The
Call and the Echo (a)
(in 2 parts: (a)
continued
b)
The
Promise
"I
have My work to do; My devotees are calling
me,"
Baba had declared when He was
fourteen years of
age.
With that, He
had walked out of school and home into the
garden where He exhorted the huge gathering to
worship the feet that were to lead mankind from
untruth to truth, from darkness to light and
from death to immortality. At sixteen, He
announced that His mission during the
incarnation was to confer bliss on all beings
everywhere.
Pointing to
the bold, bald hills on the outskirts of
Puttaparthi village (then a confused jumble of
mud huts around a few brick houses, 'scarce five
minutes from the Stone Age', as Schulmann
described it), Swami, when He was seventeen,
confided to the
Pujari
(priest) Lakshmiah:
"The
Sai Pravesh
(Advent of Sai)
will convert that region into Prasanthi
Pradesh
(a region of perfect peace).
Upon that hill there will rise a grand
Bhavan
(hall). (It was inaugurated seven years
later).
At that time, hundreds (why hundreds?),
thousands (why thousands?), lakhs (why only
lakhs?) - the whole of India will be there.
The whole world will come and wait for Sai
Darsan."
Pujari
Lakshmiah could not believe his ears. He
protested and said, "No, I cannot believe this.
How can this happen?" Baba replied,
"You
will have to believe it when you stand where we
are now, trying to catch a glimpse of Me
standing on the porch of that grand
Bhavan."
Lakshmiah is alive to this day, trying to catch
a glimpse standing on the same spot!
What is the
nature of the 'strategy' that Swami employs to
draw such huge gatherings? On 23rd November
1975, the 50th birthday of Bhagavan, devotees
from forty-six nations of the world from New
Zealand to Iceland, offered their sincere homage
to Bhagavan. Why do so many people travel such
long distances at such a great expense of time
and money braving the inconvenience of foreign
food and living habits?
Of course, He
has no compulsion, no urge, nor even a need to
frame a strategy. He just acts; it is we who
label these acts as 'strategy'. He calls us to
proceed from 'I' to 'We', a call which must
attract because it is a call which echoes from
the depths of one's own self.
'Bhoomaa
eva sukham:'
- 'In vastness alone, is happiness', proclaims
the Upanishad.
"Expansion
is life; contraction is
death,"
says Baba.
He leads us to the vastness, the 'We', and how
He does it is the strategy.
'Subrahmanyam'
(Su-brahman-yam)
is the refrain of the heart-pounding valedictory
Bhajan that He instructs us to sing.
[text]
It preaches the Brahman path; Brahman That is
the Divine; That is both immanent and
transcendent; That is beyond the reach of words
and the flight of imagination. The path involves
the discipline of all-inclusive love and the
acceptance of ever-expanding kinship until the
entire cosmos is subsumed. Baba
says,
"All
beings exist, become aware and are delighted,
because God willed so, God who is
Sath-Chith-Ananda. So, no single being is
exiled from His grace. God is omnipresent,
and no being can shut Him
out."
"I
have come,"
says Baba,
"in
order to repair the ancient highway leading
man to God... I have come in response to the
prayers of sages, saints and seekers for the
restoration of that
road."
Therefore
streams of afflicted men and women, groups of
sadhakas as well as curious seekers of truth,
and even such individuals who have attained
relatively higher stages of realization, proceed
to wherever Baba is, certain of His assuring
smile and alleviating conversation. In His
presence (and even far away from it, whenever we
recollect the blissful moments), we feel
elevated - even the lowest and lowliest of us -
for He reminds us that we are a part of Him, as
Divine as Himself. In fact, we are
Divyatmaswaroopas,
embodiments of the
Divine Atman,
as He invariably addresses us.
The
nth Degree
We know that
we have secured in Him a 'pace-maker' for our
hearts. Under His benign guidance, we rise to
the nth degree of fullness. He
says,
"I
am God: you are also God. But while I am
aware, you are still unaware. That is the
only
difference."
As
Sankaracharya had done 1300 years ago. He is
telling us to experience Soham (I am He) and
Sivoham (I am God). Ignorant persons jeer when
Baba holds up the mirror to reveal the Divinity
that is latent in us. One such person remarked,
"Baba is trying to escape criticism for His
assuming Divinity, by taking us also into His
'Divine' fold and transforming us into willing
accomplices of his impersonation!" But the
belief that all beings are parts of the one
Divinity is as old as the Vedanta, and as
universal.
Bayazid,
the Sufi saint, said, "I went from God to God,
until they cried for me in me, O Thou
I!"
Hui Neng,
the Buddhist mystic, said, "When not
enlightened, Buddhas are no other than ordinary
beings; when there is enlightenment, ordinary
beings at once turn into Buddhas."
Eckhart,
the Christian mystic, declared, "The seed of God
is in us, the seeds grow into God."
Thousands are
drawn to His presence through His power, His
wisdom and His love. Sai Baba means
'the
Divine Mother and
Father'.
Baba has the unlimited love of the Mother and
the unsurpassed power and unalloyed universal
wisdom of the Father. How can man withstand the
impact of such a unique incarnation?
All
Who Need
Unlimited
love! On the gateway tower (Gopura), on the
inner gateway arch and on the altar inside the
prayer hall, one can see the sacred symbol of
one's own religion amidst the equally revered
symbols of other faiths. No question is asked
and no brow raised by anyone who belongs to the
Sai family, when you declare yourself to be a
Hindu or a Buddhist, a Parsi, a Christian, a
Muslim or even an atheist. The only question
asked and the only thing with which Baba is
concerned is how earnest, how distressed, how
compassionate, how self-controlled you are. He
created a cross for the pilot of the
twin-engined aircraft which took him from
Entebbe to the wild life sanctuary at Serengetti
in East Africa. In the Bandipur forest He put
one dry stalk of grass across another and,
blowing upon it, converted it into a wooden
cross with a silver Christ for Dr. Hislop
[see
reference to "White Man's
Burden"].
He gave Professor Bashiruddin a silver locket
with Allah inscribed on it in Arabic. On Bakr Id
day, He showed a group of Arab pilgrims at
Prasanthi Nilayam, the huge gathering of
fellow-muslims kneeling that very moment before
the Kaaba in Arabia. He spread His palm before
their eyes and they could see the sacred scene
on it. There are many Jews like Dr. Sandweiss,
paying homage to Him thus: "I believe Baba to
be an incarnation of God. It appears to me now
that all those stories in Hindu, Christian and
Hebrew literature are not symbolic: there really
is a spiritual level of reality that can make
itself manifest."
Buddhist monks
have built in Ceylon and Malaysia, Sai prayer
halls and centres of service. He performs the
Navajyoti
rite, and through that ceremony initiates Parsi
boys into spiritual exercises. The parents are
grateful to Him for this act of grace. No one is
a stranger, no one is kept aside or aloof just
because he is too young or too old, recalcitrant
or incorrigible. His is the sunshine that
disinfects all faiths and cults. He has declared
that He will hold and lead by the hand those who
stray away from the straight road and miss the
realm of peace, joy and love.
He does not
outlaw atheists for, He says, even they do love
something - animal or plant, person or sect,
ideal or ism. That love, He says, is God. They
too, would not like being called liars but, like
others, delight in speaking the truth. This
homage they pay to truth indicates that they
revere God, who is truth. Erasmus, the 16th
century Dutch philosopher, declared, "Wherever
you encounter truth, look upon it as
Christianity." The atheists appreciate beauty
and are charmed by it. God is beauty and thence
arises the attraction it exerts on
them.
Baba does not
try to mould men in the crucible of any cult. He
does not prescribe any single spiritual exercise
or peddle any patented panacea to cure the ills
of men. "Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are
heavily-laden, and I will give you rest," is the
message even now. They come with broken hearts,
damaged illusions and unfulfilled ambitions.
They bring their burden of real and imagined
pain. After meeting Him, they pray, "We
cannot ask Thee for aught, for Thou knowest our
needs; in fact, Thou art our only need." And
having spoken thus, they stay.
Whereas most
gurus are interested only in the
mantras
and exercises that they prescribe for people's
grievances and the fees or gifts that they are
offered in return, Baba is interested only in
us, whether we undertake
Sadhana
or
Seva
of any kind or not. Moreover, since the Divine
Spark is enshrined within man in five caskets,
(the physical, the vital, the mental, the
intellectual and the felicitous), one encased
within the other, Baba tends to them one by one,
with affectionate care, to enable us to reflect
on the splendor of that Spark [see also:
Prasnottara
Vahini, ch. 7].
Baba says,
"I
never ask you to earn Me; I want only that you
need Me."
Under the tender care of this physician,
psychiatrist, guide, teacher and friend, we
become aware of untapped springs of courage,
fortitude, aspiration and adventure within us.
Baba also directs our thoughts and activities
towards society - the society in which we were
born, which reared us and equipped us with a
vision to face the future and to fulfil our
obligations. Schumacher has said, "Although
there are constant temptations to forget it, we
all know that our lives are made or marred by
our relationships with other human beings. No
amount of health, wealth, fame or power can
compensate us for our loss if these
relationships dissolve. Yet they all depend on
our ability to understand others and their
ability to understand us." Baba declares
that there can be no fulfilment of our lives
until we ourselves have concern for, confidence
in and compassion towards others.
Baba's
infinite love, wisdom and power produce an
indelible impact on each of us, sometimes in a
moment, when we stay in His presence to imbibe
the message that He radiates. Paul Roberts
writes in Vogue (Christmas number, 1976) on the
few minutes he spent in His divine presence,
thus: "Baba, the remote and powerful figure I
had watched in awe for months, hugged me like a
long-lost friend, and in a surpassingly loving
way began to tell me my worst faults. Indeed, He
told me things no one could possibly have known,
answered every question I would have asked and
gave advice which I still treasure... I felt and
still feel inexplicably closer to Him than to
anyone else in the world."
R. K.
Karanjia, editor of Blitz, who described himself
as a sceptic, a critic and a Marxist, who had in
the past openly questioned and criticised Sathya
Sai Baba, was able (like many other critics,
sceptics and Marxists) to meet Him and gain a
cordial interview. He writes, "The encounter
was a fantastic, almost shattering one. He went
on to amaze me with knowledge of the most
intimate developments affecting my life and
work."
A
Gap, a Gasp
Dr. Samuel
Sandweiss, the psychiatrist from San Diego,
California, narrates, "After my initial visit
to Sai Baba, I began to experience an inner
awakening, as if a once-familiar but closed-off
centre was opening up and I was becoming
acquainted with a part of myself that I had long
ago forgotten. I identified the experience as
one of devotion, and wondered whether such a
centre lies dormant in all of us awaiting
release through some personal spiritual
experience. This awakening or unfolding was for
me a source of great joy, and with it came a
deepening feeling of my love for Baba and for
people in general."
Baba has
Himself revealed that this happens in His
presence: "Each
of you feel a gap within you, a thirst, an urge,
a 'Divine' discontent, a call to which the
response from within is weak and vacillating.
This has persuaded you to travel long distances
to Me, braving obstacles and discomfort for the
sake of securing peace, strength and
guidance."
Gandikota V.
Subba Rao of the U.N.O. writes, "Meeting Him
is an intensely personal, emotional and
uplifting experience. The temptation to glorify
Him, to wax lyrical over the spiritual greatness
and magnificence of Sathya Sai Baba is difficult
to resist."
Sribhashyam
Appalacharya from Kakinada town, a repository of
ancient scriptural wisdom, writes after staying
for a few days at Prasanthi Nilayam,
"Bhagavan is a
Veda
- what He says, happens; Bhagavan is a
Sastra
- what He does, is exemplary. He elaborates the
truth with many a metaphor, simile and story as
a
Purana
does; His words are the highest poetry, for they
confer bliss and liquidate the littleness in
man."
Dr. F.J. Gould
of the University of Chicago reveals, "He
perceives the individual's needs with
unbelievable insight. He perceives, defends,
breaks them down in some swift way. He studies
behavior and its determinants... He somehow
transfers the individual from one context to
another... Many devotees of Baba have perceived
His influence through changes in their own
lives. New things become important; new values
become prominent. To speak in a more technical
language, the individual's utility structure
changes."
The
Conjurer Confesses
Dr. E.B.
Fanibunda from Bombay is a dentist and also an
amateur magician, well-versed in the theory and
practice of conjuring. In 1954 he published a
book on a series of original and effective
methods which practitioners of magic,
mind-reading etc., could adopt. In appreciation
of his proficiency he was given the 'Linking
Ring' award by the International Brotherhood of
Magicians, USA. This is his account of how he
reacted to Baba:
"There
were about a dozen people waiting in the
sitting room of Mr. Munshi's house. Baba was
due to come out of the inner apartments in a
little while. The author (he writes in the
third person) stood unobtrusively in one
corner of the room. Baba entered the room and
everybody stood up. Everyone was elbowing and
pushing the other to get close to Him. Baba,
however, came and stood near the author, so
near that the author was almost touching His
left side. By this time the author's
practised eye had already given Baba's gown
the 'once over'. Nothing was detected.
Someone from the crowd asked for
Vibhuti
Prasad.
This was the moment the author was waiting
for. Baba pulled up His right sleeve, almost
up to the elbow and, in the process, turned
His right hand over. The author could see
there was nothing in the palm. Quickly the
hand went round in circles a few times and
the Vibhuti appeared between His fingers
which were partly closed to hold it. The
Vibhuti was given to some people. The author
wished that Baba would now materialise some
more so that he could also get a little bit
for examination. Lo, behold! Baba's hand went
round and round a second time and some more
Vibhuti appeared from nowhere. This time the
author held out his hand and received His
'visiting card'. The author immediately knew
from his past experience that the Vibhuti was
materialised without any sleight of hand or
trickery. He did not now require any further
demonstrations from Baba to convince him that
He did possess suprahuman powers for which
the author had no explanation to offer and
still has none." (1976)
In the Yoga
Journal from Holland, Sharon Warren
writes,
"The
following morning, when I went to attend
Bhajans, I happened to have an aisle seat.
Baba strolled to the women's side that day
and, as He passed, He stopped beside me. He
then gestured with His hand with that special
majesty which always means a divine
materialisation, and then there was the
sacred ash pouring from His fingertips and
into my palms. He said, 'Vibhuti... eat'. It
was like a dream. My heart was so full of
love and devotion and gratitude that it just
overflowed. I felt I could not hold any more.
I was aware that He knew my need, and that
was so comforting. I have been blessed to
experience love throughout my life from many
different relationships, but nothing could
compare with the purity of the love I
experienced when this transpired. It
transcended any human relationship I had ever
known."
I
and Thou
The
fascination that draws the object to the subject
is, if we may so name it, a move in His
strategy. Vivekananda said,
"God
is both, the subject and the object. He is
the 'I' and the 'Thou' (the Thwam and the
Thath). How, then, are we to know the Knower?
The Knower cannot know Himself. The Atman,
the Knower, the Lord of all that exists, is
the cause of all the vision that is the
universe, but it is not possible for Him to
see Himself, know Himself, except through a
reflection. You cannot see your own face
except in a mirror. Similarly, the Atman
cannot see Its own nature until It is
reflected... The perfect man, the avatar, is
the highest reflection of that Being, Who is
both, subject and object. You now find why
avatars are instinctively worshipped as God
in every country. They are the most perfect
manifestations of the Eternal Self. That is
why men worship incarnations such as Christ
and Buddha."
We are
Sathyam,
Sivam
and Sundaram.
The deep calls on the deep; the blue responds to
the blue. We see ourselves reflected best in
Baba who is in fact, the most sublime
manifestation of Sathyam-Sivam-Sundaram.
When we forget ourselves and start wandering
into the wilderness of falsehood and vice, He
comes, so that we may recognise our glory in
Him.
Ed Fleure
writes, "Baba's life is dedicated to the task
of uplifting humanity, to awaken us to our
spiritual heritage and to give us courage and
faith. Our stay with Baba was a supreme
bringing-up. Love is His greatest miracle. From
morning to night Baba is constantly giving to
and serving others. It was Maharajji who had
kept enquiring, when we were leaving his ashram
to go to Baba. When at last Baba gave us leave
to return, He blessed us, 'Be friends with God.'
Surely, this was a new style of blessing.
Friends with God? How can that be?
"When we came back to Maharajji, He gave
me a Hindu name. And lo! It was the name of a
friend, companion and class fellow of
Sri Krishna
- Sudama. So I had to practise the constant
presence of God as my
friend."
This remark of
Baba and its actual confirmation by a saint in
the Himalayas proves that Baba has no wish to
by-pass the form you might have accepted and
adored. He could have renamed Ed Himself, but He
encouraged him to return to Maharajji, the guru
he had 'found'. But, since He knew that
'behaving as a friend' was the way for him, He
saw to it that the name selected for him by
Maharajji was Sudama. Of the nine paths
[**]
mentioned by the sacred texts on
Bhakti,
the path of
Sakhya
(friendship) is next only to the last and
highest path of
Atma-Nivedanam
(self-surrender).
Methodology
Revealed
Once, when
Baba was asked about His 'methodology', He
said,
"I
have no methodology or machinery or strategy
in the accepted organizational sense. My
methodology is a simple one, based on
conversion by love, and the machinery is one
of human cooperation and brotherhood. Love is
My instrument and My
merchandise."
He says that
He can best be described as
Prema Swaroopa
(Embodiment of Love). What are called 'miracles'
are fundamentally manifestation of that love. It
is love that prompts Him to speak to each seeker
in a language that he can understand - Swahili
in East Africa and Adi to tribals from Along. It
is love that persuades Him to heal the physical
and mental wounds of man. It is love that
illumines the darkness of our hearts and
corrects the crookedness of our habits and
attitudes. The miraculous cure by Baba of
terminal diseases, and the saving of life in
countless instances of accidents and disasters,
are all expressions of His love.
He
materialises holy ash in order to arouse faith
and gives gifts of rings or lockets to protect
the wearer. This He does out of overpowering
compassion and love.
J. Jagathesan, the Malaysian devotee who is also
the author of the book,
'Journey
to God',
writes,
"The
greatest miracle of all is His transformation of
the hearts of countless men and women to make
them tread the path of godliness and goodness.
Agnostics now sing in praise of God, drunkards
have turned from searching for the spirit in the
bottle to the Divine Spirit in man, drug addicts
who found transient escape and bliss in this
'modern' scourge of mankind now seek the
permanent bliss and peace that only God can
give, and millions of ordinary men and women who
used to listlessly pray as a matter of ritual or
habit now find a new meaning, a new dimension to
their prayers - whomsoever they may pray to or
to whichever religion they may belong - for they
are now convinced that God does exist, and that
His grace can be obtained through Bhakti,
through Sathya, Dharma, Santhi and Prema and,
most of all, through selfless and loving Seva to
others, regardless of race, religion, caste or
colour, and without any thought of
reward."
The love that
He plants in all those who need Him (and who
does not?) reaps a huge harvest of humility,
reverence, generosity, fraternity and
freedom.
Cousin
Losing His Mind
Sandweiss
speaks of a cousin of his, Jerry by name, who
was a professor of mathematics in the eastern
States. "Looking at the question from a purely
mathematical standpoint, Jerry felt, it was
indeed probable that an avatar might presently
exist, so he joined a group that was going over
to see Baba... My cousin, during the first
interview, asked Baba to produce something for
him. He had bought a cheap ring in Greece and
was wearing it on his little finger. He wanted
Baba to transform this ring into something else.
Baba declined. Jerry felt let down... He began
to examine his own sanity... Baba called Jerry
for an interview again the next day. When he
came out, Jerry was in an unusually bright and
receptive mood, his face radiant. Jerry, it
seems, pleaded again with Baba to do something
with the ring and took it from his finger. Baba
said that this was not His wish. Jerry continued
to plead. Finally, Baba took the ring in His
hand, blew on it, and returned to Jerry an
altogether different ring which, needless to
say, fitted his finger perfectly. This had
obviously shaken him... The transformation that
the few minutes with Baba produced in Jerry was
indeed a greater miracle. A woman in the group
asked for someone to help carry her bags and
Jerry spontaneously volunteered. 'I never do
this,' he said, 'I must be losing my mind!'
"
The conquest
of the mind is the consequence of years of yogic
sadhana.
Baba says,
"You
are imprisoned in your ego. Though you should
try to liberate yourselves from this bondage
quickly and safely, most of you do not seek
from Me the key to this liberation. You ask
Me for trash and tinsel, petty little cures
and gains. Very few desire to get from Me the
thing I have come to give - liberation
itself. Even among the few who seek
liberation, only a minute percentage
sincerely stick to the path of Sadhana and,
from among them, only an infinitesimal number
succeed."
Jerry had
taken, after his exposure to Baba, the first
step in liberation from the prison of his
ego.
Dr. Dhairyam,
writes, "In the present world crisis of
character, Bhagavan's grace will certainly act
as a powerful catalyst. It will bring about a
transformation among the people of the earth who
are presently so diverse in spiritual
development. Among those who are transformed,
one finds nonbelievers, escapists, drug addicts
and agnostics, as well as highly evolved
sadhakas, well-versed vedic scholars, renowned
scientists, artists, poets and pundits, as also
simple, ordinary folk who delight in His divine
discourses. Bhagavan accepts and welcomes them
all as His children. He is compassionate to the
sinner, comforting to the distressed and a guide
to the agnostic and the confused, whom He leads
by the hand into the realm of
light."
Awakening
during Dreams
Dreams are
also part of the Sai strategy. He has appeared
in the dreams of many who were unaware of Him
and has drawn them to Himself. Karen Fromer
Blanc dreamt that a person with a huge crown of
hair came to her and said, "Stay with your
Hilda." "Hilda who?" she wondered. Five years
later she discovered Hilda Charlton, Baba's
devotee. The discovery transformed her life. Now
she has written a book entitled 'Dear
Hilda'!
John
Prendergast of the California Institute of Asian
Studies has written an article 'Swami Dreams',
focussing more on their instructional value and
less on the paranormal processes. He
says,
"The
overall aspect of these dream-experiences with
Sai Baba is difficult to gauge, but my own
relationship with Baba has deepened
immeasurably. I would characterise the primary
influence as being the opening of my spiritual
heart, of beginning to balance the intellect
with the values of love and compassion. Between
the spring of 1977 and 1979, Sai Baba has
appeared to me during the dream-state nearly
forty times. These have profoundly affected my
spiritual awakening and the quality of my
relationship with Him. Sai Baba has said that it
is impossible to see Him in dreams without His
willing it. My own experience of active
guidance, chastisement, healing and ecstatic
states conferred by Him during the dream-state
tends to confirm this. My relationship with Sai
Baba is, in fact, more intimate in the dream
than in the waking state... As the dream-state
relationship grows and deepens, my own inner
strength and confidence grows and manifests
itself in the waking state. In addition to this
effect of the dream-reality nurturing and
supporting the waking reality, the distinction
between the two realities has softened.
Increasingly the two blend, so that dream-images
rise in the waking mind like distant
clouds."
Willie Kweku
Ansah of Accra (Ghana), writes, "Soon after this
(the Sathya Sai Centre's invitation to devotees
to enrol for a trip to Puttaparthi) I started
seeing Swami in my dreams. The first night I
woke up with a rather vague feeling that I
should think of going to Puttaparthi. I
discarded the thought immediately. The next
dream was more detailed and lengthy. I saw
myself in front of a tall building which had
protruding platforms on the first floor.
Bhagavan was on the ground floor and I was doing
Namaskara
(bowing in devotion). At this time I did not
know that to dream of Bhagavan was a privilege
and not an ordinary occurrence. I dismissed the
dream as my silly imagination. In my third dream
I saw only the face of Bhagavan for an instant
or two. I was forced to wake up in a sweat and
with a clear command to go to
Puttaparthi."
"I gave my
name to the planning committee without an
inkling of where the money for the trip would
come from. I need not have worried. Within the
next few days I made, through a friend, three
times my normal annual income for no compelling
reason. So the matter was settled. All other
arrangements went through without a hitch. Need
I also mention that some of the persons I
travelled with I had already seen in my dreams.
We arrived at Puttaparthi on 21st November. The
last thing on my mind were my dreams. A friend
decided to take a round of the prayer hall, and
as we made the turn, I stopped dead in my
tracks. My friend asked what the matter was and
I uttered something incomprehensible to him. But
what had stopped me was the fact that my dream
was staring me right in the face with all its
details - the protruding platform, the
architecture and the colors."
"One surprise
followed another when private interviews were
granted in a room on the ground floor, and I did
my
Namaskara
exactly where I had dreamt it. However, all
these surprises were nothing compared to what I
experienced when I went to bid farewell to
Bhagavan. 'When are you coming again?' He asked.
I was not expecting the question, as the very
thought of being so lucky as to come again was
far from my mind. I was, therefore, flushed, and
in delighted confusion blurted out that I did
not know and that this time I came because I had
had a dream... Bhagavan interrupted in a tone
which seemed as if He was irritated; I was
accounting something He already knew. 'I know I
know,' He said, and patted my back. Patanjali in
the Yoga Sutras (1.38)
says that the aspirant gets guidance through
dreams, but even he does not mention that the
guru, if he is an avatar, can frame dreams for
us and figure in them himself, furnishing timely
guidance."
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Bhajans
[*]
Subrahmanyam Subrahmanyam
Subrahmanyam
Subrahmanyam Shanmukha Natha Subrahmanyam
Shiva Shiva Shiva Shiva Subrahmanyam Hara
Hara
Hara Hara Subrahmanyam
Shiva Shiva Hara Hara Subrahmanyam Hara Hara
Shiva Shiva Subrahmanyam
Shiva Sharavana Subrahmanyam Guru
Sharavana Bhava Subrahmanyam
Shiva Shiva Hara Hara Subrahmanyam Hara Hara
Shiva Shiva Subrahmanyam
Worship
the charming faced Lord Subrahmanyam.
He is the second son of Lord Shiva and the
destroyer of evil.
Surrendering to Lord Subrahmanyam
breaks
the chain of birth and death.
Worship Lord Subrahmanyam.
[**]
1. Sravanam:
listening to stories of the Lord's lilas or
plays
2. Kirtanam:
chanting of God's glories
3. Smaranam:
remembering the presence of the Lord
constantly
4. Padasevanam:
Pada means feet. Seva means service. This is
when you get to blend your practice of karma
yoga (seva) with bhakti. In doing your duty and
serving humanity, develop the bhava that you are
serving and worshiping the Lord's Feet.
5. Archanam:
Worship of God through rituals such as puja
6. Vandanam:
prostration. The yogi expresses his respect and
love to god by prostrating physically to the
ground thereby developing humility
7.
Dasyam:
The devotee is developing the feeling of being
the Lord's servant. This will weed out pride,
selfishness, arrogance and egoism which are all
based on avidya.
8. Sakhyam:
Feeling of friendship. This bhava helps the
devotees establish a personal relationship with
God picturing him as his best friend. One should
be ready to do anything for their friend.
9. Atmanivedanam:
Complete surrender of self. The term bhakti is
often translated as devotion or love but rarely
as surrender. Actually surrender is the highest
aspect of bhakti. One's ego is totally offered
to the Lord and nothing but the atman remains
and non duality is
experienced.
[***]
1.38. svapna nidrâ jn'âna
âlambanam vâ
svapna--dream state, a state of delusion;
nidrâ--sleep state; jn'âna--wakeful
state, awareness, intelligent state;
âlambanam--support, base, dependence or
resting upon, assistance, help, distinguishing
the gross from the eternal;
vâ--or.
Or, by recollecting and contemplating the
experience of dream-filled or dreamless sleep
during a watchful, waking state.
(source: Light on the Yoga Sûtras of
Patan'jali)