What is śaṁsāra?
By
Guru S. Bale
Jan 22, 2010
Life is birth, life and death. A person with pure heart and mind rejects life. Śharaṇa Candimarasa, describes life as:
A man walking in the forest, A drop of honey falls on his tip of nose
Sees he is being chased from four sides, He is happy with that drop of honey
A tiger, forest fire, a demon and an elephant. Tasting the drop by the tip of his tongue
Afraid for his life, runs to a nearby well, ‘Forgets all his problems’.
Jumps head first into the well, Happiness from Saṁsāra
Seeing a snake, Has an ocean of problems.
He hangs tight to the root of a tree Learn that happiness is momentary
He sees two rats chewing the root, He stands alone without attachment
Just then from a bee hive It is Ĉimmaligeya Ĉennarāma.
This is a beautiful metaphorical description of life. Man is jīva, saṁsāra is forest, tiger is kāma (lust), fire is krōda (anger), demon is lōba (greed), elephant is mada (pride), the well is matsara (jealousy). The snake is bēdha (discrimination I and You). The root that he holds is life, and the two rats are day and night (time). In spite of all these difficulties, he is completely immersed in miniscule happiness (tasting honey) associated with saṁsāra. This is life if one does not think and strive to understand oneself!
Happiness that comes from wife, children, relatives, friends, wealth is not long lasting. They disappear in time. In divine world happiness is also not forever. Gīte 9-21 says: ‘Puṇai martyalōkaṁ viśaṁti’, return to martya lōka when puṇya ends. A person accumulates rewards for good karma. When the rewards end he returns to saṁsāra. Even the divines have many problems. The rewards of good karma do not last.
Gīte (15-7) says-‘ Mamaivāṁśō jīvalōkē jīvabhutaḥ sanātanaḥ’ Jīva is part of God. He is ancient like God. He cannot be seen. He is happy and knowledgable. Yet jīva is fond of saṁsāra. He is under the spell of Māya. A person who understands māya in its orginal form rejects her influence.
The person with knowledge understands that happiness from saṁsāra is not long lasting. He diverts his attention away from saṁsāra. Pure and undisturbed mind lead to freedom from the cycle of birth Allamaprabhu says:
Earth is not yours,
Wealth is not yours,
Wife is not yours,
They are all placed in the world.
Wisdom is to say they are Your’s.
Without faulting that wisdom
To have that wisdom
There is no richer person than you
Guhēśvaraliṁga.
* Siddaṁta Śikāmaṇi, Guru ś. Bale, (unpublished)
Showing posts with label Guru Bale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Guru Bale. Show all posts
Saturday, March 6, 2010
How God exists in this world?
How God exists in this world?
By
Guru S. Bale
Jan 20, 2010
The knowledge to learn one-self is Adyatmika knowledge. This knowledge is precious because it frees the soul from the bonds of Saṁsāra. Saṁsāra does not mean wife and children. It means the illusions of happiness that comes by associating with this world.
Freedom from saṁsāra gives eternal happiness without life and death.
Allamaprabhu refers God as Bayalu. There is only one God. He cannot be seen because he has no form. He cannot be heard. Mind cannot perceive him because he is beyond the limit of senses. He is everlasting happiness. Śaranas showed us the way to achieve everlasting happiness during ones own lifetime.
The vaĉanas of Allamaprabhu describe how God is in this world:
Like fire in stone, Like wealth hidden in ground,
Like reflection in water, Like lightning hidden in clouds,
Like tree in the seed, Like mirage hidden in desert,
Like silence in sound, Like beauty hidden in eyes,
Guheshwara, Guheshwara,
Your relation is with Sharana! It is your presence!
God exists in this world like the fire in stone, like the reflection in water, like the tree in seed, and like the silence behind sound. Through sādhane (perform to achieve) devotee can experience God. That which cannot be seen (fire in stone), that which exists in this world without any attachments (reflection in water), that which has everything (seed to be a tree), and that which is inseparable (silence in sound) from this world (life). God is experienced through sādhane or performance.
Diamonds, gold, and other precious metals are hidden in the earth, lightning is hidden in clouds, and mirage is hidden in the desert and beauty is hidden in eyes. Similarly, God is present everywhere and in everything. He is hidden both inside our body and outside of body or in this world.
God is in everything and in every place; inside and outside of our body. He is not seen or heard. The reason for this is Māye or illusion. This is discussed in the next article.
By
Guru S. Bale
Jan 20, 2010
The knowledge to learn one-self is Adyatmika knowledge. This knowledge is precious because it frees the soul from the bonds of Saṁsāra. Saṁsāra does not mean wife and children. It means the illusions of happiness that comes by associating with this world.
Freedom from saṁsāra gives eternal happiness without life and death.
Allamaprabhu refers God as Bayalu. There is only one God. He cannot be seen because he has no form. He cannot be heard. Mind cannot perceive him because he is beyond the limit of senses. He is everlasting happiness. Śaranas showed us the way to achieve everlasting happiness during ones own lifetime.
The vaĉanas of Allamaprabhu describe how God is in this world:
Like fire in stone, Like wealth hidden in ground,
Like reflection in water, Like lightning hidden in clouds,
Like tree in the seed, Like mirage hidden in desert,
Like silence in sound, Like beauty hidden in eyes,
Guheshwara, Guheshwara,
Your relation is with Sharana! It is your presence!
God exists in this world like the fire in stone, like the reflection in water, like the tree in seed, and like the silence behind sound. Through sādhane (perform to achieve) devotee can experience God. That which cannot be seen (fire in stone), that which exists in this world without any attachments (reflection in water), that which has everything (seed to be a tree), and that which is inseparable (silence in sound) from this world (life). God is experienced through sādhane or performance.
Diamonds, gold, and other precious metals are hidden in the earth, lightning is hidden in clouds, and mirage is hidden in the desert and beauty is hidden in eyes. Similarly, God is present everywhere and in everything. He is hidden both inside our body and outside of body or in this world.
God is in everything and in every place; inside and outside of our body. He is not seen or heard. The reason for this is Māye or illusion. This is discussed in the next article.
Why I am proud as a Vīraśaiva
Why I am proud as a Vīraśaiva
By
Guru S. Bale
Jan 16, 2010
Among all the religions of the world, only Vīraśaiva religion is the most broad-minded religion. Mahatma Gandhi addressing the 39th Congress in 1924 said ‘ 800 years ago, the philosophy taught by Basavēśvara cannot be practiced by me. Basava not only preached but also practiced what he preached. Basava eradicated untouchability. He established a caste less society of śaraṇas. This is very important. If he lived today, he would be the Man for the world. The followers, by practicing and preaching the philosophy, definitely will improve not just India but the world’. Do we need any other testimonial about the religious principles of Vīraśaiva?
According to Akkamahadevi Vīraśaivas have 52 qualities*. I am proud to say that śaraṇas are the first to free the people in the lower class from the clutches of Vaidica persons. Sharnas are the first to liberate women by giving equality. This prompted women to participate equally with men in discussions of religious and social matters. Women wrote many vaĉanas. Today their writings excel and some have become literary marvels. Śaraṇas put an end to superstitions. They created a society of śaraṇas without regard to birth caste. They married a Brahmin girl to a Śūdra boy.
Śaraṇas of the 12th century achieved many great things. They worked unselfishly to improve the quality of life to one and all. Many people including the king of Kashmir joined śaraṇa movement. Śaraṇas earned their livelihood through kayaka (work) and spent their earning in dasōha (charity). Their goal was to lead a simple life, acquire knowledge to learn oneself and to unite with the almighty. They never accepted things without discussing in the great hall of Anubhava Manṭapa.
It is my experience that dasōha performed at some of the temples in Karnataka are not really dasōha. The temple discriminates in serving prasada to the devotees. This type of discrimination is not seen or heard by me in any of the Veerasaiva temples or in Vīraśaiva Maṭas. Without Vīraśaiva Maṭas many of us including many non-Vīraśaivas would not have obtained basic and advanced education. From education we are enjoying the life of today.
There is lot more to write and talk about Vīraśaiva religion. I am proud to be born in this religion. I am proud to practice and to follow the religious principle. I am happy to share my life experience as a Vīraśaiva with others.
* Qualities of Vīraśaiva, Guru S. Bale, Sid-Asha publishing Company, Edison, NJ 08817
By
Guru S. Bale
Jan 16, 2010
Among all the religions of the world, only Vīraśaiva religion is the most broad-minded religion. Mahatma Gandhi addressing the 39th Congress in 1924 said ‘ 800 years ago, the philosophy taught by Basavēśvara cannot be practiced by me. Basava not only preached but also practiced what he preached. Basava eradicated untouchability. He established a caste less society of śaraṇas. This is very important. If he lived today, he would be the Man for the world. The followers, by practicing and preaching the philosophy, definitely will improve not just India but the world’. Do we need any other testimonial about the religious principles of Vīraśaiva?
According to Akkamahadevi Vīraśaivas have 52 qualities*. I am proud to say that śaraṇas are the first to free the people in the lower class from the clutches of Vaidica persons. Sharnas are the first to liberate women by giving equality. This prompted women to participate equally with men in discussions of religious and social matters. Women wrote many vaĉanas. Today their writings excel and some have become literary marvels. Śaraṇas put an end to superstitions. They created a society of śaraṇas without regard to birth caste. They married a Brahmin girl to a Śūdra boy.
Śaraṇas of the 12th century achieved many great things. They worked unselfishly to improve the quality of life to one and all. Many people including the king of Kashmir joined śaraṇa movement. Śaraṇas earned their livelihood through kayaka (work) and spent their earning in dasōha (charity). Their goal was to lead a simple life, acquire knowledge to learn oneself and to unite with the almighty. They never accepted things without discussing in the great hall of Anubhava Manṭapa.
It is my experience that dasōha performed at some of the temples in Karnataka are not really dasōha. The temple discriminates in serving prasada to the devotees. This type of discrimination is not seen or heard by me in any of the Veerasaiva temples or in Vīraśaiva Maṭas. Without Vīraśaiva Maṭas many of us including many non-Vīraśaivas would not have obtained basic and advanced education. From education we are enjoying the life of today.
There is lot more to write and talk about Vīraśaiva religion. I am proud to be born in this religion. I am proud to practice and to follow the religious principle. I am happy to share my life experience as a Vīraśaiva with others.
* Qualities of Vīraśaiva, Guru S. Bale, Sid-Asha publishing Company, Edison, NJ 08817
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