ABHISAR (Dating)

In old days there was a great disciple of Lord Buddha, a young saint named Upagupta in Mathura.  It was an evening of Sravana month, sky covered with dark clouds, gusty wind blowing off the lamps, all doors closed, even the star light was not visible. The sanyasi was taking rest sleeping on roadside.

There was a courtesan (harlot) in that city named Basabdutta. She was rich, beautiful and proud that the rich and famous of the town vie with each other for her company. In her arrogance the courtesan used to enjoy rejecting many men who seek her company. On that very evening she was going along that path and her anklet-ringing feet unintentionally stuck that lying man. Upagupta awoke and looked at her with a compassionate forgive. Basabdutta, infatuated by his powerful personality with calm and bold look, instantly fall in love for him. She told, “Oh young man, please forgive me. But why are you lying here on hard rocky road? This is not proper place for a Youngman like you. Come with me and have comfort at my place." The monk smiled and rejected her proposal.It was the first time she experienced such a refuse from a youngman . So she was not ready to easily accept it and went on insist him. After her persistent request finally the monk said, “OK, I shall visit you, not now but when the time comes.”

After that many days passed by. One day the monk defied the king upholding his high principles and the infuriated king ordered him to leave his kingdom. So, the saint used to wander in a forest at outskirt of the city. Then, one day, it was a full moon evening in spring, Birds singing, flowers blooming and spreading their fragrance, Upagupta was walking along the forest side road . Suddenly he saw a human body, abandoned, seriously sick and weak, about to die, moaning in pain, lying on roadside. He hurriedly went near and found it was none other than Basabdutta suffering from acute small pox. He immediately started to nurse her, feed her drops of water, applied sandal wood paste on her body and after some comfort when the courtesan opened her eyes, the saint told her, “look Basabdutta, time has come to meet you  ...…don’t worry”        

WOMAN vs. MAN: The age old Tug of War

A Breaking news, I mean a news which can break (at least shake) our head.
Late month 20 year old Brazilian girl student sold her Virginity by auction on Internet (in connection to produce a documentary movie).The bidding went on for about two years on net. The highest bidder won it at an amount of Seven lakh Eighty thousand USD (all details is easily available on net).I was not so much interested in this news because I know that Prostitution is the oldest profession in this world.

But some consequences and related news has made me to think the whole thing in deeply.

• There was a great hype on internet on this issue, flooded with congratulations /criticisms of the girl as well as that auction site of movie production.
• The innocent (?) girl claimed saying that it is not prostitution and she will donate 90% of the amount for Charity.
• The owner of that documentary project says, "I was surprised she said that because in all my dealings with her, she made it clear that it was a business decision for her"
• Virginity of a boy was also sold for the same documentary in that same auction which got only 3thousand USD. There is neither any hype nor any congratulation /criticism on this.

As day by day the world is turning into a Global Village, we can’t just move our eyes away from such news, but need to see in which direction the relation between Man and Woman is going on. Is it towards all sorts of equality or something else?
In the Spiritual Thoughts, ‘PURUSHA’ and ‘PRAKRITI’ represents Man and Woman respectively. And both are manifestation of the same absolute God. In spite of that, these two are very different.
A question frequently arises in me, is it necessary  to equalize Man and Woman by all external means, when they are very different as their physical body and their role in this world? If they have to play same role in this world then why God created their physical body as different? Is it not a kind of “ Khodar upar khudgiri” i.e. alteration and modification of rule of the creation of God? Is it not that very Ego of  Woman and Man is leading them towards this delusion of equality?
Inequality in external manifestation is very natural law in spite of the fact that everything is equal at its very core…..only expression of God. But classification is necessary to clearly define the role to play. Even classification of four Varna is also necessary for similar reason but mankind likes to live in illusion so they define them as higher or lower.
In this context I like to mention quoting Tagore what he told in his extraordinary short novel “SHESHER KABITA” as a dialogue of the hero Amit Ray to criticize so called Innocent Feminist;
“If you give up supremacy of Male, it will immediately start supremacy of Female……and that is more dangerous. In the fight to overpower and confine one another, the contestant who has the chain, tries to bind the other with that.  But the contestant who has no chain, she confines the other by delusion through Hypnotizing. Although the ower of chain binds the other but he does not deludes her.On the other hand who has no chain, She uses drugs of addiction to bind the other. Container of females is full of that drug. Nature is the culprit who supplies her this drug. In this way, she not only confines but also deludes the other”

We know the story of “Duhshasana & Draupadi” as well as the story of “ Vishwamitra & Menoka”, the result of the use of the power of Chain and the power of Hypnotism. So I feel, we need to see the reality …..Not to shift from one to another but to lead ourselves a step ahead, beyond this tug of war, not confined by one another , but to play the God gifted role......and that should be the freedom for both.

Realization of God through Bhakti.

(An interpretaion of my understanding )

Lord Krishna (The absolute consciousness) on Bhakti:
"sarva-dharman parityajya, mam ekam saranam vraja 
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo, moksayisyami ma sucah"
Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. 
I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear.

Heart is a combination of your Mind and Intellect….pure emotions and subtle understandings… "You place both mind and intellect in me. Direct all your emotions towards me and also your understandings towards me…both should go together." If love for God is without understanding then it is incomplete and delusion, one may love certain form or some ideas about God without understanding, that is not Bhakti in true sense. On the other hand, if love for God is only because my intellect says me to do so but Mind is no so much interested then there is definitely some greed, some expectation of worldly gain about which I am not conscious.

It is said God resides in our heart….not only in mind or intellect or in our brain.

Different Steps of Bhakti:
Srabanam, Kirtanam, Vishnu Smaranam, Pada Sevanam, Archanam, Vandanam, Dasyam, Sakhyam, Atmanivedanam.

Srabanam(Hearing)- First we have to listen about the God,

Kirtanam(Talking & sharing, chanting loudly) -Then we have to talk about, we have to utter and express……have to sing his glory, thus whatever we have listened goes deeper in us. We need to share what we have learned about God.

Vishnu Smaranam,( Remembering)- Now we have to remember HIM constantly…thus the identification of God goes further deeper in us. In the beginning, we may need lot of effort to remember him constantly, but as we become more and more habituated, need of effort goes on reducing. It is like learning to ride a bicycle, in the beginning it is too tough, but after learning no special effort is needed …even can ride inattentively.

Pada Sevanam( Seva) - Performing all actions only on HIS behalf...…work for mankind.... Karmayoga.

Archanam (Puja) -  Archana is a special, personal, abbreviated Puja done by a devotee ..... it is dedication...…sacrificing for god

Vandanam(Reverence) – Reverence for the God......Do namaskar, sing to praise that supreme reality.

Dasyam(Servantship)- It is obediance to God.....Primarily we think, God belongs to me but that is also a kind of Ego, so at this stage we can realize I belong to God, I am servant of God.

Sakhyam( Friendship)- A feeling that the God is my closest friend in this world.

Atmanivedanam(Complete surrender)- All through the process of worshiping God....through the steps of Bhakti, we offer so many things to God but finally I have to offer myself as ‘Naibedya’ to that supreme reality God, ie. My ego is also given to God and feeling I have no separate identity, then only Bhakta merges with God.
(The blog is an interpretation of my understanding, may or may not be same as most of the Spiritual Gurus)