Monday, July 16, 2012

GREAT QUOTES FROM - SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV - (Latest upto 17th-July-2012)


GREAT QUOTES FROM


SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV

(17th-July-2012)


It is time again to go through Sadhguru’s latest, Great Quotes. The last time we did this was on 22nd May,2012. 

The 13th Anniversary of Dhyana linga consecration was celebrated at the Ashram at Velliangiri on 24th, June,2012. In these 13 years, the Dhyana linga Temple has become a Great favourite place for all Meditators – who want to explore and discover themselves.

I am reproducing below, an interesting piece of writing from Sadhguru spot dt 13th, June,2012. Sadhguru was flying over the erstwhile WORLD TRADE CENTRE structures in a helicopter – which is the context for this musings: 

“Flying close to the new towers that are coming up in the place of World Trade Center brought out a big sigh. How the world has changed since those two structures came down on that fateful day. If you did not know – the previous evening, that is 10th September 2001, I was in Manhattan area speaking at the Riverside Church, just a mile away from the events that unfolded in less than 24 hours. I left USA on 10th September to Cyprus, ironically to speak at the US Embassy in Nicosia. Since that chilling event, humanity has suffered a groundswell of violence, hate and suppression that we have not witnessed in living memory. (Sadhguru spot dt 13,june,2012)”.

We look at the irony that – while some people like Sadhguru were striving to build a world free of wars, tensions and enmity, some others were seething in hatred and enmity and trying to bring down the world – which in their thought, was symbolized by the world trade centre buildings. 

Dr.Jaya Prakash Narayan’s conversation with the Mystic, Sadhguru was very interesting. It throws up many new solutions and many new ways of looking at Human problems – especially in the Indian context. Dr.JPN is one of the few Politicians in India who is of impeccable integrity and Political honesty – and his conversation with Sadhguru was bound to bring to light some of the key problems facing India’s Politics and administration

The conversation went on in inimitable  style with Sadhguru – throwing most interesting solutions to our Contemporary Problems.

Now - here are some of Sadhguru’s words of Wisdom, his Great Quotes of recent past. 

I have tried to put the OPERATIVE PART of these quotes in bold. This is because, Sadhguru’s quotes are almost always, THINGS TO DO & THINGS NOT TO DO.

1.  Mind is madness. Only when you go beyond the mind, there will be meditation
2.  As long as you separate yourself from life around you, you cannot reverberate with existence.
3.  If you think something or someone is against you, you lost your yoga, you lost your inclusiveness.
4.  Life is a dream, but the dream is true.
5.  There is a distance between possibility and reality. Do you have the courage and the commitment to walk this distance?
6.  Yoga means looking at the mechanics of life, how it is made, how it functions, and what we can do with it
7.  Love is not a suffering. If you have love for someone or something, when they are with you, you can enjoy their presence, and when they are not with you, you can enjoy their absence. What you are doing in the name of love is just longing to become one with somebody.
8.  Spiritual process is a seeking. Religion means assuming things that you do not know.
9.  Do not bother about mukti, only concern yourself about your limitations, and see how to release them.
10.      There is no such thing as justice on the planet. What is justice for you will be injustice for someone else. Usually the word “justice” is used to enforce revenge on someone – whether it’s legal revenge or illegal revenge... ( excerpted from the blog post) In conversation with the Mystic – with Dr.Jaya Prakash Narayan.
11.      Life is not a question of use. It is magnificent, just the way it is
12.      Leadership is not assertion of yourself, leadership is the art of fulfilling the aspirations of everyone.
13.      Your body, your brain, and your whole system will function at their best only when you are joyful, exuberant, and ecstatic.
14.      So don’t try to give up smoking, just bring awareness into your life, to every aspect of your life and you will see everything that is not necessary will simply fall by the wayside. If you try to give it up, you will only struggle... (excerpt from an article by Sadhguru)
15.      If you know how to bring clarity to your mind,  you will see  the whole existence is open.
16.      If we are serious about saving the environment, we need to adjust our population growth to the natural resources that we have.
17.      Trees are our closest relatives. What we exhale, they inhale. This is a constant relationship that no one can afford to live without.
18.      Every society needs individuals who go on planting mango trees without thinking whether they would get to eat the fruit or not.
19.      If no matter what is given to you, you can make something beautiful out of it, that is intelligence
20.      If you think one thing is sacred but you cannot stand the other, if you love the creator but hate the creation, that is vulgarity.
21.      Life has come from a very beautiful source. If you remain in touch with that source, everything about you will be beautiful.
22.      Intuition is not a different level of perception. Intuition is only a different dimension of computing. [Sadhguru on Huffington Post].
23.      Sadhana is a tool to extricate you from a phenomenal memory. (from  sadhguru spot dt 27.june,2012)
24.      Your psychological status, your emotional nonsense- this is known terrain for you. This is something that you should deal with. Known terrain you must handle. There is unknown terrain, that’s where you need me. (from Sadhguru spot dt 27,june,2012)





=With all Best wishes 

To all readers
       &
Sadhguru’s Disciples
Sd/-
(v.vijayamohan)

Saturday, July 7, 2012

GOD, SCIENCE and THE UNIVERSE - A Comment on ND TV Big Fight - DT 07 07 2012


GOD, SCIENCE & THE UNIVERSE
(A Comment on ND TV Big Fight)
CAN SCIENCE DEFINE GOD?
CONFLICT BETWEEN SCIENCE AND RELIGION

ND TV  conducts its BIG FIGHT PROGRAM very interestingly – and I do love the program - but then, it often ends up with either NO ANSWERS or HALF ANSWERS or more confusion – because of  TIME SCARCITY – and of course, scarcity of the totality that is required for the right answers to emerge. 

What is of interest in these programs is - the sparks of info which come from the speakers (or fighters!) - though without conclusions - and the way, ND TV steers the BIG FIGHT beautifully.

The same was true of the BIG FIGHT PROGRAM on the 7th July night. Very respected names were there to bring their views on the subject to the fore. Christianity was there. Different branches of modern sciences were there. A Scientist turned Swamiji was there from the Ramakrishna Mutt. And, there was the re-doubtable Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. A Buddhist Monk would have added some more meaning to the discussion. But there wasn’t any. 

Others who could have added more confusion – were not there. It was therefore a Big Fight among small numbers – with limited time – and a deep unwillingness – sorry to say this – to arrive at TRUTH. Everybody wanted to make his point – not to KNOW something more. 

I AM RIGHT. All of you ARE WRONG. That was the under current.

What took Buddha several decades of search – was sought to be debated and finalized in about 40 minutes. What the Great ancient Rishis sought to understand in thousands of years – was sought to be understood in an instant. And, it was bound to end in failure. Yes. It predictably did.

Who said, the ancient Rishis were not scientists? Each one of them was a Scientist. India had great sciences – right from the beginning. Many of these sciences are not available to us today. Not that they are not available at all on earth. Just a few like Yoga and Ayurveda survive to some extent today.

Christianity rejects Yoga – without even trying and without even understanding. It thinks Yoga is another religion. But, many in western countries are taking up Yoga, at least the physical part of it – in a Big way. Many Indian sciences having nothing to do with RELIGION. But, their originators were GREAT RISHIS. 

What is absolute scientific knowledge in the hands of a Scientist (or RISHI)– becomes a mere belief system in the hands of the average non-scientist (NON-RISHI) – and then, becomes an absolute superstition in the hands of a fool. But, the thing works for all three at their respective levels in different ways.

I have commented on the Higgs Boson Particle in my earlier Blog Post. While commending the huge success of the scientists involved in this discovery – I have also said a few of the following things.

Higgs Boson is not the ultimate, tiniest particle. Any particle is invariably made up of tinier parts – it has to be so by the very nature of matter or even energy - and one day, we will discover tinier particles in the Higgs Boson too. This search into the micro level is as endless as the search into the macro level. There are  bigger units than Galaxies at the macro level and tinier units within the Higgs Boson particles.
The five senses – coordinated by the mind – can only see or experience within their competence level – and nothing beyond that. If you put on spectacles, your eye can see better. See through a microscope – your eye can see even better. There is no end to this ‘even better’. At some point, your eye doesn’t see the darned thing at all. In the eye of the small ant – you will now see the Higgs boson particle. Extend your reach better – you will see a huge world within the Boson particle too. Yet, what sees it - is not the instrument – it is still your eye and who perceives it is YOU. If these don’t work – you see nothing at all.

What makes them work – what makes YOU perceive is – intelligence. Find out where that intelligence resides? It would be absolute stupidity to say that it resides in the human brain only. It resides in the tiny seed, which knows how to suck water, nutrients etc, grow into a plant, and then, into a tree, and then make flowers and fruits. It resides in the tiniest insect, which reproduces its community from itself in much the same way –as the human being does. 

Copulation is not what we have discovered – it is what we are induced into – by an intelligence which is all around us. Who ensures that there is a reasonable balance in the proportion of men and women on earth? Why not produce only men? Why not only women? Why not?

We know how a sperm and egg unite. But why? Do we know THAT? 

Science answers always HOW. But, beyond the most superficial level – it cannot answer WHY? Why does BOSON particle do what it does? It gives Mass. Fine. But, why?

There is a huge intelligence all around us – and within us – that ensures matters such as this. We do not know yet how this cosmic intelligence functions.

Much of the creation on earth depends on Sun light. Much of the activity on earth depends on moon light and star light too. Without Sun and Moon, there can be no human life on earth. Nor, any other life.

The whole solar family along with other stars in the Milky way – is on a endless cosmic journey – and none of us have an iota of an idea – to where! So, the scientists’ Journey into the outer cosmos – will be an endless, exasperating journey. We will be discovering things like an unknown star or a huge star disappearing into nothingness. This scientific Journey will lead humanity nowhere – despite all discoveries.

It is the same thing in our scientific travel into the Micro level Universe – into the molecules, into the atom, into the sub-atomic particles, into the sub-sub atomic particles, into the sub-sub-sub atomic particles and so on.

At any point of time – even after a billion years of human existence from now – we will not be knowing 100 percent - either about one single atom or one single sub atomic particle at the Micro level or about a galaxy at the Macro level. We will never know hundred percent about anything!

This knowledge acquisition is no different from acquisition of wealth. You won’t be satisfied with any amount of wealth – or any amount of knowledge. But, there is something which is hugely satisfying to us. That, unfortunately - is beyond the modern method of scientific exploration.

Now, the question is – is the scientific exploration the purpose of life? Or is at least a useful hobby? 

Some say – there is no purpose to LIFE  at all. It was said so, by some in the BIG FIGHT. Life is a chance, they say. So, there is no purpose. If human being is purposeless – why scientific exploration at all? Is it also not purposeless?

I will acquire lot of knowledge – and then I will die! Why? Instead, why should I not enjoy the whole life – and then die? It is more satisfying. An Einstein or Freud lived purposeless lives – by the above definitions – if life itself is purposeless. The Boson Particle must also be equally purposeless! If Life is purposeless and is happening by just chance, everything else is happening by sheer chance! The Boson happened to be there by sheer chance!

It is time – that we all accept that LIFE and CREATION did not possibly happen the way these are mentioned in Vedas or Bible or other religious Books. It also did not happen by the BIG BANG. This theory is unscientific and meaningless. Kindly see the blog post on Boson particle – why this is so.

I am curious to see the Swamiji from Ramakrishna Mutt mentioning about RIGVEDA being 6000 years old. Lord Krishna lived about 5500 years ago. The Gita is there as proof. Lord Rama must have lived much earlier. The Saptarshis must have originated much, much earlier. Why does the Mutt buy the western argument that Vedas are only 6000 years Old? 6000 years before, there was no need to write anything on paper. That was why they were called Sruthis. But why not 60,000 years or 6,00,000 years – as their age? Our past is mysterious and hoary. We are not even trying to find what is there in the Dwaraka remains under water. So, how do we find the vedic days? 

Later came the Upanishads – which are extraordinary pieces of scientific enquiry into the nature of man, life, creation, and God. The Mahavakyas from Vedas from the basis for Upanishads – but that’s all. The Upanishads lead us into a highly scientific enquiry. They contain all streams of modern religious and irreligious thought and then arrive at startling findings. If Christian, Islamic, Buddhist, Jain and other religious philosophies existed at that time, they too would have been examined, at length before arriving at these findings. They were the men with the best scientific spirit of all time. They did examine all possible angles in matters relating to the self, wisdom, God, creation and so on.

At the end – what do they say – 

Aham  Brahma asmi - I am the Brahman. (For You – You are)-yajurveda -  Brihadaranyaka upanishad

Ayam atma Brahma – The self is Brahman – from athrava veda – Mandukya upanishad

Prajnanaam Brahma -wisdom is Brahman – from Rigveda-Aitherya upanishad

Thath thvam asi (That thou art) – meaning - what you seek is Your self – sama veda – Chandogya Upanishad

Where is God anywhere in these Mahavakyas? It is I, or YOU who is the focus. Know Yourself. This is of utmost importance. Much more important than knowing God. 

Hinduism, if you want to give it such a name – is this. But exploring the self is a difficult process for one strong reason. All of our five senses and our Mind are turned towards the outer world by their very nature – and,  we can’t easily redirect them inward. But there are ways. We must adopt those ways. When you find yourself in that way – somewhere on the way – you would have found God too – but he is not important – YOU ARE.

For people not capable of this exploration, God will help. The God can be Siva, Vishnu, Ehova or give him any name. It is for you to name him. God never said, this is my name. It is another path. It is also fine. Now – why do you worship a thousand weird Idols? Why not? Why not see the God everywhere? Some people need to see God in all weird shapes – before they can accept all creation as embodiment of the same creator. So, why not? 

At the end – let us see where we stand. All these discussions (like the 40 minute one in Big Fight) have happened among Rishis for hundreds of years with EXTREME HONESTY, from all possible angles. So, we don’t need to re-invent the wheel. Study them. If you don’t want to,  it is your choice. If you are on the wrong train – you don’t reach your destination. You reach some other. If you want to reach the right destination, follow the right path. The Yogic and the upanishadic path is for seekers of truth – not for mere believers. Yes. Some amount of belief is needed – as starting point.  But, all the way – especially in the yogic way – you will find proof of everything that you want to know. It takes you on an absolutely logical, but, difficult path. And, there are great REWARDS all the way.

If you want to experience GOD right here on earth – You can. But, if you are content to see him after death in heaven (or Hell), it is entirely up to you. Just as you can’t drink water with your skin or eyes and you have to drink with your mouth – you can define and experience GOD in the yogic or upanishadic way – but not in modern scientific way – which can define matter and nothing else.

 *  *  *  E N D  *  *  *


Friday, July 6, 2012

GREAT QUOTES - OF - SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR - (The Art Of Living) = Dt 06-Jul-2012


GREAT QUOTES

From


SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

(The Art Of Living)

Guruji, Sri Sri Ravishankar’s words of wisdom are always refreshing to the mind and body both. They convey the essence of the ART OF LIVING.

Live Beautifully – seems to be his first message. Spread love, compassion and happiness – stresses Guruji always.

Yoga follows automatically. It follows Love and service.  Here are some of his beautiful WORDS OF WISDOM :

1.         When you want to teach anybody a lesson, it never happens because you are acting out of anger. Only with true compassion can you teach people a real lesson. Then they listen because it touches their heart. Have this attitude, "Come what may, I will not get hurt. If someone is nasty, I will learn to be compassionate."
2.         When you feel a lack, it is a desert, but when you feel there is plenty, there is abundance. And amidst the plenty, is the wish-fulfilling tree...
3.         Ask yourself what is it that you want from your real friend. You will find there is really nothing. You just want the friendship. Friendliness is your nature. It has no motive or purpose. It does not matter whom you are friendly with.
4.         I have only two things to tell you. One is that there is no misery in life. Wake up and see. There is no sorrow, no problem. If that doesn't work, the second is, give your problems to me.
5.         Asking for explanations stirs up all the garbage. They justify, you say something, then they feel guilty or justify more. In either case, it is of no use to you. Sometimes, it's alright to go and say, "I'm sorry." But don't chew on it more than it is needed. Going with a love, accepting space - "What can I do for you?" That is enough.
6.         Meditation is what? Sitting - "I am fulfillment." For ages, people have been told and everybody, like fools, believes it - "I will go to heaven and then I will be fulfilled." I say fulfillment is the door, the first step. Be fulfilled and then heaven opens up to you.
7.         Almost all relationships break down due to too much talking and explaining about oneself. "I am this way. Don't mistake me. Don't misunderstand me." If you had kept your mouth shut, everything would've worked out much better. I'm not telling you to shut off all communication. I'm just telling you not to explain things of the past, brood over them or ask for explanations.
8.         To do any work, you need some planning. But how do you know what you have planned is the best? Something better may come up. Keep your mind free. At the same time, be focused. Both can be done together.
9.         You can come home happily and say with a smile, "Everything that I did today flopped!" You should have the guts to say "I am much more than events or circumstances. Everything comes and goes, but I continue in all situations."
10.       You have to drop expecting people to respect you. Completely. On this path, definitely doubts and situations will come that needle you from all sides, so that no weakness is left in you at any point. Otherwise, there is no point in coming, sitting here with me, laughing and then going away. If you come here, you have to become like a diamond. Powerful!
11.        Why are you insecure? What is it that you want? If you keep your mind clean, I promise you will not suffer. You will get more than you need. Your mind, your being is so powerful.
12.       Unconditional love doesn't mean being foolish. It means you become more sharp and aware. You don't become a doormat and be misused for your compassion. Be strict where you have to - not with anger but with love. Strictness with compassion is special and worth developing.
13.       Think about the usefulness of your comments. A magnanimous person does not point out the mistakes of others and make them feel guilty. Instead, they correct others' mistakes with compassion and care, not through words but through their attitude.
14.       If you ask for Self knowledge, everything will come. Ask for unconditional love in life, everything will come. Ask for freedom, liberation, everything else will come. These are only one thing but in three flavors. You can choose according to your taste. If you are a man of intellect, you will choose knowledge. If you are a man of heart, you will choose love. If you are in between, you will want freedom.
15.       Q: What is the one thing a devotee should ask from a Guru?

Sri Sri: Why do you want to limit it to one thing? There are ten things being served to you, you can choose any or all or different things at different time.
16.       Love is enough unto itself. It is perfect as it is and needs no betterment. The very desire for perfection shows a misunderstanding about love and its nature. Can you have a perfect circle? All circles are perfect. If they are not, then they are not circles.
17.       A person with authentic love feels obliged to the person who accepts his love. They could have rejected it! When you start giving love with a deep sense of gratitude to all those who accept it, you will be surprised to know that you are no longer a beggar knocking on every door for love, you have become an emperor. Love belongs to the world of emperors, not of beggars.
18.       You really don't know who you are. Sometimes, when you enter somebody's kitchen, the containers contain something and the labels on them say something else. And that is exactly how you are. You are labeling yourself as somebody, but inside, you are completely different. Take off all your labels!
19.       You need to be yourself and that is meditation. You need to be yourself with great self-respect and dignity. Know that Existence needs you!

20.      Think of someone you love... When they progress in life, you feel good and happy - you feel as if it's your own progress. Why don't you have this feeling for everybody? Why don't you take everybody as your own?

21.       When you rejoice in beauty, the entire creation rejoices with you. The very purpose of so much variety in creation is to somehow bring you back to yourself - that you are beautiful, that you are beauty!

22.       When you want to do something, look at your strength. Your weakness is that you start looking at others' strengths! When you are running, you can only look at the track below, not at who's next to you. Like a horse with blinders, you just look at your path and let anybody do whatever he/she wants.

23.       We need to switch - even if you see one beautiful quality, decorate it, exaggerate it, make it big, "So and so is great, excellent, marvelous" and analyze the negative quality with your head, reason it out, "Why are they acting this way? Maybe, they are stressed..."
The analysis of negativity brings compassion in you and exaggeration of good brings waves of beauty. Whether this person is beautiful or not, it makes YOU more beautiful. Those who exaggerate positive qualities, their bodies get filled with them. When this body gets filled with praise, the Divine dawns. -- [Part 3 / 3]
24.       I feel that those who do not exuberate with peace and do not feel love for humanity have moved away from religion. People of any religion – Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Christianity, Protestantism, Catholicism or Islam - who follow religion truly and have faith in God, cannot take to violence. This is my contention based on our inherent nature. The closer we move towards God, the more we pray; the more devoted we are to God. We cannot but experience love and peace within ourselves and in others around us.
-- excerpt from address to 4th Congress of World and Traditional Religions. Sri Sri just returned from a two day visit to Kazakhstan.
25.       If there is any negativity, we deal with it from the heart and something that is positive, we deal with from the head. If there is a problem, mistake or misery, we exaggerate it, blow it up beyond its dimension. Newspapers thrive on this; anything sensational that happens - they see it from the heart but if something wonderful happens, they look at it from the head, "Oh! Let's examine the facts."

-- [Part 2 / 3] What to do about this in the next post.

26.       Beauty is the language of the heart - it decorates, elaborates, exaggerates. When you read poetry, sing a song or describe something, it is always from the heart. Analysis or explanation is from the mind. Justice and equality are from the head. Uniqueness is only from the heart. The heart makes everything special!

27.       A person with authentic love feels obliged to the person who accepts his love. They could have rejected it! When you start giving love with a deep sense of gratitude to all those who accept it, you will be surprised to know that you are no longer a beggar knocking on every door for love, you have become an emperor. Love belongs to the world of emperors, not of beggars.


With Pranams to Guruji

& All the BEST WISHES to his

Devotee Disciples

= V.Vijayamohan
Dated 06-Jul-2012

Readers can see the previous set of Guruji’s Quotes at the follong link; Click to go to that Post :