Sunday, December 28, 2014

There is destiny that shapes our ends

The Gita says, 'Individual cannot achieve anything on their own as they are, but puppets in creator's hands. They have to play the part, destined by their prarabdha.' Can one escape one's prarabdha? Yes, if one has conquered 'I am the body', thought, then name and form do not bind, even prarabdha does not bind. Prarabdha is experienced by mind, which leaves the mind once the mind is torn.

None can stop the course of Destiny
The fruit of the actions done in previous births is called as Destiny. If a calf is left amongst 1000 cows, it still comes back to its Mother cow. Similarly irrespective of the number of your births , the fruit of your action gets back to you alone. Destiny resembles a stack of hay being over flown in a river. None can stop its course. If you think of changing your destiny utilizing your intellect, it is either equivalent to trying to stop a tsunami with your hand or trying to obstruct a bull dozer with your head.

Nothing is too heavy for destiny
Destiny is most powerful. Valmiki said:"Nothing is too heavy for destiny." Though you may seem to be an elephant, if your destiny is un-favourable, you will turn out to be an insect. Though you may possess a hundred thousand crores, if your destiny is un-favourable, you may lose it within ten days. If the destiny is not favourable, even the greatest empires will vanish away. For instance the British and Mughal empires also vanished away due to destiny

What is not to happen will never happen and what is ought to happen will not fail to happen
When Bhagavan's Mother found Him in Tiruvannamalai, she begged him to return, but no amount of weeping and pleading had any visible effect on him. She appealed to the devotees who had gathered around, trying to get them to intervene on her behalf until one requested that Ramana write out his response to his mother. He then wrote on a piece of paper: " Inaccordance with the prarabdha (Destiny to be worked out in current life) of each, the One whose function it is to ordain makes each to act. What is not to happen will never happen, whatever effort one may put forth. And what is ought to happen will not fail to happen, however much one may seek to prevent it. This is certain. The part of wisdom therefore is to stay quiet.

"We cannot do anything without his grace" - (By Nagalakshmi Garu)


I met Sri Nannagaru for the first time in the year 1989 in Bhimavaram. After 3 years I got to know that he has been visiting Kukatpally off late. Upon knowing that we stay closer to the place, he said "I'll surely come". I visited him not very often. Nannagaru once asked Jaya - "We haven't seen Nagalakshmi lately". Jaya used to yell at me, and force me to visit him. The association of a devotee will effortlessly pull towards God; such is my relationship with Jaya. I used to argue with Jaya that family comes first and then God. She got fed up with me and said - "We'll see whether you will tread my path or I will tread your path, and God will decide that." After some time she used to forcefully take me to satsang gatherings. Rather than saying that I got closer to him, I think it would be correct to say, it was actually he who pulled me towards Him. His words made me think through, I would find everything new and beautiful in life. The mind which was always worried got transformed into a peaceful mind through his teachings. I never found questions in his preaching. His preaching made my mind still then and there.

Nannagaru once said, "The importance that we give to money and fame, we don't give the same to purity". After hearing this sentence I felt we should put some effort in order to gain purity. In order to get a grip of the subject, and to constantly contemplate upon the same, he always asked me to attend spiritual gatherings. During initial days, I used to feel that the beauty in listening to the subject doesn't exist in teaching the subject. Afterwards, I felt that if ego doesn’t involve while teaching, then there is beauty in teaching as well.

How can I repay the debt of Sri Nannagaru, who changed my perception that worshiping God alone doesn't constitute devotion, corrected me and gave qualification to practice Self knowledge and showered the nectar in it. Sky is the limit for his preaching. Every sentence that he preaches should be grasped with interest and remembered, if possible should be shared with others. The specialty of Nannagaru is whatever he preaches, he will make us experience in due course.

We cannot do anything without His Grace.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

A mind that is pure (Bangara Manasu)

One must have the grace of God to attain the highest state or the complete bliss state. Ishwara’s (God) grace is of utmost importance to reach the highest state. If His grace is not there, then all efforts may not be successful. The mind is the creation of God. A mind free from desires, greed and jealously, and which neither sees good nor bad, such a mind is known as ‘bangara manasu’ (a mind that is pure). Such a mind is given by Maha Vishnu.

All the sadhana or spiritual practice that we are doing is to attain that ‘bangara manasu’. Our actions in the past affect us in this birth in two ways: the body suffers from disease; and the mind gets trapped in grief. Both disease and grief are fruits of previous actions (done in past births). So, in this life you must not keep recalling issues that have affected you. Leave them, forget them and move forward. In this life, do not be bothered about the past and the future. Future actions will take place as they have to. Thhinking about them and disturbing the mind is not correct. Each one must learn to dwell in solitude (Ekanta Vasa) at least for an hour each day.

If you face all events in life happily, slowly the result of the past actions decreases. Gradually you will gain supreme knowledge. Each task or work assigned by God to you must be performed in a righteous way. If it is not possible, then do not do it. As far as possible do not jump into other people’s issues. This again leads to ignorance. But you can do tasks for the welfare of others.

"He alone is the Giver" - (Dr.Mithin)



Sri Nannagaru 's birthday was coming up on September 23 and I wanted to go and meet Him on that day. I called him and asked permission to come for that day. He said You are always welcome Work in the hospital prevented me from having concrete plans but soon I found myself in the car heading to Jinnuru early morning of September 23 to meet him. I arrived by about 10o c lock by which time I learnt that the Saint had gone for rest. I went away and had my breakfast and visited some agricultural fields in that area and came back by 12 by which time the Saint had come back. I met him and he expressed pleasure and took me along and made me sir next to him. As the devotees flocked around him he made me sit with him and discussed about a patient whom I was supposed to see during my visit to this village. One trait of Sri Nannagaru I noticed was he would be very worried and concerned and very particular about a patient who told him his woes and would rest or feel relaxed only when he came to know that the patient had been sufficiently attended by me.

After that he asked me to follow him to Jinnuru kshetram where he would give his speech for the occasion. The patient I was supposed to see would come they're and Sri Nannagaru asked me to see the patient in his room as He gave his speech. People bring hundreds of fruits and sweets to him every time as offerings which he would touch and give as prasad to all. I used to bring sweets or fruits to him initially but soon discontinued the practice because I argued within myself that it is better to go empty handed to him and take what he gives because that would be symbolic of the fact in my life that he alone is the Giver...



So I was waiting what he would give me this trip. Even though hundreds of fruits are being given to him he did not give me any. A lady devote had given a small package to him. He enquired as to what was there in the package Tirupati Laddoo she said I smiled suddenly and thought so this is my prasad! So Nannagaru turned and looked at me smiled and gave the Laddoo. Soon So Nannagaru went to give his speech and I returned to his room in the ashram to see the patient. After the discourse Sri Nannagaru came back to the room and talked with some of the devotees and me.

His teaching in a nutshell 'God and World are not two entities. Whatever exists is God Alone. If you're in the world as different from God you are living in illusion. When you recognise the world also as God then the world disappears and what always was GOD alone remains. Unnadanta Brahmamokkatey

He even said that 'When we die we think we are dying but forget to realise that it is only the body which is dying and there is something in us that cannot die. The Goal of Life is to realise that Thing in us which does not die. Then fear of death vanishes and the soul transcends the idea of birth and death'

A peetadapathi came today and asked Sri Nannagaru 'When I am with you I feel peaceful but when I indulge in worldly matters I lose the Peace. How to sustain it?' Sri Nannagaru replied' Remember God in your worldly activities also. For it is not physical plane but the spiritual plane which is important. Then you will derive Peace.'

After that I took his leave and came away

Saturday, September 6, 2014

About Vedas

Traigunyavisayaa vedaa nistraigunyo bhavaarjuna
nirdvandvo nithya sattvastho niryoga kshema aatmavaan (2-45)

O Arjuna, the Vedic scriptures deal with the matters relating to three gunas(attributes).
O Arjuna, but rise above them. Being free from the pairs of opposites, let your mind be always steady in the pure spiritual consciousness; do not endeavor to acquire or preserve that is forbidden; Become Self Realized.

Veda implies Knowledge. We have four Vedas namely Rigveda, Yajurveda, Atharvanaveda and Samaveda. The Vedas mention not only about Self Knowledge but also about material knowledge. The hymns that are chanted at the time of marriage or while performing rituals (apakarma) when the Jiva leaves the body are all but Vedic hymns. Apart from these, the Vedas also mention about how to construct a house. Hence there is nothing left out in the Vedas that remained unmentioned. The Vedas have narrated about the sattvic, rajasic and tamasic qualities. The behavior pattern that prevails in a person when a particular quality becomes predominant also has been mentioned in the Vedas. All these qualities bind you. Hence transcend them and go forward. God has put Maya in all the three qualities. Of them there may be good as well as bad qualities.Don’t get into the affair of these qualities. All these are related to Maya. Try to transcend these qualities. You must overcome these qualities. You must attain Self Knowledge.

Nirdvandvo: You will get several dualities in your life. Learn to bear them. You will become purified and your intellect (buddhi) becomes steady if you learn to bear them. If you bear these dualities, your mind will not become your enemy but will remain as your friend. If your mind becomes your friend, it will serve you. If your mind becomes your enemy, it will harm you. It is not important as to how you are treated by the society; what is important is that your mind should be within your control. You get happiness or sorrow according to your destiny. Don’t get elated when you are happy and don’t get depressed when you are sorrowful. Thus always keep your brain balanced.If you thus remain balanced, your intellect (buddhi)gets concentrated and purified.

Nithya satvastaha:That which is Truth is permanent and that which is not Truth is transient. There is a Truth within your Heart. It is very close, near and dear to you. It is not only close to you but You are That (Self). But due to your wrong thinking and wrong identification, you are not able to identify this truth. If you want to be joyful, learn to abide in the Heart. Then all of them ie your body,mind, senses and intellect (buddhi)come into your control. Only then you become joyful. If you remain within the control of your senses and mind, you cannot become joyful. Therefore we must learn to control them. The happiness derived from control cannot be attained from comfort. Therefore Bhagavan said: "If possible,learn to befriend the Self within your Heart; if you are unable to do it, try to attain Holy Company. Then you will get the yearning to attain Self Knowledge due to their vibrations."

Niryogakshema:God is here narrating about the weaknesses within man. Yoga implies earning that which you don’t possess. Protecting and preserving that which you have earned is Kshema.Everyone is involved with these both ie yoga and kshema. If you spend all the 24 hrs in acquisition and preservation when will you seek the Truth? God looks after their yoga and kshema who do not think of their yoga and kshema. But you are afraid that God may not look after the same. You don’t even have the faith that God exists. When you don’t even possess the faith in the existence of God, how will you depend upon Him? One who is looking after this world will also look after you. If you constantly think of your yoga(acquisition) and kshema(preservation) your mind will get extroverted but not introverted.

Aatmavaan: Antahkarna implies the inner instrument ie.,mind. It should always be kept pure.As you keep your body clean, even your intellect (buddhi)should be kept pure. You cannot attain Jnana without the purity of the intellect (buddhi). The water looks steady and pure when there are no waves in it. Similarly your intellect(buddhi)should resemble such water in order to attain Self Knowledge. The true Bliss and Joy are contained in Self alone. What you currently experience is only happiness and of Joy.If you are happy today, all your happiness may be converted into sorrow on one day or the other. However if you attain Self Knowledge, all your sorrow will be converted into joy. Therefore the Lord says: "Oh! Arjuna, purify your mind and attain the wealth of Self Knowledge." Wherever you see, if you experience bliss, peace and joy, why should you depend upon the external things

"Faith is a blessing of Guru" - (By Neelima)

I just wanted to share my experience as the experience shared by many others in the blog helped me deepen my faith in Nannagaru.

I am 24 years old now and my earliest reminiscence of Nannagaru is way back in my childhood. I am indebted to my mother to having me introduced to Nannagaru at that tender age. As a kid I used to accompany my mother to Nannagaru without even knowing the purpose. I was told that he was the walking god and we should worship him. Little did I believe my mother then, as my perception of God as a kid was delusional influenced by the Hindu mythology. Perhaps my mind was not pure enough to see the truth.


Sometimes I went to Nannagaru willingly. sometimes only because my mother wanted me to go and some other times just to kill time. All this time people told me that Nannagaru was divine and never tried to reason much I just blindly forced myself to believe. Later as I grew I used to listen to discourses and was introduced to terms like 'Moksha' , 'Salvation'. I seldom understood what these terms meant but just understood that it was ultimate goal of human life . I liked few simple things that Nannagaru told about our day to day life and felt good when I could actually implement at least a very few of them.
Like many other people around I always thought I never harmed anyone, I was minding my own business and had a feeling that I am good person. But when I sit in front of Nannagaru and hear his discourse all my shortcomings, the impurities in my mind flash in my mind and I sometimes wonder if I even deserve to sit in front of him. I am certainly blessed to be able to sit in his presence. I continued to go to Nannagaru not with any particular purpose but it just became a habit by then. Whenever Nannagaru is in city, I try to go and meet him. There was one part in me which would say I should go meet Nannagaru and other part which would ask me to go to a movie with my friends, sometimes I did surrender to my mind and went for the movie. But many a times there would suddenly be a change of plan with my friends and I will be left with no option but going to Nannagaru. It felt like Nannagaru tethered me to a leash and would sometimes let me wander but would pull me back before I was lost. Later I began to know that Nannagaru was a divine soul but KNOWING is different from BELIEVING. My mind and heart were not ripe enough to have the faith.


His love and compassion are beyond comparison. He could not let an ignorant soul like me wander how ever undeserving I was. He had to teach me in my own ways. I always worshiped god but only for materialistic things. I used to pray to god like many college students for good marks, good job, pass in some entrance exam etc. My mother introduced to me "Shiridi Sai Jeevithe Charitra" (Biography of Shiridi Sai Baba) and "Shri Guru Charitra"(Biography of Dattetreya Swami) by Ekkirala Bhradwaja garu. Of course I did the parayana(read the whole biography in 7 days in a predefined order and with some puja) of these two books a couple of times only for my selfish motives, to get my materialistic list of desires to be fulfilled. But these two books describe the importance and glory of guru exhaustively.Do you see the master mind of Guru?? It is after I read these books and the description of Guru in these books that I started placing faith in Nannagaru and realized the importance of guru in life. I used to relate many incidents and characteristics of guru to Nannagaru and feel blessed that I had Nannagaru in my life.


Although I started placing my faith in nanngaru, my mind wouldn't let me place a 100% faith. I believe having faith is also a blessing that Guru has to bestow upon us. In Guru charithra and Baba charithra it is mentioned that when you cannot decide if you find the correct 'Guru' you should pray to the almighty to show you the right path and do Guru charitra parayana. This is also a method told be ideal in many other religions. Even after I knew about this I was never actually bothered to do a parayana for the quest of a true Guru. Again Nannagaru had to take things into hands and put me o the right path. I had a dream once and in my dream I saw Lord Dattatreya and his mother Anasooya matha. I wondered why I got the dream and I decided to do a Guru charitra parayana. As I was doing my parayana one day in my dream I saw Nannagaru. He was surrounded my many devotees as usual. I went to him and prostrated to him, he smiled at me and blessed me by placing some 'akshitalu' on my head. What more could my mind ask for to convince it that i was on the right path. From that day on my faith in Nannagaru deepened. He has been influencing my life in many ways since then, constantly guiding me and keeping an eye on so that I don't wander. Since then whenever I go to temple I pray for god me to help me keep my faith my guru. As I know that if we can keep our total faith in him and trust him he will always watch out for us and do what is good for us. This has been my experience in many cases. Whenever my faith fluctuates or I wander about in life Nannagaru is always there helping me in his own unique ways which are difficult to express but only can be experienced.

Even now I don't think I am intellectual enough to truly understand the purpose of life and about salvation. But what I know for certain is if keep my total faith in him he will show me the path sooner or later.

Thursday, July 31, 2014

The Essence of all the four yogas

Matkarmakrit Matparamo Matbhaktaha Sangavarjitaha
Nirvairaha Sarvabhooteshu Yah Sa Maameti Paandavah

Matkarmakrit

'Work for My sake.' We should do such a work which would be admired by God. Doing the work as an offering to God implies that good deeds have to be performed selflessly. Whatever work you do selflessly is God's work only. You work with your hands and remember God with your mind. You will get the clarity of mind only through selfless work. If you don’t perform good deeds you will not even find the path towards the spiritual Heart. If you perform the acts as prescribed by God and refrain from doing the acts as forbidden by God, it is equivalent to doing God's work. Whatever you do , you should remember that God exists in the form of society. You should not possess independent intellect (buddhi) ie your thinking should not be based on egosense. God has prescribed the dos and don’ts.You should not question as to why a particular act has been forbidden. God has mentioned it only in your welfare. But you are not concerned about your shreyas (welfare). You are concerned only about your preyas (that which you Love).We always like them who praise us and not the one who tell us Truth. Adi Shankara has said: 'If you do good deeds selflessly, it will purify your mind ie your intellect (buddhi) will get purified. Once it is purified, you will become fit to attain Self Knowledge. You will not attain Self Knowledge by merely doing a good work. The secret here is if you perform the deeds not as per your liking (preyas) but as per God's liking (shreyas), He will bestow you with such intellect (buddhi) by which you can know Him.' Lord Krishna said: "You have come here to fight. It is in your body's destiny. If there is no destiny, you will not even get the body. If you work with a desire, your destiny is formed and when the destiny is formed, it is inevitable that you will get a body. As per your body's destiny, you have to fight. Whether you like it or not, the battle will be fought through your body.If you fight willingly, this destiny will not repeat again in the future births. Work is unavoidable. If you work unwillingly,you will be chased by the same destiny even in future births. This is the secret of Bhagavad Gita." Hence Matkarmakrit refers to the Karma Yoga

Mat paramaha

'Make Me only as your goal.' The Lord implied: ‘Whatever may be your work, whatever may be your nature, always keep Me as your goal. You have to attain Me only in your life. Therefore make effort to reach Me.'

Matbhaktaha:

Become My devotee. By being My devotee, you will get purity of thought. By getting purity of thought you will attain purity of mind. You will attain Liberation only through the gate of 'Purity of mind' but not through any other gate. Once we start loving God, we will lose all the unnecessary thoughts and the body consciousness gets reduced. The Lord said: "Whether the circumstances are favourable or not, you should not lose your faith in Me. Be my devotee. Possess love, devotion and faith in Me. You must chant my name and meditate upon My form. I assure you that if you perform good deeds, there is no distressing state." It does not matter even if you lose your breath but do not lose your faith in God. Though Vibhishana was a demon, he abandoned his brother for the sake of virtue. He left everything for the sake of Rama ie for the sake of God and took His shelter. This is the sign of a devotee. It is complete surrender. It is enough if you have the living faith in the existence of God. Your mind will become conditioned and you will get reformed. Hence Matbhakataha refers to the path of devotion

Sangavarjitaha:

This is Jnana Yoga. You should not possess any passion towards any object in the world or towards your body. Whatever thought comes to you arises out of the thought 'I am the body' ie ego. All the thoughts are based upon this single thought of 'I am the body'. As long as this ego (the thought of I am the body) exists, the other thoughts keep arising and cannot be avoided. From where does this ego arise? Is it from inside or from outside? It comes from within only. If you are able to catch hold of the source of ego, then it vanishes and you are caught by another 'I' which is Brahman. Even Brahman is revealed to you as 'I'. But it is not limited to a body or an object or the world. It is complete and perfect. It is the embodiment of Bliss, Truth and knowledge. It is only Existence.

Jesus said: "There is a Truth within your Heart. As the sun is not aware of darkness, even the Self within your Heart is not aware of either birth or death. It is not dependent but it is independent. If you want to achieve permanent abode or the other world or the endless peace or the endless bliss or independent happiness, You must know the Truth ie you must experience the Truth. Till then you will not have either freedom or happiness or bliss."

Nirvairaha sarva bhuteshu:

You should possess Love and Compassion towards all beings without possessing any hatred. We develop enmity towards those who harm us. Though there is a sufficient cause for developing enmity, possess Love only and not any hatred. If you have enmity, you will develop hatred. Then inspite of doing pranayama or yoga, your mind will always travel towards them whomever you hate. Likes and dislikes are the only cause for the extroversion of the mind. If you develop enmity or hatred, your mind gets polluted. Therefore possess Love for everyone. God exists in the hearts of all as the indweller. He is the enjoyer. If you give food to anyone, you may think that so and so person ate the food. But it is not they who eat it. It is God only who enjoys inside.

The goal of Karma Yoga is to control and reform the senses. The goal of Bhakti yoga is to identify and eliminate the weaknesses and sorrows within us. The goal of Jnana yoga is to attain the subtle intellect (discrimination) to understand the words of God in true sense.

Wednesday, July 30, 2014

True state has no desire (By Dr.Mithin)


Once I had a beautiful experience.

It was probably 7 in the morning whence I had woken up and still had not left the bed. I sat up to realize that something was different.

I could see my bedroom and the dressing table and fan etc but they all appeared to be absolutely beautiful. They were pulsating with beauty. Even an insignificant thing like a doormat appeared so beautiful.

I realized that the reason for their beauty was a subtle absence of thought in me. Try as I might I could not have thoughts. All was pulsating Awareness.

I tried to think of Lord Venkateshwara and even Sri Nannagaru.

I couldn't! Also I felt a sort of indifference to even them. I felt why think of Sri Nannagaru and dilute this Blissful Experience. But the damage had been done!

The state which was there for about 1 min dissipated and thoughts came flooding in.

When I met Sri Nannagaru in Jinnuru next time I told Him about this. He dismissed it by a wave of His hand as if He knew already and said 'You will be a Jeevanmuktha in this life itself'

Even though i tried to replicate that state again I could not. I understood it comes by Grace alone and how can one have Grace?

By abiding in Guru's Will

Another time a devotee came and met Sri Nannagaru. The devotee was grieving because he had lost his wife in old age and was companion less

'I cannot forget her.' He said.

Sri Nannagaru smiled and said 'Don't think of her as your wife. Think of her as a soul which belongs to God. That's why he took her away. Think lie this and you will lose attachment.'

Another time a couple came and told Him about the.loss of her their young son in an accident

Sri Nannagaru said 'It has happened by God's Will. If you accept this then in your next birth you will be spared this grief which comes by prarabdha.'

other teachings which he gave were

True state has no desire. There cannot be any desire in Truth.

God World and the devotee are one and the same in Actuality. Realizing this is Moksham.

Thank you Sri Nannagaru (By Dr.Mithin)



I kept meeting Sri Nannagaru occasionally either when he came to Hyderabad or in Jinnuru.

I was having a dull phase in practice and was wondering when it will.pick up. I thought it is by Sri Nannagaru will that I had good practice and now by His a will only my practice is down.

Once when I met him, he was telling a devotee 'Man thinks that by his effort he has become successful. But he doesn't know that it is by God's Will that everything happens.'

I thought it was very apt teaching for the type of phase I was going through.

I decided to tell Him my woes. When I met Him the next time He asked me ' How is your practice?'

'It's dull' I said.

He looked grave and said 'It will improve.'

I thanked Him. I waited but the previous income which I used to generate did not happen. I was wondering as to how Sri Nannagaru's words could be wrong.

I met a few times like that always complaining about my practice hoping he would turn it around. But practice just went on average.

It was then I came across a sentence of Meister Eckart a German Philosopher of the medieval times.

'If the only words that you utter in your prayer everyday are Thank You then that will alone suffice.'

These words hit me hard. I rued my greed and faithlessness.

Next time when I met him my practice was still less but when he asked me 'How is your practice now?'

I told Him 'It's very Good. Thank You.'

Sri Nannagaru nodded slowly and said 'It will improve'

My practice started improving and I understand the beauty of being Thankful to God for everything.

After that whenever I faced anything good or bad in my life...I learned to say Thank You Sri Nannagaru. Thank You.

I realized life is not about being desirous of better times or hoping for greater materialistic or even spiritual status.

It was about being Thankful to God at all times.

Thank You Sri Nannagaru

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

Guru Powrnami Celebrations

Dear Devotees

Guru Powrnami celebrations are held in Sri Satya Sai Nigamam, Hyderabad on 12th July 2014. All are invited for this event. For those who can't come, the live coverage will be available at below link from 2 to 5 PM

Click here to view Live Streaming of Guru Pournami Celebration

Regards
Devotees

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Nannagaru's trip to Arunachalam Cancelled

Dear Ones,

We regret to inform that, Nannagaru has cancelled his trip to Tiruvannamalai. We will keep you'll informed if he has any plans to visit at later point of time.

Thank you,

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Sri Nannagaru in Arunachalam (March 26th to April 4th)

Dear All,

We are glad to inform you that, Sri Nannagaru will be available in Arunachalam from March 26th 2014 to April 4th 2014. All are welcome to visit him on these dates. He will be mostly giving his darshan in Sri Nannagaru Ashram.

Thank you!

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Karma, Dharma and Shanti

The work (karma) done righteously (dharma) will lead to peace(shanti). Therefore, put your heart into each task done. Whatever work we do must be according to dharma. The work allotted to us by God mustbe done righteously and with love. All actions performed in this manner will slowly lead you to salvation or moksha. The only person whom we can love completely is God and God
alone.

In this world, all the joy you experience is short lived. It is temporary moments of happiness. These very joys will turn into sorrows later. Only God is the person whom we can love completely. For example, you are happy when you are surrounded by relatives. These relatives in future may turn your happiness into sorrow. They may speak ill or go against you.

Asthi, bathi, priyam:

Asthi that is there always, which has no death and birth and no seasons. From the sky, air came. From air, fire came. From fire, water came, and from water nature came into existence. These five sky, air, fire, water and nature are called pancha bhutas. The object that does not change even if these five elements (pancha bhutas) are not there is known as the Brahman or God.

The Lord’s praise must fill our mouth and mind. This will in course of time please God, and He will shower His grace on you. This
grace will lead you to the path of eternal bliss or a state filled with complete peace.But most of the time, each one of you is more interested in worldly issues. You look for God in the outside world. This is similar to licking an empty hand after throwing away a delicious morsel of food. God is not out somewhere, He is in your heart. Do not search for Him outside. He is antaryami (indwelling spirit/the inner controller/ existing super soul in the heart). He is always there (asthi).

Bathi means lustre. The Brahman does not require sunlight or any other light to shine. The Brahman is glowing always. This lustre is much more than the sun itself.

Priyam means love. The one who is due to be loved and thought about always. Every person likes himself, why? This is because the God is inside you. God’s delusion has created name and form (rupam and namam). Therefore, go beyond this name and form and love Him
wholeheartedly.

Einstein, A Synonym for Genius - (Compiled from speeches by Nannagaru)


Einstein was not merely a scientist but the foremost among the great. He said: “The religion unrelated to science is blind and the
science unrelated to Self Knowledge is lame. Hence both religion and science are essential.

You want only victories not values

Since the inception of this earth, humanity would not have produced a genius like Einstein. Until his 10th standard, Einstein passed his exams in 'C' Division. When his Mother rebuked him for his below average performance, he said: “Mother! You want only victories and not values? Is not goodness anything worthwhile?Your thinking is one-sided only. You must look upon things from all the angles.”

However his Mother still scolded him:
"You are a dullard and a curse upon our family. You need not feed us or take care of us. At least study to such an extent that you need not depend upon us for your food." However his father never took care of him. Einstein improved in his studies only after the tenth standard. He got very good lecturers as his tutors. He also learned from observing the students who were good at their studies and thereby improved in his academics.

Einstein became world famous; yet he remained humble and was never proud of the same. When he was asked to resolve any problem, he made calculations with his fingers and answered instantly.

Who am I?

Even Einstein got the question ' WHO AM I'? When he attended a Maths conference, he was addressed as a Physician and when he attended a Physics conference, he was recognized as a Mathematician. Therefore Einstein always doubted whether he was a Mathematician or a Physician?

The Theory of relativity, a new insight

Einstein discovered the theory of relativity.
The essence of this theory is that when you are involved in a work that is very close to your heart, a day seems to be a second. When you are involved in any work that you don’t love, even a second seems to be a day.

Thirst for Knowledge, the True Treasure


Once a boy studying 4th standard, having heard that Einstein is a Maths Professor, approached him and asked for tuition in Maths. Einstein started teaching him accordingly. When the boy paid 2 dollars in return, Einstein asked him as to how he got this money. The boy replied that it was his pocket money given to him by his father. When the boy's father came to know that his son approached Einstein for Maths tuition, he immediately went to Einstein and said: "Forgive my son as he doesn't know who you are and how busy you are. I will ensure that my son will not disturb you anymore."

Einstein replied," It is your wish whether you would like sending your son to me or not any further. But I will never return back those 2 dollars that I received from your son. I will preserve the same in memory of your son's thirst for knowledge."

The humble Mathematician

When Einstein travelled in bus, he paid in excess for his ticket but never asked back for the money, that he was due to receive. He used to repeat this with the same conductor, even the very next day. The conductor used to scold him: "You are aware of the price of the ticket, yet you pay me in excess. Why don’t you learn Mathematics?" But Einstein never responded in return.


The absent minded professor

Einstein was always involved in deep thinking. He used to forget that he was in the washroom and spend there the whole night in thinking.

A Noble Prize winner not only as a Scientist but also as a Humanitarian

Einstein was very good at heart. When his wife wanted divorce, Einstein asked her to postpone the same by 6 months. He told his wife: “I am due to receive Noble prize within 6 months. This would fetch me a huge amount of prize money. I would like to share half of it with you. As such, we don’t have any enmity. Therefore even after the divorce, if we ever meet in a bus stand or a railway station, do talk to me even if I am immersed in my own world."

Swadharma is to work in accordance with one’s nature

After receiving the Noble prize Einstein was offered several honorable positions like that of President and Secretary in various Universities. But Einstein rejected all of them saying: “I am born for making research in Science and not for these positions. To work in accordance with one’s nature is Swadharma, else it is Paradharma. If you practice swadharma throughout your life, you will remain peaceful even when approached by death.”

The entire Universe is in the shape of Lord Nataraja
When gifted with the idols of Hindu deities, Einstein accepted the same. Once when he was gifted with an idol of Lord Nataraja, Einstein looked at it with great amusement. He went into a trance and said, "The entire Universe is in the shape of Lord Nataraja."

A Great Conviction in Human Stupidity than in the existence of God

Einstein said: " I am not sure whether God exists or not. But I have a 100% conviction in the existence of human stupidity."

The Regretful Scientist

Einstein further said: "My contribution towards the progress of science has been tremendous. I invented the atom bomb and Hydrogen bomb. But ultimately they will only be misused by the mankind in killing people. I don’t understand whether my invention has done good or bad to the humanity."

Einstein’s impersonal behavior made him greater than our sages

Einstein was very impersonal. He was greater than our sages. When Einstein was to die within 4 days, he understood that he would not live any longer. He called 2 of his friends and 2 of his relatives and said: "I am currently in New Jersey hospital. After my death, please don’t inform anyone of the same. First burn my corpse and dissolve my ashes in a nearby river and then only announce my death to the world. Don’t build any memorials in my name. If there is anything worthwhile that I have contributed towards Maths and Physics, the humanity can make use of the same."

The newspapers described Einstein's death: “Einstein left this world, calmly, peacefully, bravely, boldly without any regrets.”
Thus Einstein’s impersonal behavior made him greater than our sages.

There is nothing in the brain;It is God who works

Einstein was asked permission to make a research on his brain after his death. However Einstein refused for the same and said:
"GOD wanted to work through this brain. Had he wanted to work through your brain, he would have done the same. There is nothing in the brain. It is GOD who works. If the entire sand on a beach represents GOD, my brain represents a temple made of such sand on that beach.”

God not an Object to Intellect

Einstein said:
“GOD is not an object of intellect but intellect is an object of GOD. For instance a hand can hold a forceps but not otherwise. It is only your pride that creates a wall of bondage around you. You can break this wall only when you utilize your money, power,
education, Love and all God gifted faculties for the sake of society. ”

There is a law that drives our lives

Einstein said," The five elements, the Sun, the Moon and the planets are driven by a law. The entire creation is driven by the same law. Still we don’t recognize that it is the samelaw which drives our lives."

Sunday, January 19, 2014

A mind that is pure

One must have the grace of God to attain the highest state or the complete bliss state. Ishwara’s (God) grace is of utmost importance to reach the highest state. If his grace is not there, then all efforts may not be successful. The mind is the creation of God. A mind free from desires, greed and jealously, and which neither sees good nor bad, such a mind is known as ‘bangara manasu’ (a mind that is pure). Such a mind is given by Maha Vishnu.

All the sadhana or spiritual practice that we are doing is to attain that ‘bangara manasu’. Our actions in the past affect us in this birth in two ways: the body suffers from disease;and the mind gets trapped in grief. Both disease and grief are fruits of previous actions (done in past births). So, in this life you must not keep recalling issues that have affected you. Leave them, forget them and move forward. In this life, do not be bothered about the past and the future. Future actions will take place as they have to. Thinking about them and disturbing the mind is not correct. Each one must learn to dwell in solitude (Ekanta Vasa) at least for an hour each day.

If you face all events in life happily, slowly the result of the past actions decreases. Gradually you will gain supreme knowledge. Each task or work assigned by God to you must be performed in a righteous way. If it is not possible, then do not do it. As far as possible do not jump into other people’s issues. This again leads to ignorance. But you can do tasks for the welfare of others.

Feed and take care of old people in the house. Think that the Lord has come in their form. This process is called seva or selfless service. Then the work does not become a burden. Through work you are glorifying God.

Conversations with Sri Nannagaru (Courtesy - Pericharla Durgaraju & Shyamala)

A Satsang was held in the year 1999 in the month of November at the residence of a Ramana devotee called Pericharla Durgaraju garu. Some press reporters attended this session and posed some questions to Sri Nannagaru. The answers of Sri Nannagru are being printed in the form of this book.

We whole-heartedly hope that these answers would be useful to the readers. This book has been printed and presented to the devotees by Pericharla Durgaraju garu and his wife Shyamala.


Question - How far can the spiritual values help in reducing the criminal tendencies within man?

Answer - To a certain extent, Poverty and Ignorance can be stated as the cause for criminal tendencies within a man. Being deluded that happiness exists in money alone is one of the reasons. Imitation is another reason. The main reason is due to the misconception that happiness exists in pleasures only. People with goalless life get inclined towards crime. Some people are selfish but not cruel. Some people are cruel but not selfish. If a person possesses both selfishness and cruelty, he is bound to become a criminal. Recently committing crime has become a hobby in few cities. Moral values form a strong foundation for spiritual values. Spiritual values help us in seeking Truth. In the search for Truth, the inclination for committing crime comes down naturally. If the criminal is made aware of the direct consequences of committing a crime, then he will be released from the tendency of committing a crime. As and when the social consciousness increases, he becomes matured and gradually gets disinclined towards committing a crime. The tendency to commit a crime is a weakness. The society has to be made responsible for this.


Question - It is said that a flower blossoms as and when it is born. Were you interested in spiritual matters since your childhood itself?

Answer - I have to say that I possessed some interest in spiritual matters since my childhood. Since my teenage spirituality blossomed within me. Even Spiritual values contribute towards independent thinking. Working without expectation has contributed towards my spiritual progress to a certain extent. I naturally got habituated to working without ego sense. Though I lacked a clear perception regarding Jnana in my childhood, I still possessed an intense craving to attain it. My mind showed more interest towards spiritual matters than the materialistic matters. I did not possess the same interest in religions that I possessed in seeking Truth. I used to feel that the religions and castes are polluting the society. It is not possible to increase our level of consciousness without spiritual thought process.


Question - You are personification of Divinity; You possess the purity of speech; You are habituated in impressing both the educated and uneducated through your sermons. How are you able to do this?

Answer - I exorbitantly love my audience. My behavior towards them is very liberal and peaceful. I ignore the ordinary flaws that exist within them. I not only preach them the Self Knowledge but also desire their material prosperity. I help them in awakening their goodness. I make my share of contribution to ensure that they not only tread the path of Peace but also attain the abode of Peace. Even the devotees possess lively faith in me. I consider my devotees as my friends. But they consider me as an embodiment of Divinity. Therefore I am very cautious when it comes to thinking about their well being or in preaching them. I have never been irresponsible in my behavior towards them till date. I feel that they are honoring me more than that I deserve. I consider their mistake to be my own mistake. I share their sorrow to a certain extent. My preaching helps them to a certain extent in leading a rational life. My relationship with the devotees is not similar to the preceptor-disciple relationship. We live like a family. The devotee's loving relationship with me has never been deteriorated whether they faced favorable or adverse situations in their lives. The mental contact has always existed. They are getting solutions to the problems in their day to day life. They are experiencing Peace on listening to my words. One who lacks Peace is devoid of Bliss. Therefore they are becoming Blissful due to my preaching. The devotees feel as if getting submerged in an ocean of Peace due to my Love, Compassion, affection, reverence and attachment for them. I am able to perceive that the devotee's are recognizing my affection towards them. Therefore I am unable to abstain myself from preaching them. I try to express a Complex subject in very simple words. If they are unable to grasp it, I consider it to be my flaw. The Love and faith of devotees towards me has been perpetual. Therefore even if my body perishes, I will reside in their Hearts forever. Therefore I am trying to preach Self Knowledge in small (easily understood) words and short sentences.


Question - Every Mother and Father desire that their child should become an engineer or a doctor or a collector but they don’t desire that their child should become a Jnani. Why is it so?

Answer - Normally every Mother and Father has a materialistic and worldly outlook only. They have a misconception that one can lead a luxurious life by possessing wealth. They are aware of the importance of money. But they are not aware of the importance of Knowledge. Therefore they don’t desire that their children should become a Jnani. Though man may possess skill, he should get an opportunity to blossom the same. He is wise who utilizes the opportunity in hand appropriately. Except for Self Knowledge all the other education is only for feeding the stomach. Self Knowledge bestows the man with freedom, bliss, peace and spiritual evolution. Man attains the Immortal state only through Self Knowledge. Only those parents who are aware of the importance of Self Knowledge can rejoice in their children becoming a Jnani. They get the feeling of sitting on an elephant. Even today there are some parents who desire that their children should become a Jnani. Attaining Self Knowledge is an important aspect of Life. Can we beautify a corpse by decorating it? No. Similarly our lives devoid of Self Knowledge resemble the same.


Question - Did your parents ever expect you to become a Jnani?

Answer - My parents never expected me to become so and so. There was not much encouragement from others with respect to my spiritual progress. Any seeker of Truth will not get the required co-operation from his family members. The Grace of Arunachala Ramana helped me more than any of my spiritual efforts in attaining Self Realization. If God's Grace does not accompany one's effort, the seeker cannot transform into a Siddha (Realized soul). The mind does not subside without God's Grace. Only the subsided mind becomes eligible to attain Self Realization. It is only due to the Blessing of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi that I have been able to attain the abode of Peace.


Question - Will the parents rejoice in their children attaining Self Knowledge?

Answer - I will give you a small example for your understanding. Won't the parents of Gautama Buddha, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Aristotle etc., rejoice in the greatness of their children if they were alive today? They will certainly rejoice in the same. It is the same with any other parents!


Question - Do you feel that you have achieved anything till date or Is there anything that you still want to achieve?

Answer - I did some social service within my limitation. I made my share of contribution in the spread of the 'Akshara Jyothi' program. I concentrated more on those tasks that are beneficial to us. There was never any pomp and show in any of my tasks. I never expected others applause or recognition. There is only one thing to be achieved and it is 'To Know thyself'. Without Knowing Thyself, if you consider that you have achieved something in your life, all of your achievements are equivalent to zeroes without one (on their left hand side) i.e., worthless. Truth is always beyond place and time. True Bliss exists in Truth alone. True Peace exists in Truth alone. Only those who are peaceful attain freedom. Only they are blessed in Life who attain the independent Bliss not dependent on any external objects or external people or external circumstances. We can conclude that only they have achieved something in their life who utilize their God gifted faculties for the sake of others. Only such people are purified. It is only the purity which earns us the eligibility to realize the Truth. Whether it is me or anyone else, we can proclaim that we have achieved in Life that which is worthy of being achieved only when we attain the Immortal state. Only those who fight throughout their life for the sake of Harmony get released from the falsehood and ignorance. It is only this which is worthy of being achieved. In the journey of Life, our thoughts, words and deeds should be such that they will become an aid in leading us towards our bright future. If our goal is good, even our life will be diverted in concurrence with the same. Then we will attain that which is worthy of being attained. We will achieve that which is worthy of being achieved.


Question - Can we get cured of our ailments with the help of customs in the worship of Lord, doing japa, chanting mantra and taking good advice?

Answer - The customs in the worship of Lord have been framed only for the sake of cleanliness and purity. The cooking utensil has to be cleansed both externally as well as internally. Similarly the body as well as the instrument within the body ie mind have to be kept clean and pure. The water cleanses the body whereas the mantra cleanses the mind. The customs in the worship of Lord, doing japa and meditation help us in conquering the body and the mind. Yoga distances us from Roga ie disease. Yoga impairs a man's relationship with his sorrow. Seclusion, Holy Company and fasting help in cleansing the mind, attaining concentration and achieving aspiration for Truth. They release a man from his sins, flaws, imperfections, curses and weaknesses and bestow him with freedom. The disease first enters the mind and then spreads to the body. The body belongs to the mind only. The mind keeps influencing the body and the body keeps influencing the mind. Man is formed only by the combination of body and mind. One who possesses only body without mind is termed as insane and one who possesses only mind without body is labeled as a devil. The mental health of a man is as much important as his physical health. But man is not giving due importance to his mental health. The disturbance within the man's mind is being expressed in the form of agitation, dispute and censure in the world. Only that which exists internally is being reflected externally. Japa bestows us with a spotless mind. A Serene mind aids us in preventing disease. When we convert our mind into gold, we will be released from several ailments. Meditation bestows us with mental health as well as physical health. Both the mental health and physical health are required to gain the wealth of Self Realization. The authoritative scriptures (like Bhagavad Gita) help in the spiritual progress of man to a great extent.


Question - We get elated in our happiness and get depressed in our hardships and it is very natural that we try to escape from the pain involved in it. What effort should be made in order to boldly face the hardships?

Answer - In Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna mandated to give up attachment, fear and anger. All these three are the cause of sorrow. Therefore He advised us to forego them. The hardships-happiness, likes-dislikes are referred to as dualities. They form an obstacle in man's seeking of Self Knowledge. God preached Yoga to man in order to get him released from these obstacles. One can get rid of them by contemplating upon God and adoring Him. One should attain a peaceful mind and then fight against them. When there is a medicine called 'courage' in hand, one can very easily face any number of hardships or any number of ups and downs. One who rises to the state of fearlessness will not even be cognizant of these dualities. Timidity of the Heart is the only root cause for getting elated in happiness and getting depressed in hardships. Therefore Vasudeva Swami said: "There is nothing meaner than the timidity of Heart." One who leads a God-centric life does not get troubled even when afflicted by any hardship. There is no hardship where there is willingness. He is a true sadhaka who converts his sorrows into happiness in the course of his day to day life. Only the sadhaka attains Siddhi (Self Realization) in due course of time. He is a Siddha who attains THAT WHICH IS EVER READY ie Self. One cannot become a Siddha without being Pure (Shuddha). We will be bestowed with the power to forbear hardships when we possess devotion for God. Except God, all the hardships-happiness, likes-dislikes are creation of the mind. When the mind is destroyed even these will cease to exist.


Question - The hardships resemble the waves in an ocean. As a wave follows another wave even the hardships arise one after the other. Isn't it? Are these arising as a result of self made offenses? or Do you believe the law of karma to be the root cause? Or Is it due to the selfish people surrounding us?

Answer - Self made offenses are the root cause of hardships. All these merge in the sanchita karma. Happiness-sorrow, victory-defeat, honor-dishonor, gain-losses - all these happen according to the destiny of the body. We must leave the body to its destiny and involve ourselves in seeking the Self Knowledge. Peace exists only within Self. One who is devoid of Peace cannot become Blissful. When we whole heartedly believe that all the hardships and happiness that we face in our life are all by the will of God, we will not get affected by them. Except for the Absolute Truth, all the dualities are but creation of the mind. By experiencing hardships, the sins get reduced and by experiencing pleasures, the merit gets reduced. Which is more beneficial? There is an opportunity to increase the depth of our thinking in hardships. Hence the hardships widen our Heart. Only a weak mind gets affected by the surroundings. A person with a strong determination ensures that he is not affected by the surroundings. Imitation is assign of weakness. A person with a stable mind attains equanimity. A person with equanimity gets released from all kinds of dualities and flaws. A tolerant person overcomes any number of hardships. He is wise who distances himself from petty and trivial matters. A wise man remains untouched by the dualities. Man has to perceive that he is responsible for his own destiny. Selfishness obstructs us in attaining the Supreme Self. A wise man is never influenced by the people who live only for the sake of their selfish needs. A peaceful man does not expect temporary gains. He possesses far-sightedness. He recognizes that there is no difference between cause and effect. Some pleasures result in pain. A far sighted-person recognizes this beforehand.


Question - Finally what is the advice that you want to give to our readers?

Answer - We should work forgetting our selfishness. We should not forget that our welfare is ingrained in everyone's welfare. We should get habituated to independent thinking. Everyman has at least some thinking faculty. Such reasoning and thinking faculty should not get habituated to laziness. Even the thought process constitutes nectar. When we speak thoughtfully and work thoughtfully, we can overcome several hardships. Until and unless Self is visualized by our thinking faculty, it cannot be purified. Who else will reform our thinking faculty if we don't do it? We have to make our share of contribution in educating the mankind. We have to practice as well as make others practice the principles of health. When compared to the past, the life today has become more stressful. Therefore we are lacking the mental health. As food is necessary to eat, as shelter is necessary to live, a peaceful mind is equally required to lead a happy life. Our words and deeds should lead our fellow beings into the path of Peace and thereby bestow them with Bliss. We should not waste our precious time in vain thoughts and vain actions. Our reverence for work should increase. We should attain the abode of Peace through our work. We should visualize God in our work. We should learn to adore God not only with our hands but also with our work. There is no conflict between work and Self Knowledge. We should preach the importance of Knowledge and Peace as well as encourage the mankind in attaining them. Spiritual progress is as important as the material prosperity. We should learn tolerance and earn equanimity. Tolerance increases the depth of our thinking faculty and widens our Heart. Work and Knowledge resemble the two eyes. Therefore we cannot afford to be careless in their aspect. It is better to die while performing work than in dying after being bedridden." We should rise to the work-less state through our work." Some people are restricted to their stomach (i.e., earning their livelihood) whereas some people are born for the sake of others. Devotion towards God is as important as Patriotism. We should put our full efforts in increasing the social awareness (educating people of their duty towards the society) of the people. Thought is the basis of our word and work. Therefore we must regulate our thoughts. If we keep thinking about the things that are useless to ourselves as well as to the society, our ignorance increases. Ignorance needs to be destroyed to attain the sorrow less state. Ignorance is the root cause of each and every disaster. Ignorance is more frightening than poverty. Poverty can be eradicated by earning wealth and ignorance can be annihilated by earning Self Knowledge. Self Knowledge is Liberation. Life devoid of Self Knowledge is fruitless.