PRASAD FOR THE GOD

      This is not a commonly discussed topic . We Hindus do offer the God some PRASAD  and then we eat it as if it is blessed by the God. There are famous stories about the Prasad. The story of Satyanarayana , where the KALAVATI in which she does the POOJA and then goes to see her husband who had gone out on business trip. In the hurry to go there she forgets to eat the PRADAS and so the God gets mad and her husband disappears in storm . Then when she goes back home and then she ate the Prasad, then her Husband appears out of storm. Then there is story of Namadeo . His father did the Pooja daily . But when he had some work to do ,he asked his son, Namadeo  to do the POOJA. The mother made the food and Namadeo took it to the temple and offered the prayers and the at the end of the Pooja , he offered the PRASAD the plate prepared by his mother. He waited for the God to come and eat it. He closed his eyes and then the God did come and ate the food and then disappeared. He went home with empty plate. The father came home and asked the son if he did do the Pooja and Namdeo said Yes . The father wanted to have the Prasad that was offered ,as usually when he offered the food , he brought the whole plate at home. The son, Namdeo answered that there in none left as the God ate it. The father was not happy . He thought that the son ate it and ow blaming it on the God. But Namdeo insisted that the God actually came and ate it. 

   So the next day father asked Namadeo to do the same thing . The son did the Pooja and closed his eyes and offered the Prasad and the God came and ate it. The father was hiding and actually saw that and could nt believe. He said to the God that for last several years he has offered the Prasad and the God never ate it and how lucky is his son that the God himself came and ate it. 

    The question or the answer is devotion . The son BELIEVED that there was God in those statues and the God will come and eat it and so HE DID . The father had devotion , but did not BELIEVE that the God is in statues and so the God did not come and eat it . 

   My interesting observation is that we almost always offer sweet FOOD as Prasad . We do not offer spicy food as Prasad , if there is only one item. Yes when we offer the plate full of different items, we do include things that are what WE will eat for lunch - dinner and that includes all sorts of food items.

   The people that are vegetarians offer food that is not only vegetarian , but also does not have onion or  garlic. But people who eat meat will and sometimes do offer meat and onion and garlic. This is due to WE HUMANISING THE GOD. 

    Kalawati was punished as she did not do Pooja with full devotion and attention. She did the rituals mechanically and not devotion. The rituals are meant to to be steps for unconditional surrender. So she was punished. One may say what kind of God is this who punishes devotee. The answer is -the same God which gives you heath- wealth and fulfills your worLdly desires . When we humanize the God , it ACTS AS HUMAN BEING.  

 THE UNCONDIONAL DEVOTION LEADS TO GOD EATING PRASAD LIKE NAMADEO and just rituals lead to PUNISHMENT as happened to Kalawati. 

THE BEST TIME FOR MEDITATION-BRAHMA MUHURT

      In meditation practice , everyone talks about the time of meditation and what is the best one is BRAHMA MUHURTA. This typically early am time between 3.30am to 5.30 am. The time is a period of 48 minutes starting 1 hour and 36 minutes starting before Sunrise and ending 48 minutes before Sunrise. The one MUHURT is equal to 48 minutes and the the period or BRAHMA MUHURTA starts 2 MUHURTA before Sunrise and ends 1 MUHURTA before Sunrise. 

    Why is this the best time for practice of meditation? Many people have given different explanations for this . People talk about the rotation of the Earth and how that is best for the concentration and planetary position in relation to the earth . I am not sure if it is correct. Then the Ayurveda people will tell us about the DOSHAS - COUGH -PITTA - VAAT and that the VAAT is dominant  at that time of the day and that is best for the practice of meditation. 

   My thinking is simple. If one practices ideal life then this is the best time. If we eat at 6pm which is the best time for good sleep and also for many other reasons -at least 3 hours before the sleep, then we should go to bed by 9 pm latest. Then we have 6 and half hours of sleep or may be little more . So we are not likely to be sleepy or FALL ASLEEP while attempting to practice meditation -due to lack of adequate sleep .At that time period, the external disturbance is low and so is internal disturbance. We are not likely to be hungry .we should have been done with our bodily needs and the sounds from traffic or TV or radio, is likely to be not there . The modern day livings we may be an apartment or condo and the neighbors and the road traffic etc. can cause external disturbances. So we have no hunger , thirst or desire for excretion . The body is well rested and the mind is also likely to be calm as we are not in hurry for school time - office time - making breakfast time etc. We can concentrate on our ALAMB the thing MANTRA or Object  of our meditation.

   This may be the best time due to things that we may have to believe , but certainly simple external and internal calmness is the best at this time.

IS THERE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ATMA AND JIV

    In Indian languages we often use the terms like ATMA AND JIV. And many a times we use them as synonyms. But are they same or different. I am not sure if someone has tried to answer this question . In English we have may be 2 different words - SOUL AND LIFE . But then when LIFE goes out of body one is dead and same with when SOUL leaves body we are dead. 

   The ATMAN or ATMA is the pure consciousness -or it's reflection ABHAS CHAITANYA . It is eternal and is not suppose to be limited by 3 limitations - DESH-KAL- VASTU. -Location- Time -Identity. Contrast to that we have JIV OR JIVATMA . The JIV is same reflected consciousness - the ABHAS CHAITANYA, which falsely identifies with the physical and astral or subtle bodies and also causal body. The example that may explain this would be that of the SUN. If we have a mirror and we see the reflection of the Sun in the mirror, the reflection is not the real Sun , but it has the qualities of the original SUN . It had light and heat -same as the SUN in the sky. But it is reflection or ABHAS. The reflected Sun will be gone if we take away the mirror. But if we remove mirror , nothing happens to original Sun in the sky. The ATMA is like reflected Sun -It has the power of making us talk and think and act and do good or bad actions. If there is no reflection - there is no light or heat - same way if there is no reflected Consciousness  there is no mind that can think or act etc. If we have more than 1 mirrors , the Sun will be reflected in every one of the mirrors and they all will have light and heat . The same way reflected consciousness in different bodies will have same effects . The JIV is REFELCETED CONSCIOUSNESS PLUS PHYSICAL AND ASTRAL AND CAUSAL BODIES. The JIV is confused ATMA which thinks it is limited to specific life. 

   So when one dies the physical body is gone. In the example of mirror -the frame of the mirror is gone . But the glass with i't coating - that made it a mirror is still there and so the reflection is still there . So the JIV is there with the Astral body -may be compared to glass in the mirror and the Causal body -may be compared to coating on the glass that makes a glass in to mirror. This unit is continued from one life to other. 

So the ATMA IS REFLECTION OF UNIVERSAL CONSCIOUSNESS WHILE JIV IS ATMAN CONFINED TO A UNIT OF PHYSICAL-ASTRAL- CAUSAL BODY DUE TO IGNORANCE OR MAYA .

ILLUSION OF THE WORLD

     We have often seen that the Vedic religion states that this universe is not REAL but an ILLUSION . But then what is real. If what I feel and what I see and what I smell-touch-hear etc is not real. But then what is real? and why do we feel it and act according to what our senses inform us ?

     There are some explanations for such concepts . One is that this whole universe is nothing but DREAM . Just like if I dream I CREAT all the characters and their movements and emotions and what they see - act and the story of their life . If  want someone to laugh I DO THAT and if I WANT THEM TO act, they do it . And when I wake up THEY ARE GONE. So they exist in my dream and even though the people in my dream and the tree and the car and animals etc may look and act as real, everything is is in my dream and if I wake up or my dream ends -ALL WILL DISAPPEAR. 

   If we extend this to the DREAM of the GOD then we are all nothing but existing in HIS DREAM and so is NOT REAL But as one can see , if I CREAT a DREAM , then I AM PRESENT -in thought form -in everything that I see . The tree , the garden the house ,the furniture and all the persons in the dream that I AM WATCHING have ME IN THEM. So if the GOD created a dream world then in everything that HE created will have his presence. SO THAT IS WHY WE SAY GOD IS PRESENT IN EVERY THING IN THE THIS UNVERSE. Remember the story of the devotee PRAHLAD and Hiranyskashyapu. 

      The persons in my dream have no idea of the creator of the dream - namely me. And he or she can not find ME in Temple or church or school or anywhere, but I AM PRESNT IN EVRYTHING THAT THAT PERSON IN THE DREAM IS COMING ACROSS. The same way, I cannot find the GOD in THIS UNIVERSE or church - temple etc ,But HE IS THERE IN EVERY THING THAT I SEE -TOUCH - FEEL ETC 

WHAT KIND OF GOD WILL I SEE IF I GET ENLIGHTENED >

      In Vedic religion, we have many Gods . In fact that is one of the objection raised by the ABRAHAMIC religions. But then they also have  their own so called point of respect namely cross or Virgin Mary and so on. But since we have so many different Forms of God , and different people worship different Gods , or correctly stated different Forms of the GOD, which one would one SEE- PERCEIVE-when one gets enlightened or would it be just NOTHING ?

     Again what I am going to say is just my view, as I am not enlightened. But my opinion is based on experiences of many masters and  feel that even they needed a statue to worship or meditate. Ramakrishna was in ecstasy with Mother KALI. Even though he was realized soul, he still worship the ultimate being in form of Mother Kali. So what was he seeing or perceiving when he was in Samadhi 

      So that brings to me the question and it's answer. If one is lucky to perceive the GOD, then one will see- perceive whichever GOD he or she was worshiping. The God or the BRAHMAN will be in form of ISHVARA, with form that one was worshiping , thinking about when one was meditating or having devotional worship. So if I am worshiping LORD KRISHNA, I will see Krishna and if I am worshiping Lord Rama, then I will see Lord Rama and so on.

 

HOW LONG IT TAKES BEFORE REINCARNATION

       Those who believe in reincarnation, may have a question that if we are incarnated , how many years it takes for reincarnation. This is a theological questions and so there is could be many answers. It may depend upon what one believes as to the reincarnation and why are we born again . 

   The short answer could be -'quick' to  hundreds of years. What I am writing is my OWN THOUGHT PROCESS. To know the time lapsed between the death and new life one must answer as to why we are born or may be why we need to be born . What is it that we CANNOT have in Astral world that we can get only in PHYSICAL world. 

   We have unfulfilled desires or VASANAS or have DEBT - give and take with the people that we come in contact with. Certain Desires or VASANAS cannot be fulfilled without having a physical body, e.g. eating food that I loved or alcohol or drug or sex .We cannot experience that pleasure without physical body and so we must be born in physical body to experience that pleasure. But these desires are not always intense and so they may not be effective to force us to be born quickly. But if a person dies in an accident, he or she will have more intense desire to come back than a person dying at age 90 years . So the person dying young will come back earlier than older one. Think of a mother who dies when her child is very young. She will be born very quickly. So it may happen in days or year . Contrast to that if someone dies a natural death at late age when usual Desires - VASANAS are fulfilled  including taking care of small children - parents or achieving success in life etc. , then they will  not be born for years . These people will be born to UPLIFT THEMSELF rather than fulfilling desires . Remember most of the things that we do as GOOD DEEDS or KARMA are to physical body - helping hungry, sick suffering in pain and so on - we cannot help them unless we have physical body . So if I need to create good KARMA ,I must have PHYSICAL body . To neutralize bad KARMA -debt that I did not repay - I have to come back in physical body . So to fulfill Desires , to Create Good Karma  and to wash out bad Karma ,, we need new physical body . 

    Depending upon these forces time that it takes for one to be reborn is determined .  . 

WHY WE DON'T HAVE MEMORY OF PAST LIFE?

      I have talked about the reincarnation and how we carry same Astral Body - also called SUKSHMA SHARIR and Causal body -or KARAN SHARIR. The Astral body is SUBTLE BODY and the subtle body is Mind ,Intelligence ,and Ego (MANAS-BUDHHI - AHANKAR). The mind and inelegance should have or have MEMORY. We act in certain way based on our PREVIOUS experience. So if I know that  fire flames in fire place are HOT and our hand will get burns, if we touch it, then even with fake fire place and flames which look  red hot , we will hesitate to touch it as our memory and intelligence tells us NOT TO DO IT. This memory should be carried from one life to other if the mind and inelegance are the SAME from one life to other.

     But that does not happen.. The child has NO memory of fire place or heat or anything like that. So why is this memory not there if the mind is same in new life after reincarnation. The answer may be as to what we call as memory. We in present life call memory when we 'remember ' the actual thing .When I see someone or meet someone , that I had seen in past, I am expected to remember him . This is the memory as we talk about in this life . But the memories that are carried from life to life are not that kind of memories. If I do remember the people , then I will have problem in my next life with relationships. The memory is stored in ASTRAL body is stored as IMPRESSION or in ABSTRACT form . So if I like donuts or cakes - i like sweet things - the memory that is carried from one life to other is not that of 'liking donuts or cakes' but stored as 'like sweet things'. If I am born in Indian family in my next life ,I will like sweet Indian things like 'JALEBI OR LADDU' ETC. The same things applied to dog or cat or a person. We will be in love with animals  and with certain person , we will have some kind of attraction. For them or certain qualities in them. 

     That is why we do carry memory, but not the same type of memory as we have in physical body memory 

WHAT HAPPENS TO CONSCIOUSNESS AT THE TIME OF DEATH?

      We have talked about the consciousness and the 3 bodies in Vedic religion and what happens to the 3 bodies at the time of Death. As we have talked in past, the physical body , which is made out of physical elements, is separated from the 2 other bodies namely the Subtle Body or also called Astral body - SUKSHMA SHARIS and the Causal body or also called KAARAN SHARIR .Just like a computer ,if the battery is dead or it has no electric power , the Hardware and the software , even though they are there, the computer CAN NOT WORK or perform it's job. The same thing with the the physical body and the 2 other bodies. Once we do not have support of  Astral and Causal bodies , the physical body will die and cannot perform it's function. The Astral body and the Causal bodies are functional with the consciousness , but without Physical body , it cannot EXPRESS anything or experience anything.

  The Consciousness is reflected and that is there  and that drives the bodies. The 2 bodies continue from life to life and the Physical bodies are different. Just like in computer , we can reinstalls the same  software and the all the things that we have stored on  hard drive. And then the NEW COMPUTER will work with memory of all the old documents and software .The consciousness ir there reflected in the causal body -astral body complex  and so there is the energy.

  The energy is lost or gone only when one DESTROYES the Astral and the Causal bodies . All the impressions are stored in Causal bodies and they are waiting to come to fruition. If there are no KARMA or Impressions left with their effects in Causal body then there is no causal body and there is nothing to reflect and the that is NIRVANA or MOKSHA .

REALITY ?? WHAT IS THE REALITY ?

       In Hindu religion, it is often stated that the BRAHM IS REALAND THE UNIVERSE IS UNREAL. ब्रह्म सत्य जगन मिथ्या . How can the universe which we experience every day be not real? But then all the enlightened Rhushis could not be wrong . So what is the real (?) explanation ?different colors - color blind person will see things differently. The 

     There are many thoughts that come to my mind . One simple is that all of us have different reality. I am looking at morning Sun rise and the sky is full of colors. I can see blue sky and white or dark clouds, and also red Sun and the shy that changes the colors as it rises . But someone who does not have cones in their eyes will have will have difficulties observing the colors - just like dogs who have limited spectrum of colors. So what is reality . Now I also said that the SUN IS RISING . But the Sun does not rise but the horizon goes down. So again we have question as to what is real. 

   But that is in THIS universe that we see . But one of the criteria used to say if something is real or not is if something that DOES NOT CHANGE . If I am looking at a table that I have, and I look at it daily and don't see any change and I thing it's real. But in reality, it is CHNAGING every second, every minute and every hour. So with the criteria of UNCHANGING the table is not real as it changes and then it will crumble  and decay. So this is second way of things being not REAL. 

     But one other  reason is the one that  the  enlightened souls explain. There are 3 different worlds. 

We all have dreams and in dream, we see things. we see human beings and animals and houses and roads etc. But say we are seeing ourselves in the dream and we are hungry in dream. The food in our home freeze could not satisfy the hunger in our dream world. We nee food in our DREAMWORLS  to satisfy DREAM WORLD hunger.  In our dreams THAT WORLD THE DREAM WORLD is reality. But then same thing in our present existence. Dream world food will not satisfy our this world hunger. Now to take one more step. If THIS WORLD is PROJECTED WORLD by the GOD or Brahaman .and we are existing in the projected world or a dream of the GOD . Our dream world is there as long as we are dreaming  and if we wake up . it will disappear. The same thing with this world. It depends upon the ISHVARA or God . It is HIS PROJECTION and without HIS projection this worls would not exist. As much as person in our dream is hungry and that is real to him , in the dream of the God we are hungry in his dream. 

   ND THAT IS THE REALITY .

WHAT IS SOUL AND OTHER QUESTIONS

 

WHAT IS SOUL?

      The other day  I was checking my messages on a group chat, I and there was a news of someone passing away. This was followed by RIP-RIP-RIP by many. Then someone texted me asking me as to what is the concept of soul in Vedic religion and what happens to soul after death - death of physical body. Then we had exchange of texts and I thought of doing this blog. What I thought was what I told him and that is what I am writing here.

      The soul is a reflection of the CONSCIOUSNESS. So then the question comes as to where is this reflection and what happens to it after the death. How can it be carried from one life to other life. The reflection is not ORIGINAL THING , but still has the properties of the original thing. Let us take example of the Sun. When the Sun is reflected in a mirror, the reflection has the qualities of the Sun ,it has heat and also light .If we use lens to concentrate the image of the sun, then we can burn a paper.. But it is not real SUN. If we have a mirror, we will have a reflection of anything including the sun. The same thing can be applied to the human body. As one may recollect, we have 3 bodies namely physical body ,astral body  and causal body - STHUL SHARIR-SUKSHMA SHARIR AND KARAN SHARIR . The physical body dies at the time of so called death. But the 2 other bodies - Astral and Causal bodies are carried from one life to other. The IMPRESSIONS of our lives and KARMA are stored in CAUSAL BODY. And that is why we have rebirth. The Reflection of the Consciousness is in the CAUSAL BODY and the Astral body . As long as we have the MIRROR of these bodies , we have existence. This is THE SOUL-THE REFLECTION OF THE CONSCILUSNESS . This is the light - energy or the cause why we can think -act have intellect etc Without the fuel of this CONSCIOUSNESS , ONE WILL NOT HAVE ANY VALUE TO THE 2 BODIES. This can be compared to electricity. The computer works - the AC unit works -the Heater works and so does the light bulb. None of them can function without electricity . But the electricity ITSELF does not heat or cool or give light etc. The same is true of the reflected consciousness. IT ITSELF DOES NOT DO ANYTHING . But for mind to think , we need the consciousness. ASLONG AS THE MIRRORS OF ASTRAL AND CAUSAL BODIES ARE THERE there will be reflection and the SOUL IS THERE as an separate  entity - separate but still dependent. The only way we can have MUKTI or FREEDOM is when we have broken the CAUSAL BODY MIRROR. The astral body exists due to causal body  and causal body is there as we continue to accumulate KARMIC IMPRESSIONS. So now you know ,how to achieve NIRVANA and what is the SOUL. 

    I wrote this blog on my other blog post-www.kathopnishad.blogpost.com and then I had several comments and questions on the soul and so I thought of doing some addition to the post here .

     The first question was about Mummies - they have Physical body but he Astral and Causal bodies along with soul have left. Even the Physical body is not what it was , so it is NONLIVABLE as normal life -normal life as we know.

    What about Ghosts? The Ghosts are combination of Astral body and Causal body and off course the Soul. But since it does not have Physical body, we cannot see it easily. But it still has EYES AND EARS AND REPLICA OF PHYSICAL BODY. Since it has some energy it ca be seen as outline but it does not have physical barriers. So it can 'pass through closed doors or walls etc. 

   The angels are nothing but evolved souls , which have some purpose in their life and so have not destroyed their causal body. If one believes in 7 levels of ASTRAL plains, there are close to 7th one - the highest one , but have decided to stay at little bellow that ,sometimes to help , educate , advice etc. One must have Astral body to be functioning and mind , intellect ,and Ego and CHITT are part of astral body. The Astral body is exact replica of Physical body and so it has structure but vey loosely bound and so it does not reflect light to be visible. But it can become visible if it becomes dense . Again this is my thinking. The soul is nothing but the REFLECTION and for the reflection , we need mirror or glass or something  as reflecting surface and that is Causal body . It provides fuel for the causal and astral bodies. 

DO WE HAVE FREE WILL ?

     In past I have talked about Free Will. There is also a debate on Free Will -is it really that Free? Many scientist have tried to do some experiments to show that the Free Will is not that Free. The experiments showed that before someone raises hand ,the decision is ALREADY made . But that is for experiments, and they really do not know the mind . All our legal system and moral laws are based on assumption that we have Free Will . We have a Freedom to drive above speed limit . We have free will to not slap someone or steal from someone etc.So The same is for moral actions and immorality. Cheating someone, infidelity may not be illegal , but may be not moral. But then again if we don't have free will, then we can not be held responsible for our actions. This is assumed but again we also talk about Karma and it's effects and how our present life is result of our past actions. So the question arises if we have our CURRENET path in life is determined by our Karmas from past life, then is there a Free Will , that can change or have effects on our current life's trajectory?

    The answer is Yes and NO. We have certain cards that we are dwelt with in this life and that is based on our pas Karma and the seeds of them that we are born with. But how we PLAY or use the cards is up to us. The karams do not have one to one effect. But the effects are resultants of many factors or effects of many Karmas. So it's not like I know what will be the suffering or the effects is going to be if I steal a pen from my work place. There are many Karmas which have effects - just like saying there are multiple 'pulls' and the direction that is final ,is result of all the 'pulls'. In addition to these Karmic effects , add to that the WILL. If the force of WILL is poor , then the Karmic effects will decide the our Life . And then it feels we have no FREE WILL. But if our desire to change or have willpower is strong, then we CAN CHANGE the direction of our life .Mind you the KARMIC effects are still there , but they will be changed or not as obvious as our life would have been if we did not use FREE WILL . 

    As I have stated in my some of the blogs and You Tube videos, do we have enough time - desire -efforts  and also how strong g is the Karmic effects to begin with - all of this will decide the LIFE - DIRECTION ETC . 

3 GOONAS AND CHANGES IN IT OR AVASTHA -ORIGIN OF UNIVERSE

      We all know 3 Goonas -namely SATVIC , RAJASIK AND TAMASIC. We also know that these are in dormant state after PRALAY or end of universe. and then they start activating at the beginning of the universe .But in doing so they go through some changes and each stage has some meaning ,when we talk about the origin of universe. To me that is fascinating and so I thought of TALKING ABOUT IT IN THIS BLOG. 

   The Vedic religion describes 4 different stages or AVASTHA of the 3 Goonas.These are 1. VISHESH, 2. AVISHESH ,3.LING MATRA , 4 . ALING 

   When UNMANIFESTED UNIVERSE becomes MANIFESTED , something happens. There is a disturbance in the calm state of un manifested. This is called GUNASHOBHINI. Until then the 3 Goonas are in perfect balance and calm. So there is no 'SIGN' of any Goonas. So that is called ALING AVASTHA. ;ALINGA means there is no sign of GOONAS . When the disturbance or imbalance starts , that state is called 'LINGA MATRA  AVASTHA' This means it has SIGN . So that state is called LING MATRA AVASTHA. This leads to origin or beginning of MAHAT TATVA When the universe ENDS with what we call PRALAY , all the livings things go dormant , in a singularity and their all desires are gone with them . We can compared this to FROZEN STATE that now a days some living things are 'kept alive. But since the 3 GOONAS are in balance now there is no movement and so that is called ALING AVASTHA    The 5 Great Elements - MAHABHUTE , 5 organs of Action, 5 Organs of perception and ANATHAKARAN . These 16  things together is called VISHESH AVASTHA of 3 Goonas. The 5 TANMATRA and ASMITA - EGO together these 6 elements is AVISHESH STAGE of 3 Goonas.The PRAKRUTI made of these 6 principles with MAHATATVA is the next stage called LINGMATRA AVASTHA . The state of Original PRAKRUTI -un manifested is the ALING AVASTHA.

   The 3 Goonas give rise to certain thing The TAMOGOON gives rise to 5 TANMATRA , namely words, or sound , touch, look, taste and smell.  

The RAJASIC GOONA gives rise to 5 organs of Action , namely hands . legs , speech, procreation and excretion. 

The SATWIC GOONA gives rise to 5 Organs of Perception, namely eyes, nose for smell, tongue for taste and skin for touch and ears for hearing 

SO at the beginning of the universe , the sequence is ALING AVASTHA TO LING MATRA AVASTHA TO AVIVESH AVASTHA TO VISHESH .   

     The disturbance in singularity leads to origin of MAHAT TARTV which gives rise to ASMITA and then the 3 GOONAS give rise to things that are mentioned above. 

   

EFRTILIZED OVUM AND SOUL

       There has been debate about fertilized egg and life. Now a days we have technology to  get ovum out of human body and the fertilize it out side the body and then stored it for future implantation in uterus. This technology is used when a couple  can not conceive naturally. The re are cases where there is a gap of years not days when the fertilized ovum is not implanted in uterus but continues to be frozen and stored in laboratory. So the question is 'is there a soul in this ovum - is there JIV ?' If there is a soul or JIV in this ovum then what is the fate - what kind of karmic influence caused it to be stored in such a sate , where there is no outlet for satisfying desires or get rid of bad Karma ?

   The answer that I am giving is my own opinion and not sure if everyone will agree. The difficulty is in defining the word SOUL. We know LIFE - JIVA but what exactly is the Hindu concept of JIVA ? What leaves when someone dies? I have talked about in my previous blogs either this one or my other ones BRAINSTORM-AVINASH1.BLOGSPOT.COM or PATANGJALISUTRAYOGA.BLOGSPOT.COM.There is a unit of  Physical Body or STHUL SHARIR, Astral body - SUKSHMA SHARIR and Causal body or KARAN SHARIR and there is reflection of Consciousness ABHAS CHAITANYA . When one dies - what is left is Physical body and the other 2 bodies and the reflected consciousness leave the physical body . This unit is looking for new body to fulfill it's desires and repay the debt. But this unit has Mind -Ego Intellect and so it wants to seek such an environment that will fulfill it's desires. This so called soul or JIVA will SELECT parents and family and circumstances where it can satisfy this. It will not come to any fertilized egg ,unless it is implanted in uterus of human being. So even though there is consciousness pervading EVRYTHING including this fertilized ovum, it is not having so called JIVA. Once this fertilized egg is implanted in uterus -now the unit or JIVA knows what to expect in that life and it will descend or enter the fertilized egg.

   In my thinking JIVA is consciousness - reflected which is ignorant and has itself decided to be confine with the Astral body- Causal body unit and does not realize the FREE nature. So it is confined to THAT BODY. 

THE ORIGIN OF THOUGHT OR 4 LANGUSGES IN VEDIC WAY

       I had done a story, where I had asked a question if something is an affair . Does a 'bad thought ' constitute an action or does it constitute KARAMA ? My answer was unless there are repeated thoughts , it does not cause KARMA .In comments someone states that we should have control over thoughts. My answer was we can try and sometimes the circumstances are such that we lose the control over our thoughts. Then I started thinking as to what is the origin of our thoughts ?That lead to today's blog.

    The question is how and why we get certain thoughts or for that matter any thought. The answer is in our law of Karma theory. For those who have not read my book on Amazon please check out 'LAW OF KARMA ,REINCARNATION AND GENETICS ' published by me. But every thought starts with a wave of thought or effects from our previous Karma, There are 4 levels - stages or states namely -PARAA -PASHYANTI-MADHYAMA- AND VAIKHARI. Noe let us see what these 4 levels are and how they are related to our Karma.

     When a thought wave comes in or arises , it may be due to EXTERNAL stimuli. Say for example I see a cake  and a desire arises in my mind . This is called  PARAA . Now this could be without me seeing a cake . When I am hungry, I will thinks of only things that I have tasted in past and LIKED it . If I had never tasted cake , a thought to eat it will never come to my mind . So that is what law of Karma or circle of mind is . I do an ACTION that causes  impression, that impression leads to Desire  and that leads to again action and so on .If the impression is Bad , then we try to avoid the action that caused bad impression. So that also has DESIRE - but this desire is to avoid what caused bad impression. e.g touching hot plate / fire - the impression of burn leads to Desire to avoid it. So when the circumstances are favorable to eat or materialize our Desires , the thought comes in our mind as a wave. The wave of  the thought is at such a level , that we can suppress it if the surroundings are not conducive to fulfill our desires and is suppressed . But if the circumstances are favorable, then that wave - PARRA  becomes PASHYANTI. PASHYANTI  means  VISUALISE. We visualize the wave that came as ripple in water or  wave in mind. Now we see the cake . That is transferred to next stage or level called MADHYAMA . The MADHYAMA MEANS MIDDLE This means what we see is now named and that now is a real thought  and then we say in whatever language we speak or think - verbalize - the verbalization is called VAIKHARI. This is last stage . 

  The mind cannot think unless it has been exposed to something in past . I will not have love or good feelings for someone or dislike  or hatred for someone , unless I have KNOWN and had some interaction with that person in past  and that meeting had left us with some IMPRESSIONS - love or hate , like or dislike. And sometimes the thoughts come so fast that we can not prevent it. 

   In my personal opinion , unless we have a repeated thoughts of hatred -dislike or lust for someone or something - it does not become a deep KARMA  as would be if we ACT on our thoughts. 

  So we have 4 languages or stages of thoughts before we have spoken words. 

CAN LIFE BE EXTENDED BY SAGES ?

      We have often seen stories of sages or great souls , blessing and then the life is extended. We have heard that some dying person was blessed by some sage and then he got cured and then he lived for long time. If we believe that the PRESENT LIFE duration is PRE DETERMINED  at the time of birth.. At  the time of birth , it is determined as to which Karma from Sanchit Karma are going to fruition, So when those Karma are fulfilled - come to fruition, then our life ends . Again at the same time the Karma hat we do in present life -some of them will come to fruition in this life and some will be STORED as Sanchit and some of them will come to fruition in this life . So our present life duration is combination of those 2.So how can this be changed by someone's blessings?  

     The highly evolved souls have knowledge and control over past lives and Karmas. No one can alter the effects of the karma , but one can select when they come to fruition. So when sage blesses someone to extend the life, he is in essence, he is BORROWING SOME EFFECTS OF KARAMA that was stored to be effective in some future life. So if more Karmas are added to come to fruition in this PRESENT LIFE , the present life will continue. Most of the time such extension is of limited duration. This does mean that next life may be shortened  or may stay same if one can get additional Karmas to come to fruition The priciple of 'every karma will have effect ' is still kept intact. .

  The principal is still true . One cannot escape the 

GIVING UP EVERYTHING

     In Hindu religion, we have a concept of 4 stages of life ,so called ASHRAMS. The life is divided in to 4 stages or segments where we are suppose to do certain Duties or function in certain stages. The 1st one is BRAHMACHARY - celibacy and do the study and get education .The second is GRUHASTHASHRAM -Having a family life and get married and have children and have a family. In the next one or 3rd one which is called VANAPRASTHASRAM. In this stage one needs to start disowning everything .and so one must 'give up ' everything . The next one is SANYAS ASHRAM In this stage of life one leaves EVERYTHING AND DEVOTES LIFE for God worship or meditating to achieve MOKSHA.

    So the question is why one has to GIVE UP EVERYTHING to do mediation or achieve MAKSHA ?Why can one live with family , have a home , car , bank account etc. and still do the mediation. We see the same thing . When we see sages or SWAMIES ,they  don't own anything and even when they change from householder's life to one of SANYASI - they change the name . In fact the ceremony that is done is 2 folds . One is to perform 'LAST RIGHTS'-So called SHRADHA and then naming ceremony. The idea is to start new life and have no connection with even the PREVIOUS LIFE. When we have family and possessions, we have Attachments and that not only binds us but also disturbs our n=mind. When one meditates , one is asked to do it at 4 am when environment is quite - for today  less traffic noise, TV , radio etc. are off and since every one is sleeping , the noise is less . We chant SHANTI for 3 times - is for the same reason - no disturbance from external and internal disturbance and also from our past karmas - that is 3 things. If we try to meditate, with the family and all the possessions , our mind will be disturbed by thinking about our car - home - our children and grand children , duties as householder and we cannot concentrate at the time of meditation. 

    So one has to have detachment from everything and I mean everything and that is why all the Swamies are not married , have family or own anything.

AHINSA -NONVIOLENCE

 The AHINSA in PATANJALI SUTRA YOGA is NON VIOLANCE .It is often discussed and misunderstood . What does exactly is meant by not doing violence. We have great examples of nonviolence in politics and then at the same time we have people who resorted to violence. Is the violence ever permitted or any violence is  justified .But first we have to define  what is violence . 

   The violence could be physical and also mental. Many a times lot of people don't know or think that mental action is violence. The violence can be done DIRECTLY or INDIRECTLY. When some one eats meat - they may not have KILLED the animal by themselves, but it is still violence and they are responsible for the killing. I may not have cooked the food but it was cooked for me to eat and then I am responsible for that. The same holds true for actual beating of someone. I could beat someone which is very obviously violence . But I could give a contract for beating someone and it may be difficult or impossible for some one to trace that to me. But still I AM RESPONSIBLE . So the direct and indirect action if that leads to pain and suffering it is VIOLENCE. The same holds true for violence in thought . I feel that if we have bad thought-like someone needs to get some punishment or beating -that is a violence even though  there was no physical beating. If we have a transient thought of beating someone and do not dwelt on it and do repeated thinking of physical violence then the effecet is minimal or none. But if we continue to think of the SAME THOUGH over and again , then it has an effecet and gthat is violence and a bad karma.

     If there is bad speech by which we we insult someone or encourage violence against some one , it is violence even though we have not done physical violence  ourselves. 

   So in defining violence - we say KAYA-VACHA- MANA- BODY- SPEECH- MIND -one must not do violence. 

MORE ABOUT CHAKRAS

     I did write about the Chakras  and I did a you tube video on the same .If you are interested in watching the video, please check out Just A talk @justatalk2648.The information that I wrote in last blog is related to PANCHMAHABHUTE or the GREAT elements that are involved in making this universe . As I had stated that these element undergo what is called PANCHIKARAN and then the micro and macrocosm are created. But today I am talking about Human body and the nerve plexus. In Anatomy we do know that the nerves come out of spinal column and then form what is referred to as plexus. These plexus are present at various levels of spine and are named in the same way as the vertebra are. In Hindu religion , we have these nerve plexus called as chakras . As I understand it ,they are in ASTRAL BODY or SUKSHM SHARIR and as one knows the Astral body and Causal Body-also known as KARAN SHARIR, are glued together along with Physical Body when we are alive. These Chakras rotate and they have one letter Mantra to stimulate.

   The lowest level in spine is coccyx - tail bone and we have a CHAKRA named as MULADHAR CHAKRA. The deity controlling this is GANAPATI  and it is related to the great element of PRUTHVI or the Earth -SOLID element. It is related to the physical body function of Excretion. It has 4 petals and it's color is red . In Mahabharat Sahadeo represents this chakra and it is the related to our previous life SAUSHARAS or impressions. 

    The next one - higher up -is the SACRAL area CHAKRA  named SWADHISTAN CHAKRA. Th controlling deity is BRAHMA. and it is related to the great element of WATER -LIQUID element. It is related to the physical body function of PROCREATION and it has 6 petals and the color is orange. In Mahabharat NAKUL represents this Chakra and it is related to function of obeying the rules and emotional balance. 

   Just as a note , the physical body spinal column ends at Lumbar area and the sacral and coccyx nerves just come out of bony spine at sacral and coccygeal area, we do not have spinal column at that level . 

 The higher up at Lumbar level is the Chakra named MANIPOOR . It is related to the great element of FIRE or Energy. The controlling deity is VISHNU . It is Yellow in color and has 10 petals and it has function of SELF CONTROL Arjun represents this Chakra in Mahabharat.

    The next and in dorsal spine or at the level of heart is the Chakra named ANAHAT. It is related to the great element of WIND-AIR The controlling deity is RUDRA. It has 12 petals and the color is green . The function is controlling PRANA or energy or breath. Bhima from Mahabharat is the representing this Chakra. 

    The next one is located at the Cervical spine or THROAT area . It is called VISHUDHHA Chakra. It is related to the great element of ETHER or SPACE - AKASH . It has 16 petals and color is blue, .It has function of self control, speech etc. .Panchavakra SIVA is the deity controlling it. Dharmaraj from  Mahabharat is the representative of the representative. 

   There are 2 more Chakras and they are called AADNYA CHAKRA and SAHASARA CHAKRA .

I will write about them in next blog. The Chakras also rotate and when one does meditation , he has to concentrate on the Chkra and try to imagin rotation by saying the MANTRA. 

 

MEDITATION AND WHY WE CANNOT DO IT

             I have been asked many  a times as to why I can not concentrate . The common complaints that I get is that when we try to meditate and concentrates , the thoughts come and hen the mind gets distracted. The Patanjali  Sutra Yoga states in second verse that 'controlling the tendencies of mind - or Chitta - is yoga .'So even Patanjali the great sage, knew about the problems that an average person has when they try to meditate. I am often also told that the SWAMI or Sages have nothing to worry about as they never get married and have kids etc., There lies the answer of the question as to why average person can not concentrate or do a perfect meditation. We create our own problems . We  get educated and seek for a job or have business and  try to make money . Once we have that we try to make more and more . We get married and then we want to have children and we have high goals or aims for our kids . We buy house and then want to have bigger one and we have a car and then get more expensive cars . This increase in our 'ATTACHMENTS ' leads to our down fall. When we try to meditate or concentrate on what ever symbol of the God we have in our mind , then we get thought RELATED TO OUR INVOLVEMENETS OR ATTACHMENTS in our personal lives. We get a thought of our son or daughter -that leads to his or her education - job - marriage - kids and so on. So, the mind wanders all over . The mind is like monkey. It does not stay steady and has to be trained .

    The attachments that we have created cause distraction of our mind and thoughts. The bigger house and expensive car need more money to maintain and so now we worry as to how to get it and also worry about someone stealing it

   So the best thing would be what most of the Swamies or sages did. They did not get involved in the SAUNSAR -FAMILY LIFE .But that is not necessary and one can still do a reasonable meditation.

   The answer is there -may not be easy and always successful. 

      There are External and Internal disturbances in our mind and we an control some of them. So Select a time when the External disturbances are least. If one is pressed for the time -like 8 am ,when he or she has to go to work at 9 am , it is is difficult not to think about the work. If one does do meditation, without shower or going to toilet, the mind is going to be sleepy or bodily needs will distract the mind . If there is radio or TV on, then that will also cause he distraction . So select time when one is not pressed for time . Do it after one has satisfied bodily needs - toilet to hunger -thirst etc . There should be no TV or radio noise .So the BEST TIME IS EARLY MORNING - MAY BE 5 AM if one has to go for work after 8 am. One must engage his all senses in the act of meditation . A small light - a statue or picture of the Deity that one is to concentrating will help. No music or soft music that is pleasing not distracting to engage hearing and some fragrance will help. When a thought comes - let it go -DO NOT HAVE SECONDARY THOUGHTS TO IT. e.g. If one thinks of his child - let it not go from his education to job to conflicts and marriage etc . Let the thought come -OBSERVE AS A THIRD PERSON ns let it go and  bring back the mind to the DHARANA -OBJECT of meditation.. 

     Set a time limit -20 to 30 minutes. For ordinary - house holder - it is very difficult to go beyond that. DO NOT EXPECT ANT SPECIAL POWERS after doing the meditation. It is not like taking Tylenol and seeing fever come down or pain go away. 

   JUST DO IT AND YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. 

SAMADHI AND IT'S VARIOUS STAGES

       It is interesting to note that in Hindu religion, we talk of Samadhi. The meditation is done to achieve the Samadhi and ordinarily we talk of Samadhi -some one took Samadhi at age so and so. Sometimes it's called LIVE SAMADHI  and sometimes when some great spiritual person dies we called it Samadhi too. But in real sense the Samadhi is a state which is achieved ultimately with the instruments that re given to us ,namely Mind , Intellect etc. 

   In Patanjali Sutra Yoga , the samadhi is divided in to 2 main types ,ASMAPRADYANT AND SAMPRDYANT . In a way one leads to other . ASAMPRADYANT SAMADHI happens when one has perfected SAMPRDYANT. The SAMPRADYANT SAMADHI is related to the instruments that are given to us by Nature or PRAKRUTI . The SAMPRADYANT  samadhi is divided in to 4 stages . Each stage is going deeper and deeper and then when the last or the 4th stage is achieved , it leads to ASAMPRADYANT SAMADHI. The SAMPRADYANT SAMADHI creates impressions or SAUNSKAR  and so some people call it CONSCIUS SAMADHI. The ASMAPRADYAT is sometimes then referred to UNCONSCIOUS SAMADHI.

    This all may sound confusing . So let me try to make it simple 

   When the meditation is started ,we have it at the level of MIND and so we have lots of doubts and so this is at the lowest level and is called SAVITARK SAMADHI. Then when we go deeper in to it we are at the level of INTELLECT and we have some ideas or thought and so it is called SAVICHAR -VICHAR is thoughts. Then we go beyond and now we are at the level of CHITTA and we experience some happiness though transient and so it is called SANAND -ANAND is bliss or happiness . When one has experienced bliss linger and we go deeper then in ego or 'I'nes it is called SASMIT- ASMITA is ego or self awareness. In all these 4 stages we are AWARE of ourselves and so these stages are part of SAMPRDYANT SAMADHI .

     The impressions that are created by theses stages lead finally to the highest level , where we have dissolved MIND -INTELLECT - CHITTA AND EGO OR AHANKAR OR SELF AWARENESS and that is called ASMAPRADYANT SAMADHI - Here we are not aware of separation of our physical body mind intellect and CHITTA - all that is part of PRAKRUTI and we are one with the PURUSH or SPIRIT.