Goddess Durga: A timeless manifestation of feminine power

 Every year, after the scorching heat of summer and the monsoon’s downpour, when Autumn comes and envelops the earth in golden sunlight, white clouds start sailing through the blue sky. Indians all over the world are excited to celebrate Durga Puja through devotional practices and varied community activities.

  In ancient Indian mythology, the concept of the Divine Mother Durga is described as the protector of righteousness and the destroyer of evil, and one who brings back harmony and peace to heaven and earth.
“ Durga “was created with the combined spiritual power and light of all Gods to defeat “Mahishasura,” the demon, who was the epitome of all evil. As Durga restored peace and harmony in heaven and earth, all the Gods adorned her with ten hands holding ten symbolic objects. They are the conch shell, which signifies creation through the “Aum “sound. “Chakra “shows the eternal wheel of time.” Bow “points out the ability to focus, and “Arrow“points to righteousness. “Lotus “ stands for spiritual power. “Gada” and Javelin, for crushing ignorance and the ability to penetrate through illusions. “Shield “is for protection from negativity, and her one hand is up in Abaya mudra, bestowing blessings to all. Interestingly, the snake she holds points to the transformation of consciousness from a lower to a higher state - a reference to the practice of 'kundalini or the coiled serpent representing elevated states of consciousness accessible through spinal breath movement.
Every year, Ma Durga’s homecoming to the earth, with her four children (Laxmi, goddess of wealth, Saraswati, goddess of knowledge, Kartik, and Ganesh, who stand for handsomeness, wisdom, and success),  is celebrated all over India, through the celebration of Navratri and Durga Puja.

Durga Puja is celebrated mainly in the eastern part of India - Bengal, Orissa, Assam, with devotion but also as a high point in the year for cultural and community activities, and at the end of five days, it culminates in the immersion of the Durga idol in a flowing river - symbolically and literally a source of life. Durga, as the all-powerful manifestation of feminine power, holds some very relevant messages for the modern world, which has largely represented strength and power in masculine forms. Over a hundred years ago, the great saint of Bengal  Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa said, “ Women are, all of them, the veritable images of Shakti (power)". The earth, our mother, is feminine, as is the source of all creation, per nature's law. A world that understood and respected that was a better one than the one we've created today.

Why consciousness isn't intelligence

Life is a journey from the unknown to the unknown. We only try to hold on to the visible middle part we consider 'alive' tightly and focus on making it as comfortable as we can, in all possible ways. Man’s latest discovery of 'Artificial Intelligence' appears to be a magic wand ready to grant all our wishes and solve our material problems one click at a time.

Artificial intelligence, the brainchild of humans, does come at a high cost and can displace significant parts of a human workforce. It can produce profitable businesses with very few people and with unprecedented speed and efficiency.
These days, when I open the morning newspaper, I find at least one article on “AI” that describes the versatile roles in different fields of life. Magical toys made with AI chatbots are the new companions for children, or it also can play the role of a doctor and can even advise in emergencies. Not only that, in remote village schools, it can transform itself with a traditional Indian sari and play the role of a teacher, ready to answer all queries of students without being tired or angry. Whether it be the field of healthcare, education or agriculture, it has proved to be a great help through remarkable productivity. Also, translations across multiple languages, or writing a poem or an essay, it connects human beings in new and interesting ways. An always-on AI poet doesn't need to waste time staring at a starry sky or monsoon clouds to gain inspiration. AI seems to be capable of uplifting the human spirit at the ready.

It has only one drawback. And that is, it has to be fed with human-produced data continuously. And if the quality of that data is poor, or biased, or violent, or racist, then “AI” does not have its own ethical or moral compass to course correct - it is comprised of the 'stuff' that we create at large.  It seems incredible because it can produce results with unprecedented speed and polish, but it is a train whose tracks are laid down by us and not a separate intelligence that can guide humanity. In fact, should the collective human race start moving towards war, division amongst people and the more negative traits, then an AI-powered collective consciousness will speed up the destructive potential of a situation where the likelihood of conflict and strife will increase dramatically.

God given human intelligence has the ability to change the course, and to rethink perspectives beyond those previously stated, to a problem, which “AI” doesn’t have because it is dependent on our content to drive its intelligence. Pointing out this problem, Albert Einstein rightly said, “The intuitive mind is a sacred gift, and a rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honours the servant and has forgotten the gift “

Our creator has fixed invisible safety valves in every human brain, which cannot be replicated nor can be found by dissection, which can be realised only by the seekers of truth. We might refer to facets of this as consciousness,  Inspiration, or Intuition. It works in every human life, and when we want to hear that inner voice, we find it in silence, and it guides us in the right direction. That inner voice inspired Prince Siddharth to leave his kingdom behind to be a Buddha, and Christ to utter his last forgiving words to those who crucified him. These moments of divine consciousness present as a spark waiting to ignite every life cannot be captured in the analysis of words or actions and certainly not in their aggregate. It is in the realm of the superconsciousness that humanity's potential for evolution exists. In every living being, that divine spark is present, but as we get too busy to satisfy our life’s desires, that divine spark remains undiscovered under the debris of desires. Let us not let the means become the end.

The moon and our spiritual life

 The sacred day of Guru Purnima is celebrated every year in India. That day people honour their spiritual masters, seek blessings and express gratitude by offering flowers, fruits and donations to their respected gurus and seek their blessings. The day is also observed for introspection through meditation.

This age old tradition is being followed from Vedic times. It is believed the great sage Veda Vyasa, who compiled four Vedas, and wrote the epic Mahabharata, was born on that day. So the day is also known as Vyasa Purnima. Spiritual Yoga knowledge which started with lord Shiva was carried by Vyasa for the benefit of all. The day is also celebrated by Buddhists because Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon on that day.

“Guru Purnima” is a combination of two Sanskrit words. “Guru “means one who removes darkness and ignorance from students' minds. And “Purnima “means full moon". Every year, Guru Purnima day has special astrological significance,  when the earth has the most cool, positive energy of the moon and can help the human mind to be more receptive to spiritual knowledge.

This year the day was observed on tenth July, when I went to my guru Paramhansa Yogananda ‘s meditation centre and joined in group meditation, which was truly a blissful experience for me. On that special day, I also remembered two enlightened souls of India, Swami Vivekananda and Paramhansa Yogananda, who in their short life span, could inspire the whole western world with the immortal spiritual knowledge of India.

Swami Vivekananda went to America in the year 1893 to give his powerful speech at the World Parliament  of religions in Chicago. His powerful  speech, combined with his rich baritone voice and charismatic personality won the hearts of million of Americans instantly. He was the founder of Ram Krishna Mission, which does selfless services for health care, education, spiritual services and many social activities all over the world.

Yogananda went to the west in 1920. With his  powerful  and inspiring writing and lectures, he flooded the western world and introduced India’s ancient meditation technique, called “Kriya Yoga. “ “Kriya “is a special breathing technique (pranayama ), which awakens the chakras and brain. Through the practice of  kriya , the soul awakens to its divine nature, and feels its unity with divine spirit. He described the soul as a radiating ray of the infinite spirit, and said, “By practising Kriya Yoga , you carry a portable paradise within you.” He established the main S.R.F centre (Self Realisation Fellowship) in L.A. And now all over the world, Kriya meditation centres are established. He was also the first prominent Indian, hosted in the White House by the president in1927. His Autobiography Of A Yogi, is listed as one of the best100  spiritual book in the world, and translated into more than 25  languages and read by millions.

On the blessed Guru Purnima day with all  great gurus we also seek blessings of our parents and teachers, who shower unconditional love and guide us in life. On the sacred day of Guru Purnima, we pray that each soul can be the channel of divine light to bring peace and joy in today’s turmoil world.

The soul of a tree

I was pleased to know from my six year old grand daughter Emma, that her favourite pastime hobby is to swing by holding the hanging branches of a Banyan tree. It also happens to have been my favourite childhood activity too.

The reason the Banyan tree makes the best swings in nature is also why it has a special place in Indian literature and philosophy. The branches have the capacity to gradually touch the ground, go deeper into the soil to connect with the roots, and together they give strength and longevity to the main tree and create an extraordinary canopy of thick leaves and are among the largest trees on the planet. This unique characteristic of a Banyan tree conveys a beautiful metaphor used in Indian philosophy to describe the nature of consciousness - that while each branch is separate it also has the capacity to connect to the source and in fact, there is one consciousness even as it is embodied across a multitude of individuals. Man’s creation of artificial intelligence - which, like a banyan tree is interconnected and always learning and growing, is a shared construct. Is it our consciousness that powers intelligence or intelligence itself that becomes conscious? Or are they facets of something entirely larger. The Banyan tree works as a swing just as well as it works for a metaphor for consciousness of artificial intelligence.

Spiritual masters say, by stilling the mind through meditation, realisation of our  connectivity, and our one divine source  can be manifest in our mind. As the moon and stars get reflected on the calm surface of the water, by stilling the mind, one realises the divine connectivity of all living beings. That only makes us loving and compassionate to each other. Then only barriers between people, religion, and nations will begin to fall.  As the Sufi poet Rumi beautifully wrote “ you are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean in a drop “. 

Will vs destiny

Blessed are the thorns for within them flowers bloom. I read an amazing story in today's newspaper about a poor and ailing village girl who had leukemia and she came first in the nationwide board exam with. Her will, focused mind and her love of life found expression in ways that her life might not allow for long. This is the triumph of will.

Such unusual events prove that destiny, fate or circumstance, and whatever their causes might be, can be overcome by a strong will. While the accumulations of past lives might manifest in present life even as one lifetime doesn't hold explanations of any apparent reasons, we label them as destiny or fate. They may be pleasant or unpleasant in nature, but we do not have much control over them.

Sri Ramakrishna compared the limitations of human free to with a cow tied to a stake in a field. It has room to roam free up to the length of the rope it's tied with. We cannot deny fate, but total acceptance also may pull down our self esteem,  efforts and will power  to shape our own life. It is true that hereditary factors, environment, tendencies of past life, all help to shape our lives in different patterns but it is also not a wise choice to surrender our will power at the alter of Fate.

Paramhansa Yogananda, who helped uplift human spirit through his writings, lectures and by establishing S.R.F. (Self realisation Fellowship in U.S in 1920, H.Q in L.A) all over the world, brought rays of hope. He said, "past life tendencies can be cauterised from the brain with the fire of wisdom. And the best anaesthesia against pain is to develop our mental power by being engaged in helpful, creative activities and specially by practicing “Kriya  Yoga meditation" (from The divine Romance). The first  reference to Kriya  Yoga  is  found  in Indian epic Mahabharata, when Krishna taught it to depressed Arjuna  to overcome fear and inspired him  to perform his duty as a warrior battling his own family to establish righteousness. That light of wisdom was carried over by lineage of five masters,  the  last guru Yogananda  opened the light of wisdom fountain for all coming generations through his teachings. I feel blessed to have it , and it has helped me to overcome many hurdles in life. I conclude with a few lines of an unknown poet,” Pain makes you stronger. Fear makes you braver. Heart break makes you wiser. So thank the past for a better future.“

An ancient science that supercedes modern medicine

The literal meaning of of Ayurveda is “Science of life “ or” Science of longevity “ . Dhanvanthri, who was known as God’s physician, was the first practitioner of Ayurveda about 3000 years ago.

Unknowingly the seed of interest to know about  was planted in my young mind long back, when first time I  heard the  story of Laxman’s  miraculous survival from the Indian epic Ramayana. It said, when Laxman was critically injured on the battlefield, Hanuman (the monkey god ) was sent to bring Sanjivani - an herbal  plant, from a far away mountain called Dronagiri in the Himalayan range. And when the great devotee of Rama,  Hanuman, could not identify that  special herbal plant, with his immense strength, he lifted the whole mountain and brought it to the battle field. Then Laxman was given that special herb, and he survived. As a child I was thrilled to hear that story, but as I grew up, that story faded from my memory. My interest in Ayurveda sprouted up again in my middle age, when I started having knee pain from rheumatoid arthritis. I  consulted an authentic  Ayurvedic doctor and within a year of treatment, I was able to improve to the point where I could taper off and finally discontinue immunosuppressive therapies. That experience  inspired me to share my experience with Ayurveda which I have benefitted from immensely.

According to Ayurveda, the five fundamental elements of creation  earth, water, fire, air, and space, also work within the human body and help to keep balance of body and mind. Ayurveda describes three orientations, which are called Vata (related to air and space), Pitta (fire and water element) which affects digestive system and third is Kapha (earth and water element) which affects bones, muscles, and teeth etc. Like the mix of primary colors can make up infinite palette, these three orientations mixed together manifest as the multitude of individuals, who are each to be treated distinctly if they are to be treated holistically as the balance of these three differs from person to person. As Ayurvedic medicines are chosen from plants, herbs, minerals and not synthetic or chemical extractions,  they don't create side effects. Another popular cleaning system of Ayurveda is known as 'Pancha Karma',  which means cleaning and eliminating toxins from the body  through five different actions. Ayurveda considers body as a temple, and which must be nourished with right food, right environment and right life style  with harmonious relations with all. Yoga guru B.K.S Iyengar rightly said, “The body is your temple , keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in it". Ayurveda, as a sister science to Yoga ultimately supports the cause of spiritual enlightenment through manifesting balance in the mind and body. And for that I am grateful.

The Simplicity of Choice

Sometimes the memory of a funny story may bring a serious thought to mind -as it happened to me when I was having my evening walk in our garden. Few lines of a much forgotten poem floated in to my mind, which told the story of the invention of shoes. When people were fending off dust everywhere, someone suggested they drench the earth with water, while others suggested covering it up with cloth or leather. Then a wise old man suggested that before trying to change the landscape, why not cover  your own feet  with leather. Thus shoes were born. 

I realised that  in any situation of life, self-protection is more effective than trying to change the outside world. We find our world is burning today with hatred, injustice, greed and anger, expressed through wars between countries, social ideals of different cultures and also within families. Wars fought with weapons or words  are unable to bring permanent peace. So we must be ready to listen and learn from the wisdom of that mythical inventor of the shoe.

One such effective idea is expressed in the first few sutras (lines) of the ancient text, “Yoga Sutras”, written by Maharishi Patanjali around 400 C.E. In his first chapter, “Yama “refers to the five external aspects of individual must do's. They are as follows, Ahimsa or non violence, Satya meaning truthfulness,  “ Asteya “ prescribes  non-covetousness in any form, let alone the act of stealing. “ Brahmacharya “ asks to develop self restraint, and” Aparigraha “is to stay unaffected by greed or the desire for accumulation.

The second chapter, “Niyama “ refers about five internal aspects of must dos of an individual. “Sauch “means to maintain inner and outer cleanliness. Santosh, is to have contentment. Tapas prescribes self-discipline and right effort,  “Svadhyaya” prescribes study for self improvement and self-awareness and finally comes “ Ishvara Pranidhan, “which means surrendering to God with love and humility.

Patanjali with his deep insight realised that we can change our world by purifying and strengthening our own mind. The world we create within is the world we live within.