giovedì 24 giugno 2010

Discourses on Lord Krśńa


Krśńa, the Nucleus of the Universe

Lord Krśńa said:

Ye yathá máḿ prapadyante táḿstathaeva bhajámyaham;
Mama vartmánuvarttante manuśyáh Pártha sarvashah.


[I appear before a person according to his or her desires. His or her whole being will be filled with My being. All the jiivas of this universe are rushing towards Me, knowingly or unknowingly.]

Who is Krśńa? What is Krśńa? The word krśńa has so many meanings. One meaning of krś is “to plough the land”. And another meaning of krś is “to attract”. He who draws, He who attracts, everybody towards Him, the Nucleus of the Universe, is “Krśńa”. “Krśńa” means the Nucleus of the Universe. The third meaning of Krśńa is bhurvácak – “the Entity who lives within one’s ‘I’ feeling”. “I am, because Krśńa is – I exist because Krśńa exists.” This is the meaning. That is, if Krśńa does not exist, I also do not exist. My existence, my very existence, depends upon His existence.

You know, for each and every entity there is an acoustic root; that is, each and every entity creates a special type of vibration in this universe, and that special type of vibration is known as the acoustic root. In Sanskrit it is called a biija mantra. Now, the acoustic root of Krśńa is klrḿ (= ka + la + anusvára [aḿ]). Why is klrḿ the acoustic root of Krśńa? Ka is the acoustic root of the objective world. Parama Puruśa (the Supreme Cognitive Faculty, that is the Supreme Counsciousness) creates the world from His divine body, and that’s why I say each and every existence is the divine existence. Each and every boy, each and every girl, and each and every living creature is an avatára [incarnation] of the divine entity, so nobody can be hated or ignored. You are all divine children.

When Parama Puruśa creates something, in that phase as Creator, Parama Puruśa is Kárańa Brahma, because He is the cause. [Kárańa = “cause”.] He is the Causal Entity, and the created universe which He creates is Kárya Brahma, because He is the effect. [Kárya = “effect”.] Now, for Kárańa Brahma the acoustic root, the biija mantra, is omn, and for Kárya Brahma, the created universe, the acoustic root is ka. That is why ka is the first letter of our consonants. In the Sanskrit alphabetical order, ka is the first consonant, because ka is the acoustic root of this created world, of Kárya Brahma, the Effect Brahma, the creation.

In Sanskrit the word ka has several meanings. First, it is the first consonant. Secondly, ka means “water” – jalaḿ, niiraḿ, toyaḿ, udakaḿ, pániiyaḿ, kambalam, ka. Ka means “water”. One day I told you that the land covered with water, surrounded by water, is kaccha, or “kutch”. (Ka + chad + d́a = kaccha.) Kutch is a part of India that is [covered] with water. The third meaning of ka is the Effect Brahma, Kárya Brahma, the objectivated Brahma. The acoustic root of Krśńa is klrḿ. The first letter is ka, because He controls this expressed universe, He attracts this expressed universe, He loves this expressed universe; so the first letter of His acoustic root is ka.

And where does He stand? Does He stand on ether or water or something luminous? No, He lives with all living creatures; that is why He lives in bhútatattva, kśititattva [the solid factor]. The acoustic root of kśititattva is la. Controlling the ka and standing upon this la, that is, kśititattva, is klrḿ, that is, ka + la + anusvára [aḿ]. Krśńa is the Lord of the Universe.

Krśńa says: Ye yathá máḿ prapadyante“Whatever we touch, whatever we see, in this universe, is of Krśńa.” According to your desires, according to your propensities, whatever you want from Him, you will get. Whatever you demand, He supplies. “Whoever worships me with whatever desires, I serve him accordingly.” If you want money from Him you may get money, but you will not get Him, because you wanted money, not Him. If you want name and fame you may get name and fame, but not Him, because you did not want Him, you wanted something from Him.

Perhaps you wanted that He should destroy your enemies. If you are on the path of dharma, that is, if your demands are justified, He will kill your enemies, but you will not get Him, because you did not want Him. If you want mukti [liberation] or mokśa [non-qualified liberation] from Him, if you are a suitable candidate then you may get it from Him, but you will not get Him, because you did not want Him. So an intelligent spiritual aspirant will say: “I want you, I do not want anybody else. And why do I want you? Not because your presence will give me pleasure, but because your presence will give me the scope to serve you, because your presence will give the chance to give you pleasure – not to give pleasure to myself.” That is why an intelligent spiritual aspirant will say: “I do not want anything from you, I want you.”

There is a story that once Rama and Lakshmana were crossing the Gaungá [Ganges] with Maharshi Vishvamitra and were going to Mithila. Upon reaching the other bank of the river, the boatman saw that the boat was not wood, it was gold. “Certainly that little boy Rama is not an ordinary boy,” he thought. “It is because of his touch that the wooden boat has become gold.” Then the boatman’s wife came with all the wooden furniture – whatever wooden furniture was in the house was brought. She brought everything and got the things touched, and they all turned into gold. Then the boatman said, “O my lady, you are a foolish lady, you do not know what to do. You are not at all practical. Now you see, the attributions lie with those feet. If you are intelligent, take those feet to your house and get everything converted into gold. This is the secret. There lies the secret.” So what will an intelligent spiritual aspirant say? He will say, “I do not want anything from You. Everything cometh from You, so You be mine.” And what for? Just to serve Him. Why to serve Him? Not to get pleasure but to give Him pleasure. The man who wants to give Him pleasure is called gopa in Sanskrit.

Gopáyate yah sah gopah“He whose only duty is to give pleasure to others, is called a gopa” – and not those who rear cows. [Cowherds are popularly also called gopas.]

Ye yathá máḿ prapadyante taḿstathaeva bhajámyahaḿ“Whoever wants whatever from me, I supply him with that thing. That is my duty. It is up to you to demand according to your necessity, according to your requirement, according to your mental propensities.” Mama vartmánuvarttante manuśyáh Pártha sarvashah“But one thing you should remember, Arjuna, is that the path, the route, chalked out by Me, is to be finally followed by everybody without any exception. It is the path of pratisaincara.(1) One cannot avoid this path of pratisaincara, and one will have to move round me with a short radius or a long radius. The radius may be short, the radius may be long, but one will have to move round me. There is no alternative.”

In the atomic structure electrons will have to move round the nucleus. Similarly, in this expressed universe, everybody will have to move round the Nucleus of the Universe. Krśńa is that Nucleus, and all living beings are just like electrons.

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Footnotes : (1) In the Cosmic Cycle, the step-by-step introversion and subtilization of consciousness from the state of solid matter to the Nucleus Consciousness. (Prati means “counter” and saincara means “movement”.) –Trans.

Shrii Shrii Anandamurti - 26 September 1968, Patna
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Mahásambhúti Krśńa

Lord Krśńa was essentially a spiritual entity, but fortunately the common masses had a chance to see Him in human form. Even in that capacity He controls all other physical entities. Each and every structure has a centre (kendra) of its own and a good number of sub-centres (upakendra).

The major part of human existence is mental; only a minor part is physical. An undeveloped human being is a big problem. It’s not enough for a person to have a human body. He or she must have an evolved mind; otherwise he or she cannot be called human.

All these sub-centres are controlled by the Cosmic Nucleus, that is, Lord Krśńa. But all the sub-centres are not Lord Krśńa. The pineal gland or sahasrára cakra controls the entire human body. Each and every entity, whether unicellular or multicellular, has certain substations which are basically ideational. The piithas affect the nerve-cells and nerve-fibres, and these affected nerve-cells and nerve-fibres affect the mind in their turn, and thus the crude mind affects the subtle.

Sometimes in the course of sádhaná a deliberate and conscious relationship is established between mind and Consciousness. The closer the relationship, the better it is for spiritual realization. This is the fundamental difference between a spiritual aspirant and a non-aspirant, and the scientific and systematic endeavour to establish the closest relationship between the unit mind and Cosmic Consciousness is termed “yoga.”

Depending upon the difference in the controlling points of the cakras, spiritual sádhaná can take either of two forms:
(1) Controlling the hormone secretion of the glands and strengthening the controlling points of the cakras is the system known as hatha yoga, because it is more physical in character. This science is more extroversive in character and consequently part of avidya tantra.
(2) To surrender one’s mind to Shrii Krśńa – This is introversive or ideational in character and is part of Vidyá Tantra. This is the real sádhaná, where the entire psycho-physical entity surrenders itself to Parama Puruśa.

The meeting point between Lord Krśńa and the jiivátma is just below the pineal gland or sahasrára cakra.

Each sub-centre is related to the next sub-centre. Of the two cakras, the lower one is comparatively crude. The physical control of any cakra is exercised by the controlling point of that cakra, but its ideational control is exercised by the controlling point of the next higher cakra. For instance, the svadhisthana cakra cannot have full control, both physical and ideational, over all the nerve-cells and nerve-fibres attached to the svadhisthana cakra; rather the ideational aspect of the control remains with the manipura cakra. The sahasrara cakra of pineal gland exercises no crude physical control, that’s why it is absolutely spiritual in character.

This point is the subtlest mental point. It is, as it were, the minutest, the subtlest, point, the pure “I” feeling is the causal matrix or Rádhá shakti. By dint of sádhaná this causal matrix or Rádhá shakti comes in contact with Lord Krsna, that is Parama Puruśa. Shrii Krśńa utilizes the pituitary gland of any human framework. Whenever a direct contact between Krśńa and the unit mind is established, human beings attain salvation. For this the mind must be absolutely pure. In certain different stages ajina cakra comes in contact with Parama Puruśa. Krśńa controls the centre and the sub-centres both directly and indirectly. Paramátman Krśńa controls all the pure spiritual ideation, and Jiivátman Krśńa controls psycho-spiritual ideations. For sádhakas, the only mission is to surrender at the feet of Lord Krśńa by strengthening the physical sub-centres. He maintains His association with the microcosms either as Mahásambhúti or as Cosmic Nucleus.

Shrii Shrii Anandamurti - 5 May 1968, Ranchi
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Both discourses are published in: << discourses on Mahábhárata >>

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venerdì 11 giugno 2010

Kiirtana: the panacea for all afflictions



The Supreme Father is the Absolute Truth, the only Truth of the Universe. His creation undergoes transmutation, and thus it may be a moving reality, a relative truth, but not an absolute truth. The Absolute Truth is a singular entity; there cannot be two Absolute Truths, there cannot be two Fundamental Truths.

In the hub of this Absolute Truth there is no change and no movement, no absolute pause, no relative pause. But in the outer arena of the Hub, of the Causal Matrix, there is movement, but there is no second entity. This internal movement, although a movement, is as fundamental as the Absolute Truth.

But in the realm of creation there is relativity; and because there are relativities, that is why there are pains, pleasures, sorrows and afflictions. All human beings reside in that portion of the Supreme Body. But whether plants, animals or human beings, the goal of all is the Supreme Hub. And this pauseless movement towards the Supreme Nave is human progress, progress in the proper spirit of the term. This is spiritual life, and this life is the real life. It is the only path for human beings to follow; no other path can be accepted as the path of progress that does not lead to intellectual growth and spiritual elevation. Only that can be termed as genuine progress which elevates all aspects of human existence – physical, mental and spiritual – and makes them one with the Supreme. This is the path of Sádhaná.

In this path of your movement – and remember, movement is essential for you – sometimes obstacles arise, and in future will arise also. In this manifested world, different forces are acting and reacting; some of these forces help humanity in accelerating its movement, whereas some thwart the progress toward the Supreme. Spiritual aspirants will have to advance by fighting all these opposing forces. One should not be concerned about these; rather one should proceed on with greater firmness, smashing all obstacles and continuing tirelessly towards the Supreme Entity. One is sure to reach one’s destination. And what is the destination? To merge into Parama Puruśa, to sit on His Lap.

Along with the obstacles, there will also be certain forces which will assist you. Whatever worldly difficulties might obstruct your path, the best positive or auxiliary force is Kiirtana. Kiirtana helps a devotee to accelerate the speed towards the hub of the Universe. Kiirtana will help you all circumstances; if any mental trouble arises, kiirtana will help you.

People have to pass through so many relativities, so many troubles and afflictions, before attaining that supreme hub. Human beings are subject to triple afflictions – physical, psychic and spiritual – and the psychic and spiritual miseries are as painful as the physical ones.

Why do the spiritual afflictions arise? You know that you are the loving sons and daughters of Parama Puruśa. But you don’t feel Him always close to you, you cannot get the chance to sit on His Lap, and because of this you suffer from spiritual afflictions.

The supreme panacea to surmount all these triple afflictions is sádhaná. So all human beings must do sádhaná as much as possible; it is the main duty of the human life. If sádhaná is omitted, then one should omit one’s food and sleep also. Just as food and sleep are essential for human beings, similarly kiirtana, the most essential aid for sádhaná, should also be done whenever there is opportunity and time. The educated and uneducated alike should do it.

One must do kiirtana not only to surmount physical afflictions, but psychic and spiritual afflictions as well. It is the best medicine for all physical, psychic and spiritual ailments. It will bring about not only improvement in worldly life but success in the psychic and spiritual spheres. Kiirtana will help you in all circumstances, in all possible ways.

If people do kiirtana with distinct expression of the mantra, their mouths become pure, their tongues become pure, their ears become pure, their whole bodies become pure – and when so many parts of the body become pure, the átmá (self) also becomes pure. By kiirtana you become as pure as if you have taken a “holy dip in the Ganges.” What does a holy dip in the Ganges mean for a sádhaka? It means doing kiirtana constantly.

So instead of wasting your time in gossiping, in useless idle pursuits, you should do kiirtana even for two minutes or five minutes, whenever you get the opportunity. It is foolish to waste one’s valuable time in gossiping. One who has been blessed with a human body is not a fool but an intelligent person. Such people feel internally that they are the children of Parama Puruśa. Why should they waste their time?

By kiirtana you will always feel that you are not an insignificant creature, you are not inferior or low. Kiirtana will always remind you that you are the affectionate children of the Supreme. In kiirtana there is no restriction regarding time, place or person, no distinction between educated and uneducated, between black and white.

So do Kiirtana, sing kiirtana, chant Kiirtana, whenever and wherever possible.

- SHRII SHRII ANANDAMURTI - 15 May 1982, Calcutta

Published in:
Ánanda Vacanámrtam Part 22 [unpublished in English]