Meditations on Transcendence

Every Hindu is aware of the word Dharma. People in India use it with different interpretations, in different context. The words 'Guru' and 'karma' have already gotten into the English dictionary being part of the vocabulary. It will not be much longer before the word 'Dharma' makes its way. What is the real meaning of the word Dharma? People usually associate with the english word 'duty'. Going deeper into sanskrit grammar, the word Dharma means 'spontaneous property of any object/entity'. Every object exhibits some natural property which cannot be disassociated from it. Like the property of sweetness is tightly coupled with entity sugar, flowing property is associated with water, heat with fire etc... one can go on. Dharma is an idea in people's mind on how a object generally behaves. Its a perception of reality unchangeable with time. Environmental influences can temporarily modify the property - like low temperature can modify the property

We integrate into another when we take up the cause of the other. This is called yoga which means union. When we shed all our independence and will and take up the pleasure of the supreme person as the only purpose of existance, then we unite into the supreme. We enter samadhi. The only way to enter the higher existance of the supreme person is by embracing his cause, his will, his desire as the purpose of life. How do I know what pleases him or what is his will, desire at every moment? The will is not like the dead person's will or power of attorney. It is a dynamic will which can change at every moment. So what is the medium thru which I can know the will of the supreme consciousness.

All of us have the experience of being in love. When in love, one wants to hear about our beloved(Sravanam), remember them(smaranam) or speak about beloved's qualities with our confidants(kirtanam). Almost everyday I come back from work, I ask my wife to narrate my daughter's activities for the day. Daughters are very dear to the Fathers and they take pleasure even in the trivia. In love, trivia brings in so much ananda. Even when I was in Munich on a business trip, I would get my daily dosage of my daughter's activities...........

105 dead consuming spurious liquor in Ahmedabad. Liquor intoxicates us and makes us numb about the reality in the world. Why do humans prefer intoxicating beverages like tea, coffee, alcohol etc? Intoxication acts on the nervous system and releases certain chemicals in the brain which give a sense of euphoria. This helps us to tolerate the reality of hard labor in this world. Everyone is subjected to hard labor in one form or the other. To sustain this body one needs to serve by working hard. Most of us desire life full of fun frolic and we work hard to escape hardwork infuture. Many financial magazines have this article of how to makeup for a second income equivalent to your first income by intelligent investing. But hardly anyone is successful in evading hardwork, stress and tension to makeup for sustenence and maintenance. The universal law is - to sustain ones existance one cannot skip hard work. So intoxicants are a short cut patch solution to make our nerves numb to the impact o

Riots in china - think the muslim insurgency is taking a strong hold in china also. Is the iron willed communistic rule shaken? The communist rule in contrast to democracy does not give much freedom for raising individual voice. Opinions in opposition to governmental stance will be dealt with force. It is a monololy of a single party - the communist party. The vices of kaliyuga is curtailed by democracy where single decision making and monopoly is discouraged. Satva guna is very rare in Kaliyuga. Under the influence of Rajas and Tamas, selfishness dominates every individual's mindset. People don’t find satisfaction in service but use positions of authority for self aggrandizement. Satisfaction of service is superior to satisfaction obtained by refined gratification of senses. Democracy is the best of the worst arrangement to counteract the effects of rajas and tamas. The hope is that collective decision making and management will keep in check the excessive aggrandizement of selfis