Strengthening the Mind and Intellect

Part 2 of a live interview with Paramacharya Pt. Hardeo Persad on April 2, 2020 on 90.5 FM. Paramacharya talks about collective karma, the nature of energy, the importance of fasting and spirituality, and the aftermath of the virus.

1. Interviewer:Bill Gates gave a message on what the virus means to him and he said it reminds us that we are all connected and our actions affect each other. Is that our collective karma?
2. Yes. From Hinduism’s perspective, we recently celebrated Nau Raatri, the worship of Devi. Many people focus on Devi as the Goddess. I have been saying time and again, in a deeper and philosophical sense, Devi is the personification of energy. In this world, everything is energy vibrating at different frequencies. The world is like a sea of energy and each person’s action creates a ripple effect, hence, the law of cause and effect, action and reaction. This is both scientific fact and Hindu philosophy. No man is an island. We are interdependent. Whatever we do affects everybody else. Perhaps what is happening presently will create this awareness. Collective effort happens when we pray together. Unfortunately, man has become selfish. We forget the bigger picture that no man is an island. Nature has a way of forcefully making us understand that we are not alone, that we are part of the world and our actions impact upon others.

With the coronavirus, I might be a carrier without symptoms, so I must isolate myself from others. By doing this, I will realise that I need the presence of others around me. Every cloud has a silver lining and I see many good things resulting from this. At the same time, let me ask, what determines when it is time for a person to die? We see there are so many alarming deaths worldwide. The answer again is our karma. Everything we do impacts upon others. Every scripture says this: do unto others as you would have them do unto you because, when I hurt you, I hurt myself. This is nature’s way of teaching us to redefine our attitudes. What kills us more than the disease is fear of the disease.

I advised at the beginning of this year that we should fast for Surya and Hanumanji. There are many reasons for this but, at a simple level, the Sun symbolises the human being’s intellect and Hanuman Baba represents the mind principle. I mentioned on the first day of this year that we’ll be challenged and our perception will have to be at a different level. We have to see things from an enlightened perspective and the mind has to be strong so that we may be able to face the challenges. After the virus, there will be other challenges: People are losing their jobs. There are mental diseases, such as depression. This is only the beginning. We may find a vaccine but the damage that has resulted will be ongoing.

This is why we must be proactive and internalise. We must have an enlightened mind. Fear comes about because of an unenlightened intellect. The saying is that great minds focus on principles, mediocre minds on events and small minds on people. I need to see the underlying principle in all this, karma. Take responsibility and become positive. Hanuman Baba is the powerful mind principle. When I have an enlightened mind and a strong intellect, I create a positive energy around me. From a Hindu perspective, positive energy can destroy any negative. Turn towards spirituality. There are many religious people in every religion, but we must be spiritual.

Shree Raam symbolises that power of spirituality. In one sense, that means aatmaa or the soul in each of us, which is Divinity. Shree Raam conquered all challenges and difficulties. Raam is the soul within each of us, he is the Supreme Purusha. That is who we are and what we are. However, we have lost sense of our spirituality and our divinity and become very mundane. I am saying we must balance life. Life is like a square, you have physical, social, mental and spiritual sides. In a square there must be equilibrium, all the angles must be equal. Man should be in this way in his life, balanced. For most people, life is about the financial, social, mental and physical. We must return to spirituality, which is our true nature. Events like coronavirus and other negative situations in our life push us toward spirituality. If we turn towards our spiritual side, then we are in a better position to cope with these situations.

All religions are pushing us in this direction: Christians have celebrated Easter; Muslims, Ramadan and Hindus, Hanuman Jayanti. There must not only be an external celebration but the inner meaning of the celebration must help us become better people.

1. We can look at it as a positive in that people are now at home and we have the time to use this opportunity.
2. We have the time but are we using the opportunity to pray? All religions tell us to pray. Christians read their Bible, Muslims pray five times a day, Hindus perform mantra jaap and havan, etc. Are we reading our scriptures? If not, I think we need to find some time to do these things. We have the time, but what we do with the time, is another question.
3. People must use this time in a positive way that will better them and strengthen them spiritually and mentally. People are so fearful and stressed about how long this is going to last, about the economical effects, how they will take care of their families. What kind of advice can you offer?
4. When life is bleak, it is like going through a dark cave. We can’t see where we’re going. We do not know how long the cave is. We need to walk through the darkness, and put one foot in front of the other. Ramaayan tells us, “Aagay chalay.” Always keep going forward with a positive attitude. Have that belief in divinity. Do all the right karmas in life. The darkest point is the one nearest dawn. The best things in life come to those who wait long enough. In other words, patience is a very important quality in these situations. We need to internalise and do some critical self analysis. This is all a part of spirituality. While you’re doing that you must also pray. Hindus have the Mrityunjai Mantra, which is a very powerful mantra. Om trayambakam yajaa mahay, sugandhim pushti vardhanam, urvaarukam eva bandhanaan, mrityor mokshiyaa maamritaat. Every Hindu must learn this. It relates to Shivaji but it goes beyond form. The mantra creates great positive energies in a person. Many of our mantras possess these powers. The words, and even the letters themselves, create very positive energy when chanted. Chant your mantras and various practices. Even atheists who don’t believe in God do the right things in life, maintain the right principles and practices. The idea is to create positive energy through prayer, meditation, good actions and the pathways prescribed by the sages so we can defeat the negative vibrations that are consuming the world.
5. I remember you telling me that once you think good thoughts and do good, that too is like a puja and being prayerful.
6. That is mansic puja. Everything emanates from thought. This is why we should be positive. Be aware and concerned, but do not be afraid.