Day 4 Reflection Questions

ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS IN REFLECTIONS DAY 4.

ANSWER 1. THE ESSENTIAL MESSAGE conveyed in verses 5 and 6, is: ALL IS WELL, ONLY IF THERE IS CONSCIOUSNESS in the BODY. So DON’T BE SO BODY-FOCUSSED !!
A. As long as we have the capacity to “earn and save” for our family and relatives, our beneficiaries will CARE for us and RESPECT us. The moment we lose this capacity to earn and save for them,(when we get old), no one will even want to talk to us or hear what we have to say !!
So we must remember this, as being the “NORM” in this world and NOT get carried away by the show of affection and love, by others, even if they are family members.

B. As long as we are “breathing” i.e. have LIFE in us, people will ask our KUSHALAM( How are we keeping?)As soon as we are dead,the body decays and even the WIFE will be afraid of her “beloved” husband’s CORPSE !!
So DETACH from being too attached to a body. Know that the body is only an INSTRUMENT or MEANS to achieving our GOAL in life(becoming CONSCIOUSNESS itself) !!

ANSWER 2. PRIMACY OF SELF-KNOWLEDGE and Man’s PRE-OCCUPATIONS.
The GOAL OF THIS LIFE is to attain SELF-KNOWLEDGE. THIS is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE. If we dont, then we are as good as ANIMALS. ANIMALS also are BORN, GROW, PROCREATE, GET OLD and DIE. We humans have a WELL-DEVELOPED MIND and INTELLECT, to contemplate on our GOAL in LIFE and to strive to achieve it.It is of UTMOST IMPORTANCE that we do this.Otherwise we are as good as ANIMALS !!

MAN’S PRE-OCCUPATIONS. As a CHILD, our time is wasted in PLAY.(with other children or Toys) As a YOUNG ADULT, our time is wasted in courting other young adults of the opposite sex. As an OLD PERSON, our time is wasted in being ANXIOUS and WORRYING about everything around us, including family members.
So, Sankara says, that we have NO TIME to CONTEMPLATE on BRAHMAN, the SELF, the one and only TRUTH, the SAT-CHIT-ANANDA, because we are so pre-occupied with all the INCONSEQUENTIAL RUBBISH in LIFE !!
Swamiji, This is a crying shame !! I feel wretched now !! And I am already 81yrs. old.and guess what !! I was learning Sanskrit Grammar, DUKRUNKARANE-LEVEL 1) only last year,from CIF, and enjoyed it too.

ANSWER 3. SAMSARA IS VICHITRA. Sankara wants us to contemplate on
WHO is your WIFE? I liked the meaning of WIFE(Worries Invited For Ever!) Ha !! Ha !!
WHO is your son? WHO are you? He says that the body was born from the union of the sperm and the ovum. Yes. But the sperm and ovum were formed from the food eaten by the man and woman. The FOOD was formed from the soil or MUD with the help of water and the SUN both of which are VARIOUS FORMS OF THE ONLY ONE, CONSCIOUSNESS. So how can we claim anyone as MY wife or HUSBAND OR SON, when we did NOT produce them ?They don’t belong to us.
Yes, we were made their CARE-TAKERS for a few years and we have a responsibility to NURTURE them and do our DUTY WELL.
WE CANNOT CLAIM OWNERSHIP OF ANYBODY. How TRUE and WELL SAID !!
Sankara wants us to give them SPACE to grow and develop themselves and attain their GOAL in LIFE.
Sankara wants us to realise that NO ONE BELONGS TO ANYBODY, in this world. We must DETACH ourselves from ALL UNDULY BINDING, relationships and realise that we have a duty to perform and perform it well.
SWAMIJI, I was once taught, by CIF, that we must DETACH ourselves from ALL ATTACHMENTS, and ATTACH ourselves TO THE ONLY UNATTACHED ONE, GOD(My GURUVAYOORAPPAN)!! I am Grateful to CIF, always.
My PRANAMS TO YOU, SWAMIJI.
HARI AUM,
Prema amma.

1.When we are young & have capacity to earn family respects.
But when they feel we are not useful to them, they ignore us.
So we should be alert even when they show affection & not get attached.
Some of us may think my family is very good they will respect till death.
Then after death even beloved members will get afraid by seeing the body.Value is for life not body-so we should shift the focus from body & realise who we are.
2.The purpose of human birth is to get rid of sorrow permanently(liberation from birth & death).
It is possible for only human through Self knowledge.
Other things don’t remove our sorrow permanently.
So this should be the main goal of life.
In childhood focus is on playing, youth focus is on opposite gender & in old age focus is on worrying.
Self knowledge is so important that we should not try to postpone it as there is no guarantee about life & when mind is used to worldly things it’s very difficult to pull back.
3.All of our body is made up of earth,water ,fire,air & space.
If we see beyond body as Jiva, we all take so many births.
Many parents from all births.
Still we say only this as ‘my’ family & wish them to act according to us.
That’s why Samsara is vichitra.
Our family is not our belonging but a place for evolution.