My visit to arunachala

[SLakshmi]

Friends,

I went again this year from delhi, to my home - arunachala. Although, am absolutely sure that everyone experiences the same, the feeling of finally reaching the gates of ramanasramam is to say the least - an emotional one. You feel like you are home. This is where we all belong.

I went in march this year, to thank bhagavan for the year gone by - for all the experiences and to have given me the strength to overcome difficult times and enjoy the good days. I wanted to take his asirwadams for the year ahead..

This year i met many people at ramanasramam. I met smt. bhanu ramachandran mami, who is the grand daughter of ranga, bhagavan's childhood friend. I also met a very old, frail lady, who must be in her 80's. Her name is smt.rajalakshmi and she told me that she was meenakshi muruganaar's niece. That makes her dandapani swami's grand daughter. I also met viswanathan mama, venupaati's grandson.

When i met srinivasa murthy mama this time, unlike the previous years, he was more forthcoming to talk to. Infact on two occassions, we talked for almost half hour each..which was quite a surprise, since he usually keeps it to himself. I talk to murthy mama every year...no matter how busy he is, because even a single line from him really reaches the core of your heart and makes you think. It strikes right at the nerve centre. This time i was blessed. He had the time and the inclination to talk. I am deeply grateful to him.


[cont.]

[SLakshmi]

Since before leaving for ramanasramam I had been having a stomach ailment for a while and even had gone to the doctor for the same. I had got an ultrasound etc done and even though i knew it was a very minor indigestion problem, it wouldnt go. I took various home remedies but to no effect. Finally i reached the ashram around 2 pm and checked in. I attended the evening parayana and finally the dinner bell rang. I surrendered to bhagavan and took the prasadam. I found no problems there after! My stomach problem vanished and has not recurred ever since. I my stay of 4 days in the ashram, i ate all my meals at the ashram and even when i took anything outside i never felt any discomfort after that! I cannot say anything beyond that....It is all his doing...

I met bhanu mami while she was drawing the kolam for the punarvasu festival the next day. She stays at the president's home, where she has been given a room with a kitchen. she is a very nice and gracious lady and talked about her family. If one reads the day by day, there a recording of bhagavan with ranga. Ranga during those days was very worried and couldnt sleep at night. His son in law was not well. Bhagavan noticing this, woke up ranga and asked him why was he worried. Upon knowing the problem bhagavan told him not to worry and  gave him the remedy. That son in law is this bhanu mami's father! I was thrilled to know this!


[cont.]

[SLakshmi]

There is a new person by the name is kannan who has joined murthy mama and assists him in the office work. He is a young person, a CA who gave it all up and has since completely surrendered to bhagavan and serves the ashram.

I went for girivalam this year too with bhagavan's grace. before leaving for girivalam, i always think if i will be able to complete the entire circumbulation..but as always if you just do ramaskaram to bhagavan and go ahead...it will be done. Some power takes control of you and makes you finish it. It just isnt your effort at all. It is all his doing alone...

Finally after my four day visit i left early in the morning from arunachala and came to madras for some shopping. I had to take the evening flight back to delhi. I think  what follows can be said to be another miracle of bhagavan..

My flight was at 6.30 pm and for the shopping sojourn i hired an auto for the day. I keep dumping things in the auto and keep moving to the next place to shop. The auto guy seemd to be a very nice person..and patiently waited outside each shop. finally i went to buy sarees with a friend of mine in chennai and at about 4 pm i came out of the shop to find the auto nowhere! I went to exactly the same place where he told me to wait and did not find him! I started panicking! although the ticket, my handbag and all imp items were with me, the suitcase and other shopped items were in the auto!


[cont.]

[SLakshmi]

me and my friend started walking the whole lane frantically searching for the auto...and the TNagar area in chennai is always bustling with autos! So searching and finding in this sea seemed impossible! I was in tears! me and my friend decided to cover two lanes independently to find the auto guy...but he was not to be found! I again went to the same lane he told and nope..he was not there either! I called up my friend and finally told him that it was all over and that it was already 4.30 pm and i had to run to catch my flight. I was just in tears and decided to take another auto to airport atleast not to miss my flight. Just then..i closed my eyes and told bhagavan why was he doing this to me...while i was going back home after his darshan...

I must have taken the auto a 5 min distance and got a call from my friend. I hastily picked it up..and talked irritably that i was taking auto back to the airport. He told me to take a U-turn immediately and get back - The auto guy had been founD!  I told this auto guy to bring it to a screech halt and take an about turn back. Am sure he must have thought that i was some mad person!

The auto had been found exactly in the same lane! But we went to the same street so many times and had not found him there! my friend had taken one last chance before going home and found him there!


[Cont.]

[SLakshmi]

I just cannot explain my happiness when i found my friend standing in the lane next to the same auto! The auto said that he was here all throughout and that he was a very sincere and a well known person around chennai. He could not be doubted. All my things in the auto were intact. I thanked my friend profusely and hopped on the auto and told him to take the jet speed to the aiport. I reached just in time when the final call for the boarding was announced!

This may sound trivial to some people..but when situations arise...they really seem impossible. And one has to be in TNagar in order to understand how impossible it is to find a lost auto! You just cannot. How could the auto be found just in time for me to take the flight back to delhi...cannot be explained. The timing of it all....seems a miracle!

Almost every year...bhagavan performs a miracle. I think it is because THAT trip every year is specifically to tmalai. It always comes out special. Any other trip to any other part of the world may not be sparkling with so many experiences. It is perhaps because i take the trip in his name that he takes over the responsibility of my well-being during that occassion. Imagine if we were to take the trip of our life in bhagavan's name and then began.....


Ramanarpamastu

[ramana_maharshi]

very nice to hear about your experiences lakshmi garu.

Thanks a lot for sharing your experiences andi.

[Subramanian.R]

Dear SLakshmi,

Very nice to read about your darshan.  Kannan has joined since a year back and he allots rooms nowadays.  Dr. Srinivasa murthy, had gone for treatment to Bangalore and he was absent for some weeks.  That time only Kannan has been taken as office staff. Banu Mami, I met her sometime last year.  She gave me a book in Tamizh about her life and experiences with Sri Bhagavan. 

Thanks once again,



Arunachala Siva.   

[SLakshmi]

Subramanian sir,

On a lighter note..

I was talking to bhanu mami about her life experiences and her family etc., until she began preparing for the poojai for the next morning. I took leave and must have taken a couple of steps when she asked me if i was on facebook! I told her i was...and she instantly told me to add her on, as shes also on facebook! she gave the description of her profile picture and told me to become her friend on fb!

Talk about generation gap! Is there onE?! )

Ramanarpamastu

[Subramanian.R]

Dear SLakshmi,

Banu Mami after giving the book told my wife:  Please pursue self inquiry.  But it is not an easy sadhana.  Prayaham [practice] is
quite difficult though one can understand it intellectually. 

Regarding Rangan's story, she also said that David Godman had
narrated it wrongly!  Rangan did not get commission of Rs 10000
[as a lorry commission agent] immediately. His daughter's marriage
was conducted only by selling his house in Madurai.  But as Sri
Bhagavan had predicted the commission of Rs 10000 per annum
[it was a big money those days] came to him from the first year
end.



Aruncahala Siva.   

[SLakshmi]

subramanian sir,

To a question regarding self-enquiry, bhagavan himself has said that self-enquiry is not for beginners. I believe, that to seriously and constantly pursue enquiry, the mind has to be first purified or as they say 'chitta shuddi'. Pakkuva padanum. Because, i remember smt.kanakammal telling me that enquiry is not about "asking" the question within yourself. It more about the "feeling". That feeling or approach can only come once the mind wants to seriously dwelve on that thought with force and conviction.

Bhagavan has given so many, countless other approaches until one reaches the level of enquiry. One of them, which can be done without any exhaustion, tiredness or any such thing is 'japam'. To Mrs khanna in day by day, bhagavan graciously replies that no matter what you do, sitting, standing, walking etc. keep repeating I I within yourself. That is enough!

The question is, Is our mind willing to do even that much!

Mama, during this visit of mine, i realised that in my previous visits to arunachala, I have asked bhagavan for favours. I have had desires and have asked bhagavan to get them fulfilled. This time i thought, that if i were to put even one fourth of that desire in asking for self-realisation, I would seriously have been somewhere!