Vasudha Jhunjhunwala

From the fullness of the Sun emerges the fullness of the Moon,

From the fullness of an Ocean emerges the fullness of a River,

From the fullness of the Seed emerges the fullness of a Flower,

From the fullness of God emerges the fullness of Guru,

From the fullness of a Guru emerges the fullness of a Devotee,

From the fullness of a devotee emerges the fullness of Life.

To the tradition of masters for reaching us this fullness of existence, I bow down to pay my highest regards, this Guru Poornima day.

In the lotus feet of my master with Gratitude-

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We feel extremely fortunate that we got the privilege of celebrating this Guru Poornima in the physical presence of Gurudev in Montreal Ashram

Our Ashram in Montreal is by a lake in the middle of a deep forest. It is a delight to be in such serene and quite ambience away from the hustle bustle of the mundane world and dive deep into silence.

Every year on the Guru Poornima day Gurudev asks us to look back on the previous year and reflect on the inner growth on the spiritual path. It’s a wonder how full we feel each year! The feeling remains the same – That there wasn’t any more that we could have received with his infinite blessings, guidance and grace. Yet the Fullness inside us keeps growing, year after year and we keep receiving more and more and more.. So much so that we cannot even contain. And so tears well up in gratitude, the throat chokes up and words fall short..

Devotee

Vasudha Jhunjhunwala

(Photographs curtesy Siddharth Jhunjhunwala)

I would have never known that Shashwat was old enough to enjoy watching plays and like theatres, as according to my perception theatres were only meant for elders, if it wasn’t for this brand new experience .

I was pleasantly surprised to receive an email from Ms.Poonam ( Shashwat’s class teacher) for a permission from parents to take Children for a play from School. “Yes of course I would grant permission to Shashwat but what if she allows me to accompany him” I thought to myself. After all, I had not watched a play, at Prithvi theatre, for years. And so I wrote to her requesting her for the same.

She was kind enough to grant both of us permission and so here we were on our way for our first play together. With a bunch of twinkling stars

The play was being performed by a group of young artists from Nagpur and was called “Elizabeth- the naughtiest girl at school” . It was based on Enid Blyton’s book.

The young actors, I thought, did a great job at acting. Both Shashwat and me were in a state of awe to see the display of confidence and skills by these young talented actors. Shashwat curiously asked – “Mom how do they remember all that they have to say, how do they by heart so much? “. How! I really didn’t know, probably children are capable of much more than what we think they are..
As if time flew for us , we both enjoyed the play thoroughly.

On our way back from Prithvi, I curiously asked my little one not expecting too much for an answer- ” How was the experience of watching a play different from watching a cartoon for you? ” I  must admit I was surely surprised by the answer I heard from him, which was -” Mummy, I could feel myself as a part of the characters of the drama and relate to them, much more than I do in cartoons ” .

Wow!  I had just discovered a very creative way of spending some quality time with Shashwat. One that both of us would  equally appreciate. And so this was not just the last play we watched together but the very first one.  Infact we have decided to celebrate Shashwat’s birthday with his friends at Prithvi watching a play together.

And so I recommend all young moms like me who thought theatre is a thing for elders to enjoy to change their mind and take a trip to a theatre with their young ones . Who knows, may be a brand new experience is waiting for you all too ! 🙂

“Yatha Pinde, Thatha Brahmande”- What is in one is in the other or as is microcosm, so is macrocosm.

Having read the above in the book called creation (written by Dr. D.K Hari and Mrs. Hema Hari) (Page 52) many parallels of the macrocosm and the microcosm came to my mind.

It’s obvious that the qualities of parents are inherited by their child. Because the micro has emerged from the macro both should have similar properties, isn’t it.  In this sense knowing one can help know the other to a great extent.

A few years back, I got the privilege of travelling to CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear research, with Gurudev. The physicists in CERN are probing the fundamental structure of Universe. During our visit, I found myself in a constant state of wonder seeing the size of infrastructure created for research work. A whole township has been put together, a 18 km  underground tunnel has been built to enable particle collision, gigantic equipment have been put together, thousands of people there work tirelessly to discover more about matter in our extra ordinary universe.

Being on the Spiritual path for last 20 years I could compare the thirst in the scientist for knowing the creation, the macrocosm, to the thirst of a yogi to discover the self. Both tirelessly seek the unknown and both are being carried by strong faith in the unknown which helps them take on all the challenges that come their way.

Being on the path I could draw parallels even then. And now after reading this excellent book.

-The concept of creation by many philosophers, sages and the modern scientists explain the concentration of energy or “Hirany

agarbha” or cosmic egg before the emergence of the universe.-They also talk about a force acting inside this egg called Indra and Vrtra , expansion and contraction-And the release of energy – Big bang  or Brahamanda Visphotak- Which finally led to the birth of the universe as we see it today.

(More on the above can be read in the book on creation which is a fine collaboration of thoughts of different schools)

But what I really wish to highlight through this writing are some of the interpretations that the mind can draw, the amazing parallels between the microcosm and macrocosm.

1)To start with when we observe the human body itself with it’s trillions of cells and the nervous system with it’s unique mechanisms we can find an as complex and magnanimous interplay of forces as the universe has.A single cell when seen closely has the two forces at work the positive and the negative just like the Indra and Vrtra was present in the cosmic egg. With a balance or neutral centre – which is described as the primordial state from which this complex universe emerged- or “Narayana floating in cosmic waters” (Pg 22) A cell with its electron, proton and neutrons in the nucleus can be compared to this cosmic egg. It’s the atom, a cell which is the basic building block of the nervous system similar to the Cosmic egg from which this universe emerged.

Just like a small seed ‘Hiranyagarbha” from which this complex universe came into being, from a single cell the entire nervous system comes into being.

2) In the process of birth the embryo in its prenatal state can also be compared to being in the same state of that of Narayana in cosmic waters. In a state of complete rest in a water bag of the mother’s womb. It’s after a child’s birth that his/her sensory organs become completely active. The five senses connected to the panchabhuta  through which this universe came into existence –  eyes/sight with fire,  ears/hearing with ether,  tongue/taste with water,  nose/smell with earth,  skin/touch with air (pg 26)  through which the manifest world is perceived by a child. Thus in the womb the birth process is comparable to the process of panchikaranam (pg 42) and it continues even after birth for a lifetime as it does for this entire universe.

3) The process of birth and death is comparable to the process of creation and dissolution as explained in the book (pg 43). After death the 4 elements merge back in creation just like after each cycle of creation. At such time the primordial elements (panchabhuta) revert in their 100% characteristic and are in their pure individual self.

4)I have often heard Gurudev say that it is one space that permeates an atom and the universe. It’s this space that connects us to the entire universe – The Shiva Tatva  (Story of Vishnu and Brahma page no. 35).  There is no beginning or an end of this space.

The “Anu” “atom” has inherited its properties from the creation. In this sense we are the offsprings of the one. Exhibiting different qualities based on our constitution. “Guna” or the nature of panch bhuta.(pg 68) . Also the Space inside us and outside us is one, which connects all of us. And ths is what the saints have been pronouncing over thousands of years and which is now being authenticated by modern scientists too.

The way prescribed by the saints of our land to know the world within is by practicing meditation. In the meditative state of complete rest we are in union with the macrocosm the infinite space, the shiva tatva.

As the book rightly describes this approach has also been recommended in Ishavasya Upanishads (Pg 81)“This universe and creation is a mix of both the subtle and the gross, it is not enough to understand creation only from internal spiritual perspective or parallel only from material scientific perspective. A good healthy mix of both is essential to understand the Srishti or creation.”

Gratitude to the master for having introduced the spiritual dimension in life and to all the scientists/researchers of the modern world who continue to establish the spiritual experiences with material evidences. Making the journey complete.

The book on creation by Dr. DK Hari and Mrs.Hema Hari  is a fine collaboration of both these dimensions as it is a beautiful blend of the modern and the ancient knowledge. It enlivens the knowledge of the 5000 year old Vedas for the modern world with parallels of modern science.

Like the white light when it passes through the prism creates different effects in the same way this universe is a magnanimous display of that ONE alone.

“Yatha Pinde, Thatha Brahmande”- Knowing one definitely gives insight of the other.

Without the light of knowledge in one’s life, life remains like a directionless ship in a dark sea, lost in unknown purposelessly. This fact was understood by the people of our land since time immemorial and so they gave the name “Bharatha” to our land. Our country India is one in which knowledge has been regarded as supreme. ‘Bharath’- Bha means Light or Knowledge, Ratha means Immersed, Rathi also meaning delight. Bharatha- A Land and it’s people immersed in knowledge, a name given for the quality of people and their land (Extract from Bharath Gyan https://m.youtube.com/watch?index=1&list=PL9QLcyiVla35S_9PUMq0PRuLejVPXZYvu&v=LO8ZMbNqJMk).

The light of knowledge has been carried by the tradition of our masters, by our Guru’s from the very inception of our civilization, from several thousand years to us. Our revered masters dedicated their lives for the upliftment of human beings by introducing to us a broader dimension of existence. They have gifted us great values by setting examples from their own actions.

Human life can be a constant struggle without knowledge.The mind, intellect and Ego have their limitations and are over powered by their own negative tendencies, which the mind refuses to let go. I often say that to train the human mind can be as difficult as training a dragon. Choices can be confusing and one can be surrounded by a constant dilemma of the right and wrong, good and bad, should and should nots.

The knowledge in our scriptures is like a road map that makes our life’s journey comfortable and smooth. But Wisdom remains locked like in secret chambers in these sacred texts until a proficient master reveals it for his student.
And so Upanishad is required. Upanishad means- Sitting close or mental proximity between the teacher and his student- As Gurudev explains- “Knowledge can only flow when a student has faith in the teacher’s wisdom and the teacher has faith in the potential and sincerity of the student”. Without faith and respect in one’s Guru, the flow of knowledge is not possible, It would be like trying to climb Mount Everest being blindfolded, I feel it would be next to impossible!

I often wonder, If I weren’t bestowed by the rare blessing of having SatGuru, Sri Sri Ravishankar ji, in my life how would I have had access to this mystical world. By putting the sutras into simple words, supporting them with examples of today’s world he has proved the relevance of this timeless wisdom for my own life. Gurudev encouraged me to have a scientific approach ask questions and have faith in my own experiences and that’s how he helped me to move ahead from one level to another, step by step patiently.

The unconditional love of a Guru and his infinite patience for his disciple is like the love and care of a mother for her child. So much so that a person without a Guru in the olden times in India was called Anatha. What award can we give to our mother or to the Guru for their contribution in our lives! What ever we give them will be trivial for their unconditional love. But I feel, we through our actions can at least demonstrate utmost respect for this invaluable legacy for our future generation to learn from, isn’t it! Like when I recently visited a friend’s marriage at a Gurudwara and was pleasantly surprised seeing the bride and the groom taking their marriage vows around the Guru Granth Sahib(the central religious text of Sikhism). I thought to myself that it was a tradition to learn from, where Guru was given utmost respect.

This respect is lacking in the world today. Doubts have overtaken faith. And we are not being able to distinguish Sugar and Sand. The Guru principle and the great traditions of masters has often been belittled by the expressions of our near and dear ones, in films, our communication , in writings etc, this is an act of ignorance! And so education is needed. There are a few who have fallen the ladder but they cannot be compared or said to be akin those who have given their entire life for the sake of upholding human values. Who have kept the torch burning and alive even through the darkest night.

As we move pass another dark night when Life faces many challenges from the evils that have cropped up like monsters in the world today. Wrong knowledge and negative tendencies cloud the minds of human beings, driven towards destruction and violence. Today when the world is on such a cross road, its time we need to reflect upon truth, learn and bow down from the past traditions!

Bharatha will truly stand for it’s name again when we the people of this land revere knowledge and the Guru with all our heart . This is a firm belief of a devotee and a patriot.

Reverence for my master for having lighted up lamps of knowledge on my path. Without which my life would remain incomplete, over shadowed by the blinding darkness of the world.

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