Warrier's Collage November 13, 2020

Welcome to Warrier's Daily COLLAGE November 13, 2020 Friday Your daily share of inspiration, writings - by you, for you : Curated by MG Warrier KATHAKALI https://youtu.be/_DNBgVAk9GE (Narakasuravadham) HAPPY Deepavali: Festival of Lights https://youtu.be/HrrW3rO51ak (National Geographic: 2010) Quote for the day: "May we all attain full inner illumination! May the supreme light of lights enlighten our understanding! May we all attain the inexhaustible spiritual wealth of the Self! May we all prosper gloriously on the material as well as spiritual planes!" -Sree Swami Sivananda Saraswathy HAPPY DIWALI M G Warrier Amazon link for "Restoring TRUST in Governance" https://www.amazon.in/dp/1636335896/ref=cm_sw_r_wa_apa_fabc_4V5PFbKXDBR1R A 1) A Message from Vathsala Jayaraman, Chennai Refer to the interesting Sufi story about the sun and cave in today's Collage(November 12). We have to be often reminded of these facts on and often. Very often there are questions and questions about Swarga/Naraka concept.It may be worth pondering on the same on Naraka Chaturdasi.( Deepavali). Do we carry our gender in Swarga or we can select our new gender? What are the rules to be followed in Swarga? Are there any conflicts in Swarg? Are the rules made by Men in Swarga? Is it male dominated (Most unlikely? Is Naraka a just punishment 24x7? Is food served and if so can one select the food? Does different naraka exist for men and women? The poor chaps executing the punishment - Are they in naraka for their deeds or one of the lower class swarg residents? For many women in spite of the constant barbs from their in laws, life is heaven just because of her husband's undiluted love. Hell or heaven, we all cling to that single piece of straw called love or Bhakti towards God, which takes us safely across the samsara sagaram. Personally, I think swarg or naraka is on earth itself. A swarg could be in a small hut with a family living a simple life and eating simple food and yet a lot of love between family members. While narak could be an expensive house with loads of food on the table, yet no one is eating because of health and no is talking because of feud or ego. So a naraka could be reincarnation of a life of an insect dwelling in gutter. In Bhagavata purana, there is mention of naraka where the soul is put in a burning fire Think climate change and there is your Naraka. A few years back, scientist found bacteria that lives on the lava in the ocean volcano eruptions. This could be that naraka. Of late for the past eight months we are experiencing Corona crisis, a naraka in itself. For heinous crimes may be there is role reversal in future lives. This may be the reason that heinous crimes have not ceased even as we are getting more civilized. All religions in the world have given tons of literature on swarga or Narakam. Many books have been written on NDE ( Near Death Experiences) by famous neuro research scientists. In Tamil we say 'Kandavar vindilar, vindavar kandilar. Those who have seen have not said and those who have said have not seen' This equally applies to Swargam/Narakam also. For Nirbhaya hell was inside a bus in Delhi.Hopefully she would have gone to heaven. Chennai Nagaram turned into a Narakam within 48 hours in 2015 due to heavy floods. Sankara's Advaitham speaks of this world itself as 'mithya'. All of us, members of both the groups, the forums, the writers and the subjects discussed are unreal. Why talk of swargam/Narakam, the imaginary concepts from this unreal world? We can't but appreciate the ingenuity of great sages, writers and pauraniks for having tons of literature, Garuda Puranam etc detailing various rewards and punishments only with the pure motive of making the concepts deterrent.A great intelligent creation of imagination! Vathsala Jayaraman" (🙏 Vathsala Madam. Collage is aware you put together this response in a few minutes, fast, in the morning. Many Thanks) G Mohandas and V T Panchapagesan take the discussion to different levels. Let's listen: I agree with your personal opinion both Swargam and Narakam are here on earth It is your Mind that makes a heaven out of Hell and Hell out of heaven. Every Religion has a GOD Every Religion Talks of Heaven and Hell. Every Religion talks of Soul. When People only soul is supposed to go to Heaven or Hell. How can a "soul" feel hunger or pain ? It is only a belief! CNA used to say "Ezhaiyin Sirippil Iraivanai Kaangiren" (I see God in the smiling faces of the poor). So he strived to give the poor all help and give them food and shelter (through Cheap Rice in Ration and flats constructed by Slum Clearance board) He has followed Kamaraj in giving education for the poor children and also mid-day meals! Kural says: "He who on earth has lived in the conjugal state as he should live, will be placed among the Gods who dwell in heaven." G Mohandas Chennai Those two are imaginary, Let us make LIFE SOUR........HOW? 1.Said the bird : Life is a song, Come with me and sing along..... 2.Hummed the bee: Life is work, There is no honey if you shirk. 3.Groaned the mole beneath the park, In my travels all is dark. 4.Flashed the butterfly , Life is gay, Make it last, deep in the sea. 5.Said the fish, deep in the sea, Where I am, you better not be. 6.Warned the owl beneath the moon, Wise too late and old too soon. 7.Shrilled the eagle in his flight, Dropping wisdom from the heigh. Life is soaring , higher , higher, Love has wings , Let love aspire, Climb on , see from God’s own view, Soar on upward, touch the blue.... That unstable animal——Man thinks the other way Because he thinks he has INTELLIGENCE......TO DECIDE Be Well, V. T. Panchapagesan" 2) Sitendra Kumar Refer Collage with focus on Arthashastra: "This time a good amount of emphasis is Kautilya's Arthashastra. Amazing how at macro level such clear concepts were in existence three centuries before BC. Those very same ones are still valid now; the role of the king to create an ecosystem where wealth is created and properly distributed. Dharma stands uppermost in the line of duty of the king, then and now as well. BHU, a university primarily established to blend Hindu ethos with modern education has fast forwarded its thinking dramatically by asking its students to correlate GST with Arthashastra and to comment on Manu's views on globalisation. There had been six Manu's, it is said. Manu, a resident of Manu-alya or Manali, was he not a global resident? Called Manu in India, was he Moses in the eyes of Jews/Christians or was he called Maseeha by Mohammadens.He predates both Christianity and Islam. The article on Kamala Harris affirming that she is an all out an American worthy and we ought not to ignore our home grown personalities is a good one. A nice blog. Regards, Sitendra Kumar" B. Deepavali 2020 1) Everything about Deepavali https://www.readersdigest.co.uk/inspire/life/everything-you-need-to-know-about-diwali 2) Deepavali is for all, almost! https://www.speakingtree.in/allslides/interesting-facts-about-deepavali-no-one-knows/16 C. Readers Contribution Vathsala Jayaraman Chennai Ramana Maharshi on annihilation of Ego The Puranas say that Lord Narayana has killed the demon [of misery], Naraka Asura. The Deepavali-bath,popularly known as "Ganga Snaan' which is taken by all people on the fourteenth moon in remembrance of the conquest of Naraka, signifies the bath of Jnana, which is taken after destroying the 'ego' called Narakasura, Sage Ramana has composed two verses in Tamil (given below). ஸ்ரீ ரமண மகரிஷி தீபாவளி குறித்து இரண்டு வெண்பாக்கள் இயற்றியுள்ளார் 1.நரகு உடலை நானா நரக உலகாளும் நரகன் எங்கு என்று உசாய் ஞானத் திகிரியால் நரகனைக் கொன்றவன் நாரணன் அன்றே நரக சதுர்த்தி நல் தினம் ஆமே. பொருள் : நரகன் யார் ? 'துன்ப மயமான உடலே நான் 'என்ற எண்ணமே நரகன். நாராயணன் யார் ? அகந்தையாகிய அசுரன் எங்கே யிருக்கிறான் என்று ஆத்ம விசாரணையால் அறிந்து ,ஆத்ம ஞானமாகிய சக்ராயுதத்தால் நரகனாம் அகந்தையை அழித்த ஞானியே நாராயணனாம் இறைவன்.அகந்தை அழிந்து ஞான ஒளி தோன்றும் நாளே தீபாவளி . 2.நரக உரு ஆம் நடலை உடல கிரகம் அகம் எனவே கெட்ட -நரகனாம் மாபாவியை நாடி மாய்த்து தானாய் ஒளிர்தல் தீபாவளியாம் தெளி இந்தப் பாடலும் இதே கருத்தை வலியுறுத்துகிறது. ஞான ஸ்நானமே தீபாவளி ஸ்நானம்..ஆத்ம ஞான உதயமாம் ஒளியையே தீபங்களும் மத்தாப்புகளும் உணர்த்துகின்றன. The day [of the ego’s destruction] is the auspicious day of the fourteenth moon. Deepavali signifies the great Self-Effulgence which shines after destroying ego], Deepavali denotes the shining of Self after the destruction, through enquiry, of the greatest sinner, Naraka [the ego], who took the abode of this filthy body, which is the form of hell, as ‘I’. We will remain as the victorious Narayana (God), the slayer of Narakasura. This slaying of Narakasura is the significance of Naraka Chaturdasi, and our subsequent shining as Narayana, who is our own real self, is what is symbolised by Deepavali, the festival of the ‘array of lights’. Our humble Pranams to sage Ramana on this auspicious Deepavali Day. Happy Gnana Deepavali to all the friends. Vathsala Jayaraman" D. Understanding Ego: Psychology https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/theory-knowledge/201306/the-elements-ego-functioning If you think Psychology is not for you, skip this. E Book Review: Impact of Red October https://frontline.thehindu.com/books/article30536059.ece Not sure whether the link will open for non-subscribers F Blogs and Links: Lifestyle changes 1) Side-effects of WhatsApp https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/the-dying-art-of-listening/article33039862.ece 2) Online shopping https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/here-and-there/the-era-of-online-shopping-27783/ G Diwali Quotes 2020 https://ahmedabadmirror.indiatimes.com/ahmedabad/others/happy-diwali-2020-wishes-quotes-status-and-messages-to-share-with-your-loved-ones/articleshow/79128581.cms#:~:text=I%20wish%20that%20the%20gleam,your%20near%20and%20dear%20ones.