Random Jottings

My thoughts on Indian spirituality

[sanskruti5]

Is the proverbial glass "half full" or "half empty"?

    This question has remained unanswered since the very first day it was raised!  It has not only confused but confounded people like the universal proverbial riddle: Which came first – the egg or the chick?  Therefore, it will be interesting to look at some of the classic answers and make an attempt to solve this perennial debate.

  “I swear that that the glass has always been half full and I will have to continue my efforts to make it fully full”   say the optimists.  But the pessimists, naturally do not agree.  They feel that “the glass is half-empty and it will always remain that way”.  “Both of you are wrong” thunders the down-to-earth realist:  “The truth is neither of these. Both of you are ignoring the simple and straightforward fact that there is  only 50% of the liquid present in the glass and we require an additional similar quantity to fill it!”.   An on-looking old man, apparently a cynic, adds with a smirk:  “Instead of wasting your time on these frivolous things, why don’t you first  understand that someone has definitely consumed the half glass.  Now find out whether he deserved it or not.  If not, how did he manage? What are the inherent deficiencies in the system which allowed him to enrich himself unduly?  And more importantly, how are we going to stop future similar drains of our resources?  Why not make it a rule that all national resources should be auctioned off to the highest bidder?”  

   A successful Management Consultant  who always had nose for seeing business opportunity where apparently nothing exists, felt that one has to examine the question in detail and arrive at an appropriate strategy preferably by consensus.  His friend, the project manager,  smiled meaningfully as he saw the obvious:  ‘The glass is twice as big as it ought to be.  These non-specialists have missed the basic fact that it is only a case of present overcapacity which will be set right when there is liberal orderflow from the government.!”  Enter the R&D scientist  who does not make a statement unless he is cock-sure of what he says.  He pushed everyone aside and went close to the close and subjected the glass and its contents to close scrutiny.  After a few hours of observation he successfully prepared  a working hypothesis for further research.  His interim conclusion contained in the executive summary states:  “The glass is both half empty and half full.  This conclusion, however, should be confirmed through empirical observation using a more representative model.”  The ambitious corporate businessman who has unsuccessfully started several companies is convinced that it is yet again a case of “undervaluation of the glass equal to half its potential”. 

  The proprietor of the firm with the registered trade-mark  ‘Customer is King’ and also acting as  Customer Service Agent to multi-national companies operating in India  said “I agree with you that the Glass is half empty/full but we will do everything in our power to fill it up at no extra cost as soon as possible”. He will, after couple of reminders inform you as under: “After  a full examination of the situation we find that you have, in fact, mistakenly received a half-empty/full glass though you paid only for a quarter glass.”  The next-door all-knowing banker  who was extremely pleased with the situation happily exclaimed “if you had insisted on having a full glass when you could manage with a half glass you would have been unnecessarily straining your balance sheet by leveraging your capitals through unnecessary demand on scarce working capital funds. I am happy that you have learnt to be frugal.”

  The last word, as usual, is with the most successful marketing executive who will convince you that even though the glass is half full/empty you are getting a fantastic bargain  for your money because it is proportionately cheaper than buying a full glass!  The emotional writer friend looking at the situation is, however,  anxious that the 50% material remaining in the glass will soon evaporate and will cause extreme scarcity.

  The foreign trained coach of the Indian sports establishment who was a failure as a cricketer in his hay-days and who has now  landed the plum job of $10 million per year to train the Indian Team  which has successfully completed an Australian Tour in which it lost all the 8 matches it played,  is quick to remind the establishment that he can always help to fill the glass if he is given this contract as soon as his present assignment expires. (He knows he will never get an extension because ‘you cannot cheat all people all times’. )

  The perfect dedicated South Indian Vaishnava Brahmin housewife who was passing by quietly took the glass into her spick-and-span kitchen, threw the contents away and washed the glass with disinfectant, dried it with a fresh towel and put it nicely along with the other empty glasses in her nicely stacked shelf behind the clean plain see-through glass. There is no half-full or half-empty glasses in her world; she sees just a clean glass or an untidy one – with or without contents.  Her behavior is caused by her diamond-studded authoritative mother-in-law with the bunch of house-keys hanging from her hips, who passed the kitchen a few minutes back and  had  commented “My God! How  careless  my daughter-in-law can be!  Some youngster from ouside has ‘sipped’ out of the glass  and left the impure glass on the table with germs all over it.  My son and grand-son have been spoiled by her”.

  The faithful Christian, seeing the half-full glass exclaims: “Oh! Mercy of the Lord and Master Jesus, the Cup runneth over and soon will reveal the Kingdom of Heaven which was within”.  The Chinese Taoist, with his closed eyes sees that the glass is both half empty and half full and that both these halves could exist without the support of the other, requiring a point of balance in order to maintain equilibrium in the universe and, therefore, are merely two mirrors images of the same realistic concept. Thus, in the purity of the absolutely peaceful self, the glass is neither half full nor half empty.  The glass simply exists and it is immaterial whether there is anything in it or not!  The Bhuddists vehemently disagree.  They comment that “Nothing exists! Truth is nothing.  There is no question of glass or water or any other liquid. Just keep meditating and that is the ‘right’ thing to do.”  The popular Hindu Bhagavatha is pleased to see Lord Vishnu manifest as the glass and also the liquid in it. He exclaims “He and His ways are mysterious and so trying to understand whether the glass is half full or half empty is futile.  Simply surrender to the  wonderful form of the Lord with four arms clad in pure yellow silk with expensive diadem, necklace and bracelets reclining peacefully on the thousand headed Sesha Nag.  The Advaita  Vedantist pities the ignorance of these Dwaitins and comments: “There is neither a glass nor liquid in it and these opposites are mere illusions to distract the human intellect.  All these, including the so-called Lord with form, are mere superimpositions on Brahman, the One without a Second which is beyond human intellect.  Therefore  the question whether it is empty or full are mere figment of  human imagination without any substance – an illusion caused by  Maya exactly like the proverbial imagined snake on a rope”.  

  A health-conscious suspicious fanatic would remark “Forget Vedanta. Come down to Earth. The truth is that someone has carelessly left the glass on the table after ingesting his infectious virus on it.  Someone is definitely to be affected soon by some incurable disease which is bound to spread.  I will ask the assistant to immediately disinfect the glass as well as the table top and change the table cloth, if possible”.  A young good looking dietician who wanted the whole female world to be ‘O’ size,  who passed by remarked “the world is full of junk-food.  Look at the half-filled cold drink glass.  Someone has taken in at least 125 calories of unwanted sugar syrup.  Could she not have avoided this unnecessary addition to her hips?” Her older son, a teenage student looking at the half-full/empty glass on the table is convinced that this is yet another dirty game played by their unpopular teacher to prove that the students are all dumb.  Her second son came next and simply emptied the glass remarking “Anytime is coke-time” and solved the perennial problem of half-filled glass. 

   R. Hariharan.

[sanskruti5]

Why the universe is a zero sum game

UNIVERSE IS A ZERO SUM GAME!

Poornam-adah poornam-idam, Poornaat poornam udachyate

Poornasya poornam adaaya Poornam-eva avasishyate

[That’s complete. This is complete. This has yielded the other which is also complete.  Even after negating that which is complete, what remains is ever complete]

  This famous verse from the Upanishad which is used as dhyana slokam before commencing most spiritual assignments makes a bold statement about nature of the Creator and the Universe. “Poornam Adah” means “That is complete”.  “That” always refers to the God Principle which is the cause of creation (para prakrithi) or which is beyond our sensory perceptions including words. Since, prior to the creation of the Universe (consisting of the Creator and the Created) there was only Brahman which SIMPLY existed undisturbed. Since it alone existed, it was undoubtedly full, complete and hence peaceful. Though everything potentially existed inside within it in an unmanifest form, it was never disturbed. This ‘poornathwam’ is illustrated by the words ‘Advaitam’, ‘Sadashiva’ or ‘Narayana’.  

  This Brahman, when He became aware of His  creative power within, popularly referred to as Shakthi or Maya, became Ishwara, the Creator (Vishnu). He was called the Creator  because the ‘blue print’ of the entire universe consisting of the galaxies, stars, planets and all other forms and tendencies – both living and non-living – which remained dormant within, now got crystallized and ready to emerge. This is referred to in the verse as “Poonam Idam” (This is also complete).  This was confirmed by Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Geeta when he said: “I lack nothing.  Yet I keep functioning in this world, facilitating its activities and administering them with an option to interfere (exercising my inherent power to ‘veto’) only when things go wrong”. He does this onerous job selflessly, freely and naturally. That is why He is often referred to as ‘shudha satwam’ (totally pure) without any blemish or shortcoming. He has no ego and therefore, he continues to remain full and complete.

  We will have no difficulty in accepting the above two explanations about the universality of the Lord both as Nirguna Brahman (before creation) and Saguna Brahman as the Creator.  But what about the Universe He has created? The verse states: “Poornaat Poornam Udachyate” meaning “From the Complete Creator, this universe has emerged which is also complete”. That is, this Universe (Prakrithi) which is the manifestation of the Creative Power of the Lord is also full.  This is difficult for most of us to consume. How can this Universe be complete in itself when we know that it is full of miseries, difficulties, problems and short-comings? Are we not suffering day-in and day-out? Let us look at the latest illustration to explain this. Earlier, only individuals used to fail and become insolvent. Later it was normal for even large corporate to fail! Today even sovereign countries are failing.  Logically, therefore, it is only a question of time before the whole universe failed!  How can such a universe be considered full and complete?

  Vedanta, looking at the picture differently, argues that the “universe is complete when looked in its totality – both microcosmic and macrocosmic - that is, when we take into account both causes and the effects together”. Sankaracharya explains this in a subtle manner in Saundharya Lahari: “This Universe is the manifestation of the Shiva-Shakti principle as Ardha-Nariswara – one complementing the other.  It is a combination of Prakrithi and Purusha and both are manifestations of the same Creator.  Material (matter principle) and consciousness (soul) are always present in every created thing. How can this combination ever be incomplete?” Vedanta illustrates: Both universe and consciousness are always mixed like milk and water – one cannot be separated from the other till both merge into the absolute (pralayam). This involution takes place through intense heating – either external or internal.  External destruction (Prakritha Pralaya) happens when the world reaches its prescribed expiry date. Internal pralaya too is possible when a yogi replicates this white heat inside his spiritual heart (hrd) through severe tapas (austerities) or meditation and succeeds in ejecting himself out of the clutches of Maya and the Universe of dualities.

  From the ordinary human point of view, the Universe is manifest as ‘ignorance and knowledge’, ‘cause and effect’, ‘seer and seen’, ‘observer and observed’…. These are popularly referred to as ‘kshetra and khetrajna’ (the field and its knower).  Any serious thinker will understand that these two always balance each other.  That is why they are called ‘dwandwas’ – the two forces supporting and complementing each other from the opposite sides. However, they are popularly referred to as “opposites”.  This is incorrect because, they are acting from opposite direction only to support each other. Together they are always complete and therefore full.  This 8000 year old Vedantic statement actually means that “every action of the created beings in the universe  has to result in a re-action which will have to be equal and opposite ensuring that their sum-total remains  full”.  This has been confirmed by modern scientists empirically a few hundred years back. Thus, though the universe appears dualistic (one aspect of it opposed to the other) it is in reality one inseparable whole. This needs elaboration.

  All creatures keep doing something or other – physically or mentally. They can never keep really quiet even for a moment.  All these actions and their inevitable reactions happen in space or time, the first two simultaneous modifications of Prakrithi.  Spacial reaction means the results of our actions affect us here, there or somewhere else.  Time-wise reaction means that the effects happen now or much later -  in this birth or  later.  For example, when I slap you I should be prepared be slapped back immediately or later.  Similarly our fore-fathers have been spending fossil fuel for thousands of years and we are feeling the pinch of the global warming.  The huge corporate empire created by my father and nourished by me working hard is available for exploitation to our future generations.  This perfect cause and effect phenomenon explains that the universe is a ‘zero-sum game’ at the physical level. This is popularly explained as the theory of karma. It is to be reiterated here that the causal relationship between action and reaction, though inevitable, need not always be subject to human comprehension of time and space.

  Let us illustrate the physical picture from a closer perspective.  How is my body born? Is it not the net result of the seeds manufactured by father and mother from the food consumed and assimilated by them? That food emerged from the inter-action of the five basic elements.  When I die, this body faithfully goes back to the five elements to settle the pending transaction.  Same is true of all the animals, trees, birds and all other creatures both animate and inanimate.  All of them are created from the elements; they survive using the elements and then go back to the elements. Even at the macro level, as explained by quantum physicists, the universe consisting of stars and planetary systems keep forming and disintegrating without making any difference to the sum total of matter.

  What about the mental level?  Our thoughts are very powerful because they are backed by consciousness.  They create subtle vibrations which are penetrative.  A simple radio wave can go through concrete walls; a sound wave from a satellite can reach mobiles which are inside closed rooms and a short wave can travel thousands of miles. Shorter the wave subtler it is and hence more powerful. Mental wave is the subtlest and is, therefore, strong enough to penetrate all material things (which are grosser) and can go everywhere in the universe. It lasts forever. It never dies because it is supported by the equal and opposite reaction from the universe.

  How do these mental vibrations work? Anyone who is observant will confirm that “whatever we sincerely and faithfully desire for from the Lord gets accomplished”. Why? We are creating requisite mental waves which attract the opposite effects and these bring in the desired results. This is ensured by the all-knowing every-where present intelligent principle called God.  It is as simple as that.  The whole universe being a totality of vibrations, pulling (desiring) from one side will have to result in compensating (fulfilling) from the other.  The opposite is also equally true. This proves the effectiveness of sincere blessings from elders (whose mind is subtler and hence more powerful) which always get fulfilled. Their curses too are equally effective.   

  Now let us look at the picture intellectually.  When the intellect supports the desires of the mind and firmly determines to procure them it is called a ‘sankalpa’. These determinations, depending on their intensity, create ‘disturbances’ in the atmosphere which attract the opposite effects.  Bhagavatham illustrates this (X-20-5) using the common occurrence of precipitation (rainfall). The verse composed almost 2500 years back explains that heated by the sun for 8 months, the foliage on the  trees absorb (through capillary action) water from the ground. Land, thus parched, creates negative vibrations which cause low pressure. This naturally attracts the clouds from surrounding areas.  The resultant difference in temperature attracts the water from the clouds in the form of rain.  Same rules apply for our intellect as well. When my quest for knowledge turns into an obsession, it creates severe heat (tapas) which causes requisite atmosphere for that knowledge to be attracted from the universe which contains all knowledge.  That is why the famous statement ‘each one gets that which he deserves – nothing more nothing less’.

  Even at the intuitive level, these effects can be observed. When we continuously meditate on the God Principle and strain our intellect to ‘know’ its nuances, the effort makes the intellect subtle (susukshmam) and we attract subtler revelations.  The benefits are exactly commensurate with the effort (purhsartha) put in.  When our internal equipment is totally purified and we deserve to ‘know’ it, the God Principle reveals itself.  This knowledge removes the ignorance of the Self and we become ‘self realized’. It is a simple natural process of cause and effect.

  Thus, the captioned upanishadic verse, if fully understood, is capable of revealing the God Principle.  It indirectly points out that there is no need to go through several books but it is absolutely necessary to spend time introspecting on the deeper meaning of the words contained in them. Even a ‘single word’ from a realized person (True Guru) is capable of revealing the Lord to us provided we penetrate it with our intuitive intellect. Every word is a manifestation of the Lord and will exhibit Him provided the intellect has the capacity to receive.  That is why the universe is a ‘0’ sum game!

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[sanskruti5]

"Us" v/s "Them"

THE PERENNIAL CONFLICT!

धृतराष्ट्र उवाच

“धर्मक्षेत्रे कुरुक्षेत्रे समवेता युयुत्सवः

मामकाः पाण्डवाश्चैव किमकुर्वत सञ्जय”

[Dhritarashtra enquired: “Sanjaya, my people and Pandavas who have assembled to

fight in Kurukshetra in Dharmakhetra – what are they up-to?”]

  This first verse of the Bhagavad Gita, the magnum opus created by Vyasacharya which extracts the fundamentals of Vedanta from the Upanishads, graphically brings out the perennial conflict within the human mind.  Understanding this and finding out a solution is the central idea of this great book.

  Dharmakhsetra literally means the ‘disciplined field’.  This is generally interpreted restrictively to mean the righteous Indian Sub-continent. But this term actually represents the entire universe which is a disciplined ‘cosmos’.  It is not a chaos because it is pervaded by the all-knowing (Omniscient) God Principle which ensures that everything functions strictly as laid down by Him. Being dominated by time and space, the material universe consisting of the physical bodies and the subtle mind/intellect, always keeps changing. A discriminative mind will, however, notice  all these changes to be purely relative when looked at from the point of view of the non-changing Absolute.  That is why everything in the universe is intelligible, calculable and hence predictable. Those who are able to understand it and function in-keeping with its rhythm but unaffected by its intricacy, will find life interesting and enjoyable.

  Kurukhsetra represents the ‘field of action’. It means the ‘experiencer’ and includes the equipments through which the world is experienced. The term, therefore, represents all conscious beings like humans, animals, trees, etc. which function through their sense organs. Amongst these, humans alone are ‘self-aware’ because only a man can say “I am”.  An elephant or a snake, however intelligent it may be, does not know itself! This self-conscious human being is always active physically, mentally or intellectually as confirmed by Lord Krishna (Gita III/5): “Nahi kaschid-khsanamapi jaatu tishtati akarma-krit”. (Created beings cannot remain quiet even for a moment”.) Thus, Kurukhsetra, the field of action represents the three bodies (sharira-trayam) of all the creatures, particularly the human beings. 

  What is happening in this field of action which is subject to universal discipline?  There is an on-going permanent conflict between our mind on the one side and our intellect on the other.  Mind, filled with a hundred selfish desires, wants to go out and ‘become’ something or other.  It wants to get richer, become stronger and enjoy more popularity – without which it will be restless. That is why the mind is compared to Kauravas consisting of Dhuryodhana, the personification of adharma and his 99 clones who are willing to achieve all worldly pleasures by hook or even by crook.  But the intellect, thanks to its inherent satvik (pure) nature of the five basic elements (Pandavas), will continuously be protesting this expansionist mental behavior.   Unfortunately outnumbered, overpowered and suppressed by the powerful mind with its 100 vicious tendencies, the rational intellect is compelled to follow the emotional heart. The result is chaos!       

  What has given rise to these mental individualities? They are the result of the value-system cultivated by us from time immemorial which have cumulatively blocked the mind (symbolized by the blind old king Dritarashtra).  Debilitated by his attachment to his sons, he helplessly becomes a party to all their illegalities. This confusion is confounded when there is no opposition from the intellect which chooses to become blind as demonstrated by his wife Gandhari. This unfortunate combination when comes under the poisonous influence of mind’s crooked manipulations (Shakuni) they nullify all the discriminative faculties present deep inside us, popularly called ‘the voice of consciousness’ which is  always upright and righteous (Dhrona and Bhishma).

  What has caused this problem? It is because of the ego which is aptly described as “mamaka” (my people).  They are ‘aham’ and ‘mama’ (me and mine).  Aham-bhava and mama-bhava are the basic constituents of the ego and they dominate the intellect and overshadow the purity of the ever-available consciousness within. Under their influence, the intellect forgets its inherent true nature and identifies with the impressions in the mind and ventures out into the world of plurality. This gives rise to ‘doership’ (aham-kara) which makes the humans feel that they are the centre of the universe and responsible for its functioning.  This self-inflicted unnecessary bondage makes them mentally stressed and intellectually distressed.  Thus, there is a constant Mahabharata War happening within us from birth after birth and prima facie, it appears to be a win-win situation for the passionate mind. 

  Will this battle ever end? Who will win? Well, our scriptures (particularly Bhagavad Gita) teach us that the solution is within our reach.  We have only to know that the five good qualities, though in minority, are backed by the All-powerful and All-knowing Pure God Principle.  This merciful Lord (Krishna) inherent in every-one of us is ‘witnessing’ this battle. He is ever-willing to help us and like a perfect charioteer, is only awaiting our instructions.  The moment we sincerely tell Him to take over the reins, our problem will be solved.  We have to ‘know’ His presence and accept His capacity and His willingness to help. Most importantly we should have the ‘presence’ of mind (like Arjuna) to surrender to Him.

  Vyasacharya is projecting the above colourful scenario through the ‘tele-vision’ granted to Sanjaya, the dispassionate reporter who is providing us a ‘live’ telecast of this internal perennial battle aptly called the Bhagavad Gita. This ‘Serial of Life’ is being telecast in  18 episodes (Chapters) with Lord Krishna Himself being the Anchor.  He presents the basic  plot (our mental confusion) succinctly in the first 64 verses (spread over the 1st and 2nd episodes).  Thereafter the Merciful Lord elaborately unfolds the perfect spiritual solution in the next 640 verses.  The pinnacle of the serial is the grand presentation of the Universal Manifestation of the Lord (Viraat Roopam) in the 11th episode. This is followed by the explanations and clarifications to make us understand the story of life fully and live it intelligently.   Vyasa concludes with the assurance that anyone who takes these instructions seriously and faithfully walks the path indicated will definitely succeed in getting rid of his perennial mental confusion and become stress-free.  Are we ready?

[sanskruti5]

Dealing with suffering

SUFFERINGS  ARE BLESSINGS FROM GOD.

विपदः सन्तु नः शश्वत्तत्र तत्र जगद्गुरो।

भवतो दर्शनम् यत्स्यादपुनर्भव दर्शनम् ।।

Vipadah santhu nah sashwattatra tatra jagatguro,

Bhavato darshanam yatsyadapurnarbhava-darshanam.

Kunti Stuti (Bhagavatham 1-8-25).

  [“O Universal Teacher! Let us continue to be blessed with calamities at every step through eternity for they ensure that we are always  with your vision which helps us escape samsara”].

  Sufferings are part of our life. Invariably they come to us unannounced.  Most of us complain and grumble while some suffer them silently saying “these are our prarabdas (destiny)”.  But very few have enquired into the reason why the Merciful Lord is exposing us to problems and difficulties. Surprisingly, even the pious and the religious are not spared.  Why? Sastras declare that problems are intended to ‘test’ our shraddha towards the Lord. How far is this true?

  To understand this statement we must first know our mind.  According to Vedanta, our mind is made from the finest satvik material (mind-stuff) which, like a mirror reflects the inherent pure consciousness (God Principle) and becomes a  sentient ‘illuminator’.  We use this ‘shine’ (knowing principle) and carry out all transactions with the outside world.  But, there is another dimension to this process – we also superimposes on it   the individuality (vasanas) of each one of us which is nothing but our likes/dislikes /fears/anxieties etc. cumulatively called the ‘ego’. Thus, our interaction with the world is always subjective. The objective of spiritual education is to penetrate this ego and realize our original nature which is pure consciousness.  The Graceful Lord is ever-ready to help us in this inward journey.  As a first step, He exposes us to ‘deep sleep’ every night when our vasanas are non-functional and brings us in close proximity with ‘divinity’. This closeness helps us transcend time and we unknowingly enjoy total peace.  That is why when we wake up in the morning, we are refreshed both physically and mentally.  He expects us to enquire into this daily natural phenomenon and arrive at the changeless basis behind our waking and sleeping states.  But we do not introspect and take this in our stride and continue with our regular routine.   

  Therefore, He is constrained to try a ‘stronger’ medicine in the form of problems and difficulties to make us aware of our inherent divinity.   All of us will agree that  whenever  faced with severe difficulties, we do run to God. Otherwise, we have no time for Him thanks to our busy schedule.  All of us (particularly the successful ones) feel that we are the heroes (karta) forgetting that we are using the power of the Lord (consciousness) within to achieve everything. More the success, more egoistic we are and tougher it is for us to surrender to Him. Sufferings are a means to pierce through this hard shell of over-powering ego and expose our hidden fears, anxieties and other negative qualities so that we can get them cleaned. Most of us miss this grand design of the Lord. Instead we get depressed and we lament:  “Why this misery? Why me? How unkind the Lord is? Why  should I suffer when I am so good?” Tormented by these thoughts, we lose appetite and even suffer from insomnia.  Most of us become irritable and collect more enemies. But God will not give up.  He will only increase the dosage till we submit to Him. Classic examplen is  Panchali who was being disrobed in public by the Kauravas. Initially she felt that she could handle the situation herself. So Lord did not answer her casual calls for help.  But when things were beyond her and she surrendered totally to Him, the Lord rescued her.  If He could test Panchali who was very close to Him, what to talk of ordinary human beings like us?  

  The intensity and frequency of the medicine administered by God are always directly proportionate to the hardness of the superimposed ego. He keeps adding more and more weight (problems) till our hard-surfaced ego is broken. These special difficulties are God’s Tests for evaluating our faith, obedience, dedication, etc. vis-à-vis our ego.  Swamy Ramakrishna considered these as “golden opportunities from Him who opens up a channel of direct communication to the sufferer specially selected for His favour.  When very serious calamities befall a human being, his ego is annihilated and His mind becomes ‘soft like butter’ and  worthy of being ‘stolen’ by the Child Krishna”.

  But why Lord does not spare even the pious bhaktas?  God is always more strict with his devotees because he does not want them to be careless. Piety and bhakti are also ‘manifestations’ of the ego which are obstacles which prevent self realization.  In fact, most bhaktas, after years of abyasa, feel self-assured, almost take the Lord for granted  and do not show satisfactory progress in their ‘spiritual journey’. When this happens, Lord taps them with some problems only to be reminded of the need to move faster towards their esteemed destination (God).

  Despite the above possibilities, majority of us do not become seriously spiritual throughout our life and miss the repeated reminders from the God to start introspecting and become aware of His presence within.  Therefore the merciful Lord provides a final opportunity to every one of us in the form of ‘fear of death’.  This is a fantastic final chance to become aware of the ‘pure’ mind within.  Lord Krishna reiterates in the Bhagavad Geeta that ‘he who, at the time of death, while giving up this body, keeps thinking of Me alone, he attains My state -  there is no doubt at all’ (8/5). Ramana Maharshi also talked of the fear of death as a great occasion to get rid of the ego and surrender to Lord of Death (Mrityunjaya) to become immortal.  How is this possible? Let us analyze the mental state of the person who is confronting death. He is frightened and realises that nothing in this world (his wealth, power, possessions, friends, relations, etc.) can help him. He sincerely regrets all his wrong actions of the past. Naturally, his ego is lost and his heart is rendered pure (satvik). This brings him in close proximity with pure consciousness.  If one has the presence of mind to ‘give up’ all thoughts of the world and totally surrender to Lord, then relief is assured. But even when faced with death, most of us will desperately look out for specialist doctors who can prolong our life for a few more days.  Given a choice, we will prefer artificial life-support systems to the natural thoughts about God!

  What is the objective of the above discussion?  Should we become ‘fatalistic’ and give up all self-efforts?  Not at all.  Nature continuously exposes us to happiness and difficulties to make us redirect our attention from the external divisiveness to internal divinity. This introspection will give us the ‘presence’ of mind to discover the truth behind these changing states and reach the ‘constant unchanging truth’. Pains help us to look at pleasures too as God-given. We have to look at pleasures and pains as two aspects (dwandwas) superimposed on the pure serenity.  St. Kabir has beautifully said: “We all remember God in pains but none remembers Him in pleasure –  if we do think of Him in pleasure as well, then why should there be pain?”

  The above statement, if properly understood, will lead us to the great Vedantic Truth of feeling the presence of God at all times.  We remember the Lord when in problems and  never think of Him when we are happy.  Pains are the constant reminders from Him to go back to Him.  These help look at the pleasures of life also as God’s gifts (and not our own achievement). When we remember Him in pleasures, He remains with us at all times.  His power helps us to be tension-free performers and naturally much better results will follow – to that extent ‘agami karmas’ are avoided. Life will become care-free opening up spiritual possibilities.

  To conclude, pains help us see the presence of God and bring us closer to our inherent divinity.  A sathvik purified mind alone can reveal the God within. So, as suggested by Kunti Devi, let us welcome problems and difficulties (including death) as blessings  from the Lord. This will change our approach to life.  We will become strong personalities and be able to face all turmoils with a smile. 

      Om tad sat! Sri Gurubhyo namaha!!

[sanskruti5]

Shashta Dhyanam

INVOCATION TO LORD AIYAPPA

अखिलभुवनदीपम् भक्तचित्ताब्जसूरम्  सुरगणपरिसेव्यं  तत्वम्स्यादिलक्ष्यम् ,

हरिहरसुतमीशम् तारक ब्रह्मरूपम् शबरिगिरिनिवासं भावये श्रीभूतनाथम्  .

 [Let us invoke the blessings of that God Principle, the essence of (Vedic Mahavakyam) “Tad-Twam-Asi” which presides over the creative potential of Prakrithi and enlightens the entire created universe; which is manifest as Lord Harihara-Putra who is adored by all the Devas and who captivates the lotus-minds of the bhaktas like the morning sun and who  exhibits himself (annually) as the Makara Jyothi over his abode in the Shabari-hills.]

  This invocative verse beautifully illustrates both the saguna and the nirguna aspects of the Lord. Dharma Shasta, the Nirguna Brahman is the essence of Shiva and Vishnu Tatwas and is described in our scriptures as “janmadyasya yatha” (the cause of all causes and their effects). Understanding this SAT-CHIT-ANANDA SWAROOPAM (Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute) which is both the intelligent and material cause of creation is the objective of human spiritual journey.  These two words are very potent and need to be understood fully.  The simplest illustration is to say that “the Lord is the Engineer of the machinery of the universe, He is the materials (both subtle and gross) used to make them; He is the knowledge, the skill as well as the tools used to create them.  He is also the ‘power’ which ensures that the machinery functions perfectly.  Finally he will interfere whenever things go wrong and brutally punish those who are responsible for its malfunctioning.    Thus, He ensures that the ‘dharma’ of the universe is strictly adhered to – hence the name DHARMA-SHASTHA. 

  This ‘nirguna’ aspect of the Lord cannot easily be understood by most humans  as  confirmed by Lord Krishna in the Gita (VII/03)  “Amongst millions of ordinary people, only a small number  work hard and try to comprehend Me, the abstract God Principle; from amongst these only a handful, however, succeed in directly apprehending My subtle formless purity as Truth”.    To facilitate spiritual progress amongst  the majority who is thus left out, Hindu Scriptures have made this formless Lord to be manifest in various powerful forms to serve as ‘means’ to attract and lead them to Him.  Amongst the thousands of such forms, the most interesting is that of Lord Aiyappan as revealed by the story of his exploits in human form as Manikantan.  

  The story begins with the powerful Mahishi (sister of Mahishasura) who undertakes severe penance for 108 years  and  procures from Brahmaji a wish that “she will be defeated only by that person who is born to a male”.   Feeling invincible, she proceeds to destroy the whole universe including the abode of the Devas.   Everyone was worried that the Universe would definitely end.  Then a fantastic ‘circumvention’ of the natural laws is managed by the ever-resourceful Vishnu assuming the female form of Mohini to enchant Lord Shiva and bring forth the most powerful force on Earth – Dharma Shastha.   This fantastic energy manifested in the subtle universe as Lord Aiyappan and took the human shape of Manikantan - the child with a Divine Bell round his neck to demonstrate to the common man that Lord is ever chiming inside everyone’s spiritual heart (hrd) as the ‘voice of consciousness’.  Discovered by the king Rajasekhara Pandiyan (ruler of Panthalam) the child is proclaimed as the Yuva-raja.  The  queen, however, ill-treats and sends him on a ‘mission impossible’ to get tiger-milk to cure her non-existent disease.  These developments are intended to lead to a climax where Manikantan returns riding on a fierce tigress demonstrating his divinity.  Later, he destroys Mahishi and restores peace in the kingdom and protects it for the next 18 years. His avathara purpose have fulfilled, he abdicates the kingdom informing his devotees (including his parents) to come to Sabarimala, his future abode whenever they want  to see him.  Even today He is present there  as Aiyappan – the Pure Consciousness – blessing millions who visit him.   

  Thus,  Lord Aiyappan is available to his bhaktas in three forms: (1) in the material form of a divine child called Manikantan in flesh-and-blood human form; (2) the saguna-brahman form of Lord Aiyappan who grants the wishes of all the devotes who purify their internal equipments by strictly observing complete celibacy for 45 days and are able to reach him in Sabarimala,  and (3) as Dharma Shastha representing the Nirguna Chaitanya Swaroopam of the Lord, the Witness Consciousness having the essence of both Sadashiva and Narayana.  These three forms demonstrate the need for everyone of us to start with form and move up the ladder of spirituality to intellectually comprehend (paroksha jnanam) the subtle vibhootis of the Lord and thereafter directly apprehend (aparoksha anubhuti) Him as the indwelling pure divinity. 

  Let us invoke that pure Brahma-tejas  present within each one of us as Lord Aiyappan and seek His blessings during this Mandalam being celebrated between 16th November to 26th December 2012 at our favourite temple complex.

[sanskruti5]

Celebrations of the Idol of Lord Guruvayoorappan

NAVEEKARANA KALASA CELEBRATIONS OF THE IDOL OF

LORD GURUVAYOORAPPAN

  LORD GURUVAYOOR-APPAN is ‘sandra-ananda-avabodha-atmakam’  (Pure Consciousness manifest as Absolute Bliss) which is non-changing at all times and which is beyond all human comprehension.   Oh! How fortunate we the bhakta-sangham of Mulund are to have the presence of such a GOD PRINCIPLE right in front of us in concrete form of the beautiful idol of the Lord in the Temple Complex?  Every genuine devotee who was able to sincerely surrender his ego to the Lord has ‘felt’ His presence and received His blessings for well over 25 years now.

Religious significance of Naveekaranam Celebrations:

The idol of the Main deity in most South Indian temples  is  made from pure granite.  It is installed strictly according to the tantric rituals stipulated in the sastras. The idol get its chaitanyam (becames ‘alive’ or energized) after prana-pratishta through ‘ahvahanam’ (special invocation) by Tantris specially qualified for this.  Thereafter, continuous chanting of the mantras following strict tantric vidhis  for at least next 42 days collect cosmic energies from the atmosphere and get them stored in the idol.  This energy is continuously radiated to all around – but can be absorbed only by those deserving devotees who are in the ‘presence’ of the idol with pure mind.

The idol’s power is continuously enhanced by hundreds of bhaktas who visit the temple  daily morning/evening  and pray with shradda,‘feeling’ the  presence of the Lord  within the idol.  THIS CUMULATIVE POWER OF THE GENUINE BHAKTAS CONVERTS THE IDOL INTO  GOD.  This is confirmed by our Acharyas saying that “the mind of a genuine bhakta who is undergoing severe physical pain or mental sufferings is like that of a fresh soft butter which always attracts Lord Krishna”.  This was demonstrated by Lord Guruvayoorappan  in the case of Melpathur Narayana Bhattathiri who was cured of paralysis.   That is why it is believed even today that ‘all  bhaktas without exception who pray to the Lord whole-heartedly will be cured of their agony.’   Though the power of the Lord has cured them, the innocent bhaktas think that it is the idol which has blessed them. Naturally, the idol’s glory soon spreads and more people are attracted to the temple. 

When thousands of devotees throng the temple, the strict rules (vidhis) to be followed for poojas,  archanas,  etc. get progressively diluted - those visiting the temple with impure body and unclean mind also increases.  Many of those who come in direct contact of the idol may not all be fully equipped to comply with the strict Tantric rules mainly due to ignorance.  Many do not take these rules seriously.  The net result is that purity and cleanliness are compromised.   Further, knowingly or unknowingly several commercial and other activities take place around the deities which are undesirable.   More importantly, given the modern outlook, periodic  prayaschitta (rectification) karmas are not carried out due to ignorance, lack of belief in them and/or shortage of facilities. Thus, over a period of time the chaitanyam (power of the Lord) gets affected by the superimposed human impurities. Anticipating this, our ancient masters have provided a solution in the form of periodic ‘naveekaranam’.   

Scientific reasons for Naveekaranam:  In every popular temple, the image of the deity is regularly  washed, oiled,  bathed,  anointed, clothed and worshipped with fresh flowers several times daily as per Vedic vidhis.  On special occasions there are abhishekams with exotic substances  such as honey, ghee, milk, curd, coconut-water, vibhooti, etc.  After each abhishekam, copious water is poured on the deity to clean it.  These actions subject the idol to continuous wear and tear.  Water and other liquids seep through the crevices and slowly denude the foundation.  Ants and other insects are also attracted who permanently occupy the gaps assured of regular food-supply.  Despite the best efforts of the pujaris to clean and dry the murthy daily, some of the substances which have seeped into deeper crevices remain there and get putrefied.  Insects too die and produce bad smell.  Therefore, our sastras have provided that periodically the  idol is to be taken out, its foundation thoroughly cleaned and it is to be re-established (punar-pratishta).

Importance of Naveekaranam: Our ancient masters have thoughtfully prescribed  that a ‘naveekaranam’ (renovation) has to be carried out after every 12 years. Stringent vidhis are provided for this in the tantra sastra. As part of this auspicious cleaning procedure, the idols have to be  shifted to a ‘temporary abode’ and kept immersed in special liquids and other substances for at least 9 days when elaborate rituals are carried out which include daily Ganapathy Homam, kalasa pooja,  abhishekam, etc.  This being a very serious matter, Lord Himself has to be consulted through Deva-prasnam by tantric experts to find out his considered opinion. Only after getting His consent the elaborate procedure is carried.  It is worthwhile reiterating that if any of the prescribed vidhis are compromised due to ignorance or otherwise, the deficiency will attract Divine Curse. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that only properly qualified tantric experts are involved in fulfilling this divine responsibility.

NAVEEKARANAM OF THE IDOLS OF GURUVAYOORAPPAN TEMPLE AT MULUND

More than 25 years have passed after the consecration of the Main idol of our favourite Lord  GURUVAYOORAPPAN and so the deities are overdue for naveekarana-kalasa poojas.   Following the ancient tradition, the Lord was consulted through a ‘Deva prasnam’ under the guidance of Senior Tantri, Shri P.C.SANKARA NARAYANA NAMBOODIRIPAD of the famous Perindiri-Chenas Mana of Kerala.  Lord Guruvayoorappan opined that He has no objection to this  vedic procedure being carried out between 12th and 20th February 2013. 

Accordingly it is decided that this auspicious ritual will be carried out as per strict tantric prescriptions and will be presided over by the above Sankara Narayana Namboodiri who has kindly consented for the same.  He will be assisted by 10 Senior Tantris and 8 other servants of the Lord. The main idol of Lord Guruvayoorappan will be shifted to a temporary abode (Balalayam) and kept immersed in milk, paddy and water  for 9 days when the nava (9) kalasa poojas/abhishekams will be carried out.  First 4 days are to remove the impurities accumulated due to various deficiencies committed knowingly or unknowingly during the last several years and the next 4 days’ poojas/abhishekams will re-establish and restore His original chaitanyam.  During this 8 days of sojourn, regular poojas will be continued to the Lord  in the temporary resting place inside the kalasam.  Thereafter, the original foundation  will be cleaned thoroughly and the idol will be refixed following the tantric rules with fresh ashta-bandanam (a traditional glue made out of 8 special substances which hold the idol in its place).   The glue is strong enough to last at least for the next 12 years.   

As part of the elaborate procedure spread over 9 days, the Nine kalasams (copper pots) filled with fresh water will be systematically worshipped with mantras continuously under the personal supervision of the above Tantris.  On the ninth day the auspicious water in the pots will be poured on the idols which are re-fixed in their original place (yatha-sthanam). After this punar-prathishta, regular daily poojas (as before) will be carried out to the rejuvenated  more powerful idol.  Those who are fortunate enough to witness these rituals will receive special blessings of the Lord.

The 9 day Naveekarana Kalasa celebrations are estimated by the Tantris to cost approximately Rs.25 lakhs.  Let us all join together and contribute liberally to this great cause and seek the blessings of the Lord Guruvayoorappan. 

  Om! Tad sat.

[sanskruti5]

Importance of "Upasana"

WHAT IS GENUINE “UPASANA”?

अनन्याश्चिन्तयन्तो मां ये जनाः पर्युपासते |

तेषां नित्याभियुक्तानां योगक्षेमं वहाम्यहम् ||

Free translation: To those human beings who concentrate on me single-mindedly (to the exclusion of everything else) and when their effort becomes an ‘upsana’  by their  abiding in Me at all times, I will secure for them all that is desired (yoga) and preserve all  that they possess (kshemam).   Through this verse [IX(22)] of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna  assures that everything is achievable through worship when it matures to qualify as “upasana”.  This is repeated in several places in the book emphasizing its importance.  Therefore, it is worthwhile to know what constitutes upasana?

  Popularly upasana is understood as sincere ‘worship’ of the Lord – but this varies from individual to individual.  Majority of the Hindus see Lord’s presence in idols in different temples.  When they are faced with any serious problem, they select one of these and sincerely pray to it for a solution.  Their problems get solved and they make that specific idol their favourite god (Ishta Devata) and visit it regularly and make special offerings to that problem-solver God.  Can this behavior of the majority qualify as upasana?

  There are, however, quite a lot of devotees who install the idol/idols of popular gods/goddesses in their houses and worship them regularly.  They faithfully indulge in activities such as cleaning, bathing and dressing, anointing the idols with perfumes, feeding them several times a day and even putting them to sleep at night.  Some people visit popular temples regularly, repeat the names of the Lord, chant different stuthis with full faith. Some regularly sing bhajans, kirtans, etc. while others continuously attend satsangs.  All of them are convinced that what they are doing  is upasana. Most of us do these either mechanically or with a specific purpose of getting our desires fulfilled. All these activities do help but unfortunately they do not qualify as upasana.

  Then what is upasana?  The word  ‘upa-asanam’ means  ‘sitting with the Lord’ – that is,  being in His presence.  Am I in His presence when I am performing poojas in my house or when I am chanting His names?  Am I with the Lord, when I go to the temple and seek his blessing for getting my desires fulfilled?  In doing all these, I am either with my own mindwhich is full of desires or I am with the surrounding distractions. That is, I am with my mana-sthithi or with pari-sthithi and not with His ‘upa-sthithdi’. How can the Lord shine forth in such a rajasic mind?

  An intelligent reader may ask: “If these do not constitute upasana, then how is it that my desires invariably get fulfilled whenever I have sincerely indulged in these activities”?  Answer is to be found in the word ‘sincerity’ (shraddha) and not in the actions.  When you are concentrating with single-pointed shraddha on the ‘desire’ (to the exclusion of everything else), the all-powerful shining Lord who is always present within, makes the idea very powerful and naturally it gets fulfilled.  Classic instance is that of Panchali who was disrobed in public by Dushasana.  Being totally helpless she surrendered to the Lord and He solved her problem.  This extreme situation rendered her mind ‘sathwik’ (soft like butter) which naturally attracted Lord Krishna!  Lord has similarly blessed great Bhaktas like Dhruva, Prahlada and Gajendra.  Even Rakhasas like Ravana and Hiranyaka Shibu have made the Lord appear before them and grant their wishes through single-pointed thapas.   

  If we sincerely search our heart, most of us will be able to recount similar occasions where we were overcome by severe adversity and our prayers were answered.  After that, His need being not there, we have forgotten the Lord.  What is the explanation for this? Lord, the Merciful helped us in the fond hope that we will recognize His power and remain with him at all times.  But invariably after the job was done we have gone back to our worldly pursuit. He must have been disappointed but He is very patient and is still waiting (with hands on His hips and smile on His lips) for us to go back to Him.  He knows that if our return is unduly delayed then he can always expose us to some other problem and make us reach out to Him. Thus, whenever we were with his ‘presence’ (upasana) He did help us.  When we left Him, he also ditched us!

  Now then, what constitutes ‘real’ upasana?  It is seeing His presence not only in His idol  but also in everything around us and within us at all times. This ‘knowledge’ is possible only when Lord is understood as the ‘all pervading’ and ‘all-knowing’ substance and not one with a specific form or shape.  How to get this knowledge? It can take place in two parts – first we should be intellectually convinced that each one of us is nothing but pure divinity on which we have superimposed our own individuality.  Thereafter we have to graduate to be with his presence at all times.  Most of us are unable to cross the first stage as we have lived with our own superimposed individuality so long that we are lost in it.  We will have to break-through this tough outer-crust of body-mind complex and become aware of the inherent purity present at all times.  This can happen only after a systematic study of the scriptures for a long time under a competent traditional teacher shravanam) who will repeatedly hammer it into our psyche that “You are That” (Thad-Twam-asi).  With such a prepared mind if we continuously ‘remain’ with that knowledge till we are fully convinced without even an iota of doubt about  the efficacy  of this knowledge (mananam)  and are able to assert with ease “Aham-Brahma-Asmi” then we are ready for ‘upasana’ or meditation.

  Thus, upasana is the implanting the most potent ‘seed’ of knowledge of the Lord (Maha-vakya-vrithi) deep inside our sub-conscious mind called the ‘spiritual heart’ (hrd).  This happens initially on the seat of meditation involving lot of effort on our part to repeatedly make our mind single-pointed on the knowledge of the Lord to the exclusion of everything else.  When this is continued for long we get used to this knowledge and it remains within us at all times and our mental hard disk processes this knowledge at all times.  Thus upasana is not restricted to the few minutes when we are formally in a temple or performing a ritual or in a satsangh but it is continued while remaining with the knowledge about the Lord implanted inside us. By remaining with that implant, our mind (given its satwik nature) will become that in due course.   In short, our efforts (purushartham) qualifies as genuine  upasana only when our purified and quiet mind merges into the Lord.

[sanskruti5]

The "How" & "Why" of Rebirth

HOW & WHY REBIRTH?  

R. HARIHARAN

  “देहे पन्चत्वमापन्ने देहीकर्मानुगोSवश: । देहान्तरमनुप्राप्य प्राक्तनं त्वजते वपुः ।।

व्रजंस्तिष्टन्  पदैकेन यथै वैकेन गछति। यथा तृण जलूकैवं देही कर्मगतिः गतः ।।“

…….Vasudeva (Krishna’s father) in Bhagavatham  (X-1-39/40)

  “As indeed a man, while walking steps forward with hind leg only after holding to  the earth by the front leg or even as a water-leach leaves a blade of grass (only) when it has caught hold of another, so does the embodied  soul, following the course of its destiny, leaves the present dying body only after catching hold of another.”  This means, even before death, the embodied soul has already decided on the next body to be occupied.  No other scripture makes such a categorical statement about rebirth – therefore we must understand this idea thoroughly.

  What is an ‘embodied soul’ (dehinah)? Is it consciousness (atma) as popularly understood?  But,  Atma is pure and present everywhere and can never be contaminated by ‘vasanas’ (individual likes, dislikes, fears, anxieties, etc.)  So, there is no question of its travelling from one body to another. Then who travels? Who dies? And who  is reborn?  We all know that the body dies.  But body is never reborn!  ‘Death’ of the body means the end of the vehicle and not the journey. So, our scriptures tell us that it is the ‘jeeva-bhava’ which, on death of a body, is reborn in a new body.   But bhava cannot travel. It needs a medium. What is that medium?

  Is it the mind-intellect complex (sukshma sharira) as argued by some?  But  mind is nothing but  a huge baggage of attachments, aversions, etc accumulated by the jeeva during the present life which it does not carry to the next birth; because a newborn child has no memory of its previous birth.  So obviously, the mind is left behind in the ‘pitr loka’  and only the passenger (jeeva) moves into a new body and a fresh mind. This left behind luggage is, however, not wasted - it is available ‘on tap’  to the relatives of the dead who tune to it through shrardhas, etc.  If so, then it has to be the  the karana sarira or the causal body (seed) which is the medium used by the jeeva-atma to travel from one body to another and to shape its destiny as confirmed by Vyasa in the  verse quoted above.

  Now, what is the ‘destiny’ of this jeeva-bhava? In every life,  the body- mind- intellect is the ‘field’ (khetram) using which we get exposed to various experiences.  While the background material is stored in the ‘chitta’  (filing cabinet of the mind), the final impressions or vasanas (cumulative effects) are used to improve the ‘seed’ of the individual. This improvement is happening continuously minute-by-minute.  On death of the body, this seed (karana sarira) with the help of the consciousness moves into the next body. This process of living, desiring, acting, experiencing, improving itself and moving into another body to continue the journey is its destiny.

  Karana sarira is usually defined as ‘ananda-maya-cosa’ as it is closest to consciousness and daily comes into play in deep sleep.  It is sometimes called ‘ignorance’ which covers the knowledge of the self like a cloud covering the sun.  These definitions do not fully explain why it is called ‘karana’ or seed.   In fact, karana sarira is  the central core of the individual which revolves round the axis of consciousness.  It is the unique rhythm which is peculiar and exclusive to each living being and contains the secret formula  (SOURCE CODE) which records the uptodate ‘evolution’ perfected using the experiences of all the births so far. To put it differently, it is the ‘net’ result of our existence till date which is recorded inside using  cosmic  intelligence (consciousness).  That is the unique “identity” of each one of us.  The “I” constantly shining inside the “den” (spiritual heart) of each one of us and which is the seed of our next body.

  This code is very dynamic and is continuously evolving because the process of perfection is monitored by the intelligent cosmic principle (Ishwara). Based on this, the body-mind-complex incessantly undergoes changes from birth to death in every birth.  These changes are different for each individual which explains the behavioral differences even in identical twins.  The God principle ensures that the jeeva-bhava’s evolution is in the right direction. While there will be sufficient freedom  for  expression of  ‘free-will’, undue distortions will never be tolerated.  There will be periodic ‘course corrections’ and, in exceptional cases, through (avatharas).

  On death of the body, the carana sarira, with the help of the intelligent (all-knowing) consciousness, chooses a new suitable vehicle (body) as dictated by the source code.  This decision is taken without interference of the universal intelligence which acts purely as a ‘facilitator’ to manufacture a suitable physical body strictly as per the code.  Since consciousness plays only a contributory and not a decisive role, it is possible that occasionally the ‘seed’ gets an unsuitable body.  As a consequence, in some extreme cases, the soul may choose to give up the body prematurely (suicide).  There can also be accidents which are due to external factors dictated by the universal intelligence.  

  Thus, whatever may be the cause of death -  suicide, accident or normal ageing process - the same rules of rebirth apply. Selection of a new body is based on the formula as perfected till the last moment of death.  Hence the insistence on continuous improvement in our values (sanskaras), regular exposure to scriptures (shraddah), frequent association with the wise (satsang), etc. so that the soul can move faster  towards perfection.  Lord Krishna even insisted in the Geeta that we should think of Him at least when confronted with death when mind is highly sensitive/receptive. Thus, the process of punar-janma (rebirth) is highly scientific but routine incidents from the purview of  universal consciousness. 

  In this background, the affirmation quoted above from Bhagavatham makes admirable sense.  The karana sarira  is a highly dynamic process which is perfected continuously.  This being so scientific, how can there  be any speculation or uncertainty  about the body to be occupied in the next birth?