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Sri Ramana Maharshi
Welcome
I propose to use this blog primarily to air my occasional musings on any matters relating to the life and teachings of Ramana Maharshi. There will also be occasional contributions about Arunachala, the sacred mountain where Sri Ramana spent all of his adult life.
Articles and interviews on these topics can also be found on my site: www.davidgodman.org.
Articles and interviews on these topics can also be found on my site: www.davidgodman.org.
993 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 600 of 993 Newer› Newest»D; "There are so many sadhus wandering around how am I to know who is a genuine one?"
M; The Maharishi most graciously said "He is a real sadhu in whose presence you get an indescribable peace without making any effort"
Dear hey jude,
Yes. In Sri Ramana Gita, first chapter, where Sri Bhagavan explains how a person had attained Jnana could be discerned. He says that his samatva-bhavam [all are Brahma swrupam] will indicate to other that he had attained Jnana.
Devotee: It is said in some books that one should cultivate all the good or divine qualities in order to prepare oneself for Self-realization.
Sri Bhagavan: All good or divine qualities are included in spiritual knowledge and all bad or demonic qualities are included in ignorance. When knowledge comes, ignorance goes and all the divine qualities appear automatically. If a man is Self-realized, he cannot tell a lie or commit a sin or do anything wrong. It is no doubt said in some books that one should cultivate one virtue after another and thus prepare for ultimate realization, but for those who follow the Jnana Marga, Self inquiry is quite enough for acquiring all the divine qualities, they need not do anything else.
Devotee: Please tell me how I am to realize the Self? Am I to make an incantation of 'Who am I?'
Sri Bhagavan: No. It is not intended to be used as an incantation.
In general, He approved the use of incantation by those who found them helpful but He was insistent that Self inquiry should not become a mantra.
[THE TEACHINGS OF RAMANA MAHARSHI IN HIS OWN WORDS - ARTHUR OSBORNE.]
Q: Is it possible to speak to Iswara as Sri Ramakrishna did?
Sri B: When we can speak to each other, why should we not speak to Iswara in the same way?
Q: Then why does it not happen with us?
Sri B: It requires purify and strength of mind and practice in meditation.
Q: Does God become evident if the
above conditions exist?
Sri B: Such manifestations are real as your own reality. In other words, when you identify yourself with the body, as in the waking state, you see gross objects, When in the subtle body or in the mental plane, as in dreams, you see objects equally subtle. In the absence of identification in deep sleep, you see nothing. The objects seen bear a relation to the state of the seer. The same applies to visions of God. By long practice the figure of God, as meditated upon, appears in dreams and may later appear in the waking state also.
[BE AS YOU ARE - DAVID GODMAN]
@All,
I feel I have been misunderstood. i did not Q the Muni's knowldge of Sanskrit/Sutras/Tantras at all. By "Seer of Upanishad" i understand it as "Janni"; which, in my opinion (like you all have yours) the Muni was not. Also, I have not questioned the contents of Ramana Gita. I referred to the intention with which they were asked, as Bhagavn Himself has said about it in a book.
As regards to the two instances I quoted, I wl cut them short and try to put them in 4-5 sentences. I do not recollect in which book these appear. So, here you go -
1. The Muni and his deisciples being Saktas, beleived in the Srishti-Drishti vada as against drishti-srishti vada (or other-way round) that Bhagavan supported. Bhagavan has told (as per a book) that the Muni and the disciples posed quetioned in different ways to get Him to support their view; but of course, Bhagavan could not be deterred.
2. When Sri Sarma was tutored on Ulladu Narapadu, Sri Sarma who was more comfortable in Sanskrit than the Literature version of Tamil, composed verses in Sanskrit and show Bhagavan if he has grasped it right. He later sent this to The Muni for his amendments. Kavyakantha, instead, came up with his version of Ulladu Narpadu, superceding the version that Sri Sarma sent. Sri Sarma was bowled over by the exotic and polished Sanskrit. However, the metre chosen was smaller than that of Sarma's and those ideas that advocated Advaita seemed to have been carefully dropped. Sri Sarma told the same to Bhagavan, and also told that it was enough for his daily parayana. Bhagavn gave a big hunkara, disapproving his attitude. Sri Sarma, after this, thought that Bhagavan wanted him to correct the same. bhagavan advised Sri Sarma to compose verses of bigger meter so that the complete idea can be contained in the verses.
In my opinion, the above do confirm that the Muni did try to misinterpret Bhagavan's teachings deliberately.
Also, a couple of stray incidents, which do not make me feel that great about him:
He is supposed to have gotten in fight with chinnaswami, each proclaiming to be Bhagavan's greatest devotee. He was also supposed to have contemplated on taking over the Ashram's management when it was under Chinnaswamy.
Of course, these are my conclusions and my opinions, just the way, others here have. But I have just put across how I feel and why I feel so.
Again, I do not question his knowledge; but I don’t feel he was rightly compared. NOM to anyone.
maneesha/friends,
Please refer to this link which has letters written by Sri Ganapathy muni to Sri Bhagavan.
http://kavyakantha.arunachala.org/Letters_from_Muni.htm
It will be amply clear from the contents that the Muni was an extraordinary Tapasvi and may well be the 'seer'of the Vedic type.
I do find his experiences are 'Mixed' and 'colored' by his ideas.People with strong emotional(Vital in Sri Aurobindo's schema)disposition have this fundamental trait-a certain tendency to exaggerate,a certain Bombast.There certainly is no wilful tendency to misrepresent or a lack of integrity.
His devotion to Sri Bhagavan is unmistakeable.
Namaskar.
Maneesha, 'He is supposed to have gotten in fight with chinnaswami, each proclaiming to be Bhagavan's greatest devotee. He was also supposed to have contemplated on taking over the Ashram's management when it was under Chinnaswamy'
Chinnaswami argued with alot of devotees, he was a hard taskmaster.
Why single out Ganapati Muni?
glow
Dear all,
When Sri Bhagavan was brought to notice, the passing away of Sri
Ganapati Muni in Sirsi, Sri Bhagavan
wept and said: "Nayana, you have gone. How can I see one another person like you?" After sometime when some devotee asked Sri Bhagavan whether Muni had attained liberation, Sri Bhagavan replied:
"He had many many sankalpas. How can someone with many sankalpas
attain mukti?" He kept silent thereafter. This has appeared in some earlier editions of either Day by Day or Letters, but it was removed later. David Godman Himself has confirmed this once in some blog. David, what do you say?
Friends, An interesting exchange between Ramana and Frank Clune an adventurer.
I only got one question in. Asking him the meaning of the tiger skin on which he sat. "It is a symbol of fierceness to protect my religion" was his smiling reply.
'But what is your religion?" I innocently asked.
'Seeking the truth" was his prompt reply.
So ended my pilgrimage to the saint of Tiruvannamalai. I think it is not so much his actual teaching as his calm and serene atmosphere which attracts disciples.
Devotee: If someone we love dies, it causes grief. Should we avoid such grief by either loving all alike or not loving at all?
Sri Bhagavan: If someone we love dies, it causes grief to the one continues living. The way to get rid of grief is not to continue living. Kill the griever, and who will then remain to grieve? The ego must die. That is the only way. The two alternatives you suggest amount to the same. When all are realized to be the one Self who is there to love or hate?
Sometimes, however, the questions were impersonal, referring not to some private tragedy but to the evil and suffering in the world. In such cases they were usually by visitors who did not understand the doctrine of non duality or follow the path of Self inquiry.
[However, when someone reported his own personal tragedy, Sri Bhagavan sympathized with such a person and gazed at him with all compassion. He rarely cried too, as in the case of Echamma's foster daughter and also in case of Nayana's demise. For G.V. Subbaramayya's wife's death, He just gazed him with all compassion and reduced the effect of their grief.]
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: When I concentrate, all sorts of thoughts arise and disturb me. The more I try, the more thoughts rise up. What should I do?
Sri Bhagavan: Yes, that will happen.
All that is inside will try to come out. There is no other way except to pull the mind up each time, it wants to go astray and fix it in the Self.
Devotee: Sri Bhagavan has often
said that one must reject other thoughts when one begins the quest.
But thoughts are endless. If one thought is rejected another comes up and there seems to be no end at all.
Sri Bhagavan: I do not say that you must keep on rejecting thoughts. If you cling to yourself, to the "I-thought", and your interest keeps you to that single thought, other thoughts will get rejected and will automatically vanish.
Just as Self enquiry is not introspection as understood by the psychologists, so also it is not argument or speculation as understood by the philosophers.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: Sri Bhagavan says He has
no disciples?
Sri Bhagavan: Yes.
Devotee: He also says that a Guru is necessary if one wishes to attain liberation.
Sri Bhagavan: Yes.
Devotee: What then must I do? Has my sitting here all these years been just a waste of time? Must I go and look for some Guru, in order to receive initiation, seeing that Sri Bhagavan says He is not a Guru?
Sri Bhagavan: What do you think brought you here such a long distance and made you remain here so long? Why do you doubt? If there had been any need to seek a Guru elsewhere, you would have gone long ago. The Guru or Jnani sees no difference between himself and others. For him all are Jnanis, all are one with himself, so how can a Jnani say that such-and-such is his disciple? But the unliberated one sees all as multiple, he sees all as different from himself, so to him, the guru-disciple relationship is reality. For him there are three ways of initiation: by touch, look and silence. [Sri Bhagavan here gave the disciple to understand that his way was by silence, as He has so many on other occasions.]
When the devotee pressed once more for a confirmation, He turned to the attendant and said humorously, "Let him get a document from the sub-registrar and take it to the office and get the stamp on it."
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words. Arthur Osborne.]
In the following conversation, He implied clearly enough that He was to be regarded as the visible Guru.
Devotee: Can Sri Bhagavan help us to realize the Truth?
Sri Bhagavan: Help is always there.
Devotee: Then, there is no need to ask questions. I do not feel the ever present help.
Sri Bhagavan: Surrender and you will find it.
Devotee: I am always at your feet. Will Sri Bhagavan give me some upadesa to follow? Otherwise how can I get the help, living six hundred miles away?
Sri Bhagavan: The Sadguru is within.
Devotee: The Sadguru is necessary to guide me to understand that fact.
Sri Bhagavan: The Sadguru is within you,
Devotee: I want a visible Guru.
Sri Bhagavan: That visible Guru says that he is within.
Devotee: Will the Sadguru place his hand on my head to assure me of his help? Then I shall have the consolation of knowing that his promise will be fulfilled.
Sri Bhagavan: Next you will be asking me for a bond and filing
a suit if you imagine that the help is not forthcoming.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words. Arthur Osborne.]
CALF - THE DEVOTEE:
After Sri Bhagavan's Maha Nirvana, a devotee mentioned about the incident of the devotion of a calf to Sri Bhagavan.
In the Asramam, there was a calf that used to visit the house of devotees of Sri Bhagavan in Ramana Nagar. The devotees welcomed her lovingly and gave her sweets and fruits to eat.
One day, I was in Sri Ramanaramam.
My friend came and told me that the calf was standing in my compound. When I heard this, I was very happy. I rushed to my house to feed the calf with fruits and sweets. As I did not see the calf in the compound of my house, thinking that she may be inside the house, I went inside the house and looked for her, but she was not to be seen. When I entered my bedroom, I saw the calf standing in front of the photograph of Sri Bhagavan fully immersed in it. Her eyes were fixed on Sri Bhagavan with love and devotion. She was bowing to Sri Bhagavan with her forehead touching the photograph of Sri Bhagavan! She had merged and become one with Sri Bhagavan, that moment.
She did not even notice me entering the room. She was oblivious of her surroundings. Seeing the love and the devotion of the calf, I was enthralled but at the same time, I felt ashamed of myself for the lack of same intensity of devotion that the calf had for Sri Bhagavan. In spite of being a human being, and in constant touch with Sri Bhagavan, not even once had I surrendered so completely to Sri
Bhagavan!
I waited in the hall for the calf to come out of the bed room. When she came out, I fed her with sweets and fruits. Who knows which great devotee of Sri Bhagavan had tenanted the body of the calf?
[Bhagavan Ramana, The Friend of All.]
Dear Subramanian, I suppose you were referring to below:
Path of Self Knowledge, pg 106, 'Ganapati Sastri'.
Sri Bhagavan was asked once, after Sastri’s death, whether he could have attained Realization during this
life, and he replied: “How could he? His sankalpas (inherent tendencies) were too strong.”
INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS:
The monkeys enjoyed Sri Bhagavan's
affection, compassion and grace. But often Sri Bhagavan's human devotees were not as enthusiastic about monkeys as He was. In fact, they were indifferent to His monkey companions. This was especially true of the jubilee hall attendants who had to maintain order and protect visitors who brought fruit offerings. They often clashed with the simian visitors especially during festivals.
Once on August 15th 1947, the Indian Independence Day, Krishnaswami, Sri Bhagavan's attendant, was putting up the national flag. There were many devotees gathered there, and they were looking on. Some of the devotees were busy helping Krishnaswami. He was in high spirits and was using a long bamboo pole to hoist the Indian National Flag that would mark the day's event. Suddenly a monkey appeared and approached Krishnaswami. For no clear reason, Krishnaswami began to chase the poor animal away. He was shouting wildly and beating the monkey wildly with the very pole that bore the national flag as its end. Sri Bhagavan was observing all this from a distance. The irony of the situation was not lost on Sri Bhagavan, who called out, "Oh, Krishnawami, this is Independence Day celebration. Moreover until recently this place was the kingdom of monkeys. When we came here and settled, they kindly withdrew to the Hill. Today this monkey has come to participate in our Independence Day Celebration out of joy for the event. But you are unreasonably driving him away with the very center piece of the day's celebration! Has it not occurred to you, dear fellow, how silly that looks?"
A few days before Independence Day while Sri Bhagavan was seated in the jubilee hall, an army of monkeys came clamoring for fruits. Krishnaswami tried to drive them away by shouting, when Sri Bhagavan said: "Remember 15th August is an Independence Day for them as well. You must give them feast instead of driving them away."
On 14th August, the attendant tried to drive the monkeys again. Seeing this, Sri Bhagavan said with a laugh, "Do not drive them away please. You must give them Bengal gram, parched rice, lentils and feast them. Is it proper to drive them away?"
"But tomorrow is Independence Day, Bhagavan!" said the attendant. Sri Bhagavan laughed, "So that's it, is it? But when we are making arrangements for the celebration, should they not make their own arrangements? That is why they are busy going here and there. Don't you see?"
In this way, the monkeys were given a feast on Independence Day.
[Bhagavan Ramana - the Friend of All.]
Dear Srikantha,
Yes. This is one reference. It also appeared in Talks [covering 1935 and
1939] also. But I think, it was later removed in order not to disturb the faith and devotion of Ganapati Muni's devotees. In the Tamizh book Ganapati Munivar also, it does not appear.
Once in Graham Boyd's interactive website, this point came up and when someone objected to "such a false statement" attributed to Sri Bhagavan, David Godman clarified to that person.
Srikantha cited the following reference:
Path of Self Knowledge, pg 106, 'Ganapati Sastri'.
Sri Bhagavan was asked once, after Sastri’s death, whether he could have attained Realization during this life, and he replied: “How could he? His sankalpas (inherent tendencies) were too strong.”
I have been told (but cannot confirm) that the comment was originally transcribed in the "Talks' manuscript but was deleted from the published version after pressure from some of Ganapati Muni's followers. About a third of the original 'Talks' manuscript has survived in manuscript form, and it does have a few deletions, but this incident is not one of them.
Devaraja Mudaliar, in a January 1955 article in 'The Call Divine' also refers to this comment by Bhagavan:
'I have heard that when, after the Sastriar’s passing away, Bhagavan was asked whether, in his case, there was likely to be liberation from all further births. He replied, ‘How could it be? He had such a strong desire for more powers?’
I believe that Bhagavan did make a comment of this kind when Ganapati Muni passed away, but since there are no contemporary records of it (Osborne's account was first published in the mid-50s) the exact wording must be open to doubt. Whether Bhagavan said 'sankalpas' or a 'desire for siddhis' may never be known. However, there seems to be agreement that Bhagavan stated that these impediments would have prevented Ganapati Muni from realising the Self.
Dear David,
That settles the matter. In fact,
when Maneesha started this, I did not add any of my comments, since
Muni's tremendous knowledge in Sanskrit and sastras can never be questioned. I want to leave it at
that. In fact, he had many sankalpas, one or two of which are mentioned in books is that he wanted to write one Maha Ramana Gita, with elaboration of Sri Bhagavan's teachings in the present Sri Ramana Gita. Another was that he had wanted to develop a powerful Mantra-proficient army of devout people who can through their mantra japas could improve the country, in all its contours.
@ Subramanian R.,
:) Sir, I did not start this. It was S. that started... I merely responded to the claims. And, as already stated, I do not question the Muni's knowledge of Sanskrit and Sastras... But then, none of the vidyas than atma vidya emancipates us. Do they?
Friends,
An excerpt from Sri Ganapathi muni's letter to Sri Bhagavan,10th March 1931:
"Lord, my present inner experience achieved by Bhagavan's look of grace I understand as inherence in the Vijnana-Atman, the sphere of pure intellect. I clearly experience my Self in the cave of the heart quite distinct from the body; yet, I have not ceased looking upon the world as different from myself. And, so I consider that this is not the complete and ultimate inherence in the Self. May Bhagavan Himself bless me with that Purna-Nishta by His gracious look capable of traversing any distance. "
Namaskar.
Friends,
An excerpt from the Letter of Sri Ganapathi Muni to Sri Bhagavan,17th march 1931:
"From the Saturday my vision became distinct. I may say that I see everything as the manifestation of One Existence. It is my prayer to Bhagavan that this vision may culminate as spontaneous experience unassailable. I see as bubbles in water all formation in one existence; and I try to discard the former and experience pure existence alone always. "
Namaskar.
salutations to all:
1. the issue was on 'deliberate misrepresentation' and 'not' on whether kAvyakaNTa was realised or not. let's see 'letter 72' (nAgammA), dated 27-08-46 - ["...“Why didn’t Bhagavan write it in Sanskrit?” I asked. Bhagavan said, “At that time, Nayana, Lakshmana Sarma and others were here. So I left it to them. Why should I worry, I thought, and so kept quiet.” I asked, “Did Nayana write the Sanskrit slokas for ‘Unnadhi Nalubadhi’ at that time?” Bhagavan said, “No, at the time of writing the verses, Muruganar and myself were arranging them suitably when Nayana gave us his advice but did not write the slokas. He went away to Sirsi after that. While he was there, Viswanathan and Kapali went and stayed with him for some time. Meanwhile, Lakshmana Sarma wrote slokas for ‘Unnadhi Nalubadhi’. The same were forwarded to Nayana, to return them duly edited. Seeing that, Nayana said he could as well write the slokas himself rather than correct them, and so returned them as they were. Subsequently with the help of Viswanathan and Kapali he wrote slokas to conform exactly to the Tamil verses and sent them. The former, however, remained as it was while Nayana’s was published under the title ‘Sad Darshanam’..."]
where does the above hint anything on 'deliberate misrepresentation', or anything at all to what maneesha was alleging? further, on the 'sat darshaNam', arvind had made this kind offer "(In my humble opinion, having studied the Sanskrit text itself a bit, it quite accurately follows Ulladu Narpadu. Anyone here who feels that Sat Darsanam misinterprets Ulladu Narpadu even slightly, do come back with the particular verse you have in mind.)" - guess those who imagine some kind of an inconsistency between UN and SD would also have the courage to take the offer :-)
2. on the issue of kAvyakaNTa favouring srshTi-drshTi, 'Day by Day' dated 23-05-46 mentions this among others: [...Ganapati Sastri took up the position of drishti srishti, that we create and then see, that is to say that the world has no objective reality apart from our minds, while Arunachala Sastri took up the opposite view of srishti drishti, that creation exists objectively before we see it... He then expounded very ably the advaitic point of view, that the world is an illusion as world but real as Brahman, that it does not exist as world but exists and is real as Brahman..."]
in addition to the above, supposing kAvyakaNTa indeed did subscribe to srshTi-drshTi, can only say that srshTi-drshTi is very much an integral part & parcel of advaitic lore, nay even reckoned by several advaitins down the ages as the 'mainstream' tenet in non-dualistic thought. which 'deliberate misrepresentation' are you folks alluding to?
Friends,
An excerpt from The Letter of Sri Ganapathi Muni,5th May 1931:
"Lord - I venture to state my present condition at the presence of Bhagavan's feet. Some consider Supreme Bliss as the ideal par excellence, others look upon the splendid yogic attainment as the main goal and others think that some state beyond happiness and misery is the thing to strive for; yet others are convinced that the conquest of death is the highest of aspirations. But I for my part know that the cessation of desire is the most desirable goal. Many of my desires have died of their flimsiness; others have been kicked off! Some others disappeared on satisfaction; yet others vanished prayed to leave me alone. Whether it is worthy or worthless, one desire alone persists in me unabated even now. I am absolutely powerless to prevent it. Even the urge to discard it does not arise in my heart. There seems to be no other way of getting over it but my fulfillment and I see that it alone obstructs my experience of the Self of all. I pray Bhagavan's sympathy at this difficulty of mine. Bhagavan knows what it is."
-----------------------------------
Friends,I have posted some of these excerpts to highlight that Sri Ganapathi muni was not just a scholar but a tapaswiof a high order.
Namaskar.
salutations to all:
coming to the allegation of kAvyakaNTa arguing with chinnasvAmi on 'who is the greatest devotee' or trying to 'usurp' the Asramam, can do nothing more than laugh out loud :-). having read nAradA's story of 'the oil around the hill', why kAvyakaNTa, even i wouldn't stoop to the inanity of slipping into 'who is the greatest devotee' nonsense! :-). the time kAvyakaNTa spent with bhagavAn was a period when not much used to be documented; also, this period was much before most of the devotees about whom we know well today had begun to arrive at bhagavAn's presence. chinnasvAmi had trouble with several of bhagavAn's devotees (muruganAr & lakshmaNa sarma, aNNAmalaisvAmi included) and thus any special conflict with kAvyakaNTa warrants no merit! on the 'take-over' issue, if only he had so wished, kAvyakaNTa had enough of 'tapas' to raise many such Asramams rather than engage in a squabble with chinnasvAmi for an Asramam that had nothing more than a couple of temporary sheds! (please note that the Asramam is named after bhagavAn but is not bhagavAn's Asramam! bhagavAn was & will remain different & beyond any institution, including ramaNAsramam) :-)
kAvyakaNTa had enough extraordinary talents to unintentionally intimidate as well as arouse the latent jealousies of those around him who couldn't help but feel grossly inferior in his presence. the devotees of bhagavAn were immensely blessed but also most of them were as much victims of their vAsanAs as we are to our samskArAs. any keen observer can effortlessly see the dime-a-dozen feuds/ rivalries/ skirmishes which kept rocking the Asramam even during bhagavAn's lifetime. as no one could have matched kAvyakaNTa in rhetoric, it is not unlikely that those in power 'might' have done whatever they could to malign and bring to disrepute the otherwise impeccable kAvyakaNTa...
this by the way includes the so-called statement of bhagavAn on kAvyakaNTa's realisation! david mentioned: ["...since there are no contemporary records of it the exact wording must be open to doubt. Whether Bhagavan said 'sankalpas' or a 'desire for siddhis' may never be known..."]. everybody, be it arthur osborne or devarAja mudaliAr, claims to have only "heard"! not 'this' or 'that', what bhagavAn had actually said shall forever remain unknown :-). to me it's impossible for the beloved sage whose lips criticised none to have indulged in the crudity of proclaiming the non-realisation of anyone & everyone - that will be akin to the 'sun' talking of the 'dark' :-)))
(subramanian spoke about the matter getting settled with david's comment. just because david says so, nothing gets settled! i sincerely respect & thank david for his wonderful books but that doesn't mean i can accept whatever david says in the same way as i do for bhagavAn. pardon me, am a lover of bhagavAn, not a devotee of david) :-)
No Offence Meant to Anyone
Friends,
An excerpt from Vivekananda's Inspired talks:
One-sidedness is the bane of the world. The more sides you can develop the more souls you have, and you can see the universe through all souls — through the Bhakta (devotee) and the Jnâni (philosopher). Determine your own nature and stick to it. Nishthâ (devotion to one ideal) is the only method for the beginner; but with devotion and sincerity it will lead to all. Churches, doctrines, forms, are the hedges to protect the tender plant, but they must later be broken down that the plant may become a tree. So the various religions, Bibles, Vedas, dogmas — all are just tubs for the little plant; but it must get out of the tub. Nishthâ is, in a manner, placing the plant in the tub, shielding the struggling soul in its path. . . .
Look at the "ocean" and not at the "wave"; see no difference between ant and angel. Every worm is the brother of the Nazarene. How say one is greater and one less? Each is great in his own place. We are in the sun and in the stars as much as here. Spirit is beyond space and time and is everywhere. Every mouth praising the Lord is my mouth, every eye seeing is my eye. We are confined nowhere; we are not body, the universe is our body. We are magicians waving magic wands and creating scenes before us at will. We are the spider in his huge web, who can go on the varied strands wheresoever he desires. The spider is now only conscious of the spot where he is, but he will in time become conscious of the whole web. We are now conscious only where the body is, we can use only one brain; but when we reach ultraconsciousness, we know all, we can use all brains. Even now we can "give the push" in consciousness, and it goes beyond and acts in the superconscious.
We are striving "to be" and nothing more, no "I" ever — just pure crystal, reflecting all, but ever the same, When that state is reached, there is no more doing; the body becomes a mere mechanism, pure without care for it; it cannot become impure.
Know you are the Infinite, then fear must die. Say ever, "I and my Father are one."
Namaskar.
Devotee: What is the purpose of
Self realization?
Sri B: Self realization is the final goal and is itself the purpose.
Devotee: I mean, what use is it?
Sri B: Why do you ask about Self realization? Why don't you rest
content with your present state?
It is evident that you are discontented and your discontent
will come to an end if you realize
the Self.
Devotee: What is the goal of this process?
Sri B: Realizing the Real.
Devotee: What is the nature of Reality?
Sri B: a] Existence without beginning or end - eternal.
b] Existence everywhere, endless and infinite.
c] Existence underlying all forms, all changes, all forces, all matter and all spirit.
The many change and pass away, whereas the One always endures.
d] The one displaces the triads such as knower, knowledge and known. The triads are only appearances in time and space, whereas the Reality lies beyond and behind them. They are like
a mirage over the Reality. They are all result of delusion.
Devotee: If 'I' am also an illusion, then who casts off the illusion?
Sri B: The 'I' casts off the illusion of 'I' and yet remains as 'I'. Such is the paradox of Self realization. The Realized do not see any contradiction in it.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: Can we think without the mind?
Sri B: Thoughts can continue like other activities. They do not disturb the Supreme Consciousness.
People surmise the existence of the pure mind in the Jivanmukta and her personal god. They ask how he could otherwise live and act. But this is only a concession to argument. The pure mind is in fact Absolute Consciousness. The object to be witnessed and the witness finally merge together and Absolute Consciousness alone remains. It is not a state of blank or ignorance but it is the Supreme Self.
The mind of the Realized Man is sometimes compared to the moon in the high noon.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
Mrs. Pigott returned from Madras for a further visit and asked questions concerning diet.
Mrs. P: What diet is suitable for a person engaged in spiritual practice?
Sri B: Sattvic food in moderate quantitites.
Mrs. P: What food is sattvic?
Sri B: Bread, fruits, vegetables, milk and such things.
Mrs. P: Some people in the North eat fish. Is that permissible?
{Sri Bhagavan did not reply to this question. He was always reluctant to criticize others and this question was inviting Him either to do so or to change4 what He had said.]
Mrs. P: We Europeans are accustomed to a particular diet and change of die affects health and weakens the mind. Isn't it necessary to keep up physical health?
Sri B: Quite necessary. The weaker the body, the stronger the mind grows.
Mrs. P: In the absence of our usual diet our health suffers and the mind loses strength.
Sri B: What do you mean by 'strength of mind'?
Mrs. P: The powers to eliminate worldly attachment.
Sri B: The quality of one's food influences the mind. The mind feeds on the food consumed.
Mrs. P: Really! Bow how can Europeans accommodate themselves to sattvic food?
Sri B: [turning to Mr. Evans-Wentz] You have been taking our food. Does it inconvenience you at all?
E.W.: No, because I am accustomed to it.
Sri B: Custom is only an adjustment to environment. It is the mind that matters. The fact that the mind has been trained to find certain foods good and palatable. The necessary food value is obtainable in vegetarian food as well as non vegetarian food. Only the mind desires the sort of food that is used to and which it considers palatable.
Mrs. P: Do these restrictions apply to the realized man also?
Sri B: He is stabilized and not influenced by the food he takes.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: Can Self realization be lost again after once being attained?
Sri B: Realization takes time to steady itself. The Self is certainly within the direct experience of everyone but not the way people imagine. One can only say that it is as it is. Just as incantations or other devices an prevent fire from burning a man when otherwise it would do so, so vasanas can veil the Self when otherwise it would be apparent. Owing to the fluctuations of the vasanas, Realization takes time to steady itself. Spasmodic Realization is not enough to prevent rebirth. But it cannot become permanent as long as there are vasanas. In the presence of a great Master, vasanas cease to be active and the mind becomes still so that samadhi results, just as in the presence of various devices, fire does not burn. Thus the disciple gains true knowledge and right experience in the presence of a Master. But if this is to be established further effort is necessary. Then he will know it to be his real Being and thus be liberated while still living.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words.- Arthur Osborne.]
Sri Bhagavan: Killing the ego is the only thing to be done. Realization already exists. No attempt need be made to attain it.
For it is not anything external or new to be acquired. It is always and everywhere - here and now too.
Devotee: This method seems to be quicker than the usual one of cultivating the virtues alleged to be necessary for Realization.
Sri B: Yes. All vices centre around the ego. When the ego is gone, Realization results naturally. You are the Self even now, but you confuse your present consciousness or ego with the Absolute Consciousness or Self. This false identification is due to ignorance, and ignorance disappears together with the ego.
Devotee: What are the powers of supreme?
Sri B: Whether the powers are high or low, whether of the mind or what you call the supermind, they exist only with reference to him who possesses them. Find out who that is.
There are some foolish persons who, not realizing that they themselves are moved by the Divine Power, seek to attain all supernatural powers of action. They are like the lame man who said: "I can dispose of the enemy if someone will hold me up on my legs."
Since the peace of mind is permanent in Liberation, how can they who yoke their mind to powers - which are unattainable except through the activity of the mind - become merged in the Bliss of Liberation, which subdues the agitation of the mind?
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words.- Arthur Osborne.]
THE PALL BEARERS' STORY:
Once there were two pall bearers in
Tiruvannamalai who were very poor brahmins. They had carried the corpse to the cremation ground and were returning. They were acutely hungry. To take bath first, there was no water since it was a hot hot summer day in Tiruvannamalai. It was around 11.30 A.M. They were wondering whether they could go to
Asramam and eat food first. But how to tell Sri Bhagavan that they had carried a corpse and returned
and without even a bath, they were 'impure.'?
They decided however, to go to the Asramam and tell Sri Bhagavan the truth and then eat there if permitted. They accordingly went to Sri Bhagavan and told Him: "Swami, we have come from cremation ground after carrying and leaving a corpse there. There is no water in any tank to take bath. Nevertheless we are terribly hungry....can we eat here?"
Sri Bhagavan gazed at them with abundant compassion for a minute.
And then told: "Why are you feeling guilty? You have carried a corpse and left it at cremation ground. We are all ever carrying the corpse of our body. Where is the purity? Where is the impurity? Go and eat."
The two poor brahmins prostrated before Him and then went into the dining hall and had stomach full of food.
KaruNaiyal ennai aaNda nee...
REMEMBERING NARAYANA IYER:
[From T.R. Kanakammal - MP Apr.June 2008]
Narayana Iyer was a devotee who came to scoff but remained as a worshipper. He was an out and out skeptic with no religion in him. He considered sannyasis and sadhus to be impostors and parasites and no one, however great, had the right to accept the homage of others. But a chance meeting with Sri Bhagavan wrought a complete transformation in this doubting Thomas and turned him into a staunch devotee.
Dr. Ramakrishna Iyer, his friend, philosopher and guide who like Narayana Iyer was also working in Chetpet [a small town 30 miles from Tiruvannamalai], was well acquainted with Sri Bhagavan, being the sonb of Lakshmi Ammal of Tiruchuzhi and one of the childhood playmates of Sri Bhagavan. He invited Narayana Iyer to go with him to Tiruvannamalai during the Maha Deepam festival and his invitation was accepted though Narayana Iyer disliked crowds and temple festivals had no attraction for him. He agreed on the condition that he would neither come inside the Asramam nor prostrate to the Swami if perchance he met Him.
Circumstances forced him ti accompany his friend into the Asramam. As they were coming inside, a person clad only in a white loin cloth, a towel on His shoulder, a kamandalu in one hand and a walking stick in the other, stopped in His walk in the opposite direction on seeing them.
He spoke kindly to the doctor inquired about his mother and brother. Though Iyer guessed that this must be the Maharshi, he did not look up, thinking that after all, he was complete stranger to Him. On being introduced as the sub-registrar of Chetpet, out of courtesy he looked up. Let us hear him now in his own words:
"What a wonderful face and what a welcoming smile! Bewitching, fascinating, and a powerful look too! In a moment, I was at His feet on the gravel ground...He is not bogus...looks genuine...but has He solved the mystery of life, of the universe that we see around us? If not, I withdraw my homage and go my way....I tried to find out if He had written any books. I got a copy of ULLadu Narpadu in Tamizh just published.
contd.,
REMEMBERING NARAYANA IYER:
[continues...]
As he tried to read the first stanza, he was confounded and filled with dismay at the repeated use of the word ULLadu, which seemed too closely packed. The pure language
embodying the essence of the Absolute Reality, would drive even the pundits of Tamizh prosody to despair. Someone nearby said that the Maharshi Himself would explain to them the forty verses that night. In anxious and eager suspense, Narayana Iyer waited for the night.
"A solemn stillness pervaded the air. There was absolute silence.
The Maharshi read the first stanza. The mere reading of it made the meaning as clear as clarity itself. Stanza by stanza He read and explained in a voice so sweet and melodious that it seemed to come from a transcendent being. The climax came when explaining a verse and He said 'God cannot be seen with our eyes and known by our senses. This is what meant by saying, 'To see God is to be God."
Suddenly the stentorian voice of Dandapani Swami boomed from out of the listeners, 'Is Bhagavan saying this out of personal experience [svanubhava]?'
The question asked with such naivete was answered with equal candor, 'Else would I dare to say so?'
If flashed upon Narayana Iyer instantly that if He whom all religions acclaim as God were to appear before him in flesh and blood, here He is. Successive waves of bliss flooding from within shook his frame. He went outside to compose himself. He says, 'I came, He saw, and He conquered.' The spell was thus cast. To him henceforth Sri Bhagavan was his God, Sri Bhagavan was the way and the support on the way as well.
To Narayana Iyer the content of ULLadu Narpadu became a Vedic verity and its verses veritable mantras, and he took to chanting them as Japa. From then on nothing, could stop him from frequenting the Asramam.
contd.,
REMEMBERING NARAYANA IYER:
[continues..]
Narayana Iyer's job entailed frequent transfers however, there was no let up in his regular visits.
Never a Sunday passed without Narayna Iyer arriving at the Asramam and he always had some delectable snacks with him which were prepared by his wife Lalitha Iyer who believed that she was cooking delicacies for God. These were savored by everyone as Sri Bhagavan would never accept anything unless there was enough for all. Once when Shantammal enquired of Sri Bhagavan whether she could prepare some snacks in the Asramam, Sri Bhagavan replied, "Tomorrow is Sunday. Narayana Iyer will be arriving and will surely be bringing something to eat."
In the afternoon devotees bring snacks would offer the entire lot, in their containers, to Sri Bhagavan. After a quick look around the Hall, Sri Bhagavan would pick up a little and hand over the rest to the attendant nearby, to be distributed in equal measure among those present. Muruganar, a keen observer of Sri Bhagavan's ways, used to recall with wonder that if the attendant gave each one person exactly the same amount that Sri Bhagavan had taken, it would just suffice for all, whether the number present was great or small. This was found to be unfailingly true. Whatever the quantity Sri Bhagavan allotted for Himself, was found to be the right measure for distribution that day.
In those days [early 1930s], the area surrounding the Asramam was very bare. Mother's shrine was yet to be constructed. Anyone approaching the precincts of the Asramam, could easily be seen from the window of the Old Hall. Once, between two successive week end visits by Narayana Iyer, the Asramam Administration, feeling that Sri Bhagavan needed some rest in the afternoon after lunch, had imposed restriction that none should be allowed to disturb Him between 12 noon and 2 p.m. Neither Sri Bhagavan nor Narayana Iyer was aware of this new decree.
The following Sunday afternoon, as usual, Narayana Iyer arrived with omappodi [ a snack made of gram flour and spices in thin threads] in hand. As he approached the Hall, those strategically positioned to deflect the would be visitors until 2 p.m. the new receiving hour, apprised him of the rule. Iyer, though still at a great distance from Sri Bhagavan made his customary prostration from where he was, retraced his steps and waited until the appointed time.
At 2 p.m. he came before Sri Bhagavan. Sri Bhagavan had spied him on his arrival and disappearance. As soon as he entered the Hall, Sri Bhagavan asked him,"Didn't you come at 1 O'Clock? I saw you through the window and was expecting you to cometo the Hall at any moment. But you didn't come. Did you have to go elsewhere?"
Narayana Iyer, who had no idea that Sri Bhagavan was not supposed to know of the new arrangement, replied in all innocence, "My train arrived late and I could come only at 1 O'clock but was informed that Sri Bhagavan nowadays rests in the afternoon and is not to be disturbed until 2 p.m. hence I came only now."
Sri Bhagavan listened without any comment, other than His customary 'Oh, Is that so?'
The next day after lunch, instead of going into the Hall, Sri Bhagavan sat outside the Hall. The attendant very hesitantly suggested that He go inside, as it was becoming very hot.
Sri Bhagavan said, "Nobody is allowed to enter until 2 p.m. Is there also a rule that I shou8ld not come out until 2?"
Then Sri Bhagavan the very embodiment of compassion added, "People come from far away places by various means, suffering innumerable hardships in order to get here. How can they be sure of the exact time of their arrival? When they come after all that, how fair is to deny them ready access?"
Hearing this, the management immediately revoked the new rule.
continued...
Remembering Naryana Iyer:
[continues...]
Owing to the profound grace of Sri
Bhagavan, in due course, Narayana Iyer was posted to Tiruvannamalai itself. He was the first in a long line of devotees to have had the rare privilege of establishing a residence near the Asramam in order to be in the holy presence of Sri Bhagavan on a regular basis. His entire sadhana comprised of simply remaining with
Sri Bhagavan whenever possible, in the Hall or in the kitchen, cutting vegetables, grinding chutney and preparing breakfast in the wee hours of the morning.
Prior to constructing the house, Iyer took the plans to Sri Bhagavan to have them blessed. After careful perusal, Sri Bhagavan observed, "The plan is alright, but where is the well?"
Though Iyer had a location in mind, it was not marked on the blueprint. This turned out to be a benediction, as Sri Bhagavan selected the sited and marked the exact location. Later one could see what a blessing it was. Not only the water was as sweet as tender coconut water, but the well never ran dry and was the source of succor for the entire neighborhood in times of water shortage and drought.
His wife was a truly sattvic woman, given to dharmic ways and scrupulously adhering to the sastraic injunctions pertaining to a housewife. Simple, carefree and unattached, she ran the household with a contented mind and to the satisfaction of the entire family,
making optimum use of resources available to her.
Narayana Iyer derived inordinate pleasure in serving his cow. Tending his garden was also dear to him. The occasions when his cow was about to give birth were significant to merit a day's leave from his work. This exclusive privilege, Mrs. Iyer humorously remarked was the cow's alone, and not extended to his wife for her deliveries.
Iyer's one passion was to chant ULLadu Narpadu,unceasingly. Neither conventional Vedic duties nor extravagant ritualistic observances had any attraction for him. The constant chanting of ULLadu Narpadu was all the religious observance known to him. It would start right from the morning.
Dyed in Brahminical custom, Narayana Iyer looked forward to his invigorating coffee. The person who milked the cow used to turn up at 5 a.m. announcing his arrival by ringing his bicycle bell. Iyer who would invariably chanting ULLadu Narpadu, loudly would open the gate for him. The day would, therefore, begin with ULLadu Narpadu, a routine so predictable and punctual, that the neighbor opposite him, an Andhra lady, remarked that she could safely set her clock by his recitation in the morning. His chanting continued throughout the day while he watered the plants or gave the cow a bath.
[contd.]
R.Subramanian,
Thanks very much for posting on Subregistrar Narayana iyer.
David has posted it here in july 2008:
http://sri-ramana-maharshi.blogspot.com/2008/07/remembering-sub-registrar-narayana-iyer.html
Namaskar.
A beautiful song that I came across :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1XOr16eaeo&feature=related
Ravi,
That was a wonderful account on Gopaler Ma. A vision of god is, indeed, extremely rare. From the top of my head, I can only think of Souris (from the 'Power of presence') who had a vision of Lord Siva.
Last week, It was the centenary celebration of Matru Sharada's visit to the Bangalore branch of Sri RK math, and it was a wonderful occasion. A senior swami blessed the assembled devotees and prasadam was also served.
I have sent you a mail about the cd's. :)
Thanks,
murali
Dear Ravi,
I do not know about David having covered Narayana Iyer story in the blog, since I had joined the blog only from late 2008. Nevertheless, to do justice to Kanakammal, I shall abridge the remaining portion to a great extent and finish the story.
*
Iyer had unshakable faith in ULLadu Narpadu. Like Om chanted during havan giving bliss, he got similar exalted status in reciting ULLadu Narpadu. Kanakammal also stayed in Iyer's compound for about 10 years. Iyer took care of her as his own daughter. As Sri Bhagavan's Maha Nirvana approached,
Narayana Iyer never moved away from the vicinity of Sri Bhagavan. At that time, Sri Bhagavan's walking stick and kamandalu were in His earlier room i.e Old Hall.
Sensing that several people had secret designs to take away these two items and preserve them as their sacred relics, Iyer brought on the next morning after Mahanirvana these two items, and when Sri Bhagavan's holy body was descended into the chamber, he placed these two items also there.
In the aftermath of Sri Bhagavan's Maha Nirvana, Sri Iyer did not give up his earlier routine. He visited Samadhi shrine daily., He also visited the Old Hall and sat looking at Sri Bhagavan's sofa.
Meantime, Mr. Chadwick also wanted to take up a small thatched cottage inside Iyer's compound and he readily obliged, till Asramam invited him again to be the inmate of the Asramam. Later in life, Iyer and his family moved to Madras where their children took care of them in their old age.
Narayana Iyer and his wife were in the grahastha asrama and followed the dharma meticulously. Yet mentally both had donned ochre robes and lived a life that was a penance. Wherever Iyer went his continued recitation of ULLadu Narpadu made the air around him vibrant with the holy Presence of Sri Bhagavan, compelling inner response from all.
concluded.
Sri Ramanarpanamasthu.
S.,
Lets just agree to disagree... no matter how hard you laugh and roll on floor laughing, my stance will not change. :)))))
I have already provided my points. Just the way u blv in authors who write +vely abt Muni and not on those who write otherwise, I too choose to blv those in whom I want to beleive. So, I dont care and bother to take ur challenge. It doent help me in anyway. Go ahead and prove your points, as pleases u. :)
salutations to all:
happened to read & recite a wonderful padhikam of sundarar - after visiting & venerating the lord in the temple of thiruAlambozhil, sundarar retired for some sleep. that night the lord came in his dream and said "did you forget to come to mazhabAdi"? immediately sundarar proceeded to thirumazhabAdi and sang this beautiful padhigam.
பொன்னார் மேனியனே புலித்தோலை அரைக்கசைத்து
மின்னார் செஞ்சடைமேல் மிளிர்கொன்றை யணிந்தவனே
மன்னே மாமணியே மழபாடியுள் மாணிக்கமே
அன்னே யுன்னையல்லா லினியாரை நினைக்கேனே
[ponnAr mEniyanE puliththOlai araikkasaiththu
minnAr senjjadai mEl miLir konRai aNindhavanE
mannE mAmaNiyE mazhapAdiyuL mANikkamE
annE unnai allAl iniyArai ninaikkEnE]
o lord adorned with a body of golden hue! o lord wearing the tiger-skin on your waist and bright kondRai flowers on the lightning like matted locks! o my king, o the great gem, the ruby in the town of mazhabAdi! o mother! but for you, who else can i think about?
(the last line is repeated in the end of every verse of this padhikam)
what beautiful words - o mother! but for you, who else can i think about? :-)))
salutations to all:
Maneesha:
every line of your last comment seems to indicate that you have taken it too 'personally'! :-) please read this brief comment when you do not feel like reacting back (may make a little more sense then)... not just with you, we all tend to this kind of an offensive-defense when we fire shots in the air and also desperately wish to hold on to it simply because our ego can't concede even an intellectual failure! i repeat, don't pounce on me - i said "we" all exhibit it at different times. (nothing directed towards you)
the point is not how steadfastly we hold on to our beliefs (all of us), but, more crucially, how tenaciously our 'ahankAra' refuses to give-up & acknowledge that somebody could be saying something more sensible at least on some occasions, if not on all, than those to which we keep clinging to! :-(. this being the case, much of our talk of 'annihilating' the mind or 'surrendering' our ego doesn't hold much water when we are yet to learn the basic lessons of humility! (applicable to me first and perhaps to a few others as well)
by the way, was merely trying to say: please don't criticise anybody (bhagavAn whom we love never did), for we may never have all the necessary evidence to criticise anyone of this or that. it's preferable to have an incorrect yet 'good' opinion about anyone than the other way round. if at all one wishes to criticise, the dignified way is to learn & study, and then criticise thie 'works' intellectually, i.e., please study sAnkara-bhAshya and criticise it for tenets with which one may disagree, but please don't criticise sankara, the person :-) the same holds for everybody else as well. have never ever read a genuine sage or sAdhakA resorting to criticism of any 'person'... thanks
Murali,
Yes,indeed talking to god in an intimate way is rare.My aunt(father's sister)worshipped Lord Ganesha(among other images of Gods)in her puja room.Lord Ganesha used to speak to her as a child(pillaiyar)-He even insisted on travelling with her to bangalore when she went to attend a marriage there.
Once when I had visited her and after seeing her pooja room,returned home after bidding her goodbye.This Child ganesha lodged a complaint with her that I have not done obeisance to him!So,next time when I visited her home,I went to her pooja room and Prostrated to this PillaiyAr;I then addressing him in a light vein and said-'I do not want to hear your complaint next time, now that I have done namaskar to you'.I jocularly recounted to my aunt what I told her pet son.
Aunt passed away in 2000 and her son is with me,in our small pooja altar, and he gets his daily flower offerings.
Namaskar.
Friends,
An Excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
Following Sri Ramakrishna's direction, M. spent the night in the hut at the Panchavati. In
the early hours of the morning he was singing alone:
I am without the least benefit of prayer and austerity, O Lord!
I am the lowliest of the lowly; make me pure with Thy hallowed touch.
One by one I pass my days in hope of reaching Thy Lotus Feet,
But Thee, alas, I have not found. . . .
Suddenly M. glanced toward the window and saw the Master standing there. Sri
Ramakrishna's eyes became heavy with tears as M. sang the line:
I am the lowliest of the lowly; make me pure with Thy hallowed touch.
M. sang again:
I shall put on the ochre robe and ear-rings made of conch-shell;
Thus, in the garb of a yogini, from place to place I shall wander,
Till I have found my cruel Hari. . . .
M. saw that the Master was walking with Rakhal.
Namaskar.
R.Subramanaian,
"Sensing that several people had secret designs to take away these two items and preserve them as their sacred relics, Iyer brought on the next morning after Mahanirvana these two items, and when Sri Bhagavan's holy body was descended into the chamber, he placed these two items also there."
The devotion of Sri Narayana iyer is absolutely charming.Truly a great soul,how he was blessed by Sri Bhagavan with a lifelong devotion to chanting Ulladu nArpadhu.
Namaskar.
Ravi,
Absolutely charming story of the child Ganesa. Bala-Ganapati forms are indeed very loving - Sri Siddhi Vinayaka in Bombay comes immediately to mind.
Folks,
Just a few short words more on our own Ganapati Muni then, generally acknowledged by most to be an Amsa of Lord Ganapati. (We find that even Bhagavan played along with Sri Ganapati Muni on many instances and in many verses, on the theme of older brother – younger brother, as Lord Ganapati and Lord Kartikkeya).
In all the books of reminiscences that we have, there are few other devotees that are consistently referred to by Bhagavan so endearingly and with such love as was Sri Ganapati Muni. And really, this is not passed over by saying, “but Bhagavan loved everybody”. Because Bhagavan never went out of his way to specifically make such fond and loving remarks about anyone, tho’ He had a kind word for all.
That alone is enough for me as far as the Muni’s credentials are concerned.
And so, I don’t care whether he was the worst guy on earth, or whether he was full of sankalpas, or whether he never made it to Jnana-hood. If Bhagavan loved him and held him in such affection, so shall I. And personally, I would rather quit this life rather than criticize one favoured thus by Bhagavan.
Best wishes
"What Brahman is cannot he described. All things in the world – the Vedas, the
Puranas, the Tantras, the six systems of philosophy – have been defiled, like food
that has been touched by the tongue, for they have been read or uttered by the
tongue. Only one thing has not been defiled in this way, and that is Brahman. No one has ever been able to say what Brahman is." Ramakrishna
Arvind,
Yes,Lord Ganesha is an absolute charmer.There is a wonderful talk by The Sage of Kanchi on this Child God-How he is easily pleased just sitting under a tree by the roadside or riverside,satisfied with a handful of grass offered by the devotees.
Namaskar.
Scott,
Sri Ramakrishna had this unique gift of utterly simple way of expressing Subtle Truth in a beguiling manner.The one you have quoted was uttered by him when he visited Iswar chandra Vidyasagar,the Philanthropist,who although familiar with this aspect,yet discovered the true import of it when the Master put it this way.
Namaskar.
Dear S.,
Ponnaar meniyane... is a beautiful
song from Sundaramurthy Swamigal.
However, the town Tirumazhapadi is not traceable. So also TirupazhamaNNikarai. Padi denotes that it must be near the seashore.
Arunagiri Natha has covered almost all Siva temples, because there is Muruga Shrine in all Siva temples.
But these two towns are not in Tiruppugazh songs.
The song is a riot on colors. Siva is golden hued, His tiger skin is again yellow with black spots, His matted locks are lightning white and red. KonRai is again a red flower. He is MamaNi, shining diamond, and also Ruby [Maanikkam]. Then Sundarar calls the Mother, Uma. This lady is green or blue [shyamaLi, since she is Vishnu's sister..
Sundarar calls Him as Mother,
My Man, My Uncle, All pervading, again My Man, My Father, My Master, and lastly as the Sat, ARivu, Buddhi. In Karnataka the non brahmins used to address brahmins, as Buddhi!
Wonderful Padigam. Thanks.
An American lady asked Sri Bhagavan what His experience of Samadhi were.
When it was suggested that she should
relate her experiences and ask if they were right. She replied that Sri Bhagavan's experiences ought to be correct and should be known whereas her own experiences were unimportant. She wanted to know whether Sri Bhagavan felt his body hot or cold in Samadhi, whether He spend the first three and a half years of His stay in Tiruvannamalai in prayer and so on.
Sri B: Samadhi transcends mind and speech and cannot be described. The state of deep sleep cannot be described; the state of Samadhi even less.
D: But I know that I was unconscious in deep sleep.
Sri B: Consciousness and unconsciousness are modes of the mind. Samadhi transcends the mind.
D: Still, you can tell me what it is like.
Sri B: You will know only when you are in Samadhi.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words.-Arthur Osborne.]
Sometimes Sri Bhagavan was asked how the paths of love and knowledge could be the same since love postulates duality.
D: Love postulates duality. How can the Self be object of love?
Sri B: Love is not different from the Self. Love of an object is of a lower type and cannot endure, whereas the Self is Love. God is Love.
D: Priests prescribe various rituals and forms of worship and people are told that it is a sin not to observe them. Is there any need for such ritual and ceremonial worship?
Sri B: Yes. Such worship is also necessary. It may not help you, but that does not mean that it is necessary for no one, and is no good at all. What is necessary for the infant is not necessary for the graduate. But the graduate has to make use of the alphabet he learned in the infant class. He knows its full use and significance.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words.-Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: My mind is very unsteady.
What should I do?
Sri B: Fix your attention on any single thing and try to hold on to it. Everything will come right.
D: I find concentration difficult.
Sri B: Keep on practicing and your concentration will come to be as easy as breathing. That will be the crown of your achievement.
Sri Bhagavan however, did not approve of the desire to see visions.
Miss Uma Devi, who had some visions of Siva, and then became a Hindu asked Sri Bhagavan about them.
Sri B: You speak of a vision of Siva. But a vision always presumes an object. That implies the existence of a subject. The value of vision is the same as that of the seer. That is to say, the nature of the vision is on the same plane as that of the seer. Appearance implies disappearance also, Therefore a vision can never be eternal. But Siva is eternal....
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
WITHOUT AGNI NO COOKING CAN BE DONE:
Once in the early years in the Hill,
Sri Bhagavan and a few devotees climbed the Hill towards the summit, carrying with them rice, dhal, vegetables, salt, curry powder etc.,They left early morning, with plan to cook food and eat and spend some time on the summit. When they reached the summit, it was found out that they had not brought the match box. Sri Bhagavan smiled and said: "See without fire no cooking can be done. So also, without self knowledge no liberation is possible, even if one possesses other good qualities." Then some one rushed down to Virupaksha Cave and brought the match box.
Sri Bhagavan later, while translating into verses Sri Sankars's Atma Bodham, found the identical metaphor.
Verse 2 of Atma Bodham:
As fire is the direct cause of cooking, so Self Knowledge and not any other form of discipline, is the direct cause of Liberation. For Liberation cannot be attained without Self Knowledge.
ARivonRe ner mukti sadhanam aahum,
PiRa sadhanangaLin peRadhu - aRivinRi
Aahadhu mukti uRal akkiniyinRi pakamahatha vaaRu enRu aRi.
IN Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam, there is one name called Amaraprabhu, the lord of devas. Once in Guruvayur,
Poonthanam, who was not well versed in Sanskrit, was chanting the Sahasranamam and was saying Mara prabhu, the lord of trees! The erudite scholar and author of Narayaneeyam, Melpathur Narayanan
Namppodri was there. He scolded Poonthanam for pronouncing the name, Amara Prabhu as Mara Prabhu and asked to stop the chanting. Poonthanam felt very sad and left the temple. In the night Guruvaurappan, came in the dream of Nampoodri and asked him: Why? What is wrong in pronouncing the name as Mara Prabhu, am I not the lord of trees too?
Like God, Sri Bhagavan was also the lord of trees. He protected the trees and plants like Sri Krishna. His kindness and solicitude even extended to the vegetation. There used to be an almond tree to the north of Sri Bhagavan's Hall. Chinnaswami, asked a workman to clear it of dead leaves, which could be used later for making leaf plates. The man started chopping with his billhook the leaves of thje tree, indiscriminately right, left and center.
Sri Bhagavan who was observing all these winced and called out to the man, "Hey! What are you doing? You are torturing the tree too much. Don't you know the tree is alive?"
The workman said he had been ordered by Chinnaswami to cut-off dry leaves.
Sri Bhagavan kept on admonishing the man, "You people, can doing nothing without causing pain. Imagine what would happen if I suddenly grabbed you hair and pull it. Your hair may have no life, you would feel it. Better leave the tree alone and go away!"
Once Sri Bhagavan saw somebody cutting a twig from a neem tree in the night to use it as a tooth brush the next morning.
Sri Bhagavan asked him, "Can't you let the tree sleep in peace? Surely you can take the twig in the daytime? Why not have a little sense and compassion? A tree does not howl, nor can it bite or run away. Does it mean that one can do anything to the tree?"
[Sri Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
Padmanabho mara prabhu:
One morning, during the mango season, coolies had been assigned to pluck the mangoes from the Asramam tree. They were gathering fruits by beating the tree with a stick to knock down the mangoes. They were doing so, instead of climbing the tree and plucking mangoes one by one. In the course of beating, along with the fruits, mango leaves were also falling in heaps.
Sri Bhagavan could hear the sound of beating even while seated on the sofa. He sent word to the coolies, through His attendants not to do so. He then went out as usual and saw mango leaves in heaps. He could not bear the cruel sight. He curtly told the coolies in harsh tone, "Enough of this. Now go! When you have to gather the fruits, do you have to beat the tree so that the leaves fall off? In return for giving us fruits, is the tree to be beaten with sticks? Who gave you this work? Instead of beating the tree, you might as well cut it to the roots. You need not gather fruits. Go away!"
Sri Bhagavan's voice was like a thunder, reverberated in the ears of all those who were there and made them tremble with fear. The bamboos that were aloft were brought down and placed on the ground. The coolies stood with folded hands like statues. They had no words to speak.
Smt. Suri Nagamma who was a witness to this incident, observes:
"When I saw the personification of kindness towards nature in an angry mood, my heart beat violently and my eyes were full of tears. Can one who is so moved by the falling of leaves of a tree and bear pain the minds of human beings? Sri Bhagavan is indeed karunapoorna sudhabdhi, the ocean filled with nectar of kindness. Can He bear the sufferings of human beings? Sri Bhagavan Ramana is indeed karunapoorna sudhabdhi.
By the time Sri Bhagavan returned from the gosala side, the devotees had gathered leaves into a heap, and begged Him to forgive the fault. Sri Bhagavan went into the Hall saying, "How cruel! See how many beatings were showered on the tree! How big is the heap of leaves! Oh! One could feel the pain He had in His voice.
[Sri Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
Dear Ravi,
Nice to hear the Pillaiyar at your home altar and that too given by elders. Ganesa is very amiable god. Once in Tirunaaraiyur, when a boy was asked to go to Ganesa temple, and submit the cooked rice, modhakam etc., [which his father was daily doing] in the absence of his father who had gone out of town. The young boy went to the temple, and after giving garlands and finishing puja, he told Him to eat the cooked rice and modhakam. Ganesa did not do immediately. But the boy pursued saying, "it appears you are eating when these are brought by my father? Why not today, when I have brought them to you?" Then Ganesa extended his trunk and finished the whole lot, and the boy returned with empty vessels. His mother asked for it and he said what had happened.
His mother did not believe. The father who returned next morning was told about that. The father
not only did not believe it but
also said that the fellow had taken everything himself and quietly came home with empty vessels. The boy asked his father to come that day. The boy and the father went with naivedyam. The father was hiding behind a pillar and the boy did the puja. Finally the prasadam time came. The boy asked as usual. Ganesa extended his trunk and finished that on the next day also. The father shed tears and said: You are a divine child. "I do not deserve to be your father. Only Ganesa is your father."
This boy is none other than Nambi Andaar Nambi of Tirunaraiyur. He is having some songs in Siva Canon XI. The first song is on Tirunaaraiyur Vinayakar Tiru Irattai Mani Maalai. This consists of 20 verses, alternating between two types of Venbas, Iyarchir Venba and VeNseer Venba. Nambi Andar Nambi is also the author of Tiruthondar Tiruvandati, an elaboration on Sundarar's Tiruthondathohai. This comprises of 90 verses covering all Saiva Saints mentioned by Sundarar. Nambi Andar Nambi held Tiru Jnana Sambandar as his guru; he called Sambandha as AaLyudaya PiLLai, the Child who has got a Master [Siva] behind him!
In Sri Bhakta Vijayam also there is one saint for whom Vittal Panduranga ate the naivedyam. One can see many parallels between Periya Puranam [X C.AD] and Sri Bhakta Vijayam [XI C.AD]
What do I do for my Pillaiyar at home altar. It is made of porcelain. I offer jasmine on Wednesdays. Daily I recite Avvaiyar's Vinayakar Ahaval, Kashyaba [?] Munivar's Vinayaka Kavacham and Ganesa Moola Mantram, initiated to me. There is one Vinayaka in Nettakallappa Circle near my home. There occasionally I place coconuts for smashing on the ground so that poor boys could take the pieces. The number varies from 3 to 18, depending upon my prayer. Now as on today, 3 coconuts are due to him.
Dear Ravi,
Speaking on Pillaiyar, I remember one or more anectdoes/information
about Pillaiyar. One is Maha Swami's
book titled Vinayakar. This must be a compilation from his various discourses. He mentions here, how everyone sought Vinayaka's help,
starting from Siva, Muruga, Rama, and even Krishna. I do not readily remember the individual stories.
2. The other one is ThiRai konda Vinayakar in Arunacheleswarar Temple. First, Arunagiri Natha mentions about this Vinayaka in the benedictory verse of Kandhar Andati. There he uses the word VaraNathanai, in four different meanings and one refers to Vinayaka.
3. The third is Guhai Namasivaya. He prays to this ThiRai koNda Vinayakar, whom you can see if you enter through eastern towers of the Temple. This Vinayaka collected tax from a king who came to plunder Tiurvannamalai, and through Guhai Namasivaya's prayer
to Siva, Siva sent his son who went into enemy barracks on the outskrits [where he was camping] and made huge trouble, driving away his army, and hitting him on the back. The king returned all the wealth plundered and also the women abducted by him and on top of all, he agreed to pay a tax to Vinayaka thenceforth.
The details of this song will appear in forthcoming Guhai Namasivaya's Venba Thirattu. [Eng.]
R.Subramanian,
Here is the wonderful talk on Pillaiyar by the Sage of Kanchi.Please begin with the post on Saturday, April 24, 2010 and subsequent posts in this website :
http://advaitham.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html
Namaskar.
Dear Ravi,
Thank you for the advaitam link.
I shall browse it soon.
Once, as I went into the Presence of
Sri Bhagavan, He told me that He had
just performed the last rites to a crow.
'What is there great in it?' I asked.
Everyone in the Hall was aghast at my remark.
I continued, "Didn't you perform the last rites to that great bird Jatayu in your previous incarnation as Sri Rama?"
Sri Bhagavan smiled and the devotees smiled a sigh of relief.
[Sri Ramana Maharshi Jayanti -
125 Years of Grace - 2004]
Devotee: What becomes of the body after realization? Does it continue to exist or not? We see realized people performing actions like the other people.
Sri B: This question need not worry you now. You can ask it after realization, if you feel like it. As for realized beings, let them take care of themselves. Why do you worry about them? In fact, after realization, neither the body nor anything else will appear different from the Self.
Devotee: If we are always Being-
Consciousness-Bliss, why does God
place us in difficulties? Why did He create us?
Sri Bhagavan: Does God come and tell you that He placed you in difficulties? It is you who say so. It is the false 'I' again. If that disappears, there will be no one to say that God created this or that. That which is does not even not even say 'I am'. For does any doubt arise that "I am not"? Only if a doubt arose whether one was a cow or a buffalo would one have to remind oneself that one is not an animal but a man. But this never happens. It is the same with one's own existence and realization.
When the mind unceasingly investigates its own nature it transpires that there is no such as the mind. This is the direct path for all.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words.-Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: I am told that according to your school I must find out the source of my thought. How am I to do it?
Sri Bhagavan: I have no school. However, it is true that one should trace the source of all thoughts.
Devotee: Suppose I have the thought 'horse', and try to trace its source. I find that it is due to my memory and the memory in its turn is due to prior perception of the object 'horse' but that is all.
Sri Bhagavan: Who asked you to think about all that? All those are also thoughts. What good will it do you to go on thinking about memory and perception? It will be endless, like the old dispute, which came first, the tree or the seed. Ask who has this perception or memory or any other experience only comes to that 'I'. You do not have such experiences during sleep and yet you say that you existed during sleep. And you exist now too. That shows that the 'I' continues while other things come and go.
Devotee: I am asked to find out the source of 'I' and in fact that is what I want to find out, but how can I? What is the source from which I came?
Sri Bhagavan: You came from the same source in which you were during sleep. That is why you must make the enquiry while awake.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words.- Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: Whence comes birth?
Sri B: Whose birth?
D: The Upanishads say: 'He who knows Brahman becomes Brahman.'
Sri B: It is not a matter of becoming but of Being.
In answer to a question, as to what is the best way to the goal, Sri Bhagavan said: There is no goal to be reached. There is nothing to be attained. You are the Self. You exist always. Nothing more can be predicated of the Self than that it exists. Seeing God or the Self is only being the Self, that is yourself. Seeing is Being. You, being the Self, want to know how to attain the Self. It is like a man being at Sri Ramanasramam and asking how may ways are there of going to Sri Ramanasramam and which is the best way for him! All that is required is to give up the thought that you are this body and gave up all thoughts of external things or the non-Self. As often as the mind goes out towards objects, stop it and fix it in the Self or 'I'. That is all the effort required on your part.
Ceaseless practice is essential until one attains without least effort that natural and primal state of mind which is free from thought, in other words, until the 'I', 'my' and 'mine' are completely eradicated and destroyed.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words-Arthur Obsorne.]
It is in order to safeguard the viewpoint that there is nothing new to be discovered that Advaita explains that it is only a question of removing the screen of ignorance, just as by removing water plants one reveals beneath them the water that was already there, or as the removal of clouds reveals the blue sky that is there already but was hidden by them.
Devotee: How can one know the Self?
Sri B: The Self always is. There is no knowing it, It is not some new knowledge to be acquired. What is new and not here and now cannot be permanent. The Self always is. But knowledge of it is obstructed and the obstruction is called ignorance. Remove the ignorance and knowledge shines forth. In fact, it is not the Self that has this ignorance or even knowledge. These are only accretions to be cleared away. That is why the Self is said to be beyond knowledge and ignorance. It remains as it naturally is. That is all.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
What Has to Happen will Happen:
[Marleen Boers - MP July-Sept. 2008]
I first heard about Sri Bhagavan when I was only a teenager. My mother had bought a copy of De Weg tot het Zelf [The Way to the Self] by Heinrich Zimmer, which contained a photograph of Sri Bhagavan that fascinated me and gripped my heart. I didn't understand the book, however, as it was a literal Dutch translation from the original
German and was full of long and complicated sentences.
At about the same time, one day I experienced a sense of nothingness, wherein a sudden thought appeared: "It is said that God is infinite, so nothing can exist besides God, because that would make It finite, which is absurd. Thus the whole of creation appears within God, just like a dream within me."
Only a few years ago, in Arthur Osborne's autobiography, I found the same idea expressed when he said to someone, "Infinity minus X is a contradiction in terms because by the exclusion of the X, the first term ceases to be Infinite. Think of Infinity as God and X as yourself." It is the most basic and simple idea of Advaita, pointing to the Oneness of Truth which, as Sri Bhagavan says, cannot be expressed in words, as words are in duality.
It was only in the 1960s that I came across Arthur Osborne's books on Sri Bhagavan, and then I knew without a doubt that Sri Bhagavan was my guru, and the knowing arose the truth of non duality had alwys been known, but I only didn't know I knew. Sri Bhagavan's instruction to ask oneself "Who am I?" goes straight to the core. Finally, I knew how to meditate.
Reading Osborne's books gave me the strong feeling that the author was enlightened. Having the desire to meet him in person, visit the Asramam and 'experience
Arunachala', I wrote to Sri Ramanasramam asking whether I could visit and Sri Ganesan answered immediately that I was most welcome.
contd.,
What Has to Happen will Happen:
[Marleen Boers - MP July-Sept. 2008]
I first heard about Sri Bhagavan when I was only a teenager. My mother had bought a copy of De Weg tot het Zelf [The Way to the Self] by Heinrich Zimmer, which contained a photograph of Sri Bhagavan that fascinated me and gripped my heart. I didn't understand the book, however, as it was a literal Dutch translation from the original
German and was full of long and complicated sentences.
At about the same time, one day I experienced a sense of nothingness, wherein a sudden thought appeared: "It is said that God is infinite, so nothing can exist besides God, because that would make It finite, which is absurd. Thus the whole of creation appears within God, just like a dream within me."
Only a few years ago, in Arthur Osborne's autobiography, I found the same idea expressed when he said to someone, "Infinity minus X is a contradiction in terms because by the exclusion of the X, the first term ceases to be Infinite. Think of Infinity as God and X as yourself." It is the most basic and simple idea of Advaita, pointing to the Oneness of Truth which, as Sri Bhagavan says, cannot be expressed in words, as words are in duality.
It was only in the 1960s that I came across Arthur Osborne's books on Sri Bhagavan, and then I knew without a doubt that Sri Bhagavan was my guru, and the knowing arose the truth of non duality had alwys been known, but I only didn't know I knew. Sri Bhagavan's instruction to ask oneself "Who am I?" goes straight to the core. Finally, I knew how to meditate.
Reading Osborne's books gave me the strong feeling that the author was enlightened. Having the desire to meet him in person, visit the Asramam and 'experience
Arunachala', I wrote to Sri Ramanasramam asking whether I could visit and Sri Ganesan answered immediately that I was most welcome.
contd.,
What Has to Happen Will Happen:
Marleen Boers - continues..
November 1968 was the first time I came to India, visiting Ramakrishna
Ashram at Belur Math near Kolkata before going to Sri Ramanasramam, where I felt at home right away and feeling strongly the attraction of the Holy Hill of Arunachala. When I was leaving after a few weeks, sitting at the back of the bus, I looked back and saw Arunachala disappearing. This disappearance gave me such a shock that I burst out sobbing, feeling as if I had lost the presence of God. I didn't think I would ever have another chance to visit Arunachala.
My second visit to the Asramam was in December 1970, when I was stationed at Karachi in Pakistan, after being transferred there from Washington D.C. This new posting meant that it was now possible both in cost and in distance for me to travel easily to Tiruvannamalai and I was now able to visit the Asramam yearly.
I hoped to meet Arthur Osborne in 1968, but he and his wife were then in Madrid and in May 1970, he died. However, I did meet his widow Lucia Osborne and we became friends.
In early 1972, Sri Ganesan suggested that I should construct my own small cottage in the Morvi Guest House Compound but I told him that I had no money for that and anyhow, I would prefer a place with a garden around the house. I told Mrs. Osborne about Ganesan's
idea of my having own place. She said it was not expensive at all -- at that time! -- to acquire a plot of land and construct a cottage, and all she had suggested that she should look out for a plot for me. This frightened me a bit and I answered, "No, don't look for a place now. But if it comes to you, please let me know."
As India and Pakistan had been at war in December 1971, there was still no postal service between the two countries and so I gave Mrs. Osborne an address in Holland from where my mail would be forwarded to Karachi.
contd.,
What Has to Happen Will Happen:
Marleen Boers - continues...
In Sept. 1972, I received a letter
from her telling me that someone had come to her offering a piece of land for sale. This letter came from Tiruvannamalai to Karachi, addressed to me at the Netherlands Consulate, Karachi. This astonished me, as I didn't realize that the mail connection between India and Pakistan had opened up again. There was even a stamp with a picture of Sri Bhagavan on the letter! Mrs. Osborne asked me to let her know as soon as possible whether I was interested, and if so, to send some money. She would give the seller an advance so as to buy time while she waited for my reply. I wrote back to say I'd gladly buy the plot and that I'd give her the money in December when coming to the Asramam again, as sending money would be too complicated, and then I went with the letter to the post office to ask for a stamp. There I was laughed at and told that there was no mail to and fro from India since the war. When I showed Mrs. Osborne's letter which had on the back a round stamp mentioning "Karachi 25.9.1972" [ I still preserve the letter], they could not believe it, turning it over and over, saying this was impossible. They advised me though, to send my answer via another country, as they couldn't accept my letter.
Then I knew for certain, by this miracle that Sri Bhagavan wanted me to come and live at the foot of Arunachala. I sent a letter to Mrs. Osborne via Holland, explaining what had happened and that she must have forgotten to write me via Holland.
continued...
Friends,
An excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
Sunday, December 30, 1883
At three o'clock in the afternoon, while M. was walking up and down under a tree, a
devotee came to him and said that the Master had sent for him. M. went to Sri
Ramakrishna's room and found a number of devotees there. He saluted the Master.
Ram, Kedar, and others had arrived from Calcutta. Ram had brought with him the
Vedantist monk whom the Master had visited near his garden a few days earlier. On that
occasion Sri Ramakrishna had asked him to bring the sadhu to Dakshineswar.
The monk was sitting on the small couch with the Master. They were talking happily in
Hindusthani.
MASTER: "What do you feel about all this?"
MONK: "It is all like a dream."
MASTER: "Brahman alone is real and the world illusory. Well sir, what is Brahman?"
MONK: "Brahman is the Sound. It is Om."
MASTER: "But there must be something indicated by the sound. Isn't that so?"
MONK: "That Itself is the thing indicated as well as the indicator."
At these words Sri Ramakrishna went into samadhi and sat motionless. The monk and the
devotees looked wonderingly at him in his ecstatic condition. Kedar said to the monk:
"Look at him, sir. This is samadhi."
The monk had read of samadhi but had never seen it before. After a few minutes the Master
began gradually to come down to the normal plane of consciousness. He said to the Divine
Mother: "Mother, I want to be normal. Please don't make me unconscious. I should like to
talk to the sadhu about Satchidananda. Mother, I want to be merry talking about
Satchidananda."
The monk was amazed to see the Master's condition and to hear these words. Sri
Ramakrishna said to him: "Please do away with your 'I am He'. Let us now keep 'I' and
'Thou' to enjoy the fun."
A little later the Master was walking in the Panchavati with Ram, Kedar, M., and the other
devotees.
continued....
Friends,
The gospel of Sri Ramakrishna continued...
MASTER (to Kedar, with a smile): "What did you think of the sadhu?"
KEDAR: "It is all dry knowledge. The pot has just been put on the fire, but as yet there is
no rice in it."
MASTER: "That may be true. But he has renounced everything. He who has renounced the
world has already made great progress. The sadhu belongs to the stage of the beginner.
Nothing can be achieved without the realization of God. When a man is intoxicated with
ecstatic love of God, he dosn't take delight in anything else. Then-
Cherish my precious Mother Syama
Tenderly within, O mind;
May you and I alone behold Her,
Letting no one else intrude."
Kedar repeated the words of a song in keeping with the Master's feeling:
How shall I open my heart, O friend?
It is forbidden me to speak.
I am about to die, for lack of a kindred soul
To understand my misery. . . .
Sri Ramakrishna returned to his room. About four o'clock the door of the Kali temple was
opened, and the Master walked to the temple with the monk; M. accompanied them.
Entering the inner chamber, the Master prostrate himself reverently before the image. The
monk, with folded hands, also bowed his head repeatedly before Kali.
MASTER: "What do you think of Kali?"
MONK (with devotion): "Kali is supreme."
MASTER: "Kali and Brahman are identical. Is that not so?"
MONK: "As long as one's mind is turned to the outer world, one must accept Kali. As long
as a man sees the outer world, and discriminates between good and evil, he must accept
good and reject evil. To be sure, all names and forms are illusory; but as long as the mind
sees the outer world, the aspirant must give up woman. The ideas of good and evil are
applied to one who is still a student on the path; otherwise he will stray from the path of
righteousness.
Thus conversing, the Master and the monk returned from the temple.
MASTER (to M.): "Did you notice that the sadhu bowed before Kali?"
M: "Yes, sir."
Namaskar.
What has to Happen will Happen:
Marleen Boers - continues..
When in the winter of 1972/73, I was in Tiruvannamalai, the sale of the plot of land was concluded and registered. I later heard that since 1972 foreigners couldn't anymore buy immovable property in India, but at the registry office in town apparently was not yet aware of this new rule, so there were no difficulties. Another miracle!
In 1974, I was transferred to Bombay which made visits to the Asramam even easier, and there I had the good fortune to be introduced by Maurice Frydman to Nisargadatta Maharaj and was able to visit him regularly during my
four year stay in Bombay. In the beginning I was confused by Maharaj's way of explaining things and remember labeling it 'mental gymnastics', making advaita complicated. But I liked Maharaj's presence very much as I found it mind-stilling. Maharaj's talks and answers were always translated from Marathi into English, which didn't contribute to clarity. The translators themselves may not have understood what Maharaj meant.
Maharaj was always very gracious to me and my friend Meheroo asking in private if we had any questions. Maharaj, once asked me, 'Who is your Guru?', at which I pointed out to Sri Bhagavan's picture hanging behind him, and Maharaj nodded approvingly.
In 1975, the foundation of my house at Tiruvannamalai had been finished, but I had to stop further construction because of trouble with the builder and I decided to wait with it till I was there in person, to supervise. As I had been able to save a lot of money in Karachi and Bombay, I could resign my job in 1978, if I setttled in India and lived from the interest of my savings. And so I moved to Tiurvannamalai in December 1978 to finally put down my roots. Sri Gannesan had helped me to obtain an entry visa and residential permit by standing guarantor for me.
contd.,
What Has to Happen will Happen:
Marleen Boers: continues...
I was able to finish the house and go daily to the Asramam.The land around the house which was completely bare when I bought it, has been transformed into a big garden with tall trees among which two are big banyan trees.
In April 1981, already living in Tiruvannamalai, I decided to go to Bombay to see Maharaj a last time as he was suffering from terminal cancer. He looked a bit shrunken but, though having lost his exuberant gestures explaining matters, was nevertheless spirited enough. After talking a bit, he pointed to a man sitting next to me who was not one of the regular translators when I lived in Bombay. This man, handsome, around sixty, looking distinguished in his three-piece black suite, closed his eyes, bent a bit backward and forwards and then opened his eyes and mouth to translate. What came out was the most beautiful and precise English, leaving me in no doubt that he understood Maharaj completely. The feeling arose in me suddenly, that this man was enlightened. Later I learned that he was Ramesh Balsekar. Maharaj died five months later, in September 1981.
contd.,
What Has to Happen will Happen:
Marleeen Boers - continues...
What I slowly learned through the years is that I really know nothing - apart from the fact, that I am - and that I can't do anything of my own. There is no free will, everything is pre-destined, which leads to surrender. But as the future is not known, one has to act as if one has free will. Somewhere Sri Bhagavan explained this to Arthur Osborne when he asked about free will and pre destiny.
I am at peace at the core of my being, listening to its silence and enjoying the view of Arunachala, Siva Himself, according to the scripture and symbol of non duality. I am very thankful indeed to be so blessed.
What is told above, are of course, my own experiences and concepts. Nothing more.
In my opinion everybody should follow his or her own convictions until proved erroneous. Real Truth cannot be proved. It is.
Nowadays, there are many gurus, real or half baked, who may have quite some following. Apart from their credibility it should be remembered that everything in this creation has its place.
Whatever happens has to happen, just as Sri Bhagavan said.
concluded.
Vasanas determine the Sadhak's desstiny:
rolf skarnitzl - Sri Ramana Jayanti 2004 - 125 Years of Grace - Souvenir:
The experiences gained by the Sadhak on his path to knowledge are mainly those of joy and upliftment, based on the function of Sattva itself and the result of sattvically harmonized or unharmonized tendencies. In the latter case, in advanced individual, the whole personality
seeks to avoid useless disappointments and delays, and to fulfill his sattvic desires which correspond to a sadhak's principal thrust of effort. The sattvic harmonization of tendencies is a reflection of his maturation. If the sattvic desires remain unfulfilled during the sadhak's life, he leaves this world without realizing spiritual knowledge, prevented by the traces of rajas and tamas from which he did not manage to free himself.
A Sadhak starting in a new life receives a new composition of gross and subtle bodies, though born with the same configuration of gunas and tendencies with which he left previous birth. According to Indian tradition, he is born with those vasanas [latent tendencies from past incarnations] which inspire the continued pursuit of the desired values.
In the discussion of vasanas, we come to an important point often misintepreted and misunderstood.
The Sanskrit expression 'vasana' is derived from the root 'vas', which means 'to dwell, to live inside. Vasanas are often compared for instance, to scent which, impregnating clothes, wafts from them.
Essentially we distinguish two kinds of vasanas:
1. Sat vasanas, which are desirable since they are beneficial to the development of the individual, in his sadhana.
2. Asat vasanas which are undesirable, because they strengthen the bondage to the world, and thus act as obstacles for spiritual sadhana.
The motto we want asanas, not vasanas - states that to attain ultimate liberation, one must over come all vasanas. Without this the dissolution of the mind cannot occur.
Muktika Upanishad is the last of the 108 Upanishads. Here, in the second chapter, the guidance given by Rama to Hanuman is elaborated.
I shall give the translation of quite a few verses by Madguni Shambu Bhatt of the Upanishad. This has been given in MP 1969.
contd.,
Apa Pant(friend of Maurice Frydman) told me this story. One day our master Jamyang Khyentse was watching a ‘Lama Dance’ in front of the Palace Temple in Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, and he was chuckling at the antics of the atsara, the clown who provides light relief between dances. Apa Pant kept pestering him, asking him again and again how to meditate, so this time when my master replied, it was in such a way as to let him know that he was telling him once and for all:
“Look, it’s like this: When the past thought has ceased, and the future thought has not yet risen, isn't there a gap?”
“Yes,” said Apa Pant.
“Well, prolong it: That is meditation.”
Dear hey jude,
Nice. Sri Bhagavan has also told that one should observe the interval between two thoughts. This interval represents the thoughtless state. As you have said if one could prolong this, then to attain a permanent thoughtless state is easier.
Sri Krishna is called IDAIYAN in Tamizh. Idaiyan means a cowherd
and also one who is in between. In
a crowded Guruvayur Temple, in the queue, the people farther away will be trying to see Sri Krishna between the two persons in the front queue. Sri Krishna's form thus truly becomes that which is in between two thoughts or two persons!
Vasanas determine the Sadhaka's destiny:
rolf skarnitzl: continues....
Verse 3: The vasanas in a man are of two kinds, beneficent and harmful.
If you are influenced by the former,
4. You will gradually and even rapidly attain My station. On the other hand, if you are cast into trouble by the harmful vasanas,
5. That is due to your own past karmas and therefore the tendency must be overcome by your own effort. The stream of vasanas flowing through good and bad channels,
6. Should be directed by human effort into only the good and auspicious channel, what has entered the inauspicious channel
should be redirected into the other.
7. Vasanas that are redirected from the harmful to the beneficial become beneficent and vice versa. Thus by your own effort you should nourish and educate your mind, like a child.
8. When your vasanas begin to be habitually controlled in this way, then indeed the results of your practice should appear, O Slayer of the Enemy!
9. Even when in doubt, act always in the beneficent direction. O Son of Maruta. If the balance swings too much to that side there is no harm in that.
10. Destruction of vasanas, true understanding and elimination of the mind practiced simultaneously bring good results, Oh, the Wise One.
11. Unless they are practiced repeatedly and together the final goal of Bliss cannot be attained even in a hundred years.
40. Until the mind is mastered by the practice of Oneness the vasanas dance about in the heart like night time devils.
61. There are said to be two kinds of vasanas, the pure and impure, the latter cause rebirth while the former avert it.
62. The wise say that impure vasanas, which are strongly united with ignorance and vanity, bring about rebirth. What is desirable is that the vasanas, the seed of birth, should be free from impurities like a burnt seed that cannot sprout.
69. First give up inner cravings for gratifying the senses and then develop pure vasanas such as satsangh.
70. Then give up even these good vasanas, although manifesting them outwardly, friendliness towards all.
71. Giving up even that which operates the mind and intellect, Oh Maruti, abide firmly in Me, with the powerful well being that remains.
contd.,
VASANAS DETERMINE THE SADHAKA'S DESTINY:
rolf skanitzl - continues...
Rama's guidance deals with how we approach vasanas and with the way to cultivate them. It emphasizes the necessity of their purification and transformation into beneficial vasanas by means of the purifying influence of sattva. After having achieved purification, Rama recommends a complete elimination of vasanas and dissolution of the mind, and thus removing the obstacles to
Liberation.
The Upanishads explain the existence and activity of tendencies, the effort to control them by sattvic harmonization, and the intentional consolidation of sattvic influence, without which spiritual attainment is impossible.
When the mind becomes more sattvic, it starts to understand things previously incomprehensible. When sattva prevails in a sadhaka after having heard of the first calling of sattva, understood tamas, recognized the latent tendencies and controlled the influence of tamas by sattvic intellect and sattvic feeling, then spiritual disciplines such as japa, meditation, self observation and other practices become effecient for inner purification. The mind calms down and the brilliance of Consciousnesness as reflected in the intellect grows. It is natural for such a person, turning away from the transient to seek liberation. When the last traces of impurities [tamas and rajas] have been removed, the sadhaka's personality becomes purified. His
inner world is filled with the untainted sattva and he realizes the supreme "I". Permanent bliss with no anxiety in the personality results as does a complete absenfe of rajas and tamas.
This is the justice of it. Divine Wisdom so arranging it that everyone is the architect of his own fortune and everyone reaps only what he desired.
concluded.
After Mother Azagamma's Videha Kaivalyam, the Samadhi in its simple form was constructed and her mortal remains were interred. Around this time, Sri Bhagavan found that there
was some moisture on the ground, to the north of Mother's Samadhi, somewhere between the Samadhi and the dining hall, to the back of Old Hall. Sri Bhagavan asked the workers to dig the ground and soon the famous well, [now in between Ramaneswara Mahalingam Temple and dining hall] came into existence, with perennial water supply, even in times of acute water shortage in Tiruvannamalai.
Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni, who was there at that time named the well as "aghasmana tirtham", the water that purifies the mind. It is called Azhammai Tirtham in Tamizh. Even today, for preparing Naivedya for both the temples and also for abhishekam purposes, water is pulled out only from this well.
Kavyakanta composed several verses on Matrubhuteswara Lingam. The following two are considered important:
Maata sriramanasya yaa bhagavat saundaryanamnee satee,
Tadhastaambujadeekshayaa gatamala brahmaatmatammeeyushi,
Saivam roopamayaapya saktikalitam devalaye saadhunaa,
Yogaambaasamalamkrto vijayate srimaatrubhuteswarah ||
Jayatu maharshermaataa poota
Jayatu samadhih kopi nadeeyah,
Jayatu maharshisthapitlingam,
Jayatu ca teertham navam aghasamanam ||
[Matrubhuteswara Shatakam, by Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni.]
Who is Rama? He is the one who plays in everyone. And when Rama enters in the ten senses, he becomes Ravana. When you enter the ten senses, then your peace, Sita is lost. Sita means peace.
- Ranjit Maharaj (from Understanding Is Realizing
glow
Dear Anon.,
Mind is Ravana. He comes out through the ten senses. When there is dissolution of mind, Ravana is no longer there, he is killed. Then there is only Rama. Rama is the Heart, the Effulgence, all pervading and eternal.
Nice post, thanks.
Tomorrow is Ugadi [Chandramana Ugadi]. I wish all the members a
happy, peaceful Khara varsha, with further progress in their sadhana.
In Sri Ramanasramam, Ugadi is also celebrated with special pujas. It is Telugu/Kannada New Year.
There were many early devotees to
Sri Bhagavan, all of them were Telugu people. Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni, G.V. Subbaramayya and Suri Nagamma to name a few.
The Plunge into Siva's Grace:
Marlies Hibschenberger: MP July-Sept. 2007:
As a university student in Germany
in 1959, I was one of a group of four friends interested in Eastern philosophy, whether through books or seminars or by any other means. As an only child I was somewhat self conscious but I nonetheless swallowed all the books, articles and comments on psychology, yoga, and Asian religions that came my way.
I thought, "There must be some very deep meaning to this life and our reason for being here, but if so, how to find out?"
As usual our little group spent its free time in a rather sophisticated book stall in a small town in south Germany. While casually looking for some new books, I took out A Search in Secret India by Paul Brunton. It felt like fire in my hands and I bought it with my last pocket money and quickly ran away to read it. I could not stop reading it as it completely enthralled me. After some time, going back to that bookshop, I found In Days of Great Peace by Mount Sadhu. I was so anxious to read those two books that I was forced to hid with a torch under my blankets as otherwise my parents would scold me for not doing my studies properly. I was completely distressed when I found out about the Maharshi's death, thinking, "Now I am too late." I cried endlessly being sure of having missed the chance of meeting a great being who had already stolen my heart and soul.
Anyway I reasoned to myself, how can a college girl without money run away to India? I had already decided for myself that the Maharshi was defintely 'alive' and so as soon as I had the money I resolved to go. I finished my training course in a newspaper publishing house and then got a job in the legal department in the Ministry of Culture.
Contd.,
The Plunge into Siva's Grace:
continues...
Twenty three years of life had now passed. Not knowing the exact address of the Ramanasramam I wrote a letter to: "The Ashram of Sri Ramana Maharshi at the Holy Hill of Arunachala, South India", being almost sure that there was very little chance of an answer to this rather vague address. I introduced myself, writing to the President asking for permission to come. It was not long before one evening, when I was sitting as usual on meditation bench, already trying to follow the Maharshi's teaching of Self Enquiry, when I realized that my land-lady had put out mail containing -- what a miracle -- a very welcome answering letter from the President of the Ashram. I could hardly believe that Sri Bhagavan was reaching out to take me "into the tiger's mouth."
From that day I eagerly saved up money. Nothing could be wasted having "the final goal" in mind. As there was no such thing then as a cheap flight I booked by ticket by boat. My parents were staggered and shocked and my fiance' confronted me with "either me or India". I stuck to my decision and left from Marseille in France by a Messagerie Maritime
liner for Bombay and not even fixing a time to come back. After 14 days I reached Bombay and proceeded to Madras where people advised me to go back by train in Tiruvannamalai.
Contd.,
The Plunge into Siva's Grace:
I was totally excited reaching the cute small railway station with Arunachala right in front of me. A horse-cart -- what else in that time, then took this exotic foreigner to Sri Ramanasramam, which was outside that sleepy, little town to the south of the Hill. Entering the gate I knew I was coming home; nothing was strange, everything familiar, there was no need to go anywhere else. I also knew that once I must have been here, but who cares for samsaric events! And Sri Ramana Maharshi never died! What a solemn, vibrant and silent place! No cars, no motorcycles, not even a bicycle was to be seen, as if the clock was switched back to those times when Sri Bhagavan was in His human form to pout out His Grace endlessly towards everyone who came near Him.
The Asramam Office was there in front of the Mother Temple and there was no grand samadhi hall, only a thatched roof and a rope fence around. A few inmates lived there, who silently moved around radiating that touch of peace which was all-pervading through Sri Bhagavan's Grace. The atmosphere was thrilling, powerful and penetrated my whole being. A warm welcome awaited me, a young girl who was eagerly longing to be One with that great being who is
nobody else than one's own essence. The next days I ran [not walked] non-stop up the Hill to Skandasramam. Who gave me wings to feel like flying then?
There were only a handful of Westerners in the Asramam. One of them was a German Hugo Maier who had already been there for five years and who shared with us his acquired knowledge, but naturally there was no one who could ever replace Sri Bhagavan. And there was our Muruganar Swami and Viswanatha Swami whose doors were practically open 24 hours for all the devotees requesting advice on Sri Bhagavan's teaching. Or there was Kunju Swami or Annamalai Swami to whom we could joyfully listen.
Contd.,
The Plunge into Siva's Grace:
continues....
Mr. Arthur Osborne who lived outside the Asramam had been adding much to the explanation on vichara/self enquiry, which was the main and total point of interest. Mrs. Lucia Osborne, Mrs. Road McIver, Miss Merston or Ma Thalayarkhan who in a more or less male dominated society cared very much for the needs of those single ladies, who stayed at the Asramam. For example, women at that time were not allowed to say after dinner. And there was our beloved old post master Raja who used to place the incoming letters into the lap of those sitting for hours and hours together in the Old Hall. I had the opportunity to get a room beside our old Ramaswami Pillai who paved the path up to the Skandasramam with heavy granite stones in Sri Bhagavan's lifetime.
And those days and weeks were spent in the Old Hall where I felt Sri Bhagavan had never left and where His Grace was showered upon me uninterruptedly.
There was no electricity on the walk around the Hill. One could only trace a few bullock cart or horse cart tracks and one could go all alone in dark night being in tune with Lord Siva's all pervading power manifested in Arunachala.
Days and weeks passed, I knew I had been born only to come here and be filled with what life's purpose means. Coming as an empty cup, I left Tiruvannamalai knowing that I carried now the greatest treasure a being in ordinary form can be capable of receiving.
contd.,
The Plunge into Siva's Grace:
Mariles Hibschenberger: continues...
I boarded the Cambodjie in Colombo,
Sri Lanka and came to Marseille two weeks later, where my husband to-be,
already waited, eager to hear about my journey to Tiruvannamalai. Since then we have come every year for longer or shorter periods to Tiruvannamalai.
There is little that I can add to all the published memoirs about the senior devotees of Sri Bhagavan, who are no longer with us. When I was with Muruganar Swami or say, Viswanatha Swami, they referred always to Sri Bhagavan's teachings and never took upon themselves any role other than that of a humble devotee. What I felt being in their presence was their immense love for Sri Bhagavan, which in its essence entered right into my heart and gave me a tremendous push to melt into the supreme source of my own Being.
Surely, time has massively changed Tiruvannamalai after 40 years. The very intimate charming old days drenched in stillness and peace have in a sense, turned into busy pilgrimage place for all people over the world in search of happiness, solace and spiritual experience. BUT HIS POWER REMAINS!
Concluded.
IT IS BHAGAVAN'S GRACE:
Hemalatha Rajan - MP Jan-Mar. 2007:
I was only 14 years old, one of the lucky ones to come to Sri Bhagavan.
Soon after my birth in Chennai, I had left with my mother and various siblings, for Kolkata and spent 14 years there, my father being placed in a senior position in a heavy machinery corporation. We were there in the uneasy mid 1940s, with Hindu-Muslim rioting, Mahatma Gandhi's Freedom struggle, overlaid with bombing due to the Second World War which filled the air. The atmosphere was chaotic. At last, we were forced to leave the city and return for a time to Chennai where my grandparents still lived. From there we were invited to Madurai where my only maternal uncle was serving in Southern Railway. However, the day after we arrived at his house, official duty forced him to leave the next day on inspection to Villupuram. We accompanied him in his saloon car and arrived at our destination in the morning. At Villupuram, he was told that his inspection would involve a full day. Thus, it was decided to send my mother, aunt, and six of us, children, to nearby Tiruvannamalai by car!
We reached the Asramam by 10.30 a.m. and entered in file the room where Sri Bhagavan was reclining on the divan and was fanning Himself. We sat in front of Him, and He looked at each of us in turn and smiled graciously. As the room was otherwise fully occupied with silent, seated devotees, we youngsters were also directed to remain likewise and awed by circumstances, felt glad to do so. Nevertheless, this discipline could not last long. My young brother was the first to get up and walked up and down in front of Sri Bhagavan, thus causing a disturbance to the serene atmosphere. We realized that we should get up, offer our pranams and move out of the room. Seeing us all involved in this forced movement, Sri Bhagavan waved out to us not to leave so soon, except when necessary and to have our noon meals. We nodded in compliance and waited until the lunchtime bell rang beckoning all inmates. After joining the Asramites in the dining hall, we children were bid to sit in one row close to where Sri Bhagavan was to come and be seated to partake in the meals served in fresh plantain leaves. Sri Bhagavan arrived in His calm majestic manner and sat down and it was blessed fortune to be seated first to His left side. His divine glance of grace fell upon me. I looked up at Him and sat there filled with His look of abundant love.
contd.,
IT IS BHAGAVAN'S GRACE:
continues....
Now, I must speak truly of the spiritual awakening that took place
within me and a daily longing for the search of Knowledge and self enquiry that followed this 'chance' enquiry. Many years passed, and it was only after Sri Bhagavan attained Mahasamadhi. In the year, 1983, I was able to
come once again to Tiruvannmalai and be in the presence of Sri Bhagavan. Since that year, His ever-flowing grace has led me to spend days in His glorious presence regularly without break,
a blessed contrast to the somewhat fractured influence of my early life. Sri Bhagavan's promise to protect and bless His sincere
seekers is seen and felt by me until this day, and I regard this unbroken contact as a miracle indeed.
I must add a few more lines to express my joy of another unexpected incident which happened in 1991. At that time, my husband retired from service and we had come for a retreat to Asramam. Prior to leaving we met the then President Swami Ramananda Saraswathi, who enquired of our welfare. We informed him we had bought a small flat at Visakapatnam and had come to pray and receive Sri Bhagavan's blessings to perform grahapravesam.
He was glad to present us with a large photograph of Sri Bhagavan as a special gift for the occasion. I could not control my happiness with tears rolling down my cheeks. I cried out to within myself, "Bhagavan, it is forever
true that you are with us."
During the puja ceremony later, we placed the photograph of Sri Bhagavan, and all our family members prostrated before it and thus received His blessings.
Ever since then, it has become a daily habit for me to speak to Him of my inner feelings and implore His Blessings for firm strength in the progress of my sadhana.
concluded.
Spaeaking of Matrubhuteshwara, I know a l'le as to what the term means; but I would love to hear it from the senior devotees. Can anyone please elaborate on the term?
Dear Maneesha,
Matru means Mother in Sanskrit.
Bhuta means form or element.
Matrubhuteswara means Siva in the form of Mother. Since Mother Azhagamma became one with Sivam, Consciousness, the Lingam installed on the Samadhi of Mother was named as Matrubhuteswara.
Siva in the Rockfort Temple, Tiruchirapalli, Tamizh Nadu, is also named Matrubhuteswara.
Here, the puranic story goes that when a pregnant lady was awaiting her mother's arrival for help, and when the mother could not come in
time due to floods in Kaveri river, Siva Himself came in the guise of her mother and took care of her labour pains and delivery of child! When the real human mother arrived after a few days, the daughter was surprised. When the real mother and daughter looked for the mother who had come earlier, Siva had disappeared! They of course knew, that it was all Siva's sport.
Obituary of time:
Swami Chidananda Varanasi:
125 Years of Grace - Souvenir on
Sri Bhagavan's Jayanti 2004:
Time and tide wait for none. It is true. The whole universe is constantly on the move, changing every moment. The present moment slides into past and we watch this flow without choice. Space and Time have been recognized as the coordinates of this phenomenal universe. They are the four dimensions of all objects and events, x,y, z and t. Yet poet and mystics have always talked about timelessness. Their eyes see a truth that is not touched by time. Living in eternity is a possibility for them while ordinarily we find our life is in the ruthless clutches of time. Sri Sankara declared, "kaalo jagad-bhakshatah"- "time devours the whole world," in Siva-aparadha-kshamapana Stotram.
The clock time, which we call the chronological time, does not stop for anybody including the poets and mystics. There is another time, which our mind creates, called the psychological time. This dies when there is a radical change in our mind. We shall explore the nature of this illusory dimension now, which has sway over the human mind all over the world.
Time does not arise in pure perception. When I see a beautiful car and appreciates its elegance, I am just seeing without the interference of social conditionings. However, if I start fancying a ride in the car, probably with a couple of my friends, then begin various calculations about its possible cost, how much I can afford and, to make matters worse, a comparison with my richer friends for whom it is easy to possess such a luxury. A psychological maze of desires and fears is soon ready. A movement of the ego clouds pure perception. Jean Klein observed, "Perceive, do n not conceive." Perception is direct while conception is through the medium of our personal desires. Thoughts are of the form, "I may never be fortunate enough to own such a comfort" or "One day, before I breathe my last, I shall have it and my neighbors will envy me for sure." Here our mind creates a dimension of time and accompanies and sustains suffering. Of course, there is not just suffering but short bouts of pleasurable illusions. A self created world of joys and sorrows stands supported by psychological time.
contd.,
Obituary of Time:
continues...
While chronological even is the distance between two events in space, the psychological time is the distance between two mental concepts. We have an idea of who we are and we fancy a picture of what we shall become. Both these are images and they obscure the truth of of who we truly are. Certain memories construct the images. The hurt and the pride of our past contribute to our self image, and they alone shape our
dream. If we are totally free from the shadow of our past, we have neither pressure of any inadequacy of self worth nor the burden of wanting to become something. We truly live in the present, perceiving situations with objectivity and responding to them with great naturalness.
It is interesting to see the intimate relation that our thoughts about the future have with our memories of the past. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj pointed out that the desire is the creation of the memory of a pleasure enjoyed and fear is the making of the memory of some pain suffered. So what we project into the future is nothing but certain residue of the past. If there is nothing carried over from the past, the mind does not harbor any anxiety about the future. Living in the present thus remains as a psychological memory that is the springboard of desires and fears. The ego is made of these and these memories that are the womb of time.
Enlightened souls have an empty mind that gracefully savors the present moment. Their identity is not an ego with its record of the achievements and failures. It is rather a quiet flame of Awareness with neither a shadow of the past nor the smoke of the future. We see them in a frame of space-time, but they stand majestically beyond any such frame. Sri Ramana Maharshi was one such. About Him, Sri Dwarakanath Reddy says, "Long before time could write Sri Ramana Maharshi's obituary, Sri Ramana Maharshi wrote time's obituary."
If time is an illusion created by thoughts, which are founded on spiritual ignorance, is it not time that we looked at 'time' a second time?
concluded.
The Bird in a Chimney:
Sri Bhagavan used examples from life to teach the ultimate truth. The cause of all misery and evil, beginning with birth experienced by Jivas, is forgetfulness of the way one came. This is illustrated by Sri Bhagavan by the following incident:
There was a chimney in the Hall, where Sri Bhagavan used to give darshan. The chimney was closed on all sides with a steel mesh, except at the bottom. One day a beautiful small bird somehow entered it from the bottom and was trapped in a condition diametrically opposed to its natural environment, i.e. the vast space it could fly freely. From the moment it entered the chimney, it was frantically trying to escape, but all its efforts proved futile. Because, forgetting the way it came, it was repeatedly trying to escape through all the closed routes. Sri Bhagavan took this example to reveal a great truth.
The bird has given up the all-pervasive space, its natural place which is opposed to its nature. Not knowing how to escape from this prison, it is agitated and is afraid. Like this bird, Jivas have also given up their natural place of residence, the vast space of consciousness. Through delusion they have become trapped in the prison of the body, without knowing how to escape, they are tormented by various afflictions. The ceaseless efforts of this bird to reach its natural place of resident are unsuccessful because they are directed upwards, the way of bondage, instead of downwards, the way it came. Similarly, the reason why the Jivas' ceaseless efforts to attain freedom are unsuccessful is because they are also directed outwards, the way of bondage, instead of inwards, the way they came. The natural tendency of the bird to upward asserts itself even in their attempts of freedom. Likewise the natural tendency of Jivas to roam outwards asserts itself even in their attempts at liberation. This is Jiva's natural tendency. If through, true discrimination and awareness, the Jiva is made to turn back from outward - directed sight to inward sight, and if it remains fixed there, it is certain to attain liberation in an instant.
This one upadesa will be sufficient for those genuinely
thirsting for liberation.
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
The Bird in a Chimney:
Sri Bhagavan used examples from life to teach the ultimate truth. The cause of all misery and evil, beginning with birth experienced by Jivas, is forgetfulness of the way one came. This is illustrated by Sri Bhagavan by the following incident:
There was a chimney in the Hall, where Sri Bhagavan used to give darshan. The chimney was closed on all sides with a steel mesh, except at the bottom. One day a beautiful small bird somehow entered it from the bottom and was trapped in a condition diametrically opposed to its natural environment, i.e. the vast space it could fly freely. From the moment it entered the chimney, it was frantically trying to escape, but all its efforts proved futile. Because, forgetting the way it came, it was repeatedly trying to escape through all the closed routes. Sri Bhagavan took this example to reveal a great truth.
The bird has given up the all-pervasive space, its natural place which is opposed to its nature. Not knowing how to escape from this prison, it is agitated and is afraid. Like this bird, Jivas have also given up their natural place of residence, the vast space of consciousness. Through delusion they have become trapped in the prison of the body, without knowing how to escape, they are tormented by various afflictions. The ceaseless efforts of this bird to reach its natural place of resident are unsuccessful because they are directed upwards, the way of bondage, instead of downwards, the way it came. Similarly, the reason why the Jivas' ceaseless efforts to attain freedom are unsuccessful is because they are also directed outwards, the way of bondage, instead of inwards, the way they came. The natural tendency of the bird to upward asserts itself even in their attempts of freedom. Likewise the natural tendency of Jivas to roam outwards asserts itself even in their attempts at liberation. This is Jiva's natural tendency. If through, true discrimination and awareness, the Jiva is made to turn back from outward - directed sight to inward sight, and if it remains fixed there, it is certain to attain liberation in an instant.
This one upadesa will be sufficient for those genuinely
thirsting for liberation.
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
PRASADAM FROM TERMITES:
During the Pathalalingam days, Sri Bhagavan's thighs were eaten away by insects and termites [white ants]. The poison of termites stayed in His body.
One evening, Kunju Swami, Sri Bhagavan's attendant, accompanied Sri Bhagavan up the Hill. He noticed some secretion, like puss, oozing out from the upper portion of His thigh. Sri Bhagavan wiped it out with His small towel. Kunjuswami was nonplussed. Sri Bhagavan explained with smile, "Yes, It is the white ant's Prasadam for Swami!"
Sri Bhagavan told Kunju Swami that the oozing used to occur twice a yearm but it was not noticed by others. This oozing stopped completely in 1940s.
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
Sri P. Banerjee asked Sri Bhagavan what is the difference between Jivan Mukti [realization while in the body]
and Videha Mukti [realization after death].
Sri B: There is no difference. For those who ask, it is said: A Jnani with a body is a Jivan Mukta and he attains Videha Mukti when he sheds the body. But this difference exists only for the onlookers, not for the Jnani. His state is the same before and after the body id dropped. We think of the Jnani as a human form or as being in that form. But he knows he is the Self, the one Reality which is both inside and out, and which is not bounded by any form of shape. There is a verse in the Srimad Bhagavata which says: Just as a man who is drunk is not conscious whether his upper cloth is on his body, or slipped away from it, the Jnani is hardly conscious of his body, and it makes no difference to him whether the body remains or had dropped off.
[This question is often asked by devotees seeing that Sri Bhagavan continues to perform actions. Some has also asked whether the Jnani continues to perform a function after the death of the body. He has answered that the Guru may continue to give guidance after the death of the body, when no longer in human form.]
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words. - Arthur Osborne.]
ARTHUR OSBORNE: BIRTH CENTENARY 25TH SEPTEMBER 2006:
Christopher Quilkey - MP Jan-Mar. 2007:
Arthur Osborne's birth centenary was on 25th Sept. 2006. It was typical of this self-effacing man that we did not notice this significant date at the time and were only told by a devotee after the fact.
Arthur's life in this world was relatively short. He died at the
age of 64. Probably the hardships and deprivations he suffered as a captor in Bangkok during the Second World War contributed.
He left us a legacy of writing about Sri Ramana which will live as long as there are people who read about Sri Bhagavan. He wrote in a simple, straightforward style. There were neither literary effects nor for that matter any superfluous words. He thought the message was more important than the messenger.
As the founder-editor of Mountain Path, he opened up a new world for many, particularly in the West who had trouble with Sanskrit terminology and the Indian philosophical terms in general. As in his life, he went right to the heart of an argument and said what was absolutely necessary so
readers quickly and easily grasp the essentials.
When I write an editorial it is composed in part with the spirit of Arthur's style. His was the first work I read on Sri Bhagavan and though the language of his book Ramana Arunachala looked deceptively plain and approachable, one instinctively felt that there were layers of deeper understanding which eluded comprehension. Arthur in his inimitable way has said all that is necessary to clarify the path of Sri Ramana.
He was one of the few people I actually wanted to meet and when, on first arriving at Arunachala in 1975, it was with deep disappointment that I heard that he was dead. He had worked extremely hard creating Mountain Path with a bare minimum of facilities along with Sri V. Ganesan, the managing editor who was a big help for him. He created a highly respected journal which became internationally known and one can easily imagine Sri Bhagavan's Grace was solidly behind the enterprise. Just before an operation in 1968, perhaps since he knew that his time in this world was limited, he wrote ten editorials, one after another! He had planned and executed over 2 years of magazine material and then put down his pen. The final period of his life was spent mainly on silence. His final editorial was in April 1970 and in the next month, he died at Bangalore on the 7th May. His body was brought back to Tiruvannamalai by his adoring wife and courageous fellow traveler Lucia. His grave lies in a quite spot under some trees in the Osborne Compound and one can sense, if trouble is taken to be still in that tranquil atmosphere, a serene peace that is quite subtle.
contd.,
ARTHUR OSBORNE - BIRTH CENTENARY 2006. Christopher Quilkey.
continues..
When we read the accounts of Arthur there is no doubt that he was a gentleman of the old school. He was emotionally undemonstrative but naturally polite and reserved, not out of arrogance but more out of respect for whoever he was with. He never uttered a word more than necessary and was content to remain perfectly quiet for any length of time, much to the discomfort of those who came to seek his company and hoped for a string of wise statements from him. He had no small talk. This was in contrast to his younger years in Oxford.
Unless one knew it from his writings or his acquaintances, his
placid demenour would disguise his powerful and unrelenting dedication to the teachings of his guru. Though he was married and had three children, his heart and soul was dedicated to the quest for truth. Like an Arthurian Knight, once he had committed to his life, there was no slackening nor turning back.
He had two offers of jobs after his university years, and he chose the one with the British Council in Poland. It was destiny that he met and married Ludka Lipszyc, as Lucia was then known. She had come from a line of Jewish scholars and deeply respected Arthur's fine intellect. She was fluent in six languages and he at least in four including Arabic. Together they forged a bond that gave them the strength to face and accept all the vicissitudes to which they were subjected to in the next thirty years.
Arthur was released from prison in 1945, and came to Arunachala to be with his family and Sri Bhagavan who blessed him. Though Arthur had known about Sri Bhagavan's greatness for many years, but due to his association with Rene Guenon had thought that a Jivan Mukta like Sri Bhagavan did not teach and therefore could not guide seekers.
contd.,
ARTHUR OSBORNE'S BIRTH CENTENARY - 2006:
continues....
It was only after he came to Tiruvannmalai he realized that Sri Bhagavan was a guide. Sometimes after his arrival at Arunachala, he showed Sri Bhagavan a letter he had composed to Rene Guenon stating that Sri Bhagavan was a guru. Sri Bhagavan read it carefully and gave His consent for the letter to be sent. Arthur cut his ties with the Sufi tradition which he had hitherto practiced and from then on exclusively followed the teachings of Sri Bhagavan.
The subsequent passing of Sri Bhagavan from this world in no way diminished his faith, for he knew with implicit trust and experience that Sri Bhagavan was always available to help and guide all who sincerely ask.
He was employed as an editor of the Indian Express in Madras, later as Head Master of the Hindi School in Kolkata and in 1958, he and Lucia finally settled down for good in Tiruvannamlai when barely
enough savings had been accumulated for them to live simple and even this was due almost entirely to his wife's practical nature.
Arthur then devoted the rest of his life to writing about that which he loved best. The Life and Teachings of Sri Ramana. He also wrote a biography Ramana Maharshi and His Path of Self Knowledge. Then Ramana Arunachala.
He also wrote Buddhism and Christianity in the Light of Hinduism. Many of his articles from the Mountain Path are collected in For Those with Little Dust and Be Still, It is the Wind that Sings. Both collections reveal his range of knowledge as well as an unusual depth of insight.
He was a loyal and humble man. When he and his wife left Kolkata for the last time, his former students and teachers crowded at Howrah station to say goodbye. He was astonished at their enthusiastic send off. The railway carriage was filled with flowers and other gifts. I think today too, if he was aware of it, he would be amazed that his memory is held in such deep reverence. But it is nonetheless true that he inspires our respect, not with extravagant praise but quiet affection for someone who never expected adulation but who gave himself sincerely to all that he thought best and lived his life with utmost integrity at the highest possible standard to which he could aspire.
concluded.
[David, Fellow members, any one of you are having For Those with Little Dust? I would like to have a copy, or the book itself, if reprint is available.]
LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT:
S.V.R. Somayajulu - MP Deepam, 2004:
To those of us who missed Sri Bhagavan, during His lifetime, it is a tremendous consolation to realize that he is very much present to shower His blessings among us today
when our hearts open up to Him.
I am one of those fortunate persons, who have experienced His grace and compassion due I can only believe, to perhaps the accumulated merit of my past lives. I cannot think of anything I have done, in this life to deserve His mercy. Here, I would like to share a couple of my experiences with you, for I can no longer contain the happiness
within myself.
For many years, during the 70s and 80s, I was eager to make a pilgrimage to Sri Ramanasramam, to spend sometime there and, alsoto go around the Hill with my wife. That, however, was not to be considered, partly because of my employment and partly due to my wife being a chronic epileptic.
In December 1995, the opportunity finally presented itself after I had retired from service. Taking a chance on my wife's health, we promptly made reservations for the Tiruvannamalai trip. Then, a couple of days before the travel date, I had the following strange dream in the early hours of the morning. There appeared in the dream on a street corner a somewhat emaciated teenage boy in tattered clothes eating what were apparently left overs off a banana leaf. I enquired what he was about. He looked at me with big, bright eyes and without a word, exhibited the leaf. On it to my wonderment, I saw a picture of Sri Bhagavan, the same kind that I had in my puja room. The vision then faded, leaving me in a state of ecstasy.
At that point I did not know what to make of the dream but, when I reached the Asramam and bought a book by Nimishakavi Perraju and saw on Page 18 the exact description of what happened to Sri Bhagavan, when He first arrived in Tiruvannamalai. I could not believe my eyes. I had never known about this detail in Sri Bhagavan's biography.
Then occurred the miracle of miracles. My wife, who had suffered a severe seizure beofre string on our giri pradakshinam, had no problem whatsoever completing the entire 15 kms walk! Neither our advancing years, nor our poor health stood in the way of accomplishing our cherished goal of a life time.
contd.,
LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT!
Continues....
Sri Bhagavan's grace continued to manifest itself after my return to Hyderabad. I started doing nama japa regularly and, in a vision, one night, I could distinctly see Sri Bhagavan's feet stretching toward me, feet which I have always worshipped.
At about the same time, someone told me that a seven day walk around Arunachala would confer great benefits on a devotee. I decided to accomplish this, and reserved my train tickets on August 14, 1996. Sure enough, I saw Sri Bhagavan once again in myn dream the night before leaving. Thanks to the hospitality of the Asramam, my stay in Tiruvannamalai, was made very comfortable, and I was able to complete successfully my proposed sanchara sadhana.
And an interesting thing happened during one of my walks around the Hill when the sky was overcast and the clouds were being blown hither and thither by the wind. As I turned my head to look towards one of the peaks, there was a cloud transforming itself into a Siva Linga and it soon took on a concerete shape. To me it was Lord Arunachaleswara Himself materializing before me. A friend who was with me at that time confirmed my belief. How can there be delusion in the city of God?
I would also like to refer to one recent, final episode. A few months ago, during a particularly difficult period in my life, I prostrated before Sri Bhagavan and tearfully agonized over my unending problems and unbearable
suffering.
Soon after, on June 29, 2003, I had another vision of Sri Bhagavan, this time surrounded by many devotees, He beckoned me and asked me what kind of sadhana I was doing. Timidly, but joyfully,
I said that I had been engaged in Sahasra Gayatri and the repetition of Siva Kavacham and Indrakshi Stotram, where upon, I was immersed in a shower of golden rays emanating from an icon hovering high above the ground, as Sri Bhagavan raised His eyebrows and looked directly at me.
The bright illumination and the even brighter looks from Sri Bhagavan totally filled me with indescribable bliss. Sri Bhagavan then asked me to come nearer and, placing a piece of paper with some writing on it in my hands, asked me to read it. I had some difficulty in figuring out what was written, so He Himself read it out to me: U T K A R S H A M -
EXCELLENT.
I took it to mean that my sadhana had received His stamp of approval. As I continue to receive signs of Sri Bhagavan's mercy, I pray humbly to Him:
LEAD ME, KINDLY LIGHT!
concluded.
I was wondering what Maharshi said about various hells/narakas?
Sri Bhagavan could recognize spiritual greatness or maturity in the people around Him. He could also discern it in some of the animals that came to visit Him or live with Him.
When Sri Bhagavan was sin Skandasramam, there was a dog which would always be on Sri Bhagavan's lap or near Him. Sri Bhagavan's Mother, Azagammal one day asked Him: "Why does that like to stay always on your lap?"
Rangan, who was Sri Bhagavan's childhood friend and who became His devotee later, was sitting near Sri Bhagavan. Sri Bhagavan turned to Rangan and said: "This dog is always in unwavering 'samadhi'. A great soul has come in the form of a dog. Mother does not know this."
Hearing this Rangan thought, "If a dog can learn to go into samadhi, it should not be too difficult a feat for me."
Rangan asked Sri Bhagavan, "Why don't you teach me that Nirvikalpa Samadhi?"
"What good is it to you?", replied Sri Bhagavan. "You must be in Sahaja Nirvikalpa Samadhi. While living in the world, you must be unattached to the world. While seeing everything, you must be in a state of unseeing."
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
DO NOT TOUCH THOSE SEEDS:
From a very young age, the devotee Kanakammal's cousin Radhakrishna and his father were also devotees of Sri Bhagavan. Radhakrishna was interested in the spiritual path and had great devotion and love for Sri Bhagavan. He had a lot of liberty to converse freely with Sri Bhagavan and was very close to Him. Even after he went to Madras for studies, he kept regular correspondent with Sri Bhagavan. He spent all his holidays at Sri
Ramanasramam, with Sri Bhagavan.
On one occasion, when Radhakrishna had come to the Asramam, Sri Bhagavan left for Palakottu. Sri Bhagavan always walked barefoot. He walked slowly and steadily not caring about the heat though the stones on the path were often burning hot. He would urge the attendant and other people who would walk with Him to run and stand under the shade of a tree. The devotees therefore decided to plant some shade giving trees along the path to Palakottu. They had dug the rows of pits along the path and also had the seeds ready to be planted. They wanted Sri Bhagavan to plant the seeds with His hands and so were waiting for Him to come there.
When Sri Bhagavan came to the spot, He saw the pits and the group of devotees gathered there.
He asked: "What is going on?" The devotees explained their plans and requested Sri Bhagavan to plant the seeds with His own hands. When
Sri Bhagavan was about to pick up a seed from the tray, there was a loud shout from Radhakrishna running towards them, shouting, "Bhagavan! Bhagavan! Please don't touch the seeds!" Sri Bhagavan exclaimed: "What is this? All of you told me to sow these seeds. Now Radhakrishna is telling me not to touch them. What am I to do?"
Everyone turned to Radhakrishna, waiting for an explanation for his behavior. By this time, Radhakrishna was in tears. In between sobs, he stammered: "Bhagavan! Do you know what these people are planning to do? They want to grow shade giving trees along the path. But if you touch those seeds, the whole purpose of the exercise would be defeated! One look from your eyes is enough to set a man free from cycle of birth and death. When this is so, what will happen to those seeds if your hands touch them? Will they not attain liberation immediately? How, they can grow into trees?"
Everyone was stunned by Radhakrishna's explanation and about his strange behavior. Sri Bhagavan gave him a keen look but did not say anything. Actually Radhakrishna's fear was well founded. Just a few months earlier, Radhakrishna, Kunjuswami and Sri Bhagavan had planted some onion seeds in the kitchen garden. As they were planting seeds, they were jocularly remarking among themselves that they would watch out as to whose seeds would grow into the healthiest plants. A few days later, the seeds sown by Kunju Swami and Radhakrishna had sprouted to healthy little plants. But none of the seeds sown by Sri Bhagavan had germinated. When Radhkrishna narrated this incident and explained the reason for his apparently strange behavior, the devotees were thrilled and moved with emotion. Sri Bhagavan too appeared to be pleased by Radhakrishna's perceptive observatin. But He did not say anything. He moved on to Palakottu.
[BHAGAVAN RAMANA - A FRIEND OF ALL.]
G.V. Subbaramayya asked: Is it stated in any book that for ultimate and final realization, one must ultimately come to the heart, even
after reaching the sahasrara and that the Heart is at the right side?
Sri Bhagavan: No. I have not come across this in any book, although in a Malayalam book on medicine, I came across a stanza locating the heart on the right side and I have translated it into Tamizh in the Supplement to Forty Verses.
We know nothing about the other centres. We cannot be sure what we arrive at by concentrating on them and realizing them. But as the "I" arises from the Heart it must sink back and merge there for Self realization. Anyway, that has been my experience.
[Ramana Maharshi's Teachings in His Own Words.- Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: Why should Self Enquiry alone be considered the direct path to Realization?
Sri Bhagavan: Because every kind of path except Self Enquiry, presupposes the retention of mind as the instrument, for following it, and cannot be followed without the mind. The ego may take different and more subtle forms at different stages of one's practice but it is never destroyed. The attempt to destroy the ego or the mind by methods other than Self Enquiry is like a thief turning policeman to catch the thief that is himself. Self Eqnuiry alone can reveal the truth that neither the ego nor the mind really exists and enable one to realize the pure, undifferentiated Being of the Self or the Absolute.
[In this connection, Sri Thambi Thorai of Jaffna, who has been living as a Sadhu in Palakottu for over a year, asked me whether asking the mind to turn inward and seek its source is not also employing the mind. I {A.O} put this doubt before Sri Bhagavan]
Sri Bhagavan: Of course, we are employing the mind. It is well kn own and admitted that only with the help of the mind, can the mind be killed. But instead of setting about saying there is mind and I want to kill it, you begin to seek its Source, and then you find it does not exist at all. The mind turned outwards results in thoughts and objects. Turned inwards it becomes itself the Self.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words. Arthur Osborne.]
Dear Scott,
I am sure that Sri Bhagavan should have spoken about hell and heaven. But I am not able to pick up that conversation readily. However, there is one conversation on Kailasa, in Letters of Suri Nagamma.
Sri Bhagavan's views on Kailasa also hold good for hell and heaven.
Letter dated 4th April 1948:
While reading out Periya Puranam, Sundarmurti's story of travelling to Kailasa on an elephant, a Tamizh youth who was present, said, "Where is that Kailasa, Swami?" Sri Bhagavan replied: "Kailasa! It is at the very place where we are. First of all tell me where we are?"
The youth perused: "That is not it, Swami. The Kailasa of which you have just read, that Sundaramurti had gone to; does it really exist? If so, where is it? Please favor me with a proper reply."
Sri Bhagavan replied: "I have told you alredy. We have come here now. From here we will go to some other place. If all this is true, then that also is true. There, also, a Swami will be found seated on a raised pedestal. Just like this, there will be devotees around. They ask something. He replies something. That will also be like this. If you look at the thing from the point of view of the body, that is how it is. If, however, you look at it from the point of view of truth, wherever we are, it is Kailasa. There is no question of being born or growing or dying. When we realize that there is nothing real in this world, Kailasa is everywhere.
The youth again asked: It is said that a Jnani does not have happiness or sorrows, bodily ailments, or the like. Sundarar and Appar are reported to have jumped with joy when they had a vision of Siva. Even Sri Ramakrishna is reported to have grieved terribly when he did not get a vision of the Holy Mother and to have gone into ecstasies when he did not get a vision...."
Sri Bhagavan answered him: "You say all that in relation to body, don't you? It is not possible to judge a Jnani by his bodily ailments. Manikkavachagar sang a hymn the purport of which is, "O Iswara, you have showered on me your blessings even before I asked for them. How kind of you! Even so, why is it I do not feel grieved? Is my heart made of stone? My eyes do not get wet. Are they made of wood? Not only with these two eyes, but I wish that my whole body were full of eyes so that I could weep and with them. I would then be very happy. I wish my heart would melt and become watery so that it could be integrated with you!" This is the purport. But then is that grief real grief? Some people give vent to their happiness by loudly expressing it. When they get a vision of God, and some shed tears of joy. It was the same with Sri Ramakrishna. 'Mother, how kind of you, how merciful!' he used to say and weep, and sometimes he used to laugh. Anyway, if we want to know about his real state, we should first know about our own state."
Sri Bhagavan, again later said: "In the wakeful state at least find out what you are, where you are. Is it Kailasa or Bhooloka or Vaikunta? Why not find out all that for yourself and become a Jnani?"
The questioning then stopped.
***
Like the world where we live in, which is an illusion, the concept
of hell, heaven, Kailasa, Vaikunta
-- all are illusions. They are at best relatively true and that is all.
Sri Bhagavan's Ubiquitous Grace:
Comal Venkata Subramanian - MP Deepam 2004:
I have been immeasurably blessed to converse with, and receive the periodic darshan of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi, from Jan 1940 upto His Maha Nirvana in April 1950. My mother Smt Rajammal Venkataraman, was an ardent devotee of Sri Bhagavan from her early years, continually chanting Bhagavan's namasankirtanas, and was deeply involved in her devotion. It was due the Grace of Sri Bhagavan, and my mother's immense bhakti that the seed of devotion was planted in me too.
In the late 1930s and early 1940s, World War II afflicted the administration and economy of British ruled India. I was in my 18th year, my professional interests inclined towards aeronautical systems and I was able to make us of the civil aviation training programmes in the Air Force battalions. During one of the training sessions, the battalion chief informed us that there was a need to serve for the ongoing World War. After my decision to participate, I was allowed a week leave to visit my mother. When I told her of my decision to enter into combat, she was instantly worried that she might lose me in the war. She resolutely said, "Only if Sri Bhagavan permits, may you proceed."
Thus our darshan of Sri Bhagavan was finally realized with the help of one of our family friends based in Thanjavur. My mother, brother, and I were ecstatic to learn that we are actually to receive and comprehend in person the manifest grace of Sri Bhagavan.
We reached Tiruvannamalai on 14th Jan 1940 and took a bullock cart ride to the Asramam. During the ride my mother was utterly absorbed in thoughts of Sri Bhagvan and she consistently chanted His name while I was repeating "Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya."
We met Sri Bhagavan and the instant I saw Him, all thoguhts vanished from my mind and I was sucked completely into His ocean of grace. Seated on a couch, He extended His grace to all who were present in the room, with His smile while looking at everyone.
During the second day of our visit, I along with my mother stepped forward to seek His permission and blessings about my war participation. My mother initiated the matter. However, Sri Bhagavan, while reading a newspaper, said: You appear very weary, do not think now, go and take some rest."
Similarly in another attempt on the third day, Sri Bhagavan listened but not immediately responded. He just gazed us and said: "Go and do giri pradakshina and come back." We immediately acknowledged Sri Bhagavan's words and left walked round Arunachala
and returned.
contd.,
Verse 180 of Guru Vachaka Kovai says:
Only those who do not know the real nature of hell, the punishment world, will say that they shudder in fear of it. But those who know the real nature of hell, the evil mistake [‘I am the body’], will discover the means [to end it] and will surely reach the state of truth.
The next section is entitled '
the Conquest of Naraka'. ‘Naraka’ is both the term for the hell realm and the name of the asura who was slain by Krishna, the avatar of Lord Narayana. In South India the festival of Deepavali celebrates the victory of Narayana over Naraka. One of the key events of this celebration is a ritual bath that is taken at an auspicious time.
These are the verses in this section:
181 They say that Lord Narayana killed the demon Naraka. But really Naraka is the ego that parades itself by taking the hellish body to be ‘I’. Hence, those who enquire into the source of this Naraka and destroy him are indeed Narayana, the killer of Naraka.
182 Taken on Naraka Chaturdasi, the auspicious bath that truly signifies the conquest of Naraka is actually [a symbol for] bathing in the waters of true knowledge after killing Naraka, the ego, by tracking him down to his place of residence.
Bhagavan 4 Naraka is he who rules the world of Hell by taking the hellish body to be ‘I’. Hence, he who slays Naraka with the discus of jnana by enquiring ‘From where does this Naraka arise?’ is Lord Narayana Himself. That day indeed is the auspicious Naraka Chaturdasi day.
183 Know clearly that Naraka represents the one who is condemned to ruin through taking as ‘I’ the foul mass of flesh, the hell that is the body, whilst Deepavali signifies the eternal radiance of the Supreme Self that shines after Naraka, the reflection, has been destroyed following the enquiry into his nature.
Bhagavan 5 Clearly know that [the auspicious day of] Deepavali signifies shining as the Self by seeking and destroying the great sinner Naraka, who ruined himself by regarding as ‘I’ the prison of the body, the source of misery that truly is Hell.
PS Papaji told me once that he had been to the hell realms in a vision and had ended up talking to Dharmaraja (Yama) the ruler of the hell realm. He said he seemed to be a nice man, and had a very distinguished appearance. He wondered how such a being had ended up with such a bad job!
... He wondered how such a being had ended up with such a bad job! ...
Why 'bad job'? Apart from that there is a difference between hell and death.
Clemens,
Generally, the name of Yama invokes derision and fear among the populace. Hence the allusion to 'bad job'.
Ravi,
A friend of mine, who follows the shakta (Sri vidya) path, told me once that adepts in that path converse with the divine mother.
Therefore, it was fascinating to read about the idol of Vinayakar, and his present whereabouts. I am sure he is happy there. :)
Best,
m
"Generally, the name of Yama invokes derision and fear among the populace"
It is also said that He is the Master who has perfect sense of Justice and is the authority on Dharma. The eldest of the Pandavas (Yudhistira) was the incarnation of Yama.
All the Devas are "posts" earned by merit. It is said that Brahma, Indra and Yama posts are got by the highest order of merits done.
Regards Murali
David wrote:
"PS Papaji told me once that he had been to the hell realms in a vision and had ended up talking to Dharmaraja (Yama) the ruler of the hell realm"
David: In the biography of Papaji, there is an account when Papaji tries following the trail of Pandavas to visit the Heavens. Papaji gets distracted on the way into some other channels. Finally what happened? Did Papaji pursue this adventure?
Regards Murali
Dear David Godman,
Thanks for quoting from GVK. Though
I remembered the verses, I thought I could check up Sri Bhagavan's conversations first. Only in Letters of Suri Nagamma, I could find some reference to Kailasa and Vaikunta though not about hell and heaven.
The Naraka is the ego. When the ego is killed, it becomes a celebration of unending Bliss.
Thanks.
Dear Clemens Vargas Ramos,
Yama is called Dharma Raja. In Mahabharata, first son Dharmaputra
was born to Kunti as a feature of Dharma. Yama is also known for his righteous activities. He does not take away the life of beings before their respective time is over. Not a second later, nor a second earlier. Only when Siva kicked him for attempting to take away the life of 16 year old Markandeya, who embraced Siva Linga, in Tirukadavur Temple, he had to return empty handed. Siva froze the time for Markandeya. No ageing for him! Yama will not touch the true Siva Bhaktas, who have surely surrendered to Siva. Siva is Yama to Yama, Kala Kala. Sri Bhagavan has used the phrase Kala Kala, in His song composed when Mother Azhagammma was seriously ill in T'malai, during one of her earlier visits. Saint Manikkavachagar says this story in some of his songs in Tiruvachakam, e.g. Tiru PoR Chunnam, Verse 18.
In Tirukadavur, [it is nowadays called as Tirukadaiyur], Siva is called Amrita gateswarar, one who keeps nectar that shall prevent
death. Mother is called Abhirami. The small town is near MayiladuthuRai in Tamizh Nadu.
Yama and Nirudhi [the death god and the god who gives fearful ghostly tendencies in human beings], came to Arunachaleswara and prayed for forgiving their ill-deeds. They have installed two lingas in the giri valam route and these are among the 8 lingas.
Dear Scott, m and Clemens.
There is one Zen story. There was a
Zen Master and a king came to Master's cottage, and asked him about hell and heaven. The Master did not reply. He kept smiling. The king repeated the question. Then the Master said: You must be the greatest fool on this earth to ask such questions. The king got angry. He took out his sword. The Master exclaimed: This is Hell. The king after a minute, after seeing the graceful face of the Master, kept his sword back into the socket. The Master again smiled and said: This is Heaven!
The king bowed him and went away.
The Matters of Heaven and Hell:
Talks No. 385:
Devotee: Do we go to Swarga [heaven] as a result of our actions here?
Sri B: Heaven is as real as your present life. But if we ask who we are and discover the Self, what need is there to think of heaven?
Devotee: Is Vaikunta in the Supreme Self.
Sri B: Where is the Supreme Self or heaven unless in you?
Devotee: But heaven may appear to one involuntarily.
Sri Bhagavan: Does this world appear to you voluntarily?
The Matters of Heaven and Hell:
Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, dated 23rd Jan 1949:
Devotee: It is said that there are some known as Pithru Devatas [the manes],in the world of manes and that if Sraddha [annual ceremonies for departed parents] is not performed they will punish the people concerned. Do the Manes really exist separately?
Sri B: This is just what I have
been saying. So long as you have the feeling of ego, that you are the doer, all those beings are in existence. If that ego disappears there is nothing else in the world.
Devotee: What about devils?
Sri B: It is the same thing with regard to them. If there are devatas [angels] in this world, devils are also there. If you are in existence, everything else is in existence. If you are not in existence, nothing else is. If you examine yourself, everything
will be found in yourself only. There will then be no scope for these doubts.
Devotee: It is said that if a man dies, he goes to the world of Yama with a Yatana body after crossing the horrid river Vaitharani, and then the messenger of death create untold miseries to the body. Is it a fact, that there is a world of Yama?
Sri Bhagavan: [smilingly] Aha! If there is a heaven there is also a hell. All these exist only if you exist, otherwise not. First tell me, are you in existence or not? We shall then consider the question of the existence of the hell.
Devotee: There it is. Sri Bhagavan is using Brahmastram. What can I say now?
Sri Bhagavan: Alright. I won't use it. You may ask whatever you like.
Devotee: What exactly is meant by Yatana body.
Sri Bhagavan: When we are asleep this body lies inert. We have dreams. In those dreams, we experience happiness and sometimes and troubles at other times. When the body is asleep, who is it who experiences all these? It must be admitted that it is the mind. That mind is called Sukshma or Yatana body. After all, it is only the body that dies when a person dies."
Devotee: So Yatana body means it is only the mind.
Sri Bhagavan: Otherwise, what else can there be that troubles the body other than the mind?
So saying Sri Bhagavan was silent.
Subramanian,
That is a nice story. I read a similar story, where a samurai approaches a master with the same question. I would like to share my favorite zen story :
A man traveling across a field encountered a tiger. He fled, the tiger after him. Coming to a precipice, he caught hold of the root of a wild vine and swung himself down over the edge. The tiger sniffed at him from above. Trembling, the man looked down to where, far below, another tiger was waiting to eat him. Only the vine sustained him.
Two mice, one white and one black, little by little started to gnaw away the vine. The man saw a luscious strawberry near him. Grasping the vine with one hand, he plucked the strawberry with the other. How sweet it tasted!
(LOL) :)
Murali,
Agreed. Loss of life, irrespective of how just it is, appears unjust to the relatives, hence the fear and derision. :)
There is a beautiful passage in the Mahabharatha, where Yama (?), in the guise of Yaksha, asks questions to Yudhistra.
Best,
m
Dear m,
Nice story. Desire to live and also taste something even at the gateway of death do not leave many people.
One poet sang a song somewhat in a different context.
Siva appeared before him and asked him to come with him to Kailas. The poet said: Okay, I shall come provided you permit to take my ganja [cannabis] pocket!
He wants to chew ganja even at Siva's abode!
Dear m,
Yes. Yaksha [Yama in guise] asks
Yudhishtra: What is the most laughable thing in the world? Yudishtra answers: It is the mental condition of people thinking that they would live in this world despite seeing someone or other dying everyday.
The Story of Indira - daughter of
G.V. Subbaramayya:
Sri G.V. Subbaramayya during Maha Puja time, in May 1941, took his two daughters, nine year old Lalita and five year old Indira to the Asramam.
Lalita was Sri Bhagavan's old favorite, and Indira was a fresh entrant into His favor. As usual,
Sri Bhagavan asked both the children to sing and dance in the Hall. Indira would respond immediately, but Lalita having grown then into a little lady needed much coaxing to commence her performance. Sri Bhagavan said: "What Lalita, I never asked anyone for anything. But now you have made me seek your favor. Look at Indira. She is a good child and do emulate her example." So both the girls sang and danced together while Sri Bhagavan sat up and looked on, beaming with gracious pleasure.
One day, Indira turning over the pages of Telugu Upadesa Saram, picked the first two leters of bold type in the four lines of a Sanskrit verse by Sri Bhagavan and read them aloud. - Deham-Naham-Koham-Soham - I am not the body; Who am I? I am He.
Sri Bhagavan on hearing this, said, "Very good! That will do. The rest of the stanza you need not read. What you have read is the quintessence of wisdom. Make it your mantra.
Every time Indira saw Sri Bhagavan, she would be asked by Him to repeat her mantra so that soon she knew it by heart.
The children were leaving for Nellore. On the last morning when they took leave of Sri Bhagavan, He patted Indira most lovingly and said, "So you go to your place and I will go to my place, pointing to the Hill. Significantly it proved to be Indira's last leave taking.
Around March 1943, she developed whooping cough. GVS wrote to the Asramam. Sri Bhagavan's replies c contained inter-alia, "All is real and all is unreal, and God has made man to reconcile this paradox in life. A hard task master is He, which is also both real and unreal."
Again in April 1943, Indira was laid up with small pox for two weeks and on April 13, 1943, on that Sri Rama Navami Day, she shuffled off the mortal coil and attained the lotus feet of the Lord.
Soon, a tomb was created on Indira's grave and on it was inscribed the Mantra:
Deham-Naham-Koham-Soham.
{Sri Ramana Reminiscences - G.V. Subbaramayya.]
There are two ways. Ask yourself
'Who am I?' or surrender. Many of
Sri Bhagavan's followers chose the latter way.
Devotee: What is unconditional surrender?
Sri Bhagavan: If one surrenders completely, there will be no one left to ask questions or to be considered. Either the thoughts are eliminated by holding on to the root thought, "I", or one surrenders unconditionally to the Higher Power. These are the only two ways to Realization.
Self enquiry dissolves the ego by looking for it to be non existent, whereas devotion surrenders it. Therefore both come to the same ego free goal, which is all that is required.
Sri Bhagavan: There are only two ways to conquer destiny or to be independent of it, One is to enquire whose this destiny is and to discover that only the ego is bound by it and not the Self, and that the ego is non existent. The other way is to kill the ego by completely surrendering to the Lord, realizing one's helplessness and saying all the time: 'Not I, but Thou, Oh Lord!', giving up all the sense of 'I' and 'mine' and leaving it to the Lord to do what He likes with you. Surrender can never be regarded as complete so long as the devotee wants this or that from the Lord. True surrender is the love of God for the sake of love and nothing else, not even for the sake of salvation. In other words, complete effacement of the ego is necessary to conquer destiny, whether you achieve this effacement through Self Enquiry or through bhakti-marga.
Sri Bhagavan, however, explained that the true devotion is devotion to the Self and therefore it comes to the same as Self Enquiry.
[The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words. - Arthur Osborne.]
A visitor said: Realized men generally withdraw from active life and abstain from worldly activity.
Sri Bhagavan: They may or they may not. Some, even after Realization, carry on trade or business or rule a Kingdom. Some withdraw to solitary places and abstain from all activity more than the minimum necessary to keep life in the body. We cannot make a general rule about it.
[Inability to understand the apparent inactivity of the Sage, is one of the difficulties of many Western writers. Firmly convinced that Christ was mistaken in saying that Mary had chosen the better part, modern Christians are apt to represent Martha, the outwardly active one, as superior and to criticize the Sage for what they consider inaction.]
When asked by an aspirant whether his Realization, if attained, would help others, Sri Bhagavan has been known to reply:
But in fact, there are no others to help.
People often say that a Realized Man should go about preaching his message. They ask how a man can remain quiet in Realization when there is misery also existing. But what is a Realized Man? Does he see misery outside himself? They want to determine his state without themselves realizing it. From his standpoint their contention amounts to this: a man has a dream in which he sees a number of persons. On waking up he asks, 'Have the people in the dream also woken up?' It is ridiculous.
And yet, paradoxically, the Sage is intensely active, although he may apparently be inactive.
A saying of Lao Tse from Tao Te Ch'ing was read out in the Hall: "By his non action, the Sage governs all." Sri Bhagavan remarked: Non action is unceasing activity. The Sage is characterized by eternal and incessant activity. His stillness is like apparent stillness of a fast rotating top. It is moving too fast for the eye to see, so it appears to be still. Yet it is rotating. So is the apparent inactivity of the Sage.
[The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words. - Arthur Osborne.]
DANCING OF PEACOCKS AND SNAKE:
In the Asramam, [Skandasramam], there were many peacocks. They would spread their feathers like a spangled fan and dance. There was a cobra too which would also take part in the pastime and raise its hood and moved about in their midst. Actually the peacocks and the snakes are enemies. They fight until one of them die. But in Sri Bhagavan's presence, it was a beautiful sight for the devotees who were fortunate to witness the group dancing performances in awe. This can happen only in a Rishi's
Ashram.
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
AN INSECT IS RESCUED:
This incident was narrated by Sri Bhagavan's attendant Sivananda Swami to Sivaraman, Sri Viswanatha Swami's brother. It shows how keenly observant and profoundly compassionate was Sri Bhagavan.
It might have been in the morning at about 10 o'clock. Sri Bhagavan was returning from the gosala [cow shed.] I was with Him. When He neared the well which was next to the Old Hall, He noticed some peculiar sound coming o9ut of the well, similar to the flapping of wings by a bird or a large insect struggling in the water. Sri Bhagavan stood still and looked into the well and found that it was a large insect with wings. Sri Bhagavan told Sivananda Swami: "Please see whether it is in a playful mood fluttering its wings on the water or struggling to escape drowning. If the former, don't disturb it. If it is the latter, please quickly release it from the water."
Seeing that the insect was struggling, I reached the insect with a long bamboo pole. The insect sat on it, came out and was rescued. If flew out joyously!
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
BHAGAVAN'S UBIQUITOUS GRACE:
Comal Venkata Subramaniam. continues..
Since my leave was granted just for a week, on the fourth day, we decided to get Sri Bhagavan's permission before going. We were also still anxious to know Sri Bhagavan's order in regard to my taking part in the war. When we went and stood before Him, He enquired of us very humbly and with great affection how we were. We sought His blessings before leaving and added a note about my participation in the war. Sri Bhagavan, gave an effervescent smile, and said, "Besha pannungo!" {Of course, certainly do}, basically giving me an unreserved go ahead. His smile continued to transmit grace on us. I felt as if I was having the darshan of the Sun-God Himself.
Since my first visit, by the grace of Sri Bhagavan, I have continued to be blessed by visits to the Asramam for at least 3 days once in every three months, in a year.
The proof of Sri Bhagavan's grace became visible in every aspect of my life.
When in 1942, Madras was evacuated, I was on duty in Lahore, Ambala and Karachi. My colleagues were mercilessly denied permission to go on leave even at the time of their family tragedies. I was desperate to receive Sri Bhagavan's darsan so I once made up my mind to chance it and petition for a week leave to visit Sri Ramanasramam. Before entering my commander's office, I meditated for a minute on Sri Bhagavan. On seeing my petition, the commander, Mr. Small, put a chirpy smile on his face and immediately approved my leave!
Again one night, when I was required to perform guard duty
in the jungles of Rawalpindi area, with howling hyenas and jackals all around the place. I recollected sitting in front of Sri Bhagavan, accumulating His grace, visualizing His smile. I imagined asking Sri Bhagavan: When will you take me out of this place?
When will you grant me darshan again? I was so fortunate to be in your presence but why do I have to suffer here in this wild jungle? Saying this I glanced at the full moon in the sky. In the moon, smiling down on me, Sri Bhagavan gave me His darsan. I knew no fear thereafter and Sri Bhagavan has always protected me like a security blanket.
contd.,
BHAGAVAN'S UBIQUITOUS GRACE:
Comal Venkata Subramaniam: continues..
I came back from the War safe. One Karthikai Deepam evening, we all assembled outside the hall and sat in front of the Holy Arunachala Hill waiting to see the Deepam on the summit. Sri Bhagavan was sitting facing us, His back towards the mountain, in absolute stillness, with His eyes closed.
Right at the moment, when the Deepam was about to be lit, Sri Bhagavan opened His eyes and turned round to see it. During that time, I could see Sri Bhagavan radiating intense luminosity as powerful as the Deepam on the Hill itself. I immediately prostrated before Him for granting me such a darshan and obtained His blessings.
On another occasion, when I was visiting Sri Bhagavan, having dropped all my belongings in the guest room I was waiting to receive His darshan. Sri Bhagavan was just returning from His walk on the Hill. I went to prostrate in front of Him, when He said: "These physical feet are perishable. Keep permanently within your Heart my true feet." By His grace, tears of joy and immense devotion started trickling down by chin. Sri Bhagavan's Feet will reside in my Heart eternally.
In the year 1950, when we heard Sri Bhagavan was ailing, we decided to have His darshan. Once the news about Sri Bhagavan's ill health spread, devotees and others swarmed to the Asramam, from all over the world. We stood in a long line waiting to pass Sri Bhagavan to have His darshan. When we neared Him, we could see that He had lost immense energy and was physically fading. But His smile remained the same. He continued to emit grace on everyone. That was the last time I saw the physical body of Sri Bhagavan but I don't feel any difference due to His bodily absence. He remains in my life at this every moment. His smile and grace still rule me.
In 1996, my mother attained His lotus feet at the age of 97. Even in her last moment, she was continuously chanting His name as indeed she did throughout most of her life. Somehow though now too in my old age, Sri Bhagavan never allowed me to suffer pain. I attribute this to the effect that of the supreme light that emanated from Sri Bhagavan and my long devotion to Him.
concluded.
Subramanian,
Re: Zen story, My English lecturer interpreted that story thusly: The two tigers are 'death' and, the fact that death is imminent for all of us should not thwart us from enjoying life (living in the present), hence tasting the fruit.
:)
Btw, Beautiful post on Sri Subburamayya's daughter. Sri Subbaramayya's story was one of my personal favorites in the 'Power of presence' series.
Thanks,
:)
Dear m.,
Nice interpretation of the Zen story.
Saint Manikkavachagar gives another metaphor: I am like a small flower plant, on the ground where two mad
elephants are fighting ferociously with each other. And I want to pluck the flower from that plant!
Narikutti Swami:
Kamala Devi - Jan/Mar. 2008 of MP:
Barry Owen Windsor was born in August 1930 in Sydney, Australia.
His mother dies when he was a teenager and this gave him pause for thought, about the transitory nature of life. He studied architecture as a young man and became proficient in design, neat drawing and lettering. He exercised this skill throughout his life not only in letter writing but also in the fastidious way he kept his living quarters clean and spare in content. As a young man he preferred to spend time alone studying and reading than socializing and dating as his fellow students were more inclined to do.
At the age of 19, he came under the influence of a fellow architecture student, Adrian Snodgrass. Snodgrass was an extremely erudite young, man with a brilliant mind. He inspired a number of people to study Indian Philosophy and Art, particularly Advaita Vedanta. As a consequence Barry studied Ananda Coomarswamy and the French metaphysician Rene Guenon, in depth.
In the days before travel to India became popular, Snodgrass had made repeated journeys and when he was planning to set off again in the early 1950s, Barry Windsor decided to accompany him. Their purpose was to go to Katargama [Kadirgamam in Tamizh, said to be one of the 6 abodes of Lord Muruga] where there was an Ashram under the auspices of Swami Yogananda, a famous guru of the time. Neither had any intention of returning, feeling that they would embrace the life of sannyasins.
After a long sea voyage, they reached Ceylon [Sri Lanka] as it was then known and journeyed to Katargama where they met with Gauribala, who was commonly known as German Swami. Gauribala was a
disciple of Sri Yogaswami of Jaffna [Yazhpanam in Tamizh] and had a small circle of people around him, including a seemingly ancient crone who served him. This old wise woman named each of four young men, who had gathered with the sufffix 'Kutti' meaning small or young one. Snodgrass received the name of Punai Kutti,
the Kitten, whilst Windsor was called Narikutti, a young jackal. She said: "The jackal will remain here, but the kitten will return to his home." - a prediction which proved correct! The now Narikutti Swami cut off all ties with his past and never again contacted his family in Australia.
continued...
@Subramanian Sir,
Thansk for the explanation for Matrubhuteshwara... I did not know that there was a temple dedicated to Matrubhuteshwara as such... I thot there would be many temples, like our Ashram where Matrubhuteshwara was also a deity. So, did not know that story was sthala purana of a temple!
Subramanain, Good to hear of Narikutti Swami as I met him in Tiru years ago. He told me some interesting stories about Yogi Swami of Jaffna. Narikutti Swami also influenced a German Theravadan nun named Aya Khema who passed away in 1997. Narikutti enjoyed discussing books and looked robust when I last saw him so I was very surprised when I heard of his passing.
Dear hey jude,
Narikutti Swami's story is one of the
many which I liked most. People had
come from different parts of the world and ended up in Tiruvannmalai as the final refuge. The Hill, the Asramam and the Big Temple are really big magnets that attract seekers who are like iron filings.
Mosquitoes were a perpetual problem for devotees in Tiruvannamalai. Sri
Bhagavan did not criticize devotees if they swatted mosquitoes which were biting them. In the 1940s, He
even permitted the cowshed to be sprayed with pesticides, so that the cows would not be troubled by the biting mosquitoes or insects. However, if He was questioned about the moral aspect of killing mosquitoes, he would usually answer by saying that one should not identity with the body that is being bitten!
A devotee once asked Him about this and got the reply:-
"If you were to take your complaint against mosquitoes to the Court of Law, the mosquitoes would win the case. Their dharma i.e., the rule they must live by, is to bite and sting. They live on the blood sucked after biting. They are teaching you that you are not the body. You object to their stings only because you identify yourself with the body."
Regarding mosquito bites Sri Bhagavan once said to Krishna Jivrajani:
You must do as you find most convenient. You will not attain Moksha simply because you refrain from driving the mosquitoes away. The thing is one pointedness and then to attain mano nasa. Whether you do this, by putting up with the mosquito bites or driving the mosquitoes away, is left with you. If you are completely absorbed in meditation, you will not know that the mosquitoes are biting you. Till you attain that stage why should you not drive them away?"
What a lesson to all seekers!
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
Devotee: Sri Bhagavan says He has no
disciples?
Sri Bhagavan: Yes.
Devotee: He also says that a Guru is necessary if one wishes to attain liberation.
Sri Bhagavan: Yes.
Devotee: What then must I do? Has my sitting here all these years been just a waste of time? Must I go and look for some Guru in order to receive initiation, seeing that Sri Bhagavan says He is not a Guru elsewhere, you should have gone away long ago. The Guru or Jnani sees not difference between himself and others. For him all are Jnanis, all are one with himself, so how can a Jnani say that such-and-such is his disciple? But the unliberated one sees all as multiple, he sees all different from himself, so to him the Guru-disciple relationship is a reality. For him, there are three ways of initiation: by touch, look and silence. [Sri Bhagavan here give the disciple to under that His way was by Silence, as He has to many on other occasions.]
Devotee: Then Sri Bhagavan does have disciples?
Sri Bhagavan: As I said, from Sri Bhagavan's point of view, there are no disciples, but from that of the disciple, the Grace of the Guru is like an ocean. If he comes with a cup, He will get only a cupful. It is no use complaining of the niggardliness of the ocean. The bigger the vessel the more he will be able to carry. It is entirely up to him.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: Is it not necessary or at least advantageous to render the body invisible in one's spiritual progress?
Sri Bhagavan: Why do you think of that? Are you the body?
Devotee: No, but advanced spirituality must effect a change in the body, mustn't it?
Sri Bhagavan: What change do you desire in the body, and why?
Devotee: Isn't invisibility evidence of advanced wisdom - Jnana?
Sri Bhagavan: In that case all those who spoke and wrote and passed their lives in the sight of others must be considered ignorant - ajnanis.
Devotee: But the sages Vasishta and Valmiki possessed such powers.
Sri Bhagavan: It may have been their destiny - prarabdha - to develop such powers - siddhis side by side with their wisdom - Jnana. Why should aim at that which is not essential but is apt to prove a hindrance to Jnana? Does the Jnani feel oppressed by his body being visible?
Devotee: No.
Sri Bhagavan: A hypnotist can suddenly render himself invisible. It he therefore a Sage?
Devotee: No.
Sri Bhagavan: Visibility and invisibility refer to him who sees. Who is that? Solve that question first. Other questions are unimportant.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
Narikutti Swami: continues...
The two young men lived in Kataragama for some time, adapting to an exteremely simple life style without any of the Western comforts to which they were accustomed to. In the hot climate, clothing was reduced to the traditional two pieces of khadi cloth [Veshti and Tundu, dhoti and upper towel] whilst food was rice and sambhar. At one time, they set off on a pilgrimage, wishing to visit the major Siva Temples of South India, which symbolized the five elements. On this journey, they begged their food along with other sadhus who frequented the temples. Narikutti would sit in line with other sadhus, receiving alms. Later he would keep only what he needed to purchase some food and then distribute any surplus money to other sadhus. With his keen sense of humor, he enjoyed being a beggar who gave alms. It seemed Narikutti was made for the life of a sadhu. He seemed to have an ear for language and quickly picked conversational Tamizh to converse. He made a life long study of Tamizh and spoke it in the Jaffna style.
Longing to meet Sri Yogaswami, he made his way to Jaffna. Yogaswami, born in 1872, was a powerful spiritual figure, renowned for his terse words and apparent bad temper. But when for the first time, Narikutti sat down amongst
other devotees one evening, Yogaswami beckoned him to come up and sit beside him, favoring him with a fond look. The initial show of favor did not last long though and subsequently Narikutti was forbidden to approach the guru's house, being sternly told
" - Go! Go away!" by Yogaswami, and even given a push. This was a common experience of the devotees. Narikutti persisted in remaining as close to his guru as he could until Yogaswami died in 1964.
continued...
[Mountain Path, Jan.-Mar. 2008]
Narikutti Swami - continues....
Narikutti deeply imbibed the spontaneous outpourings in word and song of his Master, which were mostly written down by whosoever happened to be present. Later, amongst his sparse possessionss, he kept a copy of Natchintanai - [Good thoughts] - Songs and sayings of Yogaswami, which was published by the Sivathondn Soceity of Jaffna, in 1974. Yogaswami was a Jnani of great experience and he demonstrated and emphasized Mounam - Silence. A little book called Words of Our Master, published in 1972, was also kept by Narikutti wherein Yogaswami's four Maha Vakyas - Great Sayings, were set out. These are -
There is no evil.
We do not know - Who knows?
All is Truth.
It was determined long ago.
His teachings to disciples emphasized Mounam, so that the Inner Guide could be heard. He instructed them to study and recite
Tirumuraigal [12 Saiva Canons] as a way of controlling the wandering mind. They were to practice purity of thought, word and deed, and recognize the sattvic quality of all human beings and the innate divinity of every being.
Narikutti remained in Jaffna for a while after the Mahasamadhi of his Master, performing some duties around the Ashram. One day he questioned, "Why am I remaining here? Is it just for the sake of a regular supply of meals?" Narikutti was extremely proud of his sadhu status. Though begging for food was a respected way of getting food for a sadhu, his Master had told him not to actually ask for anything. Yogaswami had told him, "Be like a Python, let the food come to you." In 1966, he decided to return to India and embarked on an extended yatra [pilgrimage] to holy places on foot. He walked as far north as Varanasi where he met Alan Ginsburg who was on his own journey. He finally returned to Sri Lanka but felt after some more years of residence, the call of Arunachala which he had visited several times on his trips to South India.
After a preparatory trip in 1968, he finally set off in 1970, for the only place that he had a desire to g o, which was the Holy Hill, Sri Arunachala. He knew thn that Sri Ramana Maharshi had from an early age made His abode there and Narikutti was attracted both by the Hill and the path of Jnana exemplified by Bhagavan Sri Ramana.
contd.,
Narikutti Swami - continues...
In a short time he discovered that there was a sadhu's dwelling up on the Hill which was vacant and being taken care of by a priest of Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple. It was the most westerly dwelling in the strings of hermitages and ashrams which perched on the Hill, above the Western wall of the Temple, and was called the Lakshmi Ammal Ashram. The approach was very rough without any proper path, the dwelling itself being partly a cave, with an added structure. A deep depression in the rock inside formed a meditation 'hole'.
Narikutti set up residence and remained in this place for many years. He became well known to the surrounding villagers, who would seek his advice and help on their problems. Goatherds and grass gatherers all felt they could approach him. He also earned the respect of the other sadhus and devotees who lived on the Hill. He made improvements by cleaning out the small but deep tank which was situated just below his hut. With some help, he constructed a path and heavy stones were used in keeping with the other paths on the Hill. Long before anyone thought of systematically planting trees, he began to plant trees to provide shade and beautify the area with seeds sent from Australia. He took to pruning the lower branches to prevent people from hacking them off roughly for firewood. He had a small team of workers whom he would regularly engage in his projects, such as carrying water, not only for himself but for other devotees,less able to manage themselves. Before Sri Ramanasramam took over the care of Virupaksha Cave, where Sri Bhagavan had stayed for seventeen years, he designed and supervised the construction of a new roof and entry for the place. He also took responsibility for Mulaipal Teertham, the sacred oasis, frequented by all sadhus on the Hill. He organized funds, supervised the cleaning and in parts, reconstructed with new stones this major source of water for many of the sadhus on the Hill.
Apart from these activities which made good use of his strong lion-like constitution, he continued to study Vedantic writings, Puranas relating to the holy places of South India and primarily Sri Bhagavan's writings. He had a fine intellect and would enjoy discussions on spiritual subjects with other resident swamis who became his friends.
His way of communication was very direct, sometimes causing offence when he only meant to be humorous. He was fond of walking around Sri Arunachala, either alone in silence or discussing the fine points of spiritual teachings with a companion. His reputation as an expounder of Vedanta became known and quite a few Westerners visiting Tiruvannamalai would regularly find their to his door.
contd.,
Narikutti Swami - Kamala Devi.
Mountain Path Jan-Mar. 2008
continues....
He lived most simply and kept his abode clean and neat. Inside the hut, there was a higher level to the left of the door, which created a platform where he would sit during the day and sleep at night. He sat just inside the door, his back supported by a wooden plank propped against the wall at a steep angle. Within reach, he kept a notebook and three or four books, some stationery for writing letters, a black and a red pen and a ruler. His writing was extremely neat in
Tamizh and in English and he would rule the page with red ink, creating a neat form. Also within reach, was a kerosene lantern, which he would light in the evenings. At the lower level, covered only by thatch, was a place for bathing and washing vegetables and cooking utensils. A single kerosene stove was used for cooking. Nearby was a solid timber chest, in which were kept any foodstuffs, cloth and papers not in use. The top of he chest provided a seat for the visitor.
Narikutti always dressed in while dhoti and upper towel and he washed one set of clothes when taking bath and hung it to dry on a rod above his bathing place. He prepared simple but tasty food for himself, of rice and vegetables and fruit salads from offering brought to him or purchased out if funds were sufficient. There were times when he survived on a pittance. He never asked for money, as his guru had instructed. Nevertheless, he was given money by local people and some Western visitors. He was thrifty, but frequently helped others out of money or goods at his disposal. He would serve visitors making the tea or food himself saying, "In this house, I am the housewife, I am in charge here." In one of his notebooks, he had written a Sanskrit word related to his name, which translated as "living one's own house, free, independent." This was very important to him, a source of pride and strength.
Narikutti's health was not always good. The climate was hard on him and, as the years went by, he suffered from a number of maladies, developing trouble with his liver and intestines. His once powerful body began to show signs of deterioration and weakness despite the various medicines he took.
contd.,
Narikutti Swami - continues...
His life on the Hill was not always peaceful and quiet. One day, thieves broke into his hut while he was at home. They clubbed him brutally and turned everything upside down, in search of money or valuables, which they were disappointed not to find. This episode caused Narikutti much anguish. With his deteriorating health and difficulty in climbing up and down from the Hill, with deep regret, he was forced to move down from the Hill and was kindly given a room in Seshadri Swami Ashram.
At this time, he decided to make a journey to Australia as friends had suggested that a few months' rest in Australia could be very beneficial to his extremely poor health. He accepted this advice with certainty that he would always return to India. Many years earlier, he had been told by a Sri Lankan astrologer, that he would make one journey to his homeland before he died. He believed implicitly what was foretold in that horoscope. After an absence of over forty years, he returned to the land of his birth and stayed with various friends and in particular, stayed at the Hill of Fire Sanctuary, in Coffs Harbour,
New South Wales.
After some months he returned to Mother India but, the next few months were difficult for Narikutti as his health was failing and he was becoming quite weak. He suffered from serious bile attack and one morning his cleaning servant arrived to find him sitting in the entrance of the house, breathing with difficulty, and very low indeed. He asked her to go and bring the doctor. But before the doctor could come, while he was alone, and sitting up straight, he ceased to breathe. He left his body as he lived. Alone in the knowledge of his own strength to fearlessly face whatever life had to offer.
He had asked for his body to be cremated and so this was arranged and carried out on the same day he was found: 15th September 1994.
Narikutti Swami who came to Arunachala full of fire of tapas was absorbed into Sri Arunachala. He touched many by the example of his firm discipline and the whole-hearted, simple life of dedication and surrender to his guru.
concluded.
[Mountain Path, Jan-Mar. 2008 - An article by Kamala Devi, Founder of the Hill of Fire Ashram, on the coast north of Sydney, Australia. She is frequent visitor to Arunachala.]
S. SANKARA NARAYANAN: An Exemplary
Disciple - Art. by Prema Nandakuamar - Deepm 2004 of Mountain Path:
In the passing away of Sri S.
Sankaranarayanan, we realize that a gifted child of the Divine Mother has gone back to Her loving care. Initiated into ancient Sanskrit religious literature by his grandfather, Sri S. Narayana Iyer, Sri Sankaranarayanan was able to integrate his academic study of mathematics and professional career of management with Sri Vidya Upasana. An exemplary disciple, he has mentioned that he was able to achieve this because of his guru,
Sri T.V. Kapali Sastri.
"When I found myself helpless in the spiritual path and was lost in the by lanes, it was he who drew me to the royal path and helped me in journey forth for my good here and in the hereafter. He had come as a god to rule over me and revealed the secrets of Devi Mahatmya." [in Brahmanda Puranam, also called Durga Saptasathi.]
Sri Kapali Sastri was attuned to the sadhana of Sri Ramana Maharshi and of Sri Aurobindo. Sri Sankaranarayanan walked beside his master and absorbed the spiritual riches gifted to him by his guru with exceptional clarity. Presently he became a conduit to bring Sadhana Sastra of Sri Vidya and the sublime thoughts of Sri Ramana Maharshi to our generation through English language. His "Sri Chakra" [1970], 'The Ten Great Cosmic Powers", Dasa Maha Vidya [1972] and Sri Ramana Gita [1998] are classics that have been spreading a steady illumination throughout the world.
Sri Ramana Gita, contains the answers of Sri Bhagavan to the questions posed by Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni and his wife, his disciples in Tiruvannamalai. The great savant Vasishta Ganapati Muni set them down in 18 Chapters.
Sri Kapali Sastri wrote a Sanskrit commentary on Sri Ramana Gita titled Sri Ramana Gita Prakasa. Sri Bhagavan heard it read read and gave His approval. Essentially an inquiry into the nature of the Self, the work is rich with the spiritual diction of India. Sri Sankaranarayanan had a daunting taks on hand when Sri B. Ananthaswami suggested a commentary on Sri Ramana Gita in English. Fortunately he had also laved deep in the works of Sri Aurobindo and his own guru Sri Kapali Sastri was a master-stylist in the English language. The English translation of Sri Ramana Gita has indeed achieved a parampara of classics with Sri Bhagavan's sayings that gave rise to Prakasa commentary. Sri Sankaranarayanan's translation must be one of those very few books which achieve the status of classic even as they are published.
continued....
SRI SANKARA NARAYANAN - An exemplary
disciple - Prema Nandakumar - MP
Deepam, 2004:
continues....
Lucid, with a never failing attention to detail, it is a pleasure to read Sri Sastriar's Prakasa in its English version which together give us lessons of grammar of translation. A translation should be a work in its own right, but also illumine the original with perfect precision. In the course of the work, there is a passage on the uses of rituals and study in one's spiritual life:
"For beginners, for those who have started self inquiry...all these acts like sacred bath prescribed Sastras, Sandhya Japa etc., result in contributing a great details to their mental purification. For those who are engaged in self inquiry after acquiring the necessary fitness, the practice and performance of the acts, in the initial stage contribute to the purification of mind, not for those who think that the acts are be-all and end-all."
If the English has followed like a Prakasa, the original Sanskrit of the Prakasa both being punya teerthas, a good deal of the credit goes to Sri Sankaranarayanan's wife Vijaya, a gift of the guru's grace for the earnest disciple. For more than half a century the couple lived the life divine among the great, imbibing adhyatmic thoughts and spreading the light of our masters. Our loving thoughts to Vijaya, in this moment of irreparable loss, even as we salute the memory of Sri Sankaranarayanan, an idea child of Divine Mother.
*
[Kapali Sastri has given two mantras as an appendix to the commentary Prakasa; Om Vachat Bhuve Namah| and Om Saravanabhava |
These are considered most potent. Similarly the invocatory verse starting Nilaravinde... is also held as dhyana sloka for Sri Bhagavan.]
*
[Kapali Sastri has also dictated the details of his visit to read out Prakasa to Sri Bhagavan and this has come out as a small book from Sri Ramanasramam, under the title The Maharshi. One should read that also along with Ramana Gita Prakasa.]
concluded.....
Dear Subramanian Sir,
I have heard that Bhagavan was very found of Thiruppugazh. Could you pls give some instances / anecdotes about Bhagavan and Thiruppugazh
Usually the dogs have their own territory with the boundaries marked.
A dog from one territory cannot trespass another dog's territory.
Once, when an Asramam dog saw a new dog from another territory trespass into the Asramam, he was very angry and barked at the intruder. He was trying to fight with the new dog to drive him away from the Asramam. According to him, the Asramam belonged only to him. The Asramites were trying to pacify the Asramam dog and prevent him from fighting with the new dog.
When Sri Bhagavan came out from the Hall, and saw the situation, He felt amused and said, "This dog is also like human beings. It is not natural for those people, who come earlier and get established, to feel that the place belongs to them and try to boss over the new comer?" Then He turned towards the dog and said: "Why do you bark at the new comer and boss over it? Let the new dog also stay. Leave this place and go and sit in your place." Hearing this, the Asramam dog left the place obediently and quietly.
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
Sri Bhagavan had the same concern for all beings - be it a human or an animal. He demonstrated it also.
a) There was a small pup in the Asramam. He was always near Sri Bhagavan and often used to sit on His couch also. One day, the pup urinated on Sri Bhagavan's couch. The attendants were very angry and were about to beat the pup. But compassionate Sri Bhagavan came to the rescue of the pup and defended the pup. "The pups of dogs should be treated as small children. Do you get angry if a small human child had done it?" So saying, Sri Bhagavan got up to clean the place The attendants felt ashamed of themselves for treating the pup badly. They cleaned the place themselves.
b) There was another puppy, which would always relieve herself near the office. Chinnaswami would get furious and try to drive her out of the Asramam, but Sri Bhagavan would come to the rescue of the puppy, saying that if some child did the same thing, nobody would be angry, and the puppy was only a child and knew no better.
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
Devotee: Can a man who has attained Realization move about and act and speak?
Sri Bhagavan: Why not? Do you suppose Realization means being inert like a stone, or becoming nothing?
Devotee: I don't know, but they say that the highest state is withdrawal from all sense activities, thoughts and experiences. In fact - the cessation of activity.
Sri Bhagavan: Then how would it differ from deep sleep? Besides, it would be the state which, however exalted, comes and goes and would therefore not be natural and normal state, so how could it represent the eternal presence of the Supreme Self, which persists through all states, and survives them? It is true, that there is such a state and that in case of some people it may be necessary to go through it. It may be a temporary phase of the quest or it may persist to the end of a man's life, if it be the Divine Will or the man's destiny, but in any case, you cannot call it the highest state. If it were, you would have to say that not only the Sages, but God Himself has not attained the highest state; since not only are the Realized Sages very active but the Personal God {Iswara} Himself is obviously not in this supremely inactive state, since He presides over the world and direct its activities.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: What is Samadhi?
Sri Bhagavan: In Yoga the term is used to indicate some kind of trance, and there are various kinds of Samadhi. But the samadhi I speak to you about is different. It is Sahaja Samadhi. In this state, you
remain calm and composed during activity. You realize that you are moved by the deeper Real Self within and are unaffected by what you do or say to think. You have no worries, anxieties or cares, for you realize that there is nothing, that belongs to you as ego and that everything is being done by something with which you are in conscious union.
After realization, a man may continue a life of worldly activity or he may not. It makes no difference to his state.
Dear Shrini,
1. Sri Bhagavan had on more than one occasions has cited Arunagiri Natha's Kandar Anubhuti [ the last composition by the saint poet] - that is, two songs therefrom, as the final upadesa of Lord Muruga for him.
Verse 12: Summa Iru SollaRa - Be still without words.
Verse 28: Yanagiya ennai vizhungi... You have swallowed up my Nan, I, and you remained within me as Thaan - the Self, oh the Primordial.... Naan and Thaan meaning I and the Self have also been used by Sri Bhagavan.
2. Devaraja Mudaliar in the appendix of his Recollections on Sri Ramana, [in Tamizh, Thaayum Neeye, Thanthaiyum Neeye, You are the Mother and You are the Father], has cited the song Kumara Gurupara... in Tirupugazh, which ends as ARivai ARivathu PoruL ana AruLiya Perumale... You blessed me that the purport of the whole sadhana is to realize the Knowledge, that is the Sat Chit.
Sri Bhagavan has cited this song but the occasion is not given.
3. Sri Bhagavan has also recommended the following song, in Tirupugazh, when some parent asked Him what his/her daughter should recite for getting married soon.
NeelangoL mehathin mayil meethe...
This song says that Muruga gives the garland from His shoulder that is wedding garland.
4. Sri Bhagavan has also cited the famous song, Athala sedanaraada akila meru meethada..the song with which Arunagiri Natha made Muruga appear before the King and other witnesses, to prove his God realization. This song was sung near the famous Kambathu Ilayanar Shrine in Arunachaleswara Temple, when the poet saint Sambandhandan asked Arunagiri Natha to prove his devotion to Muruga by making Him appear before the King and the others. The king Prabhuda Deva Maharaja was witnessing this scene and had darshan of Muruga and this is referred to in the last line of this song.
T.M.P. MAHADEVAN -
John Grimes - Mountain Path Oct-Dec 2007:
TMP Mahadevan [1911-1983] was one of India's pre-eminent 20th century philosophers. In academia the names Mahadevan and Advaita were synonymous. Author of 55 books, almost all of which were on Advaita and two of which were on Sri Ramana Maharshi, Mahadevan was both by training and temparament an Advaitin through and through. Mahadevan viewed Advaita as the summum bonum of all life and the paradigm through which he viewed all culture and philosophy. He loved Advaita, he lived for Advaita, and he left behind a legacy of Advaita scholarship. Mahadevan wrote, "Advaita, to the exposition of which I dedicated my entire life, is not a school of philosophy, nor can it be limited by what we nowadays call "philosophy". Advaita is a symbolic name of true for the principle of non-duality... both Sri Ramana Maharshi and Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swami are contemporary witnesses to the experience of non-dual truth, of unity which goes by the name of Advaita. To the understanding and exposition of this experience which is the culmination of all inquiry and research, I have offered all my attention, be it academic, human or spiritual. It is that which sustains me."
In his maturity, Mahadevan was adamant in oft repeating that Advaita is symbolic name for the principle of non duality, the "State" of a full enlightened being.
continued.....
T.M.P. MAHADEVAN - John Grimes continues...
This reminds me of an incident that happened when I first joined the Radhakrishnan Institute for Advanced Study in Philosophy. I was a young first year M.A. student. By chance I happened to be in the Institute's Office when a group of philosophy students from Madras Vivekananda College came to invite Mahadevan to be the chief guest and speaker at one of their upcoming functions. Mahadevan politely declined saying, "I have talked of Advaita all my life, Enough talking. Now it is time for me to stop talking about Advaita and immerse myself completely in seeking that non dual experience."
One would not be incorrect in stating that the word Advaita may be approached from three perspectives: 1) It denotes a radical non dual philosophical system which is presented for scholars as a coherent, consistent, conceptual theory; 2) it presents "words to live by" for spiritual aspirants who are interested in a direct, personal experience of non duality; and first and foremost, 3) it is a symbolic word for the "thunderous silence", the Unspekabale non dual Reality.
From his earliest childhood, Mahadevan was always spiritually oriented. His mother died when he was five years old and, coinciding with her death, his father left and set up a family elsewhere. The young Mahadevan was raised by his aunt [mother's elder sister]. This aunt used to listen to discourses on spiritual themes and visit temples and holy personages. She would take the young Mahadevan along with her. She introduced the young boy to famous Advaitins like the mystic Sri Karapatra Sivaprakasa Swami, the sannyasin-scholar Virasekhara Subbaiah Swamigal, and to Swami Rajeswarananda, a staunch devotee of Sri Ramakrishna, who was to play a major role in the Advaitic formation of Mahadevan.
contd.,
T.M.P. MAHADEVAN - John Grimes
continues...
Swami Rajeswarananda who shaped Mahadevan's life as his spiritual and academic mentor, played a significant role in introducing Mahadevan to three spiritual giants. In 1929, at the age of 18, Mahadevan was taken by Swami to Tiruvannamalai for the first time to meet Sri Ramana Maharshi. As Mahadevan was to say, "To meet a sage and be acquainted with him is not an ordinary occrrence. It must be the result of a good stock of merit. I consider myself extremely fortunate, therefore, to have had the privilege of meeting the Master and basking in His glorious presence for three days. To sit before Him was itself a deep spiritual education, to look at Him was to have one's mind stilled, to fall within the sphere of His beatific vision was to be inwardly elevated." Over the years, Swami took Mahadevan many times to meet Sri Bhagavan but as it was not Mahadevan's way to talk of his personal direct encounters with the sages he met, we sadly don't have the good fortune of knowing what they spoke about or of what experiences took place.
Looking back over his life, Mahadevan noted, "The Sage [Sri Bhagavan] did not found any new school of thought or cult. He taught the ageless truth of Vedanta. This is a universal and non-sectarian teaching. To even call it Advaita [non duality] is really a concession because of the inherent limitations that language bears with it."
Mahadevan found it both interesting and wonderful that Sri Bhagavan both attained the non dual experience of Advaita and expressed its traditional wisdom without having studied and analyzed and meditated thereon. Sri Ramana only came to know of the concepts and doctrines of Advaita, its illustrations and arguments later. Mahadevan said: "An understanding of the doctrinal side of Advaita is not end in itself. Sri Ramana spoke about the doctrines only when doubts expressed by scholarly devotees had to be cleared, or questions had to be answered. He Himself came to know of these doctrines only long after He had the experience of non dual consciousness."
Swami R also introduced Mahadevan to Sri Mahapurshaji Maharaj [Swami
Sivananda], a direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna. Mahapurushji also initiated him. Mahadevan says:
"The experience is still vivid in my memory, the venerable and gracious direct disciple of Sri Ramakrishna seated in the shrine in a mood of exaltation imparting the mantra to me, whno was just a stripling, and make me repeat it after him."
contd.,
T.M.P. MAHADEVAN - John Grimes.
continues...
In 1932, Mahadevan saw the Sage of Kanchi, Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswati,
for then first time when the Sage had come to Madras during his vijaya yatra. It was not until 1953, that Mahadevan had an occasions to meet the Sage personally and over his lifetime Mahadevan was to meet the Acharya quite often both alone as well as with devotees, dignitaries, scholars, students, and spiritual seekers that he would take with him for darshan of the Sage.
Mahadevan studied philosophy under the guidance of P.N. Srinivasachari at Pachaiyappa's College and under the guidance of
S.S. Suryanarayana Sastri at the University of Madras for Ph.D. His doctoral thesis was a groundbreaking attempt to present in a systematic way the philosophy of Advaita as expounded by Vidyaranya with special reference ot the Vivarana-premeya-sangrha.
After serving in Maharaja's College in Pudukottai, as the Head of the Dept. of Philosophy in in Pachaiyappa's College, as the Head of Department of Philosophy of University of Madras, and as a visiting professor at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, he finally ended up as the Philosophy Department at the University of Madras into a Centre for Advanced Study in Philosophy.
Mahadevan was an Advatin's Advaitin scholastically. However, probably due to his long associations with the Sages, there was little difference between his home life and his academic life. He was meticulous in both. He led a life of discipline with a spiritual orientation. His conversation was always brief and he never gossiped. Soft, gentle, careful and effective were his ways. He cherished the Vedantic value system. He always made a distinction between the higher and lower values and shaped his life towards Self Realization. He remained a life long bachelor and had a life of renunciation both inwardly and outwardly and treated others with dignity and respect. He never put of ochre robes. He cultivated the virtues in his academic work whether it involved, teaching, research, organization or publishing.
As a scholar, Mahadevan had an unflinching commitment to Advaita. He made no secret of this commitment. Advaita was the paradigm through which he viewed everything. Among Mahadevan's numerous published works, mention should be made of his Gaudapada: A Study in Early Advaita. It is a classic work on Gaudpada. Also something dear to my own heart was Mahadevan's inspiration and directive to the Radhakrishnan Institute for Advanced Study in Philosophy to concentrate on Sureswara and his legacy vis a via the Advaita tradition. Over the years, this legacy has been carried out.
contd.,
T.M.P. MAHADEVAN - John Grimes
continues...
On a personal note, as a young student at the University of Madras, I was always thrilled when hearing Mahadevan speak, for, no matter what the theme, he would deal with it from an Advaita point of view. I was also amazed by his ability to quote verses from memory to support his statements. Not only did he have at his finger tips, verses from the Vedas, Upanishads, Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutra, and other Sanskrit and Tamizh religious and philosophical works, but also verses from Western philosophers, poets, historians and so on.
A student had to be inside the classroom before that Professor arrived or you dare not, could not, enter upon his arrival, we stood in respect. Even if the bell rang, no one moved until the Professor left the classroom and as he did, again we all stood. Such was the atmosphere of respect for learning that we imbibed.
What is the use of dilating on this subject? The individual is no other than the Absolute; this whole extended universe is Brahman Itself. The scriptures persistently urges only Brahman, one without a second. It is an indubitable fact that people of enlightened minds who know their identity with Brahman and have given up connection with the objective world, live palpably unified with Brahman as eternal Knowledge and Bliss.
concluded.
DOG PREFERS SRI BHAGAVAN'S COMPANY:
Sri K. Swaminathan, in his reminiscences in "Face to Face with
Sri Bhagavan" writes:
Sri Bhagavan succeeded in being a friend of everyone -- saint or sinner, prince or peasant, learned or ignorant, cow, dog or monkey. J.C. Molony [A District Collector] who had gone to the Hill to have darshan of Sri Bhagavan has recorded how his dog preferred the company of Sri Bhagavan, to his own.
"After visiting the Sage on the Hill, when I reached my camp, one of my dogs was missing. In the evening arrived the holy man leading the truant on a string. The Sage said: "He came back to me and I should have liked to keep him. But why should I steal him from you?"
All were welcomed to His charmed circle. Sri Bhagavan gave freedom to all to enjoy His Sameepya [nearness] and His Soulabhya [easy accessibility.]
[BHAGAVAN RAMANA - A FRIEND OF ALL.]
TREATMENT FOR RICKETS:
There was a puppy born in the Asramam. It was very weak, down with rickets. Sri Bhagavan was very solicitous and looked after it very well. Under Sri Bhagavan's direction, His devotees, Sadhu Arunachala was asked to help Sri Bhagavan in nursing the puppy back to health. Eventually when the puppy was cured, strangely enough, he ran away. Sri Bhagavan was concerned about the dog, thinking some predator might have killed it. But, months later the dog returned with a new master. It was very stranger and inexplicable as he showed no interest in anybody, even in Sri Bhagavan. That was that dog's prarabdha. He was not ripe enough to be near Sri Bhagavan.
[BHAGAVAN RAMANA - A FRIEND OF ALL.]
Once at a satsang , in the back of the
room where I was sitting, a beeping noise started up and
didn't stop. Somebody's pager or cell phone was going off.
In those days, I had an intense dislike for the ever-growing
presence of cell phones and pagers in public places. They
seemed perfectly symptomatic of everything I found
pathological in our culture. It was no exaggeration to say that
I hated cell phones and pagers. And now, somebody had
one in their bag or backpack, and it was going off in the
middle of satsang (outrageous!), making it hard to
concentrate on what was being said and I was furious.
Furthermore, no one was doing anything about it! A few
people were looking around, as I was, but no one was
turning it off. The idiot who owned it was oblivious. I got
angrier and angrier. Modern technology and human stupidity
were ruining my chance for enlightenment! Suddenly,
someone near me spotted the pager. It was a cricket. A
cricket had somehow gotten into this room in the middle of
the city.
Instantly, the whole movie changed. I love crickets. They're
part of nature, which is dear to my heart, and they remind me
of Springwater. I found it charming and miraculous that there
was a cricket in the room attending satsang. I was suddenly
so happy.
The sound itself was exactly the same as it had been before,
only now I had a different conceptual picture, and a different
set of stories and beliefs. Instead of a pager or a cell phone
(representing everything in life I hated), now it was a cricket
(representing everything in life I loved). Nature produced it,
not evil human technology. And furthermore, "the idiot who
owned it" didn't exist, and wasn't really oblivious to his
non-existent pager after all. Now it was a pleasant sound, a
miraculous sound. It no longer made it hard to concentrate
on what was being said. In fact, it seemed to perfectly
compliment the words
glow
On the whole, the Maharshi did not approve vows of silence. If the mind is controlled, useless speech will be avoided. But abjuring speech will not quieten the mind. The effect cannot produce the cause.
Devotee: Isn't a vow of silence helpful?
Sri Bhagavan: A vow is only a vow. It may help meditation to some extent. But what is the use of keeping the mouth shut and letting the mind run riot? If the mind is engaged in meditation, what need is there for speech? Nothing is as good as meditation. What is the use of a vow of silence if one is engrossed in activity?
In "Self Enquiry", Sri Bhagavan says as the conclusion:
It is within our power to adopt a simple and nutritious diet and with earnest and incessant endeavor, to eradicate the ego - the cause of all misery - by stopping all mental activity born of the ego.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: Can a yogi know his past lives?
Sri Bhagavan: Do you know the present life so well that you wish to know the past? Find the present, then the rest will follow. Even with your present limited knowledge, you suffer so much. Why should you burden yourself with more knowledge> Is it so as to suffer more?
Devotee: Does Sri Bhagavan use occult powers to make others realize the Self or is the mere fact of Sri Bhagavan's Realization enough for that?
Sri Bhagavan: The spiritual force of Realization is far more powerful than the use of all occult powers. Inasmuch as there is no ego in the Sage there are no 'others' for him. What is the highest benefit that can be conferred on you? It is happiness. And happiness is born of peace. Peace can reign only when there is no disturbance, is due to thoughts that arise in the mind. When the mind is itself absent, there will be perfect peace. Unless a person has annihilated the mind, he cannot gain peace and be happy. And unless he himself is happy, he cannot bestow happiness on 'others'. Since, however, there are no 'others' for the Sage, who has no mind, the mere fact of Self Realization is itself enough to make the 'others' happy too.
When asked if occult powers [siddhis] can be achieved with the divine state [Iswratvam] as mentioned in the last verse of Sri Dakshinamurty Stotram, the Maharshi said:
"Let the Iswaratvam be achieved first, and then the other questions may be raised."
No powers can extend into Self Realization. So how can they extend beyond it?
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
ATMA VICHARA PADIGAM:
SRI SADHU OM:
Tr. Tanmaya Chaitanya - Mountain Path - Oct-Dec. 2007:
The original Tamizh version of Sri Sadhu Om appears in Ramana Gitam, Volume 3 of four volume Ramana Vazhi, The Path of Sri Ramana. In English, it appears that the Volume 3 of Ramana Gitam is not yet translated.
*
1. To think is to generate a vritti in the form of a thought [and hence to indulge in an act, and hence pravritti; but 'What is'
is never a vritti [that is the sense of 'I am' is never an act of thinking or thought]. If one probes keenly with total attention as to who is this "I" which spawns all thoughts, thinking process will automatically cease. Even in the absence of thoughts, Being [the sense of one's Pure Existence] never ceases and there is no doubt about this. To abide unwaveringly in that Source from where all thoughts spring forth, is indeed true Atma Nishta. May you abide thus!
2. The 'thinker' alone is Jiva [the individual who owns up thinking]; the one who merely exists [bereft of all thoughts] is Iswara [the Godhead or Sakshi Chaitanya]. If the thinker Jiva desires to remain still by merely focusing the attention on the sense of pure existence in the form of 'I am', such Self attention will quell all thinking activity [pravritti] and transform itself into the mode of Pure Being [nivritti] Consciousness. Such a total resolution of the thinker along with all his thoughts into the Source, [ever shining as Existence-Awareness] resulting in vibrant stillness is alone called Siva Sayujya [Abidance in the state of Siva.].
3. Among so many countless thoughts that gurgle up from within, the thinker himself [in the form of 'I am so-and-so' is merely one more thought; however, this 'I-thought' is the root of all thoughts [and hence the seed of all samsara]. But it is merely a reflection [pratimbimba] of our true swarupa, the Self [that exists as 'I,I' without the limitations of any attribute]. When we abide as this true Self in utter silence, the spurious 'I-thought' never rears its head.
continued.,
ATMA VICHARA PADIGAM - CONTINUES....
4. This 'I-thought' does not arise in the deep sleep state devoid of dreams; nor does this 'I-thought' ever arise [for the Jnani who ever abides] in the true Jnana Nishta. Only between these states does this 'I-thought' appear as 'I am the body'[in the waking and dream states] and disappears otherwise in deep sleep state and the enlightened mode of Being. For this reason alone, this 'I-thought' is said to be a mere thought which comes and goes and hence to be dismissed as false. Our true nature, by definition, is the ever present Self and never transient like this 'I-thought'.
5. When this 'I-thought flourishes, all miseries also flourish for it is the seed of ignorance and hence samsara; it is this 'I-thought' alone which is called as the 'ego'. It arises and survives only because of lack of self enquiry. By not leaning on it for one's existence and by intently questioning this 'I am so-and-so' thought with unrelenting attention, it evaporates out of existence, without a trace even as mist vanishes with a rising sun.
6. Because of this 'I-thought' [aham vritti] which pretends as the grammatical 'first person', the entire world comes into being as the 'second and third persons' [you and it] - idam vritti. If the searchlight of our attention gives up its fancy for the second and third persons and turns itself on this 'I-thought', then this pseudo 'first person' will disappear and the substratum of true Being will flash forth as the ever present 'I','I' Consciousness without the adjunct of "so-and-so". This undecaying true First Person alone is the real Self and staying aware of the Self is indeed Jnanam [Enlightenment.]
contd.,
ATMA VICHARA PADIGAM; CONTINUES...
7. To grasp the 'second and third persons' [idam vritti] and pursuing it without pause is utter foolishness; running after the 'second and third persons' by paying attention to them will fuel the thinking activity ever more. But turning that attention inwards towards the 'first person' - aham vritti, is equivalent to suicide for the ego. Because only by pursuing the inquiry of the aham vritti relentlessly to its logical end, will the ego be exterminated. This is the only way for the annihilation of the ego [ahamkara nasa which alone is referred to as mano nasa].
8. Without seeking the source of aham vritti shinijng as 'I am this body' in everyone's awareness but constantly turning the attention of one's mind to the 'second and third persons' which includes out our own body is nothing but the play of ignorance. But if you raise the doubt "is not seeking of aham vritti itself a pursuit of ignorance? Why should I seek after a false entity instead of pursuing the truth?", then do listen to my answer!
contd.,
Dear Anon., [glow]
Nice comment about the non existent cell phone. This reminds of a story told by Sri Bhagavan. The happenstance of an incident [which one is not observing], does not create any reaction like anger or even a thought per se. But only if one identifies it with "a thought", all miseries occur.
Two friends Rama and Krishna went to Kasi from a south Indian village telling their parents that they would come back after about two months. It was old days, and one has to walk all the way to Kasi. In Kasi, Lakshmana died due to drowning while swimming in Ganga. Rama was miserable and still he wanted to complete the darshan of all temples as also ceremonial rights for Lakshmana and then return to home village.
Meantime a villager who belonged to the same village, returned from Kasi and immediately broke the news that Rama drowned and died in Ganga. He had told Rama instead of Lakshmana. While Rama's parents were wailing and were in great misery, Lakshmana's parents were not having those emotions but were inwardly happy that their son is alive. Days passed.
Suddenly one day Rama arrived home. His parents were astonishingly happy and he broke the news that Lakshmana got drowned. The parents of Lakshmana who were hitherto quite happy were shocked doubly and started crying beating their breasts.
Now, the death, not witnessed, -- does it cause misery or the thought about death? Thought is the villain.
Recently during Japanese tsunami/earthquake, we had been told by our son that he would be having some work in Tokyo and he would be leaving in a few days time. A few days thereafter the tragedy in Japan had occurred. The very thought of Japanese tragedy made us to think so many things about our son's safety. We tried to contact him. His cell phone was switched off. After about trying 20 times, we contacted our daughter-in-law who is also working in Hong Kong with my son. She replied: No worry, Hari has not gone to Japan. His programme was delayed a couple of days back. He is safe in his office. Perhaps, his cell phone has got some problems.
What to say about this incident? The thought of Japanese quake made us imagine all sorts of thoughts and made us suffer unwanted anxiety for about 1 hour.
It is only the thought that is the villain.
That is why, in deep dreamless sleep, one is ever happy in Ananda maya kosa. Even in a house where death had occurred, and when the body had to be cremated next morning only, all relatives cry and wail, say till 12 noon. Then one by one, they go to sleep, In those brief hours of sleep, they do not think about the death and the death body in the same hall. Around 4 a.m., they wake up one by one and start beating their breasts.
Today, 9th April, 2011 is a Saturday.
On Saturday evenings, the Tamizh parayana in the Asramam, which would start around 6.30 P.M. the subject is Sri Ramana Stuti Panchakam, the five songs on Sri Bhagavan, composed by Satyamangalam Venkatramana Iyer.
He had come to Sri Bhagavan in the very early years to Virupaksha Cave and spent four days. And four songs were composed by him and the fifth one was sent by post.
The last song is Ramana Sadguru. Here in 19th verse, Iyer says that
"He is the ocean of all truly lovable characters [Satguna] and also also all good qualiities [NaRguna]. He is adored by all people who are having good character. He is Justice personified. He is like wonderful taste of molten jaggery. And He is the form of "asi padam", the word asi.
The word 'asi', as we all know, comes in the Maha Vakya tat tvam asi. It means 'are', the verb that connects That and Thou. That Thou art.
Why should a Sad Guru be of the form of asi padam; the word are or art?
The answer is available in Sri Ramana Darsanam. Sri Bhagavan says: "Only the Supreme Self, which is ever shining, in your Heart, as the reality, is the Sadguru. The pure awareness, which is shining as the inward illumination "I", is Sadguru's gracious feet. The contact with these 'inner holy feet' alone can confer you true redemption. Joining the eye of reflected consciousness -chidabhasa, which is your sense of individuality - jiva bodha, to those holy feet, which are real consciousness, is the union of the feet and the head that is the real significance of the word 'asi'. As the inner holy feet can be held naturally, and unceasingly, hereafter, with an inward turned mind, cling to the that inner awareness that is your own real nature. This alone is the proper way for the removal of bondage and the attainment of the supreme truth.
"Asi" means 'are'. Sri Bhagavan's metaphor indicates that the inner state of being is revealed when the individuality is merged in the holy feet of pure consciousness.
[Tr. David Godman - with reference to Verse 207 of Guru Vachaka Kovai, as an additional reference to the passage of Sri Ramana Darsanam.]
Saint Manikkavachagar says in the first verse of TirupaLLi Ezhucchi,
Tiruvachakam, that he is placing two pairs of lotuses on Siva's feet. What is this two pairs? One pair is two lotuses and the other pair is the pair of eyes. All the four are submiited to Siva's feet in Tiruperundurai. The holy feet of Siva brings about the awareness of the inner holy feet, in Heart.
Devotee: Which posture is the best?
Sri Bhagavan: Any posture, possibly Sukhasana [the easy or half-Buddha posture.]. But that is immaterial for Jnana [the path of knowledge.]
Devotee: Does posture indicate temperament?
Sri Bhagavan: Yes.
Devotee: What are the properties and effect of a tiger's skin or wool or a deer's skin as a seat?
Sri Bhagavan: Some people have found out and described them in books on yoga. They correspond to conductors and non-conductors of magnetism, and so on. But all this is of no importance on the path of knowledge [Jnana Marga]. Posture really means "steadfastness in the Self." And it is inward.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words. Arthur Osborne.]
Sri Bhagavan: What is time?
Devotee: Tell me what it is!
Sri Bhagavan: Time is only an idea. There is only Reality. Whatever you think it is, it appears to be. If you call it time, it is time. If you call it existence, it is existence, and so on. After calling it time, you divide it into days and nights, months, years hours, minutes, and so on. Time is immaterial for the path of knowledge.
Devotee: Does Sri Bhagavan recommend any special posture for Europeans?
Sri Bhagavan: It depends on the mental equipment of the individual. There are no hard and fast rules.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words. Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: Is meditation to be practiced with eyes open or closed?
Sri Bhagavan: It may be done either way. The important thing is that the mind should be turned inwards and kept active in its quest. Sometimes, it happens that when the eyes are closed, latent thoughts rush forth with great vigor. But on the other hand, it may be difficult to turn the mind with eyes open. It requires strength of mind. The mind is pure by nature but contaminated by taking in objects. The great thing is to keep it active in its quest without taking in external impressions of thinking other things.
[The Teachings of Ramana Maharshi in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
*
In this connection, Sri Bhagavan has specifically advised Annamalai Swami to keep the eyes open and meditate. This is mentioned by him in Sri Ramana NinaivugaL Tamizh.
Sri
IT IS COOL AND SOFT:
Once, a devotee wanted to know from
Sri Bhagavan whether it was true that He was friendly with snakes while living on the Hill. Sri Bhagavan replied, "Yes. It is true.
One particular snake crawled over my body. It was a very friendly snake. At its touch my body used to feel as though it was tickled. The snake used to come and go whenever it liked, on its own accord."
Dr. Sreenivasa Rao, the Asramam doctor, asked Sri Bhagavan whether a snake had crept over His body. Sri Bhagavan replied: "Yes. Snakes raise their hood and look into our eyes. They seem to understand that they need not be afraid of me and then pass over me. It did not strike me either that I should do anything to it."
When another devotee asked, how Sri Bhagavan felt when snakes crawled over His body, He replied laughingly: Cool and soft.
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
SURI NAGAMMA - MONIKA ALDER -
Mountain Path -April-June 2007:
Sri Bhagavan demonstrated fatherly love and care for Nagamma and I feel His guidance in all my endeavors. Why? Because for me Sri Bhagavan became father, guru and god at the very moment I stepped into the Asramam.
One of the most well-known biographers of Sri Ramana Maharshi, Suri Nagamma recorded in her book Letters from Sri Ramanasramam, events, discussions and personal experiences that happened around Sri Bhagavan between 1945 and the Brahma Nirvana.
Although the family didn't waste money on the education of the early-widowed young girl, Nagamma became familiar with Telugu poetry and became a sadhaka who soared to spiritual heights. She took each word of Sri Bhagavan's for gospel and once He had revealed to Nagamma that cobras may be highly developed spiritual beings who disguise themselves in this way so that they can participate in the worship of gods. She was 52 years old, when, putting her her life into Sri Bhagavan's hands, she asked a giant cobra that came near her in a shrine, to leave. By Sri Ramana Maharshi's grace, Suri Nagamma from the deepest bottom of despair to the place where each spiritual seeker wants to arrive, the feet of a Sadguru.
Her life took a sad turn already at the age of four, when her father died in 1906. She was t en when she lost her mother. At the age of eleven she got married and a year later, she became a widow. To be a widow at such a young age was a life long tragedy at the time because local customs prohibited the remarriage of widows.
She didn't leave her room for months, she hardly ate and became extremely weak. After a while, however, she began to read religious books, such as the holy scriptures, Srimad Bhagavatam, Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Mahabharata. She wept through many a night. An intense desire awoke in her to meet a guru who would accept her as a disciple. One night, in a dream, she had the darshan of a sage who was seated in the lotus posture, on a two meter high pedestal facing south, with his hands in Mounamudra like Sri Dakshinamurty. When sshe saw this brilliant figure a thrill went down her spine. When she wanted to stand up to pray a reverence to him, the dream disappeared. This vision left vivid mark on her mind and everytime she recalled it she prayed to God with passionate yearning to grant her the grace to serve a guru within her present lifetime.
Her prayer was granted when her brother, having visited Sri Ramanasramam, during a pilgrimage, immediately advised her to visit Tiruvannamalai where as saint was living.
continued....
SURI NAGAMMA - MONIKA ALDER:
continues...
When somebody goes to a sage for darshan it is usual to take flowers, fruits, or sweets as an offering. It came into Nagamma's mind at the last minute that she was arriving with empty hands. At that moment, however, an earlier poem of hers flashed through her mind:
"A realized soul does not desire wealth from those who approach him. So give him the flower of your mind,and obtain his benediction by devotion and service."
She sat down at the place designed for women in the Hall where the Maharshi lived and closed her eyes. Ten minutes later, raising her eyes, she saw that Sri Bhagavan was looking intensely at her. His look penetrated into the deepest core of her existence and all her worried vanished.
At that moment, she knew that her prayers had been granted and that she had arrived at the place she had been longing for all her life. Her search had ended and as she used to say, she had found her haven. Shortly after her first visit, she moved to Tiruvannamlai and spent the following nine years of her life with Sri Bhagavan.
Nagamma considered her poems and writings a private matter so even her family members knew nothing about them. Taking courage because Sri Ramana understood Nagamma's mother tongue Telugu, she wrote eight verses titled Saranagati and handed them to Sri Bhagavan who read them with interest. "Look! her name is Nagamma, it seems. These are verses on Saranagati. Paste them in the book!" This was Sri Bhagavan's first encouragement to the shy Nagamma to pursue writing.
Encouraged by her brother, Nagamma began to write letters to her famly in 1945, in which she recorded what happened in Sri Bhagavan's Presence. When Sri Bhagavan learned this, He asked Nagamma to read out her letters in the Hall. She put aside her previous doubts as to whether she was worthy of this task and she worked through the nights to record what she heard and saw during the days.
contd.,
SURI NAGAMMA - MONIKA ALDER:
continues....
During her work, she had to face serious difficulties too. All of a sudden the Sarvadhikari of the Asramam, Sri Niranjananda Swami forbade her to continue writing her
letter and ordered her to hand them all over to him. Crying bitterly, Nagamma handed over all her unpublished letters. However, her brother had wisely taken the originals with him to Madras. Sri Bhagavan did not intervene in personal conflicts in the Asramam. But His invisible help restored Nagamma's hope. She did not enter the Asramam for ten days sent Sri Bhagavan, a poem in which she begged for His help. When the closest disciples of Sri Bhagavan, among them Kunju Swami and Muruganar, encouraged her to continue writing her letters, gathering her courage. Nagamma went to the Asramam again. Sri Bhagavan received her warmly with a smile and He recounted to her for an hour what had happened while she was absent! He gave details of what devotees and visitors had asked and what He had answered. Nagamma could not have received stronger encouragement to continue her job.
Some of her letters were published in a book form during Sri Bhagavan's lifetime and later all the letters came out in five volume Telugu edition. A distant cousin of the author, D.S. Sastri, translated the letters into English and 241 of them were published in the book entitled Letters from Sri Ramanasramam.
The letters give a true description of Sri Bhagavan's everyday life, His extraordinary being and the guidance He gave to seekers who turned to Him. Through a woman's eyes, we get an insight into everyday life in the Asramam. Numerous books and memoirs about the life and teaching of the Sage have been published. However, Nagamma's writings are unique because of her personal tone, her sensitivity and her focus on detail. All her words are soaked with her love for Sri Bhagavan.
contd.,
SURI NAGAMMA - MONIKA ALDER:
continues....
As Nagamma remembers in one of her letters, Sri Bhagavan kept saying:
"The Jnani weeps with the weeping, laughs with the laughing, plays with the playful, sings with those who sing, keeping time to the songs. What does He lose? His presence is like a pure, transparent mirror. It reflects our image exactly as we are."
Women, particularly single women, had to face many obstacles at that time. They were neither allowed to travel without chaperones nor to live on their own. They also weren't allowed to stay in the Asramam, after 6.00 p.m. They had to sit behind men, at the end of the Hall, where it was more difficult to see and hear Sri Bhagavan. Though Nagamma was reserved and shy, her silent but strong resolve and her unlimited love and devotion for Sri Bhagavan aroused respect and recognition among several of other residents of the Asramam.
Having arrived in Tiruvannamalai, she first shared a home with Echammal who had taken food for thirty eight years on each and everyday. She listened to Echammal's stories about the early days of the Asramam. She got up at 3.00 a.m., had a wash, cleaned the room and cooked her food. She spent the whole day in the Asramam. In the evening she wrote down what had happened during the day.
Besides writing her letters, Nagamma had other responsibilities in the Asramam. She became the Telugu expert of the Asramam and if poems had to be transcribed or notes had to be taken in Telugu, it was Nagamma's responsibility. Sri Bhagavan had read out all her poems, which were written in Telugu. During one period she looked after the Asramam library and later on she assisted women and children visiting the Asramam.
She often accompanied visitors on giri pradakshina.
Sometimes, she visited her brothers and sisters but she was never away from Sri Bhagavan for more than a few days. Sri Bhagavan was both mother and father to her, and the residents of the Asramam became the family for the women who had lost her parents so early. The older generation still describes her as the daughter of the Asramam.
contd.,
SURI NAGAMMA - MONIKA ALDER -
continues....
Though Nagamma knew from the first moment that she saw Sri Bhagavan that she had come home, in the beginning she was shy to approach Sri Bhagavan and was afraid of talking to Him. However, encouraged by Echammal she once went to Sri Bhagavan and in shaky voice said: "Please somehow help me to attain liberation." Sri Bhagavan gave her a compassionate look to her and nodded. Nagamma understood that Sri Bhagavan had taken her in His protection.
"Sri Bhagavan's grace thus began flowing towards me steadily. It was like water flowing through a dry land and making it flower and blossom. I started my sadhana by inquiring into the origin of thoughts. My mind however used to be led away involuntarily through misconceptions and illusions. On such occasions, Sri Bhagavan would look at me pointedly as if to scare off such thoughts."
Though never in an obvious way, Sri Bhagavan followed carefully and with deep love the spiritual development of all the disciples who lived around Him. Sri Bhagavan showed the love of a father towards Nagamma. If she wasn't there at the usual time Sri Bhagavan immediately asked: Where is Nagamma?" Once, when they were preparing for a special occasion, Sri Bhagavan kept saying during the day: "Nagamma will certainly
be here. Nagamma wouldn't miss it."
Sri Bhagavan was sometimes very strict with her, bringing her focus back towards the goal, namely attaining Jnana. According to Nagamma, her experience of the guru's grace, as in the Advaitic parable, was like an elephant seeing a lion in its dream and being afraid of falling asleep again lest it appear again.
contd.,
Sri Bhagavan's sickness and suffering were a great trauma for each of His disciples who begged Him in tears to transmit the disease to them. They would have died for His recovery, Sri Bhagavan bore even the most painful treatment and operations with peace and detachment, giving His disciples upadesa even through His sickness. He explained to them that the body was like a heavy burden for a Jnani and that it was a relief to put it down at the end of the path. Anyway, where could He go? He would be here forever - He assured them.
Sri Bhagavan gave His beloved disciple, Nagamma a teaching even on the day of His death. During the last darshan, Nagamma read out the following message from His eyes: "Look at me! How long do you want to keep me in this injured body? When will you give up clinging to this body?" Nagamma understood this and sent Sri Bhagavan a message with her eyes: "You don't need to bear this burden for us any longer." It was the farewell of the beloved daughter to her Father. Sri Bhagaan left His body a few hours later.
Following the Brahmanirvana, Nagamma sent three more years in Tiruvannamalai. Then she became seriously ill and needed hyer family to look after her. After she recovered, she lived alone with her beloved guru in her heart. Visitors often came to her and she used to read out her letters to them. Once a year she visited the Asramam, usually on Sri Bhagavan's birthday.
One of her last messages to the present generation is as follows:
"We should therefore pursue Self Inquiry and find out our reality. Among innumerable living beings, man is the only one endowed with spiritual apprehension. So it must be made proper use of to bring about freedom from the endless cycle of births and deaths. Sages like Sri Ramana Bhagavan come into this world only to help people find out their Reality. Taking this to heart, let us all press on and stop until the goal is reached."
concluded.
SWAMI SURESANANDA:
A True Devotee of Sri Bhagavan:
A. Swaminathan - Mountain Path -
July-Sept. 2008:
Swami Suresananda was a devotee who entirely surrendered to Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. He worked for the propagation of Sri Bhagavan's teachings through an Ashram which he founded - the Vijnana Ramaneeya Ashram, Palakkad, Kerala.
[This Ashram was recently renovated and kumbhabhishekam took place to which Sri V.S. Ramanan and Brahmasri Nochur Venkataraman had gone and conducted Satsangh.]
His name was Damodaran Nair in his purvashram, before he entered the renunciate's life. He was born to a respected Nair family in Ramassery, a village east of Palakkad town. He was a talented youngster and in time, he took his law degree from Madras and began to practice at the Palakkad bar.
During this period in the 1930s, he had been attracted to the freedom struggle and held the office of Secretary to the local unit of Indian National Congress. He took an active part in the social and cultural life of Palakkad. He played a leading role in organizing seminars and literary conventions by inviting luminaries in Malayalam literary circle. Thus came to be associated with the great poets of Malayalam - VaLLathol Narayana Menon and P. Kunhiraman Nair. He was himself a poet. This was during 1930s.
Then, suddenly a change overtook Sri Damodaran Nair's life. Due to a vision of the Mother Goddess, which he had in a dream, he began to lead a life of devotion. Thogh he was the Karanavar [senior member] of a large family and enjoyed a reputation as a lawyer, his interest in worldly life began to diminish. He concentrated his attention on spiritual matters and read spiritual books, especially on Sri Ramakrishna and Swami Vivekananda. He set out on a pilgrimage visiting different Ashrams and sannyasis.
It was at Anandashramam, Kanhangad, in northern Kerala that he received the advice to visit Sri Ramana Maharshi. Once with Sri Bhagavan, he surrendered himself at the Maharshi's feet. His spiritual thirst was at last quenched in the holy presence of Sri Bhagavan. He became convinced that Sri Bhagavan was the guru he had been searching for.
contd.,
SWAMI SURESANANDA - continues....
He met Sri Bhagavan in July 1947. "It was indescribable," were the words he used of the awakening of experience he had on this first visit. He recalled that he had prostrated before Sri Bhagavan in the Old Hall and then sat in a corner. For two hours, he became absorbed in samadhi and enjoyed supreme bliss. He lost all outward consciousness. When he woke up from the trance, he heard Sri Bhagavan speaking in reply to a query of another devotee. The words "intense dispassion" [Teevra Vairagyam], which emanated from the lips of Sri Bhagavan, stuck in his mind. He took it as Sri Bhagavan's Upadesa to him, came out of Hall and composed some lines of poetry about the wonderful experience he had just had in Sri Bhagavan's holy presence. He described how for more than one year, he had been wandering in search of a guru, without finding one who could quench his spiritual thirst. But on that day, when he sat before Sri Bhagavan, he found his guru. All his doubts were dispelled and he received perfect solace. His human birth had achieved its purpose by this darshan of Sri Bhagavan. He longed to spend the rest of his life at the holy feet of Sri Bhagavan!
Certain worldly constraints compelled Sri Nair to return to Palakkad. Yet his mind stayed with Sri Bhagavan and he continued off and on to charge his spiritual battery in Sri Bhagavan's Presence. After his return from Sri Ramanasramam, he spent his days in spiritual sadhana in his own home. Here he had a vision of two divine personages plus a row of books. This haunted his mind for some days, and he finally gave shape to it by establishing Vijnana Ramaneeyam Library. Ramaneeyam here means "memorial to Ramana" and as well as 'beautiful'. It was in September 1947, that he started this spiritual library in Palakkad, with his personal collection of books.
contd.,
please New thread david...Patil
SWAMI SURESANANDA - continues...
Devotees made good use of this library for conducting satsanghs and bhajans. The library thus started to develop as a spiritual center and soon Sri Damodaran Nair came to be known as Vakeel Swami [Lawyer Swami]. Later, for the library, he obtained a dilapidated Theosophical Society building near the Government Victoria College in Palakkad.
During the initial stages, this spiritual center functioned in a rented building where Srimad Bhagavad Gita classes were held. Subsequently, as a result of his intense upasana of Devi, as prescribed by the Sage Amritananda Yatindra, a devotee of Sri Bhagavan, Vakeel Swami was able to purchase some land. There he constructed a prayer hall and a puja room in Sri Bhagavan's name, at the heart of Palakkad.
[Sage Amritanantha Yatindra was in Himalayas and was doing Subrahmanya Upasana. One day, Sri Bhagavan appeared as Subrahmanya in the photo and he rushed to Tiruvannamalai to have darshan of Sri Bhagavan. He has also written an Ashtottaram on Sri Bhagavan.]
One one occasion when he was in Sri Bhagavan's presence, Vakeel Swami submitted his Malayalam translation of Ramana Chatvrimsat [written by Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni], to Him. Sri Bhagavan, addressing him as Vakeel Swami, asked him to read it out. Overwhelmed with emotion Swami did so. Sri Bhagavan listened patiently to the text, which was quite lengthy. Then He asked him why he had not translated the invocatory verse. Swami replied that the copy he possessed did not contain that verse. Sri Bhagavan then took a copy from His own shelf and handed to Vakeel Swami. It contained the Vandana sloka, written by Sri Bhagavan Himself in Malayalam script. Vakeel Swami translated it into Malayalam verse and submitted it to Sri Bhagavan.
It was this incident, Swami used to say, which inspired him to translate all the teachings of Sri Bhagavan into Malayalam. SSwami used to get up at 2 a.m. to compose verses in Malayalam translating the teachings of Sri Bhagavan. He published Upadesa Saram, Gita Saram, Sad Darsanam and Ramana Chatvarimsat, as well as short Malayalam poems that elucidated the teachings of Sri Bhagavan.
On another occasion, Vakeel Swami was climbing up to Skandasramam. Midway up, he happened to see Sri Bhagavan coming down. Vakeel Swami, with devotion and humility stopped and remained standing at the side of the pathway, giving way to Sri Bhagavan. Sri Bhagavan remarked, "Why should climb down now? Go up as you had planned." Swami recalling this incident, used to say: One word from such a sage contains volumes of meaning. By this he meant that Sri Bhagavan was advising him, "Why stay back and thus show sluggishness in your spiritual practice? Go ahead."
contd.,
SWAMI SURESANANDA - continues...
On another occasion, Vakeel Swami along with Swami Ramanananda Giri, a European sadhu, were living in Tiruvalmeekiyoor [Tiruvanmiyur] beach near Madras, leading an austere life style practicing penance. they had constructed a thatched hut and were living on fruits and tender coconuts. One hot summer's day they were both feeling really hungry but there was nothing to eat. They would have had to walk two miles to reach the nearest village. Reluctantly both remained hungry, but soon there was a knock at their door. A lady carrying a big tiffin carrier had brought cooked rice meals for both the swamis! She had come as a result of a dream which had directed her to serve these sadhus. The lady was Elanor Noye, an American devotee of Sri Bhagavan!
[David Godman has written about Swami Ramananda Giri, a few months back. His samadhi is somewhere near Madurai].
The blessings of Amritananda Yatindra, Sri Bhagavan's devotee, helped Vakeel Swami to construct a prayer hall and a library as a memorial to Sri Bhagavan, at Palakkad. It was inaugurated in January 1954, by the then governor of Madras, Sri Sriprakasa. Swami attracted and transformed innumerable seekers to this center. Spiritual discourses, by eminent scholars, bhajans and classes continued there under his auspices.
A few days before the Maha Samadhi of Sri Bhagavan, Vakeel Swami, along with a friend, P.C. Menon, a Magistrate from Ottapalam near Palakkad visited Sri Bhagavan. There was a huge crowd of devotees. A queue system had been introduced for those seeking darshan. When the turn of Swami and his friend, came, he stood before Sri Bhagavan and chanted this verse:
yato mamatma bhavasi tvameva
tato na vacyam mama kinchidasti
yatha tavestam karu mam tathaiva
tvamatmantham ramanam bhjami
[As You are my own soul, I have nothing to say to You. Make me do as You please. I surrender myself to your Sri Ramana, the Lord of my soul.]
He also communicated to Sri Bhagavan the desire of his friend to donate a large sum to the Ramanasramam at Palakkad, but Sri Bhagavan suggested that he give rather to the poor. With these words of Sri Bhagavan ringing in the ears and after a lapse of some years, Swami was able to start a poor feeding Yajna during he month of Karkidakam [mid-August] a lean
month, for many in Kerala, affording solace to hundreds of poverty stricken people.
contd.,
SWAMI SURESANANDA: continues...
During the ceremony on the occasion of the Maha Samadhi [leaving the body] of Sri Bhagavan, Swami managed to get some Vibhuti [sacred ashes] from the Maha Samadhi [tomb] of Sri Bhagavan with the help of Kunju Swami. He kept it in an urn underneath the earth above which the sanctum sanctorum of the puja room of the memorial hall was built.
Subsequently Vakeel Swami took ordination [sannyasa] from Swamki Purushottamanandaji of Vasishta Guha and continued his spiritual activities. He was given the sannyasa name of Swami Suresananda. He gave free tuition to poor students to help them continue their studies. He put great effort into populating the study of Sanskrit. Despite being an erudite scholar in English, Malayalam and Sanskrit, he was simple and unassuming and was always available to seekers. He tried to help ordinary people in all possible ways.
He contributed many articles in Mountain Path and other periodicals
on the teachings of Sri Bhagavan. His translation into English was published in Mountain Path, and subsequently published by Sri Ramanasramam as a book.
During the last years of Swami's life, he suffered a paralytic stroke and was confined to the Palakkad Asharam premises. By the grace of Sri Bhagavan, Swami got
back the capacity of speech. He
could walk slowly with the aid of a stick due to Ayurvedic treatment. During all these days of
ill health Swami's thoughts, words and deeds were still centered on Sri Bhagavan and His teachings. On the last day of his life, Swamiji
was still talking about the glory of sri Bhagavan to some local college students. He felt some uneasiness, for death began to lay its icy hands on different parts of his body. He knew that the end of his bodily existence was nearing.
On this day which happened to be Karthikai Deepam [holy Karthika day when light is lit on the summit of the Hill], he reclined
on a cot in a slanting posture gazing at the photos of Sri Bhagavan and Sri Sankara hanging on the wall. Exactly at the time when the Maha Deepam was lit on the top of the Holy Hill Arunachala, and when the mantra "Arunachala Siva, Arunachala Siva" was chanted in chorus at the Palakkad Ashram, at the conclusion of the evening satsangh, Swami
breathed his last breath.
Swami attained Maha Samadhi at the age of 87 on the 20th November 1983. Like the Karthikai Deepam, he too became a beacon of light. The light still glows in all its effulgence, inspiring and guiding devotees at the Ashram he founded through the grace of Sri Bhagavan.
concluded.
Today, the 11th April evening, the star Punarvasu comes into effect. Both Rama and Sri Ramana were born on the asterism of Punarvasu. Sri Rama Navami and Punarvasu day - both are celebrated only on tomorrow, the 12th April, in all parts of the country and also in Sri Ramanasramam.
B.V. Narasimha Swami in his Self Realization, has quoted many common
epithets that would equally apply for both Rama and Sri Ramana.
Meantime, a wonderful poem from
Mountain Path, April-June 2011 issue:
RAMA APPEARS TO ME AS A WILD ANIMAL:
Ana Callan:
as a sleek mountain lion traversing the road,
jewel eyes drinking me in, or me winking back,
at the vast fountain of his love, ferocious,
and true, and we feast on each other,
until both are subsumed in the fire
that rips through all separation,
until all rules of me and you
are shredded, eaten alive,
both stalker and prey
leaving nothing but holiest grace,
nothing but cinders, dying
into the light in its wake.
*
I came to eat you as food. But I have become food for you!
-Sri AAMM.
I Pray, Fill My Heart
Once a sannyasi came and stayed in the
Ashram for three weeks. On the last day
he came near Bhagavan and said:
"Swami, I am satisfied in every way with
my stay in the Ashram. Now I pray, fill
my heart." Bhagavan got up and held the
sannyasi's hands. They stood thus for a
long time. Then the sannyasi prostrated
before Bhagavan and said: "Now I am
blessed." With that he departed.
Shantamma In: Ramana Smrti
Dear hey jude,
Ramana Smriti and Golden Jubliee
Souvenir are the best collections of reminiscences and anecdotes of devotees. Recently a new print of
Ramana Smriti has come out.
Devotee: How can one know whether a
particular person is a competent Guru?
Sri Bhagavan: By the peace of mind you feel in his presence and by respect you feel for him.
Devotee: And if turns out that he is not competent, what will be the fate of the disciple who has implicit faith in him?
Sri Bhagavan: The fate of each one will be according to his merit.
[The Teachings of Bhagavan Ramana in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
Devotee: Sri Bhagavan has often said that one must reject other thoughts when one begins the quest. But thoughts are endless. If one thought is rejected another comes up and there seems to be no end at all.
Sri Bhagavan: I do not say that you must keep on rejecting thoughts. If you cling to yourself to the 'I' thought, and your interest keep to that single thought, other thoughts will get rejected and will automatically vanish.
[The Teachings of Bhagavan Ramana in His Own Words - Arthur Osborne.]
Once, a snake crept into Skandasramam. Sri Bhagavan's Mother was frightened, when she saw the approaching cobra. But Sri Bhagavan began walking towards the snake very calmly. As He did so, the snake began to withdraw and moved out. It withdrew into a crevice in the rocks. Sri Bhagavan followed the snake to the crevice. The passage in the crevice ended against a rock wall. Being unable to escape, the snake all of a sudden turned towards Sri Bhagavan and raised its hood and looked steadily at Sri Bhagavan, who in turn returned its gaze. The game of mutual hypnotizing went on for some time. The snake, presumably grasping that Sri Bhagavan was harmless uncoiled and approached Sri Bhagavan confidently. It almost touched His feet, and later slithered away. The snake would often visit the Skandasramam for Sri Bhagavan's darshan even when He was amidst visitors. The snake would occasionally try to climb on to Sri Bhagavan, but He would not encourage it. There were two peacocks in the Asramam. When they danced, quite surprisingly this snake also would join them in their dance. The peacocks never hurt this snake.
There was another snake which would come to Sri Bhagavan, go round Him in Pradakshina three times. Sri Bhagavan would say, " Go away, Visitors come here for darshan. Seeing you, they will be frightened. Please go away!" The snake would slither away.
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
The scorpions stayed with Sri Bhagavan without fear and Sri Vasudeva Sastri has recounted an incident, which he had witnessed.
One day, when we were in Skandasramam, I was aghast to find a scorpion climbing up over Sri Bhagavan's body in the front. Another, at the same time, was climbing down from His back. But Sri Bhagavan continued to remain calms, as if nothing was happening. The two scorpions, after crawling over His body, as if over a wall, eventually left Him. After they left, Sri Bhagavan explained: "They crawl over you just as they would crawl on the floor or a wall or a tree. Do they crawl over these, stinging as they go? It is only because you fear them and do something that they fear you and do something in return."
Another time, while Sri Bhagavan
was walking, a scorpion stung Him. He said: It is not the mistake of the scorpion, but mine. I did not see it and stepped on it. According to its nature, it stung me to show its presence.
[Bhagavan Ramana - A Friend of All.]
Sri Rama is described in the first chapter of Ramayana with a variety
of epithets. B.V. Narasimha Swami gives some of them as how they fit for Sri Ramana also.
1. Vashi - "self controlled" Maharshi has perfect self control.
Amidst women and wealth, He moves but is totally unattached to either.
2. Vagmi - master of linguistic expression. One watching His simple and lucid explanations of spiritual experiences and matters mentioned about them, in standard religious texts, and feels the applicability of these expressions to the Maharshi.
3. Sriman - favored with fortune. Many a visitor noting the abundance forth to supply the very few needs of the Asramam, along with gifts of luxuries, considers Sri Bhagavan, a pet of fortunes, now at any rate. The term also indicates Sri Lakshmi's gifts of wealth, wisdom, courage etc., and is equally applicable to the Mahrashi in this sense also.
4. Arya - noble. True nobility in character, not the nobility of birth unattended by good character. Some one wanted to sit on His sofa. He did not mind. Someone else wanted to take away the tiger skin. He did not mind.
5. Sarvasama - equality towards all. He felt no elation at all when Mysore Maharaja came to see Him. The Maharaja wanted to do namaskaram to Him. He said yes. The raja was reluctant to do that in front of all. He obliged to come to bathroom when Maharaja wanted to do namaskaram inside the bathroom!
6. Sathyasanth - Ever attached to the truth and rectitude. Maharshi has never swerved from Truth all the 54 years of His stay in Tiruvannamalai.
There are many more described by B.V. Narasimha Swami, as the common epithets to Sri Rama and Sri Ramana.
SRI ORUGANTI RAMACHANDRAIAH:
V. Dwarakanath Reddy - MP July-Sept.
2007:
Sri Oruganti Ramachandraiah's father, Oruganti Venkata Subbaiah of Kavali, Nellore District, Andhra Pradesh, had been an ardent follower of Mahatma Gandhi, and participated in India's freedom struggle from its beginnings. He was sailed and so was his spirited wife by the British rulers of the time. He had three daughters and four sons of which Ramachandraiah was the youngest. He was born in 1912. As school boys he and a brother used to walk the streets shouting anti-British slogans and were lodged in jails for minors [delinquents]. While studying to complete B.A. Hons. of the Andhra University, he was implicated in a serious criminal case amounting to treason against British rulers. It was known famously, as the Kakinada Conspiracy [bomb] case and from April 1933 till September 1935, he was in central jails and courts as the nose cast its ominous shadow on him. Then he was acquitted for want of proof and has returned to his studies taking his degree and achieving first in his class. After India gained her freedom, the sacrifices of persons like him and his parents finally bore fruit.
His political background created many obstacles to his career, rendering him ineligible for government services, and for over ten years he worked as teacher of English at Birla Trust High School, Pilani. In 1944, he became a lecturer in Andhra Pradesh University as Head of the Department of History. In 1972, he retired as Professor and Head of the Department of Archaeology and History. In between, he went to England and had field training under the pioneering archaeologist
like Sir Mortimer Wheeler, Prof. Childe and Frederick Zeuner at the London School of Archaeology. Back in India, he directed several famous excavations like Harappa, Salihundam and Jami.
contd.,
ORUGANTI RAMACHANDRAIAH:
continues...
Of greater relevance to Sri Ramana devotees, is how he came to Sri Bhagavan, the universal excavator who was laying bare the deep debris of ruined egos, to break and transcend the fallaciou8s dictum that history must repeat itself. For what if Time itself were an untrue phantom?
Among the early devotees of
Sri Bhagavan was Sri Munagala
Venkatramaiah. He was a scholar to whom, we are forever indebted for his assiduous and accurate compilation of Talks, the veritable gospel of Sri Bhagavan. He also translated many Sanskrit texts for the benefit of future generations, which include Tripura Rahasya and Kaivalya Navaneetam.
Kamakshi was his little daughter, and she was permitted a child's indulgence of being allowed to play with Sri Bhagavan. She received His loving guidance and parental care. Picking flowers in the Asramam, chanting and singing before the compassionate Master, priveleged or petulant, impish or indulgent, the child grew into a girlhood, and then into a prospective bride. It is said that at an appropriate age, Sri Bhagavan prompted her to learn Telugu. Though of Andhra lineage,
and Telugu her mother tongue, she had been brought up in Tamizh Nadu and had never been taught Telugu. Sri Bhagavan personally helped her to learn the language. To some it might have seemed a casual act but soon its real import dawned, and a year later or so later, Ramachandraiah who also had Telugu as his native language, entered the scene as the prospective groom! With Sri Bhagavan's warm approval and even intervention to smooth over obstacles, the wedding was sanctified in 1938.
Kamakshi proved a willing partner for the six more years of penury that Ramachandraiah had to pay for the price for his moral stand, his patriotic zeal and courage of character. After 1945, he was appointed as lecturer in Andhra University but contact with the Asramam was sustained. When he retired as a Professor and Head of the Department in 1972, the couple settled in their new house near the Asramam. The Samadhi of Kamakshi's illustrious father, Munagala, is in the family compound.
contd.,
ORUGANTI RAMACHANDRAIAH: continues...
It has been recorded that in the 1940s, when Kamakshi came to the Asramam, to stay for a couple of months, she walked one morning into Sri Bhagavan's Presence. It was 4.00 a.m. and Sri Bhagavan was alone. He gave her a slip of paper on which He had written Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaaya saying, "You chant this all your life." What solace and strength it must have been through the crucifixion of her health a few years later.... And also, what a gift of assurance in the years to come.
For Kamakshi's health had deteriorated while she was in Visakapatnam in northern Andhra Pradesh and uncertain treatments had rendered her enfeebled. Too late, it was diagnosed with bone cancer of a virulent type, and with no skeletal rigidity she suffered great distress and total disability. Till her demise, in 1975, Ramachandraiah cared for her and nursed her night and day through the prolonged and painful confinement, with quiet dedication and love.
Once seeing her sad state, our present Asramam President, V.S. Ramanan, then 40 years old, said with flowing tears: Dear Auntie, why has Sri Bhagavan let you down like this? Eyes flashing, and with sudden energy flowing, Kamakshi responded from her bed: How dare you say Sri Bhagavan has at anytime failed to take care of me?
Death took her body but not her spirit which lives on in memory.
Ramachandraiah stayed on in Tiruvannamalai never straying from his surrender to Sri Bhagavan. As a poet at heart, a scholar in Telugu literature, an awakened spiritual seeker, a lover of music, he poured out his energies into authorship. He rendered into pure and melodious Telugu the cardinal writings of Sri Bhagavan. He also left for future generations translations of Talks,
Maha Yoga, Ramana Stuti Panchakam and Guru Ramana Vachana Maala, and other texts. His love of Sri Bhagavan's mixed seamlessly with his profound understanding of Sri Bhagavan's teachings. With his heart yearning for liberation, he wrote and indeed often set to music more than 1000 poems and songs.
What a man he was! The imagery, perceptivity, vocabulary and cadence of his verses will thrill all devotees, He wrote with tears in his eyes. We cannot but read them with tears in ours.
Though I had known him for over ten years, and though he generously and genuinely accepted me as an earnest and intense seeker, I had not been able to plumb the depths behind that humble, unassuming facade which the perceptive Sandhya, my spiritual daughter, had instinctively felt and known.
contd.,
ORUGANTI RAMACHANDRAIAH: continues...
The first of July, 1994. "Today is my official birth day, Amma," he was to say that morning, meaning the day entered in official records as such.
He said this to Sandhya. "Amma" is endearing word addressed to young ones to mean daughter or child or 'little mother'. Ramachandraiah's affinity and affection for her were full to the brim since we met in 1983.
The two shared an intense love of spiritual literature, from ancient puranic classics to Sri Bhagavan's compositions. Reading, chanting, and singing them almost daily for years had been the love of their lives -- often including Sri Balaram Reddy, the celebrated Asramite. Sandhya could the Telugu or Sanskrit verses fluently and melodiously, with feeling and understanding, and thus the affinity grew.
Later on that same fateful day,m he was in physical distress. He was tried to make light of the situation. All the same, with a premonition inspired by the wisdom of age, he started calmly to tell Sandhya, the where and what of his modest possesions, -- the money in the drawer, the passbook on the shelf, the address book on that table...Sandhya, with permitted, and even pleasing impunity and impishness, said, "Ayya, if you believe you are to 'depart' we should be chanting Sri Bhagavan's
Akshara Mana Maalai, the divine glory of Arunachala." To which he replied calmly, 'You are right, my child, and who will chant it for me but you? Right now, I am not acting out of any fear, Amma, I just want others to have no problems later.'
The then Asramam doctor, Sri Ganesan, came and after an examination, declared that the cardiac problme was acute and that Ramachandraiah should be admitted immediately to a hospital.
contd.,
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