Reflections

...contd...

Get up. Take charge of your dreams, desires, hopes, wishes and work to realize them alone if necessary!

It can be as simple as putting away few of these things like.

-stating an exercise rejoices

-start going for a walk

-start getting up early in the morning

-visiting a place that you always longed to visit. Etc…..

Remember, only “you” are responsible for your health and happiness. You are responsible to make your dreams come true/no one in the world is…

So….

Ekto charlo, ekto chalo,ekto chalo re walk alone….. to reach the land of your dreams, walk alone!!

Do it, see the difference and let me know if you’ve benefited….

Once a thirsty crow flew far and high to get water.It came across a pot that was half filled. It tried to drink out of it, but it's beak didn’t reach water in the pot. It wanted water. It had water. It thought on 'how to drink water' and hit upon 'an idea'. It went flying picked a pebble put it in the pot. It repeated this act and soon water raised high enough for it to drink. It drank the water and flew away.

Familiar with the story right? But, did we learn anything atall from that crow in all these years?

It learnt have we applied it in our day-to-day life situations?

If yes, Write down when, where and how and share with us......

if not ,read on...

...contd...

Reflections

 (Note : Vaibhav this anwers your query)

Bell rang. Let me tell you honestly that I don’t anymore like the sound of my Telephone ringing. Not that the changed ring tone would make any different. It was just receiving a call that put me off now-a-days. Surprising! When there was a time I had been to a Govt office with a friend of mine and the phone rang there. (Remember, there were no cell phones 20-25 years back). I was almost about to pick the receiver and my friend teased me saying “Every phone in the entire world doesn’t ring only for you”. That crazy I was about receiving calls and now I put my phone on silent mode-most past of the day. I switched it off. I chose not to take it with me – many times. Funny how times change us!

Well that is past, now I received the call “Maam, thanks a lot I am so very happy my husband’s too very happy with the changed me. We are actually very happy. Thanks to you and I degree my health has improved too” said the voice from the other end. I simply asked “since its one year since you’re taken I degree why don’t you come for II degree?” “Because, my friends-the ones? I came with are not ready. I’ll come with them blah…. Blah….. She replied.

This is exactly what happens most of the time with people. They wait for others even to better their lives. No, I am not talking about people not coming for higher Degrees alone. It covers all that is good and beneficial for us.

Postponing and many times denying the self of some benefit because there is no one to attitude that is self destructive. This one at least can be the major impediment in our growth-both personal and professional. Question this all find why we need someone to tag along as we wish to loam/do/experience something that we are sure is beneficial to us?? Work on it. And the best way is to go out and start doing what we have postponed doing waiting for someone to come along with us. Start and see the different. ‘You’ are the stumbling stone in the path of your success.

Fifth step- Is the level of 'Guru tatva' represented by the Guru.


Students in various positions convey - one can learn just by listening to guru's words, meditating, doing seva to Guru.

Pots, one above the other represent the pyramid representation of our desires and knowledge. Desires reduce as we go Spiritual and the knowledge converges ultimately into the 'one’.

Swan represents the Guru's quality of being able to separate milk from water. Milk being the spiritual insight in the ordinariness of world, represented by water.

Couple represent the 'Yin'/'Yang'-female-male energy balanced in the Guru.

Sixth step- As per Hindu Mythology man has to take 84,000 janmas, lives, before taking birth as a human.

And his journey is represented by the various Avatars of Vishnu from Aquatic (matsya) life form to amphibian (koorma)- Varaha (lower animal form) pig- beast, Narasimha-Lion man, dwarf Vamana, powerful man yet driven by passions- Parasurama, stable and virtuous Rama, to super human form Sri Krishna, vairagya detachment Buddha hood and ultimately Kalki the future that would bring end to the cycle.

Seventh step - the final stage and the only purpose of life is realizing (Aham Brahmasmi), Thath thva masi- that which is I am.

This can be realized in three ways-

- Prema yoga marga - Path of Bhakthi and love - Represented by Radha-Krishna.

- Gnana marga - Shiva Shakthi represent this, in which we realize the truth.

- Karma marga - On all paths, the need which is common, is to control the senses - horses representing the senses here.

This way, when we remind ourselves of our illusions, Maya and the purpose of our life through the various rituals, the urgency to shift from ignorance to knowledge compel the practitioner to go within.

Hope you got an idea of the reasons behind arranging dolls during Navaratri. See you all in next post...!

Fourth step represents Love that transcends all cause of suffering and makes this life's purpose fulfilled.


Love can be experienced, lived in a mother-child relationship, shown by the cow and calf here.

Crystal tree shows the multiple possibilities of expressions of love. Cherry tree shows fulfillment of any wish that one asks for standing under the cherry tree. Here it means 'love' energy.

Radha-Krishna represent ultimate form of love that of Jivatma and Paramatma.

The third step is the hurdle that stops me from realizing self- i.e., Ego.

It's the 'Power centre'- which makes us crave for money, money and more money represented by the money tree - which gives us an illusion of happiness, security, abundance proportionate to the money that we have.

Crystal tree shows us the possibilities of expressions in our life - the positive use of ego.

Hare Rama Hare Krishna dolls represent the only way to use our ego, that is, to lead our life as an expression of his will.

Jokers say that there are thousands of jokers in the world – and no two jokers have an identical make-up, but each joker stands out with his make-up. Like-wise, though we all lead more or less the same type of existence we can bring our unique 'I’ness (or) ‘our touch' to our existence that can express our unique Quality.

Nature also can't produce a second you that way, every person is unique. Why not accept it, celebrate it- find it and express it, instead of comparing ourselves with one and all and trying to be one-e-one also!

Elephants represent Ego. Smallest First elephant represent the ego of our body our beauty, physical strength and our entire existential ego.

Second Elephant represents arrogance that comes with fulfilling our responsibilities and living that, like, I take care of my parents, I fend for my family, I go to office to earn for my family, I get up early, I am a 'good' spouse/father/son

Third elephant- Ego comes from success and achievements - I've huge house/assets/degrees/posts.

Fourth elephant- I am a sensitive, good Samaritan ( a person who does charity, helps people), etc.

Fifth elephant- I am highly talented.

Sixth Elephant- arrogance of knowledge know how

Seventh elephant- This is the biggest elephant and the most difficult to break once it manifests- spiritual ego. Ego that comes by following scriptures, faiths or techniques which are for spiritual upliftment.

Knowledge is required to break the bondage of ignorance but ultimately "knowledge itself becomes the bondage".

Only way to break it is Bhaja Govindham Bhaja Govindham Govindham bhaja Moodamathe.... Sing the praise of Govinda to break the bondage of life and death.

The second step shows a possibility of 'swadharma' way of life, where a person doesn't live only to 'Enjoy' life but to fulfill his responsibilities as per 'dharma'- to fulfill his duties.


The fisherman-woman (couple) represent how, by leading a pious life as per their dharma, they can contribute to the well-being of the society.

Duck represents existence anywhere if lived with fulfilling your duties to the best of your abilities as per 'swadharma'.

Swami Vivekananda and Tamil poet Bharathiyar represent the fact that you can fulfill your responsibilities as a sanyasi- a recluse- spreading the knowledge of 'right living' in the world at large or fighting for freedom of your country through your poems - both are good enough.

Swadharma is so great a tool of 'karma yoga' that a simple prince raises to a level of Godhood by simply following the instruction of his father 'Pithru mata paripalana'. This is represented by lord Rama who is going for 'vanavasam' in boat and his becoming of God, represented by a statue beside that.

Fulfilling one's duty is very simple-simply talk no evil, see no evil and hear no evil- represented by three monkeys here.

But, at the same time swadharma is wrongly misunderstood by most and leads to attachment with their roles and objects towards which they are to fulfill their duty. This binds them to their 'Karma' and the eternal dharma of 'karma'- the cause and effect starts from here- represented by bird in the cage.

This bondage can only be broken with knowledge which we can get by praying to the lord seeking his help in removing the obstacles that keeps us away from light or knowledge represented by Lord Ganesha here.

(…Contd.) The way the dolls were decorated also had/has a spiritual reason. It is a reminder of 'truths of life' and the 'purpose of life'.

For example, I'll explain this year's theme for you to understand this point. Usually, dolls are arranged in steps which are always 'odd' in number, i.e., no. of steps is 3,5,7,9,11,13, etc.

The steps are numbered from lowest to highest this year i.e., the lowest is the one and the highest is seven. The most basic requirement of existence is food, clothing, shelter and progeneration. The need to keep the cycle of creation going through reproduction is found in lowest forms of animals and fossils also. This is represented by all the dolls kept in the first step including the fossil.

This need is 'fanned' bye the entire creation. This is represented by two fans kept in that step. Man also does business for survival needs and for family. This form of existence is lowest form of expression of life. The need for survival is so strong that even the crow uses its resources to drink water from the half filled pot. This is nothing worth celebrating about or be proud of.

(to be contd...)

Psychological and social reasons: All the known women folk were invited to attend this ‘Golu’.  This was an excuse for outing and dressing, to increase community bonding there by strengthening the fabric of support group and automatically beating the fear of loneliness and helplessness.  Everyone felt secure and needed.

This has been experimentally proven in the west that a person whose social bonding is good is more stable and has strength and will to face the ups and downs of life whereas, the person whose social group is less or negligible is more prone to suicides, depression and such related psychosomatic diseases. 

Economic reasons – Purchases of items of pooja and dolls by various artisans created job opportunities to so many in the society.

Other benefits – House was cleaned and decorated for 10 whole days.  People participated in the celebrations and the sense of well-being was experienced by all.  Houses were cleaned for the occasion – so seasonal cleaning was also completed.  ‘Tambulam’ was given to women who came to see the ‘Bommala Koluvu’ or ‘decoration of dolls’.  It consisted of betel leaf, betel nut, turmeric, kumkum, fruit.  The giver wishes abundance of prosperity to flow in the life of the receiver.  The more one wished good for others, the more one receives.  This is the ‘Law of Abundance’ which is a Universal Law. 

Traditions and Rituals of India

In South India, few communities have the tradition of arranging ‘Dolls’ and women are invited over to accept ‘tambulam’.  This rich tradition is called ‘Bommala Koluvu’ in Telugu language and ‘Golu’ in Tamil language.  In some communities, this is done during ‘Diwali’ or ‘Sankranti’ festival for 3 days while it is done during 10 days Dussera Festival as in Tamilnadu.  This rich tradition like many others is difficult to comprehend, accept and see beyond the ritual, the actual spiritual quotient of this ritual.  Every tradition in India is based on some or other science which benefits both the practitioners and the society simultaneously.  Let us see few of the benefits of this ‘Dussera’ tradition/ritual.  You’ve already seen the photograph of this year’s ‘Bommala Koluvu’ or ‘Golu’.

Every ritual has reason, which benefit the performer and the society at large.

Personal benefit – In good old days, the women of the house generally created most of the dolls.  This would take most of the summer afternoons of the ladies of the house.  They would make dolls of various types with beads, wires, soaps, cardboards etc.  This would use most of the women’s thoughts, as they would try to outsmart each other. 

Their creative side is ignited.  Any person who creatively is engaged in any act or hobby automatically is livelier and that is anti-depressant.  So, depression was not the norm in good old days when people were engaged in such physically, emotionally, creatively and intellectually involved acts and rituals.

Their self-esteem was maintained when they were praised by one and all during ‘Golu’ when they displayed their artifacts. 

More happy and satisfied women meant, more happier families and that in turn meant happier society and the a happier society is the basis of a stable, growing and prosperous society.

…..contd…….