Kali Yuga

“Shri Rama’s holy name is like Narasimhadeva to the Hiranyakashipu-like Kali Yuga. For those who chant the holy name, the Lord offers them all protections and crushes their tormentors, just as He did for Prahlada Maharaja.“ (Dohavali, 26) rāma nāma nara kesarī kanakakasipu kalikāla | jāpaka jana prahalāda jimi pālihi dali surasāla || Kali Yuga, the last of the four time periods of creation as explained in the Vedas, is characterized by the rampant impiety that pervades society. In times previous to the age of Kali, deference to religious practice, which is the single engagement that best distinguishes the human being from the animal species, was at much higher levels; therefore man could be considered less fallen. But as more time elapses from the beginning of creation, which happens to follow growth cycles similar to the rising and setting of the sun or the coming and going of living beings, acknowledgment of a higher power and the need to serve Him dwindles. Therefore Kali Yuga is considered the dark age, one full of quarrel and hypocrisy. Nevertheless, there is still a chance for spiritual enlightenment, a way to gain salvation that breaks through the nescience of darkness. Though this method is specifically tailored for the dark age, it was actually practiced a long time ago when the inhibiting effects prevalent in Kali Yuga took on their greatest magnitude through the efforts employed by a powerful king, one who was insistent on ensuring that his young child not turn into a saintly character. Though the tendency of the human being is to think in the here and now, taking its current life to be the only one it’s ever had, a more rational approach considers the eternality of spirit, and therefore also humbly acknowledges that man has lived before. When we say “man”, we refer to the spirit soul residing within a particular form, for life exists in all spheres of creation. A dog and a cat may not be able to speak or do quantum physics, but they nevertheless have spirit souls residing within them; otherwise they would not be capable of growing, performing action, leaving byproducts, or even dying. The event of death signals that life existed at some point; therefore through simple logic and deduction we can understand that spirit is not exclusive to the human form. The particular living being may grow for some time and then decay upon the exit of the soul, but the spiritual spark remains in existence for all of eternity. In a similar manner, the entire cosmos, which consists of gross matter, exists perpetually, but it is not always manifest; it has cycles of creation and destruction. The shifts occur at the behest of the Supreme Ruler, that person most of us refer to as God. Based on His choosing, the material creation can come into existence or it can remain in a dormant state, wherein the matter doesn’t take any shape. When there is creation, the duration of existence is set on a timeline, operating like clockwork through management by higher authorities, entities that are godlike, but not God Himself. Not surprisingly, the first time period, Satya Yuga, is the age of purity. Therefore it is also known as Krita Yuga. Satya means truth, so the people living in this age are very pious and highly aware of the Absolute Truth. The Vedas are so nice because they not only give details into the nature of the Supreme Lord, the eternality of spirit, our relationship to the Supreme Spirit, and what it takes to connect with Him, but they also provide information as to the reason for the material creation’s existence. Indeed, to the keen observer the path towards salvation simultaneously reveals the purpose of the creation. “Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, that state he will attain without fail.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.6) Attaining salvation in spiritual life is quite simple. “Love God with all your heart, be always conscious of Him, and thus think of Him at the time of death.” Whatever state of mind the departing individual has at the time of death, that state he will attain without fail in the next life. Obviously it’s impossible to predict the state of mind one will have at this most difficult of life’s moments, when the vital force is about to forcibly exit the body the individual has grown accustomed to and called home, but the thoughts actually arise involuntarily at this moment, as they are shaped over the course of one’s lifetime, through the different events and desires. Therefore if one ensures that they are always thinking about God, serving Him, remembering Him, and honoring His devotees during their lifetime, the chances of being God conscious at the time of death greatly increase. Religion’s very purpose is to reawaken this dormant consciousness in the spirit soul, for the sparks of spiritual energy emanate from the original gigantic spiritual fire. Therefore there is an inherent link to the Supreme Person. Only through religion, which is the exclusive property of the human species, can the dormant love for the Supreme Lord be awakened. The people in the Satya Yuga are very pure, but nevertheless they somehow made it to the material creation. This means that at some point unknown to them, they wanted separation from the graces of the spiritual land, where association with the Supreme Lord in one of His personal forms, including the original of Lord Krishna, was enjoyed. If Krishna is so attractive and beautiful, why would anyone want to leave Him? The spirit souls are endowed with free will and independence, and for these features to be valid in their implementation and existence, the avenues for their exercise must be multifarious. Therefore there must be a set of individuals who are given to using their independence towards advancing a bogus cause, one that seeks to imitate Krishna in His abilities at creating, maintaining and destroying. Since these desires cannot be acted upon in the spiritual realm, a temporary land is required, one where forgetfulness of Krishna, His warm embrace, and His sweet vision is facilitated. Just as we cannot force anyone to love us, Krishna cannot compel anyone to take to His service, for there would be no enjoyment felt in the resulting relationship from either party. But the Satya Yuga is still very pure, since the spirit souls have just been placed in a newly created land, where knowledge of dull matter and activities not related to Krishna’s service is not very developed. Because of this, man in the Satya Yuga has a very good opportunity for returning back to Godhead through religious practice. The Treta Yuga brings about a decline in dharma by one quarter in society; thus new social divisions are introduced as a way to manage affairs. The Satya Yuga sees everyone belonging to one class, one that is ever dedicated to spiritual affairs. In the Treta Yuga, brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras are assigned occupational duties. Similar to how a company will give specific tasks to different workers to ensure the success and profitability of the business venture, society is divided up to see to it that all the facets of material life are taken care of in an orderly manner. The brahmanas are considered the brains of the operation, for they guide everyone else in their prescribed duties. The kshatriyas are the arms; they provide protection and handle administration. The vaishyas take care of food production, so they are likened to the stomach. The shudras are important as well, as every engagement needs dedicated workers capable of performing basic tasks. With every person abiding by their prescribed duties, there is ample time left for spiritual advancement. Indeed, the very existence of dharma, or occupational duty, is to see to it that activities inmaya, or material nature, can be accepted without attachment, while attachment to the Supreme Lord is fostered at the same time. The Dvapara Yuga sees another quarter reduction of dharma in society; therefore the influence of the nefarious element then equals the presence of the pious. The number of wars increase, as conflict and struggle is always there. The miscreants don’t just sit back; they instead create their own dharmas, which by definition can’t lead to any benefit. Dharma is not something that can be concocted; it is a system of occupational duty tied directly to the soul’s intrinsic characteristics. A concocted dharma is one that is shaped by the illusory energy of the material world, one that seeks to cloud the natural intelligence and the knowledge of the Supreme Lord found within everyone. The Kali Yuga is considered the most fallen age, because dharma only exists at one quarter strength. Naturally this means that finding a truly religious person, one who is seriously interested in purifying their consciousness and remembering Krishna at the time of death, is very rare. There are many other such symptoms that highlight the disdain felt towards established dharma. We can think of the Kali Yuga as the “bizarro” age, where everything is done opposite to the way it should be. Men and women marry at their own whim, sometimes in defiance of the parents’ wishes, rather than through an organized arrangement made by the parents aimed at fostering a peaceful coexistence. The Vedas are so nice that even sex life, which is considered the antithesis of religious practice, is aimed at furthering one’s God consciousness. Through regulated sex in a marriage institution, the man and woman can live peacefully, abide by their respective duties, and make steady progress in life’s primary mission. The other “bizarro” effects are plainly visible throughout society. Those with no understanding of the differences between matter and spirit, who identify solely with the gross body - a lump of matter that is subject to decay at the time of death - assume leadership roles, while the brahmanas, the priestly class who act by the brahminical principles, are considered extremists following ancient traditions which no longer apply. Indeed, even if you do find brahmanas, they probably don’t follow the principles enjoined them by the shastras, or scriptures. Taking their high family lineage as a license for behaving any way they see fit, they don’t make the best use of their birthright, as they forego taking spiritual instruction from one who knows the Absolute Truth. At first glance, it may seem a little too easy for the spiritual leaders to claim that the current age, Kali Yuga, is the most fallen one. After all, doesn’t this make their preaching efforts easier? By saying that we’re suffering through Kali Yuga, aren’t they just trying to further their own interest of spreading religion? Could it be that they just witnessed the effects in society and then somehow claimed that it’s the Kali Yuga, an age that is so fallen? Actually, just by studying recent history we can see evidence of the dwindling influence of dharma as time passes. For instance, the population of men and women that grew up in America during the 1930s and 40s is considered the “Greatest Generation”, for they suffered through a Great Depression and two world wars. They are considered great because of their level of piety and dedication to their fellow man, not necessarily for their technological advancements or level of enjoyment. Indeed, they suffered through much more austerity and hardship than any generation that followed them. And what happened as a result of their brave sacrifice? As time went on, the prosperity of the nation increased, so much so that the traumas today deal with things like eating too much food and not having enough tangible work to perform on a regular basis. Hardships have to be invented now because life is so excessively peaceful. In this way we see that in modern times deference to piety and religion has a direct correlation to the level of sense gratification available. Sadly, the linearity travels in the wrong direction, as the increase in opulence has led to an almost hatred for religion and anyone who even mentions the word “God” with any sincerity in public. The Greatest Generation, though they may not have been aware of it, had higher levels of piety and respect for religion because of their simplified lifestyle, where they weren’t overly engrossed in sense pleasures. Their tapasya, or penances, brought on by harsh conditions actually helped them maintain a more pious way of life. If such drastic shifts in piety levels can occur over sixty years, just imagine what takes place over hundreds and thousands of years. Thus we see that the statements of the Vedas pertaining to the gradual diminishing of deference to religion are not merely hyped up mythology or self-serving statements aimed at bringing about a spiritual revolution. Man always thinks he knows better than God, for that is the very cause of his fall down to the material creation. As they drift further and further away from real dharma, the mental speculators and fruitive workers think they are making progress, finding a better way to manage affairs and society. Regardless, they will still have to abide by some rules and regulations, with the only difference being that the rules put into place by the Vedas are authorized and have passed every quality control test, while the modern day movements and their ideals are based solely on ignorance, with knowledge of the real identity of the individual as spirit soul completely removed from the picture. Of all of Kali Yuga’s negative effects, the most formidable is its ability to squelch religious practice. Not only is deference to dharma not widespread in the least bit, but anyone who wants to take up service to the Supreme Lord is not encouraged to do so. So many impediments are thrown their way, with the strongest inhibiting influences coming from the allures of the four pillars of sinful life: meat eating,gambling, intoxication and illicit sex. But despite the impediments and the horrible conditions of Kali Yuga, just one simple practice, which when adopted in earnest, can save the sincere devotee from all perils. Indeed, the beneficiary of such service will take it upon Himself to rip apart the impeding influences, thus allowing for the seed of devotional service to grow into a full blown tree of transcendental love, one that produces fruits that others can enjoy. This singular process is the chanting of the holy names of God, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”. Lest we think this is a sectarian mantra or some formula concocted by the Hindus who worship many gods, the names “Krishna” and “Rama” are Sanskrit words that very nicely and accurately describe the features of the Supreme Absolute Truth. If there is a God, He most certainly must be attractive, and He must also be able to provide the highest transcendental pleasure to anyone who connects with Him in a mood of pure love. Therefore Krishna and Rama are two wonderful names that directly represent the Supreme Person that we are all inherently connected to. Goswami Tulsidas, a celebrated Vaishnava poet, especially prefers chanting the name of Lord Rama, for the Supreme Person’s descent on earth as the pious and handsome prince of Ayodhya named Rama during the Treta Yuga is the highest source of pleasure for millions of devotees around the world. Since the name is a direct incarnation of the Supreme Person it addresses, all the potencies of the Lord are available to one who regularly chants it. Tulsidas says that Rama’s name is so powerful that it acts like Narasimhadeva to the Hiranyakashipu-like Kali Yuga. This comparison is wonderful because the thwarting efforts employed by Hiranyakashipu, the most powerful of demon kings, directly match up with the influences of Kali Yuga affecting the devotional efforts of sincere souls. Hiranyakashipu was a king ruling the world a long time ago. He was extremely powerful, but since he was born in a line of daityas, or demons, he was predisposed to hating the Supreme Lord. Lord Vishnu is another non-different form of Godhead. Worship of Vishnu, Krishna or Rama is all the same, for the three entities represent the same person, with specific spiritual traditions accepting one of the forms as the original. Hiranyakashipu hated Vishnu, for that is the nature of the atheists; they view God as their number one competitor. The demon had a son who was to be groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps. But unfortunately for the king, this little boy, who was named Prahlada, had divine qualities from birth. He was given to  worshiping Vishnu and no one else. He listened to everything that was taught to him about administrative affairs and how to conquer the world, but he nevertheless took bhakti-yoga, or devotional service, to be the primary task in life. You would think this would be a cause for celebration. The aim of having children is to produce progeny that are God conscious, for otherwise the opportunity of the human form of life is not properly utilized. The human being that behaves like an animal will have to risk rebirth after the current life is over; so there is no telling what kind of species will be accepted next, for the workings of karma are very complicated, as the aggregate of all actions and reactions are taken into account. Hiranyakashipu should have been thrilled that his son was devoted to Vishnu without having to be cajoled. But just as the Kali Yuga is the “bizarro” era, so the atheists always act in a way directly opposed to how one should behave. Hiranyakashipu was so irate that his son was worshiping his number one competitor that he couldn’t stand to see his son alive. He ordered his palace guards to kill the five year old child by attacking him with weapons. But Prahlada was no ordinary devotee. When one’s consciousness becomes enveloped in loving feelings of devotion towards Vishnu, the effects of the material nature are drastically reduced. Therefore these weapons couldn’t harm Prahlada in any way. Indeed, it was the very same Vishnu protecting the young child, for the ability in man and the potency in weapons only come about through the Lord’s influence. Subsequent attacks, which increased in intensity, were perpetrated on Prahlada to take his life, but none of them worked. Being thrown off a cliff, put into a pit of venomous snakes and thrown into a raging fire could not get rid of the young child. Finally, the Supreme Lord had enough of these vile attempts, so He personally came and killed Hiranyakashipu. Death can be very quick and painless depending on how it is administered. Hiranyakashipu wasn’t so lucky. Vishnu came in the form of a half man/half lion to maintain the boons of safety previously granted to the king. This wondrous form took Hiranyakashipu - whose name ironically means a soft, golden cushion - and placed him on His lap. Vishnu, in the form of Narasimhadeva, then ferociously bifurcated the demon, thus giving him the most painful death. In this way the greatest impediment towards Prahlada’s devotional efforts was removed. Tulsidas accurately notes that Rama’s name has the same effect on the thwarting influences of Kali Yuga imposed on the devotees. Rama is the very same Narasimhadeva, so by chanting the Lord’s name, all perilous conditions can be avoided. The purpose of chanting the Lord’s name is also revealed through this one simple verse. While neophyte spiritualists may take to chanting to alleviate some distress, to receive a material reward, or to gain ascension to a higher realm, the bhakta only chants to be allowed to remain in Krishna consciousness. This wonderful attitude represents the height of purity and thought; therefore it is not surprising to see that the object of worship will Himself ensure that the impediments to such a sublime engagement are removed. Whether we find ourselves in the most pure circumstances or in the most rotten area not conducive to spiritual life, by following Prahlada’s example and remembering the Supreme Lord through chanting His name constantly, the forces of darkness will never stand a chance.

பொது அறிவு கேள்வி பதில்கள்_தொகுப்பு I

1.பெரியார் நீதிக்கட்சியின் தலைவராக ஆன ஆண்டு? 2.கொடிகாத்த குமரன் தடியடிபட்டு மரணமடைந்த ஆண்டு? 3.தமிழ்நாட்டில் காவேரி ஆறு ஏற்படுத்தும் நதித் தீவு? 4.தக்கோலம் போர் நடந்த ஆண்டு? 5.டாக்டர் எம்.ஜி.ஆர் பல்கலைக்கழகம் தொடங்கப்பட்ட ஆண்டு? 6.புள்ளலூர் போர் நடந்த ஆண்டு? 7.சென்னையில் தொலைக்காட்சி நிலையம் தொடங்கப்பட்ட ஆண்டு? 8.தமிழில் வெளியான முதல் வார இதழ்? 9.தந்தை பெரியார் மறைந்த ஆண்டு? 10.தமிழ்நாட்டில் நான்காவது தமிழ்ச்சங்கம் நிறுவப்பட்ட ஆண்டு? பதில்கள்: 1.1938, 2.1932, 3.ஸ்ரீரங்கம், 4.கி.பி.949, 5. 1987,  6.கி.பி.620, 7.1975, 8.தினவர்த்தமானி, 9.1973, 10.1901.

Parabrahman

“Shri Rama’s name is greater than Brahman, and it grants boons to even those who are capable of giving boons. Lord Shiva knowingly selected it out of the one hundred crore verses describing Rama’s acts.” (Dohavali, 31) brahma rāma teṃ nāmu baḍa bara dāyaka bara dāni | rāma carita sata koṭi maham̐ liya mahesa jiyam̐ jāni || Goswami Tulsidas very nicely addresses an important issue of contention amongst followers of the Vedic tradition who are unaware of the real nature of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and His relationship to other heavenly figures. What is today known as the Hindu tradition is filled with worshipable figures, gods if you will, so the tendency for those who are not wholly dedicated to the fountainhead of all forms of life is to equate their specific worshipable figure – whose supreme status was assigned through personal motive or a faulty ultimate conclusion in life - with the Supreme Person, declaring that there is no difference between any of the gods. “Just worship whoever you want. Whoever you see as God, that is who you should worship. The final destination of understanding Brahman is the same regardless.” Here, Tulsidas gives the correct explanation, one based on the authority of the Vedas, that Shri Rama, who is none other than the Supreme Person Himself, is superior to any heavenly figure, for even Lord Shiva, who is considered the greatest god, Mahadeva, constantly recites the Lord’s name. Shri Rama’s name is also superior to the all-pervading aspect of the Absolute Truth known as Brahman. The superiority over Brahman is very important to know because once you get passed sentimentalist feelings and sectarian boundaries, the differences of opinion between followers of the Vedic tradition ultimately come down to the issue of personal versus impersonal. The impersonalists believe that the ultimate feature of God is that of a formless energy, one that is bereft of any bliss, knowledge, and variegatedness. Rather, the variety we see in life is due to maya, or illusion, and once one is able to see past these allures, they can concentrate on the light of Truth. Practices such as chanting, going to church, worshiping a deity, and reading stories are aimed at understanding Brahman and gaining detachment from the false world. The soul is Brahman, so once all the individual souls combine together through release from the cycle of birth and death, the total Brahman can become whole again. The impersonalist views the personalist, one who worships Lord Vishnu or one of His non-different forms like Shri Krishna, Rama, or Narasimha, to be on a lower platform of intelligence. “They’re having trouble renouncing the world, so they are tricking themselves into worshiping the saguna aspect of Brahman. Once they have enough detachment and self-control through this process, they can abandon their support system and spend their time meditating on the formless aspect of the Truth.” Under this model the ultimate goal is to stop activity, reach a state of mind opposite from that inherited at the time of birth. The grossly ignorant try to enjoy as much of material nature as possible, hence they essentially harbor a desire to exploit. The Vedic version, however, does not favor either extreme. Material existence, wherein the spirit soul, the essence of life, is trapped on a pendulum that swings between bhoga and tyaga, acceptance and rejection, does not represent the soul’s constitutional position. Rather, as the marginal potency of the Supreme Spirit, the individual souls are given the choice between blissful life and a hellish existence with sparse opportunities for enjoyment, which is substandard. Material existence is the result of the wrong choice being made by the marginal potency. Since the individual souls are Brahman, they are beyond the duality of like and dislike, heat and cold, happiness and sadness. The soul is brimming with knowledge and bliss, and since it emanates from God, it is eternal. Nothing can kill the soul, not even the horrific death of the body can do anything to alter the constitution of the individual spirit sparks. “Know that which pervades the entire body is indestructible. No one is able to destroy the imperishable soul.” (Lord Krishna,Bhagavad-gita, 2.17) The impersonalist philosopher, through their own mental speculation, without consulting the authorized words found in sacred texts like the Bhagavad-gita and Shrimad Bhagavatam, assumes that the Absolute Truth divided up to create the innumerable sparks roaming the different worlds. They explain this using the analogy to a clay pot that breaks into pieces. When broken, the pot is incapable of being used, but once all the pieces come together, it becomes whole again. This analogy can never apply to God, however, for the mundane laws of science and logic cannot even begin to explain the wonders of the Supreme Person. The living entities are Brahman, or Truth, but the Supreme Lord is Parabrahman, or the Supreme Truth. He is capable of expanding Himself into tiny energy fragments and remaining completely the same in quality. In the material world, one minus one always equals zero, but in the spiritual world one minus one can equal two or five or any other number that doesn’t seem possible. Such is the magic of Vishnu that His personal self never undergoes any diminution or suffers fault. The personalists are not after Brahman realization, so they cannot even be accurately compared to the impersonalists. This is the point addressed by Tulsidas in the above quoted verse. The name of Shri Rama, who is a celebrated incarnation of Parabrahman, the original Personality of Godhead who is full of form and quality, is superior to Brahman. This immediately indicates that those who are simply after Brahman understanding are really the inferior spiritualists, as their object of worship is not the ultimate realization of the Supreme Person. A commonly invoked analogy used to describe the different realizations of the Supreme Truth is the viewing of a massive hill. When we are far away, all we see is the outskirts of the hill, so we are not able to truly understand it. When we get a little closer, we can understand the shape of the hill and its color. When we actually reach the hill, we understand that there are living beings residing there. Brahman understanding is the equivalent of viewing the hill from afar. Unable to understand the blissful and wonderful position of Shri Vishnu, the Mayavadis, those who take everything in the perceptible world, including God’s names and pastimes, to be maya, speculate about what the light of Brahman represents and what its realization can bring about. The yogis, those who meditate on the Absolute Truth’s expansion found within the heart, understand that Brahman can be localized as the Paramatma; thus every single person has God living inside of them. But only the devotees, those who dedicate their life and soul to chanting the Lord’s names and worshiping His original, personal forms, understand Bhagavan, the Supreme Lord who is complete in every way. Brahman and Paramatma are simply different, less complete aspects of Bhagavan’s personal self. This also debunks the theory that the various gods are equal representations of Brahman and are thus the same as God. God is Parabrahman, and all forms of life are Brahman, even the celestials capable of granting boons. Tulsidas notes that even those who are capable of granting boons get benedictions from Rama’s name. This has been documented many times throughout history. Lord Brahma granted benedictions to demons of the past who worshiped him properly. When the miscreants started using their powers for evil instead of good, the same Brahma, representing the interests of the numerous celestials in charge of managing the different aspects of the material creation, approached Lord Vishnu and asked Him for help. In the case of Ravana, the evil king of Lanka aided by Brahma’s boons, Vishnu descended to earth as the warrior prince of Ayodhya, Shri Rama, the beloved of Tulsidas. On another occasion, Mother Earth and the demigodsapproached Vishnu to deal with the punishing influences inflicted by the evil King Kamsa. Vishnu then again came to earth, this time in His complete and original form of Lord Krishna. The demigods would never claim to be on the same level as Vishnu, so why should anyone else? The celestials are living beings just like us, except they have been granted tremendous powers of authority by the Supreme Person. They can be likened to state administrators, people who work at the pleasure of the head of the state. Worshiping them can certainly bring wonderful benedictions like a long life, success in material ventures, money, and the ability to perform amazing feats. But as aspects of Brahman, the constitutional position of the individual spirit souls is to be in the company of the Supreme Lord in a mood of love and affection. The impersonalist fails to understand this, therefore they need to first realize Brahman before making the leap into devotion. Understanding that God, or anyone for that matter, can possess mutually contradictory attributes is very difficult. That Parabrahman can be both formless and with form, with eyes and without, bluish in complexion and also white, at the same time, is unfathomable to the human mind. To properly understand the Supreme Person requires an element of faith, at least in the beginning stages. As the blissful exchanges continue, the Personality of Godhead, in His spiritual form, gradually becomes revealed to the devotee. The final reward is eternal association with Bhagavan, life after life, an unbreakable link in consciousness to the spiritual world. This sort of interaction is reserved for the devotees and not those who are stuck on a vague conception of the Absolute Truth. Beyond having faith, how do we actually practice devotion? Tulsidas addresses this issue as well. He states that Mahesha, Lord Shiva, can choose from a hundred crore of verses describing the glories and activities of his beloved Lord Rama, but he nonetheless settles upon the name itself. Lord Shiva, though in charge of the material mode of ignorance, is a wonderful devotee at heart, wholly dedicated to Vishnu. He especially prefers Vishnu’s expansion of Lord Rama to worship. And he practices his devotion by chanting the name of Rama over and over again. The Ramayana poem composed by Maharishi Valmiki has thousands of wonderful verses describing the glories of the jewel of the Raghu dynasty and the exploits of His friends and family during His time on earth during the Treta Yuga. Indeed, the entire collection of Vedic literature is dedicated to glorifying the Supreme Lord and His attributes. All the sacred texts contain wonderful descriptions of the forms, qualities and pastimes of the Supreme Person. Even though such comprehensive information is available, Lord Shiva picks out only the name of Rama and cherishes it as his life and soul. Through the authority of Mahadeva, the holy name is thus revealed to be the most powerful aspect of the Supreme Person, as it directly represents God’s other aspects. This name, when chanted in a mood of love and devotion, reveals the jiva’s marginal position as being in between Parabrahman and maya. Without this understanding, the soul will always be bewildered as to what action it should take. When we understand that there is a God and that we should worship Him, the level of understanding represents a step up from the animalistic mentality adopted at the time of birth. Unless we know how to act upon that information, however, we will remain in the dark and thus continue to be open targets for the influence of maya, or material nature. Chanting the names of God, especially those found in the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, allows for spiritual cognition, along with an understanding of the bigger picture and the individual’s place in it. When chanting the names of God in a mood of love is absent, the tendencies towards impersonalism or its opposite extreme, pure material enjoyment, will increase. Rama’s name is the most valuable jewel to be found in this world. It grants benedictions to even those who are seemingly capable of supplying everything to the world’s population. It is the one word that Lord Shiva takes as his life and soul out of a seemingly unlimited number of verses describing Rama and His glories. If the name is good enough for Lord Shiva, who is second to none in his level of devotion to God, then it should also be good enough for us, who are looking for pleasure every day. When seeking pleasure, it is best to shoot for the top, to find the highest level of satisfaction that will not leave any room for unhappiness or delusion. The Supreme Lord, as Parabrahman, is the all-pervading witness and the loving friend of every single living entity, large and small. Those who chant the holy name realize this wonderful mercy and bask in its glory for all of time.

Meeting Saints

“(Hanuman did not see Sita) who was firmly situated on the eternal path of devotion to her husband, had her gaze always fixed on Rama, was always possessed by love for Rama, had entered the glorious mind of her husband, and was always the most exceptional of women.” (Valmiki Ramayana, Sundara Kand, 5.24) sanātane vartmāni samniviṣṭām | rāmekśaṇāṃ tāṃ madanābhiviṣṭām | bharturmanaḥ śrīmadanupraviṣṭām | strībhyo varābhyaśca sadā viśiṣṭām || In a field devoid of God consciousness, another person’s rise to prominence is taken in the competitive spirit, viewed as an affront to our own progress. In a fruitive endeavor, the aim is to rise to the top, to become the most respected and successful person in a particular venture. Therefore if others are already on the superior position or on their way to the top, there is a feeling of insecurity, that the path to our own success is being threatened. But when the endeavor shifts to the spiritual arena, where the aim is to form a permanent connection to the Divine consciousness, seeing others who are already on the highest platform of thought is the most humbling experience. It also serves as an important tool in making progress. Not only is the mental picture of such persons worth the effort, what follows is a great eagerness for having a real-life meeting, personal association with a saint. If perchance the reunion with the saints does not happen, despondency results. Such was the case with Shri Hanuman many thousands of years ago. Hanuman can never be properly described with words. In Sanskrit his body type is described by terms such as vanara, kapi, and hari, which can translate to “monkey”. But people who are familiar with his attributes and divine nature take great offense when he is thought of in this way. A monkey is a lower animal after all, so to consider Shri Hanuman to be anything like a monkey is not a valid viewpoint. For people who follow Vedic traditions from their childhood, Hanuman is always referenced with the suffix “ji” to indicate that he should be given the proper respect. More than anything else, Hanumanji is a Ramadutta, a messenger of the Lord.Lord Rama is an incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The Vedas, the ancient scriptures of India, say that we should worship and honor God, and in order to increase the taste that results from such a connection, the Supreme Lord makes divine appearances on earth every now and then. His original presence in the spiritual sky is also a personal one, as the divine material substance is nothing like the matter we are accustomed to playing with here on earth. Since the original Personality has a spiritual form, so do all the personal expansions that appear on earth, which are thus known as avataras, or “those who descend”. The Rama avatara is celebrated especially throughout India, but Rama’s mercy is open to all, even those not belonging to the human race. This fact was validated through Rama’s activities, which are nicely documented in the Ramayana of Maharishi Valmiki. Rama’s meeting with Hanuman came in the forest of Kishkindha, which was where Rama and His younger brother Lakshmana went after the Lord’s wife Sita Devi had gone missing. Rama and Lakshmana were of the princely order, sons of the King of Ayodhya, Maharaja Dasharatha. Through a series of unfortunate events, Rama was banished from the kingdom for fourteen years. Sita and Lakshmana were not ordered to go, but they insisted on coming along. While Rama was lured away from the group’s cottage by a golden deer, Sita went missing. Lakshmana went looking for Rama, so when the two brothers returned to see that Rama’s wife was not there, they immediately began to search for her. In Kishkindha, Shri Hanuman, the chief minister to the Vanara-king Sugriva, met Rama and Lakshmana and took them to Sugriva. An alliance was then formed, with Sugriva agreeing to help Rama find Sita. When the time came for the search, countless monkeys were dispatched to scour the globe, but it was well known that only Hanuman was capable of finding Sita. Through intelligence gathered from a bird named Sampati, the monkeys in Hanuman’s party learned that Sita was being held captive on an island called Lanka, which was ruled by a Rakshasa king named Ravana. This Ravana was notorious, as the very mention of his name instilled fear in others. The monkeys were set to go to Lanka, but there was one small problem. A massive ocean separated the island from land. Hanuman was the only one capable of jumping far enough to reach the city, so he did just that. Prior to entering Lanka, Hanuman assumed a diminutive stature so that he could search the city unnoticed. Making his way through the majestic city, Hanuman saw pretty much everything. There was tremendous opulence, beautiful queens, and people enjoying in so many ways. Though he saw things he had never seen before, though he had gone on a wonderful site seeing tour, Hanuman was nevertheless dejected. He still had not found the person he was looking for. The above referenced verse from the Ramayana provides descriptions of Sita Devi, the wife of Lord Rama. The listing of these attributes is meant to praise the wonderful princess and also juxtapose her qualities and behavior with those of the women Hanuman had just seen in Lanka. Even though Hanuman first met Rama in Kishkindha at Sugriva’s behest, he was nevertheless fully devoted to the Lord. Born with the divine qualities, Hanuman knows no other business except bhakti-yoga, or devotional service. He was given the task of finding Sita and delivering to her Rama’s ring as proof of the genuineness of his mission, but he was eager to see the princess more because of her qualities. Hanuman’s temporary dejection is easy to understand, provided that one knows the nature of the great servant and the divinity of his eternal master. Hanuman loved Rama so much, and he knew that Sita loved Rama even more. That’s at least how he thought. He had seen how saddened Rama was at being separated from His wife, so Hanuman wanted to meet this person who had such an effect on the jewel of the Raghu dynasty, the man who is Himself above fear, sorrow, pain, and deviation from the path of righteousness. The Vedas describe God through thousands of names that also praise His many attributes. He is known as atmarama because He is self-satisfied.Atma can refer to the body, mind, or soul, and rama refers to giving transcendental pleasure. An atmarama can derive total peace and happiness simply from their own self, the soul, the identifying aspect within every form of life. Therefore one who is self-satisfied has no need to indulge in sorrow, lamentation, anger, grief, lust, or so many other negative emotions brought on by attachment to sense objects. Sita Devi is the energy of Rama. She gives Him more pleasure than anyone else can; therefore in some respects she is even greater than God. Hanuman was also in the business of pleasing Rama, so instead of being jealous of Sita, he was very anxious to meet her. When practicing devotional service - which is the eternal occupational duty for everyone, even if they don’t know it - the quickest way to make advancement is to witness the devotional efforts of others. This sort of progress is further sped up when the devotee being observed is persevering through difficult circumstances. It is one thing to always chant the holy names of the Lord found in the maha-mantra, “Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare”, when times are good, but it’s a different story when you are facing the punishment of death and the prospect of never seeing your beloved again. These were the circumstances facing Sita; yet her devotion to Rama never wavered. If someone else is practicing devotion in this way, with their consciousness connected to God at all times, others who are similarly engaged in serving the Lord take great pleasure from such exhibitions and become fully humbled by them. Sweethearts like Hanuman always think that they are not anything special, and they feel internal satisfaction seeing others who are on a high level of practice. Sita was famous throughout the world for her devotion to Rama, so Hanuman was thrilled at the prospect of meeting her. It is said that she was fixed on the eternal path of devotion to Rama and had her eyes always focused on Him. This fixing of the eyes on the lover is initially intended for the benefit of the object of worship. Those who are on the highest platform of understanding know that simply remembering God and worshiping Him are the greatest boons one can ask for. Sita Devi wanted nothing from her husband, as His company was beneficial enough for her in both the current life and the afterlife, where the two live eternally in the spiritual sky as Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi Devi. “O best among the Bharatas [Arjuna], four kinds of pious men render devotional service unto Me—the distressed, the desirer of wealth, the inquisitive, and he who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.16) Sita remained devoted on the path of chastity, not even looking at any other man, for Rama’s benefit alone. This is the hidden secret to devotional service. In the beginning stages, there may be a desire to alleviate distress, find material wealth, learn about the Absolute, or satisfy one’s inquisitive nature, but these desires eventually cease through steady devotional practice. The paramahamsa, the topmost transcendentalist, has no need to even chant the names of the Lord, for they think about God at every second, seeing His presence in even the insignificant grass. Nevertheless, the paramahamsas of the bhakti school redouble their devotional efforts, as they know that gazing upon the wonderful form of the deity representation or even the personal form of the Lord standing before them gives great pleasure to the Person they are devoted to. It is said that Sita had penetrated deep into Rama’s mind. This means that just as the devotee always thinks of the Lord, God always thinks of those who are always thinking of Him. The beauty of this wonderful relationship is seen in the behaviors of Sita and Rama. Though she was far away on a distant island, Sita was right there in Rama’s mind. The Lord never forgets even just one call to Him that is made in full purity. Thechanting regimen passed down by the Vaishnavas calls for at least sixteen rounds of daily mantra recitation. The benefits of this practice are manifold, but the ultimate aim is to be able to say God’s name purely just one time, for doing so keeps the Lord’s attention. Even though Rama is never in need of anything, because Sita remains forever devoted to Him, He always keeps her in His mind. Their relationship best illustrates the potency of bhakti-yoga. It is also said that Sita was the best of women. Hanuman had seen many wonderful princesses, all of whom were fit to be married to the most pious princes. But still, at least in Hanuman’s estimation, they were no match for Sita. How can any woman ever compare to Shri Rama’s eternal consort in qualities? Hanuman knew Sita’s nature even though he had not met her up until this time. Due to his strong dedication to Rama’s interests and his deep love and affection for all of the Lord’s family members and well-wishers, Hanuman would not have to wait long. He would eventually meet the princess of Videha and successfully carry out his mission. Just as Hanuman is humbled by Sita’s level of devotion, so we are energized, enthralled, and thrilled throughout our body every time we can even remember Hanuman. He is forever dear to both Sita and Rama, and from his activities we see that he is lacking nothing in devotional consciousness. By hearing of his exploits and his firm dedication on a regular basis, one can very rapidly make progress towards the ultimate destination, the spiritual sky.

Natural anti-oxidant deserts aging body

Posted by Biomechanism 

“Cell’s reserve fighting force shrinks with age, new study finds.”

Human neural stem cells (cell nucleus shown in blue). Credit: Prof. John Sinden

When the body fights oxidative damage, it calls up a reservist enzyme that protects cells – but only if those cells are relatively young, a study has found.

Biologists at USC discovered major declines in the availability of an enzyme, known as the Lon protease, as human cells grow older.

The finding may help explain why humans lose energy with age and could point medicine toward new diets or pharmaceuticals to slow the aging process.

The researchers showed that when oxidative agents attack the power centers of young cells, the cells respond by calling up reinforcements of the enzyme, which breaks up and removes damaged proteins.

As the cells age, they lose the ability to mobilize large numbers of Lon, the researchers reported in The Journals of Gerontology.

Senior author Kelvin J. A. Davies, a professor at the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, used a war analogy to explain that no “standing army” of Lon protease can endure an attack by invading oxidants without calling up reserves.

“Once the war has started, what’s your capacity to keep producing … to protect your vital resources and keep the fight going?” he asked.

Since aging is the longest war, the USC study suggests a more important role for the reservist enzyme than previously known.

Lon protects the mitochondria – tiny organisms in the cell that convert oxygen into energy. The conversion is never perfect: Some oxygen leaks and combines with other elements to create damaging oxidants.

Oxidation is the process behind rust and food spoilage. In the body, oxidation can damage or destroy almost any tissue. Lon removes oxidized proteins from the mitochondria and also plays a vital role in helping to make new mitochondria.

“We know that mitochondrial function declines with age, which is a major limitation to cells. One of the components of that decline is the loss of Lon. The ability of Lon to be induced by [oxidative] stress is a very important component of overall stress resistance,” Davies said.

Davies and his team worked with a line of human lung cells. They exposed the cells to hydrogen peroxide, a powerful oxidant that is a byproduct of energy production and that also can result from metabolism of some drugs, toxins, pesticides and herbicides.

To fight the oxidant, young cells doubled the size of their Lon army within five hours and maintained it for a day. In some experiments, young cells increased their Lon army as much as seven-fold.

Middle-aged cells took a full day to double their Lon army, during which time the cells were exposed to harmful levels of oxidized proteins.

Older cells started with a standing Lon army only half as large and showed no statistically significant increase in Lon levels over 24 hours.

The Davies group, which discovered Lon in 2002, previously had shown that Lon’s standing army gets smaller with age and that the anti-oxidant power of Lon depends more on its reserves than on enzymes present when stress first hits the body.

The latest study completes the picture of Lon’s sluggish response as senescent cells – a technical term for cells that mimic several key features of the aging process – try to cope with stress.

“In the senescent cells, the Lon levels are drastically low to begin with, and they don’t increase” in response to stress, Davies said.

Scientists have known for decades that mitochondria become less efficient with age, contributing to the body’s loss of energy.

“It may well be that our ability to induce Lon synthesis and our loss of adaptability to stress may be an even more significant factor in the aging process,” Davies said.

Davies and others are investigating potential treatments to boost the function of Lon. Costly enzyme supplements are useless, Davies noted, since the digestive system breaks down the enzyme to amino acids before it can reach its target.

“It’s a lot cheaper to buy a piece of meat and get the same amino acids,” he said.