Hanging Faith

A huge bel stands tall at Shakti Peeth Temple, Delhi

Read more...

Bangla Sahib

Early morning prayer Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, New Delhi: Tired of hovering in crowded shopping malls of the city, I along with few of my friends decided to visit Gurudwara Bangla Sahib, Connaught place, Delhi.Iit was very peaceful experience, the whole place is very soothing and complete tonic to tired minds,
must visit if you get chance to visit this peace ful place.

Early Morning Bangla Sahib Gurudwara : Gurdwara Bangla Sahib, the biggest gurudwara in Delhi was at one time the bungalow of Raja Jai Singh Amber of Jaipur. In 1664, the eighth Sikh Guru Harkishan Dev resided here during his visit to Delhi. The Samovar situated in the compound is believed to be blessed by the guru and hence, it is held sacred by the sikhs. The gurudwara also has an art gallery and a hospital is situated in the building.

Corridor of Gurudwara early in the morning:

Religious relevance, One of the most auspicious religious places for Sikhs, Gurudwara Bangla Sahib is located along
Baba Khadag Singh Marg in Central Delhi area.This Gurdwara is associated with the Eighth Guru, Shri Guru Harkishan Sahib Ji. Guru Sahib was summoned by the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb, on the complaint of his elder brother, Ram Rai. After first refusing to come to Delhi, the young Guru decided on the visit when Raja Jai Singh offered to take care of his security.

The Legend The legend has it that the Guru blessed the water of a pond situated nearby as it received the virtues of curing people suffering from dreaded diseases like cholera and small pox. The tank exists even today, continues to be worshipped by the Sikhs. Also located within Gurudwara premises, is a magnificent museum-Baba Baghel Sing Museum.On reaching Delhi, the Guru stayed at the bungalow of Raja Jai Singh, the present site of the Gurdwara. However, he steadfastly refused to meet Aurangzeb. During this time, a cholera and smallpox epidemic swept Delhi. Without heed to his health, Guru Harkrishen went about serving the poor and the needy. As if he took over the sickness of the people of Delhi on himself, he contracted smallpox and breathed his last in March, 1664.

Reverence Hindus and Sikhs pay their respect to the memory of Guru Harkrishan, nominated as successor by the seventh Guru, Sri Har Rai. He passed away on October 6, 1661 A.D. When only a little over five year old, he had been tried and tested as a perfect fearless and fully illuminated soul.

About Gurudwara Management Committee Gurudwara Management Committee runs a hospital in the basement of the Gurudwara building. Besides, the Khalsa Girls School is located in the adjoining building. A tank 225 x 235 ft. with 18 ft. wide Parikarma and 12 ft wide varandah along its three sides has been constructed entirely with people's contribution and voluntary labour.

The Art Gallery The Art Gallery located in the basement of the Gurdwara is also very popular with visitors. They evince keen interest in the paintings depicting historical events connected with Sikh history. It is named after the Sikh General Sardar Bhagel Singh who supervised the construction of nine Sikh shrines in Delhi in 1783 during the time of Shah Alam II.

Read more...

Jama Masjid

Pigeons at the top of Jama Masjid: The Masjid-i Jahan-Namaa (Persian: مسجد جھان نما, the 'World-reflecting Mosque'), commonly known as the Jama Masjid of Delhi, is the principal mosque of Old Delhi in India and the largest mosque in Asia.. Commissioned by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, and completed in the year 1656 AD, it is one of the largest and best-known mosques in India. It lies at the origin of a very busy central street of Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk.

Read more...

Sufi's Delhi: Nizamuddin Dargah

Nizamuddin dargah(1562 AD), Delhi, India: How can one explain spiritual progress? What is it? What is it like? Spiritual progress is the changing of the point of view. Hazrat Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya (1238 - 3 April 1325) (حضرت خواجة نظام الدّین اولیا), also known as Hazrat Nizamuddin, was a famous Sufi saint of the Chishti Order in South Asia, an order that believed in respect for religious traditions and renunciation of worldly powers. He believed that pious action should be favored over religious worship.

Inside of the dargah:He died on the morning of 3 April 1325. His shrine, Nizamuddin Dargah is located in Delhi and the present structure was built in 1562. The shrine is visited by people of all faiths, through the year, thoughout it becomes a place for special congregation during the death anniversaries, or Urs, of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and Amir Khusro, who is also buried at the Nizamuddin Dargah.

Tour of the Dargah: The entry point to Nizamuddin area is marked by a traffic island with a blue-domed tomb known as Sabz Burj (sabz, green; burj, dome). The blue tiles
are reportedly a recent restoration effort, but some of the original green, yellow and blue tiles can still be seen on the walls.

Walls of the dargah: It has high recessed arches on all sides and a double dome covered with coloured tiles which gives it its name. Architecturally, the building probably belongs to the early Mughal period. Reportedly, the British used this building as a police station for many years till the beginning of the last century.

Sabz Burz : Even though it is right in the heart of Delhi, you can easily miss the little alley in the Nizamuddin area, closer to Humayun’s Tomb, where the mausoleums of Hazrat Nizammudin Auliya and his dearest disciple Amir Khusrau are located. We reached Mathura Road and headed for the street leading to the dargah On a working day, the usual throng of visitors was missing.I had arranged with a friend, Shamshad, who lives in the area, to use his contacts so that we could gather the maximum possible information about the shrines. We entered the street leading to the dargah area from New Delhi’s Mathura Road and found a distinctly medieval ambience: labyrinthine alleys, street-vendors, bazaars with cheap eateries, people selling caps, rosaries and religious posters.

The complex houses six important monuments:

1. The dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya
2. The tomb of Ataga Khan
3. The tomb of Maham Anga, the wet Nurse of King Akbar
4. The tomb of Amir Khusrau
5. The tomb of Jahanara
6. The Jamaat Khana Mosque.

Hazrat Khawaja Nizamuddin Auliya was born in 1238, in Badayun, Uttar Pradesh (East of Delhi), though at age five, after the death of his father, Ahmad Badayuni, he came to Delhi with his mother Bibi Zulekha. His biography finds mention in Ain-i-Akbari, a 16th century document written by Mughal Emperor Akbar’s vizier, Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak..

At the age of 20, in the year 1269, Nizamuddin went to Ajodhan (the present Pakpattan in Pakistan) and became a disciple of the Sufi saint Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakkar, commonly known as Baba Farid. Nizamuddin did not take up residence in Ajodhan but continued with his theological studies in Delhi while simultaneously starting the Sufi devotional practices and the prescribed litanies. He visited Ajodhan each year to spend the month of Ramadan in the presence of Baba Farid.

It was on his third visit to Ajodhan that Baba Farid made him his successor. Shortly after that, when Nizamuddin returned to Delhi, he received news that Baba Farid had expired.
Nizamuddin lived at various places in Delhi, before finally settling down in Ghyaspur, a neighborhood in Delhi undisturbed by the noise and hustle of city life. He built his Khanqah here, a place where people from all walks of life were fed, where he imparted spiritual education to others and he had his own quarters. Before long, the khanqah became a place thronged with all kinds of people, rich and poor alike.

Many of his disciples achieved spiritual height, including Shaikh Nasiruddin Muhammad Chirag-e-Delhi, and Amir Khusro, noted scholar/musician, and the royal poet of the Delhi Sultanate. He died on the morning of 3 April 1325. His shrine, Nizamuddin Dargah is located in Delhi , and the present structure was built in 1562. The shrine is visited by people of all faiths, through the year,

Besides believing in the traditional Sufi ideas of embracing God within this life (as opposed to the idea that such partial merger with God is possible only after death), by destroying the ego and cleansing the soul, and that this is possible through considerable efforts involving Sufi practices, Nizamuddin also expanded and practised the unique features introduced by past saints of the Chisti Sufi order in India.

These included:
Emphasis on renunciation and having complete trust in God.
The unity of mankind and shunning distinctions based on social, economic, religious status.
Helping the needy, feeding the hungry and being sympathetic to the oppressed.
Strong disapproval of mixing with the Sultans, the princes and the nobles.
Exhortation in making close contact with the poor and the downtrodden

Read more...

Lord Mahavir

Ahinsa sthal: -On the main Mehrauli road is a large statue 14 feet (4 meters high)of Lord Mahavira on a hillock.It was built in the 1980s on what used to be the Metcalfe Battery, a small lighthouse erected by Thomas Metcalfe in the 19th century. The area around the statue has been made into a park. Ahinsa Sthal in Hindi means area of peace. I took this picture from Mehrauli Archaeological Park

Read more...

Quwwat-ul-Islam (Might of Islam) Masjid

The Quwwat-ul-Islam Masjid can be a bewildering experience for those unfamiliar with its history. On one hand there is the beautiful, curvaceous Islamic calligraphy, the arabesque designs and then there are pillars with clearly pre-Islamic Hindu motifs. The reason is of course quite simple; the pillars were taken from the 27 temples of Qila Rai Pithora, the city of the Rajput king Prithviraj Chauhan. This in fact has been recorded by Qutub-ud-din in his inscriptions, who calls it the Jami Masjid (Friday Mosque) in his inscriptions.

The Construction of The Mosque The mosque was started in 1192 by Qutub-ud-din Aibak, the first ruler of the Slave Dynasty (called so because the founder was once a royal slave). It was finished four years later. However the masjid, much like the Qutub complex itself, never stopped growing and many subsequent rulers, like Altamash in 1230 and Alauddin Khalji in 1315, added their own bits to it.

The Exquisite Interiors As soon as you passing through the entrance (watch out for the steep steps) of the poetically beautiful Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque the intricately carved temple ceiling catches your eye. In front of you will be the spectacular courtyard of the mosque which is lined by the rows of the profusely adorned pillars talked about earlier on both sides. Hindu motifs, like tasseled ropes, bells, tendrils, cows and leaves, frolic all over the mosque. The very first indication of the Islamic character of the building come from the elegant pointed arches with curvaceous and serpentine calligraphy of texts from Quran in Arabic crowning them, towards the west of the mosque.

The Extension of The Structure Later Qutub-ud-din's son-in-law and successor, Altamash had the prayer hall screen extended, and added three more arches besides the original five. The difference between the two arches is interesting: the earlier arches are not really the 'true' arch which is such a hallmark of Islamic architecture, Altamash's arches were built by workmen from Afghanistan and are stylistically quite distinct. They use Islamic motifs such as geometrical shapes rather than naturalistic designs (which were frowned upon by the Muslim clergy) that Hindus used. Ala-ud-din Khalji added a courtyard to the mosquethe entrance to which is the amazing Alai Darwaza.In the mosque compound is the small but pretty tomb of Imam Zamim, who was the Imam (head priest) of the mosque during Sikander Lodi's (1488-1517) reign.

Read more...

Jai Hanuman

ShankatMochan- Jai Hanuman.At Shakti-peeth temple (Chattarpur Temole) by the side of the Mandapam, stands in splendor, the statue of Shree Hanuman (around 100 feet high), silently blessing the devotees.

Swastik- Symbol of Hinduism at 'Shakti Peeth', Chattarpur, New Delhi, India.“Hands off our sacred Swastika” must be the loudest roar of the followers of Vedic or Hindu Dharma and all its sects all over the world to save the divinity, purity, auspiciousness, serenity, prestige and position Swastika holds in human race, after the German members of European Parliament called for the total ban on the use of Swastika all over Europe in protest of Prince Harry’s provocation of international outrage by wearing Nazi outfits with a swastika arm band in a private fancy dress party. It is shocking and astonishing news for the lovers of Swastika, irrespective of their faiths, all over the world that the European parliament is in opinion of considering such a ban on this innocent symbol. What has Swastika done wrong? What is the crime of Swastika? Once the most popular, respected, beloved, revered and worshipped symbol of human being all over the world by all races and all faiths is facing socially, religiously and ethical discrimination in Christian dominated European Parliament.

Read more...

Merry Christmas

Wishing every one Merry Christmas & praying that peace and prosperity comes to each and everyone's life this christmas. God bless all

Read more...

Santa Claus is coming....

Read more...

Merry Christmas

Two thousand years ago the King of Kings was born.'
The Lamb of God' later made to feel the thorn,
If his words are accepted and not scorned,
They will make us all reborn.

Though God's grace, Joseph and Mary presented
A gift to the world that day,
which we can all repay,
by living the ten commandments each and every day.

Try to remember and keep in your heart and mind
Jesus's gospel while here on Earth,
Redemption not a life lived in constant mirth.
Peace on Earth, good will toward man
Everyone should try it, whenever they can.

The Lord gave us the option and choice of 'free will,
'Now it's up to us to fit the bill.

So when you’re Christmas shopping for family and friends,

and money is tight at both ends,
Remember that the greatest gift of all,
Is your love of Jesus in the manger stall.

Read more...

Christmas: Religion no bar

Christmas calls for celebrations in real terms. Here are a few non-Christians from North Delhi who are attending Midnight Masses and decking up the Christmas tree. If you thought Christmas is celebrated by only one community, then think again. There are numerous non-Christian families also who celebrate this popular festival with the same level of zeal and excitement. Midnight Masses on the eve of Christmas is what most of the North Delhiites get tempted to attend. The entire dramatization of the birth of Lord Christ is what fascinates people. Churches are usually crowded with lots of people queuing up to get inside and see the proceedings. "It’s really great to see so many candles lit up by the people; it’s just like the way people light so many diyas on Diwali. The best part of this Mass is that before the readings people sing jingles and hymns with candles in their hands. It’s just an amazing scene," says Deepti Bakolia with a twinkle in her eyes. Deepti gets her brother, Siddharth along to attend Special Mass on this eve. "Well, after all, a cuppa coffee and piece of Christmas cake are what I look forward to having as that’s really yummy," exclaims Siddharth.Though many might not be able to make it to the Midnight Mass in the church, they still celebrate it with a lot of vigour. Small little parties are organised at home on this day with families getting an opportunity to spend some time together. For Nupur Makhija, a financial analyst, from Shakti Nagar, it is more of a day for her to dress in red and white and have loads of fun with her friends and family members. Though she has attended the midnight service previously, now, due to her busy schedule, she is not able to make it to the church anymore. "Till the time I was in college, I used to have parties at my place and even decorate a Christmas tree. We still celebrate Christmas, with all of us involved in some or other activities. While my mother prepares special cake on this day, I take up the decoration part," says Nupur. Anup Thomas from Sector-13 Rohini finds it real fun to take his non-Christian friends along in the Church near Pitampura. "Now, for the last three years, my friends are coming regularly with me on 25," explains Anup.So, it’s not just the cookies, cakes and the jingling bells that have remained the centre of attraction for the non-Christian families of North Delhi; rather people have entered the premises of the church. They enjoy watching the birth of Jesus Christ and join their fellow Christians in the hymns.

Read more...

Santa Claus is coming

Meet the new-age Santa Claus brigade from West Delhi, who are here with some out-of-the-box goodies for West Delhiites
For us Christmas is the perfect time to make merry and hum jingles. But for Santa Claus, it’s the busiest time of the year. If we go by tradition then Santa makes a list of children throughout the world, categorizing them according to their behaviour and then delivers presents to them on Christmas Eve. WDP talks to some young Santa Claus in West Delhi to know what they are planning to gift West Delhiites this year. Free shopping coupons for all Gloria Saldanha from Janakpuri has already packed her bag with bundles of shopping coupons. “As Santa I will give discount coupons to all the West Delhiites. With these special coupons, they can shop with cool discounts not just in West Delhi markets but in any part of the world. This can be the best gift for West Delhiites who love shopping more than anything else,” says an excited Gloria.

I’ll gift flying cars to solve traffic messPraneet Singh has a fantastic idea to decongest roads in West Delhi. “Everyday, we waste so much time by just standing in the serpentine queues of vehicles on the city roads. As a Santa, I would exchange all the existing cars for new hi-tech models of cars that can fly so that there will be no problem of traffic jams on West Delhi roads. We can park these cars on the terrace of our homes and from there straightway head towards our office, colleges or for shopping,” shares Praneet. Magic broom for West Delhiites Another young Santa, Ankur Gautam thinks the best gift for West Delhiites would be a magic broom, which will make the city squeaky clean. “All the garbage would disappear and roads, lanes and footpaths would be unimaginably clean. That magic broom would also be helpful for the civic agencies responsible for cleaning the city as MCD workers hardly prefer to work with their ordinary broom,” says Ankur.No more office rush in the morning Tanya Singh believes that the level of stress and tension is increasing day by day in everyone’s life. As a Santa, her priority would be to give all West Delhiites some peace of mind. “No more early morning office or classes, as I will change the timings for everything. Office and schools will start at 12’o clock and will continue till four in the evening. Then it will be mandatory for everyone to go to a sports club, restaurant or park for recreation. No one will be allowed to go home directly. Free ice-creams and chocolates would also be provided to everyone before leaving office or school,” quips this young Santa.4 - A special ChristmasBhangra carolsAlways ready to shake a leg, West Delhiites just need an excuse to enjoy and Christmas is just the perfect time to create that rocking fusionThe perfect cuisineFrom Plum cake to chicken tandoori, the menu is just perfect. And, with restaurants coming out with special festive offers, it’s time to relish in a typical West Delhi styleSanta on a SUVWaiting for Santa to come in West Delhi? Of course he will come. Just keep your eyes open on West Delhi roads and you might spot a Santa Claus on a speeding SUVFestive ShoppingWith all the major markets already decked up, Christmas shopping is whole lot of fun here. And, don’t forget to bargain for a nice discount.

Read more...

Make a wish

When the gods wish to punish us, they answer our prayers.

Kalpa Vriksha (Wish Tree) at Shakti Peeth, Chattarpur, in South Delhi

Read more...

Visit to Shakti Peeth/ Adya Katyayani

Delhi, the seat of power of consecutive dynasties, has inherited a majestic legacy of some of the most astounding architectural edifices in the form of temples, mosques, gurdwaras, churches, monuments, etc. As the capital of India this multi cultural city, is looked upon as a complete confluence of the traditional and the modern.Although all religious places have an equal reverence, there is something distinctive about the Shree Adya Katyayani Shaktipeeth Mandir, popularly known as Chattarpur Mandir, which is located four kms away from the famous Qutab Minar in South Delhi. The Shaktipeeth was established to pay homage to the omnipotent and omniscient Bhagwati Maa Katyayani (Goddess Katyayani is the sixth avtaar of Goddess Durga) and its architectural splendour blends harmoniously with the religious activity on its premises. The construction of the Chattarpur Temple, one of the most visited temples and a wonder of architecture was started in 1974. The Shaktipeeth designed to the last detail under the passionate and skilful guidance of Baba, started taking shape and devotees started gathering around him. Baba’s charismatic personality and compassionate nature aided by his straight forward message of removing the veil of superstition and ignorance from the minds of the common man had a great effect on the masses of the area. Baba’s mission to reveal to them the Sanaatan Dharma in its true and undistorted form with a view to spread the message of brotherhood, tolerance and patriotism attracted more and more people, who were willing to provide not only the financial support but also the physical labour required for building of the temple.

With The Divine Mother’s grace, plots were purchased in phases (in some cases, some of the devotees gifted their small land holdings), all charges paid for along with requisite registration.
While the construction of the temple complex was progressing, Baba’s “Matri Parivar”, as he called the devotees, grew at a phenomenal pace. The Shaktipeeth soon became a popular place of pilgrimage, which devotees from all over the world started visiting and this tiny unknown village soon became a mini temple - town.Baba was totally averse to personal glorification of any kind. As a result, nowhere in the temple precincts can one find any placard, label or indication mentioning any individual for contributions. Narrow considerations of colour, caste, creed, region, social and economic status, etc have no place in the temple precincts. The rich, the mighty, the poor, the down trodden all sit together, worship and eat together, as children of the Benevolent Mother.

The architecture of the temple bears the stamp of the South Indian style of construction which is distinticvtively attractive. The priest on duty very kindly tied an ‘angrakshak” thread around our wrists and after passing through a huge hall ornamented with some awesome architectural designs, we reached close to the deities made of silver, paid our obeisance and were taken to the massive dining hall, where thousands of the devotees are seated and fed at one time. We were also shown the spacious kitchens, where food is cooked, first offered to Maa Annapurna and then distributed amongst the devotees as “prasada”. We were told that on the days of full moon (Purnima), all the days of Navratras, festival days (Shivratri, Janamashtami, Guru Purnima, etc) and on some special occasions, free meals are served in the dining hall. Don’t be surprised if I tell you that on each day of the Navratras, more than one lac visitors are served food. You can imagine the magnanimity of the stupendous effort behind these arrangements.

Any commercial activity or profit motive in any of the activities or services in the Shaktipeeth were totally banned by Baba. The worshippers are not required to pay any thing for devotional service (Pooja), nor are the priests permitted to accept anything for themselves or for the temple. The authorities encourage voluntary donations only in the form of cheques, drafts or credit card transfers. No one is authorised to take cash. Those who wish to give offerings in cash have to drop them in the donation boxes kept at various places to ensure the voluntary character and anonymity. These boxes are opened in the presence of a specified number of committee members and duly accounted for. I was amazed to learn that despite the fact that large sums were required for the construction and upkeep of the Shaktipeeth, just before the commencement of Navratras, Baba used to send offerings to other temples for construction, renovation work. We were told that Baba provided financial and technical help not only to the temples like Jwala ji, The Chintpoorni Temple, Kangra ji, Baijnath, but also sent contributions to some of the well known Muslim places of worship. No wonder then Baba was revered not only by the Hindus but also by the followers of other faiths.
While the construction of temple was progressing and the throng of devotees was multiplying, the unending hard work started telling on Baba’s health. I was told that by the beginning of 1993, Baba had to be given oxygen for long durations and thereafter constantly. It was only through Ma Durga’s grace that despite such serious ailments, Baba, moving about a wheel chair, kept on monitoring the growth of the temple, till he breathed his last on mid night between December 15 and 16, 1998.The architecture of the temple bears the stamp of the South Indian style of construction which is distinticvtively attractive. The priest on duty very kindly tied an ‘angrakshak” thread around our wrists and after passing through a huge hall ornamented with some awesome architectural designs, we reached close to the deities made of silver, paid our obeisance and were taken to the massive dining hall, where thousands of the devotees are seated and fed at one time. We were also shown the spacious kitchens, where food is cooked, first offered to Maa Annapurna and then distributed amongst the devotees as “prasada”. We were told that on the days of full moon (Purnima), all the days of Navratras, festival days (Shivratri, Janamashtami, Guru Purnima, etc) and on some special occasions, free meals are served in the dining hall. Don’t be surprised if I tell you that on each day of the Navratras, more than one lac visitors are served food. You can imagine the magnanimity of the stupendous effort behind these arrangements.
After passing through the “Yagyashala” (perhaps the biggest I have seen), where havans are performed everyday during the Navratras and on all the Sundays, we went to the main temple complex. At the entrance, there is a “Kalpa Vriksha”, planted by Baba at the time of Bhoomi Poojan. Devotees tie colored threads and bangles on the branches of this colorful and decorated tree. The common belief is that by tying threads and bangles the desires of the individuals will be fulfilled. A small information–cum-reception centre is located by the side of decorated tree. Seeing the huge marvel of architecture in front of us, reflecting different architectural styles of the various regions of the country and not knowing where to start, we decided to take the help of the Reception Officer. He very kindly briefed us about the various temples and at our request agreed to send a volunteer, who would take us around and provide the requisite information. We were heading towards the white marble buildings offset by lush greenery, which transported us to a different realm altogether. The main shrine, with its ‘vimanas’ and ‘gopurams’ appeared to be transmitting poetry in stone.
We entered a large hall in the Shiva Mandir, which houses the statues of Shree Sankatmochan Hanuman, Ram Darbar consisting of Lord Shree Ram along with his consort, Sita and younger brother Lakshman and their inseparable devotee Shree Hanuman ji sitting at his feet. The last section mounted the deities of Lord Krishna and Radha ji. After paying our obeisance there, we climbed up the spiral stair case to enter the magnificent white marbled temple of Mother Goddess Maa Durga in the form of Ma Katyayani. The attending priest told the devotees the various forms of Shakti, the Mother Goddess, who was commonly referred to as Sati, Parvati, Devi, Kali, Durga and Katyayani. Shakti was the wife of Lord Shiva and the goddess of wisdom. She helped guide Shiva in his sacred tasks and decisions. While the priest was describing the powers of the goddess, for a minute a thought came to my mind relating to the contribution of the women in most of the Indian households, where their guidance and support alone is virtually responsible for the smooth running of the household affairs.
Although it would be relevant to talk about the various forms of Divine Mother, owing to space constraints, I will restrict my description to Ma Katyayani only. According to the legend, there was a great sage called Kata. His son was known as Katya. In his lineage, Katyayana became a sage of worldwide repute. He practised austere penance for several years in order to propitiate the Mother Goddess. He cherished a keen desire to have the Goddess in the form of his daughter. The Divine Mother was pleased to accede to his request.
After sometime when the high-handedness of a demon called, Mahishasura became unbearable, the Trinity of gods – Vishnu, Brahma and Shiva got infuriated and they created a goddess by apportioning to her some part of their splendour with a view to destroy the demon. The popular belief is that since the sage Katyayana had the first privilege to worship her, she was called Katyayani.In the temple, two forms of Goddess Durga are commemorated. One shrine, located on the first floor, is dedicated to Maha Gauri (form of Durga), which is open for ‘darshan’ every day. Another shrine is dedicated to Goddess Katyayani (also known as Mahishasur-mardini), where the devotees are allowed only on the day of ‘ashtami’ in each month. It is only during the Navratras that the ‘darshan’ of Goddess Katyayani can be had throughout the nine days.
During the time of Navratras, housands of people throng the temple. To control such massive crowds of devotees, Markandeya Mandapam serves as a holding area for the large crowds who pour in round the clock to have the darshan of the Divine Mother. From the parking lot itself they form into a line that passes through the Mandapam in channelized pathways and then to the subway (to safely cross the crowded main road) from where they enter the main Temple complex.
The image of Katyayani Devi is placed in a big hall, which can also be reached from the hall of prayers. The gilded image of Goddess Katyayani is always dressed in rich clothes with striking jewellery and elaborate garland of flowers. The golden image of Katyayani attracts the attention of devotees with its huge size and sheer divinity
Beside of the temple of Katyayani Devi, there are two rooms that are meant to be the Goddess’ rooms. The magnificent living room has tables and chairs made of silver, while the other room regarded as the ‘Shayan Kaksha’ (Bed Room), has a bed, dressing table and table, all made of silver. Besides their contribution in the field of education and medical facilities, the Shaktipeeth has contributed generously towards social causes during the Kargil war and other national catastrophes. earby attractions include Alai-Darwaza, Quwwatul-Islam Mosque - built by Qutubuddin Aibak, in the Qutub Minar complex right in front of the Minar, the famous 1500 years old Iron Pillar, located in the same complex, Alai Minar - a victory tower made of red sandstone, the mosque and the tomb of Iltutmish - built in 1235 by Shamsu’d-Din Iltutmish. On a clear day, on the way back from the temple, these places are well worth a visit.

Read more...

Happy Eid-Ul-Zuha

A kid out side Old Delhi shop
Another one see the crowd

Girls put heena on the occassion of Eid

The Jama Masjid, the Friday congregational mosque, in Delhi is the largest and one of the most glorious mosques in India. It was the last architectural extravaganza of the Mughal Emperor, Shahjahan built in the year 1656 AD with the help of 5,000 craftsmen. It was made across the road from the Red Fort. The mosque is also known as Masjid-I-Jahanuma, which means 'mosque commanding view of the world'.

Holy Quran of the Prophet The mosque faces west. Its three sides are covered with open arched colonnades, each having a lofty tower-like gateway in the centre. The mosque is about 261 feet (80 m) long and 90 feet (27 m) wide, and its roof is covered with three domes with alternate stripes of black and white marble, with its topmost parts covered with gold. Two lofty minarets, 130 feet (40 m) high, and containing 130 steps, longitudinally striped with white marble and red sandstone, flank the domes on either side. The mosque has the capacity to hold as many as 25,000 devotees. The Lal Qila or the Red Fort stand towards the east of the mosque.
The Jama Masjid was designed as the main mosque of Shahjahan. It stands on one of the two hills, Bho Jhala in the Mughal capital, Shahjahanabad. The mosque has three gateways, four towers and two minarets. It is constructed with alternate use of vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble. The white marble has been used extensively in the three domes and has been inlaid with stripes of black. The structure was situated on a high platform so that its magnificent facade would be visible from all the neighboring areas. The main prayer hall on the west is decorated by a series of high cusped arches, which stand on 260 pillars. These pillars support 15 marble domes at various elevations. The imposing gateways are approached through a broad flight of steps in the north and the south. The hallmarks of this famous mosque are the wide staircases and arched gateways

Read more...

Pathways to the Spirit

How can science provide us with pathways to the spirit when we are living in the modern age of the brain? Today, the majority of scientific materialists, which include most psychologists, neurologists and psychiatrists, believe that anything we call mental or spiritual is merely a by-product of biochemical processes taking place in the brain. For them, the spirit or soul is merely an illusion - it simply doesn't exist. For other scientists however, consciousness and the spiritual self are not regarded as illusory epiphenomenona but rather something that transcends the physical brain altogether.

So if the soul or spiritual self is something other than a by-product of brain activity, then what is it? Spirit is generally described as an indwelling animating force present within all living things, associated with mind, will and feeling and responsible for one's sense of personal identity as a spiritual being and immortal soul. Within the context of Christian theology it is part of the trinity, called the holy ghost, while parapsychologist usually regard it as an indwelling nonlocal consciousness which is nonphysical in nature and therefore capable of mentally transcending many normal limitations of physical space and time, as well as surviving the demise of the physical body. In this article we will examine two different scientific pathways to the spirit provided by prominent research biologists and quantum physicists who have rediscovered an ancient truth - that the indwelling spirit is present in the physical world actively participating in its enfoldment. The Biology of the Spirit
Gregory Mendel (1822-1884), an Augustian monk who lived in Brunn Austria, discovered the fundamental biological laws governing heredity by breeding pea plants in his monastery garden. He crossed varieties and species of plants, carefully observing the physical characteristics of the hybrids that he produced. His conclusions, based on his discovery that physical traits are genetically inherited, were published in 1865 in an obscure scientific journal, which to his surprise attracted practically no attention. It wasn't until 1900 that Mendel's discovery resurfaced again, when Hugo DeVries, Erich Von Tsohermark and Carl Correns, working independently, duplicated Mendel's experiments and corroborated his findings.

Today, based on Mendel's materialist genetic theory, all living things are merely regarded as biochemical machines entirely programmed by their genes. Living organisms are regarded as nothing more than complicated collections of organic particles, blindly pushed and pulled by its neighbors. Richard Dawkins describes living things, including ourselves, as nothing more than automatons or 'gene machines'. Thus one's biological fate is sealed as it entirely predetermined, unalterably recorded in their genes.

The independent existence of mind and spirit are no longer recognized as they are considered to be merely epiphenomenona created by biochemical processes taking place within the physical body. Now, geneticists have gone even further, claiming that it is not only physical characteristics that are inherited but all psychological traits including abnormal behavioral as well. Whether it be an inherited disposition to acquiring a particular disease, a health problem, or a tendency to abnormal behavior such as lying, stealing or homosexuality, one can always opt out of any personal responsibility for their condition or behavior by claiming that it is not their fault - that they get it from their genes!

One of the problems with conventional genetics is the kind of language generally used to describe biochemical processes. If genetic material is composed of inert molecules of protein and amino acids, how can they possibly contain a 'memory' of coded genetic information? We cannot legitimately describe biochemical processes by appealing to subjective terms as if matter had mental qualities - a concept which biologists have already rejected.

If the brain is a blob of matter and consciousness is merely an epiphenomenona created by its activity, then how can we claim that the right side of the brain 'appreciates music', or imply that inert chemical molecules are aware of their environment and can intelligently respond to it. We can't attribute to physical matter subjective characteristics that belong to mind unless it really does posses those characteristics. And this is the crux of the problem; what if matter really does have mental characteristics that most biologists are unwilling to recognize?

According to molecular biologists the primary necessity of living things is to reproduce themselves through genetic duplication and DNA is perceived as being the physical blueprints required for the reproduction of the species - but who is there to read those blueprint? If these genetic blueprints are merely comprised of different forms of inert, unintelligible molecules, then how do we explain how a plant is able to successfully develop without the presence of some form of intelligence to inform and guide the complex biological processes involved in its development? The belief that blind biochemical processes can accomplish this miracle is entirely unwarranted.

The Psychogenetic Revolution
I recently obtained a copy of Dr. Bruce Lipton's book: The Biology of Belief, which has finally substantiated my long-held belief that there is something drastically wrong with the current scientific theory of genetics. As a result of his extensive research in cell research, he has literally turned the scientific world up-side-down with his revolutionary approach to a new biological theory he calls epigenetics.

Dr. Lipton is certainly well qualified to lead such an important revolution. He began his career as a cell biologist, receiving his PhD. Degree from the University of Virginia at Charlottesville before joining the Department of Anatomy at the University of Wisconsin's School of Medicine in 1973. Between 1987 and 1992, while conducting basic research at Stanford University's School of Medicine, he achieve an important breakthrough in the study of cellular behavior which seriously challenges the validity of the conventional genetic theory that is so widely accepted by biologists today.

In our search for pathways to the spirit, Dr Lipton has discovered a very important one that will help us understand how the mind and spirit participate in the enfoldment of all living things. In what remains of this section on the Biology of the Spirit I would like to summarize Dr. Lipton's findings and would encourage you to visit his website at www.brucelipton.com.

Some of the insights that Dr. Lipton's research reveals includes the following:
1.The body is not a mechanical device but depends on the participation of mind and spirit. Although every cell is a free-living entity capable of surviving on its own, the body's collective cellular community works together responding to the intentions and wishes of the controlling voice - the mind and spirit. These messages that we mentally send to our cells, including our particular unconscious beliefs and the way we perceive the world around us, directly influences our genetic programming and physically affecting our well-being. For example, habitual negative thinking or prolonged chronic stress are so debilitating that they are able to over-ride healthy genetic programming resulting in many forms of organic dysfunction and disease.

2. Conventional thinking among most biologists continue to entertain the concept of 'genetic determinism' which is the theory that the nucleus of the cell containing genetic material is the commanding center or all cellular activity and is in complete charge of the development of a living organism. But Lipton has demonstrated that once the genetic material in the cell's nucleus is removed it continues to survive for several months. In the absence of any genetic material the cell is still able to maintain its metabolism, digest food, excrete waist, breathe and respond to its immediate environment. As Dr. Lipton has concluded: the fact that a cell maintains a successful and integrated life in the absence of genes reveals that they are not the 'brain' or controlling center of the cell. In actuality, genes cannot be the controlling center of cellular activity as they have no way of chemically turning themselves on or off. What then does turn genetic activity on and off, thus controlling all cellular activity?

3. Dr. Lipton made the revolutionary discovery that it is the membrane surrounding the cell, which provides a perceptual interface with its environment, that is actually the controlling center of cellular activity. This outer membrane of the cell has previously been regarded as being a passive, semi-permeable barrier, whose primary function was to contain the cytoplasm. But it has been discovered that this outer cellular membrane has receptors and effectors capable of monitoring and responding to signals in its surrounding environment. In other words, it has the perceptual capability of being consciously aware of changing conditions in its environment, with the capacity of responding accordingly. But an even more revolutionary discovery is that we are not helpless victims of our genetic inheritance. Because we are continually interactively communicating with these outer membranes surrounding the millions of cells that comprise our physical body, we can alter our genetic programming by changing our beliefs, intentions, and the particular way we perceive reality.

Such a discovery immediately frees us from the dominating fear that is normally associated with the materialistic doctrine of genetic determinism, providing us with an awareness of how we can intentionally begin to participate both mentally and emotionally in influencing our biological well-being. In addition, Lipton's theory of epigenetics ushers in a new age of enlightenment - a biology of the spirit that provides us with an important path that each of us can follow in discovering our spiritual nature that is intimately interwoven within the very cellular structure of our biological world.

Quantum Physics and the Sacred
Does Quantum physics also provide us with a pathway to the spirit? Dr. Lawrence W. Fagg, a retired research professor in nuclear physics originally associated with The Catholic University of America believes so; a conclusion resulting from his thirty-five years of pioneering research exploring the quantum frontier between spirit and matter. His revolutionary findings were published in a book entitled: Electromagnetism and the Sacred, in 1999.

Dr. Fagg's general thesis is that the material world is electromagnetic in nature and that its interactions, which underlie the very fabric of our experiential world, from rocks and planets to minds and living organisms, all depend on the activity of virtual photons which are the 'messenger particles' for the electromagnetic force responsible for the formation of the physical world.

Every form of electromagnetic radiation is composed of photons, both real and virtual. Real photons, which are observable and can be measured, are responsible for illuminating the world around us. They are produced in various ways, for example, when charged particles are accelerated or when electrons collide. Virtual photons on the other hand, are not observable or measurable, yet they play a vital role in constraining electrons to specific orbital paths surrounding the nucleus of an atom thereby providing a stabilizing force required for structuring and sustaining the existence of the many different kinds of molecules that comprise our physical world. Without the active participation of virtual photons there would be no electromagnetic interactions and consequently no physical world at all.

As all electromagnetic phenomenon are essentially different forms of light, Dr. Fagg believed that the creative role of light in manifesting physical reality reflects the wisdom of sacred scripture and religious beliefs which have persistently claimed down through the centuries - that God is light. He wondered if there really was a meaningful connection between electromagnetism and God's immanence within the nature of things. But if that were the case, then we should expect to find an all-pervasive intelligence actively present within quantum phenomena itself, and that is exactly what we do find!

Quantum Action-at-a-Distance
The concept of nonlocality, or 'action-at-a-distance' was first proposed in 1935 by Albert Einstein, Boris Podolsky and Nathan Rosen, which has since become know as the EPR paradox. This was originally a 'thought experiment' which involved sending twin particles off in separate directions, each with its own spin. If one was spinning to the left the other would have to spin to the right. Now, assuming that these spinning particles were separated by a vast distance, what would happen if an experimenter suddenly changed the spin of one of the particles? Would the other particle become aware of this change and alter its own spin in the opposite direction?

Alain Aspect, a French physicist, was able to successfully perform the EPR experiment in 1982 and found that twin quantum particles did in fact communicate with each other at a speed greater than the velocity of light, compensating for any abrupt change in polarization or direction of spin. The question now is, how do we propose to explain this exchange of information?

First of all, orthodox quantum mechanics in its original form was not capable of explaining this type of mental phenomena. Since the inception of quantum mechanics by Heisenberg and Bohr, consciousness had been completely excluded from the physical universe. Bohm, an American physicist, later introduced his theory of the 'quantum potential' which postulated fields of active information in terms of 'pilot waves' and 'back action', which provided a workable model for understanding the relationship existing between quantum energy and the distant communication between particles in the EPR experiment.

For David Bohm, a particle rather than just being causally influenced by mechanical forces, is always accompanied by a pilot wave which informs and guides it. The idea of 'active information' is that the pilot wave, which has very little energy itself, uses the information it has to directly influence or control the much greater energy possessed by the particle. According to his concept of 'back action' quantum information is also constantly fed back from the particle to the pilot wave, which then revises the information it has accordingly. Like a pilot controlling the incredible power of a jumbo-jet, information is conveyed from the plane’s instruments according to a mental choreography in which the plane and the pilot interact, giving it the semblance of a living object that is sensitive and responsive to changing conditions in its environment. It is this same kind of scenario that is taking place on the quantum level.

According to Bohm, in order to understand this interaction taking place between an informed particle, its pilot wave and the objective environment, including the presence of an observer, all these elements must be viewed in their undivided wholeness. The humble particle, like other living things, is not entirely subject to chaotic mechanical forces but rather through the presence of consciousness provided by the quantum pilot wave which accompanies it, it is able to participate to a degree in its own self determination. For further information on Bohm's contributing to the development of quantum theory, there are two books that are well worth reading: Wholeness and the Implicate Order by David Bohm, and Infinite Potential: the life and times of David Bohm by F. David Peat.

As physical reality is comprised of quantum electromagnetic energy, we need to finally recognize the fact that ordinary matter exhibits a nonlocal, rudimentary level of consciousness that is able to transcend the physical limitations of time and space such as the ultimate speed of light, which is approximately 186,000 miles a second. Through time, these pilot waves or quantum fields of awareness associated with matter have slowly evolved to progressively higher functional biological levels of consciousness and at each level there is a proportionately higher degree of complexity and response, such as we find in living organisms.

As quantum electromagnetic energy manifesting as our experiential world is simply different manifestations of light, we are in a position to appreciate Dr Fagg's revolutionary insight into the relationship that he has found to exists between electromagnetism and the sacred. Both Lawrence Fagg and David Bohm have provided invaluable insights regarding the nature of an important pathway to the spirit which is actively present at the very deepest levels of the quantum world.

Read more...

Consciousness stirs creative expression

Consciousness pervades everything ranging from the smallest to the largest existing particle in matter to every living and non-living thing.Consciousness is really a divine force unifying the entire universe. The all-pervading Brahmn is nothing but that which binds us together; it is testimony of oneness with the supreme power of consciousness, God. 'Kan, Kan Me Bhagwan' ^ God is present in every particle howsoever small ^ is a popular household belief in the subcontinent. Kalidasa has repeatedly tried to reveal consciousness in clouds and rivers in his Mahakavya or great work of poetry, the 'Meghadutam'. English poets like Wordsworth, Shelly and Keats have echoed similar sentiments, their poems replete with personifications of nature, often emotional in recognising the consciousness omnipresent in their natural surroundings. Hindi poets like Jai Shankar Prasad and Sumitra Nandan Pant also have drawn a lot of inspiration from consciousness hidden in Nature. In biology it is said that a 'flagella motor' within the bacterial cell is using around 30 moving parts to rotate at around hundred thousand revolutions per minute. Further in the world of chemistry if one analyses chemical reactions one can only wonder the way these react with atoms of each element forming myriad compounds present in the universe as though self-driven. In the biological domain too new cells and bacteria continue to get formed that in turn collaborate or destroy each other to create yet new biological kingdoms. This could be an indicator of consciousness present in every small part of matter.

In the Vedas and the Upanishads, this unifying consciousness of living and non-living in Sanskrit is called Maha-tattva. This divine energy according to Vedic philosophy is present in the entire universe. The division of this Maha-tattva between the material world and the living is known as Pradhana and Sit-Shakti. Pradhana is the unconscious separated energy of material space while 'Sit-Shakti' is the conscious energy, which includes the individual spiritual soul and universal consciousness of God. Maha-tattva is thus a dynamic combination of these two basic energies of the Supreme.

The Upanishads call this energy as Brahmn and Atman in two forms. Radhakrishnan in his commentary on the Upanishads says that Brahmn is the ultimate reality and is the eternal quiet underneath the drive and activity of the universe while Atman is the foundation reality underlying the conscious powers of the individual in the human soul. In order to explain the eternal character of this ultimate reality Brahmn, the Upanishads raise the question: What is that reality which remains identical and persists through change?

Are mind and matter different? In Vedanta both mind and matter are considered to be the by-products of an underlying field of consciousness. The individual mind refers to the individual consciousness of the spiritual soul, whereas the external matter refers to the universal consciousness of the Supreme Being. Individual consciousness and the consciousness of the Supreme being pervade the whole of material creation.

All Creation including flowers, butterflies or any material objects in nature are the result of the underlying consciousness in nature and material world. With humility, accept divine power and get rid of human arrogance and Ahankaar and our false sense of superiority over other creatures and material domain all of which are the result of the same Maha-tattva.

Read more...

Enigma or Confusion

Years ago, through a kind Jyotish lover and friend, I was introduced to astrology and discovered a lot of kindred spirits. Some were into Jyotish, others were writers and poets and many more who were and still are just wonderful human beings. Over the years some of them shared their joys and sorrows, their successes and occasional failures too. Much changes in our lives over time and even our perception changes.To me, Jyotish has been a very interesting experience which recently I tried to capture in something I posted on one of my favorite internet mystic haunts! I share it with a wider and different readership here:Suddenly the teenager vagabonding about (now called 'chilling' I believe?) halted in his tracks! It was like very very early in the morning, brahma muhurta which his pureitanical parents had tried to impress upon him and inculcate into him the good habit of being up and about if he were to ever amount to anything, spiritually speaking, that is! Like most teenagers that really go for it with what serves their needs and strikes their fancy, this one too took that as the signal. He just overdid a bit. In order to be there at this “brahma muhurta party”, he stayed up all night, just in case! Teenage-souls can do that you know! Like learning Jyotish by themselves and successfully.
Now mind you, this TRUE tale comes from safer times when streets even at those early hours were truly safe and the bad elements just did not exist because there was a VERY SERIOUS and SINCERE chowkidar who kept patroling on his Hercules cycle painted deep green and sounding the human siren every so often, "Jaagtey RAHO!". Most villagers thought of Mishrajee as just a big nuiscence! “Now who in their right mind would ever come and rob us poor people? We barely have adequate barley, to speak of!”

Grumble and whine they did but no one dared to speak up to Misirjee, the Sipaheeji! Especially on the weekend, only SUNDAY back then and not the saturday-sunday that soft developed nation city dwellers now enjoy and would die for if it were to be taken away from them! Anyway, when Misir jee was seen waxing his Hercules mobile every so often, diligently going inch by inch over its deep green steely sheen and once in a while passing his waxy fingers (no protective gloves used in those days, folks!) over his symbol of manliness, his huge moustache which over the years was turning more grey than shiny perhaps due to the carnuba wax which though great on steel may not be equally forgiving upon human hair! ANYWAY the point was that at that point NO ONE dared to speak to him and passed by him with bowed heads and truly 'feigned' deference. Even the teenager who was just minutes ago tossing little rocks at the guava trees in Phalbaag. Even Misrajee knew all that and emitted an almost inaudible 'humph!' grunt and kept polishing his chariot of steel!

His reverie broken, the teenager's thoughts moved from useless reflections about Misir jee and the village folks and sleeplessness (The last one being not really a big problem!) to the mysterious, hazy bag that he could see from a distance. The bag was moving and seemed to be alive! Wonderstruck and afraid, the teenager stalled! His eyes growing wider and his young heart missing a beat or two, and not for the same reason as it did earlier when he saw his new lady teacher who would be teaching them math (!), but finally his youthful curiosity overpowered his fear. Gingerly, and carefully (whatever that word means to a teenager!) he proceeded, his heart racing wildly now! "Where is that blasted Misirjee when you really need him?", he thought for a fleeting juvenile scared moment! "Probably waxing his ...!". Teenagers can be so rude and wild when they let their imaginations run! JESUS!!

As he inched closer, the amorphous grey cloud of a bag became clearer even in the dim ethereal pre-dawn of brahma muhurta! Teenagers have such clearer visions even when it is dark! Don't you just hate that? They have so much going in their favor, so much vitality, so much promise, so much of everything, including longevity!

The 'bag' groaned! The teenager could now see that it was a very old woman. Her hair disheveled, body wrapped in a cocoon of old rags, newspapers and all kinds of insulating filth. If he was not so insensitive to smells (ever wonder how teenagers can dab so much perfume and deodorants and not swoon from it all?), he would probably have detected the distinct rot of death and decay. "How may I help you, grandma?" the kind at heart, well-raised youth asked. She smiled and said, "Beta, you shall carry me through your soul, always!". Suddenly, the youth realized that there was no one around, no bags no old woman. But there was this sense of heaviness within his inner self, not a burden-like heaviness but this sense of knowledge, or knowing what will happen next! And he was right! For within seconds he heard the shrill monotone, "Jaagtey raho!"

REALITY as he had always known was back. But was it really back?

MA GIVE ME eyes to see, a mind to understand what the eyes see, and a heart to keep the eyes and mind alive and engaged in serving YOU FOREVER.

The above signature line that I use when I post something on serious and sincere Jyotish forums, has always been a prayer of mine to the Mother Goddess of attainment and Mercy. When Jupiter moved into Sagittarius from Scorpio few months ago, I had written about the old Brahmin as he moved through a gandanta as the junction of water signs and fire signs have been called by some. Gandantas are way up in the FEAR scale with Kalsarpa yoga, sade sati of Saturn, badhakas, balarishtas, mangal dosha and mrityu bhaga. So much fear has been introduced into the great unwashed, in certain human minds and cultures that when the things get even slightly tough, the tough stop trying and get praying!

Recently we have witnessed an onslaught of yet another return to fundamentalist ways and thinking, puritanical views and almost a return to superstition that has been witnessed globally. Some of it has been the contribution of some decades of increasing cult-like mentality even when it pertains to Jyotish through their magical remedies and poojas and what not about which I have written again and again. Truth be told there has never really been in the last several decades, maybe longer any quality control in Jyotish. The recently in news Maharshi Mahesh Yogi (popularly referred to as MMY) and his camp had been vocally concerned about this and therefore over the decades past had proceeded to ‘Brand’ some of the Indian cultural items and learnings. Thus we hear of Maharshi Ayurveda and Maharshi TM (meditation) and also Maharshi Jyotish, all trademarked products and brand names!

http://www.india-today.com/iplus/1998_4/maharishi.html

The Maharshi’s simple message had always been: Live in Nature, Obey Natural Laws!

What could be more simple and wonderful, touching every sane heart and soul!

When MMY arrived in the West and recalled the prevailing confusion not only in his homeland but then amongst the youths that we now call “Flower Children”, it is easy to see why he would like to do a bit of a quality control exercise and reduce the overpowering confusion.

Jyotish has also had its confusion (according to some) and its rich cultural framework (according to others) which has included ancient Vedic, Arabic, some say also Babylonian (Hand et al) and perhaps other influences, some undoubtedly brought in during the many invasions that have fenestrated and arguably (according to Hindu scholars) enriched India’s cultural and religious mosaic over the centuries recent.

Lately, time and again, I hear about some factions in Jyotish trying to utilize MMY’s approach of simplifying things and creating “PURE” Jyotish. And, this has lead to the thinking that somehow there are distinct STREAMS of rules in Jyotish: The biggest black and white divide in the already beautifully integrated and already optimally functional Jyotish being the systems attributed to Parashara and Jaimini!

Parashara and Jaimini were perhaps two ancient Rishis whose actual eras are not known as also their mutual order of succession! Brihat Parasara Hora Shastra and Upadesha Sutram (also known as Jaimini Sutras, the title chosen by Sastri and earlier translators) are the two main bodies of work in Jyotish, the former written in straight forward Sanskrit language (as used in Satya Yuga perhaps?) whereas the latter is written in the Katapayadi style which utilizes a degree of encryption as it has been noted and characterized by contemporary students of Jyotish.

Interestingly, neither Parashara not Jaimini mention one another. Parashara does mention other Rishis and ancient seers so it was not as if he had any issues with mentioning earlier Sages. I do not believe, to the best of my recollection, if Jaimini attributed or mentioned any of his predecessors. Not that attribution was an absolute requirement or norm lest someone misinterpret the last statement.

Parashara’s system includes rashis, nakshatras and is a fairly nicely organized body of fundamentals that have enabled many to learn and successfully practice astrology. Jamini’s system is a distinct and very rashi based sub-set and utilizes special karkas and has certainly an inimitable flavour as well as being very effective and useful in a pragmatic sense, similar to the system described by Parashara! Now, here lies the crunch! In BPHS, Parashara’s Magnum opus, Jaimini’s rashi, chara, pada system is included and does not seem like something that was “grafted” even though some would insist that it was so and publicly state so!

BPHS is a body of knowledge that is known to be available in several versions (all of which contain the “Jaimini” system though not attributed to any Jaimini or similar sounding Rishi). An obvious example of this would be the two popular translations by Santhanam and Sharma. Sharma’s version has more chapters and information and some would argue that Santhanam was working with a ‘culled’ or sanitized version while others would insist that Sharma’s version had material inserted into the original BPHS! Who really knows (or cares!)? Well some apparently do, it seems because recently I was informed by someone that there is a Jyotish group that has strong views about the black and white in Jyotish (an exploratory visit confirmed this!). Part of their welcome message includes the following paraphrased thinking:

~*~
Parashara and Jaimini are two distinct systems even if the divide between them is not always clear. Some have attributed to Prof. P. S. Sastri, author of Jaimini Sutram (English translation), as having stated that much of what we now know of Jaimini System has been inserted into BPHS and mixing up the two systems will lead to confusion in the minds of the ‘student’ .
~*~

Speaking of Prof. Sastri, he is known to be a jyotish scholar of gigantic proportions even extolled by none other than the illustrious iconoclast, the revered Shri KN Rao who wrote the foreword to Sastri’s UttarKalamrita. Uttarkalamrita, written by a South Indian named Kalidasa (quoting Sastri) tried in places in his text to ‘imply’ that he belonged to the court of Vikramaditya. Sastri states that the author or Uttarkalamrita was not really the Great Kalidasa who penned the great Indian love story and other poems. Anyway, Uttarkalamrita has some very unusual and unique rules and information about Jyotish not found elsewhere and obviously of a much recent vintage than Parashara and Jaimini, he included both systems in his writings. Whether he attributed both by names, I am not sure. Sincere students and researchers may wish to delve deeper.

What surprises and amazes me is this tendency on part of certain “jyotishis” to separate Parashara from Jaimini for reasons of “purity”! I can understand why individuals will want to distance Jyotish away from the Arabic-Tajic system or features of the Krishnamurthy Paddhati (which uses distinctly different western Placidus cusps at the beginning of a house, very non-traditional) or the magical-tantrik horary systems and so on, but separating Parashara and Jaimini reveals or perhaps *creates* an interesting anomaly, a puzzling display of schizophrenic behaviour of the planets!

It is almost like saying that in a chart of a male born on 12 January 1917, at 07:18 AM, IST, Jabalpur, Madhya Bharat, India the sun could only wear his Parashari hat of being the 8th lord placed in the 12th house (Vipareeta Raja Yoga, exemplified by a non-Brahmin rising to the ranks of a World Class Religious Leader of unmatched achievements in the spiritual field) while not also fulfilling the so called Jaimini role of Atmakaraka placed in the 12th house of Moksha and renounciation, willingly giving up worldly bonds and bindings while placed with rahu (darakaraka representing those one comes in contact with and influences -- other cultures and nations far away from one’s birth land) and venus the gnatikaraka and the dragon of luxuries and worldliness that shall always cloud the individual by association if not by proven infractions. Gnatikaraka has the flavour of enemies and one or more individuals who have venus (and rahu) prominent in their charts will be at loggerheads with the individual. But let us not go there at this time!

I personally think that such divisive and discriminatory mentalities that motivate some astrologers in positions of power and influence to introduce doubts that try to separate roles of the same planet into this or that portfolios and “never shall the twain meet” attitudes are unfortunately destructive at the worst and misleading at the very least. As in religion, Jyotish which had been heavily influenced by religious fervour, and for no good or useful reason, shall see such separatism and will create confusion and misrepresentation.

On a positive note, it is almost ironical that this in essence will make sure that Jyotish remains preserved and does not fall in the wrong hands, something that Varahamihira agonized over a lot (Attributes of an astrologer, etc.)! I have always firmly believed that Jyotish (or anything like it that has survived so long despite many ferocious attempts to bull-doze it!) has a built-in self-protecting mechanism. It will always be judged by the outcome. And the outcome simply is: Does it predict and help in the field or not? If it does not, due to a variety of reasons, then it will surely find its place in the mausoleum of history! I just hope that it does not turn out to be a premature death! That would be a shame and a big loss. But then again, weren’t the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Tibetan Book of Dead lost for a long time but just couldn’t remain lost forever! The Lord, as some *devotees* would say, moves in mysterious ways!!

Read more...

Physics to Metaphysics

For India's great realizers, the primary evidence in support of their thesis is revealed scripture (sastra), such as the Vedanta-sutras. This evidence is considered to originate beyond the limits of human reasoning. Yet, especially for Westerners, as an introduction to the virtues of scriptural evidence, it may be prudent to first discuss the concept of a transcendental personal Godhead in the context of modern science and quantum mechanics in particular.In the transition from Newtonian classical physics to quantum mechanics, several scientists have explored the possibility of a connection between physics and transcendence. This may be due to the more abstract nature of quantum mechanics as opposed to classical physic.
For example, classical physics attempts to describe the physical reality in concrete, easily understandable terms, while quantum mechanics deals in probabilities and wave functions.

Quantum mechanics, however, is much more rigorous in its attempt to describe reality and it explains phenomena that classical physics fails to account for. The "quantum leap" has given several physicists the hope that the transcendentalist's experience of consciousness can be explained by quantum mechanical theory. Although quantum theory does not account for consciousness, it has become popular to attempt to bridge the gap between the transcendentalist's experience and the quantum mechanic worldview. Some people have loosely called this attempt the "new physics."

The rational, spiritually minded community cheered the appearance of Fritjof Capra's The Tao of Physics and Gary Zukav's Dancing Wu Li Masters. Several years later, David Bohm's Wholeness and the Implicate Order was similarly praised. Although there is good reason to applaud these authors' work and the work of others like them, their theories, scientifically speaking, do not bridge the gap between physics and transcendence. However, these scientists have to some extent become "believers," and their theories have turned many educated people in the spiritual direction.

Of all the recent attempts to show the "oneness" in what physicists and transcendentalists speak of, Bohm's implicate order theory is the most worthy of consideration. In comparison, Capra's "realization" that the dance of Siva and the movement of atomic particles is one and the same-although profoundly beautiful-falls more in the realm of poetry than science.

Bohm's explanation of reality involves what he calls an "implicate" and "explicate" order, with vague references to love, compassion, and other similar attributes that may lie beyond both the implicate and explicate orders. The implicate order is the ultimate reality, which underlies our present perception of the world. The reality that we perceive is what Bohm calls the explicate order. All order and variety, according to Bohm, is stored at all times in the implicate order in an enfolded or unmanifested state. Information continually unfolds, or becomes manifest, from the implicate order as the explicate order of our experience.

Bohm uses the example of the hologram to help explain his theory. A hologram is a photographic plate on which information is recorded as a series of density variations. Because holography is a method of lens less photography, the photographic plate appears as a meaningless pattern of swirls. When a coherent beam of light-typically a laser-interacts with the plate, the resultant emerging light is highly ordered and is perceived as an image in three dimensions. The image has depth and solidity, and by looking at it from different angles, one will see different sides of the image. Any part of the hologram will reproduce the whole image (although with less resolution). Bohm would say that the three-dimensional form of the image is enfolded or stored in the pattern of density variations on the hologram.

A further understanding of the nature of Bohm's implicate order is somewhat more difficult to grasp. In the transition from the classical description of physical objects to a quantum mechanical description, one is forced to use mutually incompatible descriptions. The concept of complementarities, conceived of in the 1920s by the physicist Niels Bohr, says that to understand the behavior of electrons, it is necessary to describe them as point like particles and extended waves. This leads naturally to the thought that electrons or their ultimate substrate, may not actually be fully describable in mathematical terms. Thus the ultimate physical reality may be only partially definable, because some of the partial descriptions will inevitably contradict each other. This is Bohm's idea regarding the nature of his implicate order.

Although Bohm accepts a whole containing distinguishable parts, he maintains that ultimately reality is fundamentally devoid of variety or individuality. Bohm believes that individuality is a temporal or illusory state of perception. According to his theory, although the parts appear to be distinct from the whole, in fact, because they "enfold" or include the whole, they are identical with the whole.

The hologram provides an easily understandable example. If portions of a hologram are blocked off, the resultant image remains basically the same. This helps to illustrate metaphorically the concept that the whole is present in each of its parts. Consider, then, a continuum in which all patterns ever manifested in any part of the continuum are represented equally in all parts. Loosely speaking, one could then say that the whole of the continuum in both space and time is present in any part of the continuum. If we invoke the precedent of quantum mechanical indefineability, we could leap to the idea of a unified consciousness encompassing all space and time in which each part of the consciousness contains the whole of the consciousness and thus is identical to it.

Although Bohm's theory of the implicate order is partially based on the standard methodology of physics, it is also apparent that it involves ideas not found in traditional science. Most of these ideas are clearly the influence of a preconceived notion of non-dualism. Richard Thompson, author of Mechanistic and Non-Mechanistic Sciences, has brought out some of the weaknesses in Bohm's theory, which he feels are due to Bohm's prejudice toward monism.

Thompson points out in his critique that while Bohm emphatically states that it is not possible for unaided human thought to rise above the realm of manifest matter (explicate order), he proceeds to carry on a lengthy discussion about the unmanifest (implicate order). Bohm also states that all things are timeless and unitary, and therefore incapable of being changed. Later, he proposes that through collective human endeavor the state of affairs can be changed. This is similar to the contradiction of advaita-vedanta in which ultimate oneness is thought to be attained even though it is beyond time and is forever uninfluenced by our actions.

Bohm's theory is sorely in need of a logical source of compassion so as to provide inspiration enabling finite beings to know the infinite. Although he speaks of compassion, it is only in a vague reference to an abstract attribute. The idea of an entity possessing compassion is avoided by Bohm (although he almost admits the need). He retreats from this idea because the standard notions of a personal God are dualistic and thus undermine the sense that reality at the most fundamental plane is unified.

Bohm's idea that the parts of the implicate order actually include the whole is not fully supported by his physical examples alone. Indeed, this is impossible to demonstrate mathematically. The part of the hologram is not fully representative of the whole. The part suffers from lack of resolution. It is qualitatively one but quantitatively different.

Bohm's explanation for the corruption in human society is another shortcoming in his theory. The theory alleges that evil arises from the explicate order. This is in contradiction with the basis of the theory, which states that everything in the explicate order unfolds from the implicate order. This means that evil and human society, or something at least resembling them, must be originally present in the implicate order. But what would lead us to believe that an undifferentiated entity would store anything even remotely resembling human society? How could there be evil in the implicate order if it is the source of love and compassion?

These are some of the scientific and philosophical problems with the theory of the implicate order pointed out by Thompson. These problems are resolved by Thompson, however, by replacing advaita-vedanta with acintya-bhedabheda. Simply stated, acintya-bhedabheda means that reality is inconceivably one and different at the same time. Acintya-bhedabheda holds that the world of material variety is illusory but not altogether false. It insists that there is a transcendental variety and spiritual individuality that lies beyond illusion.

The history of philosophy bears evidence that neither the concepts of oneness (nondualism) or difference (dualism) are adequate to fully describe the nature of being. Exclusive emphasis on oneness leads to the denial of the world and our very sense of self as an individual-viewing them as illusion. Exclusive emphasis on difference divides reality, creating an unbridgeable gap between man and God. Yet both concepts are essential inasmuch as unity is a necessary demand of our reason, while difference is an undeniable fact of our experience. A synthesis of the two can be seen as the goal of philosophy. In the theory of acintya-bhedabheda, the concepts of oneness and difference are transcended and reconciled into a higher synthesis; thus, they become complementary aspects of Godhead, for whom all things are possible.

The word acintya is central to the theory. It can be defined as the power to reconcile the impossible. Acintya is that which is inconceivable, because it involves contradictory notions, yet it can be appreciated through logical implication. Acintya, inconceivable, is different from anirvacaniya, or indescribable, which is said to be the nature of transcendence in the monistic school of thought. Anirvacaniya is the joining of the opposing concepts of reality and illusion, producing a canceling effect-a negative effect. Acintya, on the other hand, signifies a marriage of opposite concepts leading to a more complete unity-a positive effect.

An example drawn from material nature may help us understand the concept of acintya-bhedabheda. We cannot think of fire without the power of burning; similarly, we cannot think of the power of burning without fire. Both are identical. While fire is nothing but that which burns; the power of burning is but fire in action. Fire and its burning power are not absolutely the same, however. If they were absolutely the same, there would be no need to warn children that fire burns. It would be sufficient to say "fire." In reality, the fire is the energetic source of the power to burn. From this example drawn from the world of our experience, we can deduce that the principle of simultaneous oneness and difference is all-pervading, appearing even in material objects.

Just as there is neither absolute oneness nor absolute difference in the material example of fire and burning power, there is neither absolute oneness nor absolute difference between Godhead and his energies. Godhead consists of both the energetic and the energy, which are one yet different. Godhead is complete without his various emanations. This is absolute completeness. No matter how much energy he distributes, he remains the complete balance.

In the theory of acintya-bhedabheda, the personal form of God exists beyond material time in a transtemporal state, where eternality and the passage of time are harmonized by the principle of simultaneous oneness and variegatedness. This principle also applies to transcendental form. In the material conception of form, the whole can be reduced to a mere juxtaposition of the parts. This makes the form secondary. In the theory of acintya-bhedabheda, the material conception of form is transcended. The Supreme Being is fully present in all the parts that make up the total reality and thus is one unified principle underlying all variegated manifestations. Yet he has his own personality and is different from his parts or energies at the same time. Each of the parts of Godhead's form are equal to each other and to the whole form as well. At the same time, each of the parts remains a part. This is fundamental to the philosophical outlook of acintya-bhedabheda. It allows for the eternal individuality of all things without the loss of oneness or harmony. It also allows for the possibility that human beings, even while possessing limited mind and senses, can come to know about the nature of transcendence. The infinite, being so, can and does reveal himself to the finite. Just as the eye cannot see the mind but can be in connection with it if the mind chooses to think about it, the finite can know about the infinite by the grace of the infinite.

If Godhead has personal form, it is reasonable to conclude that a transcendental society exists that resembles human society and could unfold as the explicate order. In this conception, the explicate order is a perverted reflection of the ultimate reality existing in the transcendental realm. The reflection of that realm, appearing as the explicate order, is the kingdom of God without God. It is without God inasmuch as God, being the center of the ultimate reality, no longer appears to be the center. This produces illusion and thus corruption. The basis of corruption is the misplaced sense of proprietorship resulting in the utterly false notions of "I" and "mine."

According to acintya-bhedabheda, the individual self is a minute particle of will or consciousness-a sentient being-endowed with a serving tendency. This tendency for service is a result of the individual self's dependency on the Supreme Self. The Supreme Self is the maintainer, while the individual self is maintained. This minute self is transcendental to matter and qualitatively one with Godhead while quantitatively different. The inherent smallness of the atomic soul in contrast to Godhead makes the atomic soul prone to illusion, whereas Godhead is not. This is analogous to the example of the hologram in which only a portion of the holographic plate is illuminated. The resultant image, although apparently complete, is slightly fuzzy and does not give the total three-dimensional view from all directions that one would observe if the entire holographic plate were illuminated.

Living in illusion, the atomic soul sees herself as separate from Godhead. As a result of imperfect sense perception, she makes false distinctions, such as good and bad, happy and sad. The minute self can also live in an enlightened state in complete harmony with the Godhead by the latter's grace-which is attracted by sincere petition or devotion. This is so because while independent and unlimited, Godhead is affectionately disposed to the atomic souls. The very nature of devotion is that it is of another world, and for it to be devotion in the full sense, it must be engaged in for its own sake and nothing else. This act of devotion is the purified function of the inherent serving tendency of the self. It makes possible a communion with Godhead. In this communion, the self becomes one in purpose with Godhead and eternally serves Godhead with no sense of separateness from him. If we accept this theory, there is scope for action from within the explicate order, such as prayer or meditation, to have influence upon the whole. At least it appears as though the atomic soul can have influence on the whole, although in reality the inspiration for prayer and meditation comes from Godhead.

Acintya-bhedabheda cannot be fully appreciated without reference to the Vedic literature, or revealed scripture. The truth of the personality of Godhead, a supreme controller and enjoyer, will never be demonstrated in the laboratory of the controlled experiment. We can only control that which is inferior to ourselves. Revealed scripture is one of the principal means through which Godhead chooses to make himself known to us. While we can explain Sri Chaitanya's theory of acintya-bhedabheda and conception of a divine person to some extent in the language of logic and modern science, a more comprehensive understanding of his truth is derived from the essence of the revealed scripture.

Read more...