Happines vs Bliss

​Happiness is outwardly and Bliss is internal.

Happiness depends on situation and circumstances, while Bliss comes from within regardless of the circumstances. ​

​ Happiness is always caused​ by something or someone. We become happy when people treat us nicely. We are happy because we achieved something. We are happy because we received some reward. We become happy when we receive a certificate of recognition, an award or a prize.

All these awards are decided and given by some committees. Even though we have created something to the best of our knowledge and efforts, we are still waiting to see if the committee will approve and recognize it or not. We become happy if they chose us, and sad if they don't. Our happiness depends on others. And if it is given by others then it is temporary.

Bliss is something entirely different. Bliss is in creating or doing something, putting the best of our efforts and not worrying about  the recognition or appreciation from others.
This is what Bhagavd Gita says "perform your actions without worrying about the results'.

Of course, the recognition and appreciation makes us happy, but it also brings a sense of ego along with the happiness.

It is the joy of selflessly giving, creating and doing something for others which brings the Bliss.

‘Exploring the Inner Self ’

‘Exploring the Inner Self ’

We need food, we need house, we need money, and we need clothes.

We need all these things to survive and to live a comfortable life.

Though we must pay attention to get everything we need in the physical world, but these things should not become the only reason for our existence.

We should also pay attention and devote some time to explore our inner self.

Being with our 'self ' is very hard. We always want to have some company. Whenever we are alone, we turn on the radio or TV, call someone or aimlessly surf on the internet. We don’t like to be alone.

But how can we explore the inner self if we are always living in the outer world? The ‘self ‘can only be reached when the mind is quite.

That is what ‘Sumiran’ or meditation means… to be silent, to quite the mind… to go into the state of ‘Nothingness’… from Sakaar to Nirakaar, from Sagun to Nirgun, from ‘something to ‘Nothing’.

When we become ‘nothing’, there cannot be any jealousy, anger, pride or ego.

When we become ‘nothing’, we become free from desires and expectations… free from pain and sufferings.

By becoming ‘nothing’, we achieve everything that we strive for… Freedom, fearlessness, peace and bliss.

May God bless us all.

2 Nice quotes ....... Letting Go

 “Life is simple. Everything happens for you, not to you. Everything happens at exactly the right moment, neither too soon nor too late. You don't have to like it... it's just easier if you do.” 

                                 – Byron Katie

“Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars. You have to let go at some point in order to move forward.” 
                                        – C. S. Lewis

Devotion......thru Love or fear ?

I have always believed that God should be worshiped thru Love .... not fear. 

God is not some frightening cruel being, ready and waiting to revenge or punish for every mistake we make.

The ultimate reward of devotion is "Moksha" which means liberation... free from the fear of sufferings and death.

The old Hindu scriptures is full of many such stories where God, when pleased with the devotion of the sages & Bhaktas, gave them the boon of "Abhaya Daan" and "Abheeh" (to be free from fear). 

Similarly, Gurubani also says:

"Bhaya kaahoo ko dait nahin, nahi bhaya maanat Aan

  Kahu Nanak sun re manaa,  Giani Tahi bakhaan"

                                                 (9th Guru Teg Bahadur ji)

भय काहू को  देत नहीं, नहि भय मानत आन

कहु नानक सुन रे मना ज्ञानी ताहि बखान         (म: 9 )

"One who does not frighten anyone, nor is afraid of anyone (or anything)

Listen  O' mind, says Nanak, consider them spiritually wise."

There is no need to be afraid of God. Devotion out of fear or greed is not a real devotion.

But every time I say this, some people start quoting another popular verse from the Gurubani:

"Bhaya binu Bhakti na hovayi, Naam na lagay Pyaar"

"भय बिनु भक्ति न होवई,  नाम न लगै प्यार "

(without the fear of God, one can neither have devotion, nor the love for His name.)

Both these verses are from Gurubani and sound contradictory.

But then again, they may not be.

Perhaps the Gurus give different upadesh to different people, according to their need and understanding. 

As Shehanshaah ji used to say "I want people to listen to me, to understand me. So I am willing to tell them in their own way.... whichever way they want to understand it."

It's like some people, by nature, like to drive within the speed limit, while others may stay within the limit only if they see a cop nearby........ for the fear of getting a ticket.

I guess, the devotion thru "love for God or fear of God" could also be an individual choice.

                                    ‘Rajan Sachdeva’

Dharam Raj ….A beautiful concept that got distorted over time.

 Dharam Raj …. 

         A beautiful concept that got distorted over time.

Now a days, when we hear the word “Dharam Raj” (also known as Yamraaj) the picture of a scary big man with horns on his head riding on the back of a buffalo comes to our mind. His role is to pull the life (soul) out of the body and take it to the ‘other world’. After checking the record of their life, he sends the souls to heaven or throws them in the hell. 

The concept of Dharm Raj was totally different during the early Vedantic period. The earlier Upanishads portray the picture of Dharm Raj as an extremely gentle, kind and benevolent wise person. 

​In fact the word Dharma Raj was commonly used for the Sadguru. 

Surprised? 

I was too when I first found it out.

The literal meaning of ‘Dharma Raj’ would be ‘the king or highest authority of Dharma’, and that is the Guru. Though his picture was very different in ancient times but his basic function was same. 

The function of Dharma Raj or the Guru was to take the “mind or consciousness” away from this mortal world of misery, pain and sufferings to the ‘other world’ of everlasting peace and bliss. 

A beautiful story in the Kathopanishad shows Dharma Raj as a gentle, extremely kind and wise person. 

The story goes as, when the young prince Nachiketa thought he had made his father, the king, angry, he went to see the Dharam Raj. After a long and tedious journey, when he finally arrived at his palace, he was informed that Dharm Raj had gone out and would be back after three days. Nachiketa sat at his door​steps waiting for him without any food or drink.

​

When Dharm Raj came back after three days, he saw a pale young boy sitting at his doorsteps. He immediately realized that the boy was hungry and thirsty. He apologized and asked his household companions and servants why this boy was not invited in and attended to properly? He ​told​ his servants that any guest, regardless of the age or status, should be welcomed and served ​like a ​​g​od​ and ​ordered them to bring food and water for this unknown young guest.

He then turns to the boy and asked for forgiveness for the rude behavior of his household companions. He asked for the purpose of his visit and as an apology, he also offered to grant the young boy three boons (wishes) …. One for each night he waited outside his house.

​As his first boon, Nachiketa asked that his father should not be angry with him when he goes back.

For the second boon, he desired to know the 'yagna' (a process or gyana​​)​​, by which, one enjoys a long life of contentment, free from suffering, sorrow and fear.

Both these boons were granted.

Both these boons represent all the happiness one expects to enjoy on earth.​

​But Nachiketa knew that such happiness, which is associated with the physical world, is transitory. ​

​So for his third boon, he asked Dharam Raj for the knowledge of the Self, the Atman - its origin, its nature and its destiny. 

 ​

​ With the asking of this third boon, the teaching of the Kath-Upanishad begins and Dharm Raj bestows upon him the Gyana (knowledge) of Atman and Brahman, the self and the supreme God. ​

Having received this wisdom, Nachiketa became free from death and attained Moksha.

Now.... This ​picture of the Dharam Raj ​is definitely not of a terrifying, frightening scary man with horns on the head. Nachiketa did not get frightened or ran away after seeing him. 

Then, how and when did this picture got distorted?

Perhaps it got changed, first with the Greek and then with the Judo-Christian and Islamic influences in Indian cultures, because the current portray of Dharm Raj or Yam Raj is very much similar to the picture of devil in Christianity or Satan in Islam.

​Should we wait for a frightening scary​ Dharm Raj​ to show up ​at the end of our life? 

Or, should we, like Nachiketa, go right now to a kindhearted, loving Dharm Raj (Sat-Guru), who would take our consciousness to the “other world” of everlasting peace and bliss? 

Person vs. Body

Person vs. Body

How strange it is that as soon as someone dies, their identity becomes a “body”.

We suddenly stop using the name and start calling him or her as a ‘body’. We start using phrases like “where is the body? Have you seen the body, or bring the body here etc.”

We may not even notice it, but deep inside our subconscious mind, we know that the person whom we called Ram, Sham, John, Smith or Mary has gone and now what is lying in front of us is just the body. So we don’t call it by the name anymore.

The body is still here but where is that person we knew? What happened to the soul? Where has it gone? Since time immemorial, sages, Rishis and philosophers have been trying to understand this phenomenon.

The great saint / Guru Kabeer Ji said :

“is man kau koi khojahu bhaayi

Tan Chhooty Man kahaan Samaayi?”

“search for this ‘Mind’ (soul), o’ people.

When it escapes from the body, where does it go?”

The human body is made of five basic elements of the nature: Dharti, Agni, Jal, Vaayu aur Aakaash

(Fire, earth, water, air and sound or space).

All rites / rituals for the dead in all cultures are meant to systematically return all these elements back to the nature. 

“Sooraj kiran mili, Jal ka jal huaa Raam

Jyoti jot rali sampooran theeaa kaam.”

If all the elements go back to their source, and the individual soul also merges into Supreme soul, then the cycle is considered ‘Sampoorna or complete’.

संवारना तो अलग है Sanvaarna to Alag hai (In Hindi)

Sanvaarna to Alag hai (In Roman Script)

No act of kindness is ever lost.

No act of kindness is ever lost.   

Sooner or later, every action, good or bad, kind or cruel, brings it reaction. Some seeds grow faster and start bearing fruits in a short period of time while others grow slowly and may take much longer. Similarly, some karmas (actions) may bring their results immediately, while we may not see the outcome of others for decades or even few life times.

  Should we stop doing the acts of kindness if we don’t see the results immediately?

A 92 years old man was planting a tree in his front yard. A young boy asked what he was doing. The old man said he was planting a mango tree. The boy laughed and said “You know! It would be many years before this tree can grow and bear some fruits. You are so old. Your one foot is already in the grave. Do you really think that you will live to see it grow and eat its fruits?“

The old man replied “It doesn’t matter if I would be around to see it grow or not. People before me had planted many trees and I ate their fruits when I was a child. Now I am not planting it for myself. My children and grand children and the children and grand children of my neighbors will eat its fruits. People from the neighborhood will be able to sit under its shade and children would enjoy playing underneath this tree. I am simply doing what was done by the people before me.”

Let’s keep on doing whatever act of kindness we may be able to do.

Even if we would not be able to see the results or reap their fruits, someone else will.