Fraction, Decimal & Percentage

All kids get introduced to Fractions , then decimals & percentages. And of course the are able to establish the corelation & understand that its just the form of communicating the value of the number. The single truth is the value and the form is the fraction or decimal & percentage way of representing it.

Spiritual knowledge is also a bit like that. Its conveyed in different ways.

Children by grade 6 or 7 figure out that its the value & the presentation.

Another example for that. Kids when listening to spritiual talks of their level or exchanging notes about their parents, especially relating to good values, often say my parents say that or they think that way too. Its because parents are trying to impart similar values.

Since there is only one truth & usually one right, however you may communicate it, it will be that!

Though many grown ups are still not able to co-relate the spiritual knowledge coming from different sources is conveying pretty much the same thing.

Plumber & Electrician & Handyman

{Recently watched the 3 part "Intro to Gita" by Rajima on You Tube & quoting with her permission}.

We call these guys when something is broken or we need something to be fixed.

Some people treat God in the same way. They think of God when they need some thing to be resolved or some help in a tough situation.

Many of us forget the " Stitch in time saves nine" principle. If we did regular maintenance & used things carefully in the house, we will have only natural wear & tear.

Similarly if we remember we are a part of God and have a loving & grateful attitude, we will probably not need to call for help.

The Thirsty Crow

This story is also quite well known. He was really thirsty and found a way to get to the water.

Now lets look at the message in that...

The crow signifies a sincere seeker & the water in the pitcher knowledge, and pebbles are the tools like yoga, meditation, satsang which help us get closer to the knowledge.

All of us are the seekers and for each the Pitcher, the level of water & the pebbles may be different.

Hare & Tortoise

We have all heard the story & the moral being, slow and steady wins the race.

Well the Tortoise signifies immense patience, persistence & hard work as well as Satogun.

The Hare is jumpy (Rajo Gun) or sleeping (Tamo Gun) during the entire story.

The Tortoise is very symbolic. The shell signifies the knowledge that insulates him & protects him. The head & 4 limbs signify the 5 senses. It symbolises that the Tortoise can withdraw his senses at his will and be shielded by his knowledge. He is calm and stable and works towards his purpose - like a karamyogi.

So now we know why the Tortoise won the race.

3M

When you see or hear 3M what comes to the mind...

1. The manufacturer of our favourite sticky notes
2. A kid doing data at school will think of Mean, Median & Mode
3. Adjectives to describe a person - Mean, Modest or Merry
4. Subjects like Maths, Music & Mechanics
5. or Magic, Miracle & Musement

Someone mentioned that

• Use things like numbers in Maths - so be Mathematical with objects
• Be Musical with people
• And Meditative with self

5 Blind men & the elephant

Most of us know the story .

Five blind men went to see an elephant.

One touched the leg of the elephant and said, “The elephant is like a pole.”

The second touched the trunk and said, “The elephant is like a thick club.”

The third touched the belly and said, “The elephant is like a big jar.” 

The fourth touched the ear and said, “The elephant is like a big hand fan.”

The fifth touched the tail & said its like a rope.

Thus they began to quarrel amongst themselves as to the shape of the elephant.

A passer-by, seeing them thus quarrelling, said, “Why are you all quarrelling?” They told him the problem and asked him to be the judge.

The man said: “None of you has seen the elephant. The elephant is not like a pole; its legs are like poles. It is not like a thick club; its trunk is like a thick club. It is not like a big jar; its belly is like a big jar. It is not like a fan; its ear is like a fan. The elephant is all these --- legs, trunk, belly, ears, tail and much more.”

In the same way, those who argue about the nature of God have known only a small part of His Reality. In spirituality, the divine is as we experience it.


Trying to understand God or Self for with our senses of perception, we only learn that much.

Sowing wheat & spiritual lesson

When we sow wheat we get more wheat as well as fodder for the cattle or hay for the thatched roofs as well as some oxygen into the air. If we sowed only for hay (had their been seeds for it) then that's all we would get!

Sowing for wheat to feed self & others helps in other areas as well.

Would you stop growing wheat if you did not need the hay or because there was no way of growing only wheat??? One will still sow wheat and then either sell or give away the hay. Would you burn or destroy the hay? Obviously not as it useful to someone

If we do actions thinking whats in it for me? And think of only oneself that will spell doom. 

Knowledge - Input , Process or Output???

There is a relationship between input and output & in between is the process that changes the input into output. This is a simple way to explain so it could be fruit becoming juice or dough+cheese+tomato becoming a pizza!!!

Now lets look at simple machines like tongs or wheel barrow or scissors that help reduce effort. All machines help in efficiency in terms of reducing input or increasing output.

The human brain & mind combination is the most complex machine. ( It can reverse the above in terms of making it things in efficient as well.) 

If knowledge is input then what will be output ???
Or is knowledge the process???

Consider education as knowledge & one will think that knowledge of how to multiply or divide is really the process and helps reach the out come. And in maths the right output is only one.

Now consider knowledge in terms of what is good or bad / right or wrong etc on the moral / value based measure.  Each person's view may be different and responses will be based on the individuals past experiences & knowledge.

Knowledge could also be an output. When we learn from our experiences and share that knowledge its our output & input for the receiver.

Knowledge is versatile & all pervasive - as Input, Process & Output

Why meditate? (a copy & paste)

Meditation is universal. It transcends all divides like religion, country and culture. It is a gift given to mankind to access the infinite spirit not limited by any identity. It is the only tool that can aid a person to return to innocence.

Modern life style has high exposure to anger, hate, fear and other negative emotions. These human emotions have a high tendency to duplicate and spread. For example, when a person gets cheated, he starts to suspect everything around him. This also has an impact on people around him. These emotions form strong impressions and opinions on an individual and social level. The result of which is an insecure individual and an unstable society.

Meditation helps an individual overcome these emotions to facilitate a calm peaceful mind and a healthy and stress free body. Upon daily practise an individual will blossom into an unshakable personality. With increase in the number of people who are calm, peaceful and healthy will facilitate a social transformation, enabling a society that is trusting, happy and content.

DIY

This makes us think of the Do It Yourself stores to buy things to fix/make around the house.

Now if someone said its meant to be - Divine Inside You ...it will take a while to register.

Now think of it as a spiritual journey or learning & evolution process - its a Do It Yourself kind of thing!

Gross & Subtle

Some examples, characteristics & pointers to help understand

1. Sight & Vision
2. Short Term & long term / eternal
3. Is & Could be
4. Ever changing & Permanent
5. Form & Formless
6. School & Education
7. Perceive through our senses & feel/know inside

Front & back of our bodies

The front represents the BHOG - what we enjoy/consume. So we have out eyes & nose & mouth & ears there to see, smell, eat & hear.

The back is for YOG or to connect with GOD & SELF. So we have the spine that supports us in everything. And when we need to rest we lie on our backs & lay our heads down. The back of our body is used for resting, recovering & meditating

Repitition of Math topics and Reading Gita repeatedly

Some children wonder they started learning fractions in Grade 2 & did again in say grade 4 & then they keep having to do again in later grades as well.

Well as they get older of course the level of detail & the complexity of the problems they solve progresses with the ability of the child .

And people who read Gita repeatedly vouch that they learn more / deeper meanings each time. They say depending on their level of consciousness and satwa, the understanding increases as a continuous process.

For fundamentals truths ( Maths as well as Gita) repeated practice and gradual increase in complexity and understanding is important.

Water reactions

Just imagine water falling on

1. A hot frying pan - it sizzles & evaporates

2. On a leaf - it slides around it, hangs from the tip & drops down

3. Into an oyster - becomes a pearl.

If water was knowledge and the 3 examples were either different situations or different people and how hey receive the knowledge.

Agneepath the poem & the movie

The movie may be violent etc, but very inspiring in few ways

1. The good defeats the evil - eventually / in the long run. ( in the movie after blood shed etc)

2. What the child learnt from his father in his early years comes back to him

3. We are usually alone in our journey of life

Agneepath the Poem with Translation

Vriksh ho bade bhale,
ho ghane ho bhale,
Ek Patra chhah bhi mang mat, mang mat, mang mat,
Agnipath, Agnipath Agnipath;

Tu na thamega kabhi tu na mudega kabhi tu na rukega kabhi,
Kar shapath, Kar shapath, Kar shapath,
Agnipath, Agnipath, Agnipath.

Ye Mahan Drishya hain,
Chal raha Manushya hain,
Ashru, Sweth, Rakta se Latpat Latpat Latpat..
Agnipath, Agnipath, Agnipath.

(There may be huge, warm and shady trees all around)
(Don't even ask the shade of a single leaf)
(Walk on the Path of Fire, Walk on the Path of Fire)

(You will not stop, You will not turn, You will not halt)
(Take this oath, take this oath, take this oath)
(The Oath of Fire, the Oath of Fire, the Oath of Fire)

(This is a great situation)
(Man Walks)
(Tears, Sweat and Blood)
(They swathe Him, they swathe Him)
(Walk on the Path of Fire, Walk on the Path of Fire)