tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-69258981845966043232024-03-11T21:50:38.472-07:00Everyday GeetaAn exploration of what the Gita means for us in our daily lives. With frequent reflection, Krishna's wisdom in the Gita can come alive in our daily lives. We'll also look at how the Gita is handled in contemporary media, movies, sport, etc. <br>
निराशीर्निर्ममो भूत्वा युध्यस्व विगतज्वरः | Without expectation, ego or excitement, fight!Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.comBlogger238125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-5430025465280247192014-09-02T08:20:00.002-07:002015-03-11T03:25:29.424-07:00Seriously, Modelling is NOT My Thing! <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">September 2, 2014 <br /><br />As Arundhati and I waited to pick our son up from tabla class, we suddenly saw a cluster of photographers chase a fashionably dressed lady in front of a trendy restaurant in Singapore. For the next several minutes, the young lady tossed her head hither and thither and struck a multitude of poses as the photographers clicked away on their fancy DSLR cameras. Given the lack of frenzy that is said to surround celebrities and the paparazzi who stalk them (did you just ask, "how do I know?"), Arundhati and I concluded that this was a group of student photographers who were practicing their craft on a live model outdoors. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HpSs_LlR5EmCM1Tm-LwY_bnzMIvfCYn2aifWEF9aRaAMIo2dzqeFKNZLMXgFsnQVJb0a9rPy3-aJKWR1yJF7W_62Pc0qxSSoTTIp-l_uSF0iJRcAjkT74uLT9dll9mYViH0nn2iJz5Ll/s1600/Modeling+clipart.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6HpSs_LlR5EmCM1Tm-LwY_bnzMIvfCYn2aifWEF9aRaAMIo2dzqeFKNZLMXgFsnQVJb0a9rPy3-aJKWR1yJF7W_62Pc0qxSSoTTIp-l_uSF0iJRcAjkT74uLT9dll9mYViH0nn2iJz5Ll/s400/Modeling+clipart.JPG" /></a></div><br />Within 10 minutes, I had come to the earth shattering conclusion that I was not cut out to be a supermodel. How could any rational person want to preen on demand so that a photographer caught the perfect image? And on why on earth did it require so many shots? Imagine if it was the old days of film photography? These guys would be bankrupt exposing and printing all that film. <br /><br />I suddenly thought of the many times I envied other people who appeared to live fun and glamorous lives. <br /><ul><li>Like the time, my friend Laurence said he was taking his family to Hawaii, from London, since he had to use up his million frequent flier miles! Why didn't my boss make me travel business class back and forth across the Atlantic?</li><li>Or when, I saw Shankar Mahadevan perform and learnt he was only 5 years junior to me in school. I could have been the one revelling in the presence of an audience that screamed "Once More!" Why didn't my parents send me to music classes?</li><li>My next door neighbor Raghavan who nonchalantly compared first class travel on Emirates versus Singapore Airlines and declared how Singapore Air wasn't what it used to be; How unfair!</li><li>The numerous time when I was sure that I could have reported the news better than those presenting the headlines on Aaj Tak or NDTV (this I still believe is easy!)</li></ul><br />I recalled the two Geeta verses, 3-35 and 18-47, where Śrī Kṛṣṇa emphasizes svadharma or one's inherent duty (see below for complete verses). <br /><br />Pujya Gurudev says in his commentary on Chapter 18-47:<br /><blockquote><i style="background-color: #ffd966;"><br />Anyone can appreciate the logic of it if he considers the following: (1) the deadly poison in the fangs of a serpent never kills the serpent; (2) living organisms crawling in fermented wine never get drunk; (3) the malarial germs in the mosquitoes do not attack them with shivering fevers. The svabhaava (inherent nature) of each one cannot destroy itself! If the poison is drawn from the fangs and wine is poisoned, the crawling organisms die. Similarly, if the Kshatriyas were to perform the duties prescribed for the Brahmana-types, they would be only doing harakiri. Arjuna was a Kshatriya; hence retiring from the battle-field to a jungle for meditation would have destroyed him.<br /><br />In short, it is no use employing our minds in fields which are contrary to our nature. Everyone has a precise place in the scheme of created things. Each one has his own importance and none is to be despised, for, each can do something which the others cannot do well. There is no redundancy in the Lord's creation; not even a single blade of grass, anywhere, at any time, is unnecessarily created!<br /><br />Everything has a purpose. Not only the good but the bad also are His manifestations and serve His purpose. The Pandavas' glory is, no doubt, great, but the manifestation of the wickedness in the Kauravas is also the glory of His creation. Without the latter, the history of the former would not have been complete. Nothing is to be condemned; none to be despised. Every thing is He. HE alone IS.</i></blockquote><br />So, while I toil away, <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoTRc6ac7Rcj19aZxbqpTFa5V9hawCZbobPgjf1IiZEddikmsfsRg7OMInMhq1g0id5exYlYlx4TmxyNEMEfsg2nbhiKEP_apuchuTUC9KgKAtcQUqZC32-rZeTurnhIn25m5wCg7t5SD/s1600/overworkd+clipart.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsoTRc6ac7Rcj19aZxbqpTFa5V9hawCZbobPgjf1IiZEddikmsfsRg7OMInMhq1g0id5exYlYlx4TmxyNEMEfsg2nbhiKEP_apuchuTUC9KgKAtcQUqZC32-rZeTurnhIn25m5wCg7t5SD/s400/overworkd+clipart.png" /></a></div>you, dear reader, can be happy that you will never see me in a glossy magazine as a scantily clad supermodel. That has to be a relief!<br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |<br />स्वधर्मे निधनं श्रेयः परधर्मो भयावहः ||३-३५||</b></span><br />shreyaansvadharmo viguNaH paradharmaatsvanushhThitaat.h .<br />svadharme nidhana.n shreyaH paradharmo bhayaavahaH .. 3-35..<br /><i>Better is one's own duty, though devoid of merit, than the duty of another well discharged. Better is death in one's own duty; the duty of another is fraught with fear.</i><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>श्रेयान्स्वधर्मो विगुणः परधर्मात्स्वनुष्ठितात् |<br />स्वभावनियतं कर्म कुर्वन्नाप्नोति किल्बिषम् ||१८-४७||</b></span><br />shreyaansvadharmo viguNaH paradharmaatsvanushhThitaat.h .<br />svabhaavaniyataM karma kurvannaapnoti kilbishham.h ..18-47..<br /><i>Better is one's own duty (though) destitute of merits, than the duty of another well- performed. He who does the duty ordained by his own nature incurs no sin.</i> <br /></div></span> <br /><!-- http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-chinmayananda/ > <br /><!-- http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-tejomayananda/>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-49664177824890285072014-08-16T22:12:00.002-07:002015-03-11T03:25:29.474-07:00RIP Robin! Krishna's Got Your Back, Now!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">August 17, 2014 <br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Robin_Williams_2011a_(2).jpg/220px-Robin_Williams_2011a_(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Robin_Williams_2011a_(2).jpg/220px-Robin_Williams_2011a_(2).jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Only yesterday, I read the <a href="http://iplayboy.com/interview/robin-williams">1992 Playboy interview</a> of <a href="http://www.robinwilliams.com/">Robin Williams</a>. There is a wonderful quote there by Robin:<br /></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">“If you take the chance, sometimes you’ll find something so magnificent that it was worth dying for, and sometimes you’ll find nothing and have a horrible night. To go deeper with it, that’s the most interesting challenge.”</i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />I flashed back today to the news of Robin Williams passing during our Geeta study class. We were reading verse 1-32, 33. In these verses, Arjuna laments his existential crisis. "Why must I fight, O Kṛṣṇa?", he asks. "With the death of my loved ones, what is the point of winning a kingdom and gaining pleasure? Indeed, what is the point of living this life?" (Note: This is free translation, full verse and translation below).<br /><br />Robin Williams undoubtedly loved and was loved by his daughter, Zelda and wife, Susan and millions of fans. His accomplishments as a comedian and actor are legendary. Through the non-profit Comic Relief USA, he and partner Whoopi Goldberg, have raised more than US$ 80 million for charity. What torment, then, drove him to conclude that life was not worth living? <br /><br />One can only speculate on how Robin Williams spent his last hours. In these words of Arjuna, I glimpse the anguish of a man who struggled with his demons. <br /><br />I found myself wishing that Robin Williams had met his own Kṛṣṇa who could have inspired him in many different ways:<br />1. न त्वं शोचितुमर्हसि - na tva.n shochitumarhasi, "do not grieve!" (2-27, 30)<br />2. त्यक्त्वोतिष्ठ - "Stand up" O Arjuna, and face whatever life brings! (2-3)<br />3. न तस्य विनााशः विद्यते - na tasya vinaashaH vidyate, "there is no destruction for him" (6-40)<br /><br />On the one hand, it is true that even to understand and respond to Srī Kṛṣṇa's message, one needs a certain sense of mental self-possession. Yet, the takeaway for me is I must absorb, internalize and make this teaching my own, to overcome and avoid the existential sorrows that life may bring.<br /><br />Arjuna was fortunate that Śrī Kṛṣṇa was at hand on the battlefield to help him overcome this crisis of confidence. I do not have to wait for that crisis. I need to find my Kṛṣṇa today. <br /><br />Today is Krishna Janmashtami where we celebrate the birth of Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. What better day to start the search?<br /><br /><blockquote>Dear Robin - Find peace in in your new life, my friend! In 6-40, Sri Ksna categorically states: <i><b>"Neither in this world, nor in the next world is there destruction for him. No one who strives to be good, my son, ever comes to grief."</b></i> Go deeper and find your own challenge, again! <br /><br />RIP, Robin! You will be missed!</blockquote><br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post<br /><br /><i>Geeta source for the verses referenced above:</i><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>न काङ्क्षे विजयं कृष्ण न च राज्यं सुखानि च |<br />किं नो राज्येन गोविन्द किं भोगैर्जीवितेन वा ||१-३२||</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">na kāṅkṣe vijayaṃ kṛṣṇa na ca rājyaṃ sukhāni ca .<br />kiṃ no rājyena govinda kiṃ bhogairjīvitena vā ..1-32..<br /><i>For, I desire not victory, O Kṛṣṇa, nor kingdom, nor pleasures. Of what avail is dominion to us, O Govinda? Of what avail are pleasures or even life itself? 1-32</i></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>येषामर्थे काङ्क्षितं नो राज्यं भोगाः सुखानि च |<br />त इमेऽवस्थिता युद्धे प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वा धनानि च ||१-३३||</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">yeṣāmarthe kāṅkṣitaṃ no rājyaṃ bhogāḥ sukhāni ca .<br />ta ime.avasthitā yuddhe prāṇāṃstyaktvā dhanāni ca ..1-33..<br /><i>They for whose sake we desire kingdom, enjoyment and pleasures stand here in battle, having renounced life and wealth. 1-33 </i></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>पार्थ नैवेह नामुत्र विनाशस्तस्य विद्यते |<br />न हि कल्याणकृत्कश्चिद् दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति ||६-४०||</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">śrībhagavānuvāca .<br />pārtha naiveha nāmutra vināśastasya vidyate .<br />na hi kalyāṇakṛtkaścid durgatiṃ tāta gacchati ..6-40..<br /><i>The Blessed Lord said:<br />O Partha, neither in this world, nor in the next world is there destruction for him; none, verily, who strives to be good, O My son, ever comes to grief.</i></span><br /></span></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-60170640590337362002014-08-10T07:42:00.002-07:002015-03-11T03:25:29.608-07:00Why Smart People Should Love The Geeta's Most Famous Verse?<div><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">August 10, 2014<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTq2Qxsh0kcKklPBGOa3o-t9QqP0ZAsdDLqo5bG7svTss5ClBS-lm2Tv-_dPZ9taX4upq8gmccyWEOXMChuQO9tFCKmFdtzppW0jkZ6MUUdeJ5HaxBNwgdDzWLUzvOInCG3IAJe9b2NH1/s1600/MP900390081.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikTq2Qxsh0kcKklPBGOa3o-t9QqP0ZAsdDLqo5bG7svTss5ClBS-lm2Tv-_dPZ9taX4upq8gmccyWEOXMChuQO9tFCKmFdtzppW0jkZ6MUUdeJ5HaxBNwgdDzWLUzvOInCG3IAJe9b2NH1/s400/MP900390081.JPG" /></a></div>I was recently reading an HBR blog entry titled </span><a href="http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/06/why-smart-people-struggle-with-strategy/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">"Why Smart People Struggle With Strategy"</a> by <a href="http://rogerlmartin.com/" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Roger Martin</a>. Maybe I am weird, but I could not help thinking of Bhagavad Geeta verse 2-47,(probably the Geeta's most famous verse; see below for the full text of verse 2-47). The post opens thus:<br /><blockquote><i style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Strategy is often seen as something really smart people do — those head-of-the-class folks with top-notch academic credentials. But just because these are the folks attracted to strategy doesn't mean they will naturally excel at it.<br /><br />The problem with smart people is that they are used to seeking and finding "the right answer"; unfortunately, in strategy there is no single right answer to find. Strategy requires making choices about an uncertain future. It is not possible, no matter how much of the ocean you boil, to discover the one right answer. There isn't one. In fact, even after the fact, there is no way to determine that one's strategy choice was "right," because there is no way to judge the relative quality of any path against all the paths not actually chosen. There are no double-blind experiments in strategy.</i></blockquote><br /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">What upsets normally smart people about the Bhagavad Geeta is Śrī Kṛṣṇa's repeated insistence to drop all anxiety and attachment for the fruit of one's action. Smart people find it counter-intuitive. Their logic goes thus:<br /><blockquote><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i>I want a certain outcome </i><br /><i>--> My LOGIC tells me that there is an IDEAL SET of actions</i><br /><i>--> I EXECUTE the plan of action, let us assume, perfectly</i><br /><i>--> Ergo, It is ABSOLUTELY LOGICAL to expect THE result that I worked for!</i></span></blockquote><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br />Yet Śrī Kṛṣṇa has the audacity to state <i>"do not let the fruit-of-action be your motive"!</i> (maa karmaphala-hetur-bhuuH मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भू:). In fact, when we reflect with an open mind, we see how incredibly liberating this teaching is. Just follow the logic here:<br /></span><ol><li><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At every moment, I am faced with the choice to act. Act I must, that option goes away only when I die. <br /></span></li><li><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">With the best resources and brains at my disposal, the unpredictability of people, time, governments and markets means that I can never be certain my action will produce the perfect outcome that I seek or that my investors hanker after</span></li><li><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">So why not drop the anxiety for the perfect ouctome and be ready for whatever reality brings? What could be more logical?</span></li><li><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">In fact, the extent of my anxiety, can seriously limit my ability to respond intelligently, no matter what the outcome. This freedom from anxiety frees me to stay focused on my vision as well as my moral and ethical imperatives</span></li></ol><br />Now go back and read Roger Martin's blog. He goes on to say that the great strategist is marked by <i>"flexibility, imagination, and resilience."</i> Further reflection shows how these qualities follow from the verse:<br /><br /><ul><li>Flexibility: A flexible leader's vision rises above the possibilities of a "single right answer" that Roger Martin warns against. The leader is prepared for the unpredictable and meet head-on challenges posed by competitors or regulators. <br /><br /><li>Imagination: This comes from an acceptance that there are many path ways to success; when I realize that there is a dead-end ahead, I am intelligent enough to retrace and find a different path.<br /><br /><li>Resilience: The resilient leader is ready for the long-haul and is not fazed by fickle swings in analyst reactions or stock price changes. Recall the innumerable start-ups that failed during the internet boom whose founders were left wondering why the venture capitalists lost interest.<br /></ul>This is the promise of Geeta 2-47, even in the material world of shareholders and regulators. The promise is greater for one who is motivated by higher goals. Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post <i>Starting with this post, I am experimenting with posting the full verse and translation at the end rather than have it interrupt the thought flow. Let me know if you think it works by posting in the comments section.</i> <b>कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन | <br> मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि ||२-४७||</b><br>karmaṇyevādhikāraste mā phaleṣu kadācana. <br>mā karmaphalaheturbhūrmā te saṅgo.astvakarmaṇi ..2-47.. <br><i>Your right is to work alone, but never to its fruits; let not the fruit-of-action be your motive, nor let your attachment be to inaction.</i></span></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-81222497970402130582014-03-24T19:34:00.003-07:002015-03-11T03:25:30.026-07:00Lift Yourself By Yourself!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March 25, 2014<br /><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/t1.0-9/379769_541825269172997_1721604654_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/t1.0-9/379769_541825269172997_1721604654_n.jpg" width="580" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Pujya Swami Swatmanandaji is a dynamic teacher of the Chinmaya Mission, based in Mumbai. <a href="http://notesnmusings.blogspot.sg/2014/03/try-think-raise-yourself.html">His post on verse 6-5</a> is a wonderful elaboration of a pivotal verse in the Geeta. Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, <i>"Let a man lift himself by his own Self alone, and let him not lower himself"</i>.<br /><br />Among the gems in this post:<br /></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">Toys to Truth<br />Vanity to Vairagya<br />Doership to Divinity<br />Dreamer to waker<br />Theory to Practice</i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post<br /><br /></span></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-45198725333869575422014-03-18T20:52:00.001-07:002015-03-11T03:25:30.040-07:00Six Absolute Guarantees Made By Krishna To All In the Bhagavad Geeta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzL9NiTizb0/UykSlmhvmGI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/ltY0HMN1UwA/s1600/gita+updesha+leather+puppet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hzL9NiTizb0/UykSlmhvmGI/AAAAAAAAB9Q/ltY0HMN1UwA/s1600/gita+updesha+leather+puppet.jpg" height="312" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I, <b>YADAVENDRA KRISHNA PARAMATMA,</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">do hereby unconditionally guarantee that:</span></div><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <br /><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">If you should study, understand and apply even a little teaching of the Bhagavad Geeta, <b>I SHALL PROTECT YOU FROM GREAT FEAR.</b> <b><span style="color: red;">2.40</span></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>I SHALL CARRY YOU ACROSS</b> this endless cycle of birth and death, on the “boat” of aatmavidya, otherwise known as self-knowledge, even if you consider yourself to be a sinner of the worst kind. <b><span style="color: red;">4-36</span></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">The gains of your <b>SPRITUAL PRACTICE SHALL NEVER EVER GO TO WASTE</b> in this world or any world. <b><span style="color: red;">6-40</span></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">I <b>SHALL FOREVER ENSURE THE GROWTH & PROTECTION THE YOUR WEALTH</b> should you ceaselessly chant and reflect on my name to the exclusion of all other worldly distractions. <b><span style="color: red;">9-26</span></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">Despite being a sinner, if you unwaveringly & constantly worship me, <b>YOU SHALL BECOME RIGHTEOUS AND AS MY DEVOTEE, YOU SHALL NEVER PERISH.</b> <b><span style="color: red;">9-30, 31</span></b></span></li><li><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">When you renounce all that is dear to you, physical, emotional and intellectual, and you finally surrender unto Me as your only refuge, <b>I SHALL FREE FROM ALL SIN FOR ALL TIME.</b> <b><span style="color: red;">18-66</span></b></span></li></ol><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><br /></span> <div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">This guarantee is open to all seekers and devotees regardless of species, age, creed, color, gender or nationality.</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Signed under seal</i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>By </i></span><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Yadavendra Krishna Paramatma</b></span></div><br /><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Witnessed by</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Pandava Arjuna</b></span></div><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"></span></b><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Bhishma Pitamaha</b></span></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><br /><br /></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-79626069982351774572014-03-15T06:37:00.001-07:002015-03-11T03:25:30.174-07:00Study The Bhagavad Geeta<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March 15, 2014<br /><br />From our facebook friends in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chinmaya-Mission-Delhi/155234097869073/“>Chinmaya Mission, Delhi</a> comes this gem.<br /><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/p180x540/1959527_666169170108894_276947090_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/t1/p180x540/1959527_666169170108894_276947090_n.jpg" width="451" /></a></div><br /><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;">The Bhagavad Gita - Your Companion for Life<br />Learn in childhood, the verses of the Gita; in teenage years, its word meaning; in youth, its meaning and in adulthood abide in its knowledge - through satsang, study, reflection and practice. <br />We need to learn, practice and perfect the art of right living from an early age, not just as we are about to die </i></span></div></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a systematic study of the Gita at home, click <a href="http://www.chinfo.org/courses/bhagavadgita/">here.</a> For my previous posts and todbits on the Gita course, click <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/search/label/Gita%20Course">here.</a>. <br /></span><br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-60325833782647891232014-03-10T16:11:00.003-07:002015-03-11T03:25:30.259-07:00Glory of the Bhagavad Gita<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March 11, 2014<br /><br />From our facebook friends in <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chinmaya-Mission-Delhi/155234097869073/">Chinmaya Mission, Delhi</a> comes this gem.<br /><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1/p180x540/1897967_666171266775351_476090364_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc3/t1/p180x540/1897967_666171266775351_476090364_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><blockquote><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: white;"> The Gita is a unique dialogue between man and God.<br />The Gita provides us with the knowledge, attitude, vision and values needed to build a successful and fulfilled life even as we face situations gracefully and joyfully.</i></span></div></blockquote><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a systematic study of the Gita at home, click <a href="http://www.chinfo.org/courses/bhagavadgita/">here. For my previous posts and todbits on the Gita course, click </a><a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/search/label/Gita%20Course">here.</a>. <br /></span><br /> <br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</div><br />Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-83574931468291176482014-03-08T01:38:00.001-08:002015-03-11T03:25:30.326-07:00Pass the Salt, Please! Remember When Salt Shook Up An Empire?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March 12, 2014<br /><br />Today, March 12th marks the 83rd anniversary of the start of the <a href="http://www.mkgandhi.org/civil_dis/dandi_march.htm">Salt Satyagraha or Dandi March</a>. What better occasion to recall the apostle of non-violence, <a href="http://mkgandhi.org/">Mahatma Gandhi</a>.<br /><br />I was thrilled to discover original film footage of the Dandi march on Youtube. <br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/lJdErHQGEHM" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />On March 12th, 1930 Gandhiji set out with 78 volunteers to achieve the greatest feat of non-violent protest the world has known. In his speech on the eve of the Dandi March, Mahatma Gandhi said:<br /></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"I have faith in the righteousness of our cause and the purity of our weapons. And where the means are clean, there God is undoubtedly present with His blessings. And where these three combine, there defeat is an impossibility. A Satyagrahi, whether free or incarcerated, is ever victorious. He is vanquished only, when he forsakes truth and nonviolence and turns a deaf ear to the inner voice."</i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The 60-year Gandhiji led a group of 78 dedicated volunteers on a 388 km (241 mile) walk from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi where he publicly broke the salt laws. According to mkgandhi.org, "On 6 April, about two tolas of salt which was taken by him in the morning and also cleaned by him, was auctioned for Rs. 525/- to Seth Ranchhod Shodhan, a mill-owner of Ahmedabad." When a great man makes it, even the common place salt rises in value!<br /><br />Last week, I posted about <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/2014/03/nelson-mandela-divine-qualities-man.html">Nelson Mandela's qualities</a> based on 16-1. Mahatma Gandhi typifies 16-2.<br /><br />अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम्।<br />दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम्।।16.2।।<br />ahi.nsaa satyamakrodhastyaagaH shaantirapaishunam.h .<br />dayaa bhuuteshhvaloluptvaM maardavaM hriirachaapalam.h .. 16-2..<br /><i>Harmlessness, truth, absence of anger, renunciation, peacefulness, absence of crookedness, compassion to beings, non-covetousness, gentleness, modesty, absence of fickle-ness . . .</i><br /><br />When Mahatma Gandhi declared his intention to break the salt laws, even stalwarts like Sardar Vallabbhai Patel and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru couldn't quite understand what the point was. Yet, in the 24 days that it took the Satyagrahis to reach Dandi, the world's attention turned to this unbelievable protest. The British were forced to respond and this led to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gandhi-Irwin_Pact">Gandhi-Irwin pact</a> in which the British Government agreed to (according to Wikipedia):<br /></span><br /><ol><li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Withdraw all ordinances and end prosecutions</span></li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><li>Release all political prisoners, except those guilty of violence</li><li>Permit peaceful picketing of liquor and foreign cloth shops</li><li>Restore confiscated properties of the satyagrahis</li><li>Permit free collection or manufacture of salt by persons near the sea-coast</li><li>Lift the ban over the congress.</li></span></ol><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />The best kick I got out of reading the Wikipedia entry was the reaction by Winston Churchill.<br /><i>"...at the nauseating and humiliating spectacle of this one-time Inner Temple lawyer, now seditious fakir, striding half-naked up the steps of the Viceroy’s palace, there to negotiate and parley on equal terms with the representative of the King Emperor."</i> <br /><br />PS: Thanks to <a href="http://www.mkgandhi.org/">mkgandhi.org</a> for all of <a href="http://www.mkgandhi.org/civil_dis/dandi_march.htm">my sourcing</a> on the Dandi March above.The site is an invaluable resource for all aspects of Mahatma Gandhi's life and what has been written by him and about him.<br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</span></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-87065509221912655932014-03-01T01:02:00.005-08:002015-03-11T03:25:30.393-07:00Nelson Mandela: Divine Qualities, A Man Without Bitterness<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">March 1, 2014 <br /><br /></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Galleries/Nelson%20Mandela/nelson-mandela-46664-concert-sized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.biography.com/imported/images/Biography/Images/Galleries/Nelson%20Mandela/nelson-mandela-46664-concert-sized.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.nelsonmandela.org/content/page/biography">Nelson Mandela</a> passed away a few months ago. I had written this up but never got round to posting it.<br /><br />I came across a wonderful story that reveals Nelson Mandela's character in the Wikipedia entry for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Hani">Chris Hani.</a>:<br /><br /></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>In April 1993, ANC leader Chris Hani was murdered by a white man. There were fears that the country would erupt in violence. Nelson Mandela spoke to the nation that day:<br /><br />“Tonight I am reaching out to every single South African, black and white, from the very depths of my being. A white man, full of prejudice and hate, came to our country and committed a deed so foul that our whole nation now teeters on the brink of disaster. A white woman, of Afrikaner origin, risked her life so that we may know, and bring to justice, this assassin. <br />The cold-blooded murder of Chris Hani has sent shock waves throughout the country and the world. ...Now is the time for all South Africans to stand together against those who, from any quarter, wish to destroy what Chris Hani gave his life for – the freedom of all of us. ”</i></span></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a message of reconciliation embedded in the urgent hope that the act of one bigot would not undo the delicate peace negotiations in progress at that time. <br /><br />I recalled Bhagavad Geeta 16-3, in which Śrī Kṛṣṇa reviews the qualities of a divine soul. Many of the descriptions used by Śrī Kṛṣṇa could apply to this remarkable श्रेष्ठ पुरुष - great man, of our times. <br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>तेजः क्षमा धृतिः शौचमद्रोहो नातिमानिता |<br />भवन्ति सम्पदं दैवीमभिजातस्य भारत ||१६-३||</b></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tejaH kShamaa dhR^itiH shauchamadroho naatimaanitaa .<br />bhavanti sampadaM daiviimabhijaatasya bhaarata .. 16-3..<br /><i>Vigour, forgiveness, fortitude, purity, absence of hatred, absence of pride --- these belong to the one born of divine nature, O Bharata.</i><br /></span></span><br /><ul><li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>तेजः</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>- tejaH</i> or vigor. Mr Nelson Mandela spent over 27 years in prison. On his release on February 11, 1990, Nelson Mandela recognized that there was no time to waste. In just four years, he negotiated the transfer of power process and was established as the President of a South Africa, free from the tyranny of apartheid. He embodies more than anyone else, the spirit of Robert Frost's famous lines: "And miles to go before I sleep; And miles to go before I sleep."</span></span></span></li><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>धृति</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>- dhrti</i> or fortitude. There is no question that Mr Mandela could have got released from prison by the simple act of renouncing violence that was a core element of the African National Congress strategy. Yet, in the circumstances prevalent in South Africa at the time, Mr Mandela refused to do so. He and his ANC colleagues had concluded that they could not give up the option of an armed struggle against the apartheid government. Nelson Mandela had no intention of giving it up and betraying his comrades even if that meant many more years in prison.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>क्षमा</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>- kshamaa</i> or forgiveness; Partnering with his apartheid foes led by Mr F W DeKlerk, the President of South Africa's white government is more than enough evidence of this virtue. It cannot have been easy sitting face-to-face with those who were responsible for the deaths of thousands of his comrades-in-arms.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>शौचं</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>- shaucham</i> or purity; This might seem a tricky one when discussing a revolutionary who was once committed to violence to overthrow apartheid. Yet, I believe Mr Mandela's refusal to run for a second term as President of South Africa demonstrated his fundamental decency. He knew it was time for others to take the reins of power. After all, they had shared the pains of the struggle for black freedom just as much as he had. When we look at other leaders who are reluctant to give up power (consider Mr Mugabe in neighboring Zimbabwe), clearly Mr Mandela did not presume that South Africa could not manage without him.</span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>अद्रोह</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>- adroha </i>or absence of hatred; Me Mandela's first cabinet reflected his commitment to a diverse South Africa. According to Wikipedia, "Mandela attempted to create the broadest possible coalition in his cabinet, with de Klerk as first Deputy President. Other National Party officials became ministers for Agriculture, Energy, Environment, and Minerals and Energy, and Buthelezi was named Minister for Home Affairs.[234] The other cabinet positions were taken by ANC members, many of whom – like Joe Modise, Alfred Nzo, Joe Slovo, Mac Maharaj and Dullah Omar – had long been comrades, although others, such as Tito Mboweni and Jeff Radebe, were much younger.[235]." </span></li><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>न अतिमानिता</b></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">- <i>na atimaanitaa</i> or absence of excessive pride; Mr Mandela had sufficient pride to lead South Africa and play the role of a senior statesman in the years since 1999 when he retired as President. Yet, you cannot run a democratic government, without respecting your peers in the cabinet.</span></li></span></span></ul><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />PS: Photo of Nelson Mandela sourced from biography.com<br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post <br /></span></span></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-27075144917780372492014-01-25T23:13:00.003-08:002015-03-11T03:25:30.464-07:00The Art of Man Making - Evergreen Classic <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">January 26, 2014<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqT3qOadb9a4equTA9ENco4W2AejeMm8pq2TiopgjbTJyXWN3_ffAQvCAMPHE_hhvcrivkTw0x6cF6Y4QyAKMRYozYdQvMss6lfHllPl9B3S7wgYMF9Kt5ZQz7SHO9yxiJDdalDSwbVhM/s1600/gurudev-standing+b&w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqT3qOadb9a4equTA9ENco4W2AejeMm8pq2TiopgjbTJyXWN3_ffAQvCAMPHE_hhvcrivkTw0x6cF6Y4QyAKMRYozYdQvMss6lfHllPl9B3S7wgYMF9Kt5ZQz7SHO9yxiJDdalDSwbVhM/s1600/gurudev-standing+b&w.jpg" /></a></div>India's Republic day is a good day for me to resume posting to this blog after a hiatus of over 8 weeks. The impetus for this came from listening to <a href="http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-chinmayananda/">Param Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji's</a> audio talks on the "<a href="http://eshop.chinmayamission.com/index.php/the-holy-geeta-hard-bound-cover-gf-hm.html04">Art of Man Making</a>". The audio and the accompanying book are the results of 114 talks on All India Radio by Pujya Gurudev in the 1960s. The talks are wonderful, crisp, lyrical at times, yet always marked by the razor-sharp insights into the Bhagavad Geeta, the familiar hallmark of Pujya Gurudev's teaching. As he sets the context for the first chapter, Gurudev vividly lays out the setting of the Bhagavad Geeta.<br /><blockquote><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">(the Upanishads) are given out in an atmosphere of quietude and in an inner mood of total dispassion. The hum of the Ganges, the hymn of the eternal snow peaks and the salubrious climate are all conspicuous witnesses in the Upanishadic literature. Even the students who listen to the declaration of these Rishis are calm and cool, self-controlled and unagitated, and they hear these words of wisdom with a quiet and serene intellect. <br /><br />This songful and quiet environment has been completely replaced in the Geeta by the atmosphere of strife and stress, dust and fury, stress and strain, pulls and pressures. The inner mood and outer atmosphere are suggestive of dynamic service to the society and its members. Unlike the Upanishads, in the Geeta, the Lord himself addresses the Pandava Prince, mentally agitated and intellectually confused. Yet, the message of the Upanishads and the Geeta are one and the same. Hence, the glory of the Geeta lies not in what she states, but how she states it.<br /><br />Vyasa deftly chose Lord Krishna as his mouthpiece to give out the immortal message of the Geeta amidst the din and roar of a national war to a confused and confounded hero of the day. Thus, Vyasa, by his masterly setting of the Geeta, has brought down religion from the snow-capped Himalayas to the work-a-day world to bless man in his day-to-day existence. Religion is never to be practiced in jungles and forests alone.</i></blockquote><br />The Art of Man Making CD and the book are an invaluable tool for a student of the Bhagavad Geeta. Do yourself a favor and get them today.<br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</div></span>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-33609801177431273222013-12-06T18:30:00.001-08:002015-03-11T03:25:30.673-07:00Role Model - Assamese Man Plants 1360 Acre Forest by Himself!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">December 6, 2013<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/phabas/4537297458" title="Bamboo Forest by PhBasumata, on Flickr"><img alt="Bamboo Forest" height="300" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2763/4537297458_65e8a60049_z.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br />Readers of this blog know of my keen interest in <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/search/label/role%20model">role models</a> (clicking on this link will take you to all the role models I have posted on in this blog). <br /><br />Here is yet another hero, <a href="http://inhabitat.com/indian-man-single-handedly-plants-1360-acre-forest/">Jadav “Molai” Payeng who planted a 1,360 acre forest</a> pretty much by himself. <br /><br />Quote from the <a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-04-01/special-report/31269649_1_forest-wild-elephants-red-ants">original story</a> in the Times of India:<br /></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">It all started way back in 1979 when floods washed a large number of snakes ashore on the sandbar. One day, after the waters had receded, Payeng , only 16 then, found the place dotted with the dead reptiles. That was the turning point of his life.<br /><br />"The snakes died in the heat, without any tree cover. I sat down and wept over their lifeless forms. It was carnage . I alerted the forest department and asked them if they could grow trees there. They said nothing would grow there. Instead, they asked me to try growing bamboo. It was painful, but I did it. There was nobody to help me. Nobody was interested," says Payeng, now 47.<br /><br />Leaving his education and home, he started living on the sandbar. Unlike Robinson Crusoe, Payeng willingly accepted a life of isolation. And no, he had no Man Friday. He watered the plants morning and evening and pruned them. After a few years, the sandbar was transformed into a bamboo thicket. "I then decided to grow proper trees. I collected and planted them. I also transported red ants from my village, and was stung many times. Red ants change the soil's properties . That was an experience," Payeng says, laughing.<br /><br />Soon, there were a variety of flora and fauna which burst in the sandbar, including endangered animals like the one-horned rhino and Royal Bengal tiger.</i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Here is <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/2010/12/yadyadacharati-shreshthah-role-models.html">the original post</a> that kicked off my series on the role model.<br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post<br /><br />PS: The <a href="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2763/4537297458_65e8a60049_z.jpg">photo of a bamboo forest</a> above is by Flickr user <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/phabas/">PhBasuma</a> made available under a Creative Commons license.<br /><br /></span></div></div><br /><!-- http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-chinmayananda/> <br /><!-- http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-tejomayananda/></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-86993482000269169062013-12-03T16:57:00.002-08:002015-03-11T03:25:30.686-07:00Go Somewhere Else And Do Something Else<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">December 3, 2013<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OQZgrKji7wE/Upq8I9Dyc0I/AAAAAAAABjw/XMjofLiGALY/s1600/Abha+Dawesar+at+Ted+Talks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OQZgrKji7wE/Upq8I9Dyc0I/AAAAAAAABjw/XMjofLiGALY/s400/Abha+Dawesar+at+Ted+Talks.png" /></a></div><br />Some of my previous posts have addressed the contemporary challenge of <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/search/label/solitude">finding solitude</a>. Here is <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/abha_dawesar_life_in_the_digital_now.html">Abha Dawesar in a recent Ted Talk</a>.<br /><br /><blockquote><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">Every digital landmark is an invitation to leave what you are doing now to go somewhere else and do something else. Are you reading an interview by an author? Why not buy his book? Tweet it. Share it. Like it. Find other books exactly like his. Find other people reading those books. Travel can be liberating, but when it is incessant, we become permanent exiles without repose. Choice is freedom, but not when it's constantly for its own sake.</i></blockquote><br />Abha encapsulates how even a mundane activity like reading in the digital context is an invitation to distraction. A distracted mind, hates solitude.<br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</div></span>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-80241312406971330462013-11-30T20:01:00.003-08:002015-03-11T03:25:30.763-07:00Śrī Kṛṣṇa's Masterful Marketing - II<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">December 1, 2013<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oyTIDlZ-fjA/Upq1TNKLeoI/AAAAAAAABjg/papsnYkTvTg/s1600/gita+updesha+leather+puppet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oyTIDlZ-fjA/Upq1TNKLeoI/AAAAAAAABjg/papsnYkTvTg/s400/gita+updesha+leather+puppet.jpg" /></a></div><br />In my last post, I discussed <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/2013/11/sri-krsnas-masterful-marketing-what_29.html">Śrī Kṛṣṇa's masterful marketing</a> technique as seen in the Bhagavad Geeta. Now we will continue to see how He expertly seeks to keep us on <i>"the path of virtue, courage and wisdom"</i>.<br /><br />Śrī Kṛṣṇa is never shy as He waxes lyrical about the nature of the knowledge He is set to reveal in chapter 9. In 9-2, he describes the knowledge as a “<i>Royal secret, the King of all Knowledge, supremely purifying” (</i>राजविद्या राजगुह्यं पवित्रमिदमुत्तमम् - raajavidyaa raajaguhyaM pavitramidamuttamam.h)<i>. </i>He says it can be “<i>known by direct intuition</i>” (प्रत्यक्षावगमं - pratyakShaavagamaM) and “<i>easy to practice</i>” (सुसुखं - susukhaM).।<br /><br />There is reason to believe Śrī Kṛṣṇa because in 18-73, Arjuna declares unequivocally “<i>my delusion is destroyed</i>” (नष्टो मोहः - nashhTo mohaH). The delusion that inspired Arjuna to accept Śrī Kṛṣṇa as his teacher is gone and in keeping with Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s assurance, having gained this knowledge, Arjuna knows there is nothing higher to gain.<br /><br />It is fascinating to see Arjuna grow in his understanding. Let's see Arjuna’s question on the subtleties of this knowledge. Having heard the assurance in 6-22 (see above), Arjuna follows up to ask:<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>अयतिः श्रद्धयोपेतो योगाच्चलितमानसः |<br />अप्राप्य योगसंसिद्धिं कां गतिं कृष्ण गच्छति ||६-३७||</b></span><br />ayatiH shraddhayopeto yogaachchalitamaanasaH .<br />apraapya yogasa.nsiddhi.n kaa.n gati.n kR^ishhNa gachchhati .. 6-37..<br /><i>He who, though having faith, is unable to control himself, whose mind wanders away from Yoga, to what end does he, having failed to attain perfection in Yoga go, O Krishna?</i><br /><br />Arjuna’s question is a natural extension of 2-40 (see previous post - link above). Yes, I have started practicing the control of the mind and turning it to the Higher truths. Yes, I am starting to experience increased sense of inner peace and maybe even a glimpse of the divine in me and in the world. However, tell me this. <b><i>What if I die before I succeed in my quest?</i></b><br /><br />Śrī Kṛṣṇa scotches that doubt immediately and definitively.<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>न हि कल्याणकृत्कश्चिद् दुर्गतिं तात गच्छति ||६-४०||</b></span><br /><i>The one striving to do (or be) good </i><b><i><u>never comes to misfortune.</i></u></b> (emphasis mine)<br /><br />In verses 6-41 and 42, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says that one who dies without having completed the quest, is reborn in the family of the “<i>wise and wealthy</i>” (शुचीनां श्रीमतां गेहे - shuchiinaa.n shriimataa.n gehe), “<i>in the family of wise Yogis</i>” (योगिनामेव कुले भवति धीमताम् - yoginaameva kule bhavati dhiimataam.h). In short, this diligent seeker will be born in circumstances that are conducive to the seekers’ spiritual progress. <a href="http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-chinmayananda/">Param Pujya Swami Chinmayanandaji</a> says in his commentary: <br /><br /></span><br /><blockquote><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">Such a jīva, as soon as it leaves one embodiment, immediately comes to manifest itself in a conducive atmosphere, where it can continue its pilgrimage without any obstruction…Not only does he discover in himself the knowledge that he had acquired in the past, but he easily finds in himself the required enthusiasm and energy for a consistent self-application and vigorous pursuit…when he is reborn in the right atmosphere, regains all knowledge easily.</i></blockquote><br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post<br /><br />PS: The leather pupper image of Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna on the chariot is sourced from <a href="Puppet Theater in India ">http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/puppets.htm</a>, with links to pages on the art of puppetry that used to be common in different parts of India. </div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-72998907451267090312013-11-29T02:27:00.001-08:002015-03-11T03:25:30.776-07:00Śrī Kṛṣṇa's Masterful Marketing: What Does Success Really Look Like?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November 29, 2013 <br /><br />There is an aphorism in Samskritam that says प्रयोजनमनुद्दिश्य न मन्दोऽपि प्रवर्तते (prayojanam-anuddishya na mando.api pravartate), "even a fool does not act without asking 'what do I gain from it'?"<br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFR_mEb1MiSz8W9fdXvgp8vr8biRigUx-4skDwWcTPFPNtciFR_uUEYwo7TB_KzA2b8rCpEsETE6YcfihHCO8_EUAzc_s4GgIf48AQaWl4_7n07pl6Y-DrhK4OND4BQfSGTYnuc2mzg-N/s1600/photo-745960.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5948885099732148626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFR_mEb1MiSz8W9fdXvgp8vr8biRigUx-4skDwWcTPFPNtciFR_uUEYwo7TB_KzA2b8rCpEsETE6YcfihHCO8_EUAzc_s4GgIf48AQaWl4_7n07pl6Y-DrhK4OND4BQfSGTYnuc2mzg-N/s400/photo-745960.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://www.stephencovey.com/about/about.php">Dr Stephen Covey</a>’s seminal book on leadership, “The Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” is a wildly successful management best-seller. It is also one of my all-time favorite books on leadership because at its core, Dr Covey echoes the "<a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/search/label/change%20yourself">You Change</a>" message of the Bhagavad Geeta. According to Dr Stephen Covey, <a href="https://www.stephencovey.com/7habits/7habits-habit2.php">the 2nd habit</a> that is crucial to success in Management guru is “Begin with the end in mind”. He expands further:<br /> <br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">Habit 2 is based on imagination--the ability to envision in your mind what you cannot at present see with your eyes. It is based on the principle that all things are created twice. There is a mental (first) creation, and a physical (second) creation. The physical creation follows the mental, just as a building follows a blueprint.</i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />In the corporate world, when projects are launched, you often hear questions such as: "What are the critical success factors?" or "What does Good look like?" That is why I found it fascinating that Śrī Kṛṣṇa masterfully lays out the end game for the seeker. He does it repeatedly in the Bhagavad Geeta but the one stand-out verse for me is 6-22:<br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>यं लब्ध्वा चापरं लाभं मन्यते नाधिकं ततः |<br />यस्मिन्स्थितो न दुःखेन गुरुणापि विचाल्यते ||६-२२|| </b></span> <br />yaM labdhvaa chaaparaM laabhaM manyate naadhikaM tataH .<br />yasminsthito na duHkhena guruNaapi vichaalyate .. 6-22..<br /><i>Having obtained which, he (the wise man) thinks there is no other gain superior to it; wherein established, he is not moved even by heavy sorrow.</i><br /><br />With one crisp verse, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says:<br /></span><br /><ul><li>Nothing you gain in this world will be equal to what you gain by this quest!</li><li>Having gained this, not even the most catastrophic tragedy can disturb you</li></ul><br />Of course, by this time, Śrī Kṛṣṇa has also set out a clear roadmap for succeeding in this quest. Naturally, being human, we protest, "It is too hard, takes too long." Fortunately, Śrī Kṛṣṇa has already addressed this in 2-40.<br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>नेहाभिक्रमनाशोऽस्ति प्रत्यवायो न विद्यते |<br />स्वल्पमप्यस्य धर्मस्य त्रायते महतो भयात् ||२-४०|| </b></span><br />nehaabhikramanaasho.asti pratyavaayo na vidyate .<br />svalpamapyasya dharmasya traayate mahato bhayaat.h .. 2-40..<br /><i>In this path, there is no loss of effort, nor is there any harm (production of contrary results) . Even a little of this knowledge, even a little practice of this Yoga, protects one from the great fear.</i><br /><br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</div><br />PS: <i>The image above is posted by Chinmaya Mission, New Delhi on Facebook based on talks by <a href="http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-tejomayananda/">Param Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji</a> titled "Action to Perfection" conducted in November 2013 in New Delhi.</i><br /><br /></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-34087767202164557972013-11-22T22:57:00.001-08:002015-03-11T03:25:30.830-07:00Update on Thirumangai Alwar - The Thief's Redemption<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November 23, 2013 <br /><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anudinam.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Thirunagari-Thirumangai-Mannan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://anudinam.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Thirunagari-Thirumangai-Mannan.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />Recently, I discussed <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/2013/11/thirumangai-alwar-thirefs-redemption.html">the redemption of the Vaishnava saint, Thirumangai Alwar</a> as an illustration of Geeta 18-66. I was not satisfied that I had the right verse. I think I have now found the more appropriate verse:<br /> <br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>अपि चेत्सुदुराचारो भजते मामनन्यभाक् |<br />साधुरेव स मन्तव्यः सम्यग्व्यवसितो हि सः ||९-३०||</b></span> <br />api chetsuduraachaaro bhajate maamananyabhaak.h .<br />saadhureva sa mantavyaH samyagvyavasito hi saH .. 9-30..<br /><i>Even if the most sinful worships Me, with devotion to none else, (or with single-pointedness) , he too should indeed be regarded as 'righteous, ' for he has rightly resolved.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-chinmayananda/">Param Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji</a> in his commentary on the Holy Geeta elaborates on the first half of this verse thus:<br /><blockquote><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">Not only does the Geeta throw its gates open to the sinners, but the Singer of the Divine Song also seems to have great missionary zeal to redeem all sinners, and bless them. Even those who are given to evil ways are not debarred from entering the field of spirituality because of their undivine actions and the impurity of their lives. The only insistence is that the worship of the Self must be performed by the devotee with "undivided devotion."</i></blockquote><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</span> <br /><!-- http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-tejomayananda/></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-72935064118974445712013-11-16T20:00:00.002-08:002015-03-11T03:25:30.906-07:00Bhavagan Ramana on Solitude<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November 17, 2013 <br /><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/wp-content/themes/website/data/php/timthumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/2013/01/SOH_0040_06436_Dynamic-Range_Best.jpg&q=80&w=890" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/wp-content/themes/website/data/php/timthumb.php?src=wp-content/uploads/2013/01/SOH_0040_06436_Dynamic-Range_Best.jpg&q=80&w=890" width="416" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/">Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi</a> was a realized man who ceaselessly highlighted the importance of अात्म विचार (atma vichara) or Self-Enquiry. Thanks to Him, the phrase "Who Am I?" or "Naan Yaar?" (in Tamil) became quite fashionable in intellectual circles in the South. His core teachings can be seen in the publication <a href="http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/downloadbooks/whoami_all_languages/Who_Am_I_English.pdf">"Who Am I?"</a>. <br /><br />I came across a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RamanaMaharshi/posts/10151896372899631">very nice discussion on solitude</a> on Sri Ramana's facebook page. It goes to the core of some questions about solitude. <br /><br /></span><blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">SOLITUDE MEANS ONLY CONTINUOUS PRACTICE <br />D: When I spent an hour or two on the hill yonder, I sometimes found even better peace than here, which suggests that a solitary place is after all more conducive to mind-control. <br />B: True, but if you had stayed there for an hour longer, you would have found that place too not giving you the calm of which you speak. Control the mind and even Hell will be Heaven to you. All other talk of solitude, living in a forest etc., is mere prattle. D: If solitude and abandonment of home were not required, where then was the necessity for Sri Bhagavan to come here in his seventeenth year? B: If the same force that took this (meaning himself ) here, should take you also out of your home by all means let it, but there is no use of your deserting your home by an effort of your own. Your duty lies in practice, continuous practice of Self-enquiry. <br />D: Is it not necessary to seek the company of the wise (the Saints and Sages)? <br />B: Yes; but the best sat-sangam is inhering in your "Self". It is also the real guhavasam (living in the cave). Dwelling in the cave is retiring into your "Self". Association with the wise will certainly help a great deal. <br /><br />Crumbs from His Table<br /></i></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</span></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-29112778789641411502013-11-13T14:45:00.004-08:002015-03-11T03:25:31.056-07:00Guruji on धृति - Perseverance<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h1 class="title" style="max-width: 100%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">November 13, 2013</span></h1><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/9994_10151914681830865_1950008093_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/9994_10151914681830865_1950008093_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">What a wonderful answer by <a href="http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-tejomayananda/">Param Pujya Swami Tejomayanandaji</a> to a very pertinent question? I saw this on facebook and I just had to share it. </span></div><h1 class="title" style="-webkit-hyphens: manual; font: -apple-system-short-headline; max-width: 100%;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SwamiTejomayananda/posts/10151976441280865:0">https://www.facebook.com/SwamiTejomayananda/posts/10151976441280865:0</a> </span></h1><h1 class="title" style="-webkit-hyphens: manual; font: -apple-system-short-headline; max-width: 100%;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><i><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Question: How to achieve your dreams without the fear of somebody trying to stop you?</span></i></span></h1><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pujya Guruji: Really speaking, nobody can stop you. If you see a problem, you have stopped seeing the goal. If your mind remains glued to a goal, then come what may, who can pull you down? Actually, if someone is there to pull you down, there will be ten people there to lift you also. Why only see one side? See, what we lack is our own conviction, our own determination. We also expect the whole world to come and help us. It is not necessary. <br style="max-width: 100%;" /><br style="max-width: 100%;" />I remember I read an incident in Gautama Buddha's life. He taught his disciple and then he wanted to check if the disciple was ready to teach Dharma to others. The dialogue went like this: <br style="max-width: 100%;" /><br style="max-width: 100%;" />Buddha: When you go out to teach Dharma, and nobody pays attention to you, how do you take it?<br style="max-width: 100%;" />Disciple: I will think: Even though they are not listening to me, they are not opposing me. <br style="max-width: 100%;" />Buddha: Suppose they oppose you?<br style="max-width: 100%;" />Disciple: They are only opposing me. At least they are not fighting with me. <br style="max-width: 100%;" />Buddha: What if they beat you?<br style="max-width: 100%;" />Disciple: They are only beating me, not killing me.<br style="max-width: 100%;" />Buddha: What if somebody kills you?<br style="max-width: 100%;" />Disciple: Anyway we are born to die. Death will come to all of us one day.<br style="max-width: 100%;" />Buddha: You are ready to teach Dharma. <br style="max-width: 100%;" /><br style="max-width: 100%;" />So, some people will applaud and some will criticize. Cheers and jeers will always be there. If there are opponents, there will be many supporters also. You be determined and convinced. You march toward your goal. <br style="max-width: 100%;" /><br style="max-width: 100%;" />Source:<br style="max-width: 100%;" />Is Life a Joy or a Test?<br style="max-width: 100%;" />Transcription of Q&A session in a workshop with <br style="max-width: 100%;" />Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayananda, CM Ottawa, June 2013</span><br /><br /><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</span></div></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-90109110097116333572013-11-03T00:50:00.001-07:002015-03-11T03:25:31.071-07:00Thirumangai Alwar - A Thief's Redemption!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November 3, 2013 <br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://anudinam.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Thirunagari-Thirumangai-Mannan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://anudinam.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Thirunagari-Thirumangai-Mannan.jpg" /></a></span></div>In verse 18-66, Śrī Kṛṣṇa guarantees that He will redeem (or liberate) anyone who surrenders unto the Lord considering Him to be the ONLY refuge. Yesterday, Shri Raghavan, my neighbor told me the beautiful story of Thirumangai Alwar, a Vaishnava saint from Tamil Nadu who is the case study for this guarantee. <br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>सर्वधर्मान्परित्यज्य मामेकं शरणं व्रज |<br />अहं त्वा सर्वपापेभ्यो मोक्षयिष्यामि मा शुचः ||१८-६६||</b></span><br />sarvadharmaanparityajya maamekaM sharaNaM vraja .<br />ahaM tvaaM sarvapaapebhyo mokShyayishhyaami maa shuchaH .. 18-66.. <br /><i>Abandoning all dharma, of the body, mind, and intellect, take refuge in Me alone; I will liberate thee from all sins; grieve not.</i><br /><br />This verse is among the most important ones in the Bhagavad Geeta. The story of Thirumangai Alwar provides a very interesting insight into this verse. Here it as shown in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirumangai_Alvar">Wikipedia entry</a> for Thirumangai Alwar. <br /></span><br /><blockquote><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">According to the traditional account, he married Kumudavalli, a Vaishnava doctor's adopted daughter at a place Thiruvellakkulam (also known as Annan Kovil)and became a Vaishnava, devotee of the Hindu god Vishnu, under her influence. The temple-god of Thirunaraiyur (Naraiyur Nindra Nambi) - a form of Vishnu - is believed to have initiated Thirumangai into Vaishnavism, by teaching him the pancha samskara. Kumudavalli also got him to promise that he would feed a 1008 Vaishnavas every day for a year. Unable to bear the heavy expense of feeding a thousand people, Thirumangai resorted to highway robbery. One day, Thirumangai tried to remove rings from the toes of a bridegroom but could not do so. Then he realized the bride was none other than the Supreme god Vishnu. Narayana revealed himself to Kaliyan and transformed him by teaching the Narayana mantra or Ashtaksara (the eight syllabled) - "namo narayanaya", turning the robber into a saint and starts singing the first verse of Peria Thirumozhi/ Peria Thirumoli (Vaadinen Vaadi).<br /><br />The first ten verses of Thirumangai's poem Periya Tirumoli sing of his transformation, after receiving the spiritual knowledge from Vishnu. He sings about his transformation thus:<br /><br />I became a thief<br />deceitful and dishonest<br />I wandered hither and thither<br />yet light dawned upon me -<br />I reached Your feet<br />and instantly your grace fell upon me<br />with melting heart and choked voice<br />your praises I sing<br />bathed in streaming tears<br />I repeat day and night<br />the sacred name of Narayana (Vishnu)</i></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />I have also linked to <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/2012/05/upanishad-ganga-story-of-valmiki.html">Valmiki's transformation</a> in this post here. You might also find this <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/2013/06/in-every-song-i-ask-help-from-god-ar.html">interview with AR Rahman</a> an interesting take on refuge.<br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post<br /><br />PS: <i>Photo courtesy of <a href="http://anudinam.org/2011/11/20/thirumangai-alwar-and-thiruvenkatamudaiyaan/">anudinam.org for all things Vaishnava</a></i></span></div><br /><!-- http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-chinmayananda/> <br /><!-- http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-tejomayananda/></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-37562702388892971632013-11-02T20:27:00.002-07:002015-03-11T03:25:31.131-07:00Happy Deepavali in His Master's Voice!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">November 3, 2013<br /><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZu6DF9O4zoXOBIYPUDJcU6ApK6zV9SjOGFKlyap1nvZ06PtR8wBmc_3OYEhB0RAG8r-kC_mdGRgPF9DW9zJDMVBnIcTJU3OxTnQdUUrWF6GeTLuAvNtt0BqKST3jajV3Ncm3vzwgj9OUq/s1600/Gurudev+Deepavali+message.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZu6DF9O4zoXOBIYPUDJcU6ApK6zV9SjOGFKlyap1nvZ06PtR8wBmc_3OYEhB0RAG8r-kC_mdGRgPF9DW9zJDMVBnIcTJU3OxTnQdUUrWF6GeTLuAvNtt0BqKST3jajV3Ncm3vzwgj9OUq/s1600/Gurudev+Deepavali+message.jpg" /></a></span></div>Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post<br /><!-- http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-chinmayananda/> <br /><;!-- http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-tejomayananda/></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-24158664342918293262013-10-15T06:02:00.002-07:002015-03-11T03:25:31.345-07:00Ram Dass on Consecrating Actions<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">October 15, 2013<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/644142_638378209527581_1792883209_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/644142_638378209527581_1792883209_n.jpg" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ramdass.org/bio/">Ram Dass</a> is an American teacher of Hinduism and is the author of "<a href="http://www.taosnews.com/entertainment/article_23d3fc70-c1fb-5a71-85e7-694bce823933.html">Be Here Now</a>." His <a href="http://www.ramdass.org/consecrating-actions/">recent blog post</a> has a very neat explanation for the famous Geeta verse that is traditionally chanted before a meal. <br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>ब्रह्मार्पणं ब्रह्म हविर्ब्रह्माग्नौ ब्रह्मणा हुतम् |<br />ब्रह्मैव तेन गन्तव्यं ब्रह्मकर्मसमाधिना ||४-२४||</b></span><br />brahmaarpaNaM brahma havirbrahmaagnau brahmaNaa hutam.h .<br />brahmaiva tena gantavyaM brahmakarmasamaadhinaa .. 4-24.. <br /><i>BRAHMAN is the oblation; BRAHMAN is the clarified butter, etc. , constituting the offerings; by BRAHMAN is the oblation poured into the fire of BRAHMAN; BRAHMAN verily shall be reached by him who always sees BRAHMAN in all actions. </i><br />This translation above is by Param Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananadaji and can often puzzle those unfamiliar with the cryptic manner of the Hindu texts. Here is how Ram Dass puts it:<br /></span><br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">Now, when I bless food, the statement I say, when I say grace, is an old Sanskrit one. It means "This offering of this little ritual I'm performing, this is part of it all, part of Brahma, part of that which is eternally all. He who is making the offering means, that which is being offered is part of it all. The hunger to which you are feeding . . . the fire which you are feeding, that's all part of it all. Whoever you are offering it to is part of it all, too. He who realizes that all of it is interrelated, all of it is one, becomes one with it."</i></span></blockquote>Another interesting quote from the blog refers to singing hymns in church.<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="background-color: #ffd966;">I go to church now and then around the United States and we sing hymns that are mind-blowers. They are all hymns that get you "high." They were written by people in ecstatic states and you read them … everybody's singing them like they're reading the shopping list. There's no spirit, the spirit isn't invested in any way in the singing and yet whoever wrote it invested the spirit.</i></span></blockquote><br />The quote above could just as well apply to some of the chanting that we see in temples and at some pujas. We say them as if we're <b><i>reading the shopping list</i></b></div></div><br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-22939702513258408692013-10-01T07:05:00.004-07:002015-03-11T03:25:31.419-07:00100 Tributes, A Coffee Table Book on Mahatma Gandhi<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">October 2, 2013 <br /><br />Today is Mahatma Gandhi Jayanti. It is wonderful that earlier this year, that the Navajivan Trust released a beautiful coffee table book containing <a href="http://www.navajivantrust.org/100-tributes.aspx">100 Tributes to Gandhiji</a>.<br /></span><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mkgandhi.org/images/100-tributes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.mkgandhi.org/images/100-tributes.jpg" width="455" /></a></span></div><br />According to <a href="http://www.mkgandhi.org/main.htm">www.mkgandhi.org</a>, a website that is an incomparable resource for all things related to the Father of the Nation, on June 15th, 2007, the United Nations adopted a resolution that declared October 2 as the International Day of Non-Violence, aka <b>अंतरराष्ट्रीय अहिंसा दिवस</b>. <br /><br />The book itself is illustrated by wonderful pencil portraits of Gandhiji drawn by Ramesh Thaakar and the story of how this book came about is a treat in itself. I intend to get this the next time I am in India. <br /><br />I also came across a beautiful book, <a href="http://www.mkgandhi.org/epigrams/index.htm">Epigrams from Gandhiji</a> compiled by Shri SR Tikekar. One beautiful one in that relevant to us is: <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq"><i>Let the Gita be to you a mine of diamonds, as it has been to me: let it be your constant guide and friend on life's way.</i></blockquote><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-18000052671307111532013-10-01T06:04:00.001-07:002015-03-11T03:25:31.473-07:00Karma Chronicles: Tom Hanks At The AMA<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">October 1, 2013<br /><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/TomHanksJan2009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d0/TomHanksJan2009.jpg" /></a></span></div><br /><br />I find it interesting that an eminently accomplished actor such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_hanks">Tom Hanks</a>, cannot bring himself to say that it was all free-will. See question at the <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1ngfwy/hi_reddit_tom_hanks_here_ask_me_anything/ccidz5r">Tom Hanks AMA</a> and the response by the Oscar winner who played roles such as Forrest Gump.<br /><div lang="EN-US" link="blue" vlink="purple"><div><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u></u> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GksTS_WTL6s/UkrFLWP0jHI/AAAAAAAABgQ/FM_9WXhBieQ/s1600/image001-753474.png"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5929768658127850610" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GksTS_WTL6s/UkrFLWP0jHI/AAAAAAAABgQ/FM_9WXhBieQ/s1600/image001-753474.png" /></a> </span></div><br />Click <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/search/label/karma%20chronicles">here</a> for more Karma Chronicles posts. <br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</div><br /><br /></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-90256937288530033162013-09-25T19:30:00.005-07:002015-03-11T03:25:31.487-07:00Grotesque Misuse Of Karma As Brand, Or Do I Lack A Sense Of Humor?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">September 26, 2013 <br /><br /></span><br /><br />How steep the fall! From being a nation where our ancient seers have explored the subtlety of karma in all its varied flavors, we now have this... the result of a search for "karma" that led to an ad on some site.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPlc0dWAIliUWO_VuVGCJHCA0xoD-0T_xVNCKKHQZjxexpB1esa_Fjwq34Aav6kmneoesJjiELjfIHNWN-fRTR9Yiuj7BCawv8zfa_x3LVbyWwDAwtQeCg9cGH7dhGI_MzK9uAwPyJq0C/s1600/grotesque+misuse+of+the+word+karma.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFPlc0dWAIliUWO_VuVGCJHCA0xoD-0T_xVNCKKHQZjxexpB1esa_Fjwq34Aav6kmneoesJjiELjfIHNWN-fRTR9Yiuj7BCawv8zfa_x3LVbyWwDAwtQeCg9cGH7dhGI_MzK9uAwPyJq0C/s400/grotesque+misuse+of+the+word+karma.png" /></a></div><br />Yes, it could be anyone's "fate" (only one of many meanings of karma) that they need a walker and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Is it really an appropriate brand name? Opinions anyone?<br /><br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-53151024737356884592013-09-23T17:56:00.003-07:002015-03-11T03:25:31.559-07:00Misconceptions About Non-Violence (अहिंसा) And The Mahabharata War<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">September 22, 2013 <br /><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Krishna_Mediating_between_the_Pandavas_and_Kauravas.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7c/Krishna_Mediating_between_the_Pandavas_and_Kauravas.jpeg" /></a></span></div><br />अहिंसा (ahimsa), non-violence or non-injury, is a widely misunderstood term. Mahatma Gandhi deployed ahimsa strategically to oppose the British rule in India. Gandhiji successfully inspired a mass movement of civil disobedience and in the United States, the struggle for civil rights adopted non-violence as a corner-stone. These examples conclusively prove that ahimsa is not a response prompted by cowardice. <br /><br />On the other hand, it is widely assumed that any display of "violence" violates the principle of ahimsa. In Geeta 2-32, Śrī Kṛṣṇa declares:<br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>यदृच्छया चोपपन्नं स्वर्गद्वारमपावृतम्।<br />सुखिनः क्षत्रियाः पार्थ लभन्ते युद्धमीदृशम्।।2.32।।</b></span><br />yadR^ichchhayaa chopapanna.n svargadvaaramapaavR^itam.h .<br />sukhinaH kShatriyaaH paartha labhante yuddhamiidR^isham.h .. 2-32..<br /><i>Happy indeed are the kshatriyaas, O Partha, who are called to fight in such a battle, that comes of itself as an open-door to heaven.</i><br /><br />Again in 2-18 तस्माद्युध्यस्व भारत (tasmaadyudhyasva bhaarata)- <i>"Therefore, fight, O Bharata".</i> <br />These selective quotes are used by critics to accuse Śrī Kṛṣṇa of being a war-mongerer and an enemy of peace. <br /><br />None better than <a href="http://www.chinmayamission.com/who-we-are/swami-tejomayananda/">Param Pujya Guruji, Swami Tejomayanandaji,</a> to address this issue clearly <a href="http://www.speakingtree.in/spiritual-blogs/masters/science-of-spirituality/the-principle-of-nonviolence-and-noninjury">in his post</a> on ahimsa on the Speaking Tree website.<br /><br /></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>A very important question arises. Lord Krishna here is teaching about non-injury (ahimsa). How is it then that He is asking Arjuna to fight? This apparent contradiction needs to be explained. Many people wonder, “How can this war be considered dharmika (righteous) while at the same time observing the law of ahimsa?”<br />Earlier we spoke about dharma as it pertains to physical health. When the body is in a healthy condition, we will live comfortably. There is no need for medical treatment of any kind. But suppose the body develops a disease, or a cancerous growth? Then possibly some medications or minor surgery may help. But if the disease is very serious, major surgery or even amputation may be the only solution to save the life of a patient.<br />In the same way, if everyone is living happily and peacefully in society, then there is no need for war. But, as in the case of the Mahabharata, the evil, battle-hungry Duryodhana, became strong and powerful much like a cancer, whose growth was out of control. Small remedies could not fix the problem. If people like him are not removed from society, good people suffer and disintegration of the society is certain. Therefore, in such situations the ideal of ahimsa and a righteous war go together.</i></span></span></span></blockquote><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post<br /><br />PS: <br />1. <i>The picture shown is from the collection of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and depicts Krishna Mediating between the Pandavas and Kauravas, from an illustrated manuscript of the Razmnama (Mahabharata)sourced via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Krishna_Mediating_between_the_Pandavas_and_Kauravas.jpeg</i><br />2. <i>The correct roman transliteration of the word अहिंसा is ahiṁsā but for many years, ahimsa is the widely used transliteration</i></span><br /></span></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6925898184596604323.post-60390720662004615622013-09-19T07:58:00.003-07:002015-03-11T03:25:31.613-07:00Meditation - Pastime Of The Elite!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">September 21, 2013 <br /><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jqEygClTJkA/UjsPXEEvaxI/AAAAAAAABeo/gny8pcr89Ww/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-09-19+at+10.50.24+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jqEygClTJkA/UjsPXEEvaxI/AAAAAAAABeo/gny8pcr89Ww/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-09-19+at+10.50.24+PM.png" /></a></span></div><br /><br /><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A fascinating article titled "<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/18/leaders-meditation_n_3916003.html">This Is The New Favorite Pastime Of The Business Elite (Hint: It's Not Golf)</a>" on the HuffPo website. Readers of this blog will have seen my earlier <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/search/label/meditation">posts on meditation</a>, where I have highlighted social trends indicating greater faith in meditation. <br /><br />I have also talked in the past about the value of <a href="http://everydaygeeta.blogspot.com/search/label/role%20model">role models</a>, so if the CEOs of these big corporations motivate you to take up meditation, more power to you. I find it specially interesting that HuffPo prefers to place this under its Healthy Living site, rather than its religion website. The fear is that if something is religious, it might be bad for you. Fortunately, my dear readers never make that mistake!<br /><br /><br /><br />Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post</span></div>Sundarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13536281432878702249noreply@blogger.com0