Answers to Lesson 2

[Guest guest]

Dear Guruji

 

Please find my answers to Lesson 2. Please advise if I am on the right

path.

 

I shall endeavour to submit my other assignments asap.

 

Sincerely

R. Kasthuri Rangan

 

 

Answers to Lesson 2:

 

1. Try to define the role of God in your life

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The Almighty, the creator of this Universe has also created me as a

human being - thus bestowing the noblest of births. He is the Supreme

Lord of this Universe. It is God who decides human life from

conception to death of all forms of life both living and inanimate.

 

He is the Self in me also known as the Jeevatma or the Soul. He

decides my existence. The body that I have is just a vehicle for my

Atma to reside in the journey of life. He has bestowed three gunas

Satwa, Rajas and Tamas in me. He has given this Universe the Vedas

which prescribe that in order to realise Him and reach Him again, I

should purify my Soul by washing away the karma attached to it. I

should endeavour to rise above the three gunas in order to realise

Him.

 

This can be achieved only by embracing Vidyamaya - the knowledge of

the Vedas and the Self. He is that knowledge. Only when I am

spiritually inclined and not let my mind become a slave to the worldly

pleasures, material world and bondage, can I be ready to comprehend

that knowledge. God controls my mind and if I am devoted to Him,

guides me to a Satwic path by showing me a suitable Guru who will give

me that 'Vidyamaya'. He offers me enough time and freedom to apply

myself to Him and His creations such as the Vedas and endeavour to

realise Him.

 

If on the other hand, if I allow myself to be trapped in the Maya

(illusion of this world) which also He controls, my action leads to

accumulation of karma.

 

It is He who decides when I should change vehicle and that time shall

be when my atma sheds this body placing itself at His disposal for

another birth. If I have realised God I can transcend to higher levels

of birth and if not, my Atma should again go through the cycles of

birth, life and death with more karma adding to the karma already

attached to it. If I have done good deeds, karma would decrease and

vice versa.

 

God audits and manages the balance sheet of my Atma and life.

 

2. What have you done in the past one year to come closer to God?

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My life has certainly changed in the past few years and I know I am

lovingly heading for a spiritual path. I hail from a family which has

strong religious faith and devotion to God.

 

Pilgrimages to Sabarimala, Guruvayur and several temples regularly

every year has got me interested in reading about deities at various

temples, the history and sanctity of temples, experiences of various

devotees, which has led to increased interest in traditional puja

practices and their effects.

 

Over the years I have realised the effect of mechanically performing

pujas compared to a sense of wilful involvement engulfed in a state of

joy. The difference will show if one has moved closed to God.

 

Rain or shine, I go to the temple every Saturday. I have been

regularly performing puja at home for several years now and ofcourse

with an increased interest in the past one year. I can say for sure, I

have been guided by God in this direction.

 

I know I am close to God because He has bestowed on me His Blessings

by guiding me when I seek, by helping me when I ask and standing by me

when I seek His protection. He knows what is best for me and takes

care of me.

 

3. Which statement is more relevant:

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God is all is more relevant. I believe that God is everywhere.

Omnipotent. After all He has created this Universe and every form of

life and inanimate matters.

 

All is NOT God in my considered opinion, unless there is a realisation

of God. It is the balance of karma that results in birth and re-birth.

If an Atma is to reside in the body of a rat or dog, it is the result

of previous karma. Unless guided by any good deeds the atma will have

to undergo the life of a rat or dog or whatever be His will, as the

case may be. Unless and until God is realised by that, God will not

guide that Atma towards liberation. For instance, the famous elephant

Guruvayur Kesavan lived all its life only at the Guruvayur temple,

carrying Sri Krishna on its back during festivities and temple

rituals. Records show that one day after the temple procession it

walked up to the sanctum sanctorum, bent forward in a salutory gesture

towards Sri Krishna, had tears flowing from its eyes and then breathed

its last. It is probable that the noble soul realised God in its life

as an elephant. There was God in that Atma.

 

Not all elephants get such unique opportunities to serve God. Some

continue to pull logs of wood, some tend to live a violent life in the

jungles, some get caged in the zoo and some suffer at circuses. These

may attain liberation and reach God after they suffer the balance of

karma attached to their Atma. This does not mean there is no God in

them. It is a question of realising God. Jeevatma is definitely

different from the Supreme Paratma.

 

Similar is the case with human beings. Though the Jeevatma (the Soul)

is God Himself, unless the Atma, living the human life, with its

accumulated karma, realises God by rising above the three Gunas

engaging Vidyamaya and through noble deeds it cannot reach

 

Unless the karma balance had some good deeds, receptivity to knowledge

-Vidyamaya, cannot happen. If that happens, one can turn towards the

Satwic path and willingly perform noble deeds thus reducing the

ill-effects of past karma. More knowledge inputs at that stage, will

help realise God in one self.

 

 

4. How is the role of a Jyotish different from a priest?

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There are differences in the roles of a jyotish and a priest, some

subtle though.

A jyotish inculcates Satwik character while a priest inculcates

religious character.

A jyotish helps atma move towards liberation. A priest helps atma move

close to God through pujas and rituals. A jyotish teaches total

surrender to the Almighty while a priest teaches ways to surrender to

God. A jyotish helps understand burden of karma while a priest helps

reduce burden of karma through service to God, pujas and rituals.

While the action of a priest is more a mechanical performance, the

jyotish provides guidance in understanding of self, karma and

consequences with which mind can be controlled to rise above the

Tamas, Rajas and Satwik gunas to realise God.

 

5. Make a list of all Sanskrit terms in this Lesson under different

starting letters and prepare your personal dictionary of

Jyotish/Sanskrit terminology.

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Here is a list of Sanskrit terms I found in this lesson:

 

Agni = Fire

Akash = Sky

Asura = Demon

Atma = Soul

Avatar = Incarnation

Avidya = Devoid of knowledge

 

Bhakthi = Devotion and love towards God

Bhagavatam = Puranic story depicting God's actions on earth

Bhagwan = God

Brahma = The Creator, One who emerged from the umbilicus of Lord

Vishnu

Brahmagyana = Wisdom

 

Devas = Immortals, members of the Deva loga

 

Gita = The holy advice of Lord Krishna to Arjun at Kurukshethra, the

battlefield

Gyana = Knowledge

 

Isha = God

 

Jala = Water

Jeeva = Life, Soul or the conscious self with karma attached

Jyotish = Astrology

Jyoti = Light

Jyotisha = Astrologer

 

Karma = Deed, Action

 

Mahabharata = The big epic

Manu = The first male human created by Brahma

Marga = Path or route

Maya = Illusion

Moola = Root

 

Narayana = Another name of Lord Vishnu; also means infinite

 

Paramatma = God or Supreme Soul (Param + Atma)

Prakriti = Female part or Maya

Pritvi = Air

Purusha = Male part or the Paramatma

 

Rajas = One of the three gunas, in between Satwa and Tamas

 

Satarupa = The first female human created by Brahma

Satwa = One of the three gunas, higher than the other two gunas

Shakthi = Goddess; also power

Sri = Wealth; Adjective, denotes respect for male

Sthavara = Plants

Sukra = Guru of asuras

Surya = Sun

 

Tamas = One of the three gunas, the lowest one

Tapasya = One who does penance

Tatwa = Priniciple

 

Upadesa = Instructions or teaching

 

Vayu = air

Veda = The Code of Conduct prescribed by God

Vedanga = Parts or limbs of Vedas

Vidya = Education or Knowledge

 

Yaksha = A celestial living being similar to Devas but lower in order

Yama = Lord of Death

 

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