Art & science of good health, wealth happiness & perfect spiritual life

I saw at my wrist watch. The time was EXACTLY 12.00 at Midnight, The Zero hour between the years 1979 and 1980 and The Date was DEC, 31- 1979.

I PERFECTLY REMEMBER THAT I SAW A SHINING CROSS ALONG WITH THIS BRIGHT LIGHT IN THE BACKGROUND. AT A LATER DATE I UNDERSTOOD THAT IT WAS 'COSMIC LIGHT' OF GOD, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST”.

I did not understand any significance of that event at that time. Even today, after sixteen years I do not know its meaning. Whatever I saw that night was not a dream or imagination. I am very positive about this. It was a real experience in fullest conscious state of mind.

Only three months prior, I attended a week’s discourse on ‘Karma Yoga’ (Ch-3 of Gita) by Rev. Swami Chinmayanandji in Ahmedabad during October-1979, I got interested in study of Gita for the first time in my life. I had no background of Christianity, nor had any attachments to Hinduism, any religion or even God. I never believed in myth or rituals. My knowledge of Hinduism was hear say, I did not meditate, nor practiced Yoga. But I had started writing notes of my scattered thoughts on religious subjects after Oct., 1979.

I recorded this event and experience next morning in my note book. It is still a question for me and I have no answers. Why I was chosen in India by Almighty God to SEE (Darshana) this light of HOLY CROSS exactly at a particular time of Christian Calendar?

This is called Shakshatkara or DIVINE EXPERIENCE in Hindu scriptures. Today in retrospect, I understand its some meaning. God had chosen me to be HIS instrument in linking Eastern and Western religious thoughts. This I say “today” in January 1997, after my study of world religions in an unattached manner for last eighteen years.

Devoted Christians believe that the resurrected HOLY SPIRIT OF JESUS CHRIST is pervading everywhere. Later I read, Swami Vivekanand had similar experience of seeing Spirit of Jesus Christ during his meditation practices under guidance of his Guru Swami Ram Krishna Parmhans.

After this experience I lost interest in my well established medical practice of 30 years. I withdrew from practice and social commitments. By the end of 1982 I closed my clinic and immigrated to USA. I was a crazy reader from the childhood. Now I turned to reading subjects like world history, history of religions, history of sciences, life stories of scientists and philosophers etc. I had never read these subjects before.

A man of reason and science wants proof of God, direct or indirect. The theory of Karma, preached in Gita provides a proof of the Laws of Mother Nature, which govern all individuals in an equal manner. Happiness and sorrows come to a person according to right and wrong Karma done by him or even not done by him (Akrama) at proper times. (Theory of Karma, Akarma and Vikarma). It is time that all intellectual people of reason and spiritual quest must study all world religions with open minds as Gandhiji has recommended.

Lord Mountbatton had said these words to Attenborough, the producer of movie 'Gandhi,' “Mr. Attenborough you are making a movie of a man of caliber of Jesus Christ and Buddha. Please see that you do not do any injustice to this great soul (Mahatma).”

The Upanishads, Patanjali Yoga and Gita provide a time tested path of SEEING the Formless God (Nirakara but not Nirguna God).

Section: III ADDITIONAL INFORMATIVE ARTICLES.
27. WHAT IS I.G.D.S. ?.
International Gandhi- Gita Dharma Sangh. (IGDS)

IGDS is a study FORUM for systematic study of all religions in a scientific manner. International Gandhi Gita Dharma Sangh (IGDS) is a new idea and movement. All unbiased, educated Gita and Gandhi lover Gujaraties or people of any Indian State may join this movement in order to learn and practice true culture of India, Sanatan Dharma. Indians of faiths like Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrians, Shiks, etc. can also join IGDS.

The younger generations growing in any place or land have common questions. Where is God? What is religion? These questions are answered in a logical manner in the Bhagavat Gita. The study of Gita provides understanding of need of religion and proof of One God. Children in 21st century will live in a better religio-political harmony if they understand One God, True Religion and need of some morals in a scientific manner. The gifts of science like T.Vs, Tele-communications, Internet, International trade and Transport facilities has made world into a global village. Religio-Political Views of Gandhiji will bring real world peace.

Aims and Goals of IGDS:

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  The main goal of IGDS is to bring peace and happiness to every human being on earth by better understanding of religions and One God.
  
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  To establish an ideal political system in all countries of the world. IGDS will propagate views of Mahatma Gandhi in political field.
  
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  IGDS Members will try to build Gandhi Asramas and many Gandhi Halls in townships, cities and villages of all countries of the world instead of Temples of Deity Gods.
  

How you can Start a local IGDS unit ?

Find five Gandhi lovers and Gita curious families staying nearby. The families will meet every week regularly for prayers and devote 3 to 4 hours followed by nice Lunch or Dinners (Prasad). Do this for 2 or 3 months, by rotation in members homes. Invite more families to join.

Publish GGDS- magazine of Gandhian thoughts by getting local Ads support. Every IGDS unit must publish GGDS, about Gandhi’s life-events, inspiring quotes and views in local language and distribute FREE to people of other religions, institutions, libraries, churches, schools etc,.

When about 20 devoted families join, form a legal body. Register as non profit religious organization. Name it GGDS of (name of local town area). Adopt Legal Constitution. Appoint trustees and office bearers. Plan a fund raising project for a ‘Gandhi Hall or Ashrama’. Declare firm and clear noms and guidelines before getting donations from others. Adopt constitution like Rotary or Lions Clubs.

Proposed activities of IGDS.

Members will observe vows of non-violence and avoid religious and political wars and conflicts.

Main activities of IGDS will be:-

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  Moral, ethical and cultural education of young generation. Loans and scholarships for deserving bright students of members.
  
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  Free or low cost legal and medical help to needy growing children of I.G.D.S. member families.
  
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  Informative talks on state laws, tax laws and medical subjects for members, seniors and handicapped.
  
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  Residential hostels for students, seniors, guests and short times visitors, like YMCAs.
  

Build a Gandhi Hall and a Gandhi Ashrama.

Gandhi Halls & Ashramas will provide :-

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  A cultural facility for Education Courses like dance, music lessons, classes of maths, drawing, sports, painting, sewing and fine arts etc. for learning different skills of livelihood to teenagers of local community. This was the dream of Gandhiji of Basic Education, ‘Buniadi Talim’ or real education.
  
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  Ashramas will provide Residential/recreational facility for local seniors, visiting guests of local families, IGDS guests, newly arriving students in local colleges from other towns, etc.,.
  
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  Run Vegetarian kitchens at low rates for seniors and other residents.
  
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  Library for Youth Education. Libraries of religious books, philosophical and Gandhian Books will be maintained in Gandhi Halls and Ashramas.
  
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  Free Gita Classes and Yoga Classes at low rates for local residents.
  

To carry out above activities IGDS will build Gandhi Halls and Ashrams in different cities and villages of all countries. The Halls and Ashrams will also become important centers of Education and spiritual activities for active seniors.
Who can join or become members ?

All people believing in –

• 
  Gandhiji as a prophet, a messiah, an Avatara (Incarnation) of God like Jesus, Muhammad, or Lord Buddha.
  
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  ** Eleven Commandments and Seven Sins indicated by Mahatma Gandhi.
  
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  Believers or Non Believers of “One God of Universe”.
  
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  Seekers of vision of God by Yoga and Gita study.
  
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  Gita as a scripture to be studied for moral codes in life, and divine messages of all prophets can join this movement.
  
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  Men and women of any religion, any country, either sex, color, caste, creed and political views can join this international, inter-faith movement without renouncing their religious and political beliefs, methods of worship of God prayers, rituals or their churches, temples and mosques.
  
• 
  I.G.D.S. has no religious or political taboos or borders.
  

Jai shri Krishna. Long Live Mahatma Gandhiji.

OM Tat SAT = God is TRUTH.
**. Details in www.gandhigitadharm.com).

More details of I.G.D.S. will also be found in above website.

Contact:-

Swami Dwiroopanand: (Dr. H. K. Gandhi)
Ph No. C/O (904)-733-1579 (FL)

Add: 9120. Beauclerc Cir-W, Jacksonville, FL, 32257.

Section: III ADDITIONAL INFORMATIVE ARTICLES.
28. DICTIONARY OF SANSKRIT WORDS
DICTIONARY OF COMMON SANSKRIT WORDS FOR YOGA STUDY.

(Nearest scientific meaning of Sanskrit words used in Yoga study)

Aap = (1) Water, (Urdu word Aab). (2) Varuna = Water. One of the 5 basic body element.

Abhaya = Fearlessness, Freedom from all fears, worries and tensions. Yoga study leads to this mental freedom. It is called Nirvana or Moksha.

Abhyasa = Study, practice, repeated attempts to memorize a verse (Manan) or a sentence; or to master some skill, e.g. constant practice of hitting a ball or shooting a target by arrows or bullets.

Agna Chakra = A Chakra located between eye brows. Ability of giving commandments or orders, like a commander of army, a boss in a shop, a king making rules in a country, or a religious leader giving commandments and sermons.

Agni = (1) Fire, heat; (2) One of the 5 basic elements which make all gross bodies- living and non-living.

Agyan = Ignorance, lack of information.

Ahamkara = 1st person singular pronoun, Ego, self, or Consciousness.

Ahimsa = Non violence, Non injury; It is not a negative commandment in Eastern religions but has a positive aspect of universal love, brotherhood and friendship.

Akasha = Sky, infinite space. One of the 5 basic elements of gross body.

Akshara = (1) Alphabets; (2) Imperishable, immutable, permanent, immortal, eternal, changeless truth, indestructible. Soul is described in this manner.

Ananda = Joy, blissful state of mind. Joy of leaning, Joy of eating, Joy of sex, Joy of victory, etc. Joy and happiness are different states of Mind. Happiness is at material level, Joy occurs at spiritual level by getting the results of deeds (Karma) done.

Apana Vayu = Exhaled air. Some Yoga books describe Apana as intestinal gases passed out from anus with the act of excretion of stool.

Aparigraha = No greed (Lobha), not grabbing others things. Freedom from desires of collecting great wealth and estates, kingdoms, by immoral means, etc.

Artha = (1) Money; (2) Desire; (3) Meaning, sense,(4) purpose, (5) Aim or goal.

Asanas = Static postural poses and exercises. 3rd step of Raj Yoga.

Asat = False, untrue, transient, Non-existent, unreal; opposite of Sat or truth.

Asmita = Egotism, self-esteem, consciousness of one's presence.

Asteye = A religious commandment in all religions. No thefts, no stealing. It has a positive aspect of remembering and returning the debts to creditors. Children are ever indebted to parents and teachers. They must remember and return the debts of parents by caring for and serving them in old age with respect, love and a sense of gratitude. (2) Sub-step of Yama, the 1st step of Raj Yoga.

Atma = Used in many different meanings.

(1). Self; This is correct translation of Vedic word 'Atma'; not soul or spirit.

(2). Manifest Soul. Any living being; one living individual (Vyakti).

(3). Brahaman. Soul or pure spirit. Soul is the pure and undying innermost life element. One has to unfold and understand it by deep meditation. A soul cannot exist without body, and body becomes a 'dead body' without soul.

Atma Gyana = Knowledge of one's true inner most self, which is pure Spirit or Bhraman. Self knowledge.

Avidya = Wrong teaching or information, Incorrect knowledge, wrong beliefs and false opinions. Most people live with Avidya in religious and many other fields. True (spiritual) enlightenment comes by correct knowledge. (Agyana and Avidya are quite different words. A child is ignorant about laws, but most adults are misinformed about religion. It is difficult to remove Avidya, but easy to remove Agyana).

Bandhas = Fixing and controlling inner organs by fixed body postures.

Bhakti = Surrender, sacrifices and devotion to duty, God, or religious beliefs.

Bhava = Moods, emotional states of mind resulting from happy and unhappy events and situations occurring in daily life. Spiritual Trance like state.

Bhaya = Fear, worries. Opposite word is - Abhaya. Yoga removes Bhaya.

Bhoo = Earth. One of the 5 basic element of gross body.

Bhoomi = Land, country. (Matru bhoomi = mother land).

Bija = Seed, sperm or ovum.

Bindu = A drop, a small particle, a point, a grain.

Braham Vidya = Knowledge of living beings and Spirit. Biology. Spiritual knowledge.

Brahama = Imaginary (mythological) creator God of life on earth. Totality of all spirits in plants and animals.

Brahaman = Atma, Spirit, soul, Chetana, Jiva, Bios, nameless 'that' (Tat).

Brahamchari = One who travels for spiritual quest. "Brahmaya Charati eeti Brahamchari". By traditional usage this word means a boy or a girl who has not done sex act during life, a perfectly chaste person, Virgin girl, a celibate individual.

Brahmcharyam = Chastity in life, no sex at all, celibacy. A Sub-step of Yama, the 1st step of Raj Yoga.

Brahmin.= (1) A man in the highest class in the four class system of Manu. (2) One who knows 'Brahman' or soul is a Brahmin.

Buddha = A wise and intelligent man, spiritually enlightened and evolved soul.

Buddhi = Discriminative ability, common sense, logic, reason, intellect.

Chakra = Literally a wheel or a circle. Various nerves (Nadies) and plexuses located in spinal cord and brain.

Chakshu = Eyes. Divya Chakshu = divine eye of mind or pure intellect.

Chandra = Moon. Symbolic 3rd eye of Lord Shiva = sharp time sense.

Chintan = Meditation: One pointed thinking, about an event or an object. In Yoga meditation the object and subject of thinking is one's own self. One gradually understands the ever changing desires in mind, the different organs of perishable body (Kshara sharira) and eternal imperishable (Akshara) soul. The bondage of time and place, inter-play of emotions, intellect, desires and actions are related to body. Thinking about anything with perfect sense of time and place (Chitta) is meditation or Chintan.

Chitta = Sub conscious mind. Most Yoga books and Gurus translate this word as pure intellect, consciousness, thoughts, perception etc.,. Memories of past events and experiences are stored in Chitta as knowledge. Chitta, according to Yoga books is totality of ego- consciousness made up by (1) mind and its ability of attention, selection, and rejection, (2) ability of reason (Buddhi) and (3) ability of correct decision making. Chitta experiences joys and sorrows.

Darshana = Literal meaning Seeing; Vision, observing- thinking and understanding, the cause of the effects seen. Hinduism has 6 main Darshans, (scriptures of spiritual knowledge) viz., Poorva Mimansa by Jaimini, Nyaya Darshan by Gautama, Vaishashik Darshana by Kanad, YOGA DARSHANA by Patanjali, Sankhya Darshana by Kapil, and Vedanta Darshana by Ved-Vyasa.

Desha = Place, country.

Dharana = Goals, dreams, visions, aims. The 6th step of Patanjali Yoga.

Dharma = This word is usually translated as Religion. But Dharma has many meanings. (1) Gunas or qualities in material objects. (2) Consciousness of 'moral duties'. (3) Sectarian religions (Sampradaya; = Some Past Prophets started religions) are also called Dharmas. Most people today know Dharma as tribal traditions, or secular groups of people following strictly scriptural commandments of the founders or prophets.

Dharma Kshatra = Field of religion; like field of medicine, economics, politics.

Dharma Shastra = A religious scripture.

Dhyana = Attention, fullest concentration in study or action; It is the 7th step of Patanjali Yoga. Complete awareness in the present place and the present time.

Dosha = Fault, mistake, sin, error etc.

Dukkha = (1) Unhappiness, (2) Pain, (3) Bad events in life.

Dwesha = Dislikes, hatred, animosity, (opposite of Raga = likes).

Eakagrata = Selecting one topic and giving it the top priority.

Gandha = Smell, fragrance.

Garbha = A fetus or an embryo in womb.

Guna = Quality, e.g. to burn is Guna of fire, to wet is Guna of water, sweetness is Guna of cane sugar, etc. Mother nature (Prakruti) has three Gunas, creation, maintenance, and destruction. There are three Gunas in all human beings viz., Sat, Rajas and Tamas. Pure soul is Guna-less (Nirguna) or Gunatit (Beyond Gunas).

Hath Yoga = Search of self by practicing penances and denials to comforts. Path of rigorous discipline and self control (Tapas), very popular in Jainism even today.

Indriyas = 5 organs of perception (Senses or Gyana Indriyas or eyes, ears, nose, skin and tongue as taste organ) and 5 organs of actions or (Karma Indriyas viz. Speech, hands, legs, excretions, & sex organs).

Ishvara = God or supreme being. One among many names of God. God's divine spark present in all living beings, located in heart, as A-V node and bundle of HIS.

Ishvera Parinidhani = Total surrender to God or destined by God. All actions to be done as works of God. They are preservation of living creations, including animals and plants.

Jagruti = Awakened state, Awareness of surroundings. Life consciousness.

Japa = Repeated chanting of short prayer words (Mantras) or God's name.

Jignasa = Curiosity, questions. Brahm Jignasa = Questions about soul; Dharma Jignasa= To learn about religion, moral obligations, qualities of material objects etc.,.

Jijivisha = Instinct of survival, I want to live not to die. Basic instinct in all life.

Jitendriya = One who has conquered 5 senses and 5 organs of actions. The words Jain, Jainism come from this.

Jiva-Atma = Individual soul, a single living creature, or one human being, I or Self.

Kala = Time. Symbolized as Mystic Deity Shiva, with name Maha-Kaleshvara.

Kala Chakra = Wheel of time. Happy and unhappy situations are linked with body mind and intellect. They 'Come and Go' as the non stop wheel of time spins on and on. Birth and Death are linked with the wheel of Universal TIME; only all pervading Pure soul is beyond the bondage of constantly revolving Kala Chakra.

Kama = Passions, sex urges, lust, desires, wants, hopes, expectations, ambitions, wishes etc.,. In a broad sense any ego centric sensual desire is called Kama or Vasana. This inner most enemy must be conquered first during the early steps of Yoga Sadhana.

Karma = Acts, deeds done by an individual under the drag of desires. Karma always bind all human beings.

Karya = Works done in the past, present, or planned projects of the future.

Krodha = Angers, restless mind, agitated mood. Roots from unsatisfied Kamas or desires.

Kumbha = A pot for storing water. Body filled with desires is symbolized as a pot.

Kumbhaka = Part of Pranayama. A respiratory exercise in which inspired air is with-held for a long time like water filled in a pot.

Kundalini = Susumna Nadi's - a sleeping serpent’s - head located in brain (Corpus Callosum). Frontal area of brain, three tense sense.

Kundalini power or shakti = Visualization in mind of past events, arranging them in chronological order, arriving at reasonable judgment. Then planning for future based upon experiences of past. Time-place awareness and order of priority and preference. Military generals like Napolion are examples of Kundalini Shakti in wars; successful business men running big enterprises, heads of states, successful detectives etc.

Lobha = Greed of money, political power and wealth.

Loma = Hair. Loma-Harsha = raising of body hairs during moments of extreme emotions.

Mada = False egos. Ahamkara.

Mahat Tatva = Refereed to as higher intellect, spirit and/or soul in Sankhya Darshan of Kapil.

Mamta = Sense of possessions or my-ness. A kind of ego-centric obsession. This is my son, wife, brother, my house, my country, my religion, Guru, etc.,

Mantra = Short prayer of words, a verse of devotional poetry.

Maya = Attachments to relatives, children, religion, sect, country, property, body etc.

Moha = Illusions and false attachments encircling intellect. A person in ‘Moha’ is not able to think and judge without bias and arrive to correct judgment.

Moksha = Freedom from sensual attachments and ego centric desires.

Moola = Root of a tree, foundation, base.

Nadi = Different Nerves described in Yoga books. Also means arteries and veins in anatomical terminology.

Nidra = Sleep. (Anidra = Insomnia or lack of sound sleep).

Nirvana = Blissful state, Moksha state or Kaivalya state of mind.