The previous 'Open Thread' appear to be malfunctioning by posting each comment twice. I am starting a new one to see if that solves the problem.
I omitted to mention earlier that a new feature has been added to the 'Recent Comments' box. Near the top there is an icon of two people. If you click on it, you will see a list of the users who have made the last twenty-five comments. If you then tick the white box to the left of the user's name, the recent comments of that particular user will be featured. You can then open them all with the 'expand all' option, or open them one by one by clicking on the plus sign.
If you want to do a search for older comments, click on the 'next' box and comments 26-50 will display. Click again and 51-75 will appear. And so on. The same search facility is available inside each twenty-five comment block.
I omitted to mention earlier that a new feature has been added to the 'Recent Comments' box. Near the top there is an icon of two people. If you click on it, you will see a list of the users who have made the last twenty-five comments. If you then tick the white box to the left of the user's name, the recent comments of that particular user will be featured. You can then open them all with the 'expand all' option, or open them one by one by clicking on the plus sign.
If you want to do a search for older comments, click on the 'next' box and comments 26-50 will display. Click again and 51-75 will appear. And so on. The same search facility is available inside each twenty-five comment block.
5,000 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 1001 – 1200 of 5000 Newer› Newest»This is from the classical Pingali Suranna:
{The sun jumped into the ocean
like a yogi taking his ritual bath
at day's end, and the sky was
the ochre robe he hung up to dry
and the stars, the drops of water
that splashed as he dove}
Dear Ravi,
Nice anecdotes from the Gospel
Sri Ramakrishna and also from
Saradamani. From what you have
said, what David has said, and
what I have written,
the conclusions are, I believe,
as under:
1. God can take any number of incarnations.
2. A self realized Jnani has once
and for all merged in Brahman, and he CANNOT take rebirth again as
Jnani or a Jnani-in-the-making.
3. As Sri Bhagavan said on one
occasion, Jnani is better than
an avatara of God, because he has
no botheration of further avataras ad infinitum. His merger with Brahman is once for all over and is irrevocable. [Kindly see Day by
Day, I do not know the entry date
readily.]
*****
Direct Teaching of Bhagavan
Ramana - Sri V. Ganesan -
Devotee: Is concentration of
mind, one of the sadhana?
Maharshi: Concentration is not
thinking one thing. It is,
on the other hand, putting off
all other thoughts which
obstruct the vision of our true
nature. All our efforts are only
directed to lifting the veil
of ignorance. Now it appears
difficult to quell the thoughts. In the regenerate state, it will be found more difficult to call in thoughts. For are there things to think of ? There is only the Self. Thoughts can function only of there are objects. But there are no objects. How can thoughts arise at all?
The habit makes us believe that it is difficult to cease thinking. If the error is found out, one would not fool enough to exert oneself unnecessarily by way of thinking.
Talks No. 398
Devotee: What is the best thing to do for ensuring the future?
Maharshi: Take care of the present, the future will take care of itself.
Devotee: The future is the result of the present. So, what should I do to make it good? Or should I keep still?
Maharshi: Whose is the doubt?
Who is it that wants a course of action? Find the doubter. If you hold the doubter, the doubts will disappear. Having lost hold of the Self, the thoughts afflict you, the world is seen, doubts arise, also anxiety for the future.
Hold fast to the Self, these will disappear.
- Talks No. 240
Devotee: What is sphurana? [shining]
Maharshi: Aham Aham is the Self. Aham Idam - 'I am this' or 'I am that' is the ego. Shining is there always. The ego is transitory. When the 'I' is kept as 'I' alone, it is the Self. When it flies at tangent and says 'this', it is the ego.
- Talks No. 363
*****
Direct Teaching of Bhagavan
Ramana - Sri V. Ganesan:
Devotee: It is said that the
Guru can make his disciple
realize the Self by transmitting
some of his own power to him?
Is it true?
Maharshi: Yes. The Guru does not
bring about Self Realization. He
simply removes the obstacles to
it. The Self is always realized.
Devotee: Is there absolute necessity of a Guru for Self
Realization?
Maharshi: So long as you seek
Self Realization, the Guru is
necessary. Guru is the Self. Take Guru to be the Real Self and your self as the individual self. The disappearance of this sense of duality, is removal of ignorance. So long as duality persists in you, the Guru is necessary. Because you identify yourself
with the body you think the Guru
too to be some body. You are
not the body, nor is the Guru.
You are the Self and so is the Guru. This knowledge is gained
by what you call Self Realization.
Devotee: How can one know whether a particular individual is competent to be a Guru?
Maharshi: By the peace of mind found in his presence and by sense
of respect you feel for him.
- Talks No. 282
Devotee: The Heart is said to be on the right, on the left or in the centre. With such differences of opinion how are we to meditate on Hridaya?
Maharshi: You are and it is a fact. Dhyana is by you, of you,
and in you. It must go on where
you are. It cannot be outside you.
So you are the centre of dhyana and that is the Heart. A location is however given to it with reference to the body. You know that you are. Where are you? You are in the body and not out of it. Yet not the whole body. Though you pervade the whole body still you admit of a centre where from all your thoughts start and wherein they subside. Even when the limbs are amputated you are there, but with defective senses. So a centre must be admitted. This is called the Heart. The Heart is not merely the centre but the Self. Heart is another name for the Self.
Doubts arise only when you identify it with something tangible and physical. The scriptures no doubt describe it as the source of 101 nadis. In Yoga Vasishta, Chudala says that kundalini is compose of 101 nadis, thus identifying one with other.
Heart is no conception. No object for meditation. But it is the seat of meditation. The Self remains all alone. You see the body in the Heart, the world in it. There is nothing separate from it. So, all kinds of effort are located there only.
- Talks No. 403.
*****
R.Subramanian/Friends,
The avatara means 'one who Descends' to the human level-God apparently descending to the Human level to show the way.Yet this 'descending' in no way subtracts from his being poorna Brahmam!No question of merging with Brahman for the avatara or the jnani as they are Brahman and know themselves as such.Brahman alone exists from their perspective,so to say.
Coming to Sri Bhagavan's words that you have quoted(I recall reading a different version):
"Jnani is better than
an avatara of God, because he has
no botheration of further avataras ad infinitum. His merger with Brahman is once for all over and is irrevocable."
All these expressions are for our groping understanding only.Where is the question of merger or 'Rebirth' for a Jnani when he is not born in the first place,as the Self is never born and never dies.
Jnani does not see anyone else but the Self-Self alone exists;so,no question of his being better than the Avatara!
To me,Sri Bhagavan seems to be emphasizing the pure state of Jnana as Supreme and paramount as compared to some of the exaggerated claims of 'imagined Greatness' of avatarhood that some of the 'devotees' are attached to.
Namaskar.
My Reminiscences: N. Balarama
Reddy:
Foreigners and the English
Language:
I saw many Western visitors
to the Asramam after reading
or hearing about the Maharshi.
Of all these foreigners, none
impressed me as much as Grant
Duff. He was 70 years old,
tall, lean and graceful in his movements, and when he spoke his
words were clear and soft, originating from a deep sincerity.
On his first visit, I remember
him asking if he could hear Vedas recited. A chair was placed opposite Sri Bhagavan's couch for him, while the priests chanted.
At the conclusion of the parayana, he looked at Sri Bhagavan and said, with a deep feeling, "Magnificent!" Sri Bhagavan also
openly spoke of his virtues. Rarely did I hear Sri Bhagavan spoke about anyone like that.
Grant Duff studied Sanskrit for six months in Ootacamund. He loved the language and he loved Sri Bhagavan. No one has written in English about Sri Bhagavan as he has, as can be seen from his preface to Ramana Gita.
Duncan Greenlees, whom I knew well, was another Englishman attracted to Sri Bhagavan. He had an M.A. from Oxford University. Because of the many plans and projects he wanted to carry ou9t in India, he was unable to stay with Sri Bhagavan for any length of time. He was a Theosophist and had been commissioned by the Theosophical Society to write a fifteen volume history of religion. Besides this, he had grandiose scheme to open many schools in India, but as fate would have it, he was unable to accomplish any of his geat designs before his death.
Sri Bhagavan was familiar with, and had respect for, the English classics. He read many English books and would daily read an English newspaper. W.Y. Evans-Wentz gave Sri Bhagavan copies of his books and Sri Bhagavan liked Tibet's Great
Yogi, Milarepa best. He once asked me to read it.
Although He had and understood
English quite well, He rarely spoke in English. If people spoke
English to Him with a clear diction and pronunciation, He would not have much trouble understanding them. Once He said to me, "I couldn't understand a word Chadwick said". At times He failed to understand English if not spoken clearly.
Sri Bhagavan was once walking to Palakottu when the American Engineer, Guy Hague was standing directly in His path, apparently waiting to ask something. I was approaching from behind, but before I could reach there, Hague had asked, 'Can I help others after attainment of Self Realization?" Sri Bhagavan replied in concise English, "After realization of the Self, there will be no others to help."
*****
Dear Ravi,
Yes. As you have said, while
a Jnani is ever Brahman and has
no bondage nor liberation, it is
all for our understanding only,
because we are still groping in
the darkness of ignorance.
I shall give the entry of
Devaraja Mudaliar, 14.9.1946,
afternoon:
.......My brother has written
in a letter to me that Krishna
and Nammazhwar have said that God will come to us in whatever form
we worship Him. I wrote to my
brother in my reply, "A Jnani
is the highest manifestation
of God on earth, next perhaps only to an avatar." In connection with this sentence, I wanted to have my doubt cleared about the relative position of a Jnani and an avatar. Then Sri Bhagavan was pleased to tell me that according to the books, the Jnani was higher than the avatar.
But when I corrected my letter accordingly, He said, "Why do you correct it? Let it go as it is."
*****
The Silent Power: Asramam
Publication:
G. Lakshmi Narasmiham:
Sri G. Lakshmi Narasimham [known
as Narasinga Rao at the Asramam],
after taking his B.L. degree stayed at Sri Ramanasramam for three years from 1930 to 1933, along with his mother and sister Lakshmi, serving Sri Bhagavan. It was Sri Bhagavan's Grace, that his apprenticeship should be under Him.
Lakshmi Narasimhmam's marriage also took place at Tiruvannamalai, and when the new couple came to do namaskaram, Sri Bhagavan remarked, "Now you name [Lakshmi + Narasimham] has become more meaningful!"
Sri Niranjananda Swami [also known as Chinnaswami, Sri Bhagavan's brother] was the Manager of the Asramam then and his office was near Sri Bhagavan's Hall. Like others Narasinga Rao also was meditating in Sri Bhagavan's Hall. Chinnaswami asked Rao to assist him in the Asramam correspondence. Getting Sri Bhagavan's approval, Narasinga Rao began going straight to Chinnaswami after bowing to Sri Bhagavan. Later on, this earned a humorous remark of Sri Bhagavan, "Oh, He belongs to Chinnaswami and not to the Hall Group!"
Chinnaswami was a strict and conscientious taskmaster. He spared no pains in keeping an exact amount of money received and spent. He looked upon Sri Bhagavan not as his brother but as God Himself, and considered it his first duty to serve Sri Bhagavan's devotees, accommodating them and attending to their wants. The temple, the big dining hall and well furnished accommodations are the results of his labour of love. Actually seeing Chinnaswami's one pointed spirit of service, G.L.N. dedicated himself to serve him to the best of his ability, surrendering himself thus to Sri Bhagavan. Sarswati Ammal and Lakshmi used to do their bit of service in the kitchen. From their experience too they were led to conclude that whatever Chinnaswami did had always the distinct approval of Sri Bhagavan.
contd.,
The Silent Power:
G. Lakhsmi Narasimhmam:
continues....
Gradually all the members of
Narasinga Rao's family became
attached to Sri Bhagavan and
the Asramam, by bonds of devotion
and reverence. They all regarded
Chinnaswami as a true instrument
of Sri Bhagavan. His eldest brother
the late Sambasiva Rao, was a reputed lawyer in Nellore. Till he
passed away in 1962, he diligently
served the Asramam in the legal and other spheres.
Sister Lakshmi and brother-in-law
B.S. Ranganadham, are great devotees of Sri Bhagavan. His third
eldest brother, the late Suryanarayana Rao, a teacher in Mahant's Highschool, Vellore, from about 1925, was the first to be
drawn to Sri Bhagavan and it was his influence which brought other members of the family to Sri Bhagavan. He was deeply devoted to Sri Bhagavan and was blessed with the proximity and touch and grace of Sri Bhagavan during His last illness, within the Asramam premises. His fourth brother, the late Subba Rao, a teacher in Nellore, used to assist with his Scout troup during Sri Bhagavan's Jayanti celebrations. These celebrations and the taking out of Sri Bhagavan's picture in procession, started by him, continue up to this day in Nellore.
When G.L.N. came to the Asramam, he did not know Tamizh, even a letter of alphabet. Impelled by Sri Bhagavan's grace, he picked up enough knowledge of Tamizh to read and understand Sri Bhagavan's works in the original. Thus it was nothing but Sri Bhagavan's grace that enabled him - to translate into Telugu, Sri Bhagavan's Five Hymns to Arunachala and Forty Verses on Reality.
Chinnaswami intuitively hit upon some devotees to help him and trusted them completely. For instance, when he went to Rangoon in 1936, to personally select and purchase special teak wood for the construction of Sri Matrubhuteswara Temple, he put Narasinga Rao in charge of the Asramam during his absence of over a month. During the life-time of Sri Bhagavan and Chinnaswami and even after, right up to the end, Narasinga Rao had been a devoted servant of the Asramam.
concluded.
Sri Ramana Gita:
First Edition:
Introduction to the First
Edition: Grant Duff:
[This morning N. Balarama
Reddy's great appreciation for
Grant Duff's introduction to
Sri Ramana Gita, was mentioned.
I thought I could give that
introduction here]
Although there is one one sloka of
Ramana Gita actually written by
Ramana Maharshi Himself, yet this whole work is direct inspired by
His ineffable Presence. This is
more than to say by His thought,
for Presence includes the whole
manifestation which for a few years
to come, will be known as the
Enlightened One of Arunchala, Ramana Maharshi.
This Gita is essentially a practical guide. By following the]
simple instructions here given, the seeker of the Self realization, will certainly find it more rapidly than by other methods.
This however, is not to say that the achievement is other than supremely difficult, asking the utmost concentration of steady purpose of mind. If one in a thousand succeed in this life, others will realize themselves,
in later lives.
No words are here wasted as if often the case, but we are at once told where and how we are to concentrate in order to attain the end - Self Realization.
Physiologists will be surprised to learn that the Heart, the Self - "I" is placed on the right, not on the left side of the chest. [Cf:
"The wise man's heart is at his right hand, but a fool's heart at his left." Ecclesiastics X-2]/ There is no discussing of this matter in the scientific mode. [In recent treatises on physiology, however, I have observed that about one eights of the heart does occupy the right side of the chest.]. This Heart has been seen and is seen here, steadily glowing, by the Maharshi, and this will suffice for absolute certainty in the mind of the serious seeker. He will know where in his body he is to "dive deep'
though well aware that a mere section of the physical body would reveal nothing to confirm his conviction, in the sense of a glowing centre.
Many practical questions bearing on release are asked and answered in the following few pages. Indeed, nothing essential to him who wishes to avoid otiose discussion and go straight to the goal is omitted. Everything essential id dealt with in the following statement:
"The world is not other than the mind. The mind is not other than the Heart and that is the whole
truth."
But such statement, as it stands, of course, needs the explanation supplied in the Ramana Gita which follows:
Comparisons with other sacred books, which have occurred to me in profusion, seem on the whole to be out of place here. The inspirer of this Gita is still living. [The foreword was written in 1935*], alert, easy of access and willing to confer the ineffable boon of His Presence and of answering any questions put to Him by the seeker. What more can be required? Very many thousands of his own countrymen have already sought Arunachala and a few Europeans have also been initiated. Should those, who have it in their power to visit the Asramam, delay, they will have only themselves to blame in future lives.
{* Though Sri Bhagavan Ramana attained Brahma Nirvana, on the 14th April 1950, His Presence is being felt powerfully by all His Asramam even today so will it be for ever.}
Never perhaps in the world's history was the supreme Truth -
Reality Sat, placed within such easy reach of so vast a multitude. In previous cases, there have been difficulties and dangers of all sorts to confront. Here and now, through no special merit of or own, we may approach Reality. The sole difficulty is that of paying for the journey. There is no danger, and the reward is Knowledge of the Self.
To say anything more would be absurd, because there is nothing beyond the Self.
The Athenaeum,
Pall Mall, London.
1935.
******
Thanks Mr.David for the info.That settles my curiosity.Thanks Ravi,Subramanian and others for the posts on the Paramahamsa and Holy Mother.
About Re-incarnation I had my own little moment.A few months ago I had a very deep dream that one of my friends was my brother in my previous life and felt a message that he was being called to go to Shirdi Sai temple.Next morning I rang him up and I told him the message and he said he was thinking about in the past few days as suggested by his mum.I also told him that I had a strong feeling that he was my brother in previous life.He did not seem to show much emotion.I told me that it is not one of those dreams that I get everyday. A very rare deep one.There was not much response.Again I imagined if he responded much better wud it have created that much really brotherly heart connection purely based on the fact that he was my brother in my previous life.A connection wud have definetely been there if we bonded on the basis of intereactions and help in this life.
That for me settled all the fuss about re-incarnations.I was awed.Untill then this thing in cinemas that I want be ur paramour/friend for so many further lives is all I thought an emotional satisfaction but wud n't carry really in the next life in the way we think unless we are told about the details of how we went the extra mile to help each other in our previous lives.Having said that to say each life on it's own and I wudn't give a toss to what we were before nor all this bonding and love in this life will mean nothing beyond physical death seems rather cold.How can anyone forget Bhagawan the moment he physically died.But that is the aim, to never brood about the past nor to worry about the future and stay in the present is the message of all Advaita.
Regards,
-Z
Dear Anon., [Z]
Your dream is quite mysterious.
My dreams are sometimes fearsome
and almost to the point of a
nightmare. One usual dream, that
I get many times in my life is that
I have failed in my M.Sc. Exam!
I used to get up sweating and find
that my M.Sc business was over many decades back! Another dream is that I am chargesheeted in my office for some grave mistakes
and my job may go away at any time. On getting up, I find I
have voluntarily resigned about
8 years back.
Sri Bhagavan came only once in
my dream. There is a stream full of fast moving water. Sri Bhagavan is there on the other bank. I am standing in this side. Suddenly, the waters slow down and it becomes dry, the stream is now totally dry and sandy, with some jutting rocks here and there. Sri Bhagavan appears to tell me: Now you can come, come slowly; don't hit upon the jutting rocks. I walk towards Him slowly and steadily.
The above dream came only once and not repeatedly.
We are such stuff as our dreams are made on,
Our little life is rounded with a sleep.
- Shak.
Spiritual Stories as told by
Ramana Maharshi: Asramam
Publication:
SAINT APPAR.
Appar [Tirunavukkarasar] was
born in a village called
Tiruvamur in Tirumunaipadi region
of a Vellala family of Saivites.
His father's name was Pugazhanar
and mother's name was Madiniyar.
His parents named him MaruL
Neekiyar. He had only one sister
by name Tilakavati. As he grew
up he became proficient in all
branches of knowledge. When Tilakavai was 12 years of age,
the parents decided to give her in marriage to a commander of the king's army. Just then there was a war and that commander went away saying he would marry her on his return. In the meantime, Pugazhanar passed away and his wife Madiniyar commiteed Sati. The brother and sister were left alone. They awaited the return of the commander, but after some time they heard that the commander had died in the war. Tilakavai wanted to commit Sati as her parents had decided to give her away in marriage to that commander and she felt that her body was therefore his. MaruL Neekkiyar with great grief, fell at the feet of his sister and told her that he looked up to her as his father and mother and if she insisted on dying on the funeral pyre, he would also commit suicide. As she was anxious that her brother should live and prosper, she gave up her idea of committing Sati. She however, did not marry but remained at home absorbed in the service of the Siva temple and in her own tapas [austerity].
MaruL Neekkiyar realized that material wealth was transitory. Whatever money, gold and other valuables he had, he gave away, became a sannyasi, left home and in his wanderings reached Patalipuram [today's Tirupadiripuliyur or Cuddalore]. the most important place at that that was the Samana Math there. As fate would have it, he went there and joined Samana cult [a Jain cult; Samana in Tamizh means Jaina], was given the title of Darmasena, and became the Head of the Math, the purohit of the Raja and the Poet Laurate of the kingdom. He therefore stayed on there.
Tilakavati, who was staying at her native place, heard this news and felt sad. She went to their family deity Veersthaneswara, on the banks of the river Gedila and prayed to Siva several times to save her brother from the following the ways of the heretics. One day, Parameswara appeared to her in a dream and said, "O, Tapasvini, you can now give up your mental agony. In his last birth, your brother was a sannaysi, but did not perform tapas properly. There was a flaw in his tapas. As a result of that, he has now joined that hteretic [Pashada] cult. I shall now save him by making him suffer from stomach ache. Give up your grief and relax."
continued....
Saint Appar [Tirunavukkarasar]:
continues...
Immediately thereafter,
Dharmasena had a violent stomach
ache. Several people in that
Math who were well versed in
mantras and tantras tried their
best to cure him but could not
succeed and so gave up all hopes.
Dharmasena could not bear the
agony any longer. He then remembered his sister. Hoping she
might be of some help, he sent a man to fetch her. She refused to give up her own dharma and go to
the Samana Math. On hearing that,
Dharmasena regretted his having
given up his own dharma, namely,
Saivism, and without the knowledge of other people in the Math, left the Math at night, with two servants of his native place. When he tapped the door and called his sister, she recognized his voice and opened the door. He fell at her feet and requested her go forgive him. She received him with open arms and overjoyed at the kindness of Parameswara, and after giving him the holy ash, taught her brother the Panchakshari Mantra. He smeared the holy ash all over his body and repeated the Mantra.
Tilakavati took her brother to the temple of Veerasthaneswara. When he prostrated and got up, MaruL Neekkiyar began composing songs in Tamizh in praise of Siva. The first ten verses {Padigam} beings with
"KooRRayinavaRu.." His stomach ache ceased immediately. That is why there is a belief that whoever recites these songs gets relief from all illness
After that, he took up Sannyasa as per Saiva traditions, and went on a pilgrimage singing his Padigams [decads]. In due course, he reached Chidambaram. After worhshipping Nataraja there, and singing the Padigams, he went with his followers to nearby Sirkazhi. He had heard that Sambandhar had become a saint by drinking the milk of the Mother of the Universe, Parvati, when he was a little child. Hearing that he was coming, Sambandhar with his followers went out to meet Appar. As soon as they met, MaruL Neekkiyar fell at the feet of Sambandhar. The latter lifted him up with his hands with great affection, and as a show of respect called him Appa [Father]. [That is why he is called Appar]. Appar immediately claimed that he was the Dasan [servant] of Sambandhar. From that time onwards, MaruL Neekkiyar came to be known Appar.
Subsequently both of them went together to the temple of Brahmapuriswara. Sambandhar then asked Appar to worship the Lord, which Appar did with his Padigam. After that, they went together to several Siva temples and sang Padigams in praise of the Lord. You have already heard Vedaranyam and the sovereigns. There are several other stories like that. After his contact with Appar, Sambandhar went to Patalipuram, defeated the people of Samana Math by arguments and established Saivism. They always
used to be together.
*****
Reflections on Talks with Sri
Ramana Maharshi - S.S.Cohen -
Asramam Publication - 2006
edition:
HEART AND MIND:
451.
"How can the world be an
imagination or a thought? Thought
is a function of the mind. The mind
is located in the brain. The brain
is within the skull of a human
being, who is an infinitesimal
part of the universe. How then
can the universe be contained in
the cells the brain?"
Bhagavan: "So long as the mind is considered to be an entity of the kind described, the doubt will
persist. But what is mind? Let us
consider. What is the world? It is
objects spread out in space [askasa]. Who comprehends it? The
mind. Is not the mind which comprehends space itself space?
[akasa]. Considering it to be ether
of knowledge [akasa or jnana tattva], there will be no difficulty in reconciling the apparent contradiction. Rajas and Tamas operate as gross objects, etc., Thus the whole universe is only mental."
Note: The question comes from a teacher of philosophy who seems to be at sea - greatly confused even in the formulation of the question. On the one hand, he identifies man with his body, as "an infinitesimal part of the universe", that is, the mind with the brain; and on the other he 'locates' the mind in the brain, making the one different from the other. In that case, Sri Bhagavan asserts, "the doubt will persist", the problem will remain insoluble. If the brain is the mind then, there will be no end to ignorance, and no end to arguments. How, for example, can the insentient brain think, create, understand, smell, taste, etc.,? How can Shakespeare, Gandhi and Ramana Maharshi be pieces of corruptible flesh? How do immaterial thoughts emanate from the material brain cells, and what is the relation between them? and so on. But if the mind is located in the brain, as the questioner puts it, then there is much hope for solution It will then conform to the yogic experience that the mind or the individual consciousness resides in the brain.
The individual is not the cerebral tissue, but the intelligent being, the consciousness, which dwells in it and uses it as instrument. Consciousness itself is pure akasa, ether, in which the world spreads as it appears to do in space which is itself ether. Thus the world is nothing but consciousness or mind. That the objects appear soft or hard, hot or cold, small or big, yellow or green, sour or sweet, is due to the senses which are functions of the same mind; and the world consists of nothing but what senses give out of themselves. "Thus the whole universe is only mental." The variety of qualities which the senses inflict on our perceptions as objects are the gunas of which Sri Bhagavan speaks. Thus in the manifested universe there exist nothing but qualities superimposed on the Consciousness.
*****
The Silent Power- Asramam
Publication -
The End Was Peaceful:
Lt. Col. P.V. Karmachandani:
The extraordinary privilege of
attending on Sri Bhagavan
during the last two months came
to me rather unexpectedly and
without planning on my part.
About fifteen years ago, while
I was working in Tiruchy, a friend from North India wrote to me asking particulars about Tiruvannamalai and Sri Ramana Maharshi. I wrote back saying
that I had neither seen Him nor heard about the town and the sage and I was interested in neither.
In December last year, I was posted to North Arcot and very soon after, a medical officer came to me, invited me to visit the hospital at Tiruvannamalai and also added that the occasion could be availed of to see Sri Ramana Maharshi. Though the casual mention of Tiruvannamalai evoked memories of my friend's query, I had no impelling urge to go to the district town.
Official workers, however took
me to Tiruvannamalai after some months. When my inspection work
was over, it was suggested to me that I could pay a visit to the
Asramam, I agreed. I went to the
Asramam and there saw Sri Bhagavan.
Before I saw Sri Maharshi, I had been told that He was four times operated on, for sarcoma. When I examined Him, I found a small
ulcer in His arm above the elbow.
At the upper end of the ulcer there was swelling. I couldn't be
certain as to whether this was the tumor growth coming up again after the operation or whether it was ordinary inflammation. I suggested penicillin to eliminate this doubt. Penicillin was not given and in course of time it proved to be a tumor growth.
I was again called to Tiruvannamalai only after six weeks. When I saw Sri Bhagavan tis time, I found a big growth almost covering the upper left arm except for a two inch space in front. This growth was bleeding and losing serum, thereby directly depleting the body fluids. Added to this, there was pain which was exhausting the body. More than haemorrhage and loss of serum, pain was the distressing feature.
The variety of tumor that Sri Bhagavan had was a spindle shaped sarcoma, probably arising from the sheath of the ulnar nerve. This is very painful tumor with its speciality of shooting pain. In medical language we call it lacinating pain but Sri Bhagavan described it as something like insects creeping up and down the arm! He bore with this pain as though the body id not belong to Him! Whenever I asked Him whether there was pain, Sri Bhagavan said that it was nothing!
Within this period, I came again and found the tumor furiously growing, draining the system fast and also arousing some sensation of pain in the impregnable and inperturbable personality of Sri Bhagavan. I could illustrate this by one incident. A few days before Sri Bhagavan's departure someone touched the cloth on the tumor and there appeared an expression of pain on His face. The attendant who touched the cloth said that he touched only the cloth on the tumor and not the tumor itself. To which Sri Bhagavan replied that the cloth bore the weight of the mountains!
continued....
The End Was Peaceful:
Lt.Col. Dr. P.V. Karamchandani
continues:
I came to see Sri Bhagavan, at
about midnight on the 13th
instant. I found Him resting with
closed eyes. When He opened them,
He asked all the attendants to
clear out of the room. He repeated
this half a dozen times and this was interpreted as delirium. But I examined Him and found Him to be
fully conscious and not at all delirious. I asked the attendants
to obey Sri Bhagavan's instructions by going out of the room. Throughout the night, I sat with Him. There was respiratory embarassment [Cheyne Stoke breathing as we call it]. Pain was very intense because even the least movement brought forth evidence of pain.
I left in the morning and came back again in the evening just two hours before Sri Bhagavan's last breath. This privilege of being by His side at that time was something which I prayed for but I little expected. When I entered His room, Sri Bhagavan's eyes were closed. He was propped up on His head and breathing was very hard. The lips were parched and I gave Him some drops of water. I thought that a little fruit juice would be better. I asked Him: Bhagavan! shall I give you some orange juice?" I repeated the question twice and each time, Sri Bhagavan shook His head to mean 'no'.
Then a strange thing happened. I stood beside Him prayerfully repeating the question within my mind. Suddenly, Sri Maharshi nodded His head to mean 'yes', and opened His mouth. I gave Him three teaspoons of juice. Each time He opened His mouth and swallowed the juice. This was the last nourishment that Sri Bhagavan had. This was about 7.45 pm.
At ten minutes to eight, Sri Maharshi's pulse was still perceptible. A big crowd of devotees were sorrowfully waiting outside expecting and fearing that the last breath would be taken at any time. I felt that it was not a question of minutes and to relieve the prevailing tension, a bulletin was issued to the effect that there was no immediate danger to life. This relieved the assembled devotees a little. At twenty five minutes to nine, the pulse was still perceptible and the breathing was very hard. and laborious. It was distressing beyond words to see that mighty personality suffering such pains. I asked within myself why such a great soul should undergo such agonies. Had He taken on Himself the karma of others? If He should suffer such pains what about others? Could not Sri Bhagavan relieve Himself of the pain? Thoughts like these weighed in my mind as I stood watching Sri Bhagavan.
As though to provide an answer to my suffering, the picture changed and and changed suddenly. The pulse disappeared and breathing became slow and easy, a very unusual feature at such a time and stage. The breathing became slower and slower till it completely stopped at thirteen to nine. Even the last breath was as easy as slow as any other previous breaths. We were able to decide the last breath only from the fact that there were no breaths after. The jerk, the struggle and the gasps that usually announce the last breath in the case of ordinary people were not there in the case of Sri Bhagavan.
And slowly and smoothly, Sri Bhagavan secured His release from His physical encasement. That was the end.
No. No. How could that be? Sri Bhagavan has no beginning and no end.
*******
My Reminiscences:
N. Balarama Reddy"
Ganapati Muni:
After Ganapati Muni died, Sri
Bhagavan would always turn down
requests to compose anything in
Sanskrit. He never studied
Sanskrit grammar. However, He
composed verses by inspiration.
He would say that Nayana was gone, who could he turn to for assistance? He had complete faith in Nayana's knowledge of the
language.
I never met Ganapati Muni, but
I remember him being with Kapali Sastri in Aurobindo Ashram when the news of his death arrived.
I saw Sastri openly weep, lamenting Muni's death. Kapali
Sastri had so much faith in Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, I heard him say, "If Nayana was here, [at Aurobindo Ashram], he would not have died.
Nayana died in 1936 at Kharagpur in West Bengal. A telegram was sent to Sri Ramanasramam, and then from there another telegram was ssent to Aurobindo Ashram. Viswanathan told me that when Bhagavan read the telegram these sad words fell from His lips: "Where will we find another like him?" Ganapati Muni was no ordinary sadhaka. He believed that
he was born on earth for a mission.
He had power and intelligence, and desired to rejuvenate India throgh mantra japa.
Sri Bhagavan was once talking about him to me and said: "If Nayana had not come here [meaning to Himself] and his mind turned inwards towards the Self, he would have certainly ended up in jail." Nayana had a predilection in his earlier years of political activity.
Aurobindo and the Mother recognized Ganapati Muni's extraordinary gifts. Kapalai Sastri
once took the Muni to Aurobindo
Ashram and everyone there was eager that he should stay. He was given a royal welcome and offered a house and all the necessary conveniences for himself and his family. Someone at Sri Ramanasramam informed Sri Bhagavan of how Nayana was being enticed to stay in Aurobindo Ashram. While his person was describing it all, to Sri Bhagavan, he expressed the opinion that Nayana, might very well settle down there.
Sri Bhagavan looked at the man in surprise and said, "Nayana? Settle down at Aurobindo Ashram? Impossible!
Muruganar, like Ganapati Muni, was an inspired poet. It is said when one receives the gift of writing, it is similar to taking a new birth. Muruganar was like that.
His poetry was of a very high order. In his case, the gift became the master and he was the servant of it. The gift kept driving him to write and he wrote only on his Master, i.e. Sri Bhagavan.
******
H.C.KHANNA {HARI CHAND KHANNA
KAPUR [KANPUR] DAY 23.07.2011:
Hari Chand Khanna was born on
13.10.1985 and merged with Sri
Bhagavan on 23.07.1984. His
Day of merger is observed today.
His Samadhi is in Korangu
Thottam along with samadhis of
Major Chadwick, S.S. Cohen and
Lucy Ma in a row, near guest
room, A1.
There are a few references about
H.C. Khanna in Day by Day of
Devaraja Mudaliar. Entry dated
1.6.1946 says:
In the afternoon Sri Bhagavan
explained in answer to H.C.
Khanna of Kanpur.
Why should your occupation or
duties in life interfere with
your spiritual effort? For
instance, there is a difference
between your activities at home
and in the office. In your office
activities, you are detached and
so long as you do your duty you
do not care what happens or whether it results in gain or loss to the employer. But your duties
at home are performed with attachment and you are all the time anxious as to whether they
will bring advantage or disadvantage to you and your family. But it is possible to
perform all the activities of life with detachment and regard your Self as real. It is wrong to suppose that if one is fixed in the Self one's duties in life will not be properly performed. It is like an actor. He dresses and acts and even feels the part he is playing, but he knows really that he is not that character but someone else in real life. In the same way, why should the body-
consciousness, or the feeling "I am the body" disturb you, once you know for certain that you are not the body but the Self? Nothing that the body does shake you from abidance in the Self. Such abidance will never interfere with the proper and effective discharge
of whatever duties the body has,
anymore than the actor's being aware of his real status in life interferes with his acting part on the stage.
You ask whether you can tell yourself: "I am not the body but the Self." Of course, whenever you feel tempted to identify yourself with the body [as you may often have to, owing to old vasanas], it may be a help to remind yourself that you are not the body but the Self. But you should not make such repetition a mantram, constantly saying, "I am not the body but the Self". By proper enquiry into the Self, the notion "I am this body" will gradually vanish and in time
the faith that you are the Self will become unshakeable.
contd.,
H.C. KHANNA DAY - 23.7.2011:
Khanna assured Sri Bhagavan
that the liniment was not
needed for himself or his family
but had been bought specially
for Sri Bhagavan, and he explained
that the reason why the bottle was
not full was that he had bought
it in several bottles and transferred it to this large one.
A little later, he {Khanna} handed Sri Bhagavan, a piece of paper on which he had written something.
After reading it, Sri Bhagavan said: "It is a complaint. He says,
'I have been coming to you and this time I have remained nearly
a month at your feet and I find
no improvement at all in my condition. My vasanas are as strong as ever. When I go back,
my friends will laugh at me and ask what good my stay here has done for me.'
Then turning to Khanna, Sri Bhagavan said, "Why distress your mind by thinking that Jnana has not come or that the vasanas have not disappeared? Don't give room for thoughts. In the last stanza
of Sukavari by Tayumanavar, the
Saint says, much the same as is written on this paper."
And Sri Bhagavan made me (Devaraja Mudaliar) read the stanza and translate it into English for the benefit of those who do not know Tamizh:
MooNdu eriyum anal itta mezhugaai uLam uruhal
MuRaiyamo? Padhinaayiram
sonnaalum nin aruL iranga ilaiye ini
Sukam varuvathu eppadi solaai;
Suddha nirguNamaana para daivame para
Jyotiye sukavaariye!
It goes: "The mind mocks at me and though I tell you ten thousand times you are indifferent, so how I am to attain peace and bliss?"
Then I said [Devaraja Mudaliar]
to Khanna,: "You are not the
only one who complains to Sri Bhagavan like this. I have more than once complained in the same way, and I still do, for I find no improvements in myself."
Khanna replied: "It is not only that I find no improvement but I think I have grown worse. The vasanas are stronger now. I can't understand it."
Sri Bhagavan again quoted the last three stanzas of Mandalathin of Thayumanavar, where the mind is coaxed as the most generous and disinterested of givers, to go back to its birth place or source and thus give the devotee peace and bliss, and He asked me to read out a translation of it that I once made.
Khanna then asked, "The illumination plus mind is Jivatma and the illumination alone is Paramatma; is that right?"
Sri Bhagavan assented and then pointed to His towel and said, "We call this a white cloth, but the cloth and its whiteness cannot be separated, and it is the same with the illumination and the mind, that unite to form the ego." Then He added: "The following illumination that is often given in books will also help you. The lamp in the theatre is the Parabrahman or the illumination as you put it. It illumines itself and the stage and actors. We see the stage and the actors by its light, but its light still continues when there is no more play. Another illustration is an iron rod that is compared to the mind. Fire joins it and it becomes red hot. It glows and can burn things, like fire, but still it has a definite shape, unlike fire. If we hammer it, it is the rod that receives the blows, not the fire. The rod is the Jivatma and the fire is the Self or Paramatma."
****
H.C. Khanna - Liberation day
23.7.2011:
From Day by Day - entry dated
28.6.1946:
In the afternoon, Khanna's wife
appealed to Sri Bhagavan in
writing: "I am not learned in the
scriptures and I find the method
of Self Enquiry too hard for me.
I am a woman with seven children
and a lot of household cares, and it leaves me little time for meditation. I request Sri Bhagavan to give me some simpler and easier method."
Bhagavan: No learning or knowledge of scriptures is necessary to know the Self, as no man requires a mirror to see himself. All knowledge is required only to be given up eventually as not-Self. Nor is household work or cares with children necessarily an obstacle. If you can do nothing more, at least continue saying, "I, I" to yourself mentally all the time, as advised in Who am I?
whatever work you may be doing and whether you are sitting, standing or walking. "I" is the name of God. It is the first and greatest of all mantras. Even OM is second to it.
Khanna: The Jiva is said to be mind plus illumination. What is
it that desires Self realization
and what is it that obstructs our
path to Self realization? It is said that the mind obstructs and the illumination helps.
Bhagavan: Although we describe the Jiva as mind plus the reflected
light of the Self, in actual practice, in life, you cannot separate the two, just as, in the illustration we used yesterday, you can't separate the cloth and whiteness in a white cloth or fire and iron in a red hot rod. The mind can do nothing by itself. It emerges only with the illumination and can do no action, good or bad, except with the illumination. But while the illumination is always there, enabling the mind to act well or ill, the pleasure or pain resulting from such actions is not felt by the illumination, just as when you hammer a red hot rod, it is not the fire but the iron that gets the hammering.
Khanna: Is there destiny? And if what is destined to happen will happen is there any use in prayer or effort or should we just remain idle?
Bhagavan: There are only two ways to conquer the destiny or be independent of it. One is to enquire for whom is this destiny and discover that only the ego is bound by destiny 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, by realizing one's helplessness and saying all the time: "Not I but Thou, oh Lord" and giving up all sense of "I" and "mine" and leaving it to the Lord to do what he likes to with you. Surrender can never be regarded as complete so long as the devotee wants this or that from the Lord. True surrender is 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.
Khanna: Are our prayers granted?
Bhagavan: Yes, they are granted. No thought will go in vain. Every thought will produce its effect sometime or other. Thought force will never go in vain.
Concluded.
Guru Ramana - S.S. Cohen:
S.S. Cohen came to Sri Bhagavan
on 3.2.1936 and attained videha
kaivalyam on 27.5.1980. His
Samadhi is in Korangu Thottam,
one of Asramam's guesthouse
compounds.
16th May 1936:
Mr.C relates how the reading of
Patanjali Yoga Sutras in 1926,
had greatly impressed him. The
first few Sutras had convinced
him of the truth of the teaching,
but unfortunately, there was no
one to give him proper guidance
till he met Sri Bhagavan.
Bhagavan: Patanjali's first Sutras
are indeed the climax of all systems of yoga. All yogas aim at the cessation of the vritti [modifications of the mind]. This can be brought about in the variety of ways mentioned in the scriptures through mind control, which frees consciousness from all thoughts, and keeps it pure. Effort is necessary. In fact effort itself is yoga.
C: I suppose efforts have to be made in the waking state, which
implies that moksha can be gained only in Jagrat.
Bhagavan: Quite so, awareness is necessary for the mind control. Otherwise who is to make the effort? You cannot make it in sleep or under the influence of drugs. Also mukti has to be gained in full awareness because the Reality itself is pure awareness.
C: There seems to be nothing but awareness, for to know anything there must be knowledge - we cannot get over that.
Bhagavan: Certainly. Subjective knowledge - knowledge of knowing itself is Jnana. It is then the subject as the knower, the object as the known, and the knowledge which connects them.
C: The last is not clear to me in this case.
Bhagavan: Why so? Knowledge is the light which links the seer to the seen. Suppose you go in search of a book in a library, in pitch darkness. Can you find it without light, although you, the subject, and the book, the object, are both present? Light has to be present to unite you. This link between the subject and the object in every experience is Chit, Consciousness. It is both the substratum as well as the witness of the experience, the seer of Patanjali.
*****
Guru Ramana - S.S. Cohen:
continues....
12th Feb. 1936:
Mr. C. caught Sri Bhagavan on
His way back from the Hill.
C: Sri Aurobindo speaks of two
forces which affect the yogic
practice; one horizontally and
the other vertically. I do not
understand it.
Bhagavan: All forces come from
the Self, which has no
directions. But Sri Aurobindo
may be speaking figuratively for
the dynamic force which results
from concentration in the head centre [or on kundalini shakti]
and the static which results from the vichara dhyana in the Heart.
Later in the evening, Mr. C.
asked:
C: Bhagavan speaks of Samadhi trance. I take it to mean total
loss of body consciousness. I am afraid I shall never be able to attain it. I find it hard to send myself to sleep even. Is it necessary before Self Realization?
Bhagavan: [laughing] You have to take chloroform in that case. Samadhi is itself the state of the Self. What do you understand by total loss of body consciousness? You do not imagine to be falling into a sort of catalepsy or deep sleep. In Samadhi the mind is in Jagrat, but being free from thoughts, it enjoys the bliss of sushupti, in which the mind is withdrawn. In Samadhi, the mind is so alert that it experiences Brahman. If it were not so fully awake, how would it know Brahman?
In fact, it itself becomes Brahman. Does trance convey that
idea? If not, is a wrong word of for Samadhi.
C: Do Karma Yogis and Bhakta also pass through Samadhi?
Bhagavan: Samadhi is merging in the Heart, through concentraton and mind control. Karma and Bhaktei yogis also attain Samadhi if they practice. In fact most of them attain mukti eventually by
the Vichara method.
******
S.S. Cohen : Guru Ramana :
15th July 1936:
Mr. C. reads the 'Forty Verses'
of Sri Bhagavan to Himself in
the Hall. Verse 30 fascinates Him.
He reads it aloud and says: "From
this verse, I understand that the
quest must start with the mind and
not the Heart, but Bhagavan always
speaks of the Heart, perhaps as the
last stage in the practice."
Bhagavan: Quite so: it as to begin
with the mind turned inward to oppose the rushing thoughts and
and to understand the location of the "I". When the mind eventually sinks in the Heart, undisturbed bliss is overwhelmingly felt. There is then feeling which is not divorced from pure awareness, i.e head and heart become one and the same.
C: In Verse 266 of Vivekachudamani, Sri Sankaracharya says that Brahman can be realized by buddhi, the subtle intellect, which means that the intellect can be of great help; in fact indispensable for Realization.
Bhagavan: The word 'buddhi' is rightly translated as the subtle intellect, but here it means the cave of the Heart. Nevertheless the subtle intellect can also realize Brahman and is therefore of the utmost importance. [Reads aloud Verse 266].
"In the cave of the buddhi [subtle intellect] there is the Brahman from gross and subtle. the Existence Absolute, Supreme, the
One without a second. For one who lives in this cave as Brahman, O Beloved, there is no more entrance into a woman's womb."
*****
Direct Teaching of Bhagavan
Ramana: Asramam Publication -
Sri V. Ganesan:
Bouquet of Beatitude:
{Revelations from Bhagavan
Ramana}
All paths become merged in the
path of Self enquiry just as
all languages become merged in
Silence [mouna].
- {page 277)
Question: "Bhagavan teaches us
always to know ourselves. He
should kindly teach us how to
know ourselves, and bless us."
Bhagavan: "The kindness is
always there. You should ask for
something that is not there, and
not for something that is there
already. You should believe with
all your heart that the kindness
is there. That is all."
- {page 179}
This afternoon at 3 O'clock,
a devotee stood near Sri Bhagavan's sofa and said, "Swami, I have only one desire, namely
to put my head on Bhagavan's feet and do namaskar. Bhagavan must grant me this favour."
"Oh! is that the desire? But then which is the foot and which is the head?" asked Sri Bhagavan. No reply. After pausing for a while, sri Bhagavan said, "Where the self merges, that is the foot." "Where is that place?" asked that devotee. "Where? It is in one's own Self. The feeling 'I', the ego, is the head. Where that aham vritti [ego] dissolves, that is the foot of the Guru."
- {page 189}
Sri Bhagavan with a smile, said, "Bliss is a thing which is always there and is not something which comes and goes. That which comes and goes is a creation of the mind and you should not worr about it."
Another questioner: "For realizing that bliss, there must be something to catch hold of, mustn't there?
Bhagavan: "There must be a duality if you are to catch hold of something else; but what IS, is only one Self; not a duality. Hence, who is to catch hold of whom? And what is the thing to be caught?"
- {page 251}
continued....
Direct Teaching of Bhagavan
Ramana - Sri V. Ganesan -
Asramam Publication:
Bouquet of Beatitude:
"Swami, how can we find the
Self [Atma]?"
"You are in the Self, so how
can there be any difficulty
in finding it?" Sri Bhagavan
replied.
"You say that I am in the Self, but where exactly is that Self?"
the questioner persisted.
"If you abide in the heart and
search patiently you will find
it," was the reply.
- {page 241}
"Swami, we take leave of you.
We pray that you may be pleased to bless us that our mind may merge or dissolve itself in shanti."
Sri Bhagavan nodded His head as usual. After they had left, He said, looking at Ramachandra Iyer, "Shanti is the original state.
If what comes from outside is rejected what remains is peace, shanti. What then is there to dissolve or merge? Only that which comes from outside has to be thrown out."
- {page 231}
"The mind is the cause of both
bondage and liberation for man
{mana eva manushyanam karanam
bandha mokshayoh}. The mind creates many illusions."
The questioner: "How will that illusion disappear?"
Bhagavan: If the secret truth
mentioned above is ascertained
by Self enquiry, the multiplicity resolves itself into five, the five into three, and the three into one. Suppose you have a headache and you get rid of it by taking some medicine, you then remain what you were originally, the head ache is like the illusion that the body is the Self, it disappears when the medicine called Self Enquiry is administered."
- {page 245}
continued.....
R.Subramanian/Friends,
Sri Nochur Venkatraman concluded his 7 day satsangh(Talk)on Sri Bhagvan's Atma vidya Keertanam-aYYae athi sulabham Atma Viddhai aYYae athi sulabham-Oh!it is so easy,Atma Vidya(Self Knowledge)is downright easy!He covered this wonderful and utterly simple song of Sri Bhagavan in 7 days starting from 18/07/2011(Monday),everyday in the morning 07:00 to 08:00 Hrs.
Listening to him was wonderful and most satisfying is to see how a well packed crowd was listening to the exposition on 'Atma Vidya'-usually only Puranic Recital or the usual Bhagavad gita Chapters where some Scholar or swamiji would dish out 'management' concepts would draw crowds.Unlike the 'entertainment' or 'Utilitarian' or 'snob' value(Scholarly understanding!) that is eagerly dished out and gulped as well-These Talks were punctuated by 'inherence in the self' that Sri Nochur was coming back to again and again-how he was simply pointing out-"Do not try to grasp it and process what is said with one's mind as a fodder for thought-Just Listen without trying to understand employing thought-simply listento what Sri Bhagavan is saying in this wonderful song.A seed is sown in this act of listening and this would grow and your attention will naturally be turned to the ever present 'Self' or Atma!"
For Those who are interested,these talks will be available in Cd form on 31st at Sanskrit College,Chennai.It is a Treat to listen to someone so utterly unpretentious as sri Nochur.
Namaskar.
R.Subramanian/Friends,
Just to add that Sri Nochur's Talks on Atma vidyA keerthanam are in Tamizh!
Namaskar.
Dear Ravi
Thank you very much for the information. I listened to him only once for 7 days in Bangalore on Sri Dakshinamurty Stotram. It was a mind stopping experience. I have also got his CDs on ULLadu Narpadu, 5 CDs covering upto Verse 36 in Tamizh and Ramananubhavam in English done at the sponsorship of Ramana Maharshi Centre, Bangalore. I do not have the last CD covering the remaining verses of U.N. done in 2010. The last CD is not available even in the Asramam. If you could send me one copy of Atma Vidaya Keertanam CD and UN last CD, I shall be very much thankful to you. My postal address is:
Name, F 322 Garadi Apts. K.R. Road, Bangalore 560 004. Ph:
93410 19205. I shall send the cost plus courier charges by DD on Chennai.
I met Nochur two times in T'malai
in the Asramam along with his wife
and only kid. He is a man of few words. His eyes are shining like
burning coal. His son Sadasiva is the darling of Asramam crowd. My wife asked his name. He said: Yaro? [Who?]. Another Nochur in
the making! After asking several times, he said his name is Sadasiva in Tamizh. His wife also speaks Tamizh and Malayalam.
Thanking you,
Subramanian. R
Guru Ramana - S.S. Cohen -
Asramam Publication - 2006 edition.
25th April 1937:
Sri B.V. Narasimha Swami is in the
Asramam to prepare the third edition
of his English translation of Sri
Bhagavan's Upadesa Saram with his own commentary. He requests the Maharshi to give him some more details about Heart, and its movements. Sri Bhagavan said:
Heart is the seat of Jnanam as well as the granthi [the knot of ignorance]. It is represented in the physical body by a hole smaller than the smallest pin point, which is always shut. When the mind drops down in Kevala Nirvikalpa, it opens but shuts after it. When Sahaja is attained, it opens for good.
The granthi is the knot which ties the insentient body to the Consciousness which functions in it. That is why when it is loosened temporarily in Kevala Nirvikalpa there is no body consciousness.
I used to feel the vibrations of the Heart, which resemble those of a dynamo, even in school. When I developed rigor mortis many years ago, in Tiruvannamalai, every object and sensation disappeared, except the vibrations. It was as if a dark screen was drawn before my eyes and shut the world completely from me, but of course, I was all along conscious of the Self, with a vague feeling that someone was crying near me. This state continued till just before I regained physical consciousness, when I felt something rush from the Heart to the left chest and re-established life in the body.
A sudden fear, sudden joy, or a shock makes the Heart vibrate very forcefully, so that, it can be felt by anyone who pays attention to it. Otherwise it is felt only in Samadhi.
*****
Guru Ramana - S.S. Cohen - Asramam Publication - 2006 edition:
23rd October 1936:
A student who is preparing his thesis for the Ph.D degree asked:
God is said to be immanent, how do you justify your confining Him to the heart?
Bhagavan:
God is said reside in the Heart in the same way as you are said to reside in your body. Yet Heart is not a place. Some place must be named as the dwelling of God for those who take their bodies for themselves and who comprehend only relative knowledge. The fact is neither God nor we occupy any space. We are bodiless and spaceless in deep sleep, yet in the waking state we appear to be the opposite. Atman or Paramatman is that from which the body is born, in which it lives, and into which it finally resolves.
Look within is the message.
******
R.Subramanian,
I will mail you the CDs you have asked for as soon as I get hold of it.
yes,Sri Nochur is a perfect example of Traditional upbringing leading to ripeness-truly a great soul.
Namaskar.
Spiritual Stories, told by Bhagavan
Ramana Maharshi.
Asramam Publication - 2010 edition:
Kabir was a great bhakta who lived in Benares some centuries ago. Although he had siddhis he earned his livelihood by weaving. One day, when he was working on his loom, a disciple
entered in great excitement and said, "Sir, there is a juggler outside here who is attracting large crowds by making his stick stand in the air."
Thereupon, Kabir, who like all true saints, discouraged the display of jugglery, wanted to shame the man, and so rushed out with a big ball of thread in his hand. Seeing the long bamboo standing in the air, he threw his ball of thread up in the air. As the ball went up it unwound itself till the whole length of thread stood stiff in mid-air, and to a far greater height than the juggler's stick, without any support whatever. The people, including the juggler himself, were stunned with amazement.
Sri Bhagavan's eyes acted the amazement, while His hand stood high above His head in the position of Kabir when he thew up the ball!
******
Dear Ravi,
Thanks in anticipation. Once, I think, it is Sri V, Ganesan, who said that Nochur is the living example of Sri Bhagavan's teachings. He owns a house in T'malai, but mostly he is on tour. His wife and kid accompany him if it is in Tamizh Nadu or Kerala. Otherwise, they stay back in T'malai. Asramam takes care of them.
*****
Reflections on Talks with
Ramana Maharshi - S.S.
Cohen - Asramam Publication
337
"It is not enough that one
thinks of God while doing
karma [service, or worship],
but one must continually and
unceasingly think of Him. Only
then will the mind become
pure?"
Bhagavan's attendant then
remarked: "Is it then not
enough that I serve Bhagavan
physically, but must also
remember Him constantly?" To
which Sri Bhagavan remarked: "I
am the body" idea must vanish through vichara."
The attendant is right in interpreting Bhagavan's remark. Seeing the Master physcially comes
nowhere before the contemplation of Him with the mind. Yet service to Him has its great utility, in that the very close proximity to His person has tremendous potentialities for the purification of the attendant's vasanas, due to the utter purity of the Master's mind. But that is not sufficient to give mukti. Purificatory processes are only a stage on the path, to make one fall in the line of mental practices - dhyana and vichara, - which alone can prepare the mind to experience Brahman in the the last stages of the long journey. "I am the body" idea must vanish through vichara," Bhagavan asserts.
The path of service is the path of surrender, which is not limited in time and space. For it is round the clock and round the equinoxes process. It goes on for years of remembrance - a mental process again - of God, Guru or Self.
******
R.Subramanian,
"It is not enough that one
thinks of God while doing
karma [service, or worship],
but one must continually and
unceasingly think of Him. Only
then will the mind become
pure?"
Bhagavan's attendant then
remarked: "Is it then not
enough that I serve Bhagavan
physically, but must also
remember Him constantly?" To
which Sri Bhagavan remarked: "I
am the body" idea must vanish through vichara."
If one starts serving the Guru,one should do it wholeheartedly-No question of whether anything is 'Enough' or something 'more' needs to be done.If we do this from the Heart,the smarana is like sporting a perfume,that spontaneously will be there, and one need not be 'remember' as an exercise.When there is Love ,there is remembrance.
I recall Champaklal,the Great devotee of Sri Aurobindo who only lived to serve the Master and The Mother.He did not want anything else-Moksha or any other goal.
To have a Goal is to be 'mean minded'!
Namaskar.
Friends,
An excerpt from The gospel of sri Ramakrishna:
Kalipada Ghosh had brought a box of grapes for Sri Ramakrishna; it lay beside the Master.
The Master gave Narendra a few and poured the rest on the floor for the devotees to pick
up.
Narendra's yearning for God
It was evening. Narendra was sitting in a room downstairs. He was smoking and describing
to M. the yearning of his soul. No one else was with them.
NARENDRA: "I was meditating here last Saturday when suddenly I felt a peculiar
sensation in my heart."
M: "It was the awakening of the Kundalini."
NARENDRA: "Probably it was. I clearly perceived the Ida and the Pingala nerves. I asked
Hazra to feel my chest. Yesterday I saw him [meaning the Master] upstairs and told him
about it. I said to him: 'All the others have had their realization; please give me some. All
have succeeded; shall I alone remain unsatisfied?' "
M: "What did he say to you?"
NARENDRA: "He said: 'Why don't you settle your family affairs first and then come to
me? You will get everything. What do you want?' I replied, 'It is my desire to remain
absorbed in samadhi continually for three or four days, only once in a while coming down
to the sense plane to eat a little food.' Thereupon he said to me: 'You are a very smallminded
person. There is a state higher even than that. "All that exists art Thou" -it is you
who sing that song.'"
M: "Yes, he always says that after coming down from samadhi one sees that it is God
Himself who has become the universe, the living beings, and all that exists. The Isvarakotis
alone can attain that state. An ordinary man can at the most attain samadhi; but he cannot
come down from that state."
NARENDRA: "He [the Master] said: 'Settle your family affairs and then come to me. You
will attain a state higher than samadhi.' I went home this morning. My people scolded me,
saying: 'Why do you wander about like a vagabond? Your law examination is near at hand
and you are not paying any attention to your studies. You wander about aimlessly.'"
M: "Did your mother say anything?"
NARENDRA: "No. She was very eager to feed me. She gave me venison. I ate a little,
though I didn't feel like eating meat."
M: "And then?"
NARENDRA: "I went to my study at my grandmother's. As I tried to read I was seized
with a great fear, as if studying were a terrible thing. My heart struggled within me. I burst
into tears: I never wept so bitterly in my life. I left my books and ran away. I ran along the
streets. My shoes slipped from my feet-I didn't know where. I ran past a haystack and got
hay all over me. I kept on running along the road to Cossipore."
Narendra remained silent a few minutes and then resumed.
NARENDRA: "Since reading the Vivekachudamani I have felt very much depressed. In it
Sankaracharya says that only through great tapasya and good fortune does one acquire
these three things: a human birth, the desire for liberation, and refuge with a great soul. I
said to myself: 'I have surely gained all these three. As a result of great tapasya I have been
born a human being; through great tapasya, again, I have the desire for liberation; and
through great tapasya I have secured the companionship of such a great soul.' "
M: "Ah!"
Namaskar.
Friends,
The Gospel of sri Ramakrishna continued...
"His intense dispassion
NARENDRA: "I have no more taste for the world. I do not relish the company of those
who live in the world-of course, with the exception of one or two devotees."
Narendra became silent again. A fire of intense renunciation was burning within him. His
soul was restless for the vision of God. He resumed the conversation.
NARENDRA (to M.): "You have found peace, but my soul is restless. You are blessed
indeed."
M. did not reply, but sat in silence. He said to himself, "Sri Ramakrishna said that one must
pant and pine for God; only then may one have the vision of Him."
Immediately after dusk M. went upstairs. He found Sri Ramakrishna asleep.
It was about nine o'clock in the evening. Niranjan and Sashi were sitting near the Master.
He was awake. Every now and then he talked of Narendra.
MASTER: "How wonderful Narendra's state of mind is! You see, this very Narendra did
not believe in the forms of God. And now you see how his soul is panting for God! You
know that story of the man who asked his guru how God could be realized. The guru said to
him: 'Come with me. I shall show you how one can realize God.' Saying this, he took the
disciple to a lake and held his head under the water. After a short time he released the
disciple and asked him, 'How did you feel?' 'I was dying for a breath of air!' said the
disciple.
"When the soul longs and yearns for God like that, then you will know that you do not have
long to wait for His vision. The rosy colour on the eastern horizon shows that the sun will
soon rise."
This day Sri Ramakrishna's illness was worse. In spite of much suffering he said many
things about Narendra-though mostly by means of signs.
At night Narendra left for Dakshineswar. It was very dark, being the night of the new
moon. He was accompanied by one or two devotees. M. spent the night at the Cossipore
garden. He dreamt that he was seated in an assembly of sannyasis.
Namaskar.
Dear Ravi,
In fact Saint Tirunavukkarasar
[who was by nature a worker
for the welfare of Siva temples,
with his axe ever in hand] sang:
"If I could see for ever your
dancing eyebrows, red lips like
kovai fruit, your stylish half smile, the matted locks with cool
Ganga, coral like body, milk white
vibhuti all over the body, very sweet raised golden foot [kunchita padam for dancing], I shall ever,
ever like to take birth as a human being."
Kunitha puruvamum kovvai chevvayum..
Yes. Certain devotees had never
even asked for liberation. They
want to serve or at least keep seeing God.
One Aaahwar sings: If a physician
uses the red hot knife and cuts my
wound, I shall still have only for him, [since he is curing my wounds]. I would like to have such a love towards you, even if you give me tribulations and miseries.
One another Azhwar sang about
Tirupati Venkataramana: I shall
like only to be born as a step in the sanctum of your temple, so that I can keep on seeing your coral lips always. [Even a birth as insentient metal or stone step is good for me than moksha].
Amdal sang: On any time, for out
seven and seven births, we shall only be servants to you and then
do your work, please remove all our other desires [including moksha]. ERRaikkum Ezezh piRavikkum uRRame aavom, umakke naam aal seivom, maRRai nam kamangaL MaRRelor Embavaai.
I think gates of liberation are wide open only for such devotees.
Incidentally some one wrote about
AandaL and Karaikal Amma. AandaL
was the immaculate baby found at the tulsi plants in Vishnu Siddhar's garden. She merged with
Sri Ranganathan. She did not leave her body, like Manikkavachagar. So there is no Samadhi for her. In
Srivilliputtur, where I lived for 2 years when my father was working there, I have seen that Tulsi garden of Vishnu Siddhar [Periyaazhwar] and no Samadhi.
In case of Karaikal Amma, she again saw the tandavam of Nataraja in Tiruvalangaadu near Chennai and merged with Siva. She also had no Samadhi. Avudai Akka went up into the falls of KuRRaalam near Tenkasi and never came out of water. Her body was not to be seen. So she also had no Samadhi.
*****
Monica Bose writes:
[Arunachala's Ramana - Boundless
Ocean of Grace - Volume IV -
First Edition 2007 - Asramam
Publications:]
An Australian visitor asked the
Maharshi why Love was not
included in the Vedantic Trinity
of Sat Chit Ananda. Being -
Consciousness - Bliss [or Peace].
The Maharshi replied: Peace is Love. Hence in His teaching, Love
was not separate from the Supreme Reality, and was also a natural
attribute of the Self. Questions about love were very rare at the Asramam, and to the best of my
knowledge, love does not figure in the index section of works written by Him or about Him by His devotees. The reason for this is that Advaita commentators interpreted His teaching according to the conventional advaitic nor non dual path of Transcendental Knowledge, Jnana, on which the final achievement comes at a point when absolute non dual union with God is realized. Love was considered by them to belong to the path of bhakti or devotion, a lower path in their view since it posited an 'other' - the loved one - and therefore had not gone beyond duality. However, the Maharshi's teaching, like that of all great Masters, could not be confined within any conventional framework.
In His five spontaneously composed poems to Arunachala, He revealed not only a heart overflowing with love for the sacred Hill, but also His perception of the Hill as Love Itself. In one hymn, He said, "Let me melt with Love in Thee Who are Love Itself,' and in another He addressed the Hill with words, 'kinder even than one's own mother...such is Thy love!' When He addressed the Hill as Mother, it was to speak not of power which is usually associated with the Universal Mother or Sakti but of Love and Grace.
Doubts disturbed the minds of some of the Asramites; some one asked themselves, how could someone who addressed Arunachala in terms of love be an advaitin? At the height of the controversy, one of them declared in an article which appeared in the journal The Path Divine, that the famous work, the Ramana Gita, had been written by Ganapati Muni with the intent to prove that the Maharshi was not fully Advaitin. And one day, in the Hall, an old devotee asked Him, to put an end to the controversy by Himself telling what He was. The Maharshi replied the the love that was in Him for the Self, was the Self, 'for the Self is Love. God is Love.' He unlike the questioners, had had the experience of the Self realization and could speak of a Love which surpassed duality and objectivity.
********
salutations to all:
Subramanian:
["...I think gates of liberation are wide open only for such devotees..."]. you had also written what mahAperiyava had told you ["...Then he looked at me, Pinna ennadaa! Unakku moksham thaan po! 'What else needed? For you it is only moksha'...."]; the 'gate of liberation', i think, is already open for you :-))) hope you don't have any 'doubts' still about it :-) with such a 'blessing', what else need you do? it has to bear fruit regardless of whatever one may think of one's fitness to 'it', isn't it? :-)))
Dear S.,
Where am I? And where are
AandaaL, Tirunavukkarasar
and ThoNdarippodi Aazhwar?
I am not even fit to be a
speck of dust on their feet.
Mahaswami appreciated my efforts
along with my father's [he was
only a school headmaster and
later became District Educational
Officer and with 7 children at home, he could not save much]
in conducting the marriages of my
6 sisters all younger to me. For
this good deed, Mahaswami told such golden words. What more can
I say? Should I not make some
spiritual efforts too either through bhakti and self surrender or self enquiry?
Sri Sankara says that just because one is a great Veena Vidwan, he shall not become a King of the land [Viveka Chudamani].
This does not mean that I am doubting Mahaswami's words. I only mean some intense spiritual efforts from my part, are definitely needed to become a king and not merely stay as a Veena
Vidwan.
******
David and other friends, my comp.
has become a crackpot and it works only in Safe Mode, since 3 weeks. In as much as the letters are becoming bigger and I am not able to confine my comments within the breadth of the box since the box does not appear clearly. Excuse me
for this transgression.
******
Friends,
Often one encounters the arguement-What is the point in glorifying the past,why talk about the sanAtana Dharma when practically it is defunct?Times have changed and all those outmoded 'ideas' have no place now,in present day living.
Here is what the Great sage of Kanchi has said, putting forth concreteapproaches and practices:
"Plan Mudradikari
213. If someone does follow the Sanaatana Dharma with understanding and strictly adheres to all the rules, do's and don'ts; his actions of aachaaram, anushtaanam, viratam and earnings are all meant for others. None of them are for his own self. This high philosophy, instead of being only an idea in books and peoples minds, shining as a living dharma for many thousands of years; somehow became defunct and extinct, in recent years. This noble ideal, had to be revived. With that intention, from 1940, in the villages of Tanjavur we identified a few persons and gave them the title of Mudradikari. They were to collect people and involve them in commonly needed social service activities. They took up poorta dharmam jobs of, digging wells and ponds, protection and maintenance of temple premises, including, removal of over growth of grass and weeds.
214. Whosoever is born as a Hindu, should give at least a handful of grass to the cow. Those who have a garden, should grow 'Agathi Keerai'(a verdant plant whose leaves are very much liked by the cattle and also nutritious) and 'Arugam Pul'(a type of grass, a favorite of cows and elephants), for feeding the cows. Many people used to do that. This dharma was known as, "go grasam". 'Go' in Sanskrit means the cow and 'grasam' is the grass. May be that, the English word 'grass' evolved out of the 'grasam'! When all lands are becoming human living areas and covered by roads and houses, if we have some space in our own houses, we should try and grow this 'Agathi Keerai and Arugam Pul' and feed the cows.
215. For these things, we have to do some sacrifice or incur expenditure. Instead, if we just collect the pared discards of vegetable peelings from a number of houses, we will be doing the service of removing discarded waste from others houses, while simultaneously feeding the cows to their hearts content! By repeatedly talking about this, I could motivate many people to start this. It is still continuing in most of those places.
216. To mechanically put some money in the slit of the Hundi box meant to collect donations, is not a great sacrifice. That too in these times of inflation, every one can and should contribute like that also. But, better than putting it in the mouth of the Hundi box, when you directly feed a live animal, the pleasure and satisfaction we get is certainly many fold and unique. In doing Seva, that is service, this is the most important aspect! Instead of the money and labour talk, two living beings should interact;Two sets of eyes should meet and enjoy the sharing!
continued....
Friends,
The Sage of kanchi continued....
" Service of digging a pond, which I spoke about earlier, I tried to emphasize in my talks in many villages and requested the assemblage to put it into action immediately. There was good response. The actual act of digging a pond, with everybody in the village physically participating, was a wonderful sight! My direction was that, instead of working for money, it should be a voluntary 'Seva'. For poor people, we had planned to give free food. It was very heartening to note that even very poor had come with their lunch packs! When they worked with spontaneous vim and vigor, it just confirmed the fact that, “our poor people have not lost all their innate fineness of culture and humaneness! It is only our mistake as leaders, that we have not made proper use of their goodness of character and attitude!”
222. As it happens in a ‘Rathotsavam’ of pulling the huge decorated chariot of the Temple, during festivals, I saw big land owner Mirasdar-s, highly placed office bearers of the government, Vedic scholars of ‘touch-me-not-stand-apart’ purity; Srouthi’s wife and Grass-cutting maiden; joining hands and actively participating in the physical labour; it thrilled me. Let the later achievement by this effort be set aside, the very fact of their’s thus working together, was in itself an achievement! That our whole society is together like this is good enough!
223. Once near Mayavaram, on a moonlit night, all the people were thus working with one aim of digging a pond. I was in attendance. They were digging for bringing out the cool waters. The moon light was showering its own cool beams on us. Through the act of service, all the people’s hearts were pouring out a coolly pleasant shower of love! I had to go for some other work. Later I came to know that their enthusiasm was lessened because of my going away! I plead guilty! Sambhomahadeva.
-----------------------------------
For those who may be imagining that an AchArya is cocooned in his own 'mind world of antiquity',this should be enough to atleast doubt or suspectthat they are nor propagators of touch-me-not acts and practices.
The sage of kAnchi had spent over 50 years outside the mutt,visiting each and every village and knows every nook and corner ,including a 'Ganesa Idol' under a Tamarind Tree in those places!
Namaskar.
Friends,
An Excerpt from 'Voice of Divinity'-Talk of the Sage of kAnchi:
When Sage Vyasa had completed the writing of all the 18 Puranas, his disciples requested him to give the gist of those Puranas in a few sloka-s for easy memorization. "Why do I need a few sloka-s for that? I will give you the gist of not only those 18 Purana-s but, all that ever has been said or written in crores of Saastra-s in half a sloka", he said in the first part of the Sanskrit sloka, I Quote, "slokaardhena pravakshyaami yaduktam granta kotishu I ". In the second half of the sloka he said, "paropakaara: punyaaya, paapaaya parapeetanam II."
437. For all the crores of religious books on Saastraas, the highest philosophy is this:- "If you are desirous of earning Punyam(holy merits), do paropakaaram. If you wish to amass Paapam(sinful demerits),do such things that would hurt others." Our whole Hindu religion is about identifying what is Paapam and obviate that and identifying what is Punyam and doing it at all costs. The foremost authority in our religion is Vyasa Acharya, who collected, collated and serialized all our Veda-s into four parts of Rig, Yajur, Saama and Atharva Veda-s, wrote 18 Puranas and 18 Upa Puranas, Maha Bharata, Bhagavatam and Brhma Sutra; says that helping others (para + upakaaram) is Punyam and hurting others (para + apakaaram) is Paapam; the minimum that we can do is to, sit up and take notice! So, there is no chance to discuss whether there is place for Social Service in our Religion or not!
438. Though without knowing the facts some people say that our religion contains a lot about individual improvement and ennoblement, and not much about taking care of others, there is a point to be noted here. Unless a man attains to a certain degree of self improvement in terms of morality and discipline, there is no chance for his actions to be useful in social service for the public at large! Then it is his spiritual power of 'Atma Shakti' that will enable him to do effective social service, further ennobling him. So these two, individual and social efforts of empowerment go hand in hand, mutually complimenting each other. That is how it has been evolved in our religion!
Continued...
Friends,
The Sage of kAnchi continued...
" Adi Sankara, our Acharyal who reawakened and rejuvenated the whole of Hindu Religion in the entire Indian sub-continent, has given us in the question and answer format, a book called, 'Prasnottara Ratna Maalika'. There is one question that occurs there, "kim manujeshu ishta tamam?", meaning, 'what is most desirable for man?' His answer is, "swa para hitaaya udhyatam janma", meaning that, 'we are born as humans to persevere for personal and social welfare!' There can be no room left for any doubt as to the importance of Social Service in our Religion!
440. In the same treatise in another place he says, the good are equivalent to the rays of the moon. The rays of the moon has a cooling effect after the hot Sunlight has done its job of heating up the whole planet. For this the Moon is not required to take any special effort. Its cooling effect is natural. Similarly, the good Samaritans (‘sajjan’ in Sanskrit,) do not have to go out of their way to be of use to the society. They do not have to make an effort to do service to others. Neither do they have to publicize the same. They just have to be themselves naturally. That will prove to be of much help to the general public automatically! The same idea is reflected when he describes the character qualities of the very supremely peaceful ‘Mahatma-s’ of this world, in Viveka Chudamani. There instead of likening them to the effects of ‘rays of the moon’, he likens them to the effect of the ‘spring season’!
441. “...vasantavat loka hitam charanta:...”, meaning that, such people breeze through the world imparting benefits galore all around. Do you see the spring season? At least the moon is seen. You only see the effects of the Spring Season! There is a pleasant breeze. Flowers bloom, especially the jasmine flower spreading its fragrance all around. All the trees which had dropped their leaves in the fall season of ‘Sisir Ritu’, now show the green flag of fresh green tendrils and sprouts, to the Spring Season. Similarly, the person who has realized his oneness with all that seemingly exists, knows also that none of these things are real! So, it is like an air-tight entity in which there are no You, Me or any one else! So, there is no chance whatsoever for anyone to do anything else to anybody! But as long as you attain to total reality, you by nature, by just being a realized soul, do good to others, like the moon light and or the Spring Season ! Without any intension on his part, sans deliberation, sans volition, goodness happens because of him, the realized soul! Adi Sankara, our Acharyal who demonstrated such a life, is actually talking about himself without being conscious of doing so!"
Continued...
Friends,
The Sage of kAnchi continued...
" "Generally there is no chance for Paropakaaram in Hindu Religion. That too, within that religion, Adwaitam is such a part which maintains that, 'there is no reality to the world or anybody else other than the Atma'. In such a situation, there is no scope for Paropakaaram as who is anybody else?" Even if such was the charge leveled against it, Adi Sankara as the Adwaita Acharyal is saying that such a man who has attained to Adwaita Siddhi will be roaming around the world for the sake of the world and not for himself!
443. Lord Sri Krishna and so many of the Jeevan Mukta-s like Janaka, who have no work to do of their own, are still very active for the sake of 'Loka Sangraha' only, He says in Bhagawat Gita. 'Loka Sangraha' means to guide this world lovingly towards betterment. Such people have no more achievements yet to be made or aspired for but, themselves the aims to be reached. Still they are ever active incessantly as 'pointers and examples' to be followed and emulated! This is exactly what our Acharyal says when asking 'kim saadhyam?' to mean, 'what is to be achieved?' and answering 'bhoota hitam' to mean,' to do the needful for the living beings'.
444. Our Adwaita Acharyal advised Paropakaaram only to the well established human beings in the higher rungs of the society. For the common man still enroute, he only says, "...be happy with what you earn and if you use that sensibly in the ways of dharma you could ennoble yourself...". He goes on to say, "...sing the Gita and Sahasranaama, do dhyanam on God's roopa, involve your mind in the teachings and company of great saints and give money to the poor people...":- geyam gita naama sahasram dyeyam sripati roopam ajasram I neyam sajjana sange chittam deyam deena janaaya cha vittam II
445. So, Veda Dharmam and even Adwaitam, (which holds the world in all its manifestations to be only imaginary Maya), requires that, all the actions for spiritual attainments should go hand in hand with actions for social welfare and for the benefit of all human beings and other life forms too! That is the way of our elders and forefathers. We should simply follow their guide lines and look at all life forms animate and seemingly inanimate as expressions of the same divinity and do our bit for the welfare of all! "...sarve janaa: sukhino bhavantu I lokaa: samastaa: sukhino bhavantu II ..."
We can also appreciate Swami Vivekananda's 'service to siva in Jiva' in this perspective.Endless procession of sages from Hoary times to the present times have ensured that sanAtana Dharma,true to its name is timeless.
Namaskar.
R.Subramanian,
Thanks very much for that wonderful post on appar,AndAl and other AzhwArs.AndAl's TiruppAvai in absolutely wonderful and in 30 verses brings out the essence of the Vedas-all the four Yogas Karma,Raja,Bhakti,Jnana are covered.Master TGN(T G Narayanaswamy ) covered these 30 verses in 45 Talks-and brings out all the inner nuances(Like the vedas ,these verses have an outer meaning for the common man and guhya(hidden)meaning or sense for the initiated).This verse that you have quoted:
" ERRaikkum Ezezh piRavikkum uRRame aavom, umakke naam aal seivom, maRRai nam kamangaL MaRRelor Embavaai."
I am giving here Master's translation:
"We are not here today
only to receive the drum from you
but to convey to you our desire
to be your kith and kin,
and be bonded servitors
to you and you alone
for sevens of seven births
and for all time to come.
Pray,denude us
of whatever desires
other than this,O Lord."
To soak into these thirty verses is sweet satsangh.
Namaskar.
R.Subramanian/s/Friends,
"with such a 'blessing', what else need you do? it has to bear fruit regardless of whatever one may think of one's fitness to 'it', isn't it? :-))) "
R.Subramanian's response to this shows the correct attitude of a devotee-one should strive to do what one can.
Yet,s is emphasising the inevitability of the outcome, for the word of a jnani that carries within it the power of fruitition.I totally agree with what s has said.
Namaskar.
Dear Ravi,
Yes. The Car Festival
{Rathotsavam} is really a wonderful
festival in any temple. Firstly,
instead of devotees going to the
Temple and praying to God, God
Himself along with His consort,
comes out to the town to see
devotees and even others. The car
stops at every ten feet and people
can leisurely watch the deities.
Secondly pulling the Car is one
rare occasion, where people regardless of caste, creed, even
body purity [i.e. after bath or
before bath] can pull the rope and
move the car. It is universal and all people are treated alike.
*****
Dear Ravi and others,
As regards Tiruppavai, some
staunch Sri Vaishnava
commentators go for deeper but
more confusing analysis. They
say the first ten verses depict
dharma, next ten artha and the
last ten moksha and all thirty
have tinge of kama too. Under
"IRRai paRai koLvaan anRu kaaN
Govinda," they say PaRai means
moksham and AaaNdaL does not want
even liberation but servitude to
Narayana. PaRai simply means drum.
They take PaRai to mean moksha,
which of course is correct, as
per Tamizh dictionary. This sort
of convoluted meaning makes one
shudder to read such commentaries.
Again in case of Tiruvachakam,
a simple meaning conveying devotion which ends up in Sivaanubhuti is okay for common
readers. But I read one book on
Tiruvachakam [commentary] titled, Tiruvachakam and Siva Raja Yogam. This book really confused me beyond description. The book
says, Kokazhi means spinal cord, Annamalai means the tonsil which gets stuck in yoga sastra exercise, Tiruperundurai means the Holy Great Shore, the liberation etc., etc., I do not think anywhere Muruganar mentioned such meanings in his works.
I decided thereafter that one should read such books with meanings conveying simple devotion
ending up in self surrender.
*****
Spiritual Stories told by
Ramana Maharshi - Asramam
Publication:
Yogi's Penance:
Bhagavan narrated the following
story to illustrate the
distinction between manolaya
[stillness of mind] and manonasa
[destruction of mind].
A Yogi was doing penance for a
number of years on the banks of
Ganga. When he had attained a high
degree of concentration, he believed that to remain in that
state for prolonged periods constituted salvation and therefore continued practicing it. One day, before going into samadhi, he felt thirsty and asked his disciple to bring some water from the Ganga; but before the disciple could return with water, he had gone into samadhi, and he
remained in that state for countless years. When he woke up from this experience, the first thing he did was to say, 'water, water!'; but there was neither his disciple nor the Ganga in sight.
The first thing which he asked for was water because, before going into deep concentration, the topmost thought in his mind was about water. By concentration, however deep and prolonged it might have been, he had been able to only lull his thoughts temporarily. Therefore, when he revived consciousness this topmost thought flew up with all speed and force of a flood breaking through dykes. If this was the case, with regard to a thought, which took shape immediately before he sat for meditation, there is no doubt that other thoughts which had taken deeper root earlier would still remain unannihilated. If annihilation of thoughts is salvation, can he be said to to have attained salvation?
The moral is that one should not be taken away by the spell of temporary stillness but pursue the enquiry till the last vasana is eradicated.
******
Supernatural Powers:
[From Arunachala's Ramana -
Boundless Ocean of Grace -
Volume IV.]
It was very rarely that Sri
Bhagavan deliberately used supernatural powers. Moreover,
if He did so, it was as concealed
as His iniitiation and upadesa.
In the later years, there was one
householder among the attendants, a Rajagopala Iyer. He had a son of about three who had been given the name of Ramana, a pleasant little fellow, who used to run and prostrate to Sri Bhagavan daily. One evening, after the devotees, had dispersed for the night, the child was bitten by a snake. Rajagopala Iyer picked him up and ran straight to the Hall. Even so the child was already blue and gasping at the time he got there. Sri Bhagavan passed His hands over him and said, "You are all right, Ramana." And he was all all right!
Rajagopala Iyer told a few of the devotees but it was not much talked about.
******
Louis Hartz:
[From Arunachala's Ramana -
Boundless Ocean of Grace -
Volume IV.]
I [Arthur Osborne] went to
Colombo to meet Hartz and we
spent the night at the house of
K. Ramachandra, a friend and a
devotee of Sri Bhagavan. Next day
we flew to Madras and stayed with
Dr. T.N. Krishnaswami, another
devotee. And from there, we came by car to Tiruvannamalai.
Sri Bhagavan was very gracious
to Hartz. Indeed a photograph of
Sri Bhagavan taken by him on his
trip is evidence enough of the love and encouragement with which Sri Bhagavan regarded him. He received the initiation by look, but, although told by the devotees that this was Sri Bhagavan's mode of initiation, he wanted to make quite sure and therefore said: "I want Bhagavan's initiation." Sri Bhagavan replies: "You have it already."
This is the only occasion of which I know when He explicitly confirmed having given initiation.
On another day also, Hartz
desired assurance. He perhaps feared that when he got back
into life of the world, with all is distractions his steadfastness might weaken. He asked Bhagavan
for some guarantee and was given the tremendous assurance. "Even if you let go of Bhagavan, Bhagavan will never let go of you."
******
R.Subramanian,
The Thiruppavai verse 3 can be translated like this:
"If we sing the praise of Him,
Who grew big and measured the world ,
And worship our Goddess Pavai ,
Then would there be at least three rains a month,
And the red paddy plants would grow big,
And in their fields would the fish swim and play ,
And the spotted bees after sipping honey,
To their hearts content ,
Would sleep in the flower themselves
After having their fill,
And the cows with big udder
Would fill milk pots to the brim,
And healthy cows and never diminishing wealth,
Would fill the country,
And all this I assure by worship of our Goddess Pavai."
This is typical of the Imagery that Vedas and the Siddha songs abound-Healthy cow,Milk,Pots to the Brim(pAtra),Fish leaping,bees(poRi vandu,compare it with bharatya'r kAlamAm vanathil andak kolamAm maraththil reenkAra(mantra Hrim) mittu ulavum oru vandu),3 rains(mum mAri-means Sravana ,manana,and nidhidyasana in the Thingal or mind-These are clearly esoteric symbolism.in the siddhar songs also milk signifies milk of knowledge(pAl kara as they say).
TGN is a jnAni and has wonderfully brought out all these nuances.Immediately one can recognize the insight vs interpretation paradigms.
Namaskar.
R.Subramanian/Friends,
Here is an excerpt from The gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
"God has different forms, and He sports in different ways. He sports as Isvara, deva, man,
and the universe. In every age He descends to earth in human form, as an Incarnation, to
teach people love and devotion. There is the instance of Chaitanya. One can taste devotion
and love of God only through His Incarnations. Infinite are the ways of God's play, but
what I need is love and devotion. I want only the milk. The milk comes through the udder
of the cow. The Incarnation is the udder."
It is now clear how jnAnis use the same symbol,although no one is copying from the other!
Namaskar.
Dear Ravi,
Wonderful. As the author of
Sivaraja Yogam said about
Tiruvachakam, there are layers
and layers of meanings in bhakti
and jnana literature. One should
as you mentioned about TGN,
read such commentaries to enjoy
the pleasure. But we normally go
for the upper layer of the meaning
and be satisfied with it, because we do not want to rack our brain. I am right now reading Tiru Chitrambala Kovaiyar of Manikkavachagar. In every poem [it is of 400 poems of KattaLai Kali ThuRai, like Abhirami Andati.
Each poem has got two or three layers of meaning. Apparently, Thalaivan [the hero] meeting the Thalaivi [heroine] and running away together for a wedding, KaLavu MaNam. There is a friend for Thalavi, thozhi. The friend helps her to unite with the hero, without the knowledge of Thalavi's biological mother [NaRRai] and foster mother [Sevili Thaai]. The whole work is a pageant of Atma {Thalaivan] uniting with Sivam [Thalavi] with the help of the friend [aruL - grace]. In each poem, there is a mention about Thillai Nataraja. Oh, if one reads carefully, one is astonished at the prowess of the saint poet.
Written by Dr. Pazha Muthappan. Uma Publishers, 171, Coral Merchant Street, Mannadi, Chennai 600 001. Phone: 044- 2521 5363 and 044 - 2525 0092.
Muruganar mentions about one song of Chitrambala Kovaiyar in his Sri Ramana Sannidhi MuRai, where the saint poet mentions about Tiruchuzhi.
As you said Jnanis use the same type of metaphor or simile as if they are copying from each others note books. Varkalai Narayana Guru and Sri Bhagavan have used the same similes and metaphors, though Narayana Guru was in Kerala and died at least two decades before Sri Bhagavan.
*****
Guru Ramana - S.S. Cohen:
Asramam Publication:
C: Does the enquiry "Who am I?"
lead to any spot in the body?
Bhagavan: Evidently, self
consciousness is in relation to
the individual himself, and
therefore has to be experienced
in his being, with a centre in
the body as the centre of
experience. It resembles the dynamo
of a machine, which give rise to all sorts of electrical works. It not only maintains the life of the
body and the activities of all its parts and organs, conscious and unconscious, but also the relation between the physical and other subtler planes, on which the individual functions. Also, like the dynamo, it vibrates and can be felt by the calm mind that pays attention to it. It is known to the yogis and sadhakas by the name sphurana, which in samadhi scintillates with consciousness.
C: How to reach that Centre, where
what you call the Ultimate Consciousness - the "I" - "I" - arises? Is it by simply thinking
"Who am I?"
Bhagavan: Yes. It will take you up. You must do it with a calm mind - mental calmness is essential.
C: How does that consciousness manifest itself when that centre - the Heart - is reached? Will I recognize it?
Bhagavan: Certainly, as a pure
consciousness, free from all thought. It is pure, unbroken awareness of your Self, rather of Being - there is no mistaking it when pure.
C: Is the vibratory movement of the Centre felt simulataneously with the experience of Pure Consciousness or before or after it?
Bhagavan: They are both one and the same. But sphurana can be felt in a subtle way even when meditation ha sufficiently stabilized and deepened, and the Ultimate Consciousness is very near, or during a sudden fright
or shock when the mind comes to a standstill. It draws attention to itself, so that the meditator's mind, rendered sensitive by calmness, may become aware of ite, gravitate towards it, and finally plunges into it, the Self.
C: Is the I-I Consciousness Self
Realization?
Bhagavan: It is a prelude to it.
[Nochur Venkataraman calls it
aham sphurti]. When it becomes permanent [sahaja], it is Self Realization, Liberation [Sphurana].
Aham --> Aham Vritti --> Aham
Sphurti --> Aham Sphurana, Aham - Aham.
******
Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni Day -
25.07.2011:
Kavyakanta was working in a college
near Vellore. He had enormous knowledge in mantra sastra and was
a man of intense tapas. In Padaiveedu, a small town near Vellore, there is one Renuka Devi
Temple. He went to that temple and
did tapas for a good number of days. And he composed a poem called Renuka Geetham there. On return from Padaiveedu, he took a decision to resign the job and spent his time towards his various activities, viz., tapas, working for freedom of India through mantra japa powers etc.,
Next day, i.e on 3.11.1907, he left for Tiruvannamalai. He spent some time in dhyana and meditation and did a miracle of the car in
Tiruvannamalai which was stuck without moving further during the Mahadeepam festival.
On 18.11.1907, he suddenly became restless and at around 2.00 pm, rushed to Virupaksha Cave to see Brahmana Swami, about whom he had already heard about. Surprisingly Sri Bhagavan was all alone, and even Pazhani Swami was not there. He went towards Sri Bhagavan and with his right hand he held His right foot and with his left hand he held His left foot and shed tears asking Him to tell him what was real tapas since, he had not peace of mind inspite of all mantra japas. Sri Bhagavan gave him the important upadesa of concentrating on the place where the mantra dvani starts and finally gets quiescent.
Muni became very happy and peaceful. He further asked Him to give him a place to stay with Him. Sri Bhagavan told him to stay inside Virupaksha Cave.
When Pazhani Swami returned, he asked Pazhani what was the name of Sri Bhagavan. Pazhani Swami answered that His name is Venkataraman. Muni immediately decided to call Him as Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. He composed ex tempore five Sanskrit versess in praise of his Guru, Sri Bhagavan. Sri Bhagavan also smiled and accepted them.
Sri Bhagavan also used to call Muni as Nayana in all fondness. On that Mahadeepam week, they both stood side by side and watched the deepam on the summit of the Hill.
Soon, Muni asked his wife Smt. Visalakshi to come from Vellore. Some disciples of him also came to Sri Bhagavan.
continued....
Kavya Kanta Ganapati Muni Day -
25.7.2011:
Soon as per the suggestion of Pazhani Swami, Muni moved to Mango Tree Cave. Echammal on seeing both one day, started bringing food for both. Muni had already composed Hara Sahasram [1000 songs on Siva] and he now wanted to compose Uma Sahasram [1000 verses on Uma, Parvati]. On 26th November 1907, he started composing the verses.
Within 15 days, he developed some
boil on his right thumb and could not write. On 19th day, he had completed only 700 verses. Soon one Dr. Punuyakoti came from Madras and did small surgery for him; however he had a big bandage on the right thumb and he could not write anything. On 20th day,
at around 8 pm, he started with his five disciples to complete the work. Sri Bhagavan also came and sat a little away from Muni. As Muni was telling the verses, the disciples were noting on paper. Around mid night it was over. As soon as the composition was over, Sri Bhagavan who was sitting with closed eyes for more than 4 hours, opened His eyes and asked Nayana: Have you all written down what I have said? Immediately Nayana understood, that it was the Maharshi, who was dictating the verses and he was only an instrument. He prostrated before Sri Bhagavan and immediately a wrote a verse in praise of Him. Though Nayana made several changes in Uma Sahasram, he did not make any change in the last 300 verses composed with the grace of Sri Bhagavan! Uma Sahasram was read out to general audience in Pachaimaman Temple precincts. On the second day, when the reading was continued, he prostrated before Sri Bhagavan in Pachiamman Temple. It was in Pachaiamman Temple, that Nayana found six stars coming and touching Sri Bhagavan's head and disappearing. Nayana concluded that it was Subrahmanya with six faces, who had taken avatara as Sri Bhagavan. He immediately wrote a 8 stanza poem Sri Ramana Guru Ashtakam and submitted to Sri Bhagavan. These were sung in the morning parayana which was prevalent in the Asramam in the early years.
Ganapati Muni then went to Tiruvotriyur near Chennai and did tapsa in one Vinayaka temple. There one young man proficient in Sanskrit literature, who came and listened to Nayana's songs became his disciple. He was Kapali Sastri.
In the Ganapati Temple, Nayana did tapas for 18 days. Soon he got tired and was lying down and meditating. Soon he also developed burning sensation in his head. How nice will it be if Sri Bhagavan could be with me, he was thinking. Sri Bhagavan was there and held Nayana's head with one hand and his chest on other hand and sat near him for sometime. Soon Nayana became completely alright and when he opened his eyes, he could not see Sri Bhagavan.
contd.,
Kavya Kanta Ganapati Muni Day - 25.7.2011:
After visiting Padaiveedu, Gokarnam,
Ayodhya, Kasi, Prayag, Gaya and other
places, Ganapati Muni returned to T'malai with his wife and disciples in June 1917. Sri Bhagavan was then staying in Skandasramam. Nayana wanted to write Ramana Gita while staying in Mango Tree Cave, which is to the east of Skandasramam. It was
a hot summer in T'malai. Still with great difficulty, Nayana continued Ramana Gita with 6 questions asked
by him and Sri Bhagavan's answers. Soon, his disciples like Daivarata,
Kapali Sastra, Gajanana and his wife Smt. Visalakshi, asked questions and Sri Bhagavan answered them. By September second week of 1917, Sri
Ramana Gita was completed.
Again from October 1917 to February 1918, Nayana and his wife did meditation in Padaveedu Renuka Devi Temple, near Vellore. Daivarata accompanied them.
Coming back from Padaiveedu, Nayana and his wife stayed in Tiruvannamalai in Mango Tree Cave. By this time, Mother Azhagmma had also joined Sri Bhagavan in Skandasramam. On the night of 19th May 1922, Sri Bhagavan conferred liberation to Mother Azhagamma.
Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni was also present at that time. After liberation of Mother and Samadhi functions, Sri Bhagavan composed Sri Aryamba Ashtakam on Mother Azhagamma. When the well was dug out at the place and when water came out gushing, Nayana was astonished and Nayana called the well as Agha samana Tirtham, the one with removes sins and make the mind stay with Aham in peace.
On 3rd Jan. 1923, Ramana Jayanti was celebrated and on that day the present Asramam came into existence. On that day, Nayana composed a poem on Sri Bhagavan which reads as: "In your Gaze is Parasakti. In your Face is Lakshmi. In your Words in Saraswati. O Guru, how can I eulogize your prowess?" In 1923, Nayana completed Uma Sahasram [the corrected version] and submitted at Sri Bhagavan's feet.
From Dec. 1923, Nayana engaged himself in Congress activities in Belgaum and other places, and also in spiritual activities in Masulipatnam and other places. He attended the Varnasrama Sangha meeting in Secunderabad.
In 1931, when he was in Sirsi, Viswanatha Swami brought Sri Bhagavan's ULLadu Narpadu and requested Nayana to render it in Sanskrit. Nayana quickly rendered a Sanskrit version called Sad Darsanam and then asked Kapali Sastri to make a commentary. From Sirsi, Nayana wrote a letter per week to Sri Bhagavan. These letters were later published as Epistles of Light by the Asramam. He also sent one poem on Sri Bhagavan, stating that he would make a hundred poems on his Guru, Sri Bhagavan. He also met in between Kanchi Parmacharya, Aurobindo and other illuminaries.
Soon Nayana decided to stay in Kharagpur. There he fell ill and left his mortal coil on 25.7.1936. Telegram was sent to Sri Bhagavan. On seeing the telegram Sri Bhagvan said: O Nayana is gone. Where can I see another person like him? and thus showed his appreciation towards Nayana's Herculean knowledge in Sanskrit and poetry.
Sri Ramanasramam observes Kavya Kanta Ganapati Muni's day today.
The innumerable poems of Nayana and his life story has come in 10 volume editions during the last two years. Kapali Sastri as per his Guru's orders, wrote Sad Darsana Bhashyam and Ramana Gita Prakasa - the latter one was read out by Kapali Sastri in Sri Bhagavan's Presence.
*******
Friends,
Having posted excerpts from kAnchi mahAswAmi's Talks in 'The curious court case' thread,it will be useful to have a look at the Brahma SutrAs referred to by the sage.
Swami KrishnAnanda has given a free rendering of the Brahma sutrAs.Here is an excerpt:
Chapter 1: The Forest of the Brahma SutraThe greatest truths available for human comprehension are supposed to be documented in the great scriptures called the Upanishads. They are exultations of masters who are deeply involved in the ultimate principles of the cosmos. They are realised souls, called Rishis, but these Rishis in their expressions through the Upanishads spoke in terms of their particular vision of the Ultimate Reality.
A common student of the Upanishads is likely to feel embarrassed over apparently irreconcilable differences and contradictions among the statements of these great Masters. Every kind of philosophy you will find in the Upanishads. There are provisions for establishing the monism aspect of philosophy, the dualistic aspect, the active aspect, the volitional aspect - everything can be found. Even Sankhya and Mimamsa have a reference.
What is it that you are supposed to take from this big forest of statements on the nature of Reality? To clarify the intention of these sages and to reconcile these statements in a harmonious manner, and to point out that different expressions do not necessarily mean contradictory presentations, Brahma Sutras was written. They can be harmonised by a higher perception of what is there and what is happening. In order to harmonise these multifaceted statements, Bhagavan Sri Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa wrote a new text called the Brahma Sutras. Sutra is a thread that connects different parts of the vision of Truth.
All the statements connected with Ultimate Reality, known as Brahman in the Sanskrit language, have to be threaded together so that instead of the various statements of the Upanishads being contradictory outbursts, they become beautiful pearls in the garland of the knowledge of the Supreme Being, from various points of view. This act of reconciliation is called samanvaya.
We have problems like this in the Gita also. What is it that the Gita is telling us? 'Go ahead and fight'; 'Think of Me always'; 'I am doing everything' - what is the point in saying all these things which seem to be negating one another?
When a Cosmic Perception enunciates a Truth, it may look like a multiple proclamation of different hues, colours and emphases, which an ordinary person will not be able to reconcile. You cannot know which is the correct vision and which is lesser or higher. To obviate these difficulties, the great Master Krishna Dvaipayana Vyasa wrote the wonderful interpretative textbook called the Brahma Sutras."
Please visit this site:
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/brahma/brahma_01.html
A pdf version is also available in the same site.
Namaskar.
Friends,
Here is an excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
""Listen to a story. Once a man entered a wood and saw a small animal on a tree. He came
back and told another man that he had seen a creature of a beautiful red colour on a certain
tree. The second man replied: 'When I went into the wood, I also saw that animal. But why
do you call it red? It is green.' Another man who was present contradicted them both and
insisted that it was yellow. Presently others arrived and contended that it was grey, violet,
blue, and so forth and so on. At last they started quarrelling among themselves. To settle
the dispute they all went to the tree. They saw a man sitting under it. On being asked, he
replied: 'Yes, I live under this tree and I know the animal very well. All your descriptions
are true. Sometimes it appears red, sometimes yellow, and at other times blue, violet, grey,
and so forth. It is a chameleon. And sometimes it has no colour at all. Now it has a colour,
and now it has none.'
"In like manner, one who constantly thinks of God can know His real nature; he alone
knows that God reveals Himself to seekers in various forms and aspects. God has attributes;
then again He has none. Only the man who lives under the tree knows that the chameleon
can appear in various colours, and he knows, further, that the animal at times has no colour
at all. It is the others who suffer from the agony of futile argument."
Namaskar.
Dear Ravi,
Coming back to AandaL. [one
of my sister's name is
AandaL; she was born in
Srivilliputtur when we were
there where my father was
working; AandaL died of
cancer five years back.]
By reading Tiruppavai, what
will one appreciate? First
the beautiful Tamizh, simple,
but layers and layers of
meaning, simple and esoteric.
The second is her immense bhakti
towards Narayana. The third?
The third is how to make sweet
pongal [sweet porridge, made of
rice, jaggery and lots of ghee;
ghee roasted cashew nuts, cardamom
and clove! And a huge dose
of good ghee made out of cow's
milk!
She says in Verse 27 of
Tiruppavai:
Koodaarai vellum seer Govinda!
Unathanodu paadi paRai koLLum
yaam perum sanmmanam;
Choodakame thoL vaLaiye thode
sevippoove,
Paadakame enRanaiya palkalanum
naam anivom;
Aadai uduthu adhan pinne paal
soru,
mooda nei peithu muzhangai vazhi vaara
Koodi irunthu kuLirntholer
embaavai!
O Govinda, you will win those
who are against you!
We shall be with you for ever,
We shall get from you, choodakam [an ornament fitted on the locks of hairs; thoL vaLaiye - the golden bangles on the shoulders, called in Tamizh as Vangi; thode - ear studs; sevip poove, a flower like
ornament fitted on the ears along with ear studs;
paadakame - bangles;
We shall wear all these prizes
given by you;
And then we shall wear new dresses;
Then, we shall eat sweet pongal;
And then be cool in the company of each other and be blissful.
Alright. How is that sweet pongal? Mooda nei peithu, the whole dish is hidden by ghee! And while eating that, the ghee will trickle down to our elbows from our palms!
This is how sweet pongal should be prepared, says AandaL!
In the month of Dhanur, on the 27th
day, this song is sung. This day
is called by Sri Vaishnavas as
Koodaravalli Day!
I think in those days, there were no cholesterol problems for any body!
******
R.subramanian,
" Mooda nei peithu, the whole dish is hidden by ghee! And while eating that, the ghee will trickle down to our elbows from our palms!"
Ghee,Ghritam is again Vedic Symbolism-Mooda Nei Peithu means -like thaila dhara-uninterrupted abidance in the Divine.
Sravana from a Jnani is essential to grasp these.
Nice to know your sister's name is AndAl.
What a great soul,Divine mother herself manifested as AndAl-she rules every heart!
Namaskar.
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne: Asramam
Publication - 2006 edition:
Bhagavan Sri Ramana
Maharshi:
I found my wife changed when I
met her at Tiruvannamalai,
after four years [When Arthur
was in jail in Siam during
WW II]. She had been mature in
character but now she was mature
in understanding also. She no
longer asked for explanations but
gave them. And as she was explaining the same truths in a different idiom, that of Sri Bhagavan, instead
of that of Guenon, it took me some time to adjust myself.
Sri Bhagavan did not immediately
reveal Himself to me. I felt far less from His bodily presence than I had from His invisible support in the [concentration] camp. His photograph had been more real and vivid to me, than any person, and yet now that I saw Him face to face, I felt His Presence much less. This did not unduly worry me. It seemed merely a confirmation of what I had been told, that He was not a Guru. I will give my impressions as I wrote them down at a time when they were fresher in my mind.
"I entered the Asramam Hall on the meaning of my arrival, before Sri Bhagavan had returned from His daily walk on the Hill. I was a little awed to find how small it was and how close to Him, I should be sitting. I had expected something grander and less intimate. And then He entered and to my surprise, there was no great impression. Certainly far less than His photograph had made. Just a white haired, very gracious man, walking a little stiffly from rheumatism and with a slight stoop. As soon as He had eased Himself on to the couch, He smiled at me and then returned to those around and to my young son and said: "So Adams's prayer has been answered. His daddy has come back safely." I felt His kindness but no more. I appreciated that it was for my sake that He had spoken English, since Adam knew Tamizh."
The change came a few weeks later at one of the big festivals of the Asramam year. "There were huge crowds for the festival and we were sitting in the courtyard outside the Hall. Sri Bhagavan was on His couch and I was sitting in front row before it. He sat up, facing me, and His narrowed eyes pierced into me, penetrating, intimate, with an intensity I cannot describe. It was as though they said, "You have been told; why have you not realized?" And then quietness, a depth of peace, an indescribable lightness and happiness.
contd.,
R.Subramanian,
An excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
"The vijnani enjoys the bliss of God in a richer way. Some have heard of milk, some have
seen it, and some have drunk it. The vijnani has drunk milk, enjoyed it, and been nourished
by it."
This is what AndAl is saying towards the end of ThiruppAvai.
Namaska.
My Life and Quest:
continues....
"Thereafter love for Sri
Bhagavan began to grow in my
heart and I felt His power and
beauty. Next morning, for the
first time, sitting before Him
in the Hall, I tried to follow
His teaching by using the vichara,
"Who am I?". I thought it was I who
had decided. I did not at first
realize that it was the initiation
by look that had vitalized me and
changed my attitude of mind. Indeed,
I had only heard vaguely of this
initiation and paid little heed to what I had heard. Only later, did I
learn that other devotees also had had such an experience, and that with
them also it had marked the beginning of the active sadhana [Quest] under
Sri Bhagavan's guidance."
Then, for the first time, in my life, I began to understand what the grace and blessing the Guru could mean. "My love and devotion to Sri Bhagavan deepened. I went about with a lilt of happiness in my heart, feeling the
blessing and mystery of the guru, repeating, like a song of love, that He was the Guru, the link between heaven and earth, between God and me, between the Formless Being and my Heart. I became aware of the enormous grace of His presence. Even outwardly, He was gracious to me, smiling when I entered the Hall, signing to me to sit and where He could watch me in meditation."
However, with the Sadguru, the Divine Guru, this simple idyllic state could not long continue. Although the devotion never diminished, it had merged with understanding. "And then one day, a vivid reminder awoke in me: "The link with Formless Being?
But He is the Formless Being." And I began to apprehend the meaning of His Jnana and to understand why devotees addressed Him simply as "Bhagavan,"
which is a name for God. {I should
have said: A word meaning God}. So
He began to prove in me what He declared in His teaching: that the outer guru serves to awaken the guru
in the heart. The vichara of the
Self as Bhagavan outwardly and also
simultaneously of the Self within.
The specious theory that Sri Bhagavan
was not a Guru had simply evaporated,
in the radiance of His Grace. Moreover, I now perceived that, far from His teaching not being practical
guidance, it was exclusively that.
I observed that He shunned theoretical
explanations and kept turning the questioner to practical consideration of Sadhana, of the path to be followed. It was that and only that He was here to teach!
contd.,
Dear Ravi,
As Sri Ramakrishna said
about a Jnani drinking the
milk and be nourished ever
by it, Nochur Venkataraman
has said that a Jnani is
ever drowned in Swatma
Tirtham, the Waters of the
Self. I think this may also
be a Vedic or Upanishadic
usage.
*****
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne: continues..
Before going any further
I will try briefly to elucidate
the differences of meaning in
terms 'saint', 'mystic', 'initiate',
'yogi' and 'sage'. It will help to show what we implied by using the term
'Bhagavan' and what Sri Bhagavan
prescribed and therefore will not be
really a digression. These terms, of course, are not rigorously precise definitions; neither are they mutually exclusive; nevertheless they do indicate real differences, even though there may be overlapping.
Imagine people living in a miasma at the foot of a mountain, stunted, undernourished, wasted by disease. They have been told that there is a wonderful plateau on the mountain top, with fruits and flowers, invigorating air and cool, fresh water. But the ascent is arduous and they would have to leave their hovels and their few miserable possessions behind, so they stay where they are. Only a few of the more enterprising, either seeking the mountain summit or simply striving to rise above the heat, miasma and mosquitoes of the plain, have climbed up some distance and made themselves dwellings on the hillside. The plain dwellers would
refer them all alike as 'people of the hill' and yet there would be endless differences among them. Some might have developed a farmstead and have fruit, milk, and grain to give away to the sick and needy below, while others might be resting in a cave with a little more than their immediate needs. Some might have set forth on a deliberate enterprise to attain the summit, while others were driven merely by the urge to get up higher into cooler air and more beautiful, health giving surroundings, not even knowing that there was a summit to attain. Even among those who started out with a plan of ascent, some might have put it aside a little later, indefinite date, once they had made a home somewhere along the path, while others might regard each pleasure grove they came to as no more than a resting place from which to plan next
stage of the ascent.
No less varied are the people known
as 'saints'. Not only in their level
of attainment do they vary but in their understanding of the goal and their dedication to further striving towards it. Also in the powers they manifest and the benefits they bestow.
Only the Roman Catholic Church officially canonize saints; in other religions they are simply recognized.
One criterion the Church demands is the performance of miracles. Power may flow through a saint, but it is by no means miracles. Also, the possession of powers is no proof
of sainthood. This the Church recognizes. Not only that, but Christ himself warned against false prophets
who would perform signs and wonders.
contd.,
R.Subramanian,
"Nochur Venkataraman
has said that a Jnani is
ever drowned in Swatma
Tirtham, the Waters of the
Self. I think this may also
be a Vedic or Upanishadic
usage."
I have not heard about this term in the Vedas,that i know,which is precious little!.The Vedas refer to 'Apaha' for the 'waters'.
I have not heard the word 'swatma' and I did a google search and landed on your post here!:
http://www.arunachala-ramana.org/forum/index.php?action=printpage;topic=6086.0
Namaskar.
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne: continues..
The mention of powers invites
consideration of a slightly
different category, that of the
yogi or initiate [for the yogi
is simply an initiate of one
particular type of Hindu path].
There is no clear demarcation.
Indeed, a saint may be a member of an initiate order, while an initiate who has attained a higher state will be a saint. Nevertheless, the accent here is rather more on powers and faculties and less on sanctity. The initiate is following a definite technique intended to cause changes and development of mind and character and ultimately to lead to a beatitude. The saint also may be, but he may have been swept up by the sheer force of his aspiration and devotion, not knowing in theory whither he is being borne or by what means. There were initiatic sciences [hermetic or alchemical] in medieval Christendom and still are in India [yogic and tantric sciences] which develop powers and faculties in a man such as would be generally termed supernatural.
Purity of character and motive are supposed to be essential in these sciences, but unfortunately there are people who practice them without and become rather occultists than saints.
I myself have seen people in India who could perform wonders, and there was nothing spiritual about them. The great Tibetan Buddhist saint Milarepa [whose life has been translated into English by Evans-Wentz] first attained occult powers for the egoistic purpose of revenge on relatives who dispossessed his mother and himself. When he turned into a genuine spiritual path, he had to undergo terrible austerities to purify himself from this aberration.
The meaning of 'initiate' therefore, rangers all the way from 'saint' on the one hand to 'occultist' on the other, apart from the many initiates,
indeed the great majority, who achieve
no recognizable development at all as a result of their initiation.
The term 'mystic' also is vaguely used. Both a saint and the initiate
may be a mystic -- in fact, it might be held that the genuine saint and the successful initiate must be. However, there can be mystics who are
neither saints nor initiates. The emphasis here is rather on intuitive
knowledge, vision or ecstasy than on either sanctity or power. Moreover,
it may be a passive state without
either the theoretical understanding
or the practical disciplines of the initiate and without the saint's striving for purity. What is held to characterize it is the occasional largesse of vision or beatitude, descending unearned. Even here there is a very wide range of what the mystic glimpses, from pure Self Realization to sensual visions and divine visitations.
continued....
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne:
continues....
There is one flank of the mounrtain
where the ascent is sheer, with
no pleasant groves to rest in on
the way, where, to compensate for
this, the path is direct and the
crest is already visible from the
plains below and throughout the
ascent. This is the direct path
taught by Sri Bhagavan. There are no stages on this path. Indeed, followers of Sri Bhagavan are apt to be impatient when they hear of stages or degrees of realization upon some indirect path and to say, "What does all this mean? Either a man has realized the Self or he has not." This attitude is right as regards their own path but not necessarily
as regards others, for there are paths on which the wayfarer does not aim at realization of the Self, the ultimate end of Supreme Truth, or at any rate not directly, and the term 'realization' is used with a different meaning, to signify merely the attainment of some higher state which, however, is equally transient and illusory within the ultimate reality of the Self.
However, although the wayfarer on the direct path does not attain any higher states along the way, he may be blessed with glimpses of pure Self-realization, beyond all states, which will suffice and irradiate his whole life. Speaking of Pure Self-realization and the direct path to it, Sri Bhagavan affirmed quite definitely both, that there are no stages in Realization and that Realization is not normally permanent when first attained. it may come in occasional flashes but cannot be permanent until the vasanas [inherent tendencies impelling one to desire one thing and shun another] have been eradicated.
Two modes of conscious planned ascent have now been indicated, whatever name one may give them apart from the occasional transportation of the mystic and the uncharted elevation of certain saints; that of the man in some higher state, possibly with higher powers, but with no direct, and often even no theoretical knowledge of the supreme state of Realization, and that of the man who envisages the supreme truth of Identity, strives towards it, perhaps has occasional glimpses of its Realization, but until attaining it, is not established in any higher state. Which is preferable? The question is unrealistic, since each aspirant will follow the path that accords with his temperament and that his destiny makes available.
contd.,
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne:
continues....
Another question that may be
raised at this point is that
of the benefit to those below.
Reverting to the symbol of the
mountain: should the hill-
dweller who is facing downwards,
having established a homestead
not too high up from which he can
supply the sufferers in the plain
below, not be considered preferable
to one who has turned his back on
them and struggled up on his lone
path to the summit? He might be if the symbol held good, but it does not. It is cancelled out by Christ's
saying that to him who attains the kingdom of heaven, all else is added.
It is therefore, he who has the greatest power to help others. One's
own Self Realization is the greatest boon that one can bestow on others, while at the same time, paradoxically, it reveals that there are no others to whom to bestow boons! It is like waking up from a dream. And to ask what can be done for others is as senseless as worrying what happened to the people
one saw in last night's dream! And yet waking is the best way to help them. Both are true.
Plontinus is usually spoken of as a sage and Eckhart as a mystic. And yet they would both appear to fall into the same category of wayfarers on the direct path. In theory they both
showed complete understanding of the absolute Oneness of Self Realization, of what Guenon called the Supreme Identity. In practice also they both seem to have had glimpses of realization such as Sri Bhagavan refers to, although it is clear from what they themselves wrote that they were not permanently and irrevocably in that state.
To be thus established, is possible although very rare again. Again,
'among thousands, perhaps one strives for realization; among thousands who strive for realization, perhaps one
knows Me as I am." [BG.7:3]. This does not imply knowing as one does another but knowing by being. It means simply to realize the Self that you are always were, by complete dissolution of any other-than Self in you, or, more correctly still, by complete dissolution of the mistaken belief that there ever was any other- than-Self in you.
This is the supreme state. It is beyond revelation, for who is to reveal to whom? Beyond prayer, for who is to pray to whom? However, the realized man may consciously act as a part on the stage of life, where prayer, like any other activity, is to be performed. He may act any part in life, -- that of a King or hermit, married or celibate, famous or obscure, according to his apparent nature and destiny. I say 'apparent' because in fact, he has transcended nature and destiny also.
Such a one was the Bhagavan I knew. He was the most simple, natural, unassuming of men; He was what a man should be, quite without affectation, like a child; and at the same time, with an indescribable beauty and wisdom and with such power that many trembled in His Presence and feared to speak to Him. To address Him in the third person, as "Bhagavan", seemed less inappropriate than saying 'you' to one who was leading us beyond the duality of 'you' and 'I'. When the meaning was general and warranted it, He would also say, "Bhagavan" -- "even if you let go of Bhagavan, Bhagavan will never let go of you". In simple daily affairs He would play the part of an individual, just as an actor could play King Lear's frenzy without himself being frenzied, without supposing that he was King Lear.
continued.....
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne:
continues....
Unfortunately, few in
the West understand the
possibility of this supreme
state. To make matters worse,
the philosophers and theologians
who should be the ones to explain
it, introduce confusion by misunderstanding and therefore
denying or misrepresenting it. In the
East, there is the opposite trouble --
that this possibility is widely understood and is therefore claimed indiscriminately for everyone who gather disciples.
Sri Bhagavan was also commonly referred to as 'the Maharshi' or
'Ramana Maharshi'. A pundit once explained to me that this title, condensed from Mahaa-rishi, 'Great Sage', is applied to one who does not merely continue a tradition but inaugurates a new spiritual path. Certainly that would justify its application to Ramana Maharshi.
In speaking of spiritual men, the question also arises of their recognition. It is not uncommon to hear some one express confidence that he would recognize a spiritual man if he met one. This however, is not always possible. High spiritual attainment, even complete liberation, is not always recognizable. Naturally, it is not easy to give examples for this, for this very reason that they are recognized, but one very striking one is that of Christ before he set forth on his mission. According to Christian doctrine, he was born without original sin [which means Self Realization from birth] and attained no new state when he went forth on his 'Father business'. And yet he exerted no influence on others before that but went completely unrecognized. Not only is there no record of crowds flocking to Nazareth, as they would have in any country or age to the seat of one recognized as a holy man, but, on the contrary, when he returned there, with his disciples, his fellow townsman expressed surprise, if not incredulity that the local carpenter should have turned out a prophet.
The Maharshi also was not recognized when He first attained Realization,
but only later, when He began to shed His Grace on others and act as a Guru.
The reason for this is that it is not a man's inner state which is felt by others but the Grace flowing through him towards them. Perceptible Grace may thus flow through one who has not attained the Supreme Identity [as has been the case with many saints] or even though one who has not attained any spiritual state at all; and again it may not through one who has. There may be other spiritual functions besides the guidance of disciples,
for some of which anonymity is desirable. If so it will be maintained.
******
Friends,
I received this Forward on kAnchi mahAswAmi:
Sri PrativAdhi Bhayankaram Annangarachaarya Swamy was a staunch Vaishnavite, and very much
against Advaita philosophy. He wrote One hundred slokas titled SATHA
DHOOSHANAM against Maha Periva , that he is misleading the disciples
by propagating Advaita which is totally wrong and Periva is unfit to
be the Jagad Guru. This letter was sent by post to the Sri Matham.
The Mutt Manager after opening this letter, was hesitating to read
the letter to Periva, but Periva asked the Manager to read the
letter loudly before all who had assembled there. When he read all the
hundred slokas, Periva with a smiling face told, " see! how nice
these slokas are! ,you have to appreciate his knowledge, the " pada
laalityam", leave alone the meaning".
Sri PrativAdhi Bhayankaram sent this letter from NooraNi(nooru=Hundred and aNi=ornament) village in
Palghat. The title he had given for these Slokas was " SATHA
DHOOSHANAM" or ONE HUNDRED ABUSES.
But Periva told that since it was sent from NooraNi village ,it is not
Satha Dhooshanam but
it is SATHA BHOOSHANAM" only, One Hundred Ornaments! Satha is Hundred and
Bhooshanam meaning, decorating with ornaments!
Later the same PrativAdhi became a staunch devotee of our MahA periva.
and used to fall down at Periva's Holy feet in the street. When all
other Vaishnavites crticised this, he told them to show one
Vaishnavite acharya equal to Periva and as no one is there- 'I am
prostrating'!
PrativAdhi's grand son Sri TV Chari was an executive in All India
Radio Madras, susequently
Director Door Darshan Hyderabad, used to come to my house.
His daughter was dumb till the age of five years. Since childhood, she
did'nt talk a single word. Chari & his wife were worried a lot.
Daily he used to go for the Darshan of Maha Periva. His house was very
near to the Kanchi Sri Mutt. It didn't strike him to mention this to
Maha Periva and one day his wife had asked him to take the child to
Periva and mention to Periva, about the problem..
Periva was giving Darshan to all and Chari was standing by his side
with his child
right from morning eight to twelve noon. Periva after giving Darshan
to all, was about to return and in the last minute Chari mentioned
about his child's problem for which Periva casually told "ELLAAM
PESUVAA, PO!" (She will talk, don't worry)
After this he remembered, that the child has not taken any food for
the past so many hours,and hence rushed to back to his house, when
his wife asked him, the child has not taken any thing and since it
cannot express any thing, Chari should have come in the
middle to feed the child and again could have gone to the Mutt.
when Chari's wife was telling this the child for the very firs time told
"AMMA PASKKIRADU" ( MOTHER, I AM HUNGRY!)
After this miracle, he wanted to do some service to Maha Periva. He told,
"You are in All India Radio, you know all the musicians! During the
Navaratri Festival
you arrange a music concert in the Kamakshi Amman temple! This is the
best service you can do!" Till date Sri Chari is doing this service.
My wife Lalitha had also a given a full time performance in the
Kamakshi Amman temple during one Navaratri!
Once when I met him I asked "how is your child now?" He told "she is
not a child now. She is married and happy with her child!"-K.Vedamurthy
Namaskar.
one and all,
is there any picture of Bhagavan raising his hand in blessing?
R p
ravi,
reading your article on Mahaswami brings only tears. i remember your comment "emotion is not devotion". tears are just emotion or overflow of adoration/bhakti?
R p
R p,
"tears are just emotion or overflow of adoration/bhakti?"
Bhakti takes us into the Heart dissolving 'thought';Emotion is a movement outwards and hangs onto 'thought'.It enervates and dissipates.
You know this,don't you!
As I have posted earlier,you are Blessed.Hope you recall what sri Ramakrishna had said regarding tears of Bhakti.
Namaskar.
Dear Ravi,
Wonderful anecdote that brings
tears to the readers. It is said
that Jnanis unlike Tantrics and
Yogis do not perform miracles and
miracles do happen by merely seeing them and their gaze upon us.
Prativadi Bhyanakaram Annarangachariyar used to prostrate only for two people,
one is Kanchi Varadaraja and another is Mahaswami. This must be after his realization about the greatness of Mahaperiyava and the 100 verses episode must have taken place in his earlier years. He is a man of erudite knowledge about qualified non dualism and that is why the opponents were afraid to debate with him and that is why he was called Prativadi Bhayanakaram, the opponents were fearing him.
****
Dear Anon., [Rp],
There is no photograph of Sri
Bhagavan either raising His hand
or putting His palms together as
greeting. There is no photograph of His yawning or closing eyes.
Tiruvachakam says about Siva as
sernthaRiya kyaanai, one who does not bring his palms together to greet or do namaskaram to anybody. This indicates two things. One is he is primordial and the highest and there is no need to do namaskaram to anyone else. Second, he is non dual Sivam
and so there is no 'other' to
greet or prostrate.
*******
Dear Anon, Ravi,
Tears flowing from eyes are indication of the highest order
of bhakti and devotion. In nature, one can laugh artificially but one
can never shed tears artificially. That is why Indian cinema actors and actresses use glycerine for shedding tears for acting purposes. Tears are natural exposition of love and sympathy.
There was one Ms. Noye who came to see Sri Bhagavan and she used to always shed tears while seeing Sri Bhagavan. Devaraja Mudaliar said: "By crying Ms. Noye got Sri Bhagavan's grace."
Saint Manikkavachagar says Azhuthaal unnai peRalaame.... Can I not get you by crying?
Sri Ramakrishna used to say,
shedding tears on seeing god or guru is one of the Mahabhavas, finest expressions of love.
******
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne:
continues....
The two fold possibility of finding a realized Guru and observing orthodoxy of whatever religion he professed must have seemed pretty remote to many of Guenon's reders at the time when he wrote; it is vastly more so today, in view of the rapid breakdown of tradition, drying up of spiritual streams and acceptance of modernism not only in the West but throughout the world, and in all religions. To prevent despodency, Guenon gave the assurance that Christ's saying that whoever seeks shall find is a divine law of universal application. This implies, however, that there must be some technique by which it can still apply even in this present age, when a genuine guru has become so rare to find and orthodoxy, for most people, impracticable. Guenon never suggested what this technique might be or even seemed aware of the need for one. The adaptation necessary to meet the condition of the new age was, of course, formless guidance, to which I referred briefly in 'Adventure on the Path', such as could reach the heart of whoever seeks, independent alike of religious orthodoxy and formal initiation. There may be various such currents of guidance in the world today; certainly one was instituted by the Maharshi.
In accordance with the need os this path, He restored the term 'Guru' to its true nature and highest meaning, which is essentially the same as the Christian doctrine of 'the Christ in you.' This introduced a certain mystery into His use of the term. The following dialogue illustrates how it made the laying on of hands or transmission of a mantram by a human agent unnecessary:
Devotee: "Bhagavan has said that without grace of the Guru, one cannot attain to the Self. What precisely does He mean by this? What is this Guru?"
Bhagavan: "From the standpoint of the path of Knowledge, it is the supreme state of the Self. It is different from the ego, which you call your self."
Devotee: "Then if it is the supreme state of my own Self, in what sense does Sri Bhagavan mean that I cannot reach it without the grace of the Guru?"
Bhagavan: "The ego is the individuality and is not the same as the Lord of all. When it approaches the Lord with sincere devotion, he graciously assumes name and form and takes it to Himself. Therefore they say that the Guru is none other than the Lord. He is a human incarnation of Divine Grace."
A human incarnation, yes; but He also said that the Guru need not necessarily take human form. And since He shed the body the meaning of this saying has become clear.
contd.,
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne:
continues....
It is obvious that this supreme definition of the Guru can apply only in a very limited way to one
whose legitimacy depends on human
appointment; in its fullness, it can apply only to Sri Bhagavan, to the Jivan Mukta. Sri Bhagavan Himself is indeed the universal divine Guru.
In another sense also He is universal. One who has attained the supreme state is above all forms of religion. They are the paths leading up to the peak, but He is the peak itself, and everything else. A guru normally guides his followers along the path he himself trod, and Sri Bhagavan's approach to Realization was through an act of self inquiry unconnected with the forms of the Hindu or any other religion. This also was what He taught. He came as an answer to the needs of our age, proclaiming a path which, with His grace and support can be followed by aspirants in any religion, and indeed whether they observed any formal religion or not.
It might be thought to follow this that Sri Bhagavan's initiation would be freely and openly given; on the contrary, it was concealed. Had it be open, the constant stream of visitors from Inida and abroad would have demanded it, putting Sri Bhagavan under the necessity of accepting one and rejecting another. For ordinarily many seek initiation without pledging themselves to the quest, merely as a sort of spiritual tonic. As it was, the aspirant's own understanding or lack of it performed the selection which in a secret order would be performed by the guru. Preparedness for initiation was the first hurdle, those who were not prepared never knowing that they had missed anything and therefore not being subjected to jealousy, resentment or despondency, as they might otherwise have been.
continued....
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne:
continues....
If asked, Sri Bhagavan would never deny that He gave initiation. But He would also not openly affirm it. The only time, I have heard Him do was with Hartz. Sometimes He would answer that the Guru-disciple relationship is a reality from the point of view of the disciple and is necessary to him, although the Guru cannot affirm it, since for Him there are no others and therefore there can be no relationship. It will be noted that Hartz's question was phrased in a form which made it possible to give an affirmative answer without any statement of relationship. This, of course, applies only to the perfect Guru who abides at all times in the state of Supreme Identity.
Nor was the initiation and guidance for Sri Bhagavan's lifetime only. If it had been it would have brought only a very temporary solution to problem of modern world conditions. When asked: "Does the contact continue even after the dissolution of the body of the Guru or only as long as He is in the flesh and blood?", He answered: "The Guru is not the physical form; so contact will remain even after His physical form vanishes."
When His body's death seemed imminent and some devotees asked how they could pursue their sadhana without His continued guidance, He replied with cryptic rebuke: "You attach too much importance to the body."
Indeed, one who has understood what is meant by the Jivan Mukta, in constant, unwavering, conscious identity with the Self, does not need assurance. He understands that the presence or absence of a body make no differences. "There are no stages in Self Realization. There are no degrees of liberation. so there cannot be one stage of liberation with the body and another when the body has been shed. The realized man knows that he is is the Self and nothing, neither his body nor anything else, exists, but for the Self. To such a one what difference could the presence or absence of a body make?"
And in practice, His devotees have found it so. Not only that, but new devotees continue to be drawn to Him and experience His guidance as before. Many of those who come to Tiruvannamalai never saw Him in His lifetime. Many also follow His guidance from a distance, being unable to come. There are not the crowds that there were before, but many of these were sightseers who craved some limited blessing. The proportion of true devotees is higher now. The support and guidance is no less.
continued...
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne:
continues...
Being the universal Guru, Sri Bhagavan proclaimed His teaching
openly. It has been usual for a Guru to maintain secrecy about methods of training, even though he might write openly on theory. Indeed this precaution was necessary, since it was illegitimate and might be dangerous to practice any technique without personal authorization. Under Sri Bhagavan's guidance, however, understanding and aspiration are the only qualifications and their absence the only barriers.
A visitor once asked Him: "May I be assured that there is nothing further to learn, so far as the technique of spiritual practice is concerned, than what was written in Sri Bhagavan's books?" He further explained, "I ask because in all other systems the guru holds back some secret technique to reveal to his disciples at the time of initiation."
And Sri Bhagavan replied: "There is nothing more to be known than what you find in the books. No secret technique. It is all an open secret in this system."
Open and yet secret, because, although expressed openly, few seem to understand the implications.
The method is Self Enquiry: Who am I?
Sometimes He would say: "Whether or not you believe in the reality of the world or of God, you know that you exist, so start with yourself and find out first who you are."
Who am I? What is the reality of me? Not my body, because it changes constantly from youth to age, from sickness to health, but still I am. Besides, I say that I have a body, not that I am one, and what I have is not what I am. Who is that says, 'my head', 'my hands', 'my body'? Also not my thoughts and feelings, ambitions and desires, likes and dislikes, hopes and fears; all these stay with me for a while and then pass away; those I have now are quite different from what I had ten years ago. But still I am. Besides, I have none of them when in deep sleep, dreamless sleep, and yet I still exist. And of them also I say, "I have", not "I am". What then, am I? What remains when all that is adventitious has been taken away?
All this is not what Sri Bhagavan meant by Self enquiry. It is a useful mental introduction to it, but Self
enquiry, as He taught it, is not mental but a spiritual exercise. Therefore any mental or verbal answer must be wrong. "Any answer the mind can give is wrong." To give an answer means mistaking for a philosophical conundrum what is in fact a spiritual exercise.
"The enquiry 'Who am I?' really means trying to find the source of the ego, or 'I-thought'. You are not to occupy the mind with other thoughts such as "I am not the body". Seeking the source of the "I" serves as a means of getting rid of all other thoughts."
continued...
subramanian,
thanks for clarifying about no pics of Bhagavan raising His hand, yawning or closing eyes. shows that Parabrahma Swaroopam is always blessing and ever watching.
since you run a mini blog under david's, maybe i should address you as "sub station". excuse my fetish for word play and corny names :-)
R p
Friends,
Here is an excerpt from Ra Ganapathi's article-The Chandrasekhara of Kanchi and The Chandrasekhara of Sringeri:
"Though they did not meet each other in our physical plane, they were at one at heart. When they ascended the Peetha, times were difficult - the Hindu Society was already divided into factions, was weakened further by skepticism and the new fangled ways and the so-called reforms which were, of course, based on good intentions. The two Saints felt that it was their foremost duty to bring the Hindu Society back into the traditional scriptural fold as one united family. To set the first example, the two themselves stood united.
Though the Sringeri Acharya gave importance to this social duty cast on him, the bliss of the Self drew him too often, like a magnet, to solitude. So the Kanchi Acharya took up the task of drawing up social uplift schemes with redoubled vigour. It is note that he always sought the opinion and cooperation of the Sringeri Acharya for his important schemes. The present writer had the great good fortune to hear from some such emissaries from Kanchi to Sringeri like Sri K. Balasburahmania Iyer, L.S. Parthasarathy Iyer, and Agnihotram Ramanuja Thathacharyar still happily with us reports about the perfect rapport between the two Chandrasekharas.
Even at times when it was reported that the Sringeri Acharya had gone into a session of seclusion, the Kanchi Acharya would depute his emissaries. They would protest, "How to see him when he is immersed in meditation?", Periyaval would just say "Go and try". They would proceed and find that he had come out of his seclusion only just then or the previous day! He would welcome them heartily and beckon them be seated near.
He would start the conversation by sweetly asking something like, "Is Periyaval observing the Chaturmasyam at Madhyarjunam (Thiruvidaimarudur)?"
The emissaries would explain the purpose of their errand and detail out the particular project sponsored by Periyaval. The Sringeri Acharya, his lustrous visage growing further, would carefully listen, and beaming utter words of benign approval in between.
He would remark in conclusion- "He alone can plan such schemes for the world and execute them, even while remaining in Atma nishta (firm establishment in the Self). He feels the pulse of the masses and draws up plans, at the same time taking care not to comprise on the Sastras. Thus he is able to attract the modern people also. Whereas in this place (referring to himself), though it is realised that the office of Acharya entails its duties to the world, the pull is to the contrary. `Here' instruction is given to certain extents only to those who come seeking.He goes out to the people and does them great good. He does than on behalf of us too. It is not at all necessary to consult us about the schemes he draws, because he knows best what is to be done. Apart from giving total approval, I have to only express my gratitude!" Words spoken right out of his heart, open like the spotless sky!"
Continued....
Friends,
The kAnchi and Sringeri paramAcharyAs continued...
"He would honour the emissaries of the Kanchi Math in a befitting away and ask his representatives to take them to all the maths, to obtain the cooperation those heads also for the schemes of the Kanchi Acharya.
On their return a beaming Maha Periyaval would ask, "Have you anywhere seen such a tejasvin (radiant personality)? IT is result of Tapas (Penance), Nishtha (absorption), the exalted heritage both by birth and the Peetha!" (He has referred to the greatness of the father and grand-father of the Sringeri Acharya as also that of his predecessor Acharyas.)
When the representatives conveyed the gratitude expressed by the Sringeri Acharya, he would say, "Is it that he is idle, making us to do all the work? The very radiation of such jnani contributes to the welfare of the world! So we should also express our gratitude!"
........
"For the fourth issue of Arya Dharmam of the year Dundhubi (1922), Sri M.N. Subrahmanai Sastri had sent an article in which he had lauded the active spirit of Kanchi Periyaval in going to every nook and corner of the land and giving new life to the Vedic traditions thereby. He had also written that others in the same position had not cared to exert themselves similarly. It was evident that he meant the Sringeri Acharya. The Editor asked Periyaval whether the portions relating to his good work done by him alone be retained, deleting the aside on the other Acharya.
The reply he got took him by surprise. Periyaval said that the portion praising his work must be deleted and the critical observation published.
While the Editor was wondering whether it was really Periyaval who was saying so, Periyaval continued with a `mischievous' smile, "If one person has expressed such a view in writing, there may be lot of others holding the same view in mind. So we should publish it, along with our reply".
Not knowing the reply and how to incorporate it in the article the Editor left it to Periyaval to do the needful.
Periyaval went through the article. He came to the Passage, "if only all the Heads of Maths follow this (i.e. Periyaval's example) our reformist leaders (condemning the scriptural way to life and values) would vanish into thin air". Here Periyaval himself added: "But as the Divine will is not such, they are going into nishta (absorption within)"!
There are two salient features in that pithy addition-One is that such happenings take place due to the Divine Will, not understood by us humans, and, no one should be blamed therefor. The second point is that the inaction of the person who was blamed was not due to inertia or inability but due to nishta which belongs to a plane higher than activity."
Please refer to the complete article:
http://www.kamakoti.org/souv/5-59.html
Namaskar.
Anger - The Greatest Enemy:
Siluveru Sudharshan:
[Mountain Path - Jan-Mar, 2011:
All of us, except for a rare few,
have experienced the destructive
power of anger. We meet it home, in the street, the office, in public assemblies, and frequently
within ourselves. Many try to rationalize their anger. Some so-
called intellectuals speak approvingly and justify anger. In political battle, anger has become a weapon to stir the masses and bring on a revolution. The leader of labour and vested interests in society use anger to threaten and bargain with the 'do this or else face the consequences' approach. In the world of criminals, anger becomes a status symbol.
This kind of mentality and attitude has an extremely harmful effect on society. Anger has been defined as momentary madness. In spiritual language anger is outcome of strong unsatisfied desire. Whatever the cause or the definition, we must remember that anger causes more harm to oneself than to others.
Anger is a sudden impulsive and forceful emotion with destructive potential. In human beings, it springs up due to a rajasic nature. Soothing words are the water hydrants needed to quench this dangerous fire. An angry person loses wisdom,
loses balance and control over his thoughts and emotions. Controlled by a blind self centred ego, we become over-identified with our desires and fears and due to this unconscious activity, we lose the power of discrimination and become aggressive. Balance of mind is lost and inner peace vanishes. Anger destroys friendships, disturb families and breaks relationships. It adversely affects our physical health. Riots, arson, wars, suicides, murders are all a result of unbridled anger which make the world an ugly and fearful place to inhabit. Parents try to control children with anger, but, in the long run, it is counter productive and does no good at all. In fact, ultimately the parents themselves will be victims of their children's ire, for children learn from their parents' behaviour.
Anger warps the mind and lies in wait to produce future negative behavioural changes. Anger is destructive of life, worldly or spiritual. Uncontrolled anger is akin to insanity. To utilize the anger masterfully and deliverbately to control a situation with a positive outcome in mind, is a science, and a difficult art. Sri Bhagavan was able to do this with but like the proverbial knife through water, there was no residue of anger after harsh teaching was given. But it would be foolish to think we can act like Sri Bhagavan.
How does anger arise? It occurs when a person unduly dwells on something or becomes attached to a state of mind to the point where he loses all discrimination. This gives rise to obsessive thinking which in turn breeds anger. Anger leads to delusion and the failure to remember previous hard lessons. This in turn, dullens the sword of discrimination and finally the man, overwhelmed by animal instincts, is lost. [BG II - 62&63]. Srimad Bhagavad Gita describes lust, anger and greed as the three gateways to hell, leading to the ruin of the self.
continued...
Dear Ravi,
I do not know but you can correct me. The warm relationship between
Chandrasekhara Saraswati and Chandrasekhar Bharati [he attained Jala Samadhi and Abhinva Vidyatheertha came to become the Pontiff] evaporated when Abhinava came. There were mud-slingings mostly from Sringeri Math.
2. They started propagating the idea that Sri Kanchi Math was not formed by Sri Adi Sankara and Adi Sankara did not ascend the Sarvajna Peetam there.
3. One book was published under the title Kamakoti Sathakoti pointing out 100 mistakes about the Kanchi Math. One Mr. Nagaswami, archaelogist, indologist and epigrapher, made out a case that Sri Kanchi Math was established much later by one of sannyasis called Upanishad Swami.
4. Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswati kept mum.
5. The running away of Jayendra Saraswati from the Math in a car, created a lot of sorrow and depression on Sri Chandrasekhara. Sri Chandrasekhara also did not say anything about it but his devotees from all quarters were searching for the missing Jayendra. I think this sinning [mainly not telling Guru and going away in very early morning], created problems of police case for him, in later years.
6. The present Bharati Tirtha Swami has also got a totally strained relationship with Sri
Kanchi Math. He accepts 7th century as Sri Adi Sankara's date, whereas, Sri Kanchi Math does not accept this theory.
7. One silver lining is that:
Kanchi Math promoted bilingal
Sri Sankara TV Channel nut it also telecasts functions of Sri Sringeri Math and Bharati Tirtha's discourses etc.,
*****
******
Anger: The Greatest Enemy:
continues...
How to control anger? It is possible through methodical and sustained self effort. We can change our attitudes by restructuring our priorities. In the Gita, Sri Krishna says, "Undoubtedly, O Arjuna, the mind is restless and hard to control.
But practice [abhyasa] and dispassion [vairagya] it can be
controlled. {BG II. 35]. Spiritual sadhakas should forcefully be motivated to overcome anger.
Anger is our prime enemy. We commit many sins propelled by kama and krodha. It originates from rajas guna and should be cleansed at this point. Sri Bhagavan's enquiry goes right to the cause of each thought and roots it out. By forsaking the evil passions one will become tranquil and thus imbued with an inner atmosphere sattva, peace
and harmony.
There are two types of anger. Our anger against somebody and somebody's anger against us. We should address our mind's attitude and say, "My mind, if you must be angry with that which causes harm, then get angry with anger itself [Sri Bhagavan]. For it does the greatest harm by destroying the cherished values of life. It ruins my pleasure in being alive and the desire to salvation. While angry, I live through hell even before death. I have no enemy greater than anger." This must be repeatedly reflected upon.
The other type of anger can be avoided by not being provoked by the anger of others. We should regard those who get angry with us as our benefactors and be thankful to them for their attention. They reveal our faults and thus strengthen our non attachment. For this, they sacrifice even their own peace of mind. We should really be all the more grateful to them.
The greatest remedy for anger is delay. When angry we are advised to pause and even count up to ten before we speak. If very angry count up to hundred. The idea is to put a brake on the flow of anger. Patience is essential.
Anger is a quality of the demoniac part of human nature. When we observe a rogues gallery of unsavoury characters, we notice their arrogance, self conceit, harshness, and ignorance. All the move hand in hand. It is a powerful gang. We must be determined, courageous, innovative and skilful in dealing with members of this gang, not only externally but also internally. For the battle of Kurukshetra symbolizes not merely a physcial battle between two armies but an inner struggle to overcome the forces of deceit and delusion we harbour about ourselves and the world.
He who is not perturbed by adversity, who is free from attachment, fear, and anger, is a man of wisdom.
******
salutations to all:
Subramanian/ Ravi/ Others:
["...The running away of Jayendra Saraswati from the Math in a car, created a lot of sorrow and depression on Sri Chandrasekhara... I think this sinning [mainly not telling Guru and going away in very early morning], created problems of police case for him, in later years...."]
be it the suffering observed in an acquaintance/ stranger, a friend/ sibling, would think scores of times prior to attributing their torment to their "sinning"! such being the case, what extraordinary caution one must exercise when casting aspersions on a maTAdipati, that too one who has been chosen by none other than mahAperiyavA himself!!! i surely do not know why jayEndrar did whatever he was reported by the media to have done; and whatever little is known to nearly everybody is through the media, which is highly circumspect. tomorrow, if somebody were to come and claim that bhagavAn getting beaten by the thieves was due to his "sinning", what would you say? sounds pretty blasphemous, isn't it? so is the same when it comes to 'questioning' paramAchArya; to doubt jayEndrar's integrity is to entertain misgivings on the one who personally chose him as his honourable heir (as you know, the pontiff handpicks his successor by insight, not by a democratic process!). wouldn't it be a travesty to contend that paramAchArya did "not" know what he was doing? :-( at the very minimum, saying the kind of things you said can seriously dent one's sAdhana...
R.Subramanian/s/Friends,
"I do not know but you can correct me."
I agree with what s has said-"at the very minimum, saying the kind of things you said can seriously dent one's sAdhana..."
I have to say that if one truly loves Sri Bhagavan,one will not be talking about things one is not sure about and will also dispense with anything that is not of use to anyone even if it be true.Loving Sri Bhagavan is one thing and admiring him is another.
Namaskar.
salutations to all:
extract from ["Swami Vivekananda in Kashmir" (Compiled by Swami Bodhasarananda (manager of Advaita Ashrama), Kolkata - Vitasta Annual Number (Volume XXXV, 2001-2002), Annual Publication of Kashmir Sabha, Kolkata, India]:
["...Following the pilgrimage to Amarnath, the Swami's devotion became concentrated on the Mother. It was touching to see him worship, as Uma, the four-year old daughter of his Muslim boatman. He once told his disciples, during these days, that "wherever he turned, he was conscious of the Presence of the Mother, as if she were a person in the room."
His meditation on Kali became intense, and one day he had a vision of Her, the mighty Destructress lurking behind the veil of life, the terrible one, hidden by the dust of the living who pass by, all the appearances raised by their feet. In a fever he groped in the dark for pencil and paper and wrote his famous poem "Kali the Mother"; then he dropped to the floor, losing consciousness, while his soul soared into Bhava-samadhi.
On September 30 (1898), the Swami abruptly went to Kshir Bhavani, leaving strict instructions that no one was to follow him. It was not until October 6 that he returned. He practised severe austerities. He became like a child before the Divine Mother. All thought of Leader, Worker, or Teacher was gone. He was now only the monk, in all the nakedness of pure Sannyasa.
One day at Kshir Bhavani he had been pondering over the ruination and desecration of the temple by the Muslim invaders. Distressed at heart, he thought : "How could the people have permitted such sacrilege without offering strenuous resistance! If I had been here then, I would never have allowed such a thing. I would have laid down my life to protect the Mother." Thereupon he heard the voice of the Goddess saying : "What if unbelievers should enter My temple and defile My image? What is that to you? Do you protect Me, or do I protect you?" Referring to this experience after his return, he said to his disciples : "All my patriotism is gone. Everything is gone. Now it is only Mother! Mother! I have been very wrong. I am only a little child."
Another day, in course of his worship, the thought flashed through the Swami's mind that he should try to build a new temple in the place of a present dilapidated one, just as he had built a monastery and temple at Belur to Shri Ramkrishna. He even thought of trying to raise funds from his wealthy American disciples and friends. At once the Mother said to him : "My child! If I so wish I can have innumerable temples and monastic centres. I can even this moment raise a seven-storied golden temple on this very spot."
"Since I heard that divine voice," the Swami later said, "I have ceased making any more plans. Let these things be as Mother wishes."..."]
s,
Wonderful story of Swamiji and Kshir BhavAni!Thanks very much.
Readers puzzled how a JnAni like SwAmiji is into all this ,need to remember that the 'Kshatriya' nature of Swamiji was ever there-and the human element(the devotee who now rebels,now acquiesces,now cajoles,now threatens...infinite moods!!!)is the most endearing.What a Great soul!!Was there another like him?!!!
Kali,The Mother was a wonderful poem by SwAmiji.
"Mahakali is of another nature.
Not of wideness but of height, not wisdom but force and strength are her peculiar power. There is in her a overwhelming intensity, a mighty passion of force to achieve, a divine violence rushing to shatter every limit and obstacle.
All her divinity leaps out in a splendour of tempestuous action; she is therefore swiftness, for the immediately effective process, the rapid and direct stroke, the frontal assault that carries everything, before it."-Sri Aurobindo.
Here is an excerpt from the marvellous discourse by the Sage of kAnchi on verse 22 of soundarya Lahari:
"bhavAni tvam dAse mayi vitara dRShhTiM sakaruNAM
iti stotuM vAnchan kathayati bhavAni tvam-iti yaH /
tadaiva tvaM tasmai dishasi nija-sAyujya-padavIM
mukunda-brahmendra-sphuTa-makuTa-nIrAjita-padAM //22 //
“bhavANi” – Oh Mother bhavAni. Bhava is the name of Shiva. The Shakti of Bhava is BhavAni.
tvam vitara : Please (you) cast
dRShhTiM : (your) glance
sakaruNAM : (which is) coupled with Grace and Compassion
mayi : on me
dAse : (who is your) servant.
vAnchan : Wishing
iti stotuM : to praise thus,
yah: whoever
kathayati :says
bhavAni tvaM iti : “bhavAni tvaM” ,
tadaiva (= tadA + eva) : then and there, (that is, even before you complete the remaining words “dAse mayi vitara dRShhTiM sa karuNAM”)
tvaM : You
dishasi : grant, give
tasmai : to him
nija-sAyujya-padavIM : your own sAyujya status.
(We shall come to the fourth line of the stanza later)
The marvel here is, that the devotee has not yet said the full prayer of his, namely: Oh Bhavani, You please cast on me, your servant, your glance of compassion and grace. He has just said: “Oh Bhavani, You” ! That itself is sufficient for the Goddess to pour Her maximum Grace of Her own sAyujya status on the devotee. This is the implication of the words ‘tadA-eva’ in the beginning of the third line of the stanza. The very moment one says ‘bhavAni tvaM’, he is granted the Grace. How is this? And what is this sAyujya status that is being granted?
(The sAyujya concept was described
in the first paragraph of DPDS – 29 - VK)
The sAyujya status is that which becomes one with the Object of Adoration. But what is being said here is not the oneness with the nirguNa-brahman. Why am I saying this? Now go to the fourth line of the shloka.
Mukunda: vishnu
Brahma : creator brahma
Indra : Indra, the King of the divines
sphuTa-makuTa : the shining crown
nIrAjita-padAM : the feet which have been offered the ceremonial waving (nIrAjana) of lights before them.
And thus, the last line means, in conjunction with the third line, “Then and there, You give him your sAyujya status, (which earns them) Your feet that have been given the ‘nIrAjana’ (waving of lights) by the Gods Vishnu, Brahma and Indra who, by falling at Your feet, have had their shining crowns touch your feet and thus have offered worship to it”.
It is the sAyujya status (the identity in form and essence) that privileges the devotee to enjoy the worship of even the Gods, through their ‘nIrAjana’ to the Divine Feet, with which there is identity now.
If one reaches advaita-sAyujya (identity) with the Ultimate, things will not be like this; for there is no ‘form’ there and there are no feet to be worshipped! And then there will be no gods in name and form. The advaita sAyujyam is the oneness with the Ultimate nirguna-brahman where there is no more universe. So what is said in this shloka is not the sAyujya of advaita."
Continued....
s/Friends,
kAnchi MahAswAmi on soundarya lahari continued...
"It is the supreme brahman which manifests itself as the First Cause in terms of parAshakti. She is the Queen of this Universe and She adminsiters this whole universe by Her own agents such as Brahma and Indra. It is those divine agents who fall at Her feet in obeisance. It is in that state that the individual soul (jIvAtma) becomes one with the parAshakti in its sAyujya status. It is that sAyujya that is spoken of here.
The interesting fact is that even the advaita shAstras do speak of this state. Of course the goal of the advaita scriptures is not this. The peaceful nirguNa state without any mention of shakti or of any ‘action’ is the goal of advaita. But the ‘Ishvara’ that advaita talks of does ‘get into action’! It is He (taking the place of ‘parAshakti’ of the shAkta schools) who does all the leelA with the devotee. That is why, even though the Ultimate is something in which there should be no talk of ‘the rise of desire’ or the ‘occurrence of determination (sankalpa)’, the Upanishads do speak like ‘Whatever objects He desires, they appear by His very desire’. (‘yam kAmam kAmayate saH asya sankalpAd-eva samut-tishhTanti’ --Chandogya U. VIII -2). This means just that He has the quality of ‘aishvarya’, namely, the godliness of being parAshakti.
Even if the person goes via the path of jnAna and looks forward to the advaitic union in nirguNa brahman, the parAshakti catches hold of him, as it were, on the way and makes him play along with Her in saguNa-sAyujyam (identity with Ishvara, the aspect of brahman with form) in the world of action! But the play does not end there. He soars even higher spiritually. He is now in identity with the parAshakti, the Director of the entire universe and all its play. It is in that state he enjoys the bliss of union with the saguNa Ultimate. It is a state where there is the apex of Devotion and also the sense of advaita-jnAna – a perfectly peaceful and blissful state."
We can now understand how all the Great ones like Sri Sankara,Sri Ramakrishna ,Swamiji,Sri Aurobindo and all the others have been 'child' of Divine mother!
----------------------------------
I warmly recommend our kAnchi paramAchArya's(was there another like him!He is verily Sri sankara!)discourses on Sri Sankara's Soundarya Lahari.Please visit:
http://www.krishnamurthys.com/profvk/gohitvip/DPDS36-40.html
Namaskar.
Spiritual Stories as told by
Ramana Maharshi: Asramam
Publication: 2010 edition:
Tapo Bhrastha:
[Fallen from the state of tapas]
Nakkirar was doing tapas on the
bank of a tirtha. A leaf fell
down from the tree; half the
leaf touched the water and the
other half touched the ground.
Suddenly the water-half became
a fish, and the land-half became a bird. Each of them was united to the other by the leaf and struggled to go into its own element. Nakkirar was watching
it in wonder and suddenly a spirit came down from above and carried him away to a cave where there were already 999 captives, all of whom were tapo bhrashtas.
Devotee: "Was Nakkirar a tapo bhrashta?"
Bhagavan: "Yes. While engaged in contemplation, why did he fall from contemplation and take to watching the mysterious happening in front of him? Nakkirar composed Tiru MurugaRRuppadai [on Muruga] and obtained the releasse of all the thousand prisoners, with the help of Muruga.
{Tiru MurugaRRuppadai is one of the Sangam literature coming under Pathu Paattu, Ten Books of Songs. It is dated 3rd Century AD. It sings about the glories of six padai veedu - abode with barracks of Lord Muruga.}
******
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne: continues...
It is also not a psychological study or a technique for getting to know one's qualities or aptitudes or uncovering one's subconscious urges, but for realizing the Self behind the ego that has these qualities and urges. "Just as it is futile to examine the rubbish that has to be swept up only to be thrown away, so it is futile for him who seeks to know the Self to set to work enumerating the tattvas that envelop the Self and examining them
instead of throwing away."
Nor is it one "I" seeking for another. There is only one Self in
you and not two.
A visitor once asked: "Isn't it funny that I should be searching for the "I"? Doesn't the enquiry
"Who am I?" turn out in the end to be an empty formula? Or am I to put the question to myself endlessly, repeating it like an incantation?"
And he was told: "Self enquiry is certainly not an empty formula; it is more than the repetition of an
incantation. If it were mental questioning it would not be of much value. Its very purpose is to focus the entire mind at its Source. It is not therefore a case of one "I" searching for another. Still less is it an empty formula, for it involves intense activity of the entire mind to keep it steadily poised in pure Self awareness. Self enquiry is the one infallible means, the only direct one, to realize the unconditioned absolute Being that you really are."
continued....
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne: continues....
Just as aspirants were warned not to make a mental investigation out of Self enquiry, so also they are warned not to make an incantation out of it, and not to confuse it with the meditation "I am He". "Self enquiry is a different method from the meditation 'I am Siva' or 'I am He'. It rather lays stress on Self Knowledge, because you are first concerned with yourself before you proceed to know the world and its Lord. The "I am He" or "I am Brahman" meditation is more or less mental, but the quest of the Self is a direct method and is superior to it."
Usually a men's mind is turned outwards, creating or following a course of action or thought. Instead of that it is to be turned inwards upon itself, asking "Who am I?", not seeking an answer to the question, but simply increasing the sense of awareness, I-am-ness, letting that alone remains in the consciousness.
Man has three functions: action, thought, and being. Being underlies the other two and is the necessary substratum for them, and yet is almost completely overshadowed by them, so that is very rarely that a man is aware of actual being, of his pure "I-am-ness". To use a simile that Sri Bhagavan often made use of: it is like a cinema screen on which a film is shown. The spectators are not aware of it but only of the pictures passing across it. And yet it is real and they are shadows on it. It exists unchanged before the showing of the film and while the pictures are moving across it, and after they have come to an end. And it is quite unaffected by them; a fire in the picture does not burn it nor a flood make it wet.
It is this awareness of being that is to be cultivated. It is developed by Self Enquiry. Sometimes Sri Bhagavan would say:
"Your duty is simply to be. Not to be this or that." And therefore He would quote as the perfect name of God "I am that I am". He also often quoted the sentence from the Psalms: "Be still and know that I am God." Keep the mind still, free from thoughts, and know that the " "I am", the pure Being, is God.
continued.....
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne: continues....
Sri Bhagavan used the term 'meditation' for the practice of Self Enquiry, and that term is used in this book also, but it does not mean meditation as a dictionary would define it. It is not meditating on anything or concentrating on any one thought. It is different in kind from the Sufi meditation I described elsewhere, since it is not thinking but suspending or stilling thoughts while holding the mind alert in quest of itself, or in pure awareness of being, of I-am-ness.
So far is Self enquiry from being a mental exercise that Sri Bhagavan enjoined those who used it to concentrate not on the head but the heart during meditation. This does not mean thinking of the heart or trying to visualize or imagine it, for that would be a mental exercise. You do not think of the eyes or visualize them in order to see. You simply look with them. And in the same way the sense of awareness starts simply by concentrating on the heart which is all pervading. Simply to sit concentrating one's sense of "I"-ness, of being, in the heart and at the same time asking, "Who am I?" -- not constantly but just once, in order to hold the mind in that direction, repeating the thought only as a weapon to drive out other thoughts when they arise.
Moreover, when Sri Bhagavan spoke of concentration on the heart, He did not mean the physical heart on the left side but the centre of spiritual awareness at the right side of the chest. Some of the Asramam publications refer in this connection, to the verse from Ecclesiastes: "The wise man's heart is at the right hand and the fool's heart is at the left." [Ch. X.v2, authorized version]. The centre is not one of the yogic chakras. The direct method is not concerned with them or with the kundalini technique. The following dialogue explains this:
continued....
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne: continues...
Devotee: "Bhagavan was saying that
the heart is the seat or centre of the Self?".
Bhagavan: "Yes. It is the one Supreme Centre of the Self. You need have no doubts about that. The real Self is there in the heart behind the ego self."
Devotee: "Will Bhagavan please tell me where in the body it is?"
Bhagavan: "You cannot know that with your mind or picture it with your imagination, although I tell you it is here [pointing to the
right side of the chest]. The only direct way to realize it is to stop imagining and try to be yourself. Then you automatically feel that the centre is there. It is the centre spoken of in the scriptures as the heart-cavity."
Devotee: "Can I be sure that the ancients meant this centre by the term 'heart'?"
Bhagavan: "Yes, you can; but you should try to have the experience rather than locate it. A man does not have to go and find where his eyes are in order to see. The heart is there, always open to you, if you care to enter it, always supporting your movements, although you may be unaware of it. It is perhaps more correct to say that the Self is the heart. Really the Self is the centre and is everywhere aware of itself as the Heart or Self Awareness."
Devotee: "When Bhagavan says that the heart is the supreme centre of the Spirit or the Self, does that imply that it is not one of the six chakars [yogic centres]?"
Bhagavan: "The chakras, counting from the bottom upwards, are a series of centres in the subtle nervous system. They represent various stages, each having its own kind of power of knowledge, leading to the Sahasrara, the thousand petalled lotus in the brain, where is seated the supreme Shakti [divine energy]. But the Self that supports the whole movement of the Shakti is not located there but supports it from the heart-centre."
Devotee: "Then it is different from the manifestation of Shakti?"
Bhagavan: "Really there is no manifestation of Shakti apart from the Self. It is the Self that becomes all these shaktis. When the yogi attains the highest state of spiritual awareness [samadhi] it is the Self in the heart that supports him in that state, whether he is aware of it or not. But if his awareness is centred in the heart, he realizes that, whatever centres or states he may be in, he is always the same Truth, the same Heart, the one Self, the Spirit that is present throughout, eternal and immutable."
continued....
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne: continues....
More specifically, He explained on another occasion: "The sushumna is thus a curve. It starts from the solar plexus, rises through spinal cord to the brain, and from there bends down and ends in the heart. When the yogi has reached the heart the samadhi becomes permanent. Thus we see that the heart is the final centre." It is interesting to note that Lama Govinda explains similarly in his Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism that on the Tibetan path epitomized by the incantation, "Om Mani Padme Hum", the initiate, after attaining the highest centre, which is the brain, comes down to the heart for final stabilization. Unfortunately, he presents this knowledge as exclusive to Tantric Buddhism. Obviously, no truth of general application can be confined to any one religion or path.
The above dialogue indicates a technical explanation why there are no stages on the direct path. There is no successive development of the various subtle centres, each of which has its own type of power and perception. Instead there is concentration from the beginning on the Self to which all powers belong and the Heart from which all centres radiate and by which they are supported.
Self enquiry is, of course, not a new method. Being the most direct method, it must be the oldest. In ancient times, however, it was a path for the recluse striving in silence and solitude. But in more recent ages diminishing spirituality has caused it to be little used. What Sri Bhagavan did was to restore it as a method that can be used in the conditions of modern world. Its independence of doctrine and ritual, in fact, its primordiality, already made it potentially universal. And Sri Bhagavan further adapted it by combining it with karma marga, that is with progress through activity. Not only did He not expect His followers to renounce the world, but also when they asked His sanction to do so, He refused.
"Why do you think you are a householder? The similar thought that you are a hermit will haunt you if you go forth as one. Whether you continue in the household or renounce it and go to live in the forest, your mind haunts you. The ego is the source of thought. It creates the body and the world and makes you think you are a householder. If you renounce, it will only substitute
the thought of renunciation for that of family, and the environment of forest for that of the household. The mental obstacles are always there for you. They even increase greatly in the new surroundings. Change of environment is no help. The one obstacle is the mind, and this must be overcome whether in the home or in the forest. If you can do it in the forest, why not in the home? So why change the environment? Your efforts can made even now,whatever the environment."
continued....
Ravi,
I think I already asked these questions.From what I understand Soundarya Lahari is entirely a new set of caricature and to get it sanctity it has been badly retrofitted to the existing Hindu Mythology.Here the God is depicted in Feminine form and she is the Lord of the Universe.The author whoever is in 'Brahmaanda Purana' then did a bad job of retrofitting the Hindu Mythological gods with his new Caricature Set of Sakthi and her forms and her entire troupe.
What is the relation between Kali and Vishnu?What is the relation between Kali and Parvathi?Isn't Parvathi the sister of Vishnu who foolishly tried to test Rama by going in the guise of Sita?If Vishnu is the Supreme Godhead then what does become of him with Kali?Who wrote the post today Ravi or Ravini(Ravi's writing skills).So do I now address you as Ravi or Ravini when I speak to you?Is the water left in your glass water or just water's wetness?Do you see the absurdity or have I not got it right??Then because there are millions of followers of the new caricature system it becomes difficult for the Gurus to comment lest their comments should hurt them.I am not saying an entirely new set of caricature system should not have been invented in Sri Vidya.It may have been necassry at that time due to degradation of the existing system.
Rgrds,
-Z
Dear Anon., {Z}
Buddha when he got realized he spoke to his followers. The followers started Buddhism. In course of time, Buddhism branched off into various sub-religions like Tantric Buddhism, Mahayana, Hinayana. Zen Buddhism, etc.,
Whereas in Sanatana Dharma, right
from Vedic periods, the dharma gave
room for praying to the god with form broadly in six aspects. One is
praying only to Sun [Sowram] as the
primordial god form. Second is Saivam, praying to Siva as the primordial god, then Vishnu or Naryana [Called Vaishnavam], then
Sakti [called Saktam] and Ganapati [called Ganapatyam], Kumara, Muruga [called Kaumaram]. This formal classification was later done by Sri Sankara. In each sub-religion, that particular god became the primordial god.
Thereafter post vedic scholars found some inter-se relationship
amongst these gods. Ganapati is the son of Siva. Parvati is the sister of Vishnu or Naryana.
Sri Sankara's basic philosophy is to contemplate on Brahman, the non form, non name Principle. However, for the sake of beginners who preferred various form worships, this classification was done.
Again, Siva in various temples is called by different names. Bhoominatha, in Tiruchuzhi, Sundareshwara in Madurai, Jambukeswara in Tiruvanaikka, Viswanatha in Kasi, Annamalaiyar in Tiruvannamalai, Kudumi Thevar in Kalahasti. So also Parvati is called Akhilandeswari, Meenakshi, Kamakshi, Unnamulai etc.,
All these varieties have come for the sake of beginners who are not comfortable with a non dual Brahman but with a god of name and form.
Like Greek gods of Apollo, Promethus, etc..
All refer to one and the same Brahman if one matures in his surrender or self inquiry. He is only Sat-Chit-Anandam, Existence- Knowledge and Bliss. Like with the same sugar several peppermints of different colours are made. Only colours are different and sweetness is the same.
*******
Dear Anon., {Z}
Sri Ramakrishna used to say a simile. There was one bird perched on a tree. One looked at it and said that it was green. Another looked at and said it was brown. The third looked at and said it was blue. The bird is the
same and onlookers views are varied.
Brahman is simply non dual reality, and it is called Effulgence or Pure Space. But people give different names and forms and worships. All prayers and worships reach only the Brahman.
SRK used to give another simile: Some people say Water, some others says Pani [hindi] and some more say, Thanner [Tamizh] and some others still say VeLLam [Malayalam]. A few others say
Payas [Sanskrit]. All refer to water only.
Sri Bhagavan says in Sri Arunachala
Ashtakam, Verse 4:
To search for God ignoring You who stand as Being and shine as Awareness is like looking, lamp in hand, for darkness. In order to reveal yourself at last as Being, and Awareness, You dwell in various forms in all religions If still there are people who fail to see You as Whose Being is Awareness, they are no better than the blind who do not know the Sun. O Mighty Aruna, peerless jewel, stand and shine, One without a second, the Self within my Heart.
******
Subramanian,
Yes that is the Brahmaastra view.With that view it is practically impossible to cultivate Bhakthi.I am just curious if there is anything more to it.Ravi and Friends if there is anything that you come across please do post it here.This is one doubt that I dont understand. Thanks.
-Z
z,
"What is the relation between Kali and Vishnu?What is the relation between Kali and Parvathi?Isn't Parvathi the sister of Vishnu who foolishly tried to test Rama by going in the guise of Sita?If Vishnu is the Supreme Godhead then what does become of him with Kali?"
I will respond to your query in detail later.I will for the moment,quote from chapter 3&4 of The kena upanishad:
Chapter III
1
Brahman, according to the story, obtained a victory for the gods; and by that victory of
Brahman the gods became elated. They said to themselves: "Verily, this victory is ours;
verily, this glory is ours only."
2
Brahman, to be sure, understood it all and appeared before them. But they did not know
who that adorable Spirit was.
3−6
They said to Agni (Fire): "O Agni! Find out who this great Spirit is." "Yes," he said, and
hastened to It. Brahman asked him: "Who are you?" He replied: "I am known as Agni; I am
also called Jataveda." Brahman said: "What power is in you, who are so well known?" Fire
replied: "I can burn all−whatever there is on earth." Brahman put a straw before him and
said: "Burn this." He rushed toward it with all his ardour but could not burn it. Then he
returned from the Spirit and said to the gods: "I could not find out who this Spirit is,"
7−10
Then they said to Vayu (Air): "O Vayu! Find out who this great Spirit is." "Yes," he said, and
hastened to It. Brahman asked him: "Who are you?" He replied "I am known as Vayu; I am
also called Matarisva." Brahman said: "What power is in you, who are so well known?"
Vayu replied: "I can carry off all−whatever there is on earth." Brahman put a straw before
him and said: "Carry this." He rushed toward it with all his ardour but could not move it.
Then he returned from the Spirit and said to the gods: "I could not find out who this Spirit
is,"
11−12
Then the gods said to Indra: "O Maghavan! Find out who this great Spirit is." "Yes," he said
Kena Upanishad
3
and hastened to It. But the Spirit disappeared from him. Then Indra beheld in that very
region of the sky a Woman highly adorned. She was Uma, the daughter of the Himalayas.
He approached Her and said: "Who is this great Spirit?"
Chapter IV
1
She replied: "It is, indeed, Brahman. Through the victory of Brahman alone have you
attained glory." After that Indra understood that It was Brahman.
2
Since they approached very near Brahman and were the first to know that It was Brahman,
these devas, namely, Agni, Vayu, and Indra, excelled the other gods.
Since Indra approached Brahman nearest, and since he was the first to know that It was
Brahman, Indra excelled the other gods."
The Divine Mother is not a later day invention.
Namaskar.
Thanks Ravi,
Please do post when when you have time.But the cutting from Kena Upanishad :The moment you use the word Brahman it becomes Brahmaastra.Brahman is Padam or Achala.Immoveable and so the story is probably madeup like the Parvathi testing desolate Rama in the guise of Sita.Achala cannot speak.The story probably is just to illustrate it is all Eka jiva.For Ekajiva there is no one else to speak to.The story is actually anti-Bhaktha.
-Z
Ravi/Friends,
There is an interesting pun in "bhavAni tvam".
Excerpt from http://www.kamakoti.org/acall/bhavani.html
********************************
Singing the praise of Ambika, Bhagavatpada says in Soundarya Lahari that so great is the mercy of the Mother that the moment the Bhakta (devotee) began his prayer with the words, Bhavaani tvam, Ambika did not even wait till he completed his prayer, but conferred on him saayujya, viz., the merger of the soul with the Mother.
“Bhavaani tvam daase mayi vitara drishtim sakarunaam Iti stotum vaanchan kathayati bhavani tvamitiyah; Tadaiva tvam tasmai disasi nija-saayujya-padaveem Mukunda-brahmendra sphuta-makuta neeraajita padaam”.
When the devotee began saying Bhavaani tvam, he was only addressing the Divine Mother by calling Her Bhavaani, and invoking Her grace, though the expression can also be interpreted as meaning, “May I become You”. It is this merger with the Supreme that the Mother granted as soon as She heard the words “Bhavaani tvam”. The significance of this verse is that one imbued with true devotion gets things unasked.
********************************
Regards,
Ram
--
z/Friends,
We will take up the kena upanishad later and stay focussed on the question that z has raised.Here is an excerpt from kAnchi mahAswami's talk-Deivathin Kural(Voice of Divinity):
"The colourless sunlight when refracted, scatters in to the component six colours. It is as though to say, 'if you seperate us, we will rather go our seperate ways!'. It is rather funny. If they all join, the colours become colourless. From that colourlessness, even if you seperate one, others come out too.
3. Brhmam is like the colourless sunlight. Brhmam has no work, no activity. But all the basis and power for all action and for all the dynamism, is potentially in Brhmam. The first job of the actionless Brhmam is to become aware of itself. This is like the first movement in the static Brhmam, like the refraction of light. In this refraction, the first colour to seperate is red. Early mornings, before you see the sunlight, the eastern sky becomes tinged with red. We call it, 'arunodayam'. 'Aruna' means red. When thus clean Brhmam comes in to action, Ambal comes into being. Actionless Brhmam becomes dynamic. Kameswari appears. Brhmam had the desire for self awareness. That desire's form is Kameswari. She is the source root for world's Creation (or Appearance), Sustenance (or Maintenance) and Re-absorbtion (or Samharam). In truth all these three main jobs are from Maya only. By the power of Maya, Brhmam is hidden and in its place appears this universe. This screening of Brhmam and revealing of universe, is called the fourth job known as 'Thirodanam' or 'Thirobhavam'. Other than these four major jobs of, Creation, Maintenance, Re-absorbtion and Thirodanam, there is a fifth job of 'Anugraham' or Grace of Compassion. This last one is to retrieve the devotees from Maya, unto Herself is Anugraham. Because she does these Five Main Jobs, she is called, 'pancha krutya parayana', in Lalitha Sahasranamam."
continued....
z/Friends,
kAnchi mahAswami continued....
"4. This power of Brhmam is effulgent as Kameswari, on a celestial seat 'Manjam', whose four legs or four chains by which the Manjam is hung; are the Creator Brhma, Administrator Vishnu, Destroyer Rudra and Maya's Ruler Easwara. The Parabrhmam Kameswara is seated and on His Left is Kameswari. Kameswara is Parabrhmam and Kameswari is His Power. They are husband and wife.
5. Once the Red Kameswara and Kameswari, seperate from the Brhmam, other colours of the spectrum have to rush to be revealed, is it not so? By this logic, the red-yellow Brhma and Lakshmi appeared. The Blue Mahavishnu and Parvathi, came in to being. The fair coloured Rudra and Saraswathi were revealed. Amongst these three pairs that appeared from Brhma Shakthi, each is a brother-sister combination. That is, Brhma and Lakshmi; Vishnu and Parvathi; Rudra and Saraswathi; are three pairs of siblings. Brhma and Lakshmi are golden coloured and have Lotus seat. Brhma started His job of creating variety of life forms. Lakshmi started Her action of multiplying wealth and wherewithal, for the use of the so created life forms. The blue-black cloud coloured Vishnu and Parvathi are similar siblings. Their's is to address the administration with Maya. Look at the Durga's sanctum sanctorum on the Northern aisle of the Siva temples 'praharam'. You will notice that she stands alone, sporting the 'Shankam' (conch) and 'Chakram' (wheel), as done by Vishnu. That is why She is called, 'Narayani, Syama Krishna Sahodari,' etc. Siva and Saraswathi, likewise are siblings. In Siva temples, on the Southern aisle, exactly opposite to Durga, will be located Dakshinamoorhy. He will be sporting in His hands, a book and japa mala, as Saraswathi does. They are both representing the supreme state of resignation and dispassion. They are both white!
6. There is logic in the evolution of three different pairs. Each male has to wed a female. If there were only two pairs, it would mean, 'give a girl in marriage and take a boy from the same family', which is not much preferred. When there are three pairs of brother and sister, a more round interchange of Traits that is Gunas and complexions, is possible. Brhma married Siva's sister Saraswathi (Golden and White). Vishnu married Brhma's sister Lakshmi (Blueblack and Golden) and Siva took Vishnu's sister Parvathi as wife (White and Blueblack). Blue and Black are indicative of Tamo guna. White is Sathva and Golden is Rajo guna. Thus there is greater mixing in, Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Parvathi; being the consorts of Vishnu, Brhma and Siva respectively. "
continued....
z/Friends,
kAnchi mahAswami continued...
"7. It is one entity or power, call it what you want, that is seen or appear as all this. Calling it Parasakthi, She does / becomes all this. Still, we relate Her to Maya and allude the role of screening or 'Thirodana', as Her main role. Mooka Kavi in Pancha Sathi, while describing crimson-red Kamakshi, refers to Her as being blueblack too. Kamakshi's job is to remove Maya and grant Her Grace as 'Anugraha'. The white Siva, having the blueblack 'Kali', as His consort, does the job of 'Samhara'. 'Kali' means black. But why does the poet, at times refers to Kamakshi as black? Why does he say that Kamakshi also does Samhara or destruction?
8. We all do work. Then we become tired and sleep. Sleep is a 'Tamas' job. It is all darkness. All black and no light. Still, it is in this sleep
that living things find some peace! For the day's efforts and resultant tiredness, some sleep is interposed, to give some temporary relief. So in Tamas, there seems to be much Anugraha.
9. Samhara is big sleep. As there is no sadness in sleep and we find peacefulness and quiet, after death too, till we take a life form again. Jeeva during this, is in a peaceful state of suspended animation. To relieve us from the ties of Karma involvement temporarily, we are being given some interrugnum, between death and next life. Only those who have realized the Self or Atma and completely got rid of the 'Ahankara' or Ego, can permanently escape the paradox of Karma. But temporary relief is available to all, in short spans in sleep and longer spans in the gap between death and next birth. So Samhara or destruction is also with extreme care, consideration and compassion!
10. A great Vaishnava devotee, Nammazhvar, starts a poem, with the words, "muniye naan mugane, mukkannappa...". He says, 'Muni! Four Faced!, Three-eyed Father!'. He is addressing Vishnu, Brhma and Siva. When it comes to Siva, this Vishnu baktha calls Him, 'three eyed father'. As though, a very considerate father tells the son, "My dear boy, you are very tired after much running around, better take some rest", Siva gives us all some rest in doing 'Samhara'. That is why, Nammazhvar calls Him, 'appa' or Daddy! This Siva who does 'Samhara', has the dark Parvathy as His consort.
11. Only when we give up involvement with this world, we can attain to Moksha or eternal peace. When we are aware of being in that state, while still alive, is Samadhi. This is the 'Anugraha' of Parvathi. Next best is peacefulness without awareness, in sleep and samhara. So short of 'Anugraha', is 'Samhara', a most pleasant state for all life forms.
12. Generally, may be because we feel, 'why was I ever created?', none of us pray to Brhma! Though Mahavishnu is much sought after, as the manager, ruler, provider, sustainer, rolled into one, He is too involved in the affairs of the world, as Rama, Krishna, Boar, Fish, Tortoise and Lion-Man Narasimha. Sri Vaishnavas may address each other as 'Swami!'. But for their God, they have the pet name, 'Perumal'. 'Perumal', means literally, 'perum-aal' or Big-man. Even in Vedas, when related to Vishnu, the mantras are 'Purusha Suktham'. Purush means Manush or Man, that is Aasami. So Vishnu is much related to Man or Humans. Siva is rather concerned with Samhara and dispassion, when we leave the world."
continued....
z/Friends,
Kanchi mahAswami on the Motherhood of God:
3. If we can think of our own Mother as God, in turn, we can also think of God as the Mother! The supreme intelligent power that is creating, nurturing and ruling all the worlds and the Universe, when thought of as the Mother, we call Her, 'Ambal'.
4. The Paramatma, who has become all the varities of existance, can and does come to us, in whatever form we invite and pray, The Paramatma has that capability and grace. If we pray that the very Parabrhmam itself should come to us as our Mother and grant all our wishes, it comes accordingly. There is a special quality in thinking of God as the Mother and ourselves as Her children. You know that in nature, the mutual Mother - Child relationship is something special! So when we think of God as the Mother, the relationship is pure, happy and unconditional love. Anger and passion, disappear on their own. Our crookedness goes and we become child like. We are not doing any favour to God by thinking of Him as the Mother. In reality, He is like a Mother to all life forms!
5. If we have to consider our biological Mother in this life as God, God who is standing by us in all our life times, should be treated as the Mother, certainly. Our biological Mother is the 'amma' of two or three children. 'Ambal', is the Mother for all generations for all life times. She is the Mother for all life forms, from the micro to the macro level; to all birds, animals, humans, worms, insects, germs, grass, plants, trees, creepers and every thing animate and inanimate. When you think of God as the Mother, we will know that She is the only Mother and all of us are Her children. We will feel universal brotherhood towards all life forms and we will want to embrace all, with no exception.
continued....
z/Friends,
KAnchi mahAswami on the Divine Mother continued...
"6. Even Devatas(deities), Avatara Purushas(God incarnations), and great Mahatmas have approached God, from this perspective and obtained salvation. Adi Sankara, Kalidasa, Bana, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and many more can be quoted, as examples. Kalidasa got his illustrious literary capability, by Her Grace only. Thiru Gnana Sambandar was breast-fed by Mother Herself and thus got the highest Gnana.
7. Mother who gives all health, wealth, name and fame; also gives Gnana and power of speech. The power of written and spoken expression is Hers because, She is 'Akshara Swaroopam', (ie.,of the form of Alphabets and Phonetics). We are made up of the five basic elements of Space, Air, Water, Fire and Earth, combining in various proportions; superimposed with Satva, Rajo and Tamo gunas; seemingly made of, blood, bones, flesh, nerves, mucus, hair etc. If we are scratched in the surface or deeper, what is revealed is a gory sight! But She is made of Alphabets and Phonetics. That is why, 'Devi Upasakars', (those devotees who approach God as a child would go to its Mother), are endowed with the gift of very powerful, spoken and written expressions!
8. The Mother of all Space and Time or in other words, The Mother of all worlds for all times; Her grace is capable of lifting up any body, however small or down-trodden he or she may be. To earn this Love, all that we have to do is to approach Her with Love. The Akshara Brhmam, should be adored with words. As a child adopts or copies the Mother in speech and style, we will imbibe Her ways and being. As we carry on doing this, we will become Her 'Swaroopa', that, we will become indistinguishable from Her. To this extent that, we will spontaneously be giving the same Love and Happiness, to all people at all times!"
-----------------------------------
Namaskar.
z/Friends,
Swami VivekAnandA on kali,The Divine Mother, an excrpt from 'The Master as I Saw Him'- by Sister Nivedita:
"How I used to hate Kali … and all Her ways! That was the ground of my six years’ fight—that I would not accept Her. But I had to accept Her at last! Ramakrishna Paramahamsa dedicated me to Her, and now I believe that She guides me in everything I do, and does with me what She will. … Yet I fought so long! I loved him, you see, and that was what held me. I saw his marvellous purity. … I felt his wonderful love. … His greatness had not dawned on me then. All that came afterwards when I had given in. At that time I thought him a brain-sick baby, always seeing visions and the rest. I hated it. And then I, too, had to accept Her!
No, the thing that made me do it is a secret that will die with me. I had great misfortunes at the time. … It was an opportunity. … She made a slave of me. Those were the very words: ‘a slave of you’. And Ramakrishna Paramahamsa made me over to Her. … Strange! He lived only two years after doing that, and most of the time he was suffering. Not more than six months did he keep his own health and brightness. …
The future, you say, will call Ramakrishna Paramahamsa an Incarnation of Kali? Yes, I think there’s no doubt that She worked up the body of Ramakrishna for Her own ends.
You see, I cannot but believe that there is somewhere a great Power that thinks of Herself as feminine, and called Kali and Mother. … And I believe in Brahman too. … But is it not always like that? Is it not the multitude of cells in the body that make up the personality, the many brain-centres, not the one, that produce consciousness? … Unity in complexity! Just so! And why should it be different with Brahman? It is Brahman. It is the One. And yet—and yet—it is the gods too!
-----------------------------------
Namaskar.
Ramprax and Friends,
About BhavAnitvam dont they say the same of every God that we know.I certainly heard that Lord Siva is satisfied with only one Bilva leaf, on Vinayaka too something like that and same for others.I think this kind of comparision is really gone wrong and unnecessary unless anybody can tell us that so and so God is very difficult to please.I think the ease or difficulty is based on the individual.
-Z
z,
"The moment you use the word Brahman it becomes Brahmaastra.Brahman is Padam or Achala.Immoveable"
Forget all these 'ideas'.They are good for nothing and do not take us one inch this way or that way.
"The story probably is just to illustrate it is all Eka jiva.For Ekajiva there is no one else to speak to.The story is actually anti-Bhaktha"
How can there be 'eka jiva'-Can there be a 'one' without 'many'.Please think.These 'words' are misleading.
What is 'anti-Bhakta'?
Namaskar.
Ramprax/Friends,
Beautiful. wonderful verse of AchAryAl-the sayunjya is also 'bhavanithvam'!!!
Z,
Spiritual aspects have to be intuited.You cannot dissect,analyse,and grasp spiritual Truths with the gross mind.
'Bhavani Tvam' -does not mean that Bhavani can be more easily 'pleased' or 'Easy to get',etc.One has to cry for the Mother and call her 'BhavAni'-that is the only way!There is no other way .Just speculating whether 'Brahman' is achala or chala is not going to take us anywhere-It will only lead to 'Brhma'.
Namaskar.
Thanks Ravi for all the posts.Thanks for the effort and time.
-Z
Ravi,
One more question or back to the original question :What is the meaning behind the image of Mother Kali standing with one leg on flat lying Lord Siva?
How do we reconcile the the three sets of siblings(3 pairs of brother and sister) with the image of Mother Kali having her one leg on flat lying Lord Siva?
-Z
Dear Anon., {Z}
See this reply satisfies you:
The ineffable Absolute is endowed
by us with the highest attributes
we can think of, so as to bring it
into relation with us and the world
we live in. Accordingly, the distinction between the impersonal
Absolute and the personal Iswara is well recognized in our philosophy.
The former is God as He is in Himself and the latter is God as He "appears" to us, when He is viewed through human spectacles.
We may call these two views of God the scientific view and the spiritual view respectively. The impersonal Absolute, when viewed through the human mind, becomes a personal God. And this personal
God in His capacity as creator becomes Brahma, as protector becomes Vishnu and as destroyer becomes Rudra. And, lastly when as protector He comes down and takes a human form to save mankind from evil, He becomes an Avatar. Thus we try to bridge he yawning gulf between the Supreme Spirit and the spirit of man.
When the Absolute is thus brought into relation with us and the world we live in, we have inevitably to think of it as an active power. Hence the distinction that we draw between the quiescent Absolute and the active Iswara.
In Sakta theology, this distinction is transferred to Siva and Sakti. Siva corresponds to the inactive Absolute [achalam in Sri
Bhagavan's words] and Sakti corresponds to the active Iswara. And, as the word Sakti is of feminine gender in Sanskrit, tehe personification results in a Goddess. Siva is Sakti and Sakti is Siva, as Absolute is Iswara and Iswara is Absolute. In fact they are only two different aspects of the same Reality. They are the static and the dynamic aspects of the same Spirit. They are inseparable as fire and heat or sun and sunshine. But Sakti, the dynamic aspect of the Reality, is more important to us, as we are caught up in this dynamic universe of created beings and have in us an urge to transcend our present state.
If Iswara is a spiritual conception of the Absolute, Iswari or Sakti or Devi is certainly an equally valid one. And, as we fear
our fathers and love our mothers, the concept of a mother-goddess appeals more to our hearts than of a father-god. Also, in the representation of a female deity, there is more scope for grace and beauty.
Since Siva has got Sivai or Iswari, it was thought to have the proector Narayana or Vishnu also to have a female consort. Thus came Lakshmi or Narayani. So also Saraswati came as consort of Brahma.
For still lower conception of gods, like Indra, Manmatha and others came the consorts of Indrani and Rati.
In Sri Lalita Sahasranamam and Sri Soundarya Lahari, where Sakti is eulogized as a primordial force, the Absolute becomes Kameswara. And she gets a name Kameswari.
******
Maha Yoga:
{Sri Lakshmana Sarma - WHO}
The Vedantic lore distinguishes five sheaths of different degrees of fineness. The grossest of all is food sheath, composed of flesh and bone. The next in order in the vital sheath. The third is the mental sheath. The fourth is the sheath of intelligent. All these are active in waking and dream and become latent in sleep. A fifth sheath, called the sheath of happiness, -- consisting of ignorance -- is said to survive in dreamless sleep, to account for the return to bondage on waking. Strictly, according to Sri Bhagavan, the fourth and the fifth sheaths are one and the same. If they were different it should be possible for the Sadhaka to attain Self Realization from or through the state of deep sleep itself. But that is not possible. To transcend relativity he has to practice the necessary method while awake and without falling into sleep or yogic trance. Therefore it stands to reason that the two last sheaths are inseparable.
Without the inquiry into the true nature of 'the doer' and so on, people speak of four kinds in the world, namely Yoga of Action, and so forth, for the doer, the one that is sundered from God, the one that is bereaved of the Self and the one that is conscious of being ignorant and aspires to right knowledge. The State of being the Real Self, which is won by the Quest, Who is the doer? or Who is the separated one? or Who is the fallen one? or Who is the ignorant one? is itself all the four paths. In this way, the immense superiority of the path of Vichara - Quest of the Self - has been clearly shown by Guru Ramana. Therefore this path, namely the Quest of the Self taught by Him, is the greatest of all the Yogas, viz., Maha Yoga.
*******
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne: continues....
And when asked whether it is possible
to experience Samadhi or spiritual
awareness while working, He replied:
"It is the feeling 'I work' that is the hindrance. Ask yourself 'Who works?' Remember who you are. Then the work will not bind you. It will go on automatically.
Similarly, He did not insist on
celibacy. Indeed, in traditional Hindu society, all householders are married. Only the Sadhus, the world-renouncer, is a celibate. And it was this outer renunciation which He discouraged. Inner detachment is real renunciation.
Sometimes, He gave the example of the actor on the stage, playing a certain part as the author has written it, although knowing that he is not really that person. Sometimes a bank cashier who pays out thousands coolly and efficiently, knowing that it is not his money that he is paying.
The usual way is to devote a certain time to meditation daily, for instance in the morning and the evening, and for the rest of the time to try and remember during the activities of the day. At first this remembering is mainly a mental and moral discipline -- "who is flattered by this attention, pleased by this letter, slighted by so-and-so's action? "Who am I?" After some practice, however, it takes a deeper tone, becoming an extension of the more potent tone, becoming an extension of the more potent meditation.
Few of Sri Bhagavan's devotees lived permanently at Tiruvannamalai. It was [and still is] more usual to live in the world, engaged in some business or profession, and pay only occasional visits, to recharge their batteries, so to speak.
Although, Sri Bhagavan spoke and wrote mostly of Self enquiry, that is, the "Path of Knowledge", He recognized also the path of Love and Devotion among His followers. To some who took this path, He has made the tremendous statement: "Submit to me and I will strike down the mind," or "Only keep quiet and I will do the rest." But it is not easy to submit or to keep the mind quiet.
These different paths are not mutually exclusive in practice, although they might theoretically appear to be.
continued....
z,
"What is the meaning behind the image of Mother Kali standing with one leg on flat lying Lord Siva?"
Here is a wondrful excerpt from The gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
"It was three or four o'clock in the afternoon. M. found Sri Ramakrishna seated on the couch
in an abstracted mood. After some time he heard him talking to the Divine Mother. The
Master said, "O Mother, why hast Thou given him only a particle?" Remaining silent a few
moments, he added: "I understand it, Mother. That little bit will be enough for him and will
serve Thy purpose. That little bit will enable him to teach people."
Did the Master thus transmit spiritual powers to his disciples? Did he thus come to know
that his disciples, after him, would go out into the world as teachers of men?
Rakhal was in the room. Sri Ramakrishna was still in a state of partial consciousness when
he said to Rakhal: "You were angry with me, weren't you? Do you know why I made you
angry? There was a reason. Only then would the medicine work. The surgeon first brings
an abscess to a head. Only then does he apply a herb so that it may burst and dry up."
After a pause he went on: "Yes, I have found Hazra to be like a piece of dry wood. Then
why does he live here? This has a meaning too. The play is enlivened by the presence of
trouble-makers like Jatila and Kutila.
(To M.) "One must accept the forms of God. Do you know the meaning of the image of
Jagaddhatri? She is the Bearer of the Universe. Without her support and protection the
universe would fall from its place and be destroyed. The Divine Mother, Jagaddhatri,
reveals Herself in the heart of one who can control the mind, which may be compared to an
elephant."
RAKHAL: "The mind is a mad elephant."
MASTER: "Therefore the lion, the carrier of the Divine Mother, keeps it under control."
It was dusk. The evening service began in the temples. Sri Ramakrishna was chanting the
names of the gods and goddesses. He was seated on the small couch, with folded hands,
and became absorbed in contemplation of the Divine Mother. The world outside was
flooded with moonlight, and the devotees inside the Master's room sat in silence and looked
at his serene face."
continued....
z,
The Gospel of Sri Ramakishna continued...
"In the mean time Govinda of Belgharia and some of his friends had entered the room. Sri
Ramakrishna was still in a semi-conscious state. After a few minutes he said to the
devotees: "Tell me your doubts. I shall explain everything."
Govinda and the other devotees looked thoughtful.
Black complexion of the Divine Mother
GOVINDA: "Revered sir, why does the Divine Mother have a black complexion?"
MASTER: "You see Her as black because you are far away from Her. Go near and you will
find Her devoid of all colour. The water of a lake appears black from a distance. Go near
and take the water in your hand, and you will see that it has no colour at all. Similarly, the
sky looks blue from a distance. But look at the atmosphere near you; it has no colour. The
nearer you come to God, the more you will realize that He has neither name nor form. If
you move away from the Divine Mother, you will find Her blue, like the grass-flower. Is
Syama male or female? A man once saw the image of the Divine Mother wearing a sacred
thread. He said to the worshipper: 'What? You have put the sacred thread on the Mother's
neck!' The worshipper said: 'Brother, I see that you have truly known the Mother. But I
have not yet been able to find out whether She is male or female; that is why I have put the
sacred thread on Her image.'
"That which is Syama is also Brahman. That which has form, again, is without form. That
which has attributes, again, has no attributes. Brahman is Sakti; Sakti is Brahman. They are
not two. These are only two aspects, male and female, of the same Reality, Existence-
Knowledge-Bliss Absolute."
GOVINDA: "What is the meaning of 'yogamaya'?"
MASTER: "It signifies the yoga, or union, of Purusha and Prakriti. Whatever you perceive
in the universe is the outcome of this union. Take the image of Siva and Kali. Kali stands
on the bosom of Siva; Siva lies under Her feet like a corpse; Kali looks at Siva. All this
denotes the union of Purusha and Prakriti. Purusha is inactive; therefore Siva lies on the
ground like a corpse. Prakriti performs all Her activities in conjunction with Purusha. Thus
She creates, preserves, and destroys. That is also the meaning of the conjoined images of
Radha and Krishna. On account of that union, again, the images are slightly inclined toward
each other.
"To denote this union, Sri Krishna wears a pearl in His nose, Radha a blue stone in hers.
Radha has a fair complexion, bright as the pearl. Sri Krishna's is blue. For this reason
Radha wears the blue stone. Further, Krishna's apparel is yellow, and Radha's blue.
"Who is the best devotee of God? It is he who sees, after the realization of Brahman, that
God alone has become all living beings, the universe, and the twenty-four cosmic
principles. One must discriminate at first, saying 'Not this, not this', and reach the roof.
After that one realizes that the steps are made of the same materials as the roof, namely,
brick, lime, and brick-dust. The devotee realizes that it is Brahman alone that has become
all these-the living beings, the universe, and so on.
"Mere dry reasoning-I spit on it! I have no use for it! (The Master spits on the ground.)
"Why should I make myself dry through mere reasoning? May I have unalloyed love for
the Lotus Feet of God as long as the consciousness of 'I' and 'you' remains with me!
(To Govinda) "Sometimes I say, 'Thou art verily I, and I am verily Thou.' Again I feel,
'Thou art Thou.' Then I do not find any trace of 'I'. It is Sakti alone that becomes flesh as
God Incarnate. According to one school of thought, Rama and Krishna are but two waves
in the Ocean of Absolute Bliss and Consciousness."
continued...
z,
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna continued....
"Seeing God in everything
"Chaitanya, Consciousness, is awakened after Advaita-jnana, the Knowledge of the nondual
Brahman. Then one perceives that God alone exists in all beings as Consciousness.
After this realization comes Ananda, Bliss. Advaita, Chaitanya, and Nityananda.
(to M.) "Let me ask you not to disbelieve in the forms of God. Have faith in God's forms.
Meditate on that form of God which appeals to your mind.
(To Govinda) "The fact is that one does not feel the longing to know or see God as long as
one wants to enjoy worldly objects. The child forgets everything when he plays with his
toys. Try to cajole him away from play with a sweetmeat; you will not succeed. He will eat
only a bit of it. When he relishes neither the sweetmeat nor his play, then he says, 'I want to
go to my mother.' He doesn't care for the sweetmeat any more. If a man whom he doesn't
know and has never seen says to the child, 'Come along; I shall take you to your mother',
the child follows him. The child will go with anyone who will carry him to his mother.
The soul becomes restless for God when one is through with the enjoyment of worldly
things. Then a person has only one thought-how to realize God. He listens to whatever
anyone says to him about God."
M. (to himself): "Alas! The soul becomes restless for God only when one is through with
the enjoyment of worldly things."
Namaskar.
Thanks Subramanian for the response on Sakthi and Saktha.My 'Origianl' question was if there is a husband and wife dont the husband and wife have their own Ego and Power.That is each of the husband and the wife will have their own Ego and Power.Doesn't that mean Lord Siva will have his own Ego and Power(Sakthi) and Mother Paarvathi too will have her own Ego and Power.That is why I asked there is Ravi and Ravini(his skills).Again there will be MrsRavi and Mrs.Raavini(Ravi's misses' skills).Shiva's works and energy cannot be depicted as a seperate being.For eg:If there is water how can we visualise wetness as a seperate individual entity on it's own.This depiction/symbology is what I dont understand.It is like there is God called Water and has 3 consorts Mother Wetness, Mother Liquidity, Mother Transperant.I hope I have explained my Original question well now.
-Z
z/friends,
An excrpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
"Friday, January 4, 1884
Sri Ramakrishna was sitting in his room. M. was still staying with the Master, devoting his
time to the practice of spiritual discipline. He had been spending a great part of each day in
prayer and meditation under the bel-tree, where the Master had performed great austerities
and had seen many wonderful visions of God.
Master exhorts M. not to reason & Different attitudes toward God
MASTER (to M.): "Don't reason any more. In the end, reasoning only injures the aspirant.
One should assume a particular attitude toward God while praying to Him-the attitude of
friend or servant or son or 'hero'.
"I assume the attitude of a child. To me every woman is my mother. The divine Maya,
seeing this attitude in an aspirant, moves away from his path out of sheer shame.
"The attitude of 'hero' is extremely difficult. The Saktas and the Bauls among the
Vaishnavas follow it, but it is very hard to keep one's spiritual life pure in that attitude. One
can assume other attitudes toward God as well the attitude in which the devotee serenely
contemplates God as the Creator, the attitude of service to Him, the attitude of friendship,
the attitude of motherly affection, or the attitude of conjugal love. The conjugal
relationship, the attitude of a woman to her husband or sweetheart, contains all the restserenity,
service, friendship, and motherly affection. (To M.) Which one of these appeals to
your mind?"
M: "I like them all."
MASTER: "When one attains perfection one takes delight in all these relationships. In that
state a devotee has not the slightest trace of lust. The holy books of the Vaishnavas speak of
Chandidas and the washerwoman. Their love was entirely free from lust.
"In that state a devotee looks on himself as a woman. He does not regard himself as a man.
Sanatana Goswami refused to see Mirabai because she was a woman. Mira informed him
that at Vrindavan the only man was Krishna and that all others were His handmaids. 'Was it
right of Sanatana to think of himself as a man?' Mira inquired."
-----------------------------------
z,What is your Difficulty?Have you recognized it?
What is the problem with 'gender'-No man is pure 'Male' and no woman is pure 'Female'.
The basic thing is to recognize that there is a 'Static' aspect and a 'Dynamic' aspect.How does it matter that you call one 'Male' and the other one as 'Female'.
Now Why is the 'Static' is called 'Male' and the 'Dynamic' is called 'Female'.
Just examine your bachelor days-Even if one had a big mansion,one may be using just 'one room' or 'two'.Just get married and now who goads one into buying more and more?Who is instrumental in expandingthe acquisitions?
The answer should be clear!
Here is an excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
"Master's attitude toward women
"Women are, all of them, the veritable images of Sakti. In northwest India the bride holds a
knife in her hand at the time of marriage; in Bengal, a nut-cutter. The meaning is that the
bridegroom, with the help of the bride, who is the embodiment of the Divine Power, will
sever the bondage of illusion. This is the 'heroic' attitude. I never worshipped the Divine
Mother that way. My attitude toward Her is that of a child toward its mother.
"The bride is the very embodiment of Sakti. Haven't you noticed, at the marriage ceremony,
how the groom sits behind like an idiot? But the bride - she is so bold!
Namaskar.
Dear Anon.,
When the Absolute becomes a form,
then that form will definitely have
ego. But Siva-Sakti is concorporate. It is like sun and its shining. If they are one [and that is Arunachala Principle where both Siva and Sakti have half-body each. And that one form has got ego. When beings including non-human living beings
can have, why not god? But that
is Pure Ego or Pure Mind - suddha
manas or suddha ahankaram. It has
no activities on its own excepting through its power. It is like a
Self realized Jnani, cutting vegetables, cooking, and writing
poetry.
*******
z,
Just see the confusion created by thought.
Faith is not generated by 'Reasoning'.It is only by trusting one who knows.
Here is an excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
"God cannot be realized without childlike faith. The mother says to her child, pointing to a
boy, 'He is your elder brother.' And the child at once believes that the boy is one hundred
per cent his brother. Again, the mother says that a bogy man lives in a certain room, and the
child believes one hundred per cent that the bogy man lives in the room. God bestows His
grace on the devotee who has this faith of a child. God cannot be realized by the mind
steeped in worldliness."
One cannot find clarity by reading books.Guru's guidance is essential.
Hold on to whatever little that appeals to your heart,and let it grow.Open yourself.Be humble and all these crippling doubts will be left behind.
Wish you the Very Best.
Namaskar.
Dear Anon., {Z}
Muruganar does not mention about
pure ego but he speaks about pure
mind or suddha manas in GVK:
Verse 383: The impure mind that is frightened and perplexed, as if it has been intoxicated by drinking alcohol, is alone the Jivatma, that is mentally confused and confounded, believing that it is really bound, by the bond of karma. If THE MIND WITHOUT DESIRING AND REVELLING IN SENSE OBJECTS PERCEIVED THROUGH SUTTARIVU ABIDES IN THE SELF STATE WITHOUT SLIPPING FROM IT, THEN THAT EXTREMELY PURE MIND ALONE WILL BE THE PARAMTATMA THAT SHINES IN A CLARIFIED STATE, AS TH ATTRIBUTE FREE CONSCIOUSNESS.
Verse 842: When you are separated from the Self State, the thought that associates with you as 'my mind' and 'your mind' is itself the binding entanglement. You should know THAT THE PURE MIND IS ONLY ONE, EXISTING EVER AS THE SAME, AS IT IS, AS THE CHIT SAKTI [THE POWER OF CONSCIOUSNESS] THAT REMAINS MERGED NON DUALLY WITH THE SUPREME SELF WHICH IS EXTREMELY CLEAR AND PURE BEING.
[Tr. David Godman and others]
From Talks 204:
....When divested of the ego, and the universal Self is realized, it is also called Vijnana. The word raises a mental concept. Therefore we say that the Self realized sage knows by his mind, but his mind is pure. Again we say that the vibrating mind is impure and the placid mind is pure. The PURE MIND ITSELF IS BRAHMAN. Therefore it follows that the Brahman is not other than the mind of the sage.
Again, GVK 1106:
The pure mind of the Jnani, which exists and shines as the witness, is a mirror that reflects even the impure thoughts that arise in his presence, in those whose minds are completely warped. Thus, he mystifies the minds of others in his presence by giving the impression that he is a deluded person.
[Tr. David Godman and others]
*****
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne: continues....
To return to my story.
Throughout the years of our separation, my wife never doubted Sri Bhagavan's guidance. She had complete faith in Him. When I joined her after the war and suggested showing Him a photo of Martin's guru and telling him that this was our Guru, she was horrified. "But you can't possibly
do that!" she exclaimed. "How could you tell Sri Bhagavan that somebody else is our guru?"
"But he him,self is not a guru, " I protested with crude logic repeating what I had been told.
"But you can't possibly do that!"
she repeated. "It would be a terrible thing to do."
And I didn't.
Nevertheless, despite her complete reliance on Sri Bhagavan, she continued the exercises into which we had been initiated and never
found it necessary to writ to Martin about the change of allegiance. For someone as indifferent as she was to the theory of initiation and guru, and who, moreover, until coming to Sri Bhagavan, and had been so half- hearted about the whole matter, such behaviour was quite natural. But could I do the same?
I soon found that I could not continue the practices into which I had been initiated and which represented a different and less direct path. They became a terrible drag and burden on me. I forced myself to continue them for sometime out of a sense of duty and then asked Sri Bhagavan's permission to drop them. He gave it, by saying, "Yes, all other methods lead upto Self inquiry."
There was never any question of becoming a Hindu, which [even supposing it were possible] would have meant taking on myself a new burden of formalities.
I felt therefore an obligation to inform the guru through whom, even though indirectly, the exercises had been prescribed, since it was in effect a change of allegiance. There was also the question of correcting Guenon's mistake. Not only did I owe that to him, since it was he who had brought me forth from a life of ignorance to quest for the Goal, and thereby indirectly to Sri Bhagavan but there was the consideration of all the others who were inspired by him to seek a path and yet, by this mistake of his, might find the path blocked by his 'no road' sign, as I had nearly so done.
continued....
My Path and Quest:
It must be remembered that Guenon was so strongly opposed to modern empirical methods of thinking, instead of which he advocated the traditional method of understanding the basic principles and applying them to actual circumstances. He usually did this successfully, but I have already mentioned instances in which this was not the case, by applying principles in too doctrinaire a
manner. It now transpired that his mistaken denial of Sri Bhagavan as a Guru had more serious implications because to was likely to have graver practical repercussions on those seeking guidance. Initiation had always been transmitted through strictly
orthodox channels and in a formal manner. Sri Bhagavan's initiation and guidance was not formal and did not follow the orthodoxy of any religion. Therefore, he argued, it did not exist. It did not occur to him that since most of the orthodox channels had dried up, and the waters of life which they formally conveyed had become inaccessible to almost all mankind, the Divine Grace might have opened a new path in accordance with the needs of the age. He often referred to such a phenomenon, to the outpouring of Grace being channelled in a new way to suit the conditions of a different age or community, but he did not admit or perceive that this had been happened in his own age also. Of course, what he ought to have done before issuing such a grave denial was to come and verify for himself, but, as with his rejection of Buddhism, this was just what he would not do, as it smacked of empiricism.
I decided that I should write a letter to Martin to be shown to his guru and Guenon, explaining that Sri Bhagavan was a Guru and did give initiation and guidance.
continued...
My Life and Quest:
Arthur Osborne: continues.....
However, there was one great impediment to this. As I have already stated, one of Guenon's enthusiasts had been to Tiruvannamalai and, failing to understand the silent initiation and guidance, had reported back that there was none and that Sri
Bhagavan was note a Guru.
Could I expect Guenon to take my word against his, especially when his confirmed Guenon's theory and mine refuted it? It seemed most unlikely. I therefore wrote a letter containing the definite statement that Sri Bhagavan was a Guru, and did give initiation and guidance and showed it to Sri Bhagavan, asking His permission to send it. Although He did not normally give any affirmation in this matter, I hoped that, in view of the importance of the case, He would make an exception, He did. He read the letter through carefully, handed it back and said: "Yes. Send it." I sent the letter to Martin with a postscipt explaining this.
Sri Bhagavan Himself never wrote letters. Therefore, a letter sent with His express authorization could be taken as a message from Him. The last chapter of Guneon's Man and His Becoming According to Vedanta, showed that he understood what was meant by the Jivan Mukta, the divine man fully Self realized while in life. Now he would be receiving a personal message from one. I hoped that he would accept it and not to make himself like those who denied Christ because he did not come in the form they had expected.
CONCLUDED.
Dear Anon.,{Z},
Of Brahman, Siva and Sakti:
I went through Sri Lalita Sahasranamam after a long break, this afternoon. The hymn is a multifaceted kaleidoscope or a multi coloured Rubik Cube, I should say. There are names to denote that she is subservient to Siva [read Absolute] and she is also Master of Siva. She drinks choicest liquor, has many ministers. She is the gateway to Consciousness, she is happy with true devotion, etc., etc.,. Her body beauty is also described from head to toe. It is all sheer sensual poetry and philosophy, two in one.
I shall give you some names for your reading and for reading by others also:
4. Om cidagni kunda sambhutaayai namaha |
Salutations to Her who came out of the fire of Pure Consciousness.
44. Om nakha dihiti samchanna namajjana tamo gunaaiyai namaha
Salutations to Her the illuminating splendor of whose toe nails dispels the darkness of ignorance in the votaries prostrating at Her feet.
53. Om Sivaayai Namaha |
Salutations to Her, the Consort of Siva, who Power She is.
93. Om Kulaantasthaayai namaha |
Salutations to Her who is the innermost Reality of the Kula Path [A type of Sakta path].
112. Om Bhavaanyai namaha |
Salutations to Her who is Bhavani, the consort of Bhava, Siva.
118. Om bhakti priyaayai namaha |
Salutations to Her who is fond of true devotion.
122. Om Saambhavyai Namaha|
Salutations to Her to who is known
as Sambhavi, the consort of Siva.
132. Om Santiimatyai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is full of Peace.
133. Om Niranjanaayai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is free from the stain of ignorance.
136. Om Nityaayai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is eternal.
140. Om nishkalaayai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who the Partless Unitary Whole.
contd.,
Dear Anon., {Z}
Sri Lalita Sahsranamam: continues...
146. Om Nisprapnachaai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is beyond
the sphere of multiplicity.
149: Om nitya buddhaayai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is the ever
awake Consciousness.
152. Om Nishkaaranaayai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who has no cause for Herself, as she is the first Cause.
163: Om nirmohaayai Namaha |
Salutatins to Her to dispels all
illusions.
175: Om bhava naasinyai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who frees devotees from involvement in the
cycle of births and deaths.
176: Om Nirvikalpaayai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is without
any modifications, as she is Pure
Consciousness.
207. Om mano'nmmanyai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is Manon'mani, the transcendent Consciousness.
208: Om Maaheswarayai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is the Consort of Maheswara, the Supreme
Principle of the Universe.
216: Om Maha-sattvaayai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is the Supreme Reality - Sattva.
232. Om Maaheswara mahaa kalpa
mahaa'tandava saakhinyai Namaha
Salutations to Her who is the witness of the Supreme Lord's [Maheswara's] awesome destructive cosmic dance at the end of the creative cycle.
251. Om Cinmayyai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is Pure
Consciousness.
263. Om Sarva avastha vivarijitaayai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is devoid of all the three avasthas [states]
296. Om anaadi nidhanayai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who exists without a beginning or an end.
337: Om Vidhaatryai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who created the universe and sustains it.
354. Om pasu paasa vimochinyai
Namaha |
Salutations to Her who releases the ignorant from their bond of ignorance.
363. Om tat pada lakshyarthaayai
Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is denoted
by the word Tat [That]
364. Om cid eka ras roopinyai Namaha |
Salutations to Her who is of the nature of Pure Consciousness.
Like these, there are many names
which indicate both the aspects of the Absolute and also the goddess with form, as consort of the Sivam. I think Saktam is a wondefrul blend of advaitam and upasana way.
*****
z/friends,
I wish to explore two key warnings,one from The Bhagavad Gita and the other one from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and the implications of the same from the sadhana point of view.I feel this is of great importance and crucial to 99.99% of sadhakas.
This is what Lord Sri Krishna says vide the Gita verse 26 in Chapter3:
na buddhi-bhedam janayed
ajnanam karma-sanginam
josayet sarva-karmani
vidvan yuktah samacaran
SYNONYMS
na--do not; buddhi-bhedam--disrupt the intelligence; janayet--do; ajnanam--of the foolish; karma-sanginam--attached to fruitive work; josayet--dovetailed; sarva--all; karmani--work; vidvan--learned; yuktah--all engaged; samacaran--practicing.
TRANSLATION
"Let not the wise disrupt the minds of the ignorant who are attached to fruitive action, they should not be encouraged to refrain from work, but to engage in work in the spirit of devotion."
Sri Ramakrishna says in the Gospel:
"One should not discuss the discipline of the Impersonal God or the path of knowledge with
a bhakta. Through great effort perhaps he is just cultivating a little devotion. You will
injure it if you explain away everything as a mere dream."
These are great warnings that every sadhaka has to heed,as otherwise,he may find himself stranded without progess.
These days,most aspire for the Nondual Truth;all that he might have done is come across some book that "solves the riddle of the life"-He thinks all that religion teaches are kid stuff, gropings of the immature mind to be left behind;All this is to be set aside.
Just enquire into the nature of 'I' and Self will be revealed and 'Self' is the only reality.This indeed is quite logical and catchy;yet what it entails is not grasped even by the keenest intellect.
This is what Sri Ramakrishna says:
""To follow jnanayoga in this age is also very difficult. First, a man's life depends entirely
on food. Second, he has a short span of life. Third, he can by no means get rid of bodyconsciousness;
and the Knowledge of Brahman is impossible without the destruction of
body-consciousness. The jnani says: 'I am Brahman; I am not the body. I am beyond hunger
and thirst, disease and grief, birth and death, pleasure and pain.' How can you be a jnani if
you are conscious of disease, grief, pain, pleasure, and the like? A thorn enters your flesh,
blood flow from the wound, and you suffer very badly from the pain; but nevertheless, if
you are a jnani you must be able to say: 'Why, there is no thorn in my flesh at all. Nothing
is the matter with me'."
Devotees of Sri Bhagavan,please do not get me wrong.There may be a few for whom it is like a fish taking to the waterand involves no conflict.I am not talking about such persons.Most others have to lean on other practices as well.How to reconcile these other practices with the 'Rational' approach of Self enuiry.
In other words,like z has said-"they are anti bhakta'-He has not articulated himself,yet as i understand that what he means is -How to justify the 'imagination' based Bhakti with the 'Rational' Jnana Marga?
This is what I intend taking it as a subject and hopefully deal with it from a practical sadhana point of view,and I intend taking up down to earth mundane examples to get my understanding of the subject across.
Continued....
Direct Teaching of Bhagavan Ramana:
Sri V. Ganesan:
Bouquet of Beatitude:
On another occasion, an Andhra youth came and said, "Swami, having a great desire for moksha and anxious to know the way thereto, I have read all sorts of books on Vedanta. They all describe it, each in a different way. I have also visited a number of learned people and when I asked them, each recommended a different path. I got puzzled and have come to you; please tell me which path to take."
With a smile on His face, Sri Bhagavan said, "All right then, go the way you came." We all felt amused at this. The poor young man did not know what to say. He waited until Sri Bhagavan left the Hall and then with a depressed look turned to the others there appealingly, and said: "Gentlemen, I have come a long way with great hope and with no regard for the expenses or discomfort, out of my ardent desire to know the way to moksha. Is it fair to tell me to go the way, I came? Is this such a huge joke?"
Thereupon one of them said, "No, Sir, it is not a joke. It is the most appropriate reply to your question. Sri Bhagavan's teaching is that the enquiry, "Who am I?" is the easiest path to moksha. You asked Him which way "I" should go, and His saying, "Go the way you came", meant that if you investigate and pursue the path from which that "I" came, you will attain moksha."
The voice of a Mahatma indicates the Truth even when speaking in a light vein. Thereupon, the book, "Who am I?" was placed in the hands of the young man who felt astonished at the interpretation, and taking Sri Bhagavan's words as Upadesa, prostrated himself to Sri Bhagavan and went away.
continued....
Ashada Punarvasu:
Today, is the day of Punarvasu in the Tamizh month Ashada. Punarvasu is the birth star of Sri Bhagavan. It is also said to be the birth star of Sri Rama.
In the Asramam, there will be special abhishekam, adornment and arti for Sri Ramaneswara Maha Lingam, and the Lingam, will be enclosed in a golden casket today, the gold representing of the colour of Punarvasu star in the skies.
Sri Muruganar has in his Sri Ramana Sannidhi MuRai has mentioned the golden colour of punarvasu star and writers have also mentioned about the skin of Sri Bhagavan looking like burnished gold.
I shall give some songs from Ramana Leelai in Sri Ramana Sannidhi MuRai.
953. Naliyathe ennuyirai nayanthu kaakkum....
Ever fresh he keeps my spirit,
Ramana, the daylight-bringer,
Spreading wide his bright Awareness.
Rattled out of his little hand drum
The Vedas' accents scattered far
The Maya of putrid ego.
The Lord Supreme, his greatness masking,
Wandered up and down the land.
A naked beggar alms in his hands,
Till tired at last he settled down
To take his rest on this Mountain of Gold.
954. Utthaaram onRu uraiyar ketta
keLvi....
None of our questions would he answer
And yet he governs us through love
Me, a serpent fierce, he who gives liberation
Received in sport, as if a garland of pearls.
Wasting no words, his body bare
Lays bare the truth for all to see,
Many a beauty he lured thus,
And played the vagabond in years of yore,
But now takes refuge in this firm
Mountain of Gold.
*****
Direct Teaching of Bhagavan Ramana:
Sri V. Ganesan:
Bouquet of Beatitude:
Some time ago, when a Bengali youth
asked similar questions, Sri Bhagavan explained to him at great length. His doubts not being cleared, the youth asked, "You say that the Self is present at all times and at all places. Where exactly is that "I"? Sri Bhagavan replied with a smile, "When I say you are present at all times, and at all places and you ask where is that "I", it is something like asking when you are in Tiruvannamalai, 'Where is Tiruvannamalai?' When you are everywhere, where are you to search? The real delusion is the feeling that you are the body. When you get rid of that delusion, what remains is your Self. You should search for a thing which is not with you, but where is the need to search for a thing which is always with you? All Sadhanas are for getting rid of the delusion that you are the body. The knowledge that "I am" is always there. Call it Atma or Paramatma or whatever you like. One should get rid of the idea that "I am the body?" There is no need to search for that "I" which is the Self. The Self is all pervading."
continued....
Direct Teaching of Bhagavan Ramana:
Sri V. Ganesan:
Bouquet of Beatitude:
A newcomer to the Asramam asked Sri
Bhagavan, "Is it possible to attain moksha [deliverance] while still in this body? Sri Bhagavan said: "What is moksha? Who attains it? Unless there is bondage, how can there be moksha? Who has that bondage? "Me", answered the questioner. "Who really are you?
How did you get the bondage? And why? If you first know that, then we can think of attaining moksha while in this body," said Sri Bhagavan. Unable to ask any further questions, he kept quiet and after a while went away.
After he left, Sri Bhagavan looked at the rest of us with kindness in His eyes and said, "Many people ask the same question. They want to attain moksha in this body. There is a sangham [group or society]. Not only now, but even in olden days, many people not only taught their disciples but also wrote books to the effect that there were kaya kalpa vratas [penance for rejuvenation], and such things, and that this body could be made as strong as an adamant, so as to become imperishable. After saying all that, doing ever so many things and writing about them, at length, they died in course of time. When the guru himself who talked and preached of rejuvenation passed away, what about his disciples? We do not know what will happen the next moment to a thing that we see now. Peace cannot be attained unless through Self enquiry one realizes that one is not the body and, with vaiagya [absence of worldly desires and passions], one ceases to to care about it. Moksha is after all the attainement of Shanti [Perfect Peace]. If therefore, peace cannot be attained so long as the body is identified with the Self, any attempt to keep the body for ever as it is, increases the bondage instead of decreasing it. It is all an illusion," said Sri Bhagavan.
continued.....
z/Friends,
Before I go ahead with 'Imaginary' Bhakti vs 'Rational'Jnana,I will thicken the plot with this excerpt from David's response to Harriet where he talks about Nisargadatta Maharaj,about how maharaj was adheringto his Guru's advice:
"Harriet: You said 'rarely spoke'. That means that you must have heard at least a few stories. What did you hear him talk about?
David: Mostly about his Guru, Siddharameshwar Maharaj, and the effect he had had on his life. I think his love for his Guru and his gratitude to him were always present with him. Nisargadatta Maharaj used to do five bhajans a day simply because his Guru had asked him to. Siddharameshwar Maharaj had passed away in 1936, but Nisargadatta Maharaj was still continuing with these practices more than forty years later.
I once heard him say, 'My Guru asked me to do these five bhajans daily, and he never cancelled his instructions before he passed away. I don't need to do them any more but I will carry on doing them until the day I die because this is the command of my Guru. I continue to obey his instructions, even though I know these bhajans are pointless, because of the respect and gratitude I feel towards him.'
-----------------------------------
What is one to make out from this incident?:
1.Bhajans are pointless.
2.Devotion to the guru is not.
What sort of devotion is it to follow the word of the Guru but not its spirit?we will not attempt to go into this any further,in the absence of further clarification by maharaj himself.
However,we can safely say that this is not ecstatic Bhakti,as can be understood from the Following excerpt from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
The Master said to the kathak(Story Narrator): "The gopis had ecstatic love, unswerving and single-minded
devotion to one ideal. Do you know the meaning of devotion that is not loyal to one ideal?
It is devotion tinged with intellectual knowledge. It makes one feel: 'Krishna has become all
these. He alone is the Supreme Brahman. He is Rama, Siva, and Sakti.' But this element of
knowledge is not present in ecstatic love of God. Once Hanuman came to Dwaraka and
wanted to see Sita and Rama. Krishna said to Rukmini, His queen, 'You had better assume
the form of Sita; otherwise there will be no escape from the hands of Hanuman.'
The Nature of Bhakti is that it does not seek a reason for its existence.
-----------------------------------
It is clear that although every sadhaka can take home the valuable point that 'Devotion to The Guru' is precious,no one will get inspired to do 'Bhajans' after hearing this statement,leave alone continue with what little he or she is doing at the moment!Elsewhere,if he reads Maharaj saying that all this is 'Imagination'(kalpana),even that very little will take wings!
Devotees of Nisargadatta Maharaj,please do not get me wrong.I have taken this example from the perspective of the 'two warnings'that I have posted earlier.The Impact of this sort of 'Teaching'-There are also others like J Krishnamurti and the other extremist U G Krishnamoorthy who have an avid following-all have this element of 'Rationality' and serve to sow the element of Doubt in the minds of 'common man' with his beliefs,faith and 'devotion'.
Now Doubt is a Good thing if it enables the sadhaka to find something better than what he has got hold of already.At the same time,it is most damaging when the Sadhaka has nothing to hold onto by way of Understanding or Faith renewed and enriched by way of this 'Doubt'.The sadhaka then starts living in 'Thought' divorced from 'Feeling'-and this is a miserable existence ,and sometimes he longs to go back to his previous state of 'Ignorance' but is unable to do so!
Continued....
z/Friends,
Continuing our exploration into 'Imaginary' Bhakti vs 'Rational' Jnana ,here is an excerpt from the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
Yogendra, the editor of a Bengali paper, the Bangavasi, entered the room. The conversation
turned to the Personal God and God without form.
MASTER: "God has form; again, He is formless. How many aspects He has! We cannot
comprehend Him. Why should we say that God is formless only?"
YOGENDRA: "That is the one amazing thing about the Brahmo Samaj. There even a boy
twelve years old sees God as formless. The members of the Adi Samaj do not object very
much to God with form. They are allowed to attend ritualistic worship if it takes place in
respectable families."
MASTER (smiling): "How nicely he has put it! Even a boy sees the formless God!"
ADHAR: "Shivanath Babu does not believe in God's forms."
VIJAY: "That is his mistake. (Pointing to the Master) As he says, the chameleon assumes
different colours-now this colour, now that. Only the man who lives under the tree knows
the animal's true colour.
"While meditating I saw images of gods painted on a canvas. How many gods! How many
different things they said! I said to myself: 'I shall go to the Master. He will explain it all to
me.' "
MASTER: "You saw correctly."
KEDAR: "God assumes forms for the sake of His devotees. Through ecstatic love a
devotee sees God with form. Dhruva had a vision of the Lord. He said: 'Why don't your earrings
move?' The Lord said, 'They will move if you move them.' "
MASTER: "One must accept everything: God with form and God without form. While
meditating in the Kali temple I noticed Ramani, a prostitute. I said, 'Mother, I see that Thou
art in that form too.' Therefore I say one must accept everything. One does not know when
or how God will reveal Himself."
The Master sang:
A mendicant has come to us, ever absorbed in divine moods. . .
VIJAY: "God has infinite power. Can He not reveal Himself in any form He chooses? Man
is a speck of dust, and he dares come to a conclusion about God. How amazing!"
MASTER: "A man reads a little of the Gita, the Bhagavata, or the Vedanta and thinks he
has understood everything."
-----------------------------------
In the above excerpt,the Master has covered the complete ground of our Topic.The Key thing that he is emphasizing is :
Point 1."He assumes
different forms and reveals Himself in different ways for the sake of His devotees. A man
kept a solution of dye in a tub. Many people came to him to have their clothes dyed. He
would ask a customer, 'What colour should you like to have your cloth dyed?' If the
customer wanted red, then the man would dip the cloth in the tub and say, 'Here is your
cloth dyed red.' If another customer wanted his cloth dyed yellow, the man would dip his
cloth in the same tub and say, 'Here is your cloth dyed yellow.' If a customer wanted his
cloth dyed blue, the man would dip it in the same tub and say, 'Here is your cloth dyed
blue.' Thus he would dye the clothes of his customers different colours, dipping them all in
the same solution. One of the customers watched all this with amazement. The man asked
him, 'Well? What colour do you want for your cloth?' The customer said, 'Brother, dye my
cloth the colour of the dye in your tub.'"
2. "A man reads a little of the Gita, the Bhagavata, or the Vedanta and thinks he
has understood everything."
3."How nicely he has put it! Even a boy sees the formless God!"
---------------------------------
The issue that we are discussing is exactly the same as above.
Continued....
z/Friends,
I will share a personal anecdote,and this is shared with a view to understand what thakur is emphasizing-"He assumes
different forms and reveals Himself in different ways for the sake of His devotees.".
My younger sister lost her only son,a lad of 17,in a tragic road accident 3 years ago.He had a little before that fatal day,joined B.Com in Loyola College,Chennai.They had purchased a Laptop and a Guitar for him.He was a bubbly boy,and on his birthday a little before that day,had insisted that his mother should dye her hair black,and that they should snap a family photograph -His mother,father and himself.My sister complied and this was the last family photograph they ever took and this is what I found on reaching my sister's home as soon as I heard the gory incident and we were awaiting the body of that sprightly lad.
I will take up this incident of my sister dyeing her hair to heed to the importunity of her only son and ask these questions:
1.Did her son see his mother or somebody else in that form(Dyed hair)?
2.Did it make a difference to the Mother to accede to that request?
The answer is elementary.We may now differentiate the 'imaginary' from the 'Real'.
The son saw the Real Mother only;at the same time he saw her with 'Black hair'(as he imagined she should be,as per his desire).The 'Imaginary' is superimposed on the 'Real'.
The Kid makes a tousand such demands on the Mother responds to these demands favourably or otherwise.This is the way the relationship and Lovegets strengthened.As the Kid grows,he learns to give up his demands,and is more and more satisfied in the 'Relationship' alone(Love).
Exactly the same in case of a Sadhaka ,following the path of Bhakti-his expression of Bhakti is personal and involves his Bhava(Feeling),what is called 'Imaginary'.The Response by the Divine is exactly to suit this 'Bhava'.Yet it is the Divine that Responds!Nothing 'imaginary' here.As long as it is the Divine that Responds,how does it matter how the Devotee invokes Her or Him!God will surely guide the devotee better than all the books in the world.This is the message of all the Great ones.
Thus this is a perfectly 'Rational' approach and there is no contradiction.
If the Devotee wants God a 'Mother',God is truly his Mother;If he yearns of God as his 'Father' ,God is truly his father;Likewise in whatever form and name the Devotee wants,God meets him exactly in that form and name!
This gives a great variety to the devotee to establish relationship in a million ways-and enjoy God through all these relationships.
Through all these the devotee also becomes so intimate as to realize God as inseperable to himself-
As the Great Saint AndAl in her TiruppAvai says-uraviyal ingu ozhikka ozhiyAdu(The Relationship that just cannot be destroyed).
This is Jnana.
Continued....
Dear Ravi,
Very true. Bhakti or devotion is
not backed by reason. It is sometimes called Moota bhakti. Moota bhakti is better than rational bhakti. We have
seen one Nayanar throwing stones on a rock saying that he was doing Siva Linga Puja, [because he was afraid of the Jains who were ruling that part of lands]. Now there was no Siva Lingam, no flowers. Still puja took place and Siva took it with all love and graced the devotee. There are many stories of saints like that.
In the morning I used to stand in the balcony or even in my room and look at East and pray to Arunachala. My wife asked 'How can you see Arunachala, sitting in Bangalore and looking at East, as if you can see Arunachala? Even Samabadi who was seeing Sita in Asoka Vana in Sri Lanka from the southern most part of India near the sea cannot see Arunachala which is 200 kms away from Bangalore to the east. I used to reply jokingly: I am seeing with my eye of jnana or even if I do not see Arunachala is seeing this little devotee from there!
Faith, I believe is the key. Whenever I see webcam photo in
Graham's site, I chant Urutheri ellai uRRu nokkinaal... If one who could see where it is visible....
the purport of Vedanta or self realization can be attained, without pains. I believe in it. I do not care what others are jokingly telling about my funny looking acts.
Sri Bhagavan says in Sri Arunachala Aksharamanamaalai, Jnanam illathu un aasaiyal thaLarvaRa Jnanam theritharuL arunachala. I do not have Jnana.
But I have only love for you. To
remove my desolation, please give upadesam of Jnana.
******
From Fragrant Petals - Asramam Publication:
Bhagavan Sri Ramana as I knew Him:
Swami Abhedananda:
Ramana is the Self of all. Whatever one sees, hears, what one speaks, or does is guided by His Presence. No one can do anything without His guidance. His speechless and actionless. Yet by
His mere Presence, one is able to achieve anything. One's very life
has its roots in Him. He is eternal and all pervasive. Every activity of all beings takes its
Source from 'Ramana'. The knowledge infused by Lord Buddha is that of 'Ramana'. The mysterious miracles caused by Lord
Christ were with the Divine Help of 'Ramana'. The matchless self surrender of saints and devotees was to realize 'Ramana'. In every trance, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa plunged himself in the Divine Nectar of 'Ramana' or the Supreme Mother. The teachings and preachings of Swami Vivekananda and other are about 'Ramana' only.
The inimitable self sacrifice of Mahatma Gandhi and other patriots was to reach 'Ramana' and merge in Him. The miracles performed by various saints and savants were by the grace of 'Rammana'. Evey action of mine, yours and others has 'Ramana's guidance. All the Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas etc., speak of 'Ramana' and show the path to realize Him. All the sciences of the East and the West and their inventions are only discoveries ever existing in 'Ramana'. Knowledge, action or desire arise from 'Ramana' Nothing exists without 'Ramana'. Nothing existed without 'Ramana's presence. Nothing will exist without Ramana's Presence. All magnificence and grandeur and beauty when compared to Ramana's magnificent teachings followed intuitional vision. His teachings to mankind will take deep root in the heart and will be nourished by ever remembering His name, which is Brahman of the Upanishads, the Paramatman of Yogis and the God of gods. 'Ramana' alone exists. There is only one 'Ramana' who resides in all things and all beings. Sarvam Ramanamayam Jagat. All are Ramana - the One Truth.
******
Guru Ramana Vachana Maalaa:
[Only Select sayings]
Sri Lakshmana Sarma: WHO:
87. Only the one, whose mind is ripened by supreme devotion to Him, can attain deliverance through zeal for the quest of the Self and inward turning of the mind.
88. The might of God's grace and the quest of the Self in the form of the question - Who am I? - these two together lead the seeker to the Heart and give him the Supreme State, which is the state of of his own Real Self.
91. Since even the gods Vayu and
Agni were unable to lift or burn a blade of grass, in the presence of God, how can an ego ridden person accomplish anything whatever by his own endeavour, unsustained by Grace?
95. Since the Supreme One Himself shines in the heart of every living being, as "I',"I" - it needs to be understood that - thus
God teaches all saying "I am the One Self in all."
98. Power over all and adorability by all came to God because He never says "I" even through forgetfulness.
99. The Supreme Self is described as being smaller than the tiny atom and greater than the greatest, because He is beyond the reach of the mind, which is itself infinite and atomic.
continued....
Sri Ramana Stuti Panchakam:
Satyamangalam Venkataramana Iyer:
Satyamangalam Venkataramana Iyer
made his first visit and last visit
to Virupaksha Cave when Sri Bhagavan was staying there. The visit was for about four days. In this period, he composed four hymns on Sri Bhagavan and the fifth one, he sent by it post, after his return home. These five songs are titled Sri Ramana Stuti Panchakam. These are sung on Saturdays [i.e today] in the evening parayana. Sri Bhagavan has mentioned about these songs in His conversations [e.g. Day by Day].
These songs were composed in 1910-11, much earlier than Sri Bhagavan Himself started writing His own songs like Sri Arunachala Stuti Panchakam.
Munagala Venkatramaniah [Author of Talks:] has translated them in English. But I do not remember to have this booklet of songs in Asramam book depot.
Two of the five hymns are available in Sri A.R. Natarajan's Timeless in Time.
The first one called Kaalai Paattu, Dawn Hymn is as under:
Dawn is rising on Aruna Hill,
Sweet Ramana, come!
Lord Arunachala, come!
*
In the bush the koel sings,
Dear Master, Ramana
come!
Lord of Knowledge Come!
*
The conch blows, the stars are dim,
Sweet Ramana come!
Lord God of Gods come!
*
The cocks crow, the bird chirp,
It is already time, come!
The night has fled, come!
*
The trumpets blow, the drums beat,
Gold-bright Ramana come!
Knowledge Awake, come!
*
The crows caw, it is morn,
Snake decked Lord, come!
Blue throated Lord, come!
*
Ignorance is fled, the lotuses open,
Wise Lord Ramana, come!
Crown of the Vedas, come!
*
Unstained by qualities, Lord of Liberation,
Glorious Ramana, come!
Lord of Peace, come!
*
Sage and Lord,
One with Being-knowledge-bliss,
Lord dancing in joy, come!
*
Love on the summit of Knoweldge,
Past pleasure, past pain,k come!
Bissful Silence, come!
***
It has to be accepted that the English translation, does not do justice for the wonderful Tamizh version. The Tamizh version is like Tiruppalli Ezhucchi of Saint Manikkavachagar.
*****
z/Friends,
Continuing the 'Imaginary' Bhakti vs 'Rational' Jnana,we will see what kAnchi mahAswami has said in his marvellous talks on Soundarya lahari:
“How could Adi Shankara, who preached the jnAna mArga, have
promoted this work (Soundaryalahari) of bhakti? It cannot be his,” say
some who profess ‘Philosophy’. But our Acharya was not a professor
who isolated philosophy as a separate discipline. Having written very
profoundly on advaita and its deepest implications in his several
commentaries and the other works of his, he promoted the spiritual
pursuit of the common man by writing and talking about the need to
follow one’s swadharma by Karma and Bhakti. His intent was to raise
the common man from his own level. For this purpose he went from
one pilgrim centre to another all his life and composed hymns after
hymns and also established yantras in temples.
The philosophers argue: JnAni says everything is One. But Bhakti
can happen only when there is the duality of the devotee and the deity.
Therefore, they say, the jnAni can never be a bhakta. These
philosophers cannot themselves claim to have the Enlightenment of
advaita ! But there have been those who could have so claimed, like the
sage Suka, Madhusudana Saraswati or Sadasiva-brahmam. If we
carefully study their lives we will know that they had been devotees of
God in the fullest sense of the word and have themselves written works
of Bhakti. Even in our own times Ramakrishna Paramahamsa has been
a great devotee of Mother Goddess. Ramana Maharishi has done works
of devotion on God Arunachalesvara. Again, on the other side, great
devotees like Manikka-vasagar, Nammazhvar, Arunagiri-nathar,
Tayumanavar, etc. have themselves been convinced advaitins, and this
is reflected in innumerable flashes in their compositions."
Continued...
z/friends,
kAnchi mahAswAmi on Bhakti in soundarya lahari continued...
"If a jnAni should not do a Bhakti composition, then I would say
that he should not also do a work of jnAna. Why am I saying this? Let
us go back to the definition of a jnAni. ‘ The world is all mAyA; the
thinking of people as if they were separate separate jIvAtmAs is nothing
but Ignorance’ - with such a conviction through personal experience,
they have thrown away that Ignorance as well as its basic locus, the
mind, and they live in the non-dualistic state of ‘ ‘I’ am everything’ –
such should be the status of the jnAni; shouldn’t it be so? Such a
person preaching, or writing a book, even if it be about the subject of
jnAna – is it not a contradiction? Unless such a person thinks there is a
world outside of him and there are jIvAtmAs outside, how can he think
of ‘teaching’? Teaching whom? And when we look at it this way, all
those great teachers of jnAna should really not be jnAnis ! What power
will there be for such a teaching about jnAna from teachers who are not
jnAnis themselves?
-2-
(Digest of pp.584-587)
On the other hand what do we observe in our experience? Whether
it is the teaching about jnAna in the Gita, or the Viveka Chudamani of
our Acharya, or the Avadhuta Gita of Sri Dattatreya or the teaching in
the Yoga-vASiShTa, or a song of Tayumanavar – even as we just read
these we feel we are being taken beyond the curtain created by mAyA to
some distant peaceful state of Calm. Just by reading, in one’s spiritually
ripe stage, such teachings, there have been people who have renounced
the world and reached the state of Bliss-in-one-Self! If these teachings
had not been written from that spiritual apex of Experiential Excellence,
how could such things have ever happened?
Therefore, however much by our intellectual logic, we may argue
whether a jnAni can get bhakti, how the jnAni can do any preaching
and so such possibilities cannot exist and so on, these are certainly
happening, by the Will of the Lord which is beyond the Possible and the
Impossible.
It is only the Play of the Lord that, the jnAni, who is non-dualistic
internally, appears to do things in the dualistic world. His mind may
have vanished, mAyA might have been transcended by him; but that
does not mean the outside world of jIvAtmAs has disintegrated. What do
we gather from this? There is a Super-Mind which does all this and in
some mysterious way is compering and directing the entire universe. And
it also means it is the same Supra-Mind that is making the minds of
men revolve in the illusion of mAyA. It is that Power which is known in
advaita scriptures as saguNa-brahman or Ishvara. In the scriptures
devoted to Shakti or Shiva , whenever they call the Actionless nirguNa-
Brahman as ‘ShivaM’ they call this saguNa-brahman as ‘Shakti’, ‘parAshakti
’ or ‘ambAL’. Just as that nirguNa-Brahman exhibits itself and acts
as the saguNa-brahman, so also, it must be presumed, that the
enlightened jnAni also does his external actions and that again, is the
work of the saguNa-brahman!"
Continued.....
z/Friends,
kAnchi mahAswAmi on soundarya lahari continued...
"What is the path of jnAna? It is the effort through self-enquiry and
meditation for the eradication of the mind and vanquishing of mAyA.
But the other path is to dedicate oneself and all one’s thoughts and
actions to that very parA-shakti (who produced this mAyA on us) with an
attitude of devotion. It is like giving the house-key to the thief himself !
However much the parA-shakti may play with you and toss you and your
mind hither and thither, Her infinite compassion cannot be negated.
Only when we separate and rejoin, we realise the value of that union. To
pray to Her for that reunion and for Her to get us back to Her in answer
to our prayers – this is the great LeelA of Duality wherein She exhibits
Her Infinite Compassion ! So when one prays with Bhakti for such
release She releases Him by giving Him that Wisdom of Enlightenment.
It is wrong to think that the goal of Bhakti lies in the dualistic
attitude of being separate from God. It is by this wrong assumption that
people ask the question: How can a jnAni exhibit Bhakti? In the very path
of Bhakti wherein it appears there is an embedded duality, the same
Bhakti would lead the practitioner to the stage where he will ask: Oh
God! May I be one with You! This is the subtle point which the
questioning people miss. When that stage comes to the devotee, the very
parA-shakti known as kArya-brahman or saguNa-brahman will bless him
with that jnAna that takes him to the non-dual kAraNa-brahman or
nirguNa-brahman.
Not everybody can practise the path of jnAna that brings the
realisation of the mahA-vAkyas by sravaNa (hearing), manana (thinking
and recalling) and nididhyAsana (contemplating). Only when the mind
vanishes one can realise the Self as the Absolute Brahman. If that is so,
the real question is: How to kill the truant mind, which refuses to be
subdued, much less vanquished ? The very effort of vanquishing the
mind has to be done by the mind only. How can it kill itself ? The palm
can slap another; but it cannot slap itself. Though we are thus brought
to a dilemma, there is a supreme power which has created all these
minds. So instead of self-effort to kill our minds, we should leave it to the
parA-shakti and surrender to Her. Instead of falling at the feet of the
witness for the prosecution we fall at the feet of the prosecutor himself !
Then She will help us quell the mind; She will grace us with the
necessary jnAna."
continued...
z/Friends,
kAnchi mahAswAmi on bhakti in soundarya lahari:
"Either She might totally eradicate your mind and give you the
peaceful state of ‘I am shiva’ (shivoham) or She might tell you from
within:
“Look, after all, all this is My Play. The Play appears real to you
because of mAyA. I shall totally erase that mAyA-view for you. Then you
can also be like me, with that calm non-dual bliss inside and having on
the outside a mind which is untouched by mAyA. Thereby you can also
be a witness to all this worldly Dance. You will thus see yourself in Me
and see Me in all the worldly multiplicities. In other words instead of
making the mind non-existent, your mind will then be full of Me”
And She might make you just exactly that way(Sri Ramakrishna talks about this as vijnAna-Ravi) .But I know your
worry. You constantly worry about the impossibility of transcending
mAyA, of eradicationg this worldly vision and of vanquishing the mind.
You keep worrying to the extent of almost weeping over it. To such a
weiling seeker She replies:
“Why do you worry and weep like this? You are worrying that you
cannot discard the world from your view. But you forget that the world
was not your making. This Sun and Moon, mountains, trees, oceans,
animal kingdom, and the millions of living beings and categories – all this
was not created by you.
“When that is so, you are worrying about the little ‘you’ that you
are, and you forget that this little ‘you’ also was not your creation.
Instead of thinking all this is not only one but one with Me, your mAyA clouded
view makes you think they are all different and distinct. And
even that mAyA-view that clouds you, again was not your making!
“My dear child, you are caught up in the web of the world, a mind
and a MAyA-cloud -- all this is My making. Did I not make Krishna say
to you: mama mAyA duratyayA ? (My mAyA is intranscendable). I have
also told you there that it is ‘daivI’ (made by the Power of God). If you
had made it all, then you could have overcome them. But it was all made
by Me in the fullness of Power.
“You jIvas have only little fragments of that Power. So if you cannot
eradicate the world, the mind and the MAyA that I have made, you don’t
have to cry over it. It is not in your Power. It has to take place only by My
Grace. Come nearer to Me through Devotion ! I shall do the eradication
in proper doses for you."
continued...
z/Friends,
kAnchi mahAswami on Bhakti in soundarya lahari,continued:
“"That somebody is able to control his mind and is able to walk on
the path of jnAna – that again is My own Grace. It is I who have granted
that privilege to him. What appears as many and different must be seen
as one. To crave for that view is what is called ‘advaita-vAsanA’. One gets
it only by My Grace”.
(Now the Mahaswamigal, who has been talking in the words of the
Mother Goddess, continues on his own).
There is another novelty here. Even the jnAni who has had the
non-dual Enlightenment, still enjoys the play of mAyA. He sees the
different things; but knows they are all one. Just as a spectator of a play
who is not playing any role in it, the jnAni enjoys the playful novelties of
mAyA and revels in his devotion to that parA-Sakthi who is the author of
it all. To be keeping such jnAnis in this dual-non-dual state is also the
work of Mother Goddess. Mark it. It is not that the jnAni is showing
Devotion just for the sake of others only. No, By himself he is indeed
thinking
( I think the Mahaswamigal is here
letting out an autobiographical tip !-rA ganapathi)
‘What a pleasure to witness this dualistic play of the non-dualistic
One ! What a multiplicity of beauty, panoramic variety and continuity of
Love !’ . Thus revelling in that blissful vision, he continues to pour out
his own love (bhakti) to that Transcendental Power from the bottom of his
heart. This tribute to the jnAni has been given by the great Teacher Suka
himself.
(Cf. Bhagavatam 1-7-10:
AtmArAmAshca munayaH nirgranthA apy-urukrame;
kurvanty-ahaitukIm bhaktim itham-bhUta-guNo hariH. – meaning,
Those who revel in the Self, even though rid of all attachments,
show a causeless bhakti towards the Lord, just naturally.)
On the one hand the devotee who has yet to get the
Enlightenment enjoys the devotional state for the very reason of getting
the Enlightenment; on the other hand, the one who is already
enlightened and is a jIvan-mukta shows his bhakti for the sake of
enjoyment of that bhakti and not for any other reward or purpose."
continued....
z/Friends,
kAnchi mahAswAmi on Bhakti in soundarya lahari continued...
"(The Mahaswamigal continues to speak the words, as if, of the
Goddess):
“Thus I am the One who gives this new Bhakti in the state of
jnAna. And I will be the One who will give you that jnAna to you, my
devotee, when the time is ripe. Don’t you worry. You have come to Me as
your Mother. I will take care of you. The bondage in which I threw you
shall be removed from you by Myself. You need not have to keep on
crying for ‘Release’. Once you know I am the only One there is, hold on to
that steadfastly; there is no question of ‘Release’ thereafter. ‘Release’
from what?
“Let jnAnis think that they will get the Ultimate Peace only when
the duality-awareness goes away from them and let them go their own
way of Enquiry of the Self. When you feel you don’t have the interest or
the stamina to go that way, don’t feel bad or incomplete. Come through
the path of Love. See the multiplicities. But instead of seeing them as
different and separate, try not to forget that the basis of all of them is the
single Me. Love Me from your heart and view everything through Love.
Encompass everything in Love. I shall raise you to the Ultimate
Enlightenment by My Love and Grace”.(Exactly what Sri Ramakrishna has said!-Ravi)
Thus arises the godly experience that is blessed by the Mother
Goddess. By Mother Goddess I also mean the Lord-God, the paramAtmA,
and also the individual favourite deity of each of us. It is the same
supreme Power that engulfs you into the mAyA, that graces you as
saguNa-brahman and also takes you to that blissful state of jnAna.
Finally let me also say this. By the very fact that the jnAni writes a
book on jnAna, it must follow that he should also write on Bhakti. For,
writing a book means communicating with others. So that means he has
accepted the presence of a world of duality in which he has to
communicate and educate. The jnAni as he is, must have already
‘descended’ to this world of duality and decided to raise the commonfolk
to his level. He who knows that the source of all this duality is that
Infinite Compassionate God–principle, would ipso facto have no
compunctions for making a hymn of praise for that Ultimate in Its
saguNa form. And he also knows that it is that very same Power that
prods him on to make this hymn. So where is the contradiction here?"
continued....
z/Friends,
kAnchi mahAswAmi on Bhakti in soundarya lahari:
"But if you contend that he is writing jnAna works for the benefit of
the world – ‘loka-sangrahArtham’ without any ‘kartRtva-buddhi’ -- the
awareness of doership – then with the same non-awareness of doership
he can write both jnAna works and bhakti works. What and where is the
difference? The World-welfare (loka-kalyANam) is the purpose. It is the
Lord who is effecting the welfare through the hands and mouth of these
chosen jnAnis. And the most efficient way for the jnAni, the Lord knows,
to reach the masses, is to propagate hymns of praise of the divine,
pilgrimage to holy centers, installation of mystic yantras, and all the way
down to ritual worship.
There are three superlative hymns of praise on Mother Goddess in
the form of Lalita. Chronologically they are: ‘AryA-dvishati’ (also called
‘lalitA-stava-ratnam’) a 200-shloka piece by Sage Durvasa; ‘Soundaryalahari
’ which is actually made up of two parts – ‘Ananda-lahari’ , a 41-
shloka piece brought from Kailas by Adi Shankara and ‘Soundarya-lahari’
the 59-shloka piece composed by Adi Shankara himself, the two pieces
together going by the popular name of Soundaryalahari by Adi Shankara;
and ‘Panca-shati’ (a 500-shloka piece) by the poet Muka.
Durvasa’s AryA-dvishati gives us a spiritual experience of the
presence of the Almighty-Goddess in the very words of AryA-dvishati. In
this he describes the complicated structure of the ShrI-chakra . The
Goddess’s Grace descends on those who read and recite such hymns of
praise composed by great devotees who have already merited the descent
of Her Grace on them. Durvasa, Adi Shankara and Muka are three such.
Such Grace exhibits itself first in the eloquence of these hymns. And the
result is, the devotee who revels in the recitation and repetition of these
hymns, himself gets that eloquence and flow of language and of speech.
The Goddess gave such an eloquence to Muka. ‘MUka’ means
‘dumb’. We do not know what name he had before. But from the moment
he composed the five hundred shlokas in Her praise, we have known him
as the poet Muka ! Both the AryA-dvishati and the MUka-pancashati
bring to our vision the majestic splendour of the form of Mother Goddess
like an expert painter's masterly painting. The third one, the Soundaryalahari
is the crowning glory of all three and of all hymns of praise of the
Mother Supreme."
continued....
z/Friends,
kAnchi mahAswAmi on Bhakti in soundarya lahari continued....
"Of Soundaryalahari it may be said that there never was one like it,
nor ever will be. It has a perennial charm that does not satiate. And its
majestic eloquence is unbeatable. In his bhaja-govindam our Acharya
uses very elementary words because it happens to be the alphabet of
Vedanta. But here he is describing the undescribable. So he uses words
very precisely. Consequently the vocabulary turns out to be difficult.
But the words chosen only add to the lilting charm of the poetry that he
weaves. The metre used is ‘shikariNI’, meaning ‘that which is at the
apex’. It has 17 syllables for each of the four lines.
Through the descriptions of the Goddess’s form that make up the
latter 59 shlokas, he brings ambaal right before our mental eyes in all
Her majesty, grace and splendour and overwhelms us by the bliss which
the very words and metaphors pour on us. Just as a master-sculptor
dedicates each movement of his chisel to the object of his sculpture, he
transforms each word, as it were, by his own spiritual experience of the
Goddess and thus in turn we readers feel the words themselves
constitute the Goddess.
It is not only blissful poetry, but blessed poetry. Such blessedness
arises not because of any flowery language, but by the fact the Acharya
is himself blessed ! ‘Mother, this hymn is nothing but a composition of
yours in your own words’ (‘tvadIyAbhir-vAgbhiH tava janani vAcAm stutiriyam
’ – shloka #100), says he in the concluding line. Inspirations of
great saints and sages, not only benefit mankind by their inspired poetry,
but bring to successive generations, an inspired contact with the great
men, even long after they have passed away. Thus our Acharya in
enabling us to have a ‘darshan’ of the Goddess herself, gives us, in
addition, a ‘darshan’ of himself !
The concept of ‘intense’ devotion does not care for the language
used, or for the manner of worship. It is the intensity of devotion and
depth of feeling that matter. But getting that intensity and depth is the
most difficult thing. That is exactly what eludes us. Now that is where
the beauty of such blessed poetry like Soundaryalahari excels. Whether
you understand it or not, whether you pronounce the words correctly or
not, the very attempt itself of reciting it produces in you the needed
bhakti! This is the word-power of the words of such blessed poetry. The
vibrations of the words give us all the material and spiritual success.
We have only to keep the objective of bhakti steadfast in our minds.
Everything else just follows.
Of all the stotras that our Acharya has done, it is the
Soundaryalahari that is the topmost. The aShTottara-nAmAvaLi of the
Acharya has the nAmA ‘soundarya-laharI-mukhya-bahu-stotravidhAyakAya
namaH’ meaning: ‘prostrations to the one who composed
many stotras with soundaryalaharI as the prime one’. Of the BhAshyas
that he wrote, ‘brahma-sUtra-bhAshya’ towers supreme;of his expository
works, ‘viveka-chUDAmaNi’ is prime and of all his works of bhakti, the
SoundaryalaharI tops the list."
-----------------------------------
What a shower of grace from our mahAperiyavA!!!Torrential flow!
Namaskar.
Friends,
kAnchi mahAswami on the various schools of philosophy:
"The shAkta philosophy (ShAktaM) talks of ShivaM in place of the
actionless substratum Brahman. Even if it is actionless, it is Cit,
knowledge, says advaita. In place of this Cit, ShAktaM talks of Cit-Shakti
or simply, Shakti. The Brahman of advaita peacefully rests in itself. In
ShAktaM, on the other hand, the peaceful ShivaM has the Shakti, power
or energy, that manifests as knowledge potential (Cit-Shakti) and this
manifestation is its play as the multiplicity of the universe. In advaita
there is no second. What appears as the universe is only an appearance
created by MAyA. MAyA has no relationship with Brahman. What it is,
and how it came all this is inexplainable. That research is not
necessary. What is needed is how to get out of it and obtain the personal
realisation of the basic Brahman behind. And hence the path of jnAna.
In ShAktaM, it is claimed that the play of duality starts by the Will of
ShivaM coupled with Shakti. Even here there is a role of MAyA-Shakti.
But we shall dwell on it later.
It is Brahman that appears as jIva, through the effect of MAyA. If
one follows the path of jnAna and transcends MAyA, then jIva realises
itself as Brahman, says advaita. In ShAktaM also it says that the jIva and
ShivaM are basically the same and actually become the same in the state
of mokshha; particularly in the ShrI-vidyA scriptures it is specifically
accepted so. Dvaitam, VishishhTAdvaitam, SiddhAnta-shaivam (Shaivasiddhantam),
ShrIkaNTa-shaivam (ShivAdvaitam), Kashmiri Saivism in
this order, the philosophies start from a concept totally distinct from
advaita, gradually nearing and ultimately becoming very near to advaita.
And in ShrI-vidyA the identity of jiva with Brahman is clearly
stipulated. The two philosophies differ only in the concept of creation. In
advaita, duality is said to be only an imagination and so is to be totally
negated. In shAkta philosophies, duality is said to be created by parAShakti,
the energy of Brahman. It is also the parA-Shakti that grants the
mokshha, which is the identity of Brahman and jIva in eternal peaceful
bliss. This bliss is called shivAnandam and/or shAntAnandam in the
shaivite schools, and cidAnandam in the shAkta schools.
There is no difference in the concept of mokshha as the realisation
of the one-ness of jIva and Brahman, between advaita schools and the
ShrI-vidyA tantra of the shAkta schools. The philosophy of advaita takes
creation as a vivarta (a false appearance, manifestation, of reality)
whereas the ShrI-vidyA school takes it as AbhAsa (an effulgence of a
reflection). That the sun appears as a reflection in water is 'AbhAsa'. In
the same way the universal Cit-Shakti reflects itself with a limitation and
becomes the jIva as well as the universe -- this is the shAkta concept of
creation. But without the original object called the Sun there could be no
reflection. So in basics it comes back to the advaita concept. But the
shAkta holds that to the extent there is an object with its reflection, there
is a phenomenal reality for jIva and the universe. It does not hold that it
is 'mithyA' which is the advaitin's contention.
continued....
Friends,
kAnchi mahAswAmi on the various philosophies(from his soundarya lahari talks) continued...
"It is the latter part of Soundaryalahari that dwells on the beauty
(saundaryam) of ambaal's form.The former part dwells on Her Shakti. It
is called Ananda-lahari. The identity between Shakti and Cit is referred to
in the word cidAnandalaharI in verse #8 of Anandalahari. bhajanti
tvAm dhanyAH katicana cidAnanda-laharIm, meaning, Only the most
fortunate few (recognize you and) worship you as the flood of knowledgebliss
(cidAnanda). Note here that while for every reader of the
Soundaryalahari portion the whole beauty of Mother Goddess is fully
experiential, in the Anandalahari portion the people who can experience
the bliss of the Shakti-lahari, that is, the cidAnanda-lahari, are only the
few fortunate (katicana dhanyAH) !
The close correlation between advaita and the various shAkta
schools, particularly the ShrI-vidyA tantra school, has been used by our
Acharya who is aware that many cannot follow the abstract path of
jnAna. And that is why perhaps he chalks out a path whereby one starts
from the leelA of creation of duality and goes forward along the path of
ShrI-vidyA and finally ends up in advaita itself. In accordance with this,
even when he composed many stotras on Shiva and VishNu, he never
goes deep into the shivAgama or vaishNava-Agama nuances but dwells
mainly on the bhakti and consequent emotions only. On the other hand
when he worked on Soundaryalahari, the first part, Ananda-lahari,
even though it is said that he only brought it (from Kailas) and not
composed it is totally a shAkta scripture. The sum and substance of
the twin work of Ananda-lahari and Soundaryalahari seems to be:
advaita is The path; if not, the next (alternative) is ShrI-vidyA !
In fact, ShrI-vidyA is the connecting cord between advaita and all
that is dvaita. It unifies the ShAntaM-ShivaM-advaitam with Shakti, the
creator of duality, and therefore, of the universe. In LalitA-sahasranAma
also, the last name is lalitAmbikA and the last but one is shiva-shaktyaikya-
rUpiNI. And this takes us to the very beginning shloka of
Soundaryalahari !"
Continued....
Friends,
kAnchi mahAswAmi on soundarya lahari continued...
"Shivas-ShaktyA yukto yadi bhavati shaktaH prabhavituM
na ced-evaM devo na khalu kushalaH spanditum-api /
atas-tvAm-ArAdhyAM hari-hara-virinchAdibhir-api
praNantuM stotuM vA katham-akRtapuNyaH prabhavati // 1 //
(A Digest of Discourses 12 on Soundaryalahari)
ShaktyA yuktaH bhavati yadi - Only if yoked with Shakti
ShivaH devaH - (even) Lord shiva
shaktaH - has the ability
prabhavituM - to create the world;
evaM na cet -- if not so (yoked),
kushalaH na -(He) is not capable
spandituM api-even to make a move.
khalu - Isn't it so?
ataH- Therefore,
kathaM prabhavati - how is it possible
akRta-puNyaH (for) one who has not accrued any (spiritual) merits
praNantuM to do prostrations to
stotuM vA -- or to praise (by hymns)
tvAM You
hari-hara-virinchAdibhir-api ArAdhyAm
who are worshipped even by Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma and the like?
(To get the total meaning, please read the English portions above in the
order in which they are presented above. The Maha-Swamigal does the
same thing, but presents it in the order in which it will make sense in
the Tamil language. He usually does not give the total meaning in one go.
We shall follow the same pattern in all the succeeding shlokas-Translator)
Here is embedded the most important shAkta doctrine that the
parA-shakti is higher than the Triad of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It is
only by Her will and action that even the actionless nirguNa-ShivaM gets
into action through the Triad and the cosmic process of presentation of
Duality starts. Everything in the universe moves because of You, Oh
parA-shakti; when that is so, even the prostration to you or praise of you
by a devotee does not happen by itself. And then by implication our
Acharya brings out the point that when ambaal grants the power to
somebody of praising Her, She does not give it to all and sundry but only
to those who have spiritual merits.
And again then, by one more implication, one can take it to mean
that the one who is doing the stotra now, namely, the Acharya himself,
must, ipso facto, be of great spiritual merit. Is that what he means? Is
he so devoid of humility that he praises himself by implication? # Later
in shloka #57 he is going to say: snapaya kRpayA mAm-api ( that is,
pour your glance of compassion, EVEN on poor me) and again in shloka
#84, mamApi shirasi dayayA dehi caraNau (EVEN on my head please
place your feet). So the only way we should interpret the present shloka
is: You can move even the immutable ShivaM into action. It is You
therefore who have given even me, who does not have any spiritual merit,
the capability that you usually grant only to the meritorious ! It is You
who have moved my senses of speech into the action of hymnising You !
Prostration is by the body (kAyaM). Praising through a hymn is by
speech (vAk). By implication the mind (manas) is also mentioned. Thus
in the very first shloka the dedication to Her by manas, vAk and kAyaM
has been done. And naturally, the completeion of this dedication in the
form of Atma-samarpaNaM dedication of one's self in fullness comes
in the very last shloka (#100).
continued...
Ramana Arunachala - Arthur Osborne:
Asramam Publication - 1997 reprint:
Sri Bhagavan and Buddhism:
It is reported that Sri Bhagavan Ramana was once asked why Lord Buddha refused to answer questions about the after life and that He replied: "Perhaps he was more concerned with the real work of guiding men towards Self Realization than with satisfying the useless curiosity." There is a very great similarity between the teaching of this Jivan Mukta born in modern times and that of the Buddha. And there could be no better proof that, although Buddha was creating a new religion which was destined to satisfy the needs of people far beyond Indian shores, the spiritual essence remained the same and the only the accidentals were changed.
I am not referring to Buddhist cosmology, which, indeed figures much less in the teaching of the Buddha than in that of his later exponents, and which is, indeed one of the accidentals which Buddha, like Sri Bhagavan, preferred not to speak about lest theoretical interest should distract the questioner from the practical need for spiritual effort. But to the central the great central theme of His teaching: that attachment to illusion binds man to the cycle of birth and death and to suffering and that enlightenment brings release. Naturally, this basic truth can be found in one form or another in all religions and all spiritual teaching, but in that of the Buddha, as of Sri Bhagavan, it is the central theme. As a result, there was in both cases, the direct injunction to turn from illusion and seek Enlightenment rather than more indirect promise of reward for virtue and threat of punishment for sin. I say, "more indirect" not only because such teaching cloaks under a moral appeal what can be presented simply as pure law of cause and effect, but also because it fastens the eyes and aspirations of its followers on states intermediary between this world and the Absolute Reality of Moksha or Nirvana, states, which though higher and more real than the present life, are also illusory in the ultimate truth of Advaita.
contd.,
Friends,
kAnchi mahAswAmi on soundarya lahari continued...
"There is a parallel observation in the very first shloka of VivekachUDAmaNi.
muktir-no-shata-koTi-janma-sukRtaiH puNyair-vinA
labhyate, meaning, Unless one has earned spiritual merit in 100 crores
of births, one cannot go the jnAna mArga and obtain mokshha. But
note: our Acharya does not say explicitly, in this major work of bhakti,
that only by spiritual merit you can go along the path of Bhakti or jnAna
or for that matter any noble path. Whereas, in the Viveka-chUDAmaNi,
which is a work on the path of jnAna, -- mistakenly appropriated by
people who think that that is the way to avoid the traditional worship of
deities !-- right in the 3rd shloka, he says that Seeking a proper guru and
starting on the path of jnAna occurs only by the Grace of God
deivAnugraha-hetukam!
The bottom line of this shloka is that Shiva earns His place and
prestige only when He is united with Shakti. But the words Shiva and
Shakti have been placed in the shloka in that order, with Shiva first. This
indicates that the dependence is mutual; neither of them is to be lower in
hierarchy or glory. THERE IS NO HIGHER OR LOWER BETWEEN THIS
ORIGINAL DIVINE COUPLE. They have an equality, samaM in Sanskrit
and this is the origin for the word samaya to get the meaning of
religion or tradition in Hindu culture. In the shAkta and Shaiva
scriptures the word samayAcAra is used to denote the path of worship,
that is done mentally through the noblest attitude of devotion arising
from the bottom of the heart. The reason for the word samaya therein is
that there are five categories in which Shiva and Shakti are considered
equal in that regimen of worship."
---------------------------------
Those interested may download the discourses (English)from this site:
http://www.advaitin.net/Articles/Soundaryalahari1.pdf
Namaskar.
Ramana Arunachala - Arthur Osborne:
Sri Bhagavan and Buddhism:
continues:
This refusal to prescribe any lesser goal or recognize any contingent reality made Sri Bhagavan, like the Buddha, unwilling to speak about the after life. When asked: "What shall be when I die?" He answered: "Why do you want to know what you will be when you die before you know what you are now? First find out what you are now." This is to say: seek the ultimate truth of the Self which alone is behind the appearance of this or any other life.
He even said explicitly: "But people do not like even to hear of this Truth, whereas they are eager to know what lies beyond, about heaven and hell and reincarnation. Because people love mystery and not the Truth, religions cater to them so as to be eventually bring them round to cater to them so as to be eventually bring them round to the Self. Whatever be the means adopted, you must at last return to the Self, so why not abide in the Self here and now?"
Preoccupation with higher and yet still contingent states implies teaching on the level of reality on which the Self is God, and the worshipper is separate from God; but in the ultimate Truth, there is no duality. Therefore, when asked about God, Sri Bhagavan replied: "Why do you want to know what God is, before you know what you are? First find out what you are." That is: Why stop at even the highest manifestation of the Self? Seek the ultimate Truth of the Self which you are. Nay more, He has even been heard to say: "There is no Iswara." Or, as He put it more explicitly: "There is no God apart from the Self, for if there were to He would be a Self-less God, which would be absurd.
True, Sri Bhagavan often spoke of God, for so long as the conception of the individual self as a real and separate being continues, the conception of God as the Creator, Lover and Judge of that being must also continue. Sri Bhagavan was willing to speak to each person in the idiom of that person's understanding, but to those who would open their hearts to His fullest teaching, He pronounced only the final truth: "That there is no God and no you, apart from the Self."
contd.,
Sri Bhagavan and Buddhism:
[From Ramana Arunachala - Arthur
Osborne:}
continues.....
Never has any religion been more degraded than by those Buddhists who try to curry favour with modernism by interpreting Buddha's refusal to speak of God as Atheism or Agnosticism. Below the level of God-and-man is the illusion of the ego alone, as above it is the Reality of the Buddha-Mind alone. Below the appearance of higher world is that of this physical world, as the above it is Nirvana.
And they have mistaken the lowest for the highest. Refusal to stop short at the level of the Personal
God, a level of truth but not the Ultimate Truth, is travestied by them to mean inability to rise above the phenomenal world whose illusoriness Buddha taught.
Like the Buddha, Sri Bhagavan also refused to speak about the state [if it can be so called] of the Jnani, that is of Nirvana, for it would be to define the indefinable. When asked about the bodily consciousness of the Jnani, He would reply: "You think the Jnani has a body", or "Why worry about the Jnani before you know what you are? First find out what you are." And when you have found that out, you know, because you are the Jnani. Theoretical explanations do not help and may even impede the aspirant by gratifying the mind instead of turning it inwards in quest of the Self in which it merges. Mental speculation is not the least of the ego's defences against spiritual effort. And when the effort is directed to That which is beyond the mind, it would be a contradiction to try to elucidate it to the mind. It would be like trying to put the ocean in a bucket. Sri Bhagavan said: "The Self is self effulgent. One need to give it no mental picture, anyway. The thought that imagines is itself bondage. Because the Self is the Effulgence transcending darkness and light, one, should not think of it with the mind. Such imagination will end in bondage, whereas the Self is spontaneously shining as the Absolute."
contd.,
Ramana Arunachala - Arthur Osborne:
Asramam Publication: 2007 edition:
Sri Bhagavan and Buddhism:
continues....
Verbally, there is a contradiction between the teaching of Sri Bhagavan and that of the Buddha in that Sri Bhagavan declared that there is only Atma, while the Buddha declared that there is no Atma. But it is no more than verbal, for Sri Bhagavan used the word "Atma" to mean the Universal Self, which is Nirvana, whereas Lord Buddha used it to mean the individual soul. And Sri Bhagavan also taught that there is no individual being, not only in the sense that it will not endure after death, but that it is not now. "Never mind what you will be when you die. Find out what you are now."
Teachers who have directed their followers on a more gradual path, shielding their eyes form the blinding simplicity of Ultimate Truth, have affirmed the survival of the soul after this life. However, the contradiction, like all spiritual contradictions, is only apparent, and the clearest outer sign of that is that Buddhism itself combines the teaching of heaven and hell and reincarnation, with that of the unreality of the individual soul. Any other life or world is as real as this one, but in truth this also is unreal, and therefore, instead of directing men to seek a higher level of comparative but not ultimate reality, Sri Bhagavan like Buddha, insisted on the total unreality of the ego whether in this life or any other. "First find out what you are now."
The Buddha was very little concerned with theory. His purpose was less to construct a cosmology than to show men the way from suffering to Peace. Like Sri Bhagavan, he brushed aside solutions that go only part of the way and left only the pure affirmation of Nirvana and of Maya, of the Self and illusion. And yet theorists have descended upon his teaching and argued it out into patterns which help neither themselves nor others to escape form the wheel of samsara or suffering. It is possible that they will fasten on the teaching of Sri Bhagavan also, but it will not be His real teaching that they expound, for His real teaching was to avoid the inessential and follow the way to Self Realization.
contd.,
R.Subramanian/Friends,
"Nay more, He has even been heard to say: "There is no Iswara." Or, as He put it more explicitly: "There is no God apart from the Self, for if there were to He would be a Self-less God, which would be absurd."
I find that Arthur Osborne's statement is absurd.To say "There is no God apart from the Self"-is to say that Self alone is.This is not to say that that there is no Godand still less a 'self-less God'!We can see how wrong understanding through intellectual knowledge is totally misleading and how the proponent of such misunderstandings is supremely confident that he has truly understood!!!He is now sharing this 'knowledge' with others!
It is elementary to understand, that to say that 'There is no God',someone should exist,in other words the 'salt doll' must exist,without dissolving in the ocean!This is impossible.
I think that Arthur Osborne is under the influence of 'There is no god other than God(self)'(la ilaha illallah muhammadur rasulullah ) of the KorAn and has foisted it over Sri Bhagavan.
Namaskar.
Ramana Arunachala - Arthur Osborne:
Asramam Publication - 2007 edition:
Sri Bhagavan and Buddhism:
When asked questions within the frame
work of Hindu spiritual sciences, He would sometime answer them technically, but often He would brush them aside. He gave no ground for mental speculation, and on the whole discouraged those range of intermediate reality. "Just as it is futile to examine the rubbish that has to be swept up only to be thrown away, so it is futile for him who seeks to know the Self to set to work enumerating tattvas that envelop the Self, and examining them instead of casting them away. He should consider the phenomenal world, with reference to himself, as merely a dream.
Not only was the Buddha not concerned to elaborate a cosmology. He was also very little concerned to establish a social order. So far as he did so it was mainly through the negative act of refusing the caste. Whoever proved himself capable of following the Path was capable, Sri Bhagavan took up the same attitude. However, since His purpose was not to be found a new religion or social order, He did and said nothing to attack caste. He simply bestowed His Grace on all in the measure in which they were prepared to receive it. If the Brahmins chose to sit apart in the Asramam dining hall, they could - but He sat in a place from where He could view both sides. He approved of the morning and evening recitation of the Vedas in the Hall, but no devotee, whether women, low caste or foreigner, was to be excluded from His Presence during the recitation.
The difference in expression between the teaching of the Buddha and of Sri Bhagavan mainly stems from the fact that the Buddha ws founding a new religion. Therefore he spoke in such a way to appeal to the masses as well as the seekers. Therefore, although he stressed that it is Knowledge that brings deliverance, he cast his teaching in a more emotional mould, speaking rather of suffering, and relief from suffering. But the meaning is the same: That it is attachment that causes suffering, and that the attachment is to an illusion and is dispelled by the Knowledge. On the other hand, just because the teaching was adapted to the world at large, genuine seekers on the Path, who desired its essence, ad to renounce the world. Giving up home and property and entering a monastery was the outer symbol of giving up attachment and turning from illusion to enter the heart.
A Spiritual Master brings the message it is needed. In the time of the Buddha, a new religious vehicle was needed for the peoples of East Asia. In the time of Sri Bhagavan, a new spiritual path was needed such as can be followed in the conditions of the modern world by those of all religions who seek spiritual guidance in them and do not find it.
contd.,
Dear Ravi,
I do not know, really speaking. But
Arthur has taken it as it is from
Sri Bhagavan's statement.
*****
Ramana Arunachala:
[Asramam Publication: 2007 edition]
Arthur Osborne: continues....
Since the teaching of Sri Bhagavan was directed to those who aspire to take the Path, He spoke more coolly and clearly, rather of ignorance than of suffering, rather of Knowledge than of relief
from suffering. And since He was not formulating a new religion for the world, He did not withdraw His devotees from the life of the world. The conditions of life are such today that very many who crave for Grace and guidance find it difficult or impossible to withdraw from the world or even to observe the full and detailed obligations of their religion, whichever it may be. And Sri Bhagavan has absolved those who turn to Him from the need to do so. This is His great mercy. Not only Hindus, but Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Jews, Parsis, all came to Him, and He never advised any to change from one religion to another. He prescribed the Vichara for all alike. So long as any other observances, of whatever religion, helped a devotee, Sri Bhagavan never advised him to discontinue them. But when the Vichara is effectively practiced it supersedes all other observances. "All other methods only lead up to the Vichara."
Since the Vichara as taught by Sri Bhagavan contains a large element of karma-marga as well as jnana-marga, He never advised any to withdraw from the life of the world. He explained that the one object is to overcome the "I-am-the-doer" illusion, and therefore it is of no help to exchange the thought "I am a householder" for the thought of "I am a monk". What is necessary is to discard both and remember only "I am".
Through the power of His Grace, Sri Bhagavan has reopened to mankind the Direct Path of Self Enquiry prescribed in only slightly different form of Lao Tsu and the Buddha.
"Self enquiry 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 Absolute. Having realized the Self, nothing remains to be known because it is perfect Bliss, it is the All."
The very simplicity of Sri Bhagavan's teaching makes it easy to repeat or expound, but it was only His tremendous power that could open it as a living path to mankind. It was only the silent impregnation with His Grace that could enable any to follow Him. This was given by a concentrated look of eyes shining with love and power to one who had the immense fortune of coming before Him, and by silent transmission to all who turned to Him in their heart from a distance.
concluded.
R.Subramanian,
"I do not know, really speaking. But
Arthur has taken it as it is from
Sri Bhagavan's statement."
He might have taken it from Sri Bhagavan.The (mis)interpretation
is his.
I hope you have read and absorbed what you are posting;only such sharings are meaningful.Otherwise it is only 'Keyboard exercise' or 'Cut and paste' at its best.
If we find that something does not make sense,there is no point in posting.
Namaskar.
ravi,
chadwick and cohen come across as more "honest" reporters of Bhagavan as compared to osborne and wife.
R p
Ravi
The statement from the Osborne book that you characterised as 'absurd' was not from Osborne but Bhagavan himself:
D.: Is God apart from the Self?
M.: The Self is God. “I AM” is God. “I am the Self, O Gudakesa!” (Ahamatma Gudakesa).
This question arises because you are holding the ego self. This will not arise if you hold the True Self. For the Real Self will not and cannot ask anything. If God be apart from the Self He must be a Self-less God, which is absurd. (Talks, 20th February, 1937)
Dear David,
Thank you for clarification.
Direct Teaching of Bhagavan Ramana:
Sri V. Ganesan - Asramam Publication:
2nd edition, 2011:
The brahmin again asked pointedly,
"Even though people commit adultery
and theft and take alcoholic drinks
and so on, can their sins be wiped out by doing japam wi9th the mantras mentioned above? Or will the sins stick to them?"
"If the feeling 'I am doing japa' is not there, the sins committed by a man will not stick to him. If the feeling 'I am doing the japa' is there, why should not the sin arising from bad habits stick on?" said Sri Bhagavan. "Will not this punya [result of virtuous acts] extinguish that papam [result of those sinful acts}?" asked the Brahmin. "So long as the feeling, 'I am doing' is there, one must experience the result of one's acts, whether they are good or bad. How is it possible to wipe out one act with another? When the feeling that "I am doing" is lost, nothing affects a man. Unless one realizes the Self, the feeling "I am doing" will never vanish."
The devotee said, "Does involving one's self in its own place mean that buddhi [developed mind] one discards the annyamaya and other kosas [sheaths of the body] and after that discards buddhi itself?
Sri Bhagavan replied, "Where do you go if you discard buddhi? The buddhi remaining in its own state is the knowing of one's own true state. To eliminate or discard the various elements mentioned already, buddhi is must be used as a punishing rod. The buddhi is described as of two parts, unclean and clean. When it is associated with the work of the antakarana, it is stated to be unclean. That is known as mind and ahankara. When buddhi is used as a punishing rod to drive away those things and to give the inspiration of the Self [aham sphurana] i.e "I", it is known as clean buddhi. If that is caught and the rest is discarded, that which is, remains as it is."
Further questioning was: "It is said that, that buddhi must be made one with Atma. How is that?" Sri Bhagavan replied, "How can it be made one with Atma when it is not a thing which comes from outside? It is within oneself. The feeling or the shadow of Atma is buddhi. If that buddhi, the static thing, is known, one remains as one's own Self. Some call that 'buddhi', some 'shakti' and some call it 'aham'. Whatever the name, it must be caught hold of firmly to drive away all that comes from elsewhere."
*
A retired Judge of ripe old age said, "Swamiji, I should also be given my share of service to the feet of the Guru." To this Sri Bhagavan replied: "Oh really? Atmavai guruhu [Service to the Self is service to Guru]. You are now 70 years of age. You do service to me? Enough of that! At least from now onwards, serve yourself. It is more than enough, if you remain quiet."
continued.....
Dear Anon., [R p],
What is your reason behind this labelling that X and Y are honest
reporters of Sri Bhagavan's words and
not Z and Mrs. Z.?
subramanian,
purely personal opinion. chadwick and cohen seem to report as it is while osborne and wife seem to add on.
R p
David,
Thanks for the clarification.Sri Bhagavan is only responding to a Question-"Is God apart from the Self"?As the question is absurd ,Sri Bhagavan's answer is quite to the point.Before this Sri Bhagavan does say -"The Self is God. “I AM” is God."
Arthur osborne has quoted it out of context.Here is the passage:
"Therefore, when asked about God, Sri Bhagavan replied:
1."Why do you want to know what God is, before you know what you are? First find out what you are."
2.That is: Why stop at even the highest manifestation of the Self?
3.Seek the ultimate Truth of the Self which you are.
4.Nay more, He has even been heard to say: "There is no Iswara." Or, as He put it more explicitly: "There is no God apart from the Self, for if there were to He would be a Self-less God, which would be absurd."
This looks to me a potpourri of sayings of Sri Bhagavan,quoted out of context, given a seemingly logical sequence that is quite misleading.
Namaskar.
R p,
Yes,chadwick and cohen were devotees who did not have literary or scholarly pretentions.Everyone(most) have their 'add ons' but to misconstruct the teaching is to mislead oneself and others.
Arthur osborne had a 'baggage' that he carried.I found his discussion with his wife,the decision to write to their former 'Teacher'regarding the 'change in Loyalty',quite immature.It looks to me like giving notice to the current internet service provider that one is switching over to another 'Internet Service Provider'!Instead of feeling grateful for whatever was received as guidance(even wrong guidance!),he wanted to point out to Guenon his mistake-in propagating that Sri Bhagavan was not a 'Guru'.
Had he understood the Truth behind 'Guru',he would have desisted from all this.Anyway,we need not spend time on these aspects.Arthur Osborne was instrumental in Bringing out the Collected works of Sri Bhagavan in English,and for this we are ever grateful to him.
Namaskar.
David/Friends,
I find here a few people, e.g., Subramanian, consistently and regularly reproducing large paragraphs or chapters from published works. If these are being posted here without the necessary permissions, wouldn't they be a violation of 'copyright'?
Na Karmana:
"Na Karmana" is the last Vedic chant of both the morning and evening Veda Parayana at Sri Ramansramam. It is customary for devotees to stand as it chanted and then prostrate to the Guru
at its conclusion. This tradition continues in the Asramam at the Master's Samadhi Shrine.
("Na Karmana" comes under Taittiriya Upanishad, Maha Narayana Valli and this Valli is also separately called as Maha Narayana Upanishad.)
In 1938, Major A.W. Chadwick [Sadhu Arunachala], with the help of some devotees, translated "Na Karmana" into English. Sri Bhagavan corrected and approved his English versification. About the same time, Sri Bhagavan translated "Na Karmana" in to Tamizh (Prose).
*
'Tis not by means of action immortality is gained,
Nor even yet by offspring, nor possession of much gold,
But by renunciation by some it is attained.
*
The Sages who their senses have all thorougly controlled
Attain that Sat than which high heaven's Supremacy is less,
Which ever doth within the Heart its radiance unfold.
*
The Adepts by renunication and one-pointedness
Who have become both pure in heart and who have also known
That certainty of that one Truth Vedanta doth profess,
Attain Self-realization; when ignorance has flown
From body and its cause Maya, they'll gain full liberty.
*
That only, as minute Akasa, what has eternal shone,
That is within the Lotus Heart, of every sorrow free,
Of the Immaculate Supreme, the seat molecular,
With in the body's inner core, should meditated be.
*
He verily is Lord Supreme. He is exalted far
Above the Primal Word, which is of Veda first and last;
In which blends the Creative Cause, so merged in One.
******
(Source: Collected Works of Sri Ramana Maharshi - 2009 edition. The previous 2002 edition and 2007 edition do not have this versification of Major Chadwick [Sadhu Arunachala} }
R.Subramanian,
I collected the CDs of Sri Nochur -1.Atma vidya Keerthanam(7 days talks)
2.Srimad Bhagavatham(continuing his excellent series -7 Days,in Chennai)
3.uLLadhu nARpadhu(Final series,as you have requested).
I will courier these tommorow along with Sri Ganesa sarma's excellent 7 days Talks on the Life of Sri mahAperiyavA.
Namaskar.
Dear Ravi,
Thank you very much in anticipation,
for your valuable help. Kindly do
indicate your full postal address and
also the telephone No. The cost of all CDs and courier charges may also be kindly indicted, so that I can send the DD to your correct address.
Thanking you once again.
Subramanian. R
Dear Anon,
This copy right and patent issues also came up in Graham Boyd's blog,
since my self and a few others were writing many posts. If I remember correct, Graham clarified that complete reproduction of any book is a violation. Certain portions can be given either in parts or in one full post with acknowledgement of the source, in every post. This is only from
my memory, since this matter had been taken up in the year 2008-2009. In fact he re-directed
some of the posts back to my inbox. e.g. Reflections of the Golden Eyes and Guru Ramana Vachana Maala.
I shall seek considered views of David also in the matter.
****
ravi,
"Sri Ganesa sarma's excellent 7 days Talks on the Life of Sri mahAperiyavA"
if you can kindly consider making an extra copy, i would like to have one. am assuming you are from chennai and i should be there mid aug. can i collect it from you personally? please advise with contact info.
R p
R.subramanian/R p,
My email id is niveditahr@rediffmail.com.Please mail me and I will respond with the details.
R p,
I am sure you will enjoy that CD on sri mahAperiyavA-I have listened to it countless times and I never feel satiated!What a Life and what a Great soul!
Namaskar.
Friends,
An excerpt from The gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
"(To the goswami) "With sincerity and earnestness one can realize God through all religions.
The Vaishnavas will realize God, and so will the Saktas, the Vedantists, and the Brahmos.
The Mussalmans and Christians will realize Him too. All will certainly realize God if they
are earnest and sincere.
"Some people indulge in quarrels, saying, 'One cannot attain anything unless one worships
our Krishna', or, 'Nothing can be gained without the worship of Kali, our Divine Mother',
or, 'One cannot be saved without accepting the Christian religion.' This is pure dogmatism.
The dogmatist says, 'My religion alone is true, and the religions of others are false.' This is
a bad attitude. God can be reached by different paths.
"Further, some say that God has form and is not formless. Thus they start quarrelling. A
Vaishnava quarrels with a Vedantist.
"One can rightly speak of God only after one has seen Him. He who has seen God knows
really and truly that God has form and that He is formless as well. He has many other
aspects that cannot be described.
Parable of the elephant and the blind men
"Once some blind men chanced to come near an animal that someone told them was an
elephant. They were asked what the elephant was like. The blind men began to feel its
body. One of them said the elephant was like a pillar; he had touched only its leg. Another
said it was like a winnowing-fan; he had touched only its ear. In this way the others, having
touched its tail or belly, gave their different versions of the elephant. Just so, a man who has
seen only one aspect of God limits God to that alone. It is his conviction that God cannot be
anything else.
Illustration of the ocean and the ice
(To the goswami) "How can you say that the only truth about God is that He has form? It is
undoubtedly true that God comes down to earth in a human form, as in the case of Krishna.
And it is true as well that God reveals Himself to His devotees in various forms. But it is
also true that God is formless; He is the Indivisible Existence-Knowledge-Bliss Absolute.
He has been described in the Vedas both as formless and as endowed with form. He is also
described there both as attributeless and as endowed with attributes.
"Do you know what I mean? Satchidananda is like an infinite ocean. Intense cold freezes
the water into ice, which floats on the ocean in blocks of various forms. Likewise, through
the cooling influence of bhakti, one sees forms of God in the Ocean of the Absolute. These
forms are meant for the bhaktas, the lovers of God. But when the Sun of Knowledge rises,
the ice melts; it becomes the same water it was before. Water above and water below,
everywhere nothing but water. Therefore a prayer in the Bhagavata says: 'O Lord, Thou
hast form, and Thou art also formless. Thou walkest before us, O Lord, in the shape of a
man; again, Thou hast been described in the Vedas as beyond words and thought.'
"But you may say that for certain devotees God assumes eternal forms. There are places in
the ocean where the ice doesn't melt at all. It assumes the form of quartz."
Namaskar.
Friends,
The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna continued...
"KEDAR: "It is said in the Bhagavata that Vyasa asked God's forgiveness for his three
transgressions. He said: 'O Lord, Thou art formless, but I have thought of Thee in my
meditation as endowed with form; Thou art beyond speech, but I have sung Thee hymns;
Thou art the All-pervading Spirit, but I have made pilgrimages to sacred places. Be
gracious, O Lord, and forgive these three transgressions of mine.'"
MASTER: "Yes, God has form and He is formless too. Further, He is beyond both form
and formlessness. No one can limit Him."
Rakhal's father was sitting in the room. At that time Rakhal was staying with the Master.
After his mother's death his father had married a second time. Now and then he came to
Dakshineswar because of Rakhal's being there. He did not raise much objection to his son's
living with the Master. Being a wealthy man of the world, he was always involved in
litigation. There were lawyers and deputy magistrates among Sri Ramakrishna's visitors.
Rakhal's father found it profitable to cultivate their acquaintance, since he expected to be
benefited by their counsels in worldly matters.
Now and then the Master cast a glance at Rakhal's father. It was his cherished desire that
Rakhal should live with him permanently at Dakshineswar.
Rakhal's inborn spiritual nature
MASTER (to Rakhal's father and the devotees): "Ah, what a nice character Rakhal has
developed! Look at his face and every now and then you will notice his lips moving.
Inwardly he repeats the name of God, and so his lips move.
Parable of the homa bird
"Youngsters like him belong to the class of the ever-perfect. They are born with God-
Consciousness. No sooner do they grow a little older than they realize the danger of coming
in contact with the world. There is the parable of the homa bird in the Vedas. The bird lives
high up in the sky and never descends to earth. It lays its egg in the sky, and the egg begins
to fall. But the bird lives in such a high region that the egg hatches while falling. The
fledgling comes out and continues to fall. But it is still so high that while falling it grows
wings and its eyes open. Then the young bird perceives that it is dashing down toward the
earth and will be instantly killed. The moment it sees the ground, it turns and shoots up
toward its mother in the sky. Then its one goal is to reach its mother.
"Youngsters like Rakhal are like that bird. From their very childhood they are afraid of the
world, and their one thought is how to reach the Mother, how to realize God.
"You may ask, 'How is it possible for these boys, born of worldly parents and living among
the worldly-minded, to develop such knowledge and devotion?' It can be explained. If a pea
falls into a heap of dung, it germinates into a pea-plant none the less. The peas that grow on
that plant serve many useful purposes. Because it was sown in dung, will it produce another
kind of plant?
"Ah, what a sweet nature Rakhal has nowadays! And why shouldn't it be so? If the yam is a
good one, its shoots also become good. (All laugh.) Like father like son."
M. (aside to Girindra): "How well he has explained God with and without form! Do the
Vaishnavas believe only in God with form?"
GIRINDRA: "Perhaps so. They are one-sided."
M: "Did you understand what he meant by the 'eternal form' of God? That 'quartz'? I
couldn't grasp it well."
MASTER (to M.): "Well, what are you talking about?"
M. and Girindra smiled and remained silent."
-----------------------------------
How ThAkur does the balancing act!the pea example followed by the yam!
Namaskar.
Dissolution of the Ego:
The ultimate knowledge to be gained
by the Jiva is Self Knowledge. All other kinds of knowledge may be useful for worldly attainments but cannot be of any help in the quest for salvation. The route is long and arduous and spans countless births. Not all are blessed to strive for salvation just as not all drops of water reach the ocean.
But by God's Grace and the effect of past karma, when at some point of time, a Jiva comes into the circle of influence of realized souls, it gets latched on to the path of Self realization. Time and again, realized souls live in our midst to help in this quest.
Maharshi Ramana who lived in Tiruvannamalai is symbolic of humanity's search for the cryptic and indispensable question, "Who am I?". Like Sri Adi Sankara, who made mankind ask, "Is the Self, the body, soul or mind? From where did this "I" originate? Where is this "I" heading?, Maharshi Ramana triggered this kind of probing that leads to a literally a threadbare discussion leaving no identity for the "I" except the Infinite Consciousness. The ultimate Supreme Brahman cannot be reached by wealth, fame or any other means. The only means is by destroying the ego that distances the Self from the Infinite Brahman, [though in reality the Self is Brahman] and instead identifies with the mind-body complex. This is so deep rooted in the consciousness that tremendous effort is needed for its uprooting.
The five senses are turned outwards and hinder the mind's inward quest. They have to be
combated in earnest. The jiva strives hard but chooses the wrong path due to ignorance. It thinks worldly attractions to be the goal. It chooses pleasure but does not realize that all worldly pleasures seems attractive but are flawed by their short-lived nature. It takes many births for it to realize that there is no everlasting pleasure except the ultimate bliss of merging with Brahaman. Even Yayati thought that warding off old age could be the ultimate joy. So he first opted to remain young always but finally became realized.
With the dissolution of the ego, comes the realization that with God's grace alone we can reach Him.
[Discourse By Dr. Sudha Seshaiyan]
******
Sri Neelakanta Dikshitar:
Sri Neelakanta Dikhshitar is nephew or son of the more famous Appayya Dikshitar.
When Pandyan King punished Saint
Manikkavachagar, Siva caused floods to come in Vaigai river. The king ordered every citizen to do some portion of work by shoveling the sand and throwing it on the bank of Vaigai river, so that the floods could be contained. There was one old lady, who was selling "pittu", a roasted rice flour and jaggery mixture, for some small payment by everyone. This Pittu Vani had no strength in her body and had no substitute to do her part of work.
Siva came in the guise of a small boy and offered to do her portion of work, if she gave pittu. Pittu Vani agreed and gave him some pittu. But instead of shoveling the sands on to the bank of river Vaigai, he was loitering and lying on the bank without any work.
The king found that Pittu Vani's share of work was not done and when asked, the old lady said that she had a substitute and showed the boy. On seeing the boy, the king became angry and gave a hit on his back. The blow was felt by everyone in the world, including the king. Then the boy showed his Siva Swarupam and told the king to release the saint poet, Manikkavachagar. Upon doing this, the floods in the river also subsided. Pittu Vani for having given pittu to Siva went to Sivalokam.
Sri Neelakanta Dikshitar asks Siva in a humorous poem: "O Neelakanta, when you got the blow, it was experienced by everyone in the world. But when you took the sweet pittu why not the sweetness felt by everyone in the world? You are partial!"
[Source: From a Tamizh book]
*****
Major Chadwick's [Sadhu Arunachala]
translation of Sri Bhagavan's works:
Major Chadwick also translated most of the collected works of Sri Bhagavan. Howeever, since translations were already made and submitted to Sri Bhagavan by Arthur Osborne, he merely submitted his work to Sri Bhagavan without saying anything. Sri Bhagavan must have also read this work of Chadwick.
Some of the poems of Sri Bhagavan translated by Chadwick has come as a separate book by Asramam.
One or two has been included in the Collected Works [the latest edition either as a new addition or as a substitution of Arthur Osborne's work.].
For example, the Significance of Beacon [Arunachala Deepa Darsna Tattvam] has been rendered by Chadwick in poetry instead of prose as done by Arthur Osborne:
To make the intellect rid of the sense
"I am the body", and to introspect
By fixing it securely in the Heart,
And so perceive the true light of the Self,
The one "I-I", which is the Absolute
This is the significance of witnessing
The Beacon Light of Arunachala,
The Centre of the Earth.
Major Chadwick has also done the seven verses of Arunachala Maahatmayam in verses.
{Source: Poems of Sri Ramana Maharshi - Sadhu Arunachala - Asramam Publication - 1996 edition.}
Spiritual Stories as told by Ramana
Maharshi:
Asramam Publication: 2010 edition:
One day a Sage called Pakanar was weaving a basket in front of his house. Hearing a loud voice chanting,
"Hare Ram", he asked his sister who it was that was chanting. His sister replied it was a brahmin who is keeping his own daughter. Pakanar replied: "You are the hundredth person to repeat the scandal." Meanwhile, the brahmin having come to that place, the Sage told the brahmin that his curse was lifted and that he could return home. Later, he explained to his sister thus: "The brahmin was living with his widowed daughter. They were generous and kind-hearted. They would invite sadhus and feed them with love. On hearing of their generosity, a sadhu came to visit them. He was well received and fed. The sadhu was immensely pleased with their devotion and decided to bless them.
He just glanced once and knew what was in store for them when they die. He called the brahmin and told him that after his death, he would be tortured by a mountain of leeches in hell. On hearing this, the brahmin fell at his feet in terror and implored him for some means of escape. The sadhu told him, "Once while you were cooking food, a leech fell from the roof into the cooking pot and died unobserved. You offered that food to a realized sage. Since whatever is given to a Sage will be received back a thousand-fold, a mountain of leeches are in store for you."
The Sadhu then advised the brahmin that in order to escape this fate, he should conduct himself towards his grown up widowed daughter in such a way, as to provoke a scandal that he was having illicit intimacy with her. He assured him that when a hundred persons had uttered the scandal, the sin would leave him completely, having been distributed among the scandal mongers. The brahmin did accordingly and you are the hundredth person to tell the scandal. So I say that the brahmin's curse is now removed."
Sri Bhagavan drew from the story the following moral:
"Have the best intention. But act in such a way not to win praise but to incur blame. Resist the temptation to justify yourself even when you are just."
*****
Siva only comes as effulgent Guru:
Tiruvachakam, Tiru Chadakam, 10,
Anandatitam [overflow of bliss],
Verse 1:
MaaRilaathak karuNai veLLame,
Vandhu mundhi nin malar koL thaaLinai,
VeRilap padap parisu peRRa nin
Meiymai anbar un Meimai mevinaar.
EeRilaatha nee eLiyaiyaahi vandhu
OLi chei maanudamaaha nokkiyum,
KeeRilatha nenjudaiya naayinen
Kadaian aaiyinen patta keezhmaiye!
Siva is a flood of mighty never
changing grace. The mature sadhakas realized Him and gained the great prize of staying under His twin flower-decked feet. Such great men loved Him in Truth and have reached the Truth, which is He. {They don't need a guru}.
{But many others need a human guru}.
So, You, the endless One manifested as a humble Man {Guru} with effulgence and looked at me. Still, I, the lowly dog, with unopened Heart, remain only at the gate. O what a lowly fellow am I!
*
Only a few could realize Siva as Sivam directly, without any intervention of a human guru. But the saint poet says, many need a guru. He adds, even after He had come as a human guru, [at Tiruperundurai], he is not able to reach His feet, and simply remains at the gate, like a lowly dog.
[Tiruvachakam, Gangai Publications. Translation, my own.}
Bhagavan Sri Ramana, the typical
Rishi:
Golden Jubliee Souvenir, 1946: A.S. Panchapakesa Iyer, I.C.S.
[only some parts of the article]:
Every man is unique, because he is unlike every other man in the whole universe, having special gifts and aptitudes of his own, derived from God's infinite resources. He is also universal as, otherwise, he cannot understand his fellow-men. Both this uniqueness and this universality are imbedded in the Eternal, which is both unique and universal. So God has got, in Hinduism, not only the universal aspect, common to all, as in other religions, but He has also got His unique aspect for each man, leading to the Ishta devata doctrine, or worshipping that aspect of God most conducive for the individual's spiritual development. The Sahasranamas [1000 Names] of different deities are intended to cultivate this uniqueness which leads, in its turn, to universalness, which leads in turn, to the eternal. That is why Krishna had no difficulty in proclaiming that any worship offered to any deity is only worship to Him, and that whoever wants to meet Him, He meets halfway. The tolerance of Hinduism is, therefore, inherent in its very nature and follows from its natural hypothesis. No wonder, then, that among the Hindus, there are many devout admirers of Jesus and Mohammad, let alone Buddha, Mahavira and others.
In this process of interpreting the true doctrines of Hinduism, which is not a religion of dogmas, precepts and periodical observances, but a way of life pervading all its aspects. Sages have to exist to show the way to laymen by life and precept. Here too, the peculiar genius of Hinduism has made it to reconcile the apparently diametrically opposite methods of evolution and revolution. On the side of evolution, we have got the regular schools of philosophy and the great Maths of Advaita, Dwaita and Vishistadvaita, Dwaita Advaita, Suddhadvaita schools scattered all over the country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.
But Hinduism never forgot the lesson of history, that evolution, by itself, is not enough, and that revolution is needed, sometimes, to supplement it, for preserving the health and promoting growth. God, in the Bible, has stated, "I will overturn and overturn till everything is set right." The Hindus have embodied this truth also as a fundamental part of their daily routine. Sannyasis and Rishis defy all conventions, and experiment always, by overturning the established customs, whereas Matadipathis and Jagadgurus uphold such customs, thus forming the other half of the circle. So, while the Jagadgurus will be upholding the caste system and untouchability, the Sages like Sri Bhagavan Ramana refuse to recognize the distinctions of caste, creed, colour, class, sex or country. Both have their roles in Hinduism. The religion by its trinity of Brahma, Vishnu and Siva has recognized the equality of creation, preservation and destruction. It has no sympathy for outworn beliefs any more than for dilapidated buildings and will mercilessly destroy them for leaving the path for creation of new and better structures. On the other hand, it will preserve every structure so long as it deserves to be preserved. This naturally is a combination of the methods of evolution and revolution. The man of the world, superior or inferior, goes by the path of evolution. The man of the other world, called Jivanmukta, adopts, indifferently, the path of evolution and revolution, as it suits him. Thus, God says that, for the Jivanmukta what is night for the common man is day and what is day for the common man is night.
contd.,
Friends,
An excerpt from The gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
Master and the Brahmo Samaj
At dusk M. was sitting at the Master's feet. Sri Ramakrishna had been told that Keshab's
illness had taken a turn for the worse. He was talking about Keshab and incidentally about
the Brahmo Samaj.
MASTER (to M.): "Do they only give lectures in the Brahmo Samaj? Or do they also
meditate? I understand that they call their service in the temple 'upasana'.
"Keshab at one time thought a great deal of Christianity and the Christian views. At that
time, and even before, he belonged to Devendranath Tagore's organization."
M: "Had Keshab Babu come here from the very beginning, he would not have been so
preoccupied with social reform. He would not have been so busy with the abolition of the
caste system, widow remarriage, intercaste marriage, women's education, and such social
activities."
MASTER: "Keshab now believes in Kali as the Embodiment of Spirit and Consciousness,
the Primal Energy. Besides, he repeats the holy name of the Mother and chants Her glories.
"Do you think the Brahmo Samaj will develop in the future into a sort of social-reform
organization?"
M: "The soil of this country is different. Only what is true survives here."
MASTER: "Yes, that is so. The Sanatana Dharma, the Eternal Religion declared by the
rishis, will alone endure. But there will also remain some sects like the Brahmo Samaj.
Everything appears and disappears through the will of God."
Namaskar.
Friends,
An excerpt from The gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
Master:(To the devotees) "The feeling of 'I ' and 'mine' is ignorance. People say that Rani Rasmani
built the Kali temple; but nobody says it was the work of God. They say that such and such
a person established the Brahmo Samaj; but nobody says it was founded through the will of
God. This feeling, 'I am the doer', is ignorance. On the contrary, the idea, 'O God, Thou art
the Doer and I am only an instrument; Thou art the Operator and I am the machine', is
Knowledge. After attaining Knowledge a man says: 'O God, nothing belongs to me-neither
this house of worship nor this Kali temple nor this Brahmo Samaj. These are all Thine.
Wife, son, and family do not belong to me. They are all Thine.'
Namaskar.
Dear Ravi,
Sri Ramakrishna's remarks, very true. Where is Brama Samaj and
Arya Samaj today? Perhaps in Kolkata, a few hundreds, may still be following this system. Only the religion which is true will survive. What a great statement!
Bhagavan Sri Ramana, the typical Rishi - A.S. Panchapakesa Iyer I.C.S. - FROM Golden Jubilee Souvenir, 1946: [only in parts]
continues....
Sri Ramana, the Sage, has, in His own life, defied conventions several times. When He left His family on His eventful journey to Tiruvannamalai, He took with Him, for His railway fare, three rupees given to Him for paying his brother's college fees, and displayed an utter regard for the middle class conventions regarding money matters. Even as Lord Krishna when stealing the butter, showed similar disregard. Indeed, an English lady of high culture, one day told me that she could not regard Sri Ramana as a Sage because of His "misappropriation" of three rupees. I shall not be surprised if there are thousands of pharisees of that type even among Indians. So too, one of my orthodox Brahmin friends was scandalized on hearing that Sri Ramana would not eat anything till His mother died, and that He ate to the full, the moment she died! His conventional mind cou8ld not understand the feelings of the Sage wh9o could not eat while His mother was suffering agony but could eat the moment her soul was released from the body. Again, a police friend of mine was shocked at the refusal of sri Ramana to give a complaint or even to give evidence, regarding the theft of some vessels belonging to the Asramam by criminals. Sri Ramana refused to believe that the vessels belonged to Him any more than to those thieves. The policeman exclaimed indignantly to me that it would be the end of the world, forgetting that the world has not come to the end yet.
I was first attracted to this great Sage, by reading the book "Who am I?". I liked immensely His clear exposition of the matter which was only the typical Hindu exposition viz., the real "I" is not the gunny bag of body or muslin cloth of mind or the spider's web of the ego, but something above and beyond all this viz., the Atman, Consciousness. It appears to be at first sight curious that any person, least of all a Sage, should ask the elementary question, Who am I? when everybody knows himself best, being always with himself and loving himself most. But, as is well known, the most familiar thing is the most the unexplored in this universe. Once Sri Ramana's small booklet is read in its proper setting, the difficulty of the problem will become apparent, and one will realize that one is not the gross body, nor the subtle body, nor even the causal body, but only the Atman or Pure Consciousness.
Sri Bhagavan has consistently upheld, like all great saints of Hinduism, that the real Self is always happy, and that the theory of original sin and original sorrow is not acceptable to Hinduism.
continued.....
Bhagavan Sri Ramana, the typical Rishi: A.S. Panchapakesa Iyer,I.C.S.
[From Golden Jubilee Souvenir - 1946:
[only parts of the article]
continues.
Yhe Maharshi has got a very convincing method of expounding the truths and silencing frivolous arguments. Thus, one of His cardinal tenets is: There is One Who governs the world, and it is His look out to look after the world, He who has given life to the world, knows to look after it also. He bears the burden of this world, and not you." A man who had suffered much by the buffetings of the world, went to Him one day, and complained that God was not bearing his burdens for him, as stated by the Maharshi. The Maharshi asked him how he had come to Tiruvannamalai. The amn replied that he had come by train. Then he was asked if he had brought any luggage. The man replied that he had taken a steel trunk. The Maharshi asked him if he had carried it on his head or on lap, and was told, indignantly, "Of course not. I put it in the compartment." Then the Maharshi asked him: "Why carry your troubles and worries on your head, instead of putting them on God?"
To another individual, who asked the Maharshi, persistenly, "Why is God so unjust, so imperfect?", the Maharshi's cool retort was, "Why ask me? Go and ask Him." On being told that, he could not go to Him, to ask Him, the swift reply came, "Then, when you cannot reach Him, how can you question Him? "Salvation is not for the weak."
To a man who stated that he could not understand the world at all, Sri Ramana replied: As you are, so is the world. Without understanding yourself, what is the use of trying to understand he world? People waste their energies over all such questions. First, find out the truth behind yourself;
then you will be in a better position to understand the truth behind the world, of which yourself is a part."
At times specific controversial issues are raised by visitors. Some years ago, a man wanted to know from the Maharshi, as to who was right in the Guruvayur Temple entry, for Harijans, whether the Sanatanists or Satyagrahis.
The Sage replied: Both are wrong. the Satyagrahis because they wanted to force open the house of God, and the Sanatanists because they wanted to monopolize to themselves the house of God."
The above incidents are only a
few instances to show that the extraordinary originality and acumen of the Sage when He condescends to reply questions which from His point of view are worthless.
We, in our age, are lucky to have Him in our midst. I have no reason to believe that the Rishis of old were very different from Sri Ramana of today. He requires no permission to see Him. No charges. He does not require conformity to any dogma or even acceptance of Him as a Rishi. He is, like the rivers and mountains, the common property of mankind. He, like them, is for all the world to visit, enjoy His Presence and profit from that.
concluded..
Friends,
An excerpt from The gospel of Sri Ramakrishna:
Way to Brahmajnana
VIJAY: "How, sir, can one have the vision of the Primal Energy and attain Brahmajnana,
the Knowledge of the attributeless Brahman?"
MASTER: "Pray to Him with a yearning heart, and weep. That will purify your heart. You
see the reflection of the sun in clear water. In the mirror of his 'I-consciousness' the devotee
sees the form of the Primal Energy, Brahman with attributes. But the mirror must be wiped
clean. One does not see the right reflection if there is any dirt on the mirror.
"As long as a man must see the Sun in the water of his 'I-consciousness' and has no other
means of seeing It, as long as he has no means of seeing the real Sun except through Its
reflection, so long is the reflected sun alone one hundred per cent real to him. As long as
the 'I' is real, so long is the reflected sun real-one hundred per cent real. That reflected sun
is nothing but the Primal Energy.
"But if you seek Brahmajnana, the Knowledge of the attributeless Brahman, then proceed
to the real Sun through Its reflection. Pray to Brahman with attributes, who listens to your
prayers, and He Himself will give you full Knowledge of Brahman; for that which is
Brahman with attributes is verily Brahman without attributes, that which is Brahman is
verily Sakti. One realizes this non-duality after the attainment of Perfect Knowledge.
"The Divine Mother gives Her devotee Brahmajnana too. But a true lover of God generally
does not seek the Knowledge of Brahman.
"There is another path, the path of knowledge, which is very difficult. You members of the
Brahmo Samaj are not jnanis. You are bhaktas. The jnani believes that Brahman alone is
real and the world illusory as a dream. To him, 'I' and 'you' are illusory as a dream.
"God is our Inner Controller. Pray to Him with a pure and guileless heart. He will explain
everything to you. Give up egotism and take refuge in Him. You will realize everything."
The Master sang:
Dwell, O mind, within yourself;
Enter no other's home.
If you but seek there, you will find
All you are searching for.
God, the true Philosopher's Stone,
Who answers every prayer,
Lies hidden deep within your heart,
The richest gem of all.
How many pearls and precious stones
Are scattered all about
The outer court that lies before
The chamber of your heart!
He continued: "When you mix with people outside your Samaj, love them all. When in
their company be one of them. Don't harbour malice toward them. Don't turn up your nose
in hatred and say: 'Oh, this man believes in God with form and not in the formless God.
That man believes in the formless God and not in God with form. This man is a Christian.
This man is a Hindu. And this man is a Musslman.' It is God alone who makes people see
things in different ways. Know that people have different natures. Realize this and mix with
them as much as you can. And love all. But enter your own inner chamber to enjoy peace
and bliss.
Lighting the lamp of Knowledge in the chamber of your heart,
Behold the face of the Mother, Brahman's Embodiment.
You can see your true Self only within your own chamber. The cowherds take the cows to
graze in the pasture. There the cattle mix. They all form one herd. But on returning to their
sheds in the evening they are separated. Then each stays by itself in its own stall. Therefore
I say, dwell by yourself in your own chamber."
Namaskar.
Today, 02.08.2011 - Ashada Pooram:
Today, Tuesday, the 2nd August 2011, is the Tamizh, Aashada month with star of Pooram. Pooram is the birth star of AandaL, and today is her birth day. It is observed in famous Vishnu temples and Sri Vaishnava homes, in all festival atmosphere. AandaL is the most famous of 12 Sri
Vaishnava Saints called Aazhwars.
AandaL is the immaculate child.
She was seen in the tulsi gardens of Vishnu Siddhar, Periyazwar in
Srivilliputtur. As a foster father, Vishnu Siddhar took care of her with all love and care.
From young age, AandaL became attracted to Ranganatha of Sri Rangam Temple and she visualized that she was going to marry him one day.
continued...
Post a Comment