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 MEDITATION

M editation is witnessing.
To meditate means to
become a witness, to become
modification, he is sure to
enjoy huge profit. By such
selfish thought, the brilliancy
reach. That status will act to
show the fact.

aware. Meditation means is utilized. This will certainly Have you ever observed a
awareness. One who engaged create a sense of competition child’s play? Our attentions
in meditation, with all his between people. Such kind are completely merged with
care, observes the atmosphere of competition will lead for the play of the child. During
of the surrounding. Attention clashes and disputes. The those moments, nothing
will be based with awareness. peace will not there. The except the actions of child
He can create a healthy actions based on love will could intermingle in the
relation with all the people create a peaceful atmosphere. mind. The action seeing by
nearby. The love will form a Where we find the peace, there a person and the playing of
good culture of morality. That the silence will rule. The status a child, relate to attention of
will certainly create a world of silence permits everything concentration. No exterior
of peace. The journey of love to a peaceful nature. thoughts can surround here.
leads to meditation. Where
there is love, there will be To find a fact, one should In an affair of control, one
definitely the discipline. The
relieve from his own thoughts does the deed of controlling.
pure atmosphere of innocence of opinions. There should be The other person happens to
can prevail. no kind of self analyze in the be controlled. In this deed, the
mind. You have to keep the peace of mind will be wobbled.
Through the brilliancy, mind in a form of emptiness. The storm of thoughts will
we observe entirety of the Peace will begin to rule in rise in the mind. There will
world. If one makes certain mind and a clear status will be two branches. The conflict
between one who impose
power to control and the other
who protest the control, comes
to the existence. Similarly,
the thoughts of a thinker,
the thoughts of arguer, the
thoughts of observer and
the thoughts of experience
are likely to form. In each
formations, the groups of far
and against will peep out and
the worldly conflicts and wars
will challenge the human lives
in a destructive way.
Thoughts should not rise. One
should transform as thoughts
itself. A controller, himself
should control. A looker, he
himself merges as vision. A
researcher, himself should
be in form of research. An
experience should be no other After exact planning and of the mind in proper way is
Siddhi Times USA 4
than experience. This inter
transformation stage should
be merged and the state of
meditation could be obtained.
A broad minded nature and
the ability to understand these
stages by easy means could
provide the merged status of
meditation.
Just take the example of
keeping the home in order. We
look the disorderly occupation
of things. We observe it and
modify it properly. Similarly,
the basic way of remedial
the life with troubles and the
measures, when applied, this
reasons for confusion, we
stage can be averted. Similar
feel very well and question
to that, arranging perfect mind
ourselves the reason for the
is essential before we start
hatred upon us by the others.
meditation. This is the early
stage of meditation. Arranging
the beginning of meditation.
If we fail to do this, then the
prayer will be just considered
as Bajan. It is not the meaning
that the enlightenment can be
obtained through meditation.
Enlightenment will rise
when one is able to control
the desire. Enlightenment
will naturally reach when we
detach the passions. That too,
when we realize ourselves
in meditation, this subject
enlightenment will enlighten
us.
When we inhale in and exhale
out the gap in breath can be
confined. An occasion will
come when we breathe inside
and leave the air out side, the
breath inside and leave the air
out side; the breath itself will
have a stop. That time, is so
called enlightenment through
meditation.
We inhale the breath and
exhale it. Like wise, the
continuation with change
happens. In a particular point
of a short moment, the breath
stops. By that time, you are not
in the world. It is considered
as death. The breath that gets
entrance is considered as re-
birth. The breath that exists out
conferred as death. So, your
status of facing the death and
getting the rebirth continues.
The gap between these two
is highly negligible. This you
can observe on action. After
that nothing is needed for
you. You will be with joy.
You can observe everything.
You can understand the
truth. The explanation is this
that nothing gets generated
or destructed. Nothing is
given to you and nothing is
imposed to you. Everything
that existed is already with
you. Only little awareness is
essential. You have to watch
sharply the breath which
enters in, in the first in-hale.
You can forget everything.
Just by touching the edge
of nose, you can in-hale the
breath. Your consciousness
will register the inhaling.
When the breath enters in,
the consciousness also should
simultaneously enter. If these
two jointly when get in, you
can find the gap between
inhaling and exhaling. Let the
system of breath in and breath
out continue. The joining of
consciousness also can be
observed.
With all the awareness and
the continued process of
inhaling and exhaling of the
breath, there is a moment to
come and make a situation
absolutely without breath.
That is just for a small time.
When you reach that moment,
you are positively at the point
of happiness. Through that
the attainment, enlightenment
is possible. That is the same
way Buddha attained the
enlightenment.
Siddhi Times USA 5
 reader with all the ingredients needed to face
ordeals and conquer obstructions in the way
of the world.

The story of the birth of Hanuman goes thus:

Brihaspati, the preceptor of the gods, had an
attendant called Punjikasthala. She was cursed
to assume the form of a female monkey — a
curse that could only be nullified if she would
give birth to an incarnation of Lord Shiva.
Reborn as Anjana, she performed intense

H anuman, the mighty ape that aided

Lord Rama, an incarnation of Lord
Mahavishnu, in his expedition against evil
forces, is one of the most popular idols in
the Hindu pantheon. Believed to be an avatar
of Lord Shiva, Hanuman is worshipped as a
symbol of physical strength, perseverance and
devotion. Hanuman’s tale in the epic Ramayana
wherein he is assigned the responsibility to
locate Rama’s wife Sita abducted by Ravana,
the demon king of Lanka — is known for
its astounding ability to inspire and equip a
Siddhi Times USA 6
Siddhi Times USA 7

austerities to please Shiva, who finally granted
her the boon that would cure her of the curse.
When Agni, the god of fire gave Dasharath,
the king of Ayodhya, a bowl of sacred sweet
food to share among his wives so that they may
have divine children, an eagle snatched a part
of the pudding and dropped it where Anjana
was meditating, and Pavana, the god of wind
delivered the drop to her outstretched hands.
After she took the divine dessert, she gave
Siddhi Times USA 8
birth to Hanuman. Thus Lord Shiva incarnated
as a monkey, and was born as Hanuman to
Anjana, by the blessings of Pavana, who thus
became Hanuman’s godfather.
The birth of Hanuman released Anjana from
the curse. Before she returned to heaven,
Hanuman asked his mother about his life
ahead. She assured him that he would never
die, and said that fruits as ripe as the rising
sun would be his food. Mistaking the glowing
sun as his food, the divine baby leapt for it.
Indra, the king of heavens struck him with
his thunderbolt and hurled him down to earth.
But Hanuman’s godfather Pavana carried
him to the nether world (“Patala”). As he
departed from the earth, all life panted for air,
and Brahma had to beg him to return. In order
to appease him they conferred a lot of boons
and blessings on his foster child that made
Hanuman invincible, immortal and super
powerful.
Hanuman selected Surya, the sun god as
his preceptor, and approached him with the
request to teach the scriptures. Surya agreed
and Hanuman became his disciple, but had to
face his constantly moving guru by traversing his massive search for Sita. Finding out her
the sky backwards at equal pace, while whereabouts, he consoled Sita, and burnt
taking his lessons. Hanuman’s phenomenal down the city of Lanka. Hanuman then
concentration took him only 60 hours to brought Rama to Lanka, fought the battle
master the scriptures. Surya considered the against Ravana with his simian army, and
manner in which Hanuman accomplished his vanquished the demons. Hanuman’s greatest
studies as his tuition fees, but when Hanuman feat was saving the life of Lakshmana by
requested him to accept something more than fetching the life-giving herb “Sanjivani”
that, the sun god asked Hanuman to assist from the Himalayas. He flew fast towards the
his son Sugriva, by being his minister and Himalayas, but unable to recognize the right
compatriot. herb, picked up the whole mountain on his
hand and flew back to Lanka, just in time to
Hanuman met Rama and his brother save Lakshmana. Thereafter Hanuman served
Lakshmana while Rama was in exile in the Rama forever.
jungle, and searching for his wife Sita who
was abducted by Ravana. Their quest brought The venerable ape also features in the great
them near Pampa Lake at the foot of Mount epic Mahabharata. How Hanuman met the
Risyamukha, where the monkey king Sugriva valiant Bhima, one of the Pandava brothers is
and his ministers were hiding. Sugriva, who itself a marvelous tale. He recognized Bhima
was being persecuted by his brother Vali, as his spiritual brother, since both were born
suspected that Rama and Lakshmana might with the blessings of Pavana, the Wind God,
have been sent by Vali to slay him. To find and promised to aid the Pandavas in the big
out the facts, Hanuman approached them in battle of Kurukshetra. Hanuman positioned
the guise of a Brahmin. himself in the flag of Arjuna’s chariot to
secure and stabilize the war-craft. The
Hanuman’s initial words highly impressed triangular saffron flag of Hanuman stands for
Rama, and made him comment: “None can stability and equilibrium, sense-control and
talk this way without mastering the Vedas. He mind-control, and a sure sign of victory over
has such a flawless countenance, a wonderful all that is base and evil.From the life history
accent, and a captivating way of speaking. of Sri.Hanumanji, we can understand what is
He has the ability to move even an enemy...” dedication and devotion.
After he revealed his identity as the prince of
Ayodhya, Hanuman fell prostrate before him
in respect of the Lord. Rama picked him up
and embraced him. There began the story of
Hanuman, which is inextricably interwoven
with Rama, and dealt with in detail in Valmiki’s
Ramayana and the Tulsidas’ Ramacharita
manas and Hanuman Chaleesa.

To cut the long story of Hanuman short, he

then introduced Rama to Sugriva, and began
Siddhi Times USA 9
Siddhi Times USA 10
Siddhi Times USA 11
H ow much water should
you drink each day?
- A simple question with
example, water flushes
toxins out of vital organs,
carries nutrients to your
no easy answers. Studies cells and provides a moist
have produced varying environment for ear,
recommendations over the nose and throat tissues.
years, but in truth, your water Lack of water can lead to
needs depend on many factors, dehydration, a condition
including your health, how that occurs when you don’t
active you are and where you have enough water in your
live. Though no single formula body to carry out normal
fits everyone, knowing more functions.
about your body’s need for consuming beverages and
fluids will help you estimate Every day you lose water foods that contain water.
how much water to drink each through your breath,
day. perspiration, urine and bowel A couple of approaches
movements. For your body to attempt to approximate water
Water is your body’s principal function properly, you must needs for the average, healthy
chemical component, replenish its water supply by adult living in a temperate
comprising, on average, 60 climate.
percent of your weight.
Every system in • Replacement
your body approach. The
depends on average
water. u r i n e
F o r output
f o r

Siddhi Times USA 12

adults is 1.5 liters a day. You lose close to
an additional liter of water a day through
breathing, sweating and bowel movements.
Food usually accounts for 20 percent of your
total fluid intake, so if you consume 2 liters of
water or other beverages a day (a little more
than 8 cups) along with your normal diet, you
will typically replace the lost fluids.

• Dietary recommendations. The Institute of

Medicine advises that men consume roughly
3.0 liters (about 13 cups) of total beverages a
day and women consume 2.2 liters (about 9
cups) of total beverages a day.

Even apart from the above approaches, it is

generally the case that if you drink enough
fluid so that you rarely feel thirsty and produce
between one and two liters of colorless or
slightly yellow urine a day, your fluid intake
is probably adequate.
sweat and reduce the chances of developing
You may need to modify your total fluid intake hyponatremia, which can be life threatening.
depending on how active you are, the climate Fluid also should be replaced after exercise.
you live in, your health status, and if you’re Drinking 16 ounces of fluid per pound of body
pregnant or breast-feeding. weight lost during exercise is recommended.

• Exercise. The more you exercise, the more • Environment. Hot or humid weather can
fluid you’ll need to keep your body hydrated. make you sweat and requires additional intake
An extra 1 or 2 cups of water should suffice of fluid. Heated indoor air also can cause
for short bouts of exercise, but intense exercise your skin to lose moisture during wintertime.
lasting more than an hour (for example, Further, altitudes greater than 2,500 meters
running a marathon) requires additional fluid. (8,200 feet) may trigger increased urination
How much additional fluid is needed depends and more rapid breathing, which use up more
on how much you sweat during the exercise, of your fluid reserves.
but 13 to26 ounces (or about 2 to 3 cups) an
hour will generally be adequate, unless the • Illnesses or health conditions. Signs
weather is exceptionally warm. of illnesses, such as fever, vomiting and
diarrhea, cause your body to lose additional
During long bouts of intense exercise, it’s fluids. In these cases you should drink more
best to use sports drink that contains sodium, water and may even need oral rehydration
as this will help replace sodium lost in solutions, such as Gatorade, PowerAde

Siddhi Times USA 13

or Ceralyte. Certain conditions, including
bladder infections or urinary tract stones, also
require increased water intake. On the other
hand, certain conditions such as heart failure
and some types of kidney, liver and adrenal
diseases may impair excretion of water and
even require that you limit your fluid intake.
•Pregnancy or breast-feeding. Women who are
expecting or breast-feeding need additional
fluids to stay hydrated. Large amounts of fluid
are lost especially when nursing. The Institute
of Medicine recommends that pregnant women
drink 2.4 liters (about 10 cups) of fluids daily
and women who breast-feed consume 3.0
liters (about 12.5 cups) of fluids a day.
Although it’s a great idea to keep water within
reach at all times, you don’t need to rely only
on what you drink to satisfy your fluid needs.
What you eat also provides a significant
Siddhi Times USA 14
portion of your fluid needs. On average,
food provides about 20 percent of total water
intake, while the remaining 80 percent comes
from water and beverages of all kinds.
For example, many fruits and vegetables - such
as watermelon and cucumbers - are nearly
100 percent water by weight. Beverages such
as milk and juice are also comprised mostly
of water. Even beer, wine and caffeinated
beverages such as coffee, tea or soda can
contribute, but these should not be a major
portion of your daily total fluid intake. Water
is one of your best bets because it’s calorie-
free, inexpensive and readily available.
Failing to take in more water than your body
uses can lead to dehydration. Even mild
dehydration - as little as a 1 percent to 2
percent loss of your body weight - can sap your
energy and make you tired. Common causes
Siddhi Times USA 15
of dehydration include strenuous activity,
excessive sweating, vomiting and diarrhea.

Signs and symptoms of dehydration include:

• Mild to excessive thirst

• Fatigue
• Headache
• Dry mouth
• Little or no urination
• Muscle weakness
• Dizziness
• Lightheadedness

Mild dehydration rarely results in complications

- as long as the fluid is replaced quickly - but
more-severe cases can be life threatening,
especially in the very young and the elderly.
In extreme situations, fluids or electrolytes
may need to be delivered intravenously.

It’s generally not a good idea to use thirst If you drink water from a bottle, thoroughly
alone as a guide for when to drink. By the clean or replace the bottle often. Refill only
time one becomes thirsty, it is possible to bottles that are designed for reuse.
already be slightly dehydrated. Further, be
aware that as you get older your body is less Though uncommon, it is possible to drink too
able to sense dehydration and send your brain much water. When your kidneys are unable
signals of thirst. Excessive thirst and increased
to excrete the excess water, the electrolyte
urination can be signs of a more serious (mineral) content of the blood is diluted,
medical condition. Talk to your doctor if you resulting in a condition called hyponatremia
experience either. (low sodium levels in the blood). Endurance
athletes - such as marathon runners - who
To ward off dehydration and make sure your drink large amounts of water are at higher risk
body has the fluids it needs, make water your of hyponatremia. In general, though, drinking
beverage of choice. Nearly every healthy adult too much water is rare in healthy adults who
can consider the following: consume an average American diet.
• Drink a glass of water with each meal and If you’re concerned about your fluid intake,
between each meal. check with your doctor or a registered dietitian.
• Hydrate before, during and after exercise. He or she can help you determine the amount
• Substitute sparkling water for alcoholic of water that’s best for you.
drinks at social gatherings.
Siddhi Times USA 16
 looking for her checkbook, she discovered that she had
left it at home. All of the groceries had been checked
and sacked. “I’m so sorry,” she said, “I thought I had
it with me. If I could just leave the groceries here for a
few minutes, I’ll run home and get the checkbook.”
“Don’t worry about it,” the cashier told her. “Take the
groceries home. The next time you’re in the store you
can pay for them.” We had just moved from a large
city and she couldn’t believe what she was hearing!
This clerk had never seen her before. But she treated
her as if she is a VIP. She was somebody!

Don’t you love it when you are treated like you are
somebody? Because the truth is, we are all somebody.
We are all important. And maybe most businesses
cannot (and should not) let everybody pay with credit,
“Namaste” is a polite Indian gesture of greeting but even strangers can be treated with honor and
or farewell. From Hindi, the word literally means respect. If she has told a lie she might have faced a lot
“bowing to you.” Namaste has also been used to of problems. Here is an exercise that may dramatically
mean, “I honor the sacred truth that is within you.” change your life: for one month treat everybody you
What a remarkable thing it would be to actually honor meet as if she or he is the most important person in
the sacred that is within each person we meet! Even the world. The man sweeping the sidewalk, your
strangers. Nobody would go unnoticed and everybody spouse and children, a teenager in the neighborhood,
would count. The following is an example for the the elderly woman seated across the aisle from you
-- honor that which is sacred in all of them.
truth. I wish to state an example for the truthfulness.
The Indian word “Namaste” has a lot of meanings;
One of it is “Truth”. Give your undivided attention. By your words and
actions, communicate to them all how important they
A man narrates his experience as follows to note the are to you. Show them great respect and kindness.
effect of truth. The day after we moved to a small You may be amazed at what happens to your
town in Colorado my wife Bev did grocery shopping. relationships!
We moved few food items with us so she filled four
grocery carts full. She asked if she could pay with You may not single-handedly solve the problem of
an out of state check. “We just moved here,” she world peace -- but in one small way at least, you will
explained, “and don’t have local checks yet.” make a great difference.

They said, “Yes, no problem.” But when she began Namaste.

Siddhi Times USA 17

 T he writings of Tulsidas, especially the
Ramcharitmanas are works of great
literary merit, as well as being examples
of an extraordinary combination of
supreme devotion and pure non-dualistic
philosophy.

Tulsidas was born in Rajpur, in the

district of Banda in Uttar Pradesh, in
Samvat 1589 or 1532 A.D. He was
a Sarayuparina Brahmin by birth
and is regarded as an incarnation of
Valmiki, the author of Ramayana
written in Sanskrit. His father’s
name was Atmaram Shukla Dube
and his mother’s name Hulsi.
Tulsidas did not cry at the time
of his birth. He was born with all
the thirty-two teeth intact. In
childhood his name was Tulsiram
or Ram Bola.

Tulsidas’s wife’s name

was Buddhimati (Ratnavali).
Tulsidas’s son’s name was Tarak.
Tulsidas was passionately attached
to his wife. He could not bear even
a day’s separation from her. One day
his wife went to her father’s house
without informing her husband. Tulsidas
stealthily went to see her at night at his
father-in-law’s house. This produced a sense
of shame in Buddhimati. She said to Tulsidas,
“My body is but a network of flesh and bones.

Siddhi Times USA 18

Siddhi Times USA 19
If you would develop for Lord Rama even half
the love that you have for my filthy body, you
would certainly cross the ocean of Samsara
and attain immortality and eternal bliss”.
These words pierced the heart of Tulsidas
like an arrow. He did not stay there even for
a moment. He abandoned home and became
an ascetic. He spent fourteen years in visiting
the various sacred places of pilgrimage.
While returning from answering the calls of
nature, Tulsidas used to throw the water that
was left in his water-pot at the roots of a tree,
which a spirit was occupying. The spirit was He will help you”. Accordingly, Tulsidas met
very much pleased with Tulsidas. The spirit Hanuman, and through His grace, had Darshan
said, “O man! Get a boon from me”. Tulsidas or vision of Lord Rama.
replied, “Let me have Darshan of Lord Rama”.
The spirit said, “Go to the Hanuman temple. Tulsidas wrote twelve books. The most
There Hanuman comes in the guise of a leper famous book is his Ramayana—Ram-charit-
to hear the Ramayana as the first hearer and manas—in Hindi. He wrote this book under
leaves the place last of all. Get hold of him. the directions of Hanuman. This Ramayana
is read and worshipped with great reverence
in every Hindu home in Northern India. It is
an inspiring book. It contains sweet couplets
in beautiful rhyme. Vinaya Patrika is another
important book written by Tulsidas.

Some thieves came to Tulsidas’s Ashram

to take away his goods. They saw a blue-
complexioned guard, with bow and arrow
in his hands, keeping watch at the gate.
Wherever they moved, the guard followed
them. They were frightened. In the morning
they asked Tulsidas, “O venerable saint! We
saw a young guard with bow and arrow in his
hands at the gate of your residence. Who is this
man?” Tulsidas remained silent and wept. He
came to know that Lord Rama Himself had
been taking the trouble to protect his goods.
He at once distributed all his wealth among
the poor.

Siddhi Times USA 20

Tulsidas lived in Ayodhya for some time. Then
He said, “How shall I describe Thy beauty, O
he shifted to Varanasi. One day a murderer Lord! But Tulsi will bow his head only when
came and cried, “For the love of Rama give you take up bow and arrow in your hands”.
me alms. I am a murderer”. Tulsi called him The Lord revealed Himself before Tulsidas in
to his house gave him sacred food, which hadthe form of Lord Rama with bow and arrows.
been offered to the Lord and declared that Tulsidas’s blessings brought the dead
the murderer was purified. The Brahmins of husband of a poor woman back to life. The
Varanasi reproached Tulsidas and said, “How Mogul emperor at Delhi came to know of
can the sin of a murderer be absolved? How the great miracle done by Tulsidas. He sent
could you eat with him? If the sacred bull of
for Tulsidas. Tulsidas came to the emperor’s
Siva—Nandi—would eat from the hands of court. The emperor asked the saint to perform
the murderer, then only we would accept thatsome miracle. Tulsidas replied, “I have no
he had been purified”. Then the murderer wassuperhuman power. I know only the name of
taken to the temple and the bull ate from his
Rama”. The emperor put Tulsi in prison and
hands. The Brahmins were put to shame. said, “I will release you only if you show me
a miracle”. Tulsi then prayed to Hanuman.
Tulsidas once went to Brindavan. He visited Countless bands of powerful monkeys entered
a temple. He saw the image of Lord Krishna. the royal court. The emperor got frightened
and said, “O saint, forgive me. I know your
greatness now”. He at once released Tulsi
from prison.

Tulsi left his mortal coil and entered the

Abode of Immortality and Eternal Bliss
in 1623 A.D. at the age of ninety-one at
Asighat in Varanasi.

Siddhi Times USA 21

 indescribable power of the Lord which hides
the real and manifests itself as the unreal:
Maya is not real, because it vanishes when you
attain knowledge of the Eternal. It is not unreal
also, because it exists till knowledge dawns
in you. The superimposition of the world on
Brahman is due to Avidya or ignorance. To
Sankara, the individual soul is only relatively
real. Its individuality lasts only so long as it
Pandit is subject to unreal limiting conditions due
L.V. Sharma to Avidya. The Jiva identifies itself with the
body, mind and the senses, when it is deluded
by Avidya or ignorance. It thinks, it acts and

I ’m blessed a lot to share my ideas with you

all through the past issues. In this issue
also I wish to share some more ideas about
enjoys, on account of Avidya. In reality it is
not different from Brahman or the Absolute.
The Upanishads declare emphatically: “Tat
spirituality. Adi Shankara is considered as a Tvam ASI—That Thou Art.” Just as the
re incarnation of Lord Shiva. Even though bubble becomes one with the ocean when it
he born and died thousands of years back he bursts, just as the pot-ether becomes one with
had foreseen thousands of years forward. His
thoughts were highly spiritual. Even though
he was a Hindu, he has written a lot about self
realization and spirituality, which is highly
useful to the metaphysical society of today. In
this issue I wish to discuss about the thoughts of
Sri.Adi Shankara.The world is not an illusion
according to Sankara. The world is relatively
real, while Brahman is absolutely real. The
world is the product of Maya or Avidya. The
unchanging Brahman appears as the changing
world through Maya. Maya is a mysterious
Siddhi Times USA 22
Siddhi Times USA 23
 superimposition. Just as snake is superimposed
on the rope in twilight, this world and
body are superimposed on Brahman or the
Supreme Self. If you get knowledge of the
rope, the illusion of snake in the rope will
vanish. Even so, if you get knowledge of
Brahman or the Imperishable, the illusion of
body and world will disappear. In Vivarta-
Vada, the cause produces the effect without
undergoing any change in itself. Snake is
only an appearance on the rope. The rope has
not transformed itself into a snake, like milk
into curd. Brahman is immutable and eternal.
Therefore, it cannot change itself into the
world. Brahman becomes the cause of the
world through Maya, which is its inscrutable
mysterious power or Sakti.

When you come to know that it is only a

rope, your fear disappears. You do not run
away from it. Even so, when you realize the
eternal immutable Brahman, you are not
the universal ether when the pot is broken, so
affected by the phenomena or the names and
also the Jiva or the empirical self becomes
forms of this world. When Avidya or the veil
one with Brahman when it gets knowledge
of ignorance is destroyed through knowledge
of Brahman. When knowledge dawns in it
of the Eternal, when Mithya Jnana or false
through annihilation of Avidya, it is freed from
knowledge is removed by real knowledge of
its individuality and finitude and realizes its
the Imperishable or the living Reality, you
essential Sachidanand nature. It merges itself
shine in your true, pristine, divine splendor and
in the ocean of bliss. The river of life joins the
glory. I wish to quote some more from another
ocean of existence. This is the Truth.
great saint Sri Ramana Maharishi. He has
also written a lot about spirituality. To Have a
The release from Samsara means, according
spiritual life we should raise some questions
to Sankara, the absolute merging of the
to oureself. By getting the proper answer, we
individual soul in Brahman due to dismissal
will have the best guidance to lead a highly
of the erroneous notion that the soul is distinct
spiritual life. He has given the questions and
from Brahman. According to Sankara, Karma
answers , that one should ask himself. Then
and Bhakti are means to Jnana (wisdom)
only one can ahave the self realization and by
which is Moksha.
ralizing one, will lead the life in the path of
spirituality. He has given them as the basic
To Sankara the world is only relatively real
instructions to lead a spiritual life.
. He advocated , the theory of appearance or

Siddhi Times USA 24

 own real nature without differentiation.

Upadesa also means showing a distant object

quite near. It is brought home to the disciple
that the Brahman which he believes to be
distant and different from him is near and not
different from himself.

4. If it be true that the Guru is one’s own Self

(atman), what is the principle underlying the
doctrine which says that, however learned a
disciple may be or whatever occult powers he
may possess, he cannot attain self-realization
(atma-siddhi) without the grace of the Guru?

Although in absolute truth the state of the Guru

is that of oneself it is very hard for the Self
1. What are the marks of a real teacher (Sad which has become the individual soul (jiva)
guru)? through ignorance to realize its true state or
Steady abidance in the Self, looking at all with nature without the grace of the Guru.
an equal eye, unshakeable courage at all times,
in all places and circumstances, etc. All mental concepts are controlled by the mere
presence of the real Guru. If he were to say
2. What are the marks of an earnest disciple to one who arrogantly claims that he has seen
(sadsisya)? the further shore of the ocean of learning or
An intense longing for the removal of sorrow one who claims arrogantly that he can perform
and attainment of joy and an intense aversion deeds which are well-nigh impossible, “Yes,
for all kinds of mundane pleasure and to lead a you learnt all that is to be learnt, but have you
highly spiritual life. learnt (to know) yourself? And you who are
capable of performing deeds which are almost
3. What are the characteristics of instruction impossible, have you seen yourself?”, they
(upadesa)? will bow their heads (in shame) and remain
The word ‘upadesa’ means: ‘near the place silent. Thus it is evident that only by the grace
or seat’ (upa - near, desa - place or seat). The of the Guru and by no other accomplishment is
Guru who is the embodiment of that which is it possible to know oneself.
indicated by the terms sat, chit, and ananda
(existence, consciousness and bliss), prevents 5. What are the marks of the Guru’s grace?
the disciple who, on account of his acceptance It is beyond words or thoughts.
of the forms of the objects of the senses, has
swerved from his true state and is consequently 6. If that is so, how is it that it is said that the
distressed and buffeted by joys and sorrows, disciple realizes his true state by the Guru’s
from continuing so and establishes him in his grace?
Siddhi Times USA 25
It is like the elephant which wakes up on the sense of ‘I’ or the path of devotion which
seeing a lion in its dream. Even as the elephant removes the sense of ‘mine’, will suffice. So
wakes up at the mere sight of the lion, so too there is no doubt that the end of the paths of
is it certain that the disciple wakes up from devotion and knowledge is one and the same.
the sleep of ignorance into the wakefulness of
true knowledge through the Guru’s benevolent NOTE: So long as the ‘I’ exists it is necessary
look of grace. to accept the Lord also. If any one wishes to
regain easily the supreme state of identity
7. What is the significance of the saying (sayujya) now lost to him, it is only proper
that the nature of the real Guru is that of the that he should accept this conclusion.
Supreme Lord?
In the case of the individual soul which desires 10. What is the mark of the ego?
to attain the state of true knowledge or the The individual soul of the form of ‘I’ is
state of Godhood (super human power) and the ego The Self which is of the nature of
with that object always practices devotion, intelligence (chit) has no sense of ‘I’. Nor
when the individual’s devotion has reached does the insentient body possess a sense of
a mature stage, the Lord who is the witness ‘I’. The mysterious appearance of a delusive
of that individual soul and identical with it, ego between the intelligent and the insentient,
comes forth in human form with the help of being the root cause of all these troubles, upon
sat-chit-ananda, His three natural features, its destruction by whatever means, which
and form and name which he also graciously which really exists will be seen as it is. This is
assumes, and in the guise of blessing the called Liberation (moksha).
disciple, absorbs him in Himself. According
to this doctrine the Guru can truly be called I thank Sri Sri Siddhar Swamiji for giving me
the Lord. a chance to share my ideas with you all and I
pray the almighty to make all of us to have a
8. What is the end of the path of knowledge beautiful spiritual walk of life. If we all have
(jnana) or Vedanta? the spiritual walk of life the entire universe
It is to know the truth that the ‘I’ is not will lead a very peaceful life.
different from the Lord (supre human Power,
and to be free from the feeling of being the
doer (kartrtva, ahamkara).

9. How can it be said that the end of both these

paths is the same?
Whatever the means, the destruction of the
sense ‘I’ and ‘mine’ is the goal, and as these
are interdependent, the destruction of either
of them causes the destruction of the other;
therefore in order to achieve that state of
Silence which is beyond thought and word,
either the path of knowledge which removes
Siddhi Times USA 26
Siddhi Times USA 27
D uring the past issues I described a lot
about Vedic astrology and how to get the
best out of it. In this issue we will discuss in
detail about the various types of Rasis (moon
signs), their nature and about a problem faced
by a lot of people those who are abroad. It
is Immigration problem. According to Vedic
astrology the zodiac is divided into 12 un equal
parts. Each one of the part is called as “Rasi”
or “moon sign”. Their names are Mesham
(Aries), Rishabam (Taurus), Mithunam
(Gemini), Katagam (Cancer), Simmam (Leo),
Kanni (Virgo), Thulam (Libra), Viruchikam
(Scorpio), Dhanus (Sagittarius), Makaram
(Capricorn), Kumbam (Aquarius) and
Meenam (Pisces). They are classified into
three major categories as Charam, sthiram
and ubayam. Charam means always moving.

Siddhi Times USA 28

Sthiram means stand still position, ubhayam
means both combined and Jalam means water.
The chara rasis are mesham, katkam, thulam
and makaram. The sthira rasis are rishabam,
simmam, viruchikam and kumbam. The
ubhaya rasis are mithunam, kanni, dhanus
and meenam. The rasis that are related to
water are called as Jala rasis. The owners of
those jala rasis are moon for katakam, Saturn
for makaram and kumbam and Jupiter for
meenam.

Now we will see how the planets work in

getting a citizenship or permanent resident
ship of a country other than the motherland.
The owner of the jala rasi or water related rasi
should be very powerful. Then only one can
have the citizenship or permanent resident
ship of an another country. If the planet is in a
deblated or malficious position it is impossible
to get a citizenship of a different country. As
according to Veda, the karma or destiny can’t
be changed but it can be altered accordingly.
By practicing the rituals as prescribed by the
Veda scriptures, we can alter the karma or
destiny. The planets are the third major powers
according to Vedas. The first major power
is God or Almighty. The second powers are

Siddhi Times USA 29

called as Yaksha and Yakshini Devathas or
Angels. Then only the planet powers come.
The God or almighty controls the Angels.
The angels control the planets and the planets
control the human beings. We have to pray
the yaksha devathas or angel powers to alter
the karma or destiny. The yaksha devatha
upasana procedures are detailly explained
in Atharva Veda. By properly adopting the
procedures for the prescribed period we can
easily solve the problems faced by us. The
planets moon, Saturn and Jupiter play a major
role in getting the citizenship of an another
country other than the mother country. If
any of these planets is seated in their own
house, it is very sure that the person will get
a citizenship or permanent resident ship of
an another country. If the planets are weak,
even though they come to a foreign country,
they will face a lot of problems in getting the
immigration status. Atharva Veda has told a
of ways to get good and proper immigration
status.
The placements of planets make one escape
The next problem I wish to discuss is about or captured. The planets are stronger than
Siddhi Times USA 30
mal practices. Even though the mal practice
is the worst in the view of law, fatally the
mal practice itself becomes a business to a
few. Let us see how it happens. We have
seen and heard about somebody. They might
be the worst persons. Their activities have
made even the government to be stand still.
For example the Osama- Bin – Laden of
Afghanistan. His movements made even the
government of USA to a stand still position at
least for a while. How it happened? Atharva
Veda deals a lot in this aspect. The planets in
his horoscope are very strong. That’s why he
can do a lot of mischief like this. We all know
what happened to Saddam Hussian. He had a
very good living style. At last he was taken
to custody. Like that one fine day Osama will
also be imprisoned. The aforesaid are only a
few examples. I can give a lot of examples.
Some of them have escaped and some of them
were captured. The basic reason for the escape
as well as the capture is the planets only.
anybody in this universe. The transit of
the major planets, Jupiter, Saturn, Raaghu
and Kethu play a major role in the troubles.
The combination of Saturn& Raaghu with
the planet Sun gives a lot of troubles to the
government and the rulers. The combination
of Mars & Kethu gives a lot of troubles to
the mal practitioners. The combination of the
planets Saturn with Raaghu or Kethu makes
one to do malpractice. If the combination
becomes bad, they will be captured. Atharva
Veda tells a lot of ways to come out of the
cases. There is no use in simply consulting a
scholar. But we should adopt the procedures
prescribed by that scholar. One can prevent
him or her from doing the malpractice. There
are a lot of ways to come out of the cases arise
from the malpractice. The combination of
the planets Mars and Saturn leads to medical
mal practice. The combination of Mars with
Raaghu or Kethu leads to mal practice in
land related subjects. The combination of the
planets Sun, Raaghu, Kethu or Saturn will lead
one to do mal practice with the Government.
As according to Atharva Veda, the karma or
destiny can’t be changed. But we can alter the
karma or destiny, by performing the rituals.
It is not that I’m encouraging any body to do
malpractice, but accidentally, if any body does
a mal practice, they should come out of the
problem and enjoy a beautiful walk of life. As
an old saying it is err to human. Since we all
are human beings it is common for all to make
errors. But to come out of the problems, we
need some remedy, not to commit the mistake
again and to get out of the mistakes. I pray the l
Almighty to bless all of us with a great and
wonderful future.

Siddhi Times USA 31

The “Cosmos” or the Universe is regarded as
an orderly and harmonious whole. It evolved
from the Greek word for orderly arrangement.
It is said that there is a deep and profound
relationship between the cosmos, religion, the
human soul and the celestial stars.
Religion is the human enterprise by which a
sacred Cosmos is established. Religion is a set
of common beliefs, practices, generally held
by a group of people. It is often codified as a
prayer, ritual or religious law. Religion also
encompasses ancestral or cultural tradition,
writings, history, mythology and so also
personal faith and mystic experiences.
The French Sociologist, Emile Durkheim’s
definition of religion as a system of beliefs
Siddhi Times USA 32
and practices relative to sacred things which
unite individuals into a moral community;
also relies heavily upon the assumption that
man is the creator and creature of his socially
constructed world.
The World today is a beautiful confluence of
different cultures, traditions, beliefs, religions
and sects, all co-existing in a harmonious
inter-relationship. There are different kinds of
religions in the World, like, Christianity, Islam,
Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism,
Jainism, Taoism, Shinto, Confucianism,
Caodaism, Chondogyo, Yiguandao, etc, but
the essence of all religions is in the greatness
of “GOD”, “Our Creator” and love for fellow
beings and equality for all.
The roads of all religions end in love, peace,
brotherhood, compassion for our fellow beings,
and equality of all religions. Christianity
believes that everything is a “Creation of God”.
Hinduism rests of “Vedas”, which are the
inspired words of God, with the firm belief in
the soul’s search for liberation from suffering
and ultimately for release from the cycle of
birth and death. Islam teaches the belief in
“Allah” or God. Buddhism teaches us that the
root cause of all sufferings is “Desire”. If we
can curb the desire, we can lead a very happy
and a peaceful life.

God is Omnipresent, Omnipotent and

Omniscient. We can feel God in all His
creations. The marvel of nature is the creation
of the Superior Being. The teachings of
Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa were the
oneness of existence, the divinity of all living
beings, the unity of God and the harmony of
all religions. The primal bondage in human
life is lust and greed. He emphasized that God
- realization is the supreme goal of all living
beings and religion is a means of achieving
this goal. He believed that every soul can
take something from the perennial fountain of
spirituality and nourish his/ her with purity,
holiness and selflessness.

Swami Vivekananda, an ardent disciple of

Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said- “As
the different streams having their sources in
different places all mingle their water in the
sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men
take through different tendencies, various
though they appear, crooked or straight, all
lead to Thee.”

Swami Vivekananda believed that Religion

is the manifestation of the divinity already in
man. The secret of religion lies not in theories
Siddhi Times USA 33
but in practice. To be good and do good - that
is the whole of religion. Man is higher than
all animals, than all angels; none is greater
than man. One may gain political and social
independence, but if one is a slave to his
passions and desires, one cannot feel the pure
joy of real freedom.
motives, sincerity, and infinite love can
conquer the world. One single soul possessed
of these virtues can destroy the dark designs of
millions of hypocrites and brutes. The Powers
of the mind are unlimited and so awake, stop
not till your goal is achieved.

He said that the real truth is that - God is Shikha Sridhar

present in every jiva; there is no other God Orlando, Florida
besides that. ‘Who serves jiva, serves God
indeed.’

Unselfishness is God. One may live on a

throne, in a palace, and be perfectly unselfish;
and then he is in God. Another may live in
a hut and wear rags, and have nothing in
the world; yet if he is selfish, he is intensely
merged in the world.

He further taught that, Mankind ought to

be taught that religions are but the varied
expressions of THE RELIGION, which is
Oneness, so that each may choose the path
that suits him best.

Swami Vivekananda believed that Good

Siddhi Times USA 34

Nandagopal ruled over Brindavan, a city
on the banks of river Yamuna and the
surrounding forests. Balarama and Sri
Krishna were brothers. While, Balarama was
born to Nandagopal’s first wife, Rohini, Sri
Krishna was born to Nandagopal’s second
wife, Yasodha. Balarama and Krishna grew
up together, playing with the cowboys on
the banks of river Yamuna. It was one of
those days in their boyhood. Balarama was
attending to the cattle at the palace, while
Krishna was walking along the riverside.
Krishna noticed many of the trees were
ruined, in spite of good source of water. He
also noticed many fish floating dead on the
river, and many others struggling for life on
the water surface. When Krishna enquired his
friends, they told him about an island, named
Kaalinga Island, where a monstrous snake
Siddhi Times USA 35
dwells. The venom from the snake’s rattling Balarama and others arrived at the banks
was polluting the river, poisoning the drinking of river Yamuna. Kaalinga surrendered
water, thus causing the fish and other living himself and worshipped for the grace of
animals to suffer.
Krishna. Balarama, Krishna’s brother,
and Nandagopal, Krishna’s father
Making up his mind to teach the snake
suggested Krishna to release Kaalinga.
a lesson, Krishna stepped into the water
Krishna ordered Kaalinga to vacate the
and walked towards the island. Kaalinga,
place, and shift his family to the ocean
the snake began giving a loud hissing
side. The Yamuna river water became
noise. In spite of his friends begging him
pure and safe for the people to dwell
to come back, mighty Krishna smiled
along its banks.
and continued forward. The ferocious
serpent rose above the water level and
began to attack Krishna. The serpent
extended the five heads and waved here
and there. Krishna caught the tail of the
snake and gave a terrible blow. Focusing
its five heads at Krishna, Kaalinga aimed
cruelly at Krishna’s head.

Sensing the deadly attempt, Krishna

jumped and mounted himself on
Kaalinga’s head. It was a thrilling
atmosphere. The snake began spitting
the venom, poisoning the region fast.
Krishna took his flute out, and began
playing it while, simultaneously, dancing
on the head of Kaalinga. Every dancing
step of Krishna gave immense pain to
the snake. The serpent had two wives.
Seeing the miserable situation of their
husband, and sensing Kaalinga’s death if
Krishna continued to dance, they prayed
Krishna and begged for Kaalinga’s life.

In the meantime, the message reached

Brindavan. Nandagopal, Yasodha,
Siddhi Times USA 36
The Old Woman Afar in the Northland, where the winter

Who Became a days are so short and the nights so long, and
where they harness the reindeer to sledges,
and where the children look like bear’s cubs
Woodpecker in their funny, furry clothes, there, long ago,
wandered a good Saint on the snowy roads.
He came one day to the door of a cottage,
and looking in saw a little old woman making
cakes, and baking them on the hearth.

Now, the good Saint was faint with fasting,

and he asked if she would give him one small
cake wherewith to stay his hunger.

So the little old woman made a VERY SMALL

cake and placed it on the hearth - but as it lay
baking she looked at it and thought, “That is a
big cake, indeed, quite too big for me to give
away.”

Then she kneaded another cake, much smaller,

and laid that on the hearth to cook, but when
she turned it over it looked larger than the
Siddhi Times USA 37

first.
So she took a tiny scrap of
dough, and rolled it out, and
rolled it out, and baked it as
thin as a wafer - but when it
was done it looked so large that
she could not bear to part with
it - and she said, “My cakes are
much too big to give away,”
and she put them on the shelf.
Then the good Saint grew
angry, for he was hungry and
faint. “You are too selfish to
have a human form,” said he.
“You are too greedy to deserve
food, shelter, and a warm fire.
Instead, henceforth, you shall
build as the birds do, and get
your scanty living by picking
up nuts and berries and by
boring, boring all the day long,
in the bark of trees.”
Siddhi Times USA 40
Hardly had the good Saint said
this when the little old woman
went straight up the chimney,
and came out at the top changed
into a red- headed woodpecker
with coal-black feathers.
And now every country boy
may see her in the woods,
where she lives in trees boring,
boring, and boring for her
food.
The Tongue-Cut
Sparrow
O nce upon a time there lived
a little old man and a little
old woman. The little old man
had a kind heart, and he kept a
young sparrow, which he cared
for tenderly. Every morning it
used to sing at the door of his
house.
Now, the little old woman was
a cross old thing, and one day
when she was going to starch
her linen, the sparrow pecked
at her paste. Then she flew
into a great rage and cut the
sparrow’s tongue and let the
bird fly away.
When the little old man came
home from the hills, where he
had been chopping wood, he
found the sparrow gone.
“Where is my little sparrow?”
asked he.
“It pecked at my starching-
paste,” answered the little old
woman, “so I cut its evil tongue
and let it fly away.”
“Alas! Alas!” cried the little old
man. “Poor thing! Poor thing!
Poor little tongue-cut sparrow!
Where is your home now?”
And then he wandered far
and wide seeking his pet and
crying,
“Mr. Sparrow, Mr. Sparrow,
where are you living?”
And he wandered on and on,
over mountain and valley, and
dale and river, until one day at
the foot of a certain mountain
he met the lost bird. The little
old man was filled with joy and
the sparrow welcomed him
with its sweetest song.
It led the little old man to its
nest-house, introduced him to
 “I am very feeble,” answered set forth on her journey. And
the little old man, “so I will she wandered on and on over
take the light one.” mountain and valley, and dale
and river, until at last she saw
He thanked the sparrow, and, the tongue-cut sparrow.
shouldering the basket, said
good-bye. Then he trudged off “Well met, well met, Mr.
leaving the sparrow family sad Sparrow,” cried she. “I have
and lonely. been looking forward with
much pleasure to seeing you.”
When he reached home the And then she tried to flatter it
little old woman was very with soft, sweet words.
angry, and began to scold him,
saying, So the bird had to invite her
“Well, and pray where have to its nest-house, but it did
you been all these days? A not feast her nor say anything
its wife and small sparrows, pretty thing, indeed, for you to about a parting gift. At last the
and set before him all sorts of be gadding about like this!” little old woman had to go,
good things to eat and drink. and she asked for something
“Oh,” he replied, “I have been to carry with her to remember
“Please partake of our humble on a visit to the tongue-cut the visit by. The sparrow, as
fare,” sang the sparrow, “poor sparrow, and when I came before, brought out two wicker
as it is, you are welcome.” away it gave me this wicker baskets. One was very heavy
basket as a parting gift.” and the other light.
“What a polite sparrow,”
answered the little old man, Then they opened the basket The greedy little old woman,
and he stayed for a long time to see what was inside, and choosing the heavy one, carried
as the bird’s guest. At last one lo and behold! it was full of it off with her.
day the little old man said that gold, silver, and other precious
he must take his leave and things! She hurried home as fast as
return home. she was able, and closing her
The little old woman was as doors and windows so that
“Wait a bit,” said the sparrow.
greedy as she was cross, and no one might see, opened the
when she saw all the riches basket. And, lo and behold!
And it went into the house spread before her, she could out jumped all sorts of wicked
and brought out two wicker not contain herself for joy. hobgoblins and imps, and they
baskets. One was very heavy scratched and pinched her to
and the other light. “Ho! Ho!” cried she. “Now I’ll death.
go and call on the sparrow, and
“Take the one you wish,” said get a pretty present, too!” As for the little old man he
the sparrow, “and good fortune adopted a son, and his family
go with you.” She asked the old man the way grew rich and prosperous.
to the sparrow’s house and
Siddhi Times USA 41
 S ri Durga, the Supreme
warrior Goddess, out of
all the manifestations of Lord
Shiva, specially liked and adored
the form of Sri Sarabeswara
and became His consort.
Durga Sahasranama bears
ample testimony to this fact.
Being herself a great warrior,
no wonder, she liked the most
valiant Sri Sarabeswara - the
greatest of all the warriors, who
subdued the invincible Lord
Narasimha. Sri Soolini Durga
has an awesome pose. Her
face, even though in a smiling
pose, it makes the enemies of
her devotees fear. She is seated
on a lion. Lion is considered as
the bravest of all the animals.
Seating on a lion is possible only
after conquering the animal.
She has eight hands. The right
four hands are adorned with
Trisul, knife, chakra and an
arrow. The left four hands are
adorned with Dhanus (Bow),
Sankam (conch), Gadha, and
Paasam.All these weapons are
very severe weapons. By using all these
weapons she gives the best protection to
Siddhi Times USA 42
Siddhi Times USA 43
her devotees. We can easily overcome
the problems caused by the enemies and
planets by simply praying her. We have
to light lamps with wick and mustard oil
to get her fullest blessings. There is no
Temple in the entire USA having Sri.
Soolini Durga as one of the deity. As
Swamiji is a scholar of Atharva Veda he
has realized the benefits of Sri.Soolini
Durga and has established Sri.Soolini
Durga’s statue. This statue is established
after energizing the statue by chanting the
moola mantra nearly for 400,000 thousand
times. We can feel the energy by simply
standing in front of the deity. We have
special poojas for Soolini Durga. Daily
Siddhi Times USA 44
evening Sri Soolini Durga Sahasranama
Archana (chanting the 1008 names of
Sri.Soolini Durga) with Kumkum and a
special Aaraathi is performed. On every
Poornima day a grand offering of food,
called as “Padaiyal” is offered. All can
participate in these special poojas. You
can obtain lamp, wick and mustard oil
from the temple itself by paying donation.
We often perform Havan for Sri.Soolini
Durga. You can also participate in this
Maha Havan; you can obtain the best
result in all. Those who are having the
problems with the planets Saturn should
pray to this Sri.Soolini Durga. By praying
her they can easily pacify the problems
caused by the planet Saturn. This is
not the one and only problem solved
by her. Sleepless Nights, bad dreams,
evil spirits’ troubles, black magic, evil
dhrustis, jaadoo and voodoo problems,
marriage related problems, court cases,
bankruptcy, medical malpractice and
a lot many of problems which are not
included in this list. By offering cooked
sweet rice mixed with black pepper, we
can easily overcome the problems caused
by the enemies. By chanting her moola
mantra 108 times daily we can have
a good health. By performing Havan/
homas in our temple we can easily have
the blessings of Sri.Soolini Durga.
This is the first and only one Hindu Temple in the entire USA
to have the ugra Devatha Moorthies like Sri.Sarabeswara, Sri
Maha Prathyangira and Sri Soolini Durga. According to the
Atharva Veda, even though it is very hard to perform the poojas
and prayers to the ugra devathas (fearsome divine powers), Like
Sri.Soolini Durga, the result or the blessings we get from them is
very high. The only thing we need is purity in mind, dedication
and devotion. By doing these three we can have the best blessings
from those divine powers and we can solve our problems very
easily. Simply going to a Temple is entirely different from
going to a healing temple. The Hindu Temple of Georgia is
the one and only healing Temple. All the temples in this world
are established only by the other three Vedas, Sivaagamas or
Vaishnava Agamas. Only this temple is established according to
the procedures of Atharva Veda. Atharva Veda is the only Veda
which deals with the healing of troubles faced by each and every
one. There are two major Thantras in the Atharva Veda. One is
Rudra Yaamala Thantra and the other is Vishnu Dharmotthara
Thantra. The Rudra Yaamala Thantra explains the methods to
use Lord Shiva’s various powers to solve the problems. For
example, to solve money related problems, we have to pray
swarnaakarshana Rudra. To solve the problems caused by evil
powers we have to pray the fearsome poses of Lord Shiva or his
consort Parvathi’s fearsome poses such as Sri.Soolini Durga or
Sri.Prathyangira. We welcome you all to come to the Temple,
have the darshan of Sri.Soolini Durga Devi. You can do any kind
of offerings to her. By taking part in the Havan, sahasrnama/
triati/ashtotthara Archana or Abishegam (holy bathing) you can
get the complete blessings of SriSoolini Durga and get rid of all
your problems very easily.
Om Shanthi Om Shanthi Om Shanthi.
Siddhi Times USA 45
 Importance of
Time

Siddhi Times USA 46

 Imagine there is a
bank that credits your account
each morning with $86,400. It carries
over no balance from day to day; allows
you to keep no cash balance; every night
deletes whatever part of the balance you failed to
use during the day. What would you do with such an
account Draw out every penny, of course!!!
Every one of us has such a ‘bank’. Its name is TIME. Every
morning it credits you with 86,400 seconds. Every night it
writes off as lost whatever of this you have failed to invest
to good purpose. It carries over no balance. It allows no
overdraft.
Each day it opens a new account for you. Each night it
burns the records of the day. If you fail to use the day’s
deposits, the loss is yours. There is no going back. There
is no drawing against tomorrow. You must live in the
present -on today’s deposits. Invest it so as to get
from it the utmost in health, happiness and
success!
The clock is running. Make the
most of the day!!!

Siddhi Times USA 47

 One day a visiting monk chanced upon the
book and succumbing to temptation walked
away with it. The theft was discovered the
same day and it was not hard to guess who
the culprit was but Anastasius refused to send
anyone after the monk for fear that he might
say he had not taken it and add the sin of
perjury to that of theft.

The monk meanwhile was trying to sell the

book and eventually found a buyer, a rich man
who asked him to leave the book with him for
a day so that he could get it evaluated.

When the monk had gone, the man hastened

to the monastery and showed the book to
Saint and Sinner Anastasius. The abbot recognized it instantly
but did not say anything.
Anastasius was abbot of a monastery in Egypt.
The monastery had a large collection of books, “A monk wants to sell it to me,” said his
one among them being a rare volume, worth visitor. “He’s asking for a gold sovereign.
a fortune. You are knowledgeable about books. Is this
book worth that much?”

“It’s worth much much more than a sovereign,”

said the abbot. “It’s a valuable book.”

The man thanked the abbot and left. The next

day when the monk came, he informed him
that he would like to buy the book and was
prepared to pay the price he had mentioned.
The monk was overjoyed.

“Whom did you show it to?” he asked.

“Anastasius, the abbot.”

His visitor turned pale. “A-And what did he

say?”

“He said the book was worth a sovereign.”

Siddhi Times USA 48

Siddhi Times USA 49
“And what else?”

“Nothing.”

The monk was both amazed and touched. He

realized that the abbot had refused to reclaim
his lost treasure so that he, the thief would not
get into trouble. Nobody had ever shown him
such love; nobody had ever behaved so nobly
towards him.

“I’ve changed my mind, I don’t want to sell it,”

he said and took the book from the man.
“I’ll give you two sovereigns,” said the
customer.

The monk walked away without answering. He

went directly to the monastery and handed the
book to the abbot, tears brimming in his eyes.

“Keep it,” said Anastasius. “When I learnt you

had borrowed it I decided to give it to you.”
“Please take it back,” pleaded the monk, “but
let me stay here and learn wisdom from you.”
His wish was granted. He spent the rest of his fruit, but the first head refused, saying, “We
years in the monastery modelling his life after have a common stomach, so there’s no need for
that of the saintly Anastasius. you to eat it too. I’ll give it to our sweetheart,
the Bharundi,” and with that, it tossed the half-
eaten fruit to the female.

Headstrong From that day on, the second head carried

a grudge against the first and waited for an
Companion opportunity to take revenge. One day it found
a poison fruit. Picking up the fruit, it said to
Once upon a time there lived a Bharunda, a the first head, “You selfish wretch! See, here’s
bird with two heads. One day it found a strange a poison fruit and I’m going to eat it!”
fruit on the seashore. It picked it up and started
eating it. The head that was feeding, exclaimed, “Don’t do that, you fool!” shrieked the first
“Many a sweet fruit tossed by the sea have I head, “you’ll kill us both!”
eaten, but this beats them all! Is it the fruit of a
sandalwood tree or that of the divine parijata?” But the second head would not listen. It
Hearing this, the other head asked to taste the consumed the poison and soon the two-headed

Siddhi Times USA 50

bird was dead. to know how to control the bow, he had to learn
how to control his mind too.
A tale from the Panchatantra
Moment of Truth
The Wise Men of Chelm
There was a young student-archer who reached
The residents of the Jewish town of Chelm, one
such proficiency in his art that he could shoot
day, decided that there was no point in all of
an arrow into a tree and then cleave that arrow
them worrying about their various
into two with the next shot. He began to boast
problems.
that he was a greater archer than his guru.
“ Let us appoint a Worry Man, somebody who
One day his guru, a venerable old man in his
will worry for all of us,” said the mayor.
70’s, asked the youth to accompany him on a
trip across the hills. The journey was uneventful
Everybody hailed it as a great idea and when
until they came to a deep chasm.
one of the elders suggested that Yossel, the
cobbler, who seemed to have a lot of time on
A single log spanned the chasm. The guru walked
his hands, should be given the job, the man was
down to the centre of the log, unshouldered his
at once sent for.
bow and taking an arrow shot it into a tree on
the other side. His next shot cleaved the first
“How much will I be paid,” asked Yossel,
arrow into two.
suspiciously, after the nature of the job was
explained to him.
“Now it’s your turn,” he said, walking back to
where his student was standing.
“Er… one kopek a week,” said the mayor.
The youth stepped gingerly on the log and very
“It won’t work.”
slowly and carefully made his way to the middle.
But his heart was in his mouth. He knew that
“Why not?”
if he lost his footing, he would plunge to his
death. His hands trembled as he strung an arrow
“Because if you give me one kopek a week,”
into his bow. Preoccupied with the danger he
explained the cobbler, “I’ll have nothing to
was in, he found it hard to focus on the target.
worry about.”
Consequently when he let go of the arrow, it
missed the tree altogether. Whimpering, he
turned around.

“Help me!” he shouted to his guru. “I’ll fall!”

The old man walked up to him, took his hand and
stepping backwards led him to safety. Neither of
them said a word on the return journey but the
boy had much to think about. He had realized
that to be a master of his art it was not enough

Siddhi Times USA 51


H induism has a lot of saints and monks.
They were intellectual giants. They have
written a lot of things about spirituality. Even
though they belonged to Hindu religion, they
adopted spirituality, which leads a peaceful
path towards love and affection. One among
them is Pattinathaar. He had a very great
love and affection towards his mother. He
performed funeral rites of his mother foregoing
the rules and regulations of a saint. He wrote
ten verses at the time of the funeral rites of
his mother. They are very highly spiritual and
make one to have a great love and affection
towards the mother.
His original name was Thiruvengadar. He
Siddhi Times USA 52
was born in Kavripoompattinam. He was
very pious from his very early days. He was
in search of a ‘guru’ or master. God appeared
in his dream and directed him to go to a place,
where he could meet a master.
He did the same and met the master as directed.
The master advised him and gave him a linga
for worship. He got married and begot a
daughter. He was praying to God for a son.
God himself lay near a tank in the form of a
child. Two persons took up the child and gave
it to Thiruvengadar. He gave them gold. He
named the child as Marudhavanar. The child
worked many wonders during his childhood.
The child wasted money on trade and the
father chided him for his irrational gesture.
The son taught him a lesson and disappeared.
What he taught was that even a useless needle
cannot accompany one in his final procession.
The father got wisdom from this. He lost
interest in material life. He gave his wealth to
the poor and embraced strict asceticism.
As a sannyasin he worked many wonders.
He begged on the streets. His sister was very
much annoyed and she tried to poison him.
But the sannyasin placed the poisoned food
on the roof of her house and it got burned
down The King Patharagiri mistook him for a
robber and gave him capital punishment.

He ordered to pierce
his body in a cross
like thing called Kazhu. The
Sannyasin stood before the
Kaehu and recited songs in
praise of God. The Kazhu
was burned down at once.
The King was shocked to
witness his power and became
his disciple at once. He went
to many temples and sang in
praise of Siva. He raised a
person from his corpse near
Thiruvaroor. At last he played
hide and seek with small boys
on the Marina beach. He
stepped into a pit and never
turned up. His verses towards
his mother go as follows.
4. Having Borne (me) bearing
1. Having Borne (me) for the pain at delivery and
ten months braving all giving me her milk cheerfully
discomforts, happy at having day and night protecting me,
Begotten (me) taking me in how can I apply fire to such
both her arms and giving her a body?
precious breastfeed, such a
one will I ever see in any of 5. How can I, instead of getting
my other births? happy with rich offerings to
her, offer rice to the mouth
2. Having borne me for 300 which lovingly called me as
days after doing penance to honey, nectar, fragrant flower
Lord Shiva day and night, can etc.?
I apply fire to such a mother?
6. After showering rice on
3. Fondling me on the cot in mother’s head how can I
her lap, on her person with place the burning ember on
love, protecting me always, it, without flinching, which
how can I light the pyre to lovingly kissed me, calling
such a mother? me endearingly “my son”.
Siddhi Times USA 53
 7. The earliest fire lit was to Tripura, the next to beget me?
one was in Lanka, and third was the spark lit
in the mother’s womb, let the fire lit by me 10. Mother was alive yesterday at home or
now be over. in the street, today she is consumed by fire
and has become ashes.
8. Alas! The hand that fondled me is now
being roasted in fire. What a cruel sinner I Nothing in the world is permanent other
am? than the love and affection. Every thing in
the world is Shiva’s Form (Shiva Mayam).
9. O Lord of “Shonagiri”, (Refers Lord So he tells us to have the most love and
Shiva, who lives in a golden Hill. This refers affection to all and respect our parents.
to Lord Shiva of Thiruvannamalai also.) Has
she been burnt and taken refuge at Your Feet,
one who did penance to you ‘day and night’

In Happiness NOW!
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exploring the difference between unhappiness, learning how to
the pursuits of happiness and forgive and let go and committing
following your joy. to life “happily even after”.

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more present, more authentic, using the self-acceptance
and showing up in your own formula, the miracle ethic, the
life. power of love, and the joy of
living a life of purpose.
• Undoing Happiness Blocks like
The Wait Problem, Destination • Saying “Yes” to Happiness and
Addiction, the Martyr Ethic, how to be so happy you almost
and Happychondria your fear feel guilty (but not quite!).
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Siddhi Times USA 54

Siddhi Times USA 55
I
n Puranic Hinduism, Aum is the mystic name for
the Hindu Trimurti, and represents the union of
the three gods, viz. a for Brahma, u for Vishnu
and m for Mahadev which is another name of Shiva.
The three sounds also symbolize the three Vedas
(Rig-Veda, Samaveda, Yajurveda).
Siddhi Times USA 56
According to Hindu philosophy(see Mandukya
Upanishad), the letter A represents creation, when all
existence issued forth from Brahma’s golden nucleus;
the letter U refers to Vishnu the god of the middle
who preserves this world by balancing Brahma on a
lotus above himself, and the letter M symbolizes the
final part of the cycle of existence, when Vishnu falls
asleep and Shiva has to breathe in so that all existing
things have to disintegrate and are reduced to their
essence to him. More broadly, Aum is said to be the
primordial sound that was present at the creation of
the universe. It is said to be the original sound that
contains all other sounds, all words, all languages and
all mantra
The goal which all the Vedas declare, which all
austerities aim at, and which men desire when they
lead the life of continence … is Om. This syllable Om
is indeed Brahman. Whosoever knows this syllable
obtains all that he desires. This is the best support;
this is the highest support. Whosoever knows this
support is adored in the world of Brahma.”
~ Katha Upanishad I
Om or Aum is of paramount importance in Hinduism.
This symbol (as seen in the image on the right) is a
sacred syllable representing Brahman, the impersonal
Absolute of Hinduism — omnipotent, omnipresent,
and the source of all manifest existence. Brahman,
in itself, is incomprehensible; so a symbol becomes
mandatory to help us realize the Unknowable.
Om, therefore, represents both the unmanifest
(nirguna) and manifest (saguna) aspects of God. That
is why it is called pranava, to mean that it pervades
life and runs through our prana or breath.

Although Om symbolizes the most profound concepts

of Hindu belief, it is in use daily. The Hindus begin
their day or any work or a journey by uttering Om.
The sacred symbol is often found at the head of
letters, at the beginning of examination papers and
so on. Many Hindus, as an expression of spiritual
perfection, wear the sign of Om as a pendant. This
symbol is enshrined in every Hindu temple premise
or in some form or another on family shrines.
It is interesting to note that a newly born child is
ushered into the world with this holy sign. After birth,
the child is ritually cleansed and the sacred syllable
Om is written on its tongue with honey. Thus right
at the time of birth the syllable Om is initiated into
the life of a Hindu and ever remains with him as the
symbol of piety. Om is also a popular symbol used in
contemporary body art and tattoos.

According to the Mandukya Upanishad, “Om is the

one eternal syllable of which all that exists is but the
development. The past, the present, and the future
are all included in this one sound, and all that exists is abstract and inexpressible. On the other hand, it
beyond the three forms of time is also implied in it”. makes the absolute more tangible and comprehensive.
It encompasses all potentialities and possibilities; it is
Om is not a word but rather an intonation, which, like everything that was, is, or can yet be. It is omnipotent
music, transcends the barriers of age, race, culture and and likewise remains undefined.
even species. It is made up of three Sanskrit letters, aa,
au and ma which, when combined together, make the During meditation, when we chant Om, we create
sound Aum or Om. It is believed to be the basic sound within ourselves a vibration that attunes sympathy
of the world and to contain all other sounds. It is a with the cosmic vibration and we start thinking
mantra or prayer in itself. If repeated with the correctuniversally. The momentary silence between each
intonation, it can resonate throughout the body so that chant becomes palpable. Mind moves between the
the sound penetrates to the centre of one’s being, the opposites of sound and silence until, at last, it ceases
atman or soul. the sound. In the silence, the single thought—Om—
is quenched; there is no thought. This is the state of
There is harmony, peace and bliss in this simple but trance, where the mind and the intellect are transcended
deeply philosophical sound. By vibrating the sacred as the individual self merges with the Infinite Self in
syllable Om, the supreme combination of letters, if the pious moment of realization. It is a moment when
one thinks of the Ultimate Personality of Godhead the petty worldly affairs are lost in the desire for the
and quits his body, he will certainly reach the highest universal. Such is the immeasurable power of Om.
state of “stateless” eternity, states the Bhagavad-Gita
.
Om provides a dualistic viewpoint. On one hand,
it projects the mind beyond the immediate to what
Siddhi Times USA 57
According to Atharvana Veda, Lord Shiva
has taken various shapes to give remedy to This deity is a very beautiful and a must for the
our problems. There are 108 images. During drivers of two, four and multi wheelers. This
the past issues we discussed about a few of deity is in a standing position. He is having
them In This issue we will discuss about four four hands. The first right hand is adorned
images, with a weapon which is called as “controlling
stick”. The second right hand is adorned with
SOMAASKANDHA MOORTHY. an axe. The second left hand is adorned with
his pet animal deer. The first left hand is in
There is no use in the individual life. The the head of his vehicle “the bull”. Those who
life gets fulfilled only when one gets a life
partner. By the time one gets a life partner
he or she becomes a 75percent complete.
The life becomes complete when one gets
a child. In today’s world as an astrologer
and practitioner of Vedas, I see a good lot of
people suffer without kids. To have the best
kids, the Lord Somaaskandha moorthy helps
much. The word “somaaskandha” is split into
three. SA-along with, Uma- wife skandha-
son. As Lord Shiva is seated along with his
wife and son, he is in a very happy and jolly
mood. When one is in a happy mood it is
very sure that he will give whatever else we
ask. This deity is also the best in blessing the
persons those who need a united family and
those who need kids. By offering prayers to
this deity it is very sure that the prayer will
be surely fulfilled.

KAALAI VAAHANAR.
Siddhi Times USA 58
were born in the rasi “rishabam” {Taurus}
are the fit persons to worship this deity. Lord
Shiva in this form has a control over the head
of this rasi it is very sure that those who belong
to this rasi will be the most blessed. As Lord
Shiva is in the pose of a driver, this pose is the
must for the drivers; accidents will be avoided
completely by preying this Lord. By keeping
the photo of this deity in our packets will give
a great strength while driving.
problems and misunderstanding between the
husband and wife are cleared. The second is
the problems faced by the water that is either
flood or dryness will be completely eradicated.
The name “Neermali veniyan” is a very nice
name. Neer means water. Mali means a lot
of and veniyan means having on hair. That
is the Lord Shiva has the water in a plenty of
quantity in his head. By preying this deity

NEERMALI VENIYAN.

In today’s situations we all face a lot of

problems in facing our lady love or wife. The
male has a lot of problems psychologically,
which results failure in sexual life. So to say
75% male are facing problems in their sexual
life. In this posture Lord Shiva is enjoying
both of his wives. This is so to say a fore
play posture. He also teaches us how the
female should be. He has four hands. The
first right hand is on the breast of his wife
Umadevi. The second right hand is on his
head, holding his second wife Gangadevi.
The second left hand is adorned with his
pet animal deer. The second left hand is
around the waist of his wife Umadevi. The
lady Goddess hides her famine part with her
left hand. There are a lot of good things in
preying this deity. The first is, all the sexual
Siddhi Times USA 59
we can easily rectify the problems caused by his weapon. Lord Shiva got satisfied with
water. the power of Arjuna and blessed him with his
weapon. In this shape Lord Shiva has four
PAASUPATHA MOORTHY. hands. The first right hand is the blessing
hand. The second right hand is adorned with
Another name of Lord Shiva is Pasupathy. a “trisulam” [a three headed weapon]. The
His powerful weapon is called as “Paasupatha second left hand is adorned with his drum like
asthram” [snake shaped weapon]. Arjuna the musical instrument, which is decorated with
third member of the Paandavaas is an ardent a snake as the handle of the instrument. The
devotee of Lord Shiva. At the time of Maha first right hand is adorned with the important
bharatha war he needed powerful weapons weapon ‘PAASUPATHA ASTHRAM”. This
to conquer his enemies. So, he preyed Lord is a snake shaped bow like weapon which is
Shiva to bless him with his powerful weapon. used to control the enemies of his devotees. In
Lord Shiva wanted to test the capacity of his right side Arjuna is preying the deity. And
Arjuna. So he took the shape of a big pig in the left Lord Shiva’s wife Umadevi stands
and went to the prayer place of Arjuna and witnessing her husband blessing his devotee.
started disturbing Arjuna with his roaring There are strong proofs like Arjuna to show
sound. Arjuna doesn’t know that Lord Shiva the power of this deity. By preying this deity
has come in that shape. So, he got angry and it is very easy for us to conquer and overcome
started fighting with the pig. At the end of the our enemies and we can have a great name
fight Arjuna got tired and bowed Lord Shiva. and fame as Arjuna has.
Lord Shiva showed his shape and asked what
you want. Then Arjuna asked Lord Shiva for

Siddhi Times USA 60

Be a Winner *********

The Winner is always part of the answer; Winners see possibilities;

The Loser is always part of the problem. Losers see problems.

********* *********

The Winner always has a program; Winners believe in win-win;

The Loser always has an excuse. Losers believe for them to win someone has to lose.

********* *********

The Winner says, “Let me do it for you”; Winners see the potential;
The Loser says, “That is not my job.” Losers see the past.

********* *********

The Winner sees an answer for every problem; Winners are like a thermostat;
The Loser sees a problem for every answer. Losers are like thermometers.

********* *********

The Winner says, “ It may be difficult but it is possible”; Winners choose what they say;
The Loser says, “It may be possible but i t is too difficult.” Losers say what they choose.

********* *********

When a Winner makes a mistake, he says, “I was wrong”; Winners use hard arguments but soft words;
When a Loser makes a mistake, he says, “It wasn’t my Losers use soft arguments but hard words.
fault.”
*********
*********
Winners stand firm on values but compromise on petty
A Winner makes commitments; things;
A Loser makes promises. Losers stand firm on petty things but compromise on
values.
*********
*********
Winners have dreams;
Losers have schemes. Winners follow the philosophy of empathy: “Don’t do to
others what you would not want them to do to you”;
********* Losers follow the philosophy, “Do it to others before they
do it to you .”
Winners say, “I must do something”;
Losers say, “Something must be done.” *********

********* Winners make it happen;

Losers let it happen.
Winners are a part of the team;
Losers are apart from the team. *********

********* Winners plan and prepare to win.

The key word is preparation.
Winners see the gain;
Losers see the pain.
Siddhi Times USA 61
The theme of worshipping Fire and the to that of the Aztecs.Various Semitic peoples
uniformity between few religions in also worshipped the fire god Moloch with the
worshipping the Fire. sacrifice of their firstborn children, which was
said to pacify his wrath and ritual offerings
In almost every tradition there is an account to fire gods were made by the Egyptians as
of the way fire was brought to humankind. well as other peoples of the ancient world.
In Greek legend, the Titan Prometheus is Fire worship occupied a central position in
represented as having stolen the precious flame the religious rites of the early Indo-European
from Mount Olympus, the home of the gods, or peoples as well.
as having ignited a torch from the burning rays
emitted by the chariot of the sun god Phoebus. Among the early Hindus, sacrifice to the fire
A legend among the Polynesian Cook Islanders was one of the first acts of morning devotion,
of the South Pacific describes the descent and the hymns addressed to the fire god Agni
of the culture hero Maui to the underworld, outnumbered those in praise of any other
where he learned the art of making fire by divinity, perhaps because even then, a belief
rubbing two sticks together. Early inhabitants common to all these cultures was in place: that
of the Caroline Islands believed that mortals of fire being a purifying medium and a way
received fire from the gods through the bird through which one could gain enlightenment.
Mwi, which brought it to earth in its bill and The ancient Greek cults of Hestia, goddess
concealed it inside trees. Human beings then of the hearth, and Hephaestus, god of fire,
obtained this fire by rubbing two pieces of like those of their Roman counterparts,
wood together. The Native American tribes, Vesta and Vulcan, were integral features of
like the tribes of West Africa, paid homage the religion of classical times. Fire worship
to ancestral fire spirits. The Aztec of Mexico also was generally practiced among the
acknowledged in their worship the fire god ancient Slavic peoples, and the Celts offered
Xiuheuctli, who resembled their sun god. The prayers to Bridget, the patroness of fire,
Inca of Peru also worshiped a fire god similar hearth, and fertility. The worship of fire
Siddhi Times USA 62
had its fullest development, however, in burn easily without creating much smoke.
ancient Persia, where from earliest times the In India the wood from a mango tree is most
ceremonial keeping of the flame was the chief often used for Homa. The Homa wood should
characteristic of the Zoroastrian religion. Fire be completely dry and cut or broken to suit
was believed to be the earthly manifestation the size of the kund.
of the Divine, the heavenly light. The term for
“priest” in the Zoroastrian scriptures is Avesta Samaigri is a combination of one hundred and
meaning, “belonging to the fire.” The conquest eight herbs used to purify the atmosphere and
of Persia by the Muslims was symbolized by smells very good, like incense. Some ghee and
the extinction of the holy flame in the Persian raw sugar should be added to the herbs. When
temples, and when the Zoroastrian Parsis fled the Homa is performed, the chemicals in the
as religious exiles from their native land to Samaigri are burnt and get converted into
India, the sacred fire they carried with them gaseous form which mixes in the atmosphere,
was as much a sign of their nationality as of entering the breath and the body chemistry of
their faith. the one doing the Homa and those who are
in the vicinity. These chemicals go to the
Homa, or Havan, is fire worship. In Thantra gods that are present as different energies or
Yoga, homa is used to enhance the effects of abilities inside the human organism.
japa. When the japa is done without any desire,
it needs no fire worship. Fire is visible divine Thantra believes in one God with many
energy that can be seen and felt. It is said to forms. Because God performs many kinds of
be the mediator between humans and gods. functions, he has many names. For performing
Homa is performed in a receptacle (kund) in each job, He has to shape himself into a
which a fireplace (vedi) is made with bricks. different form. That is why there appear so
The Homa fireplace should be decorated with many gods. But all the names are His name and
colorful flowers, leaves, grains, and beans. all the forms are His form. When he creates he
Wood to be used as fuel for Homa should is called Brahma. When he preserves, he is

Siddhi Times USA 63

 Zoroastrianism is also called Zarathustrism,
Mazdaism, and Parsism. Parsism is the term
used today, among the believers in India, the
largest Zoroastrian society of today.

The basic tenets of the Gathas consist of a

worship of Ahura Mazda (the “Lord Wisdom”)
and an ethical dualism opposing Truth (Asha)
and Lie, which permeate the entire universe.
All that is good emanates from Ahura
Mazda. All evil is caused Angra Mainyu (the
“Fiendish Spirit”) and his assistants. Upon
death each person’s soul will be judged at
the Bridge of Discrimination; the follower of
Truth will cross and be led to paradise, and
the adherents of Lie will fall into hell. All evil
will eventually be eliminated on earth in an
onslaught of fire and molten metal. Zoroaster
apparently combined two religious systems.
The first is the monotheistic worship of
called Vishnu. When he destroys, he is called
Wisdom and his emanations including Asha,
Shiva. When he brings forth the energy of heat
outlined in the Gathas. The second system
and light, he is called Sun. When he beholds
describes a cult that worships Lord Ahura, the
the creation he is called Earth. He is neither
custodian of Asha. This system is described in
male nor female. His static aspect is male. His
a portion of the Avesta called the Liturgy of
dynamic aspect is female.
the Seven Chapters, which was composed after
Zoroaster’s death. The Gathas and the Seven
The same is also said in Zoroastrian
Chapters form part of the larger liturgy called
culture. Zoroastrianism (sometimes called
the Yasna. Other parts of the Yasna are the
less correctly ‘fire worshipping’), one of
Yashts, which are hymns to individual deities,
the world’s oldest religions, first began in
and the Vendidad, or Videvdat, a codification
Azerbaijan. In the ancient language of the
of ritual and law. The first Persian king to
land, ‘Azer’ means ‘fire’, and no other name
recognize the religion proposed by Zoroaster
seems quite as appropriate for Azerbaijan,
was Kay Vishtash, and Zoroaster’s ideas
since it once was the land of Zoroastrianism,
spread under Darius I. Artaxerxes II (reigned
where fire has an important role, even today,
409-358 BC) also venerated Zoroastrian
fire is still part of the country’s symbols.
deities; in his reign the first temples were
This religion was founded in by the prophet
probably built. Under the rule of the Greek
Zoroaster (Zarathustra). The doctrines
Seleucids (312-64 BC) and Parthian Arsacids
preached by Zoroaster are preserved in his
(250? BC-AD 224), cults of foreign gods
metrical Gathas (psalms), which form part
flourished along with Zoroastrianism. The
of the sacred scripture known as the Avesta.
new Persian dynasty of the Sassanids (AD
Siddhi Times USA 64
224-641) established Zoroastrianism as the location near the village of Xinaliq, west
state religion of Persia and it also spread to of Cuba. We can easily understand that
central Asia. However Persia was gradually the base for all religions is only Hinduism.
converted to Islam after its conquest by the The fire worship is now world famous. In
Arabs in the 7th century. Nevertheless, and Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda a lot of fire
against all odds Zoroastrianism survived in worship methods are mentioned for getting
the mountainous regions of Yazd and Kerman. salvations from various kinds of problems.Sri
Today Zoroastrianism counts about 150,000 Sri Siddhar Swamiji being an Atharva Veda
in India, 50,000 in Iran, and perhaps 50,000 scholar, always instructs his devotees and
in the rest of the world. priests to perform fire rituals often. Solve all
your problems by performing rituals with fire
Iran - Yazd: tower of silence or Dakhmeh, god worship with the help of Sri Sri Siddhar
once used to dispose of dead bodies - to avoid Swamiji.
contaminating the earth the in Zoroastrian
funerary tradition bodies were left to be eaten
by the birds There are 5 daily prayers, and
ablutions are performed in before all of these.
The believer becomes religiously active
from the age of 7. When a believer dies, his
or her body is brought up on the Tower of
Silence, where the corpse shall be eaten by
vultures, so that neither fire nor earth becomes
contaminated. Presently in Iran there are
graveyards for the deceased believers, but
these are only the result of influence from the
dominating Islamic society.

Surakhany: Ateshgah fire temple - In

Azerbaijan you can visit a Zoroastrian temple
near Baku in Surakhany. This temple is built
near the natural vents of flaming gas and has a
permanent fire. With the introduction of Islam
to the area the local Zoroastrian temples were
destroyed. The exiting temple dates from
the 18th and 19th centuries and is probably
built over the ruins of an older structure.
Surakhany remained a popular destination
for Indian pilgrims until the revolution.
Some of the pilgrims’ cells now house a wax
museum, intended to introduce the rudiments
of Zoroastrianism to the uninitiated. There
is another Zoroastrian temple in a remote
Siddhi Times USA 65
A short life history of

Swami Vivekananda
and a few of his teachings.
Swami Vivekananda, known in his pre-monastic life as
Narendra Nath Datta, was born in an affluent family in
Kolkata on 12 January 1863. His father, Vishwanath Datta,
was a successful attorney with interests in a wide range
of subjects, and his mother, Bhuvaneshwari Devi, was
endowed with deep devotion, strong character and other
qualities. A precocious boy, Narendra excelled in music,
gymnastics and studies. By the time he graduated from
Calcutta University, he had acquired a vast knowledge
of different subjects, especially Western philosophy
and history. Born with a yogic temperament, he used
to practice meditation even from his boyhood, and was
associated with Brahmo Movement for some time.

At the threshold of youth Narendra had to pass through a

period of spiritual crisis when he was assailed by doubts
about the existence of God. It was at that time he first heard
about Sri Ramakrishna from one of his English professors
at college. One day in November 1881, Narendra went
to meet Sri Ramakrishna who was staying at the Kali
Temple in Dakshineshwar. He straightaway asked the
Master a question which he had put to several others but
had received no satisfactory answer: “Sir, have you seen
God?” Without a moment’s hesitation, Sri Ramakrishna
replied: “Yes, I have. I see Him as clearly as I see you,
only in a much intense sense.”

Apart from removing doubts from the mind of Narendra,

Sri Ramakrishna won him over through his pure, unselfish
love. Thus began a guru-disciple relationship which is
quite unique in the history of spiritual masters. Narendra
now became a frequent visitor to Dakshineshwar and,
under the guidance of the Master, made rapid strides on
the spiritual path. At Dakshineshwar, Narendra also met
several young men who were devoted to Sri Ramakrishna,
and they all became close friends.
After a few years two events took place which caused
Narendra considerable distress. One was the sudden death
of his father in 1884. This left the family penniless, and
Narendra had to bear the burden of supporting his mother,
brothers and sisters. The second event was the illness of
Sri Ramakrishna which was diagnosed to be cancer of the
throat. In September 1885 Sri Ramakrishna was moved to
a house at Shyampukur, and a few months later to a rented
villa at Cossipore. In these two places the young disciples
nursed the Master with devoted care. In spite of
Siddhi Times USA 66
poverty at home and inability to find a job for him, Narendra
joined the group as its leader.
Sri Ramakrishna instilled in these young men the spirit of
renunciation and brotherly love for one another. One day
he distributed ochre robes among them and sent them out
to beg food. In this way he himself laid the foundation
for a new monastic order. He gave specific instructions to
Narendra about the formation of the new monastic Order.
In the small hours of 16 August 1886 Sri Ramakrishna gave
up his mortal body. After the Master’s passing, fifteen of
his young disciples (one more joined them later) began to
live together in a dilapidated building at Baranagar in North
Kolkata. Under the leadership of Narendra, they formed
a new monastic brotherhood, and in 1887 they took the
formal vows of sannyasa, thereby assuming new names.
Narendra now became Swami Vivekananda (although this
name was actually assumed much later.)
After establishing the new monastic order, Vivekananda
heard the inner call for a greater mission in his life. While
most of the followers of Sri Ramakrishna thought of
him in relation to their own personal lives, Vivekananda
thought of the Master in relation to India and the rest of
the world. As the prophet of the present age, what was
Sri Ramakrishna’s message to the modern world and to
India in particular? This question and the awareness of his
own inherent powers urged Swamiji to go out alone into
the wide world. So in the middle of 1890, after receiving
the blessings of Sri Sarada Devi, the divine consort of
Sri Ramakrishna, known to the world as Holy Mother,
who was then staying in Kolkata, Swamiji left Baranagar
Math and embarked on a long journey of exploration and
discovery of India.
During his travels all over India, Swami Vivekananda
was deeply moved to see the appalling poverty and
backwardness of the masses. He was the first religious
leader in India to understand and openly declare that the
real cause of India’s downfall was the neglect of the masses.
The immediate need was to provide food and other bare
necessities of life to the hungry millions. For this they
should be taught improved methods of agriculture, village
industries, etc. It was in this context that Vivekananda
grasped the crux of the problem of poverty in India (which
had escaped the attention of social reformers of his days):
owing to centuries of oppression, the downtrodden masses
had lost faith in their capacity to improve their lot. It was
first of all necessary to infuse into their minds faith in
themselves. For this they needed a life-giving, inspiring
message. Swamiji found this message in the principle of
the Atman, the doctrine of the potential divinity of the
soul, taught in Vedanta, the ancient system of religious
philosophy of India. He saw that, in spite of poverty, the
masses clung to religion, but they had never been taught
the life-giving, ennobling principles of Vedanta and how
to apply them in practical life.
Thus the masses needed two kinds of knowledge: secular
knowledge to improve their economic condition and
spiritual knowledge to infuse in them faith in themselves
and strengthen their moral sense. The next question was
how to spread these two kinds of knowledge among the
masses? Through education – this was the answer that
Swamiji found.
One thing became clear to Swamiji: to carry out his plans
for the spread of education and for the uplift of the poor
masses, and also of women, an efficient organization of
dedicated people was needed. As he said later on, he
wanted “to set in motion machinery which will bring
noblest ideas to the doorstep of even the poorest and the
meanest.” It was to serve as this ‘machinery’ that Swamiji
founded the Ramakrishna Mission a few years later.
It was when these ideas were taking shape in his mind
in the course of his wanderings that Swami Vivekananda
heard about the World’s Parliament of Religions to be
held in Chicago in 1893. His friends and admirers in India
wanted him to attend the Parliament. He too felt that the
Parliament would provide the right forum to present his
Master’s message to the world, and so he decided to go
to America. Another reason which prompted Swamiji to
go to America was to seek financial help for his project
of uplifting the masses.Swamiji, however, wanted to have
an inner certitude and divine call regarding his mission.
Both of these he got while he sat in deep meditation on
the rock-island at Kanyakumari. With the funds partly
collected by his Chennai disciples and partly provided by
the Raja of Khetri, Swami Vivekananda left for America
from Mumbai on 31 May 1893.His speeches at the
World’s Parliament of Religions held in September 1893
made him famous as an ‘orator by divine right’ and as
a ‘Messenger of Indian wisdom to the Western world’.
After the Parliament, Swamiji spent nearly three and a
half years spreading Vedanta as lived and taught by Sri
Ramakrishna, mostly in the eastern parts of USA and also
in London.
He returned to India in January 1897. In response to the
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Siddhi Times USA 68
Siddhi Times USA 69
enthusiastic welcome that he received everywhere, he
delivered a series of lectures in different parts of India,
which created a great stir all over the country. Through
these inspiring and profoundly significant lectures Swamiji
attempted to do the following:
To rouse the religious consciousness of the people and
create in them pride in their cultural heritage;
To bring about unification of Hinduism by pointing out the
common bases of its sects;
To focus the attention of educated people on the plight
of the downtrodden masses, and to expound his plan for
their uplift by the application of the principles of Practical
Vedanta.
Soon after his return to Kolkata, Swami Vivekananda
accomplished another important task of his mission
on earth. He founded on 1 May 1897 a unique type of
organization known as Ramakrishna Mission, in which
monks and lay people would jointly undertake propagation
of Practical Vedanta, and various forms of social service,
such as running hospitals, schools, colleges, hostels, rural
development centre etc, and conducting massive relief and
rehabilitation work for victims of earthquakes, cyclones
and other calamities, in different parts of India and other
countries.
Siddhi Times USA 70
In early 1898 Swami Vivekananda acquired a big plot of
land on the western bank of the Ganga at a place called
Belur to have a permanent abode for the monastery and
monastic Order originally started at Baranagar, and got it
registered as Ramakrishna Math after a couple of years.
Here Swamiji established a new, universal pattern of
monastic life which adapts ancient monastic ideals to the
conditions of modern life, which gives equal importance
to personal illumination and social service, and which is
open to all men without any distinction of religion, race
or caste.
It may be mentioned here that in the West many people
were influenced by Swami Vivekananda’s life and
message. Some of them became his disciples or devoted
friends. Among them the names of Margaret Noble (later
known as Sister Nivedita), Captain and Mrs. Sevier,
Josephine McLeod and Sara Ole Bull, deserve special
mention. Nivedita dedicated her life to educating girls in
Kolkata. Swamiji had many Indian disciples also, some of
whom joined Ramakrishna Math and became sannyasins.
In June 1899 he went to the West on a second visit. This
time he spent most of his time in the West coast of USA.
After delivering many lectures there, he returned to Belur
Math in December 1900. The rest of his life was spent
in India, inspiring and guiding people, both monastic
and lay. Incessant work, especially giving lectures and
inspiring people, told upon Swamiji’s health. His health
deteriorated and the end came quietly on the night of 4
July 1902. Before his Mahasamadhi he had written to a
Western follower: “It may be that I shall find it good to get
outside my body, to cast it off like a worn out garment. But
I shall not cease to work. I shall inspire men everywhere
until the whole world shall know that it is one with God.”
Making an objective assessment of Swami Vivekananda’s
contributions to world culture, the eminent British historian
A L Basham stated that “in centuries to come, he will be
remembered as one of the main molders of the modern
world…” Some of the main contributions that Swamiji
made to the modern world are mentioned below:
1.New Understanding of Religion: One of the most
significant contributions of Swami Vivekananda to
the modern world is his interpretation of religion as a
universal experience of transcendent Reality, common
to all humanity. Swamiji met the challenge of modern
science by showing that religion is as scientific as science
itself; religion is the ‘science of consciousnesses. As such,
religion and science are not contradictory to each other but
are complementary.
This universal conception frees religion from the hold of
superstitions, dogmatism, priest craft and intolerance, and
makes religion the highest and noblest pursuit – the pursuit
of supreme Freedom, supreme Knowledge, and supreme
Happiness.

2. New View of Man: Vivekananda’s concept of ‘potential

divinity of the soul’ gives a new, ennobling concept of
man. The present age is the age of humanism which holds
that man should be the chief concern and centre of all
activities and thinking. Through science and technology
man has attained great prosperity and power, and modern
methods of communication and travel have converted
human society into a ‘global village’. But the degradation
of man has also been going on apace, as witnessed by the
enormous increase in broken homes, immorality, violence,
crime, etc. in modern society. Vivekananda’s concept of
potential divinity of the soul prevents this degradation,
divinizes human relationships, and makes life meaningful
and worth living. Swamiji has laid the foundation for
‘spiritual humanism’, which is manifesting itself through
several neo-humanistic movements and the current interest
in meditation, Zen etc all over the world.

3. New Principle of Morality and Ethics: The prevalent

morality, in both individual life and social life, is mostly
based on fear – fear of the police, fear of public ridicule,
fear of God’s punishment, fear of Karma, and so on. The
current theories of ethics also do not explain why a person
should be moral and be good to others. Vivekananda has
given a new theory of ethics and new principle of morality
based on the intrinsic purity and oneness of the Atman.
We should be pure because purity is our real nature, our
true divine Self or Atman. Similarly, we should love and
serve our neighbors because we are all one in the Supreme
Spirit known as Paramatman or Brahman.
4. Bridge between the East and the West: Another great
contribution of Swami Vivekananda was to build a bridge
between Indian culture and Western culture. He did it
by interpreting Hindu scriptures and philosophy and the
Hindu way of life and institutions to the Western people
in an idiom which they could understand. He made the
Western people realize that they had to learn much from
Indian spirituality for their own well-being. He showed
that, in spite of her poverty and backwardness, India had a
great contribution to make to world culture. In this way he
was instrumental in ending India’s cultural isolation from
the rest of the world. He was India’s first great cultural
ambassador to the West.
On the other hand, Swamiji’s interpretation of ancient
Hindu scriptures, philosophy, institutions, etc prepared
the mind of Indians to accept and apply in practical life
two best elements of Western culture, namely science and
technology and humanism. Swamiji has taught Indians
how to master Western science and technology and at the
same time develop spiritually. Swamiji has also taught
Indians how to adapt Western humanism (especially the
ideas of individual freedom, social equality and justice and
respect for women) to Indian ethos.
Selected Teachings of Swami Vivekananda
My ideal, indeed, can be put into a few words, and that is:
to preach unto mankind their divinity and how to make it
manifest in every movement of life.
Education is the manifestation of the perfection already
in man.
We want that education by which character is formed,
strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded,
and by which one can stand on one’s own feet.
So long as the millions live in hunger and ignorance, I
hold every man a traitor who, having been educated at
their expense pays not the least heed to them.
Whatever you think, that you will be. If you think
yourselves weak, weak you will be; if you think yourselves

Siddhi Times USA 71

strong, strong you will be.
If you have faith in all the three hundred and thirty
millions of your mythological gods, and still have no faith
in yourselves, there is no salvation for you. Have faith in
yourselves, and stand up on that faith and be strong; that
is what we need.
Strength, strength it is that we want so much in this life, for
what we call sin and sorrow have all one cause, and that is
our weakness. With weakness comes ignorance, and with
ignorance comes misery.
The older I grow, the more everything seems to me to lie
in manliness. This is my new Gospel Purity, patience, and
perseverance are the three essentials to success, and above
all, love.
Religion is realization; not talk, not doctrine, nor theories,
however beautiful they may be. It is being and becoming,
not hearing or acknowledging; it is the whole soul
becoming changed into what it believes.
Religion is the manifestation of the Divinity already in
man.
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Teach yourselves, teach everyone his real nature, call
upon the sleeping soul and see how it awakes. Power will
come, glory will come, goodness will come, purity will
come, and everything that is excellent will come when this
sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity.
They alone live who live for others, the rest are more dead
than alive.
This is the gist of all worship – to be pure and to do good
to others.
It is love and love alone that I preach, and I base my
teaching on the great Vedantic truth of the sameness and
omnipresence of the Soul of the Universe.
By going through the teachings of Swami Vivekananda
we can easily learn how live and how to be a good citizen
to this universe.
 spiritual virtues, enlightening qualities,
kindness, purity, love, and devotion),
which elevate human beings to the higher
planes of consciousness. With the help of
vidyamaya, devotees can rid themselves
of avidyamaya and achieve the ultimate
goal of becoming free from maya.

The four key concepts in Ramakrishna’s teachings were the

following:
The oneness of existence
The divinity of human beings
The unity of God
The harmony of religions

A personal account of his life and teachings is recorded by his

disciple, Mahendranath Gupta, simply known as “M”, in the
Gospel of Ramakrishna. Like Adi Sankara had done more than
a thousand years earlier, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa revitalized
Hinduism which had been fraught with excessive ritualism
and superstition in the nineteenth century and helped it better
There are a lot of intellectual giants, who set an example to the respond to challenges from Islam, Christianity and the dawn of
society. They did a lot of service to the human race. Even though the modern era.
they were born on different religions, they adopted love and
affection as their religion. They worked towards the upcoming Sayings of Sri Ramakrishna:
of the entire human race. Here I wish to state the life history
of two intellectual giants. They both lived during the last two 1. I tell you the truth: there is nothing wrong in your being in the
centuries. One is Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and the other is world. But you must direct your mind towards God.
Mother Teresa. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, a Hindu monk and
is very famous for his devotion and dedication. The other is 2. There is one whom you may call your own, and that is God.
Mother Teresa. Even though she was born out of India, she
dedicated her entire life for the betterment of the suffering
people in India. By reading their life history, we can try to
improve the humanity and spirituality in all our minds and life
style. By this we can also set as an example to all.

Ramakrishna’s mystical realization, classified by Hindu

tradition as nirvikalpa Samadhi (literally, “constant
meditation”, thought to be absorption in the all-encompassing
Consciousness), led him to believe that the gods of the various
religions are merely so many interpretations of the Absolute,
and that the Ultimate Reality could never be expressed
in human terms. This is in agreement with the Rig Vedic
proclamation that “Truth is one but sages call it by many a
name.” As a result of this opinion, Ramakrishna actually spent
periods of his life practicing his own understandings of Islam,
Christianity and various other Yogic and Thantric sects within
Hinduism.

Ramakrishna’s realization of nirvikalpa Samadhi also led him

to an understanding of the two sides of maya (illusion), to which
he referred as avidyamaya and vidyamaya: He explained that
avidyamaya represents the dark forces of creation (eg sensual
desire, evil passions, greed, lust and cruelty), which keep the
world system on lower planes of consciousness. These forces
are responsible for human entrapment in the round of birth and
death, and they must be fought and vanquished. Vidyamaya,
on the other hand, represents the higher forces of creation (e.g.

Siddhi Times USA 73

 Mother Teresa was born on August 26,
1910. On August 27, 1910, she was christened Agnes-Gonxha
Bojaxhiu. She was the last of three children. She had an elder
sister, Aga and an elder brother, Lazar. Her sister and she were
actively involved in church activities. They were both a part of
the choir and were affectionately known as the ‘nightingales’
of the church. Her brother received a scholarship to study in
Austria and he therefore left home at an early age to study in
Austria.

Mother Teresa’s parents, Nikhola and Dranafile were Albanian

and were originally from city of Prizren, which was then a part
of Yugoslavia. Her father, Nikhola, moved the family to the
town of Skopje, Serbia where he became a merchant and an
entrepreneur. Her mother, Dranafile, was a housewife. Both the
parents made religion and prayer an important part of their family
life. They also encouraged a non-materialistic and generous life
style. Her mother occupied herself with taking care of elderly
people, alcoholic mothers and orphans. As a child, Mother
Teresa often accompanied her mother on these trips.

At about the age of twelve, Mother Teresa realized that she

3. Money can fetch you bread alone. Do not consider it as your
sole end and aim.
4. You see many stars in the sky at night, but not when the sun
rises. Can you therefore say that there are no stars in the heavens
during the day? O, man because you cannot find God in the days
of your ignorance, say not there is no God.
wanted to live her life with the poor and God. She discussed
this with a Father she assisted in church and asked him how she
could be sure about it. He replied that if the thought of it makes
her happy, then it is it. And he added: “the deep inner joy that
you feel is the compass that indicates your direction in life”. At
18, she decided to be a nun. When she discussed this with her
mother, her mother spent a whole day alone in a room and when
she came out, she held her daughter’s hand in hers and told her:

5. See eye to eye thou God? Then seek him in man! His Divinity
is manifest more in man than in any other object. Man is greatest
manifestation of God.

6. Women naturally whether good or not, whether chaste or

unchaste, should always be regarded as images of the Blissful
Divine Mother.

7. The ego that asserts, ‘I am the servant of God’ is the

characteristic of the true devotee. It is the ego of vidya
(knowledge), and is called the ‘ripe’ ego.

8. Let me be condemned to be born over and over again, even in

the form of a dog, if so I can be of help to a single soul.

9. To become great, one must be humble. The tree laden with

fruit always bends low. So if you wish to be great, be lowly and
meek.

10. If you say, ‘I am a sinner’, eternally, you will remain a sinner

to all eternity. You ought to rather repeat, ‘I am not bound. I am
not bound. Who can bind me? I am the son of God, the King of
Kings’.

Siddhi Times USA 74

“Put your hand in His and walk all the way with Him.”
She left Skopje on September 26, 1928 to become a nun. Many
of her friends, relatives and neighbors accompanied her to the
station and that was the last time she saw her mother. Other girls
who were on the same mission joined her along her journey.
Agnes and her colleague landed at Rathfarnham, Dublin and
they went to the house of the Loreto Sisters. She stayed at the
convent for a few months and then started her journey to India on
December 1, 1928. Before sailing for India, Agnes had changed
her name from Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu to Sister Mary Teresa of
the Child Jesus - after Teresa of Lisieux, the ‘Little Flower’.
Mary Teresa, as she was then called, reached Kolkata in January
1929 but went on to Darjeeling to become a Loreto beginner.
In May, she received the ‘holy habit’ (the religious dress of
Loreto) and began to learn Bengali and Hindi. She worked as
a teacher in a convent in Darjeeling for some time and then
moved to Kolkata. She taught in schools in Kolkata too and her
affectionate disposition, people called her “Ma”.
On May 24, 1937, Mary Teresa finally took vows of poverty,
chastity, and obedience for life. From that very day, she was
renamed as ‘Mother Teresa’.
On 10th September 1946, on a train journey, she got what she
terms as a “call within a call”. She felt she heard the call of God
to leave the Convent and help the poor while living amongst
them. She discussed this call with a father, Van Exem. And she
had to wait to get permission from the Archbishop, her Mother
Superior and the Pope to leave the Loretto sisters but still be
a part of the Roman Catholic Church. She finally received the
permission in August 1948, to leave Loreto Order. She was
given the ‘induct of exclaustration’ (meaning - allowing her to
leave the Convent and remain as a religious, committed to her
vows and under the obedience of Archbishop).
On the evening of August 16, Mother Teresa removed her
old religious habit (dress) and wore a new habit of her future
‘Missionary of Charity’ Order. Her new dress consisted of a
simple, cotton, white sari with blue stripes (blue was the color of
Virgin Mary) along with white habits to be worn under the sari.
At midnight of August 16, Mother Teresa left Loreto Order with
only a ticket to Patna and just Rs.5 for other expenditure. In
Patna, she worked in the Holy Family Hospital and gained some
medical knowledge. She returned from Patna and formed new
rules of her ‘Missionaries of Charity’ in Kolkata. As per the
rules of Missionaries of Charity the nuns who would join the
Order, would live, dress and eat like the poorest of the poor.
They would have to take utmost care of the poor people.
Sister Teresa went to the slums and the streets of Kolkata, to talk
with the poor, to help them. She helped them wash the babies,
to clean the wounds. The poor people were astonished at the
European Lady who was helping them. She began to teach the
poor children how to read and write how to wash and to have
some hygiene.
Her first residence cum-office of Missionaries of Charity was
a small room on the first floor of Little Sisters of the Poor’s
Institution in Kolkata. She slept with the Sisters of the Poor.
God was her great refuge for strength and material support.
She always had faith in him that he would always find the right
medicine, clothes, food and a place to receive the poor to be able
to help them, make them feel wanted.
On 19th March 1949, a Bengali girl, from a well-off family and
former student of Mother Teresa, came to stay with Sister Teresa
and help her. She was the first to join her in her work. Soon,
other girls followed: in May they were three, in November five,
next year seven. Mother Teresa thinks of starting a congregation.
On October 7th, 1950, the Papal in Rome approves of the
“Constitutions of the Society of the Missionaries of Charity”.
Thus the Missionaries of Charity began with just twelve
members.
However, every year, the number of sisters in it was increasing
and so are the volunteers and the people that they need to care
for. The society grew in work and number. Mother kept praying
for vocations and the work kept growing. In 1965, Pope Paul VI
granted Mother Teresa’s request to globally expand her order.
Now her work spread across the world. Whether it was in Ethiopia
feeding the hungry, the ghettos of South Africa or it was her
native country Albania when the communist regime collapsed,
Kolkata’s Mother Teresa “the living saint” was there. In 1982,
at the height of the siege in Beirut she convinced the parties to
stop the war so she could rescue 37 sick children trapped inside.
Mother Teresa went all over the world to help people, rescue
children, advise her sisters; to organize and to talk. Her sisters
are present in every continent serving the poor and lost. Mother
Teresa became a symbol of untiring commitment to the poor
and suffering. Today Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity
has 570 missions all over the world, comprising of 4000 nuns,
a brotherhood of 300 members and over100,000 lay volunteers
operating homes for AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis patients;
soup kitchens, children’s and family counseling programs,
orphanages, and schools.
Siddhi Times USA 75