Glimpses_of_Glorious_India_Syllabus_for_EndSem[1].pdf

GLIMPSES OF GLORIOUS INDIA Dedication The completion of this book could not have been possible without the blessings of Amma, Sat-guru Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, the universal mother, the dispeller of darkness and ignorance in her children. We offer this humble effort at Amma’s lotus feet. Forever grateful for her countless love. Preface “We are deeply indebted to the land and culture that has made us who we are. This culture is our mother. If we allow that connection to be lost, we will become lost, like a kite whose string has snapped.” Amma Roots, whether those of trees or of a culture, are foundational. Why is it foundational, but? Just as the roots of a tree adapts to the soil and nourishes it, culture adapts to ever-changing time and delves deep into the past, anchoring the society to its origin, while also branching into the present, fostering new shoots of innovation. The cultural tree equips us to navigate adversities that come our way, the challenges and hushed threats. It makes us resilient to the ever changing environment. Knowing the root, the cultural core that shaped the identities of our ancestors, steers us through the puddles and hurdles. As you immerse yourself in the pages that follow, this collection of articles serves as a bridge to foster your understanding and appreciation of India’s cultural core. The authors encourage a shift in your perspectives, and engage with the diverse and multifaceted nature of India. Embracing the spirit of India in all its forms, we can work towards building a brighter future for ourselves and future generations, one that is grounded in a deep sense of connection and responsibility to our shared heritage and culture. Contents Face The Brutes..............................................................................1 Weaving a New Future Using Ancient Threads.........................13 The Much Necessary Cognitive Shift – Part 1...........................22 The Much Necessary Cognitive Shift – Part 2...........................30 Chanakya - Architect of a Greater India....................................42 Bhagavad Gita - Soldier to Samsarin to Sadaka..........................47 Lessons in Yoga from Bhagavad Gita..........................................55 Indian Soft Power: A Solution to Many Global Challenges.....72 Ultimate Reality: Different Perspectives.....................................83 Practical Vedanta..........................................................................90 Conserving Nature Through Faith.......................................... 102 We Are One............................................................................... 113 Chapter 1 FACE THE BRUTES The Sanskrit word “Abhaya” means “fearlessness”. Bhagavan Krishna states “Abhayam” as a primary divine quality, in Bhagavad Gita, अभयंं सत्त्वसंंशुुद्धिः ः ज्ञाानयोोगव्यवस्थि तिः ः । दाानंं दमश्च यज्ञश्च स्वााध्याायस्तप आर्जजवम््।। Abhayam sattva-samsuddhir jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih danam damas ca yajnas ca svadhyayas tapa arjavam Fearlessness, purity of heart, steadfastness in knowledge and Yoga, almsgiving, control of the senses, sacrifice, study of shastras, austerity & straightforwardness. Bhagavad Gita 16.1 Fearlessness is a foremost important quality for both layman and spiritual seekers alike. Fear is said to be an effect of ignorance. Fearlessness is the courageous spirit that allows one to face fear or hardship without hesitation. Swami Vivekananda pronounces that “If there is one word that you find coming out like a bomb from Upanishads, bursting 1 Glimpses of Glorious India like a bombshell upon masses of ignorance, it is the word ‘fearlessness’.” Being fearless is knowing the fear, fighting it without going down or being desperate. In Sanatana Dharma Philosophy “Abhaya Mudra” is represented as a symbol of fearlessness. It signifies protection, peace, benevolence, and dispelling of fear. Our Goddesses Lakshmi Devi, Durga Devi, and Parvati Devi hold “Abhaya Mudra” which symbolizes protection from fear. Have you noticed that our deities at temples hold “Abhaya Mudra”? The Fear Factor Fear occurs when we get too concerned about what will happen next. This implies that fear is an imaginary condition by thinking about an outcome that may or may not occur in the future. The sages who have realized God are completely fearless. Wise men say that if we are rooted in the present moment of reality, there will not be any fear. Fear arises from thoughts of 2 Face The Brutes insecurity which could be physical, financial, and emotional in nature. We might have undergone fear of failure, anxiety regarding performance, fear of accepting changes, fear of being laughed at, alienation, crimes, and many stressful situations. Fear of failure results in emotional and behavioral symptoms, and it leads to physical problems like rapid heart rate, chest tightness, trembling, dizziness, lightheadedness, sweating, and digestive problems. It will also create a strong mental feeling that we don’t have the skills, knowledge, and intelligence to achieve something and we feel worthless. Such fear generates low self-esteem which leads to academic failures, regret, sadness, disappointment, and shame. Fear stands as a terrible obstacle in our progress. However, overcoming fears and moving forward makes us stronger and wiser. 3 Glimpses of Glorious India Do you recollect any instances from your life when you became fearful? How did you manage that situation? Have you ever tried to identify the reasons behind such fears? Who is Fearless? Those who live with fear feel life itself as a burden. Nevertheless, if they can accept the responsibility of facing fear with courage, that makes them fearless. They become stronger and capable of confronting everything without fear. A 16-year-old girl Jyoti Kumari (Bihar’s Cycle Girl) from Darbhanga village won the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2021 (Bravery Award). She carried her injured father from Gurugram (Haryana) to Bihar for 1200 kilometers on a cycle amidst Covid-19. She cycled for 8 days. Her aim was only to escape from hunger and uncertain situations. 4 Face The Brutes This shows the courage, determination, and strength of the young girl which draws inspiration to many. The difficulties faced during the lockdown period forced her to take up the risk without thinking of a second option. This is indeed, an act of fearlessness. Another incident that happened in Kerala, where a Multi- Utility Vehicle used as a school van (with permit) fell into a pond near Maradu, shows the fearlessness and sacrifice of Latha Unni. The van had 8 students, and a caretaker (Aaya) named Latha Unni. When the van fell into the pond and got stuck there, Latha saved the lives of 5 kids before she tried to save herself. However, she got stuck in a window and when finally she was brought to the hospital, she was declared dead. Latha Unni was mother to twin daughters studying in the eighth standard. In both these cases, they would have been confronted with fear of whether they would fail in the attempt. But both of them took a chance and displayed fearlessness in different 5 Glimpses of Glorious India ways. If in the former example, it was a fearless effort to do the daring to save her father, in the latter the woman sacrificed herself, overcoming fear of death, to save the life of many kids. History of the Indian freedom struggle illustrates stories of many such brave souls who sacrificed their lives for fighting against the invaders. One such fearless woman freedom fighter was Kuyili - The Veerthalapathy or Veeramangai. In 1772 CE (common era), a small kingdom called Sivaganga in present-day Tamil Nadu was ruled by a King named Muthu Vaduga Nathar. This was a time when, although the direct rule of Britain had not yet begun in India, the East India Company who were engaged in spice trade with India started interfering in the internal affairs of many kingdoms of the country. The Nawab of Arcot sowed the seeds of a catastrophe in the country by entering into a diplomatic relationship with the East India company. The Nawab, like many others, did hardly expect that those who came for a trade would spread like a parasite and become an empire that would engulf the entire Nation. With the military aid of the company, Nawab killed Muthu Vaduga Nathar. Fighting with swords and spears, the Tamil army could never resist the Western military who had fire-spitting guns and cannons. Queen Velunachiyar, the wife of Vaduganathar, went into hiding in a village called Virupachi. However, the Nawab and the company who thought that Sivaganga would fall with the death of the king were mistaken. Over the next eight years, Velunachiyar developed a new and powerful army. 6 Face The Brutes It was during this period of hiding in the forest, that the Queen met a young girl named Kuyili. On more than one occasion, Kuyili thwarted the enemies’ attempts to endanger the queen. In a short period, Kuyili became the Chief Commander of the Women’s Army. Velu Nachiyar’s army was now powerful. She had the strong women army led by Kuyili, the Tamil army led by the Marut brothers, and help from the Mysore army. But how could they cope with the devastating firepower from the west? To emerge victoriously, Kuyili devised a secret plan without even consultation with her queen. On the day of Vijayadashami (auspicious Navaratri puja culmination), she entered the Sivaganga fort with her companions as if to worship the Goddess of the Sri Rajarajeswari Amman Temple. Since the war began, the British have not been allowing any men born on Tamil soil into this fort. This was because the army warehouse was inside the fort, where they 7 Glimpses of Glorious India stored their weapons and ammunition. But Kuyili and her companions had only flowers for worship and ghee to light the lamps. So they left no trace of doubt and the fort guards let them in without any hesitation. Having reached the temple inside the fort, she opened the small pot in her possession and poured ghee into her own body. The companions too poured ghee from their vessels onto Kuyili’s body. Kuyili, who was only eighteen years old, was getting prepared to sacrifice her life for the benefit of her kingdom. What fear would come for those who are blessed with Dharma Bodha (clarity of thought) and strength of mind! Appearing like the Goddess herself after a ghee bath, Kuyili prayed in front of the shrine for her kingdom and the queen. She took a flame from the lamp and lit her own saree. Transforming herself into a raging fire, she fled to the British arsenal. Before the baffled soldiers could do anything, the armory was set ablaze and it all exploded along with Kuyili. The British army, having lost its ammunition, surrendered to Velu Nachiyar’s army soon. Queen Velunachiyar ruled over Sivaganga for the next fifteen years without any threat from them. Fearlessness is the Courage to Stick to Truth & Righteousness In the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna says, वीीतराागभयक्रोोधाा मन्मयाा माामुुपााश्रि ताःः । बहवोो ज्ञाानतपसाा पूूताा मद्भाावमाागताःः ।। Vītarāgabhayakrōdhā manmayā māmupāśritāḥ Bahavō jñānatapasā pūtā madbhāvamāgatāḥ 8 Face The Brutes Many who were devoid of attachment, fear and anger, who were absorbed in Me, who had taken refuge in Me, and were purified by the austerity of Knowledge, have attained My state. Bhagavad Gita 4.10 “Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me.” In Mahabharata, the fear of losing friendship forces Karna to stay with Duryodhana. Karna is often considered as an epitome of loyalty in friendship. Even when commitment to friendship is a positive thing to follow, it should never be at the cost of righteousness. Karna tried to show his gratitude towards Duryodhana even when he knew that he was not right. The loyalty and fear of losing friendship pulled at Karna and made him support all unrighteous feats of Duryodhana. Karna was there along with Duryodhana when they plotted to burn down all Pandavas in the wax palace while they slept. Karna instigated Duryodhana to mistreat Draupadi, and directly instructed Dushasana to disrobe her in front of the entire court. Karna did not hesitate when Abhimanyu was killed ruthlessly by many warriors attacking simultaneously from all around, defying all rules of war. To sum up, Karna though was fearless in battle like an ideal soldier was not fearless enough to stick on to righteousness. He knew in all the above instances, he was on the side of adharma, but his commitment to friendship forced him to do so. 9 Glimpses of Glorious India The lesson we should learn from Karna and Duryodhana is that we can be very loyal to our friends, but when he or she is on an adharmic / unrighteous path, we should have the fearless state of mind to correct him / her. In the worst case, we should have the courage to end the friendship for the sake of righteousness. This in essence is fearlessness. In Ramayana, we see that Vibhishana forsakes even his brother Ravana, when he realizes that Ravana was on the wrong side of war. Face the Brutes Once, Swami Vivekananda was walking along a path where there was a large tank of water on one side and a high wall on the other. So many monkeys were sitting on the ground and they started attacking him. They howled, and shrieked and did not allow him to walk. Thus, he tried to run as fast as he could, however, the monkeys came faster and started to bite him. Soon, a strange monk called out and said to him “Face the brutes”. Swamiji turned and faced the monkeys, and they fled. Hence, he advises us to “face the terrible, face it boldly. Hardships in life fall back when we cease to flee before them”. We should never run away from difficulties, but fight the fear, troubles, and ignorance before it makes us fail. Chanakya Neeti states that, ताावद्भयेेषुु भेेतव्यंं याावद्भयमनाागतम्् । आगतंं तुु भयंं वीीक्ष्य प्रहर्ततव्यमशङ्कयाा ॥ tāvadbhayēṣu bhētavyaṁ yāvadbhayamanāgatam āgataṁ tu bhayaṁ vīkṣya prahartavyamaśaṅkayā 10 Face The Brutes One should be apprehensive of the cause of fear till it is far off, but when it comes close, fight it undaunted. Sloka 3, Chapter 5, Chanakyaneetidarpana Chanakya says that the only way to overcome fear is to fight when it comes closer. He also states, “Bhavana Bhayanashini” (Sloka 11, Chapter 5, Chanakyaneetidarpana) meaning “determined feeling destroys fear”. Feeling determination and facing it with courage helps to overcome fear. He also pronounces that courage alone is not enough for achieving success, it should be accompanied by knowledge and resources. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says “Abhayam vai Brahma” (4.25), fearlessness is Brahma. It also states that fear originates from the sense of duality i.e., “I and Object of fear” (1.4.2). Thus, fearlessness is the ultimate state of realization. Overcoming fear is one of the most significant achievements that leads to numerous accomplishments. Fearlessness, self- 11 Glimpses of Glorious India confidence, and truthfulness make your life happier and more contented. Many of us want power and success. Likewise, we also want to be confident. We must have an attitude that “I can succeed”. The most vital message from Upanishads is to have faith in ourselves and the divinity within us. None of us should think of ourselves as low and useless. If we have faith in ourselves, we can face any situation and overcome any difficulty. Fear itself is an imaginary condition and it can be driven out by having a habit of inquiry. The Upanishads advise us to think positively. Faith in oneself is the best solution to overcome an emotional problem. Katha Upanishad calls up the young minds through this well-known statement, “Uthishtata Jagrata Prapya Varan Nibhodata”. Swami Vivekananda has popularized this message as “Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached”. To be fearless, think yourself stronger and fight (persevere) until the goal is reached. Practice Yoga and Meditation to exercise control over the mind A student can face fear with courage by setting up goals and milestones. As Chanakya said, “As soon as the fear approaches, attack and destroy it”. Overcoming fearlessness is not a massive task, but one should possess the strength and willpower to overcome it. 12 Chapter 2 WEAVING A NEW FUTURE USING ANCIENT THREADS ARAVINDAN NEELAKANDAN Fritjof Capra is known widely in India for his bestselling book Tao of Physics where he explored the parallels between science and mysticism. He developed an interconnected systems worldview that embraced the biological, psychological and social sciences, grounded in reality revealed by new physics. In his quest, one of the historical personalities he discovered was Leonardo Da Vinci. In discussing how the renaissance painter and inventor approached science in a way different from Newton and Galileo, Capra points to the pervasive systems view which is embedded in almost all works of science by Leonardo. Particularly of interest are the city planning ideas given by Leonardo. Though a military engineer Da Vinci never associated himself with any offensive operations but gave ideas Glimpses of Glorious India on city planning for defence purposes. One of his pioneering contributions was his special focus on the organic view of buildings and their ‘metabolism’. The town planning which Leonardo proposed was far ahead of his time. Capra writes, “Leonardo’s concept of town planning with its emphasis on the biological and human-ecological dimensions was not taken up by mainstream Europe. Interestingly, the person who envisioned such a town planning would come four centuries after and would be way ahead of his times.” And his inspiration would come from a much ancient part and from an entirely different culture. Geddes - An Heir to Leonardo? Sister Niveditha or Margaret E Nobles, a British born social worker, writer and disciple of Swami Vivekananda, who played significant roles in the Indian Independence movement, thanks one Prof. Patrick Geddes in her book, ‘The Web of Indian Life’. Prof Geddes (1854-1932) was a Scottish polymath, biologist, town planner, geographer and humanist all rolled into one. During his first visit to the United States he had met Sister Nivedita and subsequently during his second visit he met Swami Vivekananda. Vivekananda, Nivedita and Geddes again met at a Paris exhibition. Again introduced by Sister Nivedita, he also met physicist-turned- physiologist J C Bose in this exhibition. Later Geddes would become the authoritative biographer of Bose. He visited India and took upon himself an extensive tour of Indian temple-cities, particularly South Indian temple-cities, whose 14 Weaving a New Future Using Ancient Threads planning fascinated him. Beyond mere fascination he was able to look into the systems science that went into the creation of these cities. Systems view of Indian Temple Towns Geddes marvelled at the wonder of Madurai with the temple at its heart. What Geddes witnessed was an already disintegrating scenario of the original construction. Yet it fascinated him to no end. What Geddes saw should have been the pale ghost of the past. The city had already come under the British who were destroying the original planned town. Significantly Paripāṭal – a classical work belonging to ancient Tamil literature (eighth century) describes an organic view of the ancient Madurai, The city resembles the lotus that blooms out of the navel of Vishnu The streets of the city resemble the arrangement of petals in the lotus The palace (or temple) is the receptacle of this lotus shaped city and The people of the city form the very pollen If these lines are true then the city was modelled not on any lotus but the primordial lotus, symbolic of the material universe organically originating from the pure consciousness – Vishnu. The basic organic design of a city and its people can be compared to the design of a flower and its pollen. This comparison between a city and pollen grains may seem like poetic hyperbole, but Patrick Geddes suggests that it is not. Geddes realised that the analogy between a city and pollen grains is not just poetic, but also has some truth to it. 15 Glimpses of Glorious India Between 1914 and 1925 Geddes worked both in India and Palestine where Jews through their extraordinarily strenuous efforts were building back their ancestral holy land. In India the colonial government was not very enthusiastic to implement Geddes ideas. They saw little worth in the civilisational wisdom of Indic city planning. Unrelenting Geddes batted lonely for an Indic development of cities. According to him it was “far wiser with its use of narrow lanes, opening into pleasant squares, each containing a shade-bearing tree. The narrowness of the lanes makes for shade and quietness, and leaves building sites large enough to enclose courtyards and gardens.” Tel Aviv and Kanchi He marvelled at Kanchipuram – the ancient capital of the Pallava Empire. He was particularly impressed by the drainage system and the sewage management linking them as nutrient inputs to local gardens. His sketch of Kanchipuram is considered as one of “the best illustrations of the importance of the metaphysical city center.” His planned extension of the Kanchipuram to the north to accommodate an ever growing population is significant. Geddes realised that Kanchi was composed of small communities, almost fractal cities in themselves, each centered around a temple which in turn provided a sacred geography. Later he would use the same insight he gained from Kanchipuram into his designing of Tel Aviv. Only in Tel Aviv the houses of the spirit were replaced by secular gardens. 16 Weaving a New Future Using Ancient Threads Geddes also visited Srirangam where he was able to decipher the basic archetypal philosophical basis underlying the constructions centering the temple as well as the paddy fields, “Life at its simplest runs parallel to life at its highest.” The strong persistent plea which Geddes made also had an impact on the Indian intelligentsia. To preserve the fast disappearing science of Indic architecture one Mr A. V. Ramachandra Ayyar, took an initiative. He worked to organise an All-India Sthapatya Vedic conference to study the problems of Indian architecture and town planning. The conference materialised in 1918 and later precious little happened. Geddes wanted to integrate with the Indian nationalist movement his vision of reviving and updating traditional Indian architecture and town planning with modernity. But he found himself out of sync with the dominant leaders. For example, as Helen Meller, biographer of Geddes points out, in Allahabad, the Nehru family and their relatives and cousins were all building themselves new bungalows outside the old town. Only Gandhi was somewhat receptive to ideas of Geddes. Sacred Festivals for Secular Town Planning Geddes saw the way the spiritual and cultural events in India were linked to town planning and administration. Particularly interesting are his insights into the car festival (Ratha Yatra) from the perspective of city planning and administration. Geddes knew that the car festival of Hindus was considered “unfavourably” by the “Protestant Britain and perhaps America as well” with “gruesome stories”. 17 Glimpses of Glorious India But he pointed out that he “cannot but defend this ceremonial of car as a civic institution, and a festival essentially beneficent.” He saw it as the best way to keep the broad streets free of encroachment and maintain them in the pre-motor age. The car festival was to Geddes “a superior way” of carrying public opinion against encroachments than “perpetually serving magistrate’s notices.” Geddes wrote that for a city improvement nothing could be more helpful than the re-establishment of car-routes by a conjunction of Temple authorities and municipal planning offices. He stated the car should be used to inaugurate the streets and the street should be made worthy of the car. At Indore, where he was able to put some of his ideas to work, he made the Deepavali victory procession of Ram into a fight against filth and pollution by burning along with Ravana, a huge effigy of the Rat symbolising the dirt causing Plague. He also took the opportunity to honour the usually marginalised and despised sanitary workers. A Lineage Later Radhakamal Mukherjee, a pioneer of human ecology, continued the tradition of Geddes. Prof Mukherjee pointed out the wisdom of Indic town planning which was pragmatically permeated by the sense of the sacred as every Indian house “has an orchard, which receives the sewage of the house that is the mainstay of a profitable vegetable garden” and every street being “lined with shady trees and its width guaranteed by the periodical car procession.” The temple defined the sacred geography of the village. 18 Weaving a New Future Using Ancient Threads Geddes himself was influenced in his town planning not only by the science of ancient Indian town planning but also by the work of Bose in plant communication. According to anthropologist Naveeda Khan, Geddes in his work on Indore town development should have “incorporated the plant point of view, or the perception of the plant as a sentient and communicating presence, to effect town planning towards evolution.” Democratising the Sacred Space Though well aware of the grandeur and civilizational intelligence embedded in the traditional town planning of Indian temple-cities, Geddes was also for democratising the spaces in harmony with ancient design. Thus in the context of Srirangam he observed that the old city should consciously enter a new phase of development which should be “in continuity and in keeping with the plan of its admirable historic development.” Thus he envisioned the temple- towers to become the seats of learning of ancient languages - Tamil, Sanskrit and Pali and also physical and social sciences. At the same time the harmonious development should “also let the poor, the humble castes and even the casteless be provided for well.” He considered that the development of cities in harmony with their original historic plans would halt “the worst of all India’s modern plagues - that of slumdom.” Conclusion Every country on the planet looks forward to building a highly prospective future for its inhabitants. The case of 19 Glimpses of Glorious India India is no different except for the additional impetus it generates from the past. Rather than merely basking in the glory of the past, as India moves towards building futuristic cities it becomes important that we remember the works of Patrick Geddes on ancient Indian town planning and their relevance to today’s human socio-cultural ecology. The Indian temple-city planning contains principles that can be used in building sustainable futuristic cities which take into consideration not just the economic and political dimensions of humanity but its biological, psychological, ecological and spiritual dimensions. Another illustrative instance worth delving into is the ancient site of ‘Dholavira,’ an archaeological treasure dating back over 4500 years to the Indus Valley civilization. According to Dr. Ravindra Singh Bisht, the former Joint Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India under whose supervision the Dholavira excavations were carried, “Dholavira was the first such excellent example of town planning with mathematical precision, both arithmetic, and geometry”. This historical testament serves as a source of inspiration, beckoning contemporary urban planners to explore and integrate the profound lessons embedded in the structured intricacies of Dholavira. In doing so, they can draw upon a timeless reservoir of knowledge, harmonising the past with the present to shape sustainable and flourishing cities. Activity: Explore the architecture and planning of ancient town Dholavira. Attempt to extend these plans for a 21st century city. 20 Weaving a New Future Using Ancient Threads References 1. Volker M. Welter, Biopolis Patrick Geddes and the City of Life, MIT Press, 2002 2. Helen Meller, Patrick Geddes Social Evolutionist and City Planner, Routledge, 2003 3. Fritj of Capra, The Science of Leonardo, Doubleday, 2007 21 Chapter 5 CHANAKYA - ARCHITECT OF A GREATER INDIA At dusk, a foreigner visited his home; Acharya Vishnugupta courteously gestured him to sit down and continued what he was writing. There are disputing claims as to who that visitor was: some claim it to be Megasthenes, a Greek historian and explorer who visited India, while others say it was a Chinese traveler. After finishing his writing, Vishnugupta wrapped the manuscript in silk, tied the bundle with a string, lit another lamp, and extinguished the flame of the first lamp. He then inquired about the visitor’s welfare. Perplexed by what Vishnugupta had just done, the visitor humbly asked, “Why did you extinguish one lamp and light another? Is it some kind of Indian tradition associated with receiving guests cordially?” Though this incident took place about 2,300 years ago. Vishnugupta’s answer to that visitor must be remembered Chanakya - Architect of a Greater India and cherished even today. He said, “Dear friend, it isn’t a custom at all. When you came into my house, I was working on some official documents of my kingdom. The oil for the first lamp has been taken from the government treasury, whereas now I am speaking to you, probably in personal interest. Using government resources or money for unofficial purposes is dishonesty. Therefore, in order to talk to you, I lit another lamp with oil purchased from my personal funds.” This is one of many popular stories about Vishnugupta, popular today as ‘Chanakya,’ who prioritized National affairs more than personal matters. Around BCE 316, the landmass stretching from the eastern mountain ranges in Myanmar to the western Persian deserts and from the Himalayas in the north to the Vindhyas in the South came under the rule 43 Glimpses of Glorious India of a single mighty ruler, Chandragupta Maurya. When we read about this emperor from the annals of history, let us not forget Chanakya, the kingmaker and doyen of ancient Indian statecraft, who raised an ordinary lad to the level of a mighty emperor. The sources of information on Vishnugupta’s life include Mahavamsha, a Buddhist text composed in the Pali language; Parishishtaparvan, an ancient Sanskrit text about Jain masters; the Kathasaritsagara, a compendium of Kashmiri legends in Sanskrit; and Mudrarakshasa, a Sanskrit play. Vishnugupta was also called ‘Chanakya’ because he was the son of Rishi Chanaka. Chanakya studied in Takshashila, the renowned and most ancient university. After completing his studies, he remained in Takshashila as a teacher. Chanakya believed that a teacher could claim to have succeeded in his or her mission only if he or she could awaken in students pride and love for the country. In those days, the kingdom of Magadha was ruled by the Nanda dynasty. The last Nanda king, Dhana Nanda, was interested only in amassing wealth and living a luxurious life. He even took unfair taxes from his citizens. It was during this time, Seleucus, the Greek general who ruled India’s northeast regions, which Alexander had conquered, was preparing to attack India’s princely states. Seeing the external and internal security challenges the country was facing, Chanakya resigned from Takshashila and went to Pataliputra, the capital of the Magadha Empire to discuss with the king. 44 Chanakya - Architect of a Greater India His meeting with Dhana Nanda was a great disappointment. The king insulted Chanakya in front of everyone in the royal court and dismissed him. Acharya Chanakya untied his hair tuft and took a terrible vow, “I will tie my hair again only after putting an end to the rule of Dhana Nanda, who is steeped in sensual pleasures.” Chanakya escaped from the royal army that followed him by disguising himself. He also started contemplating the means to depose the king and bring a responsible person to the throne. Hence, he started looking for people endowed with qualities needed for ruling the kingdom and in turn met a boy named Chandragupta who was imbued with a strong sense of Dharma. The boy and his friends were enacting a scene from the royal court. Playing the role of king, Chandragupta was admirably pointing out injustices in the kingdom and stressing the need to implement dharmic policies to deal with these wrongs. Impressed by this, Chanakya adopted Chandragupta, promising to make him a real king. Over time, the teacher ignited the flames of dharmic consciousness in the student into a raging firestorm that eventually knocked down the Nanda dynasty. Chandragupta learnt the arts of warfare and governance from Chanakya, and formed an army of robust and intelligent young men. Though initial attempts at overthrowing Dhana Nanda failed, as a result of tireless efforts and Chanakya’s brilliant strategies, Chandragupta eventually overthrew the king and took over the throne of Magadha. During the rest of his reign, both the disciple and the Master worked 45 Glimpses of Glorious India tirelessly to expand the empire and unify the princely states. As a result of their concerted efforts, Chandragupta’s empire spanned the whole of India except for a small strip of land in the South. Thus, the Maurya Empire, the greatest empire that India has ever seen, was established. It must have been around this time that Chanakya wrote two seminal texts, Artha Shastra (economics) and Neeti Shastra (aphorisms on ethics), under the pen name of Kautilya. Artha shastra clearly explains the relevance of Artha (wealth), one of the four Purushartha’s (goals of life), viz. Artha, Kama (fulfillment of desires), dharma and moksha (spiritual liberation). This book is divided into two parts. The first deals with the governance of the country and the second with foreign affairs. The book systematically considers issues on national security, bilateral relations, war strategies, taxation and other matters with which we are familiar today. Neeti Shastra equips one to make judicious and ethical decisions on day-to-day matters. Apart from some things that have changed over time, the text remains relevant even after two millennia and continues to shed its light of wisdom for political leaders today. One should never think that the story of Chanakya was about a shrewd person who avenged an insult from a king. King, insult, tuft and vow — all these were just expedients. Chanakya’s story is about an extraordinary genius who fulfilled the national dream of uniting numerous princely states sharing the same culture to create an undivided and developed India based on Dharma. He was an Architect of Greater India. 46 Chapter 6 BHAGAVAD GITA - SOLDIER TO SAMSARIN TO SADAKA SWAMI DHYANAMRITANANDA PURI When we hear the name Bhagavadgīta, we think that Gīta is for Sādhus and Samnyāsins. If you study Gīta, you will become a Samnyāsin. But did you know this - Arjuna was planning to leave his duty and wanted to take up samnyās. Śrī Kṛṣṇā says, “No!”, and tells Arjuna that he is not fit for it now and instructs him on how to lead a purposeful life. That is Bhagavadgīta. But for some others, the thought that comes to mind is, “Gīta is in Sanskrit” or “It is just a textbook, a book of ancient or Vedic information”. The truth is that Gīta is a book of transformation. If you understand Bhagavadgīta, you will realise that it’s not something you learn by-heart and recite every day. But it is something you need to embrace, you need to live in it. It’s Glimpses of Glorious India a philosophy, a formula for life, to be lived by every human being. When you understand and apply this manual of life, you can be more peaceful, happy & content. Arjuna was always successful and never failed in his life - hence one of his names was Vijayā. He had previously defeated Kauravās before the Mahābhāratā war, all by himself; even fought with Lord Śivā̄ and got the Pāśupatāstrā. We all know Arjuna, Madhyamā Pāṇḍavā, was the best among the 5 - in brilliance, smartness, ability, inquisitiveness, courage and he thought he always followed Dharma; that was his character. At the same time, he didn’t know exactly what Dharma meant. On the battlefield, we can see that he is doubtful, confused and in tears, yet he talks philosophy!! That’s what we see in the first chapter of the Bhagavadgīta. The successful soldier succumbs to the pressure of the situation and is not able to handle it and collapses crying. Can you believe it? If this can happen to such a man of achievements, what about us? Arjuna was thinking about what is the right thing to do? Should I get out of this war? Why create disharmony by waging war? He started speaking about the devastating consequences of the war on family and culture and plunged into a deep depression. He even goes to the extent of thinking of committing suicide by allowing his opponents to come and kill him!! Imagine you are the army general of India and is at the frontiers during a war against a neighboring nation. At the 48 Bhagavad Gita - Soldier to Samsarin to Sadaka outset of war, you decide to quit since you think war would lead to violence. What consequences will your decision have on the fate of your nation and on the people who have invested faith in you? What was the right thing to do? Do such things actually happen in the army? How will a country make sure that such things don’t happen? In case of Arjuna, suddenly, the sturdy soldier becomes a suffering saṃsārin without anything happening on the outside. Saṃsārin means one who is desperate, despondent, dejected, depressed in the midst of all the wealth and prosperity because of one’s erroneous thinking. You see, Arjuna is just like us, with a lot of potential, but a Saṃsārin. Doesn’t know what is the next best step in life - just like us. Fortunately, Arjuna realises that there is something wrong with his thinking because his best friend is silent throughout his “lecture”. If you have observed patients with mental illness, they will never agree that they have an issue. They always say that the problem is with someone else - wife, husband, boss, children, neighbours etc. It is very difficult to convince them to take medicine. According to the National Mental Health Survey of India 2015–2016, every sixth Indian needs help with mental health. Urban areas are the most affected. As per the Japanese National Police Agency, there were 2,153 suicide deaths against 1,765 corona deaths in October 2020. So today Japan has appointed a ‘Minister of Loneliness’ after seeing suicide rates in the country has been increased for the first time in 11 49 Glimpses of Glorious India years. The United Kingdom was the first country to appoint a loneliness minister in 2018 after they found that more than nine million people felt lonely. All of us live through the first chapter of the Gīta in our lives, Vishada Yoga - sorrow and then depression. Unfortunately, we don’t go to the second chapter, Sāṅkhya yoga, the knowledge. Therefore, we are unable to convert our sorrow and our experiences into a ladder or a stepping-stone for our progress or success. However, the case was different with Arjuna. Arjuna was quick to realise his mistake. It may be because of his upbringing, his character or because he was learned. He doesn’t know what to do and is feeling helpless and seeks help. Without any inhibition or shame, he asks for guidance unconditionally. He says I am ready to learn, please help me. This in itself is a great realisation. And lo! Śrī Kṛṣṇā accepts. That’s when the Saṃsārin̄ Arjuna transforms into a truth Seeking Sādhaka. Kṛṣṇā tore apart Arjuna’s arguments, teased him, praised him, motivated him, clarified his innermost conflicts, guaranteed to stand by him and support him, and offered help. In the end, Śrī Kṛṣṇā leaves it for Arjuna to choose for himself. A great lesson in love & friendship, rooted in freedom. Take a look at the 63rd sloka of the last chapter of Bhagavad Gita इति तेे ज्ञाानमााख्याातंं गुुह्यााद्गु ुह्यतरंं मयाा | वि मृृश्यैैतदशेेषेेण यथेेच्छसि तथाा कुुरु || 50 Bhagavad Gita - Soldier to Samsarin to Sadaka iti te jñānam ākhyātaṁ guhyād guhyataraṁ mayā | vimṛiśhyaitad aśheṣheṇa yathechchhasi tathā kuru || Thus, I have explained to you this knowledge that is more secret than all secrets. Ponder over it deeply, and then do as you wish. Bhagavad Gita 18.63 Can you believe it? After the entire discourse Krishna asks him to deliberate deeply on the topics and do as you wish!!! This is another important facet of Indian culture where teachings are not thrusted upon you. You always have the freewill to think deeply, rationally and make a decision. Arjuna was Droṇā’s favourite student. Droṇā gave all the necessary skills to him Yet, when Arjuna was about to fail in battle, Śrī Kṛṣṇā gave him the will power to overcome his mental challenges. Droṇā trained Arjuna in military art. But training the mind to be in equilibrium at all times, is a mental art, was taught by Śrī Kṛṣṇā on the battlefield. From Droṇā he gained all the aptitudes - learned all sorts of techniques, shooting with the right hand, the left hand and even blindfold and he would always hit the target without fail. But Śrī Kṛṣṇā taught him attitude - the right attitude towards action which takes you to the heights and keeps you at that altitude. Droṇā represents the current education system, education for living and Śrī Kṛṣṇā represents education for life. Both are necessary. This holistic view of education is what our tradition prescribes. This is Amma’s way. 51 Glimpses of Glorious India Arjuna was worried and confused, between his professional duty and personal duty. Kṛṣṇā reminded him performing one’s own duty is better than doing someone else’s duty. As an owner of the body-mind-intellect unit, Arjuna has a primary constitutional duty which is to realise the Changeless Self. Additionally, Arjuna also has to perform the occupational duty, in the role of a soldier. Śrī Kṛṣṇā instructs Arjuna on the importance of knowledge and action in life. Combining both, on the battlefield, he instructed Arjuna on why one should act, what to do, how to act, when should one act, where should one act, what all actions are to be performed. Arjuna understood the power of meditation over muscle power. He was given a vision of life and the real goal of life - Knowing Brahman; which is the only way to remain peaceful, happy and secured. Arjuna became interested and the discussion went on for a long time. There was no subject that they did not discuss - life, death, life after death; the laws of Karma and its network; creation sustenance and destruction of this universe; time cycles; physical, metaphysical; worldly, otherworldly; cooperation and co-existence; human rights and equality, role models and their influence in the society; dietary prescriptions and beauty techniques; environmental protection & preservation; self- development methods and skills; counselling and carrier guidance; distress management methods; dangers of lynching 52 Bhagavad Gita - Soldier to Samsarin to Sadaka and gossiping; management techniques for anger and desire; the best way of dealing with inner enemies - the art of war; sūtras on real love; methods for self-purification; mind control and meditation tips, finding happiness within, ways to achieve real freedom; God realization and the life after, the life of a Sthitaprajña (Mahatma)… and so on. Gradually Arjuna came out of his confusion and sorrow. Arjuna was convinced of his duty. He got his self-confidence back and became active, dynamic & cheerful again. He fought and won the war. So, the muscular military man, Soldier, became a suffering Saṃsārin̄ and then transformed into a seeker, a Sādaka, of truth in the presence of a great master, Śrī Kṛṣṇā̄. This shows the importance of a Sadguru in one’s life, only a Sadguru can save us from confusions and crisis. When Arjuna first came to the battlefield he felt pity for others. But it was misplaced compassion born out of attachment. Because of that, he refused to fight. Then he goes on to argue why he can’t fight... meaning follow his Dharma, his duty. l Why should I lead a life like this? l What is the purpose of life? l What is ultimate happiness and how will I attain that? All these questions popped up in his mind. Later on, he understood his faults and felt compassion for himself. When Arjuna was ready to take responsibility for his life, he transformed himself. Śrī Kṛṣṇā acted as a catalyst. 53 Glimpses of Glorious India We need to start with compassion for ourselves looking at the kind of life we lead currently. Understand what kind of life and ideals we want, look within, introspect and improve ourselves. That is compassion for oneself. Only then can we become spiritual. When the real compassion, born out of discernment, starts to blossom in you, then you will have compassion towards the world. Then compassion becomes your nature. As Amma always says, “The beginning and end of spirituality is in compassion.” Arjuna felt no desire, he didn’t want the kingdom or even the kingship of the heavens. What is the point in acquiring all luxuries in life? You will only weaken yourselves by indulging the senses. You will not be happy. So I don’t want any of them. Arjuna had a very strong dispassion. Amma says, “These two qualities, compassion and dispassion made Arjuna a fit recipient of the knowledge of Gīta.” If you are ready to fight the battle of life, with the guidance of higher consciousness, the power of discernment, then victory shall be yours; there is no doubt in it. This is one of the messages Bhagavadgīta gives us. Amma says, “Learning Gīta is to become Śrī Kṛṣṇā.” May you all get interested and dive deep to imbibe Bhagavadgīta and live a life with a smile throughout. 54 Chapter 7 LESSONS IN YOGA FROM BHAGAVAD GITA We purchase guides for certain subjects to study and improve our knowledge. But do we really purchase a guide for our growth? If such a guide exists, we would buy it and hold onto it forever. The timeless Bhagavad Gita can serve as a guide in all aspects of life. It is considered to be the most significant scripture of Sanatana Dharma and also contains the essence of all Upanishadic teachings. Bhagavan Krishna delivers this supreme knowledge to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra through a discussion. The teachings offer wisdom on how to live a righteous, meaningful and accomplished life. It also emphasises taking decisive action, being selfless, and living a life of quality. What is Yoga? The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit root word “yuj,” which means to unite, connect, or balance. And it connects an individual to the supreme being. In Bhagavad Gita Glimpses of Glorious India 2.48, Bhagavan Krishna defines yoga as “Samatvam Yogam Uchyate”, which means, “Yoga is said to be a state of balance or equanimity”. We misconceive Yoga as just some series of postures. It is in fact a profound concept that reveals the need for equanimity in all aspects of our lives. In the following sections, we will explore the four yogas described in the Bhagavad Gita. Karma Yoga Karma Yoga is the yoga of action. One of the most fundamental teachings of the Bhagavad Gita is found in the chapter on Karma Yoga. Bhagavan Sri Krishna reveals here directly, कर्ममण्येेवााधि काारस्तेे माा फलेेषुु कदााचन | माा कर्ममफलहेे तुुर्भूू र्माा तेे सङ्गोोऽस्त्वकर्ममणि || Karmaṇyēvādhikārastē mā phalēṣu kadācana | Mā karmaphalahēturbhūr mātē saṅgō’stvakarmaṇi || You have a right to perform your duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Let not the fruits of action be your motive, and never be attached to not doing your duty. Bhagavad Gita 2.47 Here Bhagavan says that our only authority is to perform deeds, and that its outcomes may not be what we come to expect. Hence, the fruits of our actions should not be our motive for action. Isn’t this confusing? If you can’t expect the results, how will you study or do anything at all? But it’s not like that! You have to do your duty and aim for higher marks, but you should always keep in mind that the results 56 Lessons in Yoga from Bhagavad Gita are not entirely in your hands. The results do depend on the effort you put in, but it is not the sole factor. For example, we work hard for an interview and perform very well. While our performance in the interview plays a vital role, there are factors that lie with the interviewer and the firm that determine the outcome. The firm may suddenly decide to not hire anyone at all. Or they may prefer another person who performed less but is a native of the place of work. The interviewer’s mood, hidden biases, or nepotistic intentions can also affect the result. Amma usually cites the example of driving on the road. Even if we are driving carefully, a reckless driver can come and hit our vehicle. So when Bhagavan reminds us that results are not entirely in our hands, we learn to embrace the results, even in the face of bitter failures and thus maintain a state of equanimity of mind. We can steer clear of unnecessary self blame, and our persistence will not be injured. Now one may think, “If the outcome is not in my hands, then why put in effort at all”. This is where the second part of the sloka sheds light on. We are particularly reminded to never be lazy and actionless. Our effort is indeed needed to produce results. We still have to perform to the best of our abilities. When the outcome may not be in our favour despite our best efforts, what outcome can we expect if no effort is made at all. Bhagavan recommends that when we work let our heart be in the work and not in the result. This will ensure that results 57 Glimpses of Glorious India will not affect us, our drive and motivation. In short, with proper understanding, we become more action oriented trying to perfect it rather than result oriented. Invariably the results would automatically follow. We learnt that Yoga is a state of balance or equanimity. So what then is Karma Yoga, or Yoga of action. It is detaching ourselves from the expectation of results and working hard towards perfection of action. What is balanced here? Our state of mind is balanced, in that it doesn’t fall into depression owing to adverse results. Our Karma hence becomes Karma Yoga. Dhyana Yoga Dhyana Yoga is the yoga of meditation. It’s not just the traditional practices of sitting quietly; but it goes far beyond that. Our mind often gets the best of us, and we end up regretting things, thinking about how we could have performed or behaved better. Sometimes all that was needed would have been our patient listening or calm behaviour. And other times, we should have presented a strong, intimidating front. There may be times when we need to summon anger and times when we need control. Sometimes unmanageable irritation or anger inside us leads us to show contempt instead of respect or frown instead of smile. Or uncontrollable fear extinguishes our anger, and we cower or submit when we should intimidate. Is it possible to train ourselves in certain ways, to be capable of commanding our mind and our senses? If such a training was there, like all heroes, we, too, can be intimidating, 58 Lessons in Yoga from Bhagavad Gita admirable, patient, loving, or pleasant in the right place at the right time. Is there something we can practise every day to attain exactly that? Once upon a time, a great man asked this to Bhagavan himself, चञ्चलंं हि मन: कृृष्ण प्रमााथि बलवद्दृृ ढम्् । तस्यााहंं नि ग्रहंं मन्येे वाायोोरि व सुुदुुष्करम्् ।। Cañcalaṁ hi mana: kr̥ṣṇa pramāthi balavaddr̥ḍham | Tasyāhaṁ nigrahaṁ manyē vāyōriva suduṣkaram || Verily, the mind, O Kṛṣṇa, is restless, turbulent, strong, and unyielding; I regard it quite as hard to achieve its control as that of the wind. Bhagavad Gita 6.34 Bhagavan replied thus, असंंशयंं महााबााहोो मनोो दुु र्नि िग्रहंं चलंं। अभ्याासेेन तुु कौौन्तेेय वैैरााग्येेण च गृृह्यतेे।। Asaṁśayaṁ mahābāhō manō durnigrahaṁ calaṁ | Abhyāsēna tu kauntēya vairāgyēṇa ca gr̥hyatē || Without doubt, O mighty-armed one, the mind is restless, and difficult to control; but through practice and renunciation, O son of Kuntī, the mind may be governed. Bhagavad Gita 6.35 Bhagavan Krishna assures Arjuna, and through Arjuna to all of us, that it is possible through constant practice. But what do we practise? When Arjuna exclaims disheartedly that it is very difficult to control the mind, Bhagavan acknowledges it and gives a very specific solution. To develop the muscles of the mind by constant practice. Many miss the common sense that 59 Glimpses of Glorious India Bhagavan Sri Krishna invites us to see. Just like a weak body can become strong by constant practice (of physical exercise and training), the mind too can be made strong by training and practice. What is often missed is clarity regarding what constitutes the strength of the mind, and what training gives that strength. The strength of mind is the strength that allows us to be in control of the mind, rather than the mind being in control of us. Though we constantly refer to this strength using terms like ‘will power’ or ‘self control’ we miss that the need for such strength is as fundamental as the need for a healthy and fit body. The irony is that many of us talk about will power when we try to go to the gym to make our body strong. Most of us fail to persevere here simply because the mind is not strong enough. Having failed, the need for mental strength escapes our attention, we blame ourselves, and move on. Here is where Bhagavan Krishna’s advice makes practical sense. Having realised the lack of mental strength we should then try to build the muscles of our mind. Bhagavan says, सुुहृन्मि त्राार्युु दाासीीनमध्यस्थद्वेेष्यबन्धुुषुु । सााधुुष्वपि च पाापेेषुु समबुुद्धि वि र्शि िष्यतेे ।। Suhr̥nmitrāryudāsīnamadhyasthadvēṣyabandhuṣu | Sādhuṣvapi ca pāpēṣu samabuddhivirśiṣyatē || He attains excellence who looks with equal regard upon well-wishers, friends, foes, neutrals, arbiters, the hateful, the relatives, and upon the righteous and the unrighteous alike. Bhagavad Gita 6.9 60 Lessons in Yoga from Bhagavad Gita Here we are asked to “look with equal regard upon well- wishers, friends, foes, neutrals, arbiters, the hateful, the relatives, and upon the righteous and the unrighteous alike.” This doesn’t mean that we have to turn into robots, be unexpressive, and treat friends and enemies alike. What Sri Krishna asks of us here is something specific. When someone praises us, our mind rises in joy and we are happy. When someone blames us our mind falls into sorrow, and we are sad. When seeing a friend our mind rises to comfort and we are happy, and when with an enemy the mind lowers to discomfort and we are unhappy. In all these cases the mind does what it wants and we simply tag along. Sri Krishna is asking us to catch the mind here, in this level itself, and practice control. Try to maintain the mind in balance, not allowing it to rise and fall on its own. Be in command. We decide when the mind will rise to happiness or fall to sorrow. We decide when to be angry and intimidating. Sri Krishna says that such strength of mind can be achieved by our conscious practice in our daily living. Alongside this He further recommends exercises (internal) for daily practice, to be done on our own, in solitude. योोगीी युुञ्जीीत सततमाात्माानंं रहसि स्थि त: । एकााकीी यतचि त्ताात्माा नि रााशीीरपरि ग्रह: ।। Yōgī yuñjīta satatamātmānaṁ rahasi sthita: | Ēkākī yatacittātmā nirāśīraparigraha: || The Yogī should constantly practise concentration of the heart, retiring into solitude, alone, with the mind and body subdued, and free from hope and possession. Bhagavad Gita 6.10 61 Glimpses of Glorious India शुुचौौ देे शेे प्रति ष्ठााप्य स्थि रमाासनमाात्मन: । नाात्युुच्छ्रि ितंं नााति नीीचंं चैैलााजि नकुुशोोत्तरम्् ।। Śucau dēśē pratiṣṭhāpya sthiramāsanamātmana: | Nātyucchritaṁ nātinīcaṁ cailājinakuśōttaram || Having established in a clean spot his seat, firm, neither too high nor too low, made of a cloth, a skin, and Kuśa-grass, arranged in consecution. Bhagavad Gita 6.11 तत्रैैकााग्रंं मन: कृृत्वाा यतचि त्तेेन्द्रि यक्रि य: । उपवि श्याासनेे युुञ्ज्यााद्योोगमाात्मवि शुुद्धयेे ।। Tatraikāgraṁ mana: kr̥tvā yatacittēndriyakriya: | Upaviśyāsanē yuñjyādyōgamātmaviśuddhayē || There, seated on that seat, making the mind one-pointed and subduing the action of the mind and the senses, let him practice Yoga for the purification of the heart. Bhagavad Gita 6.12 Bhagavan Krishna thus taught Arjuna, and through him all of us too, the real nature of the mind. He further reveals how all of us can train ourselves and attain strength of mind. Thus while Karma Yoga is equanimity in our Karma, unaffected by results, Dhyana Yoga is equanimity of the mind, unaffected by the world that happens around us. Jnana Yoga There was a cat once sitting very calmly next to a ferocious dog. His calmness seemed strange. Did he not care for his life? Was he lost in some fantasy of fresh fish or cosy sleep? A lavish bath of belly scratching? Was he awake at all? The 62 Lessons in Yoga from Bhagavad Gita dog that this cat was facing was mean. Mean enough to scare a strong grown man. He was growling in a low, dangerous tone, a warning to run away. A warning that races any heart, or scares anything with a heart. But the cat was surprisingly calm! Was this a divine cat? A powerful being in the form of a cat? A cat that attained liberation, losing all worldly care, including his own life? Did he think that his time had come? His calmness even made the dog wonder. “Am I not scary enough? Did I miss something? Am I dressed like a clown? Does he not know how strong I am?” The dog did not think anymore; it was time to prove, “The calmness of this cat needs to be taught a lesson. Never again will he show his face in my shadow.” With a terrifying growl, the dog attacked the cat of calm, only to be stopped short, a whisper away. The dog tried hard to pull at his leash. Yet he could only manage to get the tip of his groomed nails, to reach but a hair’s breadth away from the tip of the cat’s nose. The cat of calm was indeed a being of power—the power of knowledge. Why was the cat so calm? Knowledge brings Power. The cat knew that the dog was tied to a leash, and hence it wasn’t scared at all. It remained very calm. Similarly, the knowledge that we are not our body, mind or intellect but the all- pervasive divinity instils eternal and infinite ‘fearlessness’ in us. This knowledge of self is Jnana Yoga, or the Yoga of self- knowledge. Once upon a time, there was a Guru and Shishya living and learning in a Gurukula, near a forest. Unlike the other 63 Glimpses of Glorious India students, this student had trouble grasping the concepts taught by the Guru. The Guru was trying to teach him the power of knowledge and how it helps us see everything for itself. And from there, the Guru wanted to teach the student the nature of ultimate truth and the world we live in. But no matter how much the Guru discussed with him, in multiple ways and angles of approach, the shishya was unable to grasp the concept. One day, the Guru took a walk into the forest with the Shishya. As they walked on, the student’s eyes suddenly fell upon an enormous form in the shadow of a huge tree. It was an elephant. Fear flooded him, and without a second thought, he turned and ran as fast as he could. But soon he realised that he had left behind his Guru to fend for Himself. He came rushing back while trying to make sure that the elephant did not detect him. He saw his dear Guru standing very close to it. His heartbeat grew faster, he tensed, and he worried. He tried to catch the attention of his Guru from a distance and tried to gesture, asking him to make his way towards him and away from the animal. The close proximity of the elephant to the Guru terrified him. He was scared of the elephant, and now he was scared of losing his Guru to it. Suddenly, he saw his Guru raising His hand. Then, to his utter shock, the Guru placed His hand gently on the tusk of the elephant. And now the Guru, with his hand on the tusk, was gesturing to him to come near. Carefully, slowly, and sceptically, he walked to the Guru. His body shook as he neared the animal; the only confidence he had was in his 64 Lessons in Yoga from Bhagavad Gita Guru. Now the Guru asked him to look up at the elephant and touch its tusk. The student managed to do it and placed his hand next to his Guru’s. His fear vanished in an instant. The elephant was, in fact, made of wood. The Guru then said, Marattai maṟaittatu māmata yāṉai Marattil maṟaintatu māmata yāṉai Parattai maṟaittaṉa pārmutal pūtam Parattil maṟaintaṉa pārmutal pūtamē That which hid the wood was the elephant. That which disappeared in the wood was the elephant. That which hides in creation is the creator. That which disappears in creation is the creator. Tirumantiram of Tirumūlar The Guru thus, with a practical method, imparted the most profound wisdom to the student. The Guru decided to teach this student using a practical method, since all other methods seemed ineffective. He arranged, with the help of his other students, a wooden elephant to be made in the size of an actual elephant. It was then placed in a particular place in the forest. The message of this story is that when you see the elephant, the wood is hidden, and when you see the wood, the elephant vanishes. Similarly, the knowledge of self makes everything vanish, while when you see everything else, you miss the real self. Amma gives a similar example. When we go to a jewellery store, we see earrings, bangles, chains, nose rings, lockets, etc. 65 Glimpses of Glorious India We see the ornaments as one different from the other. And when we see them as gold, the differences disappear. Of course for all practical purposes they are different ornaments. But the reality is that they are the same, in that they are all gold. Similarly we all appear to be different from each other, our friends, family, the trees, the animals, the birds, etc. And for all practical purposes of daily living we feel different. But the underlying reality, just like in the case of gold ornaments and gold, is that we are all one with the real self, the Paramatma. Bhagavan Sri Krishna reveals, नाासतोो वि द्यतेे भाावोो नााभाावोो वि द्यतेे सतःः । उभयोोरपि दृष्टोोऽन्तस्त्वनयोोस्तत्त्वदर्शि िभिः ः || Nāsatō vidyatē bhāvō nābhāvō vidyatē sataḥ | Ubhayōrapi dr̥ṣṭō’ntastvanayōstattvadarśibhiḥ || The unreal never is. The Real never is not. Those possessed of the knowledge of the Truth fully know both these. Bhagavad Gita 2.16 In Gita, the path of self-knowledge is prescribed very extensively. There is no need for us to become something other than our real nature. It is neither possible to add anything to our self nor to take anything away from it. The only thing that we can do is remove the veils covering the self. If we constantly strive to remain in our natural state, the self will shine on its own, removing the veil. This is Jnana Yoga, where we learn to discern between that which is real and that which is not. We are enabled to see the world clearly, without bias, and to respond to situations 66 Lessons in Yoga from Bhagavad Gita with compassion and wisdom rather than reactivity and emotional turmoil. We remain balanced in what is real, without allowing the unreal to affect us. Bhakti Yoga India has a long tradition of Bhakti, or, in other words, devotion. The length and breadth of this land reverberate with stories of devotion and how devotion leads one person to Moksha, or, in other words, liberation. In every state of this country, you would find Mahatmas and sages who were devotees of different Iswaras and taught about devotion. For Shiva devotees, there are sages known as Nayanar Saints, who are 63 in number. There are Alwars who are Vishnu devotees, Sri Rama Bhaktha devotees like Tulsi Das, Krishna devotees like Mira Bai, and thousands of others. Each of their stories is also inspiring and instils devotion in the listeners. Pusalar Nayanar of the eighth century is identified as one of the 63 Nayanars. He was a devotee of Bhagavan Siva living in Thiruninravur, Tamil Nadu. We can read about him in the Periyapuranam compiled and written by Sekkizhar in the 12th century. Pusalar considered mental worship thousands of times better than external ritualistic worship. At the same time, he strongly desired to build a temple for Lord Shiva, but he did not have enough money for it. He was a poor person, working hard to make both ends meet. So, he started building the temple mentally every day by constantly meditating on Shiva and decided a day for the consecration. In the meantime, the king of that place, who was also a 67 Glimpses of Glorious India great devotee of Lord Siva, was building a magnificent temple in Kanjeevaram. Coincidentally, he also fixed the same auspicious date, which Pusalar had chosen, for the installation of the Lord form in his temple he built in his mind. One day, the king had a dream. Bhagavan Shiva asked him to postpone the installation ceremony at his temple because He would be visiting a temple that one of His devotees had built in Thiruninravur. The king woke up from sleep and was intensely eager to have the Darshan of the devotee mentioned by Bhagavan. The king also wondered if this temple of the devotee was more magnificent than his own temple, since Bhagavan decided to go there. The king came to Thiruninravur with his attendants and soldiers and started searching all over the place for the temple; he could not find any. All the villagers reported that there were no Shiva temples built in that place. Then one person told the king that there was an ardent devotee of Shiva in the place by the name of Pusalar. Thinking he might be able to help locate the Shiva temple, the king found out about Pusalar’s house and approached him. Pusalar was stunned when he heard of the king’s dream. Soon, he recovered and was filled with joy. He said, “How kind and compassionate is my God? I am only a normal being, and He has accepted my mental shrine as His abode. I am really blessed.” He told the king that that temple was only in his mind. The king was greatly surprised to hear this. Admiring Pusalar’s devotion, the king fell at his feet and worshipped him. Pusalar installed the Lord in his mental 68 Lessons in Yoga from Bhagavad Gita temple and continued to worship Him till he attained His Abode. Amma once said, “The real question is not whether God exists or not, but whether human beings have sorrow or not. Bhakti, or devotion, is the practical way of getting rid of sorrows. Bhakti is a practical science. Bhakti is not blind superstitious belief. It is this faith that removes darkness from our hearts. Not only does it help us unburden our heart, it also amplifies our sense of righteousness and inspires us to be compassionate towards the distressed. Devotion to God and compassion for the world are but two sides of the same coin. Jñana and Bhakti are not two; if Jñana is the fruit of a tree, Bhakti is the juice of that fruit.” On another occasion Amma said, “The path of bhakti teaches love. First, you develop one-pointed love towards God. When that love becomes the centre of your life and as the devotional practices become more and more intense, your vision changes. You come to understand that God dwells as pure consciousness in all beings, including you. As this experience becomes stronger and stronger, the love in you also grows until, at last, you become That. The love within you expands and embraces the entire universe with all its beings. You become the personification of love. This love removes all dryness from you. This love is the best cure for all emotional blocks and for all negative feelings.” In the Bhagavad Gita, Bhagavan Sri Krishna says, अद्वेेष्टाा सर्ववभूूताानांं मैैत्रःः करुण एव च। नि र्मममोो नि रहङ्काारःः समदुःः खसुुखःः क्षमीी।। 69 Glimpses of Glorious India सन्तुुष्टःः सततंं योोगीी यताात्माा दृढनि श्चयःः । मय्यर्पि ितमनोोबुुद्धि र्योो मद्भक्तःः स मेे प्रि यःः ।। Advēṣṭā sarvabhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa ēva ca | Nirmamō nirahaṅkāraḥ samaduḥkhasukhaḥ kṣamī || Santuṣṭaḥ satataṁ yōgī yatātmā dr̥ḍhaniścayaḥ | Mayyarpitamanōbuddhiryō madbhaktaḥ sa mē priyaḥ || He who hates no creature, and is friendly and compassionate towards all, who is free from the feelings of “I and mine”, even-minded in pain and pleasure, forbearing, ever content, steady in meditation, self- controlled, and possessed of firm conviction, with mind and intellect fixed on Me; he who is thus devoted to Me, is dear to Me. Bhagavad Gita 12.13 - 14 Bhakti Yoga is hence the highest form of Samatva or equanimity we can achieve. Developing Bhakti for our God, develops love for all beings in the universe. We develop a sense of equanimity towards all. Conclusion The Bhagavad Gita is like a user manual for our lives. It teaches us many important lessons, and the yogas connect us to divinity or help us realise that our divinity is the principal idea. Each spiritual seeker is called upon to decide which Yoga best fits his/her natural disposition. Karma yoga is advised for action-oriented people. While Dhyana Yoga is recommended for all, it is well suited for those who are naturally introspective, and calm inside. Bhakti Yoga is best suited for devotional people who can easily connect to God 70 Lessons in Yoga from Bhagavad Gita emotionally. And Jnana Yoga or the Yoga of knowledge, is for highly rational people who can use discrimination. For the benefit of oneself and others, practise and engage in yoga and reap its rewards. Amma says, “All yogas aim at samatva bhava (attitude of equanimity). What is known as yoga is samatva. There is no God beyond that, whatever may be the path. That state should be attained.” 71 Chapter 9 ULTIMATE REALITY: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES Oh my God! There are a thousand things that we can perceive directly with our senses. But we are still curious about something that is beyond our sensory experiences. Since our childhood, we have been familiar with the term God. We are influenced by God-related rituals, prayers, festivals, and beliefs throughout our lives, from our daily routine to our entire lives. Some people believe in God, while others reject or doubt the existence of God. There have been talks, discussions, debates, and even brutal fights in the name of God. To discuss something, negate or affirm it, we need to have a common, agreeable definition. However, in the case of God, do we have one? We are familiar with the famous statement “God is dead” by German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Negation of God became prominent in the works of European philosophers, thinkers, and scientists after the Enlightenment era. In Glimpses of Glorious India Europe, the Renaissance was a period of cultural and intellectual revival that began in the 14th century. It set the stage for the Enlightenment, which emerged in the 17th and 18th centuries and used reason and science to challenge traditional beliefs and improve society. These two periods together helped revive Europe from the Dark Ages, when religious dogma and authoritarianism overshadowed reason and freedom. And if you observe carefully, you will see that these thinkers and philosophers, like Friedrich Nietzsche, are criticizing the God of the Dark Ages of Europe. But can we impose the Dark Age idea of God on other spiritual and religious concepts around the world? This today is a common mistake, arising from Eurocentric worldviews. Creator and Creation Why do we need a God, or how did the concept of God come to exist? As rational beings, it is our natural tendency to seek patterns. So we observed the pattern of ‘cause and effect’. Every event, process, state, or object is the contribution of some other event, process, state, or object. These patterns of cause and effect led humans to another big question, “What is the primary cause?” To create a tiny needle or a huge palace, some sort of intelligence is necessary, so what would be the intelligence behind the creation and sustenance of this extremely complex and well-ordered universe? This question led to numerous stories, beliefs, religions, rituals, and revelations. If we look into the different religions and 84 Ultimate Reality: Different Perspectives cultures, they all have their own creation stories and creator Gods. Some believe that there was an entity—God—and that He created the entire universe. Others disagree with this; they negated this idea of God; they said if God can exist without any other cause, then it would be the same for the universe; it can also exist without any creator. Another set of people agree with the idea of God, but they have objections to the name of God; according to them, their God is the real God. In this manner, there are multiple perspectives and concepts about God. Historically speaking, the prominence of these different theological and religious viewpoints has often been determined by their political power rather than their rationality. If one group comes into power, they try to discredit the belief in another God(s). Especially during the dark ages, inquisitions, religious wars, and activities such as witch hunts were widely used to enforce belief systems on people. God in India However, if we look at India, it has been home to different theological and philosophical positions. One of the main reasons is that Indian knowledge systems give more importance to living according to Dharma than worshiping or believing in any particular entity. But the question about the primary cause has been well addressed in Indian philosophical systems. The great Rishis of ancient India explored all the possibilities of the primary causes of 85 Glimpses of Glorious India creation, sustenance, and dissolution of the universe. They do not believe in the idea that some God sitting in the sky created and governs the universe to solve the question. Such concepts contain many fallacies. For example, if God created the universe before its creation, where was he? Maybe we can tell he was in another world or heaven, but then who created that world? God himself? Then where was God before the creation of that world? This will lead to an infinite regress fallacy. If God created everything, then, who created this God? Some other superior God? Or if he can exist without a creator, then the same can be possible for the universe as well, right? According to Rishis, God is not creating this world as an artist paints a painting. But the supreme reality is manifested as the universe, just like a dancer’s dance. Dance is not different from the dancer; similarly, the universe is not a separate entity from the supreme reality but an expression of it. The creator is not a person or entity that sits in some other world and governs the universe, but God pervades everywhere and everything. The Ishavasya Upanishad begins with the following mantra, ईशाावाास्यमि दंं सर्वंं यत्कि ञ्च जगत्यांं जगत्् । Īśāvāsyam idam sarvaṁ yat kiñca jagatyāṁ jagat. All that exists in the universe should be covered by the Ishvara Ishavasya Upanishad - 1 Usually we translate Ishvara, Bhagavan, etc. as God. However, the Indian ideas are completely different from the Dark 86 Ultimate Reality: Different Perspectives Ages’ concept of God. For instance, in the above verse, Īśā or Ishvara is the ruler of the universe, but it is not a separate being. Īśā is the real self of every creature (Commentary by Shankaracharya), and it pervades everything. That is completely different from the idea of a heavenly monarch. Activity: Explore the etymological meanings of Ishvara, Bhagavan, and God Sadguru Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi says, “There is no need to search for a God sitting somewhere beyond the sky. God is the all-pervading Supreme Consciousness.” Many Gods! If the ultimate reality, Ishvara, transcends all limitations, such as names and forms, then why are there so many Gods in Indian culture? There is no denying that humans possess the most advanced brains and an unfathomable ability to think. However, those are limited in many ways. With our limited reason and senses, it is hard to understand the unlimited and absolute reality. So the ancient Rishis presented Ishvara on many levels for the benefit of people belonging to different intellectual levels. All the different deities we come across in Indian culture are nothing but different manifestations of the same. We have in the Rigveda, इन्द्रंं मि त्रंं वरुणमग्नि मााहुरथोो दि व्यःः स सुुपर्णोो गरुत्माान्् । एकंं सद्वि प्राा बहुधाा वदन्त्यग्निं ं यमंं माातरि श्वाानमााहुःः 87 Glimpses of Glorious India Indraṃ mitraṃ varuṇamagnimāhuratho divyaḥ sa suparṇo garutmān. Ekaṃ sadviprā bahudhā vadantyagniṃ yamaṃ mātariśvānamāhuḥ They call it Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, and he is the heavenly-winged Garutman. To what is One, sages give many a title, they call it Agni, Yama, Matarisvan. Rig Veda 1.164.46 Acharya Yaska, the commentator of the Veda, also says, एकस्याात्मनोोऽन्येे देे वाःः प्रत्यङ्गाानि भवन्ति ekasyātmano’nye devāḥ pratyaṅgāni bhavanti Many forms of Gods are manifestations of One Reality Nirukta, Yaska However, Indian Knowledge Systems always promoted intellectual debates and discussions about the existence and nature of the supreme being. There were philosophical schools such as the Charvakas that negated the existence of Isvara. They proposed a YOLO (you only live once) model of materialistic life. In the works of Shankara and other acharyas, they refuted the arguments of Charvaka. These rebuttals were based on logic and reason, not dogma or political authority of the dark ages of Europe. In short, ancient Indians don’t believe in a supreme monarch who sits on a mighty throne and either promotes us to heaven if we believe in him or sends us to eternal hell if we do not believe in him/her. We owe this to the diversity and pluralism that we are experiencing today. According to Indian traditions, the supreme being can assume any name 88 Ultimate Reality: Different Perspectives and form. There is no point in fighting each other to prove one’s god is the true God. For them, the supreme being is the substratum of everything; it is the thread that is strung together in the universe. It is the ultimate reality—existence, consciousness, and bliss. 89 Chapter 10 PRACTICAL VEDANTA Be it our friend, colleague, manager or life partner, we would certainly appreciate in others qualities such as, love, care, respect, and courage. Empathy is the underlying core value for most of these qualities. We say, “He loves me” or “She loves me”, only if that person is able to relate to our feelings. The root of this ability is empathy. Empathy inturn leads us to compassion. Without empathy even love is toxic. It is only by empathising with others can we truly understand what qualities others appreciate in us. Empathy is also a skill. By empathy, one can understand and connect with other people. It is crucial in workplaces. Only by empathising, can we understand the needs, problems and potentials of others. For example, you are leading a group for your assignment. Consider a classmate of yours, who is part of your group. He is repeating a mistake even after you have brought it to his attention multiple times. We find more often that when we empathise and try to understand why Practical Vedanta exactly the mistake was repeated, and when we learn that he or she has some particular reason for it, then we will be able to handle the problem in a better way. We will be able to appreciate their potential and maintain the relationship, as well as make sure that the work will not be affected. If we can empathise with the stakeholders we can have a better understanding about the problems and solve them. For example if there is a clash between two groups, first we have to empathise and understand the problems of both sides, and then only can we find an impartial solution. It is (or must be) the underlying principle for all ethics and morality. Whether it is human rights, animal rights, or sustainability, everything is based on empathy. Empathy is key in family and relationships. It is by empathising with others that our relationships mature. For example, if our sibling is not studying well, instead of blaming him or her, you can empathise and understand what the real problems are. Like he or she may be struggling with learning disabilities, or other difficulties. All organisations and institutions are based on empathy. Only by empathising with a group or an idea, can people form a team. Extending Empathy is Key to Human Survival Along with physical advantages like the ability to walk on two legs, the structure of palms and fingers, and the size of the brain, empathy plays a key role in the survival and supremacy of Homo sapiens. Empathy helps humans understand the weaknesses and strengths of fellow members. This paves the 91 Glimpses of Glorious India foundation for collaboration. “Society needs to undergo an empathic revolution if we are to survive as a species”, says Dr. Anita Nowak, McGill University. Empathy - An Inborn Quality For humans, empathy is an inborn quality. Dr. V. S. Ramachandran (Director, Center for Brain and Cognition & Professor, University of California) says, “If somebody touches my hand, a neuron in the somatosensory cortex in the sensory region of the brain fires. But the same neuron, in some cases, will fire when I simply watch another person touching another person’s hand. So, it’s empathising with the other person being touched. Why do I not get confused and literally feel that touch sensation merely by watching somebody being touched? I mean, I empathise with that person but I don’t literally feel the touch. Well, that’s because you’ve got receptors in your skin, touch and pain receptors, going back into your brain and saying don’t worry, you’re not being touched. So, empathise, by all means, with the other person, but do not actually experience the touch otherwise you’ll get confused and muddled. But if you remove the arm, [or] you simply anaesthetise my arm, so you put an injection into my arm, anaesthetise the brachial plexus, so the arm is numb, and there is no sensations coming in, if I now watch you being touched, I literally feel it in my hand. In other words, you have dissolved the barrier between you and other human beings. So, I call them empathy neurons.” The neurons that shaped civilization - VS Ramachandran 92 Practical Vedanta Empathy is also present in other animals. In a series of studies at Northwestern University, researchers taught a group of rhesus monkeys to pull a lever to dispense a food pellet - pulling one lever in response to a red light and another in response to a blue light. So for three days the monkeys pulled the lever to get their food. So far, so good. Then, on the fourth day, one of the livers was programmed to administer an electric shock to a monkey in the next chamber, visible through a one-way mirror. Now, when one monkey pulled the chain to get food, he or she saw a fellow monkey receive a painful shock. Can you guess what happened next? The vast majority of the monkeys, 87% in one experiment, then refused to pull the lever. They would rather go hungry than hurt the monkey next door. Scientists have observed that elephants show empathy like humans. They can feel the pain of their friends; they toss dust upon the wounds of fellow elephants; they help others climb out of mud and holes; they even mourn for their dead friends; they cry; and they pay tribute to the dead bodies and bones of loved ones. Similarly, monkeys, dolphins, etc. also feel grief and sorrow when facing the death or disease of their loved ones. Dogs are capable of understanding the moods of their owners, and they often try to comfort them when they are feeling stressed. https://online.uwa.edu/news/empathy-in- animals/ 93 Glimpses of Glorious India Empathy Must be Creative Empathy is an essential value and social skill one must have, and it helped the survival of Homo sapiens. But then empathy has its downsides if we don’t apply it intelligently. Empathy can be manipulated. Our natural empathy for those closer and more similar to us can be leveraged to provoke antipathy towards those who are not. People feel ‘empathic distress’, which can become a barrier to action. While shared happiness certainly is a very pleasant state, the sharing of suffering can at times be difficult, which can become a barrier to action. Such distress leads to apathy, withdrawal, and feelings of helplessness, and can even be bad for your health. During the pandemic, a sense of empathy fatigue had become a particular concern among care-givers, such as those working in mental health support or hospital doctors and nurses. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200930-can- empathy-be-bad-for-you Empathy must be intelligent. Mere sharing of emotions will make us weak. Our feelings should translate into our actions in a positive manner. Otherwise it is like a person jumping into a lake to save a drowning person, without knowing how to swim. During the pandemic, and the lockdowns, we all empathised with the people who were affected economically and physically. Many people even lost their sleep thinking about them. But some of our researchers tried to develop solutions 94 Practical Vedanta for them – to empathise with the victims in an intelligent manner. https://www.amrita.edu/covid/ Practical Vedanta – Expanding If we empathise only with the people close to us, like family members or friends, we end up excluding a large group of people. When we empathise only with fellow people of the same identity (ethnical, religious, geographical etc.) we exclude people outside this identity. For example, in the news we hear about, say, the death of an Indian in Ethiopia. It could be more relatable to us than the death of some random person, say, in Sri Lanka, even though Sri Lanka is closer to us than Ethiopia. This presents another limitation for us. This limitation existed even in the initial stages of humanism. For example, the failure to include blacks and indigenous people. While it is good to empathise as a race, it is also limited and may create problems, like nazism or racism. We can empathise with all human beings, because that is also relatable. Then again, that also presents a limitation. Most ecological crises are the result of a lack of empathy towards our non-human fellow beings. Maybe we can empathise with the beings that are closer to us, or similar to us. Then too other creatures and nature are excluded. What then could be the highest possible extension of empathy? The School of Advaita proposes, “Everything that exists is not different from my own self.” This would make for the highest possible extension of empathy. 95 Glimpses of Glorious India Vedanta: The Creative & Practical Way of Empathy Swami Vivekananda says, “Even thinking of the least good of others gradually instils into the heart, the strength of a lion.” In 1898, there were several outbreaks of plague in Kolkata. To help the affected, Swami Vivekananda was ready to start relief operations. Then one of his gurubhais (fellow disciples of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa) asked him about the source of money. Swamiji said, “Why, we shall sell the newly bought ashram grounds, if necessary. We are sannyasis and shall live on alms and sleep under a tree as before.” Nevertheless, he found sufficient funds for the work. Please take a look at the full incident at the link below. https://organiser.org/2021/05/07/24391/bharat/swami- vivekananda-and-the-pandemic-panic/ Did you get a chance to visit Amrita Niketan at Parippally, Kollam? Long before, our ashram was just some huts. The ashram was saving up funds to build its first prayer hall. At the time Amma learned that orphans in Parippally were about to be turned out onto the street. She immediately diverted the funds for the prayer hall to assume care of the children. Thus the Amrita Niketanam orphanage (and later, Amrita Higher Secondary Sanskrit School) was born. Today this is the largest school in Kerala to teach Sanskrit as the first language, and is one of the best schools in the district. Students here excel in music, sports and dance. Extra curricular activities now include classical dance, music, panchavadyam, tabla lessons, and computer science. Children receive free coaching in all these areas from experts. 96 Practical Vedanta https://www.amritapuri.org/activity/social/orphanage There is a story from our former president Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam. During a hectic project that had over 70 scientists working, one scientist asked Dr. Kalam if he could leave at 5.30 pm that evening. He had promised to take his kids to an exhibition. Dr. Kalam gave him permission. However, the scientist got busy with work only to realise that time had gone by and it was 8.30 PM. When he looked for his boss, Dr Kalam, he wasn’t there. Guilty for having disappointed his kids, he went back home only to find that his kids weren’t there. When he asked his wife where they were, she replied, “You don’t know? Your boss came here at 05:15 PM and took the children to the exhibition.” Once Baba Amte (Murlidhar Devidas Amte) encountered a leprosy patient named Tushiram. “A man in the last stage of leprosy. A rotting mass of human flesh with two holes in place of a nose, without traces of fingers or toes, with worms and sores where there should have been eyes. Literally a living corpse.” He ran away, terrified of the infection and of the sight he had seen. He had always thought of himself as being fearless and daring. The encounter with Tulshiram shattered his self-image. For the next six months he lived in the unrelenting agony of this crisis. He then realised that, “Where there is fear, there is no love. And where there is no love, there is no God.” Baba Amte decided to take up the cause of serving leprosy patients. Thus he established Anandwan in 1949. Through 97 Glimpses of Glorious India Anandwan he hoped to give the marginalised people a dignified life through self-reliance, and by restoring in them a sense of belonging that they had lost due to ill treatment at the hands of society. Here Baba Amte’s empathy became a creative force to act for the wellbeing of the people. Amma at Stanford University At Stanford University’s ‘Conversations on Compassion’ series, while answering questions posed by neurosurgeon Dr James Doty, Amma said, “If we tune the individual mind with compassion, then we, as individuals, are no longer really performing actions, but are merely allowing creation to act through us. And this is the power of co

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