Love through Time?

In a time when love was
Talked, a whole lot less
Proved, a whole lot more
In timeless ways, of yore
We nestled in a light
Of wanton delight
Letting passion flow
As gentle as a doe.

Something changed
Broke the chain
Letting time pass on
Into the now, dawn.
In dreams you appear,
Through my fear
I Yearn your touch
Though it feels forbidden
To cross that invisible line
Between our nows.

If there was a Then
For you and I, when
We walked the now
What was it, we couldnt get past?
Why is there a hollow in my heart?
I cant seem to sort,
On nights the dream starts.

Entry for October 12, 2007 (360 repost)

Random Thought of the Day - All is as it should be. At any given moment, You are where You are supposed to be.

When it comes to religious beliefs, I can range anywhere from being an atheist to a fundamentalist. Although I associate myself with the label of Hindu, I would very much like to use the label- Human. When I look at events where the media quotes the perpetrator of some roit or communal violence, as Hindus, I do feel ashamed for carrying that label. Yes, I do understand that the media quotes are motivated by politics and economics and that the truth can never be found on the NEWS. But it still puts me to shame that we(Hindus) weren't intelligent enough to avoid blame or to behave differently. These are the times I feel like a fundamentalist, that somehow we were right and our path is the right one and the ONLY one and everyone/thing else is wrong. Of course, I cant live on that island of thought for long cause my rational side takes over and will fight its way through to the Live and let live side. My Rational Side has a (I am exagerrating by 1/4's)99.9% chance of always winning(with the exception of arguments with my kids and husband).

As I was reading to my kids the story of Prahlad, I remembered the story of Hiranyakashupu(Prahlad's father) and Hiranyaksha(Hiranyakashupu's brother) that I had read sometime ago. Hiranyakashupu and Hiranyaksha were in their previous life, the doorkeepers at Vaikunta, the abode of Lord Vishnu. It is said that the Kumara rishi's-Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Sanatkumara and Sanatsujata, came to pay obeisance to Lord Vishnu at Vaikunta. Jaya and Vijaya the door keepers at Viakunta refused to let them in and spoke to them with arrogance. The angered rishis cursed them to a live life on earth forgetting their godliness and closeness to Vishnu. When Jaya and Vijaya realized their folly, they begged Sri Vishnu to help them stay. So Vishnu says that since the exalted ones curse always comes to pass he could only offer a compromise.. He gave Jaya and Vijaya a choice between living on earth for 7 lives as Devotees of Vishnu or 3 lives as Enemies of Vishnu. They wanted to be back at the Lords feet at the earliest so they chose to be enemies of Vishnu in three yugas. In the Krita Yuga(part of the Hindu time cycle, I have a site for it on my blogroll if you are interested in reading about it)they were Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashupu, In the Treta Yuga they were Kumbakarna and Ravana and in the Dwapara Yuga they were Shishupala and Dantavakra. Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashupu were considered as Asuras(those embodied with personalities that are quick to choose Anger, Indulgence, Greed etc).

As I remembered, I suffered a sudden insight into why I tend to not act when according to those in my life, I should have. I end up rooted to the spot, lost in thought- This is karma in action. I wonder what my relationship was with this person, in my previous births. Was she/he my friend, child, lover, parent, family elder, the person from my village, my debtor, my creditor, my neighbour? I say Previous Births because I cant see myself as being all that I am today just with the knowledge gained from the last three decades, definitely there must have been many lifetimes through which I have gained certain insights that make me so SURE about certain things in life. Now why I cant remember all my other lives, I havent yet worked on the theory that has convinced me yet. I see myself as a speck or blob of energy. If materially we are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and each of those elements are composed of atoms, then at the core, we must be an intangible(spiritual) form of energy(of course I wouldn't get a Nobel Prize for that kind of Theory).

This would further be an explanation for the old stories of yore about people levitating, being able to move stuff without touching them, knowing what the animals talk about etc. which is presently considered as a Con. Imagine if all you had to do was to manipulate the way energy flows around you or within you to change an outcome. God, can be explained as that person who through discipline, focusing on the balance, harmony and the present, is able see the whole (as in all that is there in the Universe) picture and manifest changes that is in accordance with the Law of Nature. This might probably be a symbiotic working of all that is there within the known and unknown realms. So it does make sense if the Hare Krishna's say that all is Lila (a play directed by God). Depending on where we stand to view this energy, we could say its outside, inside, both inside and outside, neither inside or outside, non-existent, exists but not understandable, part of us or separate from us.

Applying this thought to all the events happening in our world and the people involved in these events, I feel everything is as it should be. I should not be agitated by the workings of Politicians, the citizens, the criminals etc. because they are just all living out their Nature in accordance with what their Karmic agreements are. Is that an apathetic view? I don't know. If we are all doing what we are supposed to be doing, then maybe it seems chaotic only if we watch them at the same level as the events, Maybe if we flew in an airplane looking down, the events would seem very patterned, very orderly, in the process of various degrees of movement or stillness.

I could go on with this till the cows come home but my feet just landed on the ground. So I am Done with Being the Dreamer/Thinker for the day. Now back to Chores in the my world.

As Usual

Pondering while working

Wishing all Peace

Mithuna.

Soul, Death and Incarnation

It is amazing the things that happen when we get into a discussion. We had our friend over for dinner today and as usual, we like to discuss things that are not usually discussed say at a Hugely Successful Party. So among the topics we talked off today were theories (yes, they are only theories, no one really has an answer) to the questions of Deja vu, death, reincarnation, soul and God.

After they left, I log online and catch the heading on ChrisV's blog- "what do you believe happens when you die?" Coincidence? Synchronicity? Universe listening in on our conversation? Although I have a few theories which might have a few holes in it (for now I am blind to it, will throw the theory out when I find a better explanation). I would stick with the most obvious answer, either "I would become part of Nature's recycle bin" or "I am not dead yet so I don't know". But for the heck of it let's go into my theory. Before I go further, I need to say this- While you read this, I want you all to remember that none of these views are my own or original. I am not an expert in any of the subjects that I might seem to touch in this blog. These are just my opinions and as you all know... Opinions are a dime a dozen.

These I believe, due to my conditioning. These I believe only because of the culture I was brought up in; because of the people I grew up with; because of religion I was first introduced to and have in my own way remained "faithful" to.

For all purposes of Labeling- I am a Hindu (I prefer- I am human). I do subscribe to the Hindu philosophy. I do believe in God, Karma, Soul and Reincarnation. I also believe in science (does that make me an Atheist?). I say "Believe" because science isn't Static; it changes as we learn more. Most things that the scientists say have to be believed by people like me because we don't have the time to get into verifying the veracity of their research. I have never had a conflict between science and religion, because to me they are two ways of explaining what we see in nature. One tries the definitive process while the other is an indefinite process. I do know from experience that there is a Force that we perceive in different ways. There's pressure, there's current, there's wind speeds, there's gravitation, friction, radio waves, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields- these are things that we see the effects off but not the force themselves. No one says- "I can collect friction in this shoe box" but they do say "I feel friction". So there exists what we call Energy. Of this I am Sure.

I do believe that the energy that gives us the property of what we describe as "Alive" is labeled the soul. Since I see it as energy, and know that energy changes state, I believe in re-incarnation. For this change of state describes to me the process of re-incarnation. I do think that soul, God and energy can be used interchangeably to express the same concept in a different context. That doesn't mean that "I AM GOD". This is the best analogy I can give- though Ice is frozen water, we don't call ice, water. Though the Pot is made from clay, we do not call the pot, Clay.

So what do I believe happens when we die? I believe that when energy transforms into matter there is a sort of contract that is made depending on the form that it takes(very much like a chemical reaction, there is a definite result, depending on the properties of the chemicals involved but the chemicals are not aware of it or are they?). All activity/action takes place based on this contract; everything from how it interacts with its surroundings to what its understanding of itself is drawn in this contract. Once all the conditions of the contract are met, energy is released from the matter so that a new contract is made or not made depending on the Property of that droplet of energy. So when we die, depending on our soul's contract with our body and itself, we might take another form or not. We might become inert, like say a rock or earth or we might take a living form.

From what I understand of Science and the theory of Multiple dimensions/universes, the possibility of living in a different time/universe, is also a plausibility (Yes, I do love many options, I hate being stuck with just one or the other). To me, heaven and hell is a state of mind when the soul has a form, not a place to go to after you die. All the negativity falls in the hell state and the positivity in the heaven state.

This theory of mine has its basis in the Sankya Philosophy of Hinduism... Here is a little bit of background for it-

Sankya is derived from the Sanskrit word prefix "San" meaning" exact" and the root "kya" meaning "to know". Therefore, Sankya means "To know Exactly". Sankya can loosely be translated to mean "Calculation, Enumeration, Discrimination, Knowledge, Numbers or a Numerical Demonstration". It is a School of Theoretical Knowledge. It is an attempt at answering the question "What is real?" and "How does it all relate to each other?". It introduces the dualistic approach to understanding Reality. The Original theory of Sankya does not ascribe the evolution of life on earth to God or to an Absolute principle, but as a creative process passing through different phases of change and transformation. Hence it is atheistic. Although Sage Kapila is said to have founded the Sankya School of philosophy, Ishvarakrishna, who probably lived about the 3rd century AD, is considered to be the author of a collection of aphorisms called the "Sankya Karika". Rishi Kapila is also considered by some Hindus, as the Father of Psychology.

The Philosophy of Sankya regards the universe as consisting of two eternal realities - 1. Purusha and 2. Prakriti. It is very similar to the Yin and the Yang of the Chinese philosophical origins.

Purusha is described as a principle of sentience, conscious, inactive(akarta) and beyond all Qualities/adjectives. It is silent, unchanging, non-judging spectator, a witness. Purusha is the soul, the Knower, the witness. The Purusha is described as being like a witness to the Prakriti or a mirror in which the Prakriti is reflected.

Prakriti translates to "Nature of matter". Prakriti is active, dynamic, ever-changing, and not conscious. It is characterized by the three Gunas(attributes) - clarity/harmony/light (sattva), activity/action/movement (rajas), and darkness/inertia(tamas) . Prakriti is the unmanifest, primal resource, the sum total of the universal energy that manifests itself in various material forms. Prakriti cannot have life without the Purusha and the Purusha gains form through the prakriti.

When the three gunas - sattva, rajas and tamas - are in equilibrium, there is no world or the phenomenon of space and time. When the Purusha (soul/atman) comes into contact with Prakrti, the equilibrium of the three attributes is disturbed and the creative process (Shristi) begins, when Purusha, the individual soul enters and becomes established in Prakriti. Sankhya does not explain why and how the two come into contact or the reason why the atman, even after it is liberated, will not come into contact again.

Out of this process of unity of the unmanifested Purusha and the unmanifested Prakriti evolve 24 principles,

Mahat: the great principle (1)

Buddhi : the discriminating, reasoning and causative intelligence (2)

Ahamkara : the ego-principle of "I" . It refers to the sense of 'I' that separates one's own self from all others and creates an individual entity. It is not similar to the Western concept of Ego. (3)

Manas : the mind or consciousness (4)

Panchendiryas : the five sense organs-(9)

Karmendriyas : the five organs of action-verbalization, tactility, locomotion, excretion and procreation, (14)

Tanmantras : the five subtle elements or perception of the senses,(19)

Mahabhutas : the five gross elements (earth, water, air, fire and ether)(24)

These evolutes, along with Purusha make the 25 categories from which all matter, in the universe is derived from. Mahat is Prakriti or the primordial nature in its manifested/dynamic aspect. From the Mahat evolves buddhi and Manas. Buddhi is the principle of intelligence or the discriminating awareness. Manas is the mind stuff consisting of pure consciousness. From Buddhi evolve ahmkara or the feeling of individuality and separation and the five tanmantras of sound, touch, smell, form or color and taste.

Source : 1. Classical Indian Philosophy by J. N. Mohanty

2. Various websites on Hindu Darshana

That is what I believe. I haven't said anything that someone, somewhere, sometime hasn't said. Hope you enjoyed the information.

Have a lovely week...

Signing off to Ponderland

Mithuna.

P.S. For those interested in the Sankya Karika.

In another place and time

This was a poem that I had written long ago. Found it during the spring cleaning session. Here goes ---

When we sit so close yet so far,
There is this funny feeling,
That we must have sat like this
Someday, in another place and time.

The first time we laughed together
A remember a dream, where
I saw us laughing like this
Someday, in another place and time.

When we tease each other and fool around
I feel a familiar feeling
Like we teased each other before
Someday, in another place and time.

When we see the world in each others eye
And the heart brims with the words "I love you"
The picture in my mind fades,
As if something stopped us,
I wonder what happened to the two of us
That day, in another place and time.