Dave Krunal

Notes

• Two questions inspired the writer to write “Tatvamasi “તત્વમસિ).”

1. Why do I think those without formal education or teachers contributed the most to keeping Indian literature alive?
2. What mystery binds all the Indians, regardless of their languages, traditions, religions, and cultures?

• One perspective is that the Narmada (નર્મદા) river divides India.
• The other perspective is that the Narmada (નર્મદા) river unites India.

• Whatever work you do is not small.
• Most of the time, gross work leads to subtle development over a long period.
• Many people live for money, status, and fame. But one in a million walks on the path that no one is walking—that is you.

• When you understand “I Am Brahma/ Absolute (અહં બ્રહ્માસ્મિ)”, you will realise that “I (અહં)” does not exist. Because whatever exists is That Thou Art (તત્વમસિ).

• Peepal tree (પીપળો), also known as Sacred Fig, is considered unlucky if you plant at home. The same Peepal tree is holy near a well, outside the village or in the temple.
• Indians believe that ghosts live on Peepal trees. That is superstition.
• One rationale for not planting the Peepal tree near home is its roots, which may hollow the land under the house.
• The peepal tree is among those trees that provide maximum oxygen.
• Indians do not burn or cut Peepal trees. Indians believe that serving water to this tree reaches their ancestors.

• Indians are strong because they have deep roots of spirituality in their consciousness, not religion.
• A religion cannot exist and does not have any meaning without spirituality (આધ્યાત્મ).

• A religion does not have any definition or boundaries
• A religion creates its path when someone prays in a Temple, Church or Mosque.
• It does not matter whether the answer to prayer comes from God, a tree, a doctor or a friend. What matters is prayers are answered. 

• લે, ખાઈ લે (eat) and આપી દે (give) – how much time has passed between these two words?

• Whoever has kept Indian culture alive never considered a religion as fundamental. The culture that frees us from within can never let religion be the basis of life.

• We are devotees of God, not religion.

• Finding humour from tragedy has been built into humans for centuries.

• Worship any rock in India, give it a god’s name and start a new religion. You will find haters. You will also find followers.

• We have many sects (સંપ્રદાય) because our Sages (ઋષિમુનિ) didn’t bind regions with life.

• Religion gives the order – do this. Don’t do that.
• Religion gives hope.
• Religion tells us to believe this and this but not that.
• Religion binds. It can never liberate us.

• India and Indians have a direct relationship with the creator, Brahma (બ્રહ્મ).
• India and Indians rely on spirituality, not religion.
• Everything (from human beings and animals to creatures) comes from the creator.
• God is also the form of the creator. God has to take birth from the mother’s womb and grow up like ordinary Indians.
• The world Brahma’s creation.

• Being a teacher is not easy.
• People put trust in your words.
• Your words have power over people, whether they think of themselves as a sinner (પાપી) or virtuous (પુણ્યશાળી).

• Cultural rules are formed for a healthy life, well-being, and discipline. Religion was added to those rules to give them some weight.

• The worry is about keeping our culture, tradition, and way of life alive. Religion has nothing to do with any of this.
• India will become extinct without its traditions and culture.

• Great stories like Ramanaya and Mahabharata are part of Indian DNA.
• It does not matter where in India you are born, which language you speak, or what you wear or eat—somehow, deep inside your consciousness, you feel the story and characters of Ramanaya and Mahabharata. For Indians, these are not just stories but life and tradition.

• We don’t have to serve those who do circumambulation (પરિક્રમાવાસી). We have to serve to circumambulation (પરિક્રમા) itself.
• From the above context, we don’t have to nurture kids. We have to nurture the childhood. 

• Those who built the Indian culture thought about a thread that connects every Indian regardless of where they are in India. That thread is travelling. 
• Travelling to pilgrimage places alters the way you look at life – this is called spirituality.
• When people travel across India, they don’t only travel across places; they also take the feelings of other people and places with them.

• A pilgrimage place, four adobes (ચાર ધામ) and worshipping god is an ancient Indian tradition.
• Travelling to pilgrimage places is a holy virtue.
• Serving food and shelter to those who travel to pilgrimage places is also a holy virtue.

• A line was written under the honeybee hive. The essence of the below writing is an unconditional offering of honey from hardworking bees to humankind. 

         અમારી પ્રીતિ છે શ્રમ, વેન, ફૂલ, ને રસ વિશે
મનુષ્યો, લો, પામો, સભર થઈ મીઠાશ શ્રમની.

• The question is, do you believe in past lives?
• But the most crucial question is, “Do you believe in this life?” This question leads to the question, “Who am I?” 

• Indians are united by living in a joint family, following traditions, and having an emotional connection with each other.
• The tradition of living in a joint family is vanishing. Nowadays, a family is nuclear. There is freedom and money, but no emotional support like it had before.

• Nature and fire are intertwined. They have a spiritual connection of life and death.
• Fire burns forests.
• The forest turns into ashes.
• The ashes create a forest.

• A few lines from character Gandu Fakir (ગંડુ ફકીર )

મેં હું બંદા તેરા, મેં હું આશિક તેરા,
મેં તો દીવાના હું, મેરે સિજદો કે ક્યાં?
મેં નામજી બનું યા શરાબી બનું,
બંદગી મેરે ઘર સે કહા જાયેગી?

• India should be ahead of all the countries in the world along with its ancient traditions.
• Only two countries can keep the tradition alive and advance the technical and economic development – India and Japan.