Gurucharanam Saranam
The Language of Secular Spirituality
Mukundan P.R.
From time immemorial man has drawn several pictures and symbols of the Divine on this universal canvass. For millennia the divine was associated with celestial beings, gods and goddesses – the Roman gods, the Greek gods, the Mayan gods or the Egyptian or Indian gods well known among others. As time passed by and the consciousness of man evolved, man erased many of his old pictures and drew new ones. From the beginning of this new era of Kaliyuga more than 5200 years back, it was the age of great spiritual upheavals. In India, the Seers of the Upanishads, Sri Krishna and Buddha and other sages represent this lineage of spiritual masters who took human consciousness to new heights of sublime spiritual contemplation while disassociating themselves from the prevalent ritualistic tradition.
In the West too, a chain of masters appeared like Abraham, Moses and John the Baptist, before the birth of Christianity and Islam. One can find parallel to all spiritual ideologies in the world in the ancient Indian culture as they are in fact the spin off from the disintegration of Sanatana Dharma. India was truly the forerunner in original spiritual thoughts. But sadly, India could not be benefited from its spiritual bounty.
If the case of India, the supposed torch bearer of spirituality is thus dismal, neither encouraging is the situation in other parts of the world. Even the teachings of Moses, Jesus Christ or Prophet Mohammed could not succeed bringing peace to mankind. In the West, the institution of family has been almost completely collapsed, spewing unrest and instability in social life, with the graph of crimes and health crises spiraling up. More dangerous is the impending peril of natural calamities arising out of man’s greed and blind exploitation of natural resources.
It is distressing to note that man has bombed the surface of moon recently disturbing its divine serenity. Man’s attempt to tamper with the planetary system using science and technology is a dangerous trend. Above all is the campaign of terror and inhuman violence let loose by the fanatic fringe in the name of jihad and other parochial or fundamentalist ideologies.
The canvass of the universe has been dirtied beyond reparation with the putrefying carcasses of a bygone past suffocating the march of mankind to progress and peace. The time has come to draw a fresh picture of Divinity and to have a dialogue on the human prospect. The birth of NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru (1927 – 1999) is in line with this Divine concern. The divine mission of Guru is beyond the confines of all religious dogma. When Guru settled at His Ashram in Pothencode erecting a small hut, He was inaugurating a new spiritual ideology, which links and relates the past with the present meaningfully, in continuation with a Divine Will in Nature, encompassing the whole humanity.
Santhigiri Ashram has today grown into a reputed spiritual institution with thousands of followers in India and abroad. The Ashram believes in an action oriented spiritual life and has several enterprises in the area of healthcare and education, especially for the rejuvenation of Indian systems of medicine. Many eminent leaders, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, UPA Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi, the then leader of opposition Sri L.K. Advani et al visited the Ashram and shared the vision of the Guru with Her Holiness Sishyapoojita Amrita Jnana Tapaswini, the present spiritual head of Santhigiri Ashram. Late Sri K.R. Narayanan, former President of India was greatly inspired by the Guru. He donated his ancestral property at Uzhavoor to Santhigiri Ashram for the establishment of a research institute for the promotion of Ayurveda and Siddha.
Today, the humble hut, the parnasala where Guru first made His abode, has been transformed into a giant lotus- shaped marble embellished structure, rare of its kind in the world, after a tireless work of ten years. On the eve of the dedication of the Parnasala to humanity on 12th September, 2010, Santhigiri Ashram, established by the Guru is organizing a Spiritual Congress, an all Religious Meet in which eminent spiritual leaders from all over India would participate.
It is only befitting to the great epochal Guru, who sacrificed His lifetime of 72 years for the peace and spiritual unification of mankind. Santhigiri Ashram is a spiritual abode, blessed with the revelations of the Divine and the present spiritual head of the Ashram, Her Holiness Sishyapoojita Amrita Jnana Tapaswini is the repository of those divine revelations, through whom the Guru still communicates revelatory visions for the building up a new world beginning from ones home and society, irrespective of caste, religious affiliations and other discriminations based on gender, class or color differences. Sishyapoojita said about the message of Guru:
‘The message of Guru’s life is beyond the confines of time and place. Guru, who is the perceiver of three-fold time, guides us remaining as the Radiance in the primordial plane of God’s creational contemplation, comprehending the nuances in the meaning of mankind’s liberation through His own life, knowing and making it known. Mankind should take up the mission of Guru as an austerity of guiding us to Satya Yuga (the golden era of truth), rectifying the disasters in the dharma of Kaliyuga as well as that across the ages through the action of disciples…..'
The teachings of NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru deal with varied fundamental spiritual concepts such as –
i) Sanatana Dharma and Experiential Spirituality
ii) Concept of Cosmic Evolution and Yuga Dharma
iii) Manus and Yuga Cycles
iv) Stages of Spiritual Evolution
v) Astral Pollution or Diabolic Spirit world
vi) The relation of spiritual practices with-
a. Genetic problems and diseases
b. Parental curses and family disorientation
c. Social degeneration
d. The causes of success and failure and other misfortunes in life
vii) Healing of Karmic diseases and Ancestral curses
viii) The role of woman in the family
ix) Marriage and family Life
x) Civilizing the progeny
These topics are in fact the language of Secular Spirituality propounded by NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru and will constitute the pivotal principles for a civilizational change.
A View of Santhigiri Ashram
Lotus Parnasala and Sahakarana Mandiram , Santhigiri Ashram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Monday, June 21, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
India - The Seat of Universal Spirituality
Guru Charanam Saranam
India- the Seat of Universal Spirituality
(From the Teachings of NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru)
‘The Manu Parampara is the means to impart the Law of the Supreme to the world. Therefore, the essence of all religions is inherent in this system. An alternative to this way cannot evolve easily in the world. India is a land of great wisdoms and great civilizations grown over vast periods of time. It should, therefore, strive to establish the perfect culture willed by the Almighty. Not only Christians or Muslims alone – all religions ought to heed this'.(NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru).
'The noble minded should give importance to ‘Sadhu Pooja’ – the worship of sages. Who is a Sadhu, or a Sanyasi? Is he a lowly beggar who has lost all hopes in life due to penury and lack of virtue or the one who is afflicted by incurable diseases owing to his vices and sin and, as a last resort, adorns the clothes of a Sanyasi? No, on the contrary, the seers are great souls who have sacrificed their life, body and mind for the cause of dharma. NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru said.
We should expect the fulfilling action only from such seers who would be venerated by the ensuing generation, not only in our land but all over the world. The purity of their heart symbolizes the weighing scale of dharma and adharma. They are the divine personification of sacrifice and austerity, Guru said.
Sanyasi and Jnani are in a position to tell the rulers how their regime should function at any given point of time. Such advice enables the rulers to ward off untoward and harmful developments. Jnanis are those who can see the past, present and future and give counsel to people. The universality and acceptability of Sanatana Dharma by all people in the world lies in this fact.
India has a rich and vast storehouse of knowledge gained through the observance of Yugadharma – the evolutionary concepts of the four-dimensional ages: Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali. But, the people of India have been unable to benefit from this for earning virtue or self-fulfillment for the soul.
NavajyothiSree Karunakara Guru said that, in the fragmentation that took place in spiritual practices (dharma) having diversified into Saiva, Saktheya and Vaishnava traditions, the glorious edifice of Sanatana Dharma propounded by the sages and rishis was lost to mankind. Nonetheless, India has an important responsibility to give leadership to the world because of its unique spiritual status from antiquity, Guru said.
Other paramparas (Guru Lineage) have not been able to go deep into spirituality as the Sanatana or perennial law of the Manvantara system. It is a matter of divine intervention. Such depth of spirituality as this is difficult to find elsewhere. And so is such extensive history and religious culture. Still more significantly, the responsibility of working for the remaining time-period of this Manu Parampara is vested in the dharma of the Hindus.
The Manu Parampara is the means to impart the Law of the Supreme to the world. Therefore, the essence of all religions is inherent in this system. An alternative to this way cannot evolve easily in the world. India is a land of great wisdoms and great civilizations grown over vast periods of time. It should, therefore, strive to establish the perfect culture willed by the Almighty. Not only Christians or Muslims alone – all religions ought to heed this.
Further, though each religion is essentially part of a totality, each has been separately ennobled by many great men from time to time with their self-sacrifice and effort which have given rise to different customs and traditions. Many such traditions are visible in Hinduism itself. It is doubtful if any other religion is enriched to this extent. In order to mould life in keeping with this Age – the Kali – theologians and all believers of various religions should assess this Kali and its composite culture, the samskara mentioned in the Gita. This is a process to be achieved by the present and future generations.
In the primordiality of bygone ages, exemplified through the concept of Manvantara, there occurred conceptual as well as practical errors in the Trimurthi tradition, which, according to NavajyothiSree Karunakara Guru, caused decadence in the dharmic structure of India. Narrow-minded religious practitioners uprooted the very pillars of Dharma for selfish-aggrandizement. It was due to our diminished virtue we have lost our heritage. Through the lack of virtue, we became slaves to other infiltrators…
The soul of India is ailing. NavajyothiSree Karunakara Guru beckons the present generation to realize the past follies and make amends. Though Guru criticized Brahmin orthodoxy for perpetuating caste system, at the same time He exhorted them to come in the forefront for initiating a civilizational change.
Guru says: “An opportune time has come for making an attempt at total reparation. It is best if the Brahmins themselves do it. There is also a reason for their attempt being the best. As far as India is concerned, all knowledge – the Vedas, Sastras, Upanishads and epics – has been handed down through the Brahmins.”
The soul of India is burdened with the bulk of its unenlightened and downtrodden – the Sudras, with their sweat, fatigue, sorrows and age-old miseries. Guru informs us that the spiritual and materialistic elevation of the ‘Sudra’ is destined to be actualized in this age. But, how can they realize this goal? For its realization, they require the guidance of an omniscient Seer, who could show them the right path of liberation and spiritual enlightenment.
Mukundan P.R.
India- the Seat of Universal Spirituality
(From the Teachings of NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru)
‘The Manu Parampara is the means to impart the Law of the Supreme to the world. Therefore, the essence of all religions is inherent in this system. An alternative to this way cannot evolve easily in the world. India is a land of great wisdoms and great civilizations grown over vast periods of time. It should, therefore, strive to establish the perfect culture willed by the Almighty. Not only Christians or Muslims alone – all religions ought to heed this'.(NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru).
'The noble minded should give importance to ‘Sadhu Pooja’ – the worship of sages. Who is a Sadhu, or a Sanyasi? Is he a lowly beggar who has lost all hopes in life due to penury and lack of virtue or the one who is afflicted by incurable diseases owing to his vices and sin and, as a last resort, adorns the clothes of a Sanyasi? No, on the contrary, the seers are great souls who have sacrificed their life, body and mind for the cause of dharma. NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru said.
We should expect the fulfilling action only from such seers who would be venerated by the ensuing generation, not only in our land but all over the world. The purity of their heart symbolizes the weighing scale of dharma and adharma. They are the divine personification of sacrifice and austerity, Guru said.
Sanyasi and Jnani are in a position to tell the rulers how their regime should function at any given point of time. Such advice enables the rulers to ward off untoward and harmful developments. Jnanis are those who can see the past, present and future and give counsel to people. The universality and acceptability of Sanatana Dharma by all people in the world lies in this fact.
India has a rich and vast storehouse of knowledge gained through the observance of Yugadharma – the evolutionary concepts of the four-dimensional ages: Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali. But, the people of India have been unable to benefit from this for earning virtue or self-fulfillment for the soul.
NavajyothiSree Karunakara Guru said that, in the fragmentation that took place in spiritual practices (dharma) having diversified into Saiva, Saktheya and Vaishnava traditions, the glorious edifice of Sanatana Dharma propounded by the sages and rishis was lost to mankind. Nonetheless, India has an important responsibility to give leadership to the world because of its unique spiritual status from antiquity, Guru said.
Other paramparas (Guru Lineage) have not been able to go deep into spirituality as the Sanatana or perennial law of the Manvantara system. It is a matter of divine intervention. Such depth of spirituality as this is difficult to find elsewhere. And so is such extensive history and religious culture. Still more significantly, the responsibility of working for the remaining time-period of this Manu Parampara is vested in the dharma of the Hindus.
The Manu Parampara is the means to impart the Law of the Supreme to the world. Therefore, the essence of all religions is inherent in this system. An alternative to this way cannot evolve easily in the world. India is a land of great wisdoms and great civilizations grown over vast periods of time. It should, therefore, strive to establish the perfect culture willed by the Almighty. Not only Christians or Muslims alone – all religions ought to heed this.
Further, though each religion is essentially part of a totality, each has been separately ennobled by many great men from time to time with their self-sacrifice and effort which have given rise to different customs and traditions. Many such traditions are visible in Hinduism itself. It is doubtful if any other religion is enriched to this extent. In order to mould life in keeping with this Age – the Kali – theologians and all believers of various religions should assess this Kali and its composite culture, the samskara mentioned in the Gita. This is a process to be achieved by the present and future generations.
In the primordiality of bygone ages, exemplified through the concept of Manvantara, there occurred conceptual as well as practical errors in the Trimurthi tradition, which, according to NavajyothiSree Karunakara Guru, caused decadence in the dharmic structure of India. Narrow-minded religious practitioners uprooted the very pillars of Dharma for selfish-aggrandizement. It was due to our diminished virtue we have lost our heritage. Through the lack of virtue, we became slaves to other infiltrators…
The soul of India is ailing. NavajyothiSree Karunakara Guru beckons the present generation to realize the past follies and make amends. Though Guru criticized Brahmin orthodoxy for perpetuating caste system, at the same time He exhorted them to come in the forefront for initiating a civilizational change.
Guru says: “An opportune time has come for making an attempt at total reparation. It is best if the Brahmins themselves do it. There is also a reason for their attempt being the best. As far as India is concerned, all knowledge – the Vedas, Sastras, Upanishads and epics – has been handed down through the Brahmins.”
The soul of India is burdened with the bulk of its unenlightened and downtrodden – the Sudras, with their sweat, fatigue, sorrows and age-old miseries. Guru informs us that the spiritual and materialistic elevation of the ‘Sudra’ is destined to be actualized in this age. But, how can they realize this goal? For its realization, they require the guidance of an omniscient Seer, who could show them the right path of liberation and spiritual enlightenment.
Mukundan P.R.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Clairvoyance - Its Dimensions in Hinduism
Gurucharanam Saranam
Clairvoyance – Its Dimensions in Hinduism
The human being is the depository of eternal wisdom. Spiritually highly evolved Rishies in ancient India had developed the faculty of clairvoyance (darsan). The stream of knowledge that came out of them is known as Self-knowledge – Atma jnanam. Atmajnanis means those who realized the Ultimate Truth or the knowledge of the Self..This spiritual tradition of self-knowledge is known as ‘Aarsha Bhaaratha Samskaara’or Sanatana Dharma. The origin of this spiritual legacy has been traced back to Manu, the first Archetypal Guru and his spiritual lineage. The Manus are the first projection of the impersonal God and the creators of solar system/s .The Gurus appearing in the lineage of Manu impart dharma to humanity according to the requirement of each Age or Yuga. But in course of time this spiritual path has disappeared which had its negative repercussions in the life of man .This lost spiritual path has been restored by Navjyothisree Karunakara Guru by perfecting and gifting to humanity a new spiritual path for its spiritual evolution.
With regard to spiritual visions, Guru taught that the source of clairvoyance (vision) differs.Spiritual visions may originate from various astral powers - bhoothas (ghosts), pitrus (ancestral souls), devi-devas (angelical beings), rishis, sages, sanyasis etc.Most of the spiritual seekers get stuck in these intermediary astral worlds. The ultimate source of vision is The Supreme Light of God. A Guru who has realized the Supreme Light of God alone could know the source of spiritual visions that a truth seeker might experience. Knowledge of the entire creation, dharma, karma, as well as the errors and their correction etc.are known through spiritual vision. Knowledge about all astral matters, diseases and its cure and even awareness about the past, present and future time can be known through spiritual visions. Such a Guru tradition with the power of spiritual visions can help us in our spiritual growth in this age of spiritual transition..
After Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru merged with the Supreme Light of God in the year 1999, it is Sishyapoojita Amrita Jnana Tapaswini who mediates between Guru and the followers through the power of clairvoyance.
Mukundan P.R.
Clairvoyance – Its Dimensions in Hinduism
The human being is the depository of eternal wisdom. Spiritually highly evolved Rishies in ancient India had developed the faculty of clairvoyance (darsan). The stream of knowledge that came out of them is known as Self-knowledge – Atma jnanam. Atmajnanis means those who realized the Ultimate Truth or the knowledge of the Self..This spiritual tradition of self-knowledge is known as ‘Aarsha Bhaaratha Samskaara’or Sanatana Dharma. The origin of this spiritual legacy has been traced back to Manu, the first Archetypal Guru and his spiritual lineage. The Manus are the first projection of the impersonal God and the creators of solar system/s .The Gurus appearing in the lineage of Manu impart dharma to humanity according to the requirement of each Age or Yuga. But in course of time this spiritual path has disappeared which had its negative repercussions in the life of man .This lost spiritual path has been restored by Navjyothisree Karunakara Guru by perfecting and gifting to humanity a new spiritual path for its spiritual evolution.
With regard to spiritual visions, Guru taught that the source of clairvoyance (vision) differs.Spiritual visions may originate from various astral powers - bhoothas (ghosts), pitrus (ancestral souls), devi-devas (angelical beings), rishis, sages, sanyasis etc.Most of the spiritual seekers get stuck in these intermediary astral worlds. The ultimate source of vision is The Supreme Light of God. A Guru who has realized the Supreme Light of God alone could know the source of spiritual visions that a truth seeker might experience. Knowledge of the entire creation, dharma, karma, as well as the errors and their correction etc.are known through spiritual vision. Knowledge about all astral matters, diseases and its cure and even awareness about the past, present and future time can be known through spiritual visions. Such a Guru tradition with the power of spiritual visions can help us in our spiritual growth in this age of spiritual transition..
After Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru merged with the Supreme Light of God in the year 1999, it is Sishyapoojita Amrita Jnana Tapaswini who mediates between Guru and the followers through the power of clairvoyance.
Mukundan P.R.
Monday, June 14, 2010
The Forgotten Fundamentals of Sanatana Dharma
Gurucharanam Saranam
The forgotten fundamentals of Sanatana Dharma
Religious practices among the people living in different social settings present the spectacle of myriad paths in the worship of God. The confusion that arises in a seeker in seeing the complexity in religious practices can be resolved only by a fully realized Guru who should show at the experiential level the truth and untruth engrained in different methods of worship. Notably different from other spiritual philosophies, ancient Indian spiritual science has presented insightful accounts about the means through which the Supreme should be worshipped in accordance with Yuga dharma (ethical code of the age) intended to be the basis of human deeds in each age. It is the Manu tradition of Indian spirituality that constitutes the basis of the Rishi culture (Aarsha Bhaarath Samskaara) which provided humanity a time reckoning, knowledge and worship pattern of the Supreme in accordance with the dharma of a Yuga.
As per the realizations of the sages, each of the four Yugas in a Chaturyuga has an ordained Dharma to be followed. This is relevant over the entire solar system within which this Creation has taken place. Nature changes with every yuga. The connection between the different dimensions also changes. Along with this, subtle perceptional changes too occur in the soul of man. The Yuga Dharma determines the limits up to which the souls can evolve.
As per this, in the Satya Yuga, the soul lives quite absorbed in Brahman – The Absolute. In the second and third Yugas (Treta and Dwapara) a gradual extroversion takes place in the soul necessitating spiritual discipline and external mediums. In this period, the deva-devis, the high celestial evolutes of the last Chaturyuga, who however had not attained liberation (mukti) become the deemed authorities of spiritual intercession. They can accept prayers, reveal visionary knowledge, scriptures, advices, mantras and generally lead the souls as per the will of Brahman. But they can lead the souls up to their avasta or spiritual stage. Some people may evolve beyond the celestials up to the position of Rishi or sages in Rishi Loka. Then comes the Kali Yuga. Nature changes; subtle perceptive changes occur in the souls too. In this age attainment of highest spiritual transformation, realizations, leading up to salvation- mukti become possible.
In the Dharma of Kali Yuga everything becomes Supreme oriented. The Guru must be Parabrahma Guru – the Supreme Guru. The Mantra initiation, prayer, meditation and all else must be to the Supreme. In the scriptures the Jnana portion becomes relevant. Only visions (darsan), revelations (asariri) emanating from the Supreme must be accepted. The auspicious souls of the previous two Yugas - the devi- devas, rishis, and others will take birth in the purified families, gotras, which have got into the path of the Supreme Guru. They along with us will then continue in the efforts to attain salvation. Though the essence of a great truth is indicated in these ways, its logic must be worked out to its fullest in all spheres of life and after-life. The civilization must become Jnana oriented. In every Yuga, the Yuga Dharma will be taught and revealed by great souls who are born in that Yuga.
In our world the Kali Yuga Dharma was first preached by Sri Krishna to Arjuna. He taught Arjuna the jnana yoga, karma yoga and bhakti yoga. He also told Arjuna the dangers in the lower forms of worship and said that Arjuna must repose his faith in Him only. Foreseeing what Krishna was going to preach, His very birth was opposed by the diabolic forces and their earthy devotees (e.g. Kamsa).
During His life the traditionalists opposed Him at every turn as a Sudra, as a dark person (non-Aryan), as an immoral person and as opposing their deity worships etc. But many respected his teachings as truth and accepted Him as Paramatma. Six Hundred years after His life the traditionalist did what they were always good at. They accepted these teachings but infused it with the traditional lore and practices. Krishna, the Yuga Acharya became one of the gods of the Hindu pantheon. This is a good example of a truth preached, becoming a part of religion.
Then came Sri Buddha, Sankara, Prophet Muhammad, Christ and innumerable others. We have been told that 2444 Acharyas came into this world in this Kali yuga alone to preach the Dharma of Kali. They had limited success. In India today other than isolated traditions, the bulk of religiosity is traditional fused with some of the teachings of these Acharyas. We must go to the jnana path – the path of knowledge. Otherwise we cannot progress materially and spiritually in right direction so as to resolve the manifold sufferings that we face today.
In the West the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and Christ was able to lead
people away from the then existing Roman, Greek and other isolated religious, spiritual traditions to the path of saints or Rishi marga. But they had not attained the jnana path or mukta avastas (stage of liberation). As such the intellectual pure sciences that grew in the West completely refuted the religions there. The scientific search confined itself to empirical, confirmable matters only. The perceivable world was studied. The agent perceiving through the body was outside such a purview. This agent was the soul. Though the body is created and dissolves at death, this is only ‘hardware’. It by itself is meaningless. We can chemicalize and atomize it into nothingness. We will not discover anything. There is a soul, the software which is coming and going in life and death. This software is an accumulation of the Karmagathy (karmic propensities) of lakhs of births and deaths. The knowledge about the soul, its existences in the various dimensions, the inherent, inalterable laws by which it earns good and badness and evolves higher are the ‘soul knowledge’ (atmajnana).
Mukundan
The forgotten fundamentals of Sanatana Dharma
Religious practices among the people living in different social settings present the spectacle of myriad paths in the worship of God. The confusion that arises in a seeker in seeing the complexity in religious practices can be resolved only by a fully realized Guru who should show at the experiential level the truth and untruth engrained in different methods of worship. Notably different from other spiritual philosophies, ancient Indian spiritual science has presented insightful accounts about the means through which the Supreme should be worshipped in accordance with Yuga dharma (ethical code of the age) intended to be the basis of human deeds in each age. It is the Manu tradition of Indian spirituality that constitutes the basis of the Rishi culture (Aarsha Bhaarath Samskaara) which provided humanity a time reckoning, knowledge and worship pattern of the Supreme in accordance with the dharma of a Yuga.
As per the realizations of the sages, each of the four Yugas in a Chaturyuga has an ordained Dharma to be followed. This is relevant over the entire solar system within which this Creation has taken place. Nature changes with every yuga. The connection between the different dimensions also changes. Along with this, subtle perceptional changes too occur in the soul of man. The Yuga Dharma determines the limits up to which the souls can evolve.
As per this, in the Satya Yuga, the soul lives quite absorbed in Brahman – The Absolute. In the second and third Yugas (Treta and Dwapara) a gradual extroversion takes place in the soul necessitating spiritual discipline and external mediums. In this period, the deva-devis, the high celestial evolutes of the last Chaturyuga, who however had not attained liberation (mukti) become the deemed authorities of spiritual intercession. They can accept prayers, reveal visionary knowledge, scriptures, advices, mantras and generally lead the souls as per the will of Brahman. But they can lead the souls up to their avasta or spiritual stage. Some people may evolve beyond the celestials up to the position of Rishi or sages in Rishi Loka. Then comes the Kali Yuga. Nature changes; subtle perceptive changes occur in the souls too. In this age attainment of highest spiritual transformation, realizations, leading up to salvation- mukti become possible.
In the Dharma of Kali Yuga everything becomes Supreme oriented. The Guru must be Parabrahma Guru – the Supreme Guru. The Mantra initiation, prayer, meditation and all else must be to the Supreme. In the scriptures the Jnana portion becomes relevant. Only visions (darsan), revelations (asariri) emanating from the Supreme must be accepted. The auspicious souls of the previous two Yugas - the devi- devas, rishis, and others will take birth in the purified families, gotras, which have got into the path of the Supreme Guru. They along with us will then continue in the efforts to attain salvation. Though the essence of a great truth is indicated in these ways, its logic must be worked out to its fullest in all spheres of life and after-life. The civilization must become Jnana oriented. In every Yuga, the Yuga Dharma will be taught and revealed by great souls who are born in that Yuga.
In our world the Kali Yuga Dharma was first preached by Sri Krishna to Arjuna. He taught Arjuna the jnana yoga, karma yoga and bhakti yoga. He also told Arjuna the dangers in the lower forms of worship and said that Arjuna must repose his faith in Him only. Foreseeing what Krishna was going to preach, His very birth was opposed by the diabolic forces and their earthy devotees (e.g. Kamsa).
During His life the traditionalists opposed Him at every turn as a Sudra, as a dark person (non-Aryan), as an immoral person and as opposing their deity worships etc. But many respected his teachings as truth and accepted Him as Paramatma. Six Hundred years after His life the traditionalist did what they were always good at. They accepted these teachings but infused it with the traditional lore and practices. Krishna, the Yuga Acharya became one of the gods of the Hindu pantheon. This is a good example of a truth preached, becoming a part of religion.
Then came Sri Buddha, Sankara, Prophet Muhammad, Christ and innumerable others. We have been told that 2444 Acharyas came into this world in this Kali yuga alone to preach the Dharma of Kali. They had limited success. In India today other than isolated traditions, the bulk of religiosity is traditional fused with some of the teachings of these Acharyas. We must go to the jnana path – the path of knowledge. Otherwise we cannot progress materially and spiritually in right direction so as to resolve the manifold sufferings that we face today.
In the West the teachings of Prophet Muhammad and Christ was able to lead
people away from the then existing Roman, Greek and other isolated religious, spiritual traditions to the path of saints or Rishi marga. But they had not attained the jnana path or mukta avastas (stage of liberation). As such the intellectual pure sciences that grew in the West completely refuted the religions there. The scientific search confined itself to empirical, confirmable matters only. The perceivable world was studied. The agent perceiving through the body was outside such a purview. This agent was the soul. Though the body is created and dissolves at death, this is only ‘hardware’. It by itself is meaningless. We can chemicalize and atomize it into nothingness. We will not discover anything. There is a soul, the software which is coming and going in life and death. This software is an accumulation of the Karmagathy (karmic propensities) of lakhs of births and deaths. The knowledge about the soul, its existences in the various dimensions, the inherent, inalterable laws by which it earns good and badness and evolves higher are the ‘soul knowledge’ (atmajnana).
Mukundan
Sunday, June 13, 2010
O.V. Vijayan on Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru
Revelatory Religion in Historical Perspective
O.V. Vijayan
Revelation is like a constant rain that saturates the knowing of man, yet many reject it, dulled as they are by gross pursuits. The Guru intercedes and sensitizes him to the perennial rain.
Even this intercession is fraught with danger. Systems arise from it, exclusion, and the eventual denial of the perennial totality. Mohammed had said:
When you meet the people of the Book (Jews) and the Christians, tell them that the God you worship- is the same one as theirs.
Even the Guru is put to test, test exceedingly harsh and he also responds with exceedingly harsh truth. A Gentile woman sought the aid of Christ who responded: ‘My mission is to the children, not the dogs”. She replied: “Lord, the dogs eat what the children discard. Grant me but that’. Full of joy, the Redeemer said, ‘Woman, your faith has made you whole’.
The early Christians limited their apostolic mission to the Jews, until Pauline Christianity made the apostolic concern universal.
A Guru by historical accident, functions within inherited traditions and images. But his message eventually transcends these and fulfils itself as Revelation.
Human societies have tended to reject the mystical because it is strenuous and perilous, and without the guidance of a preceptor fraught with demonic perception. In the Christian tradition as elsewhere the mystics have been preserved as saints, as cult figures, the dispensers of miracles while the perenniality of the mystical itself has been rejected by the ordinary worshipper. Even so the mystical keeps company with man all the time and it merely takes a look around the shoulder to discover it.
A Glimpse on the Core Teachings of Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru
Karunakara Guru is a Teacher in the absolute sense of the term, in the tradition of revelations and prophecies, and the acceptance of this in a civilization overwhelmed by chemical and mechanical cleverness is perhaps the initial hurdle before the reader. If one accepts the Supreme, its immanence in our midst becomes familiar reality. In his life and mission Karunakara Guru exemplifies this familiarity; he does not speak a language of theology, or at least keeps it to the minimum and discourses on practical paradigms.
Santhigiri Ashram he has set up near Trivandrum has no doubt a core of renunciates and seers, but is sustained by a large number of resident householders. They are the task force of the Guru and he expects them to cleanse themselves through right action and right thought and become vehicles for a purer progeny in which will be born the evolutes of the future. The Ashram’s mission is predicated on the certitude of such births as the revealed Will of the Absolute.
Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru is no island in the flux of prophecy and Revelation. There have been Teachers earlier who said much the same thing, but perhaps not with such immediacy and fullness. The purpose of creation is the elevation of all creatures through tortuous stages to the realization of the Absolute which is the Supreme Light. The ancient Indian called it the Brahman. In other ethnic bowls the same has been known as Allah, the Holy Spirit and so on.
The simplicity of man’s communication with the Supreme Light was lost by the very process of historical duration. Evolution has left us with different orders of beings, from the visible and gross creatures to tiers of astral entities. These represent stages with all the impermanence, and passing, that we witness in the biological world. The Supreme Light alone endures.
The intermediacy of revelation has caused the limitation of human vision and its confinement to these different stages. Thus the cosmic gods, which the Hindus call the Trimurti and the devas have been mistaken for the Supreme - an instance of arrested vision.
All religions, to a lesser or greater degree, have thus been seduced but in the case of Indian religion - Hinduism if we might use a convenient term - the investiture of the cosmic gods has been widespread and spiritually retrograde. By mistaking the Trimurti and the devas for Brahman, and their revelation with the Revelation of the Brahman, Hindu society has put limits on its spiritual growth.
This spiritual retardation in turn has led to widespread societal distortions. It is the bane of social sciences to keep the mind out, certainly the spirit out, and embark on analysis with purely secular historical tools. Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru does not repudiate these tools, but tries unobtrusively, and in the language of the wood hewer and the earth-tiller, to link these tools with tools of the supreme consciousness.
The cosmic beings namely the Trimurti and the devas are rejected as objects of ultimate worship by the Guru but he does not deny their veracity or the spiritual eminence they have achieved. Theirs is a splendorous astral world, and if the worldly human is overawed by it, it is understandable. Their eminence too is sanctified by the Supreme as a necessary stage in astral evolution. But they are not the Supreme and the path of the jeeva or the soul is not to end in them, or at their stage of astral evolution. If worship leads to such a destination, it will fall short of the realm of Truth.
These are the spiritual pitfalls in the practice of religion. The splendorous deva is mistaken for a manifestation of godhead, and the epiphany for the exercise of God-energy. In fact God does not manifest Himself in Trinity; the Absolute God in the Trimurti will be a contradiction in terms. Creation, Sustenance and Destruction are not separately structured processes, but coexistent aspects of the same evolutionary process. It is almost mechanical to designate these as separate tasks to separate gods.
The idea of the Supreme Godhead manifesting itself as avtars has caused havoc in the Indian’s response to Brahman. We have the reality of designated World Teachers, some of whom were spiritually higher than the Trimurti.
An example is Krishna. He has been degraded by the ritualists into an avatar of Vishnu, one of the Trimurti. Krishna was a human Guru, sent to relate humanity to the Brahman. Incidentally, if we go by the lore of Krishna, we find him exhibiting the miracles of the devas but all the while going beyond them, and prophetically proclaiming the path of the Teacher-the path of the Brahman.
Many such Teachers have been sent to many ethnic communities and regions, some of the most significant in recent history being Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed and Sankara. One says recent history because there is a calendar infinitely vaster, awesomely so, than the historical one. This is the Manu Calendar, made up of age quartets, the chaturyugas, and quarter clusters, the manvantaras.
Many manvantaras make a kalpa. The modem man with is limited historicity, will find this hard to accept, but such is the mindboggling trajectory of the jeeva, the soul.
The Gurus are human who have been given visions of these spans of Time, and the relative stature of each Guru varies with the extent of revelation he has received. Very often it will not be possible for a guru to receive it all in one life time. So he repeats his life or stays content to remain in whatever stage of spiritual evolution he has arrived at. However some gurus, by the grace of the Supreme, are able to take in their visions in relatively short spells of time. Thus we have a hierarchy of gurus, which is really a hierarchy of the Absolute’s instruments.
According to Revelation a major error occurred in the Guru tradition. This was in the third age quarter of the present manavantara and in the Manu-lineage. This recoiled on the Manu-lineage, and its, memory ceased to be alive.
From the seventh through to the eleventh quarter the Supreme evolved the cosmic gods to rectify this error. However, lulled by the adoration they received from the humans these cosmic gods perpetuated that worship and failed the Supreme.
The last five thousands years were the ongoing Kali, the concluding age of the quartet. It is during Kali that the karmas of the quartet are resolved and hence the Absolute enriches it with prophecy and redemption. A fresh attempt has been made in this Kali, starting with the advent of Krishna and following through the prophets worldwide, to redeem the Error of the Manu-line.
All this is precarious as secular history. But the Santhigiri Ashram and its Guru have borne testament in numerous experiential cameos to which we can only invite the reader’s attention by first stimulating his primary receptivity. To those who might think it absurd, we would only request to take a humbler look at the absurdities our present civilization is founded on: chemicalization, pollution, genetic distortion, environmental degradation and the constant possibility of the nuclear holocaust.
(Quoted from the Introduction by Sri O.V. Vijayan to the book 'A Dialogue on Human Prospect' of Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru, Santhigiri Publications)
(Late Sri Padmabhushan O.V. Vijayan is a well known writer, novelist and cartoonist. He won several literary awards including Kendra Sahitya Academy Award)
O.V. Vijayan
Revelation is like a constant rain that saturates the knowing of man, yet many reject it, dulled as they are by gross pursuits. The Guru intercedes and sensitizes him to the perennial rain.
Even this intercession is fraught with danger. Systems arise from it, exclusion, and the eventual denial of the perennial totality. Mohammed had said:
When you meet the people of the Book (Jews) and the Christians, tell them that the God you worship- is the same one as theirs.
Even the Guru is put to test, test exceedingly harsh and he also responds with exceedingly harsh truth. A Gentile woman sought the aid of Christ who responded: ‘My mission is to the children, not the dogs”. She replied: “Lord, the dogs eat what the children discard. Grant me but that’. Full of joy, the Redeemer said, ‘Woman, your faith has made you whole’.
The early Christians limited their apostolic mission to the Jews, until Pauline Christianity made the apostolic concern universal.
A Guru by historical accident, functions within inherited traditions and images. But his message eventually transcends these and fulfils itself as Revelation.
Human societies have tended to reject the mystical because it is strenuous and perilous, and without the guidance of a preceptor fraught with demonic perception. In the Christian tradition as elsewhere the mystics have been preserved as saints, as cult figures, the dispensers of miracles while the perenniality of the mystical itself has been rejected by the ordinary worshipper. Even so the mystical keeps company with man all the time and it merely takes a look around the shoulder to discover it.
A Glimpse on the Core Teachings of Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru
Karunakara Guru is a Teacher in the absolute sense of the term, in the tradition of revelations and prophecies, and the acceptance of this in a civilization overwhelmed by chemical and mechanical cleverness is perhaps the initial hurdle before the reader. If one accepts the Supreme, its immanence in our midst becomes familiar reality. In his life and mission Karunakara Guru exemplifies this familiarity; he does not speak a language of theology, or at least keeps it to the minimum and discourses on practical paradigms.
Santhigiri Ashram he has set up near Trivandrum has no doubt a core of renunciates and seers, but is sustained by a large number of resident householders. They are the task force of the Guru and he expects them to cleanse themselves through right action and right thought and become vehicles for a purer progeny in which will be born the evolutes of the future. The Ashram’s mission is predicated on the certitude of such births as the revealed Will of the Absolute.
Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru is no island in the flux of prophecy and Revelation. There have been Teachers earlier who said much the same thing, but perhaps not with such immediacy and fullness. The purpose of creation is the elevation of all creatures through tortuous stages to the realization of the Absolute which is the Supreme Light. The ancient Indian called it the Brahman. In other ethnic bowls the same has been known as Allah, the Holy Spirit and so on.
The simplicity of man’s communication with the Supreme Light was lost by the very process of historical duration. Evolution has left us with different orders of beings, from the visible and gross creatures to tiers of astral entities. These represent stages with all the impermanence, and passing, that we witness in the biological world. The Supreme Light alone endures.
The intermediacy of revelation has caused the limitation of human vision and its confinement to these different stages. Thus the cosmic gods, which the Hindus call the Trimurti and the devas have been mistaken for the Supreme - an instance of arrested vision.
All religions, to a lesser or greater degree, have thus been seduced but in the case of Indian religion - Hinduism if we might use a convenient term - the investiture of the cosmic gods has been widespread and spiritually retrograde. By mistaking the Trimurti and the devas for Brahman, and their revelation with the Revelation of the Brahman, Hindu society has put limits on its spiritual growth.
This spiritual retardation in turn has led to widespread societal distortions. It is the bane of social sciences to keep the mind out, certainly the spirit out, and embark on analysis with purely secular historical tools. Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru does not repudiate these tools, but tries unobtrusively, and in the language of the wood hewer and the earth-tiller, to link these tools with tools of the supreme consciousness.
The cosmic beings namely the Trimurti and the devas are rejected as objects of ultimate worship by the Guru but he does not deny their veracity or the spiritual eminence they have achieved. Theirs is a splendorous astral world, and if the worldly human is overawed by it, it is understandable. Their eminence too is sanctified by the Supreme as a necessary stage in astral evolution. But they are not the Supreme and the path of the jeeva or the soul is not to end in them, or at their stage of astral evolution. If worship leads to such a destination, it will fall short of the realm of Truth.
These are the spiritual pitfalls in the practice of religion. The splendorous deva is mistaken for a manifestation of godhead, and the epiphany for the exercise of God-energy. In fact God does not manifest Himself in Trinity; the Absolute God in the Trimurti will be a contradiction in terms. Creation, Sustenance and Destruction are not separately structured processes, but coexistent aspects of the same evolutionary process. It is almost mechanical to designate these as separate tasks to separate gods.
The idea of the Supreme Godhead manifesting itself as avtars has caused havoc in the Indian’s response to Brahman. We have the reality of designated World Teachers, some of whom were spiritually higher than the Trimurti.
An example is Krishna. He has been degraded by the ritualists into an avatar of Vishnu, one of the Trimurti. Krishna was a human Guru, sent to relate humanity to the Brahman. Incidentally, if we go by the lore of Krishna, we find him exhibiting the miracles of the devas but all the while going beyond them, and prophetically proclaiming the path of the Teacher-the path of the Brahman.
Many such Teachers have been sent to many ethnic communities and regions, some of the most significant in recent history being Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed and Sankara. One says recent history because there is a calendar infinitely vaster, awesomely so, than the historical one. This is the Manu Calendar, made up of age quartets, the chaturyugas, and quarter clusters, the manvantaras.
Many manvantaras make a kalpa. The modem man with is limited historicity, will find this hard to accept, but such is the mindboggling trajectory of the jeeva, the soul.
The Gurus are human who have been given visions of these spans of Time, and the relative stature of each Guru varies with the extent of revelation he has received. Very often it will not be possible for a guru to receive it all in one life time. So he repeats his life or stays content to remain in whatever stage of spiritual evolution he has arrived at. However some gurus, by the grace of the Supreme, are able to take in their visions in relatively short spells of time. Thus we have a hierarchy of gurus, which is really a hierarchy of the Absolute’s instruments.
According to Revelation a major error occurred in the Guru tradition. This was in the third age quarter of the present manavantara and in the Manu-lineage. This recoiled on the Manu-lineage, and its, memory ceased to be alive.
From the seventh through to the eleventh quarter the Supreme evolved the cosmic gods to rectify this error. However, lulled by the adoration they received from the humans these cosmic gods perpetuated that worship and failed the Supreme.
The last five thousands years were the ongoing Kali, the concluding age of the quartet. It is during Kali that the karmas of the quartet are resolved and hence the Absolute enriches it with prophecy and redemption. A fresh attempt has been made in this Kali, starting with the advent of Krishna and following through the prophets worldwide, to redeem the Error of the Manu-line.
All this is precarious as secular history. But the Santhigiri Ashram and its Guru have borne testament in numerous experiential cameos to which we can only invite the reader’s attention by first stimulating his primary receptivity. To those who might think it absurd, we would only request to take a humbler look at the absurdities our present civilization is founded on: chemicalization, pollution, genetic distortion, environmental degradation and the constant possibility of the nuclear holocaust.
(Quoted from the Introduction by Sri O.V. Vijayan to the book 'A Dialogue on Human Prospect' of Navajyotisree Karunakara Guru, Santhigiri Publications)
(Late Sri Padmabhushan O.V. Vijayan is a well known writer, novelist and cartoonist. He won several literary awards including Kendra Sahitya Academy Award)
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Spiritual Experience - Sri P.D. Pradeep
Gurucharanam Saranam
Santhigiri Ashram: A Labour of Love
P. D. Pradeep, Idukki
Great souls go through difficulties so that everyone should realize about God’s love. Guru wanted everyone to have a mind to work hard and face difficulties for the prosperity of the world. Guru insisted that everyone live for others and work hard for others. Everyone should give importance to the welfare of others. By doing so we are serving God and earning merit. We should lead a life without jealousy; have a pure heart and an open mind. Guru planted the seeds of goodness and these are now flourishing in Santhigiri Ashram.
I was 14 years when I first came to Guru. I have understood from Guru’s life that when one stands for the Truth and tries to actualise it in one’s life, a lot of hardships have to be faced. I have experienced Guru’s love and compassion. I have heard Guru’s advice, suggestions and arguments and received his punishments. I have also seen and understood Guru’s patience, perseverance, tolerance, divine will, will power, generosity and determination. I have seen his ability to withstand any crisis as strong and stable as a mountain. The love, concern, compassion, sincerity and knowledge that Guru gave to the world, is a known truth and an inspiration for every person’s life and growth. Guru’s words have influenced and brought changes to their lives. Those who have listened to Guru’s advice have been ashore. Those who disobeyed and went against his way have had their own difficulties. The proof of this fact lies in our lives.
Guru gave us love, respect and goodness so that we have a better life. Our goodness and the world’s prosperity were his aims and he worked for them. He wished goodness for all those who came before him and whoever he had seen. Guru made them realize the deficiency in their soul and their mistakes through his good deeds and not through scholarly books like the Vedas or Puranas or through stories. Guru showed the deficit in our soul, behaviour and knowledge and he did this by being an open book and sharing his personal experiences. Guru didn’t have anything to hide from us. Guru lived as one amongst us. Guru laughed, had food, and did his duties, with us. He enjoyed our fancies but also scolded us if we ever crossed any limit. Guru loved us more than our parents, family and friends. In fact, he immersed us in his never ending love and became a permanent idol of love in our hearts. Our bond with Guru, and his with us, became inseparable.
It did hurt Guru when we made mistakes. Guru got upset when we lied, became uncomfortable when we disobeyed. Our sorrows became his sorrows, and our happiness was his happiness. Guru did not have any happiness or sorrow different from ours. In fact, we ourselves were his happiness and sadness. When our ingrained traits come to the fore, Guru rectifies them. If we do not get corrected, Guru gets hurt. This has happened more than once in my case itself, though it was never deliberate. I felt an unexplainable love and affection towards Guru. I lived in a very rough and rustic manner. I was born and brought up in a high range place known as Thannypaara, in Idukki, about ten kilometers south of Kallaar and closer to Tamil Nadu. I worked hard, ate, cut wood and sold ash (made out of burnt wood) to Tamil Nadu and earned money.
My mother had an illness. Her nose used to bleed all the time. We did treatment and conjurations but nothing changed the situation. One day, my grandfather (known to everyone in the Ashram as Bhanu uncle) brought Guru, who had come to Kallaar, to our house. At that time, we lived in a grass thatched hut. Guru got down at Kambham and walked about 20 km down the hill to come to our house. Other than my grandfather, Suma (now Sathwika Janani) and Babu Swami (who used to be with Guru before) came along with Guru. By the time Guru reached our house, he was tired. Guru had tapioca curry and black tea, made by my mother. When Guru heard about my mother’s illness, he said, “I can’t do much about it right now. I will call later. It’s the sin of the land that you live in.” While Guru was sitting on the porch he had seen my mother washing the vessels. Guru corrected her and advised her to wash them a bit aside. We only had that much knowledge and manners at that time. I was studying in third or fourth standard then.
Later, mother and I went to meet Guru at Kallaar. My father did not come with us because he did not approve of Guru. Later on, my father accepted Guru and became a good devotee. Guru was at the house of my uncle Vijayadas. Even though it was a small house with little comforts, it never mattered to Guru. Guru’s will power, perseverance and readiness to face hardships were that strong. I came to know that Guru often stayed with them. He received us and other children with utmost love and affection. He filled our hands with fruits and sweets. We used to be enthusiastic to get sweets and hence we visited Guru often with our parents. Since we started praying to Guru, my mother’s illness reduced and later it got cured completely. This is how my father accepted Guru.
During vacations, I used to go to Pothencode to meet Guru. That is when I got closer to Guru and came to know more about him. There were only a few people at the ashram then. They slept either on the floor of the prayer hall (Prarthanalayam), that was waxed with cow dung, in the kitchen or where the food was served. The morning bell would ring at 4 a.m. The elders would wake up and get busy with various duties. We (children) also would wake up somewhat early. Guru would wake up those who were lazy. There were times when Guru would poke us and then hide behind the door. We used to wonder who did it and murmur. Suddenly we would hear someone humming. On turning around, we would find Guru!
We would panic, get anxious with fear and devotion and run away taking our mattresses along. That day, we would tremble while going near Guru. “What if Guru questions or scolds us?” But Guru would say nothing. In fact, he would show us extreme love and affection. At other times, when we did some jobs well, we would go to meet Guru thinking he will approve of us. However, just the opposite would happen. Guru would become angry and scold, making us anxious and baffled about what was happening. Guru’s concern, affection, anger and punishment were all born out of his love for us and those were the moments when we experienced it. When we used to play, Guru would come near us and ask, “Can I join you,” and smile. When we got frightened, Guru would give us his token of blessing.
I was young when I came to stay with Guru, and had no idea about devotion. I was just thrilled about making the journey from the high range to the Ashram all by myself. On the way, I would stop to watch movies. On one occasion, when I reached the ashram, it was close to noon and I felt hungry. I thought of going to the kitchen to eat something. But then I asked myself how to eat without doing some work. People bring items, as a token of their dedication to Guru. After prayers, these very items are used to cook food at the ashram. These items would have other people’s meditations and prayers in them and if we eat the food made out of these, would we partake in those prayers and ‘sankalpams’ too, I wondered. If we do not earn the right to eat the food by doing some work dedicated to Guru, would not those prayers affect us too, I thought. I saw Satyan uncle doing some digging work next to the prayer hall. I joined him and dug sand, after which I washed my hands and legs, and had food.
During those days, Guru spoke to people for hours. Guru would sit on the small mats that were available for sitting. Being limited in number, mats were given to those who came first and the rest had to sit on the floor. However, they did not have any problem sitting on the cow dung daubed floor. There was a strong bond of love between the people and Guru. Later on, Guru sat on a chair when it became difficult for him to sit on the floor and then a table was put in front.
Guru shared his experiences with us, his hardships and sorrows, and spoke about the difficulties of other great souls, their sacrifices and the torments they faced. Why did they go through these difficulties? It is for the prosperity of the world and goodness of the human beings. They suffered so that everyone should realize about God’s love. Guru wanted everyone to have a mind to work hard and face difficulties for the prosperity of the world. Guru insisted that everyone live for others and work hard for others. Everyone should give importance to the goodness of others and by doing so serve God and earn merit. We should lead a life without jealousy; have a pure heart and an open mind. Guru planted the seeds of goodness and these are flourishing today at Santhigiri Ashram, testifying to the hardships taken by Guru for this purpose.
I had gone to the Ashram after my 9th standard final exams. At the end of my visit, I went to meet Guru to seek his permission to leave. He said, “Leave by 6 a.m. When you reach Kallaar, go straight to the ashram. Don’t go here and there. After visiting the ashram, go straight home.” Guru gave the oil and medications for my mother, sweets and holy ash (Bhasmam, made from the camphor used during prayers). Being ignorant and young, I disobeyed all that Guru advised. It was 6:30-6:45 a.m. by the time I left the Ashram. I pre-calculated that I needed to go to Kambham and watch two or three movies. I knew every single place in Kambham and most people from there knew my parents. When I reached Kumili, instead of going through Kallaar, I went to Kambham. It was a Saturday and the bus was more crowded than usual. The route was through forests and hills and we could see animals roaming around. I was standing two to three seats behind the driver’s seat. I had a gut feeling that the bus might fall over and an accident might occur. I prayed, “Guru, please do keep me safe”. Within moments, the brakes failed and the driver found it difficult to stop the bus. On one side was an abyss and on the other a dense forest. If the bus fell into the abyss, then nothing much would be left. I prayed with all my heart, “Oh God! Oh Guru! ” The bus was out of control. The driver hit the bus onto a granite cutting and due to the impact the bus skidded and then stopped. I was watching all this as if it were a scene on television. The commotion was horrible. People were crying, moaning, and struggling for their life. I removed the seat cushions that had fallen on top of me and tried to get out of the bus, but I could not find the doors since that side was underneath. I broke through the glass and got out. I could see that most of the passengers were struggling with pain and some were under the wheels of the bus. I did not have even a scratch on my body. I searched for Guru’s token of blessing, the sweet he had given me, and finally found it. I lost one of the shoes while getting out of the bus, but later found that as well, and started walking.
I later came to know that 12 people were killed in that accident, several were seriously injured. I wrote a letter to Guru, describing what all had happened. This was Guru’s reply, “These are the ways we experience God’s love towards us- your own Swami.” This incident made me feel closer to Guru. I wanted to be with Guru more and see him more often. I was sure that I would fail in my tenth standard exams, and if that did happen, how would I face the people, I wondered. Prompted by feelings of shame on the one hand and devotion to the Guru on the other, I came to the ashram right after my exams and that was the starting point of my life at the ashram.
The amenities at ashram were minimal at that time. The well at the ashram provided sufficient water only for Guru’s needs and for pooja. For other needs, we had to carry water from another well which was half a kilometer away from the ashram. We used to fill tin cans with water, tie them on both sides of a bamboo stem and carry them all the way to the ashram. We had to go some distance to perform our daily ablutions and wash clothes. It used to be more difficult at the time of Kumbha Mela and other festivities. To make arrangements for the people who came from distant places was even more difficult. Money was the biggest problem. A lot of work needed to be done and there were never sufficient funds. We used to get more upset on seeing Guru worried. What else could we do other than work hard? I have seen a lot of situations that used to upset Guru. I remember an incident.
It was the initial stage of the Santhigiri Vidhyabhavan. Children had just started to come to stay over. We had to arrange for their basic needs. We needed to cast a closet on a slab. There was enough sand, metal and cement but not even a single iron bar. There was no money to buy the bars and we had already exhausted all the sources from where we could borrow. We were worried wondering what we could do and Guru got upset seeing us in such a situation. Guru called us near him and asked, “Are there any bamboo stems available?” “Yes there are,” we replied. “Then cut and join them as iron bars and cast them. These will remain for a while.” We got a new insight from what Guru told us to do. We did accordingly and the slab lasted for a while. At the time of the concreting of the building where the provisions store is functioning at present, Guru said, “This would be the smallest building in Santhigiri”. How true!
I was talking about the festivity days. Guru was concerned that the basic needs of the guests and devotees, who arrived for the functions, should be met. Guru would call each one of us and assign various duties. He would oversee carefully that everything was done properly. He would be around us so that the things would not go wrong. Coconut thatched sheds would be made and covered with white cloth. We would carry tables and chairs on our heads from nearby places so that people coming from other countries could relax. There were no big vessels at the ashram then. We would borrow these from outside. People brought vessels from their homes. These were dipped in water and then washed a couple of times and used at the ashram. Guru took special care that food was served according to the people’s taste, especially for those who were coming from outside Kerala. Guru was attentive about each and every thing.
During festival days and special events, scarcity of water would become a big issue. Four or five of us would fetch water and get little sleep or rest during those days. Only a few of us were there and we had to do almost everything. The most important among all the duties was to keep the surroundings neat and clean. Velayudhan (Velayudhan Chettiar who works at the Ayurveda center) was the best person to do this job. He would set out with a spade and clean everywhere. Guru appreciated his work a lot and he always assigned Velayudhan for this job. During one of the Kumbha Melas, we had an idea. We thought of connecting a motor to the well and pumping water to a big brass cauldron and then using a diesel pump to supply water everywhere. Everyone liked the idea. Under Narayanan Sir’s (Dharmananda Swami today) leadership, we started work to implement it. Even though we worked hard for three or four days, through day and night, there was no result. At times the pipe would break or the motor would fail. On the fourth day, everyone got fed up. While three or four of us kept on working on this, the others got engaged in other work. The night before the Kumbha Mela, we got tired and slept off. I could not get any sleep as I was upset that the work we had set out to do did not turn out well. I was hungry on top of that. None of us had had much food.
I woke up at the first light of dawn. So what if the motor did not work? We still needed to pump water. I woke up the rest. One person got upset with this and started a fight. Even I got angry. We continued arguing for a while. Then we realized the seriousness of the situation and tried to figure out a solution for it. We got dressed up and when we were about to set out for work, we saw Guru in front of the Parnasala. He had been watching us as we were standing there wondering what to do. He looked at us with a smile filled with love and called us towards him. When we reached near him, he went inside the Parnasala and brought out a bunch of bananas. He gave it to us and smiled at us with all his heart. We cried literally, in front of his love. While we were sobbing, Guru said to us, “Children, we are working for goodness and when we do such a thing, there would be difficulties. No one would see this and there will be people to find mistakes and make comments. But God sees everything and His love is above all.”
On listening to Guru, there was this light that filled our souls and minds. Our hearts were filled with joy. Guru stood in front of us with a smile that never faded. How can I forget this? The love of Guru! This love should belong to the entire world; this is my prayer to Guru - the God of the entire world.
(Translated from the original Malayalam by Miss Anjana, USA)
Santhigiri Ashram: A Labour of Love
P. D. Pradeep, Idukki
Great souls go through difficulties so that everyone should realize about God’s love. Guru wanted everyone to have a mind to work hard and face difficulties for the prosperity of the world. Guru insisted that everyone live for others and work hard for others. Everyone should give importance to the welfare of others. By doing so we are serving God and earning merit. We should lead a life without jealousy; have a pure heart and an open mind. Guru planted the seeds of goodness and these are now flourishing in Santhigiri Ashram.
I was 14 years when I first came to Guru. I have understood from Guru’s life that when one stands for the Truth and tries to actualise it in one’s life, a lot of hardships have to be faced. I have experienced Guru’s love and compassion. I have heard Guru’s advice, suggestions and arguments and received his punishments. I have also seen and understood Guru’s patience, perseverance, tolerance, divine will, will power, generosity and determination. I have seen his ability to withstand any crisis as strong and stable as a mountain. The love, concern, compassion, sincerity and knowledge that Guru gave to the world, is a known truth and an inspiration for every person’s life and growth. Guru’s words have influenced and brought changes to their lives. Those who have listened to Guru’s advice have been ashore. Those who disobeyed and went against his way have had their own difficulties. The proof of this fact lies in our lives.
Guru gave us love, respect and goodness so that we have a better life. Our goodness and the world’s prosperity were his aims and he worked for them. He wished goodness for all those who came before him and whoever he had seen. Guru made them realize the deficiency in their soul and their mistakes through his good deeds and not through scholarly books like the Vedas or Puranas or through stories. Guru showed the deficit in our soul, behaviour and knowledge and he did this by being an open book and sharing his personal experiences. Guru didn’t have anything to hide from us. Guru lived as one amongst us. Guru laughed, had food, and did his duties, with us. He enjoyed our fancies but also scolded us if we ever crossed any limit. Guru loved us more than our parents, family and friends. In fact, he immersed us in his never ending love and became a permanent idol of love in our hearts. Our bond with Guru, and his with us, became inseparable.
It did hurt Guru when we made mistakes. Guru got upset when we lied, became uncomfortable when we disobeyed. Our sorrows became his sorrows, and our happiness was his happiness. Guru did not have any happiness or sorrow different from ours. In fact, we ourselves were his happiness and sadness. When our ingrained traits come to the fore, Guru rectifies them. If we do not get corrected, Guru gets hurt. This has happened more than once in my case itself, though it was never deliberate. I felt an unexplainable love and affection towards Guru. I lived in a very rough and rustic manner. I was born and brought up in a high range place known as Thannypaara, in Idukki, about ten kilometers south of Kallaar and closer to Tamil Nadu. I worked hard, ate, cut wood and sold ash (made out of burnt wood) to Tamil Nadu and earned money.
My mother had an illness. Her nose used to bleed all the time. We did treatment and conjurations but nothing changed the situation. One day, my grandfather (known to everyone in the Ashram as Bhanu uncle) brought Guru, who had come to Kallaar, to our house. At that time, we lived in a grass thatched hut. Guru got down at Kambham and walked about 20 km down the hill to come to our house. Other than my grandfather, Suma (now Sathwika Janani) and Babu Swami (who used to be with Guru before) came along with Guru. By the time Guru reached our house, he was tired. Guru had tapioca curry and black tea, made by my mother. When Guru heard about my mother’s illness, he said, “I can’t do much about it right now. I will call later. It’s the sin of the land that you live in.” While Guru was sitting on the porch he had seen my mother washing the vessels. Guru corrected her and advised her to wash them a bit aside. We only had that much knowledge and manners at that time. I was studying in third or fourth standard then.
Later, mother and I went to meet Guru at Kallaar. My father did not come with us because he did not approve of Guru. Later on, my father accepted Guru and became a good devotee. Guru was at the house of my uncle Vijayadas. Even though it was a small house with little comforts, it never mattered to Guru. Guru’s will power, perseverance and readiness to face hardships were that strong. I came to know that Guru often stayed with them. He received us and other children with utmost love and affection. He filled our hands with fruits and sweets. We used to be enthusiastic to get sweets and hence we visited Guru often with our parents. Since we started praying to Guru, my mother’s illness reduced and later it got cured completely. This is how my father accepted Guru.
During vacations, I used to go to Pothencode to meet Guru. That is when I got closer to Guru and came to know more about him. There were only a few people at the ashram then. They slept either on the floor of the prayer hall (Prarthanalayam), that was waxed with cow dung, in the kitchen or where the food was served. The morning bell would ring at 4 a.m. The elders would wake up and get busy with various duties. We (children) also would wake up somewhat early. Guru would wake up those who were lazy. There were times when Guru would poke us and then hide behind the door. We used to wonder who did it and murmur. Suddenly we would hear someone humming. On turning around, we would find Guru!
We would panic, get anxious with fear and devotion and run away taking our mattresses along. That day, we would tremble while going near Guru. “What if Guru questions or scolds us?” But Guru would say nothing. In fact, he would show us extreme love and affection. At other times, when we did some jobs well, we would go to meet Guru thinking he will approve of us. However, just the opposite would happen. Guru would become angry and scold, making us anxious and baffled about what was happening. Guru’s concern, affection, anger and punishment were all born out of his love for us and those were the moments when we experienced it. When we used to play, Guru would come near us and ask, “Can I join you,” and smile. When we got frightened, Guru would give us his token of blessing.
I was young when I came to stay with Guru, and had no idea about devotion. I was just thrilled about making the journey from the high range to the Ashram all by myself. On the way, I would stop to watch movies. On one occasion, when I reached the ashram, it was close to noon and I felt hungry. I thought of going to the kitchen to eat something. But then I asked myself how to eat without doing some work. People bring items, as a token of their dedication to Guru. After prayers, these very items are used to cook food at the ashram. These items would have other people’s meditations and prayers in them and if we eat the food made out of these, would we partake in those prayers and ‘sankalpams’ too, I wondered. If we do not earn the right to eat the food by doing some work dedicated to Guru, would not those prayers affect us too, I thought. I saw Satyan uncle doing some digging work next to the prayer hall. I joined him and dug sand, after which I washed my hands and legs, and had food.
During those days, Guru spoke to people for hours. Guru would sit on the small mats that were available for sitting. Being limited in number, mats were given to those who came first and the rest had to sit on the floor. However, they did not have any problem sitting on the cow dung daubed floor. There was a strong bond of love between the people and Guru. Later on, Guru sat on a chair when it became difficult for him to sit on the floor and then a table was put in front.
Guru shared his experiences with us, his hardships and sorrows, and spoke about the difficulties of other great souls, their sacrifices and the torments they faced. Why did they go through these difficulties? It is for the prosperity of the world and goodness of the human beings. They suffered so that everyone should realize about God’s love. Guru wanted everyone to have a mind to work hard and face difficulties for the prosperity of the world. Guru insisted that everyone live for others and work hard for others. Everyone should give importance to the goodness of others and by doing so serve God and earn merit. We should lead a life without jealousy; have a pure heart and an open mind. Guru planted the seeds of goodness and these are flourishing today at Santhigiri Ashram, testifying to the hardships taken by Guru for this purpose.
I had gone to the Ashram after my 9th standard final exams. At the end of my visit, I went to meet Guru to seek his permission to leave. He said, “Leave by 6 a.m. When you reach Kallaar, go straight to the ashram. Don’t go here and there. After visiting the ashram, go straight home.” Guru gave the oil and medications for my mother, sweets and holy ash (Bhasmam, made from the camphor used during prayers). Being ignorant and young, I disobeyed all that Guru advised. It was 6:30-6:45 a.m. by the time I left the Ashram. I pre-calculated that I needed to go to Kambham and watch two or three movies. I knew every single place in Kambham and most people from there knew my parents. When I reached Kumili, instead of going through Kallaar, I went to Kambham. It was a Saturday and the bus was more crowded than usual. The route was through forests and hills and we could see animals roaming around. I was standing two to three seats behind the driver’s seat. I had a gut feeling that the bus might fall over and an accident might occur. I prayed, “Guru, please do keep me safe”. Within moments, the brakes failed and the driver found it difficult to stop the bus. On one side was an abyss and on the other a dense forest. If the bus fell into the abyss, then nothing much would be left. I prayed with all my heart, “Oh God! Oh Guru! ” The bus was out of control. The driver hit the bus onto a granite cutting and due to the impact the bus skidded and then stopped. I was watching all this as if it were a scene on television. The commotion was horrible. People were crying, moaning, and struggling for their life. I removed the seat cushions that had fallen on top of me and tried to get out of the bus, but I could not find the doors since that side was underneath. I broke through the glass and got out. I could see that most of the passengers were struggling with pain and some were under the wheels of the bus. I did not have even a scratch on my body. I searched for Guru’s token of blessing, the sweet he had given me, and finally found it. I lost one of the shoes while getting out of the bus, but later found that as well, and started walking.
I later came to know that 12 people were killed in that accident, several were seriously injured. I wrote a letter to Guru, describing what all had happened. This was Guru’s reply, “These are the ways we experience God’s love towards us- your own Swami.” This incident made me feel closer to Guru. I wanted to be with Guru more and see him more often. I was sure that I would fail in my tenth standard exams, and if that did happen, how would I face the people, I wondered. Prompted by feelings of shame on the one hand and devotion to the Guru on the other, I came to the ashram right after my exams and that was the starting point of my life at the ashram.
The amenities at ashram were minimal at that time. The well at the ashram provided sufficient water only for Guru’s needs and for pooja. For other needs, we had to carry water from another well which was half a kilometer away from the ashram. We used to fill tin cans with water, tie them on both sides of a bamboo stem and carry them all the way to the ashram. We had to go some distance to perform our daily ablutions and wash clothes. It used to be more difficult at the time of Kumbha Mela and other festivities. To make arrangements for the people who came from distant places was even more difficult. Money was the biggest problem. A lot of work needed to be done and there were never sufficient funds. We used to get more upset on seeing Guru worried. What else could we do other than work hard? I have seen a lot of situations that used to upset Guru. I remember an incident.
It was the initial stage of the Santhigiri Vidhyabhavan. Children had just started to come to stay over. We had to arrange for their basic needs. We needed to cast a closet on a slab. There was enough sand, metal and cement but not even a single iron bar. There was no money to buy the bars and we had already exhausted all the sources from where we could borrow. We were worried wondering what we could do and Guru got upset seeing us in such a situation. Guru called us near him and asked, “Are there any bamboo stems available?” “Yes there are,” we replied. “Then cut and join them as iron bars and cast them. These will remain for a while.” We got a new insight from what Guru told us to do. We did accordingly and the slab lasted for a while. At the time of the concreting of the building where the provisions store is functioning at present, Guru said, “This would be the smallest building in Santhigiri”. How true!
I was talking about the festivity days. Guru was concerned that the basic needs of the guests and devotees, who arrived for the functions, should be met. Guru would call each one of us and assign various duties. He would oversee carefully that everything was done properly. He would be around us so that the things would not go wrong. Coconut thatched sheds would be made and covered with white cloth. We would carry tables and chairs on our heads from nearby places so that people coming from other countries could relax. There were no big vessels at the ashram then. We would borrow these from outside. People brought vessels from their homes. These were dipped in water and then washed a couple of times and used at the ashram. Guru took special care that food was served according to the people’s taste, especially for those who were coming from outside Kerala. Guru was attentive about each and every thing.
During festival days and special events, scarcity of water would become a big issue. Four or five of us would fetch water and get little sleep or rest during those days. Only a few of us were there and we had to do almost everything. The most important among all the duties was to keep the surroundings neat and clean. Velayudhan (Velayudhan Chettiar who works at the Ayurveda center) was the best person to do this job. He would set out with a spade and clean everywhere. Guru appreciated his work a lot and he always assigned Velayudhan for this job. During one of the Kumbha Melas, we had an idea. We thought of connecting a motor to the well and pumping water to a big brass cauldron and then using a diesel pump to supply water everywhere. Everyone liked the idea. Under Narayanan Sir’s (Dharmananda Swami today) leadership, we started work to implement it. Even though we worked hard for three or four days, through day and night, there was no result. At times the pipe would break or the motor would fail. On the fourth day, everyone got fed up. While three or four of us kept on working on this, the others got engaged in other work. The night before the Kumbha Mela, we got tired and slept off. I could not get any sleep as I was upset that the work we had set out to do did not turn out well. I was hungry on top of that. None of us had had much food.
I woke up at the first light of dawn. So what if the motor did not work? We still needed to pump water. I woke up the rest. One person got upset with this and started a fight. Even I got angry. We continued arguing for a while. Then we realized the seriousness of the situation and tried to figure out a solution for it. We got dressed up and when we were about to set out for work, we saw Guru in front of the Parnasala. He had been watching us as we were standing there wondering what to do. He looked at us with a smile filled with love and called us towards him. When we reached near him, he went inside the Parnasala and brought out a bunch of bananas. He gave it to us and smiled at us with all his heart. We cried literally, in front of his love. While we were sobbing, Guru said to us, “Children, we are working for goodness and when we do such a thing, there would be difficulties. No one would see this and there will be people to find mistakes and make comments. But God sees everything and His love is above all.”
On listening to Guru, there was this light that filled our souls and minds. Our hearts were filled with joy. Guru stood in front of us with a smile that never faded. How can I forget this? The love of Guru! This love should belong to the entire world; this is my prayer to Guru - the God of the entire world.
(Translated from the original Malayalam by Miss Anjana, USA)
The Compassion of Guru for all Creatures
A Living Memory of Guru’s Compassion for all Creatures
Janardhana Menon, Santhigiri Ashram
However, there were uninvited guests too - pigeons. Perhaps, they too had a right. After all, the compassion of Guru is available not only to human beings but to animals and birds also. The pigeons had their nests all over the thatched roof of the dining hall. And, they had the detestable habit of perching on top and dirtying the place with their droppings. Perhaps, that was the birds’ way of establishing their right of possession. Those who served the food had an additional duty of walking the length and breadth of the dining hall with a long bamboo stick raised to chase away the birds lest they foul up the place during meals.
We all know how the epic Ramayana was born. The seer Valmiki happened to see the wanton destruction of a beautiful product of nature, a pigeon, that too in the presence of its mate. The agonized mind of the seer perhaps travelled back to the atrocities perpetrated on the weak by the strong. The powerful, ten-headed Ravana perhaps is a symbolic representation: he possessed 10 times more strength than Sri Rama - the victim suffering separation from his mate (like the bereaved pigeon). Was the story of Ramayana then a wishful exercise on the part of the saint, portraying the triumph of truth in the face of brute strength?
We see yet another character - the Emperor Shibi. He was at his wits’ end because he wanted to protect, again a pigeon, from the clutches of a vulture. The vulture was preying on the pigeon, which sought protection from the king and was promptly granted asylum. But the vulture too sought justice from the emperor: It was hungry. It could prey only on small birds and animals and it was definitely within its rights to eat the pigeon. The emperor should look after its interest too. The confused emperor, who wanted to be fair to both creatures, offered his own flesh equal to the weight of the pigeon. Surprisingly, the pigeon was heavier than he anticipated. The emperor had to offer his whole body to equal the weight of the pigeon.
I had wondered many times whether justice was done in both cases. Of course, I knew that these were tales glorifying the tests faced by the righteous, but I could never quite see the need for an all-knowing Almighty to conduct a test to confirm the integrity of King Shibi. I kept brooding: what was the retribution for the crime? In both cases, did anyone, as a Brahmajnani should, ever do something to prevent a recurrence and enact retribution too? For that matter, is there anyone who can do both things at one go? I could get the answers only after witnessing an incident at Santhigiri Ashram. I am narrating it below.
It will be difficult for any newcomer to imagine the Santhigiri Ashram of the early 1980s. It was spread over only five acres then. Roughly 15 meters south of the present dining hall and kitchen was a makeshift cooking and dining area at that time. It had a thatched roof and cow dung smeared mud floors, but was kept scrupulously clean. All the inmates used aluminium plates and tumblers, seated on the floor on mats.
However, there were uninvited guests too - pigeons. Perhaps, they too had a right. After all, the compassion of Guru is available not only to human beings but to animals and birds also. The pigeons had their nests all over the thatched roof of the dining hall. And, they had the detestable habit of perching on top and dirtying the place with their droppings. Perhaps, that was the birds’ way of establishing their right of possession. Those who served the food (I was a willing volunteer at lunch time) had an additional duty. They had to walk the length and breadth of the dining hall with a long bamboo stick raised to chase away the birds lest they foul up the place during meals.
One boy, however, had had enough - none but Guruchith, who looks after electrical maintenance now. He managed to get a ladder from somewhere, fixed it in the dining hall and removed one of the nests. Inadvertently, the nest fell with a small pigeon in it. From seemingly nowhere, a cat jumped in, picked up the fallen pigeon and ran away - all in a jiffy. Right then, Guru stepped in. He had witnessed the entire episode.
Everyone was dumbfounded on seeing Guru, who was seething with anger. He shouted at Guruchith and scolded him severely. After a while, all left and forgot the incident – all but Guru. He called Ramanan, the only carpenter in the Ashram in those days. He gave him pointed and precise instructions. About what -- we did not know then.
Two days later, just behind the present Sahakarana Mandiram, we found a nest had been built which could house a lot of pigeons. Curiously, we walked towards it. It was meticulously designed to prevent cats from climbing up. Ramanan said that he had got detailed directions from Guru on how to build the nest.
However, to attract the pigeons to their new abode was another story. At first, they would not come anywhere near it. People tried luring them with food grains and water but to no avail. Then all of a sudden, we found that they flocked there. It appeared that the birds migrated en bloc to the new colony.
Sahakarana Mandiram came up and the pigeons again had to make way. Now this very nest is located in between the Ashram and the guest house—a living memory of the Guru’s compassion for all forms of life.
There is something called a stimulus. Here the stimulus was the death of a pigeon. It was due to an inadvertent mistake committed by one who had no ill will towards the birds. All might have had heartfelt sympathy for the dead bird. But only Guru put His compassion into practical application. At one stroke, He removed the problems of the pigeons and the diners and also provided expiation for a mistake. A lesson not only for the youngster but for all.
Janardhana Menon, Santhigiri Ashram
However, there were uninvited guests too - pigeons. Perhaps, they too had a right. After all, the compassion of Guru is available not only to human beings but to animals and birds also. The pigeons had their nests all over the thatched roof of the dining hall. And, they had the detestable habit of perching on top and dirtying the place with their droppings. Perhaps, that was the birds’ way of establishing their right of possession. Those who served the food had an additional duty of walking the length and breadth of the dining hall with a long bamboo stick raised to chase away the birds lest they foul up the place during meals.
We all know how the epic Ramayana was born. The seer Valmiki happened to see the wanton destruction of a beautiful product of nature, a pigeon, that too in the presence of its mate. The agonized mind of the seer perhaps travelled back to the atrocities perpetrated on the weak by the strong. The powerful, ten-headed Ravana perhaps is a symbolic representation: he possessed 10 times more strength than Sri Rama - the victim suffering separation from his mate (like the bereaved pigeon). Was the story of Ramayana then a wishful exercise on the part of the saint, portraying the triumph of truth in the face of brute strength?
We see yet another character - the Emperor Shibi. He was at his wits’ end because he wanted to protect, again a pigeon, from the clutches of a vulture. The vulture was preying on the pigeon, which sought protection from the king and was promptly granted asylum. But the vulture too sought justice from the emperor: It was hungry. It could prey only on small birds and animals and it was definitely within its rights to eat the pigeon. The emperor should look after its interest too. The confused emperor, who wanted to be fair to both creatures, offered his own flesh equal to the weight of the pigeon. Surprisingly, the pigeon was heavier than he anticipated. The emperor had to offer his whole body to equal the weight of the pigeon.
I had wondered many times whether justice was done in both cases. Of course, I knew that these were tales glorifying the tests faced by the righteous, but I could never quite see the need for an all-knowing Almighty to conduct a test to confirm the integrity of King Shibi. I kept brooding: what was the retribution for the crime? In both cases, did anyone, as a Brahmajnani should, ever do something to prevent a recurrence and enact retribution too? For that matter, is there anyone who can do both things at one go? I could get the answers only after witnessing an incident at Santhigiri Ashram. I am narrating it below.
It will be difficult for any newcomer to imagine the Santhigiri Ashram of the early 1980s. It was spread over only five acres then. Roughly 15 meters south of the present dining hall and kitchen was a makeshift cooking and dining area at that time. It had a thatched roof and cow dung smeared mud floors, but was kept scrupulously clean. All the inmates used aluminium plates and tumblers, seated on the floor on mats.
However, there were uninvited guests too - pigeons. Perhaps, they too had a right. After all, the compassion of Guru is available not only to human beings but to animals and birds also. The pigeons had their nests all over the thatched roof of the dining hall. And, they had the detestable habit of perching on top and dirtying the place with their droppings. Perhaps, that was the birds’ way of establishing their right of possession. Those who served the food (I was a willing volunteer at lunch time) had an additional duty. They had to walk the length and breadth of the dining hall with a long bamboo stick raised to chase away the birds lest they foul up the place during meals.
One boy, however, had had enough - none but Guruchith, who looks after electrical maintenance now. He managed to get a ladder from somewhere, fixed it in the dining hall and removed one of the nests. Inadvertently, the nest fell with a small pigeon in it. From seemingly nowhere, a cat jumped in, picked up the fallen pigeon and ran away - all in a jiffy. Right then, Guru stepped in. He had witnessed the entire episode.
Everyone was dumbfounded on seeing Guru, who was seething with anger. He shouted at Guruchith and scolded him severely. After a while, all left and forgot the incident – all but Guru. He called Ramanan, the only carpenter in the Ashram in those days. He gave him pointed and precise instructions. About what -- we did not know then.
Two days later, just behind the present Sahakarana Mandiram, we found a nest had been built which could house a lot of pigeons. Curiously, we walked towards it. It was meticulously designed to prevent cats from climbing up. Ramanan said that he had got detailed directions from Guru on how to build the nest.
However, to attract the pigeons to their new abode was another story. At first, they would not come anywhere near it. People tried luring them with food grains and water but to no avail. Then all of a sudden, we found that they flocked there. It appeared that the birds migrated en bloc to the new colony.
Sahakarana Mandiram came up and the pigeons again had to make way. Now this very nest is located in between the Ashram and the guest house—a living memory of the Guru’s compassion for all forms of life.
There is something called a stimulus. Here the stimulus was the death of a pigeon. It was due to an inadvertent mistake committed by one who had no ill will towards the birds. All might have had heartfelt sympathy for the dead bird. But only Guru put His compassion into practical application. At one stroke, He removed the problems of the pigeons and the diners and also provided expiation for a mistake. A lesson not only for the youngster but for all.
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