Question & Answers - 1

            Time to time, I run into people having odd questions, formulating crazy theories based on biased perceptions or utter dejection. Some of them end up there due to their upbringing where they accept these ideas given to them either by their environs or life. This Q&A segment will be an eclectic collection of such random questions and my attempt to explain them from Hindu and Vedantic viewpoint. The answers are not definitive, but intended to be stimulative and thought provoking. They are my current observations from my vantage point, seen through the prism of my limited knowledge. Readers, can either email me or use the contact form or leave a message on the blog with their questions.

Q1: I find God to be cruel. All nice people I love seem to be leaving this plane very early, said a vexed friend. Not to mention about the deep scars of family and friend loss this person was carrying.  So all good people die early and the ones who are left to suffer are her?

Ans: At the outset, this seems very logical. Ramalinga Swamigal (Vallalar) was 51 at the time of his death. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was 50, Swami Vivekananda was 39, Adi Shankara was 32. So seem great scientists like Vikram Sarabhai at 52.  Great souls seem to be hastening the exit from this body, it so appears. Before we conclude let us see the other end of the spectrum. Raghavendra Swami took jeeva Samadhi at 76.  Vedhathri Maharishi cast his body at 94, Holiness Kanchi Chandrasekhara Saraswati at 99, Ramanuja, one of the prime Vaishnavite revivers shared his grace till 120. Mahatma Gandhi was 78, CV Raman 82, Abdul Kalam 83, Mother Theresa 87 and Nelson Mandela 95.

             So there goes the pet theory my friend I would like to tell that there is no correlation between death, morality, and effective contribution to the society.

             Logic doesn’t fill the void of the loss of a near and dear one. But when one listens and studies more about the subtle truths in life, the bereaved mind gets assuaged. Having seen many widows and old people who relocate to sacred towns like Vrindavan, Varanasi, with the sole purpose of dying, many of them living decades past the original reason of dejection behind their move, it is interesting to note that the value of our life. While Science is still not able to exactly explain what is LIFE, till such time religion and spirituality seem to be giving some reasons.

            Hinduism believes the reason for birth is Karma, one’s actions (be it real or in the mind). The bundle of all our karmas in the past is called Sanchita Karma. A portion of them seem to be ready for ripening, for this to happen, we need a body, which is the reason for our birth. This is called Prarabhda Karma. Based on our vasanas, we have tendencies or may have strong free will to chart a new direction. The new karmas we generate is called Kriyamana or Agami Karma. This body comes prewired to exhaust a certain set of Prarabhda Karmas. Once they are realized, the body has no ability to hold the soul any longer. Add to this, our Kriyamana Karmas, they can add or shorten the lifespan. I have seen long lived old people with bad health due to such habits during their youth. So longevity should not be the only criteria to evaluate our life.  

            If we go back to the purpose behind our birth (assuming we can easily understand the Hindu way of explanation via Karma), this life is a gift. What we do with this gift, will be the real gift back to GOD. We can not only exhaust the vasanas, but we can also use this platform to evolve higher.

In this context, I would like to recall the story of Narada, who keeps chanting Narayana, Narayana non-stop. If one can get past the imbecile and sometimes motivated portrayal of Narada in current media, one has applaud his non-stop service to help others evolve. We saw that in the story of Dhruva, Prahalada, even Ratnakar whom he transformed to Valmiki. Onetime, he gets a desire to understand the see the power of the mantra he is chanting all the time. He goes to Krishna and expresses his desire. Krishna suggests him to chant the mantra in the ears of a worm that was wriggling nearby. Narada excited to know, does as directed, is shocked to his dismay, the worm wriggles desperately and dies. A shocked Narada gets further instruction to go and chant the mantra at a butterfly that was flying nearby. A hopeful Narada witnesses the death of the butterfly at the chant of the mantra. Narada now begins to wonder if this mantra is the secret behind all the deaths in the universe.

Narada is now guided by Krishna to go and chant in the ears of the bird which was about to hatch from its egg. Narada chants the mantra and is pushed to unbearable sorrow seeing a cute bird die due to his curiosity. A smiling Krishna now directs him to a deer which was about to give birth to a calf. The calf met the same fate when Narada chanted Om Namo Narayana, in its ears.

With the sadness of having killed the innocent lives, Narada decides to abandon further research into the power of the name. But Krishna says he cannot back off. He tells the great king of Kasi is about to have a son, after yearning and praying for a long time. Narada trembled at the thought of killing one more and was worried that the King was very powerful. He weighed in the repercussions of not listening to Krishna. Half-heartedly he goes in front of the King who is anxious to hear the news about his child. The King is delighted at the sight of the Devarishi Narada and pleads him to bless the child first. Moments later, the royal midwife brings the happy news of the birth of the son. The King promptly hands the baby to Narada.

Having the expectations set by his previous experiences, Narada reluctantly chants the mantra thrice. Hurriedly, he hands over the baby to the King and turns around to depart. To his surprise, he hears a revered voice, requesting him to stop and suggests that his real purpose of the visit has not yet been served. Narada turns around to see the newborn baby talking to him. The wonderstruck audience is left with their mouths agape. The baby thanks Narada for helping him get faster spiritual evolution by acting as him Guru. A confused Narada asks for explanation.

The baby reveals that it was the worm, the butterfly, the bird and the deer. The power of the name of the Lord helped it cast its mortal coil sooner than its slow process to exhaust its vasanas. Now thanks to hearing the Lord’s name, it is now born with the memory of its past lives, in a royal family. Narada rushes to Krishna to thank him profusely and seeks his apology for not having complete faith.

Now the story is not to scare a person that if one chants the Lord’s name, one will die. It is merely to highlight that the Lord’s name can hasten the evolutionary process that usually takes a long winded path. The story also reminds the fact that the purpose behind taking a body is due to its past karma and the exhaustion of its vasanas. If new ones are created, a new one may be needed. In fact, the direction of (d)evolution is solely determined by the actions of the individual.

Once we take a body and the atman believes it is the body and not something grander, it also believes in the seeming relations the body has. Enmeshed in this fleshy tabernacle, the atman deludes itself into believing about the birth and death of its relatives and also its body. It is interesting to note, irrespective of the language, we always refer to the dead body of the person, as So and So’s body. This should give us the clue that we are not the body. Death and birth are interestingly the facets of the same thing - our ignorance about our true SELF.

There is an incident in the Autobiography of a Yogi, by Paramahamsa Yogananda, a Guru who was much revered in the West and East, who cataloged numerous testimonials and personal accounts of wondrous miraculous events in the book. He narrates the incident in Ranchi, where he comes across a young deer, which he had taken care for quite some time affectionately, dead. He tries his best to restore and finds a feeble deer on his hands. Taking special care for the deer, he fell asleep. In the dream, the deer is pleading Yogananda to let it go. The deer was being held captive by his love and was unable to move ahead in its evolutionary path. Yogananda quickly realized his mistake and informed the eager children around that they deer is dying and won’t be alive for long.

Reading this episode made me realize that one has to be conscious of one’s actions. Yudhishtra was once asked what the most surprising thing he had ever seen was. He quipped that every day one is surrounded by death, but everyone acts as if it will never happen to them. Once a young mother, whose loss of her young son was unbearable, repaired to Buddha. She pleaded him to revive the child, for she believed he could. Buddha asked her to fetch some mustard seeds from any house which has not seen death. The mother, desperate against hopes, goes house after house, village after village, only to realize that death is inevitable. Buddha also highlighted that no matter when death happens, the dead body left is going to be met with grief, lamentations and sorrow.

So working on the four purusharthas – Dharma-Artha-Kama-Moksha, one overcomes the loss of relations, as one raises their consciousness above one’s body. Being aware of a higher purpose in life, helps one to be tuned to the subtler cosmic mind.

A Blessing or Curse

In the book, At Every Breath, A Teaching, Rudite Emir recounts an incident in Swami Chinmayananda’ s life. During a visit to a housewarming ceremony of a disciple, Swami Chinmayananda wrote the following in a brand new guest book

Grandfather dies, father dies, son dies, grandson dies.

            The disappointed host was assured that this was a blessing not a curse. The Swami said the above is a  desirable pattern, a rhythm. If the rhythm is altered, then extreme sorrow ensues.

            My friend who was feeling this pain, was experiencing this break in the rhythm. The only thing that can heal is selfless service to others. Instead of talking about pain and sorrow, if we can extend our hands to someone with greater sorrow, not only it alleviates other’s pain, but magically our pain disappears as well.

May we connect ourselves bit deeper, so that we can be a blessing in other’s lives. Nishkamya Karma (Selfless actions) help us purify our minds. This scrubbing also reveals the hidden jnana. Jnana alone will keep us away from such perceived sorrows.

Om Tat Sat

A great friend I never met

            A friend whom I never met in person, but who guided my thoughts, walked with me in times of confusion and lifted my spirits; a spiritual giant who illumined the lives of many; a sage who took the wisdom of the ages from all corners of the world and distilled it in very simple language; a towering personality, a sharp intellect, a man who knew his roots, a great author and speaker – Wayne Dyer.

            Last week saw him cast his body, which he knew pretty well as an impermanent abode during his transit to higher realms. Though born in a dysfunctional white family with poverty as his company, he clawed his way back as an amazing exponent and author of psychology. The Shift that happens to the ones who choose to let it and he let the influence of great souls like Nisargadatta Maharaj, many eastern thoughts from Advaita to Taoism to Zen. I take this opportunity to ponder on some of his memorable quotes. These simple Dyerisms need no commentary, but reflecting my thoughts over his, I feel the satisfaction of a subtle interaction with him.

“Love is co-operation rather than competition.”

            The best I can express my feelings is with another quote, from Swami Chinmayananda – To give love is freedom. To demand love is slavery. Wayne emphasized the giving nature of Love in almost every talk I have heard. Competition within relationship results in friction and loss of synergism. Wayne emphasized the eastern wisdom that we are part of the world. Only when we see We vs the world, there is competition.

“Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.”

            Loving what we do is a winning attitude which comes naturally when we do what we love. When we have this outlook, there is no labor of love as commonly expressed, as love is expressed as labor (work). Wayne shared anecdotes of attracting abundance as a child by collecting soda bottles or by innovatively seeking snow shovel chores from neighbors. Every time, he said it with such enthusiasm that I felt like watching it live as my most favorite movie.

“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.”

            Wayne was perhaps the biggest promoter of Purusharthas. He emphasized on taking personal responsibility. Though I have never heard him use that word, he has freely quoted and used Hindu words and concepts like Dharma, Karma. He was a firm believer of Karma; hence he focused on living in the NOW. If the PAST is the reason for our PRESENT conditions, then it goes without saying that the FUTURE is a function of our PRESENT. If we do take charge of our PRESENT, our FUTURE choices are more in our favor; if we don’t, then our PAST controls our FUTURE. This is the essence of Karma theory, which is aptly crystallized in Wayne’s wisdom.

“When the choice is to be right or to be kind, always make the choice that brings peace.”

        This is straight out of ancient Indian wisdom repackaged for the west.

satyaM brUyAt priyaM brUyAt na brUyAt satyam apriyam | priyaM ca nAnRRitaM brUyAt eSha dharmaH sanAtanaH ||  - Manu Smriti

Speak truth in such a way that it should be pleasing to others. Never speak truth, which is unpleasant to others. Never speak untruth, which might be pleasant. This is the path of eternal morality, sanatana dharma.

            Peace and harmony are at the center of Indian thinking. It is very evident that many vedic mantras have a shantipath ending with OM Shanti, shanti, shantihi.

“Upon awakening, let the words Thank You flow from your lips, for this will remind you to begin your day with gratitude and compassion.”

            Much of Wayne Dyer’s wisdom was actionable, practical tips to daily life. He routinely emphasized the importance of seizing the day, right from early morning. He shared his personal experiences of early rising, something which all great sages and saints have shared. Rising before Brahmamurta and taking time to meditate or think through the day is something he loved to inspire others to try. The most important attitude he kept reiterating was being thankful and grateful. He extensively quoted research on how compassion raises the serotonin (feel good neurotransmitter in the brain) of not only the receiver and giver, but also the observer. Let us begin our day with the wisdom of Dyer.

“Here is an affirmation for today: I feel passionately about my life, and this passion fills me with excitement and energy!”

            Wayne was a big promoter of positive affirmations. His psychology background came to the fore with this practical tip. Passion is the energy of the mind. When the mind moves passionately in a direction, the body merely follows it. We need to have some life when it comes to our own success, which begin in our thoughts, words and actions. Unless one is excited about something, there won’t be any actions. Due to our vasanas, we may not be inclined to think positively or break out of our Tamasic nature. Self-affirmation is a way to bridge this gap between our thoughts and actions.

“Self-worth comes from one thing – thinking that you are worthy.”

            This is in line with the earlier quote. Wayne believed that our thinking determines who we are. How can one think one is worthy, when one doesn’t feel like it, when life has beaten them repeatedly? Positive self-affirmations were one of the important tools Wayne provided. His books and talks were filled with anecdotes, suggestions and emphasis on changing the way we think. This is echoed in the next quote.

“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”

            This is one of the most powerful and favorite quotes. This is actually an echo of “You must be the change you wish to see in the world – Mahatma Gandhi”. Swami Tejomayananda said it even more beautifully, “Change your outlook, then look out”.  Einstein challenged us by asking us if we are living in a friendly world. A common adage asks us, if we are seeing the glass as half full or half empty. Be it scientist or a sage, they have emphasized on the mental weather pattern as a critical barometer of how we perceive and react to things and hence the results.

“I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside.”

            Wayne stressed on personal responsibility. He taught repeatedly on not to be a victim of the circumstances, but to raise above. We may be surrounded by situations that make us angry, we can choose not to be angry. The same is true for any emotion we have, like fear, jealousy, hatred or situation in life – poverty, drug addiction. We may be going 200 miles per hour in the wrong direction, but the first step is to realize that. Second one is to stop and then reverse directions. This is an inside job.

“It’s never crowded along the extra mile.” 

            Wayne spoke in a series of long talks on this topic and was grateful to listen to them on CDs. He did not approach it from a motivational speaker style, egging the listeners to do more to get more.  The best I can do is to outline the major bullets of his talk and encourage the reader to fetch and listen to these awesome messages.

• Have a Mind That Is Open to Everything and Attached to Nothing
• Don't Die with Your Music Still in You
• You Can't Give Away What You Don't Have
• Embrace Silence
• Give Up Your Personal History
• You Can't Solve a Problem with the Same Mind That Created It
• There Are No Justified Resentments
• Treat Yourself As If You Already Are What You'd Like to Be
• Treasure Your Divinity
• Wisdom Is Avoiding All Thoughts That Weaken You

“You’ll see it when you believe it.”

            A materialist or atheist or skeptic always wants proof before believing. But the same person has qualms about going about accepting so many basic things in life. We simply fly on a plane or drive our car without checking the credentials of the pliot or plane or car conditions. Wayne would argue calmly that instead of saying, Seeing is believing, Believing is seeing. A newborn believes in its mother. When one has firm conviction that God or Universe or a higher power is there to guide us and support us and protect us, our success is guaranteed. The reason why intellect or mind wants a proof and not belief is due to the EGO. Wayne’s favorite acronym -  Edge God Out. Ego makes us believe we are separate independent entity from God.  Ego makes the wave believe that it is independent of the ocean. Once we resolve this battle with our EGO, we can see what we believe, manifest situations of choice. Wayne kept singing this song through his real life battle with leukemia, heart challenge, knee challenge.

“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.”

            Another fine example of Wayne’s focus on taking personal responsibility. This is classical Indian Karma theory, but with a spin to make it digestible for the western audience. He acted like a bridge between the Eastern wisdom and the western audience, making more palatable, but remaining true to the message conveyed. This treasured quote of Wayne hits home to every person who is having trouble finding their footing due to the pressures of life.  His teachings and thought process was always coherent. In a small sentence, he packs the wisdom of Karma theory, how to overcome other’s bad actions, how one’s personal actions alone (purushartha) is the panacea for such behavior, how our attitude determines the outcome of our actions and our future. His constant message was we are the master’s of our own destiny. His genius insight explained the tussle between fatalism and free-will. Free-will, according to him, is the choice one can exert to connect or not with the Source(his term for God).

“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.”

            This was another of his core suggestions. He explained how the ego, bounces off the Universe and sets up a reaction, it’s called Karma. When we judge others, firstly we give remote control of our actions to others and also the permission to others to judge us. The world outside is a reflection of our inside. The following quote connects with this theme.

“When you squeeze an orange, orange juice comes out – because that’s what’s inside. When you are squeezed, what comes out is what is inside.”

            This analogy and quote is a master-stroke as it works at all planes of understanding. When one is angry or afraid, it manifests in one’s actions. Basicially one’s beliefs get expressed like the orange juice from orange, through their actions, thoughts and words. But Wayne went few steps further, we believe ourselves as the body, or the mind, or the brain or the intellect, all manifestations of the ego. Hence our actions are always tinged by the color of ego. As one realizes the true nature (Atman) of the Self, Bliss gets reflected as the essence of such a great Soul’s life. Thus, his central focus was always in connecting back to the Source.

“Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last. The past is over and gone. The future is not guaranteed.”

            Wayne kept repeating this theme. Again taking personal responsibility for one’e present and future is the key message. He enjoyed waking up the mentally asleep tamasic audience to live a purposeful life. Many of his fans endearingly called him as “Father of Motivation”. We are a slave to our vasanas and we let our old mental programs to dictate our present and naturally our future. Wayne wanted us to take control of our present, so that we can be masters of our own destiny. In either case, we are the masters of our destiny only that in one case, we are conscious of it and guide ourselves to a higher purpose. He never shied from sharing his personal experiences, failures, struggles. He began learning Yoga when he was almost seventy. He practiced radical humility and was always eager to live the life the fullest.

            .”The highest form of ignorance is when you reject something you don’t know anything about.”

            One of Wayne’s emphasis was ignorance as a prop for ego. Krishna talks this kind of understanding of rejecting anything and everything without proper understanding as Tamasic, in the last chapter of Bhagavad Gita. Again the reason why we have this shroud of ignorance is, because of our Ego, we being separate from the source.

            “The fact that you are willing to say, ‘I do not understand, and it is fine,’ is the greatest understanding you could exhibit.”

            The above quote is a practical demonstration of Wayne’s non judgemental and practicing radical humility outlook. Accepting lack of one’s understanding is a far higher sign of maturity and receptivity, rather than an ignorant ego rejecting something it cannot fathom.

“It is impossible for you to be angry and laugh at the same time. Anger and laughter are mutually exclusive and you have the power to choose either.”

Again ties with typical Dyerism of taking personal responsibility. Between action and reaction is a gap. The gap provides us the freedom to make a choice. The choice determines the nature of outcome. The more observant one is of the gap, one finds there is increased power to choose wisely.

“Love is the ability and willingness to allow those that you care for to be what they choose for themselves without any insistence that they satisfy you.”

            Love is always giving. We find even in most loving conditions of daily life, love is conditional. Despite our tall claims, there is a strong undercurrent of atleast being recognized for the love we share to our spouse or kids. Wayne declares this as conditional love. In such a non judgemental unconditional love, one finds freedom. Real freedom to express oneself more freely. This also shapes the surroundings much better more synergistically.

”My belief is that the truth is a truth until you organize it, and then becomes a lie. I don’t think that Jesus was teaching Christianity, Jesus was teaching kindness, love, concern, and peace. What I tell people is don’t be Christian, be Christ-like. Don’t be Buddhist, be Buddha-like.”

            Wayne was open to learning from all traditions. He felt that the masses following the religion are merely aping some traditions, customs, dogmas in the name of religion, rather than following the real essence of great souls. Unless one follows the real footsteps of Christ, Buddha and the other great souls, merely practicing the –isms will be such a travesty.

“A mind at peace, a mind centered and not focused on harming others, is stronger than any physical force in the universe.”

            This is the real essence of Sanatana Dharma. Being Dharma centered and a mind that sees the presence of divinity in all, cannot have any animosity to any other life. Thus shattering the ego barrier, one is connected to the source. As the Universe Intelligence is all powerful, the mind that is tuned to this source acquires a strong power that yields to no basal things.

            “Practice being the kind of person you wish to attract.”

            Wayne applied this to every aspect of life, be it as advice to a helpless drug addict, or a person with relationship troubles or one who likes to attract abundance. Envisioning emotionally is a powerful tool that helps iron out the kinks in our personality. This also helps us to connect back to the source.

“The more you see yourself as what you’d like to become, and act as if what you want is already there, the more you’ll activate those dormant forces that will collaborate to transform your dream into your reality.”

            The first part of this quote is a very popular principle amongst motivational speakers. But Wayne always approached such ideas from the premise that we came from the Source and we are of the same kind. If the Source is approached minus the EGO, it responds in kind. It galvanizes behind the emotional request coming from the individual. The Source is equally available to all who seek it, with or without the EGO. But the EGO is the world’s best travel agent, sends all on a trip, EGO TRIP which can effectively negate the benedictions from the Source. One need to be very careful, not to become one’s own bottleneck.

“Miracles come in moments. Be ready and willing.”

            Wayne believed that miracles happened all the time. All one needs to be is willing and observant. He shared many personal experiences which one can only label as miracles, yet instead they were not met with surprise but as normal occurrences. In our own lives, we can find unexpected information or help coming from unasked quarters. If we can practice radical humility with a firm belief that the infinite organizing power of Universe that took care of us in the first nine months since our conception, it can also take care beyond that. We need to submit out egos and let Universe’s mysterious ways to organize a solution for us.  Just like the reed that yields to the wind, if we can let the Universe’s intelligence to guide and empower us without our ego clashing with its plans, we can lead infinitely better lives.

“Begin to see yourself as a soul with a body rather than a body with a soul.”

            This is the real essence of Advaita and the theme of all Indian mysticism and spirituality. We are not this body, nor are we the breath or the mind. We are not the intellect. We are not the impressions that are stored in the brain as Science tells us. People who want to sound intelligent call ourselves the soul and the ones who want to flaunt their vedantic insights call it as Atman. But unfortunately this is something that needs to be realized and can never be verbalized. Ramana Maharishi simplified this with a simple question “WHO AM I? – “Naan yaar”.

            Wayne definitely knew he was not the body and he had no fears of confronting death. He was more eager to know the other side. I sincerely wish, he will find a mechanism to communicate what his experiences on the other side is. What a blessed soul one can be if we can merely read and follow the long list of books, CDs, Videos he has left for us. He took spirituality to the masses without complicating or distorting the wisdom of the ages. May he continue to guide us. Your corporal presence will be missed, but you have already taught us that we are not this body. I am convinced that your blessings and wisdom will continue to guide us to higher realms.

Om Tat Sat

Suggested Reading / Viewing:

1. The Shift Movie – Wayne Dyer
2. Dr.Wayne Dyer
3. Some more videos

No Kidding - Follow this child - Part 2 - Nachiketa

            Nachiketas, an example to emulate for every spiritual seeker, appears in Katha Upanishad. The little boy is the epitome of all the qualities every aspirant must possess to embark on this inward journey of Self-realization. Nachiketas evokes such a powerful stature that Swami Vivekananda’s¹ following quote captures the supremacy of such sterling qualities in real world.

If I get ten or twelve boys with the faith of Nachiketa, I can turn the thoughts and pursuits of this country in a new channel.

            Vajasravas (Gautama) was performing a sacrifice or Yajna called Sarvavedas or Sarvadakshina, one where everything has to be offered without exception. This was in preparation as the last step in spiritual life. However, he was not ready to part with his prized possessions. He gave away only things that were of no use to anyone, like cows that are said to have taken their last drop of water and last food. Seeing the hypocrisy of his father, Nachiketas,  his young boy (age, I was unable to ascertain, have heard from seven to twelve, but for all practical purposes was a boy of tender age) was worried. The purpose of the sacrifice was to get to the higher regions of the heaven, but the actions and attitude of his father made him worry if he will be sent to the joyless regions.

            We are not sure what prompted the boy to ask his father thrice, repeatedly, “To whom are you going to give me:. Gautama angrily said, “To death I give you!”, more like “Go to Hell”. There is a clear dichotomy of thoughts; Gautama is more focused on the external ritual whereas Nachiketas is focused on inner spiritual. Nachiketas is not afraid of facing death, but is worried only for his father’s well-being. The next thing the Upanishad says he is at the Abode of the Lord of Death – Yama. He is unable to meet the Lord for three days and nights. He is starving at the gates for three days and Yama is shocked to see a Brahmana (read it as aspirant) athithi (uninvited guest). As a recompense for this suffering caused unwittingly, Yama declares that Nachiketas may seek three boons. Here is a caution for the skeptics. This allegory is on the metaphysical plane, in all probability. So asking, what was Yama doing three days, how does he take care of the affairs of the world if he is taking a three day vacation, are not relevant. Swami Venkatesananda suggests interpreting it as being on death’s door.  This is very similar to the spiritual experiences one comes across Ramana Maharishi, when he had this vision of being dead and watching his own dead body.

            Death is a powerful teacher. Till we are confronting death, we believe in frivolous things, but wisdom of life dawns only when death is shaking our personality. This leads to Mukthi when alive. This is called JivanMukthi.  Nachiketas was a blessed soul to have Death as his teacher. Nachiketas is thankful for the boons. For his first boon, he seeks that he should be received with affection by his father, by the world and everyone.

Indirectly Nachiketas gets more results in his favor with his first boon. He ensured his safe passage back. He ensures that the world he comes back to will be harmonious and will be treating him pleasantly. He captures the essence of the following Bhagavad Gita quote;

यस्मान्नोद्विजते लोको लोकान्नोद्विजते च यः |
हर्षामर्षभयोद्वेगैर्मुक्तो यः स च मे प्रियः ||१२- १५||

yasman nodvijate loko lokan nodvijate ca yah |
harsamarsa-bhayodvegair mukto yah sa ca me priyah || (12.15)

He, by whom the world is not troubled, and who is not troubled by the world; who is freed from joy, envy, fear and anxiety - he is dear to Me.

            Yama grants his first wish and prompts him to ask his second one. Nachiketas asks him to teach about the mystery called Vaishvanara and a fire ritual associated with it. Yama not only grants that, but also names the ritual after his name.

            Yama, eager to grant his third boon to dispose him off is totally unprepared when he prods him to ask for the third benediction. Nachiketas asks, “What happens to the soul after death (of the body)?”  Yama suggests him not to ask this question as this is too complex topic even Gods have doubts. He suggests Nachiketas can ask for health, wealth, all sorts of pleasures like Lordship over the world forever.

Nachiketas responds no matter how long is long, it is short and finite. All pleasures are a factor of sense organs’ ability to enjoy them. If they get impaired, there is no pleasure. He is not swayed by the long list of pleasures which Yama dangles to change his mind. Yama offers songs, grandsons, gold, horses, dominion, wealth, long life, fair damsels, chariots etc. He displays extreme Viveka and Vairagya at the carrots being dangled. Yama’s biggest persuasions are met with maturity and sharp intellect far beyond years. Yama’s insistence to ask for better things is met with a defiant Nachiketas stubborn refusal to accept any other boon but this knowledge.

Yama, eventually acknowledges the steadfastness of Nachiketas in his resolve to get knowledge and not some material trinkets or objects of pleasure. He launches into glorifying the qualities of such an amazing student, before responding to giving the answer.

The essence of Katha Upanishad is felt throughout the Bhagavad Gita. Though the purpose here is not recount the entire teaching of Katha Upanishad, the synopsis is as follows:

There are two paths – Shreyas and Preyas, the good and the pleasant respectively. What is good need not be pleasant and vice versa. Clear distinction of the two is a factor of Viveka and sticking to that path of Shreyas is called Vairagya. It must be noted very carefully, the good spoken here is not an ethical, moral good, but one of SPIRITUAL GOOD. So one can be the best morally perfect person but gain no spiritual progress. That which is good, is good at all times.

Katha Upanishad gives a passing insight into the question of what happens to the soul. A deeper satisfying response will involve reading other Upanishads like Chhandogya and Brihadaranyaka. Yama indicates when the body is shed, one takes rebirth. This is conditioned by the thoughts and feelings entertained by the person during the tenure of this life. Since we have endless desires, we are also forcing nature to take exhaust that vasana pressure built in the form of need for newer bodies. Yama indicates that only Self-realization will break this perpetual cycle desire > vasanas > Need for new body to exhaust the vasanas > Vasana pressure exerting new desire creation, creating newer vasanas > New body needed to exhaust this vasana pressure. The state when desires are extinguished (note they are not exhausted) is called Nirvana.

Yama’s instructions to Nachiketas is beautifully captured in Swami Sivananda’s² summary:

Lord Yama found out that the boy was a qualified student for the attainment of Jnana or wisdom of the Soul. He told him how man might escape from the hands of Death. He said: “O Nachiketas! Just listen to me with rapt attention. I shall tell you the way to attain Immortality. Man is bound by desires. The desires are born of the senses. These bind him to the wheel of birth and death. He must destroy the desires and subjugate the mind and the senses. This is the first step to be taken. The body is like a chariot, the senses are the horses, the mind is the reins and the intellect is the driver. The Atman or the Self is the Lord of the chariot. The sensual objects are the roads. The horses gallop after the objects of senses and carry the chariot with them. They must be guided along the right path. He who has no discrimination and whose mind is always uncontrolled, his senses (horses) are not controlled like the turbulent horses of a driver. He does not reach the goal, but enters into the round of births and deaths. But, he, who has understanding and whose mind is always controlled, his senses are under control like the good trained horses of a driver. He reaches that goal whence he is not born again. He reaches the end of his journey, that highest place of Vishnu.

“Meditate on the One, the Eternal, the Atman, which dwells in the cavity of the heart. Fix your mind on the Supreme Self. When all the desires of the senses are destroyed, when the three knots of ignorance are broken, then you will attain Immortality or Self-realisation or Brahma-Jnana. Thus you may conquer Death. O Nachiketas! This is the secret of Death.

“This Atman cannot be found by the sensual or the weak. It cannot be attained by arguments or discourse or study. The Self reveals Itself to him alone whom It chooses. The choice of the Self is determined by the purity and unselfishness of the life of the aspirant.

“Arise! Awake! Having reached the great Teachers, learn and realise that wonderful Atman. Like the sharp edge of a razor is that path, difficult to cross and hard to tread—thus the wise say.”

Nachiketas understands that ordinarily rebirth takes place for most people as they are shaped by desire of one kind or another. If it is true that such a cycle happens, why not atleast be born in conditions favorable for spiritual progress, rather than go retro. But as easily understandable such a condition, though beneficial is not the real goal or panacea to this conundrum. Breaking this perennial cycle is the only way out. Only waking up from the nightmare is the best solution for all the ailments of the dream.

Satchitananda’s Microscope

• ·    Nachiketas story provides too many insights to be grasped in one go. Despite his tender age, he is acutely aware of the importance of the inner journey rather than the external rituals. He was not afraid to properly confront an authority like his father.

• ·        He epitomizes the combination of Viveka-Vairagya. He is not swayed by the numerous distractions offered to replace the mere response to a question as a boon. In life, never compromise higher ideals though lots of interesting cheaper alternatives may be readily available. Prod through.

• ·     Nachiketas has a step by step increment for his boons. This is a technique we can apply in our struggle for success in anything. Building on success. Psychologists opine that once we get a couple of Yeses, then environment for amicable give and take is created. Nachiketas demonstrates this principle very effectively. Everyday, in our daily interactions with people, let us set the tone by getting a couple of simple Yeses before asking tougher requests.
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• ·         उत्तिष्ठत जाग्रत प्राप्य वरान्निबोधत

uttishthata jagrata prapya varan nibodhata

Arise, awake, having reached the wise become enlightened

           

            This was the famous sloka which Swami Vivekananda, adapted to thunder “Arise, Awake, Stop not till the goal is reached”.  But if one were to dissect each word, there is a wealth of hidden wisdom. Before we reach to the wise (Varan) we must arise and be awake. Yoga-Vashishta tells one of the four assured ways to self-realization as association with the wise. Here wise are the ones who have knowledge of the Self (Atman). This sloka also lends more credence to Swami Venkatesananda’s interpretation that Nachiketas had this entire information during a meditative spell. The death’s door is the subtle boundary where one overcomes the I-ness or ahamkara (ego).

            Nachiketas has permanently raised the entry level of all spiritual sadaks, aspirants, to a very higher plane. Vedantic study and also self-realization through Jnana require four pre-requisites like Viveka (Discrimination), Vairagya(Dispassion), Shat-Sampatti [Sama, (calmness of mind), Dama (restraint of the senses), Uparati (satiety), Titiksha (power of endurance), Sraddha (faith) and Samadhana (one-pointedness of mind)] and Mumukshutva (intense longing for liberation). May we follow Yama’s teachings and Nachiketas’ example and realize ourselves in this very birth.

Om Tat Sat

References:

1.    The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

2.    What Becomes of the Soul After Death – Swami Sivananda

Suggested Reading

1.    Commentary on Katha Upanishad – Swami Krishnananda