Spirit Matters

I pay my hearty obeisances to the Divine Mother Sita who brings happiness, grace, and strength. In our conception, it is often taboo if someone enquired about some common questions such as what is the purpose of life, why humans are born as male and female, what happens after the present life, and so on. Although there may be not a single answer, it is still important to ask and also seek possible solutions without draining the mind. These are very common inquiries especially, at the time one suffers a loss of a loved one or develops deep challenges in the workplace, and often wants to find solace.  Before I begin any of this conversation, I need to let You know that the speaker is not a materialist, a philosopher, nor impersonal entity, or a mental speculator. Our universe is the body of the Supreme Entity, whom we call God, this is known as the Virata Rupa. The revealed scriptures (the Vedas in general) talk about this Supreme Entity in great detail, and the Shrimad Bhagavatham...

 The whole universe is a myth, even after Einstein. If anyone were free from birth, death, old age, and disease, we could have been wonderful explorers of the universe. We have a dream of a flawless world, but unfortunately, all that we get is a handicapped prison-house, governed by stringent laws. Are we really what we think what we are? Or are we missing out on reality? Pandits say we are not our body, we are not the mind, and so on and so forth. They say we have to do away with some things, renounce this and that. Are we missing some key, while we do all these? Is it making us more or less like a stone, and emotionless entity? Is there really happiness? Is there really sorrow? Are we permanently diseased?  Living by rules may help to an extent but not beyond. Knowledge will lead us further. Do we know really what is what? Why do we come here and where do we go from here?... Yes.. Yes.. The ants know these answers better than the humans. They know that they should go exactly...

Loka samastha sukhino bhavanthu Every living being seeks pleasure, some do it pursuing hobbies other through knowledge and some others through service. Few years ago I too was pursuing some pleasure from a fellow colleague who came into my life in a strange way. Being the youngest member in my family, I always was treated as a small kid. And being in the nuclear family setup, I always wished if I had a sister. I always was curious about the relationship between a brother and sister, because I had only very obscure memories of being with my cousin sisters. This time I was pursuing my PhD degree and the colleague mentioned above was one of my labmates.  I had a liking for this sisterly character. To have a sister is very fortunate, because you have the experience of being with your mother. In the Indian culture a lot of importance is being given to brother sister relationship;  and this is exemplified by the festival of rakshabandhan. A standout incident which etched this sister...

 Life is like a plant, which grows and grows. And what does the plant seek - water, sunlight, cool moonlight, and a warm hug from the soil. Similarly, as humans, we seek joy, freedom, service, and ultimately pure love. So how should we care about a plant and how should we care for ourselves. These are foundational for leading a healthy, satisfactory life that is devoid of worries and anxieties. At the root of everything is our attitude of devotion. Eternally we are seekers of joy and bliss because that is our true nature.  We constantly endeavor to keep ourselves happy, but in vain because we seek happiness in objects, which unfortunately is absent. It is more like a mirage that we see in the desert, the more we see that the more we are tempted to run towards the reflection of water on the land. Although the goal is clear the direction in which we seek it is lacking. As a community of the human race, our goal is to support each other in a cooperative spirit. The challenge is t...

   It is known that every creature on this planet is a seeker. We all seek happiness, that is all. But most often we end up looking for this in the wrong direction and in a perverted manner. As an engineer, I look for ways to improve people's comfort, making communication possible with loved ones, and perhaps helping an ailing person recover from illness. But recently, I started pondering, what is the root cause of all human suffering? He has the best of technology accessible to him, well connected with friends and the world through social media; and many other facilities to make him happy. Many of us are fortunate to be well educated as well. So what is it that we actually show-stopper for human happiness?  The ancient scriptures, known as Vedas explain that any living being is conditioned because of three factors. The first is due to the body, the second is due to the people around him and the third is due to natural disasters.  The real problem lies in our identif...