Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE--V

"Every person is worthy of an infinite wealth of love;

 the beauty of his soul knows no limit."

                                                            ( Rabindranath Tagore; Glimpses of Bengal)

Rabindranath Tagore ( May 1861-Aug 1941) was a doyen of Literature & Music, who left an indelible impression all over the world by his literary as well as artistic abilities during late 19th & early 20th centuries.  A Humanist, Universalist and Internationalist, he wrote hundreds of texts, songs and poems besides contributing through the artworks, paintings,sketches, novels, dramas and stage plays. For his immense contribution, he was the first non European to be awarded Noble Prize in Literature in the year 1913 and was popularly known as Gurudev.

He was deeply moved by the perennial poverty of Calcutta & its impact was clearly visible in his literary works, prose-songs and dance dramas. During his international visits to more than 30 countries, he freely interacted with some of topmost authors, scientists, politicians and Humanists, sharing his views, philosophy & Literary talents. 

Two of his compositions namely, " Jana Gana Mana Adhinayak", the Indian national anthem   and " Amaar Shonar Bangla"--- the national anthem of Bangladesh, occupy a place of pride in these two Asian democracies. Yet another symbol of pride is " Sri Lanka Matha", national anthem of Sri Lanka, which is a Sinhalese translation of the Bengali version of Tagore's works, carried out by one of his student.

 Social inequities, beauty & preservation of nature, universal love, peace, justice, freedom, poverty, untouchability, abnormal caste consciousness and other prominent concerns  impacted his literary works. He shared his views on some of these evils and penned Dalit heroes for his poems and dramas. One such example has been his successful campaign for opening of famous Guruvayoor temple to Dalits. Considering my topic of research, let me pick up a couple of inspiring messages full of wisdom from the literary works of Tagore on Ethical living or Human Dharma in general. These are;

• LIFE of my life, I shall ever try to keep my body PURE, knowing that Thy living touch is upon all my limbs; I shall ever try to keep all untruths out from my thoughts knowing that Thou art that truth which has kindled the light of reason in my mind; I shall ever try to drive all evils away from my heart & keep my love in flower, knowing that Thou has thy seat in the innermost shrine of my heart.-- ( Song Poem 4  Gitanjali ).

• Tagore had his own opinion on Independence movement and nationalism, which is visible in song poem 35 of  Gitanjali.

,Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high

and knowledge is free 
,Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls

,Where words come out from the depth of truth

,Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection

,Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit

,Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever widening thought and action

Into that heaven of Freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

 Elaborating on Dharma,in chapter " The Problem of Self " of his famous book on Spirituality," Sadhna",  Gurudev Tagore writes,"  Dharma is the innermost nature, the essence, the implicit truth, of all things. Dharma is the ultimate purpose that is working in our self. When any wrong is done, we say that Dharma is violated, meaning that the lie has been given to our true nature. Dharma is truth within us, it is inherent."

 In the same chapter, focusing on the misery out of ignorance of one's true self, he added," Set yourselves free from the Avid-ya; know your true soul and be saved from the grasp of the self which imprisons you. We gain our freedom when we attain our truest nature.

Stressing upon the importance of Ethical living among people, he stated that Love is the perfection of consciousness. Love is the ultimate meaning of everything around us. It is truth.It is the joy that is at the root of all creations. It is the white light of pure consciousness that emanates from Brahma. ( Realization in Love; Ch V, Sadhna).

He further added that Brahma is Brahma, the infinite ideal of perfection. But we are not what we truly are; we are ever to become true, ever to become Brahma. Once our soul reaches her ultimate object of repose in Brahma, all her movements acquire a purpose. It is this ocean of infinite rest which gives significance to our endless activities, ( The Realization of Infinite; Ch VIII, Sadhna ).

All our egoistic impulses, our selfish desires, obscure our true vision of the soul. He added that according to Upanishads, the key to cosmic consciousness, to God consciousness, is the consciousness of the soul. ( Soul consciousness, Ch II, Sadhna ).

Gurudev Tagore had a deep touch of Internationalism and Universal-ism. In Ch I," The Relationship of the Individual to the Universe" of his famous literary writing Sadhna, he conveys that man must realize the wholeness of his existence, his place in the infinite. " Bhuteshu bhuteshu vichintva"--- Let us work towards realizing him in each and all; not only in nature, but in the family, in society, in the state; the more we realize the world consciousness in all, the better it is for us. Again quoting song poem 69 from his noble Prize winning creation Gitanjali;

" The same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through the world and dances in rhythmic measures." Another line in the same poem conveys," It is the same life that is rocked in the ocean---- cradles of birth and of death, in ebb and in flow." Another example is  song poem 103 of Gitanjali, which presents Universal-ism in Spiritualism in a beautiful literary flow;

" In one salutation to Thee, my God, let all my senses spread out and touch this world at Thy feet." Another line in the same poem conveys;

" Let all my songs gather together their diverse strains into a single current and flow into a sea of silence in one salutation to Thee."

Tagore promoted spiritual as well as ethical values in life and worked for creation of a new world culture of diversity and tolerance. He was a great Humanist and this was visible in several of his literary works as well as dance dramas, novels, stage plays art and paintings. He drew inspiration and ideas for writing from his surroundings as well as inner feelings.His songs and music cover many aspects of Human emotions, devotional hymns and songs of love. With a view to free Indian villages from helplessness and ignorance, he established an International Institute for Rural reconstruction on a novel pattern of learning at SURUL, near Shantiniketan,, involving scholars & Officials of several nations.

Tagore was a towering figure, being a deeply relevant and many sided contemporary thinker. He desired to make his Ashram  of Shantiniketan into a connecting thread between India and the world;  a world center for the study of Humanity, beyond the boundaries of nation and Geography. Many of his stories and novels focused on interpersonal relationships, colored and impacted by human shortcomings as well as idiosyncrasies. His literary works, however, were progressive and worked towards bringing a positive shift in the mindset of traditional Indian values.

It is difficult to pick up and present the innumerable value driven messages given by a literary giant like Gurudev Tagore to the nation and the world in a small blog. I have tried to limit the learnings picked up on my theme of reading research ie Dharma, ethical living and to some extent spiritual wisdom. Let me end the blog by another powerful message on " Service to Humanity"from one of his literary works;

" I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I woke up and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy".

Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE-IV

"Karma-Yoga, is a system of Ethics and Religion, intended to attain freedom thru unselfishness, and by good works. The Karma-Yogi need not believe in any doctrine.  He may not believe even in God, may not ask what his soul is. Every moment of his life must be realization."
                                                                                                      Swami Vivekananda      

I hope that you have gone thru my earlier Blog no 21 sharing prominent messages on Dharma and Ethical living from my reading research of  " The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda". For me, it has been a fascinating experience to understand a few facets of the remarkable personality of this great Saint cum Philosopher of India. Adding to what has been covered in my earlier Blog, let me share a few more powerful learnings on my theme of research from the life of Swami Vivekananda, impacting the life of common masses.

• Duty is seldom sweet. It is only when Love greases its wheels that it runs smoothly; it is a continuous friction otherwise; And Love- Love shines in freedom alone; freedom from being a slave to  senses, to anger, to  jealousies and so on occurring everyday in human life, ( Ch IV, Vol I). Further, every Duty is holy and devotion to the duty is the highest form of the worship of God.
• Inactivity should be avoided by all means. Activity always means resistance. Resist all evils, mental & physical, and when you have succeeded in resisting, then will Calmness come.( Ch II, Vol I). Further, let there be action without reaction; while action is pleasant, all misery is reaction.
• Each is great in his own place. Our first duty is not to hate ourselves, because to advance, we must have faith in ourselves first and then in God. ( Ch II, Vol I).
• The great error in all ethical systems, without exception, has been the failure of teaching the means by which man could refrain from doing evil. ( from his address on " Hints on practical Spirituality", delivered in LA, California, USA.
• Have charity towards all beings. Pity those who are in distress. Love all creatures. Do not be jealous of anyone. Look not to the faults of others. 
• The Vedanta recognizes no sin, it only recognizes error . The greatest error, says the Vedanta, is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable weak creature and that you have no power & you can not do this and that and so on. All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we, who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark. Know that there is no darkness around us. Take your hands away and there is the light which was there from the beginning. Darkness  never existed ; weakness never existed--- ( From his address on Practical Vedanta, delivered in London in 1896).
• Know the truth and be free in a moment. All the darkness will then vanish, When man has seen himself as one with the infinite being of the universe, when all separateness has ceased, when all men and women; all Gods and angels; all animals and plants AND the whole universe has melted into that Oneness, then all fear disappears.Whom to fear? What can cause me sorrow? Whom to be jealous?  All bad feelings will disappear. Against whom can I have bad feelings? against myself? There is none in the universe but myself. ( from his address on The Atman delivered in USA ).
• Religion is neither talk, nor theory, nor intellectual consent. It is a  realization in the heart of our hearts; it is touching God; it is a feeling, realizing that I am a spirit in relation with the universal spirit and all its great manifestations all across. ( From his address " The Great Teachers Of The World", California, Feb 3, 1900).
• These great teachers are the living Gods on this earth. Let me talk about some of the messengers and prophets of India; some of the oldest founders of religion. As one of the central message from GITA, Lord Krishna says," Remain Unattached". He again states on another note on Intense Activity," Work, Work, Work day and night, you will find peace. Flying from work is never the way to find peace. Lord Krishna further teaches us," Whosoever, in the midst of intense activity, finds inner peace, he is a Yogi; he is a great soul; he has arrived at perfection.". Let me share Buddha's message, says Buddha," Root out selfishness and everything that makes you selfish." Behold another ethical message from Jesus of Nazareth, Jesus Christ, " The kingdom of Heaven is spread out across the earth, only people do not see it. Do not delay a moment; leave nothing for tomorrow. Another great ethical message comes from Prophet Muhammad," The civilization is the existence of God. Each person is born pure and that human beings are given a choice on this earth, whether to follow evil or good steps. Treat all God's creations with equality and compassion". Let us salute all the past Prophets whose teachings and lives we have inherited. ( The Great Teachers of the World--- Feb 3, 1900).
• You may pray all the time, read all the scriptures in the world, and worship all the Gods there are, but( unless), you realize the soul ( your inner self), there is no freedom. Not talking, theorizing, argumentation, but Realization; that I call Practical Religion.( The Practice of Religion delivered at Alameda, California, April 18,1900).

Swami ji used to share his convictions and knowledge with his disciples and others in series of  Discussion/ Question & Answer sessions , both while abroad as well as India. Let me share a few prominent ethical messages from the collection;

• Blessed indeed are those who can renounce Kama-Kanchana ( Lust & Greed), while living in their homes with their family.
• मा हिंस्यात सर्वभूतानि --- Cause no injury to any being.
• Quoting great Manu," निवृत्तिस्तु महाफला "--- Cessation of desires brings great results.
• एका ईव सुह्र्द धर्मा , निधानेप्यनु  यति यह  --- Virtue is the only friend which follows us even beyond the grave. Everything else ends with death.
• समता सर्वभूतेषु एतं  मुक्तस्या  लक्षणम -- "Equality in all beings", this is the sign of the free, emphasizing the need to look upon all human beings with respect and dignity.
• You must give your body, mind and speech to the welfare of the world. You have read," मातृदेवो भव , पितृदेवो भव " ie look upon your mother as God; look upon your father as God but I say," दरिद्रदेवो भव , मूर्खदेवो  भव " ie let the poor, the illiterate, the ignorant, the afflicted be your God. Let us know that service to these alone is the highest religion.
• Give up all ME and MINE.
• Love is beyond time and space.It is absolute. The more we grow in love & virtue & holiness, the more we see love & virtue & holiness outside. All condemnations of others really condemns ourselves.
• Emphasizing on Love, Swami ji  answered," Love never degenerates; the universe is too small for its expansiveness. Love is struggle of a human soul to find its compliment, its stable equilibrium, its infinite rest.
• Be true unto death. Be perfectly unselfish and you will be sure to succeed. Do not fight with people, do not antagonize anyone. Bear with various opinions of everybody. Patience, purity and perseverance will prevail.
• I stand for truth; truth will never allay itself with falsehood. Even if all the world should be against me, Truth must prevail at the end.

I am amazed at the treasure of knowledge , this philosopher saint of India possessed and shared for the upliftment of masses within the country and the world. It had been extremely difficult to pick and choose the relevant contents for my theme of the blog from this vast treasure I came across while doing my reading research of " The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda". Let me end this blog by a few verses from translation of a poem of great Shankaracharya; titled, " NIRVANASHATKAM"shared by Swami ji in his talks; also recited at Green-acre, Maine ( 1894-1899), Vol IX.

I am neither Body nor changes of the Body; nor am I senses, nor objects of the senses;

I am Existence Absolute! Bliss Absolute! Knowledge Absolute. I am He. I am He.

I am not aversion, nor attachment, nor greed, nor delusion;nor egotism, nor envy;

 Neither Dharma, nor Moksha; neither desire, nor objects of desire

I am Existence Absolute! Bliss Absolute! Knowledge Absolute. I am He. I am He

I am neither sin, nor virtue, neither pain, nor pleasure;
Nor temple, nor worship; nor pilgrimage, nor scriptures;
Neither the act of enjoying, nor the enjoyable, nor the enjoy-er;
I am Existence Absolute! Bliss Absolute! Knowledge Absolute. I am He. I am He.

I am neither death, nor fear of death; nor was I ever born, nor had I parents;
Nor friends, nor relations; I have neither Guru, nor disciple;
I am Existence Absolute! Bliss Absolute! Knowledge Absolute. I am He. I am He.

I am without form, without limit, beyond space, beyond time;
I am in everything, I am the basis of the universe, everywhere am I;
I am Existence Absolute! Bliss Absolute! Knowledge Absolute.I am He. I am He.

Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE--III

"Religion is realization; not talk, not doctrine, nor theories, however beautiful they may be. It is being and becoming, not hearing and acknowledging, it is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes." Swami Vivekananda

Continuing our learnings from the Saints and Philosophers of the period 1750-1950 CE, we shall pick up a few threads on Dharma and Ethical Living from the phenomenal work of another great Spiritual philosopher cum Patriotic Saint, Swami Vivekananda. Born in Jan 1863 as Narendra Nath Datta, he grew into a great Indian Hindu monk, expressing Religion, Dharma and Ethics in a rationale manner using plain, commonsense language for the masses to easily understand and apply in life.

 As a chief disciple of Indian mystic Saint Ramakrishna Paramhans, he became a key figure in introducing Indian philosophies of Vedanta and Yoga with utmost clarity and rationale to the western world. While traveling all over India, he felt necessity of infusing into the minds of people, a Faith in themselves, so that they can  come out of economic backwardness and poverty. He founded" Ramakrishna Mission", an organization to spread his messages on Religion, Dharma, Ethics, Spirituality and Universal Oneness. He also established Belur Math, a permanent abode for monastery and monastic order.

While going through "The Complete Works Of Swami Vivekananda",I have been overwhelmed by the richness of enormous storehouse of Spiritual and Ethical Treasure, based on his teachings and addresses delivered during his stay in Western World for about 4 years from year 1893 to 1897, and in Sri Lanka and various parts of India thereafter. Eminent British historian " A L Basham" stated, " In centuries to come, Vivekananda will be remembered as one of the main molders of the modern world." Though extremely difficult to pick up selective few messages and teachings, I shall attempt to share a few of these, limiting to my area of work, in two of my blogs, the current one, Blog 21 and the next one in line, Blog 22.

• Religion is the manifestation of the Divinity, already present in man. Moreover, Religion may also be called  the " Science of Consciousness", and as such Religion and Science are not contradictory, but complimentary. This universal concept frees religion from the hold of superstitions, dogmatism, priest craft and intolerance. It makes religion a noblest pursuit-- the pursuit of supreme freedom, supreme knowledge and supreme happiness. AN EYE OPENER for PURSUING DHARMA as well as ETHICAL LIVING in entire universe.

• All religions are more or less attempts to get beyond Nature----, the crudest or the most developed, expressed thru mythology or symbology, stories of Gods, angels or demons, or thru stories of saints and seers, great men or prophets OR thru abstractions of philosophies; all try to get beyond these limitations,- ( from an address in London on " Maya & Illusion" ),

• Each religion, as it were, takes up one part of the great universal truth and spends its whole force in embodying and typifying that part of the great truth. Each religion has a soul behind it and that soul may differ from the soul of another religion. Yet, a question arises as to whether they contradict or supplement each other, In my view, these are additions and not exclusions. This is the march of Humanity. Man never progresses from Error to Truth, but from Truth to Truth, from Lesser Truth to Higher Truth,--( out of address in California, USA on " The way to the realization of a Universal Religion).

• All religion is to be based on Morality; and Personal Purity is to be counted superior to Dharma. It ought to be known that Achara ( Conduct & Behavior) means purity inside and outside. Inside purity is attained by not speaking Falsehood, by not drinking, by not doing immoral acts and by doing good to others. As you do good to yourself, you must do good to others. ( from a lecture on Bhakti, delivered at Sialkot, Punjab). What a great message on Ethical Living!

• The concept of " Potential Divinity of the Soul", gives a new, ennobling concept of man. Degradation of man has led to enormous increase of immorality, violence, crimes and poor ethical standards. Potential divinity of soul prevents this degradation, divinizes human relationships, makes life more meaningful & worthwhile.

• We should be Pure because Purity is our real nature, our true divine self or Atman. We should love and serve our neighbors because we are all one in Supreme Spirit known as Brahma.In one of his address, Swami Vivekananda did impress upon people the need to observe Purity in Food , sharing a quote from Chhandogya Upanishad," आहार शुद्धो  सत्वशुद्धिः , सत्वशुद्धो  ध्रुवास्मृति।  It meant that when food is pure, then the inner senses get purified. On the purification of inner senses, memory becomes steady. Impure food weakens the power of receptivity of the senses and makes them act in opposition to the will. 

• Purity, Patience and perseverance are the three essentials to success, and above all, Love. It is love and love alone that I preach.

• Purity is the bedrock upon which the whole Bhakti- Building rests, Among the long list of attributes, considered conducive to Purity, as given by famous saint Ramanuja and narrated by Swami Vivekananda in his address  are; Satya, Truthfulness, Compassion, Ahimsa, Sincerity, Doing good to others without any gain to one's self, Not injuring others by thought, words or deeds, Not coveting other's goods, Not thinking vain thoughts, Absence of jealousy. Once again, a great Ethical message for society indeed!--- ( Ch X, Vol III titled, " The Method & the Means).

• The whole idea of Ethics is that it does not depend on anything unknowable, it does not teach anything unknown. It is in and thru the self that the whole world is known to me. Take off the self and the whole universe vanishes, In and thru the Self, all knowledge comes, --( Out of an address delivered in London on" Practical Vedanta", Vol II).

• Doing good to others is Virtue or Dharma; injuring others is Sin. Strength and manliness (Purusharth) are Virtue, while weakness and Cowardice are Sin; Loving others is a Virtue, hating others is a Sin. Faith in God and in one's own self is a Virtue, while having doubts and doubts is a Sin, knowledge of Oneness is a Virtue and so on.( from one of his address in Vol I).

While I shall be covering many more relevant messages on Dharma and Ethical living from Swami Vivekananda's treasure of knowledge in next blog, let me end this blog by another strong message on Truthfulness for Ethical Living, from one of his address on Vedanta in Lahore in year 1897. It meant Truth alone triumphs, and not Untruth. Through truth alone, the way to God's Devyana lies. 

सत्यमेव जयते नानृतं। सत्येन पन्था विततो देवयानः। 

Prominent learnings during 1750-1950 CE--II

"I accept as DHARMA, whatever is in full conformity with impartial justice, truthfulness and the like; that which is not opposed to the teachings of God as embodied in Vedas. Whatever is not free from partiality and is unjust, partaking of untruth and the like & opposed to the teachings of God as embodied in Vedas--- I hold as ADHARMA."----- Satyarth Prakash; Maharishi Dayanand. 

Continuing my learning on Dharma and Ethical living from the preaching s and scriptures of prominent Saints and Philosophers during 1750-1950 CE, we shall take up the phenomenal work done by Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati in this blog. Born in 1824 CE to a Hindu family, he studied Sanskrit, Vedas and other religious texts at an early age. He was a scholar who believed in the INFALLIBLE AUTHORITY of VEDAS and denounced IDOLATRY and RITUALISTIC worship.

He was a Sanyasi ( Ascetic) from boyhood and a scholar, who advocated the doctrine of KARMA and REINCARNATION. He was a great social reformer, who worked selflessly towards equal rights for women. During the period 1846-1869 CE, he lived a life of Self-denial, a wandering ascetic, searching for religious truth and fully devoted to spiritual matters. He also practiced various forms of Yoga and took an oath that he would devote his life towards restoring the rightful place of VEDAS in Hindu faith.

Working on Vedic ideologies, he founded Arya Samaj--- a Hindu Reform Movement and professed Universal Brotherhood. He traveled widely challenging religious scholars and priests on various issues concerning spiritualism and Dharma. He condemned practices of idol worship, animal sacrifices, pilgrimages, priest craft, offerings in temples, the castes, child marriages, meat eating and discrimination against women in society. He severely criticized the practice of superstitions. He did comprehensive analysis of various religious faiths and its practices based on his own thinking and spoke about his views openly, sometimes critically, even at the cost of annoying their followers. Quoting from his famous scripture, " Satyarth Prakash",

" All alchemists, sorcerers, wizards, spiritists etc are cheats and all their practices should be looked upon as nothing but downright fraud,"

He wrote more than 60 works, explaining Vedangas, Vedic rituals, analysis of various doctrines and philosophies of various religions and faiths, on ethics and Morality. A few of his major works include Satyarth Prakash, Sanskarvidhi, Rigved Bhashya Bhumika, Yajurved Bhashyam and many more. Let me quote a few relevant messages from his scriptures concerning Dharma and Ethics for society;

"क्रोध का भोजन विवेक है, अतः इससे बचके रहना चाहिए, क्योंकि विवेक नष्ट हो जाने पर सब कुछ नष्ट हो जाता है।" meaning thereby that ANGER destroys logic, reasoning and intellect. 

संस्कार ही मानव के आचरण का नींव होता है, जितने गहरे संस्कार होते हैं, उतना ही अडिग मनुष्य अपने कर्त्तव्य पर, अपने धर्म पर, सत्य पर और न्याय पर होता है। meaning thereby that Ethical values are the foundation of human character; deeper are the values, stronger is one on his duties, Karma, Dharma, Truthfulness and justice.

अहंकार मनुष्य के अन्दर वो स्थिति लाती है जब वह आत्मबल और आत्मज्ञान को खो देता है। meaning thereby that EGO and ARROGANCE lead to loss of self control as well as faith in one's capabilities.

धर्माचरण  से सुख की प्राप्ति होती है , अधर्माचरण से दुःख की प्राप्ति होती है। धर्माचरण का अभिप्राय है सकाम शुभ कर्म और अधर्माचरण का अभिप्राय अशुभ कर्म है। meaning thereby that carrying out result oriented good deeds is Dharma leading to happiness in life while performing bad deeds lead to insane life style and unhappiness

Let me add another dimension of Dharma, as emphasized by Maharishi Dayanand,  considering the four categories of human goals, namely, Dharma ( Pursuit of Ethics), Artha ( Pursuit of wealth & Security), Kama ( Pursuit of pleasure) and Moksha( pursuit of liberation). While Dharma occupies the first place in the above referred 4 categories of human goals, even Artha and Kama needs to be governed by Ethical standards. That alone can help establish Dharma in society and a nation in general.

The contribution of Maharishi Dayanand in spread of Dharma & Ethical living in society is enormous. He was a great social reformer, who tried to eradicate the evils of superstitions in all walks of life. Again quoting from his scriptures, " Always first see bad in yourself than in others; you will find many who are busy in saying others are bad and not looking into themselves." A great Ethical message indeed!

Let me end the blog by quoting another powerful learning from his scripture, focusing on TRUTHFULNESS in life,

He, who after careful thinking, is ever ready to accept truth and reject falsehood; who counts the happiness of others as he does that of his own self, him, I call, just.

Prominent Learnings during 1750-1950 CE--- I

FAITH IN DHARMA NATURALLY DEVELOPS IN A PERSON, WHO POSSESSES FAITH IN BHAGWAN. DHARMA TAKES REFUGE ONLY IN BHAGWAN.   (Vachanamrut, Swaminarayan)


The period 1750-1950 CE witnessed exponential expansion & growth of Dharma and Ethical practices. One of the reason may be the thrust in development of languages, better systems of documentation/ preservation and growth in overall communication systems. We shall cover the learnings on the current theme in around 6 to 8 blogs, beginning with  a spiritual preacher cum social reformer Swaminarayan ( also known as Sahjanand Swami) of the period 1781-1830 CE.

Born in 1781 CE as Ghanshyam Pande, he took pilgrimage at the age of 11 years, interacting with several learned scholars & saints and undertook welfare activities for the benefit of masses. Named as Sahjanand Swami by his Guru Swami Ramanand, he led a large Uddhav community from 1802 CE onward as its leader. He undertook several reforms for women and poor. He mastered spiritual scriptures namely Vedas, Purana, Ramayana, Upanishads and Bhagwat Gita. In 1826, he wrote Shikshapatri, a book of social reforms and ethical practices. Vachnamrut is another compilation of spiritual, Dharmik as well as Ethical concerns, generated by Swaminarayan Sampradaya, based on interactions of Swaminarayan with his prominent Paramhansas and Swamis of the sect. A curious personality in childhood itself, he asked the following 5 questions to his Gurus and sought answers from leading saints and philosophers of that era for strengthening & internalizing his own spiritual knowledge;

• WHAT IS JIVA?
• WHAT IS ISHVARA?
• WHAT IS MAYA?
• WHAT IS BRAHMAN?
• WHAT IS PARA-BRAHMAN?

Stressing upon practicing Dharma as one of the four elements to be conquered for ultimate salvation, Swaminarayan  encouraged his followers to combine Devotion and Dharma to lead a pious and Ethical life. In his community, he forbade consumption of meat, alcohol, adultery, drugs, suicide, animal sacrifices, appeasement of ghosts & tantric rituals. As a pioneer of reformed and purified Hinduism, he further undertook several social service projects and opened alms for the poor. During drought, food and water relief were organized. Female infanticide was declared a sin and education of women was encouraged.
Let me share the interpretation of  some of his messages conveyed in his scriptures supporting his Dharmik  and Ethical orientation.

Shikshapatri, shloka 12; My followers shall never kill goats and/or other living beings in sacrifice performed for the propitiation of deities & ancestors, for non violence is declared as the highest Dharma.
Shikshapatri, shloka 17; No stealing should be resorted to even for religious purposes.
Shikshapatri, shloka 18; None of my followers shall indulge in adultery; they shall neither practice gambling and similar vices, nor indulge in inhaling intoxicants.
Shikshapatri, shloka 20; Neither shall false accusations ever be made against anybody for serving one's own selfish ends, nor shall anybody be abused.
Shikshapatri, shloka 24; None shall abandon one's own Dharma as ordained by one's own Varna and Ashrams.
Shikshapatri, shloka 73; None shall undertake an activity devoid of Dharma. Dharma shall not be abandoned out of attachment to the desired objects.

As per him, Dharma is RIGHT CONDUCT, authenticated by Shruti and Smriti, while Bhakti is extreme profound love for God coupled with the knowledge of magnificence of Lord. Swaminarayan advocated the philosophy called " Vishishtadvaita", which conveys that God is supreme, has a divine form, is the all doer and is completely independent. He further stressed that one should work towards realization of Ekantik Dharma,comprising of Righteousness, Right knowledge, Detachment and Devotion to that God. He gave his followers Swaminarayan mantra, which implies the relationship of a devotee with his supreme Lord and helps in concentration, meditation and attainment of ecstatic bliss of divine as well as liberation of all sins.

Swaminarayan, Swaminarayan, Swaminarayan, Swaminarayan.

Vachnamrut, a compilation of spiritual discussions between  Swaminarayan and his Paramhansas  & other prominent followers, covers several Dharmik and Ethical subjects focusing on specific issues discussed in 273 assembly gatherings conducted during the period 1876 CE-1886 CE. Quoting a few relevant lessons from this compilation; " Never think cruelty of others" ( Gadhada I 69) ie there is no place for non violence in life. Another one" Having an aggressive personality is the Dharma of a wicked person and behaving in a calm manner is the Dharma of a Sadhu", stresses on co- relation of Dharma with negative and positive traits of personality.

" People, who follow the path of honesty( Dharma) abandon stealing, adultery, slander and other sins. They fear Bhagwan. People in the world trust them and accept whatever they say as truth."--- Vachnamrut Sarangpur 10 on Dharma & Adharma.

" A person, who follows the path of Adharma is engrossed in evil deeds like stealing, adultery, eating meat, drinking alcohol, changing someone's varna & ashrams by force and alike."

In a similar context, while discussing qualities of a Sat Purush in Gadhada I 67, it says Sat Purush has no love at all for the pleasures of this world. He has desires only for the abode of Bhagwan and His Swarup ( form). Emphasizing the importance of TRUTH in ethical living, one of the discussion summarizes as " Sattvam yad-Brahma-darshanam" ie Sattva guna ( truth as an attribute) leads to the vision of Bhagwan.

Swaminarayan sect, with more than two million followers around the globe and places of worship in five continents has been engaged in spreading the roots of Dharmik and Ethical living by its activities, scriptures and discourses. Faith in divinity and value based living have been its landmarks. I shall end the blog with a powerful verse from Vachnamrut Panchala Prakaran 2.18, giving attributes of a spiritually enlightened person ie such persons remain joyful, grieve nothing, desire nothing, behave equally with all beings and attain His supreme Bhakti.

" Brahma-bhutaha prasannatma na shochati na kankshati;

  Samaha Sarveshu bhuteshu mad- bhaktim labhate param."

Impact of Bhakti Movement---1400-1750 CE--VIII

परम धर्म श्रुति विदित अहिंसा, पर निन्दा सम अघ न गरीसा।

                                                                                                             ( Ch 7, Uttarkand)

Continuing learnings from the sacred scripture" Ramcharitmanas " of Indian Sant Shiromani, Goswami Tulsidas of Bhakti Era, which we began in previous blog 17, we shall now pick up messages on Universal Dharma and Ethical practices conveyed by him, in the current Blog. In the above verse, the author says that Ahimnsa ( Non-Violence) is the biggest Dharma, while hurting or demeaning others is the greatest unethical practice or bad deed. A great transformational learning indeed!

Quoting a few verses from Ramcharitmanas focusing on Universal Dharma and Ethical practices;
धरम न दूसर सत्य़ समाना, आगम निगम पुरान बखाना।
मैं सोइ धरमु सुलभ करिपावा, तजें तिहुंपुर अपजसु छावा।।---  Ch 2, Ayodhyakand

 Lord Rama conveying  that following Truthful practices is the biggest Dharma, which He has achieved in life so easily and now if He discards it, He will lose His entire credibility. In another context in Ch 2, Ayodhyakand, King Dasratha, conveys the importance of Truthfulness in life as a great Ethical practice;
सत्य़मूल सब सुकृत सुहाए, वेद पुराण विदित मनु गाए। ie devotion to "Truthfulness", is the root of all good deeds and noble virtues as stated in great Indian Scriptures, Vedas as well as conveyed by great Saint Manu. On Non-Truth or telling lies, in the same chapter, it is said " नहिं असत्य़ सम पापक पुंजा " ie even a multitude of sins can not be equated with a lie.                                                 .

On Ethical Practices in life, the scripture has enormous messages. Quoting from Ch 3, Aranyakand, where Lord Rama is narrating attributes of Saintly persons in society, with sage Narada;
षट विकार जित अनघ अकामा, अचल अकिंचन सुचि सुखधामा।
अमित बोध अनीह मितभोगी, सत्य़सार कबि कोबिद जोगी।।- Saints have won over six vices, namely lust, anger, greed, infatuation, pride and jealousy. Moreover. they are sinless,disinterested in earthly pleasures & materialistic possessions, firm in thoughts, pure ( both within and outside), full of bliss, have boundless wisdom, desire-less, moderate in diet, truthful, inspired & self motivated and united with divine.
सावधान मानद मदहीना, धीर धर्म गति परम प्रवीना। Saintly persons believe in bestowing honors on others, free from pride, strong minded and well conversant with the path and practices of Dharma or Righteousness, Such people never abandon the right course in life.
निज गुण श्रवन सुनत सकुचाहीं, पर गुण सुनत अधिक हरषाहीं। Saintly people blush at hearing their praise, but feel delighted to hear other's praise.
जप तप ब्रत दम संजम नेमा, गुरु गोविंद विप्र पद नेमा। Saintly people consistently engage in prayers, austerity, control of senses, self denial and religious observances. They demonstrate high respect towards knowledgeable people in society. They have great faith in divine.

Again, in Ch 7, Uttarkand, Lord Rama shares traits of Saintly and Ethical people with his brothers. Quoting a few verses;
विषय़ अलंपट सील गुनाकर, पर दुख दुख,सुख सुख देखे पर।
सम अभूतरिपु विमद विरागी, लोभाभरण हरष भ्रय त्य़ागी।। ie Saintly people have no hankering for pleasure of senses and are storehouse of amiability & other noble virtues. They feel delighted on seeing other's in joy and happiness, at the same time, feel unhappy in seeing others in distress and pain. It means that they are emphatic people, who strongly feel for others at all times, while demonstrating self control. Further, such people are even minded and treat the whole world as one, with no one as their enemy. Conquering vanity & passions, such persons demonstrate mastery over greed, anger, joy and fear.
कोमलचित्त दीनन्ह पर दाया, मन वच क्रम मम भगति अमाया।
विगत काम मम नाम परायन, सांति बिरति बिनती मुदितायन।। ie Saintly people are tender at heart and compassionate to the distressed & poor. They cherish unflinching faith & devotion to Lord in thoughts, words and deeds. They are modest in living and give honor to others. They have no interested motive of their own ( Selfless).  They are the real abodes of tranquility, dispassion, humility and even good humor. Such people are joyous in nature, with a strong peaceful disposition.

In the same chapter, Lord Rama also shares the characteristics of unethical persons and the bad impact they create on the society. sharing a few verses;
खलन्ह ह्रदय अति ताप विषेषी, जरहिं सदा पर संपति देखी।
जहँं कहुँं निंदा सुनहिं पराई, हरषँंहि मनहुँं परी निधि पाई।। ie Impious people suffer terrible agony, they burn at the sight of other's prosperity. Whenever they hear about other's criticism or misery, they feel delighted as if they have stumbled upon a treasure. In other words, they are at an extremely low level of self development and demonstrate low self esteem. They bear enmity towards all without any reason.
झूठई लेना झूठई देना, झूठई भोजन झूठई चबेना। ie they believe in falsehood at all times and in every situation.They may speak honeyed words, yet they are untruthful in all dealings with people throughout the day from morning till night.
पर द्रोही पर दार रत, पर धन पर अपवाद। ie they believe in fighting others without reason, interested in other's wives and wealth and take delight at slandering others. They are sinful in all respects and are a liability to society.

Ramcharitmanas has indeed, endless lessons for the society and the masses in general, to lead a socially acceptable ethical life. Though in a story form, yet it focuses on Dharma, Morality and Ethical practices. In another context, Goswami Tulsidas, in Ch 7, Uttarkand, strongly conveys the evils of EGO& other vices. Quoting "अहंकार अति दुखद डमरुआ, दंभ कपट मद मान नेहरुआ। ie Egotism is the most painful attribute like painful gout in body, while hypocrisy, deceit, arrogance and pride correspond to a frightening disease of NERVES in body, which is difficult to cure.

Conveying a strong ethical message, in another context, in Ch 5, Sundarkand, even demon king Ravana's wife tries to emphasize her concern to her husband; " काम क्रोध मद लोभ सब, नाथ नरक के पंथ। ie Lust, anger, vanity, greed and acquisitive desire for other's possessions, are all paths leading to hell.

 Let me end this blog by another verse from" Uttarkand", on one of the topmost value of a Saintly & Ethical person, conveying that such persons take all the miseries & pains upon themselves. Saints undergo suffering in the interest of others, while impious persons do so with a view to torment others.

संत सहहिं दुख परहित लागी, पर दुख हेतु असंत अभागी।

Impact of Bhakti Movement 1400-1750 CE- VII

परहित सरिस धर्म नहीं भाई, पर पीङा सम नहीं अधमाई ।

                                                                                        (Ch 7, Uttarkand, Ramcharitmanas)
         

What a transformational meaning of Dharma, conveyed by Goswami Tulsidas in one of  his greatest scripture " Ramcharitmanas", devoted to Lord Rama! It conveys that there is no bigger Dharma than working towards uplifting & helping people or even thinking good of others and also, there is no bigger Adharma than oppressing or giving pain to others.

Continuing the learnings from saints and philosophers of Bhakti Era during (1400-1750 CE), we shall now share messages on Dharma & Ethical living from another Hindu Poet-Saint- Philosopher from Ramanandi Sampradaya, in the lineage of Jagadguru Ramanandacharya, famous by the name of Goswami Tulsidas ( 1497/1532-- 1623 CE).

Goswami Tulsidas had been a staunch devotee of Lord Rama. He scripted several literary works during his life span. "Ramcharitmanas", has been one of his greatest contribution, devoted to Lord Rama's life in Vernacular Awadhi.

Sant Tulsidas was given a title of Sant Shiromani, meaning the greatest Saint among other Saints of that period. Mahatma Gandhi held Sant Tulsidas in high esteem and regarded " Ramcharitmanas" as one of the greatest book in  devotional literature. Ralph Griffith, who translated four Vedas as well as Valmiki Sanskrit Ramayana into English, named Ramcharitmanas as " The Bible of North India". Abdur Rahim KhanKhana, famous Muslim Poet and one of Navaratnas of Mughal Emperor Akbar, composed the following couplet on Ramcharitmanas;

रामचरितमानस बिमल संतनजीवन प्रान।

हिन्दुवान को वेद सम, जवनहिं प्रगट कुरान।।

Look into the strong spiritual and ethical message on Ramcharitmanas in the above couplet where it is called the breath of life of Saints, similar to  Holy Vedas for Hindus and Holy Quran in the life of Muslims. The scripture has deep insights on " Dharma towards parents", " Dharma towards a Guru", " Dharma towards one's Varna/ family, " Rajdharma"," Dharma towards a friend", "Seva Dharma", "Dharma towards one who surrenders" and of course " Universal Dharma and Ethical lessons for entire Humanity".

I have been reading " Ramcharitmanas" for over 50 years, since my early youth and have internalized several Dharma driven Ethical/ Moral messages derived from it into my own life. It has impacted me deeply and has acted as a "Mentor Scripture" for me. We shall cover the learnings from this great Saint on my theme in two blogs, the current one referred by me on " Specific Dharma" and the next one on Universal Dharma & Ethical lessons for entire Humanity.

Quoting a few relevant messages on Specific Dharma  from Ramcharitmanas;

DHARMA TOWARDS PARENTS & GURU--

" चारि पदारथ करतल जाके, प्रिय पितु मातु प्रान सम जाके "---- Chapter 2, Ayodhyakand;

" सुनु जननी सोई सुत बडभागी, जो पितु मातु वचन अनुरागी "---Chapter 2, Ayodhyakand;

" पितु आयसु सब धरमक टीका "--- Chapter 2, Ayodhyakand;

The above few verses convey that obeying parents is Dharma for a child and disobeying them is unethical. It also reinforces that children, who love their parents as their own life, get blessed by Almighty in every way ie. Artha (materialistic riches), Dharma ( religious merits) , Love & Intimacy and Salvation. Now, quoting a few verses on " Dharma/ respect towards a Guru";
"सिर धरि आयसु करिअ तुम्हारा, परम धरम यह नाथ हमारा।"---Chapter 1, Balkand; Lord Shiva willingly agrees to marry Parvati, when advised by  Supreme Lord Vishnu; conveying that obeying His orders/ commands are His paramount duty as well as Dharma.
" समउ जानि गुरु आयसु दीन्हा, पुर प्रवेष रघुकुलमणि कीन्हा ।"---Chapter 1, Balkand; Lord Rama's marriage procession along with father King Dasaratha  entered Ayodhya, their kingdom, only after their Guru Vasishta gave permission. Such an attitude reflects Dharma towards one's Guru and Mentors, who need to be given highest respect in life.

 DHARMA TOWARDS ONE'S VARNA/ RACE --

"रघुकुल रीति सदा चलि आई, प्रान जाई बरु बचनु न जाई ।"--- Chapter 2, Ayodhyakand; King Dasaratha, assuring his queen Kaikeyi that kings of the race of Raghu always fulfill promises, once made. They may even sacrifice their lives to redeem their plighted words.
छत्रिय तनु धरि समर सकाना, कुल कलंक तेहि पाँंवर आना।
कहउँं सुभाउ न कुलहि प्रसंसी, कालहु ङरहिं न रन रघुवंसी।।--- Ch 1 Balkand; Lord Rama to angry sage Parashuram , conveying that people belonging to  Kshatriya Varna are born fighters and they never run away from battlefield. Further He added that kings belonging to the race of Raghu, to which Lord Rama too belonged, are never afraid of death.
रघुबंसिन्ह कर सहज सुभाऊ, मनु कुपंथ पग धरइ न काऊ ।।---Ch 1 Balkand; Lord Rama conveys to His brother Laxmana, a few ethics of their race. He stresses that it is a natural trait with the race of Raghu that they never set their hearts on an evil course in life.

The above verses speak of one's Dharma towards his varna /race ( in this case Kshatriya varna and the race of Raghu).

RAJ DHARMA / DHARMA of A KING --
साम दान अरु दंड विभेदा, नृप उर बसहिं नाथ कह वेदा।
नीति धर्म के चरन सुहाए-- Ch 6, Lankakand------As per Vedas, there are four basic virtues of a king  namely SAMA ( conciliation), DANA (gifts), DANDA (physical force or punishment) and BHEDA ( a vision to distinguish). Demonstrating these virtues are essential elements of ethical policies and practices for a king. In the following verses from Chapter 7, Uttarkand,  Goswami Tulsidas further describes some of  the " Ethical practices" during the kingship of Lord Rama, indirectly conveying about Raj Dharma practiced by Lord Rama, as the king of Ayodhya.

जब ते राम प्रताप खगेसा, उदित भयउ अति प्रबल दिनेसा---।
अघ अलूक जँंह तहाँं लुकाने, काम क्रोध कैरव सकुचाने-------।
मत्सर मान मोह मद चोरा, इन्ह कर हुनर न कवनिहुँं ओरा---।

With Lord Rama's glory on the horizon, all the three spheres of the world were flooded with light, bringing delight to virtuous people and sorrow to unethical people. Further, while the night of ignorance terminated, the sinful practices vanished like owls hiding themselves; the unethical traits of lust and anger disappeared from people under His rule. The so called thieves like Jealousy, Pride, Arrogance and Infatuation had no occasion to display their skills. Lord Rama's Raj Dharma supported ethical and Dharmik practices all  the way and discouraged evil deeds and unethical practices in his kingdom.

धरम तडाग ग्यान विग्याना, ए पंकज विकसे विधि नाना।
सुख संतोष विराग बिबेका, विगत सोक ए कोक अनेका।। During Lord Rama's kingdom, lotuses of every description in the shape of knowledge &self realization blossomed in the Ethical pond of compassion, happiness, contentment and dispassion while sorrow as well as general gloom vanished.

DHARMA TOWARDS A FRIEND /A PERSON WHO SURRENDERS --

जे न मित्र दुख होहिं दुखारी, तिन्हहि बिलोकत पातक भारी।--- Ch 4 Kishkindhakand; Lord Rama to Sugriva, a king of  Vanar Tribe, whose help was sought for fighting demon king Ravana. Lord Rama conveys that one would incur great sin by the very sight of those who are not distressed at seeing the pain and suffering of a friend, indirectly talking about Dharma towards a friend.

निज दुख गिरि सम रज करि जाना, मि्त्रक दुख रज मेरु समाना।---Ch 4 Kishkindhakand ; Lord Rama again says that one should consider his mountain sized troubles and sufferings equal to no more than a grain of sand. He adds that troubles and sufferings of one's friend should be given very high weight-age and  importance.  Again, in a similar context in the same chapter;
कुपथ निवारि सुपंथ चलावा, गुन प्रगटै अवगुनहिं दुरावा।--- Lord Rama says that a friend's Dharma is to restrain his friend from adopting unethical path in life and help him adopt ethical/ value based practices. Further, a friend's dharma is to share only good deeds/ ethical values of one's friend with others and at the same time screen his bad deeds/ poor values from people to the best of his ability.

In another context, when Vibhishan, brother of demon king Ravana, comes to meet and surrender to Lord Rama, before the war, and is viewed suspiciously by the entire Vanar army of Lord Rama, HE strongly conveys HIS disapproval of the act and shares HIS Dharma towards one who surrenders, with everyone. Quoting from Ramcharitmanas;
मम पन शरणागत भयहारी---Chapter 5, Sundarkand, Lord Rama conveys that his vow is to dispel all fear from those who take refuge in Him, indirectly conveying His Dharma to support all those taking refuge in Him.
शरणागत बच्छल भगवाना---Chapter 5, Sundarkand,, Sundarkand, conveying that Lord always cherished paternal affection for His proteges.
शरणागत कहुँं जे तजहिं, निज अनहित अनुमानि।
ते नर पाँंवर पापमय़, तिन्हहिं बिलोकत हानि।।---Chapter 5, Sundarkand, ie It is unethical and improper thinking to leave in wilderness a suppliant, who surrenders. Such persons are totally incorrect in their approach and have no place in society. Their very sight is abominable.
जो नर होइ चराचर द्रोही, आवै सभय सरन तकि मोही।
तजि मद मोह कपट छल नाना, करउँं सघ तेहि साधु समाना।।--Chapter 5, Sundarkand, Lord Rama telling Vibhishan, his Dharma towards those who surrender and approach Him. He says that even if a person, who is condemned by the whole world, approaches Him after leaving vices like ego, attachment and bad deeds, He grants him all the virtues of a saintly person.

There is so much to learn and absorb in daily life from Ramcharitmanas scripture, that one can not cover everything in a small blog like this. It may also be true that each and every learning may not be applicable in today's world. These will be analyzed and presented, when I work on the Evolving Patterns, my final agenda, after completing my journey. In next Blog, I shall cover learnings from Goswami Tulsidas and his sacred scripture Ramcharitmanas on Universal Dharma  & Ethics.

 I would like to end the blog with a quote from Ramcharitmanas, Chapter 2, Ayodhyakand, in which, Bharat, Lord Rama's brother conveys to Janaka, father of  Lord Rama's wife, Sita, that serving the masses with ethical values is most difficult Dharma in this world.

आगम निगम प्रसिद्ध पुराना, सेवाधरम कठिन जगु जाना।।