‘Ignorance is in the mind and not in the Self’

by Smt Sunetra Chakraborty

Divine Master Prajnanpurush Sri Sri Babathakur often said ‘Ignorance is in the mind and not in the Self’. My mind was not mature enough to comprehend the true essence of these words. I (i.e. the small ‘I’,meaning individual ‘I)’ would rather say, ‘my immature mind has no perception of either an ignorant or a conscious mind’.

Human being is one of the most beautiful manifestations of God because humans can think rationally, something that other living beings cannot. Sri Sri Babathakur would say that a human body with a human mind is not enough to realize its true Self unless and until the mind is trained by a perfect master – someone who has realized the total identity of the Truth Divine with His own Self, as also with the Self of All symptomatizing as ‘I-Reality’ (i.e. a Sat-Cit-Ananda personified Sadguru’). After realization of our true nature, the transmigration of birth and death ends, and the trapped mind gets freedom from all sorts of desire and bondage.

Individual- I is human being/jiva/the enjoyer of life. The reflection of individual- I is world/jagat, the object of enjoyment for all lives.

Ignorance occurs between individual-I and its reflection/jagat, which appears to be true, but in reality is a game of maya/ignorance. How then does one know what is this game of maya or ignorance?

In the book ‘Knowledge of Knowledge’, Divine Master Sri Sri Babathakur revealed the meaning of ignorance which Mr. P.C. Lahiri (a close devotee) has beautifully presented in the language of Master Himself. Sri Sri Babathakur has said ‘the sense of otherness is the first cause of duality through which ignorance manifests all its evolutes one after another in a very mysterious way. The process is that from the sense of otherness arises the desire first to acquire the object of imaginary otherness. For the fulfillment of such desire, sense of agency arises. Agency requires an instrument or medium in and through which it has all its work performed to attain the desired object. This agent is ignorance, and its instruments or organs are ego and intellect… the result is the object which may be agreeable or disagreeable… the agent is the subject and its object of enjoyment and experience is its predicate…’

These revealed words are indeed unconventional.

Material need is created by the mind. So the mind is engaged in a continuous process of achieving. The mind only seeks to achieve material goals. Mind is dominated by the outer nature, and the five senses are its weapons. They do not allow mind (which strives to remain in darkness) to come out of maya’s mischievous games. It is now little clear to us what ignorance/ ajnan is.

What is Self? What is the nature of the Self? Self is the Real–I, not the ego–I. Self is the true Knowledge, the true–I, the upper I, the Atman. There is no being without a Self.

Universal 'I' is God/Iswara/Creator, the Lord of creation. God/Iswara is the Self, present in all beings, from the smallest to the biggest of creations. Self is luminous, pure, free, enlightened, spotless, unmixed, unalloyed, unattached, calm, quiet and homogeneous.

Sri Sri Babathakur has said ‘Self is non-dual, Self is the witness. It witnesses every happening on the earth. Self is the Knowledge Absolute. The Divine Self–I is the substratum (essence) and ever witness of them, which has nothing to do with the subject-object idea and the application of nature (i.e. maya or ignorance)’.

From the above lines of the Divine Master we understand that ignorance cannot be present in the Self because Self is Pure Consciousness. The Self witnesses all games of the ajnan/maya and jiva/jagat, but never gets attached to it. It remains eternally free of all bondage.

Divine Master Sri Sri Babathakur has said ‘Your very true nature is Sat-Cit-Ananda, the Self.’

Similarity in the Concepts of Hinduism and Science

by Sri Ajit Halder

Some concepts of Hinduism and Science may appear to be contradictory to some people. However if we care to study deeply, we will find much similarity in the objective shared by Hinduism and Science - which is to make life morally and physically worthy of living in this world. While Hinduism as a Religion enriches the spiritual life, advances in Science endeavour to improve the quality of human life. The aim of this article is to substantiate our proposition that Hindu Religious faith in Divinity and Science serving humanity share much of the same uplifting views to benefit humans.

Hindus celebrate religious festivals throughout the year and people, old and young, from all walks of life join in to receive the blessing of the deity they worship. The Durga Puja in the autumn is the main religious-cum-social event celebrated by Bengalis. During the Durga Puja days, the worshippers visit the puja venue with family and friends and participate in religious services. We admire the images bedecked with ornaments and the decoration of the stage lit with strings of coloured light bulbs, laser beam display of attractive moving patterns and beautiful flower arrangements. We listen to the devotional songs relayed from loudspeakers that fill the air with holy melody. From time to time we hear the clicking sound of digital cameras that some of our friends operate to capture and store up images of the joyful scene; all of which contribute towards creating a festive environment at the puja venue. A similar festive mood is experienced during the puja of Devi Saraswati who is the goddess of learning, fine arts and music and who is much adored by students, artists and musicians. Though the puja is primarily a religious celebration, yet it can not be denied that modern technology through the use of technical devices has collaborated in many ways towards boosting our joyous mood. So we should pause for a moment to acknowledge that advances in science have a big co-operative role in making religious celebrations memorable events. This discussion will include references to Hindu religious concepts. First, some notes on Hinduism and on Science will be presented as help needed to understand the theme of this article.

Hinduism: We note that Hindu religious belief is mainly based on an acceptance that there is an all powerful, eternally existent, all pervading benevolent God who created the universe and to whom we owe worship, obedience and allegiance. In Hinduism, there is no single holy figure that has been accorded the special status of a prophet. So instead of one unique so-called prophet through whom people can receive God’s bliss, Hindus can boast of many prophet-like seers, Rishis, Munis (wise saintly figures), who composed scriptural texts offering guidance to a Hindu worshipper on how to reach God.

Hindus believe that God has many attributes and appears in different forms - each manifestation signifying one of His many qualities. So a Hindu worships his/her chosen deity whose image shows a male or a female Godly figure possessing a particular attribute. The goddess Durga exhibiting the feminine aspect of divinity is our divine mother. Sri Krishna, Sri Vishnu and Lord Shiva-Maheshwara are the principal male deities of the Hindus. Here we make a note that the three words namely, religion, faith and belief are often used interchangeably in the religious literature and the same will be followed in this article.

Science: The aim of science is to understand how the universe came into existence, to study the nature of its constituent elements (e.g. distant celestial objects like the stars, galaxies and the terrestrial objects), and to understand the features of humans, animals and other forms of life as well as non-living materials. It is claimed that science is the most reliable form of knowledge about the world because it is based upon verifiable evidence. In science a healthy enquiring mind is a professional necessity whereas in religion, having belief in God without asking or needing evidence is regarded as a virtue. Humans have a great hunger for explanation, and Science aims to provide answers to the queries like why and how the seasons change, flooding occurs and what will be their consequences. Religion is based on faith but Science has its own faith-based belief system. All Science proceeds on the assumption that nature is ordered in a rational and intelligible way.

Science is one of the great blessings of our time and it has brought many benefits to make our life comfortable. This article that you are reading now has been brought to you through the services provided respectively by electricity, electronic computers, printers, internet & space communication. All these are the major facilitators, working as a team to complete the job of copy production, storage and transmission of information to the reader. Science concerns events which we can see happening, occurrences whose outcomes we can experience, and things that can be seen, tested and trusted.

We have a good understanding of how electricity works but there are lots of important questions which are completely beyond science’s ability to answer. For example, ‘Can there be any meaning and purpose in life? Can there ever be morality? Are there such things as good and evil?’ To get the right answers to these and other intriguing queries, we have to find another source. Hindu religious scriptures and faith principles may serve as the appropriate source of life-enhancing knowledge. More importantly, the concepts of the Hindu religion and Science together can provide the answers that should satisfy our enquiring minds.

Convergence of Hinduism and Science: Many instances may be cited where Hindu religious thoughts and scientific views are in accord. We will present the concept of Time in Hinduism as well as two other most important topics namely, the origin of the universe and the origin of life species as illustrations focusing on Hindu cosmology, a theory of origin of life in the world with the mention of scientific explanations that substantially vindicate the Hindu views on these issues.

The Concept of Time in Hinduism: In Hindu scriptures, the Sanskrit word Kaala corresponds closely to the word Time of the scientific parlance. Hindu scriptures say Kaala is a divine agency responsible for all actions that include Creation, Sustenance and Destruction of the Universe. Brahma is the Creator of the Universe, Vishnu is responsible for its Sustenance and Shiva is the Destroyer God who is responsible for the transformation and re-creation of the Universe. This Hindu view establishing that the sequence of the phenomena of creation, sustenance, extinction and eventual recreation of the Universe implies the existence of a factor known as Kaala or Time - which is considered a fundamental unit in the realm of science. Hindus believe that Time began at the very instant Brahma created the Universe and this Hindu view finds resonance in the scientific interpretation of Time. According to the celebrated astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, Time began with the Big Bang which caused the Universe to come into existence.

Hinduism recognizes Time as a basic physical entity- its magnitudes are expressed both in big and small numbers. As an example of a huge number, the duration of the Kali Yuga covering a period of 32,000 solar years may be cited - and because our world will continue for the next thousands of years, there is no need to worry about its immediate demise. For a finer measurement of Time, mention may be made of nimesha or a blink of an eye lasting for 0.20112 second. Hindu sages were quite at ease referring to huge magnitudes of Time such as mahajuga (a cycle of four Yugas comprising a period of 4.32 million solar years), while a manvantara (71 mahayugas) is 306.72 million years. The ancient sages reckoned Time with reference to the lifetime of Brahma. A day of Brahma equals 4.32 billion solar years.

Hindu Computation of the speed of light: The ancient Hindus computed the value of the speed of light by using the data from a Vedic verse which in English reads – ‘Bow to Thee O Sun’ whose light traverses 2,202 Yojanas in half a nimesha’. Noting that one Yojana equals 9.09 miles and one nimesha is 0.20112 sec. in duration, the speed of light can be calculated as: 2.202 X 9.09 miles per 0.1056 sec. = 189,547.00 miles/sec. Modern science estimates a value for the speed of light as 186,282.40 miles/sec. It is pleasing to note the near correspondence of this value computed using the data given in a Hindu scripture verse with the value estimated by modern scientific measurement. The fairly close agreement between the two figures indicates that Hindu religious views have much to contribute to the advancement of science.

Origin of the Universe: The Hindu cosmology and timelines is the closest to modern scientific timelines. The Hindu view is that the universe has been created by Brahma and has not remained static ever since. The universe is expanding and is in perpetual cycle, with no end in time. This view is in accordance with the modern scientific thinking which indicates that the ‘Big Bang’ is not the beginning of everything but just the start of the present cycle preceded by an infinite number of universes and to be followed by another infinite number of universes.

Many astrophysicists including Professor Roger Penrose believe that there was a universe before the so called ‘Big Bang’ and when the present universe will come to an end there will be another ‘Big Bang’ giving birth to the next universe. In a recent scientific discourse given at the Bose Research Institute, Kolkata, Professor Penrose referred to the same hypothesis that finds agreement with the Hindu view that the universe is eternal and ever renewing in time span of billions of years.

Emergence of life in the world: Hinduism had presented a theory of evolution long before Darwin proposed similar concepts about life’s origin. The account of the emergence of life in our world has been narrated in the verses of Dasavatar Stotram (Ten Incarnations of Vishnu) which portrays the Hindu Puranic notion of life’s evolution in the world - from the lowest form of life to the most complex form (i.e. the human life) through progressive stages of development. An analysis of the Stotram will indicate the evolution of life, starting with the aquatic life and progressing further: Matsya (fish), Kurma (amphibious tortoise), Varaho (land animal boar), Narasingha (both animal and human) Bamana (dwarf near human figure) and finally Kalki (human form elevated to godhood). This narrative bears a close resemblance with Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.

Hindu religion provides viewpoints with regards to evolution, creationism and the origin of life in the traditions of its scriptures. Science boasts of being able to provide a glimpse of the entire life process (courtesy of a microscope used to view biological cells dividing), or the vision of a far away galaxy observed though a telescope. These achievements are of course praiseworthy. However Science can not explain who created them or who is responsible for their continued existence. This is where religious belief comes to the aid of science and provides an answer. Hindu faith dictates that God created the universe and all things within it - both animate and inanimate beings and this belief comforts the human mind.

This article shows how the magnitude of the speed of light computed by the ancient Hindus bears a close agreement with the value obtained by scientific measurement. Also a close correspondence exists in both Hinduism and Science on two important concepts: the origin of the Universe and the beginning of Life. Many other instances may be quoted to demonstrate such accord. One can thus take the view that there is a broad similarity in the concepts of Hinduism and Science.

Experience of visiting Akshardham Temple in New Delhi, India

by Siddhartha Dasgupta

During my December 2010 trip to India, I visited the Akshardham Temple with my parents. The temple is known as Swaminarayan Akshardham (meaning the eternal abode of Bhagwan Swaminarayan) and it is situated on the banks of the river Yamuna. It is one of the biggest Hindu Temples in the whole world! It’s a unique complex of Indian art and culture. It beautifully showcases Indian art, wisdom, heritage, and values as a tribute to Bhagwan Swaminarayan – who was a torchbearer of Indian culture.

The temple is set in a vast 100 acre site, and was built in only five years time! The temple was officially opened in 2005. It was inspired & created by Pramukh Swami Maharaj. The temple radiates peace, beauty, joy, & divinity. One should plan on spending the whole day at the Mandir. Excellent and inexpensive vegetarian food is available throughout the complex.

However I wasn’t able to take pictures, since photography was strictly prohibited. So, I urge you to visit www.akshardham.com to have a sneak preview of the beautiful sights. Other things that were strictly prohibited were Videography, Cell/Mobile Phones, Cameras, Radios, Other Electronic Items, Food/Drinks from outside, Bags & other luggage’s, Smoking, Alcohol, Tobacco, Addictive Substances, Improper/Disrespectful Dresses, Abusive Language, Pets etc.

The temple is open every day, except for Mondays. At the temple’s entrance, the men and women go through separate security and screening lines. Since eatables are not allowed, they made us eat the apples that we had brought with us!

Along the welcome pathway are the Ten Gates, representing the ten principal directions described in Indian culture. These gates reflect the Vedic sentiment of inviting goodness from everywhere to all visitors. This represents unity and diversity, freedom of thought and countless discoveries. It reminds one of the fact that India is the mother and cradle of all languages and civilizations. We bought a guide book and a picture book from here.

Next we came to the Bhakti Dwar – meaning, the Gate of Devotion celebrating the Vedic tradition of dual worship. Offering devotion to God & his choicest devotee is the genuine form of worship. To honor this custom, 208 sculpted dual forms of God & his devotee have decorated this splendid gate. Information about the temple is provided at the Visitors Center inside the Bhakti Dwar.

Next we came across the Mayur Dwar - The mayur (peacock) is a symbol of beauty & purity. Mayur is also the national bird of India. The two Mayur Dwars (Peacock Gates) pay tribute to the joy and color that peacocks add to life. A total of 869 sculpted peacocks adorn each of the beautiful gates.

Between the two Mayur Dwars are the holy footprints of Bhagwan Swaminarayan in memory of his incarnation on earth. They are carved out of white marble & bear the 16 sacred signs of God. There are four auspicious conch shells in tribute to his inspiring life and work, from which water is continuously showered onto the footprints. At this point, visitors can proceed to the Mandir (also known as Temple) or the Gardens.

Inside The Main Akshardham Temple
• Akshardham Mandir: The Grand Akshardham Mandir is the focal point of the entire complex. The Mandir is built of pink stone & white marble. It is 141 feet high, 316 feet wide, & 356 feet long, featuring 234 intricately carved pillars, 9 magnificent domes, 20 pinnacles, & over 20,000 superbly sculpted figures. Built without using steel, it revives India’s ancient architectural tradition.
• Murti (Idol): The murti of Bhagwan Swaminarayan is gold–plated in and seated in the center of the Mandir. It is 11 feet high.
• Other idols in the temple are those of Shri Radha–Krishna, Shri Sita–Ram, Shri Lakshmi–Narayan, and Shri Parvati–Shiva.
Also, the decoration inside the temple is amazing!

Other things inside the Mandir (that you can’t miss) are:
o 24 Keshav forms of the divine, based on the scriptures of Pancharatna scriptures
o Sculpted murtis of sadhus & devotees
o Murtis of 500 paramahansas on the pillar tops
o Breathtaking carvings of the 65 feet high Lila Mandapam, Bhakta Mandapam, Smruti Mandapam, & Paramahansa Mandapam.
o Superb marble sculptures of incidents from the life of Bhagwan Swaminarayan in Ghanshyam Mandapam, Neelkanth Mandapam, Sahajanand Mandapam, & Swaminarayan Mandapam.
o Domes & 20 quadrangle pinnacles (samvarans) – examples of ancient India’s engineering technology.

Outside The Main Akshardham Temple:
• Mandovar – The ornate external wall (Mandovar) of the Mandir is 611 ft long and 25 ft high. It comprises 4,287 carved stones and includes 48 murtis of Ganeshji, and 200 sculpted figures of India’s great rishis, sadhus, devotees, acharyas and divine incarnations.
• Gajendra Peeth – The Akshardham Mandir rests on the unique 1,070 ft long Gajendra Peeth, which comprises 148 sculpted stone elephants, and dozens of other sculptures of people, animals and brids weighing in excess of 3,000 tons. It pays tribute to the glory of elephants and nature in Indian culture.

Exhibitions: This is probably one of the most interesting parts of a visit to Akshardham.
o Sahajanand Darshan (Hall of Values): It was a show about universal values for mankind, such as ahimsa, courage, endeavor, honesty, faith etc. are presented from the life of Bhagwan Swaminarayan through films, light, & sound shows with robotic figures.
o Neelkanth Yatra on the Giant Screen Theater: It was a show presented on a large format film vividly portraying the true story of an 11 year old child yogi, Neelkanth Varni. It was projected on a 85 by 65 foot screen, & was shot in 108 locations in India. It featured a cast of over 45,000 people. The film took the viewers on an exciting pilgrimage through the majestic Himalayas and India’s sacred places, festivals, traditions, & values. The 40-minute film depicts Neelkanth’s renunciation, encounter with a man-eating lion, pilgrimage to Haridwar, breathtaking treks in the Himalayas, Man Sarovar and Kailash, perilous travels through the jungles of Assam, encounter with the evil Pibek, grand felicitation in the Rath Yatra festival at Jagannathpuri, visit to Rameshwaram mandir and finally his entry into Gujarat. The film presents the glory of India and inspires values of determination, effort, courage, truth and spirituality.
o Sanskruti Vihar (Cultural Boat Ride): This was a spectacular 14 minute boat ride exhibition through 10,000 years of Indian culture and contributions to the world. which flourished on the banks of river Saraswati. Based on authentic research, 800 statues have brought India’s glorious heritage to life. In this boat ride, you can see the world’s oldest Vedic village & bazaar. The boat ride sails through Takshashila – the world’s first university. You also get to learn about the discoveries & inventions of India’s ancient rishi-scientists, & much more…

Other things to see:
Yagnapurush Kund is a fascinating replica of an ancient, traditional yagna kund, measuring 300ft x 300 ft and is the largest in India. At its center lies a spectacular, colorful musical fountain show that echoes the Vedic sentiments of creation, sustenance and dissolution. Since it was getting late, we could not see this musical fountain show.

Narayan Sarovar surrounds the Akshardham monument from three sides. The holy waters of 151 rivers, lakes and stepwells of India, visited by Bhagwan Swaminarayan, have been ritually added to Narayan Sarovar. Water flows into the Sarovar through 108 gaumukhs on the side and back walls of the Mandir.

Yogihriday Kamal is an eight petalled lotus-shaped arena that pays tribute to the auspicious sentiments of Yogiji Maharaj (the visionary behind Swaminrayan Akshardham). Each petal displays quotes of distinguished sages, scientists, historian and statesmen, inspiring faith in God and faith in man.

Bharat Upvan (Cultural Garden) is an environmental and cultural delight spread over 22 acres of colorful gardens and lawns. 65 larger than life bronze statues of India’s leadng icons inspire all with a spirit of patriotism, values and spiritual faith.

Abhishek Mandapam – Here one can offer prayers and make wishes while ritually pouring Ganga water on the enchanting murti of Neelkanth Varni – a child-yogi.

Parikrama – An impressive two-tier colonnade in red stone encircles the Mandir. Each tier is 3,000 feet long with 1,152 pillars and 145 viewing windows.

I think that visiting this temple was a great experience in terms of the murtis, decoration, & look of the temple. I have heard about this temple for the last five to six years, but never got a chance to visit this temple. Once again, there website is www.akshardham.com.