Prof Keshab Chandra Dash Blog
Sunday, May 16, 2021
Enlightenment - The Final Attainment
Enlightenment is the final attainment in life. This means - The union of a life with God and the knowledge thereof which show the true nature of the world and the God as well.
Saturday, June 9, 2018
Lord and Leela
LORD
& LEELA
~~~
Everybody feels that there is a
cosmic will which has its own way of functioning. Human intelligence fails to
formalize it unless this shapes itself into a gross item. As far as
spirituality is concerned the emotional element of human being plays a major
role. When emotions become pure, the mind is capable of realizing something
divine. The cosmic will becomes transparent to those who speculate in this
line.
Inscrutable are the ways of omnipresent. His ways are understood as his
desire which according to scriptures is manifested through language as:
:: 1. LET THERE BE ::
Zero is manifested as a “dot” and considered as the basic spiritual
object. That is called the bindu (बिंदु )– the energy point. It originates big
energy circles which sustain the universe in its subtle form. This is called mahā-kuṇḍalinī ( महाकुण्डलिनी ) – the
great sustenance power which is innate in everything. The half of the bindu (बिंदु)(energy point) takes a curved shape like
half-moon. This is called ākāra (आकार)– the
form. This may be understood as [ ] – the point
and its half, i.e. the energy point and its substratum which can keep it for
further development.
From this emanates a shape called prakāra (प्रकार) – the formations. The point of energy and its half develop formations
alternating together. The first of its category is Oṃkāra (ओंकार)[ॐ] or [ଓଁ] – the vibrational energy basic. This is
present everywhere in everything. It is realized in human body as a desire “LET
ME BE”.
From the cosmic will to human desire and vice-versa is considered as a journey through life.
:: 2. TO BE MORE ::
“I want to be the great like so and so”- is a hidden desire of a man.
All efforts and struggles are directed to this goal. But this goal has its own
limit. Because it points to certain “want”. The more we want the more we fall
in want. Human wants are unlimited. It leads to a definite fall as it loses a
proper direction “to be more”
with flower and fragrance. Spirituality “to
be more” means “BE LIKE ME”, i.e. Realize me and Be a Living
God with all divine qualities.
This is the inner meaning of chariot journey of Lord Jagannatha, which
we perform every year to see him from “Touch-me-not”
to “Be in-touch”
:: 3. LEELA ( लीला - The Divine Play) ::
The Lord has
innumerable Leelas (लीला - divine plays)
which are evident from different scriptures and written experiences of ancient sages
and saints. The Leela aims at inculcating
divinity in human being and this also makes man to realize the true nature of
Universe. Leela discriminates what we
achieve outwardly and what we attain inwardly.
~~~
Labels:
Balabhadra,
Hindu,
Leela,
Lord,
Shree Jagannath,
Sri Krishna,
Sudarshan
Location:
Schaumburg, IL, USA
Monday, May 15, 2017
Sunday, May 14, 2017
Philosophy
of Lord Jagannath
|
LORD JAGANNATH & HUMAN BASICS
As we know, man has two eyes but the ‘act of seeing’ is one; two ears but the ‘act of hearing’ is one, and two lips but the ‘act of smiling’ is one. Similarly, he has two hands but ‘the clapping’ is one and two legs but ‘the going’ is one. These basic things point to something ‘oneness’ which means ‘consciousness’ in its wider sense. This pervades everywhere like the luster of the eye. Our scriptures point to this phenomenon as the supreme thing which is to be realized.
Since it is impossible to realize a non-physical thing with our sensory organs the ancient seers have postulated some means amongst which ‘conceptualization of Idols’ is one. The idols or which we call deities are symbolic expression of consciousness in their special and extra-ordinary forms.
One such extra-ordinary form is jagat ‘the Universe’. That which controls this form is ‘consciousness’. It is therefore called its natha (na-atha) which etimologically means there is ‘nothing-next to’ it. Literally it means ‘the Lord’.
The word Jagannatha thus encapsulates the idea of ‘the Lord and the Universe’ in its non-physical and physical level. The physical level is somehow understood, but the non-physical level remains incomprehensible. It is so because of the limitation of human intellect.
:: 1. I AM ALONE ::
Among human basics the ‘feeling that I am alone’ is very common. Our scriptures gives attestation to this effect that there was nothing before the creation and nothing remains after the dissolution. This nothingness points to certain pervasive positivity in the form that ‘I exist only (ekoham)‘ which is called supreme consciousness with which everybody aspires to unite himself knowingly and in unknown way also. In other words, a man stands on a solitary outline seeking union with the supreme. This has been reflected in many ways in human life. The saints, philosophers and scientists have devised, developed and discovered many concepts to understand this reality. One such and wonderful conceptualization is Lord Jagannath.
Among human basics the ‘feeling that I am alone’ is very common. Our scriptures gives attestation to this effect that there was nothing before the creation and nothing remains after the dissolution. This nothingness points to certain pervasive positivity in the form that ‘I exist only (ekoham)‘ which is called supreme consciousness with which everybody aspires to unite himself knowingly and in unknown way also. In other words, a man stands on a solitary outline seeking union with the supreme. This has been reflected in many ways in human life. The saints, philosophers and scientists have devised, developed and discovered many concepts to understand this reality. One such and wonderful conceptualization is Lord Jagannath.
:: 2. LET ME BECOME MANY ::
‘To be’ or ‘Not to be’ are two emotions which always create inner churning not only within human mind but also in the nature. Such churning reveals itself as a longing for the second one, then third, then fourth and many more. This is the process self-expansion of the supreme consciousness which takes a form of small ‘I-Consiousness’ taking recourse to different bodies. Similarly, the human being expresses himself to become many as it is his basic urge. But he realizes limitation as far as his body and mind are concerned. Therefore, he is restricted to four phases of life i.e.
1) Child-hood 2) Teen age 3) Youth time 4) Old Age
Such four-fold dimension of life has been reflected in the structural design of Lord Jagannath.
:: 3. FOUR-IN-ONE ::
The human body appears to be single. But it comprises four bodies, namely:
- The Gross body (which is open to everyone)
- The Subtle body (which is open to doctors only)
- The Space-cum-nectar body (through which one experiences his pain and pleasure as well as different knowledge processes) and
- The Universal body (through which one realizes his deep sleep and becomes one with the God or Supreme consciousness knowingly through mediation, devotion and such other ways)
The third body serves as the sister system to support all such bodies. Therefore brother-sister-worship is the unique feature in Jagannath temple. This not only point to ideal family relationship but also advocates for universal brotherhood.
:: 4. FOUR EASY PATH ::
Four figures of Lord Jagannath represent four paths to follow in life.
- Sudarshan (su-darshan à good vision) indicates: See the good and meditate upon it.
- Subhadra (su-bhadra à welfare with goodness) means: Do good and enjoy joy of giving like a mother.
- Jagannath (jagat-nath à master of universe) points: To be master of Universe with your vision and goodness, i.e. “Love to Learn” (about the world outside and within yourself)
- Balabhadra (bala-bhadra à strength for sustaining goodness and welfare) refers: To the fact that, unless you love and you cannot do good and welfare. Love requires inner strength, therefore the path is “Learn to Love” (yourself and others)
The common people do not understand the God in terms of consciousness. They have the belief that the God is everything which is above all and can understand both inner and outer mode of life. He is the supreme power to relieve a man from all miseries. In effect to this Lord Jagannath is called Patitapavana: the reliever or the purifier of the fallen.
Labels:
Balabhadra,
Consciousness,
Devotion,
Hindu,
Human Basics,
Jagannath,
Jagannatha,
Jagat-nath,
Kalinga,
Light,
Moksha,
Nirvana,
Shree Jagannath,
Spiritual Impression,
Subhadra,
Sudarshan,
Utkal
Location:
Chicago, IL, USA
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