Rare is the person...Narapati-hitkartaa dvēshyataaṁ

Narapati-hitkartaa  dvēshyataaṁ yaati lōkay.
Janapad-hitkartaa tyajyatay paarthivēna.
Iti mahti virōdhay vidyamaanay samaanay.
Nr̥patijanapadaanaaṁ durlabhah Kaaryakartaa. 
                                   [Pan̄chtantra, Mitrabhēda]

Those - who favor and work for the interest of the state or the establishment, and try to enforce its rules - usually become targets of the general public's jealousy and anger. 
And those - who strive for the welfare and betterment of the people are usually disliked by the authorities.
Both ways, there are problems.
Both types of social-workers face difficulties. 
Rare are those who can please both the sides - laypeople and the authorities. 
                             'Rajan Sachdeva' 

नरपतिहितकर्ता द्वेष्यतां - दुर्लभ है प्रसन्न करे जो ...

नरपतिहितकर्ता द्वेष्यतां याति लोके।
जनपदहितकर्ता त्यज्यते पार्थिवेन॥
इति महति विरोधे विद्यमाने समाने।
नृपतिजनपदानां दुर्लभ: कार्यकर्ता॥ 
                                   [पंचतंत्र, मित्रभेद]

उसे लोकद्वेष की आग मिले जो राजहित का काम करे
और वो राजा को न भाए -   जनहित का जो काम  करे 
दोनों ओर से  होती है कठिनाई एक समान 
प्रसन्न करे जो दोनों को, दुर्लभ है ऐसा पुरुष महान॥

राज्य अथवा राजनैतिक एवं सामाजिक संस्था के अधिकारीयों के लिए कार्य करने वाले - उनका साथ देने वाले व्यक्ति प्राय लोगों के क्रोध एवं ईर्ष्या का पात्र बन जाते हैं। 
जनपद का हित करनेवाले - साधारण लोगों के कल्याण के लिए कार्य करने वाले - उन्हें सही मार्ग दिखाने और ऊपर उठाने वाले लोगों को अधिकारी पसंद नहीं करते और उन्हें त्याग देते हैं। 
दोनो प्रकार से विरोध है - दोनों तरह के लोगों को कठिनाई का सामना करना पड़ता है। 
शासकऔर प्रजा - अधिकारी एवं साधारण जनता - दोनोका कल्याण करनेवाला - दोनों को प्रसन्न कर पाने वाला कार्यकर्ता मिलना दुर्लभ है।
                                                     'राजन सचदेव '

Thinking of Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahib - My Guru - My Inspiration

Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahib

(August 28,1928 to March 13, 2004)

Thinking of Ustad Vilayat Khan Sahib on his birthday

 My Guru, My inspiration, My motivation
 whom we (all his students) lovingly called Abba.

Awarded with the titles of 'Bharat Sitar Samrat' by the Artistes Association of India and 'Aftab-e-Sitar' (the bright Sun of the Sitar) by the President of India, he was one of the greatest musicians, and undoubtedly, the greatest Sitar player of all times. 

The prime minister of India, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said in a statement, ''Ustad Vilayat Khan was a child prodigy to whom goes the credit of taking the sitar beyond the shores of this country.''

Moreover, he is a legend because he changed the way Sitar was played before him. He invented a new style of Sitar playing called the Gayaki-Ang - the singing style. After listening to him, people used to say that he sings with his fingers.                           

Vilayat Khan looms so large over the world of the sitar, that today, the wave of Gayaki style of instrumental music set in motion by him has swept all of the Sitar music. The followers of the Vilayat Khan style sitarists outnumber all other Gharanas. Whether they admit it or not, most Sitar players these days try to imitate him. 

His renderings of the folk songs of different parts of India were also unique and brought out the same emotions in the hearts of the listeners. He had an exceptional musical mind and a photographic memory which helped him to retain and mysteriously process his musical inputs. One day, he heard a beggar woman singing in the street. He invited her to sing for him - paid her generously, and rendered her song as a bandish (composition) at a concert the next evening.

The legacy of a musician consists of his style and his contributions to the world of music. Therefore, Ustad Vilayat Khan ranks as one of the greatest artists of the 20th century.

Though I did not have much time to learn from him and to serve him, yet I feel fortunate to have received abundant love and blessings from him and Amma (his wife). 

His elder son Ustad Shujat Hussain Khan is also a legend in his own way and one of the greatest Sitar players of this time. I am ever so grateful to him and the younger son Hidayat khan for their continual love and friendship. 

                                                            'Rajan Sachdeva'

सो जाते हैं फ़ुटपाथ पे So jaatay hain footpath pay

सो जाते हैं फ़ुटपाथ पे अख़बार बिछा कर
मज़दूर कभी नींद की गोली नहीं खाते
                                   "मुनव्वर राना"

So jaatay hain footpath pay akhbaar bichhaa kar
Mazdoor kabhi neend ki goli nahin khaatay 
                                  ~  Munnavar Rana  ~

Acceptance of the Truth

To accept the truth as truth is called acceptance.
However, to accept untrue as untrue is also acceptance of the truth.
But quite often we find it hard to accept the Truth as Truth and untrue as untrue.
Why is it so hard? 
Because denial is a defense mechanism of our mind, trying to protect us from what might be an unpleasant realization - that we have been holding on to wrong beliefs all along. 
It hurts our intelligence, our ego and makes us feel like a fool and cheated. 
So, we take refuge in denial mechanism and refuse to accept the Truth as Truth and untrue as untrue. 
                                     'Rajan Sachdeva'

Interactions are opportunities

Every interaction is an opportunity to learn 
-- if we are interested in improving - Rather than proving. 

हम रास्ता दिखाते रह गए Hum raasta dikhaatay reh gaye

मंज़िलें  हमारे क़रीब से  गुज़र गईं 
हम दूसरों को रास्ता दिखाते रह गए 

Manzilen hamaaray qareeb say guzar gayin 
Hum doosron ko raasta dikhaatay reh gaye 

How Rich Are You?

If you want to know how rich you are -
Try to count how many things you have 
                              --  that money cannot buy 

Happy Krishna Janmashtami

Krishna was born in the darkness of the night, in the locked confinement of a jail. 
However, at the moment of His birth, all the guards fell asleep - the chains broke, and the barred doors gently opened. 
Similarly, as soon as Krishna ( Chetna - Awareness with Gyan) takes birth in our hearts, all darkness (Negativity ) fades. 
All chains of Ego, I, Me, Myself, etc. - get broken. 
And all prison doors we keep ourselves in - such as Race, Religion, Superiority complex about Profession, Relations, etc.  are opened. 
We become free from all illogical dogmas and false concepts.  
That is the Real Message and Essence of Janmashtmi.
May Almighty Nirankar fill your life with peace, happiness, abundance & contentment. 
May everyone be blessed with good health, prosperity & positivity.
May there be peace and calmness in the whole universe. 
                Happy Krishna Janmashtami to all! 
                                          'Rajan Sachdeva'

Akaash and Brahm Part 2

                                                 Two Aspects of Space
Space is divided into two parts or aspects. On one side of space is the creation. 
On the other side is God alone; where creation is completely absent. That is the world of the "darkless dark" and the "Lightless light." In the Geeta, the Lord says: "Where no sun or moon or fire shines, that is my Supreme Abode...." (Bhagavad Gita XV:6)

The same duality is true of human consciousness. Your being has two sides -- one visible, the other invisible. With open eyes, you behold objective creation, and yourself in it. With closed eyes you see nothing, a dark void; yet your consciousness, even dissociated from form, is still keenly aware and operative. If in deep meditation you penetrate the darkness behind closed eyes, you behold the Light from which all creation emerges. By deeper samadhi, your experience transcends even the manifested Light and enters the All-Blissful-Consciousness --- beyond all form, yet infinitely more real, tangible and joyous than any sensory or supersensory perception. 

God has given you the opportunity to observe in your own consciousness the operation of the same laws that govern the universe. The state of consciousness without form that is experienced with closed eyes may be compared to the endless region of "darkless dark" and "lightless light," where God exists without any of the forms, qualities, and dualities that characterize the sphere of His material creation. In this boundless stretch of eternity behind creation, God alone lives in the unqualified consciousness of ever-existing, ever-conscious, ever-new Bliss. No world or any other created thing exists in His consciousness in that part of infinity where He reigns as the Absolute. But on the other side of space, He is aware of everything---all creation---in Himself.                                                          
                                                           From: ~Man's Eternal Quest
                                          By~Sri Paramahansa Yogananda
                                                                

The practical philosophy - Live like a human being

Eat like a human being, drink like a human being, dress up, marry, have children, 
get politically active — suffer abuse, bear with a headstrong brother, father, son, neighbor, or companion. 
Show us these things so we can see that you truly have learned from the philosophers. 
                                 — Epictetus, Discourses 3.21.5– 6

(Epictetus was a slave-turned-philosopher -  He faced slavery and a life-long disability.)

A Beautiful comment on Akaash versus Brahm

A beautiful comment with additional feedback was posted on this blog yesterday by Anonymous. 
For the benefit of those who might miss reading the comment section,  I am posting it here.
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

In some older texts, the terms 'Akasha' and 'Brahm’ are actually used interchangeably. In the Chandogya Upanishad, it is explained:
                     Asya lokasya kā gatirityākāśa iti hovāca sarvāṇi ha vā imāni bhūtānyākāśādeva samutpadyanta ākāśaṃ pratyastaṃ yantyākāśo hyevaibhyo jyāyānakāśaḥ parāyaṇam || 1.9.1 ||

"Śilaka Śālāvatya asked Pravāhaṇa, ‘What is the end of this earth?’ Pravāhaṇa said: ‘Akasha (space), for everything that exists arises from Akasha (space) and also goes back into Akasha (space). Akasha (Space) is superior to everything. Akasha (Space)is the highest goal"

     Yadvai tadbrahmetīdaṃ vāva tadyoyaṃ bahirdhā puruṣādākāśo yo vai sa bahirdhā puruṣādākāśaḥ || 3.12.7 ||
     Ayaṃ vāva sa yo'yamantaḥ puruṣa akāśo yo vai so'ntaḥ puruṣa ākāśaḥ || 3.12.8 ||
     Ayaṃ vāva sa yo'yamantarhṛdaya ākāśastadetatpūrṇamapravarti pūrṇamapravartinīṃśriyaṃ labhate ya evaṃ veda || 3.12.9 ||
                                          || iti dvādaśaḥ khaṇḍaḥ ||

"That which is Brahman is also the Akasha (space) outside the body. That which is the akasha (space) outside the body is also the akasha (space) inside the body. And that which is the akasha (space) inside the body is also the akasha (space) within the heart. That treasure within the heart is full and unchanging. He who knows this is always full and not subject to change."

In the Yoga Vashistha, the sage Vashistha refers to ‘Brahm’ as the ‘Chid-akasha’ (The Infinite space of Consciousness). The Nath Yogi sage Gorakhnath, referred to the Supreme Reality as the ‘Maha-akash’ or ‘The Great space’. Hence, different sages used the term ‘Akash’ synonymously with the Supreme Reality, ‘Brahm’. 

           But the ‘Akasha' or 'Brahm' these sages referred to should be differentiated from the elemental/physical akasha (Bhutakasha). Even though the term ‘Akasha' is used for both Brahm and the physical element of ether/space, it should be understood that the ‘Akasha’ that is Brahm is not the same as the Bhutakasha (physical-elemental space/quantum field-energy). As you have beautifully pointed out, the physical/elemental ‘akasha’ (space) appears like Brahm but is not Brahm itself. This clarification is also pointed out in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, Verse 3.7.12:

'He who, dwelling in the akasha is distinct from akasha, whom the akasha knows not, whose body the akasha is, who rules the akasha from within, he is thy Soul, the inner guide, the immortal’

Thank you once again for the priceless wisdom.
                                     "Anonymous" 

Akaash versus Brahm

Now, the scientists believe that the void, or space is not empty - it's full of invisible energy. 
Science also believes that this invisible energy can be managed and used for further advancement of the human race. 
However, the ancient Hindu Scriptures had revealed this fact thousands of years ago - that it is the energy within the great void, from which all creation has emerged. 
The invisible all-pervading energy of this great void sustains and holds the whole universe together. 
Many eastern religious and spiritual people and scholars believe that this Great void or emptiness is the Almighty Supreme power, otherwise known as Brahm or God.
Now, the question is - if the great void is simply energy which can be managed and used, then why do we need to pray and worship it?
Could there be a difference between the thinking of today's scientists, religious or spiritual followers and the ancient Hindu scholars - the Rishis?
The answer is Yes.
First of all, the ancient Indian Scriptures never said that space is Brahm or God. 
The Vedas declared that Aakash (Space) is like Brahm (God) - not that it is Brahm. 
The energy comes from and flows through the Akaash - but it is not the ultimate source. 
Secondly, Akaash is undoubtedly full of energy but is void of consciousness.
However, Brahm is supreme-consciousness and the source of all energy. 
While Akaash is within our comprehension - Brahm is beyond the reach of mind and intellect.
Akaash is perhaps the closest example that the Rishis could find within the visible or known comprehensible universe to define Brahm. So they said: Akash or space is (almost) like Brahm or God.
And while talking about the nature of Brahm, they say "Akashavat Sarvagata Nitya – Like space or ether, Brahm is omnipresent, infinite and eternal.
Nevertheless, Akaash can be observed or perceived.
But Brahm, according to Vedas is - 
Alakhya or Agochar - cannot be seen
Akathya - cannot be explained
Agamya -   Inaccessible, unreachable - cannot be comprehended by any means whatsoever. 
Later, while talking about Almighty God - Gurubani also used the same words such as Alakh, Akath, Agam, Agochar, and Niranjan, etc. 
In the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Geeta - Akaash is considered one of the five main elements of the universe - not Brahm - which is void of everything, including comprehension.
To get a glimpse of the Truth, instead of looking at the void outside, the Akaash - we should explore the great void within ourselves. 
Brahm is all-pervading - everywhere in the universe - but unless we find IT' within ourselves, we cannot gain any energy, strength, or benefit from 'IT. 
                                               'Rajan Sachdeva'

No post since last few weeks

I have received several messages and emails asking why I have not posted anything for the past few weeks. 
Many have shown their concern about my health and welfare as well. 
First of all, I would like to thank everyone from the core of my heart for their concern.
Many friends and acquaintances already know that we have now moved to Chicago. The process of moving, packing- unpacking, and settling at the new place has kept me quite busy for the past several weeks. Hopefully, I will get back to my old routine very soon. 
I thank everyone again for the continual love and support. 
                                                        ' Rajan Sachdeva '