Category: Datta Maata

Datta maata 21: God is a Self-experience.

Our ancient philosophers have given us four yardsticks to understand and establish truth. They are called means of knowledge (pramāna). They are the five sense organs – eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin.

The most important amongst the five is eye. Eye is a direct means to know anything (pratyakṣa pramāna). This is the first yardstick. But there are many situations where our own eye deceives us. To an infant, the moon appears very small. We cannot agree with him. But we tell children that the moon is very big and that is at a far distance and hence it appears small. This means that along with the direct means of knowledge, we also take help of another means which is imagination. It is named as ‘anumāna pramāna’ (obtaining knowledge by means of imagination). This is the second yardstick.

When we listen to few incidents, we feel that they are impossible to happen but we have to agree to such matters when we are shown the examples of similar incidents having occurred somewhere else. We agree only because there is some proof. Hence, an example also can be considered as a means of obtaining knowledge. It is called ‘upamāna pramāna’ (obtaining knowledge by means of an example). This is the third yardstick.

We don’t understand few things without asking anybody. For instance, we do not know our fathers and forefathers. We have to believe somebody who tells us their details. This is the ‘shabda pramāna’ which is the fourth yardstick.

So, the four standards are:
1) Pratyakṣa pramāna
2) Anumāna pramāna
3) Upamāna pramāna
4) Shabda pramāna

To decide the truth of anything, we need all these four yardsticks. But, God is a feeling. How can we measure him? He is beyond the senses and any other standards. In this world that is filled with such feelings, each and every individual is a witness for himself. He himself is the ultimate means of knowledge. This is greater than the four yardsticks that we have mentioned above. We have different experiences. We must analyze all of them and decide which experience is the real one. The science of analyzing the experiences and providing the solutions is known as ‘Tattva shāstra’ (philosophy). The basis of this science is the swayam sākshi (considering the self as the witness). Hence, those who wish to see God must try to put in effort to see God through their own experiences. That is the one and only one way to experience God. Let us all follow that way and cultivate it as the method of practice. Realizing God implies happiness. There is no impurity in that happiness. It does not mean that God comes down to us. Achievement of that live experience is known as satya sākshi (witnessing the truth). We must put in our efforts to experience that happiness. You must read ‘Datta Darshanam’ to understand much about this.

 

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Datta maata 20: Unless ego is sacrificed, spiritual success cannot be achieved

Sacrificing ego is a tool for attaining Yoga. It is the means to attain Yoga siddhi (enlightenment). How is this possible?

Once, Vishnu called Sudarshana chakra and told him that it is only because of him that he is able to win over the demons. It is a wonderful story which is being told to you subtly. By listening to the words of Vishnu, we may feel that he is saying so jovially. But, Sudarshana did not feel so. He instead felt very happy listening to Vishnu. He felt greatly rewarded. He felt happy internally because of his ego. The result of that is that he was curse-stricken and had to be born on Earth. The moment Sudrashana thought he was great, he got the curse.

We get a doubt here. How come Sudarshana did not have the intelligence that we have? Why did he become so? If he did not possess that intelligence, how could he serve Vishnu in Vaikuntha? In fact, Sudarshana was very great. He is superior to everyone else in both muscle power and brain power. He is such a great saint. He is utmost devoted to Sree Hari. He is one of the greatest devotees of Sree Hari. But at that moment, succumbing to ego, he made a mistake.

Sometimes, ego comes to us unknowingly. Why should we get such ego only at that moment? We get such doubt. To understand that, we must know how ego is born. In this world, it seems as if many works are done because of you. When all such great deeds go on successfully, your belief that you are the reason behind it will become stronger. It might happen sometimes too. But, you are becoming egoistic.

In fact, all the works happen automatically as part of God’s divine and magnificent plan. You are just a tool in his hands for getting the works done. This is God’s miracle and not your greatness. Even though we study about these things from the scriptures, we forget at the moment and get the feeling of ‘I’ ness which is nothing but ego. As a result, you are attaching the unnecessary doership which you do not need. Hence, the good and bad associated with such works bind you. Your journey will go downwards.

Hence, it is said that egoism will accrue sin and it will ruin you. This ego will envelop you which will block your ability to think. That is why; the mistakes that others can identify clearly cannot be identified by you even slightly. The mind is covered with the fog called ego. Your bad traits do not appear to you even though they are like a big heap.

To come out of this danger, there is one and only one solution. You must come out of the feeling that all the works are done because of you. You must practice this and stabilize this feeling. Once it is attained, ego will never ever come to your mind at any moment. Let us remember this.

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Datta maata 19: The ideal social life which takes the person towards liberation?

Everybody knows that human is a social being. Why was this structure of society framed? What is its inner meaning? Let us understand this.

The feeling that they do not have protection makes the beings as social beings. In a jungle, the deer, monkeys wish to live and roam in groups. While coming to humans, he made his social life much stronger with his intelligence. He is very proud of doing so. Hence, when he gets a bit of control over the society, he tries to make it his slave. He wants to become the leader and wish others to be his slaves. He wants others to listen to him and he wishes that everything should happen according to his will. This kind of attitude will lead to troubles.

Societal life is not the result of your intelligence. It is a method devised by God to safeguard the weaker sections of the ommunity. It is only a plan to protect the orphans. The first aspect here is that we must understand that this society is for the weaker beings. Another result here is that with the help of societal relationships, the eligible humans can attain divinity. This is the main purpose of living in a society. That is why, since ages, there is a relation that every individual must be of some help to the society in this God’s creation.

The beings other than humans have only physical strength whereas humans have different strengths like wealth, education, jnana. There is another important aspect for us to observe. Education refers to the worldly education whereas jnana refers to spiritual knowledge which is also called experience.

Those who have the power of wealth must help the poor and needy. Those who possess education must become role models to others around. Those who have spiritual experience must teach about the Absolute Truth. This is the inner meaning behind societal life.

Doing in this way will make your societal life happier. In this way, those who have attained such superior qualities will become eligible to attain divinity. One must remember that in the societal life, one must offer selfless service. You must never think you are the leader and that everyone else is inferior. You must remember that very well. We must practice to live in society. We must also get in our mind that leading a societal life implies doing God’s service. Serving the weaker is serving God.

It is wrong to think that they (the weak) are poor/weak or that they do not have knowledge and so on. We must try to bring them to our level. That is the real societal life. You must not wish others to be in poverty such that they will listen to you. It is very wrong to think that such people should not come to the fore front, into power, so on and so forth. If you stamp them down like that, it cannot be called social life. No. Hence, you must try to bring others around you to your level. You must remember this.

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Datta maata 18: Relentless practice and detachment are both required to obtain success

 

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Datta maata 17: Both spiritual paths lead to the same goal.

There are two predominant teachings in the spiritual path. One says that the entire world is an illusion. So, you must leave attachment. You must not have desire for attachment. You must leave the attachment for the body. The other is to love all and see God in everyone. Serving humanity is serving God. We are confused to adopt either ways. All these are wonderful but which way to adopt is the doubt of many. All these ways appear different but their goal is one.

Shankara bhagavadpada said that the world is an illusion. The hatred, relationships, fights are the creations of the mind – this is what he said. All the sacrifices seem to be great but if we observe carefully, we understand that they are meant for selfish motives. You must leave the affection on relatives and your own body too. You must forget yourself by contemplating on God. This is the way to attain liberation. This is good. We can discuss about leaving the attachment later in detail. This way is called the path of vairagya (dispassion).

Coming to the other way, if we observe the holy books like Bhagavatham, we understand that we are all the children of God. We are all different parts/organs of the Vishwaroopa of God. There is no happiness for the being when there is any trouble for any of the parts of the body. Similarly, if we are suffering, then God will not be happy. Everyone must try to help the fellow beings in any possible manner. We have already told that the entire universe is a part of God. If you cannot help someone directly, then you can at least wish good for all the beings. When we observe externally, we do not see any close relationship between these two ways. They are in fact the same. The key for the spiritual practice is to think that everybody in the world belong to us. Just like we said that the entire world is a part of Paramatma, we must think that everyone in the world belong to us. This is one way. Thinking that one’s body also does not belong to oneself is another way. Though these two ways appear contradictorily, they are in fact not so. If we can remove the layers of attachments from our mind, then the feelings like ‘they belong to me’, ‘they do not belong to me’, vanish. We then only see paramatma everywhere. This is what is told by Shankaracharya. This is called vairagya.

Every individual always wants his relatives to be benefitted. It is needless to teach this to anyone. If such feelings are not limited to the individual and instead become universal, then they will not lead to attachments. God will then manifest himself subtly in the form of every being. This is way of Bhagavatham.

In one way, by shunning the feelings of affection and hatred, one becomes sanctified. In another way, by spreading one’s affection universally, one gets purified. One way is a journey to the center of the inner self whereas another is a journey to the center of the universal self (vishwatma). When the journey ends, we understand that both of the centers are one and the same. Good devotees must not waste the time by commenting that ‘this way is great’, ‘that way is great’ or ‘my way is superior’, ‘their way is inferior’ and so on. By following any way, they will surely reach the goal.

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