The Human Species is so Special

Another 'Special' article by Dr. Ranade: [Credits TOI. Click here for Article link ]

Human beings feel very vulnerable. Totally at the mercy of destiny, and forever battling circumstances, waging a war against financial, emotional and social insecurity. We are perennially choosing from a myriad options and we keep hoping we’ve made the right choice. The fear of the unknown tends to loom large and we spend most of our present worrying about the future.


This despondency drives many to soothsayers, clairvoyants, astrologers and palm readers and futurologists. If we look around and take a few cues from nature, it seems animals and birds live life with scarce planning, manipulation or worrying about tomorrow. And they manage all right, too.

Humans are unique in that they are bestowed with frontal lobes, those extensions of the brain that insinuate between the eyebrows and the hairline, which also cleave us from our immediate ancestors, the apes. Frontal lobes are the seat of abstraction, intellect, and empower us with qualities like imagination, and conceptual thought.

Our primitive nervous system was designed to enable us to perceive and interact with the environment. Successive evolutionary improvements in the nervous system served to increase the speed and complexity of the response, albeit only as a reaction to the environment. But with the frontal lobes appearing in us humans, we could engage in abstraction.

Philosophy, poetry and culture are some intangibles that the human brain could delve into.

But then came the catch. This added faculty - the power to use creative imagination - also became a tool to conjure abstract fears. The fear of the unknown, the concept of destiny, suspicion, anxiety and the entire spectrum of
"imaginary" fears and angst. But then was that the objective of this latest edition of the brain?

To believe that this device was designed only to make life more comfortable is a bit far-fetched. We can take the credit for advancing technology, making inventions, and generally utilising the tool effectively. But we still have to realise that we just utilised the tool. We are not the creator of this tool. So what is the objective of this very versatile complex nervous tissue that has helped man transform the external world? Was it to distort and manipulate the external world? Couldn’t the creator have done so himself?

Abstraction was given as a boon to us to comprehend the 'inner' world. It is unlikely that other species would query "Who am I?", or "Why has this creation been made?" These are doubts that can arise only as an extrapolation of the thought process beyond the travails of daily mundane living.

So this heightened ability of imagination and comprehension was made available for the human mind to fathom itself.

An ability no other animal possesses. Needless to say almost all fears arising in the mind are a side-effect of this enhanced cognitive ability. Nothing more than that. The knife with a sharp cutting edge is a very versatile instrument if it is used appropriately.

We as proud owners of this add-on gadget need to realise that this tool has to be utilised for the appropriate objective of self-knowledge. To understand the self. To look within and not misuse it to end up as hypertensive and diabetics, disorders very human-specific stemming from gross misuse of this magnificent evolutionary upgrade.

(The writer is a consultant neurosurgeon. E-mail: deepakranade @ hotmail.com)

Sankara takes you on an Unusual Pilgrimage

A nice article by Pranav Khullar was published in the Speaking Tree of TOI.

In the Brahmn-Sutra Bhashya, Sankara says: “Brahmn alone is real, the world is illusory. The individual and the universal soul are One”. Using everyday references to illustrate abstract advaitic concepts, Sankara begins by stating that the Atmabodha will serve as a primer for those who wish to experience liberation, equipped with the tools of discernment. The second declares that knowledge alone can be the cause of liberation, just as fire is the direct cause of cooking. This may include the requirement of water, pots and pans but it is essentially fire that makes cooking possible.

Sankara saya that karma or action is powerless to destroy ignorance for “...it is not in conflict with ignorance”. The Self can be known only through knowledge, just as light alone can dispel darkness. He compares jnana abhyasa or the practice of knowledge which purifies by removing ignorance, with the traditional method of purifying muddy water in rural India with kataka-nut powder.

Just as the powder sprinkled on the surface of the water forms a film and drags all the impurities to the bottom, leaving pure water on the surface, constant use and practice of knowledge removes the dirt of ignorance. And just as the kataka-nut powder dissolves in the water after doing its work, knowledge too disappears after the Self emerges.

Sankara uses the example of the illusion created by oyster shells scattered along the beach on a moonlit night. We mistake them for silver, only till we recognise the reality of the oyster shells. Similarly, the world of names and forms exists only till self-knowledge dawns. The phenomenal world exists in the mind of the perceiver alone, and names and forms exist like ornaments. Vishnu, the allpervading consciousness, is like gold. Sankara reinforces the spirit and content of the Upanishads by alluding to the Mahavakyas, in his delineation of the nature of Brahmn, reiterating the wellknown method of arriving at the definition of Brahmn, through the process of elimination “...neti, neti...not this, not this”.

Meditation is essential to refocus on the Self. The flame of knowledge can only be kindled by constant meditation, Sankara compares this to the act of rubbing two pieces of wood together to create fire. Meditation is the friction between the mind-wood and the Om-wood pieces. The story of Rama is allegorised as Atmarama, who derives satisfaction from the Self alone, having crossed the ocean of delusion to vanquish the creatures of passion, just as Rama crossed the ocean to kill Ravana.

In the concluding verses Sankara seems to speak from a meditative trance, as he alludes to the nature of Brahmn — sat-chit-ananda or knowledgeexistence-bliss. These verses reflect the cosmic nature of his thought. He says, “...all things which can be perceived or heard, are Brahmn itself and nothing else...and though atma is reality, it can be perceived only by the one who has the eye of wisdom”.

Sankara asks us to undertake the real pilgrimage to “the shrine of the atma”, which will bestow upon us real equanimity. The Atmabodha, like its companionpiece the Vivekachudamani, is a call from the heart. It reflects Sankara’s attempt to reach out to not only the intelligentsia of his time. It conveys the profound, yet simple philosophy of Oneness to anyone who is curious to know more about the nature of consciousness and the path to liberation. It is a pilgrimage of the mind.

Thirukkural verses 3: The Merit of Ascetics

English Translation of Kaviyogi Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharatiar

No merit can be held so high
As theirs who sense and self deny.

To con ascetic glory here
Is to count the dead upon the sphere.

No lustre can with theirs compare
Who know the right and virtue wear.

With hook of firmness to restrain
The senses five, is heaven to gain.

Indra himself has cause to say
How great the power ascetics' sway.

The small the paths of ease pursue
The great achieve things rare to do.

They gain the world, who grasp and tell
Of taste, sight, hearing, touch and smell.

Full-worded men by what they say,
Their greatness to the world display.

Their wrath, who've climbed the mount of good,
Though transient, cannot be withstood.

With gentle mercy towards all,
The sage fulfills the virtue's call.

Flashes from Swami Vivekananda - 4

Philosophy of Education - 1

Education is the manifestation of the perfection already in man

Knowing is unveiling

Knowledge is inherent in man, no knowledge comes from outside; it is all inside. What we say a man 'knows' should, in strict psychological language, be what he 'discovers' by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge. We say Newton discovered gravitation. Was it sitting anywhere in a corner waiting for him? It was in his own mind; the time came and he found it out. All the knowledge that the world has ever received comes from the mind; the infinite library of the universe. The external world is simply a suggestion, the occasion, which sets you to study your own mind. The falling of an apple gave the suggestion to Newton, and he studied his own mind. He rearranged all the previous links of thought in his mind and discovered a new link among them, which we call the law of gravitation. It was not the apple nor in anything in the center of the earth.

All knowledge is within

All knowledge therefore, secular or spiritual, is in the human mind. In may cases it is not discovered, but remains covered, and when the covering is being slowly taken off, we say 'we are learning', and the advance of knowledge is made by the advance of this process of uncovering. The man from whom this veil is being lifted is the more knowing man; the man upon whom it lies thick is ignorant; and the man upon whim it has entirely gone is the all-knowing, omniscient. Like fire in a piece of flint, knowledge exists in the mind; suggestions is the friction which brings it out. What we call powers, secrets of nature and force are all within. All knowledge comes from the human soul.. man manifests knowledge, discovers it within himself, which is pre-existing, through eternity.

Infinite power is within the soul

No one was ever really taught by another. Each of us has to teach himself. The external teacher offers only the suggestion which makes the internal teacher to work and understand things. Then things will be made clearer to us by out own power of perception and thought, and we shall realize them in our own souls. The whole of the big banyan tree which covers acres of ground was in the little seed which was perhaps no bigger than one-eighth of a mustard seed. All that mass of energy was there confined. The gigantic intellect, we know, lies coiled up in the protoplasmic cell. It may seem like a paradox, but it is true. Each one of come out of one protoplasmic cell, and all the powers we possess were coiled up there. You cannot say they came from food, for if you heap up food mountains high, what power comes out of it? The energy was there, potentially no doubt, but still there. So is infinite power in the soul of the man whether he knows it or not. Its manifestation is only a question of being conscious of it.

Inspiration for Change

Never let go of hope. One day you will see that it all has finally come together.

Difficulties are opportunities to better things, they are stepping stones to greater experience.


With faith anything is possible...just believe

How do you find inspiration to heal and overcome difficulties? To be inspired what does that mean to you? So much is wrong in the world today. We are surrounded with war, poverty, starvation, disease and more. Millions of families are torn and in despair due to economics, natural disasters, laws and regulations. Some continue to seek a cause as a necessity to harm others.

More can be found on this link

Thank you inspirationforch.

The Democratic Nature of All Creation

Dr. Deepak Ranade's another elusive article was published in the Times of India's Speaking Tree:

The original undivided pluripotent being had the option of remaining unmanifest. Manifestation was one of the limitless options available to this source.

For awareness to experience itself, a state of duality had to be induced. It needed to cleave itself and induce a pseudo-dichotomy of perceiver and perceived. This process is similar to the process of a developing embryo. The single cell replicates itself rapidly and metamorphoses into this complex and differentiated multiorgan form. In reality, we all are just one cell that has differentiated itself into specified functional units. When i touch my hair it actually is the manifestation of a single cell touching another expression of itself and the same cell also has the capability to comprehend this “touch” phenomenon.

All creation is an induced illusion of duality to enable the source to experience itself. The process of creation is in itself a gratifying experience. All artists, when they create a work of art, experience ecstasy on giving birth to a new idea, new thought. The sheer joy of manifesting in such diversity may be the objective of this exercise by the source. He not only created multiple loci of consciousness but also ensured that His creation was made oblivious to the source of its origins.

Time and space were introduced as illusory media to ensure the delusion of separateness of creation. This being was programmed with the ability to discover his origins, and provided the means to enjoy the rest of creation as well. Since the being was just a manifestation of the source, he also had all the attributes of the source. The resolve and ability to achieve anything he desires, the capacity to experience total bliss, and above all the freedom to exercise choice.
Selfless creation mandated that the being was given an illusion of being the ‘doer’. The self-effacement of the source could be a precondition for nourishing the identity of His creation. This illusion of being the doer and the center of the universe manifests as ego. Ego served initially as a tool for self-preservation but as it crystallizes further it totally envelops the consciousness and impedes realization of its true nature.

The ego constantly reaffirms this illusionary duality. The more the ego hardens the farther it moves the being away from the knowledge of his true identity. It then embarks on a game wherein the being gets an illusion of having control and the ability to manipulate the environment for its own happiness.

Awareness when focused outward gets entangled in a web of duality. Then there is no limit to its indulgence. This kaleidoscopic creation has a potent arsenal to engage this awareness into its diverse forms. Indulgence is addictive and it keeps drawing this awareness into its throes, distancing itself from its true identity. Obsession with the materialistic world is actually as ludicrous as my hand being obsessed with my nose.

The ultimate objective is for consciousness to be able to perceive itself. This could be attained by various means and paths. This knowledge is already there within. The illusion is to look for it ‘without’. All other knowledge is duality-based and may at best help in providing analogies. However, analogy is a cheap substitute for experience. The purpose of creation was for the source to experience itself. Creation is like democracy. Made of the source, by the source and for the source. Self-awareness or unperceived is self-realization.

Thirukkural verses 2: The Blessing of Rain

English Translation of Kaviyogi Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharatiar

The genial rain ambrosia call,
The world but lasts while rain shall fall.

The rain begets the food we eat,
And forms a food and drink concrete.

Let clouds their visits stay, and dearth,
Distresses all the sea-girt earth.

Unless the fruitful shower descend,
The ploughman's sacred toil must end.

Destruction it may sometimes pour,
But only rain can life restore.

No grassy blade its head will rear,
If from the cloud no drop appear.

The ocean's wealth will waste away,
Except the cloud its stores repay.

The earth, beneath a barren sky,
Would offerings for the gods deny.

Were heaven above to fail below,
Nor alms nor penance earth would show.

Water is life that comes from rain,
Sans rain our duties go in vain.

14th March is a crazy day

Why?

Since yesterday was one of the greatest nights ever.


Megadeth played in India for the First time ever. There aren't many words to express how the concert was.

Immense power at the Palace Grounds with thousands of long-haired humans gathered at one place and radiating extreme energy. It started drizzling when Megadeth played the first track!


Dave Mustain is this really elusive, mysterious personality. "We know who you are, and you know who I am", is the way he introduced himself. He almost killed most of the people.

Some other great stuff of March 14th:


Happy Pi Day!

According to a physicist at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, the number Pi has been calculated out to over one trillion digits. But that’s not the interesting part.

No number has captured the attention and imagination of people throughout the ages as much as the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter. Pi–or ? as it is symbolically known–is infinite.

Oh, and just for a bit of trivia, Albert Einstein’s birthday is today, and he was a big fan of pi. But that’s not it. His birthday, and pi day, both fall on March 14th. That’s 3-14, and pi out to two places is 3.14! Coincidence? I don’t think so. We all know God doesn’t play dice.

Thanks you guys:

Amazon, dmiessler.com, This Orkut profile for the pics

‘Ignorant gurus cause more damage than evil ones’

Credits: TIMES NEWS NETWORK



Coimbatore: Ignorance has led some people to think that becoming a guru is entrepreneurship, that it’s just another profession, Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev of the Isha Foundation informs T S Sreenivasa Raghavan. Excerpts from an interview.

Q: To believe or not to believe is the basic issue. What do you suggest? If one is to believe, one should believe in whom? In God? Or in those who deny the existence of God? Or in those who believe in God? Or in that man who claims he himself is the God?

A: People are always questioning whether to believe in God or not to believe in God, but tell me: ‘do you believe you have two hands or do you know you have two hands?’ Even if you had no eyes, if I tell you that you do not have two hands, will you believe me? Why is it that about hands you know, but with gods and godmen you’re talking about believing? This is because you are not sincere enough to admit that you don’t know.

Q: Astavakra says awareness alone can result in realization. No master, no scripture, nothing will be of any help if one is not aware about what one’s doing. So is a master really required in the man’s spiritual peregrination? Can we not do without a guru?

A: Ashtavakra himself was a guru. He took on disciples. If he thought a guru was not necessary, why would he take disciples? Obviously, there’s a misunderstanding in what he said. He’s talking about being aware. Unless you’re aware, nothing will work. I, too, am constantly repeating to all the people here that unless you’re aware even I won’t work for you. You may be here with me, but nothing will work for you unless you’re aware.

Q: These days we hear about pseudo gurus who bring a bad name to acclaimed masters who’re doing good work. How to choose the right master?

A: The first thing is you don’t seek a master; you deepen your longing within you. If your longing is deep the master will choose you, not the other way round. You will choose what you like. You will choose somebody who supports your ego. If he is constantly pricking your ego, will you choose him? So if you choose a guru who supports your ego, what is the point? So you never choose your guru; you just deepen your longing. Unfortunately, there are pseudos in spirituality. The crooked ones are one thing. It doesn’t take much time for you to see somebody is crooked; but I am more concerned about the ignorant ones, who are dangerous. Ignorance always causes more damage than evil. Don’t bother about whether somebody is a good or bad guru. Because this is not about the guru, this is about you. By going to him, if your life gets transformed, you continue to go. Even if he’s crooked, how does it matter so long your life is getting transformed? If he starts leading you on to something wrong, improper, then you leave. Till then, you make use of him. This is not the best way to do it.

Q: Mahashivarathri is a big festival at Isha. But you always identify yourself with the religion of humanity. Why this contradiction?

A: I don’t identify myself with a religion of humanity. I identify with a humanity without religion. They’re very different. So about Shiva, in the yogic culture Shiva is not seen as a god who came from heaven or whatever. Shiva is seen as the first yogi and first guru. He opened up the mechanics of life. He revealed everything to his first seven disciples, who’re known as saptarishis. So it’s from there yoga developed in so many different ways. Essentially, it’s his teaching we’re still doing. Mahashivarathri celebration is an expression of gratitude. It also has special benefits for the spiritual seeker. We create an exuberant night with meditation, music and dance. The best artistes come here and a huge festival happens from evening till morning. This has nothing to do with religion. We don’t want people to miss this night. So we throw a big party.

Q: All realized souls say: live in the plenitude of the present, the past is dead and gone, future is yet to come and dark; only the present is true. How does one apply this in practical life?

A: I never said that. If it’s not in the present where else can they live? Let them live somewhere else and show. If I ask you to go to future, can you go? You can think about future. But can you go? This is the reason why any intelligent human being doesn’t want to come into spirituality. Because it doesn’t make any sense. Anyway you’re in the present. You can’t be anywhere else. Then should we not think about tomorrow? Right now, these brainless spiritual people are telling you not to use your brain. Anyone who knows the usefulness of the brain cannot help thinking about the future and the past. All these things have come from confusion. Because they’ve read some nonsense somewhere, they’ve no personal experience of anything.

Q: It’s said faith is absolutely essential for anything to happen. Without faith, even the master-disciple relationship doesn’t blossom. Is faith an innate quality?

A: Faith comes out of a deeply devout mind. If one has to be truly devout, then one should have no agenda of one’s own. He should be willing to go with God’s agenda. If somebody has genuinely become a devotee he will attain very easily. Devotion is the quickest path. But that will happen to you only if you’ve a very child-like mind. Otherwise, devotion turns into deception.

Thirukkural verses 1: The Praise of God

English Translation of Kaviyogi Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharatiar

The Praise of God

'A' leads letters; the Ancient Lord
Leads and lords the entire world.

That lore is vain which does not fall
At His good feet who knoweth all.

Long they live on earth who gain
The feet of God in florid brain.

Who hold His feet who likes nor loathes
Are free from woes of human births.

God's praise who tell, are free from right
And wrong, the twins of dreaming night.

They prosper long who walk His way
Who has the senses signed away.

His feet, whose likeness none can find,
Alone can ease the anxious mind.

Who swims the sea of vice is he
Who clasps the feet of Virtue's sea.

Like senses stale that head is vain
Which bows not to Eight-Virtued Divine.

The sea of births they alone swim
Who clench His feet and cleave to Him.

The link between man and God is Faith

An Interesting Conversation

An atheist professor of philosophy speaks to his class on the problem science has with God, The Almighty. He asks one of his new students to stand and.....

Prof: So you believe in God?
Student: Absolutely, sir.
Prof: Is God good?
Student: Sure.
Prof: Is God all-powerful?
Student: Yes.
Prof: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to God to heal him.
Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But God didn't. How is this God good then? Hmm?
Student is silent.
Prof: You can't answer, can you? Let's start again, young fellow. Is God good?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is Satan good?
Student: No.
Prof: Where does Satan come from?
Student: From...God...
Prof: That's right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Evil is everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything. Correct?
Student: Yes.
Prof: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don't they?
Student: Yes, sir.
Prof: So, who created them?
Student has no answer.
Prof: Science says you have 5 senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son...Have you ever seen God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Tell us if you have ever heard your God?
Student: No, sir.
Prof: Have you ever felt your God, tasted your God, smelt your God?
Have you ever had any sensory perception of God for that matter?
Student: No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Prof: Yet you still believe in Him?
Student: Yes.
Prof: According to empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol, science says your GOD doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?
Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.
Prof: Yes Faith. And that is the problem science has. Now the student said can I ask something to you Professor.
Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?
Prof: Yes.
Student: And is there such a thing as cold?
Prof: Yes.
Student: No sir. There isn't.
(The lecture theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events.)
Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don't have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is
only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure
cold.Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.
(There is pin-drop silence in the lecture theatre.)
Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?
Prof: Yes. What is night if there isn't darkness?
Student: You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something.You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light...
But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and its called darkness, isn't it? In reality, darkness isn't. If it were you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn't you?
Prof: So what is the point you are making, young man?
Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed.
Prof: Flawed? Can you explain how?
Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good God and a bad God. You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as
the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as substantive thing. Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor. Do you teach your students that they evolve from a monkey?
Prof: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.
Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?
(The Professor shakes his head with a smile, beginning to realize where
the argument is going.)
Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?
(The class is in uproar.)
Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor's brain?
(The class breaks out into laughter.)
Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor's brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how
do we then trust your lectures, sir?
(The room is silent. The professor stares at the student, his face unfathomable.)
Prof: I guess you'll have to take them on faith, son.
Student: That is it sir... The link between man & god is FAITH. That is all that keeps things moving & alive. .

WANT TO KNOW WHO THAT STUDENT WAS?

This is a true story, and the student was none other than DR. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, Ex-President of India.

Think you are well, and all that is well with you. And nature will read your thoughts and make them true.