Priya Ram's Blog

New Year Message

2011-12-01T05:08:00.000-08:00

I know there is still time for the new year, but knowing that there is only one month left in this year, I felt like sharing this New Year Message of my Guru, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, also known as Amma.

As the hour of midnight approached, Amma asked all to pray for world peace and then led everyone in chanting ‘Lokah Samastah Sukinau Bhavantu.’ After the chanting Amma gave her New Year’s message during which she explained the true meaning of celebration.

“Celebration is forgetting oneself. It is an attitude. We need to have good control over the mind for that. The thought that ‘I am limited individual’, ‘I am this body’ will not help up us to forget our self. The faith that the self in me and the the consciousness behind the universe is the one and the same is the basis of the celebration. ” Amma said.

“Just by the clock striking at 12.00 on 31st December, our life is not going to be celebration. For that our mind should be filled with love and compassion. When love and compassion fills our heart you find newness in every moment, you never get bored, always enthusiastic, always happy and life always become a celebration. ” Amma elaborated.

“We take various vows on New Year but how deep is it? We have to evaluate.” Amma asked everyone to introspect. “We have the ability to overcome our negativities. We sincerely have to try” she encouraged.

“We are not isolated islands. We are like a ring in the chain, connected to each other. Don’t expect others to change first, if we change ourselves others will also change,” Amma reminded every one.

Amma then led all in singing Khol Darwaza which ended with all chanting ‘Jai Mata Di’. Louder and louder, as it grew, everyone echoed Amma’s chanting, throwing their hands up in the air. At the end, Amma said, “Amma’s heartfelt prayer is that everyone should be able to laugh and be joyful like small children and may divine grace bless us for that. May the darkness be completely eliminated and may the pure light of God shine.” Amma asked everyone to raise their hands with their open-palms and shake them while responding to ‘Mata Rani Ki’ with a “Jai”.

And the celebration continued.

Children Too Need Respect

2011-11-01T10:37:00.000-07:00

14th November, the birthday of the first Prime Minister of India, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru is celebrated as Children's Day. So this post is dedicated to all the Children in the world.

Normally, Children are taught so many rules. "Respect elders, obey elders, listen to them" etc. etc. But lets remember, children too need respect and love. Most of the children in abusive relationships become criminals later. Lack of love makes children depressed and social misfits.

Physical abuse involves hitting and beating children. But emotional abuse is most common. Calling children names, making fun of children in front of others, dominating them, being aggressive towards children, not listening to their wishes and imposing our wishes on them are all different forms of abuse. In the name of disciplining children, children are treated so badly leaving them sad and depressed.

A child too has needs. Your child may not be able to tell you, but here are listed some needs which every child expects.

So sweet children, become aware of your needs :-

The need for good will from others.
The need for emotional support.
The need to be heard by the other and to be responded to with respect and acceptance
The need to have your own view, even if others have a different view.
The need to have your feelings and experience acknowledged as real.
The need to receive a sincere apology for any jokes or actions you find offensive.
The need for clear, honest and informative answers to questions about what affects you.
The need to for freedom from accusation, interrogation and blame.
The need to live free from criticism and judgment.
The need to have your work and your interests respected.
The need for encouragement.
The need for freedom from emotional and physical threat.
The need for freedom from from angry outburst and rage.
The need for freedom from labels which devalue you.
The need to be respectfully asked rather than ordered.
The need to have your final decisions accepted.
The need for privacy at times.

So discipline the child but dont disrespect them. Dont degrade them. Reprimand them but dont erode their self-confidence, their self-esteem. Love children, they are gifts of God. They are our future. As you sow, so shall you reap.

Sri Murugan

2011-10-27T23:49:00.000-07:00

Sri Murugan is the beautiful God who is the son of Shiva and Parvati and the brother of Ganesha, the elephant God. Lord Murugan has many names. Subramanium, Karthikeyan, Skandan, Saravanan etc.

Scriptures depict the story of Lord Murugan as follows :-
once Shiva asked His sons Ganesha and Karthikeyan(Murugan) to circumbulate the whole world on their respective Vaahanaas(vehicles). Shiva wanted to see which son is faster.
Murugan's vehicle is the peacock so He immediately left to circumbulate the world. But Lord Ganesha did not go. Instead He sat on His humble vehicle, the mouse and circumbulated shiva and parvati. He explained that shiva and parvati symbolise the whole world. Shiva was impressed and later when Murugan came, shiva declared Ganesha to be the winner.
Murugan was furious and He left His family to stay on top of a mountain forever. Thus the beautiful Lord Murugan is always worshipped in mountains like Pazhani, Thiruchendur, Thiruttani, Thirupparakunram, Swamimalai and many other places in Tamil Nadu. Lord Murugan is mostly worshipped by Tamilians and He is prayed for a happy, successful married life. Lord Murugan is the embodiment of Gnana Shakthi, the energy of knowledge. To His devotees, He is love and beauty. He symbolises youthful energy and so He is also known as Kumaran, the young deity.
May the blessings of Lord Murugan be with all !

Diwali- Festival of Lights

2011-10-10T11:09:00.000-07:00

There is still time for DeepAvali, the festival of Lights, but crackers have started to explode now itself. DiwAli is a festival of lights, not a festival of sound and noise. So lets celebrate diwali in the true spirit. Let us make the festival of lights a joyous celebration for all. Animals, elderly people, those with breathing problems and very young children in general are a troubled lot during Diwali due to the smoke, noise, pollution caused by crackers. Lets give them a thought. Lets have compassion for all. Lets not enjoy causing suffering to many.

Spiritually, Diwali signifies the day when we overcome our evil qualities and attain Self-Realization, when we attain the Self which is full of Light, wisdom and Bliss.

Wishing all a Happy and Safe Diwali !!

My Role Model

2011-09-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

My Guru, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi also known as Ammachi, does not believe in celebrating Her birthday. But for Her devotees and their happiness, Ammachi agrees to celebrate Her birthday which falls on September 27th, the day when Ammachi came to this world and blessed it with Her divine presence. As usual, there will be a lot of poojas and programs at Amritapuri, Kerala,India, the Ashram of Amma.

These inputs below are from Matruvani, the monthly magazine of my Guru.

We all have role models. A big shot like a famous Actor or Actress, A successful Sports-star, a Corporate honcho, a Big Celebrity it may be anyone. That person will be our role model. The person whom we look upto, whom we admire and aspire to become.

When you see two cars in a parking lot on the side of the road with hoods up and jumper cables connecting them, how do you know which is the 'jumper' and which is the 'jumpee' ? Which one needs the boost ? We are conditioned to think that the luxury or sports car hooked to the beat-up old van is the one giving energy because it is more expensive, has many bells and is flashy. But what if I told you it was the old van with dents, dirt and scratches giving power to the sports car ? You would atleast be surprised.

Self-realized Mahatmas could be likened to the dirty, beat-up van. Has anyone seen Ammachi after a long period of darshan ? Her dirty sari from hugging people, marks on Her sari because of the dirt, make-up of the people, and a slight hobble from sitting so long, Ammachi might outwardly appear ordinary and pitiable certainly not to be honoured and worshipped as the Embodiment of God.

Thats why my role model is a Self-realized Saint, my Guru, Ammachi. I strive to be like Ammachi, like the old beat-up van for the dents,scratches and dirt that I will accumulate, which are nothing but marks of love gained from serving others.

Samayapuram MAriamman

2011-09-08T06:18:00.000-07:00

When I was in school, I had the blessed opportunity to visit this temple in Samayapuram, Trichy, Tamil Nadu. The temple is dedicated to a Goddess or a Devi, or Amman(in Tamil). Samayapuram MAriamman is the main deity in this temple. It is widely believed, this Devi has the miraculous powers to cure illnesses. Many people who have illnesses visit this temple and offer their prayers to the Devi, who is widely worshipped by people of all castes. People offer their worship in many ways. By doing Angapradakshanam(circumbulating the sanctum sanctorum by lying down on the floor) or by walking on red hot charcoals. All the Devi wants is our love and faith from the devotee, still devotees perform these rites to get their desires fulfilled. There is a huge rush on Tuesdays and Fridays and Sundays. Tuesdays and Fridays are special for all Devis in the South.

Here are some inputs from the net :-

Samayapuram Mariamman Temple is a Hindu temple in Samayapuram near Trichy or Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, India. The main deity, Samayapurathal or Mariamman is made of sand and clay like many of the traditional Mariamman deities, and hence unlike many other Hindu deities there are no abhishekams (sacred washing) conducted to the main deity, but instead the "abishekam" is done to the small stone statue in front of it.

May the blessings of Samayapuram MAriamman be with all !

Kudos to Anna, Indians and Indian Media

2011-08-27T08:21:00.000-07:00

Anna wins. India wins. The Indian Media deserves a loud applause for airing people's views, supporting Anna Hazare in this fight against corruption. The Indian media brought the nation together, brought Anna to our homes. Thanks Media for taking up just causes of the people. Lets now wait for a strong, spiritual BhArat.

Sri Krishna's Message

2011-08-20T02:12:00.000-07:00

Dhritarashtra was one of the many men present when Yudhisthira lost the dice game against Shakuni, Duryodhana, Dushasana and Karna. With each throw, the King Yudhisthira lost everything gambling away his kingdom, his wealth, his brothers and finally his wife. Dhritarashtra was silent when Dushasana tried to disrobe Draupadi (the Pandava's wife) in front of the court. Finally, the blind monarch's conscience was stirred, in part fearing the wrath of Pandavas against his sons. Fearing retribution from the five brothers he returned all the things they lost in the dice game.

However, Shakuni challenged Yudhisthira one more time, and Yudhisthira once more lost. This time, he, his brothers and his wife were forced to discharge the debt by spending thirteen years in exile in the forest before they could reclaim their kingdom. Dhritarashtra was warned by many that the Pandavas will not forget their humiliation. He was constantly told by many that he needed to remember that his responsibilities as king must be placed before his affection as a father.

Thus the important message to be learnt from this great epic Mahabharat is this : We should not be silent like Dhritharashtra when we see crimes happening in front of our eyes. We all have a collective responsibility towards society welfare. We should stand up and fight for not only our rights but for the rights of the poor, the downtrodden who have no strength to fight their battles.

Society as a whole should stick to spiritual values to progress, for a country to become prosperous, and to be a harmonious and peaceful nation.

Krishna Jayanthi and Janmashtami will be celebrated with great fanfare this year too. At the same time, the whole nation is with Shri Anna Hazare, joining his fight against corruption. We can see the similarity between the conditions that existed during Sri Krishna's time and India as we see today. Corruption has led to so many problems for us today. Lets fight corruption placing our faith in spiritual values of non-violence and satyagraha.

Spiritual Strength

2011-08-17T22:51:00.000-07:00

Thanks to His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for joining Shri Anna Hazare, in the fight against corruption. Any movement in such a large scale needs spiritual strength and by joining Anna, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Baba Ramdev have added a spiritual dimension to this movement gaining momentum in the nation.
Anna believes in nonviolence and satyagraha, the noble values advocated by Mahatma Gandhi. The people joining this protest too need to be applauded for being committed to nonviolence. They are fighting without arms, sacrificing in many ways. India is a spiritual nation and the strength which has the people together is spiritual strength, the willingness to sacrifice their food, sleep for a great cause. People from all walks of life, of different religions have come together and this is the beauty of India.

Anna unites the whole of India

2011-08-16T01:17:00.000-07:00

One simple aged man Shri Anna Hazare has united the whole of India to fight corruption and most importantly to excercise our right to protest peacefully in this great nation. Sad to know that Annaji has been arrested, but there are now many who have come out in his support.
Come lets fight against corruption together, becoming one India, thanks to Shri Anna Hazare.

Sharanam Ambike

2011-08-12T06:34:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to a wonderful song dedicated to my Guru.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7o1yaTCbb9Q

This is my 160th post and I would like to share this video of my beloved Guru Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi with all in this post. It is a beautiful song titled 'Sharanam Ambike' with lyrics from Malayalam language, Hindi and English. Sharanam Ambike means 'I surrender to You O Devi Ambike". Ambika is a name of a Goddess.

Hope everyone enjoys listening to it.

Sharanam Ambike.

Devi Annapoorneshwari

2011-08-05T07:09:00.000-07:00

Devi Annapoorneshwari is the goddess of Annam(Food). We take food for granted, but it is for this food alone that all human beings earn money to survive. I have seen people going to restaurants ordering lot of food and then waste it. In flights, people get food, but how many passengers eat without wasting the food. On the one hand, food is wasted, while on the other hand, I have seen poor people eating rotten food, from leftovers of others. In trains, food is served, but people waste it. The poor kids just eat the leftovers, being hungry for days together. So many people in this world sleep hungry, it is alarming to see food being wasted thoughtlessly by a few others. 'Annam' is sacred. It is life. Each and every grain of rice needs sacrifice, so dont waste food.

Annapoorneshwari Devi. This temple is in Horanadu, Karnataka, India. Once you are in the temple, you are provided with free food, tea and snacks. The word 'Annapoorna' means Feeding for one and all. May the blessings of Devi Annapoorneshwari be on all and may no one sleep on a hungry stomach in this world !

BhAgvad-Gita

2011-08-02T22:08:00.000-07:00

In times of confusion, distress and introspection, I have always turned to BhAgvadhGita for a solution to all my doubts. Mahatma Gandhi always found inspiration from this holy book. It has a lesson on every aspect of life. Recently I read in a newspaper that depression is the main disease gripping mankind today and that Indians are a depressed lot.

But lets remember even the mighty Arjuna was full of grief and pity on seeing his relatives, teachers and friends standing in the army opposing him, ready to fight. Arjuna was full of confusion' and his mind went blank. But the wise decision he made was he turned to Lord Krishna for a solution.

Depression is a major disease today but we can turn it to our benefit if we turn to God and the holy scriptures for succour. 'BhAgvad Gita As it is' by His Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada is like a cure for all ills in this world. Out of so many human beings who are suffering, there are a few who are actually inquiring about their position, as to what they are, why they are put in this awkward position and so on. Unless one is awakened to this position of questioning his suffering, unless he realizes that he doesnt want suffering but rather wants to make a solution to all suffering, he is not to be considered a perfect human being. Humanity begins when this sort of inquiry is awakened in ones mind.

The purpose of BhAgvad-Gita is to deliver mankind from the nescience of material existence. So lets turn even our depression to our advantage by turning towards God for knowing the purpose of our human life. Dont let depression eat away your life. Instead accept the situation, have faith and move forward. This is what my Guru Ammachi told Japanese devotees when they were full of grief on being affected by Tsunami.

So get up and fight this battle of life placing your faith in God like Arjuna. This is the message of BhAgvad Gita.

Prayers for peace

2011-07-23T23:44:00.000-07:00

Another cruel act of terror :
A blast in Norway in which many have been killed. Lets pray for those killed and those who have been injured and for their families. A teacher comes to school daily to teach, with the faith that, though there are a few mischief mongers in a class,, many other kids are good and want to learn. Similarly, though there a few terrorists and evil people in this world, this world is going on because of the good and their prayers. God is for all, but the good people are in His heart. God is closest to them and they closest to God. So let all the good people come together and pray for the peace and welfare of all.

Their Tears wont go in vain.....

2011-07-15T09:43:00.000-07:00

I am a strong believer in the law of Karma. Saints have always said " Be aware of your actions, for every action has a reaction. As you sow, so shall you reap. If you perform good actions, you will enjoy the good fruits of your actions, but if you commit crimes, you have to pay for it. This is the law of Karma".

A powerful bomb blast at three places in Mumbai, the financial capital of India has brought sorrow to so many people. Many lost their kith and kin, friends and acquaintances. Wives who lost their husbands, children who lost their parents, parents who lost their children all are in deep mourning. Nothing can console them. An act of terror in any part of the world only brings sorrow. Feelings of love, sorrow are common no matter what country you belong to. Blasts, crimes leave so many people devastated for life.

Law of the land will take its own course, but if seen from the spiritual angle, Characterless are those who indulge in these barbaric acts. The tears of so many innocent people will not go in vain... Those who indulge in cruel attacks have to face the consequences of their actions, if not in this life, then in the next life. The law of karma is very strong. Not fit to be called human beings, the perpetrators of these heartless actions are sure to be born in the animal kingdom or suffer in some other painful way. But suffer they will, no matter what explanation they give for their heartless deeds.

Many children ask my Guru, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, also known as Amma, this question “Good actions give good results and evil actions give bad results. Although we realize this, why is it that we continue to commit mistakes?”

Amma answers: If we touch fire once, it burns us and it teaches us not to touch fire again. But even though we know that evil actions will give bad results, this lesson does not sink in and we continue to do wrong actions. The reason why it does not sink into our brain is because of the time lag between the action and its result. There is no time lag between touching fire and burning- so it is easy to connect the action to the result. But the course of karma is beyond the mind’s understanding. This is why the awareness of righteousness that the principle of karma teaches does not sink into our brains".

One can escape the law of the land, but the law of Karma is very strong. Nobody can escape it. So lets become aware of each and every action, so that we may not have to suffer later and blame God for everything.

15th July 2011------Guru Poornima

2011-07-08T07:05:00.000-07:00

"Being born as a human being is a great blessing, getting interest in spirituality is an even greater blessing and getting a Guru is the greatest blessing", say the scriptures.

There may be many Gurus in this holy land of Bharat, but what is common is, the month of July is a very special month for all disciples. The most important festival Guru Poornima falls in this month. Every year, the dates of Guru poornima may be different. This year, this festival falls on 15th July. Guru Poornima is a very special day for all disciples. It is the day when a disciple expresses his or her gratitude to the Guru, by offering his humble obeisances, tears and heart-felt sincere thanks.

The Guru has blessed the disciple by accepting him or her as His disciple and is eternally guiding the disciple on the path of spirituality, which leads to eternal freedom, freedom from this cycle of birth and death.

Here below is the message of my beloved Guru, Her Holiness Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi explaining the significance of Guru Poornima :-

“The Guru is an embodiment of all the knowledge contained in the great book of life. The Guru-shishya (Master-disciple) relationship is the stream in which the depth of that knowledge and the sweetness of love commingle.

“The disciple is on a journey in search of supreme knowledge. The Satguru (Self-realized Master), on the other hand, has completed the journey and is serene and unruffled, resting in the abode of the Self. He or She is aware that the beloved disciple may falter and stumble, overpowered by the challenges thrown up by the mind and testing circumstances. To prevent this, the Guru will shower on the disciple rays of unmotivated love and causeless compassion, for the Guru loves the disciple like his or her own child. Holding this son or daughter by the hand, the Guru leads the way, offering both support and protection.

“The mind is inadequate for and incapable of measuring the depth of the Guru-shishya relationship. An unsullied heart is required for that.

“Children, Amma always says that the present moment is the most important. This is because the Guru-shishya relationship can be cemented only here and now, at the present moment. The beauty of the Self and supreme love emanating from the august presence of the Guru are available only here and now. Guru Purnima expresses the yearning of the mind that thirsts to drink in that beauty and love.

“Just as the radiance of the full moon transforms night into day, the presence of the Guru dispels the darkness within the disciple’s heart. The Guru elevates the disciple to the state of supreme bliss by giving him the strength and discrimination to transcend the limitations of the mind. And the disciple, understanding the Guru’s infinite compassion, offers himself or herself completely at the feet of the Master in utter gratitude, knowing that he or she can never repay the debt to the Master. Guru Purnima symbolises this poignant relationship.

“The disciple who has totally surrendered himself or herself thinks ‘I am nothing, I am nobody. You are everything.’ The disciple-hood awakens in one who has this attitude of humility, and the Guru’s grace flows into such a person. May my children develop the maturity of mind and humility to deserve and receive that Grace.”

We all are V I Ps

2011-06-30T06:57:00.000-07:00

For the Guru.....

India has many Gurus and there are many many followers of the Gurus too. Many people on seeing the high-profile, famous devotees think "This Guru is only for the rich, the celebrities and will give darshan only to VIPs(Very Important Person)".

But as a layman, I can confidently say that there are many instances when many devotees have experienced a personal, special bond with their Gurus even though the devotees are just an ordinary person and are not a VIP. My Guru, Her Holiness Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, also known as Ammachi, has a huge following and there are millions of devotees across the world.

But whether rich or poor, famous or anonymous, everyone gets the same love from Ammachi. Here is a true incident.

Once a poor fisherman in a small village in Kerala had himself stitched a simple, ordinary shirt. He wanted to offer this to Ammachi, his beloved Guru. His heart's wish was that Ammachi should wear his shirt, which he had made with lot of love.

He was standing in the line for hours, to get darshan. Many other devotees had brought many offerings for Ammachi. So this fisherman felt, maybe Ammachi wont wear his shirt. He thought maybe he should have brought a more precious gift. But he was so poor how could he afford it.

Feeling pity for himself, he stood in the queue. After a few minutes, when finally his turn came and he approached Ammachi, he showed the shirt to Her. Ammachi smiled at him, took the shirt from him and instantly wore it !! Seeing this, the poor fisherman burst into tears. He couldnt believe it, that the world-famous Saint, a Guru for millions had worn this poor man's ordinary shirt. He just stood there weeping. Ammachi had fulfilled his heart's silent, sincere wish. There are many such incidents which many ordinary devotees have experienced and have felt blessed to know that their Guru too loves them.

A Self-Realized Mahatma is for all. Rich or poor, all are the Guru's children. So never judge a Guru from outside that since there are many high-profile devotees, the Guru is only for the rich and famous. No. A Guru is for all.

Each one is a VIP for the Guru. We all are VIPs.

Saint Ramanuja

2011-06-09T06:49:00.000-07:00

Recently I had been to the Srirangam temple in trichy district of Tamil Nadu. Here the main deity is of Lord Sri RanganAthar. But there are many sannidhis (sanctum sanctorums) of many dieties here. And there is a sanctum sanctorum of Sri RAmAnujA too.

Saint Ramanuja was born in a Vaishnavite family in Kanchipuram. He was put by his family under a great guru to learn the philosophy of Advaitha. But somehow he did not agree with these principles. And he left Kanchipuram and joined a Guru called Thirugoshtiyur Nambi. One day his Guru told Ramanuja, “I will teach you a great mantra, repetition of which will make you great. If you tell this mantra to somebody else, it will work for them but would not work for you.” Ramanuja agreed and that evening climbed to the top of the tower of Sri Rangam Temple. He shouted people to assemble and taught them the mantra taught by his Guru. He told them that now it will not be effective for him, but he was glad that he was able to help so many people. Ramanuja later found a religious interpretation called Visishtadhvaidha and lived to a very ripe old age.

There is an idol of Sri Ramanuja in Sriperumbudur too. It is said Sri Ramanuja instilled His life-breath in this idol before giving up His body in Srirangam. Many devotees flock to Sriperumbudur and Srirangam to worship Lord Ramanuja. Even today, Sri Ramanuja's body is in Srirangam and the idol with His life breath in Sriperumbudur. Sri Ramanuja's teachings are followed among many VaishnavAs. He holds a place of High esteem among Tamil VaishnavAs for generations to come.

Garba rakshAmbigai

2011-05-30T03:14:00.000-07:00

Recently, I visited this temple in Tamil Nadu, South India and am totally impressed. Here are some inputs from different sites on the internet.

This is the temple of Garba Raksh Ambigai which means "Goddess for child birth,safe pregnancy and peaceful family life".

The temple of Garbarakshambigai is called by the name of Lord shiva here..thousands of years back it was a garden of "Mullai" flowers.Hence the name "Arulmigu Mullai vana nathar temple ".The lord shiva here has no holy bath as the statue is made of Ants mud and protected for all these thousands of years by applying "punugu sattam".If you offer punugu sattam to lord shiva in this temple , incurable diseases will be cured. Goddess Garbarakshambigai is truely a goddess of mercy to bless women with gift of child birth,safe pregnancy.They give castor oil in small bottle which can be applied to pregnant women and for women seeking child birth..They give ghee prasad which has to be taken internally for next few days.

Meaning of the name Garbarakshambigai :

The name of the goddess carried the beautiful meaning in itself...Garba means Pregnancy, Raksha means "To protect " and Ambigai is one of the names of Parvathi devi .so she is all about protecting a womens life blessing her with a kind hearted husband,a good child and a happy family

Location of Arulmigu Mullai vananathar temple :

The Temple is situated on the banks of the river Vettar. if you go by bus, you have to walk around 2 kilometers and can see this little river on the way..

Travelling to Garbarakshambigai temple :

Garbarakshambigai Mullai vana nadhar temple is situated in south india in the state of Tamilnadu, Tanjavur district.

Garbarakshambigai Temple history : Sage Nithuvar and his wife Vedhika were living in this garden of mullai flowers when the following incident happened which lead Parvathi devi to take the avatar of Garbarakshambigai to give special protection to women during pregnancy.

Thousands of years back, two Rishies ( saints ) Gowthama and Gargeya did penance in this garden of mullai flowers. The story is that, Sage Nithuvar was living here with his wife Vedhika. One day when Sage Nithuvar was away, sage Urdhvapada visited the mullai garden.. Vedhika was tired and sleeping deeply without showing hospitality to the sage..infact she was having pains due to pregnancy but Urdhvapada unaware of her difficulties got angry that she din't bother to wake up and felt she could be sleeping purposely , decided to curse her .The curse made her get diseased and it also hurted the child in her womb.Vedhika was in worst pain of her life and deeply hurted that her own child is being gradually destroyed and prayed for to Goddess Parvathi to help her ....Goddess parvathi took the avatar of Garbarakshambigai and appeared before Vedhika and protected her child in the womb by holding it in a "kalasam " - divine pot..The goddess has helped the child grow in the divine pot untill it grew as full fledged child. .. Scientifically people know about test tube baby, but it has happened before thousands of years in our holy country, india, where goddess herself has saved a womens pregnancy and blessed her.

When Vedhika cried as she was not able to feed the baby with her milk, A sacred cow came infront of the temple and made a lake of sacred milk. The sacred "kulam" is found even now. Vedhikai prayed to Goddess Garbarakshambigai to remain in the temple forever and bless all women with good soul mate, child birth and safe pregnancy.

How to pray in Garbarakshambigai temple:

Usually women who come here to pray for pregnancy and child birth just offer flowers and do archana for goddess and ignore the lord shiva here.The women in pooja shop requests them to first show their offerings of flowers, lamps etc to lord mullai vana nadhar here and then enter the garbarakshambigai sannidhi. Theres no sakthi without shiva.

Mantra for Garbarakshambigai

Aum Garbarakshambigaayai cha vidhmahe
Mangala dhevadhaayai cha dheemahee
Dhanno devi prachodhayaath

May the blessings of Devi Garbaraksh Ambigai be with all !

In the Hearts of Devotees.....

2011-04-23T23:09:00.000-07:00

Mahatmas live forever. Bhagwan Sri Satya Sai Baba lives forever in the hearts of His devotees. It is a sad moment but time to remember that Mahatmas have this main message for their devotees :

"I am not the body. I am Sat-Chit-Ananda, I am the supreme consciousness, which is eternal and immortal". So Mahatmas live forever and will bless and help devotees for ages. Satya Sai You are with us, within us forever. Thanks for Your Divine Love and Guidance.

India Wins

2011-04-08T23:04:00.000-07:00

A True Son Of India, Shri Anna Hazare has won. And not in a violent manner but by peaceful means. Hats off to you Anna ! And with him, each and every Indian wins. We Indians have come together, have united and have won against our common enemy Corruption. The Government agrees to ALL his demands. So now, we can look forward to a bright and clean corruption-free future. Else India will fight all over again.

The Indian Media deserves a great applause for their continuous broadcast of the peaceful agitation and for bringing the nation together. Hats off to you Media !

I hope, and I am sure, once all procedures according to the LokpAl bill are followed and everything falls into place, there will be no more bribes to be given to get a passport, a school admission, a certificate etc. etc. in this country. A seventy year old man has made the country clean so that my son tomorrow need not pay bribes to get his work done. Thanks Shri Anna Hazare. We, the Youth and the future generations to come, are thankful to You.

Nobody can take us, the people for granted. It is a win of the people, by the people and for the people. This is true democracy. Now, the poor can look forward to getting a decent meal, a decent accomodation and access to education. No more running from pillar to post to get things done. A clean BhArat, a United BhArat.

Mahatma Gandhi of today's modern India is Shri Anna Hazare. May many more Mahatma Gandhis take birth in this holy land.
BhArat MAta ki Jai !

Thanks to Shri Anna Hazare

2011-04-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here above is the picture of Shri Anna Hazare who has taken up the initiative to fight corruption. My salutations to him.

With a deluge of scams hitting the headlines everyday, it is time people come together and fight corruption. And Shri Anna Hazare has taken the initiative to demolish corruption from the system, by sitting on an indefinite fast. His demand : to introduce the Lokpal bill. And believe it or not, the whole nation has come forward in his support by holding demonstrations in various cities.

Thanks Anna, we need people like you who will do something, who will take action rather than just blame the system. We Indians are with you. Come Together, Lets demolish corruption. Lets become better human beings, by not resorting to corrupt means to earn a few pennies. Thank you Anna.

BhArat MAta ki Jai !

Spiritual Qualities in the Indian Captain

2011-04-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

I am Amazed. I still cant believe this. India was in such a precarious position in the cricket world cup ! I am sure, many would have felt it would lose to Sri Lanka in the finals of the world cup.

But like me, many were proved wrong. Cool, Calm and Composed -----Indian Captain M S Dhoni has these qualities for sure. He displayed these qualities when India was under a lot of pressure, and he made India win the World Cup, making India the world champions, by God's Grace. All scriptures ask seekers to have these qualities in them and M S Dhoni admirably displayed these noble spiritual qualities in a crunch situation. Thanks to the greatest Indian captain. May we imbibe these qualities in us.

BhArat MAtA ki Jai !

Want to Love ? Become a Divine Lover

2011-02-04T04:46:00.000-08:00

Saints, from time to time, have come to this world and have showered all their love on God and have shown us the way to love God. Radha is the greatest lover of Lord Krishna, but did Radha enjoy happiness all the time in Her life ?.No. Infact, Radha had to face so many sorrows in Her life. Did Her love for Krishna become less because of Her sorrows ?No. Radha's love for Her Beloved Krishna never lessened. It grew more and more. Radha's love for Krishna is supreme and stands as an example for all BhakthAs.

Still, many people today complain "There is so much suffering in this world. Then what is God doing about it?Is there really a God who protects us ?Why should we believe in God ? why should we love God who is said to be all-powerful but still misery exists in the world ? "

The answer has been given by Mahatmas from time to time. They all have this common sublime message "If there is only happiness in our lives, we will remain human beings forever. We will never think of gaining wisdom to attain God, which is the main purpose of our taking birth in this world. Sorrows make us think about the futility of worldly pleasures and goad us to reach the Highest Supreme State of Being, which is called God. Sorrows wake us up from our dream of human life and once we are awakened, we attain Godhood.

One of the students of Paramahamsa Yoganandaji remarked " It does not seem right that God should allow so much misery in the world." The answer here has been given by Paramahamsa Yoganandaji "No cruelty exists in God's plan, because in His eyes there is no good or evil--- only pictures of light and shadows. The Lord intended us to view the dualistic scenes of life as He does Himself--- The ever joyous Witness of a stupendous cosmic drama".

Man has falsely identified himself with the pseudo-soul or ego. When he transfers his sense of identity to his true being, the immortal soul, he discovers that all pain is unreal. He no longer can even imagine the state of suffering".

Another question was asked by a student, regarding the sufferings we have to face in this life because of bad deeds we have done in the past life. For this Paramahamsaji replied :

"Life is a like a great chain in the ocean of God. When a portion of the chain is pulled out of the water you see only that small part. The beginning and the end are hidden. In this incarnation you are viewing only one link in the chain of life. The past and the future, though invisible, remain in the deeps of God. God reveals their secrets to devotees who are in tune with Him".

My Guru, Ammachi, too has this to share on the sorrows of worldly life " If you are looking after a wild animal, you have to watch it all the time to make sure it doesnt run away. If you let it loose, you will have to follow it everywhere, else it will escape. You are never free of toil. But the keeper of a garden has to stand at the gate. He only has to see to it that no one steals the flowers. He can enjoy the fragrance too. Likewise, if you go after worldly life, your mind will bother you all the time. It will never remain steady. Spirituality on the other hand allows you to enjoy the beauty and fragrance of life.There is no turmoil, no botheration. Even if suffering arises because of our prArabdha karma (past bad deeds) it wont be experienced as suffering. Even that suffering is a form of divine grace, extending a hand to lift you up to a state of peace".

And, Who did not have sorrows ? Even Great Saints like Meerabai, Sakkubai, RAmAnujA, PrahalAda, AnnamAchArya, RamdAsulu, all had to face great sorrows in their lives. SudAmA, the great devotee of Sri Krishna had to face so much sorrow in his life. Do we face so much sorrow today ? No. We have enough happiness. Still, we dont love God. The Saints loved God so much that they brushed aside all worldly pleasures and took all sorrows as His blessings and prayed more fervently to God. Nothing could stop them from loving God. They always thought " Whatever bad I face is because of my ego and whatever good happens to me is because of God".This is the attitude of all true BhaktAs. In Truth, our ego causes problems. God is all-blissful, all-good.

My Guru says "Love God and you will realise the deep inner meaning behind every incident, which happens in your life. Bhakthi, love for God is like eating a sweet fruit. So enjoy the sweetness".

God is waiting for you with open arms. So become a divine lover and feel the bliss of God, brushing aside all your sorrows.

Love the Sinners Too

2011-01-30T22:02:00.000-08:00

Today corruption is at its peak. Right from top politicians to the common man, everyone is getting under the influence of corruption. Everyday as we read newspapers, many new scams are being unfolded adding to our disgust. The corrupt have to be punished else corruption will spread in the system. Hate the sin, but do not hate the sinner. This is the teaching of all the Mahatmas. How are the Mahatmas able to love all ? I have always wondered. It is because they love the one God in all. They condemn the sin, but see the God in the sinner too and thus love all.

So dont condemn and hate the sinners. Punish them but dont have hatred for them. Law will take its course. Have compassion for the sinner just like a mother who loves her bad son too.

Raja Ajit Singh of Khetri, who was a disciple of Swami Vivekananda requested him to come and bless his newborn son. Vivekananda consented and went to Khetri for the birthday function. One evening, The Maharaja invited Vivekananda to attend a musical performance by a dancing girl, but the Swami sent word that as he was a monk, he was not permitted to enjoy secular pleasures. The girl was hurt when she heard the message and sang this plaintive song, which reached the Swami's ears :

Look not, O Lord, upon my sins !
Is not Same-sightedness thy Name ?
One piece of iron is in the image in the temple,
And another,the knife in the hand of the butcher;
Yet both of these are turned to gold
When touched by the philosopher's stone.
So, Lord, look not upon my evil qualities....

Vivekananda was deeply moved. This dancing girl, whom society condemned as impure, had taught him a great lesson : Brahman, the ever-pure, ever-free, is the essence of all beings. He immediately came out of his room and joined the party. He lated said "That incident removed the scales from my eyes. Seeing that all are indeed the manifestation of the One, I could no longer condemn anybody".

My beloved Guru, Ammachi, also called "The Hugging Saint" hugs all. My Guru does not say " I will not hug this person, he is bad". My Guru has hugged sinners, drunkards, prisoners too. This is the greatness of a Self-realized Mahatma.

Let us emulate the Mahatmas and try to be compassionate to the sinners too.

Bharat (India)

2011-01-24T19:16:00.000-08:00

26th January every year, India celebrates its Republic Day. India will display to the world, its powerful armed forces. India will display proudly the arms and ammunitions it has. But basically, India is a nation of peace, love and unity.

'BhArat' also called India has the greatest gift to offer to the world and that is the gift of Spirituality, of Self-Realization. Bharat welcomes the whole world and offers it the wisdom of the ages. 'Satyamave Jayate' is the Message of Bharat, which means Truth alone Triumphs. And God is the ultimate Truth.

Today Materialism is at its peak. This world thinks that material possessions will make it happy forever. Material ideas are its peak and glory. A nation which is in the possession of material power thinks that, this is all to be coveted, like a child which has a doll and thinks that the doll is the most coveted thing in this universe. Materially developed nations feel material power is all the power in the world and this is meant by civilization. But the truth is Bharat teaches material power is not the ultimate power in this world. Materialism has made man a machine. Bharat teaches, man is not just a money making machine. He is a human being who can attain great heights in his inner world and become God. Whenever man forgets his divine nature and becomes a slave of matter, there arises a voice to tell the world that if a man possesses everything under the sun and does not possess spirituality, it is of no use.

Materialism has its place and Spirituality has its own place. Machines never made man happy and will never make man happy. Spirituality laughs at men who cling to material things and feel happy, just like children who cling to toys. Only the man who has conquered his own mind can be truly happy and Bharat has since eternity, taught this to the world : to conquer ones own mind and become blissful. Bharat teaches, there should be a balance between materialism and spirituality. Only then can man enjoy the best of both the worlds.

Bharat Mata is a mother to all. She nourishes all children, irrespective of nationality, caste or creed, with deep love. She gradually reveals to man the secrets of his own mind and finally makes God out of an ordinary man. This is the beauty of Bharat, also called India. Bharat is eternal, immortal.

Bharat Mata ki Jai !

Saint Tyagaraja

2011-01-17T22:13:00.000-08:00

Above is the picture of Saint Tyagaraja having the vision of Lord Rama.

Carnatic Music is the Classical Music of South India. And Saint TyAgarAja is a great Poet-Saint of India. Saint Tyagaraja was born in 1767 in Tiruvarur, a village in Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu. He later shifted to Thiruvaiyaru, another village situated on the banks of the river kaveri.and lived there until his death in 1847.
Saint TyAgarAja got initiated into literature by his learned father Rama Brahmam. He inherited a sweet voice from his mother Seetamba who was a pious and dutiful lady. She used to sing traditional devotional songs melodiously in her puja mandir everyday. He got initiated into music by his mother and later went for formal training which raised him to the levels of the greatest composers of music and concert performers of his times. TyAgarAjA was very devoted to Lord Rama. He was given the key mantra called Rama Shadakshara mantra. With the help of this mantra, Tyagaraja's consciousness expanded to infinite dimensions. He became a completely transformed person. He always liked to be transported to higher planes of consciousness with divine intoxication. His life story tells us that he could repeat the mantra ninety-six crore times, in thirty-two years at the rate of one lakh and twenty-five thousand times a day, we can imagine his divine intoxication. Outwardly he was normal as anybody. He attended to his domestic chores and daily routine. He gave lessons in music and Sanskrit to his disciples who approached him. He sang bhajans melodiously and composed sweet poetry.His detachment and his way of always being engrossed in thoughts of Rama irked his relatives, especially his brother who took the idols of Lord Rama, Sita and Hanuman and threw them in the river. Tyagaraja was grief-stricken and he spontaneously composed a song seeking the help of Lord Rama. He always had visions of Lord Rama in his heart.
Tyagaraja sang to please only God. He did not sing to please any king or people in general. He offered all his compositons to Lord Rama, without expecting anything in return. Spontaneity and selflessness were the chief characteristics of everything that flowed from Tyagarja in the form of music and poetry. The formal structuring according to the rules swept into his compostions unconsciously due to his training. He composed thousands of Kritis that were later categorised as Divyanama Kirtanas and Utsava Sampradaya Kirtanas etc.
The greatest thing about Tyagaraja is he never stopped for metre, never searched for words and waited for a mood. Wherever he went, he used to sing a fresh composition. He used to sing with emotional involvement and full of devotion which used to transport his listeners too to a higher level of consciousness. Poetry used to flow from him and he never wrote it down. He never selected a raga for his compositions and spontaneously songs used to flow out of him. Thus he was a great Saint-Poet and a great devotee of Lord Rama. He is a regarded as a Satguru. Like his name suggests, Tyagaraja was a Raja (king) of Tyaga (renunciation).
Thiruvaiyaru is the place where the great saint and music composer Tyagaraja lived and attained samadhi.
The Annual Music Festival 'Thyagaraja Aradhana' is held every year as a tribute to this great Saint-Poet. It is held towards the end of January. This year it is going to be held on 24th January. The festival will culminate with the rendition of the Pancharatna kritis on Bahula Panchami. The venue is near his samadhi on the banks of river Cauvery. This Carnatic Music festival attracts music lovers from all corners of the country. Besides the music concerts, religious rituals (pujas) are conducted at the samadhi during the two days.
Even today, Carnatic vocalists and Instrumentalists come together to pay tribute to Saint Tyagaraja. Carnatic Vocalists like Sudha Raghunathan, Sanjay Subramanium, S.Sowmya, T.N.Seshagopalan, Priya sisters, Aruna Sairam, T.M.Krishna, K.J.Yesudas, Gayathri Girish, Ranjani-Gayathri, N.C.Soundaravalli, Nityashree Mahadevan and Carnatic Instrumentalists like Nagai Muralidharan, Dr.Lalitha and M.Nandini, Mysore HN Bhaskar, Mysore Nagaraj, Embar S.Kannan, Padma Shankar, Trichy Sankaran,Thiruvarur Vaidyanathan, Thiruvarur Bakthavathsalam, Patri Satishkumar, Neyveli Skandasubramaniam, Ghatam Karthik,Uduppi Sridhar and many other carnatic performers pay homage to Saint Tyagaraja on this day.
There are many rasikas(fans), students of carnatic music too who have kept Carnatic Music alive even today.
May the blessings of Saint and Satguru Sri Tyagaraja be with all of us !

Gratitude to God

2011-01-13T00:09:00.000-08:00

It was a severe winter this year, with sun almost absent and icy winds blowing all around. It was very cold. But, today as the harvest festival nears, the sun is back. And as I gear up to celebrate Pongal, I am enjoying the lovely experience of the Sun shining after a long dark winter. Its that time of the year when whole of India pays gratitude to God for His benevolence by celebrating the harvest festivals, known by different names in different parts of India.

Thanks to God for a good harvest, for the sun, the water and the crops. Thanks to the farmers who toil hard in the lands and produce the crops. India has an agrarian economy and so agriculture plays an important role in India.

My Guru Ammachi says "The creator has created the entire creation in play". And we stand in awe admiring His wonderful creation. Spring follows winter and nature is at its best this time of the year.

India is a beautiful Land of diversity. Inspite of the distinct diversity, there is a Unity in celebration. Harvest festivals are known as Makara SankrAnti in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, Bihu in Assam, Onam in Kerala. Its a time for celebration and gaiety. India is full of joy and enthusiasm in celebrating the harvest festivals.

During Lohri, bonfires are lit and Punjab becomes alive with merry-making and dancing. In Assam, there is a traditional dance and fasts and prayers are held thanking God for the bountiful. In Tamil Nadu, Pongal is celebrated by boiling Milk and Rice and is offered to God in gratitude.

India is a land of festivals and the harvest festival has a special place in India. Join the celebration !

150th Birth Anniversary

2011-01-10T04:11:00.000-08:00

India is celebrating the 150th Birth Anniversary of Her beloved Son Swami Vivekananda on January 12th this year. Swami Vivekananda continues to be a great inspiration for the country and for the world at large. His Guru Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was a Self-Realized Saint. Swami Vivekananda is a great inspiration for the youth even today. Swami Vivekananda was a great patriot. He epitomised Fearlessness, which has been described as a cardinal virtue. His messages are bold and inspire us to achieve greatness in life and to do the country proud. His messages are a gem, each one of them, and I have found this message of Swami Vivekananda very inspiring :

Swami Vivekananda exhorted his countrymen in these energizing words :

"What makes you weep my friend ? In you is all power. Summon up your all-powerful nature, oh mighty one, and this whole universe will lie at your feet. It is the Self alone that predominates and not matter. It is those foolish people who identify themselfves with their bodies that piteously cry, "Weak, weak we are weak". What the nation wants is pluck and scientific genius. We want great spirit, tremendous energy and boundless enthusiasm, no womanishness will do. It is the man of action, the lion-heart, that the goddess of wealth resorts to. No need of looking behind. Forward ! We want infinite energy, infinite zeal, infinite courage and infinite patience, then only will great things be achieved".

In our scriptures too, Abhayam, fearlessness has been considered as a Sattvic quality. Swami Vivekananda will live forever. His messages are the guiding posts for the youth of India.

Consort of the Lord

2011-01-05T19:59:00.001-08:00

Here are the pictures of Lord RanganAthar and His consort Sri AndAl.

A true devotee's wish is that he or she should be accepted by his Guru or God. For that, the devotee makes himself attractive by displaying divine qualities to please the object of his devotion. This is true devotion.

The AlwArs were saints of the VaishnavA tradition of South India. VaishnavAs are worshippers of Lord Vishnu. AlwArs were mystics who preached a message relevant to the modern world. They believed in a close one-to-one relationship with the Lord. They used Tamizh (Tamil ) as their medium for their songs and prayer. AndAl is perhaps the most well-known among the AlwArs. She is dated around 6th century A.D. She is the avathAra of Bhudevi, a manifestation of Lakshmi. Her father PeriyAlwAr was picking flowers and tulasi leaves in his garden for worship of Lord Vishnu when he found this small baby lying below the tulasi plant. She was named 'Godha' by Her parents which in Sanskrit means 'daughter of mother earth'. AndAl was unique right from her childhood and was fortunate to be born ina spiritually charged environment in a small town of Srivilliputhur in Tamil Nadu.

Her father Periyalwar was an Alwar too. He knew His daughter, Andal's supreme love for God and sang Her praises too. Andal had intense devotion to Lord Krishna. She used to make Herself attractive to please Lord Krishna. She wore the garlands woven by Her father for Krishna. This went for days when one day her father saw her wearing the garlands.He got very angry and admonished her for showing disrespect to the Lord. He wove a new garland and took it to the temple, but that day when he went to the temple, he found that the Lord was not happy. That day he had a dream in which the Lord appeared before him and said that He was happy to wear the garlands worn by AndAl. 'AndAl' means one who has come to rule, and AndAl true to Her name, won and ruled the hearts of all with Her devotion to the Lord.

As AndAl grew up and was ready for marriage, She decided that she could not marry any mortal and that She wanted to marry the Lord alone. She started performing her famous fast and penance through the month of MArgazhi (december) which is very dear to the lord and composed Her "ThiruppAvai" as a tribute in verses. She heard Her father telling about the Lords of all the Divya Desams(sacred places of worship) and She chose Sri RanganAtha of Srirangam as Her bridegroom. PeriyAlwAr was a worried man and went to bed worrying about His daughter's willingness to marry the Lord alone. That night Lord RanganAthar appeared in His dream and asked for AndAl's hand in marriage. He had similarly instructed the temple priests of Srirangam to go with all the marriage paraphernalia and bring Godha(AndAL) for marriage. The whole of Srivilliputhur and Srirangam watched AndAl entering the sanctum sanctorum of Srirangam temple and merging with the Lord after offering Her garland to Him. The Lord bowed before AndAl to accept Her garland, such was Her devotion towards the Lord. Periyalwar joined the company of Janaka Maharaja to be hailed as the father-in-law of the Lord.

Thus AndAl, the only woman saint among the AlwArs, holds an esteemed and significant place in the hearts of all Tamil VaishnavAs. Even today, during the month of MArgazhi (december-January) all devotees play the TiruppAvai in their homes and seek the blessings of AndAl. Many know all the thirty songs of TiruppAvai by heart too. May the blessings of Sri RanganAthar and Sri AndAl be with all of us !

Full of Enthusiasm

2011-01-02T05:39:00.000-08:00

Once there was a girl around fifteen years of age who used to sell flowers. She had a small shop full of bright colored flowers. A few people used to buy from her shop. She made some money this way. But somedays, she did not make much money. She used to get bored. She used to eke out a living somehow. One day she got very depressed thinking about her life. She had an old aunt, who used to take care of her. And besides that aunt, she had no friend, no relatives. She got bored of her life, doing the same thing day in and day out, selling flowers daily. She thought, one day if she doesnt open her shop, it would not make a big difference. She felt, no one needed her. She felt, she was not needed in this world. That she was just a nothing in life.

So one day, she did not open her shop. The next day too, she did not feel like working and so four days passed. Finally, On the fifth day, somehow she went back to her same old routine and opened her flower shop. Soon, there were many people surrounding her. They asked her " Where were you ? We needed your beautiful flowers. Please do come daily". She was surprised. On asking further, one customer told her"I buy flowers from you and gift it to my daughter everyday. She feels so happy. But you did not come past few days and my daughter was sad. Good that you are back again". Another customer said" my brother is in the hospital. I buy flowers from you and give it to him. He feels so happy. I too missed your flowers". Another customer said" I dont buy flowers from you but as I pass by this way, your flowers brighten up my mood and I feel good about life. I missed your flowers too".

Suddenly this girl realised how her small shop made a huge difference in so many people's lives ! She became very happy. She realised, she was needed. She realised God had placed her in this position for others, who needed her. We all make a difference in someone's lives. We may not be Prime Ministers or Presidents or Corporate honchos or Celebrities, but we make a differnce in this world. We may not come to know, but we do make a difference. So this girl became enthusiastic about life, her work and realised she played a role in this world, of making others happy.

So lets be full of enthusiasm in life. We all make a difference. Enthusiasm is very important in life.Drive away negative thought and self-pity. Whenever you think low of yourself, remember that God thinks highly of you. Lets surrender to God and lets see the drama of our lives unfold in many beautiful ways in the same routine life that we all are living now. Be full of enthusiasm like a small child. Let God take control of our lives and we will see how He has great plans for us. Lets live full of life, full of joy and full of enthusiasm each day of our life. Each day counts. We are living out our Karma daily. So live it with full awareness and joy and faith in God.

Welcome the New Year with a Prayer

2010-12-26T23:22:00.000-08:00

We all are awaiting the New Year with anticipation and excitement in our hearts. Personally, before meeting my Guru, I used to party on the New Year's Eve. But ever since I met my Guru, my every new year eve is spent in praying for world peace. Yes. Thats what all the Mahatmas and Saints appeal to their devotees to do on New Years Eve.

Lets enjoy. We can have fun and parties, but at the strike of twelve, lets all take a moment to pray for world peace.

All the Mahatmas of India have always prayed for the whole world. They pray "LokAh SamastAha Sukhino Bhavanthu" which means Let the whole world be Happy and Peaceful.

So lets pray together for world peace and for a happy new year for the whole world.

You may think does it make a difference. Poverty, terrorism, strife etc. is still present in the world. But.... Mahatmas say it surely makes a differnce. There is a lot of power in group prayers and chanting.

So lets get together and spread peaceful vibrations in the world. At the stroke of midnight on new years eve, lets take a moment and chant the peace mantra for world peace. Together we all can make a Huge difference. Many waves together make a mighty ocean.

Merry Christmas !

2010-12-16T05:34:00.000-08:00

Here is a beautiful picture of a christmas tree !

Wishing each and everyone a Happy Christmas ! Christmas is just round the corner. Let us imbibe the message of Lord Jesus in our lives which is self-sacrifice and love for all. May the blessings of Lord Jesus be with all of us !

SwAmiye Sharanam AyyappA

2010-12-13T20:41:00.000-08:00

Here is the picture of Lord Ayyappa.

Lord Ayyappa's avathAram (incarnation) took place in the kaliyuga to ward off evil forces and bring in dharma and happiness to the mankind. Lord Vishnu incarnated as Mohini, the enchantress. The union of Lord Shiva and Mohini resulted in the birth of Lord Ayyappa. Thats why Ayyappa is also called 'HariHaraputhran'.

Ayyappa devotees trek to Sabarimala, the holy hill in Kerala, where Lord Ayyappa's temple is situated. This is the second largest Annual pilgrimage in the world. Millions of Ayyappa devotees undertake this ardous and wonderful journey to Sabarimala. Only male devotees are allowed. Small girls and old women are allowed too. Since Ayyappa is a celibate, young women are not allowed.

Devotees rise at dawn, bathe in cold water before performing their religious duties and again take a bath at dusk followed by prayers to Lord Ayyappa. The routine combined with a conditioned mind that practice celibacy through this 41 day course is a great fulfiller and liberator. Male devotees are called Ayyappa and female devotee is called Malika Puthamma. Climbing the Sabari forests and hills which is ardous is made easy with the 41 day fast and chanting of the mantra "Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa". The message of the temple is written in bold letters "Tat Tvam Asi" (You are That). You are God, the pure infinite consciousness. So the pilgimage to Sabarimala denotes our spiritual journey to meet God in the end.

After the 41 day fast and rigorous discipline, and the ardous trek, when the devotees climb the holy 18 (patthinettAmpadi) steps at the temple, to catch a glimpse of Lord Ayyappa, all the worries, all the tiredness just disappear and the devotee is filled with awe and devotion on seeing His Ayyappa. The devotees then return to their homes filled with joy and a deep calm in their hearts.

May Lord Ayyappa's blessings be with all of us !

Infinite Innocence

2010-12-06T20:07:00.000-08:00

God is Infinite Innocence. Pure, unsullied just like a child. When a child comes to this world, it is full of innocence. It does not have any preconceived notions about anything. It is spontaneous. Thats why we all love a child. It does not have an ego. And so we find the child irresistible. Everything is a wonder for the child. But then as it grows in this world, it finds that one has to be cunning and streetsmart to survive in this world, to come up in life. It finds most of its peers in school are cunning and manipulative. So this child also learns all the cunning ways. Then the child passes out of school, finishes college and joins an organisation as an employee. It learns that it has to be really streetsmart and cunning to survive the office atmosphere.
The child which used to freely talk with everyone, which was always smiling and spontaneous now becomes quiet, and reserved. The child now a grown up man has learnt, not to trust anyone, to speak measuredly, to think ten times before making friendship with anyone and to be calculative, to think what it has to gain even from a casual conversation. Thus, the innocence of the child is completely lost.
By God's Grace and good deeds of this person, if he gets an interest in spirituality, he will be totally stunned. Because, the first step in spirituality is to become completely innocent like a child ! All Mahatmas stress on this most important and beautiful quality of innocence. Innocence is different from ignorance. Mahatmas are the wisest people yet they are completely innocent. Innocence is basic faith in the goodness of all, being optimistic about life and being good. Now this child, now a grown-up man is dumbfounded. All that the world had taught him has come to a naught. He realises that all that the world had taught him : to be smart and cunning is absolutely wrong. Now he has to wash away all the cunningness, selfishness, maniputaltiveness from his mind, in order to attain God. He realises, to attain God is most important in life than coming up in life through manipulative means.
Mahatmas show the way to God. Mahatmas themselves are so innocent. Does any Mahatma say " This person is bad. Dont let him come near me". Never. Mahatmas never judge. They are innocent and see the goodness in all like a child. So people flock to Mahatmas, because of their unassuming nature, their faith in mankind's goodness, and their overflowing love for all.

My Guru, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi says :-

“God has the nature of a small child. God won’t even look at those who do tapas with ego, but He will shower his grace on the innocent hearted ones who don’t do anything. This may be due to His childlike nature.”~
“Until this point, you have developed only externally, only the body and intellect have grown. But once you come to a Satguru, an inner development takes place and you grow into the experience of the Atman (self). Externally, you may be grownup, but internally, the Master teaches you to go back to the state of a child, to the state of childlike innocence. The Master’s whole purpose is to awaken the slumbering child within you.”

The Childlike Innocence Deep within you Is God
“Children, the wonder and the love that you felt as a child will never return unless you can again play like a child. Innocence is within you, hidden deep inside. You have to rediscover it. And for this to happen, you must go deeper and deeper into your spiritual practices. When you can dive deep into your own consciousness, you will realise this innocence one day. At that moment you will discover the child within you. You will experience the innocence, the joy and the wonder that were hidden inside of you, and you will realise they were always there. You merely forgot your innocence for some time. It is as if you suddenly remember something after having forgotten about it for a very long time. That childlike innocence deep within you is God.”

Spending Time with Children is a Spiritual Practice
“It is good for you to spend some time with children. They will teach you to believe, to love and to play. Children will help you smile from your heart and to have that look of wonderment in your eyes.”
“Spending some time with children is a sadhana. A child has all the signs of one who has reached perfection. Children’s innocence will reflect in us also. Forgetting everything, we will sit looking at them. Vasanas (tendencies) are only in the seed form in them and have not yet manifested. Children have the eyes of one who has attained perfection.”
“A small child is not aware of its innocence. His or her innocent nature is completely unconscious. A small child is absolutely pure; he dwells in the state of purity before impurities are manifested. But soon, the child’s purity and innocence will begin to disappear. Impurity and ignorance will take their place. The qualities of wonder and joy, imagination and faith that we see in a child are short-lived. As long as a child remains a child, his innocence is there. But a child changes. Even a child’s mind is bound by time and space; therefore time brings about changes even in a child. Thus, the innocent child gradually slips into the clutches of the ego. The unmanifested ego and accumulated tendencies of past lives gradually manifest, and the child’s innocence slowly slips back into an unmanifested state.”
Look into the eyes of a child. You can see God there. You can see your Krishna or Jesus or Buddha in the eyes of a child. But once the dormant vasanas (tendencies) start manifesting, the innocence will disappear. Vasanas are not completely absent in a child; they are there, but in the unmanifested state. If it is unmanifested, it must manifest one day or another. This is the difference between a child and a yogi. Even though there is innocence in a child, the child still has vasanas in the unmanifested state, waiting to manifest when the right time comes. A yogi, through spiritual practice, eradicates the vasanas completely. He becomes totally innocent, such that there aren’t even any unmanifested vasanas lying dormant. The yogi has no vasanas to manifest because he kills the very source of them. He cuts out the vasanas by their roots, so they stop sprouting. He is clean and pure. He flows like a river, unhindered and unperturbed, into everything and without any difference.”
“ Like a child’s world, the saint’s life is filled with wonder. For him, everything is new and everything is fresh because he beholds the essential nature of everything with love.”

God--Our Sole Refuge

2010-12-01T01:55:00.000-08:00

Sincere Spiritual seekers who love God unceasingly have nothing to worry about. They depend on God alone. And they find that God takes care of all their needs miraculously.

But others have to think about their life, their desires, their future.

Today, most of the aged people complain, "The young generation is neglecting us, not taking care of us. They have become very selfish and do not want to take care of aged people like us".

Though some youngsters are really selfish and want to avoid the responsibility of taking care of their elders, most of the others have these reasons for not living with elders :-

"Old people treat us like small kids, by imposing all their decisions on us, even though we have wishes of our own. Elders are not keen on listening to what we have to say. They find fault with us. They make us feel guilty for all they have done for us. They do not love us unconditionally and many other reasons.....

But the point is.... NOTHING justifies the selfish act of abandoning our elders in their old age and to let them suffer. They have done so much for us, taken care of our basic needs and tolerated all our tantrums when we were kids. It is so difficult to bring up a child. So lets not abandon our elders......no matter whatever their behaviour towards the youngsters has been in the past. Lets take care of our elders with love and respect. Lets not take revenge on the aged people for their past bad behaviour. God will judge their deeds. Lets not become bad and cruel because of others. Lets always be good.

Mahatmas have always stressed that the solution to this problem is that both the young and the old generation should behave compassionately towards each other. Tolerance should come from both sides. Then there will be nothing to complain about.

The truth is, Spiritually strong people dont have anything to complain about. They realise that God is their only refuge.

Here is an enlightening article which appeared in City Plus, a supplement of Dainik Jagran. It is an article by Sri Bimal Mohanty.

Old Age Loneliness- How can one tackle it ?

The situation that people find themselves in old age is in manys brought about by themselves, who failed to foresee the outcome of their own attitude in life while they were gradually moving from middle age to old age. In our obsession with the material world during most part of our life we ignore dharma and thereby remain insulated from Brahman (God) in our consciousness. We keep building our dreams and when the time comes we wake up from our dreams. We find we are lost, lonely, unprepared to cope with the eventuality. That is when despair of loneliness engulfs us.

Had we understood the imperativeness of spiritual approach to life in earnestness in our daily life, we would have found great solace from the conscious proximity with Brahman. Brahman never abandons the soul and always comes to stand beside us when we establish our connection with Him in our antahkarana(mind,intellect and ego-self). If we have been yogis, then yoga supports us in all dimensions of our exisetence-physical, mental and psychological.

In physical plane, it supports us in health, attitude and right conduct that takes care of the needs of life by guiding us throught various actions that yield positive results. Mentally, it prepares us to understand life and cope with all adversities. Psychologically we discover the solid support of Brahman beside us. We never feel lonely.

This is not fancy meandering but borne out of experience of sadhaks from thousand of years. People who have developed this conciousness are often seen to have a contented life with all their basic needs miraculopusly taken care of. They live in great peace of mind, content with their inner self(Atmani AtmanA tustah).

To be demanding on others for what one has done for them in life is counter productive. Brahman is the only entity who listens and supports all our demands. He is the only friend, philosopher and guide for the soul. Unfortunately this revelation comes to most late in life. If dharma has guided you in your purushartha, then you live always in the compamy and protection of Brahman. There is no loneliness. Others do not ignore in you in time of need. Our scriptures drive this point home when they declare :

MAham BrahmanirAkuryAm
MAmA Brahma nirakarot
AnirAkaranam astu anirAkaranam me astu( May I never ignore or deny Brahman. May not Brahman every deny or ignore me. May not Brahman ever reject me. Let me never reject Brahman).

Sri Swami Raghavendra

2010-11-23T21:21:00.000-08:00

Twenty years back, whenever my family used to travel from Mumbai to Chennai by train, the tain used to halt at the MantrAlayam station in Andhra Pradesh and immediately, my mother used to ask us to pray to Swami Raghavendra. Today, I am still waiting for the day when by Sri Swami Raghavendra's blessings, I can visit MantrAlayam in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Sri Swami Raghavendra needs no introduction. He is a highly revered spiritual saint who is worshipped as a Satguru by millions of devotees. Though physically not present today, the great Guru Swami Raghavendra has come to the aid of millions of devotees around the world. Sri Guru Raghavendra Swami of MantrAlayam (in Andra Pradesh) is undoubtedly the most well known amongst all Madhwa saints. Swami Raghavendra has a universal appeal. He is respected and worshipped by people of different castes, regions and religions.

Millions pray to him and depend on him for help. Even today one hears first-hand accounts of miracles from people who have benefited from his benevolence. It is indeed very rare to find someone who has returned empty-handed from him.

He is affectionately known by several names - Raghavendra swamigalu, Gururaja (gururaya), Gurusarvabhouma, Rayaru, ParimalAchAryaru, MantrAlaya Prabhugalu etc. He propogated the Dvaita philosophy.

Swami Raghavendra took Jeeva SamAdhi by entering the Brindavan at MantrAlayam live and attained SamAdhi. Food is distributed free among all the devotees who come to worship the Guru.

There was a movie made on the life of Swami Raghavendra played by the simple and humble human being Sri Rajinikanth which was a super hit and even today when I watch the movie it never fails to move me.

The life-history of Swami Raghavendra is replete with instances when God used to guide Him in all His actions.

May Swami Raghavendra's blessings be with all of us !

85th Birthday of Sri Satya Sai Baba

2010-11-22T02:59:00.000-08:00

His Holiness Sri Satya Sai Baba is celebrating His 85th birthday on 23rd November. Today the need of the hour is to realize our own Self by cultivating a keen interest in spirituality and the birth of Mahatmas in this world to show us the right path to live in this world and finally the path to God. May Baba's blessings be with all of us !

Simplicity is Graceful

2010-11-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

Once a sage was walking through a dense forest. A robber who was hiding, came from behind and asked the sage to give whatever he had. The sage smiled and said "Son Why are you earning money in this unrighteous way ? Cant you earn righteously ? The robber replied "I have a family to feed. I have to do this for them". The sage replied "Son You love them so much but do you know you have to face the consequences of your bad actions. You have to suffer maybe in this life itself or the next life. Are your family members ready to share the negative consequences of your actions?". The robber said "Yes ofcourse. They will share my burden of sins. After all I am doing all this for them". The sage smiled and said "Son go and ask them if they are willing to share the burden of your sins. I shall wait here till you come back".

The robber went to his house and asked his wife and sons if they were ready to accompany him to hell for all the evil deeds he was doing. The wife and sons replied "Look, as head of the family,it is your duty to feed us. It is upto you to follow dharma to earn money or to earn unlawfully. Why should we share the burden of your sins?". The robber got a big shock. He returned to the sage and cried in deep remorse. He turned a new leaf and lived a spiritual life from that day.

In Today's world, everyone seems to be running behind money. Scam after Scam, corruption at every level and in every field. Values of life seem to be disappearing. Mahatmas have always explained that Money as it is, is not the problem, it is the greed for money which is causing all the problems in the world. There is nothing wrong in earning money by rightful means but it becomes a bad practice if money is earned by following unrighteous methods.

Why this fascination for money ? Because it makes us seem powerful, we can get whatever we desire and we can be happy. But the truth is, ill-gotten money can never make us truly happy. We have to face the consequences of our actions. Mahatmas have always stressed the need to control our desires and to live righteously in this world. We may escape the law of the land but NOBODY can escape the law of Karma. Whatever we sow has to be reaped by us. Good begets good and bad brings us to hell. Those who are corrupt have to face the consequences of their deeds. No one from their family will share their burden of sins. Then for whom are they earning so much by using corrupt practices ?

There is nothing great in leading a rich lifestyle by earning unlawfully. It is all a false show of richness. This false show of wealth, this false show of power has to be left behind. Simplicity in life is a great blessing.

Be simple and follow simplicity in life. Swami Sivananda says :-

"Simplicity is freedom from duplicity, affectation or pretension. In dress, in food, in character, in style, in manners, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity. There is beauty and majesty in simplicity. It is nature's first step and the last of her arts.Be what you say and say what you are. Write as you speak and speak as you think. Be simple like a child. The door of Moksha will then be opened to you.

The greatest of truths are the simplest, and so are the greatest of men. Goodness and simplicity are indissolubly united. A simple,/rank man is the most agreeable man. Purity and simplicity are the two wings with which man soars into the kingdom of God".

so lets eradicate corruption by resolving to lead a simple and a graceful life which will be an example for all to follow. Do not taint your good name by following corrupt ways to live in this world. It is just not worth it.

Your Child is Unique

2010-11-10T19:57:00.000-08:00

14th November is celebrated as Children's Day, which is the birthday of the first Prime Minister of India Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He loved children a lot. Children are so innocent, so loving. We can learn a lot from our children. My two year old son has taught me to be innocent, to love and to be like a child. So I want to share something dedicated to children.

I read this true story in a book about this young boy who was from an affluent family. He had everything he needed and which many kids can just dream of. He went to the best school, had the best gadgets, had friends, had servants to look after him. But...... just a chance meeting with a Mahatma, and he left his home, his parents everything to join the Mahatma's Ashram. It came as a huge surprise to everyone who knew him. And the story of this boy was this....

His mother was a homemaker, who was at home all the time. But she was a strict disciplinarian. His father too was very strict with the boy. They would compare him with his peers all the time. They wanted him to be perfect in every way. His mother would always exclaim about the achievements of other children and never acknowledge the achievements of her own son. She provided him tasty food, clothes to wear, toys to play but emotionally she was completely absent. She felt, she was doing so much for her son by spending so much money on him. Her love for her son was expressed materially by buying many things for him.

But all the boy needed was someone who will talk to him lovingly without judging him harshly, someone to whom he could open his heart. He wanted someone who will love him unconditionally, for what he IS and not for what he has achieved. But his mother's love was based on the marks he scored in his school. She would often say "If you score 90 percent, I will love you even more. If you get the first prize in this competition, I will be proud of you even more. If you behave well, I will cherish you even more". Sadly, the boy had to prove himself everytime even to gain his mother's love. Her love was not unconditional.....

When this boy by chance, just casually, went to meet a Mahatma, the Mahatma as always, welcomed this boy with open arms and lovingly said "My darling son, I love you so much". This boy was stunned. He couldnt remember when his parents had told him these beautiful words......He broke down in tears in the arms of the Mahatma. He had wanted love all his life. Love of his parents, who were physically present with him all the time but emotionally completely absent. They disciplined him more than shower love on him.

All I want to say is, Undoubtedly, the boy's parents did love their son but my Guru says today parent's love for their children is like honey trapped in a stone. Can you enjoy the sweetness of honey in a stone ? My Guru says " Express your love to your child openly without any conditions attached to it.....For the betterment of your child, criticise his performance in academics or sports or other activities, instead of labelling him in general as an average or dull student". A child looks upto his pasrents for love, for respect, for knowing about his strengths and uniqueness. So always be aware of what you are feeding the child emotionally.

Every parent wants his or her child to perform better in academics, in sports and in life, but a parent's love should not be based on the achievements of the child rather a parent should freely love the child for what he or she is.

Evey child is unique. Every child may not become a doctor, engineer or district collector. Each child has unique strengths and weaknesses. Know what the child is good in and encourage him or her in that field. Love your child so much that he knows that his parents would always be there for him or her. It is important to be successful in the world but success in life is more important. God loves His creation unconditionally and parents too should love their children unconditionally......

This is the best gift you can give your child.

Awareness

2010-11-07T06:37:00.000-08:00

I had a taste of my Guru's omniscience recently. My family needed a break from the daily routine so we went on a long drive to a beautiful lake resort. It was a long journey. We got tired when we reached it finally. Our car is a new one and we are very particular about keeping it clean. I had taken along some fruits and snacks. So, on the way, while eating fruits, I found a bad orange and without a second thought, instantly, I threw itout of the window, as my car had to be clean. After a few hours, I bought an ice-cream. After enjoying it, I casually threw the wrapper out of the window.

Finally we reached the resort and we enjoyed the scenic beauty, the calm, tranquil environment and came back home. On reaching home, when I checked my mail-box, the monthly publication of my Guru which is called 'Matruvani' was in the box. Whenever we devotees are in a dilemma or have some questions in our minds or need some messages, we find that our beloved Guru has answered it through Matruvani. Many may call it a coincidence, but coincidences do not happen everytime we need answers. Coming back, I started reading it with great love and eagerness.

To my great surprise, I found, Ammachi has spoken at length about keeping India clean. Ammachi wants India to be beautiful and healthy and so was calling upon people to participate in the initiative. And on the back-cover of the book, there was the initiative of my Guru 'Amala BhAratam Campaign', which is about Ammachi undertaking the responsibility of cleaning India by offering to construct public toilets and making India beautiful and healthy. Here is the link http://e.amritapuri.org/abc/

The miracle is, as I was reading about the campaign, it hit me that moment, how I had behaved so selfishly and irresponsibly. I remembered that instant, the callous way in which I had thrown the ice-cream wrapper out of the window, the orange that I threw so selfishly out of the car to keep my car clean.....without giving a thought that my country needs to be clean too.....I was full of shame.

My Guru is resolved to make India clean with the support of thousands of Her devotees, NGOs and the general public who have taken up the campaign seriously working as volunteers and here I am throwing rubbish around, making India unclean.

Looking back, all I can say is, I acted without Awareness. Awareness is an essential quality in a spiritual seeker. He or she should be aware of what he is saying, what he is doing. Always be aware of every word and deed and if possible we should become aware of our thoughts too.

I remember an incident which was published in Matruvani. Once a devotee went to Ammachi and said "Amma I smoke many times daily. I do not know how to stop this addiction". Amma said " Son, next time, when you smoke, think of your wife, your young kids and how helpless they would be without you, that would help you to leave the habit". The devotee after a few months was able to quit smoking. He shared with all devotees his experience. He shared that, after following Amma's instructions, he was becoming aware of what he was doing. He couldnt smoke anymore as the images of his wife, his helpless kids flashed in his mind everytime he tried to smoke. He became aware of the harmful effects of smoking. He became fully alive to the consequences of his actions and so he did not feel like smoking again.

The problem is we act unconsciously most of the time, bound by our habits. We are not aware of what we are doing and the effects of our actions. Awareness is all we need to behave maturedly, responsibly....I wish I had maintained that awareness...

Happy Diwali !!

2010-11-01T21:42:00.000-07:00

Wishing Each and Everyone a Very Happy and Prosperous Diwali !!

Diwali is being celebrated on the 5th of November this year. Hope the festival of lights brings joy to all !! Diwali is the festival of lights. Almost Whole of India celebrates Diwali, as people, irrespective of their caste or creed greet each other on the festive occasion.

There is a slight difference in the way North Indians and South Indians celebrate diwali.

In South India, on the diwali day, people get up in the early wee hours of the morning and take an oil bath. This is because it is believed Lord Krishna killed the demon NarakAsurA. The demon's blood was splattered all over Krishna's body so Lord Krishna had taken an oil bath to remove the blood stains. So people take an oil bath. Then after the oil bath, people wear new clothes and visit the temples and greet each other. In south India people burst crackers early in the morning. People buy sweets or make them at home and share it with all. And the festivities continue in the evening too.

In North India, during Diwali, people worship Goddess Lakshmi and Lord GaneshA to welcome prosperity and auspiciousness into their lives. Lakshmi stands for prosperity and Ganesha stands for auspiciousness. Many people open their book of accounts on this day. New clothes are purchased for Diwali. People celebrate 'Dhanteras' when people buy Gold so that prosperity comes into their life. North Indians, after performing the pooja, visit temples and friends and relatives to greet each other. They then burst crackers in the evening. Sweets are then shared with all.

Thus whether North or South India, people make rangolis outside their homes, light beautiful lamps and eat and share sweets.

Many share their wealth with the poor by buying them dresses, crackers and sweets. According to me, this is the real spirit of Diwali. Let us not forget the poor, the unfortunate while we celebrate in joy !

My Guru says Spiritually, True Diwali signifies the day of Enlightenment when we all succeed in lighting up our Splendorous Self and attain a new form of Eternity and Immortality. The Bliss of the Self spreads Sweetness all around and the Sound of Joy of attaining the Self is heard everywhere as the Sound of limitless Bliss !

May by God's Grace, all of us celebrate the True Diwali !

We Are Blessed

2010-10-25T16:59:00.000-07:00

Always feel that you are the blessed devotee of God and that God loves you immensely. Because this faith in God's Love for you will make you love God even more and your devotion will become deeper. My Guru says " We all need God's grace but more than that we need the grace of our own mind". This means, once we get an interest in spirituality, we should always remember and feel that we are blessed. This is the first step towards reaching the goal- The Self. Else we shall always think that we are sinners and will never progress in the spiritual path.

Once a young man in his twenties approached a sage and asked him to accept him as his disciple. The sage smiled and said "Son I am willing to accept you as my disciple. The young man started staying with the sage in the Ashram. But just after two days, the young man remembered all his past mistakes and sins and the feeling of guilt filled his heart. He felt he was not fit for God, that he was not deserving of God and Guru's love. When he approached the sage, he said "I am leaving your ashram. I dont deserve to be in this spiritual path". The sage smiled and said "Son what you need to do is to forgive yourself for all your past sins and live in the present. We all are humans and we tend to commit sins. That is not the problem. We have to realise our mistakes and not repeat them. Thats all. God is there to accept us wholeheartedly".

The young man then stopped visiting his past and started living in the present performing his SAdhanA with deep faith and sincerity.

Committing mistakes is not the problem but our indifference to it is the problem. Once we atone for our sins by opening our hearts to God and asking God for His forgiveness and mercy, we all are forgiven and we become pure.

Just imagine, when a child after playing in the garden in the hot sun returns home to its mother, fully covered with mud and dirt, does the mother push that child away saying it is dirty ? No. The mother lovingly pulls her child in her arms and cleans the child of all the mud. The child becomes clean again. If an ordinary mother is so happy to clean her child and love him, God is the all-loving Mother,Father, Friend, Philosopher and Guide. He loves us so much. Like a Mother, God will not see the dirt, our sins, but God will see our goodness and love us for that. He will surely wipe us off of all our sins and Love us.

So all we need to do is focus on the goal of Self-Realization and proceed ahead in spirituality. We all are blessed to have come into this blessed spiritual path and for taking an interest in God and loving Him.

Dissolve the ego

2010-10-20T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am really touched by this enlightening article and would like to share here. It is the teaching of the revered spiritual leader His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. It is about dealing with our Ego.

His Holiness says : when is there ego ?

1. When you dont get attention.
2. When you seem to be losing attention.
3. When you get attention.

Ego causes heaviness, discomfort,fear,anxiety. Ego doesnt let Love flow. Ego is separateness, non-belongingness,wanting to prove and to possess. Ego can be transcended by knowing the Truth, by inquiring " Who am I ?".

Often you feel contempt or jealousy towards someone with ego. Instead you should have compassion. Ego has a positive aspect : ego drives one to do work. A person can do a job out of joy,compassion or out of ego. Most of the work in the society is for boosting the ego. In Satsang, work is done out of love.

When you wake up and see that there is nothing to be proved and nothing to possess, ego dissolves.

Its all a dream

2010-10-17T20:28:00.000-07:00

Here is the picture of a well-known spiritual leader Swami Sukhabodhanandaji. I have great regard for Swami Sukhabodhanandaji, who runs the Prasanna Trust. Swamiji is a great spiritual leader and his lectures have inspired millions. I have got great insights and a different view of my problems and this world after listening to His motivational speeches. Here is a story which I shall never forget which Swamiji shared in one of His discourses on Aasthaa Tv :-

Once four men were carrying a boat on their heads. A monk who passed that way asked them " why are you carrying the boat ? ". The four men replied " This boat helped us cross the river and we are grateful to it for saving our lives. So we are carrying it along with us everywhere we go".

Swamiji says "The boat had actually become a burden for them, isnt it ?. Swamiji says even gratitude can become a burden, if we hold on to it forever. This world and this life is a dream. The dream maybe a pleasant one or it may be a nightmare, still it is all just a dream. So we have to let it go. The good as well as the bad all are just a dream. We cant hold onto the past and live in the present. We have to let go of the past, all the joys, all the sorrows so that we live fully in the present moment, else even our noble feelings will become a a burden for us".

Worship of Devis

2010-10-10T21:23:00.000-07:00

A Woman is the representation of Devi. Every woman whoever she may be should be seen as a Devi. The dormant Shakthi (Feminine Energy)is present in all women. It is necessary for women to make themselves pure and divine in thoughts, words and deeds to gain the respect of all. Women should dress and behave in such a way that men have respect in their hearts for women. Today in the name of modernity, women have adopted many bad practices like smoking, drinking and dressing vulgarly and then demand respect from men and all others around. Respect is to be commanded not to be demanded. So women should become symbols of purity and command respect.

Above are the pictures of Devi Saraswathi who is Devi of Wisdom.

Then is the picture of Devi KAli and below is the picture of Devi DurgA worshipped by Bengalis. West Bengal is the place where Devi Durga and Devi kAli are worshipped. Devi KAli is the aspect of the Devi that grants liberation to a person. KAli at the time of dissolution destroys the ego of a person and the pure Self shines forth. Thus KAli is compassionate Mother who grants NirvAnA(liberation) to a person.

Devi DurgA is the aspect of the Divine Mother who protects the devotees. When a devotee is in distress and calls upon the Divine Mother, Devi DurgA comes forth and helps the devotee. Devi DurgA is full of compassion and protectiveness for the devotee.

It is NavarAthri time in India and for many devotees of the Mother across the world. It is the worship of Goddesses known in sanskrit as 'Devis'. India is a country of diversity, so NavarAthri is celebrated in different ways by different people in India. Bengalis worship Devi DurgA and Devi KAli. South Indians keep 'Golu' at home where many deities are kept in steps specially built for their worship. They worship MahishAsuramardhini which means 'slayer of demon MahishAsura'. Gujaratis play DAndiya and worship the Devi. Maharashtrians worship Devi BhavAni.

Thus Devi PArvati, consort of Lord Shiva who is a representation of Divine Energy known as 'shakthi', is known by different names in different parts of India. Even though there is diversity in the worship of Devis, this is what adds to the beauty of Indian culture as all of us can participate in diverse pujAs (worship) of Devis in different parts of India.

Towards the end of NavarAthri, Devi Saraswathi is worshipped who is the Devi of Wisdom. Devi Saraswathi is the Devi who grants learning, wisdom to a devotee. When children are introduced into fine arts, it is all begun by worshipping Devi Saraswathi first.

Then the last day of NavarAthri is celebrated as 'Vijayadasami'. After nine nights of battle with the demons, The Devi is victorious in the battle on the tenth day (dasami) and spiritually it indicates the demons of our ego are crushed with the weapons of wisdom and on Vijayadasami day, the devotee worships his own pure Self which emerges as Devi.

May the Divine Mother bless all !!

Spiritual Anxiety

2010-10-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

Once a villager landed in a city. He had heard a lot about city life and so he wanted to tour the city. He took a train to travel from one end of the city to the other. This was the first time he was travelling in a train. He was completely in awe of everything he saw. The train, its passengers, the sights, he was amused with what the city had to offer. As the train started and was on its journey, the villager got up from his seat and started running to the front end of the train. Other passengers were amused on seeing this. The villager continued running till he reached the front portion of the train. When asked, he said " I want to reach the destination soon. So I am running to the front end so that I can reach my destination sooner". Other passengers started laughing on hearing this. They explained that, once he was on the train, there was nothing to worry about. He will reach the destination soon. There was no need for him to run inside the train. The train will reach when it is time to reach the destination.

Similarly, my Guru explains, Once we have surrendered to a Guru or God, there is no need for us to get anxious to reach the ultimate goal of Self-Realization. We shall surely reach the goal soon. All we need is faith in God. God will take care if we continue with our spiritual practices in earnest and sincerity.

Spiritual Anxiety is commonly felt by a spiritual seeker. The seeker feels anxious about the result of his spiritual practices. He gets nervous and overdoes his sAdhanA. This is not good for the health of the seeker. Mantra Japa, Meditation all have to be done in moderation and as per the constitution of the seeker. If he overdoes it, it will affect his health both mentally and physically. So what the seeker needs to do is put all his faith in God or his Guru and follow the spiritual practices as prescribed to him. The end result will appear soon.

When one enjoys life, he does not ask God " Oh God I am enjoying so much. When will it all end ?" but when one faces sorrows in life he asks God " O God when will my sorrows end ?". Also in spiritual life, never ask " For how long I have to follow these spiritual practices ?. When will I reach the goal ? " Because we never know how many ommissions and sins we have committed in many,many lives that we have taken on this earth. Now it all has to be negated. We have to become purer. So enjoy the journey of spiritual practices. We need to accept both joy as well as sorrow. There is no need to get anxious to reach the goal of Self-Realization. Nothing goes waste in spirituality. All our practices will accompany us in the next life and we start from there. So there is no looking back in spirituality.

Once we put cream in milk, we have to wait patiently overnight to get butter the next morning. If we put our finger every five minutes in the milk to see if butter is being formed, we will not get anything. Similarly, do the sAdhanA and leave the result to God. We will progress in the spiritual path. It is a subtle path and we may know the result only later in life. So have faith in God. We will surely reach the destination....

Do something for the Poor

2010-09-28T22:04:00.000-07:00

Today I was very happy while reading the Economic Times newspaper. There was news that the founder of HCL Technologies Sri Shiv Nadar is going to donate 10% of his wealth, which is a huge amount of money for philanthropic activities. This is great for the many many unfortunate souls in India and others too.

India is basically a poor country full of rich people. I mean, there are many wealthy people in India, wealthier than compared to even the rich in advanced countries, but the poor in India are even more. This huge gap between the rich and poor is the bane of India. This disparity in wealth can be solved if the rich share their wealth with the poor. And Sri Shiv Nadar has taken a initiative in the right direction. I just hope many more follow suit in India.

My Guru shared this story during one of the satsangs " there was a poor man who was living hand to mouth. His right leg got infected and he was told to amputate it. But the amputation itself would cost him lot of money in a hospital. He had no money for medicines itself, where he was going to get money for an operation. So he just resigned to the fate that he had to live with the infected leg. But the pain was too much to bear. So he went to the nearby railway tracks and lied down there. He placed his right leg on the track and when the train came, his leg got severed. But he lost a lot of blood and he died on the way to the hospital....

My Guru says "The poor dont have money even to go to the doctor. They die mostly whenever they get sick. Hope many rich people come forward and share their wealth and remove the sufferings of the poor. God will be very pleased".

Birthday of Ammachi

2010-09-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

Today, 27th September is my Guru's Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi's birthday. Her birth star is KArthikai. Born on 27th september 1953 in Parayakadavu, a humble village in Kollam, Kerala, Ammachi has hugged millions of people around the world. She is regarded as the Divine Mother. She is lovingly called 'The Hugging Saint'. Simple, Humble and loving to all, Ammachi is revered as a Spiritual Mother and a Guru. My blog is dedicated to my Guru. My Guru is my inspiration. Thank You Amma. Happy Birthday Ammachi.

Spirituality in Solitude

2010-09-16T23:50:00.000-07:00

It is very easy to be spiritual when alone. It is so easy to read spiritual books, get inspired by the teachings of spiritual masters, feel joy in spiritual teachings and think about God all the time when we are all alone. But the real test of spirituality is to perceive God when we are in the world, to see God in the wicked, in the cruel, in the haughty, in the bad and amidst the confusion and chaos that exists in the world. This is the ultimate test of spirituality.

Anyone can be smiling and feel good and love God when left alone. But can that person retain calmness, feel love for the other when he is being insulted, when he is treated badly ? that is the test. To retire to the mountains, to be in a cave practising meditation, to always keep chanting about God is easy, but does a sAdhak(seeker) feel compassion towards all types of people in the world, that is the question. Ofcourse in the initial stages, being in solitude is essential for a person to learn the ropes of spirituality but later, it is good if he mingles in the world and yet sees God and His goodness all around. It is difficult to see God in this world of contrasts but we should always remember that God is hidden in this world. Renounce the external forms and see your ishta devtA (favourite deity) in all.

Once there was a sage who always said " Aham BrahmAsmi" meaning "I am God". He lived in a forest in a cave and was full of knowledge of God. He used to visit houses for seeking alms. People respected him a lot. Gradually, the sage became proud of his ochre robes and wisdom. One day he went seeking alms. He begged for food in front of a house. The lady of the house was nursing her baby. Not knowing this, the sage felt humiliated in the delay in getting his alms and so he shouted "why the delay in giving me food ? dont you know I am a GnAni (wise person), with the knowledge of God ?" The lady replied " Forgive me O sage but even God does not mind if we feed Him a bit late. But you say you are a man of God and yet you are so full of anger. Are you a slave of God or of Food ?".

Hearing this answer, the sage realised his folly and was filled with remorse. He begged for forgiveness from the lady and left the forest for good. He became humble, lived in the village, became compassionate and served the villagers. He started applying practically all that he had learnt from the books and experiences in his daily life. He became calm and tranquil even while living in this so-called bad, cruel world. He became truly spiritual. Theoretical principles learnt from books should be followed by actual practice. This is true spirituality. It is easy to love the Good but what tests our goodness is when we love the good and accept the bad as well. For the truth is God is hidden in this world.

Vibrations

2010-09-15T05:03:00.000-07:00

Once there was a person who was practising spiritual techniques like mantra japa, meditation and chanting. He was a very calm, tranquil person who had compassion for all. He used to get up early in the morning for meditation and then he used to drink tea in the morning daily which was purchased from a tea shop.

One day, when he was practising meditation, he strongly desired to hit a person. He was full of anger and wanted to badly hit someone. He was very amused by his own desire, but he felt it strongly in his mind. He decided to find out the reason for such a desire arising in his mind. The next day, he drank tea and that day he again felt like hitting someone. He observed minutely and found out that the tea shop owner was reading newspapers while making tea. Newspapers were filled with news of violence and crimes. So after drinking that tea made by the shop-owner, this person too felt like hitting someone. Thus it proves that vibrations play a very important role in spirituality.

We should be aware of what we are feeding the mind. Positive vibrations spread calm and cheer around, while negative vibrations pollute the environment. We should select good channels on television, eat good healthy Sattvic food, talk to positive people and read good spiritual books to have good vibrations which will help us in our overall health.

Shirdi Sai Baba

2010-09-08T07:25:00.000-07:00

By Sai Baba's grace, I have travelled to Shirdi thrice and every time it has been a touching moment for me. Shirdi Sai Baba is an avatAr(incarnation). He epitomises Humility, love for all and forgiveness. Shirdi is a place in Maharashtra(India). It is near to Nasik. Shirdi Sai Baba though not in his physical form now, is full of spiritual power.

Baba has millions of devotees around the world. Many miracles have been experienced by His devotees. His eyes are full of Love and compassion. He is regarded as a
Satguru by both Hindus and Muslims. His teachings are universal and do not pertain to any particular religion. His famous words are "Sabkaa Maalik Ek" which means There is One God who governs all. So Baba's teachings are followed by all.

Shirdi has grown from a small spiritual town to a huge spiritual center attracting thousands of devotees far and wide. May Baba's blessings be with all.

Sri Krishna Jayanti

2010-09-01T00:29:00.000-07:00

Come August-September, its festival time in India. Lord Krishna's birthday too falls during this period. This year Sri Krishna Jayanti and JanmAshtami fall on September 1st-2nd. There is a slight difference in the terms 'JanmAshtami' and 'Sri Krishna Jayanti'. Most of India, especially North Indians celebrate JanmAshtami when the Ashtami thithi falls on a particular day in the month of ShrAvan.

South Indians especially followers of Lord Vishnu celebrate Sri Krishna Jayanti when the star Rohini is in the ascendant, since Rohini is Sri Krishna's birth star.
So sometimes, Ashtami thithi and Rohini star may fall on different days and so Janmashtami and Sri Krishna Jayanti are celebrated on two different days. Sometimes they both may fall on the same day so all the devotees celebrate Sri Krishna's birthday together. At Mathura and Vrindavan its a grand celebration time.

God of Love Sri Krishna is called by many names like MukundA, DAmodara, Srihari, SrinAth, SridharA, VenugopalA, UnnikrishnA, Muralidharan, Madhusudhanan,MurAri and many more.

My Guru says " Lord Krishna should take birth in our hearts every day. Divine qualities should manifest in our hearts and we should also become sweet like Sri Krishna. Thats true Krishna Jayanti". May Lord Krishna bless the whole world with Love and Peace. Happy Krishna Jayanti to all.

Hare Krishna !

Body, Mind and Soul

2010-08-29T20:46:00.000-07:00

Many feel Spirituality is all about the Mind. Mind-control techniques like concentration on a particular deity, meditation, chanting, cleansing of the mind etc. etc. One may feel that all these practices pertain to the mind. So spirituality is about the mind alone.

But the truth is, we should not forget that the mind resides in the body. So the body too should be given a lot of importance. A sound mind in a sound body. The body is a very important vehicle of the Soul, of God, who resides in the body. So ignoring the body does not help. Personally, after the birth of my son, I found my mind was not feeling inspired, not feeling fresh, due to the huge gain in my weight. I was feeling mentally down all the time. Later, I found taking long brisk walks in the early hours of the morning very inspiring. Long walks clear our mind, release the 'feel-good' hormones and increase our self-confidence which in turn helps us in concentration, meditation and mantra japa. After a long walk, we feel light, relaxed and good about ourselves. This in turn inspires us to devote ourselves more towards spiritual practices like cleansing of the mind too. Our mind feels fresh and joyful. We feel encouraged to follow our spiritual practices with added vigour.

Yoga AsanAs help a lot too. Yoga is a very effective method to control our body, and it enables us to sit in a particular Asan (posture) for long. Control of the body and Concentration of the mind can be easily gained through performing Yoga AsanAs. Only if our body becomes flexible and is in our control, can we control the mind and control our speeding thoughts and gain concentration.

Joining a Gymnasium helps a lot. Running on the treadmill or exercising on the stepper energises us. Our body should sweat. Our heart should pump as all this helps us in removing the toxins from the body and rejuvenate it. An Aerobic class or Swimming or anything which helps us in exercising the body is useful for spirituality. So Never ignore the body. A sound body leads to a sound mind which then helps us in cleansing our soul of its impurities and feel the presence of God in us which is the goal of Spirituality.

And the most important thing is, when we start chanting mantras, when we start meditation and concentrate the mind on a particular deity or concept, a lot of energy is created which has to find a healthy outlet else our mind gets heated up. This may have adverse effects. Exercises help us in releasing that stored energy and restores our balance of mind. So Make the Body a temple and God a living presence in it.

Mother Teresa

2010-08-26T23:14:00.000-07:00

I have always admired Mother Teresa since my school days. Mother has been my inspiration. Mother has taught me to always think of the unfortunate and the poor. The amount of healing which Mother has done in the hearts of people is exemplary and extraordinary.

As we celebrate Her Birth Centenary, I offer my humble gratitude to The Mother who is a saint and a guide for millions across the world. I shall never forget Her words "The greatest poverty in this world is the feeling of being unloved".

Everyone in this world be it man, animal or a plant, everything needs love especially the unfortunate, the poor and the destitute. Let us be grateful to God for what we have than complain to God for what we dont have. Thank you Mother. May many like you grace this earth from time to time.....

God loves us

2010-08-24T22:21:00.000-07:00

Once there was a young man who was very devoted to God. He was in love with a girl. One day he travelled in a boat with his girl to cross the river. Suddenly there was a fierce storm. The boat was caught in a strong current. Wind was blowing and the river was almost whirling in the storm. The girl got very scared but the man was calm and cool. The girl was surprised. She asked him " Are you not afraid ?. We may drown in the river and lose our life. Yet you are here so calm".

Hearing this the man took out a knife from his pocket and threatened the girl that he was going to kill her. But the girl was calm. She showed no reaction. Seeing this, the man asked her " Are you not afraid ? I am going to kill you". The girl said " I know the knife is dangerous but the man who is holding it loves me dearly. So I am not afraid".

The man smiled and said " Similarly, I know the storm is fierce but God who is in complete charge of the universe loves me a lot. So I am not afraid". He had the faith....

Happy Onam

2010-08-22T22:18:00.001-07:00

Onam is the main festival of Kerala. It is celebrated with lots of traditional rituals together with joy and celebration. Wishing all a Happy Onam. My Guru is from Kerala. Here is part of a speech of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi on Onam :-

Onam Is Not for Celebrating Only One Day a Year

"For me, Onam is not something to be celebrated one day a year—making sure everyone has enough food and clothing. It is meant to be celebrated throughout life. Everyone must make every day an Onam celebration. Celebrating just once in a year... that doesn't mean anything to me. To understand this principle, you have to understand spirituality.

"Today's world believes the greatest relationship to be the relationship between a child and its mother. But in my world, it is not; the Guru-disciple relationship is. Because When you understand spirituality, you understand the principle. When you understand the principle, you become expansive. You lose your sense of 'mine.' My mother, my father, my child, my relatives…. In the Guru-disciple relationship, everything becomes 'Yours' [the Lord's]. The 'I' disappears. Only the Atman exists. Love and serve others as your own Self. When the left hand is in pain, the right hand comes and consoles it. It is with this bhava [feeling and attitude] that we must live life. This is the principle behind Onam.

"Two plus two is always four—never five. No one can make it five. The sun rises in the East, and sets in the West. It doesn't do the opposite on Onam. So there is nothing new on Onam. Amma doesn't feel like Onam is a special day. May people have the mind to love and serve others and celebrate life every day—not just on Onam. This is Amma's vision.

"You have to understand spirituality, our dharma. The road is for traffic, but you have to follow the rules. We are born to be happy. Along with that, you have a dharma. The teacher has her own dharma, the mother has her own dharma... When a teacher is at school, she must follow the dharma of a teacher, but when she is at home she has to follow the dharma of a mother. Everything has its own dharma. We have to act according to our dharma. Then the traffic of life will flow in harmony. Whether God exists or not is not the question. Regardless of the answer, how useful His message is in our life! This is what we have to investigate."

Gurus live Forever

2010-08-18T01:19:00.000-07:00

All of us have to leave this world one day or the other. The body dies and we have to leave. But Gurus are beyond the body, the mind, the intellect and the ego. They are one with the Supreme Consciousness. So though the Gurus have to leave their bodies, they are eternal, immortal.

Gurus live forever in the hearts of their devotees. Their teachings guide mankind for ages. Many Gurus have graced this earth. Today they may not be physically with us, but they are eternally present in the world through their teachings. The are spiritually present forever. Swami Nityananda, Sri Ramana Maharishi, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Sri Paramahamsa Yogananda, Swami Sivananda, Swami Vivekananda, Holy Mother Sarada Devi, and many such Gurus are alive even today spiritually.

Even today, devotees, be it of any Guru, are stunned by miracles happening in their lives because of their Guru's mercy. They may have been helped out of a crisis, they must have got some consolation, or must have got some message from their Gurus, even though their Gurus are no more in this world. How ? by Intuition.

Intuition is the faculty of knowing something without any rational process or reasoning. We all have the power of intuition in us, we just have to develop it. We have to purify our minds, lead a Sattvic life, depend on the Guru completely and then it becomes possible to communicate with the Guru, no matter where the Guru is. The Guru is a living presence in the hearts of devotees. Devotees are so much in love with their Gurus that, by their Guru's grace, they are able to attune their minds to their Gurus and then it becomes possible to get timely messages.

Our minds are restless and do the talking all the time. But that cannot be called intuition. Intuition is when we are in need of help, when we want a divine intervention, when we know we are helpless and look upto our Guru for help, that moment, there is a message which flashes in our minds. When we are in trouble or distress, our Guru's grace comes out of the blue in our hearts. Our heart knows, it is a message from our Guru. Devotees know it and have many such experiences.

Gurus who are physically present even today are guiding millions of devotees across the world. How is it possible for Gurus like Sri Satya Sai Baba or Mata Amritanandamayi Devi to help their devotees ? by the power of Intuition. The Guru may be in India, and the devotee maybe in US, still when the devotee calls for the Guru's help, he surely is guided by the Guru. How ? by the same power of intuition.

Gurus live forever. They know exactly what a person is thinking and doing in this world, because they have completely given up their identification with the body and are one with the Universal Supreme consciousness. Lets develop the power of intuition and attune ourselves to our Gurus.

Darshan of Saints

2010-08-09T21:02:00.000-07:00

Here are the blessed photographs of Sri Krishna Premi Swamigal on top and then the photograph of His Holiness Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati, also known as 'Periyavar'.

By the grace of the MahAtmAs alone, I could get their Darshan. In this life, till today, I have had the blessed Darshan of Sri Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi, Sri Chandrashekharendra Saraswati Swamigal of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam, Sri Krishna Premi Swamigal and my Guru Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.

In this post, I would first like to share my experience at Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. It was the holy darshan of the Mahatma, a self-realized, kind, forgiving AvatAr. It was the year 1989. I was in school. Every year my family goes to chennai for vacations.

That year, my family and I were on a vacation to KAnchipuram, a spiritual town in Tamil Nadu. We visited the VaradarAjar temple in Kanchipuram and headed straight to Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam. We were going to meet a spiritual person for His blessed Darshan. I remember, His Holiness Sri Chandrashekarendra Saraswati also known as 'MahaSwamigal', also known as 'Periyavar' was sitting in a room. He was wearing an ochre colored robe, with marks of Vibhuti on His forehead. He was so simple yet deep in wisdom. He is a Guru to so many millions of devotees. We were in a queue to have His blessed Darshan. His Holiness was full of grace. He had so much love in His eyes. I still remember His eyes. One of His disciples was translating our prayers and wishes to the Acharya. I was too young to understand the good fortune I was having. It is really His grace that I had His blessed Darshan which I remember till today.

By the grace of Sri Krishna Premi Swamigal, I had His blessed Darshan too. He is fondly called 'Anna' which means, Elder Brother by His devotees. His eyes are full of love and compassion. He too is a Self-realized soul. I just love the UpanyAsams(discourses) of Anna. I have had His darshan in Mumbai and Delhi. He is a very simple, Mahatma with His Ashram in Tamil Nadu.

India is truly a land of Saints and Mahatmas.

Sri Satya Sai Baba

2010-08-05T22:36:00.001-07:00

Puttaparthi Sri Satya Sai Baba needs no introduction. His Holiness is a highly revered spiritual leader, worshipped by millions of devotees all around the world. So i would like to share my experience with Baba. Twenty years back, when I was in around fourth grade in school in Mumbai, my parents took me to a place called Dharmakshetra, Andheri, Mumbai. They told me we were going to see a holy person. I said I would accompany them only if they took me to the beach later. I was so childish. They agreed and I and my brother agreed to see the holy person.

Hours later, we reached a place in Andheri. There was a pandal where Sri Satya Sai Baba was sitting on a decorated chair and giving Darshan. I clearly remember, Baba was wearing an ochre colored robe, smiling at His devotees. I was so childish then, fully ignorant of the value of a self-realized person. I got restless. I had taken my toy with me. I was just playing with it. There was a huge crowd of around hundereds of people. Everywhere devotees were saying " Sai Ram".

Baba then gave a speech. Devotees were very simple and humble guiding people around. I still remember, they were making places available so that everyone can have darshan of Baba. Sadly, my younger brother and I wanted to go to the beach. My parents scolded us for being impatient. But we pestered our parents. Finally we left the place and went to the beach.

Today, when I look back, I am full of regrets. In those years of innocence and ignorance, I did not know anything about spirituality at all. Today I know the value of a Mahatma and Darshan, but today I cant visit the past. I am waiting for Baba's darshan. The crowd has increased from a few hundered devotees to Millions all around the world. But Baba's blessings are always with me, I know it. And the best thing is I still remember even today after so many years, the vision of Baba sitting on the chair smiling at His children. Thanks Baba.

Thought Pollution

2010-08-02T02:39:00.000-07:00

Today, we all are concerned about the environment and are aware of the ill-effects of noise pollution, water pollution, soil pollution, air pollution etc. But all these pertain to our external environment. There is another major type of pollution which is very serious and which we need to correct on an urgent basis. That is Thought Pollution.

Yes, there is an inner environment in all of us which is very polluted and so needs to be cleaned. That is the nature of thoughts in our minds. Our minds are racing at a very high speed. So many thoughts flood our minds. We will be surprised to find that most of our thoughts are negative in nature. Self-Pity, self-doubt, anger, jealousy, our thoughts are full of these negativities. Its high time we analyse our thoughts and stop filling our minds with destructive thoughts.

Because lets remember our thoughts have a very far-reaching effect. Thoughts are not inert. They have a powerful subtle effect. Positive thoughts can heal a person, can spread calm and cheer, while negative thoughts can cause anger and hatred all around. Yes. Thoughts have an effect on the whole environment.

My Guru says "We are not isolated islands. We are all links in a chain". Our each thought has an effect on the Universal Mind which is the sum total of all the minds. So our thoughts affect our minds and in turn have a great effect on the Universal Mind. Dont we pray for the whole world ? why ? because our prayer has a soothing effect on the world. It has been proven that our thoughts are vibrations and so when we send good thoughts to a person, that person feels good. He may not know it, but there is a subtle effect. Telepathy is all about thoughts. So what thoughts are we sending out in the world ?

From now, lets entertain only good, pure thoughts. We may be in dire situations, everything may be going wrong in our life, but still lets remember, while there is life there is hope. So lets not indulge in negative, self-destructive thoughts. Thoughts of hope, enthusiasm, goodness enrich our lives. And in turn such thoughts cleanse the environment too.

A tree gives out oxygen and purifies the environment. Similarly, a positive person sends out good vibrations and purifies the environment. So lets be positive always. Lets weed out the negative thoughts from our minds and stop polluting the environment. Lets fill our minds with holy thoughts, thoughts about God, about prayers and heal our world. Surely, it does make a difference.

Land of Goddesses

2010-07-29T01:40:00.000-07:00

India is a spiritual land where, a lot of importance is given to the worship of Devis (Goddesses). Usually the word 'God' makes us remember Lord Krishna or Rama or Shiva, but alongwith them, their consorts, Goddesses are also worshipped highly in India.

The Devis are worshipped for the various boons they can grant. Goddess Lakshmi is worshipped for gaining wealth. Saraswati is worshipped for wisdom and learning. Devi Parvati is worshipped for Strength. Apart from these Devis, many worship other Devis too like Goddess LalithA, Goddess GAyathri, Devi MeenAkshi, Vaishno Devi, Sheetla Devi etc. Even India is called 'BhArat MAtA', which means Mother India. So much importance is given to the Supreme Feminine aspect of God in both rural and urban India.

Everyone gathers in temples for worshipping Devis, keeping fasts, circumblate the temples a number of times, break coconuts, sing the glories of Goddesses, but unfortunately, when it comes to choosing between a son and a daughter, the son gets priority over everything right from birth itself.

I am not saying this applies to all but the situation in general is like this be it anywhere in India. Ofcourse there are exceptions but on the whole, the Truth is everyone wants a daugher-in-law but not many are ready to have a daughter. How can we get daughters-in-law when there are no daughters in society ? After all, someone's daughter becomes someone else's daughter-in-law. Sadly, statistics show people prefer to have a son more than a daughter.

I am not generalising but in rural India, even today, the girl is seen as a burden on the family. She is not given much importance in terms of education or marriage. The boy gets more importance. Girls are seen fit to do household work. Girls are not given much education. People feel girls anyway have to get married and perform household work. So why to spend on them ?

We have cases of female infanticide, dowry deaths in India. When a new-born comes into the world, if it is a boy, there is a huge celebration, while if it is a girl, there is not much gaiety. Even today, grandmothers, Mothers-in-law, brides go to temples of Devis praying for sons to be born. They dont want a girl, forgetting that the Devi in the temple is a female too and also that they themselves are females ! this mindset of not willing to bring up a daughter has to change....

But fortunately, the situation is improving now and this change in priorities is mostly in urban India. Women have proved themselves in every field, be it sports, academics, creative fields or even as cops. A woman works both in office and at home too. She can take care of the kids as well as be an example for all at work. Slowly, people's mindset is changing. Daughters are brought up lovingly, they are educated, girls take up challenges just like men and prove themselves.

I wish a day comes, when everyone rejoices when a girl is born in India, the Land of Goddesses. I am sure, with God's and Goddesse's grace, It will come one day......

Wonder of the World

2010-07-25T21:12:00.000-07:00

From Mathura, we went to see one of the Seven Wonders of the World- The Taj Mahal at Agra. Words are not enough to describe the beauty of this Wonder. I felt totally humbled to see this beautiful piece of art carved in Marble. "The Taj is beautiful" these words do not describe it fully. You have to be there and see it to experience the beauty and wonder of the Taj.

Guru Poornima 2010

2010-07-17T21:52:00.000-07:00

My Inspiration in life is my Guru. Next Sunday 25th July is Guru Poornima. Wishing All a Happy Guru Poornima !!

My Guru is Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, also known as 'Amma'. There is an official Amma page on Facebook.com - the famous social network site. If you have an account on Facebook dont forget to connect with Amma.
http://www.facebook.com/Amma.org

Amritapuri.org is the Homepage of Amma.

A Guru is our greatest well-wisher and our greatest treasure. My humble salutations to my Guru.

God of Love

2010-07-13T22:43:00.000-07:00

Here are the snaps taken at ISKCON temple, VrindAvan, Uttar Pradesh,India.

My parents have come to stay with us for a month. So we are taking them around to visit some spiritual places. So last weekend I was fortunate to travel all the way to the state of Uttar Pradesh, which has the famous city of Mathura, the birth-place of Sri Krishna, the God of Love. I have read so much about Sri Krishna, I listen to so many carnatic songs dedicated to Sri Krishna, I have seen so many paintings and pieces of art dedicated to Sri Krishna, So it was a touching moment to travel to the city of Mathura, where this Great Incarnation was born.

It is said Mathura is not just an ordinary city, infact it is a transcendental place full of divine vibrations. On the way we saw the majestic Yamuna river flowing by. Here Sri Krishna played many a divine sport. We proceeded in great anticipation to Mathura.

After a drive of four hours from Delhi, we reached VrindAvan first. Here Sri Krishna played his divine sport 'Raas Leela' with the Gopis and Radha. VrinAvan reminded me of His Teenage years, teasing the Gopis, playing with them, His Love for RAdhA. Everywhere we could see the words written on the walls 'Sri RAdhe'. It is said Radha is worshipped here more than Sri Krishna, because she stole the heart of Sri Krishna, who is Himself the stealer of hearts.

We reached a ISKCON temple here. The atmosphere was full of divine vibrations. A group of devotees were singing 'Radhe Krishna, Radhe krishna, Radhe Radhe, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Hare Hare'. It was divine experience. I took snaps here, since it is allowed here. I have posted them above.

Next we wanted to visit the famous Baanke-Bihari temple, but unfortunately, the road ahead was closed. So we proceeded to Mathura, the Divine city. On the way we saw Govardhan, the hill which Sri Krishna lifted with his little finger to protect His devotees from the rains.

After half an hour drive, we reached Mathura. Cameras, cell-phones were deposited in lockers. Nothing is allowed inside the temple. So I could not take snaps here. But the temple and the memorable experience there is etched in my heart forever. I climbed the steps of the temple, which has Radha-Krishna as the main idol. It was a beautiful idol. Krishna has a flute in His hand and Radha stands beside Him. We stood transfixed on the Idol, which is a living presence of the Lord with His consort.

On the sides of the walls, all the ten AvatArs(incarnations) of Vishnu are painted. There is also a sanctum sanctorum of other Gods like Sri RAma, Sri HanumAn. The temple is very big. Few people were sitting and meditating on the Lord. I was in tears. Here is the place where every Holi, thousands of devotees arrive to play the colorful festival in the presence of their beloved Krishna.

Behind the temple, is the place where our beloved Krishna was born. The prison where blessed Devaki and Vasudev saw the divine child Krishna taking birth. Even today the prison is present but it has been modified a bit so that it is a worshipful place. I saw the place where Sri Krishna was born. Beautiful snaps of the lord adorned the walls. There was not much crowd that day being a Saturday morning, so we spent so much time in front of the Lord, recollecting His divine Lilas(sport). So many carnatic songs and devotional bhajans dedicated to Him emerged in my heart !

We all had tears in our eyes as we stood there before the Great Lord Krishna. It was a touching moment for all of us. Sadly, He is also the most misunderstood God. His every action was for the benefit of mankind and nothing was for His own selfish Interests. Still the inner subtle meaning behind His actions is not understood and people pass judgements on His actions.

Anyway, coming back to my spiritual experience, we were there immersed in His beautiful memories. We prayed with deep contentment in our hearts, and then we left the temple. We partook the prasAdam and visited the shops there. So many beautiful pieces of art were displayed in the shops. I Purchased a beautiful idol of Radha-Krishna, key-chains with snaps of the Lord and such other souvenirs.

With sadness in our hearts, we left Mathura, thanking Krishna for granting us a long, peaceful Darshan and placing Him permanently in our hearts.

Ganges- A Spiritual Beauty

2010-07-07T23:23:00.000-07:00

These snaps taken at Rishikesh of the sacred Ganga.

To describe the beauty of Ganges is very difficult. It is a deep spiritual experience to be felt by the heart. Still I shall try to describe my thrilling experience at Haridwar and Rishikesh.

I was fortunate to travel all the way to Rishikesh-Haridwar last weekend. We first halted at Haridwar to take a dip in the Ganga at Har-ki-Pauri which means the 'Feet of the Lord'. Haridwar is the gateway to other holy places like Badrinath, Kedarnath and other sacred places. Haridwar means 'The door of God'. 'Hari' refers to Lord Krishna. I took a dip in the Ganga. It was cold even in this peak summer. Ganga has its origin at Gangotri in the Himalayas. I came to know here that Ganga is the spiritual lifeline of India. It is Mother to millions of Indians. Mother Ganga welcomes all with open arms and takes away all the sins of Her children, without getting dirty at all. The Ganga is always pure. It is the holiest river. Passing through many herbs and shrubs in the Himalayas, it has a lot of spiritual and healing powers. It is believed Ganga washes off all the sins of those who take a dip in it. At four in the morning, when it is silent all around, I could hear the Ganga humming slowly. It is a thrilling experience.

Then we proceeded to Rishikesh. It is full of divine vibrations and one can feel it as the mind turns calm and inward. It was a beautiful drive up to Rishikesh. We were stunned to see the beauty of the majestic Ganga flowing right in front of us. With greenery all around, It was a heaven on earth. It was simply exhilarating. There are so many Ashrams in Rishikesh. Swami Sivananda Ashram, Swami Omkarananda Ashram and other Ashrams which dotted Rishikesh. Satisfying the spiritual quest in seekers, These Ashrams are a treasure house of wisdom which is the gift of India to the world. Many monastics were seen taking a dip in the ganges early in the morning. We purchased the GangaJal, rudraksha beads, bangles, and many other items as gifts and souvenirs. Then we visited the Laxman Jhoola(a swing), Ram Jhoola and the laxman temple which is unique here. Vehicles ply on the swing across the ganga. It is a beautiful experience to stand in the middle of the swing and watch Ganga flow below us.

Finally we made our way back home with a deep peace engulfing our hearts.

Be Brave

2010-07-01T01:07:00.000-07:00

Spiritual Life needs Courage. If we are brave, only then we can follow the path of God. This world is full of people with materialistic views. People are immersed in worldliness. If someone says, "I am going to follow the spiritual path", this world tries in vain to bring that person back to worldly life. The world thinks spiritual life is a defeatist life. It is for the depressed and sad.

But the fact is worldly happiness is ephemeral, and finally leads to sorrow, while spiritual life grants ultimate freedom and bliss. To love all seeing God in them is not easy. Worldly life is a selfish life. Spiritual life is about selflessness. So to go against the tide, we need a lot of conviction, faith in God and ourselves. Spiritual life is not about escapism. Infact it is a path to totally break all limitations and follow the teachings of great Mahatmas. The world teaches us to be ambitious, to be worldly, to enjoy life to the fullest. So it requires courage to renounce these views and embrace renunciation and detachment while living in this world itself.

The world teaches us to enjoy life but so many people are living a worldly life and still are very sad. They are not finding true happiness. Spirituality is not about self-denial. Infact it encompasses the whole universe. It teaches us to love all and live life in a more fulfilled way. Hence, it needs lot of courage to defy society and lead a spiritual life in the face of opposition. We have to be convinced that only God will be with us forever and set out in search of God not by renouncing family and society outside but by loving all with detachment, by seeing all within ourselves. Let the world talk anything about us, we have to advance in the spiritual life with hearts full of love for God and detachment.

Once Lord Shiva and Parvati came down to this world in disguise riding the Nandi(The Divine Bull, the vehicle of Lord Shiva). Shiva was walking alongside Nandi, while Parvati was sitting on Nandi. People who saw this commented " how cruel is that lady to make her husband walk, while she sits comfortably on the Bull". Hearing this, Parvati got down and asked Lord Shiva to sit on the bull. Now as they went further, people said " how cruel is this man, riding on the bull while his wife walks along". Hearing this, Lord Shiva now asked Parvati too to sit on the bull. As they went ahead, people commented " Oh how cruel is this couple, crushing the poor bull under their weight". Now both Lord Shiva and Parvati got down and walked alongside the bull. Now people commented " how foolish of this couple to walk alongside the bull without riding it". Frustrated Lord Shiva and Parvati concluded that this world will not spare anyone and will always keep passing comments. It is better to please God than to please the world.

Thus, it is upto us to ignore the world and follow what the saints and scriptures teach us through the ages. Be Brave and Unorthdox while following the path to God.

Bhakthi is Shakthi

2010-06-21T01:09:00.000-07:00

Sri Krishna's dear friend Uddhava always thought of himself as a great Gnani(wise person). He felt Gnana is greater than bhakthi. He felt Bhakthi is for the emotional seekers and is not that great. Wisdom of the scriptural texts is greater he felt.

Sri Krishna knew that Uddhava was proud of his scholarly wisdom and learning. So one day He called Uddhava and asked him to go to Brindavan and teach the village Gopis(cowherd girls) the great Upanishadic truths and words of wisdom. Uddhava was very happy on hearing this. He felt proud of himself that he was so learned, that he was a Gnani. So he set off to Brindavan to meet the Gopis and teach them some vedAnta and the ultimate truth.

As he reached Brindavan, he found some gopis not neatly clad, hair dishevelled, sitting on the banks of a river and crying for Krishna. He asked them the cause of their sorrow. They replied "we can see krishna in this river and we are crying for Him". Then Uddhava reached the village and saw some gopis milking the cows and crying for Krishna. He again asked them the cause of their longing. They replied, " We can see our Krishna in these cows. He loves butter, milk and cream. We are feeding our dear Krishna by feeding our own children". Uddhava was stunned. These gopis were so full of wisdom that Krishna is everywhere yet their bhakthi too was great.

Then as he went ahead he saw Radha. Radha was full of tears as she was talking to a humming bee on a flower. She asked the bee "O bee ! tell me where my Krishna is not ? I see Him in you and in the entire Universe. Still I am pining to meet Him. When will He come O bee ?".

Uddhava was ashamed. He was so proud of his learning but these illiterate Gopis knew the Supreme Truth that Krishna is everywhere. That Krishna is Omipotent and so where is He not ? Yet inspite of the knowledge of this supreme truth, the gopis were so innocent, so humble. Uddhava did not know what was there to teach the gopis. Instead he learnt a lot about love and devotion from the gopis.

Uddhava returned to Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna smilingly asked him whether he had taught the gopis about the supreme truth. Uddhava now realised that the real intention of Sri Krishna to send him to brindavan was that Uddhava should learn about true Bhakthi and humility from the Gopis.

Bhakthi is Shakthi. Bhakthi is its own reward. Devotion is greater than knowledge since a bhaktha comes to know the supreme truth too. But still the true bhaktha loves to love God as his near and dear. Thats the beauty of Bhakthi. Devotion(bhakthi yoga) is accorded the highest place by all saints and seers.

Values of Life

2010-06-14T09:57:00.000-07:00

Once there were two brothers in a village. The older brother lived in the village for his life. But his younger brother was clever. He made a good fortune in the city. He was leading a very luxurious life. But the rich younger brother forgot his values.

The older brother once was in deep poverty in the village. So he went to the city alongwith his family to see his younger brother. But he was in for a rude shock. The younger brother did not show any respect for the older brother or family. The reason was because the elder brother was poor. They were not dressed properly. The younger brother did not offer even food to his older brother and his family. He was so drunk with the power of his wealth. The poor brother left in tears to his village. Still he was filled only with love for his younger brother.

But times changed and so did the circumstances. A multinational company wanted to set up a factory in the village and so they approached the older brother to give his land for a huge amount of money. And then the older brother too became rich ! On hearing the news, now the younger brother came to see his elder brother. What a surprise ! He took his brother and family to his house in the city. He was very kind and polite to the older brother.

He arranged a feast. When the feast was arranged and everyone sat down to eat, the elder brother and his family removed all their jewellery and placed them in front of the eating plates. They knew it they had not been invited, but it was their money and wealth that was invited. This made the younger brother and his family ashamed of their arrogance......

This is why parents should teach their children about the values of life. It is easy to live in this world without any improvement in our behaviour. Some people live without any values which are universally acknowledged. But it needs real courage to change ourselves, to follow some values which is ultimately for our own benefit. God loves the simple and the humble. God does not see educational qualifications or money or wealth or status in society. He loves the meek and the humble.

Spiritual Masters

2010-06-08T01:56:00.000-07:00

A Self-Realized Spiritual Master is a blessing to the whole world. Such a Master has only compassion for the entire universe irrespective of nationality, caste or creed. We may have a particular Spiritual Master as our Guru but there is nothing wrong in reading and respecting the messages of other Spiritual masters too.

I have great regard for His Holiness Sri Sri Ravishankar who is a highly revered spiritual master. Here is a story from his book 'Celebrating Silence' :

Once a master was travelling in the middle province of India with a disciple following him a few yards behind. Some boys who were rude, rough and abusive began to throw stones and tease the disciple, calling him names. This continued for some time till the master and his disciples came to a river. The master and the disciple got into a boat in order to cross.

The boys got into another boat and as they reached the middle of the river, the boat began to sink.

The master slapped the disciple across the face. The disciple was so surprised. He had not said a word to the boys in response to their taunts. He had been such a good disciple and yet the master had slapped him !

The Master said " It is your fault. Your are responsible for their boat sinking. you did not respond to their abuse. Nature has now punished them in a worse way because you did not have enough compassion to quell their insults".

With that slap the master took away the karma of this event so that it would not be carried into the boys' future. It also served to take away any little bit of joy the disciple may have felt at seeing the boys' boat sink. Thus, it also took away the karma of the event for the disciple too. So the anger of the enlightened is a blessing !

Be the Change

2010-06-02T21:04:00.000-07:00

"Be the Change you want to see in the world" said Mahatma Gandhi. It is such a profound statement. We have to first change ourselves and then we shall see the world changing. If we take care of our minds, the universe will take care of itself.

I finished reading the book 'The Monk who sold his ferrari' by Robin S. Sharma. This is the second time I have read this book and I enjoy reading it again and again. I have also loved reading another book by the same author 'Who will cry when you die ?'. This book contains pearls of wisdom. Thanks to this author I have learnt a lot from his books.

In 'The Monk who sold his ferrari', there is a story through which the author explains to us the spiritual principles which we have to follow to lead an enlightened life.

There is another story in this book which I would like to share with all.

One night a father was relaxing with his newspaper after a long day at office. His son, who wanted to play, kept pestering him. Finally, fed up, the father ripped out a picture of the globe that was in the paper and tore it into a hundered tiny pieces. "Here son, go ahead and try to put this back together". He hoped his son would be busy while he finishes reading his paper. To his amazement, his son returned after only a minute with the globe perfectly back together. When the startled father asked how he achieved this feat, the son smiled gently and replied "Dad on the other side of the globe there was a picture of a person and once I got the person together, the world was okay".

Similarly, we have to first change. My Guru in Her teenage days, once had to face the wrath of rationalists and those who opposed Her. But She remained calm, totally unperturbed. Once a man came to kill Her, but She was full of compassion for him. Seeing Her compassion, he had a change of heart and left a completely transformed man.

This is the effect of changing our attitude first. The world will follow us soon. So first of all lets practise patience, compassion and we shall see the world too following our example. If not, it does not matter. Atleast we will get closer to the Truth, isnt it ?

Music is a joy !

2010-05-31T00:56:00.001-07:00

In the morning when I get up, I always make a resolve to be happy that day. And I listen to Music the first thing in the morning. Why ? because music inspires me. Music elevates me to a higher plane of consciousness. Spirituality and Music go hand in hand ! Whenever I go out on vacations, my walkman is a must. I play songs which make me feel light and happy and I have found the tedious journeys turn into a joy !

Be it devotional or classical or rock or grunge, Music touches your heart in some way or the other. I have a liking for devotional music but I do listen to all genres of music. I have always loved Music, be it of any genre. The song has to be melodious and touch my heart. Whenever I feel a strong emotion of love, anger or sadness, music relieves it. How many times I have felt a great joy surge in me when I have listened to lovely melodious songs. I started by listening to film songs, then slowly graduated to listening to Carnatic Music( South Indian classical Music).

In today's world of stress and tension, soft soothing music makes us calm. Whenever I have felt happy, I have always searched for the perfect song that would express my feelings. And listening to that song, I have danced in joy. Whenever I feel tired and lazy, I listen to some rock music which puts me back on my feet. There is a song for every mood. Truly, without music, our life would be like a desert. Music can lift our mood, put the smile back on our face and add to the quality of our life. Whenever I have felt Exuberant or Very sad, I have always turned to God for His unconditional support and Carnatic Music has always made me feel closer to God.

I have a wide collection of Carnatic songs. And carnatic music captures all the moods which we experience when relating to God. Songs on Sri Krishna, Sri Rama and Devi make me feel so close to God. The beauty of God's form is expressed so well in carnatic music.

In the evenings while going out for walks, I listen to some really foot-tapping film songs. Truly music has a therapeutic effect. It elevates our moods, removes fatigue and rejuvenates us. So what are you listening to today ?

Evil has to be Overcome

2010-05-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

Evil thoughts, deeds, words keep us away from God. Anger, lust, greed, jealousy all these are the evil qualities which make us feel separate from God, who is shining within us as our own Self.

What is this Self ? This Self is the One Pure consciousness, Full of Bliss. God is a state of being. The supreme state of consciousness 'Turiya' is also called 'God'. God is 'SatchitAnandA', which means Pure Existence,Consciousness,Bliss. The Self is not a thing different from us. Infact we are That. Tat Tvam Asi (Thou art That) is the message of the scriptures. We are God is the message. We have to live centered in the Self, being one with the Self.

But now, we are steeped in Individual consciousness. The ego obstructs our vision of the One Pure Consciousness. So all we can do is shun evil, fill our bodies, minds and deeds with pure thoughts. Dirty waters when filled with clean waters for a long time become clean completely. Similarly, when we fill our dirty minds with pure, Divine thoughts, we shall become clean and the Self will shine through us. We will become one with the Self, with God forever.

Till then, there is no need to get depressed reading about evil in the newspapers. If we think we are evil, we will become evil. lets always think we are good, since we are children of God. Here is an inspiring post of Swami Sivananda on evil :-

Evil is a mere appearance. It is not a reality. It is an illusion. Evil exists to glorify good. Good and evil are not two independent things or entities. They are the two sides of' the same coin.

An evil man is a saint of the future. Transmute evil into good through reflection. Out of evil often good cometh. There is neither absolute good nor absolute evil in this phenomenal world. Good and evil are relative terms.

Behold the good alone in everything. Develop again and again the faculty of seeing only good in all happenings and persons. Destroy the evil habit of seeing defects in others.

Dr. Mata Amritanandamayi Devi

2010-05-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

I would like to share my joy with all. I cant help smiling when I think of my beloved Guru being addressed as Doctor. But I am very happy since my Guru, Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, chancellor of India's Amrita University, will receive a State University of New York Doctor of Humane Letters degree at a conferral ceremony to be held at 2 p.m. May 25 in Lippes Concert Hall in Slee Hall on the University at Buffalo North Campus.

But Amma will always be everyone's Amma, the simple Guru in white, a loving Mother to millions, hugging people and removing their sorrows !!

Jealousy

2010-05-23T20:49:00.000-07:00

A person named Sonu always felt God was partial to him. He felt that his neighbour Monu was very special to God, as Monu had a big mansion, a luxury car, a family, and a successful business. Sonu was jealous of Monu. He always envied Monu and felt pity for himself. So one day God appeared in the form of an angel and asked Sonu what he wanted. Immediately he asked the angel that he wanted to live like Monu atleast for one day. The request was granted. But the angel warned him that he would have to take the problems of Monu too and he would not get only the happiness of Monu. Without thinking twice, Sonu agreed.

Now Sonu lived like Monu that one day. His family too behaved like Monu's family, and this is what happened....

In the morning, Monu got up around seven in the morning. His wife was shouting at him for not giving her enough money for shopping. Sonu was surprised but he remembered that he was living like Monu that day. Sonu then went to his son's bedroom. His son was sleeping in his bed bunking college. His daughter too was not up.

Sonu dressed up and went to office. To his surprise, Sonu found out that his job was full of stress. It involved a lot of tension. And his business was having a lot of debts to clear. Also, his subordinates were flattering him immensely and they were cheating him too. When Sonu came back from office, he found that his wife was at home watching tv. She did not even look at Sonu.

His son came home drunk. Sonu was furious. His mind was full of worries. He did not know what to take care of. His wayward family or his work. Later his daughter came home. She came with her boyfriend. His children were in the respective rooms and did not even talk to their father. Sonu came to the table to have his dinner. Nobody was at the table. The servants laid the food and he ate all alone. That night Sonu could not sleep. He took sleeping pills to make himself to sleep. Next day, the angel appeared again and asked Sonu if he wanted to live like Monu.

Sonu burst into tears and said he wanted to live like Sonu again. Peaceful, contented, having a happy family, a small car, with minimum needs, a loving wife and dutiful, loving children. He swore that he would never again feel jealous of anyone. He realised, jealousy can be such a foolish emotion.

Jealousy is a slow poison. If we want to be like someone, we have to be willing to take his problems too. And it may turn out that our problems are less compared to the other person's problems. We may be more blessed than the other person. So never get jealous of anyone to regret later.

Failure and Success

2010-05-13T01:58:00.000-07:00

My Guru, Ammachi often says " This world does not belong to the winners alone. It belongs to losers also. Infact we learn more when we lose than when we succeed. Failure teaches us That we have gone wrong somewhere. It teaches us to become humble, to learn more. Success goes to the head, and doesnt teach us much. But failure goes to the heart and it has many lessons to offer to us".

The wise person does not jump in joy when he succeeds and does not crumble when his work becomes a failure. He is full of equanimity and takes both success and failure in his stride, taking both of them as God's gift. This does not mean worldly success is not important. But it is more important to practise Karma-yoga. To do our work sincerely to the best of our ability and leave the result to God. This purifies us.

Today worldly success is what people give lot of importance to. But in the end, we have to leave behind all the worldly achievements and we can take only our soul with us. Have we attended to our soul and its needs ? No. Have we spent time in nurturing the soul, in knowing who we are. The greatest success is when a person becomes Self-Realized. He wins the world which becomes a small grain in his hand. Once we attain realization, we become omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient like God Himself. So lets understand that we dont have to lose heart and punish ourselves when we fail. It is just the other side of success. Lets take failure as a lesson and learn more from the experience to achieve success in the future. Lets put our heart and soul in whatever we do and leave the result to God.

Spiritual success is more important to achieve than worldy success. Infact the wise man realises the passing transient nature of worldly successes and becomes attracted to attaining eternal success which is spiritual success.

Here is a story as told by my Guru, Ammachi :

Once a noble man wanted to build a huge charitable hospital so that it can benefit those in need. He wanted funds to start this project. So he set off to meet the king and ask for his help. Unfortunately, that day the king was in a foul mood. When the noble man presented his request to the king, the king got angry. He threw his slippers at the noble man. But there was no anger on the face of the noble man. He was very calm. The noble man did not show any reaction. He took the slippers and went to the market. He decided to auction the king's slippers for sale and with the sale proceeds he wanted to build the charitable hospital.

When the king came to know about this, he was very ashamed. He called for the noble man and provided him all the assistance to build the hospital. Soon many poor patients benefited from the hospital.

Thus if the noble man had lost heart and enthusiasm on facing failure when he went to the king, the hospital would not have been built. But he took failure in his stride and turned it into success.

We are NOT failures. We are the infinite immortal Self. We are one with God just like a wave is one with the ocean. So lets always remember this whenever Our work becomes a failure. From the failures, learn the lessons of patience, humility, surrender for success is just round the corner.

Smt. Jaya Row

2010-05-04T23:55:00.001-07:00

I have always found the wonderful spiritual speeches given on television by Smt.Jaya Row inspiring and enlightening. Whenever I have felt low in life, her speeches have given me a completely new way of seeing at life and its problems. Smt. Jaya Row is specialised in BhAgvad GitA and VedAntA. I have read her book 'Profile of the Perfect Person' thrice. Yet everytime I read it, I get a new insight in following the spiritual path. I feel rejuvenated to love God more. So I want to share this wonderful story from this book written by Smt. Jaya Row :

Once there was an old king who had no heir. He devised a unique method to select the future king. He organised a large amusement park. The king would be present in the park buit in disguise, and the person who found him out would be the next king. It seemed simple but when people entered the park, they got so involved in the entertainment provided that they forgot their purpose which was to search for the king.

The exhibits were so attractive that they just forgot to search for the king. This happened day in and day out when one day a smart young man entered the amusement park. Like the others he also enjoyed what the park had to offer but simulataneously he kept searching for the king every nook and corner. He never lost sight of the fact that he had to spot him. He was tired and exhausted having seasrched for the king everywhere.

Just as he was about to conclude that the king was nowhere on the premises he realised he was sitting near a small temple. There was a priest doing worship and he was attracted by the bell. Suddenly he realised that this was the one place where he had not looked for the king. He asked the priest to turn around and lo it was the king. He had fouind him.

Smt. Jaya Row explains this world is a huge amusement park and we have gained entry here only to claim our kingship. But this world is so attractive and tempting that we forget why we have come here. The person who keeps that mission in mind and goes through the motions of this world is a person of renunciation. We get involved in the trivials of life that disturb us and lose sight of the goal. If we maintain focus even for a little while it makes a great difference to our lives.

GrihasthAshram

2010-05-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

Many people think Spirituality is all about leaving home, family and worldly relations and retire in the forest to seek God. But Mahatmas teach us that we can attain God even by living in this world itself.

We can get married, have children and lead a family life and still attain God. But the condition is we should always be aware that we are on the spiritual path and that we are in the stage of GrihasthAshram. There are four stages of life : BrahmachArya(bachelor), GrihasthAshram(family life), VAnaprastha(retired life) and finally SanyAsa(ascetic life). According to the innate tendencies of each person a Guru may suggest each one the advice of getting married and living with a family or take up SanyAsa. So we cannot say if GrihasthAshram is great or SanyAsa is great. Both have their own special place in spirituality. It is according to our innate tendencies that we are prescribed one of them.

If we are leading a family life, we should consider our home to be a temple, our family members as manifestations of God. In this way, we can attain God too, while leading a family life. If both husband and wife are spiritual more the better as each one can encourage the other to follow the spiritual principles and lead a pure spiritual life. Even otherwise, if the husband is spiritual he can follow his practices like Sudama and like the Gopis, the wife too can lead a spiritual life.

Karma-yoga is very important here. Both the husband and wife should perform their duties as an offering to God. In this way they wont get attached to the results and they would get purified too. In a marriage the debt of Karma(fate) acquired in previous births gets worked out, thus releasing the husband and wife from the grip of their prarabdha karma. Prarabdha karma is the karma which a person has to undergo and face the results in this life.

If the children too become spiritual, it is better as the values of life can be followed by them and they will have unshaking faith in God which will make their life in this world lot easier. Faith in God is like a shock-absorber. When we get hit by worldy problems we can always turn to God who is always within us. All we need to do is to attune ourselves to hear His divine Voice from within. Then life itself becomes a celebration.

So marriage should not always be seen as an impediment to attaining God. Infact selflessness, patience, sacrifice all these qualities are gained in a married life which is also the goal of spirituality. Marriage is the union of two souls with the goal of attaining God.

Satsang

2010-04-25T00:28:00.000-07:00

At the time of death, it is very important to be aware of what our mind is thinking about. Because in the next life, we take birth in those circumstances in which our mind is focused.

In this worldly life, we are so attached to the impermanent things that our mind is always thinking of what we can enjoy in this world in terms of relationships, money, power etc. So Satsang is very important. 'Sat' means truth and 'sang' means company. So satsang means company of the Truth. When we mix with people who are God-conscious, our minds get fixed on God, the Supreme Truth.

As we spend more and more time in thinking of God, during our last days, we will find it easier to concentrate on God. In our next birth, we shall then realise that we are already closer to God. Nothing goes waste in spirituality. If we are not able to get Self-realization in this life, all our efforts put in reading scriptures, following a Guru, singing bhajans will come with us in our next life and we shall proceed from there further in our next life.

When we spend time with Mahatmas or realized souls, their pure vibrations benefit us immensely. They cleanse us of our impurities, our mind becomes calm and we think of God in our hearts. So Satsang is very useful in gaining concentration on God. If we are not able to get the company of Mahatmas, we can atleast try to be in the company of spiritual people who are seekers of Truth. Singing together God's bhajans, reading religious texts, sharing experiences all these will keep us focused on God.

Its better to be alone than to be in bad company. Because that will take us away from God. But the best is to be in the company of seekers of God. Gossiping about worldly things wastes our time. We will not gain anything since this world itself is 'Asat'(Untruth). So talking about things other than God will waste our time and energy. Satsang gives us so much joy that slowly we find worldly talk a bore. It will not excite us anymore. We will cherish the company of saints and spiritual people. We will love God more. Thats the beauty of Satsang.

A Disciple's Love

2010-04-19T22:50:00.000-07:00

This is my 108th post. 108 is considered to be a divine number as it adds upto 9, which again is considered a divine number. Here is an enlightening article on the Guru disciple relationsip by Swami Sivananda which I would like to share.

Question : Swamiji, what is the sense in worshipping the Guru as people do here in India? Isn’t that slavery? You mean to say that the disciple becomes the slave of the Guru?.

Answer : Aren’t you grateful to the man who serves you and helps you? Don’t you express your gratitude to him in some form or the other? If you behave that way with a man who has helped you a little bit in a secular way, how much more ought to be your gratitude to the man who shows you the path to the Supreme? He has given you new life, nay, immortality and eternal bliss. Can you refrain from expressing your gratitude to him? Actual worship of the Guru is the Indian way of expressing this highest gratitude. You express gratitude to the man who has helped you by giving him something; and to the Guru - the man who has bestowed upon you the highest gift of spiritual knowledge - you give yourself!

That is not slavery. Oh, no. The real Guru can never enslave the aspirant. In fact, the real Guru is the seeker’s servant! The real Guru has the highest kind of love for the aspirant. The Guru is in his heart; the Guru has won the disciple’s heart; the two have become one now. There will be divine love between the two - not slavery.

The Guru's Photo

2010-04-15T20:52:00.000-07:00

I would like to share this touching experience. When we shifted our residence, I did not get a separate room for God. So I just had this mandapam for God, wherein all the photos of deities were kept. My Guru's photo had to be kept somewhere but there was no place in the mandapam. So I kept my Guru's photo with a few other deities's photos in a cupboard.

I did not see the photo daily. Only when I opened the cupboard for taking out something I would see my Guru's photo. To my surprise, I found that my mind had lost its peace. I was troubled in my heart. Something seemed amiss. I prayed hard but the feeling of uneasiness took the better of me. I tried to figure out the reason but in vain. I had an inkling that something was wrong somewhere but I did not know what. One day, as I opened the cupboard for taking out something, I looked at my Guru's photo. Mentally, I told Her I had lost my peace. I was not joyful as I always was. Just then, something from within told me I should keep the photo outside so that its vibrations spread around. Immediately, I took my Guru's photo and placed it on the side of the mandapam. Surprisingly, I felt I had figured it out. I was so happy on seeing my Guru's photo, I realised a Guru's photo has tremendous vibrations. The Guru is present in that photo too. So its better to keep the photo in the open.

I regained my peace at last and am joyful again. I recollected a similar experience I had read many years back in my Guru's publication Matruvani. A lady devotee kept my Guru's photo in her cupboard and completely forgot about it. Next time when she went for my Guur's darshan, my Guru told her " Ants are eating me up". The lady did not understand this message. She was disturbed. She went home and opened the cupboard and found shockingly that termites were indeed eating up my Guru's photo. She now understood my Guru's message and she immediately took the photo out and kept it in the open in her room and started worshipping it.

Thus, A Guru is full of vibrations. Even a Guru's photo has lots of Vibrations. So it is always better to keep the Guru's photo at a place where we can see the blessed Guru daily.

Cause of Sorrow

2010-04-14T10:28:00.000-07:00

Once few children were playing in the garden. Suddenly, a person came running inside a house and said " O lady, Sonu has been bitten by a snake". the lady on hearing this, started crying loudly. She was in deep sorrow. She beat her chest and started wailing loudly.

After sometime, another person came inside the house and said " O foolish lady why are you crying ? Sonu, your neighbour's son is dying, and not your son Sonu". Hearing this, the lady let off a sign of relief and now she started smiling. She wiped her tears and rushed to see her son.

Thus, this shows that selfish attachment is the cause of all sorrows in this world. The news had brought about such contrasting reactions in the lady. She loved only her son. She was blindly attached to her son.

Similarly, we get so attached to things, people in this world that we are left only with sorrow when these things leave us. So its always wise to know that detached love is what is needed in us. we should learn to look at everything as manifestation of God and thus we will not be blindly attached to things.

Tirupati

2010-04-08T02:03:00.000-07:00

Tirupati Temple

Goddess Padmavati

Lord Venkateshwara

On the 31st of March we left Chennai to get the blessings of Lord Venkateshwara of Tirupati. Tirupati is a town located in Andhra Pradesh, India. It is the richest temple in the world. Millions of people flock everyday just to get a few second darshan of the Lord. After a four hour drive, we enjoyed the scenic beauty of the sacred seven hills as we drove along the winding roads to reach the temple. Staying at a hotel, we then freshened up and waited in the line to get the pass for a quicker darshan. Normally, if we stand in the queue, we may get darshan only after several hours, but if we buy passes, we can get it soon.

After a couple of hours of waiting in the line, we got a few seconds darshan of Lord Venkateshwara. It was like bliss ! After travelling so far and so long and waiting for just a one-second darshan is like a dream come true. The Lord looked grand and majestic in all His finery. Flowers were decked on Him. He looked resplendent in the light of the oil-lamps. Then we waited to get the Prasaadam(sacred food offered to God). The Tirupati laddu is richly made and is famous. Tiruapti offers employment to thousands of people. There are also opportunities to perform seva(selfless service) in the temple. It is believed Lord Venkateshwara fulfills the wishes of people. People in their devotion, offer large amounts of money sometimes even crores of rupees to the lord. Also, they express their devotion by shaving their heads off and offering their hair to the Lord.

Next we proceeded to the town of Tiruchaanur to get the darshan of Goddess Padmavati, also known as Mahalakshmi. After taking the passes we waited in queue for a few hours and finally got darshan of the beautiful Goddess. Next, there are so many shops for buying pieces of memento like artefacts, statues of the Lord etc. We purchased a few statues and it was time to head back home. Though the darshan was over, the vision of Lord Venkateswara and Goddess Padmavati were before our eyes. With hearts full of gratitude and prayer to come back again, we left for chennai, not knowing when the Lord will call us next time to see Him at Tirupati. It is popularly believed, unless the Lord calls, we cannot make a trip to tirupati.

This is some more information on tirupati from the net :-

The Tirupati Balaji shrine is located on a hill at Tirumala, a cluster of seven hills known as Seshachalam or Venkatachalam with an elevation of 2,800ft above the sea level. Known as the richest temple in the world, it is a vibrant cultural and philanthropic institution with a grand history. It attracts pilgrims from all over the country who have to wait for hours together to obtain a glimpse of the presiding deity for a few fleeting seconds. The temple with its tower is a fine example of Dravidian architecture.

The temple of Tirupati Balaji in south India is one of the most revered and sacred shrines in the country. Millions of devotees visit the temple to seek the blessings of Lord Vishnu, who is the patron deity of the temple. The peaceful environs of the temple make the place look more beautiful.

The temple complex is large and spacious, surrounded by the Tirumalai range. The stone Gopuram appears different with celestial figures and statues. Inside, the pillars, doorways, and the Vimana of the main shrine are plated with gold. Besides this it is a massive rectangular bathing ghat, enclosed on all four sides by stone steps leading down to the water. A wide street runs around the entire complex.

Sri Venkateshwara temple, the abode of Lord Venkateswara, also known as Balaji in the north and Srinivasa in southern parts of India, is one of the most famous temples in India and is located at Tirumala. Apart from the Lord Venkateswara temple, the other important places at Tirumala are Papavinasam and Akasaganga waterfalls.

Age-Old Question

2010-04-06T21:19:00.000-07:00

This article appeared in Swami Sivananda's blog. I thought of sharing it here.

Q : How is it that we see many wicked persons flourishing in this world while the good souls suffer? Why is God merciful to some and heartless to some else?

A : This is an age-old question, as old as the world itself. The great Bhishma shed tears when he was on his death-bed. When questioned why he cried, he replied that the Pandavas were great devotees of the Lord and always abided by the laws of Dharma. Above all, the Lord was constantly with them in the form of Krishna. And yet they underwent so much of suffering. Some wicked persons do flourish in this world of hypocrisy, but it does not mean that they are free from suffering. The really good souls do not suffer as much as the ‘flourishing’ wicked ones, for peace is in the hearts of the former. To be able to abide by the ideals they hold sacred is by itself a great cause of happiness. The welfare and the misery of people can be explained only in terms of the law of Karma.

Good persons suffer because of the mistakes they had committed in their past
incarnations. Wicked persons, who seem to be well off, are now reaping the results of their past good actions, but will have to pay the price of their present ones, later. It is the law of Karma that lifts God above all the good and the bad conditions of man. If God were made responsible for the material state of affairs of the individual or the enjoyment or suffering of man, then God would cease to be God, for a partial God, dishing out favours to some and withholding them from the others, would be no God at all.

Know Thyself

2010-04-03T23:00:00.000-07:00

Once an eagle gave birth to a small young one. But it died while giving birth. After a few days, a group of sparrows saw the young eagle and took it with them and nursed it. They fed the eagle, took good care of him. The eagle grew up along with the sparrows. Soon it became one with the sparrows, eating with them, flying short distances, and was very happy. But the eagle looked different than the other sparrows.

One day, a large eagle was searching for food. It was flying high up in the sky. It looked at the group of sparrows and this young eagle among them. It caught hold of this young eagle. It said " hey what are you doing with these meek sparrows. You are an eagle. come with me. fly high up in the sky". the young eagle was confused. So the huge eagle explained " you are not weak. You are an eagle, a strong bird like me". Saying this, the eagle took the young one alongwith it. Slowly, the young eagle learnt all about living like eagles and soared up high in the sky.

Similarly, The Guru is like the big eagle. He watches us and comes to us. The Guru explains to us that we are not weak human beings but that we are the mighty God Himself. 'Know Thyself' this is the message of every Guru. It is upto us to believe the Guru and soar up in the bliss of the Self.

Humility

2010-03-24T00:21:00.000-07:00

Once there was a huge tree. It had many branches, fruits and leaves. It gave shade to many people who took some rest under it. So the tree was very proud of its beauty and strength. It used to look at the grass below and make fun of the grass saying " O you are so tiny. Of not much use to anyone. People trample you under their feet and walk away. But I am so useful".

The grass felt very sad. It felt it was very weak and useless. One day there was a huge storm. The whole city was under the grip of the storm. The rooftops fell, power lines got disrupted, trees got uprooted. This tree too got terrified. Its branches fell. Fruits fell off. Slowly the tree got uprooted. But the grass was still there. It swayed because of the storm but it did not get uprooted. Now it was the turn of the grass to feel pity for the huge tree.

Thus humility is a very important quality for all. To be humble means to respect all. Then God will be happy with us.

Tolerance

2010-03-16T01:54:00.000-07:00

Once a lady went to a sage and started crying. She said "O Holy One I live in a joint family with mother-in-law, father-in-law, two brothers-in-law and a sister-in-law. I have two kids too. But the situation in my house is getting out of control. With so many people in our house, its getting difficult to live harmoniously. There are frequent bickerings and fights in our house. I dont know what to do. Please guide me".

The sage answered " Go to your house and bring all the cows and goats which are there in your cowshed inside the house. Let all the animals be in your house for a week and you all live with these animals." what a strange advice ! The lady was perplexed but she agreed to follow the sage's advice. After just two days the lady came back and cried to the sage that the animals were all over in the house, and now the house was filled with cowdung and urine and stench of animals. Moreover they were making a lot of noise. And now she has to clean up too. But the sage persisted that she and all her family members live with the animals till one week ends.

After a week, the lady came back smilingly to the sage and said "O Holy One, what a relief ! one week is over. We led all the animals back to the cowshed and cleaned up the house. Now I live only with my inlaws and my family and we all are living peacefully. Thanks for ur sound advice".

The sage smiled and blessed the lady.

Guru's Grace

2010-03-09T00:24:00.000-08:00

This is my 100th Post by the grace of my Guru. So this post is dedicated to an artcile on 'Guru's Grace', explained by my Guru Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi.

"The Guru is striving to put out the flame of our ego and kindle the inextinguishable light of knowledge within us. The disciples, on their part, must surrender to the Guru. Amma prays that Her children are blessed and graced with the shakti that will awaken their disciplehood.

According to Santana Dharma, the Eternal Religion of India, there is no difference between the Creator and Created. They are one and the same. Similarly, just as the ocean and the waves are one, the Guru and the disciple are one. When we look from the outside, a river has two banks. In reality, the perception of difference is created by the water. Deep down, the two banks of the river are united. The water is the ego. When the ego, or the feeling of 'I' and 'Mine' is removed, the difference also disappears. We realize that we were always one with the Guru.

Gold ornaments come in many forms. We may call the different forms by many names - necklaces, earrings, nose-rings, bangles and so forth - but the fundamental metal is Gold. Likewise, in all pots made of mud, the fundamental substance is clay. In the same way, the Supreme Consciousness pervades everything. In the scripture it is said,

"Purnamada Purnamidam
Purnaat Purnamudaccyate
Purnasya Purnamaadaaya
Purnameva Avasishyate"

"That is the Whole, this is the Whole;
From the Whole, the Whole arises;
Taking away the Whole from the Whole,
The Whole alone remains…"

We can light thousands of oil lamps from a single flame. The original flame remains unchanged, and is the same in all the lamps lit from it. Likewise, the same Supreme Consciousness pervades all of Creation. Even though the flame remains the same, depending on the thickness of the wick, we can see that some lamps burn with a small flame, while others burn like torches. Similarly, there are various types of ships. There are huge vessels that can carry thousands of passengers across the ocean. Then there are smaller boats and even canoes. Likewise, there are also different kinds of lightbulbs - 1000 watt bulbs, 100 watt bulbs and even 0 watt bulbs. A Satguru is like a 10,000 watt bulb, or a huge ocean-liner.

We may wonder, "Why does the Supreme seem to shine more in some people than in others?" There are basically three different types of people: Sattvic, Rajasic, and Tamasic. Sattvic people are those who are predominantly peaceful, gentle, noble, and virtuous. People who are predominantly active are said to be Rajasic. Tamasic people are those who are predominantly lazy and lethargic. In the minds of Sattvic people, Divinity will reflect more. A Sattvic person is like a crystal mala (rosary of beads). Because it is totally transparent, we can clearly see the thread on which it is strung. Likewise, a Sattvic person's mind is so clear and pure that it gives a perfect reflection of Divinity. Hence it is important to cultivate and develop a Sattvic mind, so that we can become more and more identified with the Guru, reflecting the Guru's presence. Once we attain complete purity, then we will realize that there is no difference between the Guru and the disciple.
In the present state, our bodies have grown but not our minds. Our bodies have grown in every direction - backward, forward and sideward. But our minds have not grown, they remain very narrow. In order to receive the Guru's Grace in full, our minds should grow to be as vast as the Universe. Then we can realize that there is no difference between the Guru and the disciple.

For our minds to grow and become as vast as the Universe, we should learn to become like a child. We need the attitude of a true beginner, full of humility, enthusiasm, optimism, and the openness to learn. "Only if we become a zero, can we become a hero". So let us learn to remain as a beginner, and try to cultivate qualities like patience, enthusiasm and optimism. May the Supreme Being's Grace be with us in every moment of our lives".

Goddess Gayatri

2010-03-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

Here is an article from Hindublog.com on Mother Gayatri.

Goddess Gayatri is described as Brahman or the Supreme Truth. She is the Mother of the Vedas and the goddess of knowledge. Those scriptures and texts that are associated with Goddess Gayatri give her the supreme position. She is also believed to be the form given to the Gayatri Mantra.

Goddess Gayatri is usually presented with two hands and she is beautifully dressed – a red sari. She holds a kamandalu and Vedas in her hands. She also has a halo of Surya (sun god).

Goddess Gayatri is also depicted as having five faces and each has a different color – pearl, lapis lazuli, gold, sapphire and white. She is also believed to have a third eye like Lord Shiva. Her vehicle is a swan and she is seated on a lotus. She wears gold crown and is bedecked with moon on her head.

She is explained as the Supreme Consciousness and is believed to be the force behind creation which she was able to fulfill by praying to Lord Shiva.

She is believed to have given birth to the Vedas when dharma, devotion and morality disappeared from the earth due to excessive indulgence in heavenly pleasures. The Vedas were then used to preach devotion and righteousness on the earth.

A popular form of Goddess Gayatri is Mother Savitri.

Some scriptures indicate that during early morning hours, Goddess Gayatri is worshipped as Kumari (Virgin) and is also known as Braahmi (power of Brahma). At noon she is worshipped as Vaishnavi and is the power of Brahma. In the evening she is worshipped as Rudrani and it the power of Shiva.

The Supreme Consciousness or Brahman is beyond imagination and cannot be captured into a form. But human mind is obsessed with form and therefore attempts to give form to the Supreme Truth. Goddess Gayatri is one such attempt.

Compassion Begins.....

2010-03-01T18:27:00.000-08:00

At Home. Yes, We first need to show compassion at home, to our own family and then we will be strong enough to show compassion towards others. Here is an example. A boy is studious, works hard for his exams. When it is time to get results, he comes home with his report card. He has not scored well. When the mother sees his marks, she gets angry, scolds him for not scoring well, compares him with other students, his friends and reprimands him severely. What happens to the boy ? He is heart-broken. He knows he has not scored well and he is already sad. Now his mother is hurting him more by putting him down and overlooking his hardwork.

Here it would have been so nice if the mother had shown some compassion for her child. He would have not felt let down and discouraged.

Similarly, a husband comes home heart-broken that he has lost his job. His wife shouts at him, calls him names and curses him. what happens ? he is heart-broken. It would be so nice if the wife shows some compassion here.

Similarly, let mothers-in-law be compassionate to the daughter-in-law, let daughters-in-law too be compassionate. Then we can be compassionate to others too.

Its important for a boss to be compassionate. A master should be compassionate towards the servant. So let us all be compassionate to each other. A little compassion shown will reap huge benefits in building relationships and make us humane.

Holi

2010-02-26T08:49:00.000-08:00

Holi the festival of colours is being celebrated on 1st March this year. Holi is a festival which was celebrated by Lord Kirshna with the gopis of Vrindavan. Even today holi is celebrated on a grand scale in Mathura and Brindavan. Being brought up in Mumbai my family has celebrated holi with gusto.

Everyone wears white cotton clothes on this day. And different colors are applied on everyone. People smear each other's faces with gulaal(color powder) as a sign of friendship and brotherhood. People visit houses of relatives and friends and get together to celebrate holi. Water pipes are also used to wet everyone. People look very colorful on this day being smeared in different colors.

In some parts of the country water balloons are also used which are thrown on people. In some other parts, boys get together and forma apyramid to break the pot tied at a great height which is filled with buttermilk. Thus holi is a festival of celebration throughtout India.

Compassion

2010-02-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

We all have passion. Some are passionate about their work, some about some hobby, some about love, but what we all need the most is COMpassion. When passion for one thing becomes passion for all it is called Compassion. My Guru Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi stresses on this most important quality. We need to cultivate this quality within us.

We have to place ourselves in other's shoes and for a moment see the other person's point of view. Once we have this quality we can lead a peaceful life in this world. We will be able to live harmoniously with all. Saints have compassion in abundance. Infact their hearts are filled with compassion and so they are able to love all.

Once a Saint was giving darshan to all. He was a Self-realized Sage. There was a huge crowd to seek His blessings. Just then a man who was fully drunk came inside the hall. He was not in his senses. He walked upto the sage and started talking loudly. The saint's disciples were angry on seeing a drunkard come to such a sacred place. So they tried to push him away towards the door. The saint stopped his disciples. He even reprimanded them for being so insensitive towards the drunkard.

The sage then explained that the man's wife had left him after years of marriage. Not being able to bear this, the man had started drinking. Then the Saint called the drunkard closer and hugged him very lovingly. The man was so touched, he started crying aloud like a child in its mother's arms. That day, he vowed to the saint that he would not touch a drop of alcohol. The saint's compassion completely transformed the man and saved him from being a drunkard for all his life.

Similarly, lets have compassion for all. It will surely make a difference in someone's life.

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa

2010-02-19T19:26:00.000-08:00

Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa is a Bengali Hindu sage who inspired the lives of many. He is the Guru of Swami Vivekananda. His consort is the Holy Mother Sarada Devi. He is also called lovingly as Thakura. He was above caste and creed. He had love for all. He advised many on spiritual matters. He was a worshipper of Kali. He has many devotees in many parts of the world. A self-realiazed sage, His eyes ooze compassion for all. Together Thakura and Sarada Devi, inspired many on the path to God. His birthday is on 18th February.

I have been inspired by Thakura on many a occasion. whenever I feel low, I read His teachings and they provide the exact answer which inspires me and makes me glad. Thanks Thakura !!

Love is Great

2010-02-11T00:37:00.000-08:00

With Valentine's Day approaching this Sunday, love is in the air ! The highest stage in love is the love for God. Nothing more Nothing less.

My Guru is Love Incarnate Ammachi. My Guru says "Love is the basis of this universe. So lets love all and serve all". Thanks to my Guru for loving me too. Here is a story told by my Guru on Love :-

Once the Gopis of Brindavan felt jealous of Radha. Radha was dearest to Sri Krishna. Krishna loved Radha a lot. So the other gopis were wondering as to why Sri Krishna loved Radha so much. Sri Krishna knew this. So He decided to prove why He Loved Radha the most.

One day Sri Krishna feigned severe headache. He acted as if He was writhing in pain. Many physicians were called but no one could cure Sri Krishna. All the people of Brindavan surrounded Him and asked him what had to be done to relieve Him of His headache. Sri Krishna said "I need the dust lying below a Gopi's feet. It should be applied on My forehead and I will be cured". All the gopis were aghast on hearing this. They could not even imagine smearing the Lord's forehead with the dust of their feet. It was a grave sin for which they may have to be in hell for ages. So nobody came forward and Sri Krishna was in pain.

When this news reached Radha, she immediately came running to her Krishna and was about to take the dust off her feet to apply it. But the Gopis warned her that she will have to face dire consequences of incurring a sin by doing this. But Radha couldnt bear to see Krishna in pain. She said " I dont care what happens to me, I am ready to go to hell for my beloved Krishna. I cannot see my Krishna in pain". So she placed the dust below her feet on Sri Krishna's forehead. Sri Krishna was immediately cured.

Smilingly, Sri Krishna explained the whole drama. He said that Radha's love for Him was so deep that He cannot help but love Radha the most. Radha loved Krishna more than She loved Herself. So Radha was the greatest lover of Krishna. Now the Gopis realised why Krishna loved Radha the most and started singing Radha's praises "Radhe-Krishna"

Tyaga

2010-02-07T03:31:00.000-08:00

Once a young boy and his wife were passing through a deep forest.The boy and his wife suddenly lost the way there. So he and his wife started living there. They were completely isolated from the world. They had six children in due course of time. The boy did not know anything apart from the forest.

After many years, one of his children got adventurous and he started walking towards the end of the forest and got out somehow ! He saw a huge town there. He saw the cars, houses and many people there. He was amazed with his new discovery. Somehow he managed to come back to his home and explained everything to his parents. But his siblings and parents did not understand a thing and dismissed everything that he was saying. They could not imagine what he was saying. Cars and people. Actually they were happy living in the forest. They did not believe whatever their kid was saying.

They were not ready to renounce the known to know the unknown. Tyaga is very important. Of all that we know already. To know something beyond.

We too are in similar position. The Mahatmas, Self-realized souls tell us how beautiful God is and how we all should become liberated too. But we do not understand what they are saying and so dismiss them unfortunately.

Hope is Life

2010-01-31T22:48:00.001-08:00

Once two spiritual seekers were meditating under a tree. They were meditating since many years under that tree. Once a self-realized sage passed by the tree. He approached the seekers and asked them their names and background. After introducing themselves, the seekers asked the sage when they will attain liberation.

The sage smiled and answered " You will attain liberation when all the leaves of the tree fall down".

On hearing this answer, the first seeker was disappointed. He thought "For so many years I have been meditating and now I have to wait for all the leaves of the tree to fall. I cant wait for many more years". So he abandoned his meditation and left the place for leading a worldly life again.

But, the second seeker was delighted on hearing the sage's answer. He thought " wow ! so I am very close to liberation. I can get Moksha once all the leaves fall down. thats great". And he continued his meditation.

This is optimism. Hoping for good things to happen. We all should have hope. Hope is life. Hope makes us look forward. Lets hope for liberation in this life itself and continue our spiritual practices.

Inspiring Thoughts

2010-01-26T06:42:00.000-08:00

Five Key Thoughts on Effective Spiritual Life
By Swami Sivananda Saraswati
Excerpted from Swami Sivananda’s book, “Light, Power, and Wisdom”

1. Do You Really Want God?
Do you really want God? Do you really thirst for His darshan? Have you got real spiritual hunger?

He who thirsts for the darshan of God only will develop love. Unto him alone He will reveal Himself. God is a question of supply and demand. If there is sincere demand for God, the supply will come at once.

2. The Light Is Within You
Be righteous always. Never deviate from the path of righteousness. Stand upright. Be bold. Be fearless. Practice Truth. Proclaim it everywhere.

March forward in the spiritual path. The light is within you. Fix the mind on the Lord. Kill egoism and pride. Cultivate fellow-feeling and universal brotherhood. Love all. You will have full life.

Control the senses. Pray fervently with intense faith and sincerity. Have an unshakable conviction in the existence of God and in the efficacy of spiritual practices. Be humble and simple. You will attain Immortality.

3. Be Good, Do Good
Do thou always without attachment perform action which should be done; for by performing action without attachment, man reaches the Supreme (Gita II-19).

When the thought of good becomes part and parcel of man’s very being, then he will not entertain any bad motive at all. He takes immense delight in serving others, in doing good to others. There is peculiar joy and ananda in doing selfless service.

Expand. Purify your heart. Live in the true spirit of selfless service. Live every second for the ideal and goal of life. Then and then alone will you realize the true glory of selfless service. May you shine as a dynamic yogi by the practice of selfless service! May you enjoy the true bliss of the eternal.

4. Do As You Wish To Be Done By
All the phenomena of nature are governed by one important law, the law of causation, the law of karma. It is that law that keeps up the inner harmony and logical order of the universe. No phenomena can escape from the operation of this mighty law.

The cause is bound in the effect and effect is in the cause. The effect is similar to the cause. This world runs on this fundamental vital law. This law is inexorable and immutable.

Any action is bound to react upon you with equal force and effect. If you do some good to another man, you are really helping yourself. Because there is nothing but the Self. “Atmaivedam Sarvam” is the emphatic declaration of the Srutis or Upanishads. This virtuous action will react upon you with equal force and effect. It will bring you joy and happiness.

5. Be Up And Doing
The power of prayer is indescribable. Its glory is ineffable. Sincere devotees only realize its usefulness and splendor.

Sit not idly craving God to help thee, but be up and doing as God helps those who help themselves. Do the best you can and leave the rest to God.

Serve the devotees. Remain in their company. Do japa and meditation. Study holy scriptures. You will soon develop devotion. The divine grace will descend upon you.

Being In The Presence Of A Guru

2010-01-21T05:09:00.000-08:00

I love this article which I read in a website which I want to share with all.

Being In The Presence Of A Guru
One does not even have to speak to a Guru in person to receive their teachings, just to be in their presence is a profound, transforming and uplifting experience in itself. The powerful high consciousness energy field that a Guru transmits is very tangible especially if one has been practising Yoga for some time.
The experience of being in the direct physical presence of a God-realised Guru has been described by Hari Prasana Chaterjee (Vijnanananda) a direct disciple of Ramakrishna as such: "I felt in Sri Ramakrishna's room a tangible atmosphere of peace. The devotees present seemed to be listening in blissful absorption to the words which poured from the Masters lips. I don't recall what he said, but I still remember the transport of delight I experienced then as if it was yesterday. For a long time I sat there, beside myself with joy, and my whole attention was concentrated on Sri Ramakrishna."

In my own experience, when in the presence of my Guru, Sri Chinmoy, I always notice especially on first arrival from New Zealand to our beautiful meditation grounds in New York, the overwhelmingly tangible experience of walking into a very high consciousness 'zone'. The moment I enter the grounds and see Sri Chinmoy, I feel a lightness in my whole being, an intoxicating joy and delight fills my heart, a smile immediately spreads across my face and I notice the glow on the faces of all the others that have been there a few days already.

Sri Chinmoy himself radiates a peace and light so profound that just by watching the Guru meditating and even doing simple activities, there is a feeling of absorbing and drinking deep a wealth of bliss simply by being in their presence. The atmosphere is thick with peace. There is an absolutely magic feeling in the air that I have never felt anywhere else, as though we are existing on a heavenly plane of consciousness. Every step feels like a step on holy sacred ground, and one becomes much more conscious of every thought, action and movement of the body. All worries and doubts of the mind seem to melt into a 'knowingness' that everything is perfect here and now. Each moment seems to take on a deeper depth, beauty and significance.

Paramahansa Yogananda describes his experience of being in the presence of Sri Yuketswar his own Guru: "I always thrilled at the touch of Sri Yuketswar's holy feet. A disciple is spiritually magnetised by reverent contact with a master; a subtle current is generated. The devotee's undesirable habit-mechanisms in the brain are often as if cauterised; the grooves of his worldly tendencies are beneficially disturbed. Momentarily at least he may find the secret veils of maya lifting, and glimpse the reality of bliss. My whole body responded with a liberating glow whenever I knelt in the Indian fashion before my Guru."

One may imagine a Guru to be a strict disciplinarian to be perhaps feared and obeyed, but all the accounts from disciples of various Masters and from my own experience conclude that this is not so. Although the Guru has high standards and may be strict from time to time, there is also in all the God-realised Masters presence, an incredible sweetness, boundless divine love for every human being they encounter, childlike simplicity, and joy as well as a wonderful humour! The Master represents all the aspects of the divine in a most charming way, in a perfectly balanced way, reminding us that spirituality is something that is part of all our human experiences.

It is fascinating to observe a God-realised Master in their different activities. At times they are engaged in outer activities, and at other times they will be withdrawn in a very distant and deep trance like state of meditation. At these times one knows that the Master is operating and working in the inner worlds and the disciples present, respectfully remain in a meditative silence.

Everyone has their own special and unique experiences while in the presence of a Guru. Esme Howard-Anna, a student of Sri Chinmoy from Auckland, says about being in the presence of her Guru: "It is absolutely amazing, there are no words to describe it! I feel incredible amounts of joy and an overwhelming sense of being loved. I felt like I had come home, somewhere I had been looking for, for so long and never been able to find."

Jenny Haydon, a disciple of Swami Satyananda explains her experience of the love a Guru has and gives to his disciples: "It is like nothing else I can describe, it's a love that is different from any love that you read about or experience in the world, it is something much much deeper."

It is infinitely easier to develop a strong connection with a Guru while they are alive on earth because you have someone in front of your eyes who represents a high level of Yoga in every action and every deed, which is convincing and inspiring for the mind, heart and soul. Also you can consult them and receive personalised guidance for your practise. When you are in their presence you can receive direct and tangible benefits from their highly elevated consciousness. Jenny Haydon comments that: "Any living Guru that you have a contact with has a specific understanding of your condition and your needs and can guide your practise. No book can do that."

However, there are some who feel the strong guidance of a Guru who is no longer on earth. Gurus who are no longer in the body can still be just as powerful guides from the higher worlds for those who are receptive and have tremendous faith. In many cases they may have been connected to the particular Guru for a number of lifetimes. Paramahansa Yogananda, is no longer on earth but Kavita Parshotam describes the inner presence of her Guru as follows: "I feel in whatever I do, the presence of the Guru. I feel it very strongly when I am practising what the Guru has told us to practise - I feel an overwhelming presence." Sri Daya Mata quoted Paramahansa Yogananda saying: "Many true ones will come after I am gone. I know who they are, and they will know me."

If we cannot be with our Guru in person we can do the next best thing, which is to meditate on a photograph of the Guru which will embody and capture the Gurus consciousness. In the same way through the photograph, we can identify with our teachers consciousness, and through the photograph if one is receptive enough, one can have just as powerful meditation as if you were with the Guru in person. This has happened on countless occasions and there are many stories by disciples of different masters throughout the ages to illustrate this.

True Joy

2010-01-15T23:50:00.001-08:00

Once there was a king who wanted to appoint his successor. But his intentions were a bit different. He announced it in his kingdom that anyone can come forward to rule his kingdom but the condition is that after a year, the new king will be taken to the forest on the other side of the river, which was infested with wild animals and he would be left there for good. The wild animals will feast upon the new king. So death was certain.

Due to the condition, nobody came forward. But there were a few young men who came forward with the intention to rule the kingdom and enjoy the comforts of the palace atleast for a year.

But after being annointed as the new king, they found that they could not enjoy the luxuries of the palace at all. They lost their peace of mind and a fear lurked in their mind always that after a year, they will be feasted upon by the wild animals. So they lived in fear constantly counting their days to death. Thus two to three kings were appointed who after a year faced sure death.

But after some years, a young man came forward to be the new king. He was cheerful. All throughout his rule, he was cheerful. People were surprised with his demeanour and also started loving him infact. They did not see fear on his face at all. He was not afraid that after a year, he would be taken to the forest.

People were curious to know why he was so cheerful. After a year when his turn came to go to the forest, he was still cool. When asked to explain about his strange behaviour, he said, when he was appointed as the new king, the first thing he did was he cleared the forest of all animals and made a kingdom there with palaces and town. So now he was going to be the king of the new kingdom where his new ministers and people were waiting to welcome him. After hearing this, people were so impressed with his wisdom, they wanted him as the new king of both the kingdoms forever.

Thus, we too should not remain engrossed and satisfied with this experience as a human being in this world but we should prepare for the future. We should strive to follow the spiritual principles, to know and experience our own Self. Only the Self can give us ultimate True Joy.

Swami Vivekananda

2010-01-11T21:19:00.000-08:00

Today 12th January is Swami Vivekananda's birthday. It is also celebrated as Youth Day. I have been inspired by this great spiritual leader during my school and college days. A disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, his teachings are thought-provoking and inspires the youth to whom he addressed his teachings the most. He was a blend of Bhakthi and Gyan Yoga. May His teachings be a guide to all.