Surya Yoga the scientific way

Life energy or prana start dysfunctioning when our body, mind and spirit loose their balance by moving away from nature, which is the core of our existence. Nature, has the solution for all our maladies. So, next time you feel disillusioned or distressed inhale the fragrance of a flower, admire the delicate designs on the wings of butterflies, enjoy the raindrops falling on your head, listen to the chirping of the birds, let the breeze caress you, moonlight soothe your nerves. And of course do Suryayog for good health, peace and Ananda.

Suryaji

A silver coin is placed on the forehead, on the third eye region between the eye brows, while doing suryayog.

The reason for doing so is very scientific. According to photoelectric theory of famous scientist Einstein, when light strikes a metal, it explodes into a chain reaction, producing waves of light and energy. Light is composed of tiny sub-atomic particles similar to a stream of bullets. Each bullet is a photon. Einstein said photoelectric effect starts as soon as photon hits a metal. Every time a photon hits an electron in a metal it knocks out its atom, emitting lots of energy. Fantastic amount of small energies are sent into our body by this process. The created photons, being organic, decide for themselves where to go into our bodies like the areas of disease and pump and balance energy there.

When we do Suryayog, we take in cosmic light of the sun through the silver coin, the high frequency light energy, spread from ajna chakra or pineal gland. This energy radiates through the body protecting all the organs and cells. Regular practice can make even diseased cells healthy again.

Doing Suryayog, within an hour of sunrise or before sunset has a scientific explanation. We in Suryayog take in high frequency light energy into our body through the coin. Each photon has a certain amount of energy, depending on its colour. In VIBGYOR of white light, violet is of high frequency and releases high energy when striking an electron. This is also one of the reasons why we wear white clothes since it absorbs maximum light. Whereas red is of low energy when striking an electron. By midday, the Sun gives out only red colour light, which is of low frequency, giving heat energy and not very helpful for the body.

The Light that flows through your system is Universal Energy. It is the light of the Universe. You give the Light of the Universe. You give the Light a form, by the way you feel, think, and behave. There are thought forms of light. Intentions shape light. Through guided meditation, we direct the light to various parts of our body to cure, and balance chakras for good health.

Soma Chakravertty

Pranic Healing for Body, Mind and Soul

In Pranic healing, we believe that we are all made of ‘prana’ or life-force that runs through our body, like water and sponge, and also envelopes it. The stronger and healthier our prana, the bigger, more spread out and more potent this energy field around us, also called the “energy body”.

One of the basic tools of pranic healing is the ability to feel and analyse this energy body. In a process called ‘ scanning ’, a healer’s hands, made sensitive by experience and concentration, can make out which areas of the body and mind are lacking in energy and so, fairing poorly.

Pranic healing is accomplished through very simple procedures which are easy to learn. The first process is ‘cleansing’ - to remove the devitalized, diseased energy in the whole body or in the affected part, and to remove blockages in the energy channels. The second process is ‘energizing’ - to replenish and reinvigorate the body with fresh prana or vital energy.

Pranic healing uses “no drugs or gadgets”. It is non-invasive and requires “no physical contact” with the patient. Physical touch in not required while healing, because the practitioner applies pranic healing on the energy body, rather than on the physical body. It has no side effects. However, it must be emphasized that Pranic Healing is not meant to replace the allopathic system of medicine, but in fact to complement and supplement it. It can be effectively combined with any other form of treatment. It can be used for self healing and healing other people even thousand miles away.

There is a lot more to Pranic Healing than just healing part. It not only makes you aware of the aura around the human body - the 'chakras' (energy centers) and their effects on our health, but also teaches us how to feel or scan the aura and determine which parts of the chakras may be affected. By learning about energy, we become more conscious about its ubiquitous presence, be it in people, buildings or even objects. Just by recognizing the existence of energy, we learn the possibilities of the healing process and bring in harmony and productivity to every aspect of our lives. Pranic Healers
around the world have started using Pranic Healing for their businesses, homes, relationships, projects and studies with fantastic results.
by MCKS Yoga Vidya Pranic Healing Karuna Wellness Centre

Logic of letting go

When we are children, and someone tells us to 'let go,' it is usually in reference to something material, and when we let go, we can either feel empty, as if we are being deprived of something, or we can feel full, knowing that we have allowed someone to have that something, and s/he must really need it.

As adults, letting go can still leave us feeling empty or full. Both feelings may occur simultaneously. Ultimately, letting go will allow us to feel free, unburdened, healed, happy, even joyous. I intend to address how we can reach these ultimate feelings. The concept of letting go is very complex. For the sake of this discussion, i will divide the various aspects of letting go into three categories: 1) physical, 2) psychological, and 3) spiritual.

When i discuss the physical realm, i am talking about anything tangible, whether it is our bodies or our environment. Our environment can often be cluttered, so purging of much of this stuff can be truly liberating. Our bodies may not please us, so we can choose to let go of extra weight. We can choose to let go of bad habits and addictions. We can choose to free ourselves of the indiscriminate materialism and consumerism that requires constantly acquiring more and more of anything.

Moving from the physical to the psychological, we move to the why of those items that we could let go of physically. For example, why do we have all of the stuff that needs to be purged? What has caused the rampant materialism that has allowed us to fill up our lives with objects and beings? I almost wrote 'inanimate,' but there are those who fill up their lives with pets and children and casual acquaintances rather than real relationships. All such acquisitional behaviour is symptomatic of a psychological need that longs to be filled, but which should be purged. The same is true of other unpleasant emotions, like anger, fear, jealousy/envy, even hate; when a psychological need exists, it causes these emotions to manifest in an attempt to satisfy that need. Guess what? The very same is true for any bad habits and addictions we want to let go of; while there may be a biochemical component to these, they also are indicative of some sort of need or self-perceived deficiency or pain that, in turn, is symptomatic of needing to spiritually let go.

Truthfully, one could argue that if one lets go and purges at the physical and psychological levels, spiritual level purges and progress will automatically follow. Instead of dealing with those two arguments, i am going to run to one common expression: Let Go; Let God. When we consider the spiritual level, by definition we are dealing with the Divine by whatever name we wish to call Him. Also, by definition, we are exiting the scientific arena that forms the foundation of most of my work, and moving into the realm of faith, which happens to form the foundation for the remainder of my work. Most spiritual advisors argue that happiness and joy are the natural state of our souls. Therefore, if these are not what we feel, what must be purged from the spiritual realm? Because every single major faith has reincarnation as one of its major tenets, and the purpose of reincarnation is for the spirit to achieve a higher state. Ridding ourselves of karma is the ultimate purge!

Now that we have seen the different levels of letting go and purging, how do we begin the process? Try beginning with just one small step in one aspect of your everyday life. Identify something that you don't need, and let go of it. Perhaps it will be your décor? Even though i embrace much of Mies van der Rohe's 'Less is More' philosophy, one does not have let go of an overall personal style that you might enjoy more in order to simplify and streamline your life. However, it may help to examine "Why" you have a particular décor, and whether it might merit letting go in order to have a more lifeenhancing physical environment. Mostly, this is about just getting rid of accumulated material items that aren't needed any more.

Think about the motivations you have for selecting a career, a hobby, a car, a house, even a spouse. Are those motivations from your own internal dreams and drive, or are there some external pressures? This is moving beyond the realm of everyday activity, and into the realm of special activity; these special events are most often psychological in nature.

Remember, though, that there are many ways to get an education, so temper all external pressures with your internal dream. Loosen the influence of external pressures, learn what your choices are, listen to your own internal dream, and then let go of what isn't part of that internal dream. Now that you have identified your internal dream, what is holding you back from achieving your greatness? Money? Fear? Inhibitions? Overwhelming anger? Frustration? Laziness? Whatever it is, you must start to let go of what is holding you back. For instance, i have a beautiful relative who is very intelligent and artistically talented; she once told me that her dream was to write children's books. When i asked her why she didn't 'just do it,' she said she was afraid of failing. I urged her to let go of her fear of failure, but that fear had its hooks in too deep.

Once you start letting go of what you don't need, and loving all, you will have fewer blocks in your spiritual Path! As you begin to 'Let go,' you automatically begin 'Letting In.' Both are processes, so please don't expect overnight success. Start small, and change will occur incrementally. Let go of the need for perfection and the physical, psychological and spiritual baggage that embodies. Let in the goal of self-improvement throughout your life. Let in Love. We are all works in progress. Make a pact with yourself to show just a little more love every day. Let in the Divine.
by Bret S Beall

What do you do when you do?

Psychologists say that a person living in western countries never sleeps for more than 14 minutes at a stretch - more often it is less. After 14 minutes he comes back to the dream state or wakeful consciousness or just floats in the dream level. Again he goes back to sleep for a maximum of 14 minutes. Then he comes back to the dream level. Again he goes back to sleep. They call this the rapid eye movement or REM sleep pattern.

You never sleep totally even when you sleep. There are levels of mind in which you will never have dreams. You never need to have any dreams. You can directly enter into deep sleep, if you know how to live in the now, the present moment.
If you know how to live in now, you will know the art of eating, the art of sleeping, and the art of doing everything. That is the art of living.

Can you try to remember one incident from your day in complete detail? You are more dead than alive even when you are awake. You almost live like a man in half sleep. You do things without fully knowing what you do. You do recall brushing your teeth; but do you remember the sensation of cold water in your mouth? Do you remember the feel of the taste of the toothpaste in your mouth or the pressure of your toothbrush upon your gums? And how did you feel after brushing? Or how was the water being poured on your body in the shower? How did the whole thing happen? What is happening after you have eaten your food? Look at your life; look at your face; you are all almost bored. Somehow you are pulling along. Life is just a drag. Why? Because, all you do, all that you know to do for everything is how to postpone. Your mind never sits with your being. Your mind never lives in the same moment that you are in. You are always in the space of tomorrow or in the space of yesterday. It is never in the space of today, now, the present.

Live in the present. This is the secret art of living.

PARAMAHAMSA SRI NITHYANANDA

OM JAI GURUDEV

"Jagat bhog jo hain nishpaapaa, so sab dein turvavein aapa.
Jog bhog sang sang karwavein, dou bairin ko jod milavein
udyam, pesha, kuchh na chhudvein, rakhi jagat mein bhakti
dridaavein.
Raag beech bairaag karaavein, Parmaarath anuraag badaavein".

To simplify:

This is the ultimate word about Grihasth Satsangis that Satguru conveys: Live in this world whilst remaining detached from it break away from the vain self. Satguru helps one to do so. He enables one to free oneself of what may seem as contradiction in this. He does not make one give up either business or profession. He enables one to achieve firmness towards devotion whilst being a part of this world. Within the melee of the world, he teaches asceticism subsequently the sadhak's devotion to parmarth increases day by day

Thiru Alangudi-To Dispel The Darkness

The etymology of the Sanskrit word 'Guru' in Hinduism is very interesting। Of the word 'Guru', 'gu' stands for 'darkness' and 'ru' for 'dispeller' thus arriving at the meaning as the dispeller of darkness.Guru is the one who leads one from illusion to illumination by imparting the knowledge of the absolute reality. He is the helmsman who aids in ferrying across the ocean of worldly maladies safely securing one in His blissful benediction of self realization. The worship of 'Guru' facilitates in attaining the material goals to deliver one from the delusion of desires and to lead one to the path of spirituality. The word 'Guru' is a general term and Dakshinamurthy, a form of Shiva in the Hindu tradition of 'Saivam' is worshipped as Guru.

The Legend
Thiru Alangudi, the popular shrine for the worship of Guru or Dashinamurthy in Tamil Nadu lies 17km from the temple city of Kumbakonam. The presiding deity of the shrine is Lord Shiva bearing the name of Aaabathsagaayeswara or Aranyeswara. Goddess Parvati here is worshipped as Umai Ammai or Elavarkuzali. Once when the Devas and the Asuras in a combined effort tried to churn the celestial ocean, 'Parkadal'. They used the the celestial snake 'Vasuki' as the rope and the mount 'Mandara' as the rod to procure the celestial elixir. The snake emanated deadly poison which the Lord swallowed to safeguard the universe। Hence Lord Shiva is fondly hailed as 'Aaabathsagayeswara', meaning 'saviour' for having consumed the poison (Aalaala Visham) and the place came to be known as 'Alangudi'।

An interesting episode in the life of Sundaramurthy Nayanar also marks the significance for addressing the Lord as 'Aaabathsagaayeswara'। It is said that the Lord extended His grace in saving the life of Sundramurthy Nayanar who tried to ferry across the river Vettaru which was in spate while opting to reach Alangudi to worship the lord at the cost of his life. Sundaramurthy Nayanar then received spiritual initiation by Lord Shiva in the form of Dakshinamurthy or Guru in this shrine.
"It is believed that one who has acquired the blessings for fourteen generations could step into this temple for worship"

Alangudi is also known as 'Thirumana Mangalam' as Goddess Parvati after an arduous penance sought the hand of the Lord in marriage in Alangudi। Kasi Aranyam and Thiru Erumpoolai are the other names of Alangudi. Another significance of the temple is attributed to Lord Ganesha, who is worshipped as 'Kalangaamal kaatha Vinayagar' ( the Lord who was steadfast in saving the devotees) for having slain the vicious 'Gajamuhasura' who was a great threat to the Devas.Apar, Sundarar and Thirugnanasambandhar, the three important Nayanmars have sung the praise of the Lord of Alangudi. There fifteen 'theerthams'(wate bodies) around the temple of which 'Amritha Pushkarini' is the noted one. Poolai is the sthala viruksham( the tree associated with the temple )

Significance Of 'Guru' Worship In AlangudiIt is believed that one who has acquired the blessings for fourteen generations could step into this temple for worship. Alangudi is the most popular 'Parihara Sthalam' ( Temple for rectification ) for appeasing Guru Bhagavan for malefic effects of the planet Guru or Jupiter and other Jupiter related issues in one's horoscope. The worship of Dakshinamurthy in this shrine would confer longevity, progeny, fame and wealth on the worshipper. The story of the redemption of a king, Musukuntha Chakravarthi from his sins for beheading his minister Amuthokar, a devotee of Lord Shiva is the standing example of the mercy of the Lord towards the sinners. Musukuntha Charavarthy is believed to have worshipped 'Dakshinamurthy' in Alangudi for his redemption. It is also believed that Amuthokar was the one who had constructed the temple in Alangudi.Method Of WorshipThe worshipper is instructed to light 24 lamps with ghee and circumambulate the temple 24 times.Worship of the Lord during Gurupeyarchi ( Transit of the planet 'Guru' every year ) and festivals associated with Gurupeyarchi, worship on Thursdays, 1008 Conch Abisheka festival, Chitra Poornima and the Car festival are the important events celebrated with the view to gain the blessings of Dakshinamurthy.Hence let us incur the blessings of the Lord Of Alangudi for the fulfillment of our lives.

The three Devis and creative energy

Durga is one version of the all-pervading Shakti, the powerful manifestation of the Supreme Energy. The eternity of this supreme manifestation of divine female power is considered to be pervading infinite space and time. The everlasting and all-pervading Shakti also presides over the processes of creation, conservation and annihilation. Concepts of creation, preservation and annihilation are crucial as "many-body" operators in physics. Almost all physical systems are many-body systems. The smallest many-body entity is a physical system with only two constituents. Atoms, atomic nuclei, molecules, solids, liquids, gases and the universe constitute important physical many-body systems. We, too, live in many-body systems that include family, our society and the world. However, these are not studied as physical systems, although some enthusiastic students of the subject do show some interest in them. Maha Shakti or Supreme Energy is manifested chiefly in three forms: Maha Saraswati, Maha Lakshmi and Maha Kali. The three devis represent three important facets of life: Creation, conservation and annihilation. Learning and wisdom play a far more important role than details of one's birth. Maha Saraswati stands for creation. The creative person who pursues knowledge and wisdom continues to live with the grace of Maha Lakshmi, who is responsible for the sustenance of life. Maha Lakshmi bestows her grace and bounty. Finally, Maha Kali, responsible for annihilation, completes the cycle. Physical energy has several forms. There are transformations among the different forms of energy. In the process, however, the indestructibility of the energy, and consequently matter, is not affected. The stability and functionality of different forms of energy and matter depend on the distribution of these in the atom, which is the source of all forms of energy and matter, the complete knowledge of which still remains elusive. This is also true with regard to the Universe. In spite of several propositions and expositions about the universe and its finiteness or infiniteness, the subject is still mysterious. This fact emphasises the boundless or infinite limits of knowledge. We are not bound by finite dimensions. We live free, and we are surrounded by infinite space, time and knowledge. It's all there, we only need to reflect on the metaphysics of it. Science is normally handled within only space time dimensions. With knowledge included, it becomes philosophy or metaphysics. Research in science is increasingly also revealing to us the infinite nature of knowledge: the more we know, the more there is to know and so on. What we might refer to as super-space is spanned by space, time and knowledge, all having both real and imaginary components; the imaginary components are the reciprocal or momentum space, frequency and ignorance respectively. That we are in this situation is not our doing. In this context, the concept of a Supreme Power is important. Philosophy and science have a common characteristic. Both are born of doubt and also evolve with creation of more doubts. Understanding the correlation between the seemingly contrasting aspects of science and philosophy is important in enabling further exploration of the mysteries and nature of space, time and knowledge.

G S TRIPATHI

Religion, rationality & development

The 'Ram sethu' controversy was highly avoidable. An issue, which should have been a simple one of a conflict between environment and economic development somehow got converted into one of religion versus development. Even more alarming, the central issue became one of the existence of a Hindu god! The government must be faulted for allowing such a strange turn of events especially as the last issue is still with the courts and (rightly so) unlikely to be resolved in my lifetime at least. Though the government did the right damage control, it is useful to consider some of the questions which were thrown up. Are religious beliefs rational? Is the "scientific" Sethusamudram project crucial for development? What happens if the two are in conflict? Let us look at these in turn. There is now a wealth of material on how to "objectivise" religion (The Probability of God - Stephen Unwin, Crown Forum, NY, 2003). The main theme seems to be the old one of science versus religion. Thus, can science explain all events? In particular, can science explain many of the "knife edge" observations on real life experiences? For example, why is water the only liquid whose density does not fall continuously as temperature increases? (If it did all sea life would cease to exist). There are many other "knife edge" problems. The answer seems to be not that science cannot explain such phenomena but that at this point we "do not know". Herein lies the clue to why faith in religion transcends all social, economic and geographical barriers. Economics defines "individual rationality" as the attempt to reach the highest level of satisfaction given existing knowledge. So, for an individual for whom life is coming crashing down around him (for example, due to poverty or a terminal illness) belief in something he cannot explain (and which will somehow get him through the crisis) may be an extremely "rational" calculus. In fact, given the imperfect world we live in, this "blind faith" may be crucial to social order. This is really the sense in which John Lennon sings the line paraphrased at the beginning of this article. As he implied, an individual may not have all the trappings of a religion and yet have faith in the unknown. Mr Karunanidhi's attempt to trivialise the "existence of Ram" debate was obviously an attempt to cater to the "Periyar lobby". But it raises the issue of what happens when faith and development conflict. But can we seriously "rationalise" something which is a matter of individual faith? Consider the two crucial events in the Christian calendar: Christmas and Easter. The first celebrates the birth of Christ: a perfectly rational scientific event. Yet the Christian faith itself is based on the second of the two events which symbolises the "resurrection" of Christ. We all know that India is a country with an excessive number of holidays. Can one then rationally argue that while Christmas is an understandable holiday, "good Friday" should be dropped since it derives its importance from the resurrection of Easter Sunday? This is a valid question when posed as a scientific query (how can the dead come to life?) but a foolish one when applied to the touchstone of faith in a religion. The reader can come up with any number of such arguments which can be advanced (a la Mr Karunanidhi) in the context of other religions and faiths. Yet, the celebration which a holiday symbolises is based on acceptance of the faith rather than the scientific validity of an associated event. And faith, as one has argued, is perfectly rational. How crucial is the Sethusamudram project? The main argument seems to be the time saving for ships which will no longer have to go around Sri Lanka in moving from the east coast to the west. While the ecological problems are still not clearly defined, the economic gains of the canal are not likely to be high. A look at maritime statistics indicates that shipping costs are now such a small part of the final price of most products that tariff barriers between countries (and within countries) are a greater deterrence to trade. The one month time saving is thus not likely to translate into substantial price advantages. The bottom line? If economic development is the objective then it is wisest to pose trade offs that we are familiar with: is the canal cost-effective and what are the environmental concerns? Yet, politicians seem to pitch the issue as one of 'scientific' rationality versus faith. This is a dangerous trend as faith is non-negotiable and the only casualty would be much needed development. Let us stay off what we only imperfectly comprehend. ( The author is professor, Centre for International Trade and Development, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University )

Why should nature be more natural?

Henry David Thoreau, the 19th century American transcendentalist famously embarked on a two-year course in simple living when he moved to a small self-built cabin in a forest. Thoreau regarded this sojourn as a noble experiment with a threefold purpose. First, he was escaping the de-humanising effects of the Industrial Revolution by returning to an earlier, agrarian lifestyle. Second, he had more leisure and recreational time. Third, and most important, he was putting into practice the transcendentalist belief that one can best transcend normality and experience the Ideal, or the Divine, through nature. It's hardly surprising therefore that Thoreau quickly became an icon for everybody who wanted "to get in touch" or "commune with nature." But what is it about nature that makes it more "natural" than, say, a city? If by nature we mean the material world along with the forces and processes that produce and control all its phenomenon - the laws of nature as it were - then surely a city also qualifies since it doesn't fall outside any of these laws. If by nature we mean just the world of living things, then too cities qualify. No, it's actually a third definition of nature - namely, a primitive state of existence, untouched and uninfluenced by civilisation - that people like to apply when they mean nature to be somehow qualitatively "better" than a city. Unfortunately, this definition comes into being only because civilisation has come into being. Otherwise, there's absolutely nothing primitive about it. Or, if there is, then every cave dwelling ancestor of ours would have to be transcending normality and experiencing the Ideal, or the Divine, all the time. So would those diminishing pockets of humanity which have largely remained cut off from civilisation and even today live in Stone Age conditions. Humans make cities like corals make reefs. For their purpose, neither is more - or less - elegant or functional than the other. The amazingly intricate arbour the bower bird makes to attract a mate is not greater or smaller in creative architecture than the extraordinary complex circuitry built inside a microprocessor. Therefore, why should any Ideal or Divine choose to be rapped with, only in the ambience of one set of artefacts and not the other? Especially if it created both in the first place? Or is it simply we who wield the knife of discrimination and do the choosing on absolutely arbitrary grounds? How humanising is that?

For a healthy mind & body

According to ayurveda and yoga, both mind and the body are made up of five elements, the Panchabhutas of earth (prithvi), water (jal), fire (agni or tej), air (vayu) and ether or space (akash). While the body is made up of the heavier elements of earth and water (the kapha type), it functions through the lighter elements of fire (pitta or fire type) and air (vata or vital energy type). The pitta, fire or heat of the body controls all digestive processes and the vata, air or vital energy lends its spark to the nervous system. The mind, one of subtlest parts of our being is composed of air and ether, the lightest elements. In substance our minds resemble ether formless and all pervading and in motion, it resembles air-penetrating, constantly in flux. Just as the right type of food and right amount of food is necessary for a healthy digestive system, the right type of thoughts and the right amount of thoughts are essential for a healthy mind. Therefore, the simple formula for a healthy mind is allowing only positive thoughts to come, having just enough thoughts in the mind, and finally, being without any thoughts for at least some time, that is, meditating. Meditation is not only extremely conducive to mental well being and peace; it is also the first step towards self transformation and spirituality. Posture: Sit erect in a comfortable position preferably on the floor. The important factor is keeping the spine absolutely straight. Environment: Sit in a well ventilated place that is quiet and receives natural light. Set up a meditating room with soothing music and aroma in order to infuse the atmosphere with spiritual energy. Time: Meditate at the same time daily, twice a day for best results. Beginners are recommended to meditate for about half an hour daily. Attitude & Technique: Be a receptive observer while meditating. Try to observe the mind, the breath or the immediate physical environment without thinking anything in particular, watching the mind slowly empty itself out.

Mercy, forgiveness, freedom from fire

Ramadan is a month whose beginning is Mercy, whose middle is Forgiveness and whose end is freedom from fire, according to Hadith of the Prophet. Ponder on the inherent logical sequence... We cannot be exempt from fire without first being forgiven. And to be forgiven, we must be graced by Allah's mercy. The theme of the first 10 days is mercy of Allah. Can we expect to receive mercy if we only deprive our bodies of food and drink? Of course not. Because Ramadan is meant for spiritual development through fasting. Physiologically, by fasting, the body eliminates toxins efficiently and the mind becomes clear for "power thinking" so that one may ponder on the meaning of the Qur'an, Hadith and the necessity of Zhikr. One must also do some selfanalysis to monitor and correct one's behaviour if necessary. With meditation the mind becomes quiet and so should our tongues. Allah is looking for a sincere commitment from us... Ramadan does not end at every iftar. It ends only on sighting the hilal of Shawwal. So hard spiritual work must carry on for the whole of the month. One must plead for mercy and sincerely try to receive it because without it, we are stuck at stage one and our prospects of "freedom from fire" will be bleak. Therefore, stage one is for sincere confession to Allah that we are weak and sinful and that we desperately need His mercy. We have only about 10 days to qualify to stage two. The next 10 days of Ramadan are about forgiveness. We must now beg for Allah's forgiveness because we have broken so many of His rules and covenants and disobeyed His commands during the year, knowingly and unknowingly. We must say istighfaar day and night and ask in every sajda for forgiveness. We must be afraid that if Allah does not forgive, we will surely be losers. Here again, Allah will be assessing the degree of sincerity in our repentance. He looks not for lip service but for soul service. We must also be forgiving to other people's mistakes and tempers. The last 10 days of Ramadan are about freedom from fire. Instead of just focusing on Laylat Al-Qadar - the night of power - one should intensify supplications for the remaining period of Ramadan. If possible and affordable then do go for Umrah... it will be probably the most spiritually fulfilling experience you will have, aside from Hajj. And Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to having done a Hajj with our Rasool. At the completion of the last fast, be optimistically hopeful that you will be alive to give similar pious worship during the forthcoming Ramadans. And if you remain guided in your life then you'll be admitted to Paradise, insha'Allah, by the Ryan gate of Paradise! The month after Ramadan is Shawwal. Those who fast just six days of this month get the reward of fasting the whole year. So if one has missed fasting for 12 years of his life, just six days of Shawwal fasting gives one an opportunity to make up for our past deficiency of fasting days. "Your good deeds are accepted during Ramadan. So are your invocations. You must invoke your Lord in right earnest with hearts that are free from sin and evil. That Allah may bless you, observe fast and recite the Holy Qur'an". "Anyone who may cultivate good manners in this month will walk over the bridge in qiyamat though his feet may be shaking".

Lord Ganesha

Universal appeal of the legend of Ram

Hey Ram! With these last words, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi breathed his last। What would he have thought of the current controversy over the historicity or otherwise of Ram, the epic hero? It would be interesting to ask: What is the historicity of the wind or cosmos? Behind visual reality, there exists something one can call supernature. Beyond history, there is the realm of metahistory. How can man with his arrested sensibility, give expression to eternal life or eternity, in a language which is itself man-made? When we do not have a recorded or authentic history of language how shall we be able to understand the word 'history' used in language? The word Ram means causing rest, charming, loving and delightful. Gandhi knew from the core of his heart that Ram is the hidden centre of all apparent reality. It is the unchanging reality, underlying a shifting reality. Ram is part of metahistory. Ram possesses highest power but never reveals himself as a possessor of power. People with inferior power exhibit their power in mindless activity and vanish like a bubble. Much of Bapu's philosophy was based on the substance of Indian thought. He did tend to believe in avatars or incarnations and believed in the saving power of the name 'Ram' in salvation through Lord Krishna. For Gandhi, the legend of Ram is so deeply embedded in the Indian way of life that it is difficult to think of India and Indian culture without any mention of his name. The metahistory of Ram has inspired many poets and artists to depict his character with all its glory and transcendental splendour. After having understood the superficiality of so-called history Oswald Spengler had said in his book, The Decline of the West, that history should be the business of a poet. The first such epic is the Ramayana, composed by Sanskrit poet Valmiki who is believed to be a contemporary of Ram. The whole of the Ramayana consists of 24,000 stanzas or 96,000 lines. It is a great work of art with many dramatic passages. Apart from the Ramayana other important epics of Sanskrit literature which characterise the life of Ram are Raghvansh by Kalidas and Uttar Ramcharit by Bhavbhuti. Ram gained immense popularity through the writings of Tulsidas, too, who depicted Ram's character with such devotion and sincerity that Ram became the inseparable part of the collective unconscious of the people. Abhinand, Kshemendra Jaidev, Pravassen, Kritivas Kambhan and at least 40 other poets have eulogised the greatness of the legendary Ram through their writings. So it is not difficult for any one of us to utter the name of Ram consciously or unconsciously as Gandhi did. Although Gandhi was acquainted with the basic tenets of all religions, he was deeply moved by Christ's Sermon on the Mount. Gandhi's passion for sustainable living and development was inspired by eternal and universal principles of faith in the oneness of religion and humanity. Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolence, truth and simple living was derived from a belief in the power of the very same principles epitomised by Maryada Purushottam Ram - the ideal personality - immortalised in the legend's story, the Ramayana, narrated in as many languages, forms and cultures as its plural versions.

Kailash Vajpeyi

Recreating ourselves

To create is to bring into being or existence। And to create something new, we have to die to what is. Something has to die for something new to emerge, and our soul is constantly taking quantum leaps of creativity. What is a quantum leap? It's when a subatomic particle moves from here to there without going through the space in-between. So it's here, then it's there. In between where was it? Nowhere. How did it get from here to there? Don't know. And it got from here to there instantly. There was not time for it to get from here to there. That's a quantum leap. Every death is an opportunity for a quantum leap of creativity. Through death, we recreate ourselves at every level: the material level of the body-mind, the intellect, the personality. All of these have to die in order to recreate ourselves. With every death we store the wisdom of our experiences since the beginning of time and take quantum leaps of creativity so that we can look at ourselves again as if for the first time. Cycles of birth, transformation and death keep us ever fresh so that we can imagine new realms for our existence. In biology there's a term called apoptosis, which means programmed cellular death. In the absence of apoptosis, cells forget to die and this condition is called cancer. Cancer cells don't know how to die and in their quest for immortality, they kill the host body upon which they are dependent for their life. Death, therefore, is the ticket to life and it is happening right now in our body-mind. Where is our two year-old body? It's dead. The body, thoughts, emotions and the personality of the two-year-old are dead. We traded all these in for the three-year-old by dying to the two-year-old. Birth and death are happening all the time at all these levels.

Deepak Chopra

Surrender to God

Total surrender to the Almighty is the highest form of bhakti। It stands for accepting every situation as a gift or prasad from God. It means living every moment to perfection by using all your mental, physical and spiritual potential to the maximum. Spirituality means doing things in the right spirit and with complete faith. No situation is frivolous or insignificant because it always contains a hidden message. There are no flaws in the Divine's design, this is what we all must be aware of just like one dev-doot, or angel, did when he was banished from the heaven to lead a life as a cobbler to make him realize the consequence of questioning the wisdom of the Almighty. This angel had become so evolved spiritually that he was just one step away from becoming one with the Supreme. Pointing to a young woman on Earth, God asked him to take away her soul as it was time for her to die. When the angel reached the woman's house, he witnessed a heart-rending scene. Dressed in rags, the woman was cradling a three-month-old baby in her arms and was trying to pacify her two other children, aged two and four, who were crying with hunger. All looked malnourished and pale. There was not a morsel in the house. The woman had lost her husband, their sole breadwinner, a few months ago. With three little children to take care, she was unable to make ends meet. Now she was running high fever and was wondering what was to become of her and her children. The sight of the poor family living in such trying circumstances brought tears to the angel's eyes. He could not be so unkind and deprive the helpless kids of their only living parent! His compassion and benevolence got the better of him so he decided to return to the Heaven empty handed. His disobedience earned him the Almighty's displeasure. Since every act of the divine is guided by divine love and benevolence, God decided to make him realize his folly of interfering with the Supreme Law or design by banishing him to Earth for a lifetime as a cobbler. The only way he could return and be with the Almighty once again was by laughing at his plight three times. Thus the angel was born on Earth into a family of cobblers. He grew up beating smelly hides into smooth leather to make footwear. One day as he sat making footwear, the irony of it all dawned on him and he laughed at his situation -- once a Dev-dhoot, God's chosen one, was now on Earth working with animal skins, making footwear for mortals. Any way, instead of whining, the Dev-dhoot accepted his situation and continued leading his life in total surrender to the Almighty, giving his whole being to what ever work that came in front of him, whether it was beating leather into shape or making footwear. Soon he became so good at his work that his masters and customers started praising his work. And one day he was asked to make shoes for none other than the king himself! The angel put his mind, heart and soul into his work and before he could realize, he had created the most beautiful pair of chappals ever. But his masters were livid with him for being so careless, wasting raw material and time on a pair of chappals instead of the shoes that the king's men had ordered. Soon they arrived but much to everybody's surprise, the king's men asked for a pair of chappals instead of shoes. The king had just died and they wanted chappals to the fit the corpse before it could be cremated. It was a ritual in those days that the body of the king was adorned with chappals rather than shoes on his final journey. The dev-doot was speechless. Nothing seemed frivolous or meaningless in the Almighty's scheme of things, he thought and laughed to himself the second time. As days passed by, the angel became increasingly well known for his fabulous footwear. One day, a rich elderly lady escorting three pretty girls came to his shop to place a huge order for fancy footwear for the girls as they were all of marriageable age. When the angel asked her whether the girls were her daughters, the lady shook her head and replied that she was a rich businessman's wife but could never have any children. But one day her neighbours told her about three helpless orphans who had lost their parents. She felt the Almighty had answered her prayers and she adopted the three kids. The lady was in fact talking about the same children whose mother the Almighty had once ordered him to take away! Marveling at the Divine's design, the angel laughed to himself the third time. It was all about surrender and accepting every situation as a gift from God, to be lived through with all our potential. He had been banished to Earth in the first place because he had failed to do so, but later he got the opportunities to laugh his way out of this human life because of his surrender. His life's mission was now complete. He was ready to leave for his heavenly abode where the Almighty was waiting for him with open arms. He knew it well that now he would be with the Supreme forever. He had learnt the ultimate message meant for all humans on Earth that the only way to cut our Karma Cycle, the cause of birth and death, for total liberation and merging with the Supreme is to perform every given act, whether in thought, word or deed, as an offering to the Lord in total surrender, without doubting or questioning the purpose behind it. This is true realisation. This is the essence of life.

Meena Om