Ramanisblog

Tag: Hinduism

  • Why Buddhism Did not Flourish in India?

    I read an interesting article on the subject.

    I am providing excerpts and my views on it.

    Trite messages like follow-the-path-of-ahimsa, life-is-full-of-misery, respect-life, could not have gained Buddha so may followers. Esoteric ideas like Nirvana, dukkha, et al, could not have been the reason. People don’t change so much for so little! Or resist change so much when confronted by the sword!

    This was obviously not because Buddha’s statues were prettier than the statues of previous deities. Or because Buddhist chants sounded better. If that, anyway, was the reason, the statues of previous divinities could have been prettified….

    Buddhism for long disappeared from the Indian scene, but the fundamentals of its philosophy were formulated as part of Indian philosophical thought with its traditional polemics and constant exchange of ideas between different schools. This deep familial link of Buddhism with the Indian philosophical soil that engendered it is being missed by both Buddhist and Hindu philosophy studies. Buddhists study six Hindu darshans, but in a rather formal way as if these were dogmatic systems. Specialists on darshanas also formally study Buddhism. In my opinion, the important aspect missing is the mutual enrichment of both traditions, their constructive impact on each other. (via ‘Branches of Indology like religion flourishing in Russia’ – The Times of India….

    So, what made Buddhism so attractive?

    The axis of Confucian-Platonic authoritarian, ‘wise’ rulers, who were not accountable, was (and remains) the overwhelming model for the world. Property rights remained with less than o.1% of the people. Under the CRER principle, (cuius regio, eius religio, meaning whose land, his religion; CRER) even the most personal religious beliefs of the individual were subject to State approval, as per law….

    Is it any surprise that the common Chinese loves and venerates the Buddha – and the Chinese Government lays so much emphasis on Confucianism?…

    Indian religion and culture shapes half the world even today. China (Buddhism), Indonesia (considering that Mahabharata is their national epic and their use of Sanskritic names), entire South East Asia (except Philippines) and of course, India. What makes the Indian success remarkable is that this status has been acquired without significant military cost or economic expenditure.

    After the destruction of Takshashila, in 499 AD(?), without access to the ‘Indian thought factory’, Buddhism soon became a religion outside India. Buddha in India, was another, in a long line of teachers. Not so in the rest of the world.

      Cut off from Indian philosophy, Buddhism soon stopped growing.

    Remember all this without the sword! 2000 years later, other religions have not been able to match this spread!.

    http://quicktake.wordpress.com/2010/07/25/the-enigma-of-buddhism/#comment-3156

    My comments:

    Main reason for Buddhism being sidelined is that Hinduism absorbed Buddhism.
    Hinduism is flexible. personal and a way of life. You need not renounce the world to attain Godhood.
    Vedic system has Polytheism,Henotheism,Monotheism, Dualism and Monism.
    Host of Gods were worshipped, each symbolizing an aspect of Nature.As people evolved they began to understand the real meaning of the Vedas in its entirety and graduated into Henotheism,Monotheism. Still later as human thought evolved further, they have found Monism- Advaita-Non-dualism as the core.
    Buddhism came into being when Karmakanda or Ritualistic approach to religion had become intolerable with no attention paid to Gnana -Kanda-Path of knowledge.
    There was confusion galore in the method of worship and internecine feuds were not uncommon based on Religious beliefs.
    Gnana kanda was completely forgotten and Mimamsa which speaks of only karma with out Eswara aggravated the situation further.
    People lost hope in Hinduism.
    Then came the Buddha.
    His philosophy of Nihilism brought in a whiff of fresh air to people who were suffocating under the burden of numerous Gods and Religious sacrifices.
    His total negation of Vedas brought in many a convert and his system was simple to understand.
    Adi Shankaracharya diagnosed the problem correctly and immediately organized the Shanmathas-Six Deity Worship Ganapathya,-Saurya,Kaumaara,Saiva,Saaktha and Vaishnava.
    He preached the Vedic thoughts in a simple language that could be understood by all thus removing the shackles of the Scholarly approach to the Vedas.
    He denounced sacrifices ;at the same time he spread the message that the sacrifices were symbolic and the Real Godhood can be obtained by Discipline,Love,Prayer,Knowledge.
    He gave the Karma Kanda a secondary place to Gnana Kanda.
    He laid emphasis on Bhakti,Devotion.
    Theory of karma of Buddha was nothing new.It is nothing but what has been stated in the Vedas.Shankaracharya brought this fact into the fore.
    He won over Kumarila Bhatta and Mandana Misra from their Mimamsic ways.
    People were fed up with many Gods,so they switched over to Nihilism of the Buddha.
    To win those back Shankarachaya explained the Monism-Non-Dualism of Vedanta.
    To believe in a Reality that is ‘Nothing’ is difficult to grasp as it is difficult to grasp too many Realities.
    Shankara’s Advaita struck a middle path and he was able to win back the converts.
    The main reasons for Buddhism not flourishing in India are-
    -Believing Nil as a Reality is difficult for the Mind.
    -Though Buddha’s preaching was simple in Theory,it became very difficult for the followers to follow(because of incorrect interpretation)
    Buddhism negated idol worship-His followers worship his statues. This move by Buddhists was seen as double standards /hypocrisy
    Buddhism,over a period of time, developed rituals(which it vehemently condemned in the Vedas) .
    -Though Buddhism started as one school of thought,it branched of into Mahayana,Hinayana and various other Sects. This ate away its strength.
    As people started coming back into Hinduism,Rulers started promoting Hinduism.

  • Foretelling Death.Symptoms.

    Agasthiyar is  an ancient seer who is believed to have formed the Tamil language.

    He is a Siddha , one who transcends time and he ,like all seers are supposed to be deathless.

    He has written a number of philosophical and medical treatises.

    I reproduce a loose translation of Sage Agasthya ( Tamil) on the Symptoms preceding death.

    Death Follows these indications in Seven Days.

    Tongue will become angry red;

    High temperature ;

    Unquenchable thirst;

    High level of perspiration;

    Severe pain all over the body;

    Astringent taste of extreme nature shall be felt.

    Death Follows in 15 Days.

    Tongue will become red and slightly swollen;

    Temperature and perspiration;

    Throat will be congested;

    Voice will change.

    Death in 2 hours.

    Hands, Chest,Nose and Ears will become cold;

    Unbearable pain in the center of the head.

    Some more signs are also given.I have omitted them for they deal with Indian system of medicine.

    But general signs are as above.

    I am reproducing the Tamil Verse.

    “நாக்குச் சிவந்து முன்பிறந்த
    நன்னீரி னிறம்போல் சிவந்திருக்கும்
    தேக்கிக் காயும் தாகமுண்டு
    தெளிந்தே வேர்வு சிகமென்னே
    ஊக்கி உடலும் நொந்திருக்கும்
    உலகோர் அறிய உரைத்தோம்
    நாம் பாக்குத் தின்னும் துவர்
    வாய் பரிந்தே நாளும் ஏலேன்னே”

    – அகத்தியர் நயன விதி –

    நாக்கு சிவத்து மூளைக் கட்டுக்கள் முள்போலத் தோன்றி இரத்தம் போலச் சிவந்திருக்கும், காய்ச்சல் குறையாமல் தகிக்கும், அளவுக்கதிகமான தாகம் இருக்கும், உடல் வியர்க்கும் , உடல் முழுதும் வலிப்பது போல் இருக்கும் , பாக்கு தின்பது போல நாக்கில் துவர்ப்புச்சுவை தெரியும், இந்த அறிகுறிகள் தெரிந்தால் ஏழு நாளில் உயிர் துறப்பார்கள் என்று உலகத்தவர்கள் தெரிந்துகொள்ள சொல்கிறேன்.

    “சிவேத சிவக்கச் சுரமுண்டாம்
    சிதற வேர்வை மறுமையுண்டு
    நீத நாக்கு பசுத்து முள்ளு
    நிறைந்தே வெடித்து ரோகமுண்டாம்
    ஓதத்தத் தொண்டை நேரிகுரலாம்
    ஒளிசெர்நாளும் பதினைந்தாம்
    நாதப் பண்சொல் மொழிமடவாய்
    நாடிக் கொள்வாய் நாள்குறியே”
    – அகத்தியர் நயன விதி –

    உடல் சிவந்து காணப்படும் சுரம் உண்டாகி , வியர்வை பெருகும், நாக்கு நிறம் மாறி முள் போல் முளைகள் நிறைந்து வெடித்து காணப்பட்டு அதிக வேதனை தரும், தொண்டை இறுகி குரல் மாறிவிடும், நாத மொழி பேசும் பெண்ணே இந்த அறிகுறிகள் கண்டால் பதினைந்து நாளில் மரணம் என்று அறிந்து கொள்.

    “எண்ணியஅவத்தை சொல்வேன்
    இனியகை மார்பும் மூக்கும்
    நண்ணிய செவியினோடு
    நலம்பெற குளிர்ந்து காட்டி
    திண்ணமா உச்சி யங்கி
    யாயிடிச் சிலேத்தும மோடி
    மண்ணினிக் கடிகை ஐந்தில்
    மரணமேன்றறிந்து சொல்லே”

    – அகத்தியர் நயன விதி –

    கை, மார்பு, மூக்கு, காது, முதலான உறுப்புக்கள் குளிர்ந்து காணப்படும், உச்சந்தலையில் இடி இடிப்பது போல வலி ஏற்படும், சிலேத்தும நாடி மிகுந்து ஓடும் இவ்வகை அறிகுறிகள் காணப்பட்டால் இந்தப் புவியில் ஐந்து நாழிகையில் மரணம் என்று அறிந்துகொள்.

    “அறிந்தபின் மமர்ந்து வாத
    சிலேத்தும மதிக மாகில்
    நிறைந்தோர் வார்த்தை தானும்
    நேர்பட வெடிப்பாய் பேசும்
    சிறந்திடு முகம்வெளுத்து
    மார்ப்பது குடில்போல் சென்றால்
    மறந்தனார்க்கடி கைதொண்ணுறா
    மளவிலே மரண மெய்யே”
    – அகத்தியர் நயன விதி –

    பித்த நாடி அடங்கி வாத சிலேத்தும நாடிகள் அதிகரிக்குமானால், நல்ல மொழிகளைப் பேசும் நிலையில் இருப்பவர் வார்த்தைகள் சீற்றத்தோடு அதாவது கோபமானவையாக இருக்கும், முகம் வெளுக்கும், மார்பானது குழல் போல் குறுகும், இத்தகு அறிகுறிகள் தோன்றினால் தொண்ணூறு நாழிகையில் மரணம் என்று அறிந்துகொள்.

    http://aanmikam.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-post_8360.html

  • ‘No Heaven..Some thing Out of Nothing’-Hawking Non-sense.

    True.

    But there are people who made the Computer.

    Reality is the Ultimate Cause.

    A Scientist should know that there has to be cause for Every thing.

    ( Indian Philosophy has a different approach on this point)

    Inability to distinguish between Religion and Metaphysics is a failing of Hawking,

    What the Ultimate Cause is, in the Realms of Philosophy.

    The very fact he is harping on Fear of death is an indication of his fear.

    By denying the unknown he is trying o overcome his fear.

    Let him have the luxury.

    For more details on the subject read the blog at the end of this story.

    Story:

    “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.”

    “I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I’m not afraid of death, but I’m in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first,” he told the newspaper.

    http://current.com/1bocmkc

    Stephen hawking , in his forthcoming book the Grand Design makes interesting observations.While he , in his earlier book,Brief history of Time seemed to take  a philosophical position, which is unwarranted, as scientists normally  concern themselves to their discipline instead of trying to explain things from their discipline,in his latest book he has taken the position that God is not necessary for the creation of Universe.

    http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2010-09-03-hawking02_ST_N.htm?csp=34news&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+usatoday-NewsTopStories+%28News+-+Top+Stories%29

    The absurdity of this argument lies in the fact that he has taken or rather seems to take the concept of God according to Christianity.

    Creation , according to  The Bible, is to have begun at a fixed point of Time.

    This is not logically tenable.

    Can he define ‘Some thing’ and ‘Nothing’?

    Every effect has a cause, every Effect has more than one Cause ;a Cause may be a result of another Cause and an Effect may be a  Cause for another Effect.

    In the first case, we credit an Event/Effect with a specific Cause relatively for this case for this cause  may be a result of another cause.

    In the second case the reverse is true.Causes are classified into Immediate Cause, Concomitant Cause.Material Cause,Efficient Cause etc.No single entity is responsible for any Effect .Similar is the case with Effects.

    Law of causality in nothing but a tool of mind to find a pattern for our convenience of understanding and classification.Things happenirrrespective of the fact whether we recognise them , classify them or not.

    Things/Events happen-Period.

    Unified Theory is as good as Chaos Theory.Both are equally true , depending on our perception.

    As Immanuel Kant has observed Space and Time are the two spectacles through which we perceive.Take away the these twin concepts(in fact they are one), you can perceive or conceptualize nothing.

    Therefore the causality is a myth.

    Again Law of causality depends on two factors,Law of uniformity of nature and Law of Causation.

    We know, or rather we think we know that the the law of of Uniformity of Nature will be there tomorrow as in Sun appearing to morrow.At best we may say it has happened till date and MAY be so to morrow.That is all.

    We have already seen that law of Causality is a myth and only a convenient tool as science is .

    Therefore the argument for First cause is not tenable(God).

    Then how do we explain the Universe and Mind?

    As said earlier things happen, happened ,and shall happen.

    We are in the flow ,as Henri Bergson called it,elan vital-Stream of Consciousness.

    We can not pin point a point of Time when this originated

    Please refer my Blog on Time-a non linear theory for details.

    Hence Hawking is right in so far as the concept of God as Christianity sees it.

    Not philosophically correct.

    Spinoza explains the Reality( God) thus.

    “Substance is that which exists independently of any thing else and which does not need the conception  of any thing in order to be conceived”

    Hinduism states that reality is without Cause,it is the First cause.It has no attribute.It is immanent.beyond human intellect.It is indescribable,It can not be known.it can only be experienced.It can not be defined but can be described by negating-not this, not this.

    Hinduism states that things were, are and shall be.(The Bhagavad Gita).

    Universe evolved both matter and Mind by the Sparsa( loosely trnslated means touching,grazing) of inanimate matter Prakriti or nature( not Nature) or qualities and dynamic or Flowing Energy Purusha.

    They graze due to lila or playfully(loose translation) with out any specific purpose or purposeless may be a purpose.

    Out these are formed the seeming first cause, mahat and 24 principles are evolved for the Creation.It does not Time reference.

    “Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing,” the excerpt says. “Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the Universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to … set the Universe going.”-Hawking in his latest Book.

    Exactly.This what Hinduism is about.

    The dichotomy between western and oriental thought is due to the basic difference in the basic concept of Knowledge.

    In the west knowledge is to be gained.A positive concept.-philosophically speaking.

    In the east it is the removal of ignorance.

    West follows the dictum Nihilo nihil Fit'( out of nothing comes).

    East”This is full,That is Full; having taken Full out of Full, Full remains Full”

    Hawking is right on the denial of God as conceptualized by Christianity ;wrong from the Indian and philosophical standpoint.

  • Faith In Baba ,To be Felt.

    Faith is verified and trusted Belief.

    A Child trusts its Mother.

    Does it rationalize?

    You can not Know God,you can only Feel Him.

    I have an instance of Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi narrated to me by my father.

    My Grand father was Ramana Maharishi’s class mate.

    On this ground my used to have child -like access to Bhagwan.

    After a tiff with my mother,my father went to Ramanasramam at Tiruvannamalai to become a Sanyasi.

    He saw Bhagwan and told him he wanted to become a Sanyasi like Him.

    Maharishi asked my father to sit with him as he was giving Darshan.

    Normally Bhagwan takes his meals around 12 noon.

    Hour reached 3 pm.

    My father could not bear the hunger and asked the Bhagwan to come to lunch.

    He came,ate with my father asked him to take rest

    At about five pm, he called my father and told him that becoming a Sanyasi is no easy task and running away from family problems is no solution.

    One who can not bear with Hunger even for three  hours can never control senses, which is the prerequisite for becoming a Sanyasin.

    He advised my father that people in family Life are the foundation on which Sanyaasrama rests.

    Better to be in the Family life and practice Spirituality.

    In another instance,my father went there to ask Ramana Maharishi to ask questions on Philosophy but returned without asking any question.

    On being asked about this, my father explained that when he sat before the Bhagwan, questions vanished from his mind and he was at peace with himself.

    Guru’s Blessings may be Sparsa Deeksha,Mouna  Deeksha or Nayana Deeksha.

    Ramana Maharishi Blessed with Nayana and Mouna Deeksha.

    I have felt this when I went to  the Prayer hall where Baba was giving Darshan.

    Baba seems to do all these.

    I was at peace with my self.

    What more does one want?

    ( I have felt the same way in Ramanan Mahrishi’s Dhyana Hall,Seshadri Swamaigal Adihshtaanam,Tiruvannamalai, Shiri Baba’s Temple Prayer Hall,Mandaveli,Chennai and Ramakrishna Asrama in Mandaveli,Chennai

    However there are instances of Baba’s Miracles.

    Some of them are:

    Baba walked into the room and his sister slipped out of a coma.

    GOD HAS NOT CREATED everyone equal. I believe that some people have superhuman powers. Sathya Sai Baba was one of them. My brother-in-law told me about him 12 years ago. When I met him, he already knew I wanted to build a cardiac hospital on the outskirts of Bengaluru — a project most were sceptical about. When I met him, he simply told me, “The city will come to you.” It really did come to me. Baba once gave me a ring that I wear all the time, except during surgery, because I feel his warm presence.

    The most beautiful miracle of Baba’s is the one my brother-in-law witnessed. He was treating Baba’s sister, who at the time, had been in a coma for days. When Baba walked into the room, she woke up, talked to him for a few minutes and slipped back. How do you explain that medically?

    A Hindu woman once came to me for treatment. Someone in the Ajmer Dargah had told her it would save her life. She had aortal arteritis, a rare and serious condition. She insisted I operate. I didn’t know how to. I had to patch up her liver, her intestine and re-establish circulation to the brain. I did and she has been healthy for eight years now. Similarly, a very established doctor and friend saw his patient in a hospital levitate while meditating. I have seen people who are two yards away from death surviving and perfectly healthy people dying suddenly. How do you explain this? We do 36 heart surgeries a day in our hospital. We cut off circulation to the brain, paralyse the heart, and the patient is practically dead. Each time, I don’t know if he or she will survive it. Any doctor who thinks he does is kidding himself. You don’t want to hear this from a doctor and a scientist, but my hands are about as powerful as forceps controlled by God.

    My wife had hip cancer. Baba just said, ‘Cancer, cancelled’, and she was well and could walk

    SAI BABA saved his miracles for others. My sister suffered from a bad gastric ulcer. She was weak and the hospital doctor prescribed milk fed through the nose. A young, inexperienced nurse misunderstood the instruction and gave my sister milk intravenously — directly into the blood. She lost her consciousness and it seemed she would die. When the error was corrected, she suddenly got up and said, “Baba was here. He gave me vibhuti. I am perfectly okay.” She walked out of the hospital without an operation.

    In 1999, my wife suffered a heart attack. Four months after a bypass, she fainted during an evening walk. I rushed her to the hospital. She was in the intensive care unit and had breathing problems. They said — four months to live, operate immediately. When she heard this, my wife insisted on having Baba’s darshan before surgery. The doctor, who was also a devotee, discharged her. Bound to a wheelchair, oxygen cylinder in tow, my wife and I went to meet the Baba. It was Christmas. At Puttaparthi, we stood in the front row waiting for Baba’s darshan. On seeing me, he said, “No second surgery for her.” He produced vibhuti out of the air and told me not to worry. She was wheelchair-bound but after the darshan, she started walking and didn’t need that second surgery.

    I went back to Baba a second time for my wife, about eight years later. My wife had developed cancer in the hip. She could neither walk nor lie down and was on morphine injections. When I saw Baba, he said, “Cancer cancelled”, and produced a crystal Shivling with a wave of his hand. “Do abhishek and give her the water to drink,” he said. On the ninth day, my wife went to the market. Her cancer was gone.

    Sai Baba’s life, however, meant far more than the many miracles he performed. I used to believe only in the Vedantic philosophy. Now when I pray, I also chant Jesus, Allah and Buddha’s names. You can find all the world’s religions in Puttaparthi. I once saw an Iranian boy chant the Gayatri Mantra with perfect diction. By showing us the similarities in religions, the Baba united us. Not to mention the several cashless hospitals he ran or his colleges that took students without fees. For us, he was a living God.

    http://www.tehelka.com/story_main49.asp?filename=hub070511WHY.asp


  • Akshaya Tritiya-Nothing to do with Gold/Platinum.

    Akshaya Tritiya falls on 13 Ma 2013.

    I repeat, do not waste money by buying Gold or Platinum.

    Goddess Mahalkshmi
    Akshya Tritiya,Goddess Lakshmi.

    Akshya Tridiya is meant for performing Tharpana for ancestors and for charity.

    Deva Yagnam,Pitru Yagyam,Manusha Yagnam,Boo Yagna are some of the regular Yagnas to be performed by every body.

    Deva Yagna is thanks giving to Divine beings,Pitru for Ancestors, Manusha for Fellow humans and Boo Yagna for all other Living Beings.

    Deva Yagna is by Brahma Yagna,Pitru by Tharpana/Srardha,Manusha Yagna by helping others,and Boo Yagna by feeding the other living beings.

    These are to be performed every day.

    Of this,Akshaya Tridhiyai comes under Pitru Yagna.

    On this day one is expected to perform harpana for Pitrus and engage in feeding the poor.

    Nothing about Gold or Platinum purchase at all. 

    Pity how people are misguided on a Sacred Ritual.

    This is akin to Greeting Christians on Good Friday.

    Read the following from The Times of India dtd 24 April 2012.

    Vishnu sur Garuda (Thommanon, Angkor)
    Vishnu sur Garuda (Thommanon, Angkor) (Photo credit: dalbera)

    Akshaya means never diminishing. Many things happened on this day: Draupadi was given Akshaya Patra (bowl) by Krishna which supplied unlimited food; Kubera, treasurer of gods, prayed to Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, to fill his treasury; Parashurama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu, was born; Satya yuga ended and Treta yuga began; the Ganga descen-ded from Heaven; Ved Vyasa and Ganesha began writing the epic Maha-bharata; and Sudama, the poor friend of Krishna, came to Dwarka to ask for help. In return for a handful of beaten rice, Krishna gave immense wealth to Sudama. Gates of the Badrinarayana temple open on this day. Construction of chariots for the Jagannath rath yatra at Puri commences. Jains observe fast and break it with sugarcane juice as king-turned-monk Rishabhdeva was offered sugarcane juice after a year-long fast. So the belief is that worshipping Lakshmi-Kubera, buying gold and silver ornaments, investing money in shares and real estate, buying household things, ploughing land, writing new account books – will all bring prosperity.

    Each second of Akshaya Tritiya is auspicious. This is the time to put in our best to get eternal benefits.”

     http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/opinion/edit-page/Akshaya-Tritiya-very-auspicious/articleshow/12840098.cms

    In  what way the Purchase of Gold/any thing new is associated with Akshya Tritiya?

    Akshaya Tritiya, variously spelt as Akshya Thiritiya, Akshaya Trutheeya, Akshaya Tritiiya and also called Akshaya Trithi, falling on the third day of the bright half of the lunar month of Vaisakha of the traditional Hindu calendar, is one of the four most auspicious days of the year for Hindus. Akshaya Tritiya is also known as “Akha Teej”. The birthday of Parasurama, the sixth incarnation of Vishnu falls on this day. The ‘Dharmasindhu’ mentions this is the adi tithi of satayuga. The word Akshaya, a Sanskrit word, literally means one that never diminishes, and the day is believed to bring good luck and success. Akshaya Tritiya is observed when tritiya prevails more before the noon.

    Whoever worships lord krishna and applies chandan all over lord krishna goes to vaikuntha. Any japa, homa, pitru tarpana, or dana done that day becomes a-kshaya means he earns lots of good karma that day. In the Mahabharata, the Pandavas received the Akshaya Pathram (bowl) from Lord Krishna on this day. The Akshaya Pathram provided unlimited food for the Pandavas during their exile. Due to this reason, people believe that anything that is acquired on this day will be replenished. This day is specially important as on this day any thing you donate is akshaya or never ending. Therefore people conduct special puja for Goddess Lakshmi and buy new gold and silver ornaments and invest money in shares and real estate. This festival is widely celebrated in all parts of India by different sections of the society irrespective of their religious faith and social grouping.

    http://www.mypanchang.com/akshaya-tritiya.php

    Akshaya Tritiya, also known as Akha Teej is a Hindu and Jain[citation needed] holy day, that falls on the third Tithi (Lunar day) of Bright Half (Shukla Paksha) of Hindi month of Vaishakha.

    Jainism is one of the oldest known religion of world. Rishabhadeva alias Adinath is the first Tirthankara of the Jain. The Day of Akshay Tratiya is worshipped and said auspicious in Jainism because –

    Tirthankara Rshabhdeva was king of Ayodhya. He being enlightened gave up all earthly pleasures and chose to lead the life of an ascetic and become a Jain monk. Jain monks do not possess anything,not even food. They do not even cook food for themselves. While hungry or thirsty, they go to people and ask for food or drinking water. Tirthankara Rshabhdeva also went to people and asked food. However, the people of that time did not know anything about the acts of monks, as he was the first monk in this era. People of Ayodhya offered gold, jewellery, gemstones, elephants, horses, expensive garments and even their daughters to honour their beloved king. Rshabhdeva was not in quest of all these. He wanted only 36 morsel of food,and that no body offered him. No body at that time could guess that their king was asking for food. As there was no choice, he had to fast for long time until his grand son Shreyansha kumara understood his need. Shreyansha kumara, finally, offered him sugar cane juice and Rshabhdeva broke his fast with that juice after 1 year. The incident happened on the day of Akshaya Tritiya. This is considered by the Jains as one of the best offerings. It is believed that bestowing upon religious gifts on Akshaya Tritiya becomes inexhaustible. Jains, even today, observe longterm fast to commemorate their first Tirthankara Rshabhadeva and broke their fast on Akshaya Tritiya with sugar cane juice.

    As per Hindus, This day is ruled by god Vishnu, the preserver-god in the Hindu Trinity. It is also traditionally celebrated as the birth day of the Hindu sage Parashurama, the sixth Avatar (incarnation) of the god Vishnu. According to Hindu mythology, on this day the Treta Yuga began and the river Ganges, the most holy and sacred river of India, descended to the earth from the heaven.

    The word “Akshaya” means the never diminishing in Sanskrit and the day is believed to bring good luck and success. It is believed that if you do a charity on this day you will be blessed and will receive blessings many fold. Nowadays jewellers have turned the purity into a marketing gimmick. The day is particularly considered auspicious for starting new ventures. The legend states that any venture initiated on the auspicious day of Akshaya Tritiya shall continue to grow and bring prosperity. Hence, it is normal to see many of the new ventures, like starting a business, ground breaking for construction on the Akshaya Tritiya.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akshaya_Tritiya