उगादी स्पेशल

Let’s make a new beginning

నూతన సంవసర శుభ కాంక్షలు! Happy Ugadi! Ugadi means Yugamu yokka aadi – means the beginning of a new Yuga or era. New Yuga doesn’t just begin with a time striking particular hour or minute, but it represents a new beginning of thoughts. New Yuga means a conscious shift universally made. Now whether this universal consciousness is for good or bad depends solely on the shift made. Each one of us is contributing to this universal shift by giving through our Being. It means if I am frustrated and agitated, I am contributing that energy to the universal consciousness. In spite of me thinking of myself as a good person, karmically speaking as I am contributing agitated and frustrated energies to the universal consciousness, I am to bear the fruits of this karma – sooner or later. But, since it all happens in our unaware state, we are both angry and frustrated when things go out of hand in our lives. Anyone who feels he/she has had enough of this pain in their lives and don’t want any more naturally selects the path that takes them to a point of karma healing.

But, for that let’s understand at what points we can make a difference in the effect of karma in our lives.

Ø The last stage is the Break-down point. And the only way to fix it is Break-down Maintenance. Simply said, a vehicle which has a flat tyre needs immediate tyre change. A vehicle which has no petrol needs to be filled with petrol. Break which is not working properly needs to be fixed. At these points there is no point in talking of the mileage and the engine life etc. The action that needs to be taken is of immediate fixing of the problem. This is called as break-down maintenance.

Similarly in life, when we have a physical ailment, it needs to be attended. Any disease is to be fixed first then thought about correcting the cause generating fact and thereby preventing it from happening in the future.

Ø The next stage is the Prevention Maintenance. Here, we concentrate on the issues that can avert the accidents, delays etc by taking regular maintenance actions. Like we do petrol filling at reserve, periodic and regular service done for the vehicle. This doesn’t though for sure avert accidents. Accidents may still happen. But it stands to reason that we took all the possible measures needed to avert one. Our lethargy and negligence surely is not to blame.

Similarly, we do exercises, yogasans, homam, hands-on etc as Preventive Maintenance.

Ø The best stage is the Maintenance Prevention stage. Here we go for such products that say no maintenance required. We rise to such state of Being where we are not bound by the laws of karma and nature.


Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa’s Guru always insisted on Meditation and would forcefully make Paramahamsa sit for long hours in Meditation. He would say repeatedly “Samadhi state is a must for a sadhak”. One day Paramahamsa asked him “But why should I Meditate. I already see and talk to Mother.”(He meant Mother Kali).

His guru showed his brass kamandalam (an urn used to carry water by sanyasis) and said “See it is shinning and it looks so beautiful when clean. I clean it daily while taking bath. In the same for the mind to be shinning only with the Light of Knowledge, we should clean it daily of all the dust that covers it. We call it as psychic impressions. And the only way we can clean ourselves of the Psychic Impressions is Meditation. So Meditate Daily!”.

Paramahamsa very innocently asked, “But, why carry an urn of brass? Instead carry one of gold. You’ll never need to clean it.”

His Guru was dumb-stuck and hugged Paramahamsa with tears rolling down his cheeks.

All Gurus and scriptures suggest Preventive Measures when they talk of charity, anger and other emotions management, yogasans etc. But, we like Ramakrishna Paramahamsa long to lead a maintenance free life. A maintenance free life is reflected in disease free body, mind and soul. It also means confusion free and clarity driven mind, emotionally balanced state of feelings, and Mind is without fear and soul is unbound and totally free of all dogmas and ignorance.

For each of us who wishes not to be doing the entire daily cleaning up and preventive maintenance we should work for a maintenance free state of existence. That is what the seers call as Enlightened. Anyone who has realized the Self goes well beyond the laws of nature and karma. Simply put,
“खुदी को कर कुछ इतना बुलंद के हर तकदीर लिखने से पहले ख़ुद खुदा आके ठुज्से पूछे बोल बन्दे आज तेरी राजा क्या है.”

It means “rise your consciousness to such great heights that even God is compelled to come down and ask you before writing your fate as to how you want it to be written for tomorrow!”

As you plan to rise your consciousness, I go to do mine,

revathi