Wisdom From Six Fountains - Part 1

08/08/11

  " Earth is round, earth moves, not seen, but true. Sky is blue, sunset is golden, seen,  but false. Energy in the atom, vitality in Sun, gravitational force,  not seen, but true. Double moon, mirage waters, dreams, and hallucinations are seen, but false. 

World we see,  but not true.                       
Truth we see not,  but true  .......  Swamy  Chinmayananda. 

         Hello to you all !                                                     Somvaar  Suprabhaath !

        Aye !  Somvaar Sandesh  did  it !     Hit a   Century !   Glad to send this Centennial message today !   

On this special occasion, propose to send a  Special coverage, in a  Special format :  " Wisdom  from  Six  Fountains ",  covering a vast span of time,  beginning from a few milllenia  B.C., to  the sixteenth century  A.D.,  when the youngest Religion in the world  was launched.  From the  Eternal Wisdom  of  the  Veda-s,  to  the tenets of  Guru Nanak,  with sayings of many  Luminaries  in between.  Here they are :

                               W I S D OM     F R O M     S I X    F O U N T A I N S 

      1.  GLEANINGS  FROM  VEDA-s

       The loving Sage beholds  That Reality  which lies hidden in mystery, where the universe finds one single home. In That, all this unites,  from That all this emerges.  The all-pervading  One  is  warp and woof in created things.   * * * * *   They speak of Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni ..... The One Reality,  the  Sages call by many names as Agni, Yama, Matarisva..   * * * * *  Speak the Truth, follow  Dharma (Moral Law,  Eternal Order)  * * * * *  Restrain me,  Agni, from evil conduct, engage me in good conduct. I have risen with life, risen with good life, following the example of the Immortals.  Savita,  send far  away all evil,  send us what is good.....  May good thoughts come to us from every side, pure, unobstructed, overflowing....  May we, with our ears hear what is good. O Deva-s !  and with our eyes, Holy Ones !  see what is good.  May my mind will what is good -- my mind which is the source of all knowledge, which is the intellect and the power of memory, and the deathless flame within living beings, without which nothing whatever is done.... Dear to the Deity (Indra)  is he who performs good acts. * * * * *  May I have no fear of friend or foe; no fear of the known or the unknown.  May our nights cause no fear, nor the days.  May all the four quarters be my friends. * * * * *  Oh Agni !  you are the bestower of intellectual brilliance. Bestow on me intellectual brilliance.  Whatever deficiency there is in me, Agni, make that up. * * * * *  Lead us Deva (Agni) to wealth and noble offspring. Keep poverty far off, and grant plenty.  May we be rich in offspring, rich in heroes, rich in nourishing food. ...  Husband and wife, being of one mind ... with sons and daughters by their side, enjoy the full term of life .... They worship together for immortality. ....  The Deity (Agni) is spotless like the spotless wife, loved by her husband. .... A wife, verily, is the home.  The Deity is like a wife at home, hastening to help all.* * * * *  We worship Rudra who spreads fragrance and increases prosperity.  May He release me, like the ripe cucumber from its stem, from mortal life, but not from immortality. * * * * *  May I have breath in my nostrils, voice in my mouth, sight in my eyes, hearing in my ears, hair that has not turned gray, teeth that are not discolored, and much strength in my arms. May I have power in my thighs, swiftness in my legs, steadfastness in my feet.  May all my limbs remain unimpaired, and my Soul (Atman) unconquered.  May we see for a hundred years...May we live for a hundred years...May we hear, speak, hold our heads high, know, rise, prosper thru a hundred years !

       2.  SAYINGS   OF   MAHAVIRA   (599 to 527  BC) :

      Supreme forgiveness, supreme humility, supreme straightforwardness, supreme truthfulness, supreme purity, supreme self-restraint, supreme austerity. supreme renunciation, supreme detachment, and supreme continence .... are the Ten characteristics of  Dharma.* * * * *  Truthfulness is the abode of austerity, self-restraint and all other virtues. Indeed, it is the source of all noble qualities.* * * * *  The soul is the begetter of both happiness and sorrow. It is its own friend when it treads the path of righteousness, and its own enemy when it treads the forbidden path. * * * * * Anger spoils good  relations, pride destroys humility, deceit destroys amity, and greed destroys everything. Conquer anger by forgiveness, pride by humility, deceit by straight-forwardness, and greed by contentment.* * * * * Pride, anger, carelessness, illness and idleness, are the five obstacles in the path of  acquiring knowledge.* * * * * Without right faith there is no right knowledge. Without right knowledge there is no virtuous conduct, without which, there is no annihilation of karma-s, without which there is no Liberation (Eternal Bliss).* * * * *  The seven vices, from which a householder should abstain are :
1. Sexual contact with a woman other than one's own wife.  2. Gambling   3. Taking intoxicants   4. Hunting   5. Uttering harsh words   6. Giving disproportionate punishment, and  7. Misappropriation of other's property.* * * * *  Carefulness in speech consists in: avoiding slanderous, ridiculous,  harsh, critical, boastful and meaningless talk. These bring good neither to oneself, nor to others.  

       3.   LINES   FROM   BUDDHA   (563 to 483 BC):

      Eight-fold  Path:  1. Right Understanding (free from superstition and delusion)    2. Right Thought (high and worthy of the intelligent)  3. Right Speech (kindly, open, truthful)    4. Right Actions (peaceful, honest, pure)    5. Right Livelihood (not bringing hurt or danger to living beings)    6. Right  Effort (in self-training and in self-control)    7. Right Mindfulness (an active watchful mind)    8. Right Concentration (in deep meditation  on the  realities  of  life ) * * * * *  Precepts:   Do not kill.   Do not steal.   Do not commit adultery.   Do not tell lies.   Do not slander.   Do not speak harshly.   Do not engage in idle talks.   Do not covet other's property.   Do not show hatred.   Think righteously. * * * * * Whoso hurts and harms living creatures ... let him be known as an outcast. ... Goodwill towards all beings is the true religion. Other distinctive signs are: love, truthfulness, purity, nobility of feeling, and kindness.... Hatreds never cease by hatred. By love alone they cease. * * * * * The mind is hard to check. Extremely subtle, swift, flits wherever it lists ---the control thereof is good.  A controlled mind is conducive to happiness.* * * * * There are ten things that make acts of living creatures bad: Three of body, four of tongue, and, three of mind :  The three of body are, murder, theft and adultery. The four of tongue are, lying, slander, abuse,and idle talk.  The three of mind are, covetousness, hatred, and error. * * * * *  Origin of suffering:  It is lust, passion, and the thirst for existence that yearns for pleasure  everywhere, leading to a continual rebirth. It is sensuality, desire, selfishness; all these things are the origin of suffering.* * * * *  When a tree is burning with fierce flames, how can the birds congregate therein? Truth cannot dwell where passion lives.....  The tide of lust is a danger common to all. It carries away the world. He who is involved in its eddies, finds no escape. But wisdom is the handy boat, reflection is the rudder. the slogan: rescue of your  soul  from the assaults of Mara, the enemy. 


        Well, there are three more Luminaries to be covered, but feeling that the present message itself has become lengthy,  I thought it better to continue this next week.  Even this is sumptuous food for thought.  Better ruminate at your leisure !