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. the first
ever ezine of Vedanta and Sanatan Dharma
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the
monthly ezine of Vedanta Mission, running
in its
11th
year
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Greetings
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Sri Sankaracharya
Jayanti Greetings
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Beautiful symbolic sculptor of the Danda
of Sri Adi Sankaracharya at Kedarnath
Merging of the Acharya back into the
Unmanifest. Just an arm holding the danda, which is protruding from the
wall is seen, rest of the body has as though merged into the unmanifest.
Celebrate Sankaracharya Jayanti on
10th May 2008, with special Puja, japa, chanting of Dakshinamurthy
Stotram and Totakashtakam. Express your gratitude to the great
teacher of Vedanta and saviour of Sanatan Dharma in any possible way.
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Index
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Vedanta
Section
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Chit-Jada Granthi
Swami Atmananda
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The scriptures reveal that any creation starts
only after formation of the so called 'Chit-Jada Granthi'. Chit-Jada Granthi
means a knot which has been tied together by the ropes of Chit
(consciousness) and Jada (inert things). Consciousness and Inertness somehow
come together, and only after this unique marriage between these two things
of diametrically opposite natures that the process of creation begins. The
implication is clear, if we want to break the cycle, then it is this knot
alone which needs to be untied.
Reference to such a 'knot' comes in various
places, and in every place the same fact is reiterated, that it is only
after this strange & even unholy knot that the process of creation begins.
In the 13th chapter of Gita, this fact has been reiterated twice, once in
the 14th chapter, and also in
the Introduction of his Brahma Sutra commentary Sri Adi Sankaracharya
reveals this fact very logically & beautifully. Lord Krishna says that
'anything that has been created here has only been created after the
identification of Kshetra and Kshetragna'. 'Only after the Purusha
identifies with the Prakriti that the process of birth & death begins'. 'I
impregnate my Shakti called Mahat Brahma and thereafter the process of
creation begins' (Ch 14). We also know with our experiences that it is only
when the consciousness blesses the body-mind-intellect complex that we can
live our day to day life and extricate our various experiences here.
Even though from the creation's point of view the association
of Chit and Jada is a basic pre-requisite for the process of creation to
begin, but from the point of view of the truth it is an impossibility, and
it is only after this realization that the so called 'severing' of this knot
is possible. To say that Chit & Jada have got combined is as good as saying
that light and darkness have shaken hands. This is basically a ridiculous
statement, light and darkness can never co-exist, they can never shake
hands, purusha can never identify with the prakriti, consciousness can not
even touch shakti, far from impregnating it. From the point of view of light
there is nothing called darkness. Wherever the light turns, it can never see
any thing called darkness, so there is no question of any physical
association with it. Yet the fact is that some kind of association has taken
place.
Sri Sankara in his commentary of Brahma Sutras says that this
unique kind of relationship can be possible only from one point of view and
that is, by Adhyasa. Adhyasa is that unique association wherein the
association is imaginary, rather than there being any physical factual
association. When something is projected on consciousness, then even those
projections get enlivened. We can imagine ourselves to be limited by the
dharma of body-mind etc, we can imagine the inert things to be real &
lasting, we can presume the objects of the world to be capable of giving us
fulfillment etc. Such imaginations & projections are possible, and when we
give 'importance' to something then we have associated factuality with the
thing.
Realization of this kind of unique relationship is as good as
being free from this knot, we see the fact that this association is baseless
& impossible. In fact even when it appears to be there basically we are free
from it. It is this knowledge of the Chit as Chit and Jada as Jada that is
at the root of the severing of the Chit-Jada Granthi. When the very 'cause'
of the creation is seen as imaginary, the subsequent creation too is easily
realized as just a dream.
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Quote
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"Life is like getting
dropped off in the middle of the woods, and then year by year, gradually
walking home."
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Story
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How you look at a thing always differs.
One day a father and his rich family took his
young son on a trip to the country with the firm purpose to show him how
poor people can be. They spent a day and a night in the farm of a very poor
family. When they got back from their trip the father asked his son, "How
was the trip?"
Very good, Dad!"
"Did you see how poor people can be?" the
father asked.
"Yeah!"
"And what did you learn?"
The son answered, "I saw that we have a dog at
home, and they have four. We have a pool that reaches to the middle of the
garden, they have a creek that has no end. We have imported lamps in the
garden, they have the stars. Our patio reaches to the front yard, they have
a whole horizon."
When the little boy was finishing, his father
was speechless.
His son added, "Thanks, Dad, for showing me
how poor we are!"
Its indeed all a matter of perspectives.
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Quote
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"Behold
the turtle. He makes progress only when he sticks his neck out."
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Letter Section
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Hari Om P Guruji,
I have been very straight in whatever I
have done with relation to my family & children. My true interest is
the kids, while my husbands is not and he even lied about his
finances.
One thing keep bothering me. If
honestly and hard work get rewarded why is it that people like me have
to face such struggle and how can we uplift our spirits.
Hari Om P Guruji
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Poojya Guruji's Reply:
Hari om X,
Regarding your query about why should one face a battle
if one has been honest and hardworking. Well, the truth is that this
correlation is baseless that just because someone has been honest &
hardworking that he or she will not get any hardships & even failures.
Every battle is a test of ones wits, wisdom &
endurance, and it is those who have really been following the path of
dharma, that they come to get profound inner strength to face and
fight any challenges. Never think that just because you have been a
good person that you will not get hardships. This contention is
baseless and has no sanction & validity. Do you think that Arjuna and
other Pandava's were otherwise and therefore they had to fight the
Mahabharata war. They were so straight & good that even Lord Krishna
took their side, yet ups & downs are as inevitable in life as day &
night. No one has ever said that by being good, you will never face
any challenges, I don't know how come you have this notion. Pl
remember that just because Lord Krishna was on the side of Pandava's,
it did not mean that the war was somehow averted, just because Sitaji
was the wife of Lord Ram and was also an embodiment of goodness that
she could not be kidnapped etc, Lord Ram himself had to go to forest
for 14 years, even people like us have to face various hardships. In
fact the real test of your righteousness is the strength you exhibit
during such testing times. If someone is shaken up even by this much,
then really speaking that person is not truly a wise & strong person,
and if we have some 'weakness & ignorance' then we are bound to face the
music and consequences - of these things. So face the truth and do all
what you can to retain your cool so that you can fight the
injustice done to the family.
If you really know that you are fighting for the right
cause then learn to give a real good fight with the belief that you
will, rather have to win - come what may. It is such inner strength &
conviction that shows that what you believe in is really the right
thing to do. Don't waste your energy in these baseless expectations,
one should rather conserve ones limited energy & resources to give a
real good fight, as intelligently and nicely as you can. That which is
directly responsible for what situations we get is our karma and not
these positive qualities like honesty & hard work, which are basically
for helping us give our output in the most optimum & effective way.
With Love & om,
Guruji
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Quote
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"A
ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are built for."
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Mission
News
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Earlier Programs
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Gita Gyana Yagna, Bhavnagar : |
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Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji conducted a Gita Gyana Yagna at Swami Ramdas
Ashram, Bhavnagar from 14th to 21st April. She conducted
discourses on the Vaitathya Prakarana (2nd chapter) of Mandukya Upanishad
and the 7th chapter of Gita.
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Ram Navami Celebrations, Indore : |
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Ram Navami was celebrated with simplicity and devotion at Vedanta Ashram on
14th April. At 12 noon the birth of Lord was celebrated with special Aarti
and prasad was distributed.
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Hanuman Jayanti, Indore : |
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Hanuman Jayanti was on 20th April this year. On this Poornima day there was
a special puja and abhisheka of Hanumanji, and later the inmates and devotees chanted the
Hanuman Chalisa eleven times.
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Gita Gyana Yagna, Ahmedabad : |
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Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji is conducting a Gita Gyana Yagna at Ramkrishna Kendra, Maninagar, Ahmedabad from 26th April to 2nd May. He
is giving discourses on the 14th chapter of Gita and the first section of
the 2nd Mundaka of the Mundaka Upanishad.
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Farewell to Brni Divya, Indore : |
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The Mahatmas and the devotees of Vedanta Ashram gave a warm farewell
to Brni Divya Chaitanya, after the end of her visitors visa
duration. She stayed at the ashram for about 5 months and Poojya
Guruji designed a short course for her, which comprised study of
Vedanta-Saar, Gita, Sanskrit, Chanting etc. She left ashram on 29th
April, and as per the instructions of Poojya Guruji arrangements
were made for her stay etc at Delhi and Rishikesh. She flies for
Russia on the night of 3rd May.
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Imp Dates
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Important Dates in May 2008
Hindu Festival Calender |
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1 |
Thu |
Ekadashi - Vaikunthini |
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5 |
Mon |
Somvati Amavasya |
| 8 |
Thu |
Akshaya Tritiya |
| 10 |
Sat |
Sankaracharya Jayanti |
| 15 |
Thu |
Ekadashi - Mohini |
| 19 |
Mon |
Budha Poornima |
| 22 |
Thu |
Narad Jayanti |
| 23 |
Fri |
Sankast Chaturthi Vrata |
| 31 |
Sat |
Ekadashi -
Achala |
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Forthcoming Programs
VMission Programs Calender
Gita Gyana Yagna, Mumbai :
Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji will conduct a Gita Gyana Yagna at
Mumbai from 19th to 25th May.
Trip to UK :
Poojya Swamini Samatanandaji has been granted visa for her proposed trip and will be in the UK for two months. The programs are being finalized.
Details of the trip can be seen
HERE in Poojya Swaminijis Calender
Sadhana Camp, Rishikesh :
Poojya Guruji Sri Swami Atmanandaji and Poojya Swamini Amitanandaji will conduct a Sadhana Camp at Arsha
Vidya Peetha, Rishikesh, from 18th to 24th June 2008. The subject matter will be the last two sections of Kathopanishad and the 7th
chapter of Gita.
Guru Poornima Camp, Indore :
A five days Sadhana Camp is being organized at Vedanta Ashram just prior to
Guru Poornima. The camp will be from 13th to 17th July.
Guru Poornima, Indore :
This year Guru Poornima is on the 18th July. |
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Contact
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. Om Tat Sat .
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