1. NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Dear Bhagavatas,
We give below the Notes portion relating to Purusharthas left behind. We also conclude our postings on Samanya Dharma or Sadarana Dharma. There will be a hiatus for about 10 or 15 days so you can have time to read and come up with your comments. Also, I will be moving to Cleveland for a while as separately indicated.

Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy

2.. Notes for the posting on Purusharthas
(Chapter 12 of "Hinduism Rediscovered")

Following were left out in the posting N0. 08 on Purushartas
1 Fraxi,p.283
2. Organ.p.196
3. Sandyavandanam recital
4. TPV verse 2
5. Traditional benediction
6. 'The writings of the Ecclesiasts' 3.1.8 quoted in NGS 7. Smith,H, p.69
8. Klostermier,p.3
9. BG 2 / 62 and 2 / 63 "Dhyayato vishayan pumsaha sanghastheshupajayathe |
Sanghath sanjayathe kamah kamath krodhobi jayathe ||
Krodhath bhavathi sammohah sammohath smriti vibramah |
Smriti bramsath buddhinasah buddhnasath pranasyathi ||
10. Tirukkural Verse 305 Tannai than kaakkin sinam kaakkakavaakkaal Tannaiye kollum sinam
11. Carnegie, Dale- 11th Reprint of 'How to win friends and influence people?'
12. Reported in' Patriot News' of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania ( by Catherine Crocker of Associated Press, NY),1992
13. Reported in 'Patriot News' of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1992
14. Reported in 'The Plain Dealer' of Cleveland, Ohio in August,1994
15.Reported in 'The Plain Dealer' of Cleveland, Ohio in September,1994
16. Reported by Associated Press, Washington, in 1994.
17. BG 3 / 38
'Dhumenavriyate vanhir yatha darso malena cha
Yathol benavrito garbas tatha thenedamavritam".
18.Sandhyavandanam recital

     Papebyo rakshantam, yad ratrya(yadahniya)
     Papamakarsham, manasa vacha hastabyam,
     Padbyam udharena sisna
     Ratri (aha)s tadavalam batu 
     Yatkincha duritam mayi
     and at miday -
     Yad uchistam yad abojyam 
     Yadva duscharitam mama
     Sarvam punanthu etc.

            "Kshoni kona satamsa palanakala    Durvara garvanala
             Kshubyat kshudra narendra   Chatu rachandanyanna manyamahe
             Devam sevitu meva nischinumahe   Yosou dayaluh pura 
             Dhaana mushtimuche Kuchela munaye  Datte sma vitthe satham"

3. Excerpts from Chapter 13 0f "Hinduism Rediscovered"
Posting on Samanya Dharma or Sanatana Dharma

2..6. INTENTION IS IMPORTANT
Hinduism advises that God - "Forgives the one that cannot Punishes the one that will not"

A person who does not wish to do what good he can to society is anti-social. Hinduism forgives the person who wishes to do but does not have the capacity to do it. Could not Duryodhana give a few villages which the Pandavas wanted? He could but he did not want to. Hence, the Mahabharata war. Could not Ravana return Sita as advised by Vibishana and Anjaneya?. He could but did not want to, Hence, the Rama-Ravana Yuddha.

That is why our ancestors insisted "Do whatever good you can". If my body is only 8 measures of my palm, for the ant also it only 8 measures by its palm!

Even desire to do good is enough. The intention is more important than the physical action, as we saw in the chapter on 'The Condescending God-Rituals and Attitude". 'Desire' to do good is not the same as 'desire' to covet other's belongings. Desiring to own the USA is not the kind of desire spoken of here. Such a desire is avarice, covetousness, cupidity. Desiring to harm is not desire. It is scheming, plotting, designing. We mean here the right kind of desire -- desire to be of service to humanity, in fact to all living beings to the extent possible and practicable.

2. 7. GIVE, DON'T GRAB
Hinduism does not preach a "Give and Take Policy". It teaches a policy of 'giving without taking'.

Since the father had died, Rama could as well have refused to be in the forest. He could have claimed the throne which was rightfully his, could have banished Kaikeyi and her adviser, Kooni and perhaps could have sent Bharatha to forest to guard them. It could also have been a story of a different kind. Why Sri Rama didn't do that? If he had done that, he would not have been the great Ramachandra Murthy. 'Ayodhya' would have become a "Yodhya" - a battle field. The attitude of 'giving up' displayed by Rama to Bharatha and by Bharatha to Rama in turn creates for humanity a noble culture, one of its kind in all literature.

When there is only one chair and someone else is also standing, it would be civil (and may be chivalrous, if that someone were a lady) on your part to offer it to him / her. Instead, if you rush pushing that person out, as they do in the musical chair game - it is brutish. There is nothing wrong in giving. At least it prevents ulcer because it is done without rancour.

This is allied with another trait viz. generosity. Miserliness is considered one of the worst vices. It is humorously said- "There is none to surpass the liberality of a miser; there was none like him in the past, nor will there be any in the future. For, even without touching his riches, he hands over all he possesses to others"15

2.8. LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR
Hinduism says "Love and you shall be loved". All love is mathematically just, as much as the two sides of an algebraic equation. The good man by doing good is like fire which turns everything to its own nature, so that you cannot do him any harm. The man who was the living example of this was Mahatma Gandhi - 'the half naked fakir' who bore the batons of the British, with love and fortitude so that finally the empire on which the 'sun never set' had to collapse before this frail man. "He who lives by the sword, dies by the sword". Conversely he who lives in love shall be rewarded with love.

Like Abou Ben Adam of poet Leigh Hunt (1784-1859) " One that loves his fellowmen is sure to lead all the rest of those whom God blesses with his love."16

Hinduism does not stop with asking you to 'love thy neighbor'. It goes one step further and requires you to be considerate even to your enemies. Even warfare was to be on Dharmic lines known as "Dharma Yuddha Mahabharata requires that even an enemy must be afforded hospitality when he enters your house; a tree does not withhold its shade even from those who come to cut it down.

In Ramayana, Lord Rama asks Sugriva to receive Vibishana on his surrender -
"When one declares that he is my friend, that very moment, I extend protection to him, even if he is my enemy. This is my vow. Sugriva, Go and receive him. I have determined to extend protection to him - whether he is Vibishana or even if it be Ravana himself"17

This mercy to an enemy was exhibited by Lord Rama when in the battlefield standing face to face, he told Ravana who stood disarmed "Go to day; come tomorrow fully armed", as it is not Dharma Yuddha to take advantage of the defenseless plight of even an enemy

The Christian advice that when one slaps on a cheek show the other cheek finds a parallel when Tiruvalluvar asks you to return good for evil and make the wrongdoer feel ashamed 18

But, the Confucian dictum "Return good for good, for evil justice" seems more to be in keeping with the teaching of Lord Krishna in BG where he tries to dispel a misplaced sympathy which Arjuna felt on seeing his own relatives and friends arrayed against him in the battlefield - (Asthana Sneha) and Lord Krishna goaded him to do his duty as a warrior (kshatriya) against the perpetrators of heinous crimes who deserved to be killed (Athathayees).

2.9 TAKE SOLACE FROM THE LOWLY
Hinduism asks you to take solace from one who is equally qualified like you (or perhaps more qualified) but less rewarded than yourself. The man who had no footwear saw a man who had no legs; a man who could not comb his hair saw a man who was totally bald prematurely; the man whose fingers had to be bandaged saw a person whose legs had already been amputated. These instances show how 'karma' has played its game in each individual case.

"Don't recount your woes, count your blessings" says Hinduism. "If you start wailing and complaining your woes 99% will not be interested in hearing you; the other 1% may be mighty happy about your discomfiture. You can't tell it to strangers for they will be indifferent; your friends may help sometimes, but not always. If you complain to God, He already knows it and he knows that your 'karma' is working its way on you and you will get relief when it is exhausted. So be patient and prayerful " says Hinduism. Whether God listens to your pleadings or notin that effort, you will secure some peace of mind which you so anxiously seek

Being prayerful is to be hopeful and optimistic. The difference between an optimist and a pessimist is: "An optimist is one who sees an opportunity even in a calamity. A pessimist is one who sees a calamity even in an opportunity. How one sees the situation depends on the ' beholder's eye'.

2.10. BE CONTENTED
Hinduism advises "If you don't get what you like, learn to like what you get" - There will be no disappointment. A King asks a Yogi how he could be happy living in a forest without even the bare necessities of life let alone the comforts and luxuries the King himself enjoyed.
The Yogi replies :
"We are here in the hermitage with bark garments while you are donned in your silken attire. Our contentment is the same; there is no difference whatsoever. He who has insatiable desire is poor; when there is contentment in mind, who is rich and who is poor?"19

Again, Hinduism expounds the supreme truth thus : "Those who are slaves to desire are slaves to the entire world; But, the world itself becomes the slave of those to whom desire is a slave"20.

If you think you cannot do without something, you have lost your freedom and become a slave to that thing. We tend to believe that we become civilized the more we treat luxuries as necessities; Our elders advise that if you want to be really happy, learn to consider even necessities as luxuries that could be dispensed with, if you wish. You may not deny yourself of any comforts that may come your way but take them as a gift of God; All that is required is that you should not develop an attachment to them to the extent that you are led to believe that you cannot live without them.

The other side of contentment is avarice - . that leads to another evil viz., the habit of gambling . Gambling is the surest way of getting nothing for something.. A person who indulges in gambling 'picks his own pocket'. It is interesting to note that the first time a person bets he bets to win. The rest of the time he is simply trying to get back what he had lost , and he never ever wins. Indeed, he hopes to win what belongs to another deserves to lose his own "Gambling is the child of avarice, the brother of inequity, and the father of mischief." as observed by George Washington. Hinduism most certainly condemns any 'unjust gain'

My mind to me a kingdom is " wrote Edward Dyer, the poet. It is mind that makes one happy or unhappy.21

Even the man who owns say a million acres of land, is going to end up buried only in a 6 foot long grave. In Hinduism, even this is not allowed. In the same six feet ground, many others are also cremated. Even the ashes of the bones left behind by the fire consuming the body is immersed in the river or sea waters, so that no trace of the body of the erstwhile person is left out.

We come across burgeoning motivational best selling titles like 'Think Big",' Think Great', 'Awaken the Giant within', ' How to become a Millionaire'- all couched in sugary, persuasive, exhorting language. Ultimately, it is these authors who become 'big', 'great', 'giants' and' millionaires' by selling millions of copies. The poor reader is, in reality, ripped off poorer for buying these books. Perhaps, they could make you a 'millionaire', if you were already a 'billionaire'!.

A Tamil author wrote a book entitled 'How to live for 100 years?' giving various tips and suggestions. Poor fellow; He died when he was hardly 50 years. Perhaps, he did not follow his own tips!.

These scams are no more than confidence gimmicks rousing unrealistic hopes in the credulous readers, pretending to help them out while in reality designed to help themselves.

Those who attempt this 'thinking big' and 'thinking great' without the requisite qualifications or infrastructure usually develop megalomania; When they fail, they indulge in self-pity and go through deep depression. To make up their deficiency, they become paranoid and sadistic, insensitive and insensible towards others; Ultimately, they are forced to live a mean, ignoble existence if they do not end up in a mental asylum or suicide.

In contrast, Hinduism encourages the individual to chasten and sublimate himself, with noble thinking that ensures peace of mind and a happy, contented, virtuous, humble, unostentatious simple living- in short, realizing the realities of life. Such a one may be a 'nobody' materially but would certainly be a 'somebody'- an evolved soul spiritually.

Hinduism points out several ways in which one could secure peace of mind- Music, Service, Puja, Trusting, Family life, Reading, Writing, Keeping healthy by taking agreeable foods like spinach (e.g.) (Thooduvalai keerai) and Sleep which are some of the means, provided they are practiced discreetly, moderately and well.

2.11 FRIENDSHIP
Hinduism defines every relationship, between husband and wife, parents and children, the fundamentals of friendship. On Friendship Thiruvalluvar Says :
"Just as the hand involuntarily goes to fix when the clothing falls apart, without being requested to do so, true friendship is that where one hastens voluntarily to help a friend from distress".22

Indeed, "a friend in need is a friend indeed "

Another Sanskrit sloka portrays the relationship by an analogy of a pot in which milk is boiled:
"Milk gives its color and taste to water added to it. When boiled, the water evaporates. The milk suddenly finds its friend (water) absent and believes that it had fallen into the fire. So, it rises to commit suicide by falling into the same fire unable to bear the separation. When water is again sprinkled, the anxiety of the milk subsides on seeing its friend back in its company and returns to its normal level. Such is the nature of true friendship".23

It goes one step further to say that even with those who appear inimical you should keep an open mind - a little aperture to 'make it up' since one day he might become your friend, if you do not shut your door completely.

At the same time, Hinduism cautions us in choosing our friends. Only after testing, one could be taken as a friend" Once taken, Hinduism advises trusting the friend and not doubting his friendship - because it is one's association that shapes one's character. There is a saying "Tell me your friends. I will tell you what you are".

But, even here, Hinduism cautions not to divulge all your confidential secrets to a friend because at a future date, he might fall out with you due to misunderstanding and use your information against you. Thus, there can be no permanent enemy nor a permanent friend.

SECTION . 3. CONCLUSION
In order that man may not stand awaiting a judgment in the court of God,
Hinduism seeks to set the records straight here on this earth itself.

We can go on citing any number of precepts and advises which have been put to practical use by our predecessors in their day to day lives, setting us living examples of how to live. The sooner we learn, the sooner we reform, the easier our reformation will be. The longer we delay, the more trouble we would make for ourselves. Every addict to drink and dope learns that sooner or later but learn he does without fail. Let us learn it sooner than later.

The sublime objective of Hinduism is to achieve union with God not only through ritual but through common ideals of Hindu ethics such as purity, self-control, detachment, truth, nonviolence, charity and compassion to all living creatures. Adherence to these and other commandments of Sastras will result in 'Punya' and disregarding them entails 'Papa'. What we find, however is :

"How strange that people want to enjoy the fruits of 'PUNYA' but do not like to perform meritorious deeds; They loath reaping the fruit of 'PAPA' yet they assiduously take effort to commit sins".24

The whole of "Bhagavad Gita" and particularly chapter 16 lists the various characteristics of a person who follows the 'Dharmas' prescribed by the Sastras. Similarly, the whole of TIRUKKURAL stipulates the 'Dos and Don'ts for a holistic life in 3 parts called Arathuppal (Virtue), Porutpal (Wealth) and Kamathuppal (Desire)(i.e.) Dharma, Artha and Kama respectively.

A study of these will show that the concept of Dharma permeates every human attitude and activity as air permeates the Universe and stands always side by side of the human entity directing it to do the right things and to avoid evil at all times and at all stages. Dharma injunctions appear to accompany the individual constantly and ready to help whenever and wherever one finds oneself at crossroads in decision making. And, it constitutes, as it were, the 'alter ego' of God guiding and regulating the human soul towards its ultimate goal.

NOTES

1.Organ,p.200
2. Nris.P16.13 Ahaara nidraa bhayaa maithunam cha

	Saamaanyam etath pasubir naraanaam
	Dharmo hi tesham adhiko visesho
	Dharmena hinah pasubir samaanaha".

	Na kaschidapi jaanaati kim kasya svo bhavishyati
	Atah svah karaniyani kuryad adhyaiva buddhiman

	Vivaha kale rati samprayoge
	Vanadhyaye sarva dhanapahare
	Mitrasya sarthe hi anrutam vadanthi
	Panchanrutanyahur apadakani

	Vaimai enappaduvathu yadenin
	Yadonrum teemai elada solal

              
	Vidya vinaya sampanne brahmane gavi hastini
	Suni chaiva swapake cha panditah samadarsinah

	Nanri marappadu nanranru; akdalladu
 	Anre marappadu nanru

	Ennanri konrarkum uyvundam, uyvillai
	Seinanri konra magarku

	Vane rane satru jalagni madye |
	Maharnave parvata mastake vaa
	Suptam pramattam vishama stitam vaa |
	Rakshanti punyani pura kritani"

	Paropakaaraaya vahanti nadhyah |
	Paropa kaaraaya palanti vrikshah
	Paropa kaaraaya duhanti gaavah |
	Paropakaaraya idham sariram

	Pibanti nadhyah swayameva naambah |
	Swayam na khadanti palani vrikshah
	Nadanti sasyam swayamambuvahaah |
	Paropakaaraaya satam vibutayah.

	Kshama tulyam tapo nasti |
	Na santhoshath param sukham
	Na trishnayah param vyadhi |
	Na cha dharmo daya parah

	Abhayam sarvabuthebyo dadamy etad vratam mama
	Aanayainam harisreshta dattami asya abayam mayaa
	Vibishano va sugriva yadiva ravanah swayam

	Inna seidharai oruthal, avar  naana 
	Nannayam seidhu vidal

	Vayamiha parithushtah valkalaistum dhukulaih
        Samaiva parithosho nirvisesho viseshah
        Sa tu bavathi daridro yasya trishna visaalaa
        Manasi cha parithushte ko arthavan ko daridraha.

	Aasaayaa ye daasaah te daasaah sarvalokasya
	Aasaa yeshaam daasee tesham daasaayate lokah

	Udukkai izhandavan kai poley aange
	Idukkan kalaivatham natpu

	Ksheerena aathmagatodakaya hi  |
	Guna dattahpurathokila                                
	Ksheere tapamavekshya
	thena payasaa hi |
	Atma krisano hutah
	Ganthum pavakam unmanah tadabavathi |
	Drishtva thu mitrapadam
	Yuktha thena jalena samayathi |
	Satham maithree punastvadrisee

	Punyasya phalam ichanti punyam nechanti maanavah
 	Phalam papasya nechanti  Papam kurvanti yatnatah