THE TEACHINGS OF AN UNKNOWN GURU – 5

Heaven – dwellers

Vagbhatanda Guru (1885 - 1939)

In this piece, Vagbhatananda takes on Swargaloka , i.e, the abode of all Devas, the celestial beings. Those elites get everything with a mere wish to that effect. They have amrut at their disposal. Further, Kamadhenu and Kalpavriksh, the celestial cow and tree respectively are in attendance to grant anything that the heaven – dwellers ask for.

 Now, the Guru quotes from Bhagavad Gita

Devanu bhavayathanena te deva bhavayanthu va

Parasparam bhavayantha sreya paramavapsyadha

Meaning: You try to make the Devas happy through yajnas so that, in return, they make you happy with their benediction. The process of making each other happy will go on till you get all sreyas.

According to Guru, this verse gives us a feeling that celestial kings are for real and the most important work of lesser-beings is to make them happy. In fact, this is just a folly held aloft in the name of Truth. As a result, people were running after an external celestial ecstasy and they thought it could be won through rituals. The sad plight of ‘seekers’ desperately making yagasalas and inviting purohits to do all kinds of rites is narrated even in Bhagavatam. If there were an external heaven and higher beings named Devas inhabited the place, why should others make an all-out effort to appease them? They are happily settled in Heaven and do not need any of our props.

Do these celestial dwellers, always praised by the so-called vaidiks possess any divinity that commands our respect? Is there any quality in them worth-emulating?

Think of Indra, the king of Devalokam. He has killed any number of people with treachery, assumes the centre-stage with a bunch of prostitutes like Urvashi, setting out with his side-kicks to make love to Damayanti. He got humiliated for good reason and finally the same Indra endowed with thousand lingas by way of curse for breaking Ahalya’s chastity. Is it possible to imitate him?

The belief that somebody reigns in heaven results in all kinds of religious rigidities like yajnas and idol worship. Both have to be kept at bay. Say good-bye to all superstitions happily. Even the Gods that we have enshrined in our reveries and elsewhere are a product of superstition, admit it. The history of our Gods are not unblemished.

The real devas are the soul, the mind and the senses which are to be aligned in tune with the well-being of man. They would be pleased only if you live a dharmik life. Anybody can lead such a life and it is equally rewarding for both the agnostic and atheist.

God is like a gentle breeze. The leaves, flowers, plants, trees and the forest itself move in tandem and you can feel the cause behind it. Likewise the infinite and unimaginable Universe follows certain intrinsic laws and one can feel the presence of the Ancient One.

The radiance of that Jnanandamurti touches all. It expresses itself through everything around us.

All we have to do is to free our souls from darkness. Mind has to be pure. The sensory organs should be under control. Unless we go through this spiritual transformation, we would still be crest-fallen and there won’t be any progress made.

Tat Karma  Yanna Bandhaya

                                                                                Source: Collected Works of Vagbhatananda Guru

                                                                                Published by Mathrubhumi Books, Pages (402-411)

                                                                                                Originally published in 1930

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THE TEACHINGS OF AN UNKNOWN GURU - 4

                                                                         

Vagbhatananda Guru (1885 -1939)

On Freedom and Karma

If one wishes to uplift one’s religion or country, it should be noted that other religions and adjoining countries should also be elevated. One cannot progress in isolation. In other words, if you want to do good to your own people, be accommodative and give space to all others. Don’t cross swords with individuals or movements. The first step should come from within. There should be a deliberate effort to become a good human-being. Everybody knows that one should not block other’s well-being, should not cheat, not to ridicule others, people should not be pitted against each other and not to while away precious time. And behold!  Knowing all these, people are still trying their level-best to put spokes in other's wheels just to own pleasure-seeking devices. Obviously,  we can’t see the obvious. Even a grass blade has a role to play. We, humans do have a higher purpose of existence.

We are entitled to be free. Freedom is the thing bestowed to all but it can be realized in full only by human-beings. Humaneness is its base. Freedom is spiritual. People seem to think that freedom is to be fought and won externally. By applying force, that is. In fact, freedom is internal. Be stable, don’t vacillate, don’t give in to pressure and don’t be a slave to anyone (or anything). That’s freedom in a nutshell.

Coming to think of it, the whole world is the playing field of Karma. Even Knowledge comes a close

second. Our life itself is an expansion of Karma. The whole universe including the sun and the stars on a macro level are the result of the micro level activities of atoms and allied particles. That’s Karma in action. Our dharma is to emulate this ‘giant’ example and to spring up into action dispensing our Karma. We are not supposed to idle away time even for a moment. Irrespective of your stature, whether you’re Jnani (highly evolved person) or Ajnani (irresponsible, self-seeking person), Karma is to be carried out such a way that the doer is cleansed progressively and all the smudge is washed out. The Karma proponent should always aim for greater common good. There should be economic betterment, moral appreciation, promotion of satbhavana and of course, growth of spiritual culture. One should be able to repulse the attack of detractors and be ready for shunning comforts. What’s more,  he should be prepared for the supreme sacrifice. Fear should be damned. If you want to get rid of it, you need two friends, Satya (Truth) and Prema (Compassion) on your left and right.

Such a person would be entirely selfless and all his deeds are for the betterment of others, always. Only an idiot with no grasp of spiritual values, i.e., cultivation of Love and practice of Selflessness is scared to die. If one is bent on cleanliness, soiled clothes are a bundle to be discarded.

Last but not the least, care should be taken in speech too. Your words should be conductive to the common bond of the escorting friends, Satya and Prema with you.

Each Karmayogi should be able to see the ever-smiling God wherever he goes, whatever he does. The Ancient One is indifferent to both praises effused by devotees or vilifications thrown by atheists. He is the embodiment not only of Satya and Prema but also other values of Sanathana Dharma. If one tears open the curtain of maya that exists in between, one can see Him waiting to embrace the Karmayogi.

Let our Karma be carried out without fear and with purity of mind.

                                                                              Originally published in 1929
                                                                             Source : Collected Works of Vagbhatananda Guru
                                                                             (Mathrubhumi Books Pages 382 - 400)

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THE TEACHINGS OF AN UNKNOWN GURU – 3

Vagbhatananda Guru (1885-1939)

What makes us different…

One can’t count the number of living-beings on this planet but it is certain that only the human race can attain perfection on account of its ability to employ wisdom. Out of, say, one lakh people only a few try to accomplish the goal. By and large, only a miniscule try the route of final destination and it’s a shame. Man gets airborne and takes pride in flying next to a bird but is he superior?  Unlike the bird, the man is supposed to know the purpose of his life.

Everybody wants to enjoy life. The owner and the slave have convergence on this point. However, the only way to acquire happiness is to live a dharmik life. 

Observe the world closely and one can see that both the static and dynamic life forms have a unique feature of selflessness about them. Their lives are basically for the sake of others. Man is no different from the rest. Each one of us has to practice selflessness. Treat all others as brethren and work for greater common good. That’s the reason why mankind is falling in line behind Buddhadeva and Kristudeva even after millenniums. Don’t put up the excuse that you don’t have the financial muscle to support the less fortunate. You may be living in a hut made of grass. Bear in mind that you are no less in rights and power compared to that of someone living in a golden bungalow. One must show one’s nerve in acquiring an open mind which is wide enough to accommodate the entire world. One must utter words reflecting the depth and seriousness of such a backdrop and must possess a robust body which could work based on the dictates of conscience. Remember that all your abilities are to be used for the benefit of the others (mahajanakshemam).  In short, the mind-set should change.

Awake, Get up and Unite! Join enmass in the festival of selflessness.

You may be well aware that today’s administrative set-up and the educational system are not capable of solving any concurrent issues.   Hence it is better to turn spiritual, to cleanse one’s mind . Follow the path’s difficulties and possibilities. One can imbibe the messages given by great masters and apply them on a practical plane. All negative vasanas are to be thrown away. Ego and jealousy are the deadliest.

We can observe a lot from nature.  See how the motherland props up both the noblest and the most despised at the same time. The sun giving equal amount of light to both the palace and the mud hut. The moon drenching both the owner as well as the slave with its gleam. The breeze that enters into the castle as well as the slum and embraces one and all. The water that removes the dirt of the learned man as well as the layman and quenches their thirst in equal measures. And finally, think of the Eternal Witness who fills everything with His grace.

Avoid hate.

You may think that all these noble talks are difficult to practice but, in the real case, they are very easy. The instruction regarding what to do (Dharma) and what not to do (adharma) is flashed into your mind as and when the need arises. Sadly, we are not prepared to listen. Our conscience is the best book for final reference, we must learn and familiarize with its guidelines. Truth is to be held aloft and slowly all negativities will wither away. Man is virtuous by nature. Nobody would like to be called an adharmic. A thief gets angry if he is called a thief and he is more than pleased when addressed as satyavan.  The natural goodness of man should be enhanced by cultivating sterling qualities like selflessness, hardwork, compassion etc.  There is no time to sit back and relax! The intellect should be extremely active. Every thought should be scrutinized. Thereafter every word and deed. Because they are going to make an impact on people.

When you set out for a task, obstacles are sure to follow. Don’t waver even while facing death. Be brave and go ahead. It’s the dharma of the courageous.

We can fill the world with such virtuous people, said Vasishta the sage.  Our five sense-organs and Mind are aligned in such a way that it can be put to good use for the benefit of the entire world. Laziness has no place in this scheme of things.

Man is great. He is seeking freedom from bondage. Retrogressive customs and blind faiths should be

discarded. Mankind can sustain its peace and happiness through modernity. As a matter of fact, such a situation is not happening in modern times. Innovations bring calamities too. Peace and happiness are still elusive. However, one has to continue the efforts with common benefit in mind. Everybody should get benefited and it should be sustained. Even death that’s the ultimate, can put one in good stead. You’re trying your bit to end the discriminations and inequalities, afterall. Great men have shown us how to set the noble ideas into practice, giving examples in love and selflessness. They were never-ending source of such ideals and spread those principles wherever they went. They were brave men who also had compassion-filled hearts, showing no hatred even to their detractors. Everybody was given access and all were taught to react spontaneously to injustice. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any time to emulate them as we were deeply mired in day-to-day existence.  Bear in mind that everything is interconnected. People are like a flower garland and if one flower is decayed, it affects others too.

Get up. Be on the move. Do your bit for cleansing the world and to give it some solace.

                                                                                                                               (09.10.1929)

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THE TEACHINGS OF AN UNKNOWN GURU - 2

Craving & its antidote

The following is a free translation of Vagbhatananda’s essay on a variety of subjects ranging from alcoholism to Rajayoga. He also writes about vegetarianism. The couplets in Sanskrit are omitted and only its essence is translated into English.  Not surprisingly, he focusses on Bhagavad Gita in the end to find a way-out.

Vagbhatananda quotes Acharya Hemachandra to introduce a drunkard.

Stanza one : The intellect of the person who drinks intoxicating beverages  is doomed for sure. Like someone who is in love with a two-timing girl.

Stanza two : Those who are addicted to liquor are sinners ,  treating  their mothers as wives. Conversely, wives are treated like mothers.

Stanza three: The boozer trips down like a dead body. He spreads himself on the thoroughfare.  The street dog pisses into his open mouth.

Stanza four: The boozehound is back at his house. He is stark naked and is positioned right in the front yard of his house.  He is on the ground, fast asleep. All those things which should have been kept under wraps are out in the open.

Stanza five: Like classic paintings slowly being destroyed by termites, alcoholism eats up one’s health, fame and intelligence.

Stanza six : The problem drinker is like a lunatic. He dances intermittently, weeps uncontrollably and moves around erratically.

Stanza seven : Liquor is nothing but Kalakooda poison. Drink it up and one’s body deteriorates, sense organs become weak and intellect is dazed forever.

A speck of fire can wipe out an entire expanse of grassland in no time. Likewise, the spirits can annihilate viveka, jnana, shoucha and satya. (constructs of wisdom, knowledge, health and righteousness).

If one does not harbor a craving for alcohol, naturally one is off the hook of its ill-effects.

Avoid craving for other objects too and you won’t get affected by negativities of any kind. Discerning thoughts about each subject will take you to lofty planes and you would be able to segregate the kernel from the chaff. Craving will get weaker day by day and you’ll get convinced that you have been clinging to a pretty dangerous thing, i.e., the longing for the pleasures of the world. Like moths playing the suicidal game with the fire, you too will perish seeking them.

Stay away from doing injustice in thoughts, words and deeds. You’ll even be offered the king’s throne, showered with gold coins but never change the resolve. Afterall, the human-body is just like a bubble on water, unstable and transient like water falling on yam leaves. You will manipulate things, doing injustice all the way and end up sitting majestically in the King's throne but it will not last long. Nothing is permanent. At the same time, the infamy that is generated through your acts is there to stay. On the contrary, if you are aligning with Justice, you’ll be eulogized as great and the name never fades!

There is yet another kind of people who are compassionate and helpful to others. However, they are benevolent only to their fellow-beings.  Birds and animals are killed for gastronomic pleasure.  If somebody tries to correct their ways, they will put up a brave face and argue that those creatures are created for the exclusive consumption of man.  In short, their kindness exists only in words, not in deeds. We must infer that meat-eaters have their Guru in carnivores, eagles, fox etc. Those who are bereft of kindness cannot act as per the principles of Dharma. Kindness is the root of the Dharma-tree. If somebody is kind, it shows in all his actions. There won’t be any discrimination. Like the moon showering its kindness, moonlight, to all beings irrespective of its stature.  The King and his subjects are treated alike. Even a stray dog enjoys moon’s kindness in equal measure.

In fact, there exists a world, full of pure happiness – Ananda – within our reach. The Veda and Vedanta are guiding us to reach at this space. The state of supreme shanti or paramananda  as it is called is beyond our comprehension . We are engrossed in the physical world which is so full of pain and miseries. Who can avoid death? And disease for that matter? In a lesser plane, people are dissatisfied because everybody asks for more.  The expert wants more knowledge, the layman has no basic education, the rich desperately seek additional money and the poor always in dire straits. In short, it’s just impossible to live a joyful life in this world keeping the sorrows away. The westerners thought perhaps technology was the answer, went on to develop and implement it for upgrading their lives. They scaled the peaks of pleasures only to fall into the abyss of despair later.  Why don’t we learn a couple of lessons from them?  The Veda and Vedanta have shown us a definite path to steady-state happiness and we should make a try.

Once we enter this realm, the fear of all kinds stop bothering us, it withers away to nil. In a split second we are overwhelmed with pure happiness, suddenly discovering the truth that everything is God. This realisation is the ultimate purpose of human life, Sayujyamukti.

The destination is now clear but the route-map is still unprepared.  Luckily, there exists an easy way-out! A reorientation is all that is needed. As we are aware, our mind is always directed outwards through the five sense-organs.  Call it back by practice. The mind is now turned inwards. This weakening and nullifying the mind is called Rajayoga which is our entry point to bliss.

Yato yato nischarati

Manaschanchalamastiram

Tatastato niyamraita

Datmanyeva vasam nayet      (Bhagavad Gita  (6-26))

The mind, enduringly eager to go out and run amok, is tossed up and down on account of its cravings and aversions. It seeks various ways to escape but has to be held back for anchoring at the soul.

Yujnannevam sadatmanam

Yogi vigata kalmasha

Sukhena brahmasamsaparsha

Matyantam  sukhamasnute       (Bhagavad Gita  (6 – 28))

The Yogi who works this mode is cleansed of all impurities and enjoys steady-state happiness, i.e., the brahmananda. Steering the mind inwards is the easiest way as well. Rajayoga  is employed to accomplish the task. For extroverted people who seem to be the vast majority, practicing rajayoga appears difficult. However, Bhagvan allays all the fears. The Lord assures,

Rajavidya rajaguhyam

Pavitramidamuthamam

Pratyakshavagam dharmyam

Susukham kartumavyayam        (Bhagavad Gita  (9 – 2))

Rajavidya is esoteric, pure, ideal and can be directly experienced. It follows the path of Dharma. Rajavidya never goes out of relevance and is easy to learn. No physically demanding chores are involved nor does it incur any expense of money. It’s a divyarasayana (wonder-drug) which can be administered to all,    men & women, literates & illiterates, saints & house-holders alike. Outcasts and convicts are also included. Afterall, what is rajayoga? Its nothing but the union of our individual mind into the Universal Mind. Imagine you are listening to a music concert. Unless your mind merges with the mind of the musician, ecstasy eludes you. Likewise, eternal bliss nityananda  is generated by dissolving your mind in Paramatma .

You might ask “Where is the so-called Paramatma? Can you show us?”

Well, the answer is this.

Ya esha deva kadhito

Naiva doorevathishtate

Sareere varthate

Chinmatra miti visrutam

Its inside you. At the same time, its different from your sense organs, its different from your mind.  Take the example of sight. You are seeing an object based on a physical view which is mechanical. Unless the mind helps to connect the sight, the view does not make sense.  Where does this power of the mind stem from? Nowhere else other than a divine radiance called Soul. It is perfect, eternal and pure.

Let me explain. The objects could be of varying sizes and in different shapes.  What about the eyes that see them? They have diverse vision i.e., poor eye sight, no sight, excellent sight etc.  Coming to the third entity, the Mind, it also shows diverse character. It correlates the object with the vision but the mind could be doubtful, conceited, fearful etc. In short, the Mind is oscillatory. And who is beyond all these diversities?

The answer is Consciousness. It illuminates all and knows. Consciousness activates the Mind which integrates the output from sense organs. 

Now think about the air around you. It manifest in you as Prana. One can’t differentiate between the air inside the body (prana) and that exists outside. Both are same. Brahma is like the air. It fills the Universe and beyond. You are also part of it. Yes, you are Brahma. Actually, you don’t have to seek Brahma elsewhere. You are Brahma. The search stops. 

                                                                                                                     (December 1916)

                                                                   

                                                                 ***********                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

THE TEACHINGS OF AN UNKNOWN GURU

The real Guru

Who’s a Guru? S/he who can lead you from darkness to light is one. That is, the Guru lifts you up to a steady-state level of pure happiness. Only the real Guru can achieve this goal. However, a level lower than this must not be shunned, as it still buoys you up. Teaching special kind of meditation techniques, plugging into music and dance as a never-ending source of energy, partaking in religious festivities without malice to anyone, counselling the masses with simple lessons in wisdom for a stress-free living etc. are certainly not bad but those methods cannot take you to the end-point, the steady-state happiness.  The Guru gives deeksha  to the disciple when s/he is ready which is essentially a special purpose mantra.  One has to contemplate on it day and night till one gets completely purified. Then, Knowledge happens like the switching on the electric bulb making one a liberated person. Since the world has changed a lot, the modern-day Guru cannot give you a Sanskrit couplet for full time review as both s/he and her/his disciples don several roles simultaneously. They could be office-goers running the nine-to-five grind, professionals or even manual-labourers. What you primarily need is an effortless path which could guide you in times of need. The teaching can even be an ideology, the practicing of which makes you increasingly pure. In fact, this is not a new finding. The wisdom of the ancient sacred books says that the core of Dharma does not change. The applicability does. We have to find new modus operandi for those cardinal principles of righteousness in the changing (read turbulent) times.

The protagonist of this write-up, Kunhikkannan connected spirituality to resistance, i.e., for fighting against injustice. He lived a short life from 1885 to 1939 and travelled the length and breadth of Kerala almost all alone, mostly to inaccessible places. He started schools in the most backward areas where there was no drinking water, electricity or public roads. He didn’t have the backing of the rich and the powerful. No community took him to their fold nor did the Kings extend a helping hand. He was essentially a loner. Though he was a firm believer, he was against all kinds of religious rigidities. He didn’t see God in temples. Instead he saw Him in all creation. It was advaita in its purest form. It holds good only if the practitioner maintains advaita in all spheres of life. One cannot apply it in parts. (One cannot ask a chandala to get lost for clearing one’s way. Advaita is seeing oneself in the approaching chandala). In other words, advaita should show through your deeds.  Its a subjective experience, no doubt, the veracity of which can be cross-checked through your track-record!

Kunhikkannan never went to school. He had his basic education in Sanskrit from his father and had a fairly good grasp of Hindu philosophy even by his mid-teens. He left home at 15 and reached at Karapparamba, Kozhikode in 1906. Kunhikkannan, now famous as V.K. Gurukkal, started a school there which admitted students irrespective of caste and social status.  Simultaneously he began to fight against the bad customs and superstitions of the Hindu religion. Caste system was his betenoir. He undertook lecture tours on the strength of his riveting oratory and in-depth knowledge. He was becoming well-known and was popularly known as Vagbhatananda.  The soldier of Vagdevta (Saraswati), that is.  In plebian terms, it can be translated as one who employs the word as his sword.

In 1914, he started a monthly magazine, Sivayogivilasam from Kozhikode.  That was just a precursor of many a periodical in the years to come. Unfortunately all his publications ran into financial troubles and had to wind up sooner or later. In Kerala, he was the first public figure to practice journalism for the propagation of new-age Dharma.  In the midst of a hectic and strenuous life, he managed all these. Perhaps he was the only non-resident publisher-editor to work from distant hutments or by the side of a thoroughfare. He was defining spirituality in his own unique way. Cultivation of Love and practice of Selflessness were the only things mattered.

In 1917, he started Atmavidya Sangham, comprised mostly of professionals and intellectuals. It was instrumental in advancing the development of class organisation among peasants of the region. He even started a labour co-operative named Uralungal in Malabar which happens to be the first of its kind in India. (Still active, the 2000 member-strong worker-owned construction cooperative builds large infrastructure projects such as roads, bridges and building complexes).

In 1921, he started a weekly publication named Abhinava Keralam in which he prescribed the panacea for all evils of his times. The following couplet represents the core of his teachings.

ഉണരുവിൻ , അഖിലേശനെ സ്മരിപ്പിൻ

ക്ഷണമെഴുന്നേൽപ്പിൻ , അനീതിയോടെതിർപ്പിൻ.

Unaruvin, Akhilesane Smarippin

Kshanamezhunnelppin, Aneethiyodethirppin

Wake up, Think of the Creator

Get ready fast, to fight against injustice.

Actually, this is the sum-total of both Upanishads and Bhagwat Gita.

Take karma for purifying yourself. Karmayoga is just that. Behold the underlying unity of things. Harbor no hatred. Go ahead and fight for others. Against injustice.

The teaching is relevant even today. Looking around, we also see numerous groups engaged in various forms of resistance often end up as miserable failures.  The reason is not difficult to fathom. They fail to see the underlying unity of things. Poor souls, they are blinded by hate.  All the hard work and commitment go wasted.

How do you define violence at this juncture?

Though Vagbhatanda does not elaborate on this point, we should be able to extrapolate from his philosophy. The physical act of inflicting a wound which results in bloodshed need not always be a part of violence. Take for example, the surgeon and the robber employing knife for different end-results. If the knife is wielded with an intention to hurt, it becomes an act of violence. The very same act turns noble if it aids a person in mitigating his/her suffering.  A person who always desisted from causing physical pain to others need not be a practitioner of non-violence. The element of hate is the deciding factor. If a willful act, direct or indirect, causes physical or mental pain to others, its violence exemplified. In the absence of hate, even if the act involves pain and bloodshed, cannot be categorised as violence. To elaborate this point, let us take the context of the war-field where Arjuna is locked in a fight against his first-cousins and gurus. As a warrior, his duty is to fight making use of all the skills he acquired in the most efficient way. There is no space for vulnerability. Arjuna has to spring up on his feet, sum up his guts and battle it out like a true fighter. The horridness of war and fratricide get justified where the interests of major stakeholders – the kingdom and the subjects here – are taken into account.  The positive outcome of the war far outweighs its negative aftereffects. If Arjuna kills for protecting the unity of life and remains equanimous (while doing it), even the act of killing purifies him.

In a nutshell, Vagbhatananda has answered the question -what is godliness? It does not depend on religious customs and rituals. Madhavaseva  is Manava seva  and vice versa. All your actions are to be initiated with Him in mind, upholding Love. Everything is to be dedicated at His Lotus-feet.

Vagbhatananda was a house holder. His wife used to manage the running of schools. He was a Swami, nevertheless. Vagbhadananda attained Samadhi on 29^th October 1939 at the age of 54.

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To My Readers

Dear Readers,

I have been publishing this blog continuously for the past one hundred months and I feel it’s time to take stock. I liked what I was doing for many years and then, gradually, the monotony began to set in. It became an arduous task to find the subject, write it and edit the copy. Moreover, there was pressure to locate the right painting. After a while, I found myself at the receiving end of a joyless activity. Well, it was not entirely so, but I was becoming a prisoner of my own blog. I would like to change this predicament at least for a brief period. Let me take a short break for the time-being. After enjoying my new-found freedom, I shall be back.

With Love & Regards,

Pradeep