Any act performed without discrimination will have serious repercussions. Would not poison kill upon consuming it even unknowingly? So there is nothing call innocent or run away from the sins committed by a person. Knowingly or unknowingly, if an action is performed, he is bound to get the reaction. That the laws of nature. No one, indeed, how big or small, intelligent or unintelligent, faithful or unfaithful, devotion or without devotion, has to bear the fruits of his actions by himself. No Guru or God can remove the effect of our actions and has to bear for ourselves. That is the laws of karma.
Certain places are regarded as holy places and merely by being associated with them, one attains liberation. The sthalapuranam says one can attain salvation by being born in Tiruvarur, by meeting death in Kashi, by worshipping in Chidambaram and by merely thinking of Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai.
Followers of Saivite religion love to cherish these five temples enshrining five different types of linga representing each of the five elements: earth, air, fire, water and sky. At Kanchi, Siva-Sankara is worshipped in the form of prithvi linga; in Tiruvanaikovil is the water (Appu) lingam, enshrined under a jambu tree and is therefore called jambu lingam; at Sri Kalahasti, the linga is represented as air or vayu; Chidambaram is the abode of akash linga; and in Tiruvannamalai is said to deify fire, is jyotir linga.
To assure the presence of the divine in any temple constructed according to the guidelines of agamic scriptures, the temple rededication and consecration known as kumbhabhishekam is done. According to the ancient agamic principles, if periodic kumbhabhishekam as well as regular daily puja is not properly performed, the divine power of a temple will be forfeited. It is said that, in cases of such neglect, the divine presence initially will the inner sanctum and reside for a time of some three years in the vimanam (dome) of the temple. With continued neglect the divinity will shift from the vimanam to the sthalavruksha (temple tree) where it will abide for an additional 12 years, at which time, if proper agamic practices have not been reinstated, it will return to its origin in the Sun. Hence, in order to preserve the divine presence within a temple or recover the “forgotten” divinity in the case of temple restoration after a long period of neglect, the scriptures prescribe the performance of kumbhabhishekam every 12 years.
The dormant spiritual power of man resides between the base of the sexual organ and the anus. When awakened through spiritual practice, it enters the Sushumna channel that is inside the backbone and starts coursing upward toward the brain. Inside the Sushumna channel, there are six different centers of spiritual awareness called Chakras. These Chakras are visualized by the Yogis as so many lotuses. They are, in ascending order:
1.Muladhara - situated near the anus, is a four-petaled lotus
2.Svadhishthana - situated at the base of the sexual organ, has six petals
3.Manipura - which is in the region of the navel, is a ten-petaled lotus
4.Anahata – located in the region of the heart, contains twelve petals
5.Vishuddha – near the base of the throat, has sixteen petals
6.Ajna – situated between the two eyebrows is a two-petaled lotus
Muladhara is the seat of the Kundalini power. After being awakened, this power passes through these six chakras and reaches the cerebrum where the Sahasrara, the thousand-petaled lotus is located. When the awakened Kundalini power reaches the Sahasrara, the spiritual aspirant becomes illumined.
Book: Meditation – Mind and Patanjali’s Yoga by Swami Bhaskarananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Price Rs.75/-. Pages – 252.
Note – The above points are notes I have scrubbed down while reading the book “Meditation – Mind and Patanjali’s” written by Swami Bhaskarananda. I am blogging this material only to encourage the readers who see my blog to read the book and is not meant for any commercial purpose. It is just sharing information about a good book.
Disclaimer: [As these types of topics cannot be put down in very few lines and there are different methods and schools of thoughts regarding the same, I, being at the beginner level, trying to follow what great sages or swami has written, will be blogging all those materials which I have read and thought of useful. These are notes or scribing I normally take when I read a book or some stuff on net and is not intended for any commercial use and no claim is made by me on this written material. This written stuff belongs to the writer or publisher or organization but is blogged by me only to spread awareness about a good book or method so that the blog readers are encouraged to read the original books. Details about the book name, author, publisher, organization, price and the links are given below. ]
Meditation is a state of intense concentration. If the mind is made to flow in an uninterrupted manner to its object of thought for a prolonged period of time, it is called meditation.
“Tatra pratyaikatanata dhyanam” i.e., “Uninterrupted thinking of one thought is Dhyana or meditation.” – Yoga Sutras 3/2.
It is not true that we cannot concentrate. What we lack is the ability to concentrate our minds on everything, and under all circumstances. It is easy to concentrate on what is pleasant. The difficulty arises when we have to concentrate on something unpleasant. A student finds it hard to concentrate on a dull and uninteresting book and a parishioner feels drowsy when listening to a boring sermon.
Yet, all that is pleasant is not necessarily good. On the other hand, what is unpleasant may be good and beneficial. We must learn to concentrate on whatever we do, whether pleasant or unpleasant, as long as it is beneficial for us. Meditation – which is no other than training in concentration – can enable us to do this.
Concentration is indispensable in achieving success in life. Success in no area of human life can be attained without it. Swami Vivekananda used to say that the different between a genius and an idiot is in their power of concentration.
Benefits:
Some say that meditation is good for health. It removes stress by relaxing the body and mind. It reduces high blood pressure. It helps slow down the aging process and improves memory. Some also say that meditation helps in gaining supernatural powers. While all these claims may be true, the sages tell us that these are not the best reasons to meditate. Rather, meditation has a much higher purpose which is God-Realization or experiencing the Ultimate Truth.
Now a days, Yoga is often incorrectly known to be only some physical postures that can enhance health and longevity. In India, where all these techniques were originally developed – such exercises are called Hatha Yoga. The word Yoga has many other meanings. In the context of spiritual life, it means methods which help one in establishing communion with the Divine Reality, viz. Raja Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, etc.
Man is a combination of
1.The physical body
2.The vital energy
3.The sense organs
4.The motor organs
5.The mind
These put together are called the body-mind-complex. Although involved with the body-mind-complex, the soul of man is not a part of it. The soul is eternal, changeless, infinite, and the only source of consciousness. Man’s body-mind-complex acquires consciousness by borrowing it from the soul. The soul is also called the Divine Spirit, the Divine Self, and the Divine Essence.
Methods of God-Realization – The Four Yogas
The Sanskrit word Yoga means a yoke or a link – a link between the spiritual aspirant and God, means a technique or path by following which we can establish communion with God.
Hinduism offers many different Yogas or techniques to reach God. Out of them, four are most important as they correspond to the four broad catagories into which Hinduism classes all spiritual seekers. These Yogas are:
1.Bhakti Yoga or the path of devotion. This path is meant primarily for people who are temperamentally emotional and respond easily to love and affection.
2.Jnana Yoga or the path of rational inquiry. This path is prescribed for people of rational temperament to whom reason appeals more than faith.
3.Raja Yoga or the path of psychic control. Raja Yoga is for aspirants who are of meditative temperament with a natural yearning to completely maser their minds.
4.Karma Yoga or the path of right action. The path of Karma Yoga is most attractive to people who are habitually very active.
All these paths, except for Karma Yoga, prescribe their own kinds of meditation to experience Divinity. The path of Karma Yoga teaches the practice of selfless action as a means to experience Divinity. It does not teach meditation. Raja Yoga, however, puts maximum emphasis on meditation.
Book: Meditation – Mind and Patanjali’s Yoga by Swami Bhaskarananda, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Chennai. Price Rs.75/-. Pages – 252.
Note – The above points are notes I have scrubbed down while reading the book “Meditation – Mind and Patanjali’s” written by Swami Bhaskarananda. I am blogging this material only to encourage the readers who see my blog to read the book and is not meant for any commercial purpose. It is just sharing information about a good book.
Giripradakshina is the practice of circumambulating Arunachala hill at Tiruvannamalai, Tamilnadu. The scripture says that it is Lord Siva himself, manifesting as the Arunachal hill which is 2682 feet high. There are two paths, Outer Path and Inner path to do the Giripradakshina. The distance of Giripradakshina is about 14 kms and takes about four to five hours.
Ramana Maharshi always advised his devotees to go around the hill. He himself has done Giripradakshina often. He would advise them to walk slowly, keeping to the left of the road since the path on the right is reserved for the Siddhas and Rishis. Giripradakshina is always done in clockwise direction keeping the hill to your right. One should go round either in silence of meditating or japa or bhajan and thereby thinking of God all the time during the Giripradakshina. The letter ‘Pra’ stands for removal of all kinds of sins; ‘da’ stands for fulfilling the desires; ‘kshi’ stands for freedom from future births; ‘na’ stands for giving deliverance through Jnana.
It is written in the Skanda Purana that when Sri Rama asked Hanuman to bring a medicinal herb called Sanjivini from the Sanjivini Mountain to revive his unconscious brother Lakshmana, and as Hanuman could not find that herb, he lifted the whole mountain and flew to Sri Lanka. As he was flying over Arunachala, a piece of the mountain, along with its medicinal plants, fell on Arunachala. There are a great variety of medicinal plants all around the hill, whose scents, wafted by breeze are beneficial to health.
Temple is a place where individual souls are reabsorbed into their source. The purpose of temple is to get rid of oneself of the three defilements – ego, lust and maya. Temple topography mirrors the human body, the “temple” of the individual soul, where the gopuram is the mouth, Nandi is the tongue, the flagpole the tonsils, and the various lamps and lights are representing the five senses. Accordingly, the inner sanctum is the heart and the temple deity is the soul itself. Where scripture delineates the five koshas or sheaths that encase the soul, the temple has its five prakaras. Like the koshas, the prakaras are enclosed one within the other with the innermost the sanctum sanctorum. As one moves from the gross body to the most subtle – the self in its primordial state, so the pradakshina through the five prakaras to the inner sanctum is the symbolic journey from the gross world of form to the subtle realm of spirit and the divine.
The word lingam is a combination of two words, “lim” and “kam” and reflects the cycle of creation. “Kam” is from which all things animate and inanimate spring up at the time of creation and “lim” is that to which all things return at the time of their dissolution.
It’s the time to remember the Pattabisekham of one of the greatest rulers of South India – Sri Krishna Devaraya Rayalu. The 20 years of rule from 1509-1529 is considered as Golden era in Rayalaseema region. Not only did he spread his empire during this time in South India but also left an impact in the development/restoration of many temples, forts and historical places. Almost all major temples in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamilnadu, Maharashtra and Kerala have been benefited under his rule. Arts and Literature was at its best during his regime. Not only he was spiritual and cultural, he was socially very conscious of farmers and common man. Many wells, canals and lakes were dug up or renovated and agriculture was given much prominence during his regime. Business flourished during his regime and import/export was done to other countries. Rayalaseema was called as “Ratnalaseema” where diamond, ruby and other precious gems were sold in the streets of Hampi. Just visiting the ruins of Hampi and places like Penukonda in Andhra Pradesh which was his second or summer capital will give the glimpse of his glorious days.
1.Know first that ‘I’ and then you shall know the truth.
2.There is only one thing to be done. Look into your own self. Do this in the right way and you shall find the answer to all your problems.
3.Through deep reflection on the nature of one’s self and through constant meditation, the light can be found.
4.How do you know that no progress has been made? It is not easy to perceive one’s progress in the spiritual realm.
5.Guru can give his discipline all that he needs for his quest.
6.Getting enlightenment depends upon the maturity of the seeker’s mind. The gun powder catches fire in an instant, while much time is needed to set fire to the coal.
7.Why should you trouble yourself about the future? You do not even properly know about the present! Take care of the present; the future will then take care of itself.
8.As you are, so is the world. Without understanding yourself, what is the use of trying to understand the world? People waste their energies over all such questions. First, find out the truth behind yourself; then you will be in a better position to understand the truth behind the world, of which yourself is a part.
9.When you go back there, you shall have this peace which you now feel, but its price will be that you shall henceforth can’t aside the idea that you are this body or this brain. When this peace will flow into you, then you shall have to forget your own self, for you will have turned your life over to THAT.
10.The life of action need not be renounced. If you will meditate for an hour or two every day, you can then carry on with your duties. If you meditate in the right manner, then the current of mind induced will continue to flow even in the midst of your work. It is as though there were two ways of expressing the same idea; the same line which you take in meditation will be expressed in your activities.
11.As you go on you will find that your attitude towards people, events and objects will gradually change. Your actions will tend to follow your meditations of their own accord.
12.A man should surrender the personal selfishness which binds him to this world. Giving up the false self is the true renunciation.
13.You have to ask yourself the question, ‘Who am I? This investigation will lead in the end to the discovery of something within you which is behind the mind. Solve that great problem, and you will solve all other problems thereby?
14.Man’s real nature is happiness. Happiness is inborn in the true self. His search for happiness is an unconscious search for his true self. The true Self is imperishable; therefore when a man finds it, he finds a happiness which does not come to an end. All men, without exception, are consciously or unconsciously seeking happiness. Even a sinner is trying to find the Self’s happiness in every sin which they commit. This striving is instinctive in man, but they do not know that they are really seeking their true selves, and so they try these wicked ways first as a means to happiness. Of course, they are wrong ways, for a man’s acts are reflected back to him.
15.To understand SELF, it is first necessary for a man to analyse himself. Because it has long been his habit to think as others think, he has never faced his ‘I’ in the true manner. He has not a correct picture of himself; he has too long identified himself with the body and the brain. Therefore, I tell you to pursue this enquiry, “Who am I”.
16.The first and foremost of all thoughts, the primeval thought in the mind of every man, is the thought ‘I’. It is only after the birth of this thought that any other thoughts can arise at all. It is only after the first personal pronoun ‘I’ has arisen in the mind that the personal pronoun ‘you’ can make its appearance. If you could mentally follow the ‘I’ thread until it leads you back to its source, you would discover that, just as it is the first thought to appear, so is it the last to disappear. This is a matter which can be experienced. It is possible to go inwards until the last thought ‘I’ gradually vanishes.
17.The sense of ‘I’ pertains to the person, the body and the brain. When a man knows his true Self for the first time, something else arises from the depths of his being and takes possession of him. That something is behind the mind; it is infinite, divine, eternal. Some people call it the kingdom of heaven, others call it the soul, still others name it Nirvana, and we Hindus call it Liberation; you may give it what name you wish. When this happens, a man has not really lost himself; rather, he has found himself.
18.‘Who am I?, if you begin to perceive that neither the body nor the brain nor the desires are really you, then the very attitude of enquiry will eventually draw the answer to you out of the depths of your own beings; it will come to you of its own accord as a deep realization.
19.Know the real Self and then the truth will shine forth within your heart like sunshine. The mind will become untroubled and real happiness will flood it; for happiness and the true self are identical. You will have no more doubts once you attain this Self-awareness.
20.The greatest error of a man is to think that he is weak by nature, evil by nature. Every man is divine and strong in his real nature. What are weak and evil are his habits, his desires and thoughts, but not himself.
21.Who am I?
Am I this body of flesh, blood and bone?
Am I the mind, the thoughts and the feelings which distinguish me from every other person?
22.Pursue the enquiry ‘Who am I? Relentlessly. Analyse your entire personality. Try to find out where the I-thought begins. Go on with your meditations. Keep turning your attention within. One day the wheel of thought will slow down and an intuition will mysteriously arise. Follow that intuition let your thinking stop, and it will eventually lead you to the goal.
23.Trace thought to its place of origin. Watch for the real Self to reveal itself, and then your thoughts will die down on their own accord.
‘The Maharshi and His Message’ is a small book of around 80 pages which are the extracts of three chapters from the Paul Brunton’s ‘A Search in Secret India’ book. This book starts with the invitation to Brunton to visit Tiruvannamalai from a disciple of Ramana Maharshi and explains about all the personal experiences and discussions he had with Maharshi.
I like the second chapter “The Hill of the Holy Beacon” more.
Source: The Maharshi and His Message – Paul Brunton. Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai. Price Rs.20/-. Pages – 77.
Disclaimer – The above points are notes I have scrubbed down while reading the book “The Maharshi and His Message” written by Paul Brunton. I am blogging this material only to encourage the readers who see my blog to read the book and is not meant for any commercial purpose. It is just sharing information about a good book.
Dharmavaram, Anantapur, Rayalaseema, Andhra Pradesh, India
Call me as u like - tirumalanath, thiru, tirumal, timmi, tirumala, neelaiagari or neel. Took my first breath on May 21. Graduated in Chemical Engineering but still learning about action and reactions of life. Working Labour as Sr QA Analyst in Software Product Testing. Always in Pepe Jeans/Tshirts. 8 to 10 cups of Tea for daily survival. My Background score now a days is limited to Indian folk, Instrumental, Classical and my favorite MASS BEAT. Not understanding anything I read, piled up all the books into a small library. I have been all over India but keep visiting places like Varanasi, Tiruvanamalai, Nashik and Goa , but city life is just fine with me. My only
Passion is Thinking..Intense thinking about everything and anything. Very serious about life. I cherish the past (na..re...na), enjoy the hell out of the present and ****cally looking for the future. I have good appreciation for Places, People, Culture, Food, Writing, Reading, Music, History, Meditation, Gadgets, Spirituality, Politics, Architecture and heritage. I love to be either alone in calm place or with dozens of people in very crowded places.
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