Just as you feed the body, and care for its upkeep and repair, the Manas, Chittham and Buddhi (mind, thought and intellect) have also to be fed with good nourishing food. When the morning cup of coffee is missed, you get a headache; what do you get when the morning dose of Japam is missed?  At noon, your hunger drags you from the shades of these trees to where food is waiting; nothing so powerful drags you to your shrine-room. When you enter a house, even if it has been unoccupied for months, you can declare, "This is the kitchen," from the sooty walls and the smell of condiments. Similarly, you say, "This is the Puuja room" from the aroma of incense-sticks and flowers that still hovers in the air. Have a separate Puuja room or at least, set apart a small corner for Dhyaanam (meditation), Japam (repetition of Lord's name) and Puuja (ritual worship). Retire there, at least twice a day for some short time; that will be "feeding time" for the spirit.

    Brahmasri Mudigonda Pichayya Shaasthry called life a labyrinth, from which few can escape, though all have entered it easily! The labyrinth was constructed by Kumbhaja, which means, one born in intelligence, Brahman Itself, for, Brahman is Prajnaanam (the Supermost Wisdom). How can a person break through the labyrinth devised by Brahman, when he is overwhelmed by the egoistic pulls? Through the pure mind alone can the chain be broken, the tangle cleared. The pure mind reflects the Reality clearly, the Reality of God that is the basis of One - Self as well as the objective world. God is immanent in every particle everywhere at all times in the Universe. 

     The Vedhas (ancient spiritual scriptures), the Upanishaths, the Geetha and the Brahma Suuthras have declared that rituals and religious practices will not lead to God-realisation.  They are external acts, they are related only to the body.  When one is able to get rid of egotism and attachment can one develop the inner vision. Perception of the Unity of the Divine is Wisdom. The sense of duality must be eradicated to realise the oneness of the Absolute.

    One of the easiest ways to percept the 'touch' of the Divine is reciting mantra.

    Mantra is a compounded set of words pregnant with enormous significance. It emanates from the inner power of human. Filled with such power, the mantra, when it is pronounced properly, brings out the Divine power in human being.

    The vibrations produced by the utterance of the mantra, uniting with the Cosmic naadha (primal sound) in the Universe, become one with the Universal Cosmic Consciousness. It is these Cosmic vibrations which assumed the form of the Vedha (sacred revelations of spiritual knowledge).

    For all the mantras, the primary mantra, which enshrines the attributeless, Omniself, is the Omkaara. The Omkaara embodies in the form of sound the Supreme Brahman. For this sound, the presiding deity is Saraswathi, the consort of Brahma. It is the union of Brahma and Saraswathi that accounts for all the knowledge in the world.

     It is said that the other poets and scholars in the court of ancient Emperor Bhoja were green with envy at the quick rise to fame of Kaalidaasa and at the largesses that the Royal patron showered upon him. So, they poisoned the ears of the Emperor against Kaalidaasa and when he challenged Kaalidaasa to disprove the allegations he was alone and helpless against his traducers. Kaalidaasa could appeal only to his other patroness, Kaali maatha, Mother Kaali. He told the king that they could all come to the temple of Kaali and when he prayed to Kaali, to stand witness to his integrity, they could hear the answer that the Goddess would give. He had such faith in his Mother.

    The entire court was present next morning at the Temple; Kaalidaasa prayed. Then, in the tense silence, they all could hear a Voice..."Kavirdhandee, Kavirdhandee, Bhavabhoothisthu pandithah" (Dhandi is a poet, Dhandi is a poet; Bhavabhoothi is a Pandith). That was all. No reference was made to Kaalidaasa, when all that was wanted was a judgement about Kaalidaasa and his merits. Kaalidaasa was enraged and shouted Koham rande? (Who am I, you slut?"). Kaali kept calm; Her temper was not roused. After a moment she replied, 'Thwamevaaham, thwamevaaham, thwameva aham, na samshayah" (You are Myself, I am thyself, undoubtedly"). That identity is the destiny of human.

    The moon illumines the night. The sun illumines the whole world during the day. But, Dharma (Righteousness) illumines the three worlds. Good character shines as an example to the world. To recognise the inherent divinity in within and lead a sanctified life is the essence of human existence.

    Subbaraaya Shaasthry said, the deha (body) has to be used to ascend the ladder of the three gunas, from thamas (inertia) to rajas (activism) and from rajas to sathwa (goodness), so that finny, you may get beyond the ladder into the heights above. The deha was acquired by means of the good and bad that was done in the previous birth. They are called collectively, karma. Karma is caused by attachment and hatred, affection and disaffection. They are the products of sheer ignorance, ignorance of the unity of all creation including oneself. This ajnaana (ignorance) can be removed by Su-jnaana (good knowledge), by acknowledging the universality of God and the merging of your individuality in the Universal. 

     The body, the mind and the Ahamkara (ego) together constitute the human entity. Action, Being and Knowing are the three basic aspects of human life. These three together manifest the human estate. It is the Atma principle that reveals both the differences and the unity of these three aspects.

    The mind has four levels of functioning: Manas (the mental), Buddhi (the intelligence), Chitha (the Will) and the Ahamkara (the Ego). Although it is the body that performs the actions, it is the mind that cognises and the Reality is the Atma. All the four are different forms of the mind. The different terms indicate the different functions. Vedanta has declared that the mind is the cause of either bondage or liberation.

    There is a "Master" who presides over these four expressions of the mind. That is known as Prajna. Prajna is often equated with the intellect, the intelligence, the knowledge or wisdom. But this is not correct. These latter qualities are transient and impermanent. But Prajna is not impermanent. Vedanta has declared that Prajna shines in the body, the mind and the Atma (the individual soul). "Prajnanam Brahma" declares the Upanishad. (Supreme Consciousness is Divinity).

    There is no difference between Prajnana and Brahman or Truth. Prajnana is described as Constant Integrated Awareness. This Prajna is present in all human beings. The first stage to realise this is that human is no ordinary being. There are in human, Sathya (Truth), Jnana (Wisdom) and Anantham (the Infinite). "Sathyam, Jnanam, Anantham Brahma" the ancient sages declared thus the attributes of Brahman. The Truth referred to here is not about worldly facts. It refers to Transcendental Truth, which remains the same at all times and in all places. 

    Sage Vyaasa collated the Vedhas, wrote the Mahaabhaaratha and the Bhaagavatha and the eighteen puraanas and, the Brahmasuuthra. All these contain the same nectarine teaching, though the Vedhas may be more highly revered. A lamp may be a small contraption, but, it can light your path across a jungle. What is wanted is persistent effort, ceaseless karma, activity.  Move on from one step to another - shravanam, mananam, nidhidhyaasanam (hearing, recapitulation, concentration). Only, let every act be saturated with bhakthi. It should inspire every act, every word, every thought.
 

    All qualities, attitudes, habits that remind you of the Absolute into which you have to merge, draw you away into the relative world of Time and Space with temporary value.

    All the joy you crave for, is in you; but, like a one who has vast riches in the iron chest, but, who has no idea where the key is, you suffer. With proper directions, dwelling upon them in the silence of meditation, it is possible to secure the key, open the chest and be rich in joy.

    A thousand wise men have poured this into your ears, but their words have fallen on hard ground and refused to sprout. Had they fallen on the soft soil of your heart and been watered by the tears of contrition, certainly they would have germinated and grown. A clean Consciousness is as a lamp and you will be a source of Light. Swami calls to light own lamps. 

    Like the frog caught and held in the mouth of a cobra which, unaware of its fate, flicks its tongue at a fly, you too are unaware of Death which holds you in its fangs. You seek joy and earn pain, hunt for pleasure and bag grief. You attach yourselves to the body that decays.

    A human in great distress clamoured for a ticket at the booking office of the railway station, but the clerk within was helpless, because the human did not know the name of place wanted to go. Human tries to escape from anxiety of wordly life, but is not sure, which or where!
   

    The spiritual teacher (guru) can guide you where to go, which place to seek; but, he cannot make you reach it. The prime task is obtain the skill  to overcome the temptations of the senses, to journey inward into the region of the impulses and give them a higher purpose.

     In Geetha Bheeshma was in tears on the arrow-bed, when he was about to pass away. Arjuna asked him why and he replied, "I am shedding tears because the miseries undergone by the Paandavas pass through my mind." Then he said, "This is done in order to teach the Kaliyuga a lesson, never to seek power, position or pelf, but to submit to the Will of God, in a completely resigned way, so that you may be ever happy and unmoved."