Who am I? The simple question......Gateway to Infinity

30 Dec ....that year 1879,

Avatar day of Bhagavan.

144 years, the Jyoti He lit still brightens.

Simple questions:

Am I my body?

Am I my mind?

Am I my intellect?

For the lurking 'if not, then',  Bhagavan sets you on an answer seemingly simple, sorry did I say answer.  Oh no, It's yet another BIG QUESTION,  'WHO AM I?'.

Should as a seeker feel left lurched?

Read Bhagavan:

God and Guru only show you the way...guide to liberation.  But it's the seeker who himself/herself to walk the path.

God and Guru indeed are not different from one another. How what goes into the jaws of a tiger can not escape, so is one , who has even a fraction of the compassionate Glimpse of the Bhagavan, will ever be in the safe fold of Bhagavan.

Yet, the seeker himself/herself has to try the journey of liberation. A person by name Rama has to know by himself that he is Raman. How can any other telling him - that he is Raman - will make him aware of his name?

Pranam to Bhagavan.

Love thy Soul

Toing my yesterday's sharing - it's part of this collage, would love to share, commend reading the Wabi Sabi, a beautiful book for a calm and minute - mind you not racy - reading.

Here is the Japanese Author Nobuo Suzuki quoting our beloved Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi:

"Happiness is your nature.

It's not wrong to desire it.

What is wrong is seeking it outside

When it is 

INSIDE."

SOAK IN INNATE BLISS

LOVE YOUR SOUL.

P.s.: a detailed review I reserve for early 2024

The Book ...just read

My favourite Author: Ruskin Bond
Accidental Coincidence: The day we were born on was 19 May.  The gap between years I leave it to your maths, 1934 - - - - 1962.

After an age and as we keep ageing, I just see no fun in holding age close to the chest.  Years ago, I accompanied a senior for branch audit of a corporate client. The senior hardly had any strand over his head. When we were getting ready in the morning, he would tell, " Hey, I don't have much time to comb. It's just a few arrangement of my strands overhead."

Well,
If you're damn serious, sincere and you love your work, the Author's advice is:
"...if my writing begins to bore me, it will certainly bore my readers."

And about criticism, his take:
In Bold letters:
Every writer must be prepared for some criticism. The greatest of writers haven't escaped it.

There may be healthy and constructive criticism, also there may be, more often than not, nasty ones too.

His spur:

"...pay attention to the constructive one."

And for the nasty, his advice:

"... it's probably caused by envy (' sour grapes ') so laugh it off and get on with your work."

His words on how your words should be in your work, writings:

○keep it simple.
○don't add to the confusion that already exists.
○don't bother with difficult, complicated words.

He cautions:
"..cordinal vice of the writer,  is
The writer who tries to impress you with his vocabulary and convoluted sentences."

Would like wrapping this shortie with the senior Author's own fine touch:

" To read,
To write,
To be read;
The perfect combination."

Wish You happy writing.

Why Temples... Instead of Hospitals?

Obeisance to

The King Raja Raja Chozha,

For imagining

This unique Wonder.

And Pranams to all

All sculptors and 

Their selfless team

In bringing King's

Dream to 

MATCHLESS

REALITY.

And 🙏 Prayers to

The Divine Force.

A reader raised the following question in recent துக்ளக்:

' நீட் தேர்வு ஒரு சமூக அநீதி ' என்று பிரபல தற்காலக் கவிஞர் கூறி இருக்கிறார். அவருக்கு தகுதி உள்ளதா?'

Answering his question, the Editor said:

' கலி யுகத்தில், பிரபலமானவர்கள் அறிவாளிகள் என்று மக்கள் நம்பி விடுவார்கள் என்கிறது பாகவத புராணம்.

Forget expecting responsibility and accountability from such ones not caring about how they mislead the gullible. 

Well, this reminisces about yet another celebrity airing her deep concern that - instead of having such mammoth edifice, i.e., Temple, we should have built hospitals.

What many forget is yet at the same wave the Constitution guarantees right of speech, it also cautions to use such right with responsibility and accountability.  

All right, let anyone speak anything, but let's always recall ஐய்யன் திருவள்ளுவர் 's evergreen :

எப்பொருள் யார்யார்வாய்க் கேட்பினும் அப்பொருள் மெய்ப்பொருள் காண்ப தறிவு. | குறள் எண் – 423

Shall we go back to the question why not hospital in place of temple?  Let's try answering in a little medical way as far as possible.

We will start right at the Tower, the ராஜகோபுரம்:

Not just that கோபுர தரிசனம் கோடி புண்ணியம், also your neck gets an exercise, stiffness is given a go bye, flexibility is restored and a senior lawyer said: It's a good cure for cervical spondylitis.

As you go in, you find yourself completely focused, almost in dhyan, meditative mode.  Meditative mode gives you  far greater relaxation than which you derive from your sleep. You always experience the freshness after a deep rest. Your freshness, creativity and turning out in a day go multifold after dhyan.

When you enter the sanctum and stand before the deity, close your eyes and pray 🙏, this song will ring in you:

தாயா யெனக்குத் தானெழுந் தருளி

மாயாப் பிறவி மயக்கம் அறுத்துத்

திருந்திய முதலைந் தெழுத்தும் தெளிவாய்ப்

பொருந்தவே வந்தென் உளந்தனில் புகுந்து (20).....

வாக்கும் மனமும் இல்லா மனோலயம்

தேக்கியே யென்றன் சிந்தை தெளிவித்(து)

இருள்வெளி யிரண்டுக்(கு) ஒன்றிடம் என்ன

அருள்தரும் ஆனந்தத்(து) அழுத்தியென் செவியில் (60)

எல்லை யில்லா ஆனந் தம்அளித்(து)

அல்லல் களைந்தே அருள்வழி காட்டிச்

சத்தத்தின் உள்ளே சதாசிவம் காட்டிச்

சித்தத்தின் உள்ளே சிவலிங்கம் காட்டி

அணுவிற்(கு) அணுவாய் அப்பாலுக்(கு) அப்பாலாய்க் (65)...

After darsn, you come out and go for pradaksna, circumambulation.  Actually you do your walking. Your muscles get strengthened, you get good blood circulation, your pressure is under control, sugar level gets normalized, the feet get amble massage, your nervous system is fit like a fiddle.

Finishing your pradaksna, you come before dwajasthambam, and prostrate at the floor offering obeisance to the Lord. In the process see what happens, you raise your hands over your head, kind of tadasana, and bend and touch the floor, it's padahastasana.  Stretch your arms forward and fully prostrate. This process almost encompasses substantially the full Surya Namaskar. When you do Surya Namaskar, you get excercise for the whole body.  You are robust in your health.

Ask any Yoga Practitioner, what is the frequency that he, she visits his/her physician.  Won't get surprised if they say negligible.

The Lord Himself is Vaidyanatha/Dhanvantari: The Lords of good health.

His kshetra, the The Temple in itself is Vaidya sala - a healthy abode.

🙏 Prayer in itself is the prescription.

Diehard aversion creators may have their agenda: Not to elevate but to befool.

Against all these odds, it's மலை like - mountainous task to stay aware and not falling prey to nasty baits.

God save.

அண்ணாமலையாரே போற்றி போற்றி!