Kapil-Dev

Dear Readers,

A lot of you are pleased with my effort to acquaint you with the Shrimad Bhaagvad.  Your response has been heartening.  

Just this morning I was reading some excerpts from Simon Weil's "Waiting for God' where he states that one must continue to love, even when God is 'more absent than a dead man'.  At least man must 'continue wanting to love'.  Then God will 'come to show Himself'. 'But if the soul stops loving, it falls even in this life, into something almost equivalent to hell'

The Shrimad Bhaagvad teaches one to love.

I believe that one must continue to have faith in the face of adversity.  At least on must pray for faith, when surrounded by darkness.  It is said that the night is at its darkest just before dawn.  Look at suffering as a learning.

I would like you to have faith in the words of Shri Krishna when He states that He resides in the Bhaagvad; and He who reads even a part of it, is saved.  I have shared with you, some stories from the Bhaagvad with their symbolic meanings.  There has been Information imparted in my 'Dal-sabzi' note on 'Avtaars'and 'Creation'.  This time let us imbibe some wisdom from one of the Avtaars mentioned.

Meet Kapil-Dev!

Kapil expounded the knowledge of 'Saankhya Shaastra' which had got lost in time, to his mother Devahuti.

The basic Saankhya teaching is, that the universe comes into existence through the fusion of Prakruti (Nature) and Purush (Human Consciousness).  The teachings are extensive, laden with deep Spiritual Insights.

These are some of the teachings of Kapil-Dev:

The reason for man's unhappiness is his own mind.  When his mind becomes clear he becomes free.  He becomes 'Advait'. Advait literally means 'Not two'.  Which means that He sees God in everything and everyone.

Another way of breaking free is to keep company of Saintly beings.  These persons are 'Moksha ka khula dwaar' An open door to Liberation.  Sadly only such people aspire for good Spiritual company who are not affected by 'Sansar ke tarah tarah ke taap' - worldly influences.

Devahuti asked her wise son which kind of 'Bhakti' Devotion should she follow.

Kapil felt a great surge of love for his mother and stated that whosever's mind is totally immersed in the Lord, his kind of devotion is greater than 'Mukti' Liberation.

Those who discuss about the Almighty with love, they achieve 'Param pad ki praapti' The Highest Position.  Even if they have no desires, all good things are granted to them.

Those who consider God their Supreme Soul, friend, Son, Guru, God. They will not be affected by 'Kaal Chakra' Cycle of Life and Death.

Kapil explained that Man is 'Swayam-Prakaash' - Self-Effulgent.  He has accepted 'Maya' the Illusion of the world, out of his own choice.  He has deluded himself into believing that he is the 'doer'.  If you become a 'Saakshi' a Pure Witness to all that is transpiring in your world, you become free (from joy and sorrow).

Kapilji went on to instruct to remain content, live truthfully, not to hurt any creature.

He explained the intricacies of meditation.

He explained the profound Truths of how the Primordial being came to exist and the erudition of the senses.

Kapil-Dev taught that just like the reflection of the sun does not affect the properties of the water, similarly the Aatman is unaffected by joy and sorrow.

Consider circumstances that give birth to joy and sorrow, a dream.

By listening to the words of Scriptures and constant practice, one's ignorance disappears and merges into its True Nature: The 'Aatman'.

Thus Spake Kapil-Dev!