The early fall still had the rose hedge blooming; as the weather, started to turn cold today. The wind has picked up; and although not the biting cold of winter, it still causes a chill when you walk to get the mail. The house is all a bustle, for the Diwali celebrations planned for this week end. Extracted the decorations from the garage and hung them up; on an inspection by more discerning eye, and then had to re do them all as the placement was not really appreciated. Vicious rumors are being started of deliberate attempts to demean the homes aesthetics, and there is even lose talk of of dangerous men trying to decorate; when they have no sense of decorum or taste. The crisis was averted on following the redirection, and now the home looks more festive and ready for the annual celebration.
In the meantime our dear star has flared up again and solar activity has suddenly intensified; with two recent flares leaving to corridors of fire, across our sun’s surface. The sheer power of these eruptions is shown clearly, in the new photographs that have been taken. The energy and heat waves travel thousands of miles; in bursts and flares rising to the turbulent surface, and exploding out into space. These waves will disrupt our radio and other telecommunications and can cause havoc in the airwaves. Luckily we are protected from the fiercest eruptions by distance; and the unique atmosphere of the mother earth, which dispels most harmful rays. The Northern lights may become brighter but we will be safe.
The Diwali celebrations go well, with the family gathered around the Havan, and the Aarti and Lakshmi Pooja afterwards. It is a pleasant evening for children and now grandchildren to be playing around; in the cleared up Den to allow Casper, and the kids to frolic. Good vegetarian food followed in waves; till the final cake and other Punjabi desserts assortment to satisfy, even the least inclined in the Tsunami of food. We are human at an elemental knowledge; yet enshrined in tradition of our ancestors, on this festive day. Even the food followed age old recipes; passed down generations, of our families. A good time was had by all, and let the good times roll in the years to come

The pathway to reality is often very faint; or it may appear blocked to us, when we strive to find it. Oftentimes the pathway is actually blocked; as we are not at the awareness point in our life, to be able to see it or to follow it. We are so busy in our social obligations; to family, clan, employer, club, religion, wealth; that we do not take time out, for ourselves. We are so busy living the dream that others demand of us through our relationships; that life just slips through our fingers, into the sands of time. We have to still the intellect; so that it can direct the mind to rein in the senses, and allow the ego to rise, to a higher level. Desires that have become our deepest habits, need to be crushed with great force, like glass by the force of a diamond. They will never go away; but we need to rise beyond them, and offer them as our personal sacrifice to the fires of renunciation. The king may slaughter an Ox at the ceremony tp sa[[ease the gods; but the man seeking the path, sacrifices himself and his desires, and offers all his deeds as the karma for the supreme’ s glory.
Sometimes a good teacher or a deep faith or a quite mind leads one to start on the path and as one goes one may face stoppages and diversions but the journey has at least begun. All are on the same journey; at their own chosen same speed, and they all have an Atman that is immortal and causeless in this universe, created from Brahma’s mind. As there are multiple paths; the beggar may get their before the king, and the pauper before the billionaire, and no signs are posted to their success. If you walk along the righteous path; you will find other righteous beings, heading in the same direction. In the oceans of humanity you will find the solitary stream; that runs down the mountain, to its North, South, East and West and eventually merges with the sea. A solitary path and a lonesome road, as while others can walk with you on the journey; in the end you have to cross the threshold of belief, yourself. Do not lose heart at all the obstacles that arise in the way; as they are there for you to cross and proceed, along the anointed way.
When you have become adept at controlling the mind; you find that a number of obstructions along the path, are removed. You may still reach a precipice and almost fall back into despair; but if you have fortitude, you must step back and continue along another harder way, till the path opens up again. Then moments arise where the brambles and the fallen trees and the thorny bushes clinging to you are removed, and a large green passageway opens. The path opens and with it comes a new realization; that abundance had never left you, it was you who have left abundance behind. Now all is provided for as you climb up the green dale to the welcoming light; coming from the top of the hill, shining at you through the trees and asking “Who are you knower? Welcome!”
Then you find that despite all your travels along the path you have still only arrived, back at the starting point. You look at your personal view of the universe, and know that all else is only part of this reality. Now you include the Brahman into your consciousness; and home is where everything, resides in your heart. All you have to do is open your own heart, and the universe is yours as you breathe in and out; as this is who you are. Dwell in your heart and follow the path that it shows; as it will always stay with you, and you will never be lost. Break the path of illusions that only yields superficial journeys, as only then will the true journey begin and we will become the path-breakers.

In the beginning there was the word. In prehistoric times before writing was invented a spoken language emerged and an oral tradition was established. The word was passed down from father/mother to son/daughter/disciple and the knowledge of the ancients passed down to us through the ages. In the forests above the Indus and the Ganges plain; the people who called themselves the arya or noble, sought the wisdom of creation and the understanding of why existence existed. They came across the people of the Indus Valley; who had been civilized for over a thousand years, and from their mingling rose the Indian civilization, that exists on till today. At first the Rig Veda talked about the arrival and the victory over the settled people of the Indus valley civilization and there is no fear but a rejoicing in it. Then the Sama, Yayur and Atharva Veda explored the mystery of creation and the relationship of the race, with its natural surroundings. The rishis and the thinkers took the word and made hymns out of them; and passed them down in an easy to memorize format, in Sanskrit to their progeny. The Vedas worship or sing to the elemental powers of life like war and thunder (Indra), sun (Surya or Savitiri the giver of life), wind (Vayu), death (Yama), fire (Agni), dawn (Usha) and offering homage to them. The Gyatri or Savitri mantra is even today a mainstay of any Indian prayer.
As the ritual of the fire sacrifice and the purification of the soul and the universe; through the offering of forest products and clarified butter, from their cows took place; it was a means of teaching the word to those, who would follow them. As the Vedas themselves are the root (vid, meaning to know the revealed knowledge given to humanity at the beginning); some seers took to the forests in search of greater knowledge, and delved deeply on consciousness itself. They wondered what reality was and questioned what was not real. Never before or since has such a deep examination of the ego, intellect, mind, senses and their role in human existence been studied to such detail. From these Gurukuls or schools came the Upanishads or the tradition of ‘sitting down near’ where one who had experienced the truth, explained it to the chosen disciples. This was just not rote learning like the early Vedic tradition and based not only on the intellect and blind belief, but on actual knowledge of experience. Each Upanishad is complete in itself and represents the seer’s view of the one truth that is called by many names. In its quest for human salvation (moksha) the realization that Atman or the eternal soul is one with Brahman the source of the manifested and unmanifested universal spirit; is one of the greatest contributions to human thought.

Shankara an eighth century mystic identified 10 Mukhya (major) Upanishads out of 108 and while there were many other historic works; these remain, as the recognized works that broke away from the rituals of the Vedas and expounded the single underlying power of Brahman, as the supreme reality and Godhead. The ancient ascetics in the forests delved deeply into the human mind; and studied various forms of reality from the dreamer, to the dreamless state, to the known reality, and asked themselves “Who is the knower?” when you pass into a dreamless state of absolute concentration where there are no sense organs or ego. They coined the name brahmavidya for this supreme science or the science of the supreme; as they found the meaning in internal consciousness; that answered the many questions, external and internal, posed by their quests. In their states of deep meditation they came to understand consciousness itself; and realized that the Self is not separate from the Brahman and that they coexist, and always have and always will. Aham Brahmasmi was espoused as I am Brahaman in the Brihadranayak Upanishad and not in the meaning that I am God; but in the realization that the Self is not separate, from the Supreme reality. There is no joy in the finite and there is only joy in the infinite and ‘sat-chit-ananda’ or that absolute reality, pure awareness and unconditional joy are the only state of the Atman. When their keen students questioned the myriad realities and paths that they discovered; the answer always pointed to more deep meditation on the internal state, till the realization of the supreme reality and “tat-tvam-asi,” or that thou art became realized in the Chandogya Upanishad. It was hard disciplined tutelage; needing decades of work and at the end of which, one either realized an enlightened state, or moved back to the duties of a householder with a deeper understanding of reality.

The Upanishads are not long philosophical discussions like Plato’s dialogs but concise essence of the realization of the sages, representing Vedanta or the end of the Vedas. As Mahatma Gandhi once said about the Isha Upanishad “If all the Upanishads and all the other scriptures happened all of a sudden to be reduced to ashes, and if only the first verse in the Ishopanishad were left in the memory of the Hindus, Hinduism would live forever.” When I studied this book I found that only 18 short verses made up the whole tome; and they still had a fullness that remains fulfilling even today,even after all the millennium that have passed, since the words were first uttered. The first verse of this Sruti (revealed truth) reads:

The Lord is enshrined in the hearts of all,
The Lord is the supreme Reality.
Rejoice in him through renunciation.
Covet nothing. All belongs to the Lord.

The secret to a happy life, as Gandhi explained with a twinkle in his eye and his usual humor, to the western journalist who asked for it in just three words; is “Renounce and enjoy!” (tena tyaktema bhunjitiah from the third line). While Gandhi Ji was an ardent devotee of the Bhagwad Geeta he went back to the Upanishads for the sruti or eternal truth. So this is only the first book that I have rediscovered from among the many gems lying forgotten in our age; and then I went on to read the Katha Upanishad, where Nachiketa a thirteen year old questions; Yama the lord of death himself, on the secrets of existence, death and life everlasting. It is so appropriate to our times, where a burgeoning young India seems to teach its young ones everything; except, the knowledge lying in our scriptures. Death we have forgotten is the great teacher; and eternal life is the hardest boon, that we can obtain. So I will continue my study of these ancient words, that have been passed down to us, as a legacy of our ancient knowers; who did not even put their names down, as the authors. They spoke only from their own experience, and left a path for us to follow, that leads to the supreme reality. There are no messiahs here and no heaven awaiting us at the end of our lives. Moksha is to be attained here in this life itself through righteous living, deep internal concentration and a supreme effort that leads to the silence of thought itself. Each of the Upanishads ends with the solemn words “Om shanti, shanti, shanti” and in this modern troubled world; what can be more precious than the peace of our Atman, which itself is only found in the eternal peace of Brahman.

Figure 1: The pseudoscalar meson nonet. Members of the octet are shown in green, the singlet in magenta. The name of the Eightfold Way derives from this classification.

The swim on the warm Sunday evening is exhilarating; as I have neglected any kind of physical exercise, for the past few weeks. After my laps I sit exhausted on the steps; with my head resting on the railing, and close by eyes against the sunshine. My eyelids turned a bright orange; and then I see the phenomena of the sub atomic particles, appear as if in a dream. The quarks or whatever it is; carried by cosmic rays hitting my eyelid, rise out of nowhere and form a bright blue pattern against the orange background, like exploding firecrackers on the 4th of July. They rise out of nothing and formed this momentary pattern like a rising blue fountain of light; that branches off into all cascading directions, and then disappears as the stream fall back into nothing. I know we cannot see these sub atomic particles; and it has taken researchers years to even find them, so I came back and do some research. The model above describes the scientist’s findings.
Decades ago when I was studying Buddhist meditation, I was fascinated with Gautama/Siddhartha’s quest; as he struggled to find the source of misery, pain, old age and death and how to escape from its cycle of rebirth. He describes his long search and his practice of severe asceticism, of tantric practices, of bhakthi and devotion, and over many decades sought the greatest masters, to learn from them. He traveled to the great centers of learning; and held discourses with anyone who would engage with him, during his long quest. He said that after a particularly long penance; he went down to touch his belly button and felt his back bone instead, through the skin. He realized that extreme mortification of the flesh is not the way to truth and knowledge. He had already enjoyed the luxuries of the palace where he grew up; and the way of the householder and kings indulging in all the sensual pleasures, was also not the way he realized. He had to find a middle path that anyone could follow.
Scientists have come up with an eight fold way to describe the quark model; and Buddha also came up with his eight fold path, when he delved deep into his inner conscience to attain Nirvana. Everything is scientific and each model took a lot of work to arrive at. There is no creator here or death or destruction; as energy and mass interchange but do not disappear. So this was the biggest secret at the heart of all creation; that there was nothing there at the core. When Buddha tried to grasp the absolute and weighty argument of God; he found it wanting, as in the heart of the lotus, there was only bliss and compassion. He defined the way of knowledge that would lead us away from our ignorance; as he was sure that it is our own actions and karma that trap us here, and not the work of gods and goddesses. There are no super beings in this realm; only the Sanga or the likeminded folks to whom he preached his eight fold path of Dharma. So to take refuge in the Buddha, the Sanga and Dharma are core principles of Buddhist practices and to achieve enlightenment; you have to walk the path laid down by the ancient, who were Self awakened ones. This is represented by the eight spokes of the Dharma wheel; and those who walk this path, can find the direct knowledge to the cessation of death and suffering.
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Division Eightfold Path factors Acquired factors
Wisdom (Sanskrit: prajñā, Pāli: paññā)
1. Right view 9. Superior right knowledge
2. Right intention 10. Superior right liberation
Ethical conduct (Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla)
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
Concentration (Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi)
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration

The next evening as I walk outside a mantra is constantly chanting in my head “Om Mani Padme Hum”. I quite my mind, and observe in wonder this mesh of Maya that surrounds us all, in the green grass of mother earth, the grey clouds of the heavens and the people going about their business of society. In the dusk a myriad of lightening bugs appear, again mimicking the quarks rising out of nothing and shining brightly momentarily in random places, and then disappearing into the darkness again. My heart is light; and the vegetarian meal that I have eaten, just right for this occasion. I have tried to find a concrete solution to everything; that one solid truth that would free me, from this cycle of rebirth, suffering and ignorance. No equation answers everything and so I look at the core deeply. I laugh at having discovered this void; as I realize this is all there is, and it is only our desires that manifest and create this being. The mantra goes on and within its chanting, all is filled with compassion and truth. If I am indeed this nothing or void at my core; and all my manifestations are external, then who is this I, who observes and stays the same compassionate being? The mystics may know the answer but I am here now; and as Rajiv Kapoor fades away, I become this mantra that goes on unending out of nothing into nothing.

The sun has set on another day and it paints the dissipating clouds in orange hues, as I take an after dinner walk. I hear the honking and look up to see the perfect v formation of a gaggle of geese; flying in from the south excited at the man-made pond, at our waterside apartments. They descend down into the water in a flapping of wings; to perhaps settle down for the night, after their day’s flight. In the gathering darkness I see a lightening bug hovering over the evergreen bush; appropriately lighting up the dark shadows, in its bursts of light, as it celebrates its life.

I return home and cut up one of the last mangoes of the season; and enjoy its sweet and tart pulp and yank the dryer switch, to continue on in its weekly task. Another summer of my life is coming to an end; and I look back and realize, that I have much to be grateful for. There were birthdays and anniversaries and love making and parties and movies and plays to enjoy. Summer here in the south is a long season; and the farmer will probably reap two harvests from the wild fields, with neatly rolled haystacks for the winter. Spring had begun with hope and museum visits; and summer is ending with book readings from across the centuries on the Kindle, and movies unlimited from Netflix. I am entangled in the World Wide Web like never before; on Facebook and my blog, and there is often not a moment to lose, as life goes on with its merry whirl.
I often grapple with my loneliness; as I am an alien, in an adopted land, and sometimes the passing of time in itself becomes a burden, resulting in sleepless nights, watching trash or reading it. There are times when there is no one to love or share the day’s happenings; except for this stray cat that has adopted me, and comes by morning and night, mewing and forcing its way into my life. I feed it my version of tandoori chicken; which it licks its lips and enjoys, or on lazier days just tuna fish or the chicken of the sea from a can, which it relishes, and then spends countless hours preening itself lying outside my door. I guess we are kindred spirits in this complex; having no one else to call our own, or to depend on, that life has randomly thrown together to spend together, another summer of wondrous happenings. Unlike me it hunts at night; and when I found it with its head buried in a hole one late night, it ignored me completely and kept at its task of findings its prey, as it is a part of its existence, it keeps to itself.

These dog days of summer are not driving me insane; as I remember the philosopher’s famous words that “Insanity in individuals is something rare — but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule.” -Friedrich Nietzsche, (1844-1900). The summer has been particularly insane; as the world seems to be unraveling slowly, at it’s seams. Wild fires burn, floods devastate whole states, unemployment of our young leaves many dreams unfulfilled, wars rage on, suicide bombings, rapes, pillaging and wile human deeds increase and the economy does its own thing. Statesmen cannot find consensus to move forward; and the consenting cannot find morality it seems, as they look forever backwards. Society is a schism of the haves and the have-nots, and the divide grows greater every day. The poor scramble on in desperation; and the privileged look down on the bourgeoisie, as if they do not belong in the same world. The earth turns and the seasons come and go and I live this life, in awareness of my own impending death. I look around me and find people mostly believe in their own infallibility and the death of others.

Political parties are at loggerheads; and do not allow the business of those who elected them, to prosper. There is no gain in a common good as; if they can keep their faithful living on in this delusional state, then all will remain well in their world. Power is now in overwhelming force and not in the ability, to do the most good. When Zuckerberg gathers the likes of Facebook, Samsung, Nokia and Erickson into a mighty coalition to provide cheaper connectivity and the web to the masses; Bill Gates sadly points out to all who will listen, that no application can cure diarrhea, in the population they are trying to reach. Progress is now measured in bytes of digital media and not the bites that feed the hungry. Sanity would be to provide healthy food, clean water, decent housing, green clothing, higher education and equal opportunity to the under privileged. The cat is mewing outside and it is probably bringing me the news; that she just spied the last sane man sneaking out of our complex, and we should probably hurry up, if we do not want to miss the last plane leaving Bent On Ville.