Hey Ram

Jan 30th - Matyr's Day

A black day that will live through history. A day that will be remembered for the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi left this Karma Bhoomi in 1948. A legend, the apostle of Ahimsa came to an end. Inspite of leading the nation from slavery/colonialism to Independence, the Mahatma as he is fondly known as, was shot dead, by an angry yound man, considered to be a Hindu fanatic.

Lets do an autopsy of what preluded those days ?

Let me take you back to the year 1946. Everyone knew that Independence was around the corner (though the precise date remained undecided). The choice of Congress president became crucial since it was certain that the Viceroy would invite him or her to head the interim government. Twelve of the 15 Pradesh Congress Committees proposed the name of Sardar Patel; not one of them sent up the name of Jawaharlal Nehru -- not even his native United Provinces (as Uttar Pradesh was then titled). It was at this point that Mahatma Gandhi made his last decisive intervention in the affairs of the nation.

He asked his spiritual successor Acharya Kripalani -- who, if I remember correctly was the choice of the United Provinces Pradesh Congress Committee -- to circulate a note to the Congress Working Committee asking that body to nominate Nehru. From this distance in time, the Mahatma's reasons seem less than convincing. 'He, a Harrow boy, a Cambridge graduate and a barrister, is wanted to carry on the negotiations with Englishmen.' Again, the Mahatma believed that Nehru could 'make India play a role in international affairs.' More realistically, 'Jawahar will not take second place.' Whatever the rationale -- and the last suggests that our much-worshipped first prime minister was a spoiled brat in the Mahatma's estimation -- the fact remains that Bapu's suggestion carried the day, and Sardar Patel, the choice of the people, failed to become prime minister through a palace coup.

Jawaharlal Nehru's legion of sympathisers will argue that his accession was legitimised in subsequent elections. But the point is that a precedent had been set; future Congress prime ministers would face the people only after they were firmly in the chair. That was true of Indira Gandhi in 1967 (prime minister as of 1966), of Rajiv Gandhi in 1984, and of Narasimha Rao in 1991. The exception to that rule was Indira Gandhi in 1980.

In any case, by the winter of 1951-1952, when the first general election was held, there was no other real challenge to Nehru. Netaji's voice had not been heard since 1945, the Sardar had died in 1950, and Rajaji -- 11 years older than Nehru and far more scrupulous -- was too tired. But to read the dying Sardar's warning about Chinese intentions or Rajaji's fulmination against the 'license-permit-quota Raj' makes me wonder what might have been ... had one of these giants become prime minister. Aarambam.. Abaaya Sangu ....

So, finally instead of proving to be the father of the nation, he proved to be the father of nehru, by insisting on him becoming the PM.

Did it stop there? No. When Jinnah wanted to split, he gave in. Muslims split and carved their map and destiny in the name of Pakistan. In all sense of justice and reason, it is Pakistan which is supposed to have paid India for taking away the natural resources and asking for a psycological and physical split in the families of crores of Hindus and Muslims. Instead, When they asked for compensation and for the first when Nehru stood saying that we won't pay, Gandhi went on fasting until death. The nation is bigger than the individual, isn't it? True. But again, the fact remains that the nation had to givein for the individual. We ended paying. (pottadu daan pottom.. Nandri Ulla Naaikka Pottom? Illa)

Being a good citizen takes more precedence than being a Mahatma, when it comes to your mother land. After being correct so many times, he was wrong then. What if he is the Mahatma or what if he is the Father of the nation? "NetrikKaN Thirappinum kuttram Kutrame".

Before all these... his support to the Khilafat movement, which in no way is related to India was unnecessarily supported by him to appease the Indian muslims. What if the turkish sultan is aggravated by the British when their own home is in British's hands ? The muslims, instead of agitating against the british for Mother India, they agitated for the Turkish sultan. (Caliph became Khilafat). Instead of deploring it, Gandhi appeased the muslims to get their support. To become the universal leader of the nation.

He resigned from Congress when Netaji was elected the Preseident of the INC. Why? He couldn't stand against the young and ferocious voice of a colleague. This forced Netaji to quit congress.

Bhagat, this yound lad ... the voice of the next generation ... could have been saved, if he had wanted to.

Every single action of him had a big impact on the long term future of the nation. Anyhow, here we are... It is very easy to look at the history and comment. We have the advantage of looking at the past, present and the future of that day. Had we been in the crowd, what if had we been Gandhi ? Would we too have taken the same decisions? or would we have crumbled ?

Noone can answer any of these. Whatever may be said and done, it is breath taking to look at this man. As Einstein said, it is hard to believe, such a man ever walked on the face of this earth. Inspite of all the odds, he has been able to practise Ahimsa, inspire and lead the whole Nation to Independence.

His famous speech in South Africa goes like this... The Policeman can enter my house without my permission, throw me out, beat me up, crush me down. But, he cannot get my obedience. It takes more than words to walk your talk. In a public life than has spanned more than 40 years, anyone is bound to do mistakes. Windows XP has more bugs than win 95. Does it mean Win 95 is the better one? When you get more facilities, better things.. you tend to have some bugs too.. And the Mahatma has his share of it.

May his soul rest in peace.

- Murali

Wish you all a Very Happy Republic Day

Wish you all a Very Happy Republic Day

Btb, What is Republic Day and why we chose Jan 26th ?

On January 26, 1950, the people of India finally emerged from the shadow of monarchs, autocrats, tyrants, colonialists and took charge of their own destiny.

India was at last a Republic. India promulgated its constitution forming a Republic and Dr.Rajendra Prasad was sworn in as its first president.

January 26th was chosen, because back in 1929, In the Lahore Session of the Indian National Congress, A resolution was adopted to fight for Poorna Swaraj - Total Independence. To commemmorate this day, the GOI chose Jan 26th to be the Republic Day of India.

- Murali

Remember this day, January the 23rd

Today, January 23rd is Netaji Subash Chandra Bose's Birthday.

Men have come and gone. But, this Man, who changed the way India was looked upon, took over the whole British Empire by surprise, joined hands with Hitlet, Mussolini and the Japanese Emperor. Created the Indian National Army. (His secular attitude was reflected even in that. Each of his three army chiefs were a Hindu, Muslim and a sikh) His courage, mental strength and vision are immpeccable even today. History teachers might have forgotten him. 'Aana Sathiyam marakkadu'. His sacrifices, memories and glory will never be forgotten by True Indians. It will always be hailed and hero worshipped in times to come. It is important to remember that India's freedom movement was in fact a movement of the masses and there were a number of great leaders with fierce patriotism and great visionary ideas who sacrificed their entire lives for the nation's cause.

Click here For more details ..

The grand Old Religion: Hinduism

In the history of mankind, three religions have come down from time prehistoric - Hinduism, Zorostrianism & Judaism.

All of them have received tremendous shocks, and all of them prove by their survival their internal strength. Judaism failed to absorb Christianity and was driven out of its place by its own daughter. A handful of Parsis is all that now remains to tell the tale of their grand religion. Sect after sect arose in India, seeming to shake the religion of Vedas to its very depths, but like the waters of the seashore in a tremendous earthquake, it receded for a while, only to return in an all-absorbing flood, these sects were all sucked in, absorbed and assimilated into the mother faith, Hinduism. There are so many religions which rose, some as canals, streams, tributaries, some as wild rivers etc. The one which rose as a Mahanadhi is Hinduism. But all of them have originated with the sole aim of mixing with the ocean, GOD.

The Hindus have received their religion through Vedas. They hold that the Vedas are without beginning and without end. They mean the accumulated treasury of spiritual laws discovered by different persons at different time. Just as the laws of gravitation existed before its discovery, and would continue to exist even if all humanity forgot it, so is with the laws that govern the spiritual world. The discoverers of these laws are called Rishis and we honor them as perfected beings.

The Hindu nation has been producing sage after sage during the thousands of years of its existence. But these sages or great incarnations are not the originators of our religion. And we must be proud of it. For no individual can determine what is right and what is wrong for the whole of humanity.

Hinduism is just a way of life. These rishis have preached how to live a divine life by setting examples. Hence, no one can convert to Hinduism. There is no procedure to convert to Hinduism. But nevertheless, anyone can practice Hinduism. If you are good, trying to evolve divinity in yourself, then you are practicing Hinduism.

Hinduism calls the man as "Children of immortal bliss"-- what a sweet name, huh ... immortal bliss? The Hindu refuses to call them as sinners. We are children of God, the sharers of immortal bliss, holy and perfect beings.

Hinduism does not force people to believe a certain doctrine or dogma. The idea is in realizing, not in believing, but in being and becoming. Thus the whole object of their system is by constant struggle to become perfect, to become divine, to reach God and see God, and this reaching God, seeing God, becoming perfect constitutes the religion of the Hindus.

The Christians and Muslims make fun of Hindus when they worship an idol. The DK and their likes too join them in its rhetoric against only the Hinduism. They ask if the prayers will reach the respective gods, if at all there is one.

I say that, Superstition is a great enemy of mankind. Agreed. But bigotry is worse. Why does a Christian go to church? Why is the cross holy? Why does a Muslim pray facing the west? Why do the DK remove their slippers when they garland the statue of Periyar or Anna?

Why b'cos, by the law of association ordinary human beings cannot think about anything without a mental image. This is why the Hindu uses an external symbol when he worships. It helps to keep his mind fixed on the being to whom he prays. It is a tool to keep your concentration. He knows as well as you do that the image is not God. There is a crucial issue that all those who abuse Hindu idol-worship do not quite get. No Hindu is under the impression that the idol or image is in fact God or the demi-god of choice. We are perfectly aware that it is only a representation of an idea; and therefore we do not worship it but the idea behind it. We merely use it as a means of concentrating our energies in prayer. This distinction seems lost on the average iconoclast.

Here is what His Holiness the Sankaracharya of Kanchi says,
"God exists everywhere. So a question may be asked why there should be any temples with idols. We know that God exists everywhere, but still the idea does not get firmly established in our mind. If God is merely omnipresent, how can He help us? We all long for His grace somehow. So we have to worship Him and get His grace. But how? The Agama Sastras tell us how this should be done. The sun's rays contain a lot of heat energy. If we keep a piece of cloth in the sun, it does not catch fire by itself. But if we place a lens and focus the sun's heat rays on that piece of cloth, after some time we find that the cloth catches fire. In the same way in order to get the grace of the Omnipresent Lord, we have to build temples where we can focus the power of the Lord in a consecrated idol for our benefit in an easy way. "

When they say God is universal and is omnipresent, why are there so many gods in Hinduism? Hinduism recognizes the Unity in diversity, which is also the plan of nature. Every other religion lays down certain fixed dogmas, and tries to force society to adopt them. It places before society only one coat which must fit Jack and John and Henry all alike. If it does not fit John or Henry, he must go without a coat to cover his body. Hinduism recognizes this. And that's why there are no fixed rules or dogma to worship god. That is why there are so many gods in Hinduism which suits his own image of a god. That is why Kaali is as equal a mother as Durga. That is why Shiva is as divine as Rudra and that is why Narasimha is as much a savior as Mahavishnu. Hinduism thus says that if an Ant has to create a God for itself, it will create a God in the shape of a Giant ant.

There is nothing wrong in creating something which fits your imagination to bring concentration to your mind. Ofcourse, as long as it does good to the society. They are simply symbols/rituals to hang their spiritual ideas. It is not a necessity that this help is needed for everyone. But those that do not need it have no right to say that it is wrong. That is why Hinduism does NOT set any rules that you should go to temple or pray as many times a day or any such rules. That is why, unlike other religions, Hinduism DOES NOT say that on the day of judgement, Armegadon as the christians say or the Kayyamat as the muslims call, only hindus will be saved or only hindu soles will go to heaven. It only says that, whoever has done good karma will go to heaven. That's all.

If a man can realize his divine nature with the help of an image, would it be right to call that a sin? Nor even when he has passed that stage, should he call it an error? In Hinduism, man is not traveling from error to truth, but from truth to truth, from lower truth to higher truth. To him all the religions, from the lowest fetishism to the highest absolutism, mean so many attempts to realize the divinity of GOD.

Any Hindu ritual has meaning. For example, why is an Agni sakshi needed in a marriage ceremony? B’cos, the bride and the groom promise to the fire that, I will be true to the other and if I break the promise, please burn me down.
Why is a band played at the time of wearing mangal sutra? Both of them should think of each other and nothing else. They shud listen to no nonsense at that time. That is why the band is neither music nor a noise which might distract them. It is a combination of both.

Likewise, every ritual that revolves around the daily life of a Hindu has a meaning. Ofcourse like every other religion, like every society there are some meaningless superstition, which need to be condemned. But, by and large, it is full of meaning. It is full of perfected habits, which help mankind to lead a good life.

In Hinduism they say that there are 3 phases/yogas of attaining god. Karma yoga, Bhakthi yoga & Gyana yoga. Likewise, we can keep on talking about the grand Old religion ... Lastly, it is imperative that all these should be carried out in practice; mere theories about them will do no good.

Religion is realization; not talk, nor doctrine, nor theories however beautiful they may be. It is being and becoming, not hearing or acknowledging, it is the whole soul becoming changed into what it believes. That is Hinduism.

Compiled from the following sources:
Hinduism, Its Philosophy - By Swami Vivekananda
Hinduism , Universal Religion - By Swami Vivekananda
Arthamulla Indu Madam - By Kavi Arasu Kannadasan
Mind, Its Mysteries and Control - By Swami Sivananda
http://www.hindunet.org/

Today the 12th of January 2006 marks the 143rd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda

Today the 12th of January 2006 marks the 143rd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.

Swami Vivekananda (Narendranath Dutta) (January 12, 1863 - July 4, 1902) is considered one of the most famous and influential spiritual leaders of the Hindu religion. He is considered by many as an icon for his fearless courage, his positive exhortations to the youth, and his broad outlook to social problems.

Born Narendranath Dutta, in Kolkata in India he became famous as Swami Vivekananda, when he became the chief disciple of Shri Ramakrishna. But Vivekananda is also renowned as a thinker in his own right. One of his most important contributions was to demonstrate how Advaitin thinking is not merely philosophically far-reaching, but how it also has social, even political, consequences. One important lesson he claimed to receive from Ramakrishna was that "Jiva is Shiva " (each individual is divinity itself). This became his Mantra, and he coined the concept of daridra narayana seva - the service of God in and through (poor)human beings. If there truly is the unity of Brahman underlying all phenomena, then on what basis do we regard ourselves as better or worse, or even as better-off or worse-off, than others? - This was the question he posed to himself. Ultimately, he concluded that these distinctions fade into nothingness in the light of the oneness that the devotee experiences in Moksha. What arises then is compassion for those "individuals" who remain unaware of this oneness and a determination to help them.

His books (compiled from lectures given around the world) on the four Yogas are very influential and still seen as fundamental texts for anyone interested in the Hindu practice of Yoga.

Swami Vivekananda belonged to that branch of Vedanta that held that no-one can be truly free until all of us are. Even the desire for personal salvation has to be given up, and only tireless work for the salvation of others is the true mark of the enlightened person.

However, Vivekananda also pleaded for a strict separation between religion and government ("church and state"). Although social customs had been formed in the past with religious sanction, it was not now the business of religion to interfere with matters such as marriage, inheritance and so on. The ideal society would be a mixture of Brahmin knowledge, Kshatriya culture, Vaisya efficiency and the egalitarian Shudra ethos. Domination by any one led to different sorts of lopsided societies. Vivekananda was a socialist at heart, but he did not feel that religion should be used forcefully to bring about an ideal socialist society, since this was something that would evolve naturally by individualistic change when the conditions were right.

Vivekananda is best remembered as the man who "stole the show" at the 1893 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, where he earned wild applause for beginning his address with the famous words, "Brothers and sisters of America." This event marks the beginning of western interest in Hinduism not as merely an exotic eastern oddity, but as a vital religious and philosophical tradition that might actually have something important to teach the west. Within a few years of the Parliament, he had started Vedantic centres in New York and London, lectured at major universities and generally kindled western interest in Hinduism. After this, he returned to India, where he died. He was only 39 years old.

==================================================

Some of Swami Vivekananda's famous Quotes
------------------------------------------

All the powers in the universe are already ours. It is we who have put our hands before our eyes and cry that it is dark.

By the study of different RELIGIONS we find that in essence they are one.

GOD is the ever-active providence, by whose power systems after systems are being evolved out of chaos, made to run for a time and again destroyed.

GOD is to be worshipped as the one beloved, dearer than everything in this and next life.

If faith in ourselves had been more extensively taught and practiced, I am sure a very large portion of the evils and miseries that we have would have vanished.

If you think about disaster, you will get it. Brood about death and you hasten your demise. Think positively and masterfully, with confidence and faith, and life becomes more secure, more fraught with action, richer in achievement and experience.

Our duty is to encourage every one in his struggle to live up to his own highest idea, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth.

Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life - think of it, dream of it, live on idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.

That man has reached immortality who is disturbed by nothing material.

The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves!

The moment I have realized God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him - that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.

The Vedanta recognizes no sin it only recognizes error. And the greatest error, says the Vedanta is to say that you are weak, that you are a sinner, a miserable creature, and that you have no power and you cannot do this and that.

The will is not free - it is a phenomenon bound by cause and effect - but there is something behind the will which is free.

The world is the great gymnasium where we come to make ourselves strong.

Truth can be stated in a thousand different ways, yet each one can be true.

We are responsible for what we are, and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves. If what we are now has been the result of our own past actions, it certainly follows that whatever we wish to be in future can be produced by our present actions; so we have to know how to act.

We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.

When an idea exclusively occupies the mind, it is transformed into an actual physical or mental state.

You cannot believe in God until you believe in yourself.
==================================================