The whole story of your life is based on which ‘side’ you incline. The whole course of your life and your destiny is based on which ‘side’ you thrive upon! And let me tell the ‘side’ of the intellectuals, the ‘side’ of the ‘Rahuish’ is always in demand – than the side of ‘Ketuish’ people!
There was one man – his name was Bodhidharma. And he was the son of a great King – the Palavas dynasty. But one day he said to his father – “I want to renounce everything – I want to leave this world of ‘fake gold’ and search for the ‘real gold’. Let me go in search of something that is beyond death. Please allow me to leave…”
During those days – the level of understanding was more than it is nowadays! Those were the most beautiful days. The King – although was moved by the decision of his son – allowed him to leave….with a heavy heart, he said – “ You go on your search with all my blessings. It is sad for me but that is my problem; it is my attachment. I was hoping for you to be the successor, to be the emperor of the great Pallavas empire, but you have chosen something higher than that. I am your father so how can I prevent you?” he cried the whole night – when his only son – Bodhidharma left the kingdom to seek – the truth – the ultimate truth. During those days – Buddhism was flourishing all over the Indian subcontinent. Bodhidharma loved Buddha – he continued with his journey until he reached the Himalayas. For many years and months – he searched for the master – the real master – and one day – one day he stumbled upon a woman – and she was not an ordinary woman. She was one of the greatest enlightened woman – a Yogini – and her name was Pragyatara.
Pragyatara was very tall – must be above 7 feet – and her divine aura was such that Bodhidharma could not help but bow before her divinity. He said “ Please take me under your wings – I would want to be your disciple.”
And Pragyatara accepted Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma was not an ordinary seeker – he practiced intense penance – with intense love and devotion and a day came when Bodhidharma was enlightened.
Nobody know more about the divine master – Pragyatara – she remains unknown to many! And it was Pragyatara who ordered Bodhidharma to visit China and spread the message.
During those days – the situation in China was under the influence of Confucius. Confucius was a moralist, a puritan, he does not know anything about the inner mysteries of life. In fact, he denies that there is anything inner. Everything is outer; refine it, polish it, culture it, make it as beautiful as possible.
And then during those days – there were divine beings like LAO TZU, Chuang Tzu, Lieh Tzu, but they were mystics and not masters. They could not create a counter movement against Confucius in the hearts of the Chinese people. So there was a vacuum. Nobody can live without a soul, and once you start thinking that there is no soul, your life starts losing all meaning. Confucius was a very great rationalist. These mystics, Lao Tzu, Chuang Tzu, Lieh Tzu, knew that what Confucius was doing was wrong, but they were not masters. They remained in their monasteries with their few disciples.
Pragyatara – the great divine master wanted Bodhidharma to go to China and help the people to realize that the sole essence of life is WITHIN (Ketu) and not on the OUTSIDE (Rahu).
Bodhidharma bowed before his master – the divine master Pragyatara – and started with his journey towards China.
Bodhidharma had his own style. Although he belong to the sect of Gautama Buddha, he was not soft and gentle like Buddha! He was hard, he was loud and he was indeed a very strange being and yet there was NOBODY who could match HIS powers, HIS wisdom, HIS strength – Bodhidharma was indeed the ‘PEAK’ – the ‘Epitome’ – the height of the heights!
Bodhidharma indeed is one of the greatest divine master – after Gautama Buddha!
It took three years to reach China, and by the time Bodhidharma reached China, the stories of his many miracles had reached to the capital of China. And the Emperor was so much touched to know that finally Bodhidharma had reached to the capital. He rushed to greet Bodhidharma and then he said to Bodhidharma “ Master – I have a question that I want to ask you…please allow me to ask…”
Bodhidharma looked into the eyes of the Emperor – and said “Ask”
The Emperor said “I have made so many monasteries, I am feeding thousands of scholars, I have opened a whole university for the studies of Gautama Buddha, I have put my whole empire and its treasures in the service of Gautama Buddha. What is going to be my reward?”
He waited to listen to what Bodhidharma answers. He was a little afraid because Bodhidharma looked ferocious – his big eyes, his appearance was like a Lion – a brave Lion! People have very wrong ideas about SAINTS – REAL SAINTS are NOT cat – but LIONS.
And so Bodhidharma just looked into the eyes of the Emperor and said “ NO REWARD. NOTHING. On the contrary be ready to fall in the seventh HELL.”
The Emperor started shivering with fear – he said “ But I have not done anything wrong – so why would I go to the seventh hell? I have been following all that the Buddhist have been following. Then why would I go to the seventh hell?”
I have tremendous love and respect for Bodhidharma – he was so straight, so plain and yet so divine!
Bodhidharma said “On the path of Gautama Buddha there is no reward because the very desire for reward comes from a greedy mind. The whole teaching of Gautama Buddha is desirelessness and if you are doing all these so-called virtuous acts, making temples and monasteries and feeding thousands of monks, with a desire in your mind, you are preparing your way towards hell. If you are doing these things out of joy, to share your joy with the whole empire, and there is not even a slight desire anywhere for any reward, the very act is a reward unto itself. Otherwise you have missed the whole point.”
The Emperor said “ I have missed – but now with your arrival – I have found the answer. I will be always grateful to you. Please accept my prayers.”
Read the answer that Bodhidharma gives to the Emperor – and read it again and again. Bodhidharma says “The teaching of Gautama Buddha is DESIRELESSNESS…..”
This stage of DESIRELESSNESS is the state of KETU! My new book on KETU releasing next month will reveal more to you all. In fact I have been praying that this new book should only fall in the right hands – who can relate to the message that I have shared through this new book.
There were hundreds of Buddhist monks and they all were meditative and they ALL wanted to become disciple of Bodhidharma but Bodhidharma was very selective – in fact even Gautama Buddha was not so selective as Bodhidharma was!
During his stay in China – Bodhidharma could only find 4 – worthy to be accepted as disciples!
AND it took NINE YEARS for him to find the very first Disciple!
Many people would come to seek his blessing and to ask him questions – but Bodhidharma said that “I will answer only to that man who is worthy of being my disciple. And unless somebody who deserved to be my disciple comes- I will NOT look at the audience.”
And for NINE years – Bodhidharma never looked at the audience – the people who came to meet him – instead he turned his back and looked at the WALL. People used to come and they would sit behind him. It was a strange situation. And when someone asked Bodhidharma – why you never face the people but instead sit facing the wall?
Bodhidharma said “ People hurt me more – the wall is better than people. Looking at the shallowness of the people – it hurts me more than otherwise. So I continue to sit by facing the wall. And I will turn around and look at the people ONLY if somebody proves by his action that he is ready to be my disciple.”
Nine years passed. People could not find what to do — what action would satisfy him. They could not figure it out. And then came this young man, Hui Ko. He cut off one of his hands with the sword, and threw the bleeding hand before Bodhidharma and said, “This is the beginning. Either you turn, or my head will be falling before you. I am going to cut my head too.”
Bodhidharma quickly got up ,turned around and looked into the eyes of Hui Ko and said “You are really a man worthy of me. No need to cut the head, we have to use it.”
This man, Hui Ko, was his first disciple.
Who can CUT HIS HAND and THROW before the MASTER? Only a man who is utterly mad in LOVE with the GURU! Only a man who has the potential to move beyond the MIND – only the man who is KETUISH!
You see – for nine years – Bodhidharma was looking for such a beautiful person – who is WILLING TO DO ANYTHING – just to become his disciple – just to receive his love – just to be with his omnipresence!
And this is what has been happening in the whole history of mankind – only that MAN – only that WOMAN who has been able to JUMP – without thinking – without bringing head in between – without bringing the mind in between – only such a man – such a woman has been able to JUMP and only those who have JUMPED – have went on to experience that which the intellectuals – the philosophers and the money makers haven’t!
Bodhidharma was looking for such men and such women. And they are always in minority – Jesus had only 12 Apostles – and they all were like Hui Ko – they all just with two words of Jesus “FOLLOW ME” – started following Jesus – and they were not even aware of this man whom they met for the very first time in their life – but just one ‘call’ – just one ‘message’ – FOLLOW ME – and they could feel that this man is something – and they must be KETUISH – because they were able to JUMP – they simply started following this young man whom the others addressed as Jesus!
Hui Ko was indeed the most beautiful person – one of the greatest disciple of Bodhidharma! But the story does not end here – the story indeed never ends and so does the cycle of our birth and rebirth!
And so after Hui Ko – Bodhidharma was able to find only three more disciples in his entire stay of over ten years in China!
And then one day – Bodhidharma decided to leave for the Himalayas. And so he called all of his four disciples and said “I have decided to leave for the Himalayas forever – but before I leave – tell me in plain words the essence of my teaching – because I need to select one of you as my successor.”
The first disciple said “ Your teaching is of going beyond the mind – to be silent – to turn inwards.”
Bodhidharma said “ Your answer is right but it doesn’t satisfy me. You have my skin.”
The second disciple said “ Your teaching is of to know that there is no ‘I’ and that one should live in total surrender to the existence.”
Bodhidharma said “ A little better but not up to my standards – sit down. You have my bones.”
The third disciple said “ Nothing can be said – there is absolutely no word that can describe the depth of your teachings.”
Bodhidharma said “ Good. But you have already said something about it – you have contradicted yourself. Sit down – you have my marrow.”
Now only the fourth disciple was left – and the fourth disciple was Hui Ko. And Hui Ko simply dropped at the feet of Bodhidharma – he said nothing – absolutely NOTHING and just tears flowed through his eyes – Bodhidharma raised him up and said “ You have said it – you will be my successor.”
How to express the teaching of the master! It CANNOT be expressed in words. TRUTH cannot be expressed in words – TRUTH can only be expressed in SILENCE – blissful silence!
Hui Ko was indeed the only disciple who could relate to the heart of Bodhidharma – he had truly melted in the master – ONENESS – and where there is ONENESS – words are not required – SILENCE is enough.
Hui Ko becomes the successor to Bodhidharma – but that night the other monks who were jealous of Hui Ko – poisoned Bodhidharma and locked him in a tomb. And then they declared to the whole capital that Bodhidharma has died.
People are like this – that is why one need to be VERY CAREFUL of people – it is also true that among this kind of people – there are a very few men of heart – but in general – the majority has always caused more troubles to Saint than otherwise! Jesus was crucified, Buddha was ridiculed, Mahavira was betrayed and offended, Sai Baba was troubled by the people of Shirdi – those who are saying the TRUTH – are always considered as dangerous because people in majority belong to RAHU and not KETU!
And so they poisoned Bodhidharma and kept him in a locked room – a locked tomb.
Days passed, months passed, years passed – and on one hot afternoon while walking through the Himalayan mountains – a young Government officer suddenly had a glimpse of Bodhidharma!
And Bodhidharma was walking in bliss, in his joy – in his peace – with a wooden staff in his hand – and interestingly there was one shoe hanging on that wooden staff!
The young officer had heard a lot about the master – Bodhidharma. And so immediately he rushed to meet the master and asked “ Are you Bodhidharma?”
Bodhidharma smiled and said “Yes.”
The officer said “But the people of the town had poisoned you and locked you in a tomb.”
Bodhidharma said ” That night – I was in coma and I waited for the night. When the coma disappeared a little I escaped from the tomb, I have left one of my shoe there in the tomb as proof that I have been there and another shoe I am taking, hanging on my staff to prove that I am Bodhidharma – that’s my identity card.”
The officer instantly rushed to the monastery where Bodhidharma had been poisoned. The officer said “Open the door of the tomb – I have seen Bodhidharma with his shoe hanging on his staff and he has told me that he left the other shoe as a signature in the tomb. I want to see – if this is True.”
The tomb was opened and only one shoe was there – nothing else!
The officer started crying – how fortunate he was to have had the rarest of rare opportunity to witness the divine presence of Bodhidharma! He could not control his feelings – he went back to the Himalayan mountains – the same place where he had met Bodhidharma walking with his wooden staff – but now there was nobody – he searched and he searched and he never found Bodhidharma….
Hui Ko also left for the Himalayas – how long can a disciple stay away from the master – how long can a river stay away from the vast ocean – someday, sometime the ‘meeting’ has to happen!
Those ignorant fellows who poisoned Bodhidharma were RAHUish men and women – they WANTED to become successor – they wanted POWER – they wanted the FAME and the RESPECT that Bodhidharma attracted his whole life! You see – they had come but they had come with a DESIRE to ACHIEVE something in return!
They must be like that Emperor who was doing all the good thing – just to receive something more in RETURN – and Bodhidharma says to him “You will GO IN THE SEVENTH HELL – because Gautama Buddha’s teachings is desirelessness (KETU) and if you are doing all these so-called virtuous acts, making temples and monasteries and feeding thousands of monks, with a desire (RAHU) in your mind, you are preparing your way towards hell. If you are doing these things out of joy, to share your joy with the whole empire, and there is not even a slight desire anywhere for any reward, the very act is a reward unto itself. Otherwise you have missed the whole point.”
And this is what happens – people miss the whole point – probably very few can relate to Bodhidharma – because even the Buddhist monks sidelined Bodhidharma and his scriptures for many years – they hide it because here was the man – a raw diamond who said the TRUTH on the FACE – and the society always labels such a man as dangerous – because the society is RAHUish – it likes all that is FAKE – it cannot digest that which is the TRUTH! The society is filled with majority of FAKE, Hypocrites (RAHUISH) – how can they stand someone as transparent as TRUTHFUL and as STRAIGHT as Bodhidharma?
Only a KETUish man can relate to Bodhidharma. Only a KETUish person can LOVE Bodhidharma. I simply love Bodhidharma – there has been so many Buddhas – but I must say there has been nobody as blunt as real and as beautiful as Bodhidharma!
And it was Bodhidharma whose teachings are being practiced in the ZEN Buddhism. The very founding father of the ZEN sect is Bodhidharma – and yet even such a great master was poisoned by people who were utterly foolish and selfish (RAHUish).
This whole human world – and the horoscopes are simply divided in two – RAHU & KETU!
What RAHU has – KETU is least interested
What KETU has – RAHU cannot have – although HE tries a lot, FAKES a lot, but still remains far away from the TRUTH – the ultimate TRUTH – the GOD CONSCIOUSNESS!
What RAHU has – is what the majority is after – MONEY, SEX, FAME, RESPECT – it is no wonder that someone as realistic and as beautiful as Bodhidharma – had to wait for nine long years to find his first disciple – Hui Ko!
Don’t tell me about SIDDHIS – because SIDDHIS is something that a RAHUISH man or woman are after – SIDDHI is cheap, LOVE of the LORD is precious – very precious!
RAVANA was RAHUISH – he had many siddhis – many powers – but still he missed what Rama had within!
RAMA had the immense LOVE and DEVOTION – RAMA had the higher qualities of forgiving and LETTING GO.
KETU is letting GO – only a man who can LET GO – who can FORGIVE – can MOVE ON WITH HIS LIFE!
KETU can forgive – KETU therefore can progress.
But a RAHUish man can never forgive – he seeks REVENGE and this REVENGE than makes his own life miserable – because the very idea of taking REVENGE is enough to TRAP yourself in an unending cycle of miseries!
But who wants to listen? Once you are fired up – once ANGER is allover your being – you will NEVER listen – you will mess up with your life – always remember there is NOBODY on the OUTSIDE who makes your life a hell – it is YOU – only YOU who is responsible for your SITUATION.
ACTION matters. WHAT YOU DO IN REALITY is what matters. Bodhidharma was a man of ACTION.
In fact it is said that whenever he reached a new village – in a new community – people would gather – many would come and they all would wait for him to say something – but Bodhidharma would never speak – instead he would close his eyes, and would go in deep meditation. Direct Action – Direct practical demonstration – was his way of teaching!
Then there were people who could not understand his way – and they would go back to their homes – and then only a few would remain – they could relate – they could resonate with his ACTION – and they too would sit down and start meditating – and then Bodhidharma would smile – and bless these few – that is how his way was – that is how is whole life was – purely based on ACTION!
Life must be based on practicality. Astrology should be based on practicality. But people makes a mess out of Astrology – REMEMBER – no stars and no planets are outside of you – but within you!
One who understand this – one who self-realizes this – is the one who can truly resonate with this science or shastra of Astrology!
Astrology is NOT to be used for creating FEAR – ASTROLOGY should be practiced only to create AWARENESS – ‘JYOT’ (Light of awareness) that leads you to GOD (ISH) consciousness! That is how the word JYOTISH was born – a Jyotish is a person who is on his way towards the beyond – the unseen, the divinity!
In the old age that is how many SEERS and SAGES were ‘Jyotish’ – because their whole life was devoted to GOD – their journey was NOT towards GOD – their journey was WITH God!
A few years ago – a old man and he was from ISKCON – and he must be following me on LinkedIn – one day he messaged me – Are you coming with me to Vrindawan (meaning abode of Krishna – God)?
I humbly responded to him “ My journey is not towards God – my journey is with God.”
He was touched.
Always remember – the Journey is more beautiful than the destination!
And when the Journey itself becomes the destination – than the ‘seeking’ stops – the ‘searching’ stops and when everything stops – the real thing begins – the enlightening happens – this is the way of its happening – this is how it happens – slowly – slowly….gradually!
The great divine master Lahiri Mahasaya – the disciple of His Holiness Mahavatar Babaji , always used to say “Banat Banat Ban Jaye” – meaning “ Slowly slowly the making – the transformation happens”!
Don’t be in rush – don’t be impatient – always remember good things take time AND Great things take a bit more time.
Focus on meditation. Meditate every day – and let the ‘beautiful lotus’ within you flower when it has to flower. Just be focused – and stay blessed. Always remember – the most beautiful moments of life – happen accidentally!
Embrace all that happens accidentally in your life. The accidental moments are the most beautiful of life!
Jai Shri Ganesha. Jai Guru.
