Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Guru Purnima

This is an extract from Deccan Herald

Celebrating devotion




Gurupurnima is called the day of the Master, but it is actually the day of the devotee.





There are three types of people who come to the Master - the student, the disciple and the devotee. A student goes to a teacher and learns something, gets some information and walks out of the school. The student is the one, who collects information, but the information is not knowledge, it is not wisdom.



Then, there is the disciple; the disciple follows the example of the Master. But a disciple is with the Master for the sake of learning wisdom, for the sake of improving his life, for attaining enlightenment. He is trying to bring a transformation in his life.



And then there is a devotee. A devotee is not there even for wisdom. He is simply rejoicing in love. He has fallen in deep love with the Master, with Infinity, with God. Students are in abundance, disciples are a few, but the devotees are rare.



One of Buddha’s disciples named Sariputra achieved enlightenment. Soon thereafter, Buddha told him, “Now you go ahead, go into the world and preach, teach, and do the same work I do. Carry on my work.” As instructed, Sariputra left Buddha, but he was crying. People asked him, “Why are you crying when you are enlightened?” He replied, “Who cares about this enlightenment? It could have waited. I would have waited. I didn’t even bother about it or ask for it because the joy of being at the feet of Buddha was so great. Being a devotee was so great. I cry now because I miss it. I would have preferred that to this enlightenment.” He said.



Who is a Guru? A Guru is just like a window. Guru simply means one who brings more joy, more alertness, and more awareness into your life. A Guru is not one who holds any authority over you. A Guru is not one who dictates terms to you. Rather, a Guru encourages you to be in touch with yourself. A Guru reminds you to live in the present moment, and a Guru takes away the guilt, agitation, sorrow, and anguish, which allows you to be yourself. That in the true sense is the meaning of Guru. A Guru does not simply fill you with knowledge, but he kindles the life force in you. In the presence of the Guru, you become more alive. The Guru invokes not only intelligence but also the intellect in you. Knowledge may not invoke intelligence, but in a state of intelligence, knowledge is inherent.



In the Upanishads, five signs of sadguru are mentioned. In the presence of a sadguru knowledge flourishes (Gyana raksha), sorrow diminishes (dukha kshaya), joy wells up without any reason (sukha aavirbhava), abundance dawns (samriddhi) and all talent manifest (sarva samvardhan).



Once you have found a sadguru, remember that he or she is always there with you, watching and giving you wisdom. Spiritual path is not only a path of learning more; it is also a path of unlearning. Learning has no end; unlearning has an end. The true path is one that takes you home and kindles that deep love in you.



Love is not just an act. It is our very nature. It is what we are made up of. Love is something that even the Divine rejoices in. The infinity longs for you as much as you long for it. It is waiting to receive you. It is as anxious as you are to be near. So when a devotee flowers in this planet, infinity is very happy.



Understand that you are the #1 devotee, and feel grateful for the great knowledge you have received from your Master. Turn back and see how they changed and developed in the last one year. Assess what you have learnt and how have you grown in knowledge. This Guru Purnima rise in devotion.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Three Mantras of Life

Life is really simple if you follow the three Mantras.

Life is really all about

1. WINNING OTHER'S HEARTS


















2. LOSING YOUR EGO


















AND 3  - SHARING THE UP'S AND DOWN'S OF LIFE WITH FRNDZ........

Quotable Quotes

Anger


















is one word short of DANGER
So always think and act . . . . .Have a good day

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Gurupuja Yagya 2 : Gurupurnima :

GURU PUJA YAGNA



501 Gurupujas

All over Chennai City

10th July 2010 to 25th July 2010





Co-ordination team

Ranjini Madhavan: 99401 01411 /

Vikram: 99400 16997

Bindu : 98400 63850 / Anil: 96778 66593

परितः ईक्षते इति परीक्षितः (Continued)

Well this happened by and large because....krishna was the leige lord of the universe himself....and also because of dispassion.

The rest, i leave for you to think out as we go back to the meeting between parikshit and kali

Anil

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Jai Shri Ram!

The Sangeetha Upanyasam (my first in Hosur, 3rd overall) on “SUNDARA KAANDAM” at the Muneeshwar nagar Vijaya Vinayagar Sathsangam was a huge success.

There were so many old and knowledgeable people who were well versed in the scriptures and a couple of them were vidwans and vidushis themselves.

A topic like Sundarakaandam is usually reserved for such an audience. More importantly, this also elevates the expectations on the speaker. This being the first concert in Hosur, more so the first without the physical presence of my father, I was shaking the moment I got on stage. But surprisingly, I felt reassured and the same feeling of contentment (characteristic of those times I spent with dad) arose in me…. I would quote one of my friends “Physically he was not there, yet I could feel his permanent presence”

There were so many people who enjoyed the concert, who applauded the effort, who asked for more such programmes, but this post would not end if I do not thank the three people who made this possible

1. Ramanathan @ RAM: I could not have asked for a better gift from existence. I met this man 3 years ago in a satsang at home. We felt we had always been there for each other for lifetimes .An amazing singer, his very presence on the stage next to me was so uplifting that I simply cannot describe it.

2. Srinivasamurthy: A very senior violin vidwan, I am really grateful to. While telling a story, the most important aspect is to feel the sannidhyam (the event) in any particular situation. Only then will the story teller really get into the groove. This was effortlessly created by the violinist.

3. Venkata @ Venkatasubramanian : A firecracker of a mridangist (both of us learned from the same guru. He is fortunate to still be with our sir, Sri Srimushnam Raja Rao). His presence was really inspiring and he seamlessly aided us to lift the concert to a higher level with each song! I am always grateful to him to have accepted to come and also to have brought the violinist along

The best part is we have been requested to do a 2/3 day Sangeetha Upanyasam on “Krishna Leela” . More details soon! Keep in touch and God Bless!!!

Anil

Friday, July 9, 2010

परितः ईक्षते इति परीक्षितः (Continued)

" only a pure celibate bramhachari touch will give life to this child''

Thus thundered the heavens. Immediately the pandavas and their kith and kin started searching for rishis, swamis and others who could accomplish this task,.

As they were engrossed in this, Krishna came up to partha and asked “ Mind if I give a shot ???
At this, an enraged bheemaa started shouting at Krishna “ did you not hear what the heavens said ???? a bramhachari and that too a celibate one at that???? You are always surrounded by girls??? How dare you think of giving a shot????do you want to put the baby’s life in danger ??
At this Krishna said “ Look. Anyways nobody is coming forward to save the baby. What harm is there in letting me try….

After a lot of persuasion, Krishna went near the baby and touched the baby’s head with his toe . . .and behold ! the baby started crying !!!!

Why and how do you think this happened…..keep thinking…..till the next post

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Concert in Hosur

My first concert in Hosur, 3rd in the series of Upanyasams

















A musical discourse on the Sundara Kaandam from the Ramayana . . . If possible, please attend....even otherwise, please bless us for the success of this concert.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

परितः ईक्षते इति परीक्षितः (Continued)

As ashwatthama released the narayanastra..... he knew where it had to strike . . . the womb of the youngest mother to be and the most delicate uttara, the widow of abhimanyu

knowing this , all the pandavas rushed to the one man, the only person who could stop this, the coll suave blue clad yadava king - vasudeva krsna , none but narayana himself !

krsna himself in his divine form went into the womb of uttara and saved the foetus.....and in the process, the child got to see the divine form of narayana  - "shanka chakra gadha paane dwaraka nilayachyutha....govinda pundareekaksha raksha maam sharanagatam"

However as fate would have it, despite krsna saving the child, it was still born......and then the heavens thundered " only a pure celibate bramhachari's touch will give life to this child''

and that's another story.....................

the deafening sound of ..........................silence

The part 2 program of the Art of Living....my 13th....yet it was like a rebirth

wonderful experience and a lot of nice and new things happened.

JGD