Advent Calendar: 21 Dec 09-The Gift of Avatar!

Well as mentioned on last Saturday's blog post I did indeed head off to see 'Avatar' the movie this weekend. When I was about to leave Meady's Musings Production house for the cinema...the little mouse came up to me courtesied and asked for permission to climb up to my shoulder. This I allowed and that he did and then proceeded to whisper into my ear a request to join me to see the film! Now the little mouse has accompanied me to the movie theatre halls already you see...so he is accustomed to this treatment and has developed quite a fine taste for film I might add. He is one of the few animals I house who can do this as he can fit into my purse and then when the lights are lowered and the film rolls he peeks out of my purse to view the film...usually unnoticed!

However on this occasion I didn't like the idea as he had so many mice relatives and friends over I thought it rude of him to leave them and be off to the movies. In the end I allowed it though after much pleading on his end and after I was convinced that all his mice relatives were to be well taken care of in our absence. The Purple Elephant was a key helper in all of it as he volunteered to fill in as a main host so that the little mouse could get to go...aah as I always tell you they are such good friends those two always looking out for each other! A couple bears also agreed to take care of the shepherds in my absence...they even made them three bowls of porridge to help them recover from their long journey. So off it was for the little mouse and me to see the movie 'Avatar'.

And today on the Advent calendar I present the gift of avatar in three special ways...you see 'Avatar' is the name of this particular film and in recent decades the name has been adapted for use in terms of the virtual (computer) world but the concept of avatar has existed since the time of the ancestors of the purple elephant and the little mouse back in India. In fact it is only when already seated in the theatre hall and 20 mins into the film that the little mouse confessed to me that he so wanted to see the film because he thought he was going to see an avatar of Vishnu in the film. The little mouse also said that some in the mice community had believed he (Vishnu) was going to incarnate in the form of a mouse in this film...but...well...that was clearly not what this 'Avatar' movie was about! Much to the disappointment of the little mouse but as the film progressed he took a fancy to the female lead...the Na'vi named Neytiri and all was well in mouseland again!

So today as my gift on the calendar I analysed avatar in three ways:

-On Meady's Musings:The metaphysics behind avatar as it is seen in Hinduism and how it has been continually re-used and re-adapted since in various concepts of the modern world.

-On UCP:We will meet Vishnu himself as he speaks of his various avatars! :)

-On Books and Films Corner-We will talk about the film 'Avatar' ..what I and the little mouse thought of it! I can say we did enjoy it more or less! :)

But read on to learn more...


VISHNU AVATAR

"yada yada hi dharmasya
glanir bhavati bharata
abhyutthanam adharmasya
tadatmanam srjamy aham
paritranaya sadhunam
vinasaya ca duskrtam
dharma-samsthapanarthaya
sambhavami yuge yuge

Translation from 'Bhagavad Gita As It is':
Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion--at that time I descend Myself. In order to deliver the pious and to annihilate the miscreants, as well as to reestablish the principles of religion, I advent Myself millennium after millennium."

Dhyana (Gyan) Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga?

The other night as I asked you all if you had just >40 mins to spare you could sit and listen to the Supreme One lecture...I decided to myself...it wasn't the first time I heard/read the talk...and by the way I went on to the next episode and listened to the whole chat...I've conveniently attached the Youtube vid here for you again of the 2nd part of the chat...



So yep...made me wonder about something I've been wondering about since my early teens...dhyana (gyan) yoga, bhakti yoga, karma yoga? Which one...which one is the right way...is it that one way is right for you at one point in time...then another one at another time...or is it depending on your nature (prakriti) one way is best for you as oppose to another...or is it the age we in that matters...you know like how the Hare Krishnas and they say it's Kal Yug (the dark age) now and so Bhakti (love)yoga is the only way...? Plus my understanding is that Jesus's way was Bhakti Yoga mostly no? As for sure was Rumi's...

Well dunno...dunno...and sometimes when you hear the Supreme One teasing on you wonder if he is saying at one point in time all are the best like when he talks about each he does have a good way of making you believe that particular one is THE BEST you know! :) But then that is his prakriti (nature)! :)

I in my lesser prakriti still don't know... is why I've been saying this is my journey...this is my song...so I just keep trying to figure it out all the way long...

I think up to now on the prayers I've been singing and dancing in Bhakti Yoga...the path of love...love of God...love of Universe...love of mankind, animals and nature...so like the Hare Krishnas and Rumi of Sufi fame...I've been a Bhakti Yogi or well for gender correctness Yogini or like the Hare Krishnas like to say I would have been practicing perhaps Bhaktivedanta...

But what of these other paths...Dhyana Yoga or Gyan Yoga...the path of Knowledge...or Karma Yoga...the path of Action...it sounds like when I was hearing the Supreme One...well you can't have proper Karma Yoga without Dhyana Yoga cause you have to practice right action...the Supreme One in his talks saying we have to carry out action...but the best action is well...right action is better than bad action but the best action of all is when it becomes non-action...where we just do it for the sake of doing it...not caring about the outcome...so then it's like non-action...guess the equivalent of the New Age ...Going with the Flow theory...or like Deepak Uncle likes to talk about in his Least Effort theories?

But how do you know what it is your duty is? Like how do we know I mean Arjun knew cause the supreme one was telling him and according to the culture of the time and place in which the talk was being given well Arjun was a warrior so his duty was to fight according to the Vedic civilization's laws of war etc. back then...

So I guess for modern man or woman...in our case we need to find our right calling then go into it and practice it cause we must not caring what happens as a result of it...just do it cause we have to...I guess would be our Karma Yoga?

But for sure for us to find that thing we must do our duty we would need to utilize Dhayana Yoga and/or Bhakti Yoga to find it no? And if while doing this thing we must...we fall in love and dance in Universal Collective Prayer that should be cool too right...to practice Bhakti Yoga in combo with Karma Yoga? Hey why not?

So to me thus far I figure that's what the Supreme One is saying...all the Yogas combined is really the coolest if you can wing it! :)

Of course in Universal Collective Prayer anything can happen I mean...maybe while we are looking for our path...through Dhyana Yoga and Bhakti Yoga...the Supreme One will appear or communicate to us like he did with Moses and say...This is your path! :) Go forth now young man or not so young woman! :) Do it I say! :)

Anyway again this is just my thoughts...my journey...my song...I'm not trying to offend or corrupt any religion here nor to create my own...I'm just trying to learn from all...

Also I would love to hear other people's thoughts on their journeys, their songs...so if you want to share them here please do comment on my blog posts...or if you want to guest blog again...drop me a line at this email:
admin @ meadysmusings.com

Hey Come Join Me in Universal Collective Prayer! :)

Krishna Janam ashtami to Krishna Janam ashtami-One Year Into the Prayers!

For sure our time here on the earthly plane does fly! Today is the Hindu festival of Krishna Janam ashtami and last year on this same auspicious festival I launched the prayers! :) It's not exactly 365 calendar days but in terms of Krishna Janam ashtami to Krishna Janam ashtami it is indeed one year! :) Indeed Krishna's birthday has come around again or at least according to staunch Hinduism the time when he appeared through Maya (illusion) to take form in the flesh but didn't really...he just hovered as energy and made all who was not as 'enlightened' enough believe he was of flesh...but aren't we all just energy...and according to him merge into him so there!:)

But even though those who saw him as flesh may not have been as englightened their hearts were filled with love...and on him they showered it in the form of Bhakti Yoga...and he said that was cool too you know! :) So today is really celebrated like that where everyone slips into Maya (enlightened or not) and welcomes a lovely baby boy! :)

And last year on the prayers I spoke about the festival...and celebrated in grand style at my home...but as I said in my welcome back to myself post a few days ago...this year on the prayers I'm not necessarily going to cover festivals especially if I did them previously...so this year I want to dig a bit deeper into the thing...So here it is...

Like all boys and girls he (Krishna)...he came here with a purpose (as we do too)and tonight on the prayers I share one of his grand purposes while here...his long lecture to Arjun...whom he liked to call Parth....this long lecture...also know as the beautiful song divine...The Bhagwat Gita!

I share his discourse in the form I like best...through the body of the actor in the BR Films (TV series)version of the Mahabharat I used to watch growing up...the production is in itself Universal Collective Prayer as Indians of all religions worked together to make it! :)

So it you can find just over 40 mins tonight to be lectured to by the supreme one...enjoy! :)

Blessed Makar Sankranti!

My grandfather sitting as he did on his chair where all came to chat and seek advice. Dressed all in white and sporting his ever famous Gandhi cap that would have had him mistaken for a member of parliament had he been in India! I (in T shirt and black jeans) with a cousin on the other side.Picture taken sometime around 1997 or abouts.

Today the Hindu world celebrates Makar Sankranti in myriads of forms and fashions depending on where in India and the rest of the world it is celebrated. The festival culturally is expressed in different ways from state to state in India and is to mark various things in Hinduism and Vedic Astrology. However here are three of the things that stand out about the festival to me and I don't really celebrate it but if I did I'd like to embrace these three things:

As described on this site-Vedic Mission:

'1. Another well-known reference of this day came when the great grandsire of Mahabharata fame, Bhishma, declared his intent to leave his mortal coil on this day. He had the boon of Ichha-Mrityu from his father, so he kept lying on the bed of arrows till this day and then left his mortal coil on Makar Sankranti day. It is believed that the person, who dies during the period of Uttarayana, becomes free from transmigration. So this day was seen as a sure-shot Good Luck day to start your journey or endeavors to the higher realms beyond. '



'2. Have a special session of Meditation, wherein you bring about the awareness of the self-effulgent subjective divinity. Affirm the greatest importance of your spiritual goal very clearly, and pray to God to bless you with the capacity to constantly revel in your true self. May the graph of your rise like the Uttarayana Sun. May there be greater 'Love & Light' in your life & the world.'


'3. Have the lunch of Khichiri. This stands for inculcating simplicity in your life & habits.'

And of course you might want to know why although some of it might be obvious. Well I think Bhishma was a man or principle and ethics generally speaking. He made his vow and he stuck by it...thick and thin...it would be grand if we could all be so steadfast in pursuit of our goals and be able to set our intents so strongly and follow up on them...perhaps then we too would be able to decide when we should
not only leave this mortal coil but whence we should re-enter it too! :)

Well I think the second one on the list would be pretty obvious for anyone who follows my writing as they will know I'm always quoting Shakespeare's 'To thine ownself be true!' and always wishing that there be light and that we can all find or continue to find love and its pure, clear, light! :)

As for the third one those who follow my writing may know of my journey into the world of raw or semi-raw foods and that I am vegetarian. What they may not know is one of my fav meals ever and I used to in particular love having it together with my Grandfather (see pic above)when he was alive is: Dhal Kichari, Aloo Chokha and Tomato Choka! So I so wish I could have been home tomorrow for lunch to have that...perhaps I can still do it for dinner. And perhaps I will be sharing it in spirit with my gramps. For those who may not know what those dishes are...it is dhal (Usually yellow dhal in my case) mixed with equal amounts of rice and boiled together and then seasoned. Choka is kinda when you boil something or roast it (in the case of eggplant) i.e. you cook the vegetable and then you crush it up and season it. Aloo of course is potato in English. I promise to share my mum's recipe for dhal kichari, aloo chokha and tomato chokha tomorrow! But for now I hope all of you in whatever form or fashion enjoy or make good of the auspicious time of Makar Sankranti! And I leave you with Bhishma from the Mahabharat as he lies on the bed of arrows.