DIVINEINFORMATION PART 14 Dear friends,
While going through one of my externalmemory device, I came across some good information stored from a website (not available now). I thought of sharing interesting ones fromthem as a series. These are short information. Inpart 14 , I am starting with 61th item in this posting. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan 23-05-2021. 61 PANCHA MAHAYANJA The five kinds of sacrifices which are to be carried out by a Hindudaily, termed the "Pancha Maha Yanja". The first refers to worship of the Lord(Deva) and thesecond to the reading of scriptures and epics contributed by sages (Rishis). The third is the duty to parents, bygiving libations to them who had sustained us. This obligation doesnot end merely with the performance of ceremonies in their honour. The idea is that the traditionshould be continued to make children realise the noble inheritance. The fourth calls for the respect to beshown to Godwho resides in every creation of His and to relieve the sufferings experiencedby humanity, by extending assistancein times of need or feeding them. This is "Humanism" -worship of theLord in human beings. The last is the kindness that is to beextended toanimals which should not be killed unnecessarily for men's sport or for use astheir food. 62 GODIS RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATION, DESTRUCTION January 1, 1991 The spiritual values and traditions of Hinduism which are valideven today require to be explained correctly to youngsters who are eager touphold the Law of Virtue. They raise many doubts which need to be answered withclarity. There are no proper replies except for general statements which saythat the scriptures direct them to do certain things. Someof the common queries are: Where is God? Why should we worship God and how willprayers help us? Will God give what one wants, say money or a pass in the examination? Why should there be so many Gods andif one is faithful to a particular deity, will not the other Gods get angry? Some say that devotees can obtain anything from God but one sees aneighbour who is a rogue enjoying all comforts whereas a person who works hardis not rewarded; a student who reads well finds his number missing in theresult sheet while another who is not known to be good in studies gets thefirst rank; a girl is charming and qualified but does not get a suitablebridegroom; How can a body which isburnt or buried (on death) get back another life? How can past actions beaccountable for one's present activities? What is the purpose of theceremony for the dead? Swami Ramakrishna had avision of God while those surrounding him experienced nothing; how are themessages left by sages who lived years ago be valid now? All these are theimagination of a few; why should we follow them blindly? Swami Paramananda Bharathi ina lecture said proof about God's existence is available and facts relating todoubts can be rendered properly. A book placed on the tablecannot move to another spot unless handled by an external agency. Likewise, human activities need such a force. There are severalagencies, each entrusted with a function like fire, wind and earth (calledelements). But there must be someone, like the Headmaster of a school assigningwork to teachers, to give them the directions. Prayers are offered toexpress men's gratitude for what has been granted to them. Gods are controllersbut there is one Supreme Being having over- all control.To the question on the multiplicity of Gods, the doubting persons should beasked: "What is wrong?" Any one of the Gods may be chosen and revered. Other Gods will not feelangry at this selection. 63 OBSERVE RELIGIOUS RULES WITHZEAL February 12, 1993 "Let me be dumb so that I will have no occasion to Use badwords or speak ill of others or abuse God and pious people; let me be blind sothat I need not look with base thoughts at women let me be deaf so as to remainabsolutely unconcerned when some people condemn God or spread atheistic ideas;let my legs take me to places where realised men stay; let my eyes feast onGod's images and my power of speech be of some value to praise God. My mindshould not yield to the influence of wicked forces like ego, passion, anger andmalice and I should ever be a man of integrity and character." Theserepresent the poignant feelings of a devout devotee who, after being directlyaccosted by God in human form, was asked to go back tothe position which he had held. " Am I a sinner who had indulged inanti-God activities or harboured vicious ideas or acted against codes of piousconduct", he begged Sri Krishna. "I thought of escaping from theimpact of this ocean of transmigration (family life) but you are now forcing meto sink deeper into the sea by placing a stone on my head". Scriptures say that those who reach God's abode will stay therepermanently, never to return to this world of sorrow. The sentiments expressed above were those ofAkrura, an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna. He was assigned the job of fetching Sri Krishna byKamsa so that He could be slayed somehow. After meeting Sri Krishna who agreed to accompany him, It was suggested that he should go backto his Job. Hence his regret to be separated from God-incarnate. In his discourse, the Junior Swami of Admar Math, Sri VishwapriyaThirtha, said that on finding Krishna in His village, Akrura was extremelydelighted at the opportunity givens to him to meet Him and take Him to Kamsa'spalace. Krishna questionedhim whether he was obeying the scriptural commands properly-likeperforming worship, carrying out the rites and visiting pilgrim centres.Akrura's replies showed how he was observing the religious rules with zeal. The idea of taking bath in holy rivers was to get rid of impuritiesin the mind. That the daily religious obligations ought to be observed even Ifextraneous circumstance interfered with a person was demonstrated by Akruradoing the minimalrites. 64 Religion elevates man, promotes camaraderie May 10, 1993 These cannot be purposeful without a spiritual background. Taking food, seeking shelter andsleeping are common to a man and an animal, but the latter cannot understand thesignificance of spiritual values. That is why man, who can decide issues rationally, is called the crown of all creations.His thoughts, words and deeds should be identical. Cultivation of a religious outlook alone will help him face andsolve problems. He is provided with plenty of opportunities and the choicestgifts in life, enabling him to develop as an outstanding personality. The roleof religion is to lift him to a higher plane and take him to the realm of'reality'. From time immemorial, religion has enabled him to uphold traditionalvalues and follow a civilised path. A society which loses its religion willgradually degenerate into a state where culture will also find no place. Of late, there has been afeeling among some persons that religious practices need not be adhered to andthat "outmoded and outdatedbeliefs" and customs have no relevance now. But spiritual life andadherence to religion will keep man off the track of fanaticism. Religionbrings enlightenment, unites men of different views, develops a sense ofcamaraderie and makes him think and act, said Swami Yati Maharaj, Head of theGaudiya Math. ModernIndia suffers because it is losing its cultural moorings. When a country's political development is guided by spiritualtraditions, there will be progress on the proper course. Religion should formpart of man's life and the heads of religious institutions, who have inheriteda rich legacy, should act as guides but they should not seek political help.They are forever servants of God, dedicating themselves to the welfare of thepeople. Aking of Orissa was a staunch devotee of Sri Chaitanya. Once another devotee misappropriated treasury funds and wasawarded death sentence. Otherdevotees approached Sri Chaitanya, urging him to request the king to save theman, as they were certain that the ruler would heed any suggestion from him. But Chaitanya left thecapital without saying anything as his interference would mean seeking a favour, which he did not want. Anyone who has developed devotion to God and takes to a Divine lifeshould attach himself only to Him and should not beg mortals. 65 Hinduism is universal in character July 8, 1993 The edifice of Hinduism has been founded, erected and fostered bysages, saints and illustrious spiritual guides. Hence the customs, usages andtraditions which are being continued have eternal validity and they can bescientifically explained. The scriptures are not myths as some say. Every act has a deepsignificance. Unfortunately, the cultural history of Hindus has been distorted bysome 'vested' interests who have made a 'criminal' approach towardsthis Faith. This ancient religion is universal in character and desires thatthe entire humanity should be one. To prove this, it can be pointed out howHinduism has never believed in conquering other countries or forcing members ofother Faiths to join its fold. A Hindu can take legitimate pride in his cultural and religiousbackground and in preserving its heritage. Some people brand Hindus asfanatics not aware of the glorious traditions they have imbibed. Facts have been twisted inrespect of various rites and rituals. It ismisrepresented that in the sacrifices conducted, animals were killed. This isfar from truth. The Sanskrit lexicons anddictionaries sometimes give various meanings for the same word. Hence properinterpretation with reference to the particular context is necessary. Thus instead of criticising LordRama as having partaken meat, it can be seen that He consumed the root of atuber which, after due processing appeared like flesh. Swami Sathyananda Saraswathi (Ramadasa Ashram) in a lecturereferred to the wisdom of the ancient in that they had possessed light types of aeroplanes,including the familiar Pushpaka Vimana. Different varieties ofmetals were used in their manufacture. The Vedic Mathematics were being adopted to solveproblems. But modern students were being taught distorted versions. Even Swami Vivekananda as a boywas told that their fathers were fools, grandfathers lunatics and Hinduscriptures were false. On the other hand, the discussion between Rama and Vasishta bringsout valuable information on human behaviour. Scriptures spell out the significance of circumambulation(clockwise) in temples and why the bride always sits on the left side. The fact that Rama befriended the hunterchieftain Guha and an agedwoman Sabari would show that there was no discrimination and Hindu Religion isnot sectarian. 66 Religious tolerance unique to Hinduism October 21, 1993 India has cradled several systems of philosophy. The tenets of allreligions are tolerated, and even a man who denigrates God is allowed to havehis say. Among thebelievers of God, there is plenty of scope to pursue paths of their choice.Siva, Vishnu, Muruga and other forms are worshipped and different shades ofopinion prevail and this is the great spiritual heritage of this country.When confusion prevailed among people on account of the misrepresentation ofthe scriptures, Aadi Sankaragave hopes of revival of the Vedic thoughts but his teachings could reach onlya few at the elitist level because of the then circumstances. Ramanujacharya appeared onthe Indian scene about ten centuries ago and taught the simple philosophy ofdevotion to God. Hedenounced religious practices on the basis of caste and embraced all sectionsinto his fold. He introduced reforms in temple administration andadvocated the path of surrender to reach God. "There is no differencebetween man and man in the midst of the Divine, but all the distinctions ashigh and low are due to His will; in this world of diversityand multiplicity, man should develop his mind to see oneness in all humanbeings and this can be achieved only by love of the heart and compassion toothers," was one of his messages. God's mercy, grace and love are therefor all beings, To obtain His grace, one should approach Him through aspiritual teacher Temples aretreasures left by our forbears where His grace can descend His religion alsolays a great deal of emphasis on humanistic ethics Among the three meansof reaching God, devotion is the principal one, action and knowledge itsauxiliaries Ramanuja'sphilosophy explains action as that performed disinterestedly, without aiming atrewards Knowledgeconsists in the correct understanding of the difference between the soul andthe body A man who follows the path of knowledge is firmly established withinhimself and is not disturbed by outward happenings Devotion is saturated withlove and "surrender" is 'total giving' to the Lord The act ofcompletely flinging oneself on God's compassion is called 'Surrender' orPrapatti. Referringto some of the important events in Ramanuja's life, Swami Asntoshananda in alecture said, even while studying under an illustrious master, he couldnot agree with some of the latter's interpretations of Vedic passages Histender feelings to humanity was so extreme that he taught the masses, thesignificance of a powerful 'Mantra' normally kept secret. I will continuein next posting -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/253719316.2418014.1621773768087%40mail.yahoo.com.
