Sri Ramana Maharshi

Paramhansa Yogananda

Swami Sivananda

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

There are four Purusharthas namely, Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. For Kama and Artha, we have Dharma and Moksha on either side. We should try to regroup the four into two groups. 

If we take these four and treat them as four separate entities, we will not get any benefit out of our actions. 

If we can combine Dharma with Artha and Kama with Moksha, then we realise that we will have to acquire wealth for the sake of Dharma and we must turn all our desires to acquire Moksha. Wealth is not permanent and Kama is something which wavers. 

Wealth and lust are things which are impermanent and keep on changing. It is not possible that man can become happy by the possession of these two things.  The reason for this is that they are unsteady and impermanent and such things cannot give happiness to man. 

When these impermanent things, wealth and lust, are combined with permanent things like Dharma and Moksha, they also acquire such sacredness and become somewhat true and permanent. 

If wealth is combined with a permanent truth like Dharma and similarly lust which is of a wavering type is combined with permanent Moksha, then we will be able to acquire Ananda in the aspect of Brahman. Our purpose should be to combine the impermanent things with the permanent things of life. We should strive to move on from the minutest aspects to one of infinity.

(Discourse -Summer course-1974)

Sri Sathya Sai Baba

Dharma Vahini - Concluding Post 45

Dear All,

By now, after all the previous 44 posts, we would surely be aware and be clear about what the diagram given below means to us.

Let us learn and be clear of Atma-Dharma in the context of all the following relations / situations.

·       Whatever we get from the family members,  near and dear ones - good or bad;

·       Whatever we receive from our boss / other staff in the Organization - Good or Bad, happiness or pain;

·       Whatever we get from the society, friends / so called enemies - good or bad.

Only if we lead our life with the clear focus of approaching and nearing Lord day after day, week after week of our attending Bhajan / Satsangh, to reach Him, to merge with Him and to exist as Him, then we would be existing in a state where all the good / bad / pleasure / pain explained in various situations from various beings / society at large, will not affect us too much and even at some times, if we do get affected given the fact that after all we are human beings with feelings, we can reach out to Lord, communicate in silence and immediately come out of all our pain / miseries. 

The seed for this massive / major vahini gifted to us by the Poorna Avatar Sai was sowed in the first theme “Purpose of Human Birth” when we read the following lines of Sri Parama Hamsa Yogananda, when God responds to the anguish of man as to why so much pain / so much misery is there in God's creation and if pain is the only thing in this creation, then why God created this creation at all.

God says,

“No joy of the senses, no joy of possession, can match the joy of God. Though I had everything from eternity to eternity, I began to think, I am all-powerful, and Joy itself, but there is no one else to enjoy Me. I will make souls in My image, and clothe them as human beings with free choice, to see whether they will seek My material gifts and the temptations of money, wine, and sex; or whether they will seek the million times more intoxicating joy of My consciousness.” 

Dear Readers,

If at all, we sincerely seek the million, million times more intoxicating joy of God's consciousness (which is our Atma-Dharma as elaborated in all posts in Dharma Vahini), then, we can be in Bliss, as explained below.

Love and Jai Sairam.

Dharma Vahini - Post 44

Dear All,

Now, let us deal with Atma Dharma and Svadharma with respect to our purushartha, the relevance of all our acts while living in this objective world. 

The  four Purusharthas - Dharma / Artha / Kama / Moksha have been dealt in great detail in karma posts as well in an earlier post under the current theme.

In the context of Atma-Dharma, one of the 4, Moksha or liberation or Merger with God has to be only focus, which has been repeatedly mentioned in all the previous posts.

So, the other three  purusharthas, especially 2 of them,  Artha (pursuit of material wealth and comforts) and Kama (fulfillment of aesthetic desires) have been shown under the bigger rectangle of Atma Dharma which is Moksha in this context. 

What does this mean in the context of Artha and Kama?

Artha

• As human beings, living in society, having our family, we have to engage in activities for earning wealth and related comforts.
• Even while we pursue various activities for the above purpose, either working in an organization and earning salary or owning an organization and earning profits or even while doing hard work and getting paid on daily wages, our frame of mind has to be exactly the same, as explained in the context of a Bhajan singer entering the hall on Bhajan day.
• So to say, the heart is soaked in its focus on merger with Lord. Along with such a  heart, all other virtues required in earning wealth - Honesty, Loyalty, Integrity, Avoiding excessive desire for wealth, not adapting unfair means for earning wealth etc., automatically come together!!
• The rule applied is the same here also as in the case of Bhajan singing. There is no use talking in vacuum on all principles of honesty, control of desires etc., if one is not clear on his / her ultimate goal. How??
• See, if your heart is illumined by your focus on Lord, then such a heart will in turn, will illumine all your actions while pursuing Artha.
• If such illumination is not there and you try to talk of principles and good virtues in vacuum, there is a lot of possibility that your monkey mind will dominate you in one way or the other, one day or the other and you may end up acting as slave to the dictates of your mind.

Kama

• As regards fulfillment of your aesthetic desires, the desires at physical level etc., again, if you are convinced and have conviction to be in communion with Lord, to merge with Lord, then, all the required virtues in this aspect will fall in place automatically

Author recalls a conversation between Swami and a devotee, though he has given it in an earlier post also. 

To a devotee who cried out to Lord to be always present in his heart as Hrdaya Nivasi, Swami turned back and said, 

"You want Me to come and stay (rather install) in your heart. Well, have you ever looked at your heart where you want Swami to come and stay for ever. How dirty is it, How many desires in it.., please clean up your heart, as you clean your house before a guest comes to stay with you and then call Swami, Swami will rush to you".

• So, when we keep our heart pure, then Swami is there in our heart. When He is present, can we have excessive Kama?? Can we always be indulging and craving for physical pleasures?? Can we adapt immoral means for satisfying our desires??? Never.

• So, what happens?? Our physical / aesthetic desire fulfillment is confined to our spouse and that too, it assumes as much importance as spiritual pursuits which we take up with our spouse together. Nothing is over done!!!

Love.

Dharma Vahini - Post 43

Dear All,

After being clear on our Atma-dharma related to Bhajan singing, let us look at the Para-dharma related to the aspect of Bhajan singing, in this post today.

Let us refresh our thoughts on the second and third rule related to Dharma.

All worldly activities in daily life, all duties that we   undertake in daily life have their own importance.

All such worldly duties have to be illumined by our mind / our heart / our thoughts soaked in our ONLY focus - "TO UNITE WITH GOD / TO REALIZE GOD"

How do the above rules apply to a Bhajan singer??

Well, this question has already been addressed while dealing with the first rule in Bhajan singing. 

However, the following points are of importance in the 2nd and 3rd rule in Bhajan singing, which follow from the points which we have seen in the bullet points related to 1st rule.

·        The   Bhajan must be practiced very well.

·   Only Bhajan which suits one's voice, one's capability, one's   music skill level, must be chosen.

·   The Bhajan has to be rendered with utmost Bhava so that it serves all others present there and they also are able to immerse in the Bhava (with which you are rendering the Bhajan).

·    Any communication  between the singers / others / showing signs to each other for any aspect related to the Bhajan session / getting up / moving during the bhajan session etc. to be avoided. 

·       Singer should not be disturbed with any sound / any movement going on in the hall, with any mismatch in percussion etc.

·       Etc Etc.., (You may add many more points in this list with your experience!)

While these are all important (see the second rule - All worldly activities in daily life, all duties that we undertake in daily life have their own importance, and Bhajan assumes a very important part of our spiritual life), the most important thing to be learnt and followed 100% are:-

While these Dos and Don’t Dos in Bhajan singing are important, they must spontaneously flow from / they must be illumined by THE PRIMARY FOCUS ON UNION WITH LORD AND TAKING BHAJAN SINGING AS A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO MERGE WITH LORD, WEEK AFTER WEEK.

Once a singer / listener is totally focussed on Lord and has merged / is merging with Lord in Bhajan session, how can he / she look around, move, agitated by any disturbance, disturbed by any mismatch in percussion, be conscious of singing / following, clap louder than required etc.??

Where do we go wrong sometimes / many times???

Instead of the Primary focus illumining the Dos and Don’ts (you may call them as para-dharma in Bhajan singing), we end up considering all these rules / procedures / Dos and Don’ts, as if these are our Main focus, as if these are the real purpose for which we have come to attend Bhajans, and we

get too much into all these things and in the process, we stand vulnerable, as the main focus is lost, the focus of merger with Lord is not guiding / illumining these rules spontaneously!

So, we carry that little ego of our body mind all the way while entering the hall, while sitting, while adjusting mike, while being nervous as to how our bhajan would go, while fuming if the percussion is not OK and at the end, if at all, if everything has turned out well, while walking out in white and white, with all apparent humility(!!) and at the same time, with our heart silently  wanting that "Appreciation" from the fellow singers / participants!!!

Lo and Behold, the purpose of Bhajan singing  is Lost!!!

Thus, instead of raising beyond our ego through this most beautiful process of Bhajan singing, we end up breeding the same ego, week after week, year after year while gaining seniority as "accomplished Bhajan singer"!

Note: Each one of you, reading today's post  sincerely (!!), is requested to introspect truthfully sitting before Swami in your home shrine and see if  today's post applies to you or not. If it does not apply to you and you are already 100% focused on union with Lord only while singing, then you can happily skip today's post, assuming that the post is meant only for the author himself!!!

Love.

PS- After going through the previous post and this post, those who  attend bhajans as listeners and not as singers, can derive their own Atma-Dharma and Para-Dharma easily.

All the points explained in the last 2 posts apply to listeners, except the aspect of singing.

Thus, in one line, if the focus (Atma-dharma) is clear (merger with Lord), then the listeners cannot judge quality of Bhajans, cannot rank the singers as per their quality of rendering Bhajans, cannot point out any mistake of singers / Percussionists / Co-ordinator / Centre host etc. 

And as far as their para-dharma of observing silence, not moving within the hall, not causing disturbance to others, not clapping too loud to distract others, not to sing in a scale quite contrast to the lead singer's scale etc etc, if the Atma dharma of merging with Lord in the one hour opportunity given to the listener is clear to them, then all other Dos and Don'ts (para-dharma) on their part is automatically taken care of and they just fall in place!!!!

Love.

Dharma Vahini - Post 42

Dear All,

Let us continue from where we left yesterday.

ATMA DHARMA RELATED TO BHAJAN SINGING.

What is the focus/ experience as a result of the single pointed focus, of a singer in a bhajan??

·     The singer comes and occupies a place and sits in the bhajan hall, with his / her mind focused on "merger / union" with Lord during the Bhajan session.

·       Prior to the bhajan day, during the practice day or even before or after the practice day, with the single pointed focus - "Union with God", the singer utilizes the opportunity to render bhajan as a wonderful, never before and a never after golden opportunity to actually merge with the divine supreme Lord and lose his / her individual identity as a singer in totality.

·       What does the above para mean??? 

·       See, you are allowed a chance for singing and you are going to consider that chance as the ONLY and THE BEST opportunity to merge with Sai / Lord. How would you go about the whole process if your focus is genuine and total??

·       First, you would choose a bhajan which suits you, which you can sing comfortably, which does not involve too much stress / too much technical efforts, as your focus is not to render a best bhajan to be applauded by all gathered there, but the focus is to render a bhajan with ease, with comfort so that the whole focus and the attention on the bhajan day is not on "How you are going to render the bhajan at best"  but the focus is "losing your identity as a singer and merging with the Lord, which can happen only if you take a bhajan which you can sing with ease so that you are not conscious on how and why and what of the bhajan but ON THE LORD!!!

·   Also, given the single focus, if it is a chance to merge with Lord, then how many times, how much you would repeat that bhajan to actually communicate with the Lord and to ensure that the inner thoughts are focused on the D-day, when you are rendering that bhajan?? This results in you practicing the bhajan even without being aware of the same!! Is it not??

·      Now, for the actual rendering of Bhajan on the Bhajan day. The mike is placed before you. With the focus repeatedly mentioned / emphasized in the earlier para(s), can there be any one else other than the Lord and you, the one who has to merge in that Lord?

·      So, you are not actually singing but you are merging with the Lord through the madhyam of Bhajan singing.  You have already gone above your individual ego and the identity to render Bhajan very well so that you can receive few messages, hugs and praises for rendering the bhajan so well!!

·    If the focus is 100% and intense, then, when the Bhajan flows from you, neither you are there nor the Lord is there, but only THE LOVE remains, only LOVE exists.

   (If and only if you have existed as Love, poured the song  as Love, then, be sure, there is no individual ego left in you to judge and feel elated if the bhajan went well and neither there is any one in you to cry/ feel bad if the bhajan did not end up well and even if some one passes a direct/ indirect comment on your spoiling the Bhajan)

Now, all of us, after going through the above, have to introspect on how we should be approaching this most sacred sadhana of Bhajan singing in the context of the Atma Dharma or the Only Dharma viz-a-viz  how we are actually taking this sadhana of Bhajan singing!

More in next post.

Love

Dharma Vahini - Post 41

Dear All,

Let us further pick up the most important message / instruction that Swami has conveyed in Dharma Vahini.

"You must become intoxicated with the nectar of Union with Brahman; that is the ultimate goal of Dharma, and of Karma inspired by Dharma."

"The objective codes of dharma relating to worldly activities and daily life, though important in their own sphere, have to be followed with the full knowledge and consciousness of the inner basic Atma-dharma."

Some important points, following in sequence, from the above 2 quotes.

1)   Union with God is the ultimate and only Dharma.

2) All worldly activities in daily life, all duties that we undertake in daily life have their own importance.

3) All such worldly duties have to be illumined by our mind / our heart / our thoughts soaked in our ONLY focus- "TO UNITE WITH GOD / TO REALIZE GOD".

Well, theoretically the above 3 points seem to be understood well. But practically how these 3 golden rules can be implemented?

In the next posts, let us take some practical example to make things more clear, applying these golden rules in some of  our spiritual and worldly dharma so that we are absolutely clear as to what benefit we can attain by following the above rules.

1) In the context of our attending weekly Bhajans- either as singer or as participant. 

Since this activity is the most important activity taken up by most of the devotees in Sai organization or in any other spiritual organization, let us see how the 3 golden rules apply,

Atma-dharma or the primary focus while attending a Bhajan

The atma dharma or the first rule given by Lord "Union with God is the ultimate and only Dharma", remains the same not only for a singer  in bhajan but in all environment, in all pursuits, in all duties, in all situations, in all phases of life of a human being.

Let us elaborate the existence / frame of mind of a singer before he / she enters the bhajan hall or when he / she attends a bhajan or when he / she walks out of the hall upon the end of the bhajan session.

What is the focus/ experience as a result of the single pointed focus, of a singer in a bhajan??

Let us see, in the next post.

Love.

Dharma Vahini - Post 40

Dear Readers,

As we come to the end of this theme "Dharma Vahini", sincere readers are requested to read and absorb the following relevant quotes / extracts from Dharma vahini. 

These selected extract give the essence of Swami's instructions / teachings to mankind on "DHARMA".

In the next one or two posts, with the grace of Sai, author shall try and elaborate on the essence of "DHARMA" and conclude this theme.

Let us read, understand, meditate and absorb the essence as given by Swami, in the following extracts from Dharma Vahini.

Swami's quotes from Dharma Vahini:

"You must become intoxicated with the nectar of Union with Brahman; that is the ultimate goal of Dharma, and of Karma inspired by Dharma."

"The objective codes of dharma relating to worldly activities and daily life, though important in their own sphere, have to be followed with the full knowledge and consciousness of the inner basic Atma-dharma."

"Light the lamp! Let it reveal the reality; get the light of spiritual wisdom (jnana). That will solve all the difficulties. You may claim that you live according to dharma, but your basic flaw is that your acts are not done in the spirit of dedication. If so done, they get stamped with the authentic mark of dharma."

"Observance of dharma is the sign of a human (dharmam purushalakshanam). Everyone must engage in tasks infused with dharma, while putting into action the four goals of human life (purusha-arthas): dharma, wealth (artha), desire (kama), and liberation (moksha). "

"The right conduct (dharma) as prescribed in the scriptures (Vedas) is tested, proven and capable of standing the test of time. It is impartial and just. Faith in it grows with practice. The worship of the Divine must follow the rules prescribed in the Scriptures (Vedas); through this means, people get strengthened in leading a righteous (dharmic) life. This dharma is the command of the Lord; it is the authentic voice of God, so it might as well be followed by all. Dharma brings goodness to all; it confers bliss (ananda) here and hereafter."

Love.

Dharma Vahini - Post 39

Always love and follow only truth; falsehood is never beneficial. Some people may respect, but you will find that no one honors falsehood, deceit, and injustice all the time. On the contrary, everyone respects truth, honesty, integrity, and justice. Who is a divine person (devatha)? It is just a name for the person who observes truth as their vow (vratha) in daily living. The right conduct (dharma) as prescribed in the scriptures (Vedas) is tested, proven and capable of standing the test of time. It is impartial and just. Faith in it grows with practice. The worship of the Divine must follow the rules prescribed in the Scriptures (Vedas); through this means, people get strengthened in leading a righteous (dharmic) life. This dharma is the command of the Lord; it is the authentic voice of God, so it might as well be followed by all. Dharma brings goodness to all; it confers bliss (ananda) here and hereafter.

- Dharma Vahini, Ch 13.

Dharma Vahini - Post 38

"Sacrifice ignorance (ajnana) and ego (ahamkara) at the altar of wisdom (Jnana), and install righteousness (Dharma) therein" - this is the message of the scriptures. Every single unselfish act, which prepares the ground for the merging of the Soul with the Over-Soul, which broadens the vision towards the Divinity immanent everywhere, is a righteous act. Each such act is a tiny stream that swells the river of holiness rushing towards the sea of knowledge of Divinity. Your acts and activities are all rituals in the worship of the Paramatma that pervades the Universe. Whatever is done in an attitude of dedication and surrender is a component of the Dharma, which leads to Realization. The strategy of the ancient Bharathiya (Indian) way of life is directed towards the sanctification of every moment and every word, thought and deed as a step towards realizing the Divine.

- Dharma Vahini, Ch 1.

Dharma Vahini - Post 37

Consider how much talent the Lord has given to people. With that endowment, seek the four goals (purusharthas). Move forward on the path to the Lord, adhering strictly to the demands of truth. That is the purpose of the gift of talent. Only those gifted with eyesight can see things; those bereft of sight do not have that fortune. So too, only those gifted with truth, longing for the four goals and adherence to dharma, can see the Lord; all others are blind. The Lord has also given people instruments for developing their intellect and discrimination. If they use them well and try to realize God within themselves, the Lord will add unto them fresh talent and new sources of power, for He is full of grace toward the struggling. When people seek to follow dharma, the truth will also reveal itself to them.

- Dharma Vahini, Ch 13.

Dharma Vahini - Post 36

You must seek Truth and test it thoroughly with all the canons of reasoning. The discipline consists of:

1)   The heroism to observe dharma rigorously (Ojas).

2) Fearless self-control (Tejas).

3) Discarding of all feelings of joy or sorrow with equanimity, due to the peaks and troughs of life.

4) Having unshakable faith in dharma and truth (Sahana). 5) Mental and physical health of the most excellent kind, earned by discipline and celibacy (bala).

5) The desire and ability to speak sweetly and straight, won by the practice of truth and love.

6) Withdrawal of the five senses of wisdom (Jnanendriyas) and the five senses of action (karmendriyas) from vice and sin, and the sublimation of all the senses to serve truth (indriya-moha).

7)  Victory over Self resulting in acceptance by the world. 9) The destruction of one’s prejudices and the pursuit of truth at all times (dharma).

It is essential that all humanity today acknowledges the glory of this universal dharma.

You must earnestly pray, “May all this be conferred on me” as found in the 'Chamakam' hymn.

- Dharma Vahini, Ch 13.