EPIC PERSPECTIVE - DEMONETISATION

Demonetisation– is not only the hot topic of discussion for an entire subcontinent but also a process demanding immediate responsive action.

From political opportunists to social reformists, from spiritual activists to economical analysts – everyone is either hustling to save their cash and/or debating fiercely against or for the move.

Was it the right decision?

The Epics Mahabharata and Ramayana never give a one sided perspective of any situation. They ordain that any decision has positives and negatives. Additionally, sometimes one is compelled to act despite the decision being positive or negative; there is no choice.

Why?

It is disruptive. For instance, Sri Krishna did not want the war, but the Kauravas impelled Sri Krishna to decide in favour of a war.

Did the war benefit the Pandavas?

They certainly knew the consequences were not black or white. It caused the death of Duryodhana, but it also took Abhimanyu’s life. Gandhari lost all of her sons, and Draupadi also lost her sons, brothers and father. Additionally, subsequent to the war, Pandava’s were acquainted to the fact that Karna was their older brother. 

The decision makers personally did not gain much profit. Yet, there was no other option than to destabilise the destabilisers. The malicious Kurus had stabilised the evil forces as if they were undefeatable. Reforming was only possible with immediate disruption, and what a disruption it was! It took many, many years to stabilise the country.

As an entire civilisation becomes habituated to living a life of avoiding, positive decisions, corruption piles up like an enormous mountain of garbage. Status quo can exist for some time; however, everyone knows that someone has to do something at one point. There is no other option than to create expansive discomfort for some time or even a long time. Moreover, destroying the bad is just one part of the progressive equation, but building the good is a greater challenge; that is the part which challenges our old die hard habits. Therefore, when we see something from the point of view of an old habit, any change appears to be unwarranted, illogical and unlimitedly inconvenient. It is vital to see any decision from the epic perspective, because they are ever fresh and relevant in their approach to life at all times; may it be dealing with demons, the divine or even demonetisation.

GITA’S PERSPECTIVE: SAGE WITHIN; KING WITHOUT

Today is Gita Jayanti, the day when Sri Krishna spoke to a painfully afflicted Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra.  The concepts that can be churned from the oceanic wisdom of the Gita are very much needed in our present world condition. Below are some essential principals we can derive from this divine conversation between the Lord and Arjuna.

Gita is about vyavaharasastra (how to live practically) with adhytama (spirituality) in that vyavahara (practicality).  Therefore, Sri Krishna does not condemn any work, including the work of a warrior who may be on the verge of a surgical strike. Terrorists know only how to kill, but warriors know how to save lives. As we have seen, armies are always deployed to rescue people from dangerous situations. A soldier experiences utility in destroying or building and saving or striking.

Gita teaches us to see divinity everywhere.  Arjuna was trying to find peace beyond war, because that is how he understood life.  However, he failed to recognize that war is a constant. There is always an unavoidable external war for dharmik governance, and similarly, an internal war of conflicting tribulations within oneself. Action engages one externally and thinking of God engages one internally.

Gita teaches us to renounce things internally (anasakti) rather than renouncing things in themselves (tyaga). Tyaga is superfluous and artificial, because we have the body, which is the greatest cause of attachment. Therefore, Sri Krishna teaches us that the body can cause bondage or it can be the medium to take us beyond bondage.  It is the tool for Karma yoga (divinity with action). 

Gita does not impose or oblige us to follow any dogma, rather it inspires with dynamic logical concepts to take responsibility of our own growth and progress.
Gita empowers us to become the master of our situations; the commander against fighting our limitations with the support and wisdom given by Guru and the blessings which constantly flow from within through the presence of Paramatma - who is the silent witness to our activities.  Paramatma does not fight for us, but He guides from within; just like Sri Krishna and Arjuna. Sri Krishna did not fight for him; however, He did observe the fighting and confer continuous guidance.

Gita is not a book of law; Gita is a seed bank of the most potential seeds of the external principals of life. Every individual according to who they are, have to take the right seeds and cultivate them.  Providing the seeds is Gita’s job and Krishna’s kindness. Yet, planting, growing and harvesting is the responsibility of the living entities.  While Gita’s principles are eternal and universal, the application is very personal and contextual. 

Gita teaches to be in complete harmony amongst all kinds of so called conflicts. In fact, Sri Krishna begins his teaching by making it very clear to Arjuna, that even He does not interfere into the affairs of the Material nature, but He could teach him to transcend the conflict rather than artificially escape the conflict.
Gita’s final opinion is declared via the mouth of a chariot driver, Sanjay. As Sanjay narrates the entire happenings of the battlefield to the blind king and most important stake holder of the war, Dhristarasthra, he says, “Wherever there is Sri Krishna (the visionary) and Arjuna (the doer), there is certainly victory, prosperity, morality, determination and peace.”

This is the Yoga of success; when Jiva cooperates with God to be eternally successful.  This is the real yoga of life.  Let us invite Sri Krishna to be driver of our thoughts and intelligence. And let us act based on that direction.  This is the best way to experience Gita.

Jai Gita Jayanti!

ACTION OR VISION?

 ACTION OR VISION?

"Action without vision is one tragedy and vision without action is second tragedy. Action without vision is destructive and vision without action is only day dreaming."
Human beings look for that miracle for success.  But life cannot be led expecting miracles. Life is about strategically preparing so that a miracle is experienced. Actions which are coupled with vision have greater chances of success than actions without a vision .
When the right strategy and lots of sacrifice makes a vision a reality of experience.
Vision is important but vision that is coupled with strategies for success and is created wisely has a greater chances of success.
When Yudhsthira envisioned having the great Rajasuya sacrifice it sounded amazing  but when Sri Krishna told him what it involved:  waging a war against those who opposed it, striking the powerful Jarasandha, Yudhsthira was not very encouraged and he told Sri Krishna that the yagya may not be good idea.
They are often heard saying " after all everything is temporary, why struggle for something which is flitting?" Or they think that since it's a great idea some how or other it will be successful. But millions of good ideas have gone  down the drain because either they were  not started, either they were given up in the middle or they had the wrong strategy of execution.
It was a journey of complete circle:  a vision,  a plan for action, executing the plan and adjusting according to the prevailing situation and then they experienced the results. The Rajasuya yagya was executed after lots of anxiety and sacrifice of resources and human life . Without  this magnitude of investment nothing  would have been reality. 

Haphazard actions with lots good wishes have failed and will fail because they lack the complete cycle.  Those who follow the complete cycle experience  satisfaction irrespective of whether they succeed or fail .

Sri Krishna gave the vision to Arjuna but to make it a reality Arjuna worked strategically.
People do want great realities but when they experience the realities  of execution, the challenges and  sacrifices involved in the  manifestation of their reality, they back out with escapist philosophical ideas.
Sri Krishna had a systematic plan for Yudhisthira's Rajasuya yagya.
In this world there are thousands of ideas and good intentions for progress, but unless we follow the eternal principle execution our plans and visions remain in the obscure domain. 

GITA AND GOD

God is one of "the" phenomena that is understood, but many times inappropriately.
God is misunderstood because of the  unrealistic expectations from him and the active denial of bitter experiences in life. Some do understand, but communicate hazily to the general mass.
Therefore God remains in ever green suspense! Even those who claim to know him are amused by the diverse understandings  that people have about Him(God).

Gita presents her unique understanding of God:  He is "Him" as the energetic but " she" as an energy. (Purusha and Prkriti). They are not at war with each other  for domination. One is the controller and the other is controlled. Controller because of His position and power. But as a sensitive person, He is controlled by His Energies. Love dominates the dominator.  Love,kindness, compassion, grace, magnanimity, refine-ness and benevolence are synonymous to his energy.
Energy is feminine, and the energetic is masculine.  He is Purusha but His substance is Shakti.  God without his energy is no God logically, practically and in reality.

Sri Krishna, fully displayed this concept in the Gita as a philosophical truth and as action in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

He displayed His  power, He proved His position, He logically explained Himself  as Ishwara. Thus He remains one without a second. The lord of all -- the manifested and the unmanifested cosmos.

As a loved person by His devotees.
He is amused at how devotee's love Him. He desires to reciprocate the same love, but to love one, one has to have love!  He becomes dominated by those who love him because of their power to love is much more than His ability to reciprocate( He repeatedly expresses this in the Srimad-Bhagavatam). His devotees become His energies and he is constantly defeated by them in loving sports: by the Gopis cowherd friends, mother Yashoda and Nanda Maharaja, etc. " Energy dominates the energetic,"

Similarly for general devotees and sensitive human beings, it is easy to experience and explain the power of God. Where is that power coming from and how the power, the powerful energy, the energetic, the loved, love, kindness,  the object of kindness, the beautiful, beauty, the source of beauty bhaktas Bhagavan and bhakti operate?

The Bhagavata and  the Gita teaches the "anyonya asraya," principle. Interdependence principle. Interdependence of Bhagavan and His energy; the spiritual and material are his energies.
Who is greater the energetic or energy, Radha or Krishna; Laxmi or Narayana; Sita or Rama?
It has an easy answer but no one will ever answer because not answering is the real answer which goes beyond the information and gives boundless experience of such a beautiful concept. This is the contribution of sanatana dharma.

THE TRIMURTI PRINCIPLE

The recent attack on army soldiers in Uri, and the retaliation by the Indian army soldiers helps us  to reflect on certain lessons to be understood from our great Epics. 

One of the main topic in the epics is   building a society and establishing governance. To make this happen, there is no other way other than following the "Trimurti principle."  
What is this " Trimurti principle?"
This is the principle of creative energy , maintenance energy and the destructive energy working in their stipulated time zone.
It is easy to understand creation and maintenance but it is difficult to assimilate how destruction is an important principle for governance.   Governance involves, some times  consciously destroying something which is causing obstruction, for eg:- dilapidated buildings where people reside in that condition, then for their safety the government brings bulldozers and brings the building down(after evacuation) so that a new building can eventually be made.
Similarly when a civilisation takes for granted the other civilisation's tolerant behaviour or a tolerant civilisation only focuses on positive building rather than punishing those who are miscreants the oppressors seldom change.
To change them they need to be evacuated from the unsuitable dwelling place( body).
This is exactly how the  Shiva tattvas  work.
This is the destructive aspect of the Trimurti principle.
Sri Krishna teaches us the lessons  of harmonising the three and using the destructive energy with great restraint and reluctance but never avoiding to destroy when there is a need.

TOUGH TIMES AND TOUGH DECISIONS

The Epics teach us with clarity and conviction that suffering is a part of life just as happiness is.
It is the mind and intellect that gives  different analysis in defining suffering.
Many life coaches have suggested different skills in teaching us how to handle suffering.
Seldom do these life coaches speak of taking tough decisions in life at the cost of hurting oneself.
Arjuna is the best example of a person who had to take the tough decision of fighting his own grand father who he loved more than his own life. 

The choice was between feeling good about the relationship or taking a decision on behalf of dharma and causing physical harm to Bhisma and emotional harm to himself.

It is easier to be harsh when some one is angry but it is difficult to take tough decisions when dealing with loved ones. Many soldiers leave their beloved to go to battle causing huge pain.   So Arjuna was in great dilemma, in fact moving towards giving up everything in favor of feeling good in relationship with his grand father. But Sri Krishna, logically proposed the hard choice for the sake of dharma he had to make. Arjuna accepted, but without giving up his love but resolved to fight for dharma.

In Ramayana we see Sri Rama,it was an ordeal to abandon mother Sita. It was not out of choice rather it was the surrounding that pushed him in chosing what he did. No husband is as respectful and loving to Sita as Sri Rama was but he had to take the tough decision. He loved her but he was forced to make a tough decision for the higher principle as the King.

Tough decisions are harder than tough times, because tough times come on their own and the other the tough decision has to be taken by the individual.  

Does it make sense? 

KRSNA AND OTHERS PART 2

God's definition is interesting for he is defined by the imagination of some, innovation of others, intellectual logical rigour of a few,  and most define God based on an imposed legacy coming through generations. 

But what is He? 

What is the real and the substantial? 

Before we get into the details, let us see how the over all explanation of the above experiences can be summed up in defining God.

God is powerful, God is a supreme autocrat, He is jealous and wants your undivided attention, in other words can't stand some one not loving him exclusively. He is force but without form. He is mass energy without figure. God is time, God is death, God is love, God is destructive.

Creation is supreme beyond the so called fighting of the higher beings who are superior to men.

He is the dominator and is beyond any one dominating for any reason including love. He is nameless, colourless, loveless, hence imagining Him in a form is blasphemy.

Dharma has defined God in its own unique way through the various writings of sages. He is unique and different, diverse and uniform.

The underlying principle of God in the Vedas is that he is one with his energy.

He is localised as a person but as his energy he is every where .

He is the dominator and is powerful but he can be dominated by love.

He is beyond the realm of sensory experience but at the same time one can experience him here in this sensual world through the senses by the power of his grace.

He is abstract and hence can be seen in the Upanishad and he is specific with name, form, pastimes in the Puranas and both are complementary to each other.

All the devas are his limbs, worshiping them does not hurt him, does not make him jealous because they are Him as his  energy and they are the extended limbs of Himself.

Seeing Him in the sky, mountains, rivers and in amazing human attributes is applauded. For God this itself is perfection, hence  the Gita extols, " one who sees me in everything and everything in me is never lost to me and I am never lost to them."

Therefore if some do not worship him directly, he does not condemn them rather he encourages them to see him in good action. He is willing to step aside if that hurts but He says do not step aside from doing good to others, He says even that is seen by himself as serving Him.

He does not mind you worshipping him in his energy as devatas, devis, shaktis, energies, he does not spite at them or spit fire at them nor  does he send deadly storms at them.

If you fail in doing any of the above, his creation which functions as an independent operator gives opportunities by sending us  to many species of life. He never condems anyone for ever in one specie or in hell forever. The so called punishment from our perspective is nothing but compassionate reformation from his perspective.

He is eager that we have him in our life but not at the cost of taking away our freedom as freedom is the only thing that gives us the choice of loving.

He is sensitive to our needs, hence through the process of destiny fulfils our needs in different lives.

The Upanishads define him by  his attributes but without a name.

The Puranas define him by name and attributes through the  many fold stories of incarnation as Sri Krishna, Sri Rama, Narsimha. God the unattainable moves  easily with ordinary folks playing and frolicking. He is there in the hearts of all entities as paramarma.  See him, feel him and eventually love him and  by that conquer him. Being his dominating beloved, affectionate mother, father and beating him in wrestling matches boasting about one's own strength and feeling superior to him in friendly interaction. This unique concept of God is not only the contribution of the Vedas but also the experiences of sages and Gurus.  Joining that legacy needs no membership , the only qualification needed is to be willing to walk that journey.

Choice is ours and that is his greatest gift.