A vision of swami udit chaithanya

Please refer to the book by Sri. Pandit Gopalan Nair for Bhagavatham (Guruvayoor Devaswam) and by Prof. Balakrishnan Nair for Geeta.  

Where there is happiness, there is success. But, where there is success, you need not have happiness because happiness is a state of mind.

There are two things you have to learn. 1. Social life i.e., your interaction with others. 2. Spiritual life i.e., attitude towards the experiences. So, you should learn how to express yourself and how to accept the events. Our Scriptures teach us to express happiness towards others and take everything as God’s Prasad.

Can you ever look at your father as you look at yourself? You can’t! You will definitely respect him; but tell me, whether both are one. So in our worldly transactions or dealings with others, we have to see difference, but never carry differentiation in our mind.

The real mind is formless and slowly it accumulates names and forms. When our mind is caught up in the web of names and forms, then we become slaves of thoughts. Here our Acharya says you concentrate on one form and name; through that you can slowly transform your mind from name and form to the formless stage that is called Jeevanmukthi. If you want that you can practise that, otherwise you can carry on your Sadhana.

There are two purposes for our life. When you are with the world, express the best and when you are with yourself accept everything. Common people eat, sleep, love and enjoy sex; these are experienced by animals too. Only man can live like an animal and celebrate life through spiritual values.

We have five senses. All these senses are attracted towards objects. The philosophy behind the bells in our temples is to attract our hearing ability and divert it towards the Lord. So you will be detached from external sounds which take you away from God. The sound of temple bells and the conch and Namasankeerthana will all help you to concentrate on the Supreme God Presence.

Bhagavad Gita is the theory part of Hindu philosophy and Bhagavatam is theory put into practice, like when you study science in the classroom it is theory and when you do the lab sessions, it is practising that theory through practicals.

A child learns walking with a "baby walker" slowly and steadily, and one day he will start to walk on his own without any aid. Similarly, till you catch the Thathwam, walk with the aid (characters).

There is nothing wrong in how you start and how you end the Mantra. All “namams” take you to the “Namee,” ie, the Chaitanyam within.

Jnanayajnam means a spiritual gathering where higher values are discussed.

Happiness and sorrow are pairs of opposite experiences. But “aanandam” is a state of the mind when it can balance the experiences, i.e., happiness and sorrow are two ends of a pole. When the pole is balanced then you are in a state of “aananda.” Then for you, all experiences are balanced.

We should know the real purpose behind the temple worship. When you go to a doctor, you are very clear about the purpose. When you follow the instructions you will be cured. Similarly we should know our problems and what kind of instructions should be followed. In the case of devotees like Kururamma, they were very clear about the worship of Guruvayurappan. She was so fortunate to have association with devotees like Villuamangalam and other holy persons. So in our case also, first be clear about the purpose.

No, it was not practised in the Vedic Age.

The mind has to take births till it reaches its source. As we see in nature, the river will be liberated only when it reaches its source, ie., the ocean. Please refer to Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 8, Verse 16.

Narayan means the "one who enlivens every being and resides in the water, air and fire". For any creation, food is transformed to blood, and then to semen and ovum. For this transformation, fire, air and water are required. These energies can unite only when there is Chaitanyam (life force). Narayan means "One who unites all the natural powers and expresses through them".

Rebirth is a cycle of events and all events will have an end when the mind reaches its destination. Just see the river and its flow; once it reaches the ocean, its journey ends. Events are born out of each moment. Moments and events are bounded by time. When you see deeply you can see moments are existing in the presence of chaitanya.When your mind is tuned with the presence within, your mind is always present, in the presense of Lord. Then you are free from rebirth.

. According to Krishna, Moksha is a state of mind which can accept and withstand all kinds of experiences. Bhagavan says that samabudhi means a completely balanced mind. When an ordinary devotee worships the Lord, he/she expects lot of favours from the Lord. That will lead to mental disturbances. But in the case of people like Kamsa and all, they never expect but they accept the worst as a challenge. So they are mentally strong. Even our Upanishads say that a weak mind cannot achieve much. So develop a balanced mind.

Both Paramatma and Parabrahma are the same.

Getting spiritual energy can be experienced only through the true surrender of the mind. As long as you imagine the surrender, the experience of the spiritual energy remains at the level of imagination. You will realize that your existence (mind) born out of God exists because of God, and has to go back to God. The seven serpents represent Saptha Dhathu and seven days.

You are going in the right track. First you concentrate on a certain form. Once you are able to do so, dissolve your mind, imagination and yourself into the ONE who gives life. If you feel HIS presence, then your imagination will be transformed into conviction.

When the king follows a disciplined life, giving more importance to his society rather than personal life, such a society will follow a righteous culture. “Yadha raja tadha praja.” Similarly, when parents follow a disciplined, respectful, sharing, caring and humble life, children also follow the same. Thus a cultured family/society is developed.

All these rituals are meant for bringing your attention to the Lord. Once you are focused on the Lord, think about Him. Through the Scriptures you understand that God is your own Chaitanyam and is inseparable from you. Then you have to experience or feel his presence in you through meditation

Whether mentally retarded or mentally stable, mind exists in the body because of the Chaitanyam. A person is mentally retarded because the thoughts developed in the previous life are very weak. If we can help such people to develop a stronger mind, they will be born with a stronger mind in their next life. Hinduism believes that our present life is determined by the nature of our thoughts. So we are responsible for everything. Don’t blame God.  

Karna is an excellent character. He could invite death by sharing his most valuable things. He was a sincere and devoted friend who helped Duryodhana during his adversities. Moreover, Karna could face death without any regret whatsoever.

A. Attachment creates intensity of attraction or possessiveness. On the other hand, association keeps you free from possessiveness. We should associate with the world and attach with God or the Chaitanyam within us.  

Aamnaya is concerned with Veda mantra, the sacred tradition handed down by repetition. Veetha raga refers to one who has liberated or freed his mind through attachment to God.

A. Dharma and adharma are two sides of the same coin. You cannot perfectly define what is dharma or what is adharma. Sometimes dharma itself becomes adharma; for instance, when we wash our body, though it seems to be dharma, that act causes so many lives (germs) to be destroyed. So our great masters say that our highest Dharma is to discover the source of our mind and redirect our mind to that and finally get dissolved into that.

A. The form of the Lord is an imagined form in the mind. God is beyond all our imagination. God is to be felt. For that, you have to dissolve your mind into the Chaitanyam in your meditation.

A. It is easy to blame the Lord for our mistakes. Whatever is created is created by the mind. The mind never realizes that it is the cause behind all the mistakes and tends to put the blame on something else.

A. The world expects humble, simple and sincere expressions and actions. But when our mind responds in tune with the behaviour of others, i.e., happy with those who support and co-operate with us and unhappy with those who are not supportive, it tends to lose its sincerity. Such a mind becomes a scheming mind, always judging and reacting to the world according to the response received.  God has given us the strength to express. HE has not given us the power to decide the behaviour of others and the result of our actions. To learn to express yourself sincerely irrespective of the external situations, or to cultivate an equipoised mind, you need tremendous strength gained through meditation, when you feel HIS presence.

A. Reciting the mantra helps you to divert your attention from the external world and get attracted to God, and slowly your mind will get closer to the Godly presence in you. Never get lost in the mantra; try to feel the presence of God in the form of Chaitanyam in you. Understand that all mantras are but the names and adjectives of the beloved Lord in you. When you listen to your beloved's name, your mind is immediately filled with thoughts of him/her. Similarly when you recite mantra, you should get more attracted and imagine the form of the beloved Lord.

A. There are two kinds of mental strengths; one is the confidence you have in your knowledge, skill and physical strength. The other is the ability to accept even unexpected events. This strength is possible only when we dissolve into our Godly self or divine power.  

A. According to Indian thoughts, ghost is the mind filled with negative tendencies. When there is hatred, selfishness, arrogance and destructive thoughts, such minds fall into this category. In Chapter 16 of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna explains "the mind filled with good values and the mind filled with negative tendencies are called Devas and Asuras respectively".

A. Recently you have seen the solar eclipse. Though the sun is much bigger than the moon, the moon could cover the sun for a while and spread darkness everywhere. Can you say that the sun became powerless at that time? The sun's glory cannot be diminished by anyone. Similarly your negative thoughts can cover the glory of the Lord within, for a while. When you cultivate positive thoughts, then the mind becomes transparent and such a mind can express the full glory of the Chaitanyam within.  

A. If you want a scientific answer, you have to take your mind to the truth and there you will get a clear answer. Unless someone studies medical science, he/she will not learn the anatomy of the human body. Similarly, when we practise meditation, we realize the Truth within. Then this world and the entire creation will appear as Joy or Leela of the Lord. During the rainy season the sea seems to be violent; but actually the water that evaporated from the sea is returning to the sea and the sea is excited with this reunion. So from the ocean's point of view, she is not violent, but dancing with thrill and excitement. Similarly when you realize your own SELF, you can also enjoy this vast creation!

A. Please understand that there are no hard and fast rules for observing these traditions. It varies from caste to caste. Actually when somebody dies, we feel a vacuum and loneliness. At that time if we go to temples, we cannot concentrate on the divinity because of the misery and pain that we undergo. That is why this tradition was observed. But there is no harm in reading holy texts, doing Japam or lighting the lamp in the pooja room. God is not concerned with your physical impurity; HE wants only a pure mind and its surrender at HIS feet. And HE says that the mind which carries HIM carries no impurities.

A. In Kaliyuga, the the place, pooja materials and the poojari's mind are not perfectly pure. So in Kaliyuga, these kinds of rituals do not have much relevance, according to Lord Krishna (in the Bhagavatham). The Lord says that in Kaliyuga, the easiest and surest way to please HIM is by Namasankeerthanam and Satsang.

A. We need not change the world by drawing attention to Lord Krishna's caste and colour. Our religion attaches no importance to the outward appearance of a person. We are not claiming attention by drawing sympathy to our God or caging HIM in an image. We focus on the teachings of the Lord and give emphasis to the upliftment of the human mind. Once your mind is uplifted, you will become a guiding light for others.  

A. All the sadhanas are meant for mental purification and for developing a well balanced mind. Only a balanced mind can fully focus and surrender to the Supreme Self (Chaitanyam). Ashtanga Yoga also helps you to attain the same (Chitthavrithi nirodha is Yoga). The same can be easily achieved through the proper understanding of life through the stories of Bhagavatam. We can understand the purpose of life and the way one should live. This would help one to attain a balanced mind.  

A. Its meaning is "Let every being be free from sorrow and fear.”

A. According to our Hindu philosophy and the experiences of the Great Masters, "God is not everywhere; but every thing is in God"! When we say God is within us, what we mean is the manifestation of the Chaitanyam in the form of vibrant life. But God is beyond manifestation and non-manifestation. Even in science, the effect exists in the cause; that means, in the case of an ornament though we say that gold is there in the ornament, the reality is that the ornament exists in gold. So, a dead body as well as a living body exists in God. Hence we respect the dead body.

A. When you consider yourself a devotee of God, you take it for granted that you can ask anything from God. Actually Lord Krishna and Lord Rama are treated as Gurus and we should be their disciples. A devotee will demand and a disciple will follow. To follow, you need to understand the instruction of the Guru. Bhagavatam is considered to be a text of instructions by our great masters.

A. To experience the Godly presence in us, we require a concentrated, dedicated and surrendering mind. To reach that level, you require some symbol through which you can lift your mind from the "God with form" to the "Formless Truth". Salagram and shivalingam can create a positive environment. Where there is more energy, the presence of the Lord is imminent. Thus you can easily shift and focus your mind from many forms to one form and then to the formless truth.

A. If you do some work thinking it is somebody else's work, you do it under great stress as if by force. If you feel that it is your own work, then the same mind will enjoy the work. So it is not the work, but the attitude that produces stress. To overcome this, keep a cheerful face and sincerely see the Lord in your heart and tell the Lord that the work which you are doing is handed over by HIM only. With that realization do the work with commitment and sincerity.

A. It is natural that when a tragedy happens, your mind will be very weak and miserable. For a weak mind, even a small trouble seems to be a big misery. Because of the weakness, the mind will get attracted to and affected by the tragedy that had happened. This brings more shocks, one after one. So if you are a sincere devotee of the Lord, understand that even Lord and HIS parents had undergone many tragic experiences. Just read the story of Devaki who was thrown into jail and whose children were all killed by her own brother. But she never questioned or complained about her miseries. Moreover, she understood that if she allowed her mind to be weak, she would miss the great blessing of the arrival of Lord Krishna in her womb. Similarly if your mind is weak today, you may miss the great blessings waiting for you. Understand that behind the darkness, there is a glow of light. Lift your mind from darkness to light.

A. First of all, listen to and study the Gita and the Bhagavatham; all the great masters and Scriptures and Lord Krishna emphasize repeatedly that God exists in the form of Chaitanyam. So Lord Krishna, Maha Vishnu and other deities are all representing a personification of the Chaitanyam. And the Lord can exist through Shakti. Mind is the representation of the Goddess. When your mind is full of creativity, then you are Durga. When your mind is balanced, then you are Mahalakshmi. When your mind is reveling in the knowledge and experience of the self, then you are Saraswathy.

A. Indra represents our doubting intellect. Whenever we do any action/karma, the mind suspects the result. That shows that the mind will never have complete involvement in our action. The mind can experience whatever it does, only when it sincerely involves in it 100%. In Bhakti and Meditation, the mind can involve 100%; so Indra (doubting mind) cannot influence or disturb those thoughts.

A. A newborn child has mind and feelings, but he cannot discriminate feelings. When he grows up, his power to discriminate develops. All these things happen in the presence of the indwelling Chaitanyam.

A. 'Pralayam' does not mean a flood of water. It is 'Praharshena Layam' i.e. anything coming from a source will go back to the source itself. It will exist until it merges or unites with the source. So that particular state is called Prakrutha pralayam. When it merges with the source, it is called Brahma pralayam. So when your mind after attaining equanimity merges with the Chaitanyam, you attain Brahma pralayam. Then your knowledge and experience will be nonperishable.

A. In reality Atma has no form; it is beyond form. So you cannot imagine any particular spot for God. Even you who imagine, who meditate can imagine or meditate only because of HIS grace. But for the beginners, you can concentrate on the mid point between your eye brows called 'Bhroomadhya,' or in your heart.

A. You are worrying too much about the people around you, and you have a very low opinion about yourself. When you are sitting quietly, just think about yourself. "Do I really exist because of this world? People come and go; still I exist! I can breathe, eat, sleep and do other activities not because of my ability or that of the people around me. Every activity and function is happening because of the grace of God within. If God can give you life and protect you even in the most difficult situations, can't HE protect you even now? So through Japam divert your attention towards God. See HIM in the form of Krishna who can dispel the sorrow of HIS devotees and surrender yourself at HIS feet and feel HIS presence behind each thought and breath. Keep smiling and hereafter never say that "there is a problem in my life". Say "God is testing me to make me stronger and more powerful".

A. Bali karmam is meant to make you remember that you are deathless. The body perishes and the mind will take another body till it reaches its source. And when all the family members gather together for doing the Bali karmam, family relations are maintained through the respect for the departed soul. When you realize the presence of God, all these rituals will not have any special meaning for you.

A. From Dhruvacharitham, you have realized the values of a mother. What you understood is exactly correct. A real mother throbs with spiritual energy and inspires anyone who comes for any help. She never falls into a miserable life. She will be a strong shoulder for those who need her help. A powerful mother alone can transform a weak person into a strong person. So for everyone, a mother is a source of love and inspiration.

A. While you are reciting the Lord's name, your mind should feel the presence of the Lord within you. The chanting and feeling of the presence - if both go together - then the subject (Chaitanyam) and the object (mantram) unite and ultimately take you to the experience of your divine presence. Even in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna emphasizes the importance of 'bhavana'. Bhavana has got two phases. One is imagination and the second is feeling. You can visualize any form of the Lord while chanting the mantram; but understand that it is only temporary. Feeling is deeper than imagination. You cannot visualize your own Chaitanyam; that you can only feel. The more you feel, the closer you are to the divine in you. That alone takes you to the ultimate experience of God!

A. When God manifests in the form of human beings to bring harmony in society, some adharma may be practiced to reestablish dharma. In the case of Sri Rama, though Bali was not HIS enemy, HE was forced to kill him. Even though the action was adharma, the intention was positive. Similarly in the case of Krishna, HE forced Dharmaputra to tell a lie to kill Dronacharya. It seems to be adharma but the attitude was positive. So instead of arguing about dharma and adharma, find out the attitude behind that action.

A. Do not worry about all these Paapa. Dwell your mind on God. HE is the only one who can erase all sins from the mind. Study the Bhagavad Gita, 9th chapter, slokas 30 and 31.

A. Those who can tune their mind to a higher spiritual level, and surrender your mind to God with one mantra, that is excellent. But some people enjoy different tastes and all of these tastes come to the same stomach. Similarly various mantras, if chanted with clarity, take you to only one experience.  

A. We cannot survive without the cow; but we can survive without all other animals. We need milk, butter, ghee and for manure we need cow dung and urine. We are so much dependent on cows and hence give prime importance to "Gomatha".  

A. If parents have godly qualities such as courage, patience, non-expectation, are attached to God and wisdom regarding the Self, then worshipping such parents can be considered equivalent to worshipping God. In the Bhagavatham, fathers like Rishabha and Ambarish were considered equivalent to God. The Pandavas considered Kunti equivalent to God.

A. All these rituals are not mentioned in the Scriptures. These are circulated by some ritualistic and business-minded people. If you can throw your parents out of your mind with one karma or another, is it what they deserve from you? If you are sincerely caring for your parents, then on their remembrance days, sing bhajans and read Bhagavatham 11^th canto, and give Annadanam to the participants. Reading Bhagavatham will make Pitrus happy.

A. According to science, matter can attract and influence matter. The the Sun and the Moon and all the other planets are influencing our growth. When an eclipse occurs, so much of ultraviolet rays and gases are produced. Even scientists accept that it is harmful to humans. But your mind can get attracted to either matter or the Chaithanyam. When your mind is surrendered to the Lord, it means you have come closer to the Chaithanyam, then the effects of all the planets and stars are really negligible.

A. For a successful life, FOUR things are needed. 1) Behaviour - If you are humble and simple, the world will always give you good opportunities. 2) Attitude – If you can smile even in the greatest crisis, you are a powerful person. Such a person cannot be influenced by the world. 3) Knowledge - Unless you update your knowledge, modern society will discard you. 4) Skill - Whatever jobs you do, do it skillfully so that others will respect, appreciate and recognize your performance.

A. You can sit in any comfortable way for meditation.

A. First you develop a balanced, equipoised mind; then surrender yourself to the Supreme Power. Then you are beyond all gunas. Through meditation, you can surrender and experience God and while interacting with the world, do so with a balanced mind.

A. Moksha is not concerned with the body, but with the mind. When your mind is balanced, then you are considered to be a Mukta from emotional disturbances. Learn to accept every bad experience and treat them as stepping stones towards a successful tomorrow.

A. According to our masters, the Mahaamantra "Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare," if chanted daily in the morning and evening, your mind will become energized and become very powerful.

A. Spirituality and the study of the Scriptures will help us realize that we should be an embodiment of knowledge and love. Real love comes only when we experience that we are the children of the one and only God who resides in our heart.

A. Scriptures such as Bhagavatam give us authoritative and scientific answers for all such doubts that might arise in your mind. Aatma means the power which helps the MIND and PRANA stay and function together in this body. The body is functioning because of mind and prana, which helps the mind to rise and function. Pretam means one who lives a life of weakness. Rebirth or the birth—death cycle continues until the mind reaches its destination.

A. If you desire sincerely, you can achieve anything. For achieving Aatmasakshaatkaaram, your mind is the first Guru; all others can only show you the different or various ways to attain it.

A. 5 wicks in a lamp represents our 5 senses (ear,skin,toung,eyes,& nose)as the light shows the objects we can experience all experience only through 5 sences which is called jnana indriyas.

A. Your mind can experience both heaven and hell. When you are in a happy mood, you are in heaven, but when you are miserable you are in hell. Listening to the Bhagavatam will help you to keep your mind always in heaven.

A. You can experience Bhagavan this life itself; keep in touch with Him every day at least for 20 minutes in meditation.

Atma means the ego that means the ‘I’, which is disturbed because of its identification with the body, objects and other people. Paramaatma means the balanced mind; when you learn to keep the mind balanced, you are lifted to paramaatma.

A. Studying the Bhagavatam will help you to achieve a balanced mind; with such a mind you can face all the challenges in your life. Karma and karmaphalam are part of a chain and you can’t easily get rid of those. But you can face them with a smiling face.

A. During the menstruation period, the body temperature of a woman varies. This difference in temperature can have effect on the surroundings. It is scientifically proven that the presence of a woman in a field caused the death of silkworms in the field. There is no harm in doing japam, reading holy texts and doing pooja since we are uniting our mind with God & the mind is unaffected by the impurities of the body.

A. When you comment “So Sweet!” regarding taste, can you ever show the form of sweetness? But through a laddu or some other sweet items, you can explain about sweetness. Similarly, when you talk about your pain to a doctor, can you show your pain? No, but you can express the feelings and show the parts where you are experiencing the pain. So, in this case, population doesn’t refer to physical forms. Now you say human population is more; did you ever notice the plants, animals and other forms of creation are decreasing? So, find out the source of the mind and reach the destination.

A. If God has a form, then as the form gets destroyed, God will also die! According to our Scriptures and science, God and energy cannot die because they are formless. In order to make us understand this principle, the formless God himself incarnated in different forms and our spiritual masters realized the formless truth through the worship of God with form.