3 STAGE OF LIFE -AVASTHA

      In Hindu religion we have detail description of many things . In Gnapati ATHARVASHIRSH,it is stated that the Lord Ganesh is beyond 3 AVASTHA .So I want to state whar are these states of mind - body etc or what are theses AVASTHA.We all know them , but I was surprised that Hindu religion knew about them when sleep studies as we know were not done .We all know the JAGRUT state or AWAKE state. We are awake 16 to 18 hours a day . We are aware of the surroundings. This is the JAGRUT state . The second is SLEEP . But the sleep in modern day medicine is divided in to REM sleep and NON REM sleep. So In REM sleep  we have dreams  and tat state is considered as active state as we have fluctuation in heart rate and blood pressure  and some time irregular respirations. The Non REM sleep is divided in to 3 stages. Stage 1 sleep is very light sleep - we are falling asleep  and then stage 2 is little deeper  and in stage 3 or also called Slow Wave sleep we HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF OUR SURROUNDINGS  and it is deepest sleep . The arousal threshold is very high in slow wave sleep .So in Hindu concept we have taken this in account thousands of years ago . They must have know the stages of sleep . So the second stage or Avastha is sleep and third is DREAM state . So the 3 stages of existence are Being AWAKE - called JAGRUT , in deep sleep called SUSHUPTI  and the dream state is called SVAPNA . 

   In the Awake state the Mind , Intellect and Physical body all are active and aware of the surrounding. But in the sleep we are in bed and the physical body is not active. The stages of the sleep as described above , we have mind and intellect ACTIVE in state of dream The dreams are related to what our Mind and Intellect decide . We dream from our memories and our experiences  and we do see ourselves physically but our PHYSICAL BODY is NOT ACTIVE . That is the difference between the Awake  and Active sleep is concerned. In the DEEP sleep -the SLOW WAVE SLEEP of modern day medicine we have no dreams and out Mind Nd Intellect are NOT ACTIVE  and certainly the Physical body is not active . So we are not aware of ANYTHING . But we do know that we had SOUND SLEEP . This is the CONSCIOUSNESS which is the Witness or SAKHSHI for everything -even when mind is not active.

    But the Hindu religion does not stop at these 3 states. We have one more stat - THE 4TH ONE called TURYA - Turya means 4th .This is the one where we are not aware of anything and we are one with ALL PERVADING CONSCIOUSNESS. There is no awareness of Physical Body, Mind , Intellect or Ego . We are one with the Lord .  

10 INDRIYAS OR ORGANS

     In Hinduism, there are 5 Organs of ACTION  and 5 Organs of  PERCEPTION and that brings to 10 INDRIYAS or organs. All of us know that but there are some interesting parts . Th DNYNEDRIYAS - organs of getting DNYAN or perception are call so as we have the Knowledge of the surroundings. DNYAN means knowledge. Indriy is organ. So we have 5 of them ,namely Eyes to see, Ears to hear sound ,Skin to perceive touch , Tongue to taste and Nose to smell. The mystery is how do we see forms and shape when we see. When light enters through the eyes and then hits retina  and then the impulse is carried through optic nerve  to the part of the brain called occipital lobe , we have some chemical changes and we see. But the question remains as to how do we see different things even when  the  same retina and optic nerve  and same brain cells in the same area of the brain are stimulated . Why do we see different things What transforms the stimulation of same cells to different images? The same thing can be said about the sound wave hitting the ear drum  and then carried to same center of the brain and still we differentiate between a melodious song and harsh words. So, we have these organs of perception but there is something beyond the physical elements that is perceiving. As mentioned before , these 5 organs are formed from 5 Panchmahabhutas - 5 Great elements with a process called Pnchikaran. Nothing is 100 %  and so we have one main Mahabhuta  and half of that plus 1/8 th of remaining 4 will lead to final product, As mentioned the Space or Akash or Space goes in forming Ear or sense of hearing , Vayu or Air / gas goes in forming Skin or sense of touch, Tej - or  fire / energy goes in formation of Eyes, AAP or water /liquids goes in formation of sense of taste and lastly Element of Earth / solids goes in formation of sense of smell.  There are five qualities and in succession each one acquires property of previous one and gets a new one , So the Element Earth has all five qualities. We cannot see space or Air  and the Fire is first one that can be seen and so may be that is why we have so much importance to Fire. 

    If one compares this to the concept of Big Bang theory, we find similarity. The when Big Bang occurred , in an fraction of time , expansion of the universe occurred - SPACE was created . Then the hydrogen and helium were formed and universe was in Gaseous state . Then the hydrogen helium furnace  or energy was formed - Fire . then the elements were formed and there was water or liquid state  and then when it cooled the solid state of Earth was formed. 

AKASH OR SPACE OR BRAHMAN

    In the last blog I talked about 5 great Elements or PANCHMAHABHUTE  and how each one has qualities of the previous one . AKASH-VAYU-TEJ-AAP-PRUTHVI meaning SPACE -GASES OR WIND --ENERGY OR FIRE -WATER OR LIQUID STATE-EARTH OR SOLID STATE. Each of these is having qualities that can be perceived by 5 sense organs as explained before . But today we are talking about the AKASH or space . Since Newton to Einstein we have had debate about this. Is space inert and things happen in it - the space being he stage or he back drop on which the things are happening. And the space is independent and is not affected by  things that are happening -this was the view of Newton  and then Einstein came and changed it to SPACE -TIME unit and one is affected by other and is not independent entity. I am  not talking about it. But I am trying to state that the BRAHMAN in Hindu religion  is represented by something like SPACE. The Brahmana is not affected by the activities or changing nature. The example is that of a movie screen and the movie. If i walk in a movie theater when the movie is already started , I will not see the screen and all that I will see is the movie characters  and things that are projected by the theater.  Yoganand and Sarvpriyanand and many others have taken this example to explain the Maya and The brahman . If person who has never seen a movie, walks in and he is seeing the pictures displayed on the screen and you tell him that there is a  screen and the pictures or the movie is played on it ,he may not understand .Only way you can see the screen , is by shutting off the movie  and then the screen is seen easily. This can be compared to our life . The Movie of our life is going on and the screen is the BRAHAMAN. But we cannot see it till we shut off our mind  and close all the senses and then we can see the Brahman or may be perceive it .This is what happens in Samadhi or meditation. Once we come out of the meditation or Samadhi, we do see the Movie or the pictures of the daily Life , but we now know that the REAL thing is not that but the Brahman 

   The AKASH is related to SOUND or SHABD , The first word or sound is OMM. From that everything originates And so that is related to sense organ of hearing Ear . 

PANCH MAHABHUTE

    In Hindu religion we have a great concept of Origin of Universe. I feel it goes very well with the current concept of Big Bang . But that is for some other time . I just wanted to clear some the concept of the PNACH MAHABHUTE . The Panch is 5  and Maha is Great and Bhute is things that come out of Nature . So we have PRUTHVI-EARTH, AAP-WATER ,TEJ-FIRE OR ENERGY-VAYU WING OR GASES - AKASH- SPACE OR EATHER. 

  I want to clear that what we see as water is not the same as the AAP or the water that is mentioned above , but the origin is same . So When the new Universe started the SPACE or the AKASH was created . Then came VAYU or gaseous state and then Energy and then the liquid state water and lastly the Earth or the solid state . But the original 5Big Elements have changed when the Universe is formed . If one compares this with the Big Bang theory, we will see that the initial EXPANSION of the Universe is like creating SPACE OR AKASH . Then came the gases HYDROGEN AND THEN HILIUM .Then the ENERGY from the hydrogen - helium furnace and stars were born Then the COMPOUNDS were formed and there was liquid state- which is AAP or so called Water  and then the solids or Earth was formed.

   In Hindu concept we have something called PANCHIKARAN . When we look at these ELEMENTS , we realize that each one has qualities of the previous one and the EARTH has all 5 qualities and that is related to our SENSE ORGANS .So Earth has all five - it has smell- taste-touch - seen and heard .while the Water state has only 4 -NO SMELL but it can be seen -tasted - touched and heard . The FIRE or energy has 3 touch -seen-heard . The gases or VAAYU has 2 -touch and heard and the AKASH or space has only one - Heard . But what we see of these 5 elements is formed by a process called Pnachikaran,In this process 1/2 of original Element merges with 1/8th of remaining 4 , So this is what comes out of original PANCH MAHA BHUTA.

How is SPACE IS HEARD - we will try to explain that next time -stay tuned 

MEANING OF EKADANTA AND VAKRATUNDA THE NAMES OF LORD GANESH

      The Lord Ganesh is worshiped by all segments of Indian society. We worship and pray him at the beginning of everything , my it be waking up in the morning or some religious ceremony or going for some important job .The prayer is well known , VAKRATUND MAHAKAY SURYAKOTI SAMAPRABHA, NIRVIGNAM KURME DEV SARV KARYE SHU SARVADA .The meaning is the Lord Ganesh who is ENORMOUS  and whose light is is equal to millions of SUNS , help us to go through or work without any obstacles.

     The name that is used for Lord Ganesh is VAKRATUND . Many of us understand the meaning as - WHOSE TRUNK / FACE IS BENT OR NOT STRAIGHT . This does not raise any questions in our mind as we know that the trunk of lord Ganesh is bent on either right side or left side. But to call a God that we are asking to help in getting rid of obstacles, as TWISTED FACE would not be great praise. So the real meaning of the word VAKRATUNDA is different. TUND means destroys and VAKRA is bad behavior persons . So the meaning is the God who destroys people with bad or twisted tenancies.

    The lord Ganesh is also called by name EKADANT one with one tooth and there is a story as to how he lost the tooth and then the MOON laughed at him etc . But why would you call the God stating facial deformity? If you call your boss as one who has lost teeth  do you think he will help you? So the meaning of the EKADANT is different. DANTA means RULER  and EK DANTA means ONE AND ONLY  RULER-.HE IS THE ONLY RULER and this rule is not where the king or the ruler will PUNISH but he is the only RLER OF KNOWLEDGE. . 

     

SOURCE OF HAPPINESS

   We all 'want' happiness and we work for it our entire life . But have we ever thought as to the source of happiness ? Do we know what makes us happy? The answer even when you ask a kid will be very quick. The child may be happy eating candy or seeing mother or having ice cream etc .Grown up young man or women may answer  the question by saying - drinking alcohol or smoking or seeing friend - girl or boy etc. .The answer will be little different as we advance in age . The success in business or promotion or new car or new  and bigger house etc. will be the answer. And the elderly may find happiness in having better health or no pain or cure from hear disease or cancer etc. So what is the source of Happiness - is it outside our body ? Is iy in food or friendship or car or house etc.

    If we think deeper we know that the happiness is not OUTSIDE but INSIDE our own mind. let us take an example of eating Pizza - presuming  that you like it . The 1st slice of pizza gives you happiness , but if we continue to eat more slices - do you thing the 10 th slice of pizza will give you the same pleasure as the 1st slice . The answer is no and so the pleasure is not in PIZZA but it's in mind. A meat eater may find pleasure in eating juicy steak. but what vegetarian person that steak will not give any happiness . So the happiness is not in eating steak. Otherwise all of us should find pleasure in eating it. Another example is that of music. Not everyone is happy to listen to rap music or Opera . So The music is NPT THE SOURCE of happiness . The happiness comes from within  and one tends to make the mistake of trying to find out happiness outside our mind . Sex and rape does not cause the same result of happiness . The same spouse that gave happiness does not do it when you are divorced. So when we think of all these things we still make mistake of thinking that we will be happy by getting this or that . I will be happy if I get million dollars or bigger house or promotion etc. But the happiness when we get to things that we WANT, is very transient . The new car or bigger house makes you happy ,but does not last long .So we need to understand that HAPPINESS IS WITHIN US AND NOT OUTSIDE. Once we know this WE WILL BE HAPPY ALL THE TIME AND NOT LOOK FOR MORE THINGS THAT PRESUMABALY GIVE US HAPPINESS  OUTSIDE. 

SPIRITUAL LEVEL AND TRANSACTIONAL LEVEL

    When we try to understand the Hindu philosophy, we often come across contradiction and then we feel that the things have to be either this or that but not both. On side the ADWAITYA  states that everything is one and the consciousness pervaded everything and then it states that everything is happening in consciousness. These types of statement make things confusing . One of the explanation for that is called 2 different levels of thinking. At Spiritual level things are different and at Transactional level things are different. When the physical body dies we say that the Atman or the consciousness or the SELF does not die. When there is pain or sorrow the SELF has no such things. But in practical or our ordinary man's level there is suffering  and pain and loss. The story that I am going to tell you may shade some light on the difference . 

   Three was this Gandharv named Chitrdant . He had ability to fly very fast with his chariot . He was SHIVA devotee. One day when he was going on his journey, he saw a huge garden with beautiful flowers. He descended and decided to take the flowers and offer them to Lord Shiva in his prayers. The garden belonged to  king. Next day when the king came he saw that all the flowers were gone . He called his guards and asked them as to what happened  and they could not  give any answers as they had not seen anyone entering the garden. The next day the same thing happened . So the king decided to get to the bottom of the problem . He  decided to scatter NIRMALY - the flowers which are offered to God are called NIRMALYA next day . The flowered flowered to God have to be treated with respect. So when the Chitradant came next day  and started plucking the flowers, he was walking on NIRMALYA ,This is a sin. So he lost his power to fly or disappear. and he was caught and put in a prison. 

    The flowers that he took were not for his personal  use and were to be offered to the God or Lord Shiva . In an indirect way that is for his personal gain. But one could argue that the flowers were made by the God  and he was not using them for any personal use and so that should be not considered a sin. But that may be true at Spiritual level , at transactional level he was taking something without permission that did not belong to him and that is stealing and that is a sin  and he must be punished. For ordinary person it's difficult to separate the two, but one has to try.