Cell-Phone Vedanta

Cellphone is a necessity today.  This modern instrument is not only very helpful in communication between people but it can also communicate the deepest spiritual truths to us which can help us to face the challenges of life more courageously.  Given below are some parallels we can draw between the cell phone and spirituality:

1. The cellphone instrument is the body.  Now-a-days we have phones with which we can take a photograph, see movies, download emails etc.  These are somewhat similar to our sensory perceptions of eyes, ears, speech etc.
2. The cellphone-memory is the mind on which all the impressions of the pictures, phone numbers etc. are stored
3. The battery is the prana.
4. Spirit or Soul is the Electricity.
5. Cell phone number is the name of the individuality.
6. The charging of the cellphone-battery(Prana) is the regular intake  of ‘food’ that we take. 
7. The charger(food) charges all parts of the phone.  Similarly our food must be also holistic and include physical, mental, intellectual and spiritual food. 
8. When the battery is low, the transmission and receiving is disturbed.  When we do not have enough energy, then the functioning of BMI is not very efficient.
9. All Incoming calls are free.  Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji said –“ Problems and challenges supplied to us – Free.  We don’t have to ask.  Even before one is over another is already waiting.”
10. You can choose to attend a call, divert it, keep it on hold or ignore it. 

Any challenge can be

1. Faced objectively (attending a call)
2. avoided or one runs away from it(not taking a call and pretending as if the call did not come. This avoidance is only temporarily.  The problem will ‘ring’ back)
3. kept on hold(Ruminate over the problem and get tensed.  The call which has been kept on hold keeps beeping and one is disturbed in one’s present conversation.  A problem kept on hold disturbs one’s actions sub-consciously)
4. Diverted to someone else (one can divert the call to another number.  May times we blame others for our problems & feel victimized)
10. Opportunity knocks everyone’s doors.  Most of the times we are either ‘out’ or ‘sleeping in’.   This is the missed call. 
11. When we are in the ‘home’ location, incoming is free and outgoing is charged minimum.  When we are in ‘OM’ – our True Home, we are at peace and harmony.
12. When we are in the ‘roaming’ area we pay extra charges for incoming and outgoing both.  When we are ‘roaming’ in the area of OET we pay ‘extra’ charges. 
13. Each cellphone though looking alike, is unique.  Each one of us, though made up of BMI(made up of same 5 elements), is yet unique. 
14. The SIM Card can be called as the Senses, Intellect & Mind.  These can be removed from one cell and put into another.  At death something similar happens.  SIM from one body(Cell-phone instrument) is removed and put into another. The balance on the SIM Card is maintained on it even if it is transferred to another phone.  The balance remains unaltered.  Similarly, the account of our Karma is maintained in our SIM(Senses Intellect Mind) and comes with us life after life. 
15. Today cell-phones have multi-play capacities. We do have multi-tasking abilities. But research shows that our brains are not wired for it. Only 6% of people are made for multi-tasking. In everyone else multi-tasking reduces efficiency and rains away energies. Just like in a phone too.
16. The Cell-phone-Company is the Ishwara.
17. Just as all the cellphone users are linked to each other through the cell-phone-company, similarly all individuals are linked to each other through the Ishwara.
18. The electricity empowering(‘illumining’ is the Vedantic equivalent) the individual cell phone is the atman.  Electricity empowering the cell-phone-company and the other cell-phones is Brahman.  Atman and Brahman are one and the same. Tat Tvam Asi !
19. The usage of the cell-phone is the karma of the user(Ego).  The karmaphala is the monthly bill.  Whenever the karmaphala is not yet ready, it gets accumulated in the cell-phone-company(Ishwara) which sends the bill as and when the time is ripe. 
20. Many cellphone users are too attached to the cellphone.  They just can’t switch it off.   They are afraid and insecure- What will happen if I switch off?  What if someone wants to contact me…..?
     Most of the individuals cannot switch off from BMI and its pleasures.  One feels insecure – What will happen if I switch off?  What if the family needs my help?  How can I ‘realise’ leaving them? etc.
21. A Sthitaprajna is one who can use the phone when required and switch off when required.  He is not affected by either the usage or switching off.  He is equanimous in both the cases.  He uses it as a means for communication.  Unlike others, His Psychological security and peace do not depend on it.