My 25th blog - Celebration of faith fuelled with intelligence

Have you ever wondered why the successful business people, or sports achievers, scientists believe in the super power? They are all already successful, so, why should they still believe? My another question is, did they start believing in super power before achieving what they want or after achieving? I know, one thing is common for all of them, they have a favourite God or living Guru as their advisory, to consult for their dilemmas, to get the knowledge to take the right decision. 

Do you know, Sunitha Williams, an Indian-origin astronaut,  carried a Ganesha idol and Bhagavad Gita along with her into the space.

Ford Motor Company's heir, Alfred Ford, dedicates his time in chanting Krishna's name and working for Krishna's service activities. Infact, he contributes his life, time, energy and money in constructing the Iskcon center called Mayapur, in West Bengal 

Ratan Tata, Narayana Murthy, Mukesh Ambani, all the well-known business men of India, publicly accept that they are into spiritual practices atleast half an hour a day. They have their gurus who guide them to stay calm, peaceful and focused. 

Kalam, the great scientist wrote a book on experiences with Pramukh Swamiji. Also, Kalam prefers to visit Puttaparthi, and meet Sri Sathya Sai Baba and mentions he finds himself a changed person and he continued to spread His guru's teachings through his work.

Raajamaouli, the most celebrated film  director, says, "Before Hinduism the religion, there existed Hinduism as a dharma. It is a way of life and I portray in movies is the way of life that existed many many years ago. "

ISRO's Chairman, after Chandrayan 3's mission success, said, "For the outer, I do science and for the Inner, I come to temples." 

Have you ever tried to come out of your comfort zone and sulking mode and try anything out of the daily routine? Life starts testing you by throwing simpler problems like friends bullying, family dilemmas, work pressures. If you are stuck in this whirlpool again and again, then you are not solving these issues. You are not giving your life another chance to prove your worthiness to be chosen for another task. You are all the time busy immersed in your comfort zone. Did you try working to come out of this comfort zone ? Did you ever question your confidence?

All the above mentioned people, found a way to come out of their comfort zones, solve their "so called" problems, failed many times and continue their journey. How is it possible for them. 

Actually, their definition of success is ...work and work... it is we who gave them a name "successful". They only think of their work and they remain to work till they leave their body. 

But, what keeps them running. Just a belief in themselves? Only one factor? While working, they witness tremendous results, which they couldn't even imagine. They start believing in their gurus knowledge transfer, spiritual process they follow and the force that adds credits to their work.

Their trust towards that faith keeps on growing as they grow in their work. I remember what Krishna mentions in Bhagavad Gita

दैवी ह्येषा गुणमयी मम माया दुरत्यया।

मामेव ये प्रपद्यन्ते मायामेतां तरन्ति ते।।7.14।।

daivī hyēṣā guṇamayī mama māyā duratyayā.

māmēva yē prapadyantē māyāmētāṅ taranti tē৷৷7.14৷৷

Meaning - This creation of nature formed with the three qualities (sattva, rajas, thamas) acts as a layer for the man to cross over. Those who cling on to me, who surrender to me, can easily overcome. 

So, as we observed, the aforesaid exemplary people whom we think they are, they don't cling on to the past records and sulk on the present. They cling onto that ultimate power and force and run their chores.

Infact, Krishna also mentions about different types of people in chapter 7. 

चतुर्विधा भजन्ते मां जनाः सुकृतिनोऽर्जुन।

आर्तो जिज्ञासुरर्थार्थी ज्ञानी च भरतर्षभ।।7.16।।

caturvidhā bhajantē māṅ janāḥ sukṛtinō.rjuna.

ārtō jijñāsurarthārthī jñānī ca bharatarṣabha৷৷7.16৷৷

Meaning - Arjuna! there are 4 types of good people who follow the rules and live life. They are (Aartha, Jignasu, arthaa-arthi, jnaani ) people who are always worried, people who are anxious to know, people who want to earn more, people who are knowledgeable.

तेषां ज्ञानी नित्ययुक्त एकभक्ितर्विशिष्यते।

प्रियो हि ज्ञानिनोऽत्यर्थमहं स च मम प्रियः।।7.17।।

tēṣāṅ jñānī nityayukta ēkabhakitarviśiṣyatē.

priyō hi jñāninō.tyarthamahaṅ sa ca mama priyaḥ৷৷7.17৷৷

Meaning - Out of these people, the knowledgeable are ever balanced, always united with self and supreme, surrender themselves and they excel. They like to be in companionship with the divine and I like to be in companionship with them.

उदाराः सर्व एवैते ज्ञानी त्वात्मैव मे मतम्।

आस्थितः स हि युक्तात्मा मामेवानुत्तमां गतिम्।।7.18।।

udārāḥ sarva ēvaitē jñānī tvātmaiva mē matam.

āsthitaḥ sa hi yuktātmā māmēvānuttamāṅ gatim৷৷7.18৷৷

Meaning - All the people are considerate and generous. But, I think the knowledgeable who is concentrating on the self knowledge and mindful of balanced nature can reach the highest destination.

बहूनां जन्मनामन्ते ज्ञानवान्मां प्रपद्यते।

वासुदेवः सर्वमिति स महात्मा सुदुर्लभः।।7.19।।

bahūnāṅ janmanāmantē jñānavānmāṅ prapadyatē.

vāsudēvaḥ sarvamiti sa mahātmā sudurlabhaḥ৷৷7.19৷৷

Meaning - Out of those great souls, only that person becomes special or rare..sudurlabah... who can understand everything happens for a reason... everything happens as per the ultimate power (Vaasudevah sarvam iti).

So, is it just their faith on their work and the super power keeps them moving. The jnanis, while working become mahaans, mahaatma. 

You are not alone in this universe. There are many people who work to become better. You are one among them. If you understand this, you will start talking about team work, power of hard work, working without ego clashes, and every aspect of thought strikes you to complete the task in hand. 

So, if you have to continue to stay motivated to be the jnani, then you should understand that there is a drone view someone does and is assigned a task to keep the world moving. So, your work, quality, efficiency is decided by someone superior to you and everything happens for a reason.

If you want to get closer to the drone view, you start identifying the elements that are not in our control, and start trusting on those elements which are not in our hands. Hence, immense faith is transferred to the deities and the same faith is returned to you in the form of result. Krishna Says,

कामैस्तैस्तैर्हृतज्ञानाः प्रपद्यन्तेऽन्यदेवताः।

तं तं नियममास्थाय प्रकृत्या नियताः स्वया।।7.20।।

kāmaistaistairhṛtajñānāḥ prapadyantē.nyadēvatāḥ.

taṅ taṅ niyamamāsthāya prakṛtyā niyatāḥ svayā৷৷7.20৷৷

यो यो यां यां तनुं भक्तः श्रद्धयार्चितुमिच्छति।

तस्य तस्याचलां श्रद्धां तामेव विदधाम्यहम्।।7.21।।

yō yō yāṅ yāṅ tanuṅ bhaktaḥ śraddhayārcitumicchati.

tasya tasyācalāṅ śraddhāṅ tāmēva vidadhāmyaham৷৷7.21৷৷

Meaning - To attain the need or desire, as per the knowledge available, various forms are worshipped. The rules of that particular form are followed and worshipped. Whichever form is worshipped by who ever, with utmost concentration and faith, I make that faith steady and stronger. 

When the kid is small, it is the mom who does everything for the kid. Can the kid  start thinking that "no one did for me, it is only me who did everything for myself ", just because the kid didn't see what the mom did? Before the kid goes to school, the mom keeps everything ready, like the dress, food, etc. The kid wakes up and things are ready. Just because the kid haven't seen her doing, can the kid ignore her work and say, "you didnt do anything"? This is considered as ignorance of kid.The kid should learn to grow out of it. 

Irrespective of what the kid's feeling is, the mother continues to believe in the kid's progress. The mother continues to believe, the kid is taken care by that supreme power when she is not around the kid. It is this faith the supreme power considers. It is that power which continues to work and  acknowledges the mother's faith by taking care of the kid when she is not around. 

That is the power of faith every family and every person experiences. If we recognise this wisely, there is no blind faith, it is only faith fuelled with intelligence. 

Krishna says in Chapter 18, 

अध्येष्यते च य इमं धर्म्यं संवादमावयोः।

ज्ञानयज्ञेन तेनाहमिष्टः स्यामिति मे मतिः।।18.70।।

adhyēṣyatē ca ya imaṅ dharmyaṅ saṅvādamāvayōḥ.

jñānayajñēna tēnāhamiṣṭaḥ syāmiti mē matiḥ৷৷18.70৷৷

Meaning - I declare, if our discussions about following the right path are practised, and while involving oneself in this process of acquiring knowledge, I will be loved and trusted with such intelligence.

So, there are no blind faiths, there are no short cuts, there are no instant results. Working by understanding the power within and about everything around  keeps them moving, makes them mahaan, so called successful people. Their faith creates a difference in their living. 

Let's explore Bhagavad Gita. Lets come out of the blind and forced faith but experience the faith by recognising our everyday life's works, challenges and results.

------Keerthi Peratla.