Hari Om Parents,
We began with the Opening Prayers. We continued to learn to chant Bhagavad Gita chapter 2 verses, Swamiji's video – Verses 17, 18; 19 & 20 was shown. Today we finished chanting/learning Lingashtakam stotram.
Students were reminded about last class topic – charity – and how it is important to practice charity in right place, right time and given to right person. This will lead to our self-unfoldment and prevent person receiving charity a lazy person or idler. We continued our discussion about faith.
Faith
Faith or Sraddha is belief born out of understanding. We showed you tube video of Pujya Gurudev explaining faith (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsCLU4JcGJg). He says everybody has belief only a few people have faith. Even an atheist has belief. Belief is emotional, when we face difficult situations and challenges our belief oozes out. On the other hand with faith the more we get crushed the more we hold onto it. Both mind and intellect are involved in faith while belief is purely emotional. We develop faith by study of our Scriptures, which increases our understanding and belief grows into faith. Faith is a belief in what we do not know now, so that I may soon come to know what it is I believe in. Meaning, we begin the study of scriptures with the faith that the teachings are valid and true and then gradually analyze and reflect on them so that the understanding becomes "our own".
It was emphasized to the students that we need to have faith in three aspects - faith in ourselves, faith in God / Guru and faith in Scriptures. Sraddha according to Sri Sankaracharya is, Faith in the words of the Guru and in the scriptures. There are many examples historically that we can see where faith has led to miracles - in our Puranas even though Prahalada was prosecuted by his own father because of his complete faith in Lord Narayana he did not suffer any harm; Mirabhai was able to drink poison easily without suffering any adverse effects because of her faith in the Lord Krishna, more recently Mahatma Gandhi has shown that because of his complete faith in truth and ahimsa he was able to galvanized a whole nation to follow his principles and achieve independence through nonviolence means.
The sanskrit word Sraddha doesn't have an exact translation in English. The closest is Faith. Let us look at the word, Sraddha. Some of you may know that in sanskrit language, a word is a combination of many smaller words to show how it is derived.
So, the word Sraddha is: srat sat dhatte - That which holds the Truth. The word sat meaning Truth is inbuilt in it. What is the Truth referred to here? That which is present in three periods of time, past, present and future; that which is constant, and changeless is defined as Truth.
Let us look at examples: River water flows but the river bed is changeless; ocean waves roar but the ocean bed is changeless; movie scenes change but the projector screen stays the same. There is a substratum on which the changes happen.
When we look at plants, animals and mankind, they are always changing; we are born and we die. So, what does not change? There has to be something that does not change or someone that notices the change. That changeless substratum, because of which the world is alive and changing is what we call as Almighty, the Supreme, the Absolute Truth! This understanding is called Sraddha. In other words, having this conviction within is faith or Sraddha.
Gurudev's says - Faith works wonders. It transforms the weak into the strong, the unskilled into the skillful, and coward into heroes!
Explorers who navigated the world, people who climbed Mt. Everest - began their expeditions with faith. Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali poet from India says, Faith was wealth to them. Just like good health is wealth, so also Faith is wealth. So have faith, have sraddha in whatever you do or undertake and you will be successful.
Covet Not Wealth
There are two ways of looking at this world and its wealth! First, the entire world is Lord's creation and pervaded by the Lord. Enjoy that which is given by the Lord. Covet not anybody's wealth (Isavasya Upanishad starts with this teaching). As everything in fact belongs to the Lord, nothing is ours so where is the question of my wealth and your wealth? If we have this attitude in mind we will not covet another's possessions or wealth. Second, the whole world is one family; Vasudhaiva kutumbakam. If we embrace this idea also then we will not be greedy or jealous of others.
We showed Swamini Supriyanandaji's video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7YunjRsQGg&list=PLm6DKuwwu5zp_gmpEGjVmVGiETi6pBA-r&index=1.
We get jealous about our friend who has more toys, more money and perhaps goes to nicer vacations. But if someone approaches us and tell us okay I'll give you $2 million can you cut and give me your arm clearly we will not agree to the deal. Then if he tells forget your arm just give me your arm below the elbow or even your hand or even a finger … no amount of money that this person is willing to give us we will surely not be willing to give a part of our body in exchange!. Even though we are jealous of our friends who have so much money we do not realize the precious gift that God has given to us which no amount of money can buy. We should constantly remind ourselves of how fortunate we are for the gifts given to us by God, which are invaluable and cannot be replaced by any amount of money or wealth. As Pujya Gurudev always says- what we have is His gift to us and what we do with what we have is our gift to Him.
Our puranas are replete with many stories how greed led to disastrous end. Duryodhana was never satisfied with what he had he was always greedy for more and jealous of Pandavas – this lead ultimately to destruction of the Kauravas. Journey of Hanumanji towards Lanka also shows us how to achieve our goal by not getting distracted and avoiding/destroying negative values. When Surasa the serpent was sent to test Hanumanji; she appeared before him and wanted to eat him. Hanumanji kept growing bigger and Surusa kept opening her mouth wider! Then suddenly Hanumanji grew very small, quickly entered her mouth and came out. Surusa was pleased with his wisdom, blessed him and disappeared. Similarly we can overcome our greed (represented by Surusa) by keeping our needs less (smaller size of Hanumanji). We have to be happy and contented with what we get from our sincere hard work and what Lord provides. Uncontrolled desires will degenerate into greed and ultimately lead to unhappiness. As Mahatma Gandhi has said – "there is enough in this world for everyone needs; but not enough for one man's greed".
Here is a story to elucidate Vasudhaiva kutumbakam - A disciple by the name Satyakama was under the tutelage of Gautama Rishi. He wanted to learn Brahmavidya from his guru. After teaching him japa and meditation Gautama rishi gave him 400 weak cows from his cowshed and instructed him to take the cows to the other end of the forest, tend them and return when the cows have multiplied to one thousand. Satyakama went to the forest with the cows but felt lonely. Days went by. He started singing to the cows and took care of them. As he looked around and saw trees, birds, animals, moon, stars, he remembered the lesson he learned from his mother that the whole world is one big family, Vasudhaive kutumbakam. Satyakama became friend of nature/animals and spent his days in their midst happily. He lost track of time and the cows had multiplied to one thousand. A wise bull reminded him that it was time to go back to the teacher. Satyakama returned with his 1,000 cows and Gautama rishi was happy. Looking at his serene face the Rishi remarked that living in solitude has helped him. He was ready to learn the Brahmavidya. Gautama Rishi taught him that "just as all the waves in the ocean are nothing but ocean, so also, everything is nothing but a part of Brahman. Brahman Is everywhere. Everything comes from Brahman and goes back to Brahman. Truly speaking you are Brahman alone." Satyakama learned his lesson and he became a great rishi of Brahmavidya.
How does one develop the vision of 'One Family'? The Apple Tree wisdom - an apple tree has many different parts like trunk, leaves, flowers. Yet we look at the tree as one unit, a whole tree. Likewise we have to perceive the world as one big family though diverse in many ways. Then there is no need to covet others wealth.
Pranam,
Rukmani Sriram
Devender Akula
