar imagination. The Cosmic mind has a ‘will to do’, ‘will to enjoy’ and ‘will to know’. As a part of the cosmic mind, the individual mind has a similar faculty although not as powerful as that of the Cosmic mind. The brain is mind in the gross form which maintains body functions through sense organs and vital forces. The subtle functions of the brain are psychological - namely emotional and rational. Now-a-days, research on the functioning of the brain has discovered many things previously unknown. The mapping of brain surface contains information previously unheard of. Optic nerves induce image processing in the brain and storing of images in the memory cells (i.e. in the grey matters of the brain). A person’s recollects of something he sees, feels and enjoys is only possible due to mind’s consciousness. It’s as if a computer file along with its contents was recalled, and after enjoyment put back in the memory cells. No wonder pattern recognition is possible as we all experience déjà vu. With proper control of the brain, either by Yogic processes or through other scientific processes, man can ride a time machine or become a witness to his/her past lives through Hypnotic Therapy.

On any spiritual path deification is very common. It is beyond doubt that a personal form with attributes can be formed out of the impersonal form without attributes. So far so good! Trouble begins when one’s own imaginative icon clashes with the others. This iconic humdrum is owing to the spiritual ignorance of the unaware individual. In this connection, image formation and image processing technique is very helpful. Some love Krishna, some love Kali, some love Jesus… all these symbols are very healthy as far as faith, devotion and sincerity are concerned. Trouble comes when ‘my’ one is considered the only ONE and others are of a different kind.

Sri Sri Babathakur told us about I-Reality. This I-Reality is in you, in me, in every one. That is the background Consciousness of all. Various names and forms arise from there. On this I-Reality, superimpositions of 24 tattvas by the help of the Triple Gunas create enormous amounts of diversity that the I-Reality enjoys. So, do we understand (and pay attention) to the variations of the qualities that are due mostly to the Triple Gunas? The material elements are basically 5 in number, along with 5 organs of action and 5 organs of sense perceptions. Connected by 5 vital forces are five objects of sense perceptions and 4 aspects of inner sense-organ. The Purusha aspect of Jiva (man) has ‘Will to do’, ‘Will to be’ and ‘Will to know’ as they are parts of the “Sameside Sportful Game of Self-consciousness as the Divine will”, one of Sri Sri Babathakur’s dictums. This mind and memory, intellect and ego, the four inner organs, are manifested to feel the play on earth.

The idea of anything lies in one’s own innate desire in the mind. I-Reality is the Self Consciousness. Thus the playoff of the Real- I is sportful and sameside. One can rather easily quote that, but to live it requires help from the Sadguru who teaches us how to see the world. There lies the basic difference – no ‘my’-ness, only ‘I’-ness. There are three different states of our Being, namely:

1. Absolute Truth (Absolute Truth is transcendental)
2. Apparitional Truth (Apparitional Truth is the dream state/ meditative state)
3. Empirical Truth (Empirical Truth is the awaken state where the Relativity is the law)

Empirical Truth falls under material science - or rather under objective science. For this objective
science, I am the subject. Thus taking objectivity inward, to make all the objects in one’s own
consciousness self surrender, is possible. In this world of connectivity, it is statistically natural to
experience a similar kind of situation or to have the same kind of idea, which is often repeated just to tell us something. Déjà vu is quite common to a meditative soul, for the ideas imprinted at heart is often similar. Since space-time-event is stored in the brain cells, similar events at different space-time context can easily be pattern recognized. All we can say is: Deja vu

The illusory phenomenon repeats itself, making us more aware of the impermanence of the event along with its repetitive nature. By reason, we can penetrate the magic behind, but for an ordinary mind it is simply magic!

The Concept of Beauty in Hinduism

by Sri Ajit Halder

The adoration of Beauty involves an appreciation of both its subjective feeling and its objective features linked with real life illustrations. The opening paragraphs leading up to the discussion of the theme of this article are presented as an aid for the preparation of the reader to benefit from a deeper understanding of the Hindu view of Beauty. Additionally, it is hoped that these observations will help the reader’s perception of beauty inherent in human creative arts and in what Nature provides for our senses.

Beauty is God’s gift to humans – we believe that there is sacredness and serenity associated with beautiful objects. We note that the sound of the word ‘beauty’ is heard every time the sweet sounding word ‘beautiful’ is uttered. The expression ‘beautiful’ may refer to the adorable body features of a person or an object. We are always drawn to beautiful sights, feel attracted to the beauty of scenic landscapes and to the beautiful paintings hung in art galleries. We listen to the beautiful melody of music and never fail to appreciate the ‘beauty’ of human forms. We stand in admiration in front of Michael Angelo’s sculpture of the angelic figure of David. Hence the concept of beauty is intimately connected and inseparably linked to beautiful objects.

The phrase ‘Beauty is skin deep’ is taken as suggesting that beauty is merely what appears to the eye or something which gratifies the senses. But to people with a taste for arts and culture, beauty is something deeper than the ‘sensory’ or ‘sensual’. It is closer to the art’s vision of beauty. These people will explore beauty in layers deeper than the skin, somewhere beyond its colour, tenderness, smoothness, wrinkles or roughness - all of which belong to the surface. Beauty in context to art is more or less the vision of the mind of the beholder admiring an object of beauty and he(she) translates this into a form, or rather to a transform beyond the object’s physical appearance.

Keats wrote – ‘A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness’. The famous saying: ‘Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder’ and similar other utterances about beauty are mentioned lavishly in literature. Quotes about beauty are not just about the physical beauty of the outer appearance of a person, but are also about the inner beauty of the human form or about the subject under observation. None of these quotations though ever seem to answer the question - what is beauty? No doubt it is difficult to answer this question as there is no one factor that defines beauty. While outer beauty and appearance is made up of factors like health, slim features, youth, symmetry of the face and skin complexion (and these are the very components that attract the eye and cause a pleasing sensation in the mind) - physical beauty is always enhanced by a measure of the inner beauty of a person.

Moreover, any answer to the question – ‘What is beauty?’ is a subjective answer making it impossible to come up with a precise definition of beauty that is universally appealing and acceptable. It is interesting to know that amongst the various cultures of the world, the perception of beauty has many similarities. All cultures appreciate the beauty of nature and admire the beauty of the female form. In short, Beauty delights universally, beyond barriers.

Love for the most beautiful human forms and of objects can be seen in Indian artistic renditions mainly pertaining to the physical body. In ancient India, the focus on the beauty of the female form can be seen in the sculptures of Bharhut and Sanchi. The hair and body of the female is richly adorned with jewellery. Along with the beauty of the human form, the beauty of nature is also found in intricate details in the foliage and landscape described in poetry and sculpted in stone.

In the Hindu context, Beauty comprises one of the triads of ideals - Satyam (Truth), Shivam (Shiva is the name of a major Hindu god), Sundaram (Beauty). In Hinduism, Beauty has been closely linked with Godliness (Shiva). The set of three ideals describes the feeling or experience of ananda or delight at seeing or experiencing a beautiful object. One important view about beauty is that to experience beauty is to come face to face with Sat (Eternally Existing God), Chit (Consciousness) and Ananda (Bliss). So Godliness and beauty are indissolubly linked with Sat or Truth eternal [Truth is Beauty, Beauty Truth’]. The underlying idea is that appreciating beauty fully is to experience Brahmananda, the joy of being one with the universal spirit. Hence there is a strong belief that what is beautiful does not only give us joy, but can also lead to our Moksha, liberation from the bondage of worldly life.

The fact that stands out from the description of beauty in Indian religious writing is that comparisons will invariably be made with Nature and her creations. The beauty of women has often been compared with moon; for most persons, the moon is only a celestial body in the sky. However with a poet, the moon is his beloved’s face radiating white moonlight, signifying purity and brilliance.

Indian scriptures and epics have dealt with the concept of beauty, and in particular with the beauty of women. The ideal of beauty in ancient India was a favourite theme amongst poets who seemed to write extensively on the different parts of the female anatomy as well as about the male body. One may refer to Kalidasa’s description of the gait of Parvati expecting a divine child in Kumarsambhavam Kavya. In these descriptions, beauty has been endowed with heavenly form as well as the form of human beings. However, Indian religious paintings or writings are not about carnal beauty as such, but endowed with a high degree of spirituality.

One typical illustration to support this view is the hymn, the Saundarya Lahari composed by Sankaracharya. The title of the hymn means ‘wave of beauty’ and the verses graphically describe the beauty of the goddess Tripurasundari. The hymn in vivid categorization depicts beautiful features of the entire body form of the Goddess. This hymn and other similar ones enable the chanter to enjoy spiritual delight being in a state of union with the divine. The experience brings home the truth that physical beauty is transitory whereas Saundarya, the divine Beauty, is eternal.

Lastly, Beauty in the Indian religious context is equated with ‘rasa’- emotion or poetic sentiment. Indian aesthetics defines nine rasas but the fundamental rasa is the appreciation of Beauty leading to Ananda (Bliss). Brahman is rasa, the ultimate essence of all life and being, and humans find themselves in that blissful existence by gaining the aesthetic experience of Beauty as elaborated in Hinduism. This also indicates that one can achieve liberation by gaining union with the Supreme Self (Brahman) through the experience of spiritual beauty.