Sunday, August 23, 2015

One with God...

There is lot of suffering around the world - poverty, disease, tensions, anxieties, endless desires, dualities, pain, depression, jealousy, enmity, struggle to survive, competition, insecurity, ignorance, stress, madness, old age, homeless, and finally death and the unimaginable pain that one has to go through at the time of death.

Thoughts started rising ,is this what life is all about?, As life takes shape at the time of  birth, the unbearable pain mother has to go through to give life to that what is known as "life". A life whose ingredients are fear, disease, old age, pain, stress, madness, insecurity, flesh and bones and finally death. No there should be something beyond all this, this cannot be termed as life. But if there is something more to it, something more positive to it but what is it?

Some books like the Bhagvad Gita, Yog Vasisht and other ISKON books, some reading from the laws of manu, and some reading from the books on Osho, Ashtvakra Geeta and other religious texts did throw some light on the hidden darkness of life. For me it's like nothing is in our hands and each and everything, every event good and bad is predetermined as per the Supreme lords will. The Supreme Infinite consciousness exists in all directions, up and down, in and out, existss to both the ends of extremity, it exists within and without. It in itself is the seed giving father of the universe. It automatically strikes a balance when it has to uphold righteousness and justice by punishing the unjust in due course of time. The problem is that the living entity is not ready to accept the monopoly of the Supreme Lord , not ready to accept that the Suoreme Infinite consciousness alone exists and nothing else does because everything else is only an illusion. The world is an illusion. It's only "Thought" which is known as mind and which has given birth to the illusion known as universe and the objects around.

We all have already reached to the stage of believing and living this illusion known as life and universe and it's difficult to come out of it though not impossible. Once the illusionary universe and it's objects were created the living entity felt the need to co relate with them by desiring to understand them and for which the living entity wanted to measure it hence he created "Time".

Time, there is actually nothing known as time hence the concept of measuring is also illusionary and untrue because one may realise that for one in pleasure the size of an epoch is not more then few moments but for the one in distress even a small moment is like an epoch. This is the basics of understanding the concept of a "Peaceful life".  Having realised this the living entity needs to understand that this universe is the product of the three modes of nature - The modes of Goodness, passion and ignorance.

It was because of the good, passionate and vulnerable thoughts of the Infinite consciousness that this universe came into existence.  A little agitation out of the combination of the three modes of nature on the surface of the infinite consciousness gave rise to that what is known as universe and jiva. When  a part of Infinity separated from itself it became jiva. Having reached this state it became difficult for the jiva or living entity to differentiate whether this illusionary universe is real or the supreme consciousness from which it came is real and still this battle is on to find out if God and the living entity have anything in common and are they related to each other and whether God really exists.

Our approach that God is something that is to be known, in itself rises division between the living entity and God. It creates two identities - 1) God and 2) The living entity. Though basically they both are "one", During birth the living entity comes in contact with the three modes of nature and gets conditioned by them and then starts performing good, bad and crazy actions and accordingly gets results too.  But the one who is in knowledge of this science of material nature neither is effected by quality of goodness nor by evil qualities and thus performs actions only as a matter of duty, not to satisfy the body senses, not for sense gratification. Thus for him the question of good or bad, happiness or sadness, loss or gain, does not arise. He is self satisfied, always enjoying within, enjoying the pure soul he is and knows what to do and what not to do. For such a man works hard but as a matter of duty and is ever satisfied with gain that comes on its own accord. He is in an awakening state as the world sleeps and when the world is actively involved he goes to sleep from within. For such a person sees that the Infinite conscious alone exists and his material existence has no value in front of the limitless infinity and hence the living entity when understands this truth relates itself and identifies itself as one with the Supreme infinite consciousness and thus can live peacefully "one" with God.

Friday, August 14, 2015

Astrology and the Laws of Karma..

According to Vedic Astrology everything is predetermined as per the Laws of Karma. As you sow, so shall you reap, karmic actions basically are of three types - prarabhada, sanchita and agami.

Prarabhada karma are carry forwarded from past lives and are fixed and normally cannot be erased and one has to face its results good or bad. The 2nd one is Sanchita karma - its basically what we are in this life - our nature, looks, our thought proces as a result of our past life karmas. These can be modified with sincere prayers, sacrifices, meditation, mantra etc. The last one is Agami karma - the present life karmas which are completely in our hands and decision is ours what and how to do & accordingly they will give its results in future lives. Every action has a reaction, good or bad. A further deep thought on this will make you realize that this cyclic system of karma and it's results is like a never ending story unless we want to put an end to it and be liberated. Liberation, does it mean non performance of any action to avoid any reaction so that it results into liberation?. No, the physical body has to act to be maintained. Non action is not freedom from action. Non action simply is again "An act of not desiring to physical act" but still its an action performed. So what about liberation then?, It seems to be the realization of existence of the universe as an illusion and not real. Once this is realized the universal objects have no value hence no desire to gain them or no desire to reject them. Whatever comes of its own accord by simply putting your efforts as a matter of duty and leaving the end result in the hands of god is the way to "liberation", the matter of duty covers- right action, away from bad company, prayers, sacrifices, charity, mantra and meditation and finally full devotion to the supreme infinite lord, in this process you are neither attached to the end result nor you hate to receive the end result. The mind in such a state loses its ego, loses the material desire, is free from bondage of desiring to act to get a result. The soul has nothing to do, the intellect clearly knows the difference between liberated and non liberated actions. And thus the physical body performs actions which don't lead to any karmic reactions. Once this is practiced steadily, the prarabhada karmas are reduced, the sanchita karmas are corrected and the question of any agami karmas anyway will not arise.

As per our Good and Bad deeds, different planets give different results as per the nature of the planet as under-

Sun - Satvik ruler, judge, high post, learned, a positive cool ruler.

Moon - satvik, sexy, Emotions, calm personality, lover, soft, cook, likes watery places.

Mars - Very fiery, tamsik, cruel, autocratic, evil minded, if positive- good leader, good commander

Mercury - Rajasic, materialistic, speed, quickness, talkative, princely, charming, manipulator, trader.

Jupiter - Satvik but dominating due to spiritual knowledge, religious practices, auspicious practices, heavy built, teacher, professor

Venus - Rajasik, materialistic brahmin, Poet, all beautiful things, sex pleasure, material comforts, music, fine arts, water sports, Satvik, romantic, happy go lucky type, enjoys life, cinema, eats less, slim personality, charming.

Saturn - Tamsic, low caste, physical labour, hard work, low caste jobs, plumber, driver, machinery, law & order, restrictions, workers, oil, struggle, miseries.

Rahu - Tamsic, cunning, mean minded, spy, backbiting, fake, illusionary, low character, travel to foreign lands, speed, very quick, researcher.


Ketu - Sudden obstacles, sudden halt, philosopher, miser, low type jobs, bankrupt, occult sciences, moksha, accidents, wounds,medicine dealer, hide & skin dealer, salvation, poison dealer, spiritual practices, sewerage etc.

To appease a planet give charity of things concerned to the planet, offer flowers, garments, metals, grains etc to the ruling deity of the concerned planet, chant mantras, visit temples, offer prayers, do meditation, help poor & elderly people. Offer prayers to different Demigods and Goddesses. The basic principle is do good, be good and remain free from all sorts of dualities and anxieties.