YOUTH INSPIRATION

 SRI SRI SARASVATI

1. TEN GOLDEN POINTS FOR STUDENTS TO SUCCEED (See Below):

2. SWAMI VIVEKANANDA'S SECRET OF SUCCESS (See Below):

3. PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUTH (See Below):

MAY GODDESS OF LEARNING SRI SARASVATI BLESS YOU.

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1. TEN GOLDEN POINTS FOR STUDENTS TO SUCCEED:

Dear students, here are ten Golden Points to bring success in life. Best of luck.

1. “Take one idea. Make that one idea your life; think of it; live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, and every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.” says Swami Vivekananda. You must fix short term as well as long term goals of your life and give direction to your mind. Keep in mind what Swami Vivekananda said: “Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached”.

2. Swami Vivekananda wanted young men to have ‘muscles of iron and nerves of steel’. So you should do vigorous physical exercise daily and also take nutritious food to make your body strong. It is said that healthy mind is in healthy body.

3. Pray to God and study scriptures like the Gita, Gospel etc. and also read life stories of great personalities like Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Ramana Maharshi etc., to draw inspiration.

4. Have tremendous faith in yourself and God. Develop your self- confidence. Believe that all the Power is within you. Say yourself: ‘I am a child of God. I can do any thing and every thing.’ 


5. Daily practice Meditation and chant Gayatri mantra [CLICK BELOW VIDEO TO LISTEN GAYATRI MANTRA] in the morning and evening to increase your concentration and will power bring greater success in you life.

GAYATRI MANTRA

6. Know that study is your Swadharma and fulfilling it properly is a way of worshipping God.

7. Concentrate on your studies and try your best to achieve the highest Goal of life. Swami Vivekananda says: "Education is the manifestation of perfection already in man.”

8. Cultivate your special talents like art, music, singing, dancing, writing of articles, stories etc. that is prominent in you. It is necessary to find a channel for your creativity in a useful and productive way.

9. At any cost avoid bad company, literature etc. and select some one to share your feelings, joys and sorrows of your life. Do not spend too much time for medias and entertainments.

10. Do not forget the golden words: “Early to bed and early to rise make man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Prepare a Daily Routine and follow it sincerely.

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2. SWAMI VIVEKANANDA'S SECRET OF SUCCESS:

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

Swami Vivekananda, the enchanter and inspirer of youth reveals the secret of success. One who reads his inspiring words will find a way to come over his/her failures and achieve great heights in life. Being an ideal for youth, his birthday is celebrated as National Youth Day by the Government of India.   

“One of the greatest lessons I have learnt in my life is to pay as much attention to the means of work as to its end… It appears to me that all the secret of success is to pay as much attention to the means as to the end.

“Our great defect in life is that we are so much drawn to the ideal, the goal is so much more enchanting, so much more alluring, so much bigger in our mental horizon, that we lose sight of the details altogether.

“But whenever failure comes, if we analyse it critically, in ninety-nine per cent of cases we shall find that it was because we did not pay attention to the means. Proper attention to the finishing, strengthening, of the means is what we need. With the means all right, the end must come. We forget that it is the cause that produces the effect; the effect cannot come by itself; and unless the causes are exact, proper, and powerful, the effect will not be produced. Once the ideal is chosen and the means determined, we may almost let go the ideal, because we are sure it will be there, when the means are perfected. When the cause is there, there is no more difficulty about the effect, the effect is bound to come. If we take care of the cause, the effect will take care of itself. The realization of the ideal is the effect. The means are the cause: attention to the means, therefore, is the great secret of life.”

SOURCE: ‘The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda.’[Click] 

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3. PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT FOR YOUTH:

                                                                              

What is personality?

It means the whole nature or character of a person. Then, what is character? Actually every action and thought leaves an impression in the mind. These impressions mould our behavior. The sum total of all these impressions determines our character. It is obvious that the past thoughts and actions determined the present character and our present thoughts and actions will mould our future character. This is the key principle in personality development.

Five Dimensions of our Personality:

 “Each soul is potentially divine.”  This divine core of our personality  is covered  by five dimensions.

1. Physical dimension which consists of body and senses.

2. Energy(Prana) dimension which performs digestion, blood circulation, breathing, excretion etc.,

3. Mental dimension characterized by the activities of three faculties of mind viz. thinking, feeling and willing.

4. Intellectual dimension characterized by the determinative faculty in a person the seat of discrimination and will power.

5. Blissful dimension experienced as bliss in deep sleep.

Personality development :

Each succeeding dimension is subtler than the preceding one and pervades it. Personality development implies progressive identification with higher dimensions of personality.

Development involves struggle with one’s lower mind characterized by old bad habits and impressions. The less we identify with the lower mind and the more we identify with the higher mind and exercise our discriminative faculty- buddhi then the more developed will be our personality. This involves struggle to cultivate good habits and by that overcome bad habits. This struggle is the greatest of all struggles in that it makes us civilized in the real sense of the term by manifesting our divinity and thereby our hidden perfection as Swami Vivekananda says “Civilization is the manifestation of divinity in man”

Essential Qualities for Personality Development:

1.  Faith in Oneself:

First faith in oneself then Faith in God is the secret of one’s success. If one believes that one’s real nature is the spirit  - not the body and mind complex – one will be better personality with stronger character.

2.   Develop Good Character:

Always try to think positive thoughts and over come bad impressions. Swami Vivekananda shows the way for good character: ‘ Go on doing good, thinking holy thoughts continuously, that is the only way to suppress base impressions... Character is repeated habits and repeated habits alone can transform character.’

3.  Steadfastness:

One should stand firm in his aims in the face of failures or mistakes. We should develop our will power. Swami insists to make one more attempt even after thousand failures.

4.  Self-Reliance:

Man is maker of his own destiny. All power is within. Swami Vivekananda says: ‘ We are responsible for what  we are and whatever we wish ourselves to be, we have the power to make ourselves.

5.  Harmonious Development:

One should feel intensely the miseries and sorrows of the world and also find the means to remedy them. Then one is said to be mahatman (great soul). Swami Vivekananda says: “What we want is to see the man who is harmoniously developed… great in heart, great in mind, (great in deed)… Such a combination of head, heart, and hand is what we want.” 

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TEACHINGS OF INCARNATION AND SAINTS:

THE WAY TO FIX THE MIND ON GOD:

SRI RAMAKRISHNA

"Repeat God's name and sing His glories, and keep holy company; and now and then visit God's devotees and holy men. The mind can not dwell on God if it is immersed day and night in worldliness, in worldly duties and responsiblities' it is most necessary to go into solitude now and then and think of God. To fix the mind on God is very difficult, in the beginning, unless one practises meditation in solitude."  

SRI SARADA DEVI

TEACHINGS OF SRI SARADA DEVI:

1. MANTRA - THE PURIFIER:

 The Mantra purifies the body. Man becomes pure by repeating the name of God. So repeat God's name always.

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2.NEED OF CONCENTRATION: 
Repeating the name of God once, when the mind is controlled, is equivalent to a million repetitions when the mind strays from God. You may repeat the name of God for the whole day, if the mind be elsewhere, that does not produce much result. The repetition of the name[Mantra] of God must accompany Concentration.

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3.GOD IS OUR OWN: God is one's very own. The more intensely a person practises spiritual disciplines, the more quickly he attains to God.

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TEACHINGS OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA: 



SWAMI VIVEKANANDA

The secret of religion lies not in theories but in practice. To be good and do good - that is the whole of religion.

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TEACHINGS OF LORD BUDDHA:

LORD BUDDHA



TRUE RELIGION:

“Good will towards all beings is the true religion: cherish in your hearts boundless good will to all that lives".                  



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TEACHINGS OF RAMANA MAHARISHI:

SRI RAMANA MAHARISHI

Self - Realization:



The state we call realization is simply being oneself, not knowing anything or becoming anything. If one has realized, he is that which alone is, and which alone has always been. He cannot describe that state. He can only be That. Of course, we loosely talk of Self-realization for want of a better term.

 

That which is, is peace. All that we need do is to keep quiet. Peace is our real nature. We spoil it. What is required is that we cease to spoil it.

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TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST:  

JESUS CHRIST

 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  

• Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.  
• Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 
• Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.  
• Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.  
• Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.  
• Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 
• Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 
• Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me.  
• Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

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QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

I.QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY SRI RAMAKRISHNA:


II. GENERAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS: 

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I. SRI RAMAKRISHNA ANSWERS: 

Q-1[DEVOTEE]: "How ought we to live in the world?"

SRI RAMAKRISHNA' ANSWER: “Do all your duties, but keep your mind on God.

A maidservant in the house of a rich man performs all the household duties, but her thoughts are fixed on her own home in her native village. She brings up her Master's children as if they were her own. She even speaks of them as 'my Rāma' or 'my Hari'. But in her own mind she knows very well that they do not belong to her at all.

If you enter the world without first cultivating love for God, you will be entangled more and more. You will be overwhelmed with its danger, its grief, its sorrows. And the more you think of worldly things, the more you will be attached to them.

First rub your hands with oil and then break open the jack-fruit; otherwise they will be smeared with its sticky milk. First secure the oil of divine love, and then set your hands to the duties of the world.

But one must go into solitude to attain this divine love.

Further, by meditating on God in solitude the mind acquires knowledge, dispassion, and devotion. But the very same mind goes downward if it dwells in the world.

Together with this, you must practise discrimination: 'Lust and Greed' is impermanent. God is the only Eternal Substance. What does a man get with money? Food, clothes, and a dwelling-place - nothing more. You cannot realize God with its help. Therefore money can never be the goal of life.

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Q-2 [Devotee]: "Is it possible to see God?"

Sri Ramakrishna: "Yes, certainly. (i) Living in solitude now and then, (ii) repeating God's name and singing His glories, and (iii) discriminating between the Real and the unreal - these are the means to employ to see Him."

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Q-3 [Devotee]: Under what conditions does one see God?

Sri Ramakrishna: "Cry to the Lord with an intensely yearning heart and you will certainly see Him. People shed a whole jug of tears for wife and children. They swim in tears for money. But who weeps for God? Cry to Him with a real cry.

Longing is like the rosy dawn. After the dawn out comes the sun. Longing is followed by the vision of God.

God reveals Himself to a devotee who feels drawn to Him by the combined force of these three attractions: (i) the attraction of worldly possessions for the worldly man, (ii) the child's attraction for its mother, and (iii) the husband's attraction for the chaste wife. If one feels drawn to Him by the combined force of these three attractions, then through it one can attain Him.

The point is, to love God even as the mother loves her child, the chaste wife her husband, and the worldly man his wealth. Add together these three forces of love, these three powers of attraction, and give it all to God. Then you will certainly see Him.

It is necessary to pray [To know about PRAYER click] to Him with a longing heart. The kitten knows only how to call its mother, crying, 'Mew, mew!' It remains satisfied wherever its mother puts it. And the mother cat puts the kitten sometimes in the kitchen, sometimes on the floor, and sometimes on the bed. When it suffers it cries only, 'Mew, mew!' That's all it knows. But as soon as the mother hears this cry, wherever she may be; she comes to the kitten.

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Q-4 [DEVOTEE]: If a wicked man is about to do harm, or actually does so, should we keep quiet then?

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "A man living in society should make a show of tamas to protect himself from evil-minded people. But he should not harm anybody in anticipation of harm likely to be done him.

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Q-5 [DEVOTEE]:”How can we know that all paths are true?"

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "A man can reach God if he follows one path rightly. Then he can learn about all the other paths. It is like reaching the roof by some means or other. Then one is able to climb down by the wooden or stone stairs, by a bamboo pole, or even by a rope.

"A devotee can know everything when God's grace descends on him. If you but realize Him, you will be able to know all about Him. You should somehow meet the master of a house and become acquainted with him; then he himself will tell you how many houses he owns and all about his gardens and government securities."

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Q-6 [DEVOTEE] : "How does one receive the grace of God?"

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "Constantly you have to chant the name and glories of God and give up worldly thoughts as much as you can. With the greatest effort you may try to bring water into your field for your crops, but it may all leak out through holes in the ridges. Then all your efforts to bring the water by digging a canal will be futile.

"You will feel restless for God when your heart becomes pure and your mind free from attachment to the things of the world. Then alone will your prayer reach God. A telegraph wire cannot carry messages if it has a break or some other defect.

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Q-7 [DEVOTEE]: "How can one attain yoga?

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: By completely renouncing attachment to worldly things. The mind must be pure and without blemish, like the telegraph wire that has no defect.

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Q-8 [DEVOTEE]: "How can one attain vision of God?

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "The thing is that one must love God. Through intense love one attains the vision of Him. The attraction of the husband for the chaste wife, the attraction of the child for its mother, the attraction of worldly possessions for the worldly man-when a man can blend these three into one, and direct it all to God, then he gets the vision of God."

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Q-9: [A devotee]: "How may we fix our minds on God?"

SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "Repeat God's name and sing His glories, and keep holy company. Now and then visit God's devotees and holy men. It is most necessary to go into solitude now and then and think of God. To fix the mind on God is very difficult in the beginning, unless one practises meditation in solitude. To meditate, you should withdraw within yourself or retire to a secluded corner or to the forest.

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Q-10 [A DEVOTEE]: “what is the way out of this world?"
SRI RAMAKRISHNA: "Prayer and the company of holy men. You cannot get rid of an ailment without the help of a physician. But it is not enough to be in the company of religious people only for a day. You should constantly seek it, for the disease has become chronic. Again, you can't understand the pulse rightly unless you live with a physician. Moving with him constantly, you learn to distinguish between the pulse of phlegm and the pulse of bile."

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II.GENERAL QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:


QUESTIONS:
Q-1:Who is guru?

Q-2: What is meant by initiation?

Q-3: What is the heart-centre?

Q-4. When do we attain true bhakti?

Q-5. What is japa?

Q-6. How to control anger?

Q-7: How to overcome jealousy?

Q-8: How to overcome depression?

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ANSWERS:


Q-1:Who is guru?

ANS.: Guru is a spiritual teacher who removes darkness of ignorance and brings light of knowledge. It is the Supreme Being alone that is the Spiritual Teacher of all. The individual person through whom we get the Mantra is only a medium like a CD.

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Q-2: What is meant by initiation?

ANS.: Initiation or Diksha means putting one in spiritual path. That means giving a mantra relating to a Deity [Ishta Deva] and putting a disciple on the way of meditation on Him by the Guru.

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 Q-3: What is the heart-centre?

ANS.:It is the centre of our being from which our consciousness radiates. Usually meditation is done in the heart-centre. Lotus symbolizes the heart-centre on which the Deity is meditated upon.

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Q-4. When do we attain true bhakti?

ANS.:True Bhakti is attained only when our mind flows towards God in all circumstances, as the flow of a river to the ocean.

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Q-5. What is japa?

ANS.: Silent repetition of a holy name with concentration and devotion is called japa.

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Q-6. How to control anger?

ANS.: Generally anger comes when one feels that one has been insulted or injured or obstructed from gaining something or in any way harmed one by another . These feelings are moods or thought waves coming in the mind. They are just like clouds coming over the clear sky. When the cloud comes, the sky looks all dark, though really it is clear. If you train your mind to look at these feelings in a detached way when they overtake your mind you will be able to establish control over them gradually. 

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Q-7:How to overcome jealousy?

ANS.: Jealousy comes when one feels that a fellow student or colleague or someone has been able to get greater recognition or reward than oneself.. To overcome it, one must look upon all other persons not as one's rival or enemy but as friend and well wisher. 

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Q-8: How to overcome mental depression?

ANS.:  When you do japa, feel that all the power of the Divine is in it and think that it is a storm that scatters all the clouds of depression that are in your mental sky.  

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ARTICLE: HINDU APPROACH TO HIV (AIDS)

This paper on “Hindu Approach to HIV/AIDS” was read by this blogger on 6th December, 1999 at the ‘Second International Conference on AIDS INDIA 2000, Organized by Tamil Nadu MGR Medical University, Chennai. Though the data presented here is outdated but the subject is relevant for all time.

SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM:

It is very painful to know that Asia itself now accounts for atleast one quarter of the world’s 33 million HIV affected people, and India is the country with the largest absolute number of people living with HIV/AIDS (HIV:40 lakhs/AIDS:9500). It is heartening to know that the noble hearted doctors, social workers and the Govt. have awakened to deal with one of the deadliest diseases of the world.

SCIENCE AND RELIGION:

Although Science and Technology have contributed a lot to the improvement in quality of life, they have miserably failed to bring solace and peace. The separation of Science from Religion has been a major tragedy for humanity. Swami Vivekananda wanted that Science and Religion should shake hands with each other. The relationship between them may be likened to that of body and soul. The body without soul is a mere corpse and the soul without body, a mere phantom. Science alone cannot solve the problems of the human society. Hindu Dharma or Sanatana Dharma (which literally means Eternal Religion) directs us to higher knowledge by which one gets eternal joy and peace. Sanatana Dharma is not against reasoning but leads us to the highest goal through practice of virtues such as observance of morality, purity of body and mind, truthfulness etc. The world’s malady is through the spiritual path.

HINDU WAY OF LIFE:

The Hindu life is divided into four stages viz Brahmacharya, Garhasthya, Vanaprastha and Sannyasa. The first stage of life covers the period of study when a student cultivates his mind and soul. He lives with his teacher and regards him as his spiritual father. He leads an austere life and conserves his energy by avoiding evil thoughts and deeds.

It is at this stage the young generation has to be moulded. It is the need of the time that they are to be trained in social, cultural and spiritual values to mould their life. At the completion of his studies, the Taittiriya Upanisad tells what a student should do. “Speak the truth. Practise dharma. Do not neglect study (of the Vedas). Having brought to the teacher the gift desired by him, (enter the house holders’ life and see that) the line of progeny is not cut off. Do not swerve from the truth. Do not swerve from dharma. Do not neglect personal welfare. Do not neglect prosperity. Do not neglect the study and teaching of the Vedas. Do not neglect your duties to the gods and the manes. Treat your mother as God. Treat your father as God. Treat your teacher as God. Treat your guest as God. Whatever deeds are faultless, these are to be performed – not others. Whatever good works have been performed by them should be performed by us”.

Thus the students are instructed by the teachers about values of life. But we have very less scope for such instructions by teachers who were living examples for students. Other than the small goals of life like getting a degree, gaining position, etc., higher goals of life should be shown to the younger generation.

With marriage a person enters the second stage. Hinduism does not regard romance as the whole of married life. Husband and wife are co-partners in their spiritual progress and the family provides a training ground for the practice of unselfishness. Chastity is the first virtue for every man and woman. A good, chaste wife thinks of every other man except her own husband as her child and has the attitude of a mother towards all men. Similarly every husband must look upon all women, except his own wife in the light of his own mother, daughter or sister.

Then again, one who wants to be a teacher of religion must look upon every woman as his mother and always behave towards her as such. Swami Vivekananda says, ‘Blessed indeed is the man who is able to look upon women as the representative of the motherhood of God. Blessed indeed is the women to whom man represents the fatherhood of God’.

Sri Ramakrishna, the prophet of modern India, told his household devotees to live like brother and sister after begetting one or two children. True to his teaching there are so many persons living like this even from the starting of their marriage. Sri Ramakrishna with his wife set so perfect an example of married love and yet were free from the least taint of corporeal passion. In fact it is the great lesson of their lives that in the highest specimens of humanity, love is not dependent on sex or any consideration of physical intimacy. Thus he paved a way for a higher life. The Upanishads say: ‘It is not for the sake of the husband that the husband is loved, but it is for the sake of the self that he is loved. It is not for the sake of the wife that the wife is loved, but it is for the sake of the self that she is loved. It is not for the sake of the sons that the sons are loved, but it is for the sake of the self that the sons are loved (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1,4,5). We invite modern psychologists to study his life to bring more light to the human society to evolve into higher state of existence, knowledge and bliss.

Maha Nirvana Tantra says that no man should scold his wife and he must always maintain her as if she were his own mother.

CHASTITY OR BRAHMACHARYA:

“Brahmacharya pratishtham veerya labahah”-By the establishment of continence energy is gained.

Swami Vivekananda says that the chaste brain has tremendous energy and gigantic will power. Without chastity there can be no spiritual strengh. Continence gives wonderful control over mankind. The spiritual leaders of humanity have been very continent and this is what gave them power.

THE POWER OF OJAS:

“The Yogis claim that of all the energies that are in the human body, the highest is what they call ojas. This ojas is stored up in the brain, and the more ojas is in a man’s head, the more powerful he is, the more intellectual, the more spiritually strong.

Now in every man there is more or less of this Ojas stored up. All the forces that are working in the body in their highest become Ojas. It is only a question of transformation. The same force which is working outside as electricity or magnetism will become changed into inner force; the same force that is working as muscular energy will be changed into Ojas. The yogis say that that part of the human energy which is expressed as sex energy in sexual thought when checked and controlled, easily becomes changed into Ojas. It is only the chaste men or women who can make the Ojas rise and store it in the brain; that is why chastity has always been considered the highest virtue. A man feels that if he is unchaste, spirituality goes away. He loses mental vigour and moral stamina. That is why in all the religious orders in the world which have produced spiritual giants you will always find absolute chastity insisted upon. That is why the monks came into existence, giving up marriage”.

HIGHER GOALS OF LIFE (OR) SUBLIMATION OF THE MIND:

We should not forget that religion is primarily meant for liberating the soul from the bondage of the body and mind by using them as vehicle and instrument respectively. In this respect Hinduism guides us to keep the body & mind healthy as well as pure. It is possible to purify by observing strict continence. In Sanskrit it is called Brahmacharya. It means chastity in thought, speech and deed, always and in all conditions. All our desires have to be sublimated in order to direct the mind to the higher channels of goal by training the mind in japa, prayer and meditation.

Our real nature and purpose of life should be clear. Swami Vivekananda says : ‘Each soul is potentially divine. The goal is to manifest this Divinity within by controlling nature external and internal. Do this either by work, or worship, or phychic control, or philosophy by one, or more, or all of these and be free. This is the whole of religion. Doctrines, or dogmas, or rituals, or books, or temple or forms are but secondary details’.

Among the four paths viz Karma yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Raja Yoga, Raja yoga is a suitable path to train the minds of the modern young persons. It is purely a scientific approach to know ones own self.

It is said in the Katha Upanishad, I quote “The self willed supreme Lord inflicted an injury upon the sense organs in creating them with outgoing tendencies; Therefore with them a man perceives only outer objects, not the inner self but a calm person wishing for immortality, beholds the inner self with eyes closed.

So it is obvious that such a mind has to be given an inward turn towards the higher self. How it has to be given? Here is a narration of a life incident in one of the disciples of Sri Ramakrishna.

Harinath, one of the disciples of Ramakrishna met him at the age of eighteen. When he became closer to Ramakrishna he freely asked all sorts of questions concerning him personally ‘Sir’, he inquired one day, ‘how can we free ourselves completely from lust?’ Sri Ramakrishna replied: ‘Why should it go my boy?. Give it a turn in another direction’: This was something new to Hari. He had thought that a Brahmachari, or celibate should completely destroy lust. But here he found a new kind of advice, which he could never have thought of himself the most powerful urge in a human being was to be channeled in a different direction, so that instead of becoming an obstacle in spiritual life, it could become a help. Instead of wasting one’s effort on overcoming lust, we should direct one’s intensity of emotion to God.

Another time Hari told Sri Ramakrishna that he could not bear the sight of women. To this the Master replied ‘you talk like a fool. Looking down upon women! Why, they are manifestation of the Divine Mother. Bow down to them with respect. That is the only way to escape from their snares’.

Higher Truth gives more bliss than the sensual pleasures. There is a beautiful description in Taittiriya Upanisad about different degrees of bliss. By bliss we mean joy without the touch of sensual pleasure.

It is so unfortunate that younger generation is not made aware of higher type of joys that are available within oneself.

THE NATURE OF BLISSFUL SELF:

“Who could live, who could breathe, if that blissful self dwelt not within the lotus of the heart? He it is that gives joy”.

Of what nature is this joy?

Consider the lot of a young man, noble well read intelligent, strong, healthy, with all the wealth of the world at his command assume that he is happy, and measure his joy as one unit.

One hundred times that joy is one unit if the joy of the beings that are in the higher world but no less than them is the seer to whom the self has been revealed and who is without craving.

And again one hundred times the joy of these beings is one unit of the joy of the celestial beings still in the higher world.

Similarly the joys of various celestial beings in the higher worlds, upto the creator of the universe are multiplied for each higher world hundred fold. The nature of self is infinite joy or bliss. When infinite joy is available within one’s own self why then one should for carnal enjoyments. It is merely ignorance about one’s own self. Once this knowledge is imparted to young generation at right time and trained in that line in a scientific manner then there is less chance for them to go astray.

CHALLENGE BEFORE US:

Obviously it is we all- doctors, social workers especially teachers, monks, parents, officials should join and work together to help the younger generation to know the right things at right time. Different media may also be used to highlight social, cultural and spiritual values in the society. The rich culture and values of this eternal religion should not left to be washed away by the influence of cheap culture of sensuality, lust and greed. It is a fact that T V is doing more harm to the children than giving knowledge and entertainment when they watch all sorts of programmes. About 48 % of children in India spent 4-5 hours on weekdays and more than 6 hours on holidays. There should be a check over the programmes by the Govt. Parents, teachers and elders should see the type of programmes that children are watching.

At every stage of life children should be taught higher values of life which is vital for any society to survive not only physically but also morally, culturally, spiritually. Let us join and work together for a healthy global village.

Reference Books:

1. Hinduism – Its meaning for the liberation of the spirit by Swami Nikhilananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai – 4

2. Sri Sarada Devi – The Holy Mother – Swami Tapasyananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai – 4

3. Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda – Vol.1 Advaita Ashrama, Calcutta – 14

4. The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna – Trans. By Swami Nikhilananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai – 4

5. The Upanishads – Swami Prabhavananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai-4

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