Sattva suddhi

The more one enters the zone of Sattva, the clearer the sweet fragrance within can be felt! Getting started is difficult further away but getting it perfect is easy. On the other hand, closer to it, getting started is trivial but getting it perfect is harder! Patanjali says, hitting the point of sattva suddhi (pure sattva), one obtains a constant pleasant disposition, finds it easy to focus, conquers ones senses and eventually becomes eligible to witness ones soul!

Commonly, people do not see the depth of the zone of sattva, hence it might appear to be boring and lifeless. In addition, the common misconception that one end alone can be achieved without its paired opposite on that level provides the energy to continuously struggle to obtain the preferred end! Seeing this clearly helps develop the internal acceptance that being in the zone of sattva is more important that being in the commonly preferred zone. This indeed is the first step in Yoga!

Conversation between Paul Brunton and Kanchi Acharya

A section from an interview of Kanchi acharya (Sri Chandrashekhara Saraswathi) with Paul Brunton in Jan 1931. Caught my eye and hence sharing it :)

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Q: If I do not get any results from my personal efforts, will you help me?
A: I am a head of a public institution. Most of my time from dawn to night is spent in the official duties of this institution. Hence, you have to go in search of a Guru who can spend time with you.

Q: I am told that it is very hard to find a real / true Acharya. It is especially difficult for a European to meet such an Acharya?
A: There are true Acharyas in this world and it is possible to meet them.

Q: Then, can you send me to a true Acharya?
A: I know of two such Acharyas. One of them is living in a dense forest in the southern part of this country, but in silence. Very few people can see him and no European has ever seen him so far. I could send you to him, but he might refuse to see you.

Q: I am eager to know about the other person. Who is he?
A: The other person lives in the country. He is jnani and you can seek him.

Q: Can I obtain more information about him?
A: He is called ‘Maharishi’. He lives in the place called Thiruvannamalai situated in the North Arcot district. If necessary, I will give you details to reach him.

Q: I am very much obligated to you. Another person has come to see me from the same place. I have pulled you away for a long time from your numerous and important official duties. Please excuse me for that. Please give me leave.
A: Yes. I presume that you will definitely go to Thiruvannamalai.

Q: I was planning to complete my South India tour today and had already made arrangements to leave tomorrow. What can I do in this situation?
A: You can decide to change your arrangements and leave South India after meeting with Maharishi. Do not worry. Your desires will be fulfilled.

Medicine

மருந்தாகும் உடல்பிணி நீக்குபவை சிரியோர்க்கு,
மருந்தாகும் அழுக்காறு நீக்குபவை சற்றே உயர்ந்தோர்க்கு,
மற்றொருவகை மனிதருண்டாம், அவர்க்கு,
மருந்தாகுமாம் மரணமெனும் மாபிணி நீக்குபவையே!

Medicine is that which relieves bodily disease for the immature,
Medicine is that which relieves mental impurities for the slightly mature,
But, there exists another kind of human, for whom,
Medicine is that which relieves the greatest disease called death!

Yoga under Vishishtadvaita

Santa at office

Surprise gift for everyone at office! Benefactor unknown!

Rebirth

PS (pre-script): All of this is reductionist, meaning an approximation!

1. A leaf that lives as the physical form of the leaf only, sees birth and death.
2. A leaf that lives as more than the physical form of the leaf (emergent realities at various levels) sees birth, death and rebirth.
3. A leaf that lives as the tree, sees no birth, no death!

Interestingly, for everyone, all three are true. The degree to which each of this is present varies with individuals. One can modify the proportions to be in alignment with ones deepest desire(s)!

No proportion is 'greater' than another proportion. But, from the perspective of the leaf, if 3 dominates, there will be less suffering for itself and ones in contact with it. This implies, in my opinion, a moral case can be made for desired proportions of the three (as in good to have more 3 than 2 and more 2 than 1) :)

PS (post-script): Give or take some linguistic gymnastics :)

மாணிக்க வாசகம்

"யானுனை தொடர்ந்து சிக்கென பிடித்தேன் எங்கெழுந்து அருளுவது இனியே!" - மாணிக்கவாசகர்

"I've followed you and have gotten hold of you! Where can you go henceforth?" - Manikkavasagar

Varan varan poochandi

Most frequently played song in my house :)
கொல்லி மலை தாண்டி
கொடகு மலை தாண்டி
காத்தா வருவாண்டி
கருப்பா வருவாண்டி
வேசம் கலைபாண்டி
விரதம் முடிபாண்டி
காரிய கூத்தாடி
காரிய கூத்தாடி

Bob to Babu

சித்துவின் நண்பனாக செர்மனியிளிருந்து வந்திறங்கினார் பாப் அவர்கள்!
பாட்டியின் வாயில் இவரது பெயர் நுழையாததால் பாபு என இவரது பெயர் மாற்றப்படுகிறது!

Siddhu's friend Bob from Germany! Since grandma is unable to pronounce his name, he has been renamed Babu! :)

Amazing ants

Open biscuit packet inside a bag - hanging from a small protrusion in corner of the bed such that bag touches a wall. Ants from outside the house found the same! They had to travel at least 20 meters and had to negotiate turns, tables, and junk stuff along the way! The animal world never ceases to amaze me! Watched this video again for the umpteenth time!

Spark and droplet

A spark is none other than the blaze!
A droplet, though, is at the service of the ocean!

அனர்க்கூறும் பெரும் அனலும் ஒப்பாம்
நீர்த்துளியோ பெருங்கடலின் சேவகனாம்!

சுத்த பிரம்மனின் நாமம்

ஆனந்தத்தாலும் அல்லாமல்
துயரத்தாலும் இல்லாமல்
கண்ணீர் வழிகின்றதே!
உன் நாமம் கேட்கையில், என்ன இது?
கோபால பாலனும்
உன் வடிவாய் திகழ்கின்றானே!
சுத்த பிரம்மனே, என்ன விந்தை இது?

துளசீதாசரே

என்ன தவம் செய்தீரோ துளசீதாசரே!
தெய்வீக பாடலை இயற்றிட அருள் பெற்றீரே!
அதில் சொட்டளவு மட்டும் நான் பெற்றால்
அரை வரியில் ரகுநாதனை போற்றினால்
ஜென்ம ஜென்மங்களின் ஏக்கங்கள் தீர்ந்திடுமே!

Aparigraha and Escape Velcoity

What is the connection between Aparigraha and escape velocity?

சாதனை பிறக்கும்

மேலே சென்று அங்கே இருந்தால்,

மணம் நீங்கி வாழ்வே சவமாகும்!

சிவமதை கண்டுவிட்டு கீழே வந்தால்

இன்றும் என்றும் புவி செழிக்கும்!

செய்தும் இல்லை என பொய்மொழிந்தால்,

அவர்கள் செயல்கள் புரி வதில்லையோ?

வாழ்வே தவமென இதயம் ஆனால்,

தீவினை ஒழிய சாதனை பிறக்கும்!

உன் வீடா?

வாவென அவள் அழைத்ததும்,
உன் வீடென நினைத்தாயோ,
அறியா பேதையே! என
நகைத்தான் அவன்!

நிலவு vs நிலவு

கையில் கால் முளைத்த நிலவு
தலையை நிமிர்த்தி பார்க்க,
வானில் முக்கால் வளர்ந்த நிலவு
நாணி முகிலின் பின் ஒழிகின்றதே!
அடடா ஆச்சரிய குறி!

Badrinath and Kedarnath

On the way up, we first go to Badrinath and then to Kedarnath. Kedarnath is difficult to reach. On the way down we leave behind Kedarnath and carry the fragrance of Badrinath with us.

His Name

Countless techniques of Yoga
did I try over many ages
But, in the end
Or may be,
right from the beginning
All that was needed
was to here thy name
all but once
in deep silence!
May be, just may be,
all those techniques
were preparatory!

What did I know of love's austere and lonely offices?

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well,
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?

-- from the poem 'Those Winter Sundays' by Robert Hayden
-- beautifully expresses a sons regret at not thanking his dad enough!

We had tired of confusion - a poem by Roger Lipsey

We had tired of confusion, stupidity, and evil
And so we climbed the mountain to see
From a great height, through clearest air,
The grand design. We saw the abstract
Of experience: the sacred algorithm
That shakes itself into ten thousand forms and lives,
Sets the swarm in motion though it is simple in itself,
Even slightly naive.

We were dazzled. But my wife was soon uneasy.
'I miss little things,' she said. 'I can’t see threads or bugs
Or harmless errors. I can’t see second tries.
Can we go down the mountain just a bit?

And so we turned from the source
And descended to a col at middle height
Where the view was narrower but scarcely less grand.
To our surprise we heard voices, wing beats,
Newborns wailing, leaves unfolding from moist stems,
Footsteps, breaths... And conspiracy, bloodshed, folly.
Light and dark mix there: the sacred algorithm hesitates,
Shivers like a doubting creature, and resumes its faithful plunge.

We were dazzled. But my wife was uneasy.
'I hear our niece weeping,' she said. 'We must go to her.'
And so we left the mountain and dined that evening
With our niece, who needed only kindness to smile again.
But I could not free myself from longing to return to the heights:
Like the faint scent of incense after a ceremony,
Memories of our expedition hung in the air. Until one day:

'Look,' she said - and held up to the light a tiny object.
'I found it this morning when I was planting green peas!'
It was a perfect replica of the sacred algorithm,
Pulsing with milky light, slightly naive, entirely blessed.
'Shall we plant it?'