Listen in to the second podcast episode which answers 3 questions. Who is a Hindu? Is Hinduism same as sanatana dharma? When did Hinduism begin and who founded Hinduism. Click the link below to listen in.
https://anchor.fm/tattvavidyananda-saraswati/episodes/Who-is-a-Hindu-e1h8vsq
or
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0UilUogNTiuB1ZR8ufoLL8?si=U-WaycosQF-f45SeR5h9nQ
Om Namah Shivaya chanting
In the Kaivalya Upanishad, while describing the preparation
for meditation it says अत्याश्रमस्थः the meditator should be अत्याश्रमस्थः - become अत्यश्रमी
the one who transcends all Ashramas, who
transcends all the stages of life, meaning that one who meditates gives up
identification with all stages of life. I am not a brahmachari or brahmacharini.
Brahmacharya is a stage of life… I usually think of myself as a brahmachari or
a brahmacharini …. Garhastya or householder is a stage of life. I think of
myself as a Grhasta- householder. Or I may have passed on to the next stage a
vanaprastha – I am retired, a vanaprastha. Or I may have moved to the next
stage of life – I am a sanyasi.
These identifications are quite alright for performing my vyavahara,
for conducting myself in the life . With every state of life is
associated a kartavya or the duty of
what I should do and what I should not be. Vidhi and nisheda.
All of this goes into my notion or conclusion about myself.
That I am a sadhaka, I am a seeker. I am a mumukshu, I am a seeker of moksha.
Whatever idea, a notion or conclusion I have, about myself also carries with it the duties, the kartavya,
the do's and don'ts, what I should do and what I should not do.
atyāśramasthaḥ - right now I do not belong to any stage
of life. I am not a brahmachari or brahmacharini. I am not a grahasta, or a
vanaprastha, nor even a sanyasi. I dropped all these identifications. I'm not
accountable to anybody, meaning I do not have to fulfill anybody's demands on
me….. and nobody is accountable to me meaning nobody has any duties towards me,
because I make no demands upon anyone.
That someone should do this for me. Someone should behave in
a given manner. Someone should not behave in a given manner. I let go all the
demands and expectations from others as to what anyone else should be.
Let the people out there remain out there. A person who is
out there comes in because of demands, expectations. I accept everyone as they
all.
स्पर्शान्कृत्वा बहिर्बाह्यांन् – Let the people out there remain out there. A person who is out there comes in (my mind) because of demands, expecatations. I let go all demands, all expectations of other persons. Other objects come in my mind because I want to possess them or I want to get rid of them. Nothing to possess, nothing to get rid of.
I just remain a simple person, non-demanding. One gives up all demands, all expectations from others and one gives up all demands
unexpected from the self.
By accepting others, I'm not obliging them. I'm just
releasing myself from the tension or anxiety that is created by expectation. I
gracefully accept the world as it is, as Ishvara’s creation. I make no demand on anyone because
of the appreciation that everything is in order. Everything doesn't have to
fulfill my expectation – what Is is because
of expectation of Ishvara and I let go my expectations. I let go my demands, in
the graceful acceptance of what is, what people are, what things are, what circumstances
are, what the world is. That makes me free.
By letting go the demands, by the graceful acceptance of
what is, I become free from all anxieties, from all fears, from all uncertainties.
I discover that I am free, It is I who imposed upon myself these demands and expectations and I bound myself. I have the freedom to give up all demands, all expectations and thus I become free.
I similarly give up
expectations and demands of myself. Just as I lovingly accept the world as it
is, I also gracefully accept myself as I am meaning that I gracefully accept
all my limitations. Just as I gracefully accept the limitations of others and
respect them, and love them regardless
so also I gracefully accept my limitations of the body, of the mind, of the
intellect. It is my inability to accept my limitations. Just as I make demands
on others as to what they should be I make demand on myself as to how I should
be.
I approve of myself. I let go my expectations of myself. I
gracefully accept all my limitations including my ragas and dveshas. I gracefully
accept my all virtues and vices. Just as the world is in order as it
is, I am also in order as I am. Because all virtues and vices reside in my
upadhi. The strengths and weaknesses reside in the body, in the mind, in the
intellect. I gracefully accept this upadhi, this personality of the mind,
sense-organs, body.
I am comfortable with the world. I am comfortable with
myself. It is expectation, demand that creates discomfort. Creates tensions,
creates fears. I let go all expectations from others, and from myself by gracefully accepting everything
as Ishvara’s order.
माहं
ब्रह्म निराकुर्याम् । May I not discard Brahman,
because whatever is here is all Ishvara. May I not disrespect Ishvara. May I
gracefully accept Ishvara, worship Ishvara, love Ishvara. Give Ishvara the
freedom to be what He is. Ishvara is in the form of what is out there, and what
is in here. Everything is Ishvara. May I not discard, reject, disrespect
Ishvara.
May
Ishvara not discard me. May I love Ishvara. May Ishvara love me. May I love
Ishvara as what is out there and what is in here.
All limitations all virtue, all vices …. Its all Ishvara.
The guna – virtues and dosha-vices….. that is the costume of Ishvara. Ishvara in fact is present
here in this costume also. I appreciate the costume as a costume and not get
stuck with why the costume is in certain way. Afterall it’s a costume …. Name and
form is costume. My name and form is also a costume. I am the one who possesses
the costume. The costumes are different. All distinctions belong to the costume.
Male and female. Young and not so good. Bright and not so bright - all of these distinctions belong to the
costume. I appreciate the costume as the costume. A loving acceptance of what IS, that is a loving acceptance of Ishvara.
In that acceptance, I am free. It is the demand and expectations that bind
me. I am free from demands and
expectations because I gracefully accept everything as it is. In fact I
appreciate the glory of what is … and in that appreciation I am free.
I do not need to do anything to be free. I need this frame
of mind to see that I am free. A frame of mind that is free from all expectations
and demand. A frame of mind that is free from all needs and wants. A frame of
mind that is comfortable with what is. A mind that gracefully accepts what is, what I am.
In this moment I see that I'm alright.
I am alright.
Various demands and expectations arose because I believed
that I'm not alright. When I see I am
alright, then there's no room for demands and expectations and I am free.
न मे द्वेषरागौ न
मे लोभमोहौ
मदो
नैव मे नैव मात्सर्यभावः
।
Na me
devsha ragau – aversion and attachment are not mine, na me lobha-mohau –
greed and delusion are not mine, madaH
naiva me naiva maatsarya bhavaH - the pride and jealousy are also not mine.
Wherever they are are, they are not in me and so I have nothing to accomplish.
न धर्मो न चार्थो न
कामो न मोक्षः
There is no purusharthas,
there is no end to be achieved, because what Is, Is complete. There is no
dharma, or kaama or moksha in me.
चिदानन्दरूपः
शिवोऽहम्
शिवोऽहम्
…. चिदानन्दरूपः शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम् ….
शिवोऽहम् शिवोऽहम्
Om purnamadaH….
Om Shantih
shantiH shantiH…..
A podcast is a series of audios on a particular topic hosted by a podcast station. I created a weekly podcast called Hindu Dharma, Basics and Beyond based on the book by the same name by Pujya Swami Viditatmananda Saraswati.
The first episode was about what to expect from the podcast.
The second episode link is below. It answers three questions : Who is a Hindu, Is Hinduism same as Sanatana Dharma, When did Hinduism Begin and Who founded Hinduism?
This is an appointment with myself … when I spend a quality time with myself,… when I have no other agenda……nothing is waiting for me and I am not waiting for anything.
To be with me, who is
a simple conscious being. Right now I have no duties to perform. This time is
assigned just for myself…. when I have no duties to perform….meaning that
nobody has any demand upon me. I have no obligation to fulfill anybody's
demands…… because I am not so and so.
Right now I am a simple conscious person ….with no roles to
play.
During the day I do play variety of roles ….…a I’m father or mother, a spouse, a son or a
daughter, a brother or a sister, disciple or a guru… a householder or a
brahmachari,… a vanaprasta or a sanyasi
During the day I play variety of roles…. because that is my
duty. That is what is expected of me. There are certain norms… certain accepted
rules …which I have to follow throughout the day when I am interacting with the
world…..The world may be my family…. the world may be my friends…. the world
may be my co students…. The world maybe my co campers….The world may be the
Ganga, the Himalayas…..
I am a student….. a devotee…. A meditator….. a sevak….. I
play a variety of roles during the day when I am interacting with the world. And
it's quite proper.
Yet this is the time when I have dropped all the rules. When
I'm free from the compulsion of having to do a given thing. No compulsion, no
duty….. no demands to fulfil, no goals to achieve. Neither the world has any
demands on me, nor do I have any demands upon the world.
I have no demands because I accept everyone as they are. I
have no likes and dislikes. I have no preferences.
Everyone who is in my life is in order. Everyone, whether my
family, my friends, my roommates, my co students, my co-campers, the visitors…whoever
they are ….. I gracefully accept them as
they are.
I give the freedom to others to be what they are.
I do not judge other people. I understand that people are
what they are because that is how Ishwara has made them.
In general, people do not have the freedom to be different
from what they are.
When a dog barks at me, I don’t hate the dog, I don't feel
insulted because I know that is the nature of a dog. When I take a dip in the Ganges, it is very cold. I don't
complain because I know that is the nature of the water of the Ganga. The sun is
hot, I take precautions and develop a comfort with that. How I have learned to
develop a comfort with what I cannot change… I cannot change the temperature of
the Ganga water so I know how to relate to that. I cannot change the
temperature of the sun. I have developed a way of relating to that….
There are countless things around me with which I have to
relate and I'm comfortable when I accept them as they are, knowing that is the
nature.
Earth is what it is. Water is what it is. Air is what it is.
Fire is what it is. Space is what it is. That is how they are made.
I climb down the
stairs, I don't jump.
I respect everything as it is because I cannot change them.
So I develop a comfort with what I cannot change.
Similarly, other people who are in my life, just as I give freedom
to the nature to be what it is and I adjust, so also, I give freedom to other
human beings as they are.
I make no demands upon anyone. I give them freedom to be
what they are. I gracefully accept them as they are.
Even better, I lovingly accept other people as they are.
I remind myself that what I perceive is the outer costume. It
is a costume…. the body, mind and sense organs. That is where the virtues are.
That is where the vices are. Virtues are guna, vices are dosha …. The guna and
dosha they are all the attributes of the costume. I recognize a costume as a
costume.
Then I have the opportunity to recognize the person behind
the costume.
Everyone is a union of the person and the personality. What
I interact with is a personality. But when I give reality to the costume, when
I give reality to a personality, I overlook the person. I overlook the actor. I
overlook the fact that a person is a simple, loving, beautiful person. The
personality, the costume does not affect the person.
The same thing applies to me.
I am a simple, conscious person.
I'm the possessor of the body.
I'm the possessor of the organs of perception.
I use my organs of perception for perceiving, for
experiencing the world.
I use my organs of action for responding to the word, the
organ of speech, the hands, the legs. I use them to perform actions and to
respond.
I have a mind with which I know.
I have this beautiful personality, a wonderful costume that
is given to me.
I am the possessor of the costume……..
The costumes are many. The personalities are many. Yet the
person, the possessor of the costume, the ‘I’, is a simple conscious being.
I am a simple conscious being as everyone else is. I have a personality, a
costume as everyone else has.
The costumes are many. The personalities are many. The
person is ONE.
There is no duality at level of the conscious being. There
is no separateness in the person.
It is this simple, conscious person whom I love. It is this
simple, conscious person with whom I'm happy. If I have a problem, the problem
is with the costume.
I have no problem with myself… the person that I am. I have
no problem with others… the persons they are and I have no problem with myself,
the person that I am.
तरति
शोकम् आत्मवित् - tarati śokam
ātmavit
The knower of the
self …. I, who knows the self, is a simple, loving, beautiful, conscious
person. I have no problem with myself.
I'm comfortable with myself…. a simple, beautiful, loving
person …..and I'm happy to be what I am. When I recognize myself as a simple,
conscious, loving person, I'm comfortable with myself. I'm happy with myself.
That is the freedom where there is no grief… where there is
harmony… where there is comfort….. where there is contentment…..
The contented simple, free, loving person I am …. when all
demands are given up…..when all expectations are given up …… when all the roles
are dropped…. when I see myself as a simple, kind, loving, beautiful, conscious
person.
Cidananda rupah shivoham shivoham
Cidananda rupah shivoham shivoham
Cidananda rupah shivoham shivoham
Shivoham shivoham
….
…..
……..
Om Shantih shantih shantiH
Om Namah Shivaya chanting….
……. ………
An appointment with
myself meaning just to be myself. When I spend a quality time with myself, when I have no
agenda……my mind is free from all agenda….free from the need to be something…….free
from the need to become something.
I do not need to become something… or become someone else. …I
do not need to become someone else.
Usually I have an ideal ‘I’…. and I'm trying…. to change
myself so that I become that ideal ‘I’.
The ideal maybe that I want to a learned person. ….I want to
be a famous person…..I want to be a respected person…….I want to be a wise
person….. and so forth.
It is quite all right that normally I'm seeking that ideal.
Right now, I give up even the need and the attempt to become that ideal.
There is no need for me to become someone else…..There is no
need for me to become something else…..There is no need to become…..
There is no need to achieve anything…… or accomplish
anything…..
Even through this process of meditation…. I'm not seeking to
accomplish anything. Through this process of meditation…… I'm not seeking to
achieve anything.
योगी
युञ्जीत सततमात्मानं रहसि स्थित: |
In the 6th chapter of the Bhagavad-Gita, Lord Krishna says ‘May
the Yogi, the aspirant, the seeker आत्मानं युञ्जीत focus his or her mind upon the self निराशीः free from all
expectations of accomplishing something even from this meditation. In the
Bhagavad-Gita Lord Krishna emphasises the freedom from the attachment to
karma-phalla,….. freedom from the attachment, expectation of any personal
reward through performing an action. Lord Krishna says, perform your duty, do
what is right….. without the agenda of a personal reward. In true performance of action I become bigger and
better person….more successful….Lord Krishna is saying do what is right but do
not make your action a means of becoming something else.
Only when I give up the idea or agenda of becoming someone
else…..of accomplishing something….of achieving something,…..then only I can
appreciate what I am in the present.
When I'm aspiring to be something else…. somewhere else…. that
is as though a denial of what I am.
When the tenth man is searching for the tenth man, there is
a denial of the fact that he is the tenth man. The search for the tenth man
presupposes the denial of the tenth man. The notion that I am not the tenth man
perpetuates it. In every attempt to become something…. in every attempt to
achieve something,…there is an unspoken denial… of who I am….because I have
taken for granted that I'm not what I should be. I'm not the tenth man. I’m not
the perfect self…. I'm not the complete self. This conclusion on my part…. that
I am not perfect,…. that I'm not complete,…..that I'm not all right….. In every
attempt to accomplish something,…..in every attempt to become something,….there
is an assumption, a presumption that as I am not all right. As I am I am not complete.
I am not complete,… I am limited in every way…. I'm limited
in strength,…. limited in memory,…. limited in understanding,…… limited in
inner purity….. I am limited in everyway.
How can you say that I am limitless as I am?
When I think of myself, …. only a limited being… becomes
evident to me. I was born some years ago,….and I'm going to die. I studied this
much ..I have to study so much more,….so much I have to do to be all right. That
may be so from one standpoint,….but not so from the other standpoint.
That I'm limited in knowledge,.. in understanding,… in
memory…. Limited in purity is all right
from one standpoint.
But there is someone who says I am limited,…. someone who
says I am impure, Swamiji…. There are so many complexes in my mind….. There's
someone who says that,…. someone who knows that.
And I say I'm not all right…. emotionally,…. spiritually,….
physically.There is someone who says that.
And we want to focus attention on the one who says, I'm
incomplete.
When I say I'm incomplete,…. I'm imperfect,….I'm lacking and
wanting…….I am no good….. I’m good …. The I who says that, the I who believes
that, for that I, the limitation of being impure, being not good…. is all the object of knowledge, is it not so?
When I say ‘I'm impure’…. I'm aware of the impurity. Yes,
there is impurity somewhere, …..but that is in the mind. There is a limitation
of memory somewhere again,…. Again that is in the mind. There is limitation of
strength somewhere ….that is in the body. From some standpoints, I'm limited in
every way.
Yet from the standpoint of the one who says I am limited, I'm
incomplete, I'm impure, I’m no good, I'm very good….because these conclusions
keep changing….they are all conclusions or judgments in the mind, in the
intellect.
I have the freedom to create a distance. In fact, there
already is a distance, distance of the knower and the known. The incompleteness,
the imperfection, the lack, the want, the need…..all these are there,…. but
they are in this body mind sense complex. The limitations are there…. no doubt…..
the imperfections are also there. And maybe there's work to do, and I will do
that work.
Yet before I do anything, let me understand….. who is the
one who wants to do things?.... Who is the one who has needs to do things?
I'm aware of the wants and needs ….. The one who is aware is
necessarily different from what he or she's aware of.
Without any hesitation, I can say that I'm aware of the
limitations….. I'm aware of the imperfections…..Aware of the needs….. I the one
who is aware, I am not even the one who is aware. The awarer that I am is only
with reference to the object of awareness. Maybe it's a reference to what I'm
aware of.
In reality, the awarer that I am is nothing but awareness.
I am awareness. Effortlessly I'm aware.
Awareness is my nature.
Everything else, …..lack want, good, bad,….all that belongs
elsewhere because I'm aware of them.
Regardless of what the object awareness is,…the fact remains
that I am awareness.
Awareness that I am has no boundary…The awareness that I am has
no form.
The formless… boundless…. self-shining… awareness I am. Self-shining….
Self-existent…. Self-sufficient.
I do not need anything to shine. I do not need anything to
exist.
I do not need anything to be boundless,………
Boundless consciousness I am. Satyam-jnanam-anantam ……
Satyam I am…. Jnanam self-shining I am. Anantam …. Boundless I am.
…..
……
……
Just to be what I am….. which means to drop any attempt to become,….. any attempt
to know,…… any attempt to experience…… All attempts are given up.
Freedom is the freedom from the need to attempt…. freedom
from need to become.
…….
I am boundless shining self-sufficient, awareness….
….
Everything else is located elsewhere.
….
Any limitation, any problem is all located elsewhere…. in
the mind…. in the body.
cidananda rupah shivoham shivoham
cidananda rupah shivoham shivoham
shivoham shivoham
Om
This is an appointment with myself. An appointment with my
own self, because throughout the day I'm so busy with various activities, I
hardly have time to be with myself. So this is the quality time that I spend
with myself, when I have no other agenda, when I have nothing to do, nothing to
accomplish, for the simple reason, that Vedanta teaches us that I already am
what I seeking to be. It is the accomplishment of what is already accomplished.
And therefore there is nothing to accomplish, nothing to
achieve. I have nothing to become. I do not need to become someone other than
what I am, because I am alright as I am. I realize, I appreciate the many
limitations associated with me. I realize that I am a limited being from one
standpoint. I am physically limited in the physical capabilities.
This human body is a great gift. It is a great privilege to
have this body, and I'm very, very happy that I have this body. It is true that
it is limited, yet that is how it is meant to be. Whatever is created is
limited. Therefore, this body also is limited in its capacity. Perhaps it is
not as strong as I wish it to be. Perhaps I cannot climb mountains. I cannot
win a race. Maybe I cannot swim. I may hesitate to take a dip in the Ganga.
Yes, there are many limitations, as well as many virtues in
the body that I have. All limitations and virtues belong to the body. This body
is a gift, very precious gift given to me. I'm grateful for this gift whether
it's a male body or female body, whether it's young or not so young, whether
it's strong or not so strong. Regardless of how this body is in comparison to
other bodies, I appreciate, I recognize it as a very precious gift.
And therefore I gracefully accept my body as it is. I have
no complaints about this body. I have no demands from this body. There is a graceful,
loving acceptance of my body.
I am very comfortable with my body, in spite of its
limitations. Because whatever is created is limited. I do not need to judge
this body in comparison to others. I need not judge this body by the standards
created by others. I accept this body as the most appropriate because it is
created by Ishvara, who is omniscient, all knowing, omnipotent, all powerful, and my well-wisher. Ishvara is
suhrd, my well-wisher. With all His Grace Ishvara has gifted this body to me.
I am the possessor of this body. And this human body is most
suited for accomplishing what I'm seeking, namely, Moksha. What I'm seeking, namely self knowledge. This
body may not be most suited to be accomplished worldwide, but it is most suited
for all spiritual accomplishments. And therefore, I'm very grateful for the
gift of this body.
I gracefully lovingly accept this body. I am comfortable
with this body. I'm happy with this body with all its limitations, with its
aches and pains, with its virtues and limitations. In His Infinite wisdom Ishvara
has shaped his body specially for me.
I'm not proud of the body, yet I'm happy with this gift.
I lovingly, gracefully accept my mind. The human mind also
is the most sophisticated gift given to me by Ishvara.
I know my mind has limitations. Perhaps limitations of
memory, limitations of understanding, limitations of communication. I recognize
limitations in my mind, but again, whatever is created is always limited. This mind is created, and so it is
limited.
There's no reason for me to be unhappy with my mind. I know
that sometimes my mind gets angry, I know that sometimes my mind gets jealous. Sometimes
it reacts. Often it is happy. Sometimes devoted, sometimes not so devoted. Sometimes
my friend, sometimes helpful to me., sometimes not so helpful to me. Sometimes
the mind is my friend. Sometimes the mind can turn against me also. However,
the mind is, there are limitations in the mind.
At the same time, there are great virtues in the mind also. I
can think. I can feel. I can recollect. I can contemplate. There are countless
things that I do with my mind. The human mind is one of the greatest gifts that
Ishvara has given me. I am happy with my mind, with its virtues and limitations.
There t maybe some negativities in the mind, yet I know that negativities is
not in nature of the mind. By nature, my mind is loving, kind, beautiful.
Yes, sometimes there is hatred. Sometimes there is cruelty.
Sometimes there is resentment. I do find these negative tendencies in my mind,
yet I should remember that they are not the nature of the mind. Because of
ignorance, because of false notions, the mind is picked up these negativities, but
they're not inherent in my mind. Inherently my mind is a kind, loving,
beautiful faculty. I'm grateful that I have the gift of this mind with which I
communicate in the world, with which I live my life, with which I accomplish
what I wish to. Even if my mind will not have the capability of some worldly
accomplishments, my mind certainly has a capability of becoming pure, kind and
loving. My mind has a capability of the knowledge in the self. My mind is
capability of viveka and vairagya. Shama – tranquility. Dama – self-control. All
these capabilities are present in my mind and I know that with right effort,
they will all become manifest. This mind will blossom because that is what it's
meant to be.
I'm happy with my mind inspite of its limitations, inspite of its negativitites because I know that they will go
away someday.
I gratefully, lovingly accept my mind. I gracefully lovingly
accept myself.
Whatever I think is not acceptable in me, that is not my
nature. That is not inherently my nature. That is not inherently what I am.
Inherently, by my essential nature, I am a kind, beautiful,
loving person.
If I see opposite things in me, there are only extraneous…. incidental.
Inherently I am a kind, loving, beautiful person.
And therefore I am very happy with me.
That is the appointment with myself … an appointment with the
true person that I am.
Here I meeting myself is being myself.
I am happy to be myself.
Cidananda rupah shivoham shivoham
Cidananda rupah shivoham shivoham
Cidananda rupah shivoham shivoham
Shivoham shivoham
..
..
..
Please retain this silence in your mind. Do not engage in
any unnecessary talking.
Maintain this silence as long as you can. Om
Om Purnam…..
Harih Om
Shrigurubhyo namah
Harih Om
आनन्दात् एव खल्विमानि भूतानि
जायन्ते
ānandāt eva
khalvimāni bhūtaani jāyante
ānandena jātaani
jīvanti
All the beings
are sustained in Ananda and they merge back in Ananda.
श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानम्
śraddhāvān
labhate jñānam
Lord Krishna says the one who has implicit trust, gains the knowledge meaning that it becomes the reality in my life.
My conclusion is, there is unfairness and injustice in life. I can discover fairness, compassion when I do not give reality to the superficial injustice or unfairness.
श्रद्धावान् लभते ज्ञानम्
śraddhāvān
labhate jñānam