Equipoised !

https://mahaperiyavaa.wordpress.com/2014/01/17/equipoised-must-read/

A family went to have the darshan of Maha Periyavaal. Along with them, they took one of their family friends who lived in the USA for some decades. The friend did not have any great faith in our religion, system and especially the monks wearing the saffron; he went along with him with utterly non-interested to meet Him. He was under the impression that Maha Periyavaal was a fundamentalist, an uneducated monk. This NRI had no great respect at all for Him. Not only that, he uttered such inauspicious things about Him, ‘what does He know? Does He know English?’.

There was a big throng of devotees at the Mutt and the family was standing in a decent distance from Him. As usual, Maha Periyavaal saw this family with His graceful eyes, and called all of them near to Him.

They all went near Him, the friend too.

After all the usual courteous enquiry towards the family, the Master looked at the NRI friend and asked about his details, including his name, whereabouts, his predecessors, where he is working etc etc.

Then He asked, ‘you are born in India, and you know Tamil; your wife was also born in India and should know the mother tongue. When you two converse will it be in Tamil or English?’

The friend replied ‘We never use Tamil at home, we use only English. The same goes for the kids also.’

Then Maha Periyavaal asked, ‘before speaking, you may have to think and conceive the sentence. Is the thought process in Tamil or English?’

The friend replied, ‘That too in English only’.

Some minutes later, an old lady came to have Maha Periyavaal Darshan.

Maha Periyavaal looked at the NRI person and said, ‘This old lady is now very poor, but once upon a time she was very rich. But even after she lost all the materialistic wealth her devotion towards the Mutt, Acharya and me has never changed even a bit. Could you please tell me what is the English word which will describe this unflinching devotion, which can’t be changed by external situations? I would like to know.’

The man was flummoxed. He thought and thought for a while but did not know that word.

Maha Periyaval smiled and told him, ‘please take your time and let me know’.

Even after some time, he could not come up with the required word.

Then Swamiji said, ‘Can I suggest one word? Could you please confirm whether the same can convey this meaning? EQUIPOISED’.

The man was spellbound and fell on Maha Periyavaal’s Feet to Pardon him for his ego..

Bharatiar - A composition on Non-duality

http://www.lakshmansruthi.com/tamilbooks/bharathiar/bharathi-II90.asp

ஞானப் பாடல்கள் 90. நான் இரட்டைக் குறள் செந்துறை

வானில் பறக்கின்ற புள்ளெலாம் நான், மண்ணில் திரியும் விலங்கெலாம் நான்; கானில் வளரும் மரமெலாம் நான், காற்றும் புனலும் கடலுமே நான் விண்ணில் தெரிகின்ற மீனெலாம் நான், வெட்ட வெளியின் விரிவெலாம் நான்; மண்ணில்கிடக்கும் புழுவெலாம் நான், வாரியினுள் உயிரெலாம் நான், கம்பனிசைத்த கவியெலாம் நான், காருகர் தீட்டும் உரவெலாம் நான்; இம்பர் வியக்கின்ற மாட கூடம் எழில்நகர் கோபுரம் யாவுமே நான், இன்னிசை மாதரிசையுளேன் நான், இன்பத்திரள்கள் அனைத்துமே நான்; புன்னிலை மாந்தர்தம் பொய்யெலாம் நான், பொறையருந் துன்பப் புணர்ப்பெலாம் நான். மந்திரங்கோடி இயக்குவோன் நான், இயங்கு பொருளின் இயல்பெலாம் நான்; தந்திரங் கோடி சமைத்துளோன் நான். சாத்திர வேதங்கள் சாற்றினோன் நான். அண்டங்கள் யாவையும் ஆக்கினோன் நான், அவை பிழையாமே சுழற்றுவோன் நான், கண்டல் சக்திக் கணமெலாம் நான் காரணமாகிக் கதித்துளோன் நான். நானெனும் பொய்யை நடத்துவோன் நான், ஞானச் சுடர்வானில் செல்லுவோன் நான்; ஆனபொருள்கள் அனைத்தினும் ஒன்றாய் அறிவாய் விளங்குமுதற்சோதி நான்.

Bharatiar - A composition on மாயை

நிற்பதுவே நடப்பதுவே

நிற்பதுவே நடப்பதுவே பறப்பதுவே நீங்களெல்லாம் 
சொற்பனந்தானோ? பல தோற்ற மயக்கங்களோ? 
கற்பதுவே கேட்பதுவே கருதுவதே நீங்களெல்லாம் 
அற்ப மாயைகளோ? உம்முள் ஆழ்ந்த பொருளில்லையோ? 

வானகமே இளவெயிலே மரச்செறிவே நீங்களெல்லாம் 
கானலின் நீரோ? வெறும் காட்சிப் பிழைதானோ? 
போனதெல்லாம் கனவினைப்போல் புதைந்தழிந்தே போனதனால் 
நானும் ஓர் கனவோ? இந்த ஞாலமும் பொய்தானோ? 

காலமென்றே ஒரு நினைவும் காட்சியென்றே பல நினைவும் 
கோலமும் பொய்களோ? அங்குக் குணங்களும் பொய்களோ? 
சோலையிலே மரங்களெல்லாம் தோன்றுவதோர் விதையிலென்றால் 
சோலை பொய்யாமோ? இதைச் சொல்லொடு சேர்ப்பாரோ?

காண்பவெல்லாம் மறையுமென்றால் மறைந்ததெல்லாம் காண்பமன்றோ? 
வீண்படு பொய்யிலே நித்தம் விதி தொடர்ந்திடுமோ? 
காண்பதுவே உறுதிகண்டோம் காண்பதல்லால் உறுதியில்லை 
காண்பது சக்தியாம்; இந்தக் காட்சி நித்தியமாம்.

Pibare Rama rasam..

http://media.radiosai.org/journals/vol_14/01APR16/Pibare-Ramarasam-Ramanavami-Special-Audio.htm

https://soundcloud.com/radiosai/pibare-rama-rasam-ramanavami-audio-radiosai

Pallavi

Pibarē rāmarasam rasanē pibarē rāmarasam ||

Charanam

janana maraṇa bhaya śōka vidūram |

sakala śāstra nigamāgama sāram ||

śuddha paramahamsa āśrama gītam |

śuka śaunaka kauśika mukha pīṭham ||

MEANING:

Pallavi

Drink the essence of the name Rama, o tongue, drink the essence of the name Rama

Charanam

From the fear of birth and death, it will keep you afar

It is, of all scriptures, Vedas and sciences, the very essence

The pure song, the ascetics of the highest order take refuge in

And was drunk by sages like Śuka Śaunaka and Kauśika.

Composed by Sri Sadasiva Brahmendra

"Never let go of Her hand"..

  Sometime back, i happened to correspond with Ms.Uma Kumar. I have even mentioned her in my previous post 'Miracles are my visiting cards'. She is one among the many ardent devotees of Sri Bala and she had narrated in her blog all amazing events Sri Bala had brought forth in her life.

  I had asked her some specific questions to which she kindly and elaborately responded. After reading it, i felt that i should share it. Those who are facing troubles one way or the other, those who are struggling to find a firm footing in life, those who feel that their attempts towards progression are challenged, those who harbour doubts and uncertainty, those who are faithful and not so faithful..
Everybody should read this, for it simply, is the truth. Read on..

• To a question on why do we get obsessed with our troubles and worry endlessly..

"Well, this is something all of us go through in life- the ups and downs ! Sometimes, it seems that the torrential downpour of worries will never cease; or even if it does let up for a bit, the small streaks of happiness and joy never seems to last long enough- the "cause" and "solution" to your problems lies solely "within" your own self, in your mind.

React less, speak less and avoid impulsive actions. All of us are facing situations where we have financial, emotional, mental worries. We can and must take practical steps to solve these issues, but beyond this, we must leave the ultimate result/scenario to the Lord/ Sri Bala."

• To a question on What should one do while going through a period of turbulence and agitation..

"You say you find peace while reciting HER Kavacham. Actually, this peace springs from the fact that at the time you're praying, you're not allowing other worries to cloud your mind.

 So, increase the time spent in prayers /meditation.

 I'm not saying forget your problems or don't take action. On the contrary, take all the action you need to, after careful deliberation ( not as spontaneous reactions to situations). This will definitely help.

 Then, sit back and pray for Sri Bala to influence the results of your actions.

 She does, will and certainly responds to sincere prayers.

Soon, you will "connect" with Her from your own heart.

 Sri Bala is within each and everyone of us- She is the kundalini Shakthi, the Cosmic Force/ Divine Force that exists within all.

 By continuous meditation on Her, you will come to a calm state that enables this Divine Connection to take place.

 This is the truth. You can experience this yourself and thereafter, your life will be transformed !"

• To a question on why we seem to think that we are not getting a response from Sri Bala on our prayers..

"You will get an answer from Her in a manner that is uniquely adapted to your nature. All of us make mistakes. Yet, She, in Her infinite compassion will guide us beautifully when we surrender to Her with full faith! "

• To a question on why we expect instant gratification for our problems..

" Most of us require instant gratification. We expect miracles to happen before we place complete faith in God.

 Well, newsflash for you- most of us, don't get our problems solved. Still, we must cling on to God, because HE/SHE ( our Ishta Deivam) gives us hope. We need to have hope/ positive attitude.

 Not even God can grant us all we crave for, because our Karmas might dictate otherwise."

• On Struggles, acceptance and harboring faith..

"Just BE--Go with every situation. Don't fight it- accept it. Try to work in the present, doing the best you can, at a practical level , to rectify your problems.

 If things improve, thank HER. If they don't also--- Thank Her- because your situation could have been far worse.

 We, in our ignorance, see only a small part of our lives being played out at present. She knows the WHOLE plan and will see to it that the little bits and pieces fit inside nicely, in the jig saw puzzle that is our LIFE-

 Don't worry, just keep talking to Sri Bala inside your heart.

 She'll hold your hand and walk beside you in both sorrow and joy. Never let go of Her hand :)"

Never let go of her hand..
Sri Bala Charanam.

"Miracles are my visiting cards"

One fine evening as he was returning home, thoughts flooded his mind..

It's true that Bala herself summons selected people to her abode at Nemili, why can't she summon everybody. He asked Sri Venkat Giridhar once whether he can share and spread the divine presence of Bala in Nemili with others. Not everybody knows about Bala peetam as they would know about other places of worship. So is it right propagate this to others? After all, Bala's intent was to rest in her Nemili abode and for the same reason she made it very clear that it may not be established like a temple.

"Sure you can"  Sri Venkat had said. "But if you tell this to hundred others, she will summon only about ten, maybe".

Somehow the perception that God summoning only a handful of the entire lot troubled him. Perhaps, he reasoned to himself, not all people will harbour faith. But he was not entirely convinced. Little did he expect that the answers will come calling right away.

He came home, recited the kavacham and sat in contemplation. He looked at the small photo of Swami Sathya Sai Baba on his table. His thoughts turned to his first visit to Puttaparthi. He had stayed for two days. He had dharshan of swami atleast thrice in two days. The travel and stay were not exactly comfortable. The bus journey of several hours, the very early morning wake ups, little sleep, and hours of waiting just to get a few minutes of glimpse of Swami - he felt exhausted after he returned home. But despite that he felt a serenity and calmness of mind like never before.

"Swami has that effect on you", his cousin had later corroborated, "i feel it every time after i return from Puttaparthi after Dharshan, unfortunately it lasts only for a few days, it recedes slowly as we begin our routine life".

No matter how much belief we have, doubts does arise at times.Is what we are experiencing true? What if it's not, if not and what not ? We apply our intellect to analyze God. We want to logically comprehend. We want to understand the rationale.

But God is above all that. That's why there is a need to put our utmost faiths in worship instead of looking for rational explanations. And God does, from time to time, does things that affirm our faith. We call them miracles.

The serenity of mind he had despite after all the exertion from travel and stay was definitely a miracle.He had never felt that state of mind before.  And he was personally convinced he had a career just because of Swami. When he was in his final year of college, job looked unlikely because of a big academic setback. But within a month after completing the final semester he got one, and till date he believed it was Swami's grace that helped him get started with a career.

He had heard and witnessed all those vibuthi and kumkum manifestations from Sai Baba pictures. Not only pictures, but from idols and pictures of other Gods in some of the devotees' houses. Several devotees had actually witnessed many variations of Swami's miracles and it is simply stupid to dismiss that they were all making it up.That transcends any logical explanation.

Now he started thinking again. When Swami had millions of followers, why did he choose only a few of the entire lot to make them witness his miracles. After all, aren't we all children of God? Shouldn't God shower his/her grace on everyone of us? Shouldn't the Almighty perform miracles that would make even the non-believers jump aboard the bandwagon of faith.

Wait, his inner-voice told him. Is your belief complete? Do you place your utmost faith in God?
I think yes (atleast from time to time, to be frank), he retorted to that voice. So are you saying that God will perform miracles only to those who place their utmost trust with Her/Him. And not the non-believers, those who are otherwise inherently good?

No it's not that way, his inner voice replied. God is merely using that select few as instrumental to make everybody witness Her/His acts.

There it was. The truth slapped to his face. The answers were flowing within him with so much clarity that he was now convinced it was Bala herself who was triggering these thought processes within him, as a response to the 'intellectual analysis' he was doing early that evening.

God is for all. God showers grace on everybody. Yes, even the non- believers. It's just that some are able to realize this truth and most aren't able to. Just because God performs miracles in somebody's life doesn't mean he/she is more special than the rest. God treats everybody the same.

If you experience miracles, you need to remember that God is merely making you instrumental to convince others in the path of faith. And when that happens you, God is making you responsible. You need to take it forward and spread the message of love and faith. God is within every one of us. When you dedicate your thoughts and actions to Her, they become pure. After all, isn't that what Lord Krishna said in Bhagvat Gita. Do your Karma without any expecting anything in return.

Now wait, isn't it humane to only expect something out of our actions? How can we not expect something when we do something. Afterall we do something expecting an outcome, so how is this possible?

It is very much possible, Bala seemed to be orchestrating this response in my thoughts. Doing your acts without expecting anything in return is very much possible when you surrender and dedicate your actions to God.That is what Karma is about. Do your duty out of compassion, do your duty because it is for the larger good, and most importantly do your duty by dedicating it to God.

And when God showers grace upon you, don't think it is because you are special. You are the chosen one among many. Give in to that divine experience, act on God's behalf . Spread the message, spread the love. Lead by example. Nothing convinces others than the way of leading by example. When you believe in me, when you give in to the divine experience and when you carry forward the message of faith, love and compassion, you influence others to embrace this philosophy of faith. And that will make their thoughts and actions pure.

He had read about the miracles Bala had brought upon Her devotees. He had read about it in the book he bought from the peetam "Annai Balavin Arputhangal (Mother Bala's miracles)".
And he had read about the wondrous experiences Bala had brought upon her devotee, Mrs.Uma Kumar (http://spiritualvisionwriting.blogspot.in/ , i really hope she and Bala doesn't mind me sharing this link here).

So that contemplative evening ended with the tagline 'spread the message, spread the love'.

Afterall didn't Swami Sathya Sai say "Miracles are my visiting cards".

They are a gateway to make a person embrace the path of faith and devotion. And with that Bala is sure to shower her graces upon them.

Sri Bala Charanam.

Balavinal maraiyum theedu...

"Kavacham Sollungo.." (Recite The Kavacham), Sri Venkat Giridhar told him gently as he was receiving the Prasadham set . He had finished the Dharshan of Bala and had duly prostrated. The Prasadham bag contained a Sri Chakram, a Bala dollar, Kumkumam packet and a booklet with  literature containing slokams and hymns about Bala for everyday recital.

"What is the Sthala varalaru?" he asked as he was receiving all these. Sri Venkat Giridhar proceeded to tell him about how Sri Bala appeared in the dream of Sri Subramanya Iyer, how she came floating in the river and how she came to the Peetam and made it her own home.
"A Siddhar had predicted all these about 600 years ago", he said "the 'olai chuvadi' he wrote even contained names of all those persons who will come visit Nemili worshipping Her.
Kanchi periava had apparently set out to Nemili when he had a mild obstruction en-route. He had that divine foresight to deduce She had not given her command yet to give him Her Dharshan, so he returned.(But then at a later point of time he had stayed in Bala Peetam for a few days offering prayers and poojas to Her).

As that divine eventful day came to an end, he was about to retire to bed when he remembered Sri Venkat's words. He took out the booklet from the prasadham bag, turned to the page containing the Kavacham and read it silently. Finished, he kept back the booklet in his near vicinity and reminded himself he would recite it everyday.

Some days later something eventful happened. What started as a normal day led to an incident. He got initially anxious, tried to contain the situation . It got worsened and led to a great mental turmoil.
He came home and sat dejected. He felt helpless, thought he could do nothing about it and was almost looking forward to a sleepless night. "Unless".... a thought flashed and he swung into action. How could he have not thought of it earlier. He took out the booklet, stood before the picture of Bala and recited the kavacham with total involvement. He stood still, and went to bed. He felt his state of agitation had vanished away like a fog absolving on daylight. He felt hopeful and contrary to what he had thought , he ended up sleeping well that night.
They planned to take some alternate action the next day, by now he was hopeful that the situation he was facing was not really troublesome at all.And not so surprisingly everything cleared up.

But the test was far from over. He had a wisdom tooth extraction that evening. Even though he felt calm, he was exhausted and the  travails of the day kept him at his nerve's ends. The dentist injected the local anesthesia and called him in after few minutes.He did a visual inspection and satisfied, started with the extraction.

The upper tooth came out easily, problem started when the extraction of the lower molar began. About half way through, he started bleeding profusely. The dentist placed a cotton plug deep inside the mouth and took it out after sometime. He focussed the light on the dark recesses of the inner mouth and started plying away the tooth again. He stopped and declared "you are bleeding too much. Relax , you will do good. With this bleeding, i am unable to locate the tooth clearly inside. Let's wait for sometime" and placed a fresh cotton block. He tried to distract himself with other thoughts, but inside his heart rate increased. . The dentist removed the cotton and started again. Plying away a portion of tooth he said again "look, you really need to relax. There is too much bleeding happening.
If you remain in tension, blood pressure will be high, pulse rate will be high. Bleeding won't stop unless you remain calm. Lets wait for a few minutes, i will leave you here ". Lying on the dentist's chair with mouth wide open, he tried to relax but in vain. He hoped the bleeding would stop this time, only to find the dentist coming back inspecting his mouth with a frown. "It's all drenched in blood" the dentist said, he asked him to rinse his mouth, kept another large piece of cotton on the exposed molar and said "this time if the bleeding doesn't stop, then we may have to inject you with something, it would take a really long time, i want to avoid it" and left.

By this time, his heart rate had doubled. He started thinking about Bala, she had helped him the previous day, why can't she now? Relaxation was impossible, but he kept chanting on with focus.
Bala,Bala,Bala,Bala,Bala,Bala,Bala..............
Couple of minutes would have elapsed. The dentist came back looking unsure. He removed the cotton and did a visual inspection. "Hmm, the bleeding has now stopped" he remarked.

All he could do was thank Bala. He kept on chanting Her name for the rest of the procedure and it soon got over without any further complications.

Bala yena chollu Bala yena chollu, Pava Vinai yaavum thallu
Bala yena kooru Bala yena kooru padaara vindame seru
Bala yena paadu Bala yena paadu Balavin karunaiyai thedu
Bala yendre odhu, Bala yendre odhu Balavinal maraiyum theedu..

No surprise when you chant Her hymns with surrender and utmost faith, She not only accompanies you through your travails, but She will guide you through it as well.

Sri Bala Charanam.