Gurucharanam Saranam
Reordering Hinduism: A Workable Guruparampara
(From the Teachings of Navajyoti Sree Karunakara Guru)
Navajyoti Sree Karunakara Guru said that in the re-ordering of Hinduism, the role of Santhigiri Ashram differs from other Ashrams. Other Ashrams have all followed the trodden path of their predecessors. That is what is going on even now. All this has to be reordered, not partially, but totally. In other words, today we are in possession of three traditions of worship in the Hindu system. A single comprehensive system is to be evolved in the place of these three. For this first of all we have to have the right understanding of the new principle and have full faith in it. The first step is to understand. Only then can it be translated into action. Most people have the old worship tradition in their blood, flesh and marrow: it is part of their very being.
Guru said that once a person’s faith is firm in the new way, the next step is a cleansing of his pitrus and the devas they had worshipped. All these entities as well as the powers he worships now are to be offered up to the Radiance of the Brahman. In their place faith in the Guru has to be established. This faith should be based on the conviction as to what Guru really is. God is to be worshipped in the image of the Guru. This is the ancient Hindu principle. Hence ‘gururbrahma’- that is the Guru is Brahman. And lastly he is ‘saakashaat parabrahman’ - the Absolute Itself. This has to be realized first, to reach it to the people at large. The qualities of such a Guru who has evolved and attained the state of Parabrahman also should be realized.
Guru further said:
"The Parabrahma Guru treats the good and the bad alike. The Guru would try to bring a wicked person to the path of goodness through making him struggle and suffer in life. The good person also is treated the same way. There is only a slight difference. This is the difference: The wicked man’s activities will have a high degree of faults and still the Guru will forgive and show lenience towards him. On the other hand a good person will be disciplined severely. If he is not responsive the Guru might even turn him out. The Guru would not discipline him further.
Why is this so? If the good man goes astray—even if it is just a step amiss— it will amount to a fatal flaw in his life’s dharma. Such a fault cannot be corrected in his lifetime. That is why sometimes gurus are found to reject disciples. It does not matter, let him go, is what the guru would think. If the man stays on and errs further a situation could develop where he can harm himself irreparably.
In the case of the wicked person the guru would go out of his way to give him a chance for reform. That is why in a conscious relationship between guru and disciple, the disciple strives to follow the guru’s words with utmost vigilance. The gurus who thus try to guide people will have numerous difficulties to face. It is because the guru’s word—however righteous or good—will not be in keeping with what people are used to. Look back and you will see the turbulence unleashed by each past attempt to change an existing norm.
Consider the recent religions—Christianity, Islam, Jainism, Buddhism and the Arya Samaj. It is enough to have a look at the history of these religions to have an idea of the enormity of suffering gone through by the founders and their followers. It is this suffering that has given value to their sacrifice. In the context of our times we have to adopt a more forceful and rational path. Otherwise apart from failing to guide people, our road in all likelihood might take a turn for the worse. We might regress immeasurably before we return to the right path again.
Therefore each one in this path should be firm of intent and have confidence in his own strength and reason to carry out his task. The travelers on this path—whatever be their particular way of life— should align themselves to the way of the Guru. We should completely absorb the idea behind it. Only then can we serve the cause and establish norms based on precedence. Otherwise we might break away from the path, impelled by desire or base anger.
It is for this that we need to acquire a complete understanding of this first and be able to glory in it. We should thereafter perceptively make restrained efforts towards progress. Each individual must necessarily be able to exercise reasonable tolerance. He must radiate love and be ready for sacrifice. Only paramparas consisting of such individuals have been able to progress.
All who embrace gurumargam should be courageous, loving and capable. Then all of us can realize the future ordained by God. This is how our guruparampara should set its goal and move forward. It is the householders who should take particular initiative and come to the forefront to propagate the ideal. Men and women should, in the mechanics of living, act only on the basis of mutual respect and affection. The family has unity and wholeness then. Such love fosters generations of good children! It will be easier for such children to acquire the vital knowledge for living. To transmit that knowledge to future generations, two or three other means also have to be adopted.
Firstly there should be no consideration of caste, creed or ethnic divisions in the guruparampara. All should function in unity. This unity will foster togetherness like that of a closely-knit family. Through this, work can be found and done together. Such co-operative efforts can be instrumental in lightening the struggle of life.
Education should evolve in accordance with the values of the parampara and its cultural traditions. Organizational ability and learning combine to develop a sense of unity. In this preparation, we have to be specially mindful of one fact. The guru has to be a person who has accumulated all the powers natural to the devas. It is not for following the path of the devas. But a guru who has not known the path of the devas cannot remedy the errors in that path, to lead humanity.
The guru should fully discover the paths of devas and rishis who were our predecessors and free them from faults. He should have also realized the stages of Devendra and Ganapati. He should have evolved further through the stages of Iswara, Daivam and the Brahmam. Only a Guru of such evolvement can bring about and establish this truth in its entirety".
A View of Santhigiri Ashram
Lotus Parnasala and Sahakarana Mandiram , Santhigiri Ashram, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Blessed Mantra of Peace
Gurucharanam Saranam
The Blessed Mantra of Peace
Dr. George Onakkur
In my reminiscence that had the luck of meeting Guru – Navajyoti Sree Karunakara Guru in person fills the fragrance of peace. That happened as fate would have. Like my honored friend Sri O.V. Vijayan (now late), I too was guided to the presence of Guru by our dear sister Usha. One day, O.V. Usha came to see me at my home. Rather than on her life of a poet, she talked more on her spiritual odyssey. That gave me a rare solemn feeling. To my question when I would be occasioned to the abode of Guru, her answer was, ‘always’. By her clarification further, I felt that Guru was expecting me extempore. If that was so, I should not delay it further, an inner voice persuaded me. Thus I was visited by the chance to travel the paths of prayer to Santhigiri.
My mind was almost full of uncertainty when I reached at the Ashram gate by noon. Wouldn’t be the Guru resting at this uncertain hour? Will my presence create disquiet in the tranquility? Doubts galore! But the moment I entered the Ashram lawns, the news that Guru was waiting for me came along, like a tender breeze. I walked up courageously to the proximity of that Foot.
Even today, I mentally prostrate before that gracefulness of the Rishi, who, clad in pure white, stretched both hands and held me aside, with serene smile. All uncertainties fled me and the ocean of my heart became tranquil, all the waves having subsided.
Not a word came out of me. I was standing bowing before that figure of tranquility.
‘Please sit down….’ Guru instructed and I obeyed.
‘Have you had your food?’ His words were caring.
‘I already had’.
‘That will not do. You may take something from here’. He instructed compassionately.
‘Surely then’, I responded.
Guru himself served me snacks and sweets. I felt no thirst or hunger. I experienced in the honeyed words, the grace of Guru what I had sought. There is no ideological exhortation, no spiritual advices. The bosom-touch of creation like that of a child lying in the lap of its mother! It was always like that. In all the days that I came to see Sri Karunakara Guru, I blissfully bathed in the milky ocean of love, earned the happiness of spiritual elation. This kind of bliss was rare in my too ordinary life. Everlasting, solemn encounters that lift one to vitality from the low planes of worldliness!
I continue the practice of visiting the Ashram searching for the precious moments of peace which the grace of Guru bestows. In Santhigiri, Guru is still present. That spiritual luminescence glows eternally blessing the devotees. I have had plenty of opportunities to be witness to that lively Presence during the meetings in the Ashram. What I experienced on those occasions is the elating blessings of Guru overflowing me. I have the convincing experience that Santhigiri is the central place of spirituality.
What attracts me most in the Ashram is the real peace that is gained by the disturbed minds. That happens in many ways. God should manifest as food before the hungry stomachs. For the sick, he should be a doctor. He should be the ambrosial words of wisdom for those who seek spiritual truth. In the initial period of my visit to the Ashram, I had understood that more than 500 people partook in the Annadanam (offering of free food) being conducted. I remember that that benediction was extremely filling me with pride. However, today it is solace to thousands, daily. The growth of Santhigiri in the field of Ayurveda treatment is amazing. A situation wherein worries of the mind and afflictions of the body get dissolved! For the soul and body to become equally healthy, the contribution of Santhigiri is matchless. Equally glorious is the studies and exhortations of Guru full of Guru’s ambrosial grace.
The great luminance of a new philosophy suitable for human uplift and cultural renaissance is brightening up this hillock with full of light. The message of Santhigiri is the basis for the development of human civilization untouched by the thoughts of caste and religious differences and the quietude produced by it. The contribution of Santhigiri is the Himalayan-like spiritual elevation wherein takes place the confluence of three such great streams – triveni sangam. That is the blessed mantra of enduring peace for the present times distressed by the disquiet and inglorious maladies of its own.
(The author is a well known Malayalam literature)
Courtesy: Janmadina Poojita Samarpanam Souvenir 2005, Santhigiri Publications
Translated by Mukundan P.R. from the original Malayalam
The Blessed Mantra of Peace
Dr. George Onakkur
In my reminiscence that had the luck of meeting Guru – Navajyoti Sree Karunakara Guru in person fills the fragrance of peace. That happened as fate would have. Like my honored friend Sri O.V. Vijayan (now late), I too was guided to the presence of Guru by our dear sister Usha. One day, O.V. Usha came to see me at my home. Rather than on her life of a poet, she talked more on her spiritual odyssey. That gave me a rare solemn feeling. To my question when I would be occasioned to the abode of Guru, her answer was, ‘always’. By her clarification further, I felt that Guru was expecting me extempore. If that was so, I should not delay it further, an inner voice persuaded me. Thus I was visited by the chance to travel the paths of prayer to Santhigiri.
My mind was almost full of uncertainty when I reached at the Ashram gate by noon. Wouldn’t be the Guru resting at this uncertain hour? Will my presence create disquiet in the tranquility? Doubts galore! But the moment I entered the Ashram lawns, the news that Guru was waiting for me came along, like a tender breeze. I walked up courageously to the proximity of that Foot.
Even today, I mentally prostrate before that gracefulness of the Rishi, who, clad in pure white, stretched both hands and held me aside, with serene smile. All uncertainties fled me and the ocean of my heart became tranquil, all the waves having subsided.
Not a word came out of me. I was standing bowing before that figure of tranquility.
‘Please sit down….’ Guru instructed and I obeyed.
‘Have you had your food?’ His words were caring.
‘I already had’.
‘That will not do. You may take something from here’. He instructed compassionately.
‘Surely then’, I responded.
Guru himself served me snacks and sweets. I felt no thirst or hunger. I experienced in the honeyed words, the grace of Guru what I had sought. There is no ideological exhortation, no spiritual advices. The bosom-touch of creation like that of a child lying in the lap of its mother! It was always like that. In all the days that I came to see Sri Karunakara Guru, I blissfully bathed in the milky ocean of love, earned the happiness of spiritual elation. This kind of bliss was rare in my too ordinary life. Everlasting, solemn encounters that lift one to vitality from the low planes of worldliness!
I continue the practice of visiting the Ashram searching for the precious moments of peace which the grace of Guru bestows. In Santhigiri, Guru is still present. That spiritual luminescence glows eternally blessing the devotees. I have had plenty of opportunities to be witness to that lively Presence during the meetings in the Ashram. What I experienced on those occasions is the elating blessings of Guru overflowing me. I have the convincing experience that Santhigiri is the central place of spirituality.
What attracts me most in the Ashram is the real peace that is gained by the disturbed minds. That happens in many ways. God should manifest as food before the hungry stomachs. For the sick, he should be a doctor. He should be the ambrosial words of wisdom for those who seek spiritual truth. In the initial period of my visit to the Ashram, I had understood that more than 500 people partook in the Annadanam (offering of free food) being conducted. I remember that that benediction was extremely filling me with pride. However, today it is solace to thousands, daily. The growth of Santhigiri in the field of Ayurveda treatment is amazing. A situation wherein worries of the mind and afflictions of the body get dissolved! For the soul and body to become equally healthy, the contribution of Santhigiri is matchless. Equally glorious is the studies and exhortations of Guru full of Guru’s ambrosial grace.
The great luminance of a new philosophy suitable for human uplift and cultural renaissance is brightening up this hillock with full of light. The message of Santhigiri is the basis for the development of human civilization untouched by the thoughts of caste and religious differences and the quietude produced by it. The contribution of Santhigiri is the Himalayan-like spiritual elevation wherein takes place the confluence of three such great streams – triveni sangam. That is the blessed mantra of enduring peace for the present times distressed by the disquiet and inglorious maladies of its own.
(The author is a well known Malayalam literature)
Courtesy: Janmadina Poojita Samarpanam Souvenir 2005, Santhigiri Publications
Translated by Mukundan P.R. from the original Malayalam
Friday, July 9, 2010
Present Degradation of Life and Its Interconnections
Gurucharanam Saranam
Present Degradation of Life and Its Interconnections
(From the Teachings of Navajyoti Sree Karunakara Guru)
Navajyoti Sree Karunakara Guru: Nowadays there is a plethora of ideas and their exponents. There are cultists, rationalists and godmen. And there are scholars of every shade making a variety of evaluations. Do you not see much of it in the media? What do you make of it? People do not understand one another. As before even now from one state of ignorance people move on to another.
Disciple: What then do you suggest? What is to be done to correct this situation?
Guru: What is needed here now is not correction—but an awareness of what the situation is. Will any group admit that they are in any way less than the others? If any group is criticized they organize themselves and the worst strains in their behaviour surface. Priests are skillful. Our university professors and principals are qualified in their own right. Theologians and the writers of mythology are all capable. There is one section which particularly believes that only the Vedas and Upanishads are right. They make even taller claims than the others. The rationalists and spiritual liberationists study all this and appear to know everything. What would be the position of someone who has come to know something and is desirous of sharing it? All those mentioned above would behave with him like some poisonous wasps to drive him out.
We should not say that all this is wrong. We should only say that it is right. At a glance it might appear wrong. But if one looks with a discriminating eye, a certain logic becomes apparent. In fact we will begin to think that this is very much right, when we consider the scriptural texts and legends.
All these godmen, rationalists and liberationists are people who would have reincarnated several times through vast periods of time. They would have subscribed to different doctrines and beliefs.
There is another self-important group who feel that they are the ones who are in possession of the actual truth. They are the scientists. Could we who have experienced the benefits of science and witnessed its growth say that their claim is wrong? However with the passage of time they will have to admit that their claim is not entirely right. Take for example some of the modern medicines created in the laboratories. They would be in general use for a while and the scientists themselves would later admit that the medicines have adverse side-effects.
Scientific conclusions are undergoing such rapid changes. In spite of all this there is a large section of people who support science indiscriminately. All these points of view are picked up and used by another group which has grown very strong here.
The fall of the Skylab unsettled people the world over and there were various opinions. We are already aware that science is creating imbalances and has unforeseen hidden dangers. Its attendant technology is filling the air with toxic vapours.
Atmospheric pollution affects human beings, planets and animals; leading to diseases and, probably, to the distortion of the human character. People seem to be already becoming like automatons. That is only natural. We eat the produce from the plants growing in this polluted atmosphere. Needless to say that this will affect not only our body but also our mind!
What we eat does affect our mind. There is ample proof in support of this. Take our artists for example. Many of them cannot write or act unless they are inspired by liquor. Once it goes in, songs burst forth. They might even dance though out of step. They will make up for their lack of natural charms through artificial means. This has become widespread. Even the medical profession is not free from it. Though evolved out of compassion it has drifted far from such life-giving vision. It cannot be wrong to point out this unhappy fact.
It is possible that toxic substances released into the atmosphere gather at certain points. This could lead to unpredictable disasters, because it can easily destroy the effects of the sun or the moon over us.
In this situation what does a person who gains some knowledge do to communicate it to others? It would be a great thing if he is not finished off by all these men swarming in on him.
Disciple: Earlier you mentioned that there is a strong group here which support all these. This is not quite clear.
Guru: You see, among the rich and the poor alike there is a race for the benefits of education. Mostly the children of the rich do not study. By hook or by crook, using money or otherwise they pass some examinations, get a degree and come out to discover a field of activity—politics. They become leaders, travel in cars and airplanes. Rich young men attain this goal and dazzle the world.
Whom does this unsettle? The children of the poor who do not have enough food and clothes! Even they are chasing a world of fantasy. Some of them aspire to be leaders. They turn clichés and platitudes into ideals.
A select among these, watching the whole process, rush for any opportunity they can turn to their advantage. This type uses everyone and everything and grabs power and takes over leadership.
Raising various issues small and big they arrogate power to themselves and push others into submission— into being the guards (outside) their door. This is the class that wholly supports the earlier mentioned groups. Is it not clear that toxic vapours in the environment affect all creatures and envenom their faculties?
If you consider the interconnection of things would the present degradation of life seem an accident to you?
Disciple: If we admit all this to be true, how is one to forge ahead?
Guru: I have been repeatedly telling you that from time to time such great men are born as would establish the wisdom appropriate for the yuga.
Through sacrifice and the grace of God they attain wisdom. After earthly life these jivas ascend to good planets and stellar spheres. These very same souls are born again by the Will of God. As objects of His unbounded compassion they start receiving the asariri. Only those sons who take birth by God’s Grace and Will are able to receive this voice. Only they can bring back to our memory the effulgent words of the Gita, Upanishads and Vedas and so lead us Godwards.
In the ordinary course no one receives the asariri. No matter who he is —a pundit or an ignoramus, a learned man or an unlettered one, a Vedantin or a rationalist. Therefore let us stop this discussion at this point.
Present Degradation of Life and Its Interconnections
(From the Teachings of Navajyoti Sree Karunakara Guru)
Navajyoti Sree Karunakara Guru: Nowadays there is a plethora of ideas and their exponents. There are cultists, rationalists and godmen. And there are scholars of every shade making a variety of evaluations. Do you not see much of it in the media? What do you make of it? People do not understand one another. As before even now from one state of ignorance people move on to another.
Disciple: What then do you suggest? What is to be done to correct this situation?
Guru: What is needed here now is not correction—but an awareness of what the situation is. Will any group admit that they are in any way less than the others? If any group is criticized they organize themselves and the worst strains in their behaviour surface. Priests are skillful. Our university professors and principals are qualified in their own right. Theologians and the writers of mythology are all capable. There is one section which particularly believes that only the Vedas and Upanishads are right. They make even taller claims than the others. The rationalists and spiritual liberationists study all this and appear to know everything. What would be the position of someone who has come to know something and is desirous of sharing it? All those mentioned above would behave with him like some poisonous wasps to drive him out.
We should not say that all this is wrong. We should only say that it is right. At a glance it might appear wrong. But if one looks with a discriminating eye, a certain logic becomes apparent. In fact we will begin to think that this is very much right, when we consider the scriptural texts and legends.
All these godmen, rationalists and liberationists are people who would have reincarnated several times through vast periods of time. They would have subscribed to different doctrines and beliefs.
There is another self-important group who feel that they are the ones who are in possession of the actual truth. They are the scientists. Could we who have experienced the benefits of science and witnessed its growth say that their claim is wrong? However with the passage of time they will have to admit that their claim is not entirely right. Take for example some of the modern medicines created in the laboratories. They would be in general use for a while and the scientists themselves would later admit that the medicines have adverse side-effects.
Scientific conclusions are undergoing such rapid changes. In spite of all this there is a large section of people who support science indiscriminately. All these points of view are picked up and used by another group which has grown very strong here.
The fall of the Skylab unsettled people the world over and there were various opinions. We are already aware that science is creating imbalances and has unforeseen hidden dangers. Its attendant technology is filling the air with toxic vapours.
Atmospheric pollution affects human beings, planets and animals; leading to diseases and, probably, to the distortion of the human character. People seem to be already becoming like automatons. That is only natural. We eat the produce from the plants growing in this polluted atmosphere. Needless to say that this will affect not only our body but also our mind!
What we eat does affect our mind. There is ample proof in support of this. Take our artists for example. Many of them cannot write or act unless they are inspired by liquor. Once it goes in, songs burst forth. They might even dance though out of step. They will make up for their lack of natural charms through artificial means. This has become widespread. Even the medical profession is not free from it. Though evolved out of compassion it has drifted far from such life-giving vision. It cannot be wrong to point out this unhappy fact.
It is possible that toxic substances released into the atmosphere gather at certain points. This could lead to unpredictable disasters, because it can easily destroy the effects of the sun or the moon over us.
In this situation what does a person who gains some knowledge do to communicate it to others? It would be a great thing if he is not finished off by all these men swarming in on him.
Disciple: Earlier you mentioned that there is a strong group here which support all these. This is not quite clear.
Guru: You see, among the rich and the poor alike there is a race for the benefits of education. Mostly the children of the rich do not study. By hook or by crook, using money or otherwise they pass some examinations, get a degree and come out to discover a field of activity—politics. They become leaders, travel in cars and airplanes. Rich young men attain this goal and dazzle the world.
Whom does this unsettle? The children of the poor who do not have enough food and clothes! Even they are chasing a world of fantasy. Some of them aspire to be leaders. They turn clichés and platitudes into ideals.
A select among these, watching the whole process, rush for any opportunity they can turn to their advantage. This type uses everyone and everything and grabs power and takes over leadership.
Raising various issues small and big they arrogate power to themselves and push others into submission— into being the guards (outside) their door. This is the class that wholly supports the earlier mentioned groups. Is it not clear that toxic vapours in the environment affect all creatures and envenom their faculties?
If you consider the interconnection of things would the present degradation of life seem an accident to you?
Disciple: If we admit all this to be true, how is one to forge ahead?
Guru: I have been repeatedly telling you that from time to time such great men are born as would establish the wisdom appropriate for the yuga.
Through sacrifice and the grace of God they attain wisdom. After earthly life these jivas ascend to good planets and stellar spheres. These very same souls are born again by the Will of God. As objects of His unbounded compassion they start receiving the asariri. Only those sons who take birth by God’s Grace and Will are able to receive this voice. Only they can bring back to our memory the effulgent words of the Gita, Upanishads and Vedas and so lead us Godwards.
In the ordinary course no one receives the asariri. No matter who he is —a pundit or an ignoramus, a learned man or an unlettered one, a Vedantin or a rationalist. Therefore let us stop this discussion at this point.
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Discovering Sanatana Dharma
Gurucharanam Saranam
Discovering Sanatana Dharma
(From the Teachings of NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru)
Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru said: “Till now we had been living behind the system in which there were different gods for lower castes and higher castes…. Kaliyuga requires the culmination of the faith in a single God.”
Speaking about the corruption in the spiritual practices, consequent to deviated worship and social customs, Guru said:
'The Sakteya, the man of the Sakti cult, made his cult into a complete system. Then Vedanta entered into it. Along with Vedanta was blended into the system, the helplessness of having to invoke ‘Matan’ (a tribal spirit worshiped in South India) as the Lord. That is how the Saiva blended Matan and Natesa.
The Vaishnava introduced more cultural refinements into his system. He also became an exponent of Advaita. With this development, the people had to accept everything that was written by the pundits. And, if they continued to be in a proto-Dravidian state, how could they evolve?'
‘The Sakteya and the Saiva traditions each took up different viewpoints which suited themselves. The Sakteya tradition regarded the Goddess as everything. Siva was everything in the Saiva tradition. The Vaishnava tradition considered Vishnu above all others. The learned pundits and their ilk had to accept what these three traditions proclaimed. All this has happened by way of expiation for not being able to discover the Error in perceiving the Brahmic Will.
Also, Yuga dharma is the Dharmic code of the Yuga, the Age. Now the Yuga dharma should be what pertains to Kali. From the beginning of the Kali itself, we failed to discern the transition of the Age. What we had to discern was the fluctuations in the human processes in the past three Ages. Now, what is the pervading nature of the present Kali? We might have been able to understand this from the beginning itself. That we could not get this awareness was because of the failure of the way in which we were governed.
The present Kaliyuga is the Kaliyuga of the 28th Chaturyuga in the Manvantara of Vaivaswata Manu, the seventh Manu. The state of society depends on its comprehension and assimilation of the wisdom of the sages, which is encoded in the Vedas and the Upanishads. Our rulers kept us away from this knowledge. As a result, we as a people degenerated; we lost the capacity to understand the words of the wise. This is why we were not able to discern’.
The fundamental aim of Santhigiri Ashram founded by NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru is to reveal and rectify the spiritual error that had befallen Sanatana Dharma.
Mukundan P.R.
Discovering Sanatana Dharma
(From the Teachings of NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru)
Navajyothisree Karunakara Guru said: “Till now we had been living behind the system in which there were different gods for lower castes and higher castes…. Kaliyuga requires the culmination of the faith in a single God.”
Speaking about the corruption in the spiritual practices, consequent to deviated worship and social customs, Guru said:
'The Sakteya, the man of the Sakti cult, made his cult into a complete system. Then Vedanta entered into it. Along with Vedanta was blended into the system, the helplessness of having to invoke ‘Matan’ (a tribal spirit worshiped in South India) as the Lord. That is how the Saiva blended Matan and Natesa.
The Vaishnava introduced more cultural refinements into his system. He also became an exponent of Advaita. With this development, the people had to accept everything that was written by the pundits. And, if they continued to be in a proto-Dravidian state, how could they evolve?'
‘The Sakteya and the Saiva traditions each took up different viewpoints which suited themselves. The Sakteya tradition regarded the Goddess as everything. Siva was everything in the Saiva tradition. The Vaishnava tradition considered Vishnu above all others. The learned pundits and their ilk had to accept what these three traditions proclaimed. All this has happened by way of expiation for not being able to discover the Error in perceiving the Brahmic Will.
Also, Yuga dharma is the Dharmic code of the Yuga, the Age. Now the Yuga dharma should be what pertains to Kali. From the beginning of the Kali itself, we failed to discern the transition of the Age. What we had to discern was the fluctuations in the human processes in the past three Ages. Now, what is the pervading nature of the present Kali? We might have been able to understand this from the beginning itself. That we could not get this awareness was because of the failure of the way in which we were governed.
The present Kaliyuga is the Kaliyuga of the 28th Chaturyuga in the Manvantara of Vaivaswata Manu, the seventh Manu. The state of society depends on its comprehension and assimilation of the wisdom of the sages, which is encoded in the Vedas and the Upanishads. Our rulers kept us away from this knowledge. As a result, we as a people degenerated; we lost the capacity to understand the words of the wise. This is why we were not able to discern’.
The fundamental aim of Santhigiri Ashram founded by NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru is to reveal and rectify the spiritual error that had befallen Sanatana Dharma.
Mukundan P.R.
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Manus and Yuga Cycles
Gurucharanam Saranam
The Manus and Yuga Cycles
(From the teachings of NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru)
‘The present Kaliyuga is the Kaliyuga of the 28th Chaturyuga in the Manvantara of Vaivaswata Manu, the seventh Manu. The state of society depends on its comprehension and assimilation of the wisdom of the sages, which is encoded in the Vedas and the Upanishads. Our rulers kept us away from this knowledge. As a result, we as a people degenerated; we lost the capacity to understand the words of the wise. This is why we were not able to discern’.
(NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru)
The Brahmic Will to be self-responsible for the divine dispensation for God-realization existed from the beginning of creation itself and continues incessantly. It is the same Godly Conception that manifests as the Subtle Being (the Impersonal Truth), Godhead (Manifested Truth), as a Deva (Deity), Sanyasi (Sage) or a Rishi and accepts worship through these mediums down the course of ages. But, there is a concept known as Yuga Dharma. Different eons like Satya, Treta and Dwapara had their characteristic dharmic dispensation, which in the present age – Kaliyuga – undergoes change. These changes in the dharmic code (Yuga Dharma) are brought about by sages and seers of transcendental wisdom, who manifest as the embodiment of enlightenment and Godly abstraction. NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru said.
According to the Rishis, the transition of Yugas, propelling the wheel of dharma, happens according to the Will of God and in accordance with the laws of Manu – the primordial human ancestor and preceptor. It is mentioned that the time period of a creation consists of 14 Manvantaras, or cosmic time segments. Each of this time segments is under a Manu, hence it is known as Manvantara.
There are thus 14 Manus in a creation. Each Manvantara is again divided into 71 Chaturyugas. One Chaturyuga consists of four yugas – Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali.
The preceptors or Rishis coming under the Manu lineage are known as Manu Parampara and the Dharma revealed through them is called Manu Dharma, or Sanatana Dharma (eternal dharma). Because of the error of a preceptor in the lineage of Manus, the real spiritual experience and grace of God was lost, as explained below in the words of Guru. This occurred in the 3rd Chaturyuga of this Manvantara. A great spiritual void followed subsequent to this, and mankind lost the knowledge about Manu and Manu Dharma.
'The present is the seventh Manvantara. In the third Chaturyuga of this Manvantara, a great soul in the tradition of Manu perceived that there is no action in this world that is not Manu’s. He saw this in all planes – the sookshmam (subtle), sthoolam (corporeal), kaaryam (cause), and kaaranam (effect). Out of this experience came the Chaturvakyas, or the four great enunciations. The very first one is, Aham Brahmasmi – I am the Brahman, the Absolute. He proved it to the people with the power of logic. He was full of his oneness with the Brahman, which he went on to mistake for himself being the Brahman.
Each one of us, each blade of grass, is full of the Brahman. But, is the Will of the Almighty confined to an individual evolute? One concludes: this sage did not have the grace to discriminate between the Absolute and the individual even if the individual has had the realization of the Absolute. Thus was blurred his awareness of the Will of the Absolute’.
Guru has further revealed that the cosmic time calculation of yugas was subsequently altered by a preceptor in the Trimurthy tradition. Only a ‘Kalanthara Guru’ – a Guru who brings about epochal changes – could see far deep into the cosmic time segments and evaluate this error.
‘What we are going through is the time-order of Manvantaras. That is our perspective or cognition of the world. In the Manu tradition, a great spiritual evolute fell from grace. As a result, the Brahman initiated a corrective in the seventh Chaturyuga, which was brought to a completion in the eleventh Chaturyuga. Thereafter, astral matters related to Mukti were revealed, which got codified as Vedas, Sastras and the Upanishads, without changing the old Manvantara order (to reaffirm that order).
Since the sages could not transcend those who received these astral matters, they did not inquire into the reason why they had received such knowledge, but used their intellect in understanding the path shown by the Almighty and charted their version of the Manvantara time-order – Chaturyugas, Manvantaras and Kalpas – as subservient to Brahma. Thus, they could not invoke Manu, the First Guru, and grasp the Error and correct it. This is a peril that has befallen us. The Error was repeated again and again as the evolutes, who were the spiritual authorities of revealed knowledge, could not discover the mystery and unravel it in full before us’.
Mukundan PR
The Manus and Yuga Cycles
(From the teachings of NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru)
‘The present Kaliyuga is the Kaliyuga of the 28th Chaturyuga in the Manvantara of Vaivaswata Manu, the seventh Manu. The state of society depends on its comprehension and assimilation of the wisdom of the sages, which is encoded in the Vedas and the Upanishads. Our rulers kept us away from this knowledge. As a result, we as a people degenerated; we lost the capacity to understand the words of the wise. This is why we were not able to discern’.
(NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru)
The Brahmic Will to be self-responsible for the divine dispensation for God-realization existed from the beginning of creation itself and continues incessantly. It is the same Godly Conception that manifests as the Subtle Being (the Impersonal Truth), Godhead (Manifested Truth), as a Deva (Deity), Sanyasi (Sage) or a Rishi and accepts worship through these mediums down the course of ages. But, there is a concept known as Yuga Dharma. Different eons like Satya, Treta and Dwapara had their characteristic dharmic dispensation, which in the present age – Kaliyuga – undergoes change. These changes in the dharmic code (Yuga Dharma) are brought about by sages and seers of transcendental wisdom, who manifest as the embodiment of enlightenment and Godly abstraction. NavajyotiSree Karunakara Guru said.
According to the Rishis, the transition of Yugas, propelling the wheel of dharma, happens according to the Will of God and in accordance with the laws of Manu – the primordial human ancestor and preceptor. It is mentioned that the time period of a creation consists of 14 Manvantaras, or cosmic time segments. Each of this time segments is under a Manu, hence it is known as Manvantara.
There are thus 14 Manus in a creation. Each Manvantara is again divided into 71 Chaturyugas. One Chaturyuga consists of four yugas – Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali.
The preceptors or Rishis coming under the Manu lineage are known as Manu Parampara and the Dharma revealed through them is called Manu Dharma, or Sanatana Dharma (eternal dharma). Because of the error of a preceptor in the lineage of Manus, the real spiritual experience and grace of God was lost, as explained below in the words of Guru. This occurred in the 3rd Chaturyuga of this Manvantara. A great spiritual void followed subsequent to this, and mankind lost the knowledge about Manu and Manu Dharma.
'The present is the seventh Manvantara. In the third Chaturyuga of this Manvantara, a great soul in the tradition of Manu perceived that there is no action in this world that is not Manu’s. He saw this in all planes – the sookshmam (subtle), sthoolam (corporeal), kaaryam (cause), and kaaranam (effect). Out of this experience came the Chaturvakyas, or the four great enunciations. The very first one is, Aham Brahmasmi – I am the Brahman, the Absolute. He proved it to the people with the power of logic. He was full of his oneness with the Brahman, which he went on to mistake for himself being the Brahman.
Each one of us, each blade of grass, is full of the Brahman. But, is the Will of the Almighty confined to an individual evolute? One concludes: this sage did not have the grace to discriminate between the Absolute and the individual even if the individual has had the realization of the Absolute. Thus was blurred his awareness of the Will of the Absolute’.
Guru has further revealed that the cosmic time calculation of yugas was subsequently altered by a preceptor in the Trimurthy tradition. Only a ‘Kalanthara Guru’ – a Guru who brings about epochal changes – could see far deep into the cosmic time segments and evaluate this error.
‘What we are going through is the time-order of Manvantaras. That is our perspective or cognition of the world. In the Manu tradition, a great spiritual evolute fell from grace. As a result, the Brahman initiated a corrective in the seventh Chaturyuga, which was brought to a completion in the eleventh Chaturyuga. Thereafter, astral matters related to Mukti were revealed, which got codified as Vedas, Sastras and the Upanishads, without changing the old Manvantara order (to reaffirm that order).
Since the sages could not transcend those who received these astral matters, they did not inquire into the reason why they had received such knowledge, but used their intellect in understanding the path shown by the Almighty and charted their version of the Manvantara time-order – Chaturyugas, Manvantaras and Kalpas – as subservient to Brahma. Thus, they could not invoke Manu, the First Guru, and grasp the Error and correct it. This is a peril that has befallen us. The Error was repeated again and again as the evolutes, who were the spiritual authorities of revealed knowledge, could not discover the mystery and unravel it in full before us’.
Mukundan PR
The Language of Secular Spirituality
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.
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)