Prayer

What is the power of prayers?  What are the characteristics of a prayer?  How do we know if we are progressing in prayers or not?  What is the result of prayers?  The acronym of prayer answers some of these questions.  Our prayers will become most effective if the following characteristics are there in our prayers.

 P=Purity  R=Rest  A=Alertness  Y=Yearning  E=Empathy  R=Realisation

P=Purity 

“When the depth(of a lake) is without mud, the surface reflects clearly the

brilliant beauty of the heavens above”

Prayer fills the mind with inspiring thoughts and noble ideals.  Prayer helps us to purify the mind and frees us from impulsiveness and negative reactions.  It should enable us to develop a positive outlook.  If we are praying daily and yet, have not transformed to become positive, we must check our prayers.

R=Rest

            “Mind at rest is a temple of joy.  A quiet mind produces a sharper intellect”

Our mind is constantly chattering.  Energies of the mind are dissipated in brooding.  Prayer provides conscious rest to the mind.  Silence of the mind rejuvenates, refreshes and recharges the mind.  Such a mind is most dynamic and efficient.  Mehr baba says:

A fast mind is a sick mind. 

A slow mind is a sound mind. 

A still mind is a Divine Mind.

Our prayers must help us to progress from a psychologically fast(chattering) mind to a slow and finally to a still mind.

A=Alertness

“Alert and Vigilant Living itself is the greatest sadhana.

Alertness is the price one pays for Freedom”

Prayers help us to become alert.  To keep the mind where the hands are is alertness.  Generally our mind is never in the present.  It is preoccupied with the regrets of the past or anxieties of the future.  Prayers must be done with alertness and not mechanically or with divided attention. 

Y=Yearning

“To Know that the Lord Is, is Gnanam. 

To know that the Lord is Me, is Vignanam”

Prayers are not merely for asking favours or alleviation of sufferings from the Lord.  Prayers develop yearning for the Highest in us.  Through prayer we develop a definite attitude and a relationship with the Lord helps us to grow in peace, love & security.    For Meerabai Krishna was her beloved.  For Ramakrishna, Kali was the mother. For Samartha Ramdas, Rama was the Master.   We must introspect and find out what is the relationship we want to have with the Lord.  In prayer one must strengthen that attitude.

Such prayers will help us to increase our yearning to Know the Lord and unite with the Lord. 

E=Empathy

“A prayer which is not said in the name of the Universe is not a prayer at all.

Prayers make us sensitive & selfless.  We grow to recognize the presence of the Lord in everything around us.  We do not restrict the Lord’s presence to temples & idols only.  Every action then becomes a prayer and an expression of love.  If we are constantly irritated, selfish and have not expanded out of our egoistic shells, our prayers are not fulfilling their purpose.

R=Realisation

“Prayer brings together, what was never apart”

Prayer helps one to realize one’s Divine Nature as Pure Existence-Consciousness-Bliss.  The non-apprehension that I am the Truth and the resultant mis-apprehension that I am the mortal individuality ends through prayer.  This realization is the culmination of all prayers.  It is the ‘goal’ which is to be reached through prayer.  When we are constantly aware of this grand purpose of prayer, we will not be carried away by superstitious beliefs, mechanical rituals & undue attention to externalities. Exposure of the ego and experience of the Divine is the purpose of prayer. 

Thus prayer starts with purifying the mind and culminates in the Highest realization. 

The above acronym has been inspired from the first verse of Shatpadi stotram composed by Sri Adi Shankaracharya

Avinayam apanaya vishno

Shamaya manah damaya vishaya-mriga-trishnaa

Bhuuta-dayaam vistaaraya

Taaraya samsaara saagaratah

Remove (my) arrogance(Purity)!  Control the mind(Rest)! Quieten the insatiable thirst for sense-pleasures(Alertness)!  O Vishnu!(Yearning) Deepen the compassion for beings(Empathy)! Take me across the ocean of transmigration(Realisation)

May we not ‘prey’ upon the objects but Pray to the Lord for purity, leading to Realization.

Note: The quotations in inverted commas are Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji’s quotations.

Vedanta in Practice(VIP)

10 Vedantic Sadhana Practice Cards based on 10 verses of Shri Dakshinamurty Stotram

Re-Incarnation

Fact or a Belief?

The word Reincarnation was introduced into the English language in the middle of the 19th century.  It is composed of five latin elements: Re = again.  in = Into.  carn = flesh.  ate = cause or become.  ion = process.  Reincarnation literally means, "The process of coming into flesh again."  Implied is the fact that there is something to us that is separate from the flesh or body, that returns after death.

Many times we wonder - Is death the end of everything?  Does life end with the end of the body?  Is there life after death?  What happens after death? Why do innocent children have to die?  Is Re-incarnation a fact or a myth?  The answers to these question depend on the fundamental question - who am I?  and how I look at myself.

Who am I? Body:

If I look at myself only as a body then like the materialist or the agnostic I will deny the existence of a soul as an intelligent self-conscious entity.  The body alone is real and the death of the body is the end of everything.  This is the one-birth theory.  This life is the only life. It came from nothing and goes nowhere.  There is no purpose of life and its all an accident.  Birth and death is nothing but a result of integration & disintegration of matter. 

The result of belief in one-birth theory can lead to irresponsible actions, uncontrolled physical indulgence, immoral conduct, emotional violence, intellectually directionless pursuits and complete annihilation at the moment of death. 

But we know that matter is inert and cannot produce intelligence and emotions that we experience.  The brain never produced mind and its intelligence. The thinker is not merely a product of the brain-cells.  There is a cause, an entity, which is different and subtler than the body which has to power to create and control this body.   Then we want to know that cause.

Law of Cause & Effect

What is the cause of this body?  The law of cause and effect says that the cause is the unmanifested state of the effect and the effect is the manifested state of the cause. 

Seed(Cause) is the unmanifest state of the tree(effect) which is the manifested state of the seed(Cause).  The cause is subtler than the effect.  Where is the cause of the body and the variety of beings around us?  Is it inside us or outside us?  The cause of the tree is not outside the tree but is in the tree itself.  Eg. The seed of the banyan tree contains all the peculiarities of the tree.  Similarly what is the seed of this life?

Genes & Heredity

Some scientists argue that the seed of this life is – the genes.  Genes no doubt are the material cause of the physical body and its characteristics and certain behaviour patterns. But why did the gene-mutation happen in a specific way for the child. Is it just random chance?  Vedanta asks us to probe deeper.  
Some argue – it is heredity.  Can heredity explain the cases of prodigies and geniuses who are able to express astounding talents and perform amazing feats in childhood?  The parents may not even have any inclination towards that field but the prodigy is a master in it. It proves that the genius must’ve acquired it by effort in the previous lives.  This also proves that the soul ‘chooses’ its parents and parents don’t produce the soul.  Hence Kahlil Gibran said – “Children are born through us, not to us.”

Who am I? Subtle Body:

Actually, the seed of this life is the subtle body – the mind & intellect which contains all the peculiar traits of the individual’s desires, emotions & actions.  Thus the only explanation can be – “I am not merely a human body with a soul but the soul in a temporary human form”  (soul in this context means the individuality consisting of the mind-intellect complex)  As a soul I have existed before also.  If I deny this then it means that something came out of nothing, which is absurd logically.    Pre-existence of the soul is the continuity of life in the present and proves re-incarnation. This has also been proved today by the psychologists through ‘Regression Therapy.’  The fears, anxieties, depressions etc. are traced back to the past life and once the cause is known, the patient is able to accept it and let go of the repressed emotions. Past life memories recollected by children and others verified as facts, Xenoglossia - the phenomenon where a child speaks a language it has never been exposed to, Specially gifted/challenged children etc. all prove that the individual re-incarnates.  

Hence if I consider myself as an individual entity in the continuum of life, then re-incarnation is a fact.  The law of re-incarnation is a law of re-manifestation of the subtle, in a gross physical form.   

This alone can explain the diverse variety that we see all around us in the world. 

Kathopanishad says – “Some souls enter the womb to have a body and others become plants, according to their actions( yatha karma) and according to the knowledge(yatha shrutam)”  Karma of the past determines my present birth and influences the karma of the present which shall determine the future birth.  As long as the desires exist the phenomenon of birth and death (of the body) shall continue.  Thus we must be careful to desire.  The misconception in us is – “Man proposes & God disposes”  but the fact is we are given the opportunities to fulfill all our desires at different times. 
Mundakopanishad says – “Whoever longs for objects of desire, brooding over them, they are born in appropriate places(to fulfill their desires). But in the case of a Seer whose longings have found their final consummation in the Self and who has realized the Self, his desires vanish even here, in this life.” 
Death is the transfer of VIM from one Bucket to another.  Vasanas, Intellect & Mind transfer from one Body to another at the time of death.(Vasanas – Impressions of the past that give rise to desires).  Modern example would be - Death is the transfer of SIM(Sense faculties, Intellect & Mind including vasanas) from one Phone instrument to the other.

Death is merely dropping of the body which is no more appropriate for the soul to experience their desires.  Hence we find even innocent children dying at a very young age. The soul seeks new environments to exhaust its own karma.  Thus the soul will keep taking birth & death as long as there are vasanas and desires.  These desires are due to ignorance of our Immortal Nature and misconception that I am finite.  Thus ignorance is the root cause of transmigration.  Spirituality consists of the techniques to purify, reduce and rise above the vasanas & desires so that we can enquire into – Who am I? and get rid of the ignorance of our true nature which causes transmigration. 

Who am I? Self:

With such a pure mind when I enquire: Am I merely an assemblage of inert matter – the body-mind-intellect?  Then, Self Knowledge arises and I come to realize that I exist even when these equipments are unmanifest in the deepsleep.  I am unaffected by whatever happens to them.  I am the Pure Consciousness enlivening these equipments.  Essentially I am the Self or Pure Consciousness which is Birthless, Changeless & Deathless. There is no incarnation or re-incarnation for the Self.  Swami Chinmayanandaji said – “EveryBODY dies. No ONE dies.” 

Through Scriptural statements(Shruti) quoted above,  logic(Yukti) – Cause & effect and daily experiences(anubhuti) – Diversity, Geniuses etc.  we can understand that re-incarnation is a fact of life. 

But the experiential validity of re-incarnation lies in my view of myself.  By Sadhana when we are able to lift ourselves from the body to the soul we will know the fact of re-incarnation.  From there when we rise to the level of the Self we shall realize our Immortal Nature beyond re-incarnation.

Re-incarnation is like Sunset.  When sun has set(death) in one part of the world, it rises(re-birth) in another part.  But truly speaking, is there any sunrise or sunset?  No.  Re-incarnation exists for the soul(individuality), not for the Self(Truth).

Influence of Belief in Re-Incarnation

Belief / Non-belief in re-incarnation affects our view of life and how we face it.  Those who do not believe in it may become indulgent, irresponsible and directionless.  On the other hand what is the impact of re-incarnation on the individuals and on the society as a whole is briefly mentioned below: 

Personal Level

1. I am no longer afraid of death since I know that I have lived before and will continue to life later
2. I will lose nothing because according to the law of karma I will be given whatever I have acquired through my effort and whatever I deserve.  Eg. Children born in rich families, child prodigies etc.
3. When a near and dear one has died I do feel sad but the sadness is much reduced and I can cope with it better when I know that ‘good-byes forever don’t exist.’ We will meet again in another form to ‘settle the accounts’.
4. It increases my tolerance and empathy towards other people’s way of living because I may have been similar in the past/ past lives. 
5. Morality, ethics & values have a meaning only in a larger context.
6. Life is not meant to acquire, amass and aggrandize wealth, power, position etc.  Its meant to learn the lessons of Selfless service, unconditional love & clarity in thinking.  The focus shifts towards inner evolution more than outer achievements.
7. I will never discriminate against other people or look down upon them, no matter who they may be because the person has chosen precisely the circumstances, looks and particular disposition to learn from it.
8. If I have a child I will give him the chance to develop his talents and freedom to live his life.
9. I will be responsible in my present and will not blame the situations, parents, schooling, environment because I have chosen them through my past actions.  The question – “Why Me?” is irrelevant.  I am the architect of my future
10. Everything in life has a purpose and its not senseless.  

Influence on the Society:

1. We develop a sense of belonging together and competitiveness will reduce. There will be more harmony & understanding
2. There will be equal rights and discrimination will be a thing of past
3. We help each other willingly.  If particular nations ignore the needs of the others this will again create karma for them in return. 
4. Regression therapy will have a major and important role to play in psychology.  Various phobias, addictions etc. can be overcome by probing their causes in the past-lives
5. Keeping the planet clean and healthy will become obvious because we have to return back.
6. Spirituality, Psychology & Science will come together to give us a comprehensive understanding of life and after-life.
7. Medical profession will have to do a lot of thinking since birth-deformities are not just related to genetics or virus or pre-natal care.
8. Reincarnation will also play a large part in surgery.  In many cases before conducting an operation the doctor can refer the patient to a regression therapist to know if the operation is necessary or it’s a psychological reason from the past that is causing the pain. 
9. Art gains tremendous momentum since a new creative theme is opened up.
10. Reincarnation will contribute immensely towards making this world more beautiful and loving and one in which it is a blessing to be allowed to live, love and learn.

Are We Available?

A Master once said – “Guru does not judge our ability or inability but wants our availability”  We should be ‘available’ to the Guru.  The dullest student, if ‘available’ gets transformed completely.  On the other hand, even the brightest student, when not ‘available’ can remain ignorant of the Truth.   The Guru-Stotram says – Vedanta-ambuja-suryo yah tasmai sri gurave namah.  Salutations to the Guru who is like the Sun to the Lotus flower.   In the mere presence of the Sun, the lotus blooms.  In the presence of the Master we bloom through the knowledge of Vedanta.   Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda was such a master.  Those who were ‘available’ experienced that Poojya Gurudev taught in innumerable ways, not just in a lecture or a formal class.  Through a penetrating glance, a smile, a sigh, a pat or a hug or even calculated indifference or deep silence or dynamic activities of a project or through a letter etc. Poojya Gurudev would convey the Vedantic teachings. 

Once Poojya Gurudev in his late 70s was walking down the temple stairs and one step was very steep.  A youth near-by offered a helping hand. Poojya Gurudev lifted his hand to hold the hand of the youth, but then let it go and climbed down the staircase on his own  Finally when Poojya Gurudev reached the ground, Poojya Gurudev sighed and looked at the youth and said – “Do not depend on anyone.  Walk Alone.” 

Every Breath is a teaching because the Master abides in Truth.  We must be available for learning. 

What does it mean to be ‘available’?  Is it just being physically present near the Master?  Once someone asked Poojya Gurudev, ‘Swamiji! There are some devotees who have been with you for so many years, yet why don’t they seem to undergo any transformation?”  Pat came the reply – “This walking stick has been with me for the past 30 years.”  

No doubt, the physical presence of the Master is a great opportunity.  By being close to the Master one is available for service.  Through this one can tune-up by observing the Master and the way the Master ‘lives’ and acts, centred in Truth.  Such opportunities are indeed rare and one must be blessed to have them.  Not everyone gets such an opportunity.  Even if one gets it may not be for a long time.  So how should one make oneself ‘available’ for the Master?  A beautiful verse from the Guru Gita says -

Dyana-mulam Guror-murtih   Puja-mulam Guroh padam

Mantra-mulam Guror-vakyam  moksha-mulam Guroh kripa

Availability through Actions: (Puja Mulam Guroh padam)

1. We can become available by performing our duties with a selfless attitude.  Poojya Gurudev said – “Work is love made visible.  To bring into vivid expression you love of others is work; to drag yourself through each day’s schedule, morose, unhappy, and miserable is labor.”  To ignore our duties or drag through them and then to try and do some social service is not very effective. 
   Let us introspect- “Am I doing work or labor?”   By shifting our attitude we become available. 

2. Apart from our duties, we must also dedicate our time, effort and resources by associating with the projects and activities undertaken by the Mission/organization established by the Master.  Why should one do so? 
1. A project serves as a beautiful opportunity to work selflessly where we can learn to rise above – ‘i, me and mine’,  ‘what’s in it for me?’,  ‘what will I gain?’ etc. and experience the joy of selfless service. 
2. We can truly understand the depth of the Master’s Vision.  The Master’s vision is very high and associating ourselves with it we lift ourselves to greater and greater heights.  Our hidden potentials are invoked. 
3. It’s a beautiful opportunity to give up our likes and dislikes and work together as a team.  The dynamics of togetherness and power of unity is experienced. 
4. We can experience the Power of Guru’s Grace and we become truly humble when we act out of Surrender and devotion.  During the project, many obstacles will come on the way and we may even feel like quitting or we may despair that the project will not materialize, its too tough etc. 
   Inspite of all odds when we hold on and are persistent in our efforts we find that Guru’s Grace makes the Impossible also possible.  This gives us the faith – “I am not Alone. He is with Me.”  This faith is our true security and strength.   Thus, to be empty instruments in His Hands is to be ‘available’.

Poojya Gurudev established the Chinmaya Mission so that we can serve selflessly and evolve.  We need the Chinmaya Mission.  The Mission does not depend on us.   The Master works through innumerable people to fulfil the Vision.  The Mission will go on inspite of us.  Hence it is our need.  So let us think – How can I dedicate myself to the Mission?  Every week/month how much time can I dedicate?  Which project/activity inspires me?  Let us not wait for someone to invite us or inform us.  Its our need. So let us take initiative and dedicate ourselves.   Thus through work and dedicated activity we become ‘available’

Mental - Availability:(Dhyana Mulam Gurur Murtihi)

1.     The relationship with the Guru is an absolute relationship.  Its not relative relationship because the Guru loves us not ‘because of’ but ‘inspite of’.   To be available is to go to the Guru as we are and open up our heart to him/her.  We need not feel – ‘I am inadequate. I have so many weaknesses.  I don’t deserve His love’ etc.  The Guru is an Ocean of Infinite & Causeless-Compassion.  Everyone wants us to change, but the Guru accepts us as we are.  The Guru alone loves us unconditionally.  It is this Love that transforms, not mere words or lectures. 

There was a rich man in a town. He was very notorious and known to have many vices and wrong doings in business.  Once Poojya Gurudev was having a yagna in the town and he came to the yagna and started attending it regularly.  He was inspired and wanted to meet Poojya Gurudev.  After the meeting, Poojya Gurudev said – ‘He will light the lamp at my next yagna.’  other mission members said – “He is not fit.  Associated with him, Poojya Gurudev you will get bad name.”  Poojya Gurudev insited that he will light the lamp.  On the Inaugural day of the yagna, after lighting the lamp the man was in tears and he read a letter that Poojya Gurudev had written to him 6 months before the yagna.  Poojya Gurudev wrote – ‘Go to the Krishna temple every morning. Do 2 malas of japa and keep away from all vices.  You will be ready by the time the yagna comes and you will be fit to inaugurate the yagna.  I trust you.’  Nobody trusted him.  He was lonely.  The Master’s compassion and love transformed him. 

Once a brahmachari undergoing the Vedanta Course at Sandeepany Sadhanalaya was feeling very sad at the impurities and the tricks that the mind plays.  The vulgar thoughts, base emotions, helpless attachment to senses etc. was troubling him and he was extremely guilty and depressed.  He described the situation and wrote to Poojya Gurudev that ‘I am losing confidence in myself.  I cannot continue the course.’   Poojya Gurudev wrote back on the same letter – “the more your lose yourself, the more I gain on you.”   Poojya Gurudev turned around the entire situation and gave him a new vision and encouragement.  When Poojya Gurudev came to Mumbai, the Brahmachari was hesitant to meet Poojya Gurudev since he was feeling ashamed – ‘what Poojya Gurudev must be thinking of me?’  and so he was delaying meeting Poojya Gurudev.  He stood last in the queue and when he prostrated, Poojya Gurudev said – “Why did you come so late? I was waiting for you.  Why are you afraid of the Swami.”  So saying Poojya Gurudev embraced him lovingly. 

2.     Sri Adi Shankaracharya writes in one of his Upanishad bhashyas, ‘The love of parents is the purest in human love.  But Guru’s love is much more than the love of thousands of parents of our countless past lives put together.” 
Are we available to receive this pure love? 

3.     We must meditate upon the form of the Guru. ‘Dyana-mulam guror murtih’
Whatever we love, we think continuously about it.  When we truly love the Guru, the mind is absorbed in thinking about the Guru and it is filled with love for the Guru.  This love dissolves all inadequacies & insecurities. 
Do we have Poojya Gurudev’s picture at our altar of worship?  Do we meditate on His Form?  Do we take His name?  Do we feel our relationship with Him?   

4.     Love of the Guru helps us to overcome our attachments and aversions (Raaga & Dvesha) and we depend only on the Guru and no one else. 
Thus let us be available to Him by opening our heart to Him and Loving him with all our heart.

Intellectual Availability (Mantra Mulam Guror Vakyam)

1. We must go to the teacher with a burning desire to know the Absolute Truth.  We must be willing to pay any price to know the Truth.  Whatever it requires to know the Truth must be done.  With such intensity when we go, we are available. 
2. When the Knowledge is given by the Guru we must listen attentively.  Without preconceived notions, judgements etc. we listen openly.  Logically we reflect upon the Truths and when found true and convincing we accept them and drop the old beliefs.  We must not resist, justify or argue and delay the process. 
   
3. There are many who can get caught up either in justifications or in intellectual arguments, technical analysis etc. and miss the ‘Vision’ of the Master.  Poojya Gurudev used to say – there are many who have memorized Shankara-bhashya and can quote Shankara more eloquently and precisely than Shankara himself.  But how many have really understood the Vision of Shankara?  Few.’
   When someone asked Poojya Gurudev – “How does it feel like to be at the top?”  Poojya Gurudev said – ‘At the top, you are always alone.’  When Poojya Gurudev was there, few people understood his vision.  It takes time for us to even grasp the vision thoroughly. 
4. Having reflected, we contemplate.  We must be constantly alert, not to slip back into the old ways of thinking and acting.   Having got even a glimpse of the Vision, we must be alert to live it.  Poojya Gurudev said – “Alertness is the price one pays for Freedom.  Alert and vigilant living is a sadhana in itself.”
5. Do I have the burning desire to know the Truth?  Have I understood what is Poojya Gurudev’s Vision?  Am I striving to live-up to the Vision? 
   Thus let us be available by being open and alert intellectually to grasp the Vision.

In this way when we are ‘completely available’ the Guru is able to invoke the Divinity within.  Thus by being available to the Guru, the Self is available to us(Moksha Mulam Guror Kripa).

Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji's Birth Centenary Year(2015-16) is approaching.  Let us be 'available' and express our Gratitude to HIM.