Indians

Indians

India is the only country in the world has two names: Bharat in Hindi and India in English. 

During my first visit to US in 1996, I had asked a question to an American, we are Indian but why do you call some of your population Red Indian? They are redskins and are natives of North America, he replied. They might had migrated from Asia? The natives/primitive tribes are called Indians generally. Somebody mentioned that as per Oxford Dictionary - 1900 century - Page no. 789, "India" word means Poor - Old fashioned - Criminal people. Christopher Columbus, who mistakenly believed that the Antilles were the islands of the Indian Ocean, known to Europeans as the Indies. Christopher landed on Caribbean Island and identified it Indies. Somebody argued that India' has everything to do with the word 'Indigenous' and very little to do with the word 'Indus' because the Persians who came through Indus did not call it India and the Europeans in whose era the name 'India' caught up, did not come through Indus! However popular belief is that the name India is derived from Indus, which originates from the Old Persian word Hindu. The latter term stems from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which was the historical local appellation for the Indus River. The ancient Greeks referred to the Indians as Indoi which translates as "The people of the Indus". We were exploring the options. 

River Sindhu (Indus/Hindu) originates from the vicinity of Mansarovar in Tibetan Plateau (West Tibet) and flows through India (J&K: Ladakh, Gilgit, Baltistan) and Pakistan. One of it’s tributaries Nara was flowing through Kutch and was meeting the Sea at Narayan Sarovar, but after the high magnitude earthquake of 1819, a barrier Alladam Bund (80 km long, 6 km wide and 6 m high) was created by the nature, stopped the flow of the river. However, Kutch is getting the under current water of Sindhu in the pockets of Nakhtrana where agriculture is very rich even today in the so called desert district. 

Are we Hindu or Indian?

Before independence, we were popularly known as Hindustan. But after creation of Pakistan, we have preferred the name Bharat/India. With word Hindu, the identity of the religion attached. Those who believe in many deities, believe in the theory of rebirth, believe in idols worship, believe in rituals, follow the umbrella religion of Hindu are called Hindu and for them India is Bharat, their mother land. Within Hindus, there are people who don’t believe in idol worship and pray the formless God. Adweta philosophy believes in the theory of One God. There are others who were worshipping nature, living in forest and were unaware of the theories of Hinduism. There were many who changed their faith, followed the faith of the Kings, followed Buddhism, Jainism, Islam, Chritianity. The invaders whenever came, came in small numbers and were mostly single. Over the years, they married and settled here and merged into the main stream of Indianism. 

Hindu, Sindhu or Indu....HSI...people may argue but at the end of the day, the island belong to the permanent residents whether the natives or the invaders or the immigrants.

India is our mother land, 

सारे जहाँ से अच्छा हिन्दोस्तां हमारा
हम बुलबुलें हैं इसकी ये गुलिस्तां हमारा ll

Jai Hind.

Punamchand
15 January 2018

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The path of the lord is for courageous

The path of the Lord is for the Courageous 

One of our senior colleagues once said, ‘hare ko harinam’. He believes that the path of spirituality is for the losers or for the olds. At young age, one should use the life and energy for the material world. 

Hindi Poet Randhari Singh Dinkar, in his poem ‘Hare ko Harinam’ prays for the bravery : राम, तुम्हारा नाम कण्ठ में रहे; हृदय, जो कुछ भेजो, वह सहे; दु:ख से त्राण नहीं मांगूं।मांगूं केवल शक्ति दु:ख सहने की; दुदिर्न को भी मान तुम्हारी दया, अकातर ध्यानमग्न रहने की। Gujarati poet Pritamdas in his famous Bhajan wrote: હરિનો મારગ છે શૂરાનો, નહિ કાયરનું કામ જોને, પરથમ પે’લું મસ્તક મૂકી, વરતી લેવું નામ જોને. (The path of the lord is for the courageous. One has to surrender the ego before praying that Almighty). 

What is this path? Rama, Krishna, King Janak, Buddha, Mahavir, Jesus, Muhammad, Shankaracharya, Guru Nanak, Kabir, Tulsidas, Mirabai, Narsinh Mehta, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Ramkrishna, Gandhi, and millions have walked on this path. 

It is a path to know thyself, the easiest but the most difficult task. The Almighty exist all time everywhere, still beyond the reach of the human senses. HE exists but we can’t see, can’t hear, can’t smell, can’t touch. One may acquire knowledge of many subjects but is unable to know the Self. Sings Shivoham, but search for the Shiva, Rama, Almighty somewhere in the sky. What a puzzle?

Who will, when begin to walk on this path? In childhood like Shankaracharya? In youth like Vivekananda? Most of them have walked on the path of the lord in the pick of their youthfulness. After removing the sucrose from the sugarcane stem, what to do with the bagasse? 

Vedanta Sutra says, the path begins at the mode of mind: athato brahm jigyasa! (now is the time to inquire about the absolute truth). In the various forms of life lower than human life the intelligence does not go beyond the range of life's primary necessities--namely eating, sleeping, mating and defending. In the human form of life, however, one should be intelligent enough to ask what he is, why he has come into the world, what his duty is, who is the supreme controller/source of everything, etc, so many questions: athato brahma jijyasa.

Like every other exams, one needs some preparedness to begin with. It is called shadhan chatusthya (four means of salvation):

1. Viveka (discrimination between the real and the unreal, between the permanent and the impermanent, between the Self and the non-Self); 2. Vairagya (dispassion for the pleasures of this world and of heaven); 3. Shad Sampat: Sama is eradication of desires; Dama is rational control of the senses; Uparati is turning the mind away from desire for sensual enjoyment; Titiksha is the power of endurance; Sraddha is intense faith in God, master and scriptures; Samadhana is fixing the mind on Brahman or the Self; 4. Mumukshutva is intense desire for liberation or deliverance from the wheel of births and deaths with its concomitant evils of old age, disease, delusion and sorrow.

There are two types of Gunas: Pakya and Aapya. Pakya to leave and Aapya to gain. Raga (attraction, see positive), Dwesha (repulsion, see negative) and Moha (dullness), are the boils over our personality are Pakya, to be dropped not by pressure but by understanding their uselessness. Simplicity, thinking of pure consciousness Atma and repetition of this knowledge till the mind merges into the pure consciousness are the three gunas one has to acquire by practice. 

Once the runway is ready, one may takeoff the plane into the Ocean of the Supreme Being, the Self, the Atma, the pure consciousness, the Brahman. 

It is the path of the Lord for the Courageous. One shall walk when young, because the sugarcane stalk without sucrose turns into the bagasse. 

Punamchand

14 January 2018

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Kem Chho? केनेषितं।

How could fire fires the fire?
How could fire lights the fire?
How could pincers holds the hand that is holding it?
How could Eyes see it’s eye?
How could ears hear it’s ear?
How could nose smell it’s nose?
How could mind think of it’s mind?
How could the 5 action senses and 5 knowledge senses realise the source of their light/power/strength?

HE is not object of seeing. HE is no an object of hearing. HE is not an object of thinking. Therefore, when to describe HE, the BRAHMAN, the mouth shuts, the eyes close, and the mind goes in silence.

One of the 108 Upanishads is Kenopnishada. A Upanishad that presents the straight question and straight answer. It was probably composed in 1st millennium before the Buddhist and Jain cannons. 

The first verse starts with the word केनेषितं। by whom? 

केनेषितं पतति प्रेषितं मनः; केन प्राणः प्रथमः प्रैति युक्तः ।
केनेषितां वाचमिमां वदन्ति; चक्षुः श्रोत्रं क उ देवो युनक्ति ॥ १ ॥

(In simple words: By whom the mind thinks? By whom we breath? By whom, we speak? By which deva, the ears hear and eyes see?)

Kena suggests that Brahman is not Upashya, therefore it can’t be worshipped. It is that which hears the sound in ears, sees the view in eyes, speaks the words of speech, smells the aroma in breath, comprehends the meaning in thought. The Atman-Brahman is in man, not that which one worships outside.

And we follow the wisdom of Kenopanishada in our day to day life without understanding it’s meaning. Gujarati will say kem chho?, Hindi will say, kaise ho? Marathi will say, aapan kasa ahet?, English will say, how are you? Everybody is asking the first question of Kenopanishada? By whom, with whose power, you are in existence? And we, instead of realising the Brahman, reply as per the condition and mood of our senses. 

Therefore, next time when someone asks you, kem chho, kaise ho, kasa aahet, how are you, etc; be awake, take a deep dive into the Ocean of Brahman and think, केनेषितं। HE is beyond thinking. HE is YOU, अहं ब्रह्मास्मि। अखंड, एकरस, अत्र तत्र सर्वत्र। 

ऊँ शांति। शांति।। शांति : ।।।

Punamchand

4 January 2018

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Delwara Dera, charity from Ministers

Delwara Dera, charity from the Ministers

Chalukya (Solanki) Bhimdev-I (1022-1064 CE) (grand father of Siddhraj Jaysingh) was King of Gujarat. Patan was the capital and Southern Rajasthan was under his kingdom. Arbud (Abu) was under the rule of Parmaras as a feudatories of Chaulukya of Patan. When Parmara ruler Dhandhuka rebelled against Bhima-I, Bhima defeated him and appointed Vimal Shah, his minister as the Dhanpati (Governor) of Arbud (Abu).

Delwara Dera is a famous Jain pilgrimage and one of the biggest tourists destination in Mount Abu. There are five temples dedicated to Tirthankars: Adinath (Vimal Vasahi), Rishabdev, Neminath (Luna Vasahi), Pashvanath and Mahavir Swami. But two of them Vimal Vasahi and Luna Vasahi are important from the beauty of architectural perfection of white marble carving.

Vimal Vasahi Temple dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankar Adinath was built by Vimal Shah, the Minister, in 1031 CE, six year after the raid and destruction of Somnath Temple (1025) by Mahmud Ghazni. Imagine the richness of the Minister. He spent ₹18.57 crore, used 1500 sculptures and 1200 workers to build the beautiful Jain Temple. The temple carved in pure white marble. The richly carved corridors, pillars, arches, and mandaps or porticoes of the temple are amazing. The ceilings feature engraved designs of lotus-buds, petals, flowers and scenes from Jain mythology. The ornamental detail spreading over the minutely carved ceilings, doorways, pillars and panels are marvellous; presenting architectural perfection. To make the carving fine and beautiful, he had paid to the workers in gold equal to the weight of the marble powder generated by carving.

In front of the Vimal Vasahi temple, there is Hathi Shala (Elephants courtyard) of 10 beautiful neatly polished and realistically modeller marble elephants in sculpture with the members riding them and a lead sculpture of horse with rider dedicated to Vimal Sha was constructed by Prithvipal, a descendant of Vimalsha in 1147-49 As the courtyard was opened to public, and more than 850 years have passed,  3-4 riders got destroyed but without the damage to the elephants they are riding.

Another important Temple is the Luna Vasahi temple, dedicated to Lord Neminath was built in 1230 by two brothers Vastupal and Tejpal, Ministers of King Virdhaval, the Vaghela ruler of Gujarat (Dhandhuka). The story is very interesting. Both brothers came with their wives for the pilgrimage. They stayed for a night but due to fear of robbery dig a pit and put all their ornaments and wealth in it and covered it. When they opened it in the morning, they not only found their wealth but fetched 7 more pots full of rich metals from the site. They decided to build a temple in memory of their late brother Luna. The Derani and Jethani also contributed in building zarokha from the wealth received from their parental home. They spent ₹18 lakh but each one was trying to make her zarokha the best. Finally, the brothers intervened and made the two zarokhas the same. But the sculpture made two changes to identify which one is of Derani and which one is of Jethani. The statue top of the carving of Derani is little tilted towards Jethani side. Jethani zarokha has 25 elephants at the base, one more that the Derani zarokha; indirectly establishing the supremacy of the Jethani over Derani. The main hall or Rang mandap features a central dome from which hangs a big ornamental pendent featuring elaborate carving. The lotus pendent carved from one stone found place in the Grinch Book of world record.

The Navchowki features some of the most magnificent and delicate marble stone cutting work of the temple. Each of the nine ceilings here seems to exceed the others in beauty and grace. The Gudh mandap features a black marble idol of the 22nd tirthankar Neminatha.

The third important Temple is Pittalhar, was built by Bhima Shah, a minister of Sultan Begada of Ahmedabad (Gujarat). But the guide explained that it was built by Bhamasha, the Nagarsheth of Rana Pratap. The Temple remained unfinished because he had to divert the wealth to Rana Pratap for waging war with Mughals in Haldi Ghati. A massive metal statue of the first tirthankara, Rishabha Dev (Adinath), cast in five metals, is installed in the temple. The main metal used in this statue is 'Pital' (brass), hence the name 'Pittalhar'. However the guide described it a statue made from 5 metals. It weighed 4000 kg, made of 800 kg gold, 800 kg silver and rest the other three metals: brass, copper and zinc. The Shrine consists of a main garbhagriha, Gudh mandap and Navchowki. It seems that the construction of Rangmandap and the corridor was left unfinished. The old mutilated idol was replaced and installed in 1468-69 AD weighing 108 mounds (four metric tons) according to the inscription on it. The image was cast by an artist 'Deta' which is 8 ft (2.4 m). high, 5.5 ft (1.7 m). broad and the figure is 41 inches (1,000 mm) in height.

There is a three stories temple, the tallest of the shrines dedicated to Lord Parshvanath, was built by Mandlik and his family in 1458-59. On all the four faces of the sanctum on the ground floor are four big mandaps. The outer walls of the sanctum comprise beautiful sculptures in gray sandstone, depicting Dikpals, Vidhyadevis, Yakshinis, Shalabhanjukas, and other decorative sculptures. However, the guide explained that the temple was constructed by the workers as their charity from the waste and left over stones of the other two temples.

It is said that Allauddin Khalji had attacked and damaged the temples in 1311 and the Temple had gone through repairs but no major damage of destruction by enemies was found in the campus. The idols the main target of the invaders remained intact. But as part of hatredness practice, the guide did mentioned about Allauddin Khalji responsible for the damage to those four small statue riders of the elephants. As the ceilings are carved and fitted in white marble there was structural need to protect them from the weather, i.e., extreme Sun heat and heavy rainfall. Therefore, domes above were made simple, round in shape and coloured with white chalk. However, as per routine practice in India the Guide did explain that it was made simple to keep the Muslim enemies away. If all the idols, carvings, ceilings, doorways, mandapas, corridors, pillars, arches, etc, are found intact, how could one blame Alauddin Khalji to destroy 3-4 statue rider of the elephants kept in Hastishala? More likely, they were damaged by the tourists because they are open to public and we the people of India have habit to see and touch the statues and carvings. We skip generally the events of natural calamities; earthquakes, weather effects, etc, and focus more on man made calamities, the invaders so that human hatredness and division based on religion continues.

Whatever it might be, but if you haven’t seen Delwara Dera located in Mount Abu (Arbud Parvat), you have missed something major of your life. Take time, do visit and admire the art of human hands keeping fingers between the teeth.  It is one of the wonders of Indian art.

Ministers were rich those days but they used their wealth for public goods! Lol.

Punamchand
25 December 2017

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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

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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

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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

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