Monday, November 27, 2017

Santosh Dhan

Santosh Dhan

गोधन, गजधन, वाजिधन, और रतन धन खान।
जब आवे संतोष धन, सब धन धूरि समान॥

Poor India is survived for all these years because of this wealth of Santosh. They don’t know or understand their deprivation. We go to them and tell that they are deprived of xyz, disturb their minds and make them the unhappy force running after desires. We are increasing their Dukha by valuing more to their deprivation. Why there is unrest in life? Many people, after getting wealth, position, prestige, etc, still have complaints, still live in dissatisfaction. One can’t get all in one hand. To gain new thing, one has to leave the old one has.

चींटी चावल ले चली, बीच में मिल गई दाल।
कहत कबीरा दो ना मिले, इक ले दूजी डाल॥

We see many people are unable to leave their habits of alcohol, tobacco, running after desires in search of Sukha. The question is, is that an addiction of the object/person? Or it is an addiction of Sukha (the feeling of happiness) he/she is searching for? It is addiction of Sukha.

Sukha and Dukha are the ‘Vriti’ of the mind, and it is in propionate to each other. How much value we give to them decide their strengths to disturb us. Diamond as wealth has very high value but as carbon, no value. It is not the essentiality of life. Something in possession give pain in proportion to the value when lost.

One of our American friend couples was expressing their happiness by showing set of their Rolex watches with their price tag of $50,000. They have purchased the set on their marriage anniversary. Their happiness has value of $ 50,000. If it is lost, they will feel more Dukha compared to the person who has purchased his watch of $5 and lost. The time is the same in both the sets of watches, but the value of Sukha and Dukha are different. We cry for losing our parents but don’t cry for the death of the parents of others. Because our Vriti has valued them differently. The object, position or person in possession doesn’t give Sukha because the pain of losing it, is very much building in the back of mind.

If people are happy with what they have and see the deprived compared to them, then whole of the run will stop. Their expectations from the life will diminish. Instead of Growth Index, they will measure Happiness Index.

Expectations reduce Joy. We don’t enjoy happiness with what we have but feel unhappy with what we don’t have. भाव का सुख नहीं और अभाव का दु:ख।

Let us visit two Subhashitas.

सर्पाः पिबन्ति पवनं न च दुर्बलास्ते, शुष्कैस्तृणैः वनगजा बलिनो भवन्ति । रुक्षाशनेन मुनयः क्षपयन्ति कालम्, सन्तोष एव पुरुषस्य परं निधानम् ॥
(सर्प पवन पीकर भी दुर्बल नहि है, जंगली हाथी सूखा घास खाकर भी बलवान बनते हैं, मुनि रुखा खुराक खाकर जिंदगी निकालते हैं । संतोष हि मनुष्य का परम् खजाना है ।)

सन्तोषः परमो लाभः सत्सङ्गः परमा गतिः । विचारः परमं ज्ञानं शमो हि परमं सुखम् ॥

(संतोष परम् लाभ है, सत्संग परम् गति है, विचार परम् ज्ञान है, और शम परम् सुख है ।)

Santosh/Santushthi is the master key to resolve all the dilemmas.

Punamchand
25 November 2017

Chitta Vriti (Chitragupta Account)

Chitta Vriti (Chitragupta Account)

“Yoga chitta vritti nirodha” is a famous sentence of Patanjali Yog Sutra. The vritis are the waves, the disturbance to the calm water of mind. They are to be subsided through the practice of Yoga (ashtang yoga) so that the mind rests in the bottom silence.

चित वृत्ति is the base of all the religious practices in the world. Indian religions believe in the theory of rebirth. Chitta (the book of Chitragupta) is our Account book that records all our experiences of life. We do all our karmas with attachment and ownership, therefore, the recording is deep and carry as balance sheets of all the lives. At the time of death the physical body is left by the subtle body (consists of mind, wisdom, chitta, ego), the chitta carry the last vriti (desire) of the past life and take rebirth with new body to fulfil that desire. It’s a cycle of millions of births and rebirths. Till the experiences or karmas recorded on Chitta are not cleared, the cycle of births and rebirths doesn’t end. The meditation of Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism is the exercise to remove these recording by removing the thoughts.

There is rebirth. Birth, life and death are the experiences full of sufferings.

Why rebirth?
Because of karmas did with attachment.

What is life?
Full of sufferings.

Why suffering?
Because of Raga (lust) and Dwesha (hatred).

Why Raga and Dwesha?
Because of desires.

Why desires?
Because of thoughts.

Therefore, unless the process of thought is not broken, the cycle continues.

Dhayana is Adhyatma. Adi+Atma. To be with Atma. With observations and witnessing the thoughts, slowly the bucket full of thoughts get emptied. And if new karmas/recording are not added in the Chitta book of Accounts, the moksha/salvation/nirvan/kaivalya is attained. Freedom from the cycle of births and rebirths.

Famous Gujarati Kavi Narsinh Mehta in his Bhakti life in love of Lord Krishna sung: हरिना जन तो मुक्ति ना माँगे, माँगे जन्म जन्म अवतार रे। If someone is confident like Narsinh Mehta for continuing Bhakti Life can afford to demand rebirths, but those who want freedom can follow the path of meditation.

ध्यानं शरणं गच्छामि।

Punamchand
26 November 2017

Thursday, November 23, 2017

Addiction of Sukha

Addiction of Sukha - Happiness

Sukha and Dukha are two words around them the whole of the human race revolves. Su and Dus are the prefix of the word ‘kha’. Su means good/sufficient and Du means bad/difficult and Kha means hole/empty in Samskrit. If the axel is fitted well in the centre of the wheel, the life is good but if it is not fitted well, the ride will be bumpy. The other meaning is Su+stha, Du+stha, to stand in good or bad. 
सर्वं परवशं दु:खं सर्वम् आत्मवशं सुखम् ।(जो चीजें अपने अधिकार में नही है वह सब दु:ख है तथा जो चीज अपने अधिकार में है वह सब सुख है ।)
Why are people addicted? Are they addict of objects or addict of person ? No, they are addict of Sukha. The position, thing, possession, power, place, etc, whatever gives him/her feelings of happiness/pleasures, he/she becomes addict. 

If there is Sukha in object or person, everyone will get the same happiness from that person or thing, whoever is in possession. But it is not true. A husband is unhappy with his wife but her lover finds happiness in her. Chicken Biryani waters the mouth of a non vegetarians but create hatred amongst the vegetarians. The alcohol or tobacco doesn’t carry taste, but still people enjoy them. Therefore, happiness doesn’t lie with the person or thing but with the mental status of understanding of the happiness of the possessor. And with repetition of pleasure feelings , he/she becomes addict of the person or object. It is an addiction of Sukham/Happiness (a status on individual mind), not the object. Sukha or Dukha is a condition of the mind.

On one side, all humans are in search of Sukha, but Buddha discovered the first truth as Sarvam Dukham (the world is full of suffering/unhappiness/discomfort/deprivation/distress). The second truth is, there is cause (desire) of misery. The third truth is, it is possible to eliminate misery. The fourth truth is, there is a path to move out of misery. He suggested eightfold path of salvation. And gave a very simple method of four steps to to observe oneself: Observe the body (Kayaanu Paschana); Observe the sensations (Vedananu Paschana); Observe the flow of mind (Chittanu Paschana); Observe your true nature (Dhammanu Paschana). Four Nobel Truths and Eightfold Path (moral code of conduct, making all right: view, aim, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindedness, concentration). By ending desire, life can be liberated (freedom from rebirth).

People are after Sukha by creating noise around. But the real journey of searching happiness is from noise to silence. Mind (no mind) is silence but the thoughts are the noise. Silence bring the true nature in order, that is love, compassion and equality. All are the same, either nobody or somebody, the rays of the Almighty. 

By observing the mind, one can travel to the inner silence area and find out the source of the Sukha, the inner joy-happiness-bliss. Thereafter, he/she may not need any person or object to acquire happiness from outside. The addiction of Self is better than the addiction of others.

शब्दोके पार एक एवम् अद्वितिय शाशवत् शब्द है। 
वैखरी,मध्यमा,परा एवम् पश्यन्तिसे जो परम् है।
जो मौन शाश्वत् नाद है, स्वयं से प्रकाशित स्व है।
शून्य से सर्जनकी यात्रा प्रकृति और इश्वर निर्मित है।
हमे सर्जनसे शून्यकी तरफ यात्रा करनी है,
भ्रमसे ब्रह्मकी ओर चलना है। 

स्वयं शरणं गच्छामि। 

Punamchand
23 November 2017

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Do you fart?

Do you fart?

All creatures fart, whether humans, animals or birds. But do you count, how many times you fart in a day? Do you remember the song of Dhak dhak girl, Madhuri, ek do tin, ..... bara tera.. (1-2-3, 4-5-6-7, 8-9-10-11, 12-13)? 13 plus 1, 14 is the perfect count of farts in a day by a healthy human. 

There was a Chief Engineer Mechanical in GSRTC. All of us have developed a habit to sit in a closed AC chamber. Whenever I used to call him for some discussion, he had a habit to fart in the chamber. Others may be farting as well and it is difficult to judge who farted. But each person has different odour according to the centre of gas production in the intestines. That man was farting sulphur, the unbearable odour, as his gas centre was in the large intestine. I had to stop him calling for the meeting finally. Thereafter, I have developed a habit to keep the windows of my chamber open to get fresh air continuously in the chamber.

All of us are connected in the Ocean of Air, inhaling and exhaling from the lot. Who is away from whom? We may keep our bodies away, but the air connects us well.

Remember, farting is good for health. One should fart 14 times in a day. If not, there is something wrong with the digestive system, clean up the intestinal track. Better to fast for right number of fart. The sound and odour of the fart decides the health of individual. 

There is proverb:

धड़ाक पादम बहुत गंधम्, धडफाधडफी मध्यम;
ठूसकम ठूसकम प्राणघातम, सूरूरसूर सत्यानाशम। 

Whether Uttam, Madhyam or Kanishtha, go on farting. It us good for health. Lol 😆 

Punamchand
14 September 2017

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Two Beans of God

Two Beans of God

God is great or we are great as the human body has organs in pairs to live a long and happy healthy life. We have two eyes, two ears, two nostrils (+mouth), two lungs, two kidneys, two intestines, two testicles, two breasts, two hands, two legs, two thumbs, two toes, two sets of each finger, two thoughts, two sense of likes and dislikes, etc. To make us one, God has given us one brain, one heart and one mouth/tongue. The heart is one with a pair of chambers to supply oxygenated blood to all cells. The brain is one but with two hemispheres, governs the functions of all the organs of the body. In emergencies, there is facilities of alternatives and bypasses. 

Imagine all organs would have single, what could had been our shape and appearance? But God has made the organism bilaterally symmetrical, like a mirror image. Whether it was for expression of representation of our two makers (parents) or for better mobility or for better function of the central nerve system; one may list reasons. But the most important reason is the preciousness of life. Life has to be lived fully till the last breath. The pair doesn't mean keeping a spare but to function at optimum level so that life become safe secure and comfortable.

Let us check the kidney. 

Two beans shaped Two Kidneys are one of the important pairs of vital organs for our life. On one side Liver is our Chemical Factory that removes the poisons from the blood, the Kidneys are our Filtration Plant that removes the toxins from the blood. The nephrons of the kidney perform four processes over blood plasma: filtration, reabsorption, secretion and excretion. Via one or more of these mechanisms, the kidney participates in the control of the volume of various body fluid compartments, fluid osmolality, acid base balance, various electrolyte concentrations, and removal of toxins.

But do you know, the kidneys also carry out functions independent of the nephron. It governs three important functions related to hemoglobin, blood pressure and Vitamin D. 

Nowadays, many people are anemic. Large number of people are suffering from blood pressure and though geographically we have more sunny days but many of us suffering from Vitamin D deficiency. Somewhere, the role of kidney has been overlooked. Are our kidneys getting weaker? 

Hemoglobin in simple terms, the number of red blood cells. Hemoglobin is the protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to the body's tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the tissues back to the lungs. Red blood cells are produce in bone marrow. They start as immature cells in the bone marrow and after seven days of maturation are released into the bloodstream. But do you know, who controls the RBCs? The erythropoietin hormone produced by the kidney controls the RBC. Erythropoietin is released in response to hypoxia (low levels of oxygen at tissue level) in the renal circulation. It acts in bone marrow to stimulate the production of mature red blood cells, to maintain healthy oxygen levels in our tissues. 

Blood pressure in simple term, is an expansion of the extracellular fluid compartment, and that increase the blood pressure. Renin is an enzyme, also produced by the kidney, that plays an important role in the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone hormonal system, which helps to control blood pressure. With renin chemical messenger level elevated, hormones angiotensin II and aldosterone increase the kidney's absorption of sodium chloride, thereby expanding the extracellular fluid compartment and raising blood pressure. When renin levels are low, angiotensin II and aldosterone levels decrease, contracting the extracellular fluid compartment, and decreasing blood pressure.

Vitamin D is Vitamin D3 or cholecalciferol. The right amount of natural form of Vit D that our body makes from Sunlight (or one has to get it by taking Vitamin D supplements). It is a hormone rather than Vitamin. It is important for formation of new bones and maintenance of healthy bones and teeth. It also regulates calcium levels in the blood by helping the body to absorb calcium from food and by preventing calcium loss from the kidneys. It is suggested to supply a protective effect against multiple diseases and conditions such as cancer, type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis. 

Healthy kidneys are rich with vitamin D receptors and play a major role in turning vitamin D into its active form Calcitriol that promotes intestinal absorption of calcium and renal reabsorption of phosphate. This helps balance calcium and phosphorus in our body by controlling absorption of these minerals from the food we eat and regulates parathyroid hormone (PTH). When kidneys fail, their ability to activate vitamin D is lost. Without the activated vitamin D to control calcium and phosphorus levels in the blood, PTH will try to overcompensate and go out of range.

There is unique relation between heart and kidney; an emotional reaction of grief, joy and pain. It one gets disturbed, the another too get disturbed. God has given us auto immune system. If some foreign body attacks, the hidden army comes out. But some time the foreigner takes the shape and size of the cells of the vital organs and the immune system kills the body organs by mistake. Thyroid gland death is one of such common issues amongst the women. Similarly, sometimes, the body immune system kills the kidneys. 

In ancient India, according to the Ayurveda, the kidneys were considered the beginning of the excursion channels system, the 'head' of the Mutra Srotas, receiving from all other systems, and therefore important in determining a person's health balance and temperament by the balance and mixture of the three health elements: Vata (air), Pitta (bile) and Kapha (mucus). One can check the status of once health by checking the colour, density and smell of the urine. White or pale yellow colour of urine is normal. Yellow colour of urine demand more water intake. Red urine is a sign of jaundice. Dark urine indicates  urinary track infection. Dark brown colour indicates liver disease. Bubbled urine suggests diabetes. One must see the urine every time to check the overall health of the body. Will you?

Please take care of the important two beans gift of the God for the healthy happy and long life. 

Stay blessed.

शुभम् भवतु कल्याणम्।  

Punamchand 
12 November 2017

Monday, November 6, 2017

Padmavati Kamala and Devaldevi

Padmavati Kamala and Devaldevi

As per the tale, Padmavati was the exceptionally beautiful queen of King Ratan Sen/Singh of Chitorgarh. She was the princess of Srilanka (Shinhal Kingdom). She had a parrot friend Hudhud/Hiraman. Due to her closeness to the Parrot, when her father tried to kill the Parrot, he flew away and reached in the hand of King Ratan Sen of Chittor by two three transfer purchases. The Parrot described the beauty of Padmavati before the King Ratan Sen, who then went to Singhal Island with an army of 16000 soldiers, defeated King Gandharva Sens and married Padmavati and returned to Chittor.

His Brahmin Courtier Raghav Vyas/Chetan when fired for some reason, he went to Sultan of Delhi Alauddin Khalji's court and told him about the exceptionally beautiful queen Padmavati of King Ratan Sen. Alauddin Khalji then sieged Chittor (1303 CE) to obtain her. When they couldn't get the fort opened, a compromise was made to show the queen through mirror. But after seeing the glimpses of her beauty through mirror, Alauddin didn't want to lose her. In the name of peace treaty, he then captured Ratan Sen deceitfully and took him to Delhi and demanded Padmini in return for his release. Gora and Badal, two loyals of Ratan Sen, produced themselves as Padmavati and her female companions (700 soldiers as litres and porters) before the Sultan and rescued Ratan Sen. Gora was killed in fight but Ratan Sen and Badal returned to Chittor. Meantime, when Ratan Sen was in the imprisonment of the Sultan; Deval, the neighbour king of Kumbhalmer proposed marriage with Padmavati. But when Ratan Sen returned and knew the matter, he had a fight with Deval for the insult and both killed each other in single combat. Meanwhile, Alauddin again invaded Chittor to capture Padmavati but Padmavati and Nagamati performed Johar (self immolation) on Ratan Sen's funeral pyre. Other women also performed Johar to save their honour from the Muslim Sultan and his army.

On the contrary to this story, there is a story of Diwal Rani Khizr Khan (1315 CE) the love story of the princess of Gujarat. Gujarat was under Vaghela (Vyaghra Pallya/ village Vyaghrapalli, near Bhiloda, SK) dynasty from 1244 to 1304 CE. The capital of the kingdom was Dholka (Dhawal Kakka). During the weak regime of Solanki Kings, the Vaghela General/Samanta Lavan Prasad and his son Vir Dhawal became powerful and in 1244, Visal Dev, the son of Vir Dhawal usurped the throne. They became the de-facto ruler of Chaulukya Kingdom. Karan Dev II Vaghela was the last Hindu monarch of Gujarat (1296-1304 CE). Karna Ghelo liked Roopsundari the wife of his minister Madhav. He sent the minister away on a mission, killed his brother and abducted Roopsundari. But Roopsundari killed herself before the King ruins her virtue. Madhava, the minister, then in revenge instigated Alauddin to invade Gujarat. Delhi Sultan Alauddin Khalji invaded Gujarat, defeated Karna Vaghela in 1296 and captured his wife Kamala Devi. Karna Dev ran away to South with his child daughter Deval Devi. After 8 years of her stay in the harem of Alauddin Khalji, Kamala Devi then requested Alauddin to get her daughter Deval Devi to Delhi. Alauddin invaded Gujarat, killed Karna Dev (II) Vaghela and abducted Deval Devi who thereafter was married to Alauddin's eldest son Khizr Khan in 1308. 8 years later, in 1316, Khizr Khan was executed by his brother Qutbuddin Mubarak Shah and Deval Devi was taken into his harem. Shah then was beheaded by Khusho Khan (dhedh) (the last ruler of Khalji dynasty) in 1320 and brought Deval Devi to his harem. After few months rule, Khushro Khan was killed in the same year in 1320. Gujarat, thereafter came under Muslim rule for 500 years till it went to Marathas and then to British before independence.

Sometime, women's beauty is a liability!!!

Punamchand
5 November 2017

Disclaimer: The narrates captured from the tales, literature on screen and in books.
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