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4261

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Bhagavan and Rangan 4

« on: August 05, 2010, 04:01:01 PM »

Once Bhagavan remarked to my wife, "Chellamma! People who come here leave their bundles outside and come to me and stay here peacefully. But when they leave they take back their bundles."

So simple, yet so thought provoking is this reply by Sri Bhagavan. Aren't we ourselves picking up those bundles, and for whose want are we picking those bundles?

I just cannot but just recollect and post this bit again, the serenity prayer -

God, grant me the serenity
To accept the things I cannot change;
Courage to change the things I can;
And wisdom to know the difference.

__

Patience for the things that take time
Appreciation for all that we have, and
Tolerance for those with different struggles
Freedom to live beyond the limitations of our past ways, the
Ability to feel your love for us and our love for each other and the
Strength to get up and try again even when we feel it is hopeless.

Salutations to Sri Ramana

4262

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Bhagavan and Rangan 3

« on: August 05, 2010, 03:50:52 PM »

Once while going round the Hill with Bhagavan, He said, "What had to be achieved, this has achieved. Now I can do anything." "Even marry?" My wife (Chellamma) asked. Bhagavan smilingly replied, "Yes. That can also be done." Having heard this, my eldest son composed Sri Ramanamirtham in which he describes the marriage between Bhagavan and Jnana.

Salutations to Sri Ramana

4263

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Bhagavan and Rangan

« on: August 05, 2010, 03:45:04 PM »

and then as usual, Rangan stayed there for few days... and then, Rangan continues -

I stayed for a few days with Bhagavan and then left. When leaving, I couldn't bear the separation and tears flowed from my eyes. Bhagavan said to me, "You imagine you came from Kumbakonam and are going to Madurai. You are always where you are. You feel a great elation in seeing me and being with me now. But when you reach my state, you will think there is nothing at all extraordinary about me."

Salutations to Sri Ramana

4264

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Bhagavan and Rangan 2

« on: August 05, 2010, 01:38:00 PM »

Dear I,

Bhagavan Ramana's devotees, at least a few of them, had these
problems.  I think Lakshmana Swami has also expressed this.
One another gentleman, who met Him in the Hill had said when
he could come to Him permanently.  It was not possible for long
years.  Perhaps he had a lot of family problems, and this was also
a form of ego-sense.  Bhagavan Ramana said:  "You can come only
when the play is over."  For some, play is over in one visit, [Mastan Swami] and for others it took a long time spanning over several
years.  It is all prarabdha.

Arunachala Siva.       

That person is actually, TK Sundaresa Iyer, he was being transfered from place to place, and he used to miss Bhagavan so much, he some how never used to get an opportunity to visit Bhagavan and as a result he used to get vexed up with his life, one day he spoke to Bhagavan what he had in his mind and Bhagavan replied "Aattam Kalayatum, Piragu"

some replies of Bhagavan seem so tailor made for us even in our times.

Sometimes i wonder...what is this! I read about bhagavan and every sentence of his talks of ego-annihilation but mine seems to get only bigger and more inflated! I hope bhagavan's observation is also true in my case!

So very true, sometimes, even i have wondered, when i looked at myself in the mirror, what is this, when i look at myself i can see so much dirt within me, i am able to see so many flaws within myself, where all i acted out of personal selfishness!!!!

Salutations to Sri Ramana

4265

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Bhagavan and Rangan 2

« on: August 05, 2010, 12:36:36 AM »

One day I asked Bhagavan, "How is it that I find your bhaktas instead of becoming less and less possessed of the ego-sense as a result of contact with you, seem to be even more full of ego sense?" Bhagavan replied, "What is inside must come out. Suppose you keep the water in a pot on the fire, as the heat increases, the water must bubble, boil over and evaporate." I gathered that as we go on visiting Bhagavan, the ego comes out and finally disappears.

4266

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Bhagavan and Rangan

« on: August 05, 2010, 12:30:59 AM »

Once I had gone to Kumbakonam in connection with my work. It was mahamaham time then. As the day of the festival was approaching, the place was getting more and more crowded. When it was two days more for mahamaham, somehow there arose in me an urge to go to Bhagavan. I accordingly went to him. Bhagavan asked me wherefrom I was coming and I said, "From Kumbakonam." Thereupon Bhagavan asked me, "What is this! Everyone from here is going to Kumbakonam and you have come away from there!" I replied, "I have come to one who is greater than the God of Kumbakonam."

4267

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Strange Incident Happened For Muruganar's First Visit to Ramana

« on: August 05, 2010, 12:24:40 AM »

Dear I,

I always wondered why India had to be divided based on languages. There are so many places that still carry the names of Andhra. It would have been great if division had not happened at all. Tiruchirapalli is one example.

Its like, people and languages which were in unity are made to be diversified unnecessarily. Bharathiar the Maha Kavi praises Telugu as Sundara Telugu. Tamizh and Telugu have shared the best marital life in the past, how beautifully, they have co existed for centuries untill our politicians came into picture.

Salutations to Sri Ramana

4268

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / A Moulvi's Visit

« on: August 05, 2010, 12:16:40 AM »

We were sitting one morning in the hall in deep meditation. Suddenly there was the sound of the tap-tap of a sick. A tall blind Muslim was trying to find the entry to the hall with his stick. I helped him to come inside. He asked me in Urdu where Bhagavam was sitting. U made him sit right in front of Bhagavan and told him, "You are now sitting just in fron tof Bhagavan. You can salute him." The Muslim told his story. He lived near Peshawar and he was a moulvi (teacher) of repute. nce he so happened to hear somebody reading in Urdu about Bhagavan and at once he felt that Bhagavan was his spiritual father and that he must go to him. Blind as he was, he took the next train and travelled thousands of miles all alone, changing trains many times, till at last he reahed Ramanashramam. When asked what he was going to do next, he said. "Whatever Bhagavan tells me, I shall do." His immense faith made me ashamed of myself. How little did the man hesitatee to place his life in the hands of a south Indian swami. And what a mountain oof doubts and hesitations I had to wade though before I came to Bhagavan's feet in earnest!

 - Chalam

After reading this, i felt very humbled and very small. Here is a man, a blind man who has travelled thousands of kilometers all alone to have a darshan of a Guru. Persons like this cause to create a dent on my(our) ego. How very small we look someimes. Some people make all our troubles look so small and inconsequential and so very small, which we see as huge as himalayas.

Salutations to Sri Ramana

4269

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Strange Incident Happened For Muruganar's First Visit to Ramana

« on: August 04, 2010, 07:02:28 PM »

The most popular verses that he wrote during the period of intoxication is "Unmatta Panchadasi", it is also known as "Aatma Samarpanam"

4270

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Strange Incident Happened For Muruganar's First Visit to Ramana

« on: August 04, 2010, 06:53:48 PM »

Reading the post regarding hallucinogens. I remembered Appayya Dikshitar who was a great yogi. My uncle had told this to me some years back.



One may call himself a Siva Bhakta but should not Lord Siva accept him as His Bhakta? Does not the real glory lie in Siva accepting him as His Bhakta? One may claim to be a Bhakta or the whole world might declare so but if the Lord does not accept it, the Bhakti goes in vain. Let the whole world be indifferent to him or abuse or ignore him, but if the Lord accepts him then he is, indeed, the fortunate, the blessed. The world accepting or rejecting you is irrelevant. God should accept you. Many people lead a religious/spiritual life not for the sake of the Lord but for earning the appreciation of the world. We should test
ourselves to know if we really possess Bhakti deep within us.

You must have all heard of the flower Oomattham-poo. The name is actually 'unmattham-poo' . In Sanskrit 'unmattham' means madness. It is said that
by eating the unripe fruit of this tree one turns insane. Appayya Deekshitar, who had decided to test the genuineness of his Bhakti, called his disciples and said to them, 'I am going to grind the unripe fruit of this tree and eat. I would turn insane. Note down all that I blabber in that state. Then, get the help of a doctor to cure me. Once I regain my sense of balance I wish to know what I had blabbered in this state of insanity.'

Appayya Deekshitar ate the unripe fruit of this tree and he became insane. The disciples wrote down all that he uttered in that state of insanity. He was then cured of this state through medicines. He regained his sense of balance. It was found that in that state of insanity he had written wonderful stotras on Lord Siva! Appayya Deekshitar had written many stotras earlier. The play of words in these stotras is simply fascinating. The most surprising fact was that the stotra that came out of him in his state of insanity was unique! It was much more wonderful that those composed earlier, in his normal state.It was only after this 'Atma pariksha' did he feel joyful. He was pleased that he had come out successfully in this 'Atma pariksha'. This incident of ‘Atma pariksha’ of Appayya Deekshitar took place in the precincts of Lord Siva Temple inside the Chennai I.I.T. campus. Thus, Chennai is a great Kshetra.

I had a unique opportunity to look at this place myself at IIT, one of my uncle was a professor here. There is also one very very old, Shiva temple, which had been  submerged in water for many years, and after its "Punar Nirmaanam" re-installation, it was named "Jalakanteshwara" installed by Shankaracharya.

Even this day, you find deers, roaming around the campus. It is said that Deers reside only in those places where great sages were or are present. Deers are said to be very sensitive animals and they are most satvic animals.

Salutations to Sri Ramana

4271

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Living without allowing the notion of "I" to form

« on: August 04, 2010, 04:19:50 PM »

मनुष्याणां सहस्रेषु कश्चिद्यतति सिद्धये ।
यततामपि सिद्धानां कश्चिन्मां वेत्ति तत्त्वतः ॥ BG Chapter 7, Verse 3

Manushyaanaam Sahasreshu Kashchidyati sidhdhaye
Yatataamapi sidhdhaanaam Kashchinmaam Vetti Tatvatah

Among thousands of men, one perchance strives for perfection;
even among those successful strivers, only one perchance knows me in essence.

यमेवैष वृणुते तेन लभ्यस्तस्यैष आत्मा विवृणुते तनूं स्वाम्‌॥ ३॥ Kathopanishad 23

Yemevaisha Vrunuti Tena Mabhyastasyaisha Aatmaa Vivrunute TanugSvaam

He who chooses Atman—by him alone is Atman attained.
It is (only) Atman that reveals to the seeker Its true nature.



Salutations to Sri Ramana

4272

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Living without allowing the notion of "I" to form

« on: August 04, 2010, 03:39:51 PM »

Bhagavan Ramana was able to recognise this within a matter of 15 - 30 minutes and remained as Self forever. It occured Just only once to Bhagavan. we need to make several attempts.

4273

General topics / Re: Baba Sri Baidnath-Sultanganj to Deoghar

« on: August 04, 2010, 03:36:42 PM »

Sourashtre Somanadham, cha Sri Shaile Mallikarjunam,
Ujjayinyam Maha Kalam, Omkaram, amaleshwaram,
Paralyam Vaidyanatham, cha Dakinyam Bhimasankaram,
Sethubandhe thu Ramesam, Nagesam thu Darukavane,
Varanasyam thu Viswesam, Trayambakam Gouthami thate,
Himalaye thu Kedaram, Ghushmesam cha Shivalaye,
Ethani Jyothirlingani sayam pratha paden nara,
Saptha janma krutham papam smaranena vinasyathi.

The twelve Lingas of light are,
Somanatha in Sourashtra,
Mallikarjuna in Sri Shailam,
Mahakala in Ujjain,
Omkaram in Amaleshwara,
Vaidhyanatha in Parali,
Bhimasankara in South,
Rameshwara near the bridge in Sethu,
Nageswara in Daruka forest,
Visweswara in Varnasi,
Trayambakeshwara in the shores of Godavari,
Kedareshwara in Himalayas,
And Ghushmesha in Sivalaya.
He who remembers them,
Morning and evening,
Would wash away sins,
Committed in his seven births.

4274

General topics / Re: Baba Sri Baidnath-Sultanganj to Deoghar

« on: August 04, 2010, 03:30:18 PM »

Dear I,

By controversy I did not mean anything serious, just that some believe Parli Baidyanath is the real Baidyanath Dham while some believe that Baidyanath Dham in Bihar is the real Baidyanath Dham.

Also Kedarnath, Kashi Vishwanath and Rameswaram are spread away a bit. All other Jyotirlingas are concentrated and can be visited within a weeks trip.

I have heard about Kanwarias who complete the entire 105km within 24 hrs. Other people normally complete it in 3 days.

Infact, Adi Shankara's Jyotirlinga Stotram mentions Parli Vaidyanath. I'l try and post this stotram. I think Maharashtra alone is said to have 5 Jyotirlingams which i have visited. However, the place, is not of much importance, both Vaidyanath temple are to be considered one and the same

Salutations to Sri Ramana

4275

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Paul Brunton And Major Chadwick's primary criticism of Ramana Maharshi

« on: August 02, 2010, 09:23:08 PM »

Dear I,

Very True sir, and very important point you have mentioned "to have uninterrupted Self-Knowledge and not just having a taste of Self... it is not enough."

Our efforts must be so sincere and continues giving no rooms for vasanas to take us over.

Because of loka vasana Paul Brunton and Chadvick felt like that about Bhagawan.To really understand Bhagawan we also must
have uninterrupted Self-knowledge but just having a taste of Self is not enough.

Salutations to Sri Ramana