Business to the Buddha

Tag: devotion

  • Bhakti






    The Buddha only spoke about scientific path of liberation – Meditation. According to Indian philosophy there are more ways, one is Bhakti or devotion. Remember Meera bai, Meera bai followed Bhakti path?in_union_with_krishna_oq05

    I was speaking with someone. I said I recite Hanuman Chalisa but find it very strange. Hanuman Chalisa is a prayer/song/devotional hymn for Lord Hanuman (Foreigners know Hanuman as Monkey god of Ramayana’s time).

    According to Hanuman Chalisa, Hanumanji suggested Vibhishan (brother of King Ravana) to go to lord Ram, thus Vibhishan became king of Lanka after Rama defeated Ravana.

    तुम्हरो मन्त्र बिभीषन माना।
    लंकेश्वर भए सब जग जाना॥

    I never liked this part of the Hanuman Chalisa (statement). What I know is – Vibhishan suggested Ravana that Ravana has done wrong and Ravana should make amend. Ravana does not listen to Vibhishan and ostracize him. Vibhishan knew what is right and wrong. He made his choice to be on the side of Rama in the war. I dislike Tulsidas (author of Hanuman Chalisa) giving credit to lord Hanuman for Vibhishan’s choice and decision. I would not question on Sugriva‘s anointment though.

    At times, I have reservations with these prayers where we keep on praising the lord with a result in mind. “Please give me this thing or that thing.” Effectively we are making a business deal with them an example is Ganesha’s aarti – http://greenmesg.org/mantras_slokas/sri_ganesha-jai_ganesh_jai_ganesh_aarti.php which seems more of a business than a loving relationship.

    My this hesitation was broken by one Art of Living Bhajans. I had seen (almost met) Guruji – Sri Sri Ravishankar – in 2003. But I did not do the course for 1.5 years because I felt “My Guru will have time for me, he (Sri Sri) has a lot of followers.” My sister forced me into the course. Besides the interesting method – Sudarshan Kriya – I learnt in the course, what I loved was this bhajan, link below. It has “no demand”, it has “no praise” either. It just repeats one name of lord Krishna.

    This is real Bhakti in my definition. I love this bhajan – no request, no appeal, no begging and no demand. This is Bhakti – whatever you want to confer, confer; it is your wish/will. I am reciting your name no matter what, no matter in what situation you keep me. That is the other path for liberation according to Indian spirituality.

    Hari Hari || Chitra Roy Art Of Living Bhajans

    Image source – http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_Pvuexh7J1Cs/S–9pMcpNaI/AAAAAAAACUU/7c7rmt5eIbY/s1600/in_union_with_krishna_oq05.jpg

  • Kashmiri Saint – Lalla







    I was listening to Osho’s discourse and in one discourse he was referring to a Kashmiri woman Saint – Lalleshwari. I was impressed with the first verse I read from her. Thought to share it here for many others to read –

    Whatever work I did became worship of the Lord;Lalla
    Whatever word I uttered became a prayer;
    Whatever this body of mine experienced became
    the sadhana of Saiva Tantra
    illumining my path to Parmasiva. -138

    So wonderful, profound meaningful and to the point. I plan to read more of her writings.

    Read this – The Hindu Article – Mystic insights

    Image source – Poet Seers

  • Why I like Jab we Met







    I recently re-watched the movie – Jab We Met. I enjoy watching this movie and specially the characters. One a bubbly, lovely and risk (risk without any calculation) taking girl who lives in present. And the boy who learns a lot from her.

    This girl is (I am not talking about Kareena Kapoor, I am talking about the character played by her) is like a child, who does not know, does not want to think and does not care for tomorrow. She “lives in the present” as the Art of Living teaches. She believes in love and lives life for the love. Love is very close to a path of spirituality in Indian philosophy – Bhakti (Devotion). When she says – “…pyar me kuch sahi galat nahi hota” (there is nothing right or wrong in love), it reminds me of the divine love people have talked about in Bhakti marg (the path of devotion). As the song of this movie says – “Ye ishq haye baithe bhithai jannat dikhaye…” (when in love a person is in heaven without any desire, longing or work). I believe heaven is here and now. The way we live we define “what is heaven?”

    On the other hand, we have a boy whose girlfriend is marrying someone else. I define love in different ways – the love of Bhakti gives freedom to the loved one, whereas the love we show, talk and depict (in movies and largely assume in our life) is largely a jail or for that matter only lust. The reason for calling it jail is – when a person becomes possessive for the loved one, the person may not like few things about the other (for example talking to someone – specially the opposite sex). Or at times asking the loved one not to do A or B or C, this condition is not freedom, perhaps it is not love at all – it is a jail, am I right?.

    The best part is learning of the boy. He learns and starts loving his work too. This is the other premise in which I strongly believe. One should do what he/she enjoys doing, then work does not stay a burden. Lastly, the song which I like the most is – ‘…Na hai ye pana, no khona hi hai…’ (it is neither owning nor losing). This song largely states that love is not possession, love is being in a state of mind where you are free, happy and do things which you feel are right (of course not harming anyone).