Me, My Guru - Guru

Contd....

Me, My Guru - Guru

“If you have issues with your spouse leave her but don’t use ‘Rama’ as an example to do t hat. You don’t become his devotee by doing such an act! ‘I left my wife as my family dislikes her. I am a Rama bhaktha. Like him, even I left her for the family’. Now how fundamentally stupid statement is that! If you want to act so, act. But own up your deeds. Be a man at least there! But don’t tarnish image of your God or Guru their quoting their actions to justify yours. He loved his wife more than himself. He walked around

2600kms on foot through dense and dangerous forests in search of her when she was kidnapped by Ravana. Moreover, he didn’t even know that she was kidnapped and that she was taken to Lanka. He didn’t suspect her to elope with someone. Did he? He wailed.  He

didn’t say “Good! This is what comes to woman who is greedy and asks for golden deer’ or ‘she didn’t follow our instructions and so she met her fate. Good for her!’ He didn’t give such lame ‘spiritual talks’ to spite her or her actions. He was worried to death for her. He searched like a mad man for her and one whole year even without a clue. That talks about his love and commitment for her. He was so powerful king, handsome, great warrior and any princess would be willing to marry him. But he didn’t even think of that

option once. Without a proper army, just with few thousand monkeys and bears, he set to fight battle with the demon king who had vanquished devas and Gandharvas. Even Lord Indra was no match for him. To fight him to rescue his wife from him – well, unheard of, unthinkable and basically by all means a stupid idea. But he went ahead. That is his ‘nishta’ – devotion and commitment as a husband towards his wife.

And you are comparing that “Purushottam” – the jewel among men to yourself who can’t protect your wife against your family? He didn’t become a ‘good husband’ because he gave riches to his wife. That Ravana could give and gave in abundance to his wives. In marriage, everyone or most have to go through good and bad times. In his bad time, Rama gave ‘vanavasam’ or a stay in forest life to Sita. But she was happy there! Every sensible woman would be! It is never riches that a woman seeks. It is confidence that she would have her man back her in times of need and protect her against those who want to harm her – even if it be his/her family. If you are Rama bhaktha, live his principles, don’t quote his actions to disown, malign, disown your spouse.

Don’t do what your Guru does, do as he asks you to!

When Ravana died, all suggested to mutilate his body, but Rama stopped all from doing so. He saw to it that his body was duly and respectfully returned and last rites duly performed as is due to a Brahmin and to a king. When others said “but he is your enemy and caused you so much of grief by, taking away Sita’ he simply said ‘My enmity died along with his death. Now his wives and family deserve to perform last rites to him” Such a character! Such was ‘the Dharma’ that he followed! Follow that principle of his. But please don’t say ‘let our enemy die, we’ll also bury our enmity Guruji now’...”

We all laughed but then it was just matter of time we would’ve twisted that anecdote to our benefit. This and such acts didn’t justify our actions but they surely reflected ‘our character’. How naive was our presumption that we can fool others quoting our Guru’s actions!

Contd....

related posts on Sitahttps://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=sita

on love https://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=love+for+spouse 

Me, My Guru - On Guru

Contd.....

Me, My Guru - On Guru 

At this point, we checked ourselves, our actions and our intentions. Oft times, we had judged others here but today we took it upon ourselves to check ourselves not others. After all, we came here for ourselves. We came here to work on ourselves, know ourselves, then transform ourselves and then to transcend our own sweet present self to grow into ‘our potential’! Oh, just these words and their thoughts drenched me and others in the sea of bliss, peace and contentment – in short in abundance. Well, on second thoughts, if that was our agenda why and where did we get stuck we wondered!

“If you have issues with your spouse leave her but don’t use ‘Rama’ as an example to do that. You don’t become his devotee by doing such an act! ‘I left my wife as my family dislikes her. I am a Rama bhaktha. Like him, even I left her for the family’. Now how fundamentally stupid statement is that! If you want to act so, act. But own up your deeds. Be a man at least there! But don’t tarnish image of your God or Guru their quoting their actions to justify

yours. He loved his wife more than himself. He walked around 2600kms on foot through dense and dangerous forests in search of her when she was kidnapped by Ravana. Moreover, he didn’t even know that she was kidnapped and that she was taken to Lanka. He didn’t suspect her to elope with someone. Did he? He wailed.  He didn’t say “Good! This is what comes to woman who is greedy and asks for golden deer’ or ‘she didn’t follow our instructions and so she met her fate. Good for her!’ He didn’t give such lame ‘spiritual talks’ to spite her or her actions. He was worried to death for her. He searched like a mad man for her and one whole year even without a clue. That talks about his love and commitment for her. He was so powerful king, handsome, great warrior and any princess would be

willing to marry him. But he didn’t even think of that option once. Without a proper army, just with few thousand monkeys and bears, he set to fight battle with the demon king who had vanquished devas and Gandharvas. Even Lord Indra was no match for him. To fight him to rescue his wife from him – well, unheard of, unthinkable and basically by all means a stupid idea. But he went ahead. That is his ‘nishta’ – devotion and commitment as a husband towards his wife.

Contd....

related reads on Rama : https://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=rama

Me, My Guru - On Guru

Contd....

Me, My Guru - On Guru

Our Guru continued from where she left “we actually select such of acts and attitudes that suit our need and relate it with our Guru’s life and events and justify them. Even if we do convince people with our twisted logic, unfortunately Universe can’t be fooled. We end up reaping benefits of our intentions and acts for what they are not for what we project them as to the world! There in lay our doom.

Ramanna Maharshi inspite of going beyond desires would go around the sacred hill of Tiruvannamalai. This entire Universe is made up of 5 basic elements (as per vedantic philosophy) – earth, water, fire, air and either. They are represented separately in the form of Linga in five different places ie., and each Linga is believed to be enshrined of these elements separately.

Earth-kanchi - TN

Water – Thiruvanaikavai – Srirangam – TN

Fire – Thiruvannamalai – TN

Ether – Chidambaram – Tn

Air – Kalahasthi – near Tirupathi – AP

In Thiruvannamalai, the hill itself is considered as the ‘fire element’ representation of Lord Shiva. The palaeontologist, geologists and the scientist world have tested the rocks found here and have declared that they are as old as the start of the world. So circumbulation or going around this hill is considered very auspicious and beneficial as in fulfilling ones’ desires. This is the place where Mother Parvathi did intense tapas to regain her divinity so that she could claim her right as Lord Shiva’s spouse once again. For all of these reasons and more, it is considered auspicious to circumbulate this hill. The walk is approximately 14 km. The walk not only benefits one by fulfilling their desires, it also heals one’s karma (deeds) and redeems him of his ‘further births’ or rebirths.

Ramanna would suggest one and all to do this arduous act regularly. Once, his devotee kept complaining about his life issues. Ramanna asked him to go round the hill. Next day, he** did it unable to ‘set aside’ what his Guru had suggested. In the evening, he came back with swollen and bleeding feet. The pain was killing him and he showed his feet to Ramanna. Ramanna just nodded his head smiled and said “Do it

again tomorrow!” Everyone present there were aghast. How could he say that? Moreover, that disciple could hardly move his leg and here he was asked to walk more than 14kms by Ramanna. But none dare open their mouth. Next day, even Ramanna walked with him. And the next and next and next. After few days, that disciple could walk without his feet getting sore, swollen and hurting. He was very happy and shared that joy with Ramanna. And he said “and what about your problem?”. The disciple realized that even that was solved!

**Now see here a disciple who religiously follows what his Guru asks him to do. He just said and it was executed. It was not even an order and yet...! People state that ‘X’ is their Guru and find excuses not to be even simple things as pranayamam, yoga etc told by their Guru.  And they claim they have high regard for their Guru. ‘Your action speaks louder than words’. Now what does your action tell? If your actions don’t match your words, then whom are you trying to convince or impress? Think about it!

If you say you trust or have a Guru, then follow their words to T without finding any excuse. Use your intelligence to fulfill their ‘to do’ list, not to give excuses as to why you couldn’t do it.

Don’t keep stating that ‘someone’ is your Guru if you don’t follow their ‘word’.

Don’t do what your Guru does, do as he asks you to!

Contd.....

read also : https://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=parvathi+doing+tapas

https://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=ramana

Me, My Guru – On Guru

Me, My Guru – On Guru

Contd....

Now the statement seemed to dawn on our understanding.

“People usually imitate only in physical sense and hence copy the way he dresses, the way he walks, laughs, smiles, wears etc. By doing that they think they have become ‘the Guru’. So don’t do what the Guru does do what he asks you to!” said Rahul during lunch break. He was so right. We always looked at the things at physical level and missed and messed the essence part. Guru asked us to be in sadhan regularly and that we seemed to miss. Only that would give results and yet we did the easier part – imitate our Guru physically! There was our mistake.

“Once, a Guru was walking with his disciples. He felt thirsty. There he saw man selling toddy (Indian naturally brewed drink which is alcoholic!). He just took a pot of it, drank it and kept walking. His students sincerely followed his example and did the same. Drank and lost conscious for good hours and lay lying there. When they got up, not finding their Guru ran to catch up with him. When finally they did they found him drinking molten iron.  They didn’t drink it and silently followed him”.

This story told by Rahul hit the mark. We always followed or used our Guru’s example to do things that suited our taste or benefited us or fit our bill. Bu we didn’t have capacity to do all works that she could do. We also couldn’t be balanced as we drank the ‘drinkable substance’, meaning that Guru drank alcohol and still didn’t feel dizzy or tipsy. He kept walking and at the same time he could take in molten iron. That was his capacity. But his students couldn’t or didn’t take iron as they knew they would die but drank toddy as it pleased them and their palate. It was just that they used their Guru’s name here to drink it. Moreover they went off-line for good many hours. They couldn’t even be sober after drinking. This clearly brought out the saying “Don’t do what the Guru does. Do what he asks you to do!”

Contd....

https://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=do+as+your+guru+says+you+to

Me, My Guru – On Guru

Contd....

Me, My Guru – On Guru

“Yes true! Your karma links you to your master. If your desire is to suffer and be a pain in other’s life and experience such related emotions, you’ll end up attracting or you’ll end up choosing such master whose aura reeks of such emotions who himself is enjoying such emotions and its related attitude. But if you want to outgrow your weakness and experience spiritual growth then you’ll end up with either a master who has mastered his weakness or one who has mastered most the them to a large extent and is only working on healing the remnants of the few he still has. This is what it means when I say that statement “you attract your master as per your karma”.

“That means I am doomed for life if I make one mistake of choosing a master with wrong attitudes, ethics etc.”

Some of us were glad this question was raised.

“That is not how it works! People change masters n number of times depending upon their attitude. Anyone can change master and nobody can stop them from doing that. Though some masters who have muscle power seem to do that, but then that is not for talk here! If you let go off a master who uses his negativity to work through in life and fulfill his desires and attach yourself to a master who works to let go off his negativity. That would be a huge jump in your choice. It would make all the difference in your sadhan, attitude, energy levels and your fate. It would be a positive change. But assume you did the opposite, then?”

She didn’t have to complete it. We understood. It did make sense to see her concern now. She always made it clear “Attend theory classes as many and from as many as possible. It’s the attunement that changes the dynamics and when that is involved, this rule applies. Otherwise you can read or attend lectures of every Tom, Dick and Harry. This rule doesn’t apply there”.

Contd....

related posts : http://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=master

on Guru

The present post on 'on Guru' is written because of queries and some students feeling bad about the said situation....this has already been dealt with previously and yet...so i am writing it again...those who have imbibed the earlier posts, please bear with me...those who haven't understood, understand it this time...
and to all, i hope and will try to add few more points in this regard..

hope this would be as helpful as other posts to you all....

as always said by me, read previous links too and then get back with your queries..........

Me, My Guru – On Guru

Me, My Guru – On Guru

Contd....

“There are so many mimicry artists living their life or earning their livelihood imitating Mr.Amitabh Bachcan – the living legend of Indian Film industry. Most of them are good. But can they get his style, charisma? Never! When for a performing artist a replica is a poorest substitute, what say in the field of spirituality? If we are ‘ok’ with the ‘imitators’ or people who don’t have any originality, sincerity, sadhan power to fall back on and above all character what say of our destiny?”

“But why are such fake masters in the market?” asked a voice visibly irritated.

“As you say, its market and you’ll get all kinds of goods there – good quality, imitation, fake and sub-standard. It is our responsibility to be a responsible buyer. As long as there are takers, there will be such masters in the market – more so in present age. Onus of responsibility to be with the right one, selecting the right one rests entirely on the student”.

“But you say we select our masters depending upon our karma. That means such a ‘fake master’ is right for me – right?” some great soul enquired.

How many times she had said “don’t use correct laws in wrong places”. But no, we were experts in using words to fit our bill and then were proud of the fact that we had fooled her. But did we? We lost it every time we played this dice. Yes, inspite of her not correcting us or pointing our mistake many times, we lost. She smiled and moved on many times and we thought we sold our argument, but who was facing the consequence. We were bearing the consequences of our acts and yet we fooled ourselves to thinking and justifying our acts and intentions.

Contd....

related posts : http://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=master

Me, My Guru – On Guru

Me, My Guru – On Guru

“Charlie Chaplin is the world’s renowned artist who is imitated the most in the world. Once it goes that there was a competition held to select ‘the best imitator’. Later when Charlie Chaplin spoke in that function it is believed he said “I am flattered by this level and number of imitators. Some of them are so good that if I had participated in this competition I wouldn’t have made it through even in the first round”.

Imitation is the best form of flattery. But the imitator loses himself in the act and since doesn’t have character, attitude and soul of his ‘idol’, however good the flattery it still remains ‘a fake’ a – lifeless replica of the original”.

Many masters thought themselves to be very smart and imitated our Guru’s actions, stories and even smile. Students who were gullible got sold and ended up saying “But we had fun in that class too!” What a student doesn’t realize is that they are not with ‘Guru’ to have fun. A master’s place is not a place you go to have fun. To relax and have fun you go to park, a library, a theatre, an amusement park or anywhere but to meet a Guru or attend his class. But unfortunately it is not seen by the sensible students and such masters can get away with anything – then imitation would just add ‘stars’ to their performance and their confidence.

Rahul, paddu, Madhu and others had vented their anger and irritation in this area and she addressed this for us.

Contd....

related posts : http://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=guru

who do you want to be?

Who do you want to be?

Devil or Angel?

It was pride that turned Angels into Devils....

and it was humility that turns a man into an angel.....

Am I an Angel seeking and craving chaos or

a Devil in search of love and peace?

How much time and energy is wasted in fighting 'this small devil' within and the devil in the outside world? If only we expand and invest this energy in loving our fellow men, devil would die a a natural death automatically.........if only....

I find it amusing to note that we sin like Devils and love like Angels and still don't identify with either of them....

and to someone who asked how can the same God create both devil and an angel, i got to say "The God in his best is an angel and at his worst is a devil...so you see, He has created both in his own image.." they laughed and moved on. If they had listened, may be they would have found God within!

on love!

My Guru – on intent and travelling!

Contd....

My Guru – on intent and travelling!

“Because you’ll learn this bye and by as you travel. Though you are doing it for other reasons now, over time with repetition you’ll glide gently into this mode of travel and get connected to yourself slowly and surely”.

“How can we be sure of it?”

“Because this travel is no different from the journey that soul makes into this world taking so many births. The purpose of taking birth is to realize self or know yourself in short get reconnected to self. But we are lost in the trinkets that this world has to offer and make this journey again and again. Some take thousands of janmas to realize it while others do it in a million ones!”

We all laughed at the taunt! Well, it didn’t seem as one too! it was a mere fact enveloped in a hard and cold way!

“Just as soul takes it’s time through this world to ‘find itself’ over janmas, our journey becomes interesting and eventful over time. It is not totally lost though it is wandering here since ages. It is finding its way back home in its own pace and style. Sometimes the time taken seems too long, tedious, painful and unnecessary. But, that is for the onlooker. The soul chooses it. It has its reasons. After all, heart has reasons that mind can’t fathom!

Each unto his path,

Each unto his choice,

Each unto his journey,

Each unto his goal,

And each unto his own!”

Saying so, she went into silence staring at the carpet. We all kept silent externally as we were busy processing it internally! Wow! What did we ask and where did we land? Is it her talent or our desire that brings us here – whatever be our starting point? Either way, we felt lost for sure! We were looking for ‘casual answer’ but I guess we should stop expecting that from her. For her all roads lead to ‘within’ and for us ‘outside’. So it wasn’t surprising that we hardly were on same page – ever! Forget

about travelling; now even sitting here seemed so tiring and strenuous. Not because we moved physically! No on the contrary we hardly moved. Yet we were caught up in the storm within that questioned our intents, desires, purpose and usefulness of our acts. The answer didn’t seem to get ‘pass marks’ and we

hated failing here again. And I am sure if we state this she would calmly and lovingly explain that there is nothing as failure and success in this journey. Just an opportunity missed to learn/unlearn anything. ‘Name it as an experience’ she would say and we would be lulled to our comfort zone – for now. Wow! This travelling is really exhausting! If it can do this as we sat through listening about it – no doubt it transformed the person in and out as he travelled the world! And to that I raised my glass and said “Bon voyage!”

concluded....

related posts : https://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=live+life+to+the+fullest

My Guru – on intent and travelling!,

Contd....

My Guru – on intent and travelling!

“I have travelled to so many places and I visit all the important tourist spots in that place. I’ve travelled more than 30 countries and whole of India. But yet, I don’t understand what you are speaking of. I plan my itinery very carefully and check out everything to be done, seen at every place. I’ve had great fun yet I don’t relate to what you have just said. How come?” asked my co-ignorant from behind.

God! Where we glad he asked! Most of us had travelled a lot but she seemed ‘alien’ in her talk when she explained this ‘travelling experience’.

A person need not visit tourist places at all. Yet he would’ve had journeyed if he had wandered in the streets and by lanes of the city/towns he had visited. If he had interacted with locales, walked through it’s flee market he would have found himself. But one who goes visiting as per check-list comes back just the way he went – incomplete, irritated, bitter and lost.

One who comes home to the same setup and finds everything to be different and beautiful had ‘journeyed’ right! He knows he can’t go back to being ‘his previous self every again’! He knows he’s changed – for better and richer person! His boundaries have widened. He has broken many boundaries even without trying to. When he left his home he was his caste, his region, religion (Telugu, south Indian, Indian

etc...) et so.  But when he returns he’s lost them. He is a human – boundary less and above language, caste, religion and barriers. This is the ultimate purpose of travelling. Have you felt it? Lived it? Experienced it? If not, you haven’t travelled yet

inspite of visiting 30 countries” she said with an understanding smile. “The person who comes back with a baggage full of complaints and problems that he faced or that place of visit has then he had just visited that place. He has been a tourist. If he has stories to share, then he has been a traveller”

“Then why do you ask us to travel if we are not doing it right?”

Contd....

related posts : https://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=lust

My Guru – on intent and travelling!

Contd....

My Guru – on intent and travelling!

But a person who learns/ unlearns as he travels does it for his soul. He picks out his belief system that is false, limiting and prejudicial and drops it, develops a bigger, broader and better perspective as he meets people grows in character as he travels. His attitude betters with his every trip that he makes. His taste widens be it in cuisine, the way he dresses or the language that he talks. He comes back richer in all these areas. This person travels for soul. But if I come back cursing that I didn’t get rice and sambar where I travelled then, I am better off at home than travel to all these exotic places. If you want to recreate everything you are used to everywhere, then why travel? Such people are wanderers who are lost.

And those who find themselves in every place they visit or while they travel are souls who are gathering up their pieces spread out in the world. They come back richer and complete after every trip they make. Travelling completes then not their egos. In fact, they lose a bit of ego in every place they had travelled, every trip that they have taken. They come back richer in person. They need not necessarily bring back ‘memorabilia’ from places that they visit but they certainly do bring back a part of themselves with them.  Their

homes may not reek of artefacts of the world or places that they visited but they certainly carry a part of that place with their persona forever! They become the world that they travelled. They soak in the world within and hence experience the expansion of the soul as they travel and that gives them a high that forces them to go out into the world again and again!

Contd....

related posts : http://kantipadam.blogspot.in/search?q=travel