How to celebrate our Janma Tithi [Birthday] in Indian Tradition

1. To start with, according to Indian tradition, we consider Janma Tithi [not Janma Dina] meaning when we take birth, we consider that tidhi rather than the date [dina], so we celebrate janma tithi because we are following the Chaandramaana [according to moon or Lord Chandra] not Souramaana [ according to Sun or Lord Surya].

2.On our Janma Tithi, We should walk up early in the morning and take abhyangana snaanam [applying sesame oil to our entire body and  taking bath with sunnu pindi or bath powder] before sunrise.

3. After that we have to seek blessings of our parents or elders then we go to a temple to seek blessing from God.

4.Then we have to offer some food or fruits or cloths [whatever we can afford according to our financial status] to some poor people [orphans] or old people [vrudhashrams] or monks[any ashrams].

However, one should not distribute cakes, cool drinks, chocolates, ice creams, etc i.e., items which consist of harmful chemicals, pesticides and some animal fats on the holy day of Janma Tithi.

5. In the evening we should celebrate our Janma tithi with our well wishers [friends] and relatives by lightning diyas [dipa prajwalanam with a Prameeda] which have to be placed in the middle of swastika symbol.

          We have to prepare a Swastika [swasthik symbol] with rice using five colors for the four edges with 4 different colours and middle part with another colour.

After that we have to lighten as many small diyas (pramidas) around the swastika symbol as our age is. If your age for instance is say 20, you have to lighten 20 diyas! 

6.After lighting all the diays, birthday boy has to take the blessings from all the elders for his health and wealth then he distribute some prasadams and some sweets to all invites.

7. He should not blow off the light on the cakes. By doing so, his saliva would be spread on that cake and which is not good for others who eat that cake.

9. Light is the symbol for knowledge [Gnaana] and darkness is the symbol for ignorance[Agnaana] or foolishness. So on the occasion of Janma tithi we should the actually make the light but shouldn't blow off the light which we always do.

Celebrate the Janma tithi in a proper way as per our Indian customs  and let other know about this actual process of celebrating the Birthday. 

Significance of OM or AUM Mantra

                                                                        OM

'Om' (Aum) does not belong to any religion and any community. It is a universal energy gaining technique. Whenever we pronounce that sacred word perfectly, we receive enormous energy from the Nature. It vibrates in all our Chakras [Mulaadhara, Swadhistana, Manipuraka, Anaahatha, Vishudha, Aagna and Sahasrara] and Nerve [Naadi Shudhi] system. OM is the most Valuable and important mantra of all mantras. All mantras generally begin with Om and often also end with Ohm. Ohm is the mantra of assent, it energizes whatever we say after it. That is  the reason why all mantras begin with Om. Om is also the mantra of ascent and causes our energy to rise upward into the infinite from the Mulaadhara. Om is expansive and increases the fire, earth, air, water and ether[sky] elements (Panchbhuta), particularly ether. It also gives strength, protection, energy and grace. It connects us with the guiding power of the inner Guru [i.e, the inner nature or inner-self , which has the same potential as the outer nature].

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Difference Between Astral Cord And Silver Cord

Difference between Astral Cord & Silver Cord

Cords connect our body or soul to body or supreme soul.

There are two types of cords:

1. Silver Cord 
2. Astral Cord

1.Silver Cord:
                
                This cord connects the physical body to astral body. In our physical body there are 6 more bodies embedded. All these 7 bodies will be dealt in detail in a future post. 

                Whenever our physical body takes rest then our astral body takes the active part or vice versa.

In our dreams our astral body is connected to physical body with the help of the silver cord.  

Astral Body connecting to the physical body through Silver Cord

               The origin of the silver cord is between naabhi sthana [abdomen] of the physical body to naabhi sthana of the astral body.

                This silver cord is created with some energy depending on one's prarabha karma and this will be influencing his life span of  his present life on the earth. If the energy in this cord is gone then his life is said to be over [dead]. Once loses energy is his silver cord as his age is passed and once total energy is lost then that will be the end of his life. So our lifespan depends on the silver cord’s energy. When we say this, naturally a questions pops up in our minds:

What will happen i f a person commits  suicide or suffers accident or gets murdered?
When a person's life ends abruptly either due to self-forcing or accidental, then his remaining silver cord energy will take a shape of etheric body [i.e., the shape of his last life body] and will be wandering as long as its silver cord  is having some energy. After that only an astral body goes to astral world from this physical world. That astral body is only called soul or aatma. If some knave people use that soul for negative things [by performing some kind of kshudra pujas] then we can call it as negative soul or Pretaatma.

2.Astral Cord:

                Astral cord is the cord created by higher souls [poornaatmas or prajaa patees], once soul is generated by them. 

                 The origin of the Astral cord is between thalamus [brahma randhra] and it is always connected to the supreme soul. 

                 This cord is used to connect the astral body to Higher souls or Supreme soul. How many lives may be taken by the soul, this connection will be always the same for every life  and it is used to store all his activities, emotions, egos, sins[bad], divinity[good],etc. It is used to store all our karmas and by which we take lives and face actions, situations.etc. according that karmas.

The Four Stages of Human Life - Ashrama Dharma

The Four Stages of Human Life

FOUR STAGES OR AASHRAMAAS

From the birth to death human's life is divided into 4 main stages (aashramaas) as follows:

1. Brahmacharya aashrama
2. Grihastha aashrama
3. Vanaprastha aashrama
4. Sanyasa aashrama

1.Brahmacharya aashrama:

                In this aashrama a little boy who  able to learn something from others, is sent to some gurus or some gurukulams or some training centers to gain  some knowledge (like physical sciences or spiritual science or philosophy and social discipline  and self discipline etc.,) which is useful to his future life. There he only learns that what his master said to do so. He completely surrenders himself to his master without any egos, emotions, feelings, etc. He strictly follows the rules of physical detachment [even in feeling] because his concentration shouldn't get deviated or weakened,  and he will always be [on the move or charinchadam] with the guru [brahma]. That’s why it is called Brahma-Charyam.

                In this stage or aashrama dharma, he should not carry or maintain or store money for his personal purposes. He is just like a slave or true disciple to his master.

2.Grihastha aashrama:

                After gaining the knowledge regarding his future life and as he starts earning, he get married and then start a new stage or new life of Grihasthu (having family). After that he has to take the responsibility of his family and society (contributing some profit like 10% or above to other good things like helping poor, older people or orphans, offering help to construct Anadha Saranalayams, temples, etc.,). He has to help the others who is following the other three aashramaas [Brahmachari, vanaprastha and sanyasa]. He must follows his customs without fail as long as he is a Grihasthu.

                In this stage or aashrama he should maintain money or store money for his future purposes.

3.Vanaprastha aashrama:

                After finishing his all responsibilities towards family and society [settlement of their children’s life, arranging marriages of their children, etc.,] he has to start a new life of pilgrimage involving pilgrimage or thirtha yaatras, visiting various ashramas, participating in satsangs (or spiritual preaching), etc. In Vanaprastha stage he has to spend most of his time to attain the WISDOM. He must follow some of the societal customs in this stage also.

                In this stage he should handover all his properties to his children [can keep some part of the money for his pilgrimage or can take from their sons or others depending on the situations].

  4.Sanyasa aashrama:

                After finishing his Vanaprastha Dharma he takes Sanyasaashrama (renounced life). Because in this stage he is not strong enough to visit various places like thirtha yaatras or visiting various ashrams. So in this stage he will be waiting for completing his life in a peaceful manner [like moksha], so he will be spending his remaining life for practicing to achieve the moksha [meaning no life after death or his aatma entering into paramaatma or merging his soul into supreme soul]. No need to follow any customs in this stage. He has to be detached with every relation and every custom.

                In this stage he should not carry any money with him. He has to depend on Grihastus and seek for the moksha only.

Three types of Karma

  THREE TYPES OF KARMA

There are three kinds of Karma that act always on every Human being , they are the Past Karma [Sanchitha Karma], the Present Karma [Prarabdha Karma] and the Future [Aagami] Karma,
Past Karma[Sanchitha Karma]:
This karma belongs to our past lives, regarding to our sins and divinity [i.e.bad activities and good activities], which is stored in our astral chord [it starts from the place of Brahma randhra of every soul] and we take birth according to our sins and divinity.

Present Karma[Prarabdha Karma]:
We can not face all our past sins and divinity in one life. So we take so many lives on this earth and workout our karma in parts. In each and every life we face a little bit of additional karma and that is called Prarabdha Karma. This karma is caused by every actions and emotions in our present life.

Future [Aagami] Karma:
What we are facing karma in this life is a little bit of karma only, remaining karma is yet to be face d in our forth coming lives and that karma is called Aagami Karma. If we don't have any aagami karma and it means that we have already faced prarabdha and sanchitha karma and we longer need to come back to this earth again from higher planes ,i.e. is Moksha.

             One who is having karma [what ever type it may be] he has to come back on this earth because his frequencies [karmas]  are tuned by the earth to act or react accordingly. Where he is created, there only he has to face the karma, that means when a soul accumulates karma on this earth it should face its karma on this earth only. That is why the soul has to come back on this earth again and again as long as it is cleaned of all his karmas on this earth. Then only he will get the salvation or Moksha [freedom from birth and death].

Goal

Varied are the tastes, many are the paths to a goal.
Some are righteous, some are crooked,
Yet all aim to reach the goal,
Just like all the rivers lead to the ocean.
Similarly, man traverses to Thee

Divine Flower - Brahma Kamal

Information about Brahma Kamal

In Hindu drawings Brahma is seen sitting on a pink flower that is resembling lotus (Kamal), which is Indian National flower. Hence people claim that the pink flower of Nelumbo nucifera to be Brahma Kamal. However others claim the flower on which he is sitting on, which resembles lotus is sprouted from belly button of Lord Vishnu. The flower which Bramha is holding in one of his four hands, a white flower resembling Saussurea obvallata is Bramha Kamal. There are people who claim that flower of Epiphyllum oxypetalum (Orchid Cactus), which blooms at night, to be Brahma kamal. Some North Indians claim that the flower of Saussurea obvallata to be Brmaha Kamal.

The Lotus Of Brahma: The names of this magical flower can be translated to mean, 'the lotus of Bramha'. Lord Brahma, the creator of the Universe, is always depicted as sitting on a huge lotus and holding one in his hand. Another name for Lord Brahma is Kanja or the one born out of the water. So, schools of thought say that Brahma was born from the navel of Lord Vishnu while others say that he was born from a huge white lotus that we call the Brahma Kamal.

The Life Giving Lotus: The story of the birth of Ganesha is a popular one. When Shiva attached the head of an elephant on Ganesha' s body, he was bathed with water that was sprinkled from a Brahma Kamal. That is why this lotus is given the status of a live-restoring flower of the gods. To evaluate it in terms of modern science, this flower has many medicinal properties.

The Golden Lotus: When the Pandavas were in exile in the forests, Draupadi accompanied them. She was constantly tormented by painful memories of her insult in the Kaurava court. The hardships of a forest life also took its toll on her. One evening she saw a beautiful lotus float away in the stream. After she saw this 'golden' lotus bloom, she felt a strange happiness that was almost spiritual. But the lotus withered as quickly as it had bloomed. Draupadi sent her most devoted husband Bhima to look for it and on his quest for the flower he met Hanuman (Bhima's elder brother). As a lotus is usually pink, 'golden' may mean a shimmering 'white'. This story too is a reference to this mysterious flower.

Wish Fulfilling: It is long held belief that anybody who sees this rare flower blooming will have all his or her wishes fulfilled. It is not easy to watch it bloom because it blooms in the late evening and stays only for a couple of hours. Also the fact that it is supposed to bloom once in 14 years makes it a very rare sight.

These are some of references to this divine flower in Hindu mythology. Do you know any more such stories about this flower of the Gods?