Excerpts from Rishi Prasad – Issue 179 Nov, 2007

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 Excerpts from Rishi Prasad – Issue 179 Nov, 2007

Satsang leads to Divinity

Do you have association with Sat (the Ultimate Truth) in your
life? If you do, indeed you are very fortunate otherwise you lead
a pitiable existence for the bliss of truth is the only real bliss, the
knowledge of truth is the only real knowledge and the association
with truth is the only real association. All other associations are
unreal and useless. Many a lifetime has been wasted in worthless associations.

A child associates with fellow children; as he grows up, he associates with adolescents;
in school he is associated with school mates. After marriage he spends time with
relations, spouse, in-laws. At work one is associated with colleagues and one also has
association with neighbours, shop keepers (one shops with), fellow travellers and so on.
You are associated with someone or the other all the time; one does not live without
associations. The associations certainly exercise a great influence on you knowingly or
unknowingly and whether you like it or not.

But what is the result of all these associations? They simply mire one in delusion and
attachment and subject one to the cycle of birth and death. Nevertheless there is one
association, which can rid us of all sorrows, which can free us from bondage, which can
do away with our error and consequent labour of believing that we shall be happy in the
future or after attaining such and such goal or after going to such and such place and
which makes us experience Absolute bliss, total happiness and immortality in our given
surroundings (conditions). That association is the real association or satsanga. All the
other associations are unreal.You are bound to associate with others but you should
protect yourself from vice in association.

What is the vice in association? The association that makes you slide into vices and sin
for the sake of depraving worldly pleasures enjoyed at present or to be enjoyed in the
future is ku-sanga or bad association. That which neither elevates nor degrades you is
ordinary association. When you travel on your way to office or shop, you come across
many people on the way but the association with them does not exercise any influence
on you; the association doesn‟t create any bondage. The association with only those
whom you have attachment with or hatred to entangles you; it creates bondage for you.
Similarly, life too is a journey. No fellow passengers should leave an impact on you.
People may get blessed in your company but you must guard against detrimental
influences of bad or ordinary association. This circumspection is called discriminative
insight or viveka. (Read the complete article in November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at
www.ashram.org)

Divine Answers from a Benign Heart

Question: What is the ideal system of education?
Pujyashree: The modern education-system is based on
materialism. It undermines moral values. People are driven away from spiritual joy, the
only joy that is real. To do MBA means to acquire the capability to wheedle and deceive
people, to help rich people exploit the public and to waste one‟s life for the sake of
crumbs thrown by the rich in return for this service. In the process, one moves away
from the goal of God-Realization. All irrational things!

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 Excerpts from Rishi Prasad – Issue 179 Nov, 2007

The education-system should be constituted with the idea of public welfare. The
education minister of M.P. joined the listeners in the satsanga at Ujjain. I have given him
the booklet „Yuvadhan Suraksha‟. I am sure he will disseminate the knowledge of yoga
and spirituality to all the students of the state.
Question: The Government has asked for the scientific evidence of Rama to prove the
authenticity of Ramasetu. How far is it justified?
Pujyashree: It is the misfortune of the country that it is saddled with people‟s
representatives of this kind. Let Karunanidhi bring evidence of his forefathers 2-3
generations ago and then ask for evidence of Lord Rama.
Question: O Supremely Benevolent Bapuji! Please be kind to us and tell what is the true
meaning of Supreme Self.
Pujyashree: God alone knows His absolute existence, His paramount importance and
His real nature. It is impossible to describe Him completely. Even then we describe Him,
only a wee bit, on the basis of what we learn from the scriptures so that we can, with His
abounding grace, get our heart permeated with His Supreme Bliss.
All the things of this phenomenal world arise from the Supreme Being. He Himself
assumes all these forms. And even when all these things cease to exist it does not affect
Him in any manner. Take for instance gold or earth. All pitchers, earthen pots and toys
are made of earth. Earth is not a pitcher but pitcher can not exist without the earth.
Similarly, nothing can exist without the Supreme Being. All things exist in Him, the
Supreme Consciousness and ultimately merge back into Him. (Read the complete article in
November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at www.ashram.org)

Attain the Real Joy!

It is absolutely true that until and unless you attain real Joy you
can‟t get rid of the longing for the unreal joy. Some preachers
advise the people to renounce this or that thing. But the people
can renounce the unreal if they are given the real (joy).

There are two kinds of mothers. Suppose, a child is sucking a toy mango. A mother of
the first kind will warn and threaten the child saying, “No! What are you doing? It is not
real mango. It is made of clay. It will cause renal stones. Leave it or I will slap you.” The
child does leave the toy mango but he did so out of fear of
punishment. He has not renounced attachment to the toy and
so he will start sucking the other toys.

A mother of the second type speaks to the child affectionately,

“My dear son! This is not a mango; it is a toy. Wait, I will get you
a real mango.” She takes a mango, washes it thoroughly and
after puncturing it and letting a drop or two of its juice come out,
she puts it to the child‟s mouth. The child will suck it willingly
because he gets the sweet juice doing so. He himself will
become the Guru in respect of differentiating between real and
fake mangoes. He need not be told again not to suck a toy.

Similarly, Gurus too are of two kinds. Gurus of first kind keep on prompting, „Don‟t do
this… don‟t do that… this is sin… you will go to hell… you will repent…‟ The disciple
abstains from tea, but takes to coffee; abstains from coffee only to start drinking a cola

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 Excerpts from Rishi Prasad – Issue 179 Nov, 2007

and from cola he switches over to some other thing. He has to get joy from one source
or another.
Then there is the Guru of second type who doesn‟t preach all these things. He simply
invites people to Dhyana Yoga Shivirs. Through his eyes or mental resolve he transmits
spiritual energy to the disciples. Once the mind tastes real joy, it automatically starts
treading the path towards Supreme Beatitude.

Your time is precious. Illusory joy will take us to where all others have gone and
perished. And then we too will perish, will fade into oblivion sooner or later.

There is a stupid English saying, „Time is money‟. Stupid Indians quote it. But it is
insensible. You can earn money, at the cost of your time to acquire jewellery, fame and
all other things. But can you get the lost time of your life in exchange for all these things?
Time is not money; it is much more precious than money. By spending time, you can
earn money; you can regain your lost honour or health. But the time once lost can not be
regained. „Time is money‟ is a trite saying. In fact, time is much more precious than
anything else is. In all these years spent of your life, you have achieved certificates,
degrees, wealth and other things. By giving all of them back, can you get back the lost
time of your life to increase your lifespan? Therefore, the precious time should be spent
in quest for the most precious, your Real Self and in attaining Self-Bliss.
A peon works for 8 hours and gets a paltry salary, while the pilot works for a few hours
and is paid a salary many times more than that of the peon. The more lucrative the job in
which we spend our time, the more handsome are the returns.

„In life-death cycle you have dwelt,

arise to save your lot, today,
Says Tulsi, name of Rama repeat,
renounce for ever evil‟s way.‟

(Read the complete article in November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at www.ashram.org)

Bhishmaji Realizes Sri Krishna’s Essential Being and His

Various Manifestations as Narayana, Vasudeva, Rama and Hari
„I can renounce the three worlds, I can forego the kingdom of
heaven or anything that may be greater than the both, but I
can never renounce Truth.‟
(The Mahabharata: Adi Parva – 103.15)

Bhishma was the legitimate son of King Shantanu and Goddess Ganga. Grandsire
Bhishma was erudite, a man of firm resolve, knower of Dharma, true to his word,
scholar, able politician, generous, extraordinary warrior, and had control over his senses
but above all a single-minded devotee of the Lord. Though a politician, he was truthful as
well. What a paradoxical synthesis of contradictory qualities! Truthful and that too a
politician! Politicians say that one cannot do without resorting to falsehood. But can one
do without truthfulness? Grandsire Bhishma had recognized Lord Krishna as the living
God.

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 Excerpts from Rishi Prasad – Issue 179 Nov, 2007

In his Rājasuya fire sacrifice, Yudhishthira had asked Bhishma as to who should be
propitiated first. Then Bhishma‟s clear cut answer was, “By dint of strength, valour,
brilliance and all other parameters Sri Krishna deserves to be propitiated first.”
Upon culmination of the battle of Mahabharata, Yudhishthira was grieving for the dead
kins. In an inquisitive frame of mind, he accompanied by his brothers and Lord Krishna,
approached Grandsire Bhishma. The Pandavas
reverentially and with utmost respect paid their
obeisance to Bhishma.

If a person has moral rectitude, practices abstinence

and is religious, then his affection to kith and kin wears
thin. Those who do not practice abstinence are drawn
towards family and fail to accomplish the true goal of
God-realization. This is not to say that one should
neglect one‟s family. Rather you should consider the whole world to be your extended
family and act with equanimity. Bhishma had this sense of equanimity and as such he
could fathom the real nature of Lord Krishna.

The grandsire explained about Lord Krishna to Yudhishthira and others, “Sri Krishna is
God incarnate. He is the Primal Cause of all, the Supreme person Lord Narayana, Who
deluding the world with His power of illusion (Māyā) moves incognito among the
descendents of Yadu. O Yudhishthira! Lord Shiva, the divine sage Narada and the
venerable Lord Kapila alone know His secret most prowess. He whom you regard as
your maternal cousin, a dear friend and the best well-wisher and out of love employed as
a counsellor, an emissary and a charioteer without any hesitation, is Lord Narayana
Himself. In spite of Krishna‟s being equal to all, Oh protector of the earth! Look at His
compassion on his staunch devotees that Krishna Himself has appeared before me,
when I am giving up life.”

Subsequently, Bhishma with his scholarly knowledge earned by virtue of his practice of
brahmacharya, experience, knowledge and devotion, duly elaborated on the rules
(duties) regarding charities, kingship, laws pertaining to the path of liberation, duties of
women and those pertaining to the Bhagawata religion to the assemblage, thereby
bringing peace to the grief-stricken and agitated heart of Yudhishthira.
(Read the complete article in November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at www.ashram.org)

Let flow the river of joy or ignite the fire of separation

Get the Best of Both Worlds !
You possess two very remarkable capabilities. One of
them is joy and the other is dejection (the pang of
separation). As you go on loving your revered Guru in
your mind while talking to Him, your heart is thrilled with
joy; and then the inspiration that emanates from the Guru
Tattva brings simply wonderful benefits. I, on my part, have gained a great deal by loving
my Gurudeva. Let the river of joy flow and wash away all your karmas, sins, afflictions
and ignorance. Or else, at times, ignite the fire of separation and let your jiva-
consciousness (ego-identity) or your samskaras burn in it. Such burning is similar to the
roasting of the groundnuts, which, on being roasted, can be eaten, seen or even sold all

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the same, but they can‟t any more be sown in order to give rise to further generations
thereof.

Likewise, all your samskaras accumulated over numerous previous lives; once they are
roasted in the fire of separation, they will lose their apparent reality with you and thus
can not cause your rebirth.

Just as the roasted grains do not germinate, so also the mind roasted in the fire of
separation and the samskaras lying therein do not give rise to further births. While
getting established in the essential Being of the Lord or Guru will get the internal organ
roasted, the fire of separation will finally negate it.

More than five thousand years have passed since the incarnation of Lord Krishna, but
Mirabai is able to identify herself with Krishna consciousness in that the interval of even
thousands of years could not separate her from Sri Krishna. She can watch Lord Sri
Krishna dancing verily in front of her. She sees Him playing the flute, having His meal
and even narrating the message of the holy Gita to Arjuna. She gets exhilarated at the
arrival of Lord Sri Krishna; but when He doesn‟t come, she becomes anxious to know
the reason behind it and even cries. Such crying is an expression of devotion (to the
Lord) generated by the pangs of separation. At times Mirabai‟s countenance is elated
with joy, while at others her heart is purified in the fire of separation. (Read the complete
article in November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at www.ashram.org)

A Remedy for Headache

Whenever you are tired, just protrude your tongue a bit through your lips, press the index
fingers with the respective thumbs in such a way as they make a zero each and rest
awhile in this position. This practice helps nourish the neurons and alleviates fatigue.
Similarly, one suffering from a severe headache should protrude his tongue out through
the teeth and make the form of a zero with the index fingers and thumbs of each hand in
the above manner. This should be practised for two minutes at a time and thrice a day. It
has helped cure numerous types of headaches so far.

Once there was a Shastriji Maharaj. He narrated stories from the „Bhagavata Purana‟.
But he would suffer from headache just after a few minutes of starting the discourse. He
tried all types of therapies but without success. Once he happened to tell Ghatwale
Baba, “Babaji! Despite all medical treatments I have failed to find relief from this
headache.”
Then Ghatwale Baba advised him to practise the above technique for a few days
regularly, which he did and got cured.

„As numerous leaves remain hidden

within every sprouting leaf of banana;
The words of saints carry within
them so many hidden messages benign.‟

Ghatwale Baba had told just a simple thing, but that went on to relieve Shastriji of his
headache forever. A mere passing reference from a saint did prove to be a veritable
boon for Shastriji.

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“O excellent sages! On having listened to this account, engage your mind in the exercise
of dharma.” (Read the complete article in November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at
www.ashram.org)

The Importance of Salutation

Salutation is an integral part of courteous demeanour and is
paramount among human virtues. It includes humility,
respect, reverence, sevā and self-surrender. One should
respectfully bow down to superi„For the vital airs of a young
man mount upwards to leave his body when an elder
approaches; but by rising to meet him and saluting he
recovers them. He who habitually pays reverence to and
constantly serves the aged, obtains an increase of four
things, viz. length of life, knowledge, fame and strength.‟
(2.120-121)

A scripture named Ahnik Sutravali has elucidated on the virtues of Sāshtānga ors. This
trait should be inculcated in children from the very early age. In the Indian ethos
salutation is not merely a part of etiquette but has religious connotations as well.
Manu Maharaj has said:

„Chest, head, eyes, mind, words, hands, feet and knees – the salutation (pranāma) using
these eight (ashta) organs (angas) is called Sāshtānga Pranāma.‟
In Sāshtānga Pranāma, the entire body is in a state of self-surrender and we offer
ourselves to the Supreme Lord. This is an excellent way of expressing our gratitude to
God. Sāshtānga Pranāma purges our heart of egoism and ill feelings and makes it pious
and pure.‟ As per a scripture called: „Paithinasi Kullookbhattiya‟

„One should salute by touching the other one‟s left and right foot with the left and right
hand respectively of his own.‟
When the venerable superior places his hand on the head, shoulder or back of the one
touching the feet, the electromagnetic energy flowing through both completes a circle.
With this, the virtues and ojas of the superior person start flowing to the other one as
well.

We should avail ourselves of this benefit by paying obeisances to parents and noble
souls during the days of Diwali. In case of the holy personages who do not let their feet
be touched, one should reverentially pay obeisances to them by bowing his head from a
distance so as to be benefited by their pious glance and auspicious resolve. (Read the
complete article in November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at www.ashram.org)

Dwell on the Lord’s Name, O My Mind, as a Gurumukh

One is Mantra-japa and the other is Nāma-japa. In
Mantra-japa the force of the individual is the only
determinant, it needs to follow the prescribed procedure
and maintain the requisite purity but japa of Nāma or
Lord‟s name requires only the Bhāva, the force of the
Divine works behind it. Guru Arjuna Dev says,

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„Dwell on the Lord‟s name, O my mind, as a Gurumukh, O Nanak,

you shall obtain countless joys.‟

Get yourself initiated by a Guru, be a Gurumukh and then do the japa of Lord‟s name. If
one does japa of Nāma as Manmukh (one who follows the dictates of his mind), he gets
the thing desired by his mind and loses the real benefit of Nāma-japa. However, when
he does Nāma-japa as a Gurumukh, he doesn‟t fall prey to his mind‟s desires rather he
desires what the Lord or the Guru wishes him to have. And what does the Lord or the
Guru wish us to have? The Lord and the Guru want us to have Supreme Bliss! A
Gurumukh therefore attains Self-Bliss, in
comparison to which the pleasures enjoyed by
Indra, the king of gods, appear worthless not to
speak of the worldly pleasures.

„Where (in the yond) there is neither mother,

nor father, friend nor brother,
O my mind, there, only the Nāma, the Name of
the Lord,
shall be with you as your help and support.
Where there is utter wilderness and the terrible messengers of Death grind thee down,
There, the Lord‟s Name alone goes along with thee.
Where there is nothing but utter distress for thee,
There, the Name of the Lord saves thee in a moment.
By performing countless meritorious deeds, you shall not be saved.
But the name of the Lord washes off myriads of sins.
Dwell on the Lord‟s name,O my mind,
as a Gurumukh,O Nanak, you shall obtain countless joys.‟
(Sukhmani Sahib)

Nāma-japa has its own unique import. The incident pertains to a time when King
Ramchand ruled Gwalior. In a village near Gwalior, there lived a ten-year-old boy named
Tana. He could mimic the sounds of various animals and used this talent to guard his
father‟s orchard. (Read the complete article in November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at
www.ashram.org)

Meditation and Discrimination

Prince Siddhartha was sitting in a garden. His cousin,
Devadatta, was looking here and there restlessly.
Siddhartha said to him, “Why are you so frivolous? Sit
quietly. Meditate.”
Nobody knows nor cares to know as to where the frivolous and flighty Devadatta was
born and when he died but Siddhartha, who knew the technique of meditation, went on
to become Mahatma Buddha and became the spiritual guide for millions who
worshipped him. He thus attained the supreme fruit of concentration of mind. Kingship
with all the attendant pleasures, luxuries and ostentation was there for the asking, but
they would have only taken him to hells. Instead, he made good use of concentration.
What is the good use of concentration? To attain the Supreme Self, the only Truth
Absolute. And from Siddhartha, he became Lord Buddha. The sense of discrimination
was developed in his heart from the childhood itself.

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Devadatta had a bow and a few arrows and was hunting for birds. Just then a flock of
swans flew that way. Devadatta aimed at a swan and brought it down. It fell where
Siddhartha was sitting. Siddhartha lovingly picked it up with due care and took it in his
lap. After gently pulling out the arrow from its body, he applied the juice of certain
medicinal herbs on the wound and caressed it with affection. His wish only was that its
life should be saved and it should become all right. His pious intentions had its positive
influence on the bird.

In the meantime Devadatta came there and said,

“Brother! Your labours will be to no avail. This
swan is mine. I have shot it down. Give it to me.”

Siddhartha said, “How can it be yours? It is mine

and I will not give it to you.”
“I have shot it down. It is mine.”

“You have wounded it with your arrow, but I have

pulled out the arrow and saved its life by applying
the juice of medicinal herbs on the wound.
Therefore, it is mine.”
“The game bird belongs to the one who hunts it.”
“Never! A creature doesn‟t belong to the one who hurts it; rather it belongs to the one
who helps it.”

“I will teach you a lesson right away.”

Devadatta went to Siddhartha‟s father, King Shuddhodhana, and complained about it.
On being called Siddhartha came there and said, “Father! Devadatta has wounded the
bird and I have saved its life. Who is the rightful owner of a creature –the one who tries
to take it‟s life or the one who saves it?” Then Siddhartha fixed his affectionate gaze on
his father and further elaborated on the moral aspect.

Shuddhodhana was immensely pleased by Siddhartha‟s words. He said, “Son! You are
right. What you say is absolutely just and equitable. You are the only rightful owner of
the swan.”
Siddhartha was aware of the significance of meditation. That is why he could get over
difficulties with such admirable ease. He made even a cruel person like Devadatta admit
defeat. (Read the complete article in November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at
www.ashram.org)

Three Points for You

One must strive to eradicate his faults. Just root out those
faults or thoughts of your mind, intellect and chitta that are
keeping you away from the supreme Self, the Guru Tattva
or liberation.

But how does one root out his faults? A question may arise; and the answer is – wake
up in the morning before sunrise, sit on a woollen mat facing the east, take a deep

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breath and while chanting Hari OM, make a mental resolve of eradicating your fault, as if
hitting it with the mace of the mantra. Take one demerit at a time and while chanting –
Hari Om… Hari Om… Hari Om… practise autosuggestion „O defect! You are insentient
and I am Consciousness. Today, all day long, you will not prevail in my life.‟ Make a
resolve for a single day at first. And when you succeed in maintaining your resolve for
one day, make a fresh resolve for two days… and then four days, thereby increasing the
period of your resolve with your increasing success.

Well, I shall tell you yet another technique to remove your faults. If you venture to
remove your fault considering it your own, and thinking, „I am eradicating it,‟ it will take
fairly long time and need great labour. And even if you succeed in removing it, the risk of
being overcome with egotism is always there. A failure on the other hand will only
frustrate you. But if you locate the fault to be where it is and try removing it by getting
established in your God-consciousness or the Guru Tattva, it will become very easy. So
don‟t consider the fault to be in you.

„The fault is in the body, in the intellect, the mind and my samskaras. The samskaras are
purged of the faults. I am the eternal son of my Sadguru, Who is Narayana
Consciousness free from all faults.‟ –with the help of such considerations eradicate your
faults and get established in the essential Guru Tattva or Atma Tattva. Thus you will
succeed in eradicating the fault without developing egotism. And even if you fail for
some time, you will not be disappointed. In the morning, midday or evening –whenever
you get time, just apply this technique and remove each and every fault of yours until
they are completely uprooted. Don‟t you apply some technique to remove a thorn that
has pricked the sole of your foot? Yes, you do. There are various methods to remove it –
whether you do that by applying pressure onto either parts of the affected area, or using
a sharp needle or some suitable forceps. And in case all these measures fail, apply a
poultice prepared from turmeric and jaggery. This will cause swelling of the affected part
and thereby facilitate removal of the thorn. Similarly, if you try removing your faults by
applying the poultice of some vrata or spiritual discipline to your life, it will bring you
success. (Read the complete article in November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at
www.ashram.org)

Prahlada: The Great Devotee

Prahlada said, “O King of gods! I have no attraction or
aversion to Mother Nature or its various modifications like
pleasure and pain etc. born as they are of virtue and vice. At
this juncture, I perceive no one as an enemy, nor do I see
any one worthy of attachment as my offspring, spouse or
friend etc. I desire not for the heavens nor for the earth or netherworld.
“Virtue and vice, and their fruits-pleasure and pain, do not belong to the Atman.
Therefore, I don‟t desire anything. But without repudiating this phenomenal world, I
remain contented on the strength of Knowledge alone and being desireless, always
repose in Supreme Bliss.”

As Indra listened to these sublime and pithy precepts, he was enlightened of the true
state of the great devotee Prahlada. Extremely mortified, he asked with humility,
“O Prahlada! Kindly tell me the way I can attain the Knowledge and peace you have.”

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Prahladji said, “O King of gods! It is

through the virtues of guilelessness,
awareness, self-restraint, equanimity,
purity and serving those superior in
Knowledge that one attains the Supreme
State of liberation. It is only through
realising one‟s true nature that one attains
Knowledge and peace. Whatever virtues
and vices you see in yourself and in me
are related to our natures.”
These pithy words of Prahladji contained
the Knowledge of Ultimate Truth. Indra
felt pangs of shame as he remembered
his own vices of guile and desire etc. He
sought pardon from Prahladji for his deceitful conduct and said, “Ascetic Prahladji! I had
deceitfully taken away your Sheela; kindly accept it back. I give it to you as the Guru-
dakshinā in lieu of the invaluable gift of Knowledge you have bestowed on me. I humbly
pray to you to please accept my invitation to visit the heaven and bless the people
there.” After extending this invitation, Indra went back to Amravati and Prahladji, with his
Sheela, left for Hiranyapur.

Howsoever hard one may try to harm the devotees of the Lord, they may appear to be
harmed for some time, but their support, the Lord is so strong that no harm can ever
come to them. Therefore in such circumstances, devotees of the Lord should remain
patient like Prahladji and should devote themselves to the recollection and
contemplation of the Lord.
(To be continued…)

Unique is the Essence of the Gita and the Saints Who Know it
The „Srimadbhagvadgita‟, the crest-jewel among the
holy scriptures, is unique in its remarkable quality of
expressing the maximum teaching in the minimum
amount of words. Thus it fills the considerably small
vessel of the human intellect with the ocean of
knowledge of the Upanishads; and that too with such masterly finesse that enables the
people studying and reflecting on it to find each and every verse thereof to be expressive
of the great aphorism of the Vedas. „All this is verily Brahman…‟ (Chhandogya
Upanishad: 3.14.1).

This final precept of the Vedas was imparted only to the supremely worthy disciple or
son by the Self-realized Sadguru in ancient times. But this virtuous scripture, the Gita,
has made that supremely sublime knowledge available to all people in a single word that
is easy for everyone to comprehend
–O Arjuna! I (the Supreme Soul,
Brahman) am Being as well as non-
being.‟
(The Gita: 7.19)
Though manifested in different
forms, all of samsara is essentially

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the Lord Himself, and despite being One, He appears as many. Just as commentaries
on the Gita are different, but Gita is one. Human beings differ from one another in colour
and size, but humanity is common. The same applies to cows and other living creatures
of any species. Similarly, despite His myriad manifestations in the forms of places, times,
objects, persons, conditions, circumstances, events, etc., the Lord is verily One: „I am
being as well as non-being.‟

Love-incarnate Lord Krishna, the author of the Gita, has elucidated this very supreme
conclusion in the most lucid ways for the jivas, which indicates His motiveless love for
them. -„Vasudev (the Lord) is all that exists.‟(The Gita 7.19)

So sublime is this final conclusion that instantly dissolves all doctrinal differences of
various schools of philosophy, thereby putting an end to all debates and disputes. Be it a
believer of the Àrambhavāda or the Ajātavāda or a believer in the doctrines of
Parināmavāda or Vivartavāda – the difference among these various believers prevail so
long as the subtle ego exists in them. Just a firm belief in the supreme aphorism
„Vasudeva is all that exists‟ would release one from dogmatism and the refutation of the
beliefs of others, because all is God. Both being and non-being are God „I am being as
well as non-being‟ and even that which is beyond these two is nothing but God Himself:
„The reality which transcends being and non-being‟ (The Srimad Bhagawata 2. 9. 32)

Without realizing the truth of „Vasudeva is all that exists‟ one cannot experience the
beatitude of fulfillment in any of the paths of sādhanā. Without this final view „karma‟
cannot be culminated into selfless Karmayoga, „devotion‟ cannot be sublimated into the
supremely blissful spirit of devotional love, nor can knowledge be transformed into
„Kaivalya Jnāna‟ or Advaita Siddhi‟. Such is the significance of this supreme principle.
(Read the complete article in November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at www.ashram.org)

Persevere in Your Sadhana

Siddhartha was disappointed with his sādhanā, He was contemplating returning home.
In the mean time he happened to chance upon an insect trying to climb a tree. As it
climbed a few steps up the tree, a sudden gust of wind flung it off to the ground. It again
started to climb the tree and was again thrown down by a whiff of strong wind. Thus it fell
down to the ground seven times in succession, but nevertheless continued its endeavour
to climb the tree and in the eighth attempt it was successful.

Siddhartha thought, „When an ordinary insect can attain success by steadfastly

continuing its endeavour even in the face of repeated failures, why should I, a human by
birth, ever retrace my steps?

Siddhartha made a firm resolve “I shall accomplish my mission or else keep striving till
death. Death is but certain even in the royal palace. So it is surely better to embrace
death while doing sādhanā.”

Driven by a strong determination, then Siddhartha resumed his sādhanā in right earnest
and went on to realize the Supreme Peace just within seven years, thereby becoming
Lord Buddha. Therefore, you too should keep striving to attain the Supreme Spiritual
State, success will of course be at your feet; sooner or later. (Read the complete article in
November 2007 Rishi Prasad. Subscribe at www.ashram.org)

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 Excerpts from Rishi Prasad – Issue 179 Nov, 2007

Glossary

OM - the pranava-pronounced as „Aum‟, it is the

monosyllabic personification of the Supreme
Being.
ā – this is pronounced as „aa‟ like in archanā,
which is pronounced as archanaa.
Àchamana – rinsing or sipping water before
religious ceremonies.
Barhadādā – The wish-fulfilling holy Banyan tree
invested with spiritual power by Pujya Bapuji.
Darshana – the pious act of meeting some
revered one or deity face to face.
Desi – indigenous
Dosha – disorder of vāta, pitta and kapha –the
three humours of the body.
Gandharva – a demigod, celestial musician.
Havana – a fire sacrifice.
Japa – repetition of a mantra.
Jiva – the individual soul.
Jivātman – the individual soul.
Kapha – biological water humour; phlegm.
Kinnara – a kind of demigods.
Karmayoni – a life form in which one‟s Karmas
(actions) are the determinant factors of the future
course of his life. The human form is the only
Karma-yoni.
Mālā – a rosary.
Pitta – biological bile humour.

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 Excerpts from Rishi Prasad – Issue 179 Nov, 2007

Prasāda – grace of the Lord, a deity or a personage; consecrated food.

Prārabdha – that part of the accumulated effect of past deeds which has begun to take
effect with the creation of the present physical body and which is responsible for the
continuance of the body even after salvation.
Rasāyana – a medicinal composition which strengthens the body and delays onset of
old age.
Satsanga – pious discourse and company of a saint.
Sādhaka – an aspirant on the spiritual path.
Sādhika – a woman aspirant on the spiritual path.
Sādhanā – spiritual endeavour.
Siddha – a semi divine being of great perfection, possessing eight supernatural faculties
or siddhis.
Sāttvika – characterized by purity and luminosity.
Suryanamaskāra – yogic prostration to the Sun-god, a set of different postures of
exercise.
Vāta – biological wind humour.
Vrata – an austerity, a religious vow or a fast.
Vaidya – an āyurvedic physician.
Yogāsana – practice of āsanas as a mode of yoga.

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