THE SPIRITUAL SCIENTIST

Resonate With The Supreme

2007-03-25T20:45:00.000+05:30

Consumed by Consumerism

2007-03-20T16:57:00.000+05:30

Go Deep into Life

2007-03-20T16:56:00.000+05:30

Tap the Power of Thoughts

2007-03-20T16:55:00.001+05:30

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

2007-03-20T14:31:00.001+05:30

This page provides mapping from some FAQs to relevant articles that answer those.

Index Page 5 : Messages for Festival / Special Occasions

2007-03-20T14:28:00.001+05:30

All articles under this topic will be collected and linked to this page.

Index Page 4 : Establishing the Necessity of Spirituality

2007-03-20T14:26:00.000+05:30

All articles under this topic will be collected and linked to this page.

Make your family divine
Where is Real Happiness?
Healthy body, sick mind
Suicide - Why? What to do?

Index Page 3 : Exposing scientific materialism

2007-03-20T14:24:00.000+05:30

All articles under this topic will be collected and linked to this page.

Consumed by Consumerism
The Unnecessities Of Life

Index Page 2 : Explaining Vedic concepts

2007-03-20T14:21:00.000+05:30

All articles under this topic will be collected and linked to this page.

Cure your spiritual amnesia
God Proposes, Man Accepts
Are we the makers of our destiny?
Night dream & Day dream

Index Page 1 : Refuting Atheism

2007-03-20T14:19:00.000+05:30

All articles under this topic will be collected and linked to this page.

Does God Exist?
Made for each other
Is Skepticism Heroic?

The Unnecessities Of Life

2007-02-24T05:32:00.000+05:30

Once Socrates was seen by his friends spending a long time in a market. Knowing his frugal nature, they teased him, "Even you have started dreaming about shopping." Socrates soberly replied, "I was observing all the unnecessary things that people buy."

We often think of necessity as a thing without which it is difficult, if not impossible, to live. In this sense, food, clothing, shelter are our necessities. But in a more positive holistic sense, a necessity is that which once satisfied makes us fully satisfied forever. Why do we always want more and more? Because it our right and nature to have unlimited possessions by possessing the possessor of all possessions -God, Krishna. As the eternal spiritual children God, our innermost need is the security and satisfaction that accompanies the devotional remembrance of our all-powerful all-loving Father. Just as the first need of a fish is water, the first need of our body is air, the first need of our own selves as souls is remembrance of God or more precisely, Krishna consciousness

Many people today feel that they have no time for God or spiritual enquiry. But what makes them so busy? It is their own self-created pursuit of the unnecessities of life, which they imagine to be necessities due to their spiritual unawareness. Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, succinctly summarizes this tragic entrapment, "If our endeavor is not to enquire about the Absolute Truth, we will simply increase our endeavor to satisfy our artificial needs." Today's world of hi-tech glamorous advertising portrays luxuries as necessities. Consequently, shopping has become not just a fashion, but an obsession. Possessing new things gives some pleasure, but sadly the charm of newness fades soon. What remains thereafter is the burden of maintenance, which demands time, energy, care and money. People today have tea-set, sofa set, multimedia set - and they are always up-set. An exasperated shopping addict stated his predicament poignantly, "Everything I own owns me." Nevertheless possessiveness retains its almost irresistible fascination. If people have little, they want a lot. And if they have a lot, they want a lot more.

But there is a better way to live. When we make God the wealth of our heart by chanting his holy names, then we become enlightened to use the wealth of the world to benefit ourselves and others. Let us therefore free ourselves from poverty of the heart and enrich ourselves with devotion and satisfaction.

Make Your Family Divine

2007-02-05T12:54:00.000+05:30

Have you seen the maternal love between a cow and a calf or a cat and a kitten? How sweet and moving! Is the love between a human mother and an infant any different? The animals care for their loved ones, so do we. Our relationships become higher than theirs when we do everlasting good to our loved ones by caring for their souls, not just their bodies. Else how are we better than the animals, because they too care for the bodies of their loved ones as diligently as we do? As eternal souls we have all been transmigrating for many, many lifetimes in different families within various species of life. Only in the human form can we develop our relationship with our original, eternal family member God. Then our wandering becomes an odyssey with God and ultimately we return to our eternal family and home with Him in His spiritual abode. A family becomes truly human, and divine, when its members assist each other in attaining this topmost happiness.
Spiritualizing family relationships was the essence of Vedic culture and the spirit behind matra deva bhava, pitra deva bhava. The mother and father do not become like God just by procreation. When they are themselves devoted to God and inspire, guide and assist their children to become devoted to God, then they become the emissaries of God for their children assisting them in their journey back to God. Devotion to God benefits us not only in the next life, but also in this. A family that prays together stays together. When God is in the center of our hearts and homes, we see our family members as representatives of God in our life and we naturally serve them with respect and love. Conversely the more people neglect or reject God, the more their view of life and family becomes materialistic and they see their family members as nothing but facilitators for their enjoyment. When they stop getting the desired enjoyment from their family members, they dump them as fast as they would dump a dysfunctional TV. No wonder that with the increase in godlessness and materialism, joint families have disintegrated into nuclear families. And sadly now nuclear families are shattering into solitary protons and neutrons orbiting aimlessly in the voidness of the modern concrete jungles. We can easily avoid this catastrophe in our families if we make it our primary responsibility to awaken our devotion to God and help our family members do the same. Then we can live happily ever after – in God’s eternal family.

Cure Your Spiritual Amnesia

2007-02-05T12:52:00.000+05:30

Imagine a student who gains entrance into IIT. But instead of studying he wastes all his time in searching for good food to eat. He eventually fails in his exams and is ultimately expelled from IIT. A colossal underutilization of potential, isn’t it? After all, the pleasure that good food can offer is insignificant as compared to what an IIT degree can offer.

The Vedic scriptures declare that most modern humans are not much different from this IIT student. We are all eternal spiritual souls traveling through various species of life undergoing education in material existence. When we are awarded human bodies, we have gained admission into spiritual IITs, so to speak; a bright spiritual career – eternal life and love – is just a stone’s throw away. Death is like our final exam and life our preparation time. We have to prepare our intelligence and heart to make it fully and purely devoted to God. If by the time of death our love for God has become greater than our love for anything else in this world, then we graduate successfully to return back to His eternal abode to rejoice in divine love forever. We can awaken our dormant love for God most easily and expeditiously by chanting His Holy Names, especially the Hare Krishna maha mantra. But instead if we let ourselves become preoccupied with attaining better facilities for bodily enjoyment and neglect our spiritual growth, we become like the IIT student who struggles to get better food to eat and neglects his studies. Food is available to anyone and everyone; IIT education to only a select few. Similarly bodily pleasures – food, sleep, sex and show of strength – are available to all species of life; divine joys to humans alone.

Just as the non-performing IIT student is expelled and loses the chance for a bright career, spiritually lackadaisical souls are expelled from human bodies back to animal bodies, where they have no access to spiritual bliss. And just as an irresponsible IIT student will never feel satisfied and always feel guilty, similarly spiritually irresponsible humans never feel fulfilled and always feel a vacuum in their hearts. The Bhagavad-gita (16.23) therefore declares that a godless materialist finds happiness neither in the next life, nor in this. On the other hand, just as the IIT student who applies himself to studies soon experiences the refined pleasure of learning, those humans who apply themselves to chanting the names of God soon relish the sublime pleasure of devotion. Let us therefore wisely reject the lure of self-deluding enjoyment and fully utilize our human potential to attain sublime happiness in this life and the next.

Where Is The Real Happiness?

2007-02-05T12:51:00.000+05:30

Once, a healthy handsome youth came to a psychologist with a complaint of chronic depression. The psychologist recommended the show of a famous comedian in a nearby circus. With a tearful face, the youth replied, "Doc, I am that comedian." Most people pursue external material things – wealth, sensual pleasure, skills, power, position, possession – to achieve happiness. In the Mahabharata after the unfortunate fratricidal world war, the saintly Vidura pointed out to his materially-minded brother Dhritrashtra, "When did the kingdom give you anything except misery? When you didn't have it, you were tormented by craving for it. When you had it, you were worried about retaining it. Now after losing it, you are filled with sorrow." Hankering, fear and lamentation are inescapable byproducts of any material pursuit. Nonetheless the world eulogizes material achievements and most people savor worldly recognition, no matter what the cost. However, all achievers experience euphoria as long as others glorify their accomplishments, but steady inner fulfillment always eludes them. Most people try to either hide or forget this dissatisfaction as they don't know any other way to happiness. They hide it by putting on a pretense of jollity or forget it by busying themselves in work or entertainment. The above youth felt no fulfillment despite his achievements as a comedian and tried to forget it by his work of making others laugh, though he himself felt like crying. But we don't have to suffer inner dissatisfaction. The Vedic texts call the external achievement we show others as abhyudaya and the internal fulfillment we feel ourselves as nihshreyas. They remind us that abhyudaya is available to all species of life, whereas nihshreyas beckons humans alone. They urge us to not overlook our unique human right to fulfillment in the over-hyped pursuit of achievement. Inner satisfaction is not as abstract or remote as many think. God, Krishna, is living in our own hearts and is the reservoir and source of all happiness. The Holy Names of God, like the Hare Krishna maha mantra, are our antar jyotir (inner light), which reveal to us our own spiritual identity and glory as beloved children of the supremely wealthy and loving father. Chanting blesses us with experience of the grace, love and protection of Krishna in our hearts and floods our lives with serenity, joy and fulfillment, even without any external achievement. Of course, fulfillment and achievement are not mutually exclusive; as is evident from the achievements of Vedic sages in architecture, literature, medicine, mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy and administration – all ultimately meant to harmonize humanity with God. When we experience fulfillment by cultivating devotion to God, we naturally become inspired and empowered to use fully our God-given talents to do wonderful things that benefit all our brothers and sisters. But those bereft of devotion often become motivated by ego, greed and envy in their pursuit of achievements. Even if they succeed, their accomplishments don't mitigate their poverty of heart and often harm others. For example, a spiritually bankrupt executive greedy for promotion may backbite about colleagues to his boss. He may achieve the promotion, but he will increase his inner insecurity and emptiness and also cause distress to others. Therefore Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, exhorted all classes of people - scientists, philosophers, poets, artists, administrators, housewives – to become devotees of God and glorify God and serve all His children through their respective occupations. Let us give fulfillment its rightful place along with achievement in our life's priorities and thus experience real happiness ourselves and share it with others.

Cure Your Spiritual Amnesia

2007-02-05T12:49:00.000+05:30

Imagine a millionaire’s son traveling in a car through a hill. Suddenly his car skids and falls hundreds of feet down. Somehow he jumps out of the car before it explodes. Fortunately he falls on a sand dune in the valley. He survives but gets amnesia due to a blow on the head. The tribals residing in the valley rescue him and give him a name and a role in their community. Though a prince he now slaves as a woodcutter. His millionaire father comes searching for him, but he fails to even identify his own father, what to speak of returning back. His father has to employ a doctor who gives shock treatment to him. Though initially upset by the shock, he eventually recovers from the amnesia. And then he returns back with his father to live happily ever after.

We are all the beloved children of God, who is the king of all kings, the supremely wealthy person. Krishna is not just a lakhpati or karodpati; He is Lakshmipati, the Lord of the Goddess of Fortune. Unfortunately we have fallen from our original home, the spiritual world, down to this material world and are afflicted by spiritual amnesia. From our birth, society gives us an identity and a function – you are so-and-so and your goal is to become a so-and-so professional. And we operate like programmed robots, struggling for paltry sensual pleasures, breaking the trees of exams and projects and carrying the logs of anxieties and obligations. Krishna comes to this world or sends His sons, prophets or devotees to invite us back to our eternal joyful life with Him. But we fail to even recognize our own eternal father, leave alone consider returning back to Him. Krishna being our unconditionally benevolent father loves us too much to take offence at our neglecting or rejecting Him. But our non-cooperation compels Him to employ material nature to give us shock treatment. The shocks comprise of the threefold material miseries – adhyatmika klesha (mental stress, bodily disorders etc), adhidaivika klesha (natural disasters, climatic inconveniences etc) and adhibhautika klesha (quarrels, divorces etc) and the fourfold material problems – old age, disease, death and rebirth. Krishna doesn’t want us to suffer, but if suffering is what is necessary to cure us, like any responsible father, He allows temporary material suffering for our eternal spiritual redemption. Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, succinctly states, “The miseries of material existence indirectly serve to remind us of our incompatibility with matter.” How? These miseries, though disturbing, impel intelligent people to go to the representatives of God – the sacred scriptures and the saintly teachers. The enlightenment they offer commences the cure for our spiritual amnesia and paves the way for our ultimate spiritual reinstatement as divine princes.

Importantly shock treatment is not the only way to cure amnesia. If the patient cooperates with the doctor, his dormant memory can be revived by suitable stimuli. Similarly we don’t have to be shocked out of our bodily misidentification. If we cooperate with Krishna by submissively receiving the spiritual stimulus of His Holy Name, we awaken to our spiritual identity and glory. The more we accept the memory treatment, the less the doctor needs to use the shock treatment. Similarly the more we seek shelter and pleasure in the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha mantra, the less will be our material miseries and the less will be our irritation due to whatever miseries are inevitable. Let us therefore help ourselves by remembering Srila Prabhupada’s words of wisdom, “Chant Hare Krishna and be happy.”

DOES GOD EXIST

2007-02-03T04:49:00.000+05:30

THE UNPARALLELED SYMBIOTIC FACTORY
Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, industrialists and scientists have fantasized about a symbiotic factory setup. Consider two hypothetical factories A & B. Suppose the two factories could be arranged such that the waste product of factory A would serve as a raw material for factory B and the waste product of factory B would serve as a raw material for factory A. Then the factory setup would able to run perpetually with zero expenditure and unlimited profit! However this has always been nothing more than a fantasy. The raw materials in every factory are quite expensive to obtain and the waste products are quite useless and expensive to even dispose off.
Amazingly enough, such a symbiotic factory setup already exists in nature: human respiration & plant photosynthesis. At every moment we human beings breathe in O2 & give out CO2. O2 is life-sustaining & CO2 is life-destroying, if present in excessive quantity. Therefore the human respiration by itself would diminish the supply of O2 & increase CO2 in the atmosphere soon making the atmosphere & the planet inhabitable for human beings and indeed all O2-breathing creatures. But there is a magnificent balance system in nature which exactly takes in the waste product of the human respiration CO2 & gives out the raw material for respiration O2 - plant photosynthesis. Isn’t it remarkable that what the best scientists on the planet could nothing more dream about has already realized by nature? Albert Einstein has remarked, "There are two ways to live life. One is to see nothing as a miracle & other is to see everything as a miracle."
DOES NATURE WORK AUTOMATICALLY?
Some people say that nature certainly works remarkably, but its working is automatic & more or less governed by chance. They argue that seeing any divinity or God controlling nature is just a sentimental longing coming from an unscientific mentality. However the word ‘automatically’ used in this context is somewhat misleading because it doesn’t indicate the absence of a controller, but rather the absence of the knowledge of the controller. When we say that a machine works automatically, what it means is that the machine doesn’t require continuous interaction with the operator. But still there is an operator who activates the machine and monitors its working. Is that the case with nature?
E.g. If you want to have fun with a child, than you might get an automatic toy i.e. either a mechanically or in some other way programmed toy. By staying out of view of the child, you release the toy & it comes moving into the view of the child. Seeing the toy moving automatically, the child becomes astounded and thinks that the toy is working by itself. But you a wise person will never be misled into the conclusion of an inexperienced child. You know that even if the toy is moving automatically, it is programmed by you.
Similarly the magnificent phenomena in nature are not just occurring automatically; they are working under the expert but remote and therefore invisible programming of God. Uninformed people, like the naïve child, may think that nature is working automatically, but wise people throughout history – religious and scientific – have always understood that there is a super-intelligent designer behind nature. Thus it is that the famous physicist Lord Kelvin has remarked, "If you think deeply enough you will be forced by science to believe in God."

GOD PROPOSES, MAN ACCEPTS

2007-02-03T04:47:00.000+05:30

"Man proposes, God disposes" has been the cause of immense frustration for humanity since time immemorial. The best plans are often foiled forever in a single moment by factors beyond human control. Misery can be said to be the condition in which we are unable to get what we want and / or are forced to accept that which we don’t want. A thoughtful person can perceive that misery is an unavoidable, inescapable companion during the sojourn through this world (Bhagavad Gita 8.15). Everyone is put repeatedly in the unenviable position of watching helplessly all of one’s cherished plans wrecked one after another, by the inexplicable and seemingly cruel will of providence.
LITTLE CONTROL MEANS NO CONTROL
Most people try to tackle this existential dilemma by trying to increase their ability to control their situations by acquiring wealth, power, knowledge, fame, beauty and even renunciation. But do these material acquisitions really solve the problem? They seem to give us control over our lives and surroundings, but actually they themselves are beyond our control. For example, a wealthy person imagines that his monetary power gives him control over his life and so wants to increase his wealth unlimitedly (16.13-15), but he can lose the wealth itself – his source of control - due to events beyond his control, such as a stock market crash. Thus wealth creates an illusion of control, while in reality it only increases one’s anxiety by making one further dependent on things that are beyond one’s control. Moreover money cannot bribe death, which in one moment strips one of everything (10.34). Hence the Gita asserts that these material solutions offer no actual relief (2.8). Srila Prabhuapada succinctly states the futility of mundane attempts to control our lives and surroundings, "Little control means no control."
The Bhagavad-gita offers a dramatically different remedy for this existential perplexity: God proposes, man accepts. It asserts that all attempts to become happy in the material world are ultimately misdirected, as they keep us out of harmony with God. The perfection of our intelligence is when we harmonize our human will with the divine will (7.19). Accepting reversals faithfully and gracefully as the inconceivable will of the Lord is a teaching mentioned in all the major religions of the world. The prayer of Jesus the night before he was crucified, "Let Thy will be done, not mine" is a well-known example. In times of pain and grief, this prayerful surrender to the will of the Lord has the potential of bringing immediate and immense relief. However most people are unable to muster the faith necessary for offering such a bold prayer. The Bhagavad-gita holds a unique position among all the world’s scriptures in that it offers a solid intellectual springboard and a well-defined spiritual trajectory for this leap of faith. The philosophy delineated in the Gita is so cogent, coherent and comprehensive that, after understanding it, Arjuna not only accepted the will of the Lord that his relatives be killed, but went way ahead. He agreed to himself be instrumental in bringing about the execution of that divine will: karishye vacanam tava "I will do whatever You say." (18.73)
INSIGHTS FROM THE GITA
This extraordinarily empowering perspective to the reversals of life, as explained in the Gita, can be summarized as follows:
We are not gross bodies or subtle minds, but are eternal souls (7.4-5). Therefore the sufferings due to the mind, the body and their extensions – relatives and friends, possessions and positions - no matter how devastating, do not deprive us of our essential spiritual identity and purpose in life – to revive our loving relationship with God. Knowing that we have a changeless core, which can never be taken away from us by any vicissitude and which can always bring us inner happiness, is in itself a source of tremendous solace and strength when everything around us seems to be falling apart.(2.13-16)
The Lord is our Supreme Father (14.4), and He unconditionally loves all of us - even those of us who spurn His love and even deny His very existence. The practical manifestation of His selfless, causeless love is that He creates and maintains all the background material arrangements by which we - His wayward children - can enjoy material happiness. He maintains the entire material world – the arena for material enjoyment - by arranging for all the universal necessities such as heat and light (15.12-13) He further maintains the material body – the vehicle for material pleasure - by keeping all the bodily functions such as digestion in proper order (15.14). Not only that, according to our desires to enjoy life, He gives us the corresponding inspiration and intelligence (15.15) Thus the Lord is our supreme well-wisher and benefactor (5.29)
All events in the material world occur as per the universal laws of action and reaction. Reversals don’t come upon us by cruel chance, but are a result of our own past misdeeds – either in this or earlier lives. Acceptance of the law of karma is not fatalistic, creating feelings of helplessness and impotence, as some people misunderstand. Nor is it psychologically damaging, creating haunting feelings of guilt, as some others allege. Rather a mature understanding of the impartial law of karma is highly empowering, as we understand that we still have control over our lives. By harmonizing with the universal laws of action, as explained in the God-given scriptures, we have the power to create a bright future for ourselves, no matter how bleak the present may seem to be. (3.9)
For those unflinchingly devoted to the Lord, things don’t go wrong just by karmic laws. The Lord personally orchestrates the events in the lives of His devotees so that they are most expeditiously elevated to the platform of unlimited, eternal, spiritual happiness. (12.6-7) Indeed for the faithful the Lord transforms material adversity into spiritual prosperity. An intelligent transcendentalist is therefore able to see a painful reversal as a spiritual catharsis performed by the Lord to free him from the shackles of the lower self and to unleash the potential of the higher self. He sees suffering like a surgery, which, though painful, frees the body from dangerous infection and promotes the recovery of health.
WISDOM IN ACTION
Let us see how the wisdom of the Gita empowered its original recipient – Arjuna. The setting on which the Gita was spoken – a battlefield between two huge armies poised for war - is highly intriguing. Fratricidal friction within the ruling Kuru dynasty had erupted into a massive conflagration on the sprawling plains of Kurukshetra. As thousands of soldiers, chariots, horses and elephants stood waiting for the war-cry to be sounded, Arjuna, one of the principal warriors, suffered an emotional breakdown, being overwhelmed by the prospect of killing his own relatives. In the face of extreme adversity he lost sight of his duty and turned for guidance to his friend, Krishna, who was the Supreme Godhead playing the role of a human being. Then in the midst of the belligerent armies, Krishna enlightened his friend Arjuna – and through him all of humanity for all time to come - about the temporal and eternal identity and duty of the self entrapped in material perplexities.
After hearing Krishna’s message, Arjuna experienced a complete paradigm shift. He realized that Krishna was not urging him to fight the war for petty personal gains, impelled by feelings of selfish greed or mundane vengeance. Rather, he had the privileged opportunity to play a crucial role in a divine plan for re-establishing order and harmony in human society by destroying the anti-social elements who had unscrupulously grabbed power. Hence his fighting was actually necessary and beneficial service to God and to all living beings as the children of God. He realized that all the warriors assembled there – including his loved ones – were eternal souls, who would continue to live after their bodily death. But by dying in the presence of the supremely pure Lord Krishna, they would be purified of their sinful mentality and would attain spiritual emancipation. Before hearing the Gita, Arjuna had felt that he was in a lose – lose situation (2.6). If he killed his relatives he felt he would be doing a heinous sin (1.36) and if he chose to not kill them by abstaining from fighting, he would have no means of sustenance and would be disgraced for having abandoned the battle like a coward (2.33-36). After hearing the Gita, he recognized that his situation was actually win-win. He had no need to fear sin because action harmonized with divine will brings not sin and suffering, but purification and elevation (18.65-66). His killing his relatives would benefit not only himself, but also the whole world and the slain relatives too! Even if he happened to die while fighting – which he would not because the supreme will is always triumphant (18.78) – still he would attain the highest spiritual realm of everlasting happiness by laying down his perishable body in a holy war. Therefore after hearing the Gita, Arjuna confidently picked up his famed Gandiva bow, which he had dejectedly cast aside earlier, and emphatically declared his willingness to execute the all-beneficial will of the Lord (18.73). Thus the original setting of the Gita is a graphic illustration of action in accordance with spiritual wisdom transforming a disastrous reversal into a glorious triumph.
THE MARCH TO DIVINE HARMONY
The comprehensive philosophical explanation of the Gita serves as a map for the aspiring transcendentalist on his spiritual odyssey back to harmony with the Lord (16.24). Yoga – linking one’s consciousness with the Lord – is the means to return to harmony. The Gita states that meditation (dhyana-yoga), speculation (jnana-yoga), detached action (karma-yoga) and devotional service (bhakti-yoga) are means by which a soul can advance on the path back to harmony. Ultimate success however comes only by devotional service (11.53-54); other paths are only stepping stones to the attainment of that devotion (6.47, 7.19, 3.9). The best method of devotional meditation for the current period in the cosmic cycle (Kali Yuga) is mantra meditation (10.25), especially the chanting of the maha mantra Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare, which nourishes the higher self. Abstaining from the self-destructive activities of meat-eating, gambling, intoxication and illicit sex, thus starving the lower self, accelerates the return to harmony. Bhakti-yoga progressively leads to the full blossoming of our higher nature and culminates in prema, selfless love for the Supreme Lord Sri Krishna. This love leads to unconditional loving surrender to the will of the Lord and the resulting harmony of divine love makes life a joy at every moment even in this life. This divine love is the ultimate achievement of life; it conquers even death, for it continues eternally after bodily death in the highest abode, the spiritual world, the realm of pure consciousness.
Shripad Shankaracharya explains, in his Gita-mahatmaya, the unique position of the Gita within the vast Vedic library. He compares all the Vedic scriptures to a cow, Krishna to a cowherd boy milking the cow, Arjuna to a calf and the Gita to the milk of the cow. Thus the Gita is considered to be the essence of all the Vedic literature. Appreciation for the Gita is not limited to Vedic circles. Many Western scholars have found the Gita to be amazingly lucid and relevant. Ralph Waldo Emerson’s remark is a sample, "I owed a magnificent day to the Bhagavad-gita. It was the first of books; it was as if an empire spoke to us, nothing small or unworthy, but large, serene, consistent, the voice of an old intelligence which in another age and climate had pondered and thus disposed of the same questions which exercise us." When Srila Prabhupda, the founder-acharya of the International Society for Krishna consciousness (ISKCON), went to the West to teach the message of the Gita and was asked in the United Kingdom about the purpose of his visit, he poignantly replied, "When you Britishers ruled India, you plundered her off all her wealth, but you forgot to take her most precious jewel. I have come to give you what you forgot – the wisdom of the Gita."

Made For Each Other

2007-02-03T04:45:00.000+05:30

"You're saying your research proves this higher reality exist?" asks writer Vince Rause.
Prof Andrew Newberg of the University of Pensylvania replies, "I'm saying the possibility of such a reality is not inconsistent with science."
"But you can't observe such a thing in a scientific way, can you?"
Newberg grins. He hasn't simply observed such a state; he has managed to take its picture.
DIVINE FINDINGS
What you are reading is an extract from a fascinating article in the Jan 2002 issue of the Readers Digest, Searching for the Divine (pg 125) Prof Andrew Newberg is a leader in neurotheology, an emerging science which explores the links between spirituality and the brain.
Newberg and his team took pictures of the brain of the subjects in a normal waking state and in deep meditation. When they studied the scans, their attention was drawn to a chunk of the brain's left parietal lobe which they called the orientation association area. This region is responsible for drawing the line between the physical self and rest of existence, a task that requires a constant stream of neural information flowing in from the senses. What the scans revealed, however, was that at peak moments of prayer and meditation, the flow was dramatically reduced, indicating a decrease in neuronal activity. In such a brain state, the subject loses awareness of his physical self, goes to a state of complete relaxation and deep satisfaction and …experiences a higher reality.
Newberg concludes such an experience of God by the human brain is as much a reality as any perception by the brain of "ordinary" physical reality.
This article is representative of what modern medical science is discovering (or rather rediscovering). More and more rigorous and unbiased studies are providing impeccable scientific evidence establishing the benefits, and indeed the necessity, of spirituality as an integral part of human existence.
LET THE DATA SPEAK
Consider the following data compiled by Patrick Glynn, Associate Director at the George Washington University, in his book God: The Evidence:
Suicide: A large-scale 1972 study found that persons who did not attend spiritual prayer meetings were four times as likely to commit suicide than were those who attended spiritual prayer meetings frequently. A review of twelve studies of the relationship between religious commitment and suicide found a negative correlation in all twelve cases. Lack of spiritual prayer meetings attendance has been found to be the single best predictor of suicide rates, better even than unemployment.
Drug Abuse: Numerous studies have found an inverse correlation between religious commitment and abuse of drugs. One survey of nearly 14,000 youths found that substance abuse varied in inverse proportion to strength of religious commitment, with the most conservative religious youths abusing the least. The authors concluded that "importance of religion" was the single best indicator / predictor of substance abuse patterns.
Alcohol Abuse: Several studies have found that alcohol abuse is highest among those with little or no religious commitment. One study found that nearly 90% of alcoholics had lost interest in religion in youth , while among the non-alcoholic control group 48% reported an increase in religious commitment in adulthood and 32% reported no change.
Depression and Stress: Several studies have found that high levels of religious commitment correlate with lower levels of depression, lower level of stress, and greater ability to cope with stress. Religious people recover from surgery more quickly than do their atheistic counterparts.
Divorce: A number of studies have found a strong inverse correlation between spiritual prayer meetings attendance and divorce. Spiritual prayer meetings attendance also correlates strongly with the expressed willingness of a partner to marry the same spouse again – a measure of marital satisfaction.
Marital and Sexual Satisfaction: A study found that spiritual prayer meetings attendance predicted marital satisfaction better than any other single variable. Couples in long-lasting marriages who were surveyed in another study listed religion as one of most important "prescriptions" of a happy marriage. Most strikingly, an analysis of data from a massive survey of Redbook magazine readers found that "very religious women report greater happiness and satisfaction with marital sex than either moderately religious or nonreligious women" So religious people even seem to enjoy better marital sex!
Overall Happiness and Psychological Well-being: Strong religious believers consistently report greater overall happiness and satisfaction with life. In one Gallup survey, respondents with a strong religious commitment – who agreed that "My religious faith is the most important influence in my life" - were twice as likely as those with minimal spiritual commitment to describe themselves as "very happy"
Thus statistics show that it is difficult to find a more consistent correlative of mental health, or a better insurance against self-destructive behaviors, than a strong religious faith.
A REMARKABLE REVOLUTION
That psychology and its affiliated fields have come up with these findings is remarkable, to say the very least.
Since the early 20th century, a group of psychologists has been caustic in their condemnation of religion. They have branded faith as a form of mental disorder, a disorder that they predicted humanity would outgrow. Such thoughts have led to the predominance of the atheistic mentality in the psychology and other related fields and in medical science at large.
But even in those times there were renowned thinkers who differed markedly. Consider for example what the famous Carl Jung remarked in 1932:
Among all the patients in the second half of my life,… there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life. It is safe to say that every one of them fell ill because he had lost that which the living religions of every age have given their followers and none of them has really healed who did not regain his religious outlook.
In other words, Carl Jung firmly believed that faith was a medicine rather than a disease.
And the findings of the late 20th century show that the atheistic challenge to religion, made under the guise of science, has collapsed - that too under the weight of scientific evidence. That this has happened in such an emphatic way in psychology itself, the field where it once gathered great momentum, is eloquent testimony to the sheer magnitude of the revolution in science vis-a-vis spirituality that we are witnessing.
The physicians are coming up with similar findings. Harvard Medical School associate professor of medicine Herbert Benson states that contemporary medical research is showing that the human mind and body are "wired for God". A Time cover story puts it even more explicit terms. When it comes to health, "the faithful actually have God on their side." Several other fields as wide-ranging as sociology and ecology are coming up with increasing evidence showing that only a spiritual way of life is sustainable and satisfying; atheism courts disaster at every level.
THE REDISCOVERY
Thus modern science is slowly and painfully rediscovering what all the religious scriptures have been teaching since time immemorial: the living being and God are made for each other. When a living being rejects God, he is, by deliberate misuse of his God-given intelligence, stripping his own life of all meaning, direction, substance, peace and happiness.
The big question however remains. Has modern man experienced enough to learn this lesson? Or does he want to continue in the school of hard knocks? At a global level, time alone will tell. But at an individual level, the Spiritual Scientist will be there to help its readers make the intelligent choice.

WILLPOWER

2007-02-02T20:12:00.000+05:30

Willpower can enable us to do wonders and its absence can cripple us lifelong. So it is imperative for us to know the factors that enhance and erode willpower. The chariot-body analogy given in the Upanishads offers valuable insights in this regard. In this remarkably comprehensive analogy, the body is compared to a chariot, the five knowledge-acquiring senses (eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin) are compared to the horses driving the chariot, the mind is compared to the reins controlling the horses, the intelligence is compared to the charioteer and the self is compared to the passenger. The chariot can take the passenger to his desired destination only when the charioteer is strong enough to control and direct the horses using the reins. Similarly we can achieve success only when our intelligence is strong enough to control and direct our senses using our mind.
The intelligence that this analogy refers to is different from the IQ score, which modern society worships as the sign of intelligence. IQ deals only with information-processing ability; the ability to memorize, recollect, group, segregate and play with large volumes of data. Actual intelligence however has two essential components – discrimination and determination. Discrimination implies the capacity to differentiate between the harmful and the beneficial, the short-term and the long-term, the temporary and the eternal, the material and the spiritual. Determination indicates the strength to act in accordance with the verdict of our discrimination; to accept the beneficial, even if it is not offering instant pleasure and to eschew the harmful, even if it is offering immediate titillation.
Contemporary society often dulls and deadens our discriminatory power by its incessant emphasis on materialism and consumerism. The great wisdom traditions of the world can aid us better in sharpening our discriminatory faculty. The Vedic scriptures state that the guru-sadhu-shastra (spiritual preceptor, saints and scriptures) are the source of real intelligence. By associating with and hearing from spiritualists who have dedicated themselves to the welfare of all living beings, we can get the spiritual acumen to not let immediate pleasures and moods overshadow our long-term concerns and goals.
Sustainable determination comes by harmonious application of our ability to desire. The human will is prone to be fallible but the divine will is undefeatable. Therefore the secret to sustained determination is the alignment of human will with the divine will. We can most easily and effectively access the supreme power of God by meditating on and chanting His holy names. That is why all the great spiritual traditions of the world extol the holy name of God. The Vedic texts recommend the chanting of the maha-mantra (the great chant for deliverance) Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare / Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. Millions of people all over the world have experienced the cathartic power of this maha-mantra as it has empowered them to give up various self-destructive habits like smoking, alcoholism, substance abuse and become integrated, balanced, peaceful and joyful human beings dedicated to the selfless service of God and all His children.

2006-05-26T15:14:00.000+05:30

ARE WE THE MAKERS OF OUR DESTINY?

The concept of destiny has fascinated humans since time immemorial. Is our success predestined? Or is it in our hands? Most modern thought has deemed that our endeavor alone determines our success. But with competition intensifying, changes accelerating and many unpredictable and uncontrollable factors determining results in today's complex world, many people are reexamining this belief. For example, a brilliant student, despite diligent studies, gets average marks, whereas a mediocre student, with last-minute cramming, gets high grades. Why? Are we just unwitting players in a cosmic lottery, with chance as the supreme arbiter? Or are results handed down by destiny, under the sanction of a just God? Some people recoil at the very mention of destiny. They fear that lazy people may opportunistically argue, "As the result is predestined, why work hard?" and so become irresponsible and fatalistic. However knowledge of destiny does not justify fatalism because the Mahabharata clarifies, "Destiny determines the results of our actions, not our actions themselves."

The Vedic texts explain that these two ideologies, karmavada (endeavor, karma, alone determines success) and daivavada (destiny, daiva, alone determines success) are the two extremes of the pendulum of human imagination. In reality, success requires both endeavor and destiny. For example, in agriculture, a good harvest requires both diligent ploughing and timely rains. Ploughing represents endeavor and rains signify destiny. Despite ploughing, no harvest can result, if there are no rains. Similarly sometimes, despite our best efforts, we may fail, due to adverse destiny. When people are uninformed about the role of destiny in determining results, failures make them feel hopeless, "I am worthless and cannot do anything well", even when they have the potential to perform in the future. Consequently today many of our brothers and sisters are unfortunately and needlessly suffering from mental problems like inferiority complex, low self-esteem, depression and self-pity.

Lord Krishna gives us hope in the Bhagavad-gita by pointing out that though we don't determine the result, we do play a significant role. Going back to the farmer analogy, the farmer must plough the field for favorable rainfall to produce crops. Similarly we must endeavor for destiny to produce results. Hence the Gita urges us to perform our God-given duty without attachment. We need detachment because our material happiness and distress in this life are predestined by our own karma from past lives. We cannot change them no matter how hard we work. But by doing our present duties industriously and honestly, we can get our destined happiness. Also we can make for ourselves a bright future destiny, even if our present is bleak.

Moreover, even at present, destiny limits only our material happiness, not our spiritual happiness. All of us have equal and complete opportunity to awaken our dormant love for God and experience oceanic happiness thereof. This supreme fulfillment is available at our tongue tips, just by the chanting of the Holy Names of God, Krishna. No inimical destiny can obstruct us in achieving divine bliss; rather when we take one step towards God, He takes a thousand steps towards us. Even a little spiritual dynamism brings enormous returns. And as we are intrinsically spiritual beings and as our lasting satisfaction comes from spiritual devotion, we can rejoice in knowing that our real happiness is not destined, but is in our own hands. Hence intelligent people are cautious to not let over-endeavor for flickering material aggrandizement deprive them of the time and energy to strive for lasting spiritual enlightenment.
Let us therefore do our best (materially and spiritually) and leave the rest (to God faithfully).

2006-05-23T17:27:00.000+05:30

CURE YOUR SPIRITUAL AMNESIA

"Imagine a millionaire's son traveling in a car through a hill. Suddenly his car skids and falls hundreds of feet down. Somehow he jumps out of the car before it explodes. Fortunately he falls on a sand dune in the valley. He survives but gets amnesia due to a blow on the head. The tribals residing in the valley rescue him and give him a name and a role in their community. Though a prince he now slaves as a woodcutter. His millionaire father comes searching for him, but he fails to even identify his own father, what to speak of returning back. His father has to employ a doctor who gives shock treatment to him. Though initially upset by the shock, he eventually recovers from the amnesia. And then he returns back with his father to live happily ever after."

We are all the beloved children of God, who is the king of all kings, the supremely wealthy person. Krishna is not just a lakhpati or karodpati; He is Lakshmipati, the Lord of the Goddess of Fortune. Unfortunately we have fallen from our original home, the spiritual world, down to this material world and are afflicted by spiritual amnesia. From our birth, society gives us an identity and a function – you are so-and-so and your goal is to become a so-and-so professional. And we operate like programmed robots, struggling for paltry sensual pleasures, breaking the trees of exams and projects and carrying the logs of anxieties and obligations. Krishna comes to this world or sends His sons, prophets or devotees to invite us back to our eternal joyful life with Him. But we fail to even recognize our own eternal father, leave alone consider returning back to Him. Krishna being our unconditionally benevolent father loves us too much to take offence at our neglecting or rejecting Him. But our non-cooperation compels Him to employ material nature to give us shock treatment. The shocks comprise of the threefold material miseries – adhyatmika klesha (mental stress, bodily disorders etc), adhidaivika klesha (natural disasters, climatic inconveniences etc) and adhibhautika klesha (quarrels, divorces etc) and the fourfold material problems – old age, disease, death and rebirth. Krishna doesn't want us to suffer, but if suffering is what is necessary to cure us, like any responsible father, He allows temporary material suffering for our eternal spiritual redemption. Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, succinctly states, "The miseries of material existence indirectly serve to remind us of our incompatibility with matter." How? These miseries, though disturbing, impel intelligent people to go to the representatives of God – the sacred scriptures and the saintly teachers. The enlightenment they offer commences the cure for our spiritual amnesia and paves the way for our ultimate spiritual reinstatement as divine princes.

Importantly shock treatment is not the only way to cure amnesia. If the patient cooperates with the doctor, his dormant memory can be revived by suitable stimuli. Similarly we don't have to be shocked out of our bodily misidentification. If we cooperate with Krishna by submissively receiving the spiritual stimulus of His Holy Name, we awaken to our spiritual identity and glory. The more we accept the memory treatment, the less the doctor needs to use the shock treatment. Similarly the more we seek shelter and pleasure in the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha mantra, the less will be our material miseries and the less will be our irritation due to whatever miseries are inevitable. Let us therefore help ourselves by remembering Srila Prabhupada's words of wisdom, "Chant Hare Krishna and be happy."

2006-05-20T11:52:00.000+05:30

IS SKEPTICISM HEROIC?

Many people in the modern times tend to be skeptical about spiritual life and they are often proud of their skepticism thinking it to be sign of their freedom from dependence on any unverifiable schools of thought. However, despite the bluff and bravado of such skeptical people, underneath the veneer, their life is aimless, meaningless and filled with an existential emptiness.

On a deeper examination, one will find that their skepticism does not come from an intelligent inspection and rejection of different spiritual philosophies. Rather it arises from an obstinate determination to enjoy the things of this world irrespective of the facts of life. An American comedian has poignantly stated, 'I have already made up my mind. Don't confuse me with the facts.' Similarly most people who take shelter of skepticism have already decided that wealth, women, wine are the goals of their life. And even if the facts of spirituality - existence of God, the existence of soul, the potency of prayer - are presented to them with scientific evidence and sound logic, they blindly reject these facts so that their materialistic and often hedonistic lifestyle is not disturbed.

The factual miseries of life – bodily disorders, mental anxieties, relationship problems, climatic inconveniences and natural calamities and ultimately old age, disease and death – are an inescapable reality and are a spur for intelligent people to search our a spiritual solution. A skeptic is like a sick person who instead of searching for a competent doctor and medicine, pretends to be healthy – and is proud of his pretense. Though seeming to be bold, skepticism is actually cowardice because a skeptical person does not have the willpower to control his unbridled mind and senses and discipline himself to live a life of spiritual principles. This unwillingness or inability to live a principle-centered life is covered over with a veneer of skepticism, which is used to offer a philosophical justification for an unprincipled life.

Once Srila Prabhupada after giving a discourse in New York was asked a question by a young man, "Swamiji, your philosophy sounds like the philosophy of Buddha." Srila Prabhupada counter-questioned, "Do you follow Buddha?" The person was taken aback. He said, "No". Srila Prabhupada chastised him, "This is the problem with you Americans. You just talk but don't follow anything. Follow Buddha, follow Jesus, follow Krishna, follow someone. Don't just talk."

Here Srila Prabhupada was emphasizing that armchair speculation will get us nowhere. If we follow a spiritual path properly, if it is faulty that will be exposed to us by the fact that we will get no results. And if it is proper, that too will be revealed to us by the fact that we will see transformation in our life. But if we just keep discussing about various paths and don't apply anything, we will get nowhere in life. And that is the ultimate unfortunate destiny of a skeptic. Achieving happiness neither in this life nor in the next, a skeptic simply suffers. On the other hand, a wise person intelligently examines different philosophies and praying to the Almighty God to guide him to what is the ultimate truth and what is the ultimate good for him, he takes a leap of faith. For such a person sooner or later, the best path will be revealed to him and he will be able to attain happiness not just in the next life but also in the next, because his life will be empowered and protected by the universal principles with which he is harmonizing.

Thus skepticism is not a philosophy, rather its a 'foolosophy,' the sophistry of fools.

Millions of people since time immemorial and thousands even now have experienced the transforming potency of the Holy Names of God, which has elevated them from confused self-destruction to enlightened self-actualization. Therefore as a test case, as a bold path breaking personality who refuses to follow the beaten track that takes ordinary lesser people to their inevitable destiny of misery, anxiety, old age, disease and death, why not take an intelligent leap of faith and experience for yourself the wisdom of Srila Prabhupada’s timeless instruction, "Chant Hare Krishna and be happy"? Why continue to deprive yourself of spiritual empowerment and enrichment In the name of self-destructive skepticism?

2006-05-20T11:42:00.000+05:30

HEALTHY BODY, SICK MIND

Anxiety, tension, stress, depression – these have become an integral part of modern life. The WHO has declared that mental diseases are going to be the greatest health hazard of the present century. Mental diseases gradually transform either into a variety of physical ailments known as psychosomatic diseases or they can transform into addictive drives such as smoking, drinking, drug addiction, which also destroy the body. Thus the diseased mind poses an enormous threat to the entire human race .

When a bodily tissue causes pain to a person it is considered to be diseased. Similarly when mind is causing trouble to us it should also be considered diseased. What is it that makes the mind sick? Modern psychology offers little understanding of what the mind actually is & provides practically no way of curing it of its disease. The Vedic scriptures of ancient India explain that the mind is a reservoir of thoughts, unfulfilled desires & past experiences. When the mind is filled with self-destructive desires, it is considered to be sick. Lust, anger, greed, pride, envy & illusion are considered to be deadly germs, which infect the mind. Among these, the Bhagavad-gita declares lust, anger & greed to be gateways to hell. These not only lead a person to hell but they create hellish existence for him even in this life. Let us see how.

Lust creates uncontrolable sexual urges, which destroy the intelligence of a person & compel him to bestial acts. Sex may be seen to be a natural biological drive but modern society with its glaring rotted imaging has made it into an obsessive psychological compulsion. People bombarded from all direction with obscene images living state of artificial sexual stimulation & perpetual mental agitation created due to lust is enormous. A person infected by lust can never be peaceful because lust can never be satisfied; when lust is satisfied it transforms into greed & when not satisfied it transforms into anger.

Modern society with its constant emphasis on consumerism & increases greed is the hearts of people. A greedy person craves for far more than what he needs is life. This craving deprives him of all mental peace. The hope of acquiring more & more naturally leads to anxiety & agitation of the mind, because no matter how much he achieves or acquires, a person victimised by greed can find no fulfillment ever.

Anger makes a person speak words and perpetuate acts, which cause immense suffering to people around him including especially those whom he loves & to even himself. People savour scenes of ghastly violence in movie & then wonder why, in fits of anger, they loose control over themselves. The GIGO( garbage in garbage out) computer principle is at work. In our modern times, many highly talented and successful personalities have been ruined by these mental enemies. For example, Bill Clinton was destroyed by lust, Hansei Cronje by greed and Mike Tyson by anger.

Thus if we want our mental health to be restored, then we need to carefully avoid exposing ourselves to pornographic obscene literature & imagery. We need to protect ourselves from being captivated by the illusory glitter of the consumer culture, before it consumes our whole existence & we need to avoid exposing ourselves to scenes & situations involving needless violence.

Over & above all these preventive measures, in order to destory the germs which have already infected our minds and to immunize ourselves from further infections, we need to take the spiritual medicine of mantra. manas trayate iti mantrah A mantra is a sound vibration which is specially empowered to free the mind from anxiety. Indeed mantra is actually spiritual power encased in sound. Among all the mantras described by the Vedic scriptures, the Hare Krishna mahamantra is the most important. One who regularly & attentively chants the mahamantra : Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Ram Hare Ram Ram Ram Hare Hare will be able to access inner mental strength which will empower him to face the ups & downs of life without being unduly disturbed.

The holy name is like a mental cleanser, which removes the unwanted influences of lust, anger, greed, etc. & thus creates mental hygiene & health. Millions of people all over the world have experienced the purifying potency of this mantra. During the period of the counterculture in the US in 1960s and 1970s, Srila Prabhupada, one of the greatest exponent’s of India’s ancient wisdom, propagated the congregational chanting of the Holy Names and saved thousands of young people from a condemned life of drug addiction. Protected and empowered by mantra meditation, we can all learn to live lives that are natural, peaceful, satisfying, meaningful and constructive. Would you not like to attain your right of mental serenity and wisdom.

2006-05-20T11:23:00.000+05:30

THE NIGHT DREAM AND THE DAY DREAM

Once a king summoned his ministers in the early morning hours and asked them, “Last night, I had a very vivid dream. I was a butterfly, going from flower to flower, drinking honey. My dream was so clear and real that I have a grave doubt: Am I a king who was dreaming that he was a butterfly or am I a butterfly now dreaming that I am a king?”

The commonplace phenomenon of dreams constitutes one of the greatest human mysteries. What is a dream? Is it real? If it is not, then why does a nightmare have real effects on the body like sweating and panting, something which happens only when we “really” run in fear? Could it be that our waking life is also a dream?
If we look back at a past experience from a dream and our waking life, is there any substantial difference? Both are gone and done and we can do nothing about them now except remember them. We call what we experience when asleep as a dream because it ends when we wake up. Will death be like waking up from the dream of what we are experiencing when “awake” now?

If we think deeply about dreams, they indicate our identity to be different from our body. When we dream, our bodies lie on the bed, experiencing nothing physically. Yet we experience being chased by a tiger or sporting with a princess. This means I - the experiencer of the emotions – am not the body.

The Vedic scriptures explain that our consciousness shuttles between four states – jagruti (normal wakefulness), svapna (dream), sushupti (deep dreamless sleep) and samadhi (divine wakefulness). Our actual identity as souls, beloved children of God, is experienced in samadhi. Presently, though physically awake we are spiritually asleep.
Therefore, the answer to the king’s question is: he is a spiritual child of God, dreaming himself to be a king (jagruti). And within that dream, he is having a second dream of being a butterfly (svapna).

A sleeping person cannot even perceive the existence of the shining sun, though the sun is sustaining his very life. Similarly due to our spiritual slumber, we cannot perceive the presence and love of God, though He is sustaining our very existence by providing heat, light, air, water and food. But just as a sleeping person can be awakened by sound, we can wake from our spiritual slumber through spiritual sound – the holy name of God. Therefore let us chant and wake up to our rightful joyful life of immortal love.

2006-05-20T11:01:00.000+05:30

SUICIDE – WHY? WHAT TO DO?

The tragic suicide by three IIT students has jolted the whole nation. Equally alarming are the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics that over one million people commit suicide every year. This figure is more than the total annual deaths due to wars and murders combined. WHO calls this disturbing global trend - more people being killed by themselves than by others - a tragic social health problem.

Suicide cases highlight the gross imbalance in material and spiritual values in contemporary society. When people lack spiritual knowledge, they naturally live for worldly goals. Their entire sense of identity and self-worth comes from the pursuit and achievement of materialistic aims such as wealth, sensual pleasure, possessions and positions. This narrow-minded definition of success in terms of material achievements lies at the root of suicidal thought. Why? Because people pursuing such goals will sooner or later be confronted with a situation where they will fail to gain or fear the failure to gain what they crave for. And similarly those who possess these things will be faced with situations where they lose or fear to lose what they live for. In such situations people become so identity-less and purpose-less that they feel life not worth living. And destroying one’s very existence appears to be the only escape.

For example, a student who considers getting top grades to be his life’s only goal will feel euphoric on becoming a topper. But he is equally prone to be devastated if he fails. If he thinks that marks are the be-all and end-all in life, he may well consider his life a disgraceful failure and decide to end it.

How can spirituality help in such a situation? Spiritual knowledge from the sacred scriptures helps us understand our eternal identity as spiritual beings, beloved children of God. Spiritual practices like prayer, meditation and chanting of holy names help us experience the reality of God’s love for us. Our life becomes motivated and directed by a glorious purpose – to use all our abilities and resources in the service of God and all His children, to thus revive our dormant love for God and to share that treasure of peace and joy with all living beings. We become empowered by the conviction that even if everything goes wrong and everyone misunderstands us, still one person cares for us, understands us and stays unflinchingly with us at all times – God. Just as an intelligent child sees the love of the mother, not only in her pat, but also her slap, spirituality helps us to see God’s love, not only in times of success, but also in times of failure. We see life in proper perspective – not as a 100 m sprint in pursuit of fleeting pleasures, but as a 100 km marathon in pursuit of everlasting joy. Even amidst reversals, we see the road to eternal glory still beckoning us. Buoyed by the protecting and reassuring presence of God in our hearts and lives, we march confidently through the ups and downs of life.

Empirical findings vindicate the inverse correlation between spirituality and suicide. The spiraling suicide rate in recent times has been concomitant with the overemphasis on material pursuits and a corresponding rejection or neglect of spirituality. Sociological surveys show that spiritually-minded people enjoy much better mental health than their materialistic counterparts. So as we pray for the souls of the unfortunate students who ended their own lives, let us also pray for the spiritual enlightenment of the numberless others who may be treading a similar path. Let us also strive to ourselves assimilate and disseminate spiritual wisdom and thus help people lead balanced, meaningful, peaceful and cheerful lives.