மனம் என்றால் என்ன என்று உற்று பார்க்கும் போது, மனம் என்பது உடம்புக்குள் இருக்கின்ற உணர்வுகளின் கூட்டமைப்பு. உடம்பில்லாத இடத்தில் மனம் இல்லை. மனம் உடம்போடு தொடர்புடையது. உடம்பு எதோடு தொடர்புடையது என்று ஆராய்ந்தார்கள் ஞானிகள். அது பஞ்ச பூதங்களால் ஆனது. இந்த பஞ்ச பூதங்கள்தான் உடம்பின் இயக்கத்துக்கு காரணம். உடம்பில் ரத்தம், தசை, பிராணனன், கணச்சுடு, வெற்றிடம் இவை அனைத்தும் பஞ்சபூதங்களாக போற்ற படுகின்றன. இந்த ஐந்தும் வேலை செய்வதால்தான் மனம் என்ற ஒன்று உருவாகிறது.
புத்தி தன் அணுக்களில் அனைத்தையும் நியாபகத்தில் வைத்து கொள்ளகிறது. மனம் அந்த நியாபகத்தை தன் திறனுக்கு ஏற்ப கற்பனை செய்கிறது. "மனதின் ஆட்டம்தான் வாழ்க்கை, அதாவது கற்பனைகளின் கூட்டம்தான் வாழ்க்கை" என்பது ஞானிகளின் கறுத்து். இவர் நல்லவர், இவர் கேட்டவர், இந்த வார்த்தை சொன்னால் எனக்கு கோபம் வரும், எனக்கு இது பிடிக்காது, நான் அழகாக இருக்கிறேன் என்பவை அனைத்தும் கற்பனையே.. இந்த மனதின் மாயையில்தான் வாழ்க்கை ஓடுகிறது என்பது அறிந்தோர் வாக்கு. தான் அழகாக இருக்கிறோம், இந்த பெண் தனக்கு வேண்டும். எந்த பெண் அழகு எல்லாரும் ரத்தமும், சதையும் கலந்த மலமூத்திரதாரிகள்தானே? எந்த வாழ்க்கை நிரந்தரம்? எல்லாம் அழியகூடிய ஒன்று தான். எது சந்தோஷம்? எல்லாம் காணாமல் போக வேண்டியது தான். அனைத்தும் மனதின் கற்பனையே.. இருந்தலும் மனம் எதையோ தேடி அலைந்து கொண்டுதான் இருக்கிறது. தான் நினைத்து நடந்து விட்டால் அதை சந்தோஷம் என்று கற்பனை செய்கிறது, நடக்கவில்லையென்றால் துக்கம் என்று கற்பனை செய்கிறது. தான் நினைத்து நடத்து விட்டால், அடுத்து ஒன்றை தேட தொடங்கிவிடுகிறது. இடைவிடாது அலைகிறது. மனம் திருப்தியாவதே இல்லை. இதுவே மனதின் இயல்பாக கருதபடுகிறது. எது மனதின் இயல்போ அதுவே மனிதனின் இயல்பு. மனிதனின் இயல்பு இடைவிடாது சுகத்தை தேடி அலைவது. இதில், மனிதன் இந்த சுகத்தை அடைவதற்கு தன் வாழ்க்கை முழுதும் எப்படியேல்லாம் அவஸ்தை படவேண்டுமோ, எப்படியேல்லாம் அவமானபடவேண்டுமோ அது அனைத்தையும் பட்டுகொண்டே இருக்கிறான்.
இப்படி ஆட்டிப்படைகும் மனதை தன் வசப்படுத்ததான் நமது முன்னோர்கள் பல வழிமுறைகளை கண்டறிந்தார்கள். அதில் ஒன்றுதான் பிராணனை உற்று நோக்குவது, பிராணனை கட்டுப்படுத்துதல். இதற்கென்று ஒரு நியமத்தை ஏற்ப்படுத்தி அதை 'பிராணாயாமம்' என்று அழைத்தார்கள். மனதை வசப்படுத்த இதுவும் ஒரு வழி, இது போல் பல வழிகள் உள்ளன.
பதினென் சித்தர்களில் ஒருவராக கருதப்படும் 'அகத்திய மாமுனி'-யின் பாடல் ஒன்று:
"மனமது செம்மையானால் மந்திரம் செபிக்க வேண்டா
மனமது செம்மையானால் வாயுவைவுயர்த்த வேண்டா
மனமது செம்மையானால் வாசியை நிறுத்த வேண்டா
மனமது செம்மையானால் மந்திரம் செம்மையாமே..."
மனிதன் என்றும் மனதிற்க்கு அடிமையே...
Friday, June 16, 2006
Friday, June 09, 2006
Symbol of 'Ohm'
- The symbol Om, Ohm or Aum is believed to be the sound that was spoken to create the universe and life.
- It is made up of three separate sounds, and saying these together makes Om the ultimate mantra.
- Saying the three sounds together in the right way helps to awaken the inner self, the atman, which is a spark from the divine Brahman. When said in this way, Om is called Pranava, the sacred sound (sacred humming).
- It is the representation of Brahman, who is unreachable and unknowable. By using the symbol (or saying the word), Hindus can approach Brahman in both the mystical and earth-bound planes.
- The symbol has huge significance in Hindu life, appearing everywhere – on temples, on amulets worn by almost everyone and even painted onto the tongue of newborns using honey, to welcome them into life.
Vedas - Quick look....
The Rig Veda:
The Rig Veda is the oldest of the Vedas. All the other Vedas are based upon it and consist to a large degree of various hymns from it. It consists of a thousand such hymns of different seers, each hymn averaging around ten verses. The Rig Veda is the oldest book in Sanskrit or any Indo-European language. Its date is debatable. Many great Yogis and scholars who have understood the astronomical references in the hymns, date the Rig Veda as before 4000 B.C., perhaps as early as 12,000. Modern western scholars tend to date it around 1500 B.C., though recent archeological finds in India (like Dwaraka) now appear to require a much earlier date. While the term Vedic is often given to any layer of the Vedic teachings including the Bhagavad Gita, technically it applies primarily to the Rig Veda.
The Rig Veda is the book of Mantra. It contains the oldest form of all the Sanskrit mantras. It is built around a science of sound which comprehends the meaning and power of each letter. Most aspects of Vedic science like the practice of yoga, meditation, mantra and Ayurveda can be found in the Rig Veda and still use many terms that come from it.
While originally several different versions or rescensions of the Rig Veda were said to exist, only one remains. Its form has been structured in several different ways to guarantee its authenticity and proper preservation through time.
The Sama Veda:
The Sama Veda is the Yoga of Song. It consists of various hymns of the Rig Veda put to a different and more musical chant. Hence the text of the Sama Veda is a reduced version of the Rig Veda.
Its secret is in its musical annotation and rendering. The Sama Veda represents the ecstasy of spiritual knowledge and the power of devotion. The Rig Veda is the word, the Sama Veda is the song or the meaning. The Rig Veda is the knowledge, the Sama Veda its realization. Hence the two always go together like husband and wife. The Rig Veda is the wife and the Sama is the husband.
The Yajur Veda:
The Yajur Veda seen by the outer vision is the Veda of ritual. On an inner level, it sets forth a yogic practice for purifying the mind and awakening the inner consciousness.
Several versions of the Yajur Veda exist, which differ in a number of respects. It was the main Veda used by the priests in ancient India and has much in common with the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
Its deities are the same as the Rig Veda. The purpose of the ritual is to put together and recreate within ourselves the Cosmic Man or Indra. The ritual is to recreate the universe within our own psyche and thereby unite the individual with the universal. Its series of sacrifices culminate in the Atmayajna or the self-sacrifice wherein the ego is offered up to the Divine. While the lesser sacrifices win the lesser worlds, the Self-sacrifice wins all the worlds and gains the greatest gift of immortality.
The Atharva Veda :
The Atharva Veda is the last of the Vedas. It has not always been accepted as a Veda, which are often spoken of as three. It still contains many hymns from the Rig Veda but also has some more popular magic spells which are outside of the strictly ritual-knowledge orientation of the other Vedas.
Like the Rig Veda it is a collection of hymns but of a more diverse character, some very exalted like the Rig Veda others of more common nature. As such it gives us a better idea of the life of common people in Vedic times.
Atharvan is also an important figure in the Zoroastrian religion. Atar is the Persian name for fire and the Atharvan is the fire priest. The deities of the Atharva Veda are also the same as the Rig Veda although Rudra-Shiva assumes a more visible role. The language is a little simpler and less variable in its forms
The Rig Veda is the oldest of the Vedas. All the other Vedas are based upon it and consist to a large degree of various hymns from it. It consists of a thousand such hymns of different seers, each hymn averaging around ten verses. The Rig Veda is the oldest book in Sanskrit or any Indo-European language. Its date is debatable. Many great Yogis and scholars who have understood the astronomical references in the hymns, date the Rig Veda as before 4000 B.C., perhaps as early as 12,000. Modern western scholars tend to date it around 1500 B.C., though recent archeological finds in India (like Dwaraka) now appear to require a much earlier date. While the term Vedic is often given to any layer of the Vedic teachings including the Bhagavad Gita, technically it applies primarily to the Rig Veda.
The Rig Veda is the book of Mantra. It contains the oldest form of all the Sanskrit mantras. It is built around a science of sound which comprehends the meaning and power of each letter. Most aspects of Vedic science like the practice of yoga, meditation, mantra and Ayurveda can be found in the Rig Veda and still use many terms that come from it.
While originally several different versions or rescensions of the Rig Veda were said to exist, only one remains. Its form has been structured in several different ways to guarantee its authenticity and proper preservation through time.
The Sama Veda:
The Sama Veda is the Yoga of Song. It consists of various hymns of the Rig Veda put to a different and more musical chant. Hence the text of the Sama Veda is a reduced version of the Rig Veda.
Its secret is in its musical annotation and rendering. The Sama Veda represents the ecstasy of spiritual knowledge and the power of devotion. The Rig Veda is the word, the Sama Veda is the song or the meaning. The Rig Veda is the knowledge, the Sama Veda its realization. Hence the two always go together like husband and wife. The Rig Veda is the wife and the Sama is the husband.
The Yajur Veda:
The Yajur Veda seen by the outer vision is the Veda of ritual. On an inner level, it sets forth a yogic practice for purifying the mind and awakening the inner consciousness.
Several versions of the Yajur Veda exist, which differ in a number of respects. It was the main Veda used by the priests in ancient India and has much in common with the Egyptian Book of the Dead.
Its deities are the same as the Rig Veda. The purpose of the ritual is to put together and recreate within ourselves the Cosmic Man or Indra. The ritual is to recreate the universe within our own psyche and thereby unite the individual with the universal. Its series of sacrifices culminate in the Atmayajna or the self-sacrifice wherein the ego is offered up to the Divine. While the lesser sacrifices win the lesser worlds, the Self-sacrifice wins all the worlds and gains the greatest gift of immortality.
The Atharva Veda :
The Atharva Veda is the last of the Vedas. It has not always been accepted as a Veda, which are often spoken of as three. It still contains many hymns from the Rig Veda but also has some more popular magic spells which are outside of the strictly ritual-knowledge orientation of the other Vedas.
Like the Rig Veda it is a collection of hymns but of a more diverse character, some very exalted like the Rig Veda others of more common nature. As such it gives us a better idea of the life of common people in Vedic times.
Atharvan is also an important figure in the Zoroastrian religion. Atar is the Persian name for fire and the Atharvan is the fire priest. The deities of the Atharva Veda are also the same as the Rig Veda although Rudra-Shiva assumes a more visible role. The language is a little simpler and less variable in its forms
Stress Management Lesson..
DearFriends,
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it."
"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!"
And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
A lecturer, when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked, "How heavy is this glass of water?" Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g. The lecturer replied, "The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it."
"If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem. If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm. If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance. In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes."
He continued, "And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. As with the glass of water, you have to put it down for a while and rest before holding it again. When we're refreshed, we can carry on with the burden."
"So, before you return home tonight, put the burden of work down. Don't carry it home. You can pick it up tomorrow. Whatever burdens you're carrying now, let them down for a moment if you can. Relax; pick them up later after you've rested. Life is short. Enjoy it!"
And then he shared some ways of dealing with the burdens of life:
- Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
- Always keep your words soft and sweet, just in case you have to eat them.
- Drive carefully. It's not only cars that can be recalled by their maker.
- Never put both feet in your mouth at the same time, because then you won't have a leg to stand on.
- Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
- Since it's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, sleep late.
- The second mouse gets the cheese.
- When everything's coming your way, you're in the wrong lane.
- Birthdays are good for you. The more you have, the longer you live.
- You may be only one person in the world to some people, but to one person, you may be the world.
- We could learn a lot from crayons. Some are sharp, some are pretty and some are dull. Some have weird names, and all are different colors, but they all have to live in the same box.
- A truly happy person is one who can enjoy the scenery on a detour.
A perfect One...
Once upon a time there was a rich King who had four
wives.
He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with
rich robes and treated
her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing
but the best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always
showing her off to
neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day
she would leave him
for another.
He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and
was always kind,
considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King
faced a problem, he
could confide in her, and she would help him get
through the difficult
times.
The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had
made great
contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom.
However, he did not
love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he
hardly took notice
of her!
One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was
short. He thought of
his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives
with me, but when
I die, I'll be all alone."
Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you the most,
endowed you with
the finest clothing and showered great care over you.
Now that I'm dying,
will you follow me and keep me company?"
"No way!", replied the 4th wife, and she walked away
without another
word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his
heart.
The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I loved you all
my life. Now
that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me
company?"
"No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When
you die, I'm going
to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to
you for help and
you've always been there for me. When I die, will you
follow me and keep
me company?"
"I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!", replied
the 2nd wife. "At
the very most, I can only walk with you to your
grave." Her answer struck
him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was
devastated.
Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll
follow you no matter
where you go." The King looked up, and there was his
first wife. She was
very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and
neglect. Greatly
grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much
better care of you when
I had the chance!"
In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:
Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and
effort we lavish in
making it look good, it will leave us when we die.
Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth.
When we die, it will
all go to others.
Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how
much they have been
there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up
to the grave.
And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in
pursuit of wealth, power
and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the
only thing that will
follow us wherever we go.
Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is
the only part of us
that will follow us to the throne of God and continue
with us throughout
Eternity.
Thought for the day:
Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees,
you're in the perfect position to pray.
Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to
see beyond the imperfections!
wives.
He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with
rich robes and treated
her to the finest of delicacies. He gave her nothing
but the best.
He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always
showing her off to
neighboring kingdoms. However, he feared that one day
she would leave him
for another.
He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confidant and
was always kind,
considerate and patient with him. Whenever the King
faced a problem, he
could confide in her, and she would help him get
through the difficult
times.
The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had
made great
contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom.
However, he did not
love the first wife. Although she loved him deeply, he
hardly took notice
of her!
One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was
short. He thought of
his luxurious life and wondered, I now have four wives
with me, but when
I die, I'll be all alone."
Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I loved you the most,
endowed you with
the finest clothing and showered great care over you.
Now that I'm dying,
will you follow me and keep me company?"
"No way!", replied the 4th wife, and she walked away
without another
word. Her answer cut like a sharp knife right into his
heart.
The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I loved you all
my life. Now
that I'm dying, will you follow me and keep me
company?"
"No!", replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good! When
you die, I'm going
to remarry!" His heart sank and turned cold.
He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to
you for help and
you've always been there for me. When I die, will you
follow me and keep
me company?"
"I'm sorry, I can't help you out this time!", replied
the 2nd wife. "At
the very most, I can only walk with you to your
grave." Her answer struck
him like a bolt of lightning, and the King was
devastated.
Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll
follow you no matter
where you go." The King looked up, and there was his
first wife. She was
very skinny as she suffered from malnutrition and
neglect. Greatly
grieved, the King said, "I should have taken much
better care of you when
I had the chance!"
In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives:
Our 4th wife is our body. No matter how much time and
effort we lavish in
making it look good, it will leave us when we die.
Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth.
When we die, it will
all go to others.
Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter how
much they have been
there for us, the furthest they can stay by us is up
to the grave.
And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in
pursuit of wealth, power
and pleasures of the world. However, our Soul is the
only thing that will
follow us wherever we go.
Cultivate, strengthen and cherish it now, for it is
the only part of us
that will follow us to the throne of God and continue
with us throughout
Eternity.
Thought for the day:
Remember, when the world pushes you to your knees,
you're in the perfect position to pray.
Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect. It means you've decided to
see beyond the imperfections!
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