Rituals
:
A
person lives and dies and in-between what he lives is life.
Rishi
Kindam describes 3 types of debts in Mahabharat :
Life
according to Rishi Kindam is like a river which flows between 2 banks
right and wrong. This
river known as life includes both right and wrong a good person is a
person who takes right and does not let a drop of wrong fall on his
clothes just like a swan who separates milk from water.
When
right comes in hands a person realizes that he has some debts and before
leaving this world he has to clear three debts.
These
three debts are Dev Rin, Rishi Rin and Pitru Rin.
Without
clearing this 3 Rins (debts) a person should not leave this world and
of a person does so then his life get's insulted and wasted.
1.
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Dev
Rin is of Lord Vishnu it is cleared by Daan (donation), |
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2.
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Rishi
Rin is of Lord Shiv it is cleared by achieving knowledge and sharing
it and, |
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3.
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Pitru
Rin is of Lord Brahma it is cleared by childrens by doing Pind
Daan after their Ancestors. |
A
person not clearing these debts is considered to by running away from
Lord Vishnu, Shiv and Brahma. Lord Vishnu, Shiv and Brahma are supreme
truth and where would a person run from them and go as the end of his
journey is supreme truth (god).
Pind
Daad and Shraddh is carried out as per the procedures laid down in the
books and shastras written by Maha Rishies. It gives satisfaction to
the Pitrus. Performance of Pind Daan, Shraddh and Tarpan (libations
of water) relieves the hunger and thirst of the departed soul during
its journey to the Pitru Lok. By the offering of the Shraddh, the son
helps his father to dwell in joy with the Pitris.
Our
ancestors are not only our family members or relatives, but also our
teachers, mentors, role models, friends, and guardians, who have contributed
to our welfare and growth in this or previous life. This creates an
implied obligation on us to respect them and their parental desires
and calls for following good deeds. If by any chance this is not followed
by anyone, it may embarrass the souls of the ancestors, which, in turn,
becomes Pitru Dosh.
How
Pitru Dosh occurs :
There
are many ways by which Pitru Dosh can occur. According to general information
from various Puran, Pitru Dosh occurs when the soul of our ancestors
and departed forefathers does not get peace (shanti) due to any of the
following main reason, and there may be others.
1. |
Bad
deeds (bad karma) of our ancestors in earlier life, knowingly
or unknowingly, are embarrassing their souls, |
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2.
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Bad
deeds (bad karma) of children, knowingly or unknowingly, are embarrassing
the soul of ancestors, |
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3. |
Lack
of fulfillments of parental desires of our ancestors, |
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4. |
A
sudden and unnatural death of any relative ancestors in early
age, |
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5. |
If
someone fails to remember and honor the ancestors properly, |
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6.
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If
certain wishes are remained attached with the soul of the ancestors,
etc. |
it
is stated in the ancient text that Pitru Dosh occurs if any ancestors
up to the 7th generation on the father side and up to the 4th generation
on the mother side have expired at an early age or have had an unnatural
death.
The
effect of Pitru Dosh can also be found using the Vedic Astrology.
Vedic Astrology prescribes many remedies for all the problems from simple
to complex and cheapest to costly. There are many ways available to
nullify the effects of Pitru Dosh. Some of the ways are described below.
It
is believed that satisfying our ancestors and forefathers, we can have
their blessings for peaceful and happy life. For the peace of the souls
of our ancestors it is advices to perform shraddh. Shraddh is the ritual
and ceremony performed for the departed souls of our ancestors.
The
most widely accepted special ritual or puja for Pitru Dosh is NARAYAN
BALI PUJA. This puja is performed only at few prescribed places such
as :
1. |
Tryambakeshwar
in Nasik, |
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2. |
Chandod
near Dabhoi near Vadodara in Gujarat, |
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3. |
Kala
Hasti in Tamil Nadu and |
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4. |
Haridwar. |
It
is very important to note that the puja have to be performed at the
mentioned places.
Pind
Daan is just one concept of various hindu rituals but it is covered
here as it is the most important concept.
Rituals
and Mantras :
This
profound statement explains the motive behind the Indian rituals and
mantras. If there is a strong evidences in the Veds that there is only
one God, the supreme force why are there so many gods and goddesses?
The answer lies in the functional character of Hinduism to be symbolical
to help an ordinary man understand the scheme of the cosmos in human
terms. Just as different men have different roles to perform God too
has been fragmented into different entities that perform different roles.
It is through these strong symbols that Hinduism teaches us to learn
to respect nature and its values.
One
may worship and believe god in any form or shape but he is one and resides
in a concept called faith. It may sound abstract but the truth is that
the supreme force which is the source of all life exists if you believe
that it exists. That is why it is said that faith can move mountains.
One
reason why Hindu principles are often misunderstood is that some Sanskrit
words do not have a perfect English translation. For example the word
'religion' is different from the word 'Dharm' or 'Dharma'. Dharm means
'righteous path 'the true path. Dharma is the act of following Dharm.
The
veds tell us time and again that all that is there to be known is the
human mind. One has to just tap this mind that is an ocean of information.
But most of us search outside ourselves for information and pleasure.
Everything that Hinduism has prescribed has a direct relation to the
human body. The rituals, the hymns chanted in a particular way, everything
has an effect on the body and mind.
Rituals
and mantras create good vibrations and purify the air. The words with
their vowels and consonants pronounced in the right manner produce a
series of sound waves that have a positive effect on mind and body.
Hindu rituals have always used the body as a physical medium to reach
the intangible mind. This in essence is not very different from the
new age approach to general well being.
Fundamentally
we are spirit or soul contained in a physical body. The body is mere
vehicle on terra formal. It is the mind that is crucial. You are what
you are because of your mind. The body fools us into believing that
it is the defining element. The duty of the mind is to realize the link
with the rest of the universe. It is this state of resonance between
the entity called "you" and the universe, that the sages called
supreme state of being.
Hymns
and mantras and yagnas involve creating fire or filling the air with
pleasant smell. All along one have good reasons to believe that sages
were creating pretences for the common man to clean the air and the
area around him. This in turn helps his composure greatly.
Just
like how rituals help simple people practice, if not comprehend, spiritualism,
puranic stories and myths do a similar deed. Rituals and myths teach
people to be good human beings. A good thought, a good story, a good
imagination, a good illusion, a good company, always cause good vibrations,
which enhance a good thought or even create a good thought. The importance
of good vibration is underscored by the fact that we are a magnetic
field and everything around us, positive or negative has a bearing on
our cells.
A
good vibration or a good thought activates our cells and creates harmony
in the body. Vibrations caused by chanting of mantras or hymns, function
as a tonic that the body, mind, soul is in much need of.
Since
the physical body is merely a container and the soul is the spirit,
what influences us in reality are not physical reactants but spiritual
and intangible.
The
manifestations of all the gods found in Hinduism, are found in Man.
Man himself is the embodiment of all Brahma, Vishnu and Shiv. It's Man
who is the centre of spirituality, not God. The images of Gods and heaven
create an energy level inside us which take us closer to greater understanding
of the universe.
The
paths to higher levels of mental growth are often hinted at in many
ways in Hindu mythology. For example Lord Shiva's dance or thandav,
is a form of meditation, which takes the mind to unbelievable corridors
of power.
All
thoughts, words, consonants, remain in the ether. The aftermath of a
conversation is the lingering sound waves. A good pleasing wave or a
loud jarring one has its own impact. This is not a tall spiritual theory.
In every day life, one can feel the impact of music or sound.
Inexplicably,
some music, to some people, is serene, some are like lullabies, and
some makes us dance aggressively. Even pleasant words and compliments
condition our moods. A reprimand, an abuse almost ruins our spirit.
Why do we react this way? It's all because of the vibrations in the
air that hit us and pass through the body, connecting briefly with the
mind within. To understand the mysteries of human life, one has to observe
the obvious first. Strange things happen right in front of our eyes.
It's
just that our eyes have to be open.
Man
is a victim of his own thoughts and actions. He feels the pangs of desire,
what is desired is seldom achieved, what is not desired comes to the
door steps, and we do not know whether what we desire is what is good
for us. It is in the middle of all this that we try to understand a
supreme force in human terms.
Yantras
:

Shri
Yantra
Yantra
are 'instruments', or more simply 'symbols', usually used to focus the
mind. Traditionally they are used in Eastern mysticism to balance the
mind or focus it on a spiritual concept. The act of wearing, drawing,
or concentrating on a yantra is said to have spiritual or astrological
or magical benefits.
A
mystic diagram composed of geometric and alphabetic figures - usually
etched on small plates of gold, silver or copper, Sometimes rendered
in three dimensions in stone or metal.
The
purpose of a yantra is to focus spiritual and mental energies according
to computer-like yantric pattern, be it for health, wealth, childbearing
or the invoking of one God or another. It is usually installed near
or under the temple Deity. Psychically seen, the temple yantra is a
magnificent three-dimensional edifice of light and sound in which the
devas work.
Why
108 beads :
On
a mala, or set of mantra counting beads, there are generally 108 beads,
or some fraction of that number. The question often arises: Why are
there 108 beads on a mala?
Below
are some of the many reasons that have been given for having 108 beads
on a mala, as well as a few other points of interest. None of these
reasons are being promoted here as more or less true than the others.
However, you may notice that 108 appears to be somewhat like a road
map of reality in general, and the human in particular.
Regardless
of the meaning of 108, it is important that if a mala is used to count
mantras, the mantra be remembered with sincerity, devotion, feeling,
and full attention.
9
times 12
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Both
of these numbers have been said to have spiritual significance
in many traditions. 9 times 12 is 108. Also, 1 plus 8 equals 9.
That 9 times 12 equals 108.
Powers
of 1, 2, and 3 in math: 1 to 1st power=1; 2 to 2nd power=4 (2x2);
3 to 3rd power=27 (3x3x3). 1x4x27=108
108
is a number which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits.
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Desires |
There
are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals. |
Lies |
There
are said to be 108 lies that humans tell. |
Delusions
|
There
are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance. |
Heart
Chakra
|
The
chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said
to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart
chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is
said to be the path to Self-realization. |
Sanskrit
alphabet |
There
are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and
feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108. |
Pranayama |
If
one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths
in a day, enlightenment will come. |
Upanishads
|
Some
say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient
sages. |
Sri
Yantra
|
On
the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and
there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine
and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108.
Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well
as the human body. |
Marmas
|
Marmas
or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras,
except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There
are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body. |
Planets
and Houses |
In
astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals
108. |
Goddess
names
|
There
are said to be 108 Indian goddess names.
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1,
0, and 8
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Some
say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness
or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity
or eternity. |
Sun
and Earth
|
The
diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The
distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of
the Sun. |
Moon
and Earth |
The
average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter
of the Moon. |
Paths
to God
|
Some
suggest that there are 108 paths to God. |
Breath |
Tantra
estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of
which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying
108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600. |
Meditations |
Some
say there are 108 styles of meditation. |
Stages
of the soul |
It
is said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108
stages on the journey. |