So we are back ..the class at the Vedanta Society of Toronto..our numbers are growing bit by bit..this week Neel , Devesh and Divyan and our much respected and loved Dr Meneka Rajasingham a renowned physician and senior committee member of the temple rejoined the group..
Last week our teacher Reverend Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj..( Swami K ) president of the Vedanta society of Toronto read passages on Miracles from Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda. This week we went one step further in understanding what is Samadhi ( Transcendental meditation) and how we get there..( Chapter 3 aphorism 10)
Picture of Swami Vivekananda .
" The main thing is not just control of the mind " explained Swami K, "it is directing the mind towards God. This can only come through regular practice and discipline and also by practicing renunciation.."
Renunciation is not packing up our bags, kissing our families goodbye and heading for the hills and forests,but according to Vedanta it is giving up this strong attachment to worldly bonds..the greed for wealth and possessions, this extreme attachment to friends, family and pleasures..the mad desire for name and fame...the ruthless competiveness of the world...
How does one get there? someone asked.." The more you practice meditation and keep spiritual company..you will find that the bonds and the attraction for worldly things decrease " explained Swami K....
So what is Holy Company..? asked another student .."it can be the association of good people..the people who like to speak of and discuss spiritual matters. People who.help others and indulge in noble deeds..it can be a book or a scripture..it maybe a beautiful place that is associated with the thought of God and it can be the company of those who have dedicated their lives to God and who inspire and influence those who come to them in a very spiritual and positive way.. Finally when your own inner life and desire for something higher blooms....then the Bee ( holy company) will come to you by itself.." explained our Swami K.
This lead to a discussion on what is " holy" ?.." There maybe people who never stepped into a temple or called on God...but they are extremely noble and even fearless of death.." said Swami K . He gave the examples of men and women who face death fearlessly ." death stalks us day and night and yet we all believe that we will not die. Fearlessness of death is a spiritual quality. Not this clinging on and fearing its call" said Swami K.
"Swami Vivekananda often mentioned death in his poems..not because it is a dark idea..but because unless you conquer its fear..you cannot become fearless.." explained Swami K..
" When you lose the fear of death you work harder and better...you give life your best shot..because you know that each day maybe your last " .
Going back to the subject of Samadhi , Swami explained how once the mind is fixed on what we understand as God..whether a name.. a divine form .or the formless..keeping the mind there unwaveringly for a long period of time..is Samadhi.
The inevitable questions on..Is God to be meditated upon as formless or as a particular image only..is God a name or a form..or a quality ? and Swami K expanded on it..
" It is almost impossible to blank out the mind and then say..this is God..God is not a blank space..if you want to meditate on the formless..then the expanse of the Ocean..the limitless sky..or light..is the guide..if you want a form then chose the one that appeals to you the most...to some the Christ..to others Durga..The ' ishta' is the chosen ideal..one we talk about..read about..think about..worship and sing to..meditating on the "Ishta" is the easiest because we know the Ishta so well..".
Swami K then read some paragraphs from a book written by the late Swami Sarvagathananda ( Vedanta society of Boston USA ) which is an explanation of Swami Vivekananda's Complete Works.
Swami Sarvagathananda says that while formless worship is considered the highest state or goal..when the aspirant does not need any props or images or pictures to conceive on or meditate on God..all steps ( needing props and images) are to be respected as steps in the right direction....He also said that meditating on God as a self luminous screen is a form of meditation..Finally there was a reading on Transcendental meditation by Swami Sarvagathanda in the same book.. The beautiful example of a `Loch' in a canal or river was given..as explaining how the mind can be brought up to a higher level. The Swami explained it beautifully and simply by describing how the ship ( mind) is at a lower level and then water ( meditation and spirituality) fills up the space until it rises to the level of the rising river..and so on..until it reaches the great Lake..where it is lifted up finally to the level of the great lake ( God) and then the mind merges in Samadhi..I personally have never ever heard of such a powerful example..
The final nuggets to carry us not just through the week but through life came from our Swami Kripamayananda maharaj . These were :" Meditation.can sometimes throw up memories of long ago childhood..and other times.some of these thoughts are not pleasant..
don't hold on grudges and wounds from the past..let them go...holding on is not contusive to spiritual growth."
Other gold nuggets : " Don't be afraid of your thoughts..as you meditate many thoughts come out..it is like washing an Ink pot..the more pure water you pour..the more black ink spills out..That is good...let it all spill out and come out until you are cleansed..."..
" we have many impressions from early childhood and other lives..our goal is to get rid of all these and become free..meditation and spiritual practice help us on the way..."
This food for our soul was followed by food for the tummy..
Highlights..Lentil soup, field cucumber curry..Bombay Bhel puri and papadams..
Lowlights..No such word.!
On another note was in the Rosedale area earlier this week and heard some beautiful music as I walked by the ISKCON centre..stopped by and heard an unknown monk of the temple speaking to a group of young people....caught some sentences which I liked... He defined the character of a true spiritual aspirant as being Very simple..no duplicity or pretentiousness in their character...
One pointed and focused in what their spiritual goals are in life..
Always loving spiritual conversations and company..
Humble ( The unknown Monk defined that as a person who never expects anything from anyone..but just gives his life to serve others..without being a doormat).
A person who cannot take a wrong step in life..so strongly is his character embedded in what is good and noble. Loved the definition..sharing it with you..
Have a wonderful week friends. We hope to be at the class again next Wednesday..
Lipiwriter@gmail.com
" Miraculous powers are spiritual milestones' that indicate that your meditation and practice is right...but those who begin to use and misuse those powers have a steep fall from the path of their goal that can have dangerous consequences. Most people who seek these are looking for name and fame for themselves and are power hungry individuals who can misguide others.." These were almost the first words of wisdom we heard from our self illumined teacher the revered Swami Kripayamayananda as he read from the passages of the book Raja Yoga by Swami Vivekananda. We were back at one of our favorite evening classes at the Vedanta Society of Toronto .Raja Yoga is the path of ' Royal' dynamic meditation and concentration which helps man control his thoughts, his emotions and then actions. It is meant to take us to the state beyond all bondages and limitations and makes the meditator one with his God
Picture of Swami Vivekananda at the Chicago Parliament of religions :1893.
Every Wednesday evening since the last three or more years a small group of people gather in the hall upstairs at the Vedanta society of Toronto. We sit around a table where a gentle, insightful and soft spoken monk Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj the head of the Toronto center reads to us a few pages from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda. This is followed by each of us young and old..great and small contributing our two cents worth of opinions on what we understand from the reading and how it helps us steer our way in the journey of our own lives..in the world and spiritually....
Our Swami K is often joined by Professor Kumar Murty Chairman of the Mathematics department of the University of Toronto. who is also a founder and trustee of the centre.They give us the Vedantic view of the study..The beauty of Vedanta is that it recognizes the intrinsic spiritual truths of every religion as true and beautiful and so the Vedantists are never limited in their views. The study also helps us understand our own minds and thoughts. The yogis say that one who can understand his own mind can also understand the mind and thoughts of others.
We students are everyday regular folks.. professionals, students, home makers, retirees and just the everyday Tom, Dick ,Raju..and his Uncle looking for answers in life..( however in due respect to their achievements at least half of this group ( not me ) hold doctorate ( PHD) degrees from some of the best universities )
..As a shot of `Spirits' uplifts the spirits of regular Bar goers..a shot of the spiritual uplifts this little group of regulars at the temple..
The miraculous powers such as clairvoyance, prophesy, healing , levitation, ESP Mind reading and other super normal phenomena are not figments of imagination but have been experienced by spiritual aspirants from all religions . There are a lot of people who do not even believe in a God and they have some powers.. Some examples of famous people who have displayed miraculous powers or something that looks like it in the present age are those of Yuri Geller, Satya Sai Baba, Benny Hinn, Trailoga Swami, Paramahansa Yogananda and hundreds of others who may or may not be related to any faith..Deep meditative states and mind and thought control gives one mastery over oneself and the elements says the book. In fact Swami Vivekananda himself said that for every true miracle and saint there are a hundred fakes and charlatans doing the rounds.
This year we met on September 18th after a break of two months for the summer. . Swami Vivekananda speaks from the point of view of Vedanta which is not limited to any one religion or spiritual path but is a logical study and explanation of all the experiences and their effects . Almost anyone with the right guidance and attitude can take on meditation following any one path of religion and discover it for himself..Raja yoga or the Royal meditative method of Kings has very powerful side effects and was not prescribed for every body..
Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj read the paragraphs on miraculous powers and said that true seekers of spirituality and Truth..do not stop here or want these powers he explained.. More people become addicted to the supernatural and lose touch with reality.
Even today serious aspirants attain to these miracles powers with regular practice of deep meditation and spiritual practices. Swami K explained that It is very difficult to go beyond that stage and only those who are true seekers really do so and find the final truth. Swami said that there are power and fame hungry men in all religions who have some miraculous powers and they ultimately mislead and harm innocent , gullible people with them. We all agreed.
I find this view very interesting because a lot of main stream religious movements today in N America, Asia, Africa and India have based their entre faith on miracles and super natural phenomena. Many people actually believe that if your church or temple has no miracles happening then there is no truth in the place..you are losing out on something..and some religious leaders in temples and churches go `haywire' with their miracle and supernatural claims..
With an open mind I have sometimes been witness to these meetings and congregations in certain ' Evangelist' spots of Toronto. I am totally skeptical about anyone who goes on stage and calls himself or herself a prophet or a God man. I however have a very nice opinion of the followers or believers I have seen at these places. For most of them seem to be very simple, open hearted and sweet individuals. Their faith and trust in whatever they see and hear is so true and so touching that I feel a deep affection and compassion for these true believers. The are also some of the nicest and greatest people I have ever met in any church or temple... or anywhere They treat each other with a lot of courtesy, respect and genuine kindness and I cannot say that even about many of the people of Vedanta temples. Many of us lack the sheer faith and guilelessness which the followers of many faith healing and miracle happening churches and temples display. In that respect I will say honestly that I have a lot of respect for these guys.. I am at the same time awestruck at those who can have this kind of blazing faith...I am also sorry for what they suffer at the hands of these self styled "Miracle makers'..I feel sorry for them..and the' False prophets' they believe in
Though Vedanta teaches us not be judgmental or critical of anybodies spiritual path because each is a stage..For me having being a journalist for many years and being trained to analyse the facts..I do not have such a high opinion or much respect for men or women who go on stage in a temple or a church calling themselves prophets and make tall `miracle claims' about themselves and their powers. In my opinion their claims will never stand the test of medical practitioner' or a ' No Tricks'camera. It is also interesting that these 'Miracle claiming prophets' stand on pulpits in N America and make tall claims about feats they performed in Africa or a small village in remote India ( that no body has heard about) and my question is .." so how about bringing a dead man back to life here in Canada and then I will believe you dude ( or Maam as the case may be )" . I see the guileless, innocent faith of the congregations, their true spiritual hunger and longing for their God and for signs of him and my only question is if you believe in the spiritual. and in a God. why do you constantly need miracles and 'Showtime' to entertain you all the while? .."Go deeper and deeper in your heart " as Sri Ramakrishna said ...But to be fair to the miracle guys and their followers give me a thousand of these rather than those who blow up themselves and others in the name of religion. As Swami explained in the class..If a person is genuinely spiritually hungry..he will sooner or later find the right guide and path..
To a question about why the incarnations and world saviors such as Christ , Krishna , Moses and others used their miraculous powers..Swami said that the God sent prophets.
had to work miracles to establish their authority .Their very lifes and miracles served the purpose of waking up the people of that society to the truth ..it proved that the prophets came with a higher, divine purpose and were not mere mortals..their job was to change and save mankind for all ages.."even saints who have those powers have often shunned them" said the Swami.citing the example of the Italian saint Father Andre."because these powers brings the wrong kind of people to the church and the temples...people who want miracles and not those who love or seek their God..." Swami K emphasized that SrI Ramakrishna Paramahansa on whose teachings the Vedanta societies of the West are based hated and shunned all miracles, miracle mongering and show and said it was not the right path to seek these powers.
We all talked about how the work place today has become one of such stress and melt downs and even extreme melt downs such as the one of Washington DC recently were a pattern of the times.and lack of spirituality in their lives...The Swami explained.." this is a stress ridden , individualistic society where no one has any kind of support..no family..no true friends. Relationships and marriages are mostly money and status driven and there is no spiritual upbringing, discipline or belief and thus people lose their sanity and their balance. Someone remarked that the DC killer had at some point tried to seek God..( mentions to his reading of Buddhist literature) and the Swami said..that if he had found a true spiritual mentor, path and guide maybe the man would have changed himself..Animeshda a business man spoke of how whenever he is bombarded with business worries he goes into a room and meditates and then is able to solve his problems with a calmer mind
The discussion continued on what comes after one rejects miraculous powers..? The study said..meditation has to become internalised..in which one can hold on to the idea of his God for a long period of time without break..( Samadhi)..then the point when the meditator and the Object ( his God) merge and finally ..total loss of identity and self and ego ..where even the seed of any further action that binds is destroyed and burned up..it is called Nirbija Samadhi in Sanskrit which means Seedless Samadhi..which goes beyond seeking any more fruits for your actions...When a person reaches this state he loses all sense of ego..he
cannot seek name or fame or anything even remotely related to his identity..such individuals bless the earth just by their existence . They steer far away from worldliness of any kind..in the history of India there are many many sages who were known to live far away in forests and mountains away from the eyes of the world..and yet their spiritual legacy lives on till this day..
This state of Samadhi is experienced only by one in millions since few can conquer the lust for power which miracles bring..( NOTE : None of us students claim to have ever had or reached any where near these states ( such as miracles powers etc)..for us..it is an awe inspiring journey into unknown dimensions and the discovery of the meaning of life through meditation.
Yet we all believe in the little miracles and blessings that happen around us all the time..personally in my own life..My father and grand Father were both men of truth integrity and great spirituality. Unknowingly the words they uttered about the future often became true..my fiancé Brian often has dreams that play out in real life and he can sometimes predict what is going to happen by the end of the day ..and it really does.. for me the only thing I can predict is when the telemarketing calls. will start coming in : (
Back to the class..the students enjoy hearing of higher truths from our Swami K . Like most people who are every day Joes and Jannardhans ..we have our ups and downs, successes and failures...joys and sorrows..the class helps us to deal with life and we strive to make ourselves into better persons with a more noble and peaceful purpose in life..
The other subjects covered were attachment and detachment. Words of wisdom..:and the spiritual nuggets were :
Love and serve every member of your family and those in your life with deep love and
affection and respect but know that finally you and they all belong to God..l The secret of spiritual masters is that they can love truly and deeply and also detach themselves when the times comes to give up..attachment and detachment like water on ducks back ..Finally the only truth is God
The mark of a holy man is that his anger is never harmful..he can never curse..his anger is like the mark of water....it dries up easily..
The mind is like clay..it takes on the shape of what you are constantly thinking of so beware of your thoughts..you become what you think of...
The class was followed by 'Prasaad' which is the sharing of consecrated food in a spirit of camaraderie and faith. Many people ask about this Indian or `Hindu' custom of dining at a temple. This is a practices which is actually a part of EVERY religion and faith.
It is one of the best parts of our spiritual heritage that just as Christ broke bread with his people and fed his followers , just as Ma Sarada fed her beloved devotees..our Swami K makes sure that each class has a very happy ending..no one goes home sad or hungry. we share our meal together in a spirit of friendship and brotherhood and.that is Vedanta ..at the Vedanta society of Toronto..Canada..
( Watch this space next week for more or the next class)
Picture of Swami Vivekananda in meditation..
It was Wednesday..I was having an exceptionally difficult day on many fronts..work wise and personally ..I called the Vedanta temple to speak with Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj . Those are the times when just the calm and peace giving voice of our Swami can renew my strength. He said.."Do you know its the auspicious night of the new moon..there is a special worship of the Divine Goddess Ma Bhardrakali in Mississauga you too can come with me and the others if you like" I was overwhelmed with joy..my week had been very very difficult...
I wrapped up work as soon as I could and managed to reach the centre by 7 that evening.
Deepa drove us to the temple as we both chatted with our Swami...
On the way the Swami Kripamayananda explained why Sri Ramakrishna the Indian mystic often said that the new moon night is very auspicious to spiritual aspirants . "The new moon ( or darkest night of the lunar month) represents the darkness that sometimes overwhelms our lives..when our world becomes dark it is then that we turn inwards to God" he explained beautifully. That is why Mother Durga in her fierce and relentless form as Bhardrakali or Mahakali has been worshiped as a protector against our enemies and all danger in bad times and in good times..since antiquity.
The Goddess Durga is depicted as a beautiful lotus eyed woman , golden hued..riding on a Tiger or a Lion..she has eights hands carrying various weapons to destroy the evil enemies of the good and she also carries a conch shell, prayer bead and has one of her hands raised in benediction. She is dressed in red, gold, green and the beautiful colors of autumn. She is the protector, the Mother and the sustainer of the Earth and all its creatures...her characteristics are courage, protectiveness, generosity, love, compassion, wisdom, strength and fearlessness..amongst a few. Another name for her is Shakti..which means supernatural strength..She is described as being as tender as a Petal and as strong as the Bolt of lightning..
Picture of Goddess Durga image . ( above)
MahaKali is the extreme symbolization of the Goddess To many even within the ancient Vedic ( Hindu) faiths such as the Vaishnavas ( Krishna ) followers she is difficult to understand..since she is depicted as a ferocious dark hued woman with weapons..and a garland of skulls..walking amongst the dead .below her feet lies her unconscious husband the God Shiva..who is trying to stop her dance of death and destruction. She is usually worshipped.as Bhadrakali which is the form worshipped in most Kali temples in India and the world over..where she is more benign..
She symbolizes the face of God which appears to man as the force behind extreme calamities like hurricanes, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions..when thousands are killed..she is the face of God that rules in time of war and carnage. When galaxies collapse and Black holes devour entire solar systems..it is the hand of Mahakali taking entire creations into a dimension beyond..darkness, death and..time into a light that is eternal and effulgent. Taking refuge in her..her followers believe that they are protected from the horrors which wars , life and natural calamities bring..Her appearance is frightening to those who cannot see that it is finally God behind everything good and bad that happens on earth..and she is the fearless Mother who strikes fear in the heart of your worst enemy in times of danger..
Dakshineshwar Makali from the world renowned Temple in Dakshineswar West Bengal India.
Almost impossible for many people of different faiths and paths to understand the worship of the Goddess in this form of Mahakali..The late Swami Swahananda maharaj who was president of the Vedanta society of Hollywood for many years had once explained it very powerfully..
" Imagine you are a child walking down the violent streets of San Francisco late at night with your mother and a violent mob of men attack you and her. What kind of a mother would you like ?..The soft and scared one who will die before you are saved or the ferocious one who will save not only you..but send all the thugs fleeing? That ferocious mother is your Mother Durga or Bhadrakali....loving and soft like Mother Mary when you her devotee is near and ferocious like Ma Chandi when you are in danger".
I thought of the journalist girl in Indian who had been brutally attacked by five demonic men and the Pharmacy student before her in Delhi who had been brutalized and then died of her injuries. Their suffering awoke a nation .The courage of the women and their families to step up, fight back and report the incident and see that then men were arrested and punished was the element of that fearless divinity which lies in every woman. The punishment which the laws of karma and wheel of time will bring to those demons is that of Mahakali..
We see an element of that protective divinity..who can cast fear into the hearts of most brutal of men..when we see not only a Mother Tigress protecting her cubs but also in the fearlessness of a Mother sparrow who can chase a hawk when her chicks are under attack..
We see an element of Mahakali's power in the battles of many women who have no husband, father, brother or son to protect them and they fight the battles of their life alone..their courage and steadfastness in the truth they hold on to becomes an inspiration to others.. Often women are the worst enemies of women themselves .and they can instigate men to attack those women who they dislike..
There is a saying " behind every great man there is a great woman" and thus perhaps by the same law we may assume that behind every cowardly man who harms and threatens vulnerable women there is possibly some woman of evil intentions..
She maybe a jealous and ambitions person wishing to settle scores and does it with the help of a man she has enslaved....she maybe a mother in law who fails to see her son in- law or daughter in-law as a family member...she maybe a sister who never loved her brother., an unfaithful wife or girl friend whose betrayal destroyed and broke the heart of a good man ,,.or she maybe a Mother who treated her sons better than she did her daughters and instilled in them the impression that they are superior to women. Many women in positions of power whether it be in the corporate world, Industry or even in a Temple or Church committee use that power to actively harm or hurt those who don't play the games according to their own rules..
That is why the energy of women is described as two kinds..Vidya ( Taking men towards light , truth and purity ) or Avidya..(taking men towards darkness and destruction..)
The Devi Suktam ( ancient scriptures of the Goddess) says that though all female forms in the universe are a representation of her it those women who are virtuous, honest, brave , pure , noble minded and kind hearted who are specially dear to her in every sense.
A woman in Canada I know very closely was in danger that day and had many enemies to fight..In many of the `little expatriate culture groups' within Canada..the male dominated old society and its ways still continue to exploit women, These groups manage to stay out of reach from the eyes of the Canadian police , media and law enforcement until something spills into the street. A lady police officer I recently met in my line of work said to me _ " we need more women police officers from your background. They can deal better with many of the problems affecting S Asian society here. You should consider joining the force". I often do..but I still believe my call is writing and that the pen is mightier than the sword. It is also ironic that many men hailing from the very culture in which God is worshipped as the ultimate Goddess mistreat their women in so many ways..
" Never be afraid to fight against any kind of injustice" reverend Swami Kripamayananda Maharaj has said during one of his talks.." even if there are consequences..one must fight a just fight"..
But how does one judge what and when is a fight the right fight..? it is spiritual discernment...how does that come.?.by turning in and calling on the name and face of God that you believe in..whether it be Christ or Krishna....Allah or Rama.. Durga or Mary..true spiritual growth comes from turning deep deep within .ones heart day after day..year after year...time after time..until the darkest night..and the darkest hour is met with the inner light which you have awakened through practice..that is called " Sadhana" and a Sadhak is the one who practices..' explain our spiritual teachers....
The prayers and worship and the spiritual company of Swami made that a very special occasion for me. The Goddess is worshipped with offerings of flowers and fruits..sweets and lamps..incense sticks and music, hymns and the recitation of the ancient prayers in the Chandi and Sapta Sathi which were composed by Rishis of yore thousand's of years ago...the devotees then share the offerings with a spirit of camaraderie and loving friendship and leave with a happy feeling,
There was a feeling of deep peace and trust and faith which the beauty of a spiritual experience brings...it gave me renewed strength and peace that as long as we hang on to truth..in our inner and outer life we are always safe..
.We all drove back to Toronto..stopping at Tim Horton for coffee ..Swami Kripamayananda asked Tripti Di and her husband to drop me off at the Jane subway station first before he returned to the center. That is how he always cares about each and every devotee..no one is insignificant to him.
I called my Mother in India and told her how much I love her and how happy I was for everything she has given me in life....the next day she called me in the morning and told me that she was always near me and with me..we have an ancient prayer in india..which says..Lord you are my Father and you are my Mother...I have seen that whenever I am exceptionally sad or worried..My Mother though thousands of miles away seems to know and calls me from afar...
I called my fiance Brian who was at work late that night and told him how blessed I am to have him in my life..We have an ancient prayer that says " God it is you who comes to me as my best friend my beloved companion..my all in all"
The month of Bhadrapad..or fall in the Indian calendar has begun and here in Canada the colors of the trees are slowly changing. the green is now gold and red and brown...." Change is good..it is sign of life..of the stream of life ever flowing.." says an ancient Indian proverb..like the river and the seasons..life keeps moving on...but faith in something greater than all of us.. remains timeless and unchanging....
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