Iyya

sharada na yaarunga, idha padainga…

Sarada is Guru Rupini – she is of the form of the guru. Through the person of the Jagadguru she dispenses her grace.

Sarada who represents the saguna form of the supreme absolute is the great matrix of the universe displaying in her hands the symbol of the jar full of nectar of immortality, a book signifying supreme knowledge ,a rosary the beads of which signify then subtle aksharas or bijas from which the gross forms of the universe emanate, and the chinmudra standing for the awareness of the identity of the jiva with the brahman. She is the light of all upanishadic knowledge and as such is brahmavidya.

God head conceived as absolute truth has to transcend the idea of any kind of limitation including that of sex. Except our own mistaken habits of thought, there is really no justification for the popular conception of god as he. God may with equal justice and propriety, be considered she. Such an ideal is Sri Sarada. She transcends the three qualified conceptions, known as Trimurtis, and their corresponding Saktis known as Saraswati, Lakshmi and Iswari. She encompasses all these. This accounts for the fact that Sri Sarada reigns alone in the temple at Sringeri. She is also called Sarada Parameswari and pooja is done reciting the Lalithasahasranamam.

It is usual in other temples in which the devi is principal deity to have a Sivalinga or other murti to represent the shaktiman, the wielder of Shakti. but Sri Sarada is both Sakti, the power and Shaktiman the wielder of that power, so there is no need for a separate linga or murti to represent the wielder.

Rationalists say the concept of religion arose because of supernatural interpretations given to natural phenomenon. Our cave ancestors couldn’t understand things like lightning, thunderstorms, earthquakes, volcanic fire, floods, tidal waves and other seemingly terrifying stuff that kept happening around them all the time.

Yet at the same time they had also developed large brains and, in the process, become pattern seeking animals. The result was, they began superimposing an extra-human dimension over such seemingly mysterious events to give them a semblance of meaning. Enter gods.

But rationalists also maintain that as science explains more and more things there will be less and less mysteries to feed on the fear in our souls.

The general feeling among them has been that ultimately a time will come when our knowledge will be able to wrap up everything on record in textbooks which anybody can then look up.

In fact, towards the end of the 19th century at least a couple of well known physicists publicly stated that almost everything that had to be discovered had already been done so — even though concepts like relativity and quantum mechanics were nowhere on the scene.

When they did make their appearance and revolutionised our notions of the universe, scientists again thought a Theory of Everything was only a matter of time.

However, towards the end of the 20th century they suddenly found something so amazing that it has stood rationalists on their heads ever since.

This was the discovery that the universe contains what is known as dark matter and dark energy which are of totally unknown composition that do not emit or reflect enough electromagnetic radiation to be detected directly.

Their presence can only be inferred from gravitational effects on visible matter such as stars and galaxies. Even more startling is the fact that about 23% of the universe is made of dark matter and 73% of dark energy. This means the sum total of all our knowledge about the cosmos concerns only the remaining minuscule 4%.

Being totally ignorant about 96% of everything in existence can be about as frightening as living in prehistoric caves and cowering against the fury of the elements raging outside. It can be very humbling too. Is it any coincidence then that slightly over 96% of the world’s population are also believers?

Source: The Economic Times

Iyya Comments:
dark matter is siva, energy is sakthi, michcham irrukardhu thaan namma consciousness. in mookambigai temple, there will be a jyothirlinga which will be divided into 23%, 73% with a golden line of width 4%. only on that mookambigai godess idol is instilled. Pointing ot the excerpt “according to einstien’s theory an unaccounted dark matter and dark energy is identified” Iyya says, ‘aamaanga idhellam epdi account panna mudiyum?’

The Bhagavad Gita affirms that the ultimate goal of life is to attain the Supreme Being and the means in this quest is the Lord Himself. Accordingly the degree of success depends on the individual’s faith in the power of God’s grace.

In a discourse, Sri Goda Venkateswara Sastrigal pointed out that it was through His self-revelation that Lord Krishna enabled Arjuna to comprehend His all-inclusive character, encompassing the entire cosmic process and destiny.

To know the Lord as the very essence of omniscience, omnipotence and omnipresence is one thing. But to behold the effulgence of all this in embodied form can be an unnerving and awe-inspiring experience. Arjuna’s frame of mind when he beheld the transcendental form of Lord Krishna left him overwhelmed beyond description. Not many can withstand such effulgence.

This vision of the One in the many and the many in the One was an experience full of astonishment, wonder, terror and rapture to Arjuna.

It made him realise Lord Krishna’s omniscience that has direct access to the innermost thoughts of each and every one of us. For when he saw the past, present and future clearly revealed in this form, Arjuna was ashamed of his doubts regarding the outcome of the war, which only exposed his lack of confidence in Lord Krishna who was on their side.

Arjuna saw the Lord as the imperishable, the Supreme Truth to be realised, and recognised Him as the protector of the eternal law, and the very primordial Being. This infinite power with innumerable arms, faces and eyes, had no beginning, middle or end. Standing as the one and only support of the entire universe, and towering over Time and Space, He seemed to fill the entire universe. Such a form is not easily accessible to even the celestials. Even those who have studied the scriptures, practised austerities, or performed rituals cannot perceive this form of the Lord. It is only through single-minded and intense devotion that anyone can even endeavour to see it.

The qualifications for those aspiring to know Him are primarily two: practice of detachment with no hatred against any creature and cultivating an unflinching devotion to Him.

Source: The Hindu dated Jan 30, 2006

Iyya Comments:
krishnarukku vishvarupa darshanam kamichaarae, adhu enna? body adhula irrukara energy channels, subchannels, chakra points thaan. idhaiyum padinga, gives the next article….

மலர்மிசை ஏகினான் மாணடி சேர்ந்தார்
நிலமிசை நீடுவாழ் வார்.

manam malar ponradhu. adhukulla arivu irrukku.
adhu thaan thiruvadi thamarai and solgiraargal. ayiram sahasraara thamarainu sollradhum for the same reason.
adhaan soodhi kodhutha sudarkodinum irrukku. its not the actual flowers. kadavul ella edathulaiyum irrukaar, adhai unartharadhu thaan idhu…

Seems to me like the human body has been belittled enough by now. Some of the greatest people have frequently referred to it as merely a passing phase, something not to get attached to, much less overawed by. Evidence of this comes from such diverse sources as Roman orator Cicero (“Be sure that it is not you that is mortal, but only your body.

For that man whom your outward form reveals is not yourself; the spirit is the true self.”) to the Bhagwad Gita (“The body is like a garment we put on while we are alive, and we discard it when we die, just like we discard our clothes.)”

It’s evident that the body’s non-permanent nature is what makes it particularly abhorrent to our sensibilities which simply cannot come to terms with an end to all corporeal delight, even though a lot of that “delight” is actually a lot of suffering. Because otherwise we just see these things being repeatedly wasted as in buried, burnt, left to the elements or eaten by vultures and we think there’s got to be something more here, dude.

Something that lingers longer than a lifetime, something that doesn’t perish. Therefore, have no attachment to this walking cadaver; identify intimately instead with the stuff which actually suffuses and ultimately overrides it.

But does such incorporeal stuff really have any more relevance or (horrors, should we even question this?) more durability? Apparently not. Take the case of karma first which is central to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism and is considered to be the link between one physical life and the next.

Our disembodied souls are not in some state of delirious permanence but are bound to re-manifest themselves in the flesh and blood of human clothing every so often and again and again. Now consider moksha, the liberation from the cycle of death and rebirth and, more importantly, a final release from one’s worldly conception of self and the becoming of an ultimate oneness without form or being.

Which brings me back to why they have to keep dumbing down the physical body then when its aspect plays such a significant role in this vast game of whatever it is? Fortunately not all of them do. Some like Friedrich Nietzsche (“There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy.”) and Oscar Wilde (“Those who see any difference between soul and body have neither.”) seem to have hit the middle path better.

Source: The Economic Times

• K VIJAYARAGHAVAN

AISHWARYA Rai, crowned as Miss World in 1994, when asked what she considered as the greatest wealth, replied, “Self-respect.” In fact two ancient Indian texts also talk of man’s greatest asset. A pithy Tamil proverb declares that a life free from ailments (noyatra vazhvu) is the only untainted wealth (kuraivetra selvam) while a Sanskrit verse terms enduring happiness (santosha) as the supreme wealth (param nidhanam).
Self-respect, a healthy mind in a healthy body and stable peace within — all these are verily synonyms for the ultimate human quest. Each also follows the other in a virtuous cycle, leading to the generation of more and more harmony with all aspects within and without. This is that state when the aspirant is at his/ her effective best, translating into reality those aspirations and dreams that have always been dear to heart and also radiating peace and cheer all around. Doubtless, any human can feel truly fulfilled only when he/she comprehends tangibly, in this manner, his/her true potential and work upon this earth (svadharma), carrying it out to his/her own and others’ expectations and full satisfaction.
The human being is essentially a goal-striving mechanism, whose noblest activity is directed towards, what Ayn Rand calls as “productive achievement.” Maxwell Maltz in his Psychocybernetics refers to this as the need to be creative. In this spirit, The Bible also declares, “Man shall not live by bread alone.” (Mathew:4,4)
The manifestations of the feelings of self-esteem, self-worth and self-respect generated through accomplishments and effectiveness in life are described in different portions of Bhagwad Gita — “delighting in oneself” (3, 17), “satisfied in the self by one’s own self” (II, 55) and fulfilled through both worldly knowledge and divine fulfilment” (VI, . The path is thus through dexterity in action, which, the Gita declares is verily yoga (2, 50).
This sublime fulfilment of the ultimate human quest has its flowering through many ways — be it well-known accomplishments open to acclaim, spreading the aspirant’s name far and wide or even the very simple and unsung though authentic and worthy life of the one who delights in the discovery of his/her svadharma. The unfailing test is the generation of fulfilment and also that self-respect within, which indeed is one’s greatest wealth!

Source: The Economic Times

Iyya Comments:
Self-respectna ennanga? ungalai neenga uyarthikonga….

Ray Kurzweil

IAM not sure when I first became aware of the Singularity. I’d have to say it was a progressive awakening. In the almost half century that I’ve immersed myself in computer and related technologies, I’ve sought to understand the meaning and purpose of the continual upheaval that I have witnessed at many levels. Gradually, I’ve become aware of a transforming event looming in the first half of the 21st century.
Just as a black hole in space dramatically alters the patterns of matter and energy accelerating toward its event horizon, this impending Singularity in our future is increasingly transforming every institution and aspect of human life. What, then, is the Singularity? It’s a future period during which the pace of technological change will be so rapid, its impact so deep, that human life will be irreversibly transformed….
Understanding the Singularity will alter our perspective on the significance of our past and the ramifications for our future. To truly understand it inherently changes one’s view of life in general and one’s own particular life. I regard someone who understands the Singularity and who has reflected on its implications for his or her own life as a singularitarian.
The key idea underlying the impending Singularity is that the pace of change of our human-created technology is accelerating and its powers are expanding at an exponential pace.

Source: The Economic Times

Iyya Comments:
Singularity ennanga, ellam onnungaradhu. atham, soulnu solrom illai. ellamae onnu thaann, namma thaan pirichu paathu kashtapadrom…

manidhan uyarindha porulai adaiya vendum endru ennugiraanae thavira thanni uyarthikolla ennuvadhillai. yean?

devrgal kooda, nargadhi adaiya manidha piraviyai thaan edukka vendum. coz that is possible only thru manidha piravi. mani udal thaan unnadhamana karuvi for this, so keep body healthy.

Devargal kadavulai anubavirpadhukkaga manidha piraviyil aayar padigalaga pirakiraargal (gopis). coz inga thaan god bhakthars kooda irrukaar. yasodha also was able to feed god as child only here. so did kothai.

vamanan thrivikramana transform aanadhu signifies how man should uyarindhufy (raise kundalalini upper) - this is a reading from 18 siddhars book. gorakkar has written this….

• VITHAL C NADKARNI

THE Bhagwad Gita is venerated as a supremely philosophical work. But it can also be seen as a primer of sports psychology expounded by Sri Krishna on the battlefield of life for the benefit of the supremely athletic warrior prince Arjuna.
One generally tends to associate ‘psychology’ with visions of people undergoing Freudian analysis or treatment in psychiatric wards. But one can also think of the Lord as the Supreme Psychologist, the dispenser of potent soul medicine that kills doubt, dispels illusion and restores right memory and action. He has a rain cloud complexion, sports peacock feathers in his hair, flaunts brilliant silks instead of the usual white coat on pinstripes. His voice is deep as a thunderstorm that utters timeless truths to save our souls in treacherous times.
It’s his disciple who displays failings that are all too human. The mighty archer, a wielder of the fearsome Pashupata and other divine arms, is the hero on whom rest humanity’s hopes of winning a righteous war. But instead of psyching himself into an overkill mode Arjuna has allowed himself to be overcome with pity and compassion. Drymouthed, with his limbs quivering and hair standing on end, he stands between the rival factions, utterly shattered at the prospect of killing his own kin and beloved gurus and elders.
The problem our hero is facing is an existential one. You can even call it ‘performance anxiety’ but it’s by no means a mental or emotional problem brought on by illness or disease. That’s where sports psychology, especially expounded by the Lord for the killing fields, comes in. “Do not yield to this degrading impotence. It does not become you. Give up such petty weakness of heart and arise, O Chastiser of the enemy,” the Lord taunts his distraught disciple like a sport couch exhorting his Alpha Male subject wilting under pressure.
But the super athlete (whose name later generations would use for a sports award) is in no mood to listen: “I am confused,” he moans. “Tell me what’s best. I’m your disciple, a soul surrendered to you. Please instruct me.” That’s precisely what the Lord does — what Freud would call transference is what the essence of the Gita offers in the 18th discourse: come unto me. Surrender and perform all your action without association, without false ego, with great determination and enthusiasm, without wavering in success and failure, and you shall triumph.

Source: The Economic Times

moneyingaradhu namma create pannadhu thaanae…

how a tree grows, is it for money? why does it give shadow and fruits? is it for money?

when one is in hunger, the tree will give him fruit.
adhu thaana kudukama, namma poi eri parikarom illa, adharkku kooli thaan money for the fruit…

GOD has been conceived of as the controlling power, over the centuries, from the dawn of civilisation. The Hindu concept involves the triumvirate of Gods – Brahma, the creator, Vishnu, the sustainer and Siva, the destroyer.
While God has often been looked up with awe and fear, a new dimension to the approach would be to conceive of Him as a friend of man, who could, through divine promptings, inspire, guide and uplift the aspirant — the application of the concept, “A friend in need is a friend indeed”. Mr Malcolm Evans, a British national, who is also a corporate consultant and a member soldier of the Salvation Army, has elaborated, in his various lectures, on this concept. Presently in India, he has drawn from different portions of The Bible, to illustrate how we have a friend in Jesus. One of the touching instances is that concerning Peter (Mark 14-27 to 31), who denies thrice, not only being Jesus’s disciple but also even knowing him. As a true, compassionate and forgiving friend, Jesus forgives him thrice, for each of these three denials. The parable of Lazarus, raised from the dead (John 11-1 to 44) is another example referred to by Mr Evans on how Jesus, the friend, stays on at Bethany, for two days and involves himself fully to effect this miracle.
The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15-11 to 24) is also cited by Mr Malcolm Evans as a true example of the earthly father, who forgives his prodigal but repentant son and welcomes him back with open arms. As Mr Evans observes, this parable could also be called with equal force, as the parable of the compassionate father, a friend and a manifestation of the Heavenly Father.
With specific reference to the Indian tradition, the series of 12 yoga postures (asanas), comprising the Suryanamaskara (salutation to the Sun) conceives of 12 invocations (mantra), for each posture. True enough, the first invocation is Om mitraya namah, meaning, “salutation to the friend of all.”
God, as a friend thus also becomes an ally of man in all his efforts and aspirations. This is indeed an awesome combination — human persistence that goes with divine sanction! This has been epitomised in the last stanza of Bhagawad Gita (18, 78): “where there exist both Krishna, the Lord of all yoga and also Arjuna, who wields his bow (hardworking), there shall surely reign prosperity, victory and happiness”.

Source: The Economic Times

My father, my hero- Amitabh Bachchan

My father had immense will power and determination. I have seen him work 22 hours non-stop to meet a deadline, being 120 per cent committed to the job at hand. Even when he was unwell, he maintained a strict schedule that was set around his meal hours, medication time and physiotherapy. That is another quality I try to follow as much as I can.

He was almost immobile in his last years. He used to sit in his wheelchair at one particular space in the living room. One day, I came to him exasperated with life and said, “Kya sangarsh karna padta hai” (Life is such a struggle). He looked at me and said, “Jab tak jeevan hai tab tak sangarsh hai” (Till there is life, there is struggle). It was an eye-opener. Here I was thinking that all my responsibilities were over and that I didn’t have to think any more but, in reality, as long as I am alive, there will be struggle. How we face and overcome these struggles is what makes a human being out of us-a superior human being if we succeed, or an inferior one if we succumb to them.

Now when I feel like talking to him, I read his books. If I still don’t find what I am looking for, I imagine what he would have told me if he were alive. The most complex problems will have the simplest of solutions if we look at them correctly and with the right attitude. That’s what my father did and he answered all our doubts.

We discovered that in his poetry too, he put simple words together to provide profound insight:

Jo beet gayee so baat gayee.
Jeevan mein ek sitara tha,
Mana woh behad pyara tha,
Woh dub gaya to dub gaya.
Things will go wrong but you don’t need to fret over them. Life will go on.

I still follow one of the things he taught us-each morning when I wake up I tell myself, ‘Everyday, in every way, I am getting better and better.’ I genuinely feel good. Today, I tell my family to say these words with conviction and see the effect it has on them. That is my father’s legacy.

Source - Harmony Magazine