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Life on Earth and Pollution

Planet Earth, or “Mother Earth” as it is termed by Hindus around the World, has a unique place in the Universe. In our solar system, containing nine planets, Earth is the only object known to exhibit and sustain life. The other eight planets are either too close to the Sun (Mercury and Venus) which results in extremely high temperatures, or far away from the Sun (Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and Pluto) resulting in too extreme cold conditions to sustain life. There is speculation that there may be, or, that there once was life on Mars, but the fact is that, as of today, the only place where life exists, thrives, and is sustained is only our planet Earth. There may be billions and billions of stars in several galaxies which may be trillions of miles away from us; it is likely that some of these stars may have planetary systems like our solar system. The probability of existence of life in space is finite but, so far, life has not been detected anywhere else. Thus Earth is a very precious place to be on and we must strive to keep it livable, clean and beautiful for generations to come. Hindu sages have had a pretty good idea about the requirements for life. The five “Tatvas” (elements) in our mythology are: Air, Water, Earth, Sky and Fire which correspond to gas, liquid and solid phases and energy from the Sun respectively. Modern scientific studies have revealed similar require-ments for life; namely, gases like nitrogen and oxygen in the atmosphere, water in the oceans, rocks and minerals as solids in Earth’s crust, plus energy from the Sun as the principal source for the creation of sustainable life. At the microscopic level carbon, nitrogen, oxygen and hydrogen are the principal constituents of living systems. For example water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen; nitrogen oxygen and carbon dioxide are the major components of air, sand (silicates) and other minerals are present in the interior of Earth. Energy from the Sun induces chemical reactions in the atmosphere, ground, and sea resulting in complex materials some of which are of biochemical (life) significance. Thus proteins (containing carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen) are the essential components for growth, and sugars and fats (containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen) are essential for providing energy to the living systems for sustenance of life. Indeed there are other requirements like salts and enzymes containing metals and complex compounds of carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen and oxygen (bio-organics and in-organics). Environmental Changes and Health All living systems contain water along with electrolytes like chlorides of sodium and potassium for proper functioning of body cells. Too much or too little of any of these components results in disease and, in extreme cases, death. For example, too much salt (sodium chloride) is responsible for abnormal blood pressure and too little will cause collapse of body cells. Similarly, too much water can lead to dilution of electrolytes (salts solution) and, hence, malfunctions of the body organs. There have been reports of collapse of some athletes who drank too much water during their activities like running a marathon race. Too much food is bad for the body just as too little food leads to malnutrition. We have access to many industrial chemicals like detergents, soaps, tooth pastes, solvents for household use which have chemicals like arsenic, mercury, etc., which are extremely toxic. The point here is that there is a delicate balance of materials in our living systems and any deficiency or excess is to be termed as abnormality or body pollution. There is an analogy of these excesses or deficiencies with our environment. We hear about the greenhouse effect leading to global warming, we hear about air pollution, water pollution and solid waste pollution which are the direct result of human and industrial activity. Any deviation from the normal composition of atmosphere, water or Earth’s crust can have dire consequences on our health and well being and is termed “POLLUTION”. Increase in pollution over the past several decades is due to increased industrial activity which is essential to support the needs of the increasing population. Of course, industrial activity can not be stopped because of economic reasons; a balance in economic growth and clean environment is essential. This will be discussed in our future articles on air and water pollution and solid waste as well as what is being done and should be done in terms of management to alleviate the ill effects of pollution

MAHASHIVARATRI

Rateebhai Patel, Arlington, VA

The festival of Mahashivaratri -- literally meaning the night of great Shiva – is dedicated to Lord Shiva as this night is especially sacred to Lord Shiva. This is the day -- the 14th day in the dark half of the month of Phalguna (February) -- that Shiva, who is un-manifest (arupa or  formless), chose to manifest Himself on this night as an effulgent pillar of light, without beginning or end. The day is especially auspicious and is celebrated as Mahashivratri.

Shivaratri, is celebrated annually as a great event from time immemorial. Devrishi Narad advised mankind to fast on this day and pray to the All-Powerful Shiva so that in all His kindness He pardons all the sins that are committed in the past three lives.

There are many stories and legends in Purans, describing the origin of this festival. Legend has it that this night Shiva performed the Tandava dance or the dance of creation, preservation, and destruction.

According to another legend in the Shiva Purana, once Brahma and Vishnu were fighting over who was the superior of the two. Horrified at the intensity of the battle, the other gods asked Shiva to intervene. To make them realize the futility of their fight, Shiva assumed the form of a huge column of fire in between Brahma and Vishnu. Awestruck by its magnitude, they decided to find one end each to establish supremacy over the other. Brahma assumed the form of a swan and went upwards and Vishnu as Varaha went into the earth. Nevertheless, light had no limit and, though they searched for thousands of miles, neither could find the end. At that moment Lord Shiva appeared out of the column of fire and proclaimed that he was the progenitor of both of them. He was the Creator, Preserver and the Destroyer. He then demanded that thereafter, he be worshiped in his phallic form, the Lingam.

According to another popular belief, Mahashivratri symbolizes the holy union - - the wedding of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.

Yet, according to another legend in the Ramayana, King Bhagirath once left his kingdom to meditate for the salvation of the souls of his ancestors. He observed a penance to Brahma for a thousand years, requesting Ganga to come down to earth from heaven. He wanted her to wash over the ashes of his ancestors to release them from a curse and allow them to go to heaven. Brahma granted his wish but told him to pray to Shiva, who alone could sustain the weight of Ganga's descent. Accordingly, Ganga descended on Shiva's head, and after meandering through his thick matted locks, reached the earth. This story is, often, re-enacted by bathing the Shivlinga.

Another story traces the origin of the festival to the fact that Lord Shiva saved the entire human race and the universe from destruction by swallowing poison. It is believed that the gods and the demons were churning the ocean (Sagarmanthan) to obtain amrit (nectar) to become immortal. In the process, they came across many unusual substances, including the deadly poison. As soon as they touched the poison, it exploded into poisonous fumes that threatened to destroy the entire universe. When the destruction of the universe seemed inevitable, the gods ran for assistance to Brahma and Vishnu, but neither was able to help them. At last, they ran to Lord Shiva for help who swallowed the poison without spilling a single drop. That also explains why Lord Shiva`s throat is blue in color for which he is also called Nilkantha -- the one with the blue throat.

The word Shiva means “auspicious” and Lord Shiva is venerated as the source of all that is good and auspicious, and as the primordial source of all creation, Shiva who is un-manifest 

– arupa or formless, chose to manifest Himself on this night as an effulgent pillar of light, without beginning or end. This light represents the primal cosmic energy that is the source of all creation. From this light emanated Brahma, the Creator, Vishnu, the Protector or preserver, and Rudra, the Destroyer that causes the final dissolution of all created things back into the un-manifest.

While this is the abstract concept of the un-manifest, which is difficult to comprehend, Shiva also takes the shape as the Linga or cosmic egg and this is the abstract and concrete symbol that is usually worshiped in all Shiva Temples. He is also worshipped in various human and divine forms like Nataraja, Chandrasekhara, etc. In South Indian temples, the Lingam form is worshipped with the name Ramanatha, the Linga that Lord Rama worshipped at Rameswaram, on Rama’s return after killing the demon King Ravana. It is also an expiatory act, as Ravana was great devotee of Shiva and a great Vedic scholar.

Rameswaram, like Kashi in North India, is one of the twelve famous Jyotirlingas in India. The link to Jyoti or the effulgent light is significant.

Lord Shiva is especially fond of Abhishekam, or the ceremonial and continuous pouring of Holy water on the Lingam. On Shivaratri night, this ritual is repeated four times, along with the continuous chanting of Shree Rudra. This chant figures the center of all the Vedas and has, within its own center, the esoteric five letter panchakshara mantra:

Aum Namah-shivaya

This sonorous and majestic prayer, chanted together by large groups of priests and devotees is extremely impressive to hear and is believed to do  a lot good to the world at large by the special vibration that it creates.

Hymns in praise of Lord Shiva are sung with great fervor and devotion. People repeat the Panchakshara Mantra, Om Namah-Shivaya. It is believed that one who utters the name of Shiva during Shivratri with proper devotion is freed from all sins. He reaches the abode of Shiva and lives happily there. He is liberated from the cycle of birth and death.

Shiva, austere in form is worshipped with the simplest of offering: the holy ash, the ultimate residue, the Bilva (Billi) Leaf, the Erukku flower; the lowly fig, and plain water.

Besides the Vedas, Puranas like the Shiva Purana, etc., the Saiva Agamas, and several works in various Indian languages proclaim greatness of Shiva. There is also evidence of Shiva worship from ancient times in countries outside India also.

Shivratri is also special, as even a little worship of Shiva on that day brings profound results. The Puranas have several stories of unlettered folks and even sinners having attained instant salvation on this Shivaratri night by even unconscious acts of throwing a Leaf or flower or a drop of water on a Shiva Lingam.

On this Shivratri night ( Wednesday, February 18, 2004), and every day, let us our salutation and obeisance to Lord Shiva:

Om Namha-Shivaya!

The darkness that the rishi is seeking here to be removed is not the ordinary darkness. It is Tamas, the darkness that is lurking behind our own true divine nature. It is the inertia, the lethargy, the stupor, the weaknesses of multi dimensions, and all the negative impulses that take hold of our psyche and creative potential. It is the ignorance that shrouds our intellect and directs our energies in meaningless pursuits that lead us to asat -- the unreal, to mrityu -- the transitional, and to tamas. In short, all that is inauspicious, undesirable, and substantially devoid of any lasting value, and alien to our own inherent true nature.

Our scriptures remind us that we are not merely the lumps of bone and flesh but conscious beings of infinite potential; the fountainheads of joy, creativity and all that is auspicious. Qualitatively, we are made essentially of the same mettle as the divine. We have to be, if our true nature is potentially divine as the Vedic rishis have proclaimed through their resounding messages of Tat-tvam-asi -- "That thou art" and Sarva khalvidam Brahman -- "All that exists is Brahman".

Why then, that divinity does not shine through the man who has been created in His own image? Just look around! Moral degradation, bigotry, greed, hatred, intolerance, lust, and violence on one hand, and pessimism, despair, doom and destruction on the other are rampant on a global scale. The mankind over the eons, birth after birth, have acquired and carried over some of those traits that have made at least some of them, essentially the brutes of our time. Just recall the havoc unleashed by the terrorists recently in New York and Washington! It appears as if all the norms of decency and human behavior have been thrown out of the window, and with every passing day, the world is being pushed into an abyss of chaotic savagery.

Potentially divine? Yes, but the claim to that status is not automatic. A great deal of self-effort is required on our part to deserve that, even to earn the title of a true human being! Our scriptures tell us that this vast expanse of the phenomenal world, our habitat -- the planet earth -- that we share with teeming billions, the solar system, and thousands of galaxies with their own exploding nebulae and stars that make up the brahmand that we know as the universe, are just a tiny part of the cosmos that is pulsating with the infinite energy. Thousands of such universes are created and destroyed in the twinkling of an eye according to our scriptures, and the ultimate source of all the energy that makes it possible is unfathomable. Called by various names,that Supreme Reality is the ultimate source of it all. Where then is the man in this grand scheme? Not even the tiniest of the tiny speck of dust; still part and parcel of that Reality.

Our sages and seers remind us that we are potentially divine and the realization of that divinity is the true purpose of life, but what equipment do we have to realize that? This mortal but formidable frame, our body together with the mind and intellect, which ironically imposes its own limitations, and yet, this is the only real `instrument' that we have to transcend the limitations of our own imperfections. How humbling and ennobling at the same time is this thought! This is a monumental task but the human history is replete with exemplary illumined souls who have appeared time and again to reassure the world that this is not an impossible dream. To that end, the grace of God is essential and the prayer is a humble self-effort that makes us eligible to receive that grace. The responsibility is squarely ours. We are the masters of our own destiny. Optimism tempered with self-confidence and sincere prayer with genuine humility is the shining hope to seek that Light, the divine grace. Certainly, if the Vedic rishis, who were undoubtedly far more virtuous than their descendants of modern times, felt it necessary to seek divine intervention to remove their darkness, this prayer becomes all the more too potently relevant for us in these troubled times. This prayer is an earnest yearning to invite the divine grace to rekindle the flame of divinity inherent in every one of us. It is an invocation to awaken our dormant spirits to realize who we really are- resplendent divine sparks, oases of humanity in the mortal human frame with unlimited potential.

But, who is that embodiment of all the compassionate benevolence, to whom we offer our humble prayers? Formless, nameless or with infinite forms and names? That omnipotent Supreme Reality is all this and much more. Expressed as the Divine Mother, according to our scriptures, she is the origin of all that has ever been, is or will ever be. She is the one who has pervaded this whole universe. Cosmic Energy herself, she is the Shakti that sustains every thing. She is the power behind all that is subtle or gross, vivid or mysterious from the micro to the macrocosm. She has endless names and forms: Durga, Kali, Lakshmi, Saraswati and thousand others, yet she is beyond description; name and form less, infinite in her majestic glory. Mind boggling, awesome? Yes, she is the Mahamaya, the supreme illusory power behind all that is this phenomenal world, beyond the reach of mind. She is the one who can bewilder the minds of even the wisest of the wise, the jnanies, by her bewitching spell, the maya, yet compassionate, tenderly loving; she is the Mother of the universe. This whole creation is the manifestation of that Supreme Energy. She, on her own accord, showers her grace on sincere seekers.

As we celebrate the Vijaya Dashami and the Jyotiparva -- Diwali, let us sincerely seek her blessings so that we may become truly decent human beings, make this world a better place to live, and realize the goal of life. Let us bow down at the lotus feet of Jagadamba, the Mother of the universe and pray: Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya! May She illumine our souls and lead us from unreal to real, darkness to light, and from death to immortality.

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A religion, to satisfy the largest pro-portion of mankind, must be able to supply food for all types of minds; and where this capability is lacking, the existing sects all become one-sided. Sup-pose you go to a sect which preaches love and emotion. They sing and weep, and preach love. But as soon as you say, "My friend, that is all right, but I want something stronger than this -- a little reason, and philosophy. I want to understand things step by step and more rationally." "Get out", they say, and they not only ask you to get out, but would send you to the other place, if they could. The result is that, that sect can only help people of an emotional turn of mind; they not only do not help others, but try to destroy them. The most wicked part of the whole thing is that they will not only not help others, but do not believe in their sincerity.

Again, there are philosophers, who talk of the wisdom of India and the East and use big psychological terms, fifty syllables long, but if an ordinary man like me goes to them and says, "Can you tell me anything to make me spiritual?" The first thing they would do would be to smile and say, "Oh, you are too far below us in your reason. What can you understand about spirituality?" These are high-up philosophers. They simply show you the door.

Then there are the mystical sects, who speak all sorts of things about different planes of existence, different states of mind, and what the power of the mind can do, and so on. And if you are an ordinary man and say, "Show me anything good that I can do. I am not much given to speculation; can you give me anything that will suit me?" They will smile, and say, "Listen to that fool! He knows nothing. His existence is for nothing." And this is going on everywhere in the world.

To become harmoniously balanced in all these four directions, is the ideal of religion. And this religion is attained 

by what we call Yoga – a union. To the worker, it is union between men and the whole of humanity; to the mystic, between his lower and Higher Self; to the lover, union between himself and the God of love; and to the philosopher, it is the union of all existence. This is what is meant by Yoga.

Yoga is a Sanskrit term, and these four divisions of Yoga have in Sanskrit different names. The man who seeks after this kind of union is called a Yogin. The worker is called a Karma-Yogin. He who seeks the union through love is called the Bhakti-Yogin. He who seeks it through mysticism is called the Raja-Yogin. And he who seeks it through philosophy is called the Jnana-Yogin. So this word Yogin comprises them all.

Raja YOGA

Now, first of all, let me take up Raja Yoga. What is this Raja-Yoga, this con-trolling of the mind? Ignorant people associate all sorts of hobgoblins with the word Yoga. I am afraid, therefore, I must start by telling you that it has nothing to do with such things. None of these Yogas gives up reason, none asks you to be hoodwinked, or to deliver your reason into the hands of priests of any type whatsoever. No one of them asks that you should give your allegiance to any superhuman messenger. Each one of them tells you to cling to your reason, to hold fast to it.

We find in all beings three sorts of instruments of knowledge. The first is instinct, which you find most highly developed in animals. This is the lowest instrument of knowledge. What is the second instrument of knowledge? Reasoning. You find that most highly developed in human beings. Now in the first place, instinct is an inadequate instrument. To animals, the sphere of action is very limited, and within that  limit, instinct works well. When you come to man, you see it is largely developed into reason. The sphere of action also has here become enlarged. Yet even reason is still very insufficient. Reason can go only a little way and then it stops. It cannot go any further; and if you try to push it, the result is helpless confusion. Reason itself becomes unreasonable. Logic becomes argument in a circle. Take, for instance, the very basis of our perception, matter and force. What is matter? That which is acted upon by force. And force? That which acts upon matter. You see the complication, what the logicians call seesaw, one idea depending on the other, and this again depending on that. You find a mighty barrier before reason, beyond which reasoning cannot go; yet it always feels impatient to get into the region of the Infinite Beyond. This world, this universe which our senses feel, or our mind thinks, is but one atom, so to say, of the Infinite, projected on to the plane of consciousness; and within that narrow limit, defined by the network of consciousness, works our reason, and not beyond. Therefore, there must be some other instrument to take us beyond, and that instrument is called inspiration.

So instinct, reason, and inspiration are the three instruments of knowledge. Instinct belongs to animals, reason to men, and inspiration to God-men. But in all human beings are to be found, in a more or less developed condition, the germs of all these three instruments of knowledge. To have these mental instruments evolved, the germs must be there. And this must also be remembered, that one instrument is a development of the other, and therefore does not contradict it. It is reason that develops into inspiration, and, therefore, inspiration does not contradict reason, but fulfils it. 

Things which reason cannot get at, are brought to light by inspiration; and they do not contradict reason. The old man does not contradict the child, but fulfils the child. Therefore you must always bear in mind that the greater danger lies in mistaking the lower form of instrument to be the higher.

Many times, instinct is presented before the world as inspiration, and then come all the spurious claims for the gift of prophecy. A fool or a semi-lunatic thinks that the confusion going on in his brain is inspiration, and he wants men to follow him. The most contradictory irrational nonsense that has been preached in the world, is simply the instinctive jargon of confused lunatic .brains trying to pass for the language of inspiration.

The first test of true teaching must be that the teaching should not contradict reason. And you may see that such is the basis of all these Yogas. We take the Raja-Yoga, the psychological Yoga, the psychological way to union. It is a vast subject, and I can only point out to you the central idea of this Yoga.

We have but one method of acquiring knowledge. From the lowest man to the highest Yogin, all have to use the same method; and that method is what is called concentration. The chemist who works in his laboratory concentrates all the powers of his mind, brings them into one focus, and throws them on the elements; and the elements stand analyzed, and thus his knowledge comes. The astronomer has also concentrated the powers of his mind, and brought them into one focus; and he throws them on to objects, through his telescope; and stars and systems roll forward, and give up their secrets to him. So it is in every case; with the professor in his chair, the student with his book, with every man who is working to know. You are hearing me, and if my words interest you, your mind will become concentrated on them; and then suppose a clock strikes, you will not hear it, on account of this concentration; and the more you are  able to concentrate your mind, the better you will understand me, and the more I concentrate my love and powers, the better I shall be able to give expression to what I want to convey to you. The more this power of concentration, the more knowledge is acquired, because this is the one and only method of acquiring knowledge. Even the lowest shoe-black, if he gives more concentration will black shoes better. The cook with concentration will cook a meal all the better. In making money, or in worshipping God, or in doing anything, the stronger the power of concentration, the better will that thing be done. This is the one call, the one knock, which opens the gates of nature, and lets out floods of light. This, the power of concentration, is the only key to the treasure-house of knowledge. The system of Raja Yoga deals almost exclusively with this. In the present state of our body, we are so much distracted and the mind is frittering away its energies upon a hundred sorts of things. As soon as I try to calm my thoughts and concentrate my mind upon any one object of knowledge, thousands of undesired impulses rush into the brain, thousands of thoughts rush into the mind and disturb it. How to check it and bring the mind under control is the whole subject of study in Raja-Yoga.

KARMA YOGA

Now take Karma Yoga, the attainment of God through work. It is evident that in society there are many persons who seem to be born for some sort of activity or other, whose minds cannot be concentrated on the plane of thought alone, and who have but one idea, concretized in work, visible and tangible. There must be a science for this kind of life too. Each one of us is engaged in some work, but the majority of us fritter away the greater portion of our energies, because we do not know the secret of work. Karma Yoga explains this secret and teaches where and how to work, how to employ to the greatest advantage the largest part of our energies in the work that is before us. But with this secret we must take into consideration the great objection against work, namely, that it causes pain.

All misery and pain come from attachment. I want to do work, I want to do good to a human being; and it is ninety to one that that human being, whom I have helped, will prove ungrateful, and go against me; and the result to me is pain. Such things deter mankind from working; and it spoils a good portion of the work and energy of the mankind -- this fear of pain and misery. Karma Yoga teaches us how to work for work's sake, unattached, without caring who is helped, and what for.

The Karma Yogin works because it is his nature, because he feels that it is good for him to do so, and he has no object beyond that. His position in this world is that of a giver, and he never cares to receive anything. He knows that he is giving, and does not ask for anything in return and, therefore, he eludes the grasp of misery. The grasp of pain, whenever it comes, is the result of the reaction of "attachment".

BHAKTI-YOGA

There is then the Bhakti Yoga for the man of emotional nature, the lover. He wants to love God. He relies upon and uses all sorts of rituals, flowers, incense, beautiful buildings, forms, and all such things. Do you mean to say they are wrong? One fact I must tell you. It is good for you to remember that the world's great spiritual giants have all been produced only by those religious sects which have been in possession of very rich mythology and ritual. All sects that have attempted to worship God without any form or ceremony, have crushed without mercy everything that is beautiful and sublime in religion. Their religion is a fanaticism at best, a dry thing. The history of the world is a standing witness to this fact. Therefore, do not decry these rituals and mythologies. Let people have them; let those, who so desire, have them. Do not exhibit that unworthy derisivesmile, and say, "They are fools; let them have it." Not so; the greatest men I have seen in my life, the most wonderfully developed in spirituality, have all come through the discipline of these rituals. I do not hold myself worthy to sit at their feet, and for me to criticize them! How do I know how these ideas act upon the human mind, which of them I am to accept and which to reject? We are apt to criticize everything in the world without sufficient warrant. Let people have all the mythology they want, with its beautiful inspiration; for you must always bear in mind that emotional natures do not care for abstract definitions of the truth. God to them is something tangible, the only thing that is real. They feel, hear and see Him and love Him. Let them have their God. Your rationalist seems to them to be like the fool who, when he saw a beautiful statue, wanted to break it to find out of what material it was made. Bhakti Yoga teaches them how to love, without any ulterior motives, loving God and loving the good because it is good to do so, not for going to heaven, nor to get children, wealth, or anything else. It teaches them that love itself is the highest recompense of love -- that God Himself is love.

It teaches them to pay all kinds of tributes to God as the Creator, the Omnipresent, Omniscient, Almighty Ruler, the Father, and the Mother. The highest phrase that can express Him, the highest idea that the human mind can conceive of Him is that He is the God of Love. Wherever there is love, it is He. "Wherever there is any love, it is He; the Lord is present there." Where the husband kisses the wife, He is there in the kiss; where the mother kisses the child, He is there in the kiss; where friends clasp hands, He, the Lord, is present as the God of Love. When a great man loves and wishes to help mankind, He is there giving freely His bounty out of His love to mankind. Wherever the heart expands, He is there manifested. This is what the Bhakti-Yoga teaches.

JNANA-YOGA

Lastly, we come to the Jnana Yogin, the philosopher, the thinker, he who wants to go beyond the visible. He is the man who is not satisfied with the little things of this world. His idea is to go beyond the daily routine of eating, drinking, and so on. Not even the teaching of thousands of books will satisfy him. Not even all the sciences will satisfy him; at the best, they only bring this little world before him. What else will give him satisfaction? Not even myriads of systems of worlds will satisfy him; they are to him but a drop in the ocean of existence. His soul wants to go beyond all that into the very heart of being, by seeing Reality as It is; by realizing It, by, being It, by becoming one with that Universal Being. That is the philosopher. To say that God is the Father or the Mother, the Creator of this universe, its Protector, and Guide, is to him, quite inadequate to express Him. To him, God is the life of his life, the soul of his soul. God is his own Self. Nothing else remains which is other than God. All the mortal parts of his become pounded by the weighty strokes of philosophy, and are brushed away. What at last truly remains, is God Himself.

Upon the same tree there are. two birds, one on the top, the other below. The one on the top is calm, silent and majestic, immersed in its own glory; the one on the lower branches, eating sweet and bitter fruits by turns, hopping from branch to branch, is becoming happy and miserable by turns. After a time the lower bird eats and exceptionally bitter fruit, and gets disgusted and looks up and sees the other bird, that wondrous one of golden plumage, who eats neither sweet nor bitter fruit, who is neither happy nor miserable, but calm, Self-centered and sees nothing beyond his Self. The lower bird longs for this condition but soon forgets it, and again begins to eat the fruit. In a little while, he eats another exceptionally bitter fruit, which. makes him feel miserable, and he again looks up, and tries to get nearer to the upper bird. Once more he 

forgets and after a time he looks up, and so on he goes again and again, until he comes very near to the beautiful bird and sees the reflection of light from his plumage playing around his own body, and he feels a change and seems to melt away; still nearer he comes, and everything about .him melts away, and at last he understands this wonderful change. The lower bird was, as it were, only the substantial-looking shadow, the reflection of the higher; he himself was in essence the upper bird all the time. This eating of fruits, sweet and bitter, this lower little bird, weeping and happy by turns, was a vain chimera, a dream. All along, the real bird was there above, calm and silent, glorious and majestic, beyond grief, beyond sorrow.

The upper bird is God, the Lord of this universe; and the lower bird is the human soul, eating the sweet and bitter fruits of this world. Now and then comes a heavy blow to the soul. For a time, he stops eating and goes towards the unknown God, and a flood of light comes. He thinks that this world is a vain show. Yet again the senses drag him down and he begins as before, to eat the sweet and bitter fruits of the world. Again an exceptionally hard blow comes. His heart becomes open again to divine light; thus gradually he approaches God, and as he gets nearer and nearer, he finds his old self melting away. When he has come near enough he sees that he is no other than God, and he exclaims, "He whom I have described to you as the Life of this universe as present in the atom, and in suns and moons -- He is the basis of our own life, the Soul of our soul. Nay, thou art That."

This is what this Jnana Yoga teaches. It tells man that he is essentially divine. It shows to mankind the real unity of being, and that each one of us is the Lord God Himself, manifested on earth. All of us, from the lowest worm that crawls under our feet to the highest beings to whom we look up with wonder and awe, all are manifestations of the same Lord.

THE GOAL

Lastly, it is imperative that all these various Yogas should be carried out in practice; mere theories about them will not do any good. First we have to hear about them, then we have to think about them. We have to reason the thoughts out, impress them on our minds, and we have to meditate on them, realize them until, at last, they become our whole life. No longer will religion remain a bundle of ideas or theories, nor an intellectual assent; it will enter into our very self. By means of intellectual assent we may today subscribe to many foolish things, and change our minds altogether tomorrow. But true religion never changes. Religion is realization; not talk, nor doctrine, nor theories, however, beautiful they may be. It is being and becoming, not hearing or acknowledging; it is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes. That is religion.

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What Is Dharma

Dharma is a Sanskrit word. There is no equivalent word in English for it. The nearest word for Dharma in English is religion, but it doesn't carry the same sense. Let's explain.

The term Dharma is one of the most intractable terms in Hindu philosophy.  Derived from the root dhar (Dhri) to  uphold, sustain, support, the term Dharma denotes "that which holds together the different aspects and qualities of an object into a whole." Although the term Dharma has been translated as religious code, as righteousness, as a system of morality, as duty, as charity, etc., the original Sanskrit term has a special connotation of its own which is not captured by any one of these renderings. The best rendering of this term, perhaps, is "the Law of Being" meaning, "that which makes a thing or being what it is." For example, it is the Dharma of fire to burn, of the sun to shine, etc.

Dharma means, therefore, not merely righteousness or goodness but it indicates the essential nature of anything without which it cannot retain its independent existence. For example, a cold dark sun is impossible, as heat and light are the Dharma of the sun.  Similarly if we are to live as truly dynamic men in the world, we can only do so by being faithful to our true nature.

Dharma, thus, en-compasses all those systems and values, which are instrumental in maintaining harmonious relationships between the individual, the family, the society and universe. It includes rules of health, hygiene, and ecosystem as well as various paths for the realization of the Truth. It refers to the good nature in us. For example, the sun gives light and warmth, so this is the sun's 'dharma'.  The dharma of fire is to burn. The dharma of water is to satisfy thirst. A parent’s dharma is to look after and guide the children. A physician's dharma is to do everything possible to cure the patient. The dharma of the state is to serve, guide, protect, and lead to prosperity its citizens. The teacher's dharma is to teach his pupils, and so on. At the same time, the Dharma of those who are at the receiving end is to be worthy of the gift.

Thus Dharma is not just going to the temples or listening to spiritual teaching, singing bhajans, or observing certain rituals, but to practice in everyday life what is virtuous for the good of the society, the environment and humanity at large. This also includes the animal and plant kingdoms and inanimate objects, which are deemed to need love and care as we humans do.

HINDU DHARMA

Hinduism is not a religion in the sense it is understood in the West. Unlike other religions of the world, no single individual founded Hinduism; not even a group of people who gave the name after a Holy man. Mankind has known Hindu dharma since the time of eternity -- as far as one can trace back. It doesn't draw any inspiration from any miracle, which sometimes is the case with other religions. We call it "Hindu Dharma" or "Sanatana Dharma".

Ancient name of Hindu Dharma is Sanaatana Dharma, meaning eternal. Through its long history of many millennia it has taken many names. Now it is called Hindu Dharma. The name . Although inappropriate, it may be called Hindu religion because of such usage worldwide. Hindu was given to us by foreigner after the name of river Sindhu (pronounced in Persia as Hindu and in further west as Indus).  Originally, the term Hindu referred to all people living along the banks or east of the river Sindhu. Over the period we have come to accept it and are proud of being Hindu.

Sanatana meaning eternal Unlike other religions of the world, it was not started by any one person but rather it evolved with time in India. Also, unlike other religions it has no single book as the final arbitrator of Truth. Rather, Hindu thoughts, principles and philosophy are represented in multiplicity of books and epics, namely, the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Purans the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, Bhagavad Geeta, etc. - comprising a sizeable library.* It does not draw inspiration from any miracle that sometimes is the case with other religions. This religion is universal in all respects and, thus, one of its many names Maanava Dharma, the religion of humanity.

Hindu Dharma provides us the guiding principles, which were dis-covered by seers and sages and practiced for millennia after millennia before they were compiled in book form. It represents a philosophy of "live and let live" that provides the guiding principles to enable us to distinguish right from wrong, so that we may live in peace and harmony with others and with the nature. It is a code of righteous conduct for humanity. These principles guide us to live together in harmony with the nature and with all other animate beings and inanimate objects. The principles have been practiced over millennia and found to withstand the test time. These principles were true then, are true now, and, it is our conviction, that they would be found true in future. To illustrate the nature of Hindu principles, let us cite an example: The planet earth attracts all material bodies according to the laws of gravitation. In religious terminology it may be called the "Dharma" of Mother Earth. Gravitation is the "Dharma" of the earth and Sanaata Dharma is that for humanity.

A few salient features of Hinduism are:

§    Every one is born of divine nature (Amritsya Putrah).

§    Divinity is within all of us.

§    Spirituality is relentless pursuit of the Truth.

§    Spirituality is for the brave and fearless.

§    All have the same consciousness as your own self.

§    Look upon all being as your own self.

§    Selfless devotion is the prerequisite to your duties.

§    Total freedom of thoughts and spirit is the hallmark of Hinduism.

Hindu Dharma requires all of us to be physically strong, mentally alert, intellectually sound, and spiritually calm and contented. Thus it is, often, referred to as a way of life.

Hinduism requires a person to develop physically, mentally, intellectually, and spiritually. Yoga and meditation are essential ingredients of Hindu religion. The practice of yoga and meditation makes one strong in physique, sound in mental and intellectual aptitudes, and brings spiritual contentment. It is becoming useful tool in minimizing the stress so common in the present society.

HINDU DHARMA DEFINED