Jayaguru

Nilachala Saraswata Sangha

Branch: America Saraswata Sangha
Program for Young Aspirants’ Session
Date: August 15, 2010
Time: 11:15am-11:40am (Eastern)/10:15am-10:40am (Central)/08:15am-08:40am (Pacific)/
3:15pm - 3:40pm (GMT)
Phone Number - 1-218-936-1100 Access Code – 62719#,
Backup Number – 1-218-936-1200 Access Code: 52924878

Topic Time
1 Pranam and opening of the curtain (Bhaba All 11:15 – 11:16
Bandhana…)
2 Shri Guru Pranam - Short Stotra Bandana All 11:16 – 11:18
3 Introduction Bijoy Bhai 11:18 – 11:20
4 Reading – Rules and Restrictions of Hindu Gyan Bhai 11:20 – 11:30
Dharma
5 Discussion and Q & A Gyan Bhai 11:30 – 11:35
6 Song Shreya 11:35 – 11:40
7 Bhaba Binimaya Sharthak 11:40 – 11:41
8 Invitation for the next session – 09-05-10 Shreya 11:41 – 11:42
9 Beg for forgiveness for any mistakes Sharthak 11:42 – 11:43
10 Last Song (Dayamaya Shricharane) Bhakti 11:43 – 11:44
11 Pranam, Jayaguru Nama Kirtan and closing All 11:44 – 11:45
of Curtain

Beginning Prarthana:
Bhaba Bandhana Mochana Pujyabaram
Gunahinamasesha Gunadhipatim
Bhaba-bhirujane Satatam Baradam
Pranamami Gurum Siva Kalpatarum

Shri Guru Pranam:

Om Brahmanandam parama sukhadam kevalam jnanamurtim
Dvandatitam gagana sadrisam tattvamasyadi laksyam
Ekam nityam vimalamachalam sarvadhi saksibhutam
Bhavatitam trigunarahitam sadgurum tam namami.

Invitation:
Jayaguru. I invite Shri Shri Thakura, all the young aspirants, their parents and other
members of America Saraswat Sangha to our next session to be held on Sunday,
September 05, 2010 at 11:15 eastern time.

Beg for forgiveness for any mistakes:

Jayaguru. On behalf of all the young aspirants of America Saraswat Sangha, I beg for
forgiveness from Shri Shri Thakur for any mistakes that we might have made.
 Jayaguru

The Rules and Restrictions of Hindu Dharma

Many people, by seeing the rules and restrictions imposed on the ordinary people, think that
the fasting, atonement, renunciation from worldly pleasures and inflicting pain on one’s own self is
probably dharma. However, the Hindus know that Hinduism is not about inflicting pains on oneself; it
is all about self-improvement and increasing happiness. Dharma is defined as devotion to God, love
and affection to humankind, peace in the heart and mind which means full development of the
capabilities of sensual organs leading to total harmony among these organs. Is there anything in the
world more fascinating than these three words, devotion, love and peace? However, we need to keep
in mind that no happiness can be obtained without some pains and sufferings. People who are
indulged in worldly pleasures also have to arrange and collect, with care and difficulty, the materials
and ingredients for those sensual pleasures. Similarly, those who desire to obtain and enjoy pleasures
from religious and spiritual endeavors also need to acquire the materials for those pleasures one hard
step at a time. That is why Hinduism imposes harsh rules for the beginners or the people with lower
state of eligibility. Let’s discuss the purpose of these rules:

Hinduism is built upon two sets of rules, regulations and restraints: firstly the restraints on
gross body such as restrictions on diet and secondly restrain of the subtle body such as purification of
mind and intellect. Let’s discuss the restrictions on diet. The body has a special relationship with the
food we eat. Then again, if the body is not healthy then nothing can be done. One’s body needs to be
healthy and fit in order to achieve the four main aims of human pursuit namely, Dharma (virtue or
spirituality), Artha (wealth or riches), Kama (desires for sensual pleasures) and mokshya (salvation).
Nothing can be performed well if the body is diseased and become unfit to work. However, in order to
keep the body healthy, we need to be careful about what we eat. Therefore, in order to keep the body
healthy such that it can help the human to lead a spiritual life, the Aryan sages have prescribed
different foods for people based on geography, age and profession. The same food that maintains good
health in one country may yield different result in people from another country or culture. Diets are
prescribed based on the natural tendencies of a country or geography. The general climate does
influence the difference in diet of that country. The diet that creates strength in the body, develops
spiritual thinking and intelligence, mental stamina and strength, in a country with colder climate may
create the opposite impact on body and mind in a country with warmer climate. Hence the diet such
as fish, meat, onion, garlic and alcohol that is generally used in colder climate is very harmful for
people in warmer climate. The scripture restricts these foods because it is harmful. The ultimate
purpose of eating is not to satisfy and provide pleasure to the sensual organs. Therefore Hindu
scriptures say:

Taking food just for the satisfaction and pleasure of the sensual organs need to be discarded.
The knowledgeable sages have opinioned that the food is the best diet which brings strength to the
body, pleases the mind and intellect and incites spiritual thinking. Also the food is the best diet which
strengthens the body, prevents disease, and ushers in good nature, pious mind and intellect.
 One should only take the food that brings happiness in this life and peace in the life after.
People who desire a long and healthy life should reject all food which does not satisfy the criteria
described here.

The dietary needs differ based on someone’s profession. It may not be harmful to hunt and eat
meat for the people who engage in warfare, protect the society, and smear the earth by spilling human
blood. They need to eat such food which increases bravery, inspires others, develop strength; in
essence enhances the Rajashik qualities. Without eating food that enhances rajashik quality, the
inclination to think and act rajashik is not enhanced. However, people who pursue the spiritual path of
life should not eat meat. They need to enhance their Satwik qualities. Hence they need to eat food
which enhances Satwik qualities. Hence, Hinduism prescribes diet based on the caste of a person.
Apart from that there are rules for not eating at night on full moon, first moon and eleventh day from
it. There are also rules on eating certain food on certain date according to the lunar calendar. Many
understand the reasons behind these rules. Modern physiological scientists believe that if a cow is sick
or just delivered a calf or delivered dead calf, the milk it produces is not safe for consumption. Hindu
sages have said – “leave the milk of the cow that has delivered a dead calf”

Hence all the rules and prohibition prescribed by Hinduism regarding dietary intake are not
superstition or full of falsehood. Hindu scriptures prevent eating leftovers from another person’s plate
or eating anywhere and everywhere or take food offered by anyone. It may be difficult for most
westerners who practice materialism to understand inner meanings of these small things.

The essence of Hinduism is purification of mind and intellect. Those who are desirous and
genuinely interested to find and accept the essence of Hinduism need to pay special attention to
purification of mind. One can not progress in his spiritual pursuit or achieve higher level of spiritual
state of mind, unless the purification of mind is practiced. Control of sensual organs and six lowly
passions or enemies are essential to the progress in the path of spiritual pursuit. Therefore the
practice of the purification of mind is the restraint and meditation of the path of Dhama.

Nothing can be done unless the mind is under control. The purpose of all the rituals performed
by ordinary men is to restrain the faculties of mind, its feelings, and its emotions. It is rather difficult
to control the mind, which is like an intoxicated, insolent, and arrogant elephant. In the Bhagavat Gita
Shri Krishna has said – “O strong-armed Arjuna, it is almost impossible to bring the restless, fickle,
inconsistent mind into control. “

It is almost impossible to bring the sensual organs under control once they go out of one’s
control. The knowledge can not be revealed if the mind does not reject its fickleness and calms down.
Then the scriptures say –
“Success and perfection can be achieved easily, if the sense organ can be brought under
control.” – Manu Sanhita
“Though the people with conscience try to achieve salvation and liberation, the sense organs
who create restlessness and anxiety, do forcibly bring the mind into material pleasures” – Gita
“Try controlling your mind with utmost care and diligence, and connect your mind with mine or
God. Because, those who have subdued and brought their mind under control, their intellect and
wisdom are stable and steady.” Gita
 “Humankind get totally attracted and attached in sensual pleasure even if they are fatigued
from it. Those who don’t get attached to these pleasures, they achieve salvation” – Mahabharat

The Hindus have prescribed the hardship of these various rules and restrictions after
understanding the true meaning and necessity of these. One is an extremely foolish and ignorant man,
even if he has achieved great knowledge and wisdom in all scriptures, if his mind is not subdued and
sensual organs are not under his control.

Then again, Hinduism does not want someone to be under the strict control of these rules and
regulations for all the time. Man is under the control of all these rules till his mind is under control.
Nothing is necessary and needed when one is established in true knowledge and wisdom.

The rules and regulations of the scripture rule someone’s life as long as the inner meaning of
scriptures is realized and true knowledge is acquired. It is like taming a wild bird to be a pet. Initially
one has to keep the bird in the cage till it has been trained. Once it is trained there is no need to keep
it in the cage. Similarly the mind has to be put inside a narrow arena of rules and restraint in the initial
stage. Once the mind is controlled, there is no such need.

Thus these rules, regulations and restraints have to be followed till the true knowledge is
realized. Every rule and regulation of Hinduism teaches restraint in every part of life; starting from
getting up from bed in the morning until going to bed in the evening. These rules and regulations are
written by Thakura in his book “Brahmacharya Sadhana”.