Mistakenly thinking of the downfall of religion,
why pause in the path of the dharma?
Without knowing, individuals attain
the subtle speed of the dharma.
How will men understand, even the gods do not?
Shri Annada Thakur
Ramkrishna Manoshikhsha.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Some BRM Snippets 01
For many years BR spoke about a person he used to see on a regular basis. This was between 1970 and 1990. According to his description, he appeared to be a young man with very long hair. BR used to refer to him as bAbA. According to him, Baba was over a century old. It all seemed to be like the description of 'babaji maharaj' that you can read of in Yoganandaji's 'Autobiography of a Yogi' and in a number of other places, including a book by Ronald Laing. However, this question was never completely answered. There could be more than one person with similar (hi)stories. BR used to meet Baba on the banks of the Ganges, close to the city. Seems that the only other person who had access was an old Marwari woman, who passed away around 1988. Baba would disappear for long periods and then come back again. BR spoke about how Baba used to make clay images of devi to perform puja and the river used to take it away when he was done. For many years, he was very keen to build a house of his own, as he said that then Baba would have made an appearence. However, this never worked out.
BR was always very close to his guru. Once when he was ill and we were taking him to a clinic for treatment, he told us later that he knew he would be OK as he saw his guru waliking down the road in front of him. Even very early on, when he had to be operated upon for his pleural condition, he said that they had at difficulty with the anesthesia. They could not put him under. Although his vitals were going down, he was still awake. He told us later, that he then heard the voice of his guru in his ear, telling him not to be afraid, as his mother too had been operated upon. He was told to take deep breaths, which he did, and he went under. He had multiple operations and was treated for over a year by Prof. P.C Sanyal. He was left with a large scar on his chest and a couple of missing ribs.
He first met his guru in the then southern suburbs of Kolkata (Calcutta) in the late 1930s, when he was in his teens. Earlier, after passing from high school, he had gone to a nearby state to start a business in trading rice. The money he had borrowed for starting the business was lost by a dishonest partner. BR decided to kill himself and so stole a gun from the nayeb (minister) of the estate he was staying at. With the gun, he also took a small booklet lying on it. He never tried to kill himself, and instead put the book to good use. It was a text called 'brahmyacharjyam' by Shri Pranavananda. He practiced the teachings for a few years. back in Clacutta, his brother took him to meet a saint he knew about. BR went to the building in South Calcutta where the Sangha had its main center. He was asked to go into a room where the saint was sitting. The man asked him "Do you recognize me?" In front of him was the person whose picture he had seen in the booklet he had. That was his first meeting with his guru.
BR was always very close to his guru. Once when he was ill and we were taking him to a clinic for treatment, he told us later that he knew he would be OK as he saw his guru waliking down the road in front of him. Even very early on, when he had to be operated upon for his pleural condition, he said that they had at difficulty with the anesthesia. They could not put him under. Although his vitals were going down, he was still awake. He told us later, that he then heard the voice of his guru in his ear, telling him not to be afraid, as his mother too had been operated upon. He was told to take deep breaths, which he did, and he went under. He had multiple operations and was treated for over a year by Prof. P.C Sanyal. He was left with a large scar on his chest and a couple of missing ribs.
He first met his guru in the then southern suburbs of Kolkata (Calcutta) in the late 1930s, when he was in his teens. Earlier, after passing from high school, he had gone to a nearby state to start a business in trading rice. The money he had borrowed for starting the business was lost by a dishonest partner. BR decided to kill himself and so stole a gun from the nayeb (minister) of the estate he was staying at. With the gun, he also took a small booklet lying on it. He never tried to kill himself, and instead put the book to good use. It was a text called 'brahmyacharjyam' by Shri Pranavananda. He practiced the teachings for a few years. back in Clacutta, his brother took him to meet a saint he knew about. BR went to the building in South Calcutta where the Sangha had its main center. He was asked to go into a room where the saint was sitting. The man asked him "Do you recognize me?" In front of him was the person whose picture he had seen in the booklet he had. That was his first meeting with his guru.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Shoreless
kul de mA ei dAse kAlI AmI agAdh jale bhAschi khalI
bhese bhese jAcchI chale, kothA jAbo ke debe bole;
Ami dubbA ki mA atal tale habe nA dayA putra boli?
mAgo, putra eje putra tomAr keno etoi koThin bichAr?
mukh tule mA chao ekbAr, AdhAr ghare Alo jAli.
je jvalA mA e antare, je satru dhoreche ghire
Ami ki kore Achi e sansAre, se dukkha mA kare boli?
Show this minion the shore Kali,
I am drifting over deep waters.
I keep floating away,
who will tell me where I will end up?
Will I drown in these immense depths?
Will there be no mercy for your child?
O Mother, this is your child, why are you so harsh?
Lift your face and for once look at me Mother,
bring light into this darkened room.
How I am burning inside, what enemies surround me,
How can I survive in this world,
who will I share this sorrow with?
From 'mA' (Mother) by Shri Annada Thakur.
bhese bhese jAcchI chale, kothA jAbo ke debe bole;
Ami dubbA ki mA atal tale habe nA dayA putra boli?
mAgo, putra eje putra tomAr keno etoi koThin bichAr?
mukh tule mA chao ekbAr, AdhAr ghare Alo jAli.
je jvalA mA e antare, je satru dhoreche ghire
Ami ki kore Achi e sansAre, se dukkha mA kare boli?
Show this minion the shore Kali,
I am drifting over deep waters.
I keep floating away,
who will tell me where I will end up?
Will I drown in these immense depths?
Will there be no mercy for your child?
O Mother, this is your child, why are you so harsh?
Lift your face and for once look at me Mother,
bring light into this darkened room.
How I am burning inside, what enemies surround me,
How can I survive in this world,
who will I share this sorrow with?
From 'mA' (Mother) by Shri Annada Thakur.
Friday, October 31, 2008
The Smart Aspirant
“ Forsaking all dharma, seek refuge only in me.” Bhagabat Gita, 18-66.
With all that is sacred, always with pure intent,
having uprooted everything,
love, delight, and sweet affection,
those who are devoted to His divine feet,
with ardor only for Him,
they are very smart.
Shri Annada Thakur
Ramkrishna Manoshikhsha.
With all that is sacred, always with pure intent,
having uprooted everything,
love, delight, and sweet affection,
those who are devoted to His divine feet,
with ardor only for Him,
they are very smart.
Shri Annada Thakur
Ramkrishna Manoshikhsha.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Guesstimation
Guesstimation: Solving the World's Problems on the Back of a Cocktail Napkin
Lawrence Weinstein & John A. Adam,
Here is a book about estimation right in the style of Fermi. Lawrence Weinstein is professor of physics at Old Dominion University. John A. Adam is professor of mathematics at Old Dominion University.http://press.princeton.edu/titles/8625.html
Friday, August 15, 2008
satyameva jayate
satyameva jayate nAnRtM satyena panthA bitato devayanaH.
yenAkramamRySyo hyAptakAmo yatra tat satyasya paramaM nidhanam
only truth triumphs, not untruth; by truth is paved the divine path,
traveling on which the self realized sages, attained supreme truth
mundaka upanishad 3.1.6
yenAkramamRySyo hyAptakAmo yatra tat satyasya paramaM nidhanam
only truth triumphs, not untruth; by truth is paved the divine path,
traveling on which the self realized sages, attained supreme truth
mundaka upanishad 3.1.6
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
dakSina kAli dhyana mantra
om karAla-badanAm ghorAm mukta-kEshim chatur-bhuryAm.
kalikAm dakshinAm dibyAm munda-mAlA bibhushitAm
sadya-chinna shira kharga bamA-dordha karAmbujAm
abhayAm baradAn-chaiba dakshina-dArdha pAnikAm
she is installed on the heart of a corpse-like Siva.
Jackals howl around her, filling the four directions.
She is in reverse congress with mahakal (Time) .
With a blissful face, she is always smiling.
Meditate on kali, who grants all needs and desires.
**This transliteration follows the text given by Shri Narendranath Brahmachary
of Dev Sangha Ashram, Deoghar, India, in his ‘Mantra O Puja Rahasya’
( Mantra and Mystery of Worship).
© 2008 Adyakalidas
kalikAm dakshinAm dibyAm munda-mAlA bibhushitAm
sadya-chinna shira kharga bamA-dordha karAmbujAm
abhayAm baradAn-chaiba dakshina-dArdha pAnikAm
mahA-megha-prabhAm shyamAm tathA chaiba digambarim
kanThA-bashakta mundAli galad-rudhira-charchitAm
karna-batAng shatA-nita shaba-jugma bhayanakAm
ghora-drashtAm kara-lAsyAm pinnonnata-payodhorAm
shabanAm karasanghAtayi krita-kAnchim hasan-mukhim
srikkadaya galadrakta-dhArA bishphuri-tananAm
ghorarabAm mahA-roudrim sashAnAlaya-bAshinim
bAlArka mandalA-kAra lochana tri tayAnitwam
danturam dakshina-byapi lambomAn kaccho-choyAam
shaba-rupa mahA-deva hridayo-pari sangsthitAm
shibArbi-ghora rAbArvi chatur-drikkhu samanitwAm
mahAkAlena cha samam biparita-ratAturam
sukha-prassanna-badanAm smerAnana-saroru-hAm
ebam sacchinta-eta kAlim dharmma-kAmArtho-mokhsha-dAm
Meditation Hymn of Dakshina Kali
Om. Fierce of face, she is dark, with flowing hair and four-armed.
Dakshina Kalika divine, adorned with a garland of heads.
In Her lotus hands on the left, a severed head and a sword.
She bestows sanctuary and blessings with her right hands.
The color of the monsoon clouds, and clothed by the sky,
the garland of heads around her neck, tinges her with blood.
Fear-inspiring, with a pair of unborns as her earrings.
Her face is ferocious , her high breasts full in affection.
Girdled with a skirt of severed arms, she smiles.
A stream of blood flows from the corner of her lips.
Terrifying of voice, turbulent, dwelling in cremation grounds
With fearsome teeth, her three eyes reddened like the early sun.
she is installed on the heart of a corpse-like Siva.
Jackals howl around her, filling the four directions.
She is in reverse congress with mahakal (Time) .
With a blissful face, she is always smiling.
Meditate on kali, who grants all needs and desires.
**This transliteration follows the text given by Shri Narendranath Brahmachary
of Dev Sangha Ashram, Deoghar, India, in his ‘Mantra O Puja Rahasya’
( Mantra and Mystery of Worship).
© 2008 Adyakalidas
Monday, August 4, 2008
Science of Tantra: From Dr. Mahanambrata Brahmachari
From ancient times, two streams have existed in Indian spiritual thought, Vedic and Tantrik. The basis of the Vedic stream are the Vedas and Upanishads. The basis of the Tantrik stream are a large number of Tantra texts. The Vedic stream finds completion in the Bhagabad Gita. The Tantrik stream finds a final destination in the Sati Sapta-Shati or Sri Sri Chandi.
Another name for the Vedas is Nigama, and another for Tantra is Aagama. Nigama and Aagama both words have a similar meaning, that from which all knowledge arises or comes. Both are universal stores of knowledge. In the eyes of the seers, they are both apaurusheya – not composed by any human. The rishis felt that truth could not be created. Whatever is created at any time, or is demarcated by any space or age, would be transient and non-truth. Whatever is True, exists for all time, there is never a dearth of it in any time-frame.
The Gita says, ‘naasato vidyatay bhaabo naabhaabo vidyatay satah’, that which is non-truth could be scarce, there is no scarcity of truth.
The truth had no creator, could not have one. Truth has a seer or viewer, truth is observed, truth is remembered, truth is not created. The tantras and the Vedas are both stores of true knowledge, they have no composer. In most Tantras, Siva is the speaker, Parvati the audience. The Primal Father speaks, and the Primal Mother listens. This also sets the idea of absence of a composer. There is no real meaning to try to determine the age of what is Apaurusheya. Much effort is now seen in determining the ages of the Vedas and the Tantras. In the eyes of the Aryan seer these are meaningless. The tree comes from the seed and the seed from the tree. Whether the tree came before or the seed came before; such questions have no satisfying solutions, similar to the question of who or when created the earth.
Knowledge can be twofold – philosophical and scientific. There are two components in knowledge – the knower and what is known. The subject is the Knower, the object , what is known. The attempt of philosophy is inquiry about the knower. The question for science is about the object of knowledge. I see a flower. What is the ‘I’ – this is the objective of philosophical query. What is the ‘flower’ is the question for science.
Philosophy is synthetic, science analytic. Philosophy turns towards the whole, science looks at the segments. One takes a total view, the other at the separate parts. To see the whole garden is a philosophical view, to study each plant is a scientific task.
The Tantrics have a scientific sense and vision. Their efforts led to much deep investigative sciences. The contributions to advancement of science from Tantra is somewhat seen in ‘History of Hindu Chemistry’ by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy and ‘Positive Science of Hindus’ by Sri Brojen Shil. The word ‘Tantra’ connotes scientific investigation and logical, systematic determination of facts. For example, surgery is about the scientific discussion of use the of instruments. The contribution to a detailed analysis of the body by the ‘Sushruta Sanhita” is no less than that of Gray’s anatomy from the West. Western science has not yet reached the fine analysis of the Tantra masters about the subtler parts of the body. Information about Ira, Pingalaa, Sushumnaa, Mulaadhaar etc. is still in the dreams of occidental science.
Geology, botany, biology, astronomy, psychology, sociology, have all had contributions from Tantra. In India, mathematics, number theory, geometry and trigonometry have all been enriched from Tantra.
The Tantras study things that are transient and changeable. That which is sentient is the focus of the Vedas. All things in this world can undergo changes, so anything in this world is in the scope of the Tantras. To the common person, sputum and urine are things of disgust. To a scientist they are valuable as clue to health and disease. For common people, discussion about sexual organs is pornographic, to the science of Tantra, they are valuable clues to the mystery of creation.
Another name for the Vedas is Nigama, and another for Tantra is Aagama. Nigama and Aagama both words have a similar meaning, that from which all knowledge arises or comes. Both are universal stores of knowledge. In the eyes of the seers, they are both apaurusheya – not composed by any human. The rishis felt that truth could not be created. Whatever is created at any time, or is demarcated by any space or age, would be transient and non-truth. Whatever is True, exists for all time, there is never a dearth of it in any time-frame.
The Gita says, ‘naasato vidyatay bhaabo naabhaabo vidyatay satah’, that which is non-truth could be scarce, there is no scarcity of truth.
The truth had no creator, could not have one. Truth has a seer or viewer, truth is observed, truth is remembered, truth is not created. The tantras and the Vedas are both stores of true knowledge, they have no composer. In most Tantras, Siva is the speaker, Parvati the audience. The Primal Father speaks, and the Primal Mother listens. This also sets the idea of absence of a composer. There is no real meaning to try to determine the age of what is Apaurusheya. Much effort is now seen in determining the ages of the Vedas and the Tantras. In the eyes of the Aryan seer these are meaningless. The tree comes from the seed and the seed from the tree. Whether the tree came before or the seed came before; such questions have no satisfying solutions, similar to the question of who or when created the earth.
Knowledge can be twofold – philosophical and scientific. There are two components in knowledge – the knower and what is known. The subject is the Knower, the object , what is known. The attempt of philosophy is inquiry about the knower. The question for science is about the object of knowledge. I see a flower. What is the ‘I’ – this is the objective of philosophical query. What is the ‘flower’ is the question for science.
Philosophy is synthetic, science analytic. Philosophy turns towards the whole, science looks at the segments. One takes a total view, the other at the separate parts. To see the whole garden is a philosophical view, to study each plant is a scientific task.
The Tantrics have a scientific sense and vision. Their efforts led to much deep investigative sciences. The contributions to advancement of science from Tantra is somewhat seen in ‘History of Hindu Chemistry’ by Acharya Prafulla Chandra Roy and ‘Positive Science of Hindus’ by Sri Brojen Shil. The word ‘Tantra’ connotes scientific investigation and logical, systematic determination of facts. For example, surgery is about the scientific discussion of use the of instruments. The contribution to a detailed analysis of the body by the ‘Sushruta Sanhita” is no less than that of Gray’s anatomy from the West. Western science has not yet reached the fine analysis of the Tantra masters about the subtler parts of the body. Information about Ira, Pingalaa, Sushumnaa, Mulaadhaar etc. is still in the dreams of occidental science.
Geology, botany, biology, astronomy, psychology, sociology, have all had contributions from Tantra. In India, mathematics, number theory, geometry and trigonometry have all been enriched from Tantra.
The Tantras study things that are transient and changeable. That which is sentient is the focus of the Vedas. All things in this world can undergo changes, so anything in this world is in the scope of the Tantras. To the common person, sputum and urine are things of disgust. To a scientist they are valuable as clue to health and disease. For common people, discussion about sexual organs is pornographic, to the science of Tantra, they are valuable clues to the mystery of creation.
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