All World
Gayatri Pariwar

Revelation of a New Vision – 1
From Tirupati to Kanchi

The prestige and grandeur of Kanchi Matha is highest among the Mathas established by Adi Shankaracharya. Its tradition has remained almost uninterrupted. The scholarship and Tapasya of the Acharyas (Head Priests) of this Matha had also been exemplary. The Acharyas of other Mathas too are no less advanced in erudition and ascetic practices. Probably the major factor contributing to the popularity and prosperity of Kanchi Matha is that there had been almost no external intrusions and disturbances. In other Mathas, from time to time, there had been invasions  of tyrants and interference from fanatical rulers. In some cases, the invaders had even damaged the shrines.

It is worth mentioning that some scholars do not consider Kanchi Matha to be established by Adi Shankaracharya. It is also well known that Adi Shankar established only four Mathas; namely, at Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath Puri and Shringeri. He made his four prominent disciples the first Acharyas of these four Mathas and gave them the responsibility of dissemination of the message of Sanatan Dharma in their respective regions. Some scholars do not consider the existence of the fifth Matha at all. But the fact is that Kanchi Shankar Matha still exists and existed over the past several centuries. The popular belief is that Adi Shankaracharya got four of his disciples seated in four places and he himself started living at this place –Kanchi and that he spent last few years of his life here only. Some scholars say that Adi Shankaracharya shed his physical sheath at this place.

When Shriram entered Kanchi, he was aware of these facts. On his way from Tirupati to this place, he came to know many strange facts about this Teerth. Such discussions are not normally heard in North India. Among these, special mention was made about the construction of Kanchi Nagar from spiritual point of view. Mahatma Sivanand Swami, who was accompanying Shriram from Tirupati, disclosed many spiritual mysteries. He was himself a staunch devotee of Goddess Kamakshi (the presiding deity of the Matha). He used to reside and do his tapa-sadhana in some forest in South India. He had resolved to have darshan of Kamakshi Devi in Kanchi on the full moon day. He was going to visit Kanchi in that context. He told that the township was developed according to the directions from Adi Shankaracharya. The reference of this kind of Vastu Vidya is not available in any scripture. Acharyasri had given this shape with his inner vision. It is due to this configuration and the spiritual ambience in the town that the minds of the visitors / pilgrims become elevated. The visitors are automatically oriented towards spirituality.

Kamakshi temple: A unique religious monument

Adi Shankaracharya made the map of Kanchi Township such that the Kamakshi temple remains at the center. Shriyantra is well known for its auspicious effects in Yoga and Tantra.Therefore the entire township has been made in the shape of Shriyantra. In order to keep this Teerth surcharged with spiritual vibrations, he started several traditions. In fact Kamakshi Devi is a form of Adi Shakti Parvati. Her worship inspires a person to achieve self-realization, apart from fulfilling his materialistic ambitions. Adi Shankaracharya brought the idol of Shiva called ‘Yogalinga’ from Kailash Mansarovar and established it here. He also made it a point that worship of this idol is done only by a Brahmachari (celibate). Accordingly, he made one of his new disciples the Head Priest of this Matha. People thought that Adi Shankaracharya would make his main disciple, Sureshwaracharya, as the Head Priest. But Sureshwaracharya was a householder (married) before taking Sanyas. He was not a Bal-Brahmachari (celibate from childhood) and hence he was not entrusted with this job.

Kanchi is one of the seven holy cities believed to be favorable for achieving salvation. Adi Shankaracharya got one thousand temples constructed here. In those temples, more than ten thousand ‘Shivalingas’ were established. At present, hardly two hundred temples are in good condition. The rest have been destroyed by the blows of time and cruel rulers. Shriram did not devote much time in these temples. He went straight to Kailashnath temple. It is one of the oldest temples of India. It was constructed by a Pallava king in the eighteenth century. Beautiful idols of Shiva Parvati, in dancing posture, have been established in the sanctum sanctorum. The idols of Brahma and Vishnu are also placed there. It seems that the two Lords are enjoying the dance of Gouri – Shankar. The architecture of the temple is amazingly attractive and awe-inspiring.

Cosmic movement is due to the dance of God
After visiting Kailashnath temple, Shriram was going towards Kamakshi temple. On the way, he heard a devotee sing some prayer in a melodious voice. The message of the prayer was that this world is not an inert creation but a live Divine Dance. The cosmic movement is visible, when He dances; and it ceases when He stops. The man-made sculpture and its sculptor are two separate entities. But this creation (the world) cannot be separated from the Ceartor as there cannot be a dance without a dancer. The message of the prayer was quite mysterious. But more touching were the melodies coming out from that voice.

In the Kamakshi temple, Shriram stood in front of the idol of Goddess Parvati and repeated the essence of that prayer. From there he went to the Matha and sent a message to Swami Chandrashekharendra Saraswati, who was the Acharya (Head Priest) of the Matha. In a short time, he received a call. Visitors were paying respects to Swamiji from a distance. People used to call him Swamigal. He never allowed anyone to touch his feet. He also didn’t call anybody near him. From his lean and thin but high physical frame, the radiance of Tapa was clearly visible. Like other visitors, Shriram too paid his respects. Swamigal indicated him to sit down. He asked his well-being in Sanskrit. He knew Hindi; but could express himself better in Sanskrit. After initial exchange of pleasantries, he watched carefully the dress of Shriram and said – “Are you a follower of Mohandas”?

By Mohandas, he meant Mahatma Gandhi. Before starting the freedom struggle Bapu met Sawmigal. In order to understand India properly, Gandhiji visited each and every corner of the country. He had disclosed his future plans to Swamigal during his meeting. Swamigal had advised him (Bapu) that the struggle should not be aimed at mere transfer of power. The aim of freedom struggle should be to restore the glory of the nation and its perennial spiritual heritage. Mahtama Gandhi had met him during the early years of his return to India. At that time he was known as Mohandas and hence Swamiji knew him by this name. In the later years of Gandhiji’s movement, several ennobling concepts / ideas like – Swadeshi, Swadharma, Bhartiyata, etc got included in the national struggle for freedom. These concepts / ideas certainly came from his inner being. But Swami Chandrashekharanand Saraswati was one of the few great men who had influenced Gandhiji greatly. Mahatma Gandhi has himself mentioned this fact indirectly in his autobiography. When Swamigal asked Shriram about his being a follower of Gandhiji, he could not say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Apart from social and political activities, his mind was more engrossed in Tapa and Sadhana. That is why he kept silent.

Swamigal could understand the dilemma of Shriram. He said – “Political activity is the first priority for Mohandas. Dharma and Sadhana are his personal and inner aspects. But perhaps this is not so with you. Your destiny is to keep the pursuit of Dharma Dharna in the forefront of your life’s individual and social – inner and outer – activities of life.”

Shriram felt moved by Swamigal’s seer vision about his life’s mission. It was well-known to him that he had support of Siddha Yogis for his sadhana and his future endeavors. There was open discussion with Swamigal on various topics that included scriptures along with Vedic tradition and present day circumstances. Those days Mahatma Gandhi’s program of Harijan upliftment was a topic of controversy. In order to know the views of Swamigal in this context, Shriram asked him – “Does a person become low or high on account of taking birth in lower or upper caste?”

Traditional Opinion
Shriram also asked this question because Swamigal was a saint and ascetic of high order. His views had weightage on such social issues. He replied – “Caste and creed too are the factors by which a person is counted as high or low.”

“By taking birth in any family, a person can become untouchable or great. What is the mystery behind this?” – Asked Shriram.

Swamigal replied – “It is not possible to understand this mystery under the present circumstances. In those days when our seers and
sages were doing different types of experiments for the spiritual upliftment, the rigid rules of Varnas (caste system) were made to continually uplift the level of consciousness (from life after life). In that period it was useful. Today it is not.”

“What can be the benefit of considering a person low or high on the basis of Varna in any era?” – Shriram asked again.

Swamigal said – “Honor or dishonor on the basis of high or low caste was never useful. So long as the social environment was healthy, it was significant from spiritual point of view. People of similar tendencies, habits and impressions can live together happily. One gets protection and favorable environment in families and communities.” Swamigal gave a break to this topic and said –“But these are the things of the past. The circumstances have changed considerably with the new education and governing system. Those things cannot be clung to now.”

Deep Faith is the Medicine to Cure the Pain of Intellect

The world of today is the world of intellect and the intelligent. Their impact is wide and deep. Only those who possess intellect and are considered intelligent are bestowed honour and viewed as leaders. They control the strings of the society taking it in whichever direction they want. So it is called the age of intellect. But that is only half the truth. The other half is that this age is also the victim of intellect. If the heights of the graph are gifts of intellect, so are its depths too.

The present intellect dominated age has produced many benefits, but problems and anxieties have also increased. Indeed, the benefits are outweighed by many times more problems. And these problems are purely a result of predominance of intellect everywhere. Several types of mental, psychological and social problems which were never heard of earlier are visible everywhere now. They are being felt vey widely and deeply.

Mankind is in agony. It is suffering greatly from these pains. But it is unable to fathom how to resolve these intellect inflicted problems which are increasing day by day. The thinkers and the wise are perplexed. It is common knowledge that intellect resolves problems. But very few are aware that it also generates problems.This is because of logic or reason which is an intrinsic feature of intellect. The more sharp the intellect is, the more complicated and dense the web of arguments it weaves. It is like boiling of water. The longer water is boiled, the denser the rising steam gets.

For logic, what is of primary importance is not human emotions but material benefits. For example, intellect may argue that if someone is rich, it would be profitable to cultivate friendship with that person. On the basis of such reasoning, benefits can, of course, be derived, but the foundation of human values and fraternity cannot be laid.

Besides, wherever there is a valid argument, there is also its counterpart-- an invalid argument. One leads to the other. Myriad doubts and apprehensions begin to arise in the mind. Let us see a common scene. Someone is sitting before you. You may start imagining many things about him. “Is he planning a conspiracy against me”? “Are his sights fixed on my money”? Thus starts a series of arguments and counter arguments. Whenever you are alone, you are entrapped in this kind of web; you become restless and begin to suffer. As the intellect gets more and more sharp, it also simultaneously spins off more and more arguments and reasons. They are the thorns that after a time begin to prick and hurt.

When we defeat somebody through our Intellect begins to have a bloated arguments we feel elated. This is common phenomenon. Victory in debate satisfies the ego of intellect. intrinsic feature of intellect. The more sharp the notion of its prowess - ‘See, how intelligent and intellect is, the more complicated and dense the knowledgeable I am’, ‘Nobody can stand before me’ and this sort of things. But what happens when we are alone? In the absence of any visible adversary outside, these very arguments and reasoning turn inward. Undefined apprehensions begin to arise against our own selves. We are overwhelmed by our inner doubts. Thus the very intellect which should have given peace to mind now becomes a source of agony.

Such logic generated agitation and suffering can be soothed only by emotions of heart. Only the medicine of higher emotions -- faith and belief -- can cure the inner malaise of suffering and pain, and soothe the mind. Humanity is touching the peak of intellectual height. But whatever expectations we had built up and dreams we had dreamt from this attainment could not be fulfilled. What we got instead is very painful, and opposite of those expectations. In this situation the only remedy lies in reorientation towards emotion and faith.

In faith, there is purity, spontaneity and flow; there is elation, celebration and joy. In these moments, the prickly pain of dry logic is gone. But unfortunately, faith has been overshadowed by intellect and its endless series of reasoning. That is why, our life has become painful. All are suffering. No one is happy. There is a Zen anecdote which illustrates this truth.

Sage Rinzai had a disciple. He was very intelligent. Nobody could match his great debating skills. He could turn any discourse in his favour. He had earned fame. People held him in high esteem. Once some people were praising him before Rinzai - “Your disciple is very intelligent, scholarly and expert in logic.” At this Rinzai said - “That is the problem. He is still stuck in intellect; god knows when he will enter faith.”

The listeners were perplexed. They could not understand why the teacher is so perturbed about one who is so learned and well known. Rinzai explained- “Intellect gives information about life, about its details and, at best, some understanding of it. But it does not give the feel of life. Intellect promotes logic and reason, but not knowledge and wisdom. Wisdom comes from faith, belief and feeling. Only deep faith (shraddhaa) makes one aware of the vital sources of life which sweeps out the sorrows accumulated by intellect and make life meaningful and joyous.

The listeners now understood that this age, suffering from the excess of intellect, needs the medicine of faith and belief.

How to Manage Stress?

We all face stressful situations in our life in some or other form; however those who know how to manage stress, learn to live a happy and healthy life. Excess of stress in life not only affects our mind-body system but also results in many kinds of ailments; and a stress-free life makes a person, energetic, confident and victorious.

Mental state of a person is flexible like a rubber band. However, if kept stretched for a long time, it can break. A low level of stress can be compared to a small hole in a curtain, which initially appears small and invisible but if not repaired in time, keeps expanding; and eventually either a patch work is required to close that hole or one has to completely change the curtain. In the same way, when we face stress and do not use proper ways to reduce or get rid of it, it creates havoc.

In today’s world, considering “stress” as a synonym of “life” would not be an exaggeration. Since morning till night, we keep rushing to complete one thing or the other. Even twenty four hours time does not appear to be sufficient to complete all the assigned or necessary tasks. In addition, we all face pressures of many other adverse situations. Now the question is how we can live a stress-free life. The stress may be due to many reasons. Let us see what the experts of stress management say to deal with them.

1. Manage your time efficiently: Experts say that mismanagement of time is often a cause for stress. They have suggested the following ways to manage our time properly: (i) Do only one task at a time. (ii) Do urgent tasks immediately, do not procrastinate. Those who put off the tasks for future end up with a lot of unfinished tasks; this creates anxiety and sometimes results in big losses. (iii) Do not leave your tasks for others to finish. (iv) Do not rush through your tasks; at the same time don’t do them too slowly. Maintain an optimal pace of doing the tasks. (v) Use modern gadgets like smartphones, and tablets as aids to organize your time. (vi) Once you start a task then relax only after the task has been done. If you feel physically or mentally tired then take appropriate breaks.

Time has one simple rule – it flows continuously. We should understand this truth and utilize our years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds for a good purpose. We should plan in such a way that we don’t end up wasting even the tiniest second of life.

2. Eat healthy food and exercise daily: A nutritious meal plan provides you with all the nutrients to fulfill the basic requirement of keeping away deficiencies and also maintaining the basal metabolic rate. But it also carries calories which may be a cause of overweight. Exercise has many benefits, besides losing body fat. It keeps your heart fit, bones healthy, and maintains lung capacity, digestion is kept strong and muscles density is high to prevent joint problems. The mantra to a fit and healthy body is eating right food and exercising regularly. If you are physically fit, you are more likely to be mentally strong.

3. Understand your limits: The maxim ‘Do not bite off more than you can chew’ needs to be remembered constantly. We often tend to take more responsibilities than we are capable of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego. Know your limitations. Why take on additional loads that may cause more worries? You cannot gain peace of mind by expanding your external activities. Reduce your material engagements and spend time in prayer, introspection and meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered mind will produce greater peace of mind.

4. Do not crave for recognition: This world is full of selfish people. They seldom praise anybody without selfish motives. They may praise you today because you are in power; but no sooner than you are powerless they will forget your achievement and will start finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill yourself in striving for their recognition? Their recognition is not worth the exertion. Do your duties ethically and sincerely.

5. Endure what cannot be cured: This is the best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage. Every day we face numerous inconveniences, ailments, irritations, and accidents that are beyond our control. If we cannot control them or change them, we must learn to put up with these things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully. Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of patience, inner strength and will power.

6. Meditate regularly: Meditation calms the mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly for half an hour every day, your mind will tend to become peaceful during the remaining twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not be easily disturbed as it was before. You would benefit by gradually increasing the period of daily meditation. You may think that this will interfere with your daily work. On the contrary, this will increase your efficiency and you will be able to produce better results in less time, thus lowering the stress.