Welcome to the 2022 Sripanchami issue of e-Sanai

 

by Sri Sandip Dasgupta

Joy Babathakur! Joy Babathakur! Joy Babathakur!

Welcome to the Sripanchami edition of our e-magazine. This is the auspicious day on which the Supreme Absolute One decided to come to this mundane world (created by Him) in the form of our Master, Sri Sri Babathakur and impart the Knowledge of Oneness to each and every one of us. In this issue, I will attempt to share a short cut that I use in everyday life to remember His teachings.

I am sure you remember the time when personal computers were just becoming popular.  Intel Corporation came up with two neat slogans – “intel inside” and “Powered by intel”.

Now, If you substitute the word “intel” with “I”, the slogans become “I inside” and “Powered by I”! and that is indeed the essence of our Master’s unique teaching!             

Every person that we interact with – whether he/she is our friend, enemy, boss, mother, father, brother, sister etc. – they are simply playing their roles assigned by the Divine, in the Divine Game of the Absolute “I” – and that “I” is the substratum of each and every one of us. And where do they get the energy for playing those roles? They are powered by the same “I”, or the same “I-consciousness”.

Every situation that we encounter in life – whether favorable or unfavorable, is also scripted by the same Absolute “I” and also energized by the same “I”. The food that we consume in everyday life is also the result of that Divine “I”. Our ability to purchase that food for consumption is also given to us by that “I”. Our desire to cook that food before consumption also comes from that One “I”. Our desire to consume that food also comes from the same “I”, and the ability to consume the food and digest it also come from the same “I”.

Our Master has repeatedly told us that real Saraswati Puja consists of our attempts to know our own Self – the Real “I” that is the substratum of all of us. According to the Master, our attempts will only be successful if we are constantly practicing the application of His teachings in everyday life. I hope the technique that I have described above shall be useful to readers. 

Joy Babathakur! Joy Ma! Joy Aami!

Forgiveness

 

by Smt. Mandira Lahiri

It is always a joy to reminisce about your schooldays. We often talk about the good things, the naughty things, and the bad things that we did in our childhood. It gives us a lot of pleasure to talk about those happy moments and also those not-so happy moments of the past. Those days our mentors and teachers laid a lot of stress on following the right path and practicing forgiveness. They would urge us to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ wherein he says ----- “If someone slaps you on one cheek then you give him the other cheek also to slap,” …. “Love thy neighbor as thyself.” I am sure we all have benefited a lot by following even a little bit of these profound words. Today’s world is however, different. It is, “Tit for Tat,” “Zero tolerance,” or even “It is cool to be rude.” 

During my teaching stint, I came across parents who told their kids to be one up on the other kids, not to share their notes, not to share their tiffin - and, if ever beaten up by their peers, give it back to them with interest! I sat there in bewilderment, thinking that the world around me had changed drastically.

In his book, ‘How to attain Eternal Happiness’ Shri Hanumanprasad Poddar explains, “Convert a foe into a friend by your goodwill. Even if you really have an enemy, he is incapable of inflicting any injury upon you unless you are destined to suffer. On the other hand, by nursing ill-will towards you, he is simply harming himself. Therefore, what you should do is to wish well of him rather than harbor antagonistic feeling towards him. As a result of this he will be able to perceive his error and giving up his antagonism, will turn into your friend and thus be able to save himself from grave injury. You will surely be a gainer yourself.”  These words explain very well what a supremely divine quality forgiveness is!

Here are is an excerpt from Robert H. Schulla’s book “The Be-Happy Attitudes”: “Pardon those who have hurt you. Again, we take a lesson from Jesus in dealing positively with our persecution. When he was on the cross, stripped of his dignity, Jesus cried out -- Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do! Sometimes it is humanly impossible to forgive. In that case, divine intervention is to be called upon. We ask God to forgive those who hurt us and to work on our hearts so that we can eventually see our hurt from their perspective.” Keeping these thoughts in mind, we can simply say this prayer silently whenever we are carrying the pain of hurt within us for too long.

Shri G. D. Budhiraja in his book “The Art of Happy Living” reiterates -- “Most grudges are unhealthy. Low- minded maliciousness and an unreasonable attitude can be poisonous. Such a grudge can kill you. So always remember that you should turn the resentment you feel into constructive action and do something positive about it, instead of carrying it around with you like a cross. Although you are angry, it does not necessarily mean that you won’t forgive the other person, but by letting the other person know that you are hurt, you lessen the chances of his trying to repeat the same behavior at a later date."  This is indeed very valuable advice to maintain healthy relationships. 

The following are excerpts from Shri Dada J P Vaswani’s article published in “The Speaking Tree” of The Times of India dated 1^st August 2020:  

“We live in a society which uses ruthless power to succeed. We glorify individualism and the instinct for self- preservation. The act of forgiveness is often regarded as a weakness -- even a sign of cowardice. We are told repeatedly-- fight for your rights; do not yield to anyone! But the act of forgiveness holds great power-- not just spiritual power but the kind of power no one can despise. It asserts your dignity and self-worth. It reveals your inner strength and establishes your ability to forgive. So, far from leaving you weak and vulnerable, forgiveness can empower you to lead a more meaningful life. It brings conflicts and struggles to a positive ending -- for it helps us to overcome the cycle of resentment and revenge, and enter the realms of unity, peace and harmony. More importantly, each act of forgiveness inspires others to do the same, setting off a positive chain reaction.

Once thieves entered the ashram of Sri Ramana Maharshi at night. They thought they would find lots of money and expensive objects, for the Maharshi had several wealthy followers who visited him frequently. But, to their anger and dismay, they found practically nothing worth stealing. Suddenly, they entered an inner chamber, where they came upon the Maharshi in deep meditation. Rudely they accosted him, demanding that he tell them where the money and valuables were kept. Getting no response from him, the men began to attack him. A few disciples who had been awakened by the commotion rushed into the Maharshi’s room and were appalled by the sight that met their eyes. As for the thieves, they took to their heels and fled from the ashram in no time. Incensed by the injury inflicted on their beloved guru, the disciples seized sticks and stones and whatever they could lay their hands on and decided to pursue the miscreants.

 “Do not go after them,” said the Maharshi. “Pause and reflect for a minute. If your teeth bite your tongue, do you knock them off?” The disciples learnt the profound spiritual lesson that all of us, all human beings, are linked in a cosmic chain of Being. Where then is there room for anger and resentment, when others are a part of us, and everyone is part of a great cosmic whole?  

Forgiveness is a beautiful quality. It creates a tranquil space within your mind, allowing the spirit to grow in that feeling of lightness. Forgiveness makes you kind; it gives you inner beauty. It makes you glow and illumines you from within; it transforms all those who are touched by it.”

In the above article, Maharshi’s divine words and instructions are very important guidelines to be followed by us to go one step ahead in our spiritual journey.

Through Prajnanpurush Sri Sri Babathakur’s words in the book, ‘Knowledge of Knowledge’ Volume--II, we come to know of the ultimate path to be taken to achieve the highest goal in life. He explains ‘Absolute peace is attained only when the mind gets fully unified with the eternal, endless, immortal, changeless, imperishable Being or Self among the perishables. Though the Infinite Self, the Supreme Consciousness dwells in the perishable body, it is ever transcendent. Too much attachment to the changeable and perishable physical body and other insentient objects is the only cause of suffering, fear and unhappiness in life. It is also the cause of rebirths and transmigrations. Life can get rid of the influence of the insentient outer nature with the help of inner sentient, changeless, immortal, purely Divine Consciousness.

In the cosmic game of Supreme-Self-Consciousness, spirit and matter, though apparently different from one another, in reality are one and the same Consciousness Itself.’

After going through His lectures and books, I have come to realize that His philosophy is so Supreme that question of forgiveness does not arise. Who will forgive whom in the ‘Science of Oneness’?

 

 

The following is a compilation of Sri Sri Babathakur's verbal testimony by Sri Tushar Bhattacharya (appearing in Brahma Atma Vidya, Volume 2, pages 126-128).

 

 

1) We lead our lives with the idea of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. Whatever we use with the idea of ‘mine’ is ‘indirect’, and whatever we use with ‘I’, in and through I-Consciousness, is ‘direct’.

2) The more the influence of ‘indirect’, the more obscured or less is the influence of ‘direct’. As a result, more modifications and distortions prevail. Again, when the influence of ‘direct’ is more, the influence of ‘indirect’ is less. Then our stability grows i.e., we gradually become calm and composed, steady and wise.

3) When our conduct is with the use of ‘I’, then it is rational, then it is the ‘Reality’; and when it is with the use of ‘mine’, then it is ‘relativity’— relative.

4) The use of mine-consciousness is accomplished by experience, but the use of I-Consciousness is perfected by Self-Conscious Awareness (Swanubhuti).

5) So long as one is not connected with ‘I’ i.e., all things are not united with Consciousness, till then Self-Conscious Awareness (Swanubhuti) will not function or play. Whatever little consciousness is there in one’s ego, only that much consciousness will function or play, nothing more than that.

6) It is something like this— suppose you have prepared a meal with lot of care, but at the time of partaking you find that you forgot to add salt to the dish with vegetables. Whatever is done without the Consciousness of this ‘I’, that verily is imperfect.

7) If we commit a mistake in the first step while working out a mathematical sum, then all the following steps that we will take shall be erroneous. We have committed a mistake in the very first step of our life. What is that? We revel in ‘mine’, excluding the ‘I’.

8) We give more importance to our my-ness or all possessions that we enjoy. Okay, all right, you just establish the Self (the ‘I’) there.“Manmana Bhava Madbhakta”— be the devotee of that ‘I’, serve that One ‘I’ only, think that One ‘I’, use that One ‘I’, knowing One ‘I’ get pervaded by that ‘I’. This is the ‘sportful dramatic sameside game of Self-Consciousness’. Then what will be clear to you? ‘All-Divine for All Time, as It Is’— only this will establish the Age of Truth (Satya Yuga) in a new way.

9) You establish ‘I’ in everything. Ultimately, ‘I’ will only remain standing, ‘mine’ will not be there. …. Whatever you will use with this Absolute I, all that shall be fully pervaded by the ‘I’. ‘I is pervaded by Consciousness and Consciousness is pervaded by I’ (Bodhamoy Ami Amimoy Bodh)— this is my formula.

10) If you are to worship, you worship your Real I with the help of your ‘I’. The use of I-Consciousness by I-Consciousness is called Self-sacrifice (Atma-Yajna), worship of the Self (Atma-Puja).

11) Customarily it is said (that the fourfold end of human life is) Dharma (righteousness), Artha (wealth), Kama (desire) and Moksha (liberation). On this subject Saccidanandamoyee Maa (the Supreme Divine Mother) has revealed this time sixfold end of human life. After liberation, the fifth is to accept Guruvani (verbal testimony of the Guru) and the sixth is the use of that in one’s Own Consciousness (Apanbodh) i.e., the use of everything in and through one’s Own Self. Then seventh plane of Consciousness can be attained. There contradictions and modifications do not affect.

12) The right use of life or everything in life is perfected only in Self-Consciousness or one’s Own Consciousness, not in any other consciousness. If life is not conducted by the use of Self-Consciousness, then Supreme Grace cannot be realized.

13) Use of one’s own Consciousness means the use of Even Consciousness, use of non-dual Consciousness or the use One I-Consciousness. Through this, all kinds of demerits and defects of the use of dual consciousness is totally uprooted.

14) To accept everything by the ‘I’ is one-pointedness; and the habit of seeing, hearing and knowing everything by ‘mine’ is the ‘sense of otherness’, idea of diversities.

15) When ‘I’ is used for ‘I’, then that use is ‘Mene Maniye Chola’ (all-acceptance and all-embrace), but when ‘I’ is used for ‘mine’, then that use is not ‘Maniye Chola’ (leading a life by embracing all).

16) ‘Mene Maniye Chola’ i.e., ‘All Divine for All Time, as It Is’ is to be accepted. There is no time to waste by reciting other Mantra (secret mystical formula). We must ‘accept all’, ‘embrace all’. How? In One Consciousness, in Even Consciousness— that is the ‘Science of Oneness’.

17) Hence, if the use of Consciousness is by ‘acceptance’, and if that acceptance is done consciously, knowingly and with understanding, not by mere speculation, then only ‘Maniye Chola’ is accomplished. Simply put, it means ‘use of Consciousness by Consciousness’. It is not the use of Consciousness without awareness or in ignorance. I am using‘I’ by and for ‘I’, not using ‘I’ for ‘mine’.

18) Do not degrade your Self, “Na Atmanam Abasadayet”. When do we degrade the Self? Excluding our Own Self, when we think of anything, then we are degrading the Self. If we do that by associating with Own Self, then no harm is done. Unless and until one is able to unite anything and everything with one’s Own Consciousness, till then one cannot find Supreme Peace and Bliss.

19) Discover your Self on your own, in and through your Own Self. It means— see in and through your Own Self, know in and through your Own Self, understand in and through your Own Self, conduct yourself in and through your Own Self — you will yourself remain as the Absolute. This itself is called the ‘right use’, the Self-Science.

20) Hence, ‘right use’ is to use everything in and through ‘I’, ‘wrong use’ is to use everything in and through ‘mine’ i.e., when in and through my Own Self I will be able to accept everything within and without as verily my Own Self, then I am the Absolute.

21) Right Knowledge has to be acquired first, then processed and then put to ‘right use’. Unless there is ‘right use’ of Right Knowledge, it will no longer remain as Knowledge. It must reveal in each and every practice of life.

22) How would I know whether I am doing ‘right use’ or not? Every single day there will be cheerfulness within me, naturalness within me, an easiness shall be there, worries will reduce, aberrations and modifications of the body shall reduce, will become healthy and all the deviations from my natural state shall be removed.

23) Peace and happiness in life depends on the ‘right use’ of everything. No one has the right to willfully destroy his life bestowed by the Lord through reckless use in life. After properly learning the skill of ‘right use’, one should dedicate a healthy, strong and beautiful life to Him.

24) In Sri Gita this verily has been proclaimed— one has to face many adversities, sorrows and sufferings to know That Supreme Unmanifest, the Unknown. But, if you can accept and make right use of whatever is manifested, then you will be easily able to discover that Truth within you.

25) Self-I never likes to spoil anything. Even the tiniest of thing is Own Self to ‘this One’ (pointing to Himself, Prajnanpurush Sri Sri Babathakur says), the worst thing is also my Own Self, but the mundane relative existence is important to ‘this One’. ‘I exist in everything— your utensils, starting from your broom to each and everything in this universe, I exist’, says Prajnanpurush Sri Sri Babathakur.

26) Then you think for yourself as to how this I-Consciousness will take you to Perfection in life. You do not have to leave anything, It will reveal unto you from within on Its Own. Then you will discover a strange experience in everything— that is the Right Understanding, Knowledge of Knowledge.

 

This draft transliterated by Ramen Basu and finalized by Sri P.C. Lahiri, is offered at the lotus feet of Sri Sri Babathakur.

 

In pursuit of 'The Missionless Mission'

by Sri Debasish Kundu

 

 

 

 

I followed ‘The Missionless Mission’
to its Origin
and that took me to ‘Ikshon’*

We crossed 
Space, Time and Beyond
Into an uncreated, 
self-begotten,
unchangeable 
Atman, Brahman.

There is no motion
no creation,
Just Eternity described
as ‘as it is’,
inert, inactive, in Infinite Bliss

At ‘Ikshon’*, 
In the exuberance of Eternal Joy,
Brahman says,
“I will be many.”

That exuberance is
just a vibration,
that creates a stream
of other vibrations,
which is called Creation.

The vibration creates waves
that spin
around an axis called
'The Missionless Mission'

This ‘Missionless Mission’
is Beloved Sri Sri Babathakur 
who is
beyond Space, Time and
Causation and 
who incessantly says,

‘Just Believe and utter,
Thou art I and
I art Thou.’

He is The Oneness 
in Manyness,
the Central Axis,
the Void,
the Bhuma

Beloved, our
‘Priyotamottamo’
Sri Sri Babathakur,
is the Eternal Substratum
of ‘Ikshon’*

He calls it
'The Missionless Mission'
which is verily 
The Consciousness Absolute.

(*Ikshon is a Sanskrit word which means the ‘Infinite Divine Will’)