Shiv Shakti - Nuclear Energy

A few months back I introduced Shri Ganesh ji to you, on the eve of Sri Ganesh Utsav. It’s time I introduce his father, Maha Dev- Shiv Shankar, now, on the eve of coming Maha Shiv-Ratri. The following news item of few years back, in the Times of India has prompted me to do so:
Chennai: A 11 foot tall panchaloha idol of Lord Nataraja, weighing about two tonnes, sculpted in a village near Swamimalai in Kumbakonam taluk in Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu, is to be airlifted from Chennai for Switzerland.
Nearly 24 sculptors in Thimmakudi village toiled day and night for the past six months to create the world’s tallest Nataraja idol, now on its way to Chennai from the village.
The Nuclear Power Corporation in Geneva, Switzerland, had requested the Indian Nuclear Power corporation for a panchaloha idol. The job was entrusted to the sculptors in the village.
The total cost of the idol was around Rs 15 lakh. It has been crafted as per the agama rules.
This was a prelude to the following.
All things in Bharatiya culture are based on symbolism, be they spiritual or mundane. We try to explain the unknown and the abstract by everyday visual expressions.
We have the Holy Trinity- Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh (- Maha Ish- Maha Dev). Brahma is the creator or generator, Vishnu is the sustainer or operator, and Mahesh (Lord Shiv-Shankar) is the dissolver or destroyer of the universe. Does the word ‘GOD’ stand to reason, now? And it is a Hindu concept! Take credit for it!
Coming back to the subject matter at hand, Lord Shiv-Shankar. One of His popular forms is His dancing pose in Tandav Nritya, the dance at the time of Maha Pralaya, the Yugaant, or the end of the time cycle. It is His fiercest form as the annihilator of the universe. The dance of death and destruction at the dissolution of the universe is depicted by the ‘Dance of Shiv,’ as it is called. And that’s why He is called ‘Nataraj,’ Supreme Dancer. It is the dance of the nuclear energy with all its might and fury, at the end of the Kaala Chakra of the Universe. He is also known as ‘Kaal-Bhairav.’ Kaal means time, and Bhairav means horrific sound!
In the scientific community world over, Lord Shiv is recognized as the ‘Annihilator of the Universe,’ particularly, in the ‘Tandav Nritya’ pose. It is the dance of the nuclear energy with all its might and fury, at the end of the Universe. The news item from Switzerland, cited above, should suffice to justify it.
Also, in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the Governmen. of America, in Livermore, near San Francisco, there is a 3 ft tall statue of Nataraj, in the Tandav Nritya pose, as we see everywhere. Underneath are inscribed the words, ‘Hindu God of Dissolution.’
However, the form of His which we are most familiar with, is the ‘Shiv Ling’ found in our temples. This is His milder and benevolent form. It represents ‘Nuclear Energy,’ as stated above. (Incidentally, ‘Ling’ means sign or mark of identity).
Coming back to the symbolism of Shiv-Shakti, Bhagwaan Shiv-Shankar is also known as ‘Bholeynaath.’ Whosoever try to please Him, He blesses them, irrespective of how they make use of the blessings. Be it Ram or Ravana, Pandavas or Kauravas. Whether you use nuclear energy for the good of humanity, such as nuclear sciences, nuclear medicines, nuclear power stations, etc., or in wars for destruction and destroy yourselves, the energy is impartial.
But, be ware of His ‘Tritiya Netra!’ If He opens His third eye, total devastation will result! The modern incidences are, the accidents at Three Mile Island in the USA, in March 1979 and Chernobyl in Russia, in April 1986. In the case of Chernobyl, the winds that blew went well past the Netherlands in the North of Europe, making vast areas unsustainable to life. No wonder His abode is in ‘Shmashan,’ the crematorium! And He is smeared with ‘Chita Bhasma,’ ashes of the cremated!
As there are strict rules for erecting a nuclear power station, so are there rules to build Shiv Mandir. It must be far away from the populace, out of city or town or village boundaries. It should be near water sources, like sea, river, lakes, etc. If there is an accident, the radioactive material should be discipated away as quickly as possible through the running water. The Garbhagriha, the ‘sanctum sanctorum’ should be below the ground level to keep the place damp.
Shiv-Ling is a model of an atom. It has two parts: a Pindi or Baana, and Salunka or Peetham or Vedi. Now, compare the shape of the Pindi and that of a nuclear reactor. Both are dome-shaped, with cylindrical vertical sides. Way back in 1964, in a French science journal, From Paris to Bombay, a writer, a French scientist, had shown sketches of Shiv-Pindi and a nuclear reactor, side by side, comparing them and explaining the inherent intricate similarities.
The Pindi is centered on a base, a circular platform, the Vedi, which has slightly raised edges all around. Notice the water fall or the continuous drip on the Baana? Does it signify the heavy water, Deuterium (D2O), Isotopic variety of water, so essential for the reactor? It is the only God who is offered this privilege!
The Vedi represents a sort of negative energy field that does not allow the contaminated water to spread around, the raised edges symbolizing this stoppage. It is to be channelized through a spout called Gow-Mukh, mouth of a cow, which creates a break in the circular Vedi. The water must drain out through this Mukh (mouth).
There is a Snake coiled round the neck of the Lord. In a place called Batavia, about 34 miles from Chicago, where one of the government’s nuclear laboratories (FermiLab) is established, there is a ring of about 4 miles in circumference called the ‘main injector.’ Another smaller beside it is called ‘Tevatron,’ a particle accelerator, to create small nuclear explosions by splitting atoms. There is one to be had in Germany about 20 miles in circumference. Does the coiled snake symbolize these rings?
Remember the ‘Teertha Prasad’ we have after the Darshan of the deities, which is given to us and we reverentially accept it? But do remember, you are forbidden to have the Teertha of Bhagwan Mahadev. That Teertha is water dripping down from the top of the Pindi, the Reactor. And, that water is radiactive contaminated (again, symbolic), which is not to be dispersed any which way! It must be channelized through the Gow Mukh. Ever notice which way the Gow Mukh is facing in any Shiv Mandir? It must point towards North. Regarding nuclear energy, the North Pole has a negative polarity. So the nuclear waste must be accumulated in that direction.
Lord Shiv has another name-Neel Kanth, which means ’blue throated.’ A story goes that at the time of ‘Samudra Manthan,’ Churning of the Ocean, by the gods on one side and the demons on the other, 14 items came out. One of them was the poison, Halaahal. For the good of all, Bhagwan Sri Shankar swallowed it. Due to that His throat turned blue. So His name became Neel kanth. Relating this to an atomic reactor, when a reaction takes place inside the reactor, the charged vertical, inverted ‘U” shaped tubes emit blue light. These tubes, which are about a few cetimeters in diameter and few meters high depending upon the size of the reactor, carry the fuel required for heating.
And then, the final restriction: you go to a temple and after having the Darshan of the Deity, you go round the Mandir or Garbhagriha for a ‘Pradakhsina/Parikrama.’ But, no, not in case of Maha Dev. He is an exception. You never complete the ‘Pradakshina’ round in this case. You may go round from one edge of the Gow Mukh to the other, but should never, ever cross the Gow Mukh or tread over the area, as it is contaminated by nuclear waste. You have to turn back. Only ‘trained’ personnel can go into that area for ‘maintenance.’ There were mantras, chanting which, people could go in the area. (Kind of protective shielding!) And that practice is, symbolically, followed even today.

Well, does this somewhat change your perspective toward our Gods and Goddesses? Lord Shiv is one example of the deep symbolism that forms the basis of Hinduism.

Vegeterian Diet for Physical Performance

For long it has been believed that non-vegetarian food is a necessity for athletes to enhance their performance to the highest possible limit. However, I recently came across a book which presents strong arguments to the contrary. The book in question is ‘Capoeira Conditioning’ by Gerard Taylor.  What is Capoeira?  Wikipedia describes Capoeira as a Brazilian fight-dance, game, and martial art created by enslaved Africans during the 19th Century. It is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, subterfuge, and extensive use of groundwork, as well as sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. A video demonstration of Capoeira can be easily found on the Internet . Watching it will confirm that it is on par with other martial arts and requires a high degree of strength, power, agility, balance, flexibility, stamina and coordination. The author of the book graduated from the London school of Capoeira and co-founded the Oslo Capoeira Klubb.  Since 1996 Taylor has taught thousands of students of all ages and many nationalities. The author writes the following about vegetarian diet for physical performance. Incidentally, on the subject of food for physical performance, there is ample evidence that reducing or even eliminating meat from the diet altogether can have overall benefits for health and recovery after exercise. Fish is easier to digest and lower in saturated fat than red meat. Oily fish like salmon or trout give a good supply of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which are vital for maintaining a healthy central nervous system. Vegetarian sources of omega-3 can be gained from flax seeds and walnuts.The list of world class athletes who are vegetarian or vegan is long and distinguished. Both endurance and power athletes are represented. At his athletic peak, multi-gold-medal-winning Olympic sprinter and long jumper Carl Lewis was a vegan (meaning he ate no meat, fish, cheese, milk, butter, or eggs). He remains a vegan today. Hawaiian Dr. Ruth Heidrich, at 70 years of age, is still a superfit competitor and age-group record holder at the finish line of the grueling Ironman Triathlon. She is also a vegan. Triathlon legend and six-time Ironman Triathlon winner Dave Scott is a vegan. Tennis legend Martina Novratilova was and is a vegan. World Trampoline champion and

U.S. national champion gymnast Dan Millman is a vegan. Power athletes and world class body builders Bill Pearl and Albert Beckles are both vegetarian. Incredibly, Beckles who was born in 1930, continued to win top-class professional championships into the 1990s on a vegetarian diet. If that isn’t longevity in sports then nothing is.  In the fighting arts. Ridgely Abele, winner of eight U.S. national championships in karate, is a vegetarian. Although it is perfectly possible to eat a healthy diet containing a moderate quantity of meat, it is also a fact that many wellcontrolled scientific studies done on vegetarian groups such as Seventh Day Adventists have consistently demonstrated a reduced risk of obesity, heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), stroke, arthritis and certain types of cancer among vegans and vegetarians. If you do decide to go vegetarian, make sure you eat a balanced, varied diet with plenty of green, leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, grains, and protein products like soy milk or tofu. As long as you don’t overdo it on the dairy products, a vegetarian diet ensures an immediate drop in dietary saturated fat, which is a gift to your heart. Raw fruit and vegetable juice is a healthy option too and you can always dump a couple of spoonfuls of soy powder, tofu, tahini, or nut butter in there if you want to fortify them with protein. To retain all the fiber in juice smoothies, peel and core fruits like apples and pears and use the whole fruit in the blender, added to frozen bananas, frozen blueberries, strawberries, avocados, vegetable juices, barley malt, or soy milk. The list of goodies is endless and will give you an incredible energy boost if drunk a half hour or so before capoeira conditioning training. If you train hard regularly you might also try a daily multi vitamin and mineral tablet and an iron and B-vitamin supplement. This is also true for non-vegetarians who are involved in regular active physical training. The bottom line is that the combination of regular exercise and a healthy diet is the best health insurance you can get. The author has mentioned only functional reasons above to recommend vegetarianism for physical athletes and performers. The ethical argument of respecting life should not be forgotten and for some it outweighs all other arguments. 

Shreyo Onneysha Research Desk (The only research center on Srisrithakur Anukul Chandra in Bangladesh)

The Purpose of Man’s life

What dose a man long for? Since the beginning of creation he has wanted to live and grow; to keep his existence intact and expending. Everything he doses is to satisfy these two prime desires; it is for them that he struggles. The proper role of his passions is to be servants to help him accomplish his purpose. But if a man is subservient to his passions he gradually becomes self-centered, which means he can not grow and can not do any good to his environment. By giving him intellect and conscience as well as passions, the Supreme Father has made man the best of His creations. But these faculties can help him be free from the rule of passions only through the acceptance and the following of an Ideal Man. In this way only can a man enter into the greater existence in which his desires for life and growth are truly fulfilled? In this way only does he become worthy of his humanity?

      In the past many sects have been formed, and between them conflicts in the name of Dharma have arisen. This has happened because sectarians have confined themselves within a narrow compass and forgotten the real meaning of Dharma, which does not admit of any such conflict. “Dharma is the providential flow to uphold life and growth”, “the upholding urge of our existence,” (The Message, Vol. II, pp. 5, 7) Sri Sri Thakur has said. The mistake, which has led sectarians to violence, has been in assuming that the sect itself is Dharma. As Sri Sri Thakur said,

By Dharma everyone can live and grow;

The sect is not the same as Dharma though.

                                                        (Translated from Bengali)

and, “The degeneration of humanity began at that moment when the unseen God was made infinite and ignoring the Seers, the worship of their Sayings began.

       “Oh Mankind! If you desire to invoke your good, forget sectarian conflict. Be regardful to all the past Prophets. Be attached to your living master or God and take only those who love Him as your own. Because all the past Prophets are consummated in the divine Man of the Present.” (Satyanusaran)         

The centre in which all can meet should be above all sectarian feeling; it should be in a great man in whom we can all see the great men of the past. In Sri Sri Thakur, Mohammedan has found Mohammed, and Christians have felt the loving touch of their Lord Jesus. By following him each men of India could be united with in a single bond. He says, “As much as everyone does for each other, so much unity sprouts up. Every sect should do for every other sect. Arrangements should be made so that no one can keep himself aloof from others.  I believe in the Vedas, the Koran and also the Holy Bible. I want that the Hindus should study not only their own scriptures but also other scriptures followed by different sects. As much as one knows the fundamental sayings of others in this way, so much will the difference between them go on diminishing. The feeling of love will grow. Ignorance is the cause of difference. There is a type of people that want to keep the dispute alive and aggravate it. These satanic activities of theirs should be stopped by enactment of laws.” (A.P. Vol.8.)

What is the purpose of man’s life? In answer to this question he has said clearly,

Our goal is – the attainment of God,

a personality realized

with upholding and nurturing urge,

the way to it is

active attachment

to the Spiritual Guide (Acharya),

from this comes

self-adjustment, family adjustment,

adjustment of the society

and adjustment of the state,

and through this adjustment of state

forming a link of connection

with the whole world

to advance towards becoming with all

and so to make everything

meaningful in God;

and this alone

is attainment’s supreme awakening. (Adarsha Binayak)

The utter indiscipline and chaotic conditions that prevail today result from the lack of self-adjustment. The first step toward the welfare of society and state is the acceptance of an Ideal in individual life. Without active attachment to an Ideal, a man can never adjust himself, his family, society or state. At this time of crisis, when whole nations are suffering in conflict and bewilderment, Sri Sri Thakur shows us the way to eternal peace and well being._g

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

Being is instinct with existence,

consciousness and blissful becoming-

spontaneously resisting evil,

which is unfavorable to existence,

consciousness and blissful becoming is Dharma.

Dharma is embodied in a living Ideal.

Initiation by the living Ideal begets adherence.

Adherence brings adjustment of complexes.

Adjustment of complexes invite

Uphold of existence.

uphold of existence brings compassionate sympathy.

Compassionate sympathy gives birth

to integration.

Integration welcomes power.

Power invokes harmonious total growth

And uphold of existence gives rise to deep

Concentration

From deep concentration comes Samadhi-

i.e., perfect absorption in the Supreme Spirit-

and Samadhi comes

eternal emancipation of the soul-

the total extinction of passionate desire-

the great awakening of Supreme consciousness.

Edited By

Rintu Kumar Chowdhury

IT Specialist & Freelance writter

Director, SHREYO ONNEYSHA (CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON SRISRITHAKUR)

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨

‘Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra’ … The first impressions of a Scientist

                           ‘Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra’

                                    … The first impressions of a Scientist

                                              … By Shri Krishnaprashna Bhattacharyya.

To one whose life is not rooted in the bedrock of love and devotion, the senses are the only prop. ---- A passionate nature, is always keen to penetrate the depths of others minds. I imbibed all too dissecting a temperament and analyzed things to their very root. I had a sensuous hunger to drink life, to see through the mysterious veil of nature, which I could not penetrate. ----. I had fervour to know, to melt the mysterious block of hard nature with its wonders of the sky and earth, to rend to shreds the ignorance of man.

Radical in the extreme, I was an atheist. Reason could only dictate duties to me, so duties had I none.  Like a saw in the carpenter’s hand or the cruel knife of the dissector my mind would tear everything to shreds. ----. I was absorbing myself in studies and to try to fathom the depths of human ignorance. Life was a hard nut for me to crack – I began to read voluptuously. To me all was thinking and abstracting and imagining, – a negative criticism, a positive fault finding ordeal. Only Science came to my aid.  The electrons and protons, the quanta of Planck and relativity of Einstein helped me to visualize the ultimates of existence in the non-causal nothings of the whizzing of ultra atoms. Sankara, Hegel, Kant, and electrons – all made a foggy muddle in my brains and stole away the last remnants of reality in me.

---- I was in utter need of something – something to soothe me. I saw Rabindranath, Gandhi, Swami Dayananda and Thakur Haranath and many others. I longed for Sree Ramkrishna and Vivekananda.  They were dead and gone.  I heard of Sree Aurovindo. He attracted me. I was then a professor of Physics at Hooghly College and arranged to see him at Pondicherry during the summer. But events suddenly took a new unexpected course. The random reading of a few pages from a Bengali monthly invited my attention. I was a conversation. I resolved to see the man first who could talk so prophetically. He was at Pabna in a village.

The day came, I met him.  It was a summer dawn. The Padma river was flowing on – a vast glassy sheet. The sandy banks were pious white, cattle were going to the fields, and a wild breeze gave a soothing touch of the corning. I landed down the ferry on the bank and wended my way with a throbbing heart.  Darkness of night was melting away. There was a sense of the familiar all around. I, and my friend reached a cluster of cottages in a hamlet.

A Sudden sound of wooden slippers, then a familiar touch – a loving arm round my neck, a sweet low unhesitating voice. I got the touch – of whom I knew not then – but a positive touch of a long-separated acquaintance. My mind became disinclined to take exception to such a queer shock of sweet familiarity. My memory can never fail. I still remember the first silent touch of intimacy, the soaring eyes, the easy sympathy, the glow of his smile, the unique harmony and freedom in everything he did.

The evening drew near. Underneath a tree was a bamboo- scaffold. He was sitting there.  The sun was setting. A shower of mellow light fell on his beaming face. He asked with a smile, “Brother! Don’t you ever like to bow down your head? I retorted, us.  “Why should I bow down before a man?  He smiled.  He lay down on my lap and said in a low tone, “I have a pain, a blank here at the region of my heart.”  Why? “From after the cinchona injection I had to take during a fever”. I said, “Why?  Your adherents say, you are the Lord, the redeemer of the world, the world-teacher and you require injections and you can’t cure yourself.  How can that be?”  His face beamed. He took the challenge so easily and in a way peculiarly his own pointing out with his finger the acacia tree before him he said,  “Don’t you see the tree before you? Just so – behold, it has a scar on it but it grows and grows upward with the scar on its bosom!”  It could strictly be no answer to my question – but it was.  For somehow I could understand, feel, realize dimly, vaguely but surely that f there be any Lord he is intimate with all the sorrow, and grieves of the world which are as painful scars on His bosom and He ever goes on and on with them.  He grew interesting to me.  We talked on and on.  The shades of night fell on. We could only feel each other. I felt like one returning home to the precious silence of his loving guide and fried.

I talked of science, of atoms, of electrons, of Radium, of X-rays, of quanta, of the living and the non-living, of heaven and earth and of what not – on the breezy summer night under the star-glittered canopy of the sky.  The Padma river was lashing her waves on her bank, I poured out my brains – I could not but do so. I found in him a loving responding receptacle of all the questionings and absurdities in me. Like one meeting his asked-for after a long separation. All my valves were open and my brakes were off. I laughed with him, kept silent for long with his head on my lap both gazing at the same stars in the same sky, rang with talks on all topics and there was an overwhelming response from him-sympathetic retorts, unique suggestions, and queries. I wondered how one how as I knew, was not initiated into academic culture could understand so profoundly and respond with such intelligent keenness. His utterances were so homely, so intelligent, so delicate, so nice, so living, so enlightening, with the latest discoveries of science and suggestive of newer avenues of thought and work – yet so nakedly simple. I doubted and asked, “How can you talk of these things, of electrons, of quanta? Surely you have read of these things?”  He answered, “No!  From my childhood I sometimes see the universe all melting into a glow of ineffable light particles and the light condenses and condenses into the material objects surrounding me.”  His utterances burst out like eruptions volcanic but sweet.  They were rough-hewn expressions of sensations – so immediate, so real, so real, so absorbing. I vaguely apprehended he can see the sciences, he can perceive the ultra-atoms!

The next day I felt him with reluctance. My pretensions of knowledge got a rude shock from him who has no university education and cannot even speak in English. I again met him soon at Calcutta and kept his company for months.  His vivid description of the ultimate of physical nature did not only tally with present day science but suggested new lines of research which were so brilliantly original and prolific to me and to most of my scientist friends that I soon gave up the work I began with Prof. C.V. Raman at the Palit Laboratories, Calcutta University and joined him in his cottage home.  The words of Max Planck rang in my ears – “Scientists will arise who will have much keener perception than the scientists of to-day.  What we need to develop are the perceptive faculties themselves. The development of the powers of perception is one of the main tasks have to meet.  That seems to be Einstein’s idea.” And that idea I saw realized in him, in his queer visions. But above all I found in him a lover, a friend, a guide – a redeemer of an atheist like me.  On this my friends gave up all hopes of me and had grave suspicious about my sanity.

Days and years rolled on in his company as if in a sweet but active dream.  I soon gathered his past life from him, his mother, his villagers, his relations and adherents. My pen cannot do the least justices to his life so varied and eventful. Born in 1888, from his very childhood he was the favorite and wonder of all.  His mother, relatives and playmates were often taken aback by his deep insight into the spirit of man and nature.  His love from early childhood worked miracles amongst his associates.  He would penetrate and perceive things so deeply and directly with his quick senses that mysteries unraveled before his eyes in all their details from his very boyhood. He had many interesting visions and many a time in the effulgence of the light, which penetrated his whole being he would swoon away for which his mother suspected him to have the sacred sickness. He would often perceive the whole universe around him melting into tremors of light which could speak – could transmit thrills of a celestial music.  The heavenly light and sound incarnated themselves into tangible things – the tress, the plants, the beings and the earth below him. In an ecstasy of joy he would rush forward to embrace the luminous glow and the hard solid things would knock against him. Struck with wonder he would again descend from his being of light and sound into the solid world of flesh and blood. Thus one with the universe, he could not but love his surroundings – he felt them part and parcel of his own self.

Overwhelmed with a spontaneous love and sympathy for all, his youth swelled in dance and music on the banks of the Padma captivating all by his emotions and fervent zeal. None could resist his supreme charm. During these days of dance and music he would become unconscious of his body. His system gave no response to any stimulus, his heart stopped its beatings – sometimes for hours together, and his flushing face became radiant with a heavenly glow when brilliant sayings came out of his lips to the utter wonder and astonishment of all. People would flock in numbers. Every one felt the shock of his sayings – and the sweet melody of his voice trembling with holy messages would reverberate in one’s heart long after one left his company. During these periods of trance he would speak sometimes in a sweet commanding voice peculiarly his own. Frequent repetitions of such status and the extraordinary sayings on the ‘being and becoming’ of humanity at large and the universe, especially attracted people from all parts of the country. Only for seventy-one days during these holy trances could his saying be recorded. Still he was a normal human – a simple son deeply devoted to his mother. He read at the High School at Pabna but could not matriculate.  The depraved teaching in the schools could but drive a genius like him out of their precincts.  He went to Calcutta to learn the medical science but returned without any diploma to his village home to practice as a physician. He worked miracles as a physician.  Rumors spread he could revive the dead.  But the physician was compelled with the pressure of circumstances to minister unto minds diseased. Many came to be cured of their disease but ultimately turned into his followers.

From the time I saw him he was quite homely. The trances were not more.  Under the shade of acacia trees on the bank of the Padma or in the homely cottages we would keep his company for hours together morning, noon and night.  We would talk on Philosophy, on Sociology, on Politics, on Education, on Economics, on the Medical Sciences. His touching remarks like a searchlight swept over the heaven and earth and penetrated into the departments of existence. We talked of the world old and new, past and present and got glimpses of the future that is to come.

We thought rather experienced together.  The first touch of faith and regard wields a magic wand and opens the secrets  – new vistas of necessities, new appreciation and fresh activities.  And the resultant of all this is character.  His adherents were unknowingly forming their characters and crystallized round the central figure, their Thakur or the Lord as they called him.

(Reproduced and adopted from Introduction to ‘THE MESSAGE’ VOL. I. by Krishnaprasanna Bhattacharyya, January, 1935, Satsang, Pabna.)

A brief life sketch of Sri Sri Thakur Anukul Chandra

Sri Sri Thakur Anukulchandra, popularly called Sri Sri Thakur, is acclaimed as the Sadguru, the Prophet and the Purushottamam of the modern age by millions of His followers, devotees and disciples. He is the Living Ideal - the Personality Divine - the Spiritual Preceptor of millions of individuals within this country and abroad who have unmistakably found in Him their Beloved the Lord, the Loving axis, and the fulfilling Fulfiller of all individual traits, instincts and potentialities, of all religious faiths and principles, of all creeds and dogmas.

          Born in 1888, from his very childhood he was the favourite and wonder of all. His mother, relatives and playmates were often taken aback by his deep insight into the spirit of man and nature. His love from early childhood worked miracles amongst his associates. He would penetrate and perceive things so deeply and directly with his quick senses that mysteries unravelled before his eyes in all their details from his very boyhood. He had many interesting visions and many a time in the effulgence of the light, which penetrates his whole being, he would swoon away, for which his mother suspected him to have the sacred sickness. He would often perceive the whole universe around him melting into tremors of light, which could speak - could emanate thrills of a celestial music. The heavenly light and sound incarnated themselves into tangible things - the trees, the plants, the beings and the earth below him. In an ecstasy of joy he would rush forward to embrace the luminous glow and the hard solid things would knock against him. Struck with wonder he would again descend from his being of light and sound into the solid world of flesh and blood. Thus one with the universe, he could not but love his surroundings - he felt them part and parcel of his own self.

          In his youth during the days of devotional dance and music he would become unconscious of his body. His system gave no response to any stimulus, his heart stopped its beatings - sometimes for hours together, and his flushing face became radiant with a heavenly glow when brilliant sayings came out of his lips to the utter wonder and astonishment of all. People would flock in numbers. Everyone felt the shock of sayings - and the sweet melody of his voice trembling with holy messages would reverberate in one's heart long after one left his company. During these periods of trance he would speak sometimes in a sweet commanding voice peculiarly his own. Frequent repetitions of such states and the extraordinary sayings on the being and becoming of humanity at large and the universe, specially attracted people from all parts of the country. Only for seventy-five days these holy trances could his sayings be recorded. Still he was all-human - a simple son deeply devoted to his mother.

As His trances attracted widespread attention, more and more people came to meet Him. Many of them decided that they would do well to live near Him. A new community thus grew up in the midst of His native village named 'SATSANG', which means "togetherness in true Being". He tried to fulfil the needs of this community through material development, the likes of which had been unknown in that region. Thus grew up small industries, a science laboratory, an academic institute, a charitable hospital, a community kitchen and an administrative block. A backward hamlet became a model of community development admired by Mahatma Gandhi and many eminent personalities like Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Sarat Chandra Chatterjee, Eugene Exman, Guljari Lal Nanda, Fazlul Haque, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Swami Abhedananda, Shree Ma Anadamayee, Acharya Tulsi, Dr. D.S. Kothari etc.

          On 2nd September 1946 Sri Sri Thakur moved to Deoghar (Jharkhand) where He stayed on. A similar network of institutions developed here for a second time starting almost nothing. The stream of people had kept swelling also here and He became a true shelter to the homeless, penniless and helpless refugees of East Pakistan due to the partition of India.

          He became the living embodiment of love to the poor, depressed, downtrodden and problem-stricken people. Man was very dear to Him and he was ready to relinquish an empire to save an individual soul. He provided panacea for all the problems of life through thousands of messages to solve the innumerable problems facing the individual, the family, the society, the nation and the world as a whole until he left His mortal frame, on 27th January 1969.

          Out of our common love, emotional attachment and active adherence to this loving divine personality Sri Sri Thakur, there has evolved a society of individuals who are above all provincialism, secularism, communalism and parochialism thus converging into one common brotherhood-the best example of commonness of Ideal Universal brotherhood and peaceful co-existence.

          Satsang, thus normally, naturally and spontaneously is providing a striking solution to the most harassing problems of the modern age by demonstrating practically that even today there exists a society of men whom the 'isms' of the age do not touch at all and who stand essentially united for one cause - the cause of humanity and service to mankind.

          Sri Sri Thakur revolutionary ideas have envisaged reforms in many fields of human life - in the field of education, eugenics, agriculture, industry, health, hygiene, politics, administration and social laws as a whole. Nurturing the conviction that Thakur's wisdom has global relevance, to materialise this programme the whole mission of Satsang with thousands of missionary workers is actively engaged in propagating the ideals and holy messages of Sri Sri Thakur in every nook and corner of this country and abroad. Satsang aims at enlivening each individual with the message of love, life, and lift and thus trying to establish on earth the kingdom and glory of the Lord.■

Edited by   RINTU KUMAR CHOWDHURY

IT SPECIALIST & FREELANCE WRITTER

DIRECTOR. SHREYO ONNEYSHA

HUMAN BRAIN AND MIND & MEDITATION AND HOLY-NAME

The Human Brain & its potential: Human brain is composed of about 1500 crore nerve cells & each one is capable of making complex interconnections i.e. sending electro-chemical signals thousands of times every second. The brain works by sending signals to its motor organ. Everything we do and experience, our thinking, learning, intricate body functions, is processed by nerve cells of the brain & nervous system. It is similar to a computer. We are using even less than 10 % of the total capacity of the brain, leaving 1350 crore of nerve cells unutilized. The potentiality of human brain is always under-estimated & under-utilized because of its omnipresence.

Anatomically the uppermost part of the brain is called Cerebral cortex (famous gray matter). It is the center of higher functions like intelligence, thought & learning.

Cerebral hemispheres: The cerebral cortex is divided into left & right cerebral hemispheres. Professor Robert Ornstein of the Langley Porter Institute of San Francisco by doing EEG (Electro-encephalography) of brain found that not only the one side of our cerebral cortex controls the function of the opposite side of the body, but also performs special functions. The left side of the cerebral hemisphere is concerned with Language, number, criticism, logic & analysis. The faculties are very limited in nature. The right side of the cerebral hemisphere is concerned with rhythm, color, dreams, spatial awareness & imagination it is adventurous, discriminative, qualitative & creative with unlimited potential. The right brain is not only creative it works intuitively.

         Technically the right side of the brain (Cerebral hemisphere) has the capacity to receive the intuitive waves emanating from the cosmos.

         MIND & ITS ACTIVITIES: Anatomically & physiologically the place of mind i.e. the human psyche is not yet well defined. In fact this may be throughout the Brain as a whole. So far research in this field to locate the place of mind in the Human body is inconclusive. Mind is nowhere at the same time it is everywhere.

           According to Sri Sri Thakur there are three different types of mind. The pindi-mana is the bodily mind that lives in the narrow worldly activities. The brahmandi- mana is the universal mind that lives with universal interest. The nirmal chaiytanya mana is the mind of supreme-consciousness, is ever meditative, above all complexes, is always pure & does everything being guided by the Supreme Being. (Alochona Prosange: Vol. 19, P -85.).

Dayal-desh, Brahmandi-desh and Pindi-desh: --

        The three types of mind as discussed above correspond to three different planes, the 'Dayal desh', the 'Brahmandi desh'& the 'Pindi desh'. The 'Dayal desh' being the highest seat of pure spirituality, the abode of Supreme Creator.  The next division is the universal 'Brahmandi desh' in the spiritual-material plane, where spirituality overrides the materialistic thoughts. The lowest division the 'Pindidesh' in the material-spiritual plane is the region of individual mind & desire. It is materialistic in nature. The minds of ordinary people roam in this plane.

CONTROL OF MIND. The key to good living is to control & regulate the mind. The environment conditions the mind where we live. We can control our mind if we desire to control it. We have six complexes (ripu) i.e. Lust (Kama), Anger (Krodha), Greed (lobha), attachment (Moha), (modha) & (mathsharjya). These are like viruses, which corrupt our life & are the main causes of all our sufferings. The moment we allow our mind to muse on sense objects & crave for it, invariably anger follows it. Anger brings delusion that obscures intellect. Loss of intellect results in damage to the faculty of judgment. Senses become unrestrained. As a result we become slaves of senses, which brings more unhappiness in life.  Instead of becoming slaves of these complexes of mind we must know how to control & regulate these complexes.

          The way is to attach our-selves to the Lord (Ista), the first step towards awakening one's self. 

YOGA, MEDITATION & GOD: Human life is a play of the mind. It is the mind that can unite us with the Lord (Ista) the Supreme Being, the eternal fountain of bliss. The word 'yoga' means communion with the Supreme consciousness. When the mind & consciousness are united, then the manifestation of yoga becomes evident in our life. 'Yoga' is the way to realization of self & god. Ordinarily the way we live & enjoy the world, our lifestyle, habit & behavior is by activating the left side of the brain.

            The right side of the brain, which has more potential, is not used at all or sparingly used. Meditation selectively turns off the left cerebral hemisphere & wakes up the right cerebral hemisphere. The Scientists, the Prophets, the Purusattams & the Great-men, all of them have right-sided cerebral hemispheric dominance.

   

          In 'Magna dicta' Sri Sri Thakur's sayings are as follows—

                The psychophysical moulding

                          of objects and affairs

                      to fulfill the interest

                                of the Principal,

                         unfurling the faculties

                   of perception, conception,

                     discretion and remembrance

               with a shortening of the reaction time

                       is the fundament

                             of concentration

                                  and Meditation. (117).

God is the manifestation of absolute truth the existence, consciousness and bliss (satchitanada).

Sri Sri Thakur said—

“ He is the existence of all that exits, ---

              thereby He, ‘the Sat’,

        He is the responsiveness of all that responds,---

                      So ‘chit’---that He is;

             He is the becoming of each that comes, ---

                        thus He ---the ‘Ananda’ as known.”

                         (Alochona Prosange: Vol.11, P-250).

 

         Human beings are also potentially divine. The goal of humanity is to manifest these divine qualities within the self.

        Following the principles of spirituality one can attain the goal of Absolute Truth, consciousness and bliss (satchitanada).

       The easy way to spirituality is to meditate on   the holy-name (mantra), the causative factor of all the creations, (mantra means which rectifies the mind; mana = mind + tran = to rectify) after Initiation (Diksha) from a True Master (Sat-Guru).

 

TRUE MASTER (SAT GURU):

                      Sri Sri Thakur said in ‘Satyanusaran’ as follows— “Whose literature, philosophy and science, penetrating the scattered good and evil prejudices of the mind, have been meaningfully adjusted in the Ideal, is the True Master.”

          The True Masters are world teachers in the form of human incarnation, representative of all pervading, all fulfilling, all-inclusive, omnipotent God, as mentioned in holy scriptures of the whole world. The True Masters possess the mind of Supreme consciousness (nirmal chaitanya mana).

              The true Masters are pure and above all complexes and ever meditative in nature and does everything being guided by the Supreme Being. The True Masters descend in this world from time to time, to lead man from darkness to light, from mortality to immortality, worldly pleasures to spiritual bliss.

            True Master is the Living ideal who practically lead and show us the path to “Being and Becoming’ of life. We have to follow a living Ideal, ‘True Master’ for control of our mind and ‘Being and Becoming of life’.          

 

                      

              ‘HOLY-NAME’ (Sat-naam): Holy name is the cosmic, primordial vibration, the energy and the creative urge of life, which turns into being.

 

In the Holy Bible it is said—

   “ In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God”. The word as referred here is the primordial vibration that existed before the creation, before there was time and space. This is the causative factor, the mechanism of creation of the universe, all time and space. This was with the God and the word was God. When the Universe is created the word transformed itself into energy and matter. The divine intelligence was compressed in this word. The ‘God’ as is manifested in everything of this universe.

      Modern science says the atoms of elements are made up of enormous energy. The different forms of energies are light, heat and sound, being made up of electromagnetic waves or vibrations. Living beings are evolved out of non-living beings. The ‘common Factor’ in the creation of all living and non-living beings is the ‘vibration’ in the virtual level.

           The relationship of the creation, Holy-name, consciousness & meditation is discussed below.

           Sri Sri Thakur's sayings in  'The message' are as follows—

                The booming commotion of Existence

                       that rolls

                in the bosom of the Beyond ,

                evolves into a

                       thrilling rhyme

                and upheaves

                      into a shooting Becoming

                          of the Being

                      with echoes

                        that float

                with an embodiment of Energy---

                      that is Logos,

                          the Word, ---

                            the Beginning! (I).

                                 (The message: Vol. I, P- 34).    

            It is Energy

                     which lies

                        in the embodiment

                  of word that remains

                     as He is---

                though manifesting Himself

                       into all

                           that was created---

                That is God,

                      That is word,

                         That is Divine! (III).

                            (The message: Vol.1, P-37).

The Vedas also said of nad or word, the pranava or Om. Indian saints said as Sabdh (word), Satnaam,

Naam (name), Dhun (sound), Akashbani(voice of Heavens), Bani (sound). Muslim saints called it as Kalma (word), Kun (command), Bang-e-llahi (voice of God), Nada -I-Asmani (voice from the heaven). The Holy Bible said it as Word/logos, the Holy Ghost or the Spirit.      

                    

During discourses Sri Sri Thakur said—

         “The ‘Holy-name’ (naam) is the original causative factor, the thrill or vibration. Everything of this world including you & “I” are the evolutionary forms of this holy-name. This is the causative factor of subtle & gross forms”. —

“There is new creation from the causative factor to the subtle form, from subtle form to the gross form.” (Alochona Prasonge: vol.2, P-233.)

       Sri Sri Thakur further said—

            “Holy-name’ (naam) has become an integral part of my being. It does not spare me. As long as physical existence is there, wherever, in whatever form, ‘Holy-name’ will remain ingrained with the being. Do practice ‘Holy-name’ (naam) yourself intensely, for some days, you will have realization like me.”—

         “In order to reach that stage you have to keep on practicing the holy-name very carefully and regularly. By sincere practice of Holy-name the Lord within is awakened”.

        After the end of World War II, A group of Americans before returning home wanted to visit

 Sri Sri Thakur at Deoghar.

           As with men of other faiths and backgrounds, the Americans came to discuss and find a solution to various problems personal, philosophical and spiritual with Sri Sri Thakur.

         Sri Sri Thakur welcomed all quests, queries of the Americans. Day after day discussions went on all subjects from early morning to late hours of the night.  Whether seated under a tree or in the field, under the sun or the stars Sri Sri Thakur answered their quests day after day in colloquial Bengali, with occasional measured resonant English.

        While talking to Americans about the importance of Holy-name and meditation, Sri Sri Thakur said—

            “Any name has some effect but sounds with higher vibrations such as hring, bhong etc. which possess a creative force are more effective. The repetition is to be done properly and under the guidance of a True Master.

         Proper meditation creates combustion in the brain cells and generates heat so in India it is called tapsya (tapa means heat).

        The intercellular combustion of brain cells by proper meditation causes various colors to be emitted in the form of red, yellow green, it stimulates the auditory center and thus creates sounds to be perceived by the brain ”.

            “The continuous repetition of holy-name acts upon our central nervous system thereby it increases the sensitivity of nerve cells, Thus the response which was beyond our comprehension, gradually becomes comprehensible. Further, those sensitized cells begin to adjust and so they not only respond better but also retain and become more receptive—Of course, if one thinks deeply about Him, through whom the name has been revealed – his ideas, dicta and desires. — The more the sensitivity and power of reception of the brain cells the finer and deeper the understanding and feeling of the external world and internal self”. —

              Sri Sri Thakur said— “It is recommended to concentrate the mind on the third eye that is the pineal gland, with the right practice of meditation, the base of brain becomes exited. This excitement affects the pineal gland so that many suppressed impressions wake up into the conscious brain. Then through ideal centric work and service they get adjusted accordingly. Thus the unsolved thoughts and impressions in the subconscious and conscious level are recognized and adjusted. Therefore ‘pineal’ in English means ‘the pinnacle of supreme knowledge’ or supersensory perception.” 

   

     Sri Sri Thakur further said to the Americans—

                “There is no difference between the Holy-name and Him who has realized the name like Shri Ram, Shri Krishna, lord Christ and Bhagavan Budha—the name connotes the entity of the realized one. If He is not a True master and if there is no real love or devotion to him then the holy-name alone is not fruitful. The bestowing of the holy-name—the vibrating link of love by the true master is Initiation. Hence initiation to the realized master is the yoke to know his name –- the way ‘ to be born again’.

Sri Sri Thakur in 'Magna dicta' said us to meditate as follows—

               Do meditate Mantra on thy lord

                       dawn and night,

               Do repeat the holy name

                     mentally and meaningfully

                        in all the movements of daily life,

               Do materialise the directions

                             of the guru in due time---

                      That is Tapas---

                         The way to achievement! (69).

Yoga Purusattam Sri Sri Thakur taught us how to experience this spiritual way of living and perfection by following his path of spiritual practice. Meditation on holy-name brings psychosomatic & spiritual integration of an individual.

writter: 

                                 Dr. Nirmalendu Das.

                            Professor of Radiotherapy

                  V.M. Medical College & Safdarjang Hospital,                                                                                        

                                     New Delhi.

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