Yoga Mandapam / யோகா மண்டபம்

When you really really want something, the universe conspires to give it to you!

I was really stuck in not being able to practice my yogasana due to lack of space in my cramped house and super expensive yoga shalas nearby. The best place in my house to do yoga is the kitchen as it is spacious and has sufficient ventilation. Unfortunately, my mom starts cooking at like 5:30AM and hence it is impossible for me to practice there in the mornings. As for the yoga shalas, I found one place that teaches the same style of yogasana that I have learnt but they asked for Rs. 3K per month. Another place which practices a diff style asked for Rs. 1.7K per month. I was quite stunned by these high prices, especially the first place. I did not pay as much even in Canada. I used to pay something like CDN 60 per month coming to about Rs. 2.4K per month. It makes me wonder whether something is truly a yoga class if it is not taught in a 'gift economy' or a 'near gift economy' model (more on this later). I personally feel that Rs.1K - Rs. 1.5K per month would be a fair price for a 'near gift economy' model style functioning.

But then a politician, the ward counselor, (yes, you read it right, a politician) constructed an awesome yoga mandapam in a beautiful and recently renovated park nearby! Thank you Mr. K. Dhanasekaran! Just before this mandapam was declared open, about a week ago, I saw this building as I was traveling through a bus and I couldn't believe my eyes. But then, it is for real and I have been practicing here for the last 4 days! Typically, government constructed buildings in India are haphazardly done. But, at least externally, this seems to be quite well done!

நன்றி திரு க. தனசேகரன்

PS: Someone asked me if I really believed in the first line in this post. The answer is yes. But, there is another part to it that is pertinent. If I do not get what I really really want, Ill say, 'Well, the universe knows better' :D

Fav Thirumandiram - 2319

செயலற் றிருக்கச் சிவானந்த மாகும்
செயலற் றிருப்பார் சிவயோகம் தேடார்
செயலற் றிருப்பார் செகத்தோடுங் கூடார்
செயலற் றிருப்பார்க்கே செய்தியுண்டாமே


This literally means, 'only those who do not do anything are the ones who will realize the truth'. To me, he does not mean the tamil phrase 'gundu chettila guthara otrathu' (GCGO), meaning just idling all your time without doing anything concrete. Actually, such people are doing lot of things. Their minds are constantly at work trying to find ways to 'enjoy' their time in whichever way they like. But, Mr. Moolar is not talking about GCGO.

I believe, what Thirumoolar is referring to is an internal state where there is no unnecessary urge to do anything. Basic livelihood things will be done but otherwise, there is no urge to do anything. For most of us, it is next to impossible to even sit simply for sometime. That is one major reason why we find tempers getting frayed very often in queues. This internal state of 'stillness' where there is no urge to do anything for oneself is indeed enlightenment. Then, there is all the life energy to work for the society as one deems fit. And that, is YOGA. Karma Yoga!

Thirumoolar also says such people do not mingle well with the world. This is true as their ways are seldom understood by trivial analysis.

Drama

Even though the dramas script is being created live by a vast number of distributed agents, it is still a drama! There is neither any prize for the best actor nor any disgrace for the worst! Just enjoy the role!

Enough madness?

'If you do not have enough madness in you, go and rehabilitate yourself .' - Rumi

Fav Thirumandiram - 2615

ஆசை யறுமின்கள் ஆசை யறுமின்கள்
ஈசனோ டாயினும் ஆசை யறுமின்கள்
ஆசை படப்பட ஆய்வருந் துன்பங்கள்
ஆசை விடவிட ஆனந்த மாமே

Desires always arise to satisfy the mind-body complex. The problem with that is that there is an expectation for something to happen so that one can be 'happy'. This means that the sense of self feels incomplete and needs something more to happen to make it happy or complete. This sense of 'me' will constantly fear this desire not succeeding and will go to a great extents to make it happen. All this has a high probability of causing suffering - to the person concerned and others! So, Moolar says, do not desire - even if it is the desire to be one with god!

Fav Thirumandiram - 2611

தன்னை யறிந்திடும் தத்துவ ஞானிகள்
முன்னை வினையின் முடிச்சை யவிழ்பவர்கள்
பின்னை வினையைப் பிடித்து பிசைவர்கள்
சென்னியின் வைத்த சிவனரு ளாலே

Opines Thirumoolar, the law of karma, is not for people who have realized their true identity - which is beyond the mind-body complex. Once Ramana Maharishi was asked by someone as to whether the law of karma is true. He apparently said, "Yes it is. But, think for whom is true. Is it really true for you'.

Enlightenment

According to a master and a friend of mine..

Enlightenment - There is nothing larger than life about it. It isn't always Bliss. But its always total responsibility. A relentless holding of oneself accountable, not to some silly personal morality, but to whether one is always doing the best that needs to be done in the given context. It's simply the absence of 'me'.

False beliefs

Whenever any event happens, we really need to find out the simplest explanation possible. Only after a bunch of people who are sincere and scientifically trained have tested it and have failed to come up with an explanation, should we even consider the possibility of something more than a simple explanation. As Carl Sagan used to say, 'extraordinary claims need extraordinary evidence'. No matter how great a yogi who you are, you are not exempt from the laws of physics, chemistry and biology! Of course, we do not know a lot of things. The world is probably much more mysterious than we can imagine. But, we should first try to explain inexplicable events by our extraordinarily successful simple laws.

Any human left in air unsupported will fall to the ground. Human levitation is not possible. The law of gravity cannot be defied that easily :)! If you see someone levitating, consider the possibility of some illusion. P.C.Sorcar Jr, the magician, made the Taj Mahal disappear in front of hundreds of people. Of course, it did not really disappear. It was an illusion.




Similarly, physical immortality is NOT possible! Any and every organism born out of sex has to die. There is absolutely no exception. Even the great Krishnamacharya who practiced yoga relentlessly all his life died. Of course, he was more than 100 years old when he died. So, yoga is very powerful in increasing lifespan, curing lots of diseases and for many other purposes. But, this should not lead us to believe things like physical immortality.


If you later on know for sure someone who has lived for 200 or more years, please do report it to the Guinness world records. Many doctors will be interested in understanding their longevity. Similarly, if you know someone who claims he can levitate, please ask the person to demonstrate their skills to scientists. They will be REALLY interested in understadning this new type of force.

Desire for repetition of joy

'The desire for repetition of yesterday's joy arises only when there is no joy today!' - Jiddu Krishnamurthi

Adiseshan

Hindu mythology has this beautiful metaphor of Adiseshan - the snake on whose folded tail Lord Vishnu sleeps as the snake itself is floating in a sea.

Image Source: http://www.hinduwisdom.info

Yoga legends have it that Patanjali, the creator of the Yoga Sutras, is an avatar of Adisesh. I believe, all of us are. The lord is in all of us - he is the essence of all of us. Thirumoolar brilliantly expounded this in the tamil equivalent of Yoga sutras, thirumandiram as

உடம்பினுள் உத்தமன் கோயில் கொண்டானென்று
உடம்பினை யானிருந் தோம்புகின்றேனே

Because the lord has his temple in my body
I salute my body!


When faced with the tough task of staying afloat in the sea that this world is, dangerous and with fluctuating fortunes, we many times lose touch with the reality of who we really are and we manifest it in the form of suffering - of us and others. This is tantamount to disturbing the lord within. Keeping the lord within in perfect peace and letting him sleep can happen only when we are stable and comfortable. This will in turn let us face the external realities with ease. This is captured beautifully by Patanjali as 'sthira sukham asanam' i.e., asana is when it is stable and comfortable. That is indeed the posture of adisesh - stable and comfortable so as to stay afloat in the sea and let the lord within sleep in peace!

Many great masters in the Hindu culture are called incarnations of Adisesh for the reason that they have realized this great truth. Many of us are yet to do so!


PS: This is my own explanation and it was inspired by the explanation given in class. The discussion in class was on Vyasas commentaries on Yoga Sutras.

Yoga teacher training course

A personal update (many of you might already know) - I started attending the two year yoga teacher training course at the Krishnamacharya Yoga Mandiram (KYM) in Chennai. Its just the second week now and am already learning a few nice things. Ill try to share some of them here.

The word Asana is derived from the sanskrit root word 'as' which apparently means 'to be' and so, the word asana can be construed to mean 'to be with the body'. I am amazed at the erudition that was needed for the creation of this word.

Yoga sutras of Patanjali, the most famous and ancient reference text for yoga, defines yoga as 'Yogaś citta-vritti-nirodhaḥ''. This means, yoga is the cessation of the fluctuations of the mind. Fluctuations of the mind refers to the minds uncontrollable requirement to think. Yes, it thinks when we want it to, but it thinks when we do not want it to also (try switching it off for two minutes). For the average person, it really stops only in deep sleep. Thus, yoga is the stopping of this involuntary fluctuations of the mind.

To accomplish this, masters around the world have suggested different techniques. Developing concentration is one of them. The technique of asana is thus, 'to be with the body'. When we place our body parts in slightly unnatural positions and focus on the breath, it enhances our concentration manifold and moves us a bit closer to 'citta-vritti-nirodhaḥ'', cessation of the fluctuations of the mind!

கிணறு வெட்ட பூதம்...!

கிணறு வெட்ட பூதம்...!

Briefly, the writer of the post lived in a mansion in chennai and the water had a bad stench for a long time. He tested the water and found it that it was mixed with human excreta. The post is about his fight with the mansion owner, irresponsible policemen etc! Please take your time to read it.

A friend described this: (of course, assuming that the perspective in the post is the truth)

To me, the question the story is posing is this: (rather hypocritical of me to say) This is the Bharathi of our times. We don't know how perfect Bharathi was. But this is the Bharathi in our minds. That perfect crusader against society's ills. Does our society have the slightest hint of goodness to not kill this off? I think this is a test of goodness for any society.

அச்சம் vs துணிவு

பாரதி அச்சமில்லை அச்சமில்லை என்றுதானே கூறினான்,
துணிவுண்டு துணிவுண்டு என்றில்லையே?

Jeeva sutra

Sthiram sukham jeevanam!

Life is when it is steady and in a state of comfort!

Finger pointing to the moon

The finger pointing to the moon is not the moon itself. How often we end up holding the finger to be sacred!

Another interesting thing is that many masters point to the moon with different fingers and from different positions and places in the planet. So, whilst the fingers and the directions they point to may be different, they are all pointing to the moon!

Lets bother ourselves with the moon and not the finger!

Rudder

I kept my part of the deal
I let go of the illusion that I am in charge
When will you keep your part of the deal?
I am drifting aimlessly
When will you take charge of my rudder?

First things first

Is A right or is A' right?
Should X be done or should X' be done?
.
.
.
Is P the way to go, or is P' the way to go?


Hmmmm, first let go of ego. Lets talk about all else later!

True thought / action / communication / relationship commences only when ego ceases!

Detachment

For person X, the only detachment that is needed* is the detachment of the sense of 'me' that person X has from the idea of X that person X has in him / her. All else will follow!

Kural 350

பற்றுக பற்றற்றான் பற்றினை அப்பற்றைப்
பற்றுக பற்று விடற்கு!

Attach yourself to detachment - so that
you might be totally detached!



* needed is if one is thinking of detachment or if one is looking for the ultimate spiritual truth etc. Not otherwise :)

முன்னை தீய வினை பயன்கள்

என்றன் முன்னை தீய வினை பயன்கள் - இன்னும்
மூளா அழிந்திடல் வேண்டும்!!!

My previous bad karmas - may all of its splinters
die off immediately!!!

An immortal piece from an immortal poem by an immortal poet - Bharathi!


முழுக் கவிதை
------------------------

தேடிச் சோறு நிதந் தின்று - பல
சின்னஞ்சிறு கதைகள் பேசி - மனம்
வாடித் துன்பமிக உழன்று - பிறர்
வாடப் பல செயல்கள் செய்து - நரை
கூடிக் கிழப் பருவமெய்தி - கொடுங்
கூற்றுக் கிரையெனப் பின்மாயும் - பல
வேடிக்கை மனிதரைப் போலே - நான்
வீழ்வே னென்று நினைத்தாயோ?

நின்னைச் சில வரங்கள் கேட்பேன் - அவை
நேரே இன்றெனக்குத் தருவாய் - என்றன்
முன்னை தீய வினை பயன்கள் - இன்னும்
மூளா அழிந்திடல் வேண்டும்.

இனி என்னை புதிய உயிராக்கி - எனக்கேதும்
கவலையரச் செய்து - மதி
தன்னை மிக தெளிவு செய்து - என்றும்
சந்தோஷம் கொண்டிருக்கச் செய்வாய்.
என்றும் சந்தோஷம் கொண்டிருக்கச் செய்வாய்.


This super awesome poem was rendered in a phenomenal fashion by the inimitable, one and only, Kamalhasan in the movie Mahanadhi.

Universe wants to be conscious

"The universe wants to be conscious of itself through you!" - Eckhart Tolle

World’s First Self-Irrigating Desert Plant Discovered

World’s First Self-Irrigating Desert Plant Discovered

... ridges in the plant’s giant leaves actually collect water and channel it down to the plant’s root system, harvesting up to 16 times more water than any other plant in the region.

Freedom

I could see the only possiblity of achieving perfect happiness and freedom from this world is trying to become a saint, as in love, compassion not only for thyself but for everyone around the self.

A fight for the Amazon

A fight for the Amazon that should inspire the world - Johann Hari in The Independent

So the indigenous peoples acted in their own self-defence, and ours. Using their own bodies and weapons made from wood, they blockaded the rivers and roads to stop the oil companies getting anything in or out. They captured two valves of Peru's sole pipeline between the country's gas field and the coast, which could have led to fuel-rationing. Their leaders issued a statement explaining: "We will fight together with our parents and children to take care of the forest, to save the life of the equator and the entire world."

Garcia responded by sending in the military. He declared a "state of emergency" in the Amazon, suspending almost all constitutional rights. Army helicopters opened fire on the protesters with live ammunition and stun-grenades. More than a dozen were killed. But the indigenous peoples did not run away. Even though they were risking their lives, they stood their ground. One of their leaders, Davi Yanomami, said simply: "The earth has no price. It cannot be bought, or sold or exchanged. It is very important that white people, black people and indigenous peoples fight together to save the life of the forest and the earth. If we don't fight together, what will our future be?"

And then something extraordinary happened. The indigenous peoples won. The Peruvian Congress repealed the laws that allowed oil company drilling, by a margin of 82 votes to 12. Garcia was forced to apologise for his "serious errors and exaggerations". The protesters have celebrated and returned to their homes deep in the Amazon.

The paradox of suffering

"Its so paradoxical that the thoughts that justify our suffering (anger, sorrow etc..) are actually the ones that cause suffering!" - Eckhart Tolle

Three hands

There is a region in the heart, which not only connects to ones own happiness but everyone. To have this permanent is such a bliss. We have three hands, a heart for helping ourselves and two hands for helping others achieve their happiness.

The I & the Prison

I am the prisoner who is longing for freedom,
I am the guard who guards the prisoner,
I am the prison from which I want to escape,
I am the king who got the prison built and had me arrested,
From where comes the question of being trapped?
From where comes the question of freedom?

Sex in India

Finally, India has de-criminalized consensual gay sex. Yipee! There are many such pathetic and archaic laws in the Indian constitution that are legacies from the British Raj (this particular law was drafted in 1860). Thankfully, one of them is down and gays in India do not have to fight saying 'Us against the world'. As expected, some religious leaders have stated that they reject this law and that gay sex is against the will of God! Yawn, whatever!

Its really crazy why the Indian government and the religious leaders are obsessed so much with peoples sexual preferences. Recently, the Indian government banned the popular Indian toon porn star Savita Bhabi. Not just the ban, but the way these things are banned in India are so pathetic. Some babu decides that this should not be there and whoosh, the ISP's block this site (Of course, no one in India knows about proxies!). No reasons given, no explanations from the owner entertained by the government! Wonderful!

We really need to bring such issues out of the closet. Jai Osho! :p