Everyday Geeta

November 18, 2012 Time to take another break to celebrate the Lord's glory . If your day's been hectic, take a deep breath and smile... According to a NY Times article ( subscription required ) "To Birds, Storm Survival Is Only Natural" : “..scientists said, powerful new satellite tracking studies of birds on the wing — including one that coincided with the height of Hurricane Sandy’s fury — reveal birds as the supreme masters of extreme weather management, able to skirt deftly around gale-force winds, correct course after being blown horribly astray, or even use a hurricane as a kind of slingshot to propel themselves forward at hyperspeed. "In August 2011, the researchers marveled at the derring-do of a whimbrel named Hope as it encountered Tropical Storm Gert off the coast of Nova Scotia, diving straight into the tempest at 7 miles per hour and emerging from the other side at a pace of 90 m.p.h. Not long after, the scientists cheered as four other whimbrels suc...

November 14, 2012 In these times of Deepavali, when the talk everywhere is the "victory of good over evil", the logical question is, "Who is good?" In 4-8, when Śrī Kṛṣṇa says, He takes birth "to protect, the good..." परित्राणाय साधूनां ४-८ (paritraaNaaya saadhuunaa.n 4-8), whom is He referring to? The perfect answer is provided by Pujya Guruji Swami Tejomayanandaji in the e-Gita lesson course conducted by the Chinmaya International Foundation . One who follows the right ways, who wishes good for even those who harm him (apakāryeṣu yaḥ sādhu sa sādhu abhidhīyate - अपकार्येषु य: साधु स साधु अभिधीयते), who sticks to the path of good despite temptation and troubles (nyāyāt pathāt na vicalanti dhīrāḥ - न्यायात् पथात् न विचलन्ति धीरा:), and who continuously works for the good of others (parakāryaṁ sādhnoti iti sādhuḥ - पाराकार्यं साध्नोति इति साधुः) is good. Now, I just need to be a "good boy" and get going towards completing the course that I s...

November 13, 2012 In 13-28, Śrī Kṛṣṇa says: समं सर्वेषु भूतेषु तिष्ठन्तं परमेश्वरम् | विनश्यत्स्वविनश्यन्तं यः पश्यति स पश्यति..13-28.. samaM sarveshhu bhuuteshhu tishhThantaM parameshvaram.h . vinashyatsvavinashyanta.n yaH pashyati sa pashyati .. 13-28.. He indeed sees, who sees the Supreme Lord existing equally in all beings, the imperishable in the perishing (world). Hari Om and Namaskaar until the next post The picture shown is from sacred space created within the exhibition dedicated to Param Pujya Swami Chinmayanandaji at Chinmaya Vibhooti

November 7, 2012 Meet the first Hindu elected to the US Congress. Ms. Tulsi Gabbard, Democrat , trounced her opponent, Kawika Crowley by a margin of 4:1 in the election in Hawaii's 2nd Congressional district. According to a Religion News Service dispatch by Omar Sacirbeyl published in the Washington Post , Ms Tulsi Gabbard's favorite verses in the Bhagavad Geeta are: — “That which pervades the entire body you should know to be indestructible. No one is able to destroy that imperishable soul.” (2:17) — “The soul can never be cut into pieces by any weapon, nor can he be burned by fire, nor moistened by water, nor withered by the wind.”(2.23) Her faith, Gabbard said, helped her through Iraq, where there were daily reminders that she could be killed any time. “First thing in the morning and the last thing at night, I meditated upon the fact that my essence was spirit, not matter, that I was not my physical body, and that I didn’t need to worry about death because I knew that I woul...

November 4, 2012 I first read this beautiful poem of Swami Vivekananda in the moving biography of his by Swami Nikhilananda of the Ramakrishna Mission. Hinduism Today in an article in August 1999, called the song "a compelling reminder of the supreme spiritual path." I came across this again recently and cannot resist posting this here.  THE SONG OF THE SANNYĀSIN Wake up the note! the song that had its birth Far off, where worldly taint could never reach, In mountain caves and glades of forest deep, Whose calm no sigh for lust or wealth or fame Could ever dare to break; where rolled the stream Of knowledge, truth, and bliss that follows both. Sing high that note, sannyāsin bold! Say, "Om Tat Sat, Om!" Strike off thy fetters! bonds that bind thee down, Of shining gold, or darker, baser ore-- Love, hate; good, bad; and all the dual throng. Know slave is slave, caressed or whipped, not free; For fetters, though of gold, are not less strong to bind. Then off with them...

October 28, 2012 Pujya Swami Swaroopanandaji kicked off a very interesting series of talks in Singapore. Titled, " 14 Spiritual Laws of Success ", the talks started on Friday October 25 at the RELC Auditorium in Singapore. The talks go through till October 30th. The first two laws directly relate to Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Geeta. They succinctly encapsulate Śrī Kṛṣṇa's teaching in verses 2-11 to 2-28. The first law according to Swamiji is the Law of Eternity. The Self is Eternal, undying. Swamiji quoted Geeta 2-20: न जायते म्रियते वा कदाचिन् नायं भूत्वा भविता वा न भूयः | अजो नित्यः शाश्वतोऽयं पुराणो न हन्यते हन्यमाने शरीरे ||२-२०|| na jaayate mriyate vaa kadaachin.h naayaM bhuutvaa bhavitaa vaa na bhuuyaH . ajo nityaH shaashvato.ayaM puraaNo na hanyate hanyamaane shariire .. 2-20.. He is not born, nor does He ever die; after having been, He again ceases not to be; Unborn, Eternal, Changeless and Ancient, He is not killed when the body is killed. According to Swamiji, t...

October 26, 2012 The song "Sansaar se Bhaage Phirte Ho" from the movie Chitralekha (1964) has many overtones of Arjuna's predicament at the start of the Bhagavad Geeta. I say this even though it is clear that this song is sung by a courtesan, Meena Kumar. She addresses this to a Yogi (Ashok Kumar) who, even while he desires Meena Kumari, struggles to reject her. Sahir Ludhianvi's lyrics are soulful and on reflection reveal very subtle layers of meaning. For the lyrics, click here. Some of the standout lines are: इस लोग को भी अपना ना सके उस लोक में भी पछताओगे सन्सार से भागे फिरते हो... is log ko bhii apanaa naa sake us lok me.n bhii pachhataa_oge sansaar se bhaage phirate ho (When) you can't accept the challenges of this world / the other will be filled only with regrets / You who run away from this world. ये भोग भी एक तपस्या है तुम त्याग के मारे क्या जानो अपमान रचेता का होगा रचना को अगर ठुकराओगे सन्सार से भागे फिरते हो ye bhog bhii ek tapasyaa hai tum tyaag ke m...