Monthly Archives: April 2015

“In a deep metaphysical sense, all that is conditioned is illusory. All phenomena are literally ‘appearances,’ the outer masks in which the One Reality shows itself forth in our changing universe. The more ‘material’ and solid the appearance, the further is it from reality, and therefore the more illusory it is.”
-Annie Besant
 
Kabir – The couplet
उज्जवल देखि न दीजिये, बग ज्यों मंडई ध्यान ।
धौरे बैठी चाप्टेसि, यूं ले बुड़इ ज्ञान ॥
 
Transliterated:
Ujjwal Dekhi Na Dijiye, Bag Jyu Maandai Dhyaan |
Dhoure Baithi Chaptesi, Yoo Le Budai Gyaan ||
 
Translation:
Do not see white and presume pure, even the heron is white|
The heron fools fish into becoming food, the mind can fool the unwary ||
 
My understanding:
We think we observe and see things, people, the world and our environment as it is. What we always ignore is that all of our sight and other sensory input is filtered through the layers of our experience, learning and understanding.

For example, when we see a flower, even before we have really seen it, we are already labeling it in our mind, comparing it to our database of other information, and trying to find descriptions and tags to best catalog it in our mental spaces.

Since we depend so very much on our past learning to help us parse, understand and use the input we receive from the senses, we have left little room to allow the full nature of the input to impinge on us. Our conditioning forces us to give up innocence in favor of experience, and the joy of receiving in favor of utility value and perceived benefits.

When all input is thus filtered through these multifarious lenses, we seem jaded, unable to truly experience the continuous flow of bliss and contentment that creation is bequeathing us. And then we complain that there is no joy left to experience.

So stop trying to label and identify, re-awaken your true innocence, and see the bounty you receive for what it truly is, not what you perceive it to be.

” “Man raises himself toward God by the questions he asks Him,” he was fond of repeating. “That is the true dialogue. Man questions God and God answers. But we don’t understand His answers. We can’t understand them. Because they come from the depths of the soul, and they stay there until death. You will find the true answers, Eliezer, only within yourself!” ”
-Elie Wiesel
 
Kabir – The couplet
करता दीसै कीर्तन, उञ्छा करी-करी तुण्ड ।
जाने बुझाई कुछ नाही, यूँही आधा रुंड ॥
 
Transliterated:
Karta Deesai Kirtan, Unchha Kari-Kari Tund |
Jane Bujhai Kuch Naahi, Younhi Aaadhaa Roond ||
 
Translation:
He is dancing and singing in praise of The Lord, raising his head higher each time|
But he seems not to understand what he praises, seeming more like a headless ghost ||
 
My understanding:
When we begin praying, we stumble over words, meanings, expression and tone. When we finally find the right cadence, we immediately turn around to demonstrate our new learning and mastery to the world; blithely ignoring the reality that prayer is a conversation with The Almighty, not a show to put on for humanity.

By the time we recognize the error and turn back to God, the ego has bolstered itself to the extent that it gets in the way of our conversation, playing out the role of Nero on the self, luring us away from our conversation by inserting self-admiration and pride into our presentation.

God’s infinite wisdom gives us responses to our prayers that we do not understand or do not find convenient. So our first prayer needs to be to ask for the strength to ask the right questions. And then we need the strength to hear and accept the responses we get. But then begins our true battle with the self – we will need to now digest the response and implement the suggestions – something the ego absolutely does not want us to do. For the first part of those suggestions will completely strip ego of all existential pretenses, baring our true soul to the world. Which is really the right way to be. But, as most argue, right is never convenient or seemingly fit!

Fight on!!

“Real kindness seeks no return – what return can the world make to rain clouds?”
-Tiruvalluvar, Tamil Sage and Poet
 
Kabir – The couplet
कबीर मन फुल्या फिरे, करता हूँ मैं धम्म ।
कोटि क्रम सीरी ले चल्या, चेट न देखै भ्रम ॥
 
Transliterated:
Kabir Man Phulya Phire, Karta Hoon Main Dhamm |
Koti Kram Siri Le Chalya, Chet Na Dekhai Bhram ||
 
Translation:
Says Kabir – our mind swells with pride, about the good deeds we have done |
It is in ignorance of all the karma, the doing of the deeds has accumulated ||
 
My understanding:
The human mind is an interesting animal. It creates an image of the self it feels will show itself in the best light, and then puts every resource available to strive to that single goal. However, it rapidly runs into an interesting cul-de-sac – for every one who praises a specific view, there are more than a few detractors. So it soon lands itself in the state of dejection where it finds that it cannot create a single view that earns accolades from “everyone”.

In this state, it then pushes the self close to the cliff-edge of despair – but then finds a backbone in arrogance, and demands that the world be told the righteousness of its stance, and acknowledgement of the true grandeur of itself.

Pretty soon, the mind finds itself rapidly vacillating between elation and depression – finding vicarious pleasure in perceived praises and dejection in assumed insult/hurt. In this state, the constant change of focus and attention disallows the practice of disciplined thought or attention to detail – leading to a superficial, empty life-experience.

We need to work to correct this natural tendency of the mind to seek praise for all presented acts. Our focus needs to be changed to point at the action, rather than perceiving and expecting result. When we do that, we will find ourselves naturally drawn to what is right, rather than what promises the most glamour. In that space, we will see our environment slowly light up in welcome light, and become the place that is the best suited for us to be in at that time!

“The human brain is a complex organ with the wonderful power of enabling man to find reasons for continuing to believe whatever it is that he wants to believe.”
-Voltaire
 
Kabir – The couplet
कबीर इस संसार का, झूठा माया मोह ।
जिहि घरी जीता बढ़ावना, तिहि घर तीता अन्दोह ॥
 
Transliterated:
Kabir Is Sansar Mein, Jhootha Maya Moh |
Jihi Ghari Jiti Badhaavana, Tihi Ghar Tita Aandoh ||
 
Translation:
Says Kabir – delusion fills this world, fills it with false attraction |
In the house where births increase in number, so naturally do the number of deaths ||
 
My understanding:
Very simply put, every birth we ask for brings with it an associated death. At a more subtle level, every desire we give birth to have an accompanying death of the same desire that has to be tolerated/dealt with. This extends to thought, speech and action.

At the time of its rise, desire never presents the full or the real picture or the underlying ugliness/darkness that accompanies it. All we perceive is the golden glow of anticipation of all the promised pleasures. However, each pleasure comes at a price, every moment spent in these pursuits takes away from time we could otherwise fruitfully use to extend our state of calm and control, and energy spent in these (ultimately frivolous – because they bring no lasting satisfaction or joy) pursuits take away resources that we have had to work very hard to accumulate.

This is the awakening we need to train our mind toward, so that each desire is seen in its true total form instead of the pleasant façade it wants to present. Then, the decision we make on how to deal with it will be grounded in reality, and we will be able to live with the true consequences of our decision since we are fully aware of ALL impacts of the same.

“The ignorant mind, with its infinite afflictions, passions, and evils, is rooted in the three poisons. Greed, anger, and delusion.”
-Bodhidharma
 
Kabir – The couplet
कबीर माया पापिनी,फंध ले बैठी हाटी ।
सब जग तो फंदे पद्य, गया कबीरा काटी ॥
 
Transliterated:
Kabir Maaya Papini, Phandh Le Baithi Haati |
Sab Jag Tou Phandhe Padya, Gaya Kabeera Kaati  ||
 
Translation:
Says Kabir – delusion is the origin of all sin, it has its noose at the ready in the marketplace (social meeting ground)|
All are caught in the noose, no exception – but Kabir himself has cut the noose (and found true freedom) ||
 
My understanding:
We usually associate delusion with our perception of life and its situations. We then proceed to measure everything through the scale of good and bad, label it and then pat ourselves on the back for having completed another task.

But life is not so very black and white. What is good for one is not right or sufficient for another. So karmas actually work to erase other karmas, while others pile onto the accumulation without end. For those who presume that the religious work/sacrifices they practice are the highest good, they fail to realize that this only effectively traps the being into an endless cycle of life and death, as expatiated in the Mundaka Upanishad:

tasmāc ca devā _bhaudhā _samprasūtāḥ _sādhyā _manuṣyāḥ _paśavo vayāṁsi,
prāṇāpānau vrīhi-yavau tapaś _ca śraddhā _satyam brahma-caryaṁ _vidhiś _ca | (1:2:7)
 
All the sacrifices performed by the eighteen people connected with them are transient and unsafe boats in crossing this Samsara. These actions are inferior. Those ignorant ones who glorify and consider as good these actions go to birth and death again and again.

Religion is not always spiritual. Material possession and temporal happiness are the most sought-after objectives of the majority of the world’s populace – and this is what most religious offering and training seems to cater – nay, pander – to. As a result, most religious acts culminate in more mental and psychological involvement, not freedom. Most of our “religious”activity takes us to “heaven” as a pat on our back for our good karma, and then dumps us back on earth when the bank account is exhausted.

Just because a religious act is directed towards God, or done as an offering to God does not guarantee that it will lead to God. More often than not, since the offering is done to God with a stated intent of finding some more mundane worldly objective, it actually leads us AWAY from God and deeper into the labyrinthine overly complicated and never truly resolved physical worldly existence.

Remaining within the folds of ignorance, convinced of the solidity of our learning and treating it as the ultimate armor, we think of ourselves as “wise and learned” and blithely ignore the true reality of our folly, So says the next verse in the same Manduka Upanishad:

avidyāyām antare vartamānāḥ svayaṁ dhīrāḥ paṇḍitam manyamānāḥ,
janghanyamānāḥ pariyanti mūḍhāḥ, andhenaiva nīyamānā yathāndhāḥ | 1:2:8

Drowned in the midst of ignorance, but thinking themselves great and learned, the deluded ones, attacked from all sides by decay, disease and death and several other miseries, turn round and round in the wheel of Samsara like blind men guided by blind men.

Delusion is indeed the most potent form of Vishnu maaya – the delusion and misdirection of nature and creation. Stay always wary of its traps, pitfalls and cunning misleading endeavors. Understand that if it is complicated, it is a fruit of this tree of delusion. Walk away, give it up. Opt for the simple explanation, and stay attached to simplicity and reality – always!