A few insights on unity and diversity

Sai Ram. Real liberation / moksha is to understand and appreciate the innate unity beneath the apparent diversity. All matter is just different forms of energy just as all colors (wavelengths) belong to the same electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Thus every thing including matter is energy and vibration. That is unity, called by so many names (God, Allah, Para Brahma,...) and has all the names and no name.

Sai Ram. These insights come by the grace of God / Guru who is Zero!. In Hinduism, we refer to God as Nirguna Para Brahma. Nirguna means without the Gunas, characteristics, attributes, properties that differentiate one from another. White light has all the colors and no color. Similarly Zero has all the numbers representing Gunas and yet has no value, no Guna. Once we cross the mind / ego, we enter that no-mind state where every one and every thing is a part of you and you of course are a part of every thing else! You are together and are yet apart! Zero is in every number and is yet separate from all of them and is also the sum total of all of them. This is really wonderful and discovery of Zero was one of the greatest gifts of Hindus to humanity!

The past and the future lies in the present, which is Zero, which is No Mind, No Time. Once we realise that, the past or the future release their hold on us (our minds). Lord Krishna indicated this in His Gita when He told His Disciple Sri Arjuna,

sarva-dharman parityajya
mam ekam saranam vraja
aham tvam sarva-papebhyo
moksayisyami ma sucah

(Gita, Adhyaya 18, Sloka 66)

In the above Sloka, many commentators have given to the word dharma the meaning of right / wrong, religion etc. in a rather restrictive sense. However, I submit an insight obtained by His grace that dharma refers to a characterisitc, attribute, property etc., that differentiates one person, one object or one action from another. A solid has some dharmas, fire has some dharmas different from say water etc. Dharma is dualistic and diversifying. Thus it is looking at the external world and is looking at the differences, representing an egoistic approach (the word ego means a sense of separation, the feeling of I and not I - you, they etc.). When dharma is given up and the ego is surrendered, merged into the Unity (Zero), the sins (and of course the merits also) disappear, just as the colors and tastes associated with a water drop merge into the ocean along with the water drop! Moksha is liberation from the concepts of right and wrong, the punya and paapa etc., that cause grief (Gita starts with Arjuna Vishada Yoga, the grief of Arjuna). Once the ego becomes One with the One (that is Yoga, unification), the doer, the deed, the object of doing, the non-doer etc. all merge into One. The karma and karma phala disappear!

These concepts are nicely explained in Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama Stotra, which proclaims Him as "Karanam, Kaaranam, Kartha, Vikartha Gahano Guhah", "Bhrajishnur Bhojanam, Bhoktha", and again, "Yagno Yagna Patir Yajwa, Yagnango Yagna Vaahanah" etc., thus making Him all inclusive. And when we add up all numbers (positive and negative), we get Zero! In Nirvana Shatkam, on the other hand, Sri Adi Shankara negates all these concepts by saying that He is "na punyam, na paapam, na moksham na dukham", and "na (a)ham bhojanam naiva bhojyam na bhoktha" etc. When we remove all numbers, we again end up with ZERO! He declares that He is Chidananda Rupa Sivoham Sivoham. Whether we include every thing (Vishnu, the One Who is All Pervading) or we exclude every thing, we end up with the Nirguna Para Brahma, who is the only One, Who is Satyam, Sivam and Sundaram! That is why we are told Sivaaya Vishnu Rupaaya, Siva Rupaaya Vishnave...

I bow to Sri Guru for these insights. Guru is One who shows the Sishya the errors of ignorance, the truth hidden by Maya and shows that the Sishya is in fact One with the Guru. Sai Ram.

About Zero, negativitiy etc.

About ZERO:

Sai Ram. The past and the future, in fact, every thing lies in the present, which is Zero, which is actually No Mind, No Time. Once we realise that, the past or the future release their hold on us (our minds).

Real unity is to understand and appreciate the innate unity beneath the apparent diversity. All matter is just different forms of energy just as all colors belong to the same electromagnetic spectrum. Thus every thing is energy and vibration. That is unity, called by so many names (God, Allah, Para Brahma,...) and has all the names and no name. Sai Ram.

Sai Ram. These insights come by the grace of God / Guru who is Zero! In Hinduism, we refer to that as Nirguna Para Brahma. Nirguna means without the Gunas, characteristics, attributes, properties that differentiate one from another. White light has all the colors and no color. Similarly Zero has all the Gunas and no Gunas. Once we cross the mind / ego, we enter that no-mind state where every one and every thing is a part of you and you of course are a part of every thing else too and are yet apart! Zero is in every number and is yet separate from all of them and is also the sum total of all of them. A wonderful thing indeed. Discovery of Zero was one of the greatest gifts of Hindus to humanity like Vedas and Upanishads!

About Number Line and Negativity:

Sai Ram. Here are a few thoughts about negativity and number line, mirrors etc. I sent these to a friend and am posting here for the perusal of all of you. I can't give you any source for these thoughts because they are the insights obtained by synthesis of several sources in my mind. The inputs came from science/maths, physics, spirituality etc. If the ideas resonate with you, use them. If not, just let them be.

Think of a straight line with zero at the centre and the positive numbers extending to the right hand side and the negative numbers to the left hand side of the zero. Now take any positive number for example, +10. Now think of a mirror at zero and you are standing at +10. You will see your reflection in the mirror behind at the same place that -10 would. You move closer and the image moves closer. You move farther and the image moves farther. But the image never disappears as long as you and the mirror are present.

Similarly if you were staying at -10, your image will be at +10. So, in a dualistic world, both positive and negative are bound to exist. Together they balance and add up to zero. In fact, zero is the 'mother / father' of all numbers. If you want to create a positive number, you need to necessarily create a negative number (its evil twin) and vice versa.

If you want to create a north pole, you also need to live with a south pole. If you need to work with a positve electric charge, you also need to take care of the negative charge. You will see light only because of shadows or because something absorbs light more or less compared to the surrounding object. You are reading this message because the background is white and the letters are dark. You could of course read it if the background is darker than the letters too, but if the background and the letters are identical, well, you can't read them. Then there is no background and no foreground!

Originally all creation was unipolar and unisex, undifferentiated. But to make itself more interesting and to enjoy the pleasure of uniting with it self, the One became many with opposing characteristics. The pleasure of sexual union is because of this innate tendency to become One again!

Pleasure is more enjoyable only after the pain. Cool shade is more enjoyable after being out in the scorching sun. Similarly the warmth of the fireside is so much more enjoyable after getting chilled to the bone and or getting soaked in rain.

Another interesting observation for you. The number to your right side is more positive than you and you are more positive than the number to your left side. For example, you are at +10 and your friend is at +11 and your enemy is at +9. Now, your friend is more positive than you and you are negative with respect to your friend.

Since the number line stretches from - infinity to + infinity, the position of zero is really not that important. You can shift it any where and still you will have an infinite number of points positive to its right and an infinite number of points negative to its left side. The concept of positive to the right side and the negative to the left side is by convention because most of us are right handed. The latin word for left handed is sinister and that means evil, dangerous in English now!

Water flows from a higher level to a lower level, electricity flows from a higher voltage to a lower voltage, similarly energy flows from a higher temperature to a lower temperature. Thus some thoughts elevate you and other thoughts sap you of your energy and similarly some thought forms (spirits) manifest themselves and try to take energy from you. If you are really open as a channel and if you are connected to the higher sources of energy, you will not feel depleted or threatened. If you are feeling that way, it just means that your ego is still active and is blocked somewhere!

Prayer and love opens the ego as a channel and allows the energy to flow smoothly. Till then, you should plug the outlet side so that you are not depleted. A good mantra acts both ways. It opens the input side and guards you at the output side as needed!

Blessings.

Sai Ram.

About Guru

The following is in response to a friend's question: Who is your Guru?

Sai Ram. I have many in the sense of learning from, but no one as far as receiving Mantra Deeksha is concerned. Lord Datttreya, Dakshnina Murthy, Siva, Vishnu, The Divine Mother Who goes by the names of Lalitha, Durga, Maha Kali, Maha Lakshmi, Maha Saraswati etc., Sage Narada who taught me about Bhakti through His Narada Bhakti Sutras, Prahlada, the Epitome of Bhakti, Shirdi Sai Baba, Ramana Maharshi, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Paramahamsa Yogananda, Satya Sai Baba, Adi Shankara and Shankaracharya of Hampi etc. are some of my Gurus!

Albert Einstein and other scientists who taught me that matter and energy are one are among my Gurus. My Gurus include Cosmologists who taught that the whole universe arose from a singularity, a point, a zero! The Hindu scriptures which talk of dark matter and dark energy albeit in different terms and Lord Sri Krishna who taught Gita are some more who are my Gurus.

Shri Veda Vyasa, who gave us the Sri Vishnu Sahasra Nama Stotra, which goes on expanding the definition of God, Sri Adi Shankara whose Nirvana Shatkam negates all the concepts of God, thus both reaching the same conclusion not so surprisingly are my Gurus! Sri Guru Gita, a part of Skanda Purana, which extols the greatness of Guru, Sri Guru Charitra, and Sri Sai Satcharitra are the books that taught me, Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnuh Guru Devo Maheswarah...

My parents, and my teachers in my school and college life who taught me many lessons, my brothers and other relatives, my friends and those who were some what inimical to me, all of them taught me important lessons.

I am reminded of the reply given by Lord Dattatreya in Avadhuta form when asked similarly by king Yadu. Pl. see the following link for a full version of that.

http://www.swamij.com/twenty-four-gurus.htm

When the lamp is ready to be lit, a lamp, spark or a torch comes along and lights it. That lamp or that spark is the Guru. When the disciple is ready, the Guru appears because the Guru represents the Higher Self that is always inside the heart of the disciple!

A stray neutron is enough to start a nuclear reaction in a reactor or set off a nuclear bomb that is critical. A neutron source is used only so that the thing works when you want it. Similarly when we are ready, the Guru comes. When the door is open, the light and the air come in.

Thanks for reading this patiently. Your comments are welcome. Sai Ram.

Welcome to Swamy's Blog

Sai Ram. Unlike other blogs meant for specific subjects, this blog is to share my thoughts on all subjects as they come up. Some of them may be published in my other blogs too as needed.

Keep checking.

Blessings.

Swamy