25Ramanamaharishi20110322
Ramanamaharishi25

 Edited on April 20, 2018

·       சக்தி விகடன் - 22 Mar, 2011

Posted Date : 06:00 (22/03/2011)

·        

ஸ்ரீரமண மகரிஷி    Ramanamaharishi:  Death Experience

If men get the urge to attain an object or realize a dream, a blind haste envelops them and they are ill-prepared for the task on hand. They bring about a frenetic milieu when they eat, sleep, find a seat in the train, obtain Darśan in the temple, buy rice in the store… expressing a sense of nervousness.

 

Not having a comprehensive sense of what they do, they perform deeds with profit motive but without due thought. They don’t appreciate profit rolls from diligent hard work.  Profit motive being the primary motive and consideration in their mind, their effort is inadequate for the task on hand. Not knowing what they do, they fly (work) in a sleep state.

They go in a hurried manner with Darśan of the Devata in the temple. Their plan goes awry with them in a frenetic pace: Six-o’ clock rise from bed; 7 a.m. Darśan in the 1st temple; with a time-limit of 30 minutes, 2nd temple visit; 8:30 a.m. at the 3rd temple; catch a bus for 4th Darśan at 10:30 a.m.; and the Sakarāchāriar Mutt at 12 noon.

Here at the Mutt, I (the man in haste) get Darśan of Swamy and go for a meal. I catch a siesta in the Mandapam. Then I go to the 5th temple. They chase the clock at demoniacal speed going from temple to temple.

The mind is not one-pointed in any temple.  What special event happened in the 2nd temple is not known.  Seeing the deity with exhilaration and keeping the deity in the heart, mind and soul are alien to them. ‘What that deity says and what the principles are:’ These are not in the consciousness of the hyperactive personality even to size of a germ in the rice paddy. Following the advice of someone to go to the temples for their good, they make no enquiry and blindly follow the advice.  They brag to others celebrating their whirlwind tour of umpteen temples, ‘I visited 12 temples in one day. That was one super-round.’ They don’t ask themselves the benefits accrued by these visits. Thy don’t get to enjoy any benefits from these umpteen temple visits.

The whirlwind temple visitors, show haste when they come visiting with Jñāṉis. When the Jñāṉi asks them, ‘What prompted you to visit with the beggarly me,’ they, on tenterhooks, recite a mile-long list of wants: money, property, home, jewels for wife, education for the children, ownership of cattle, land… After Jñāni listened to the exhaustive list of wants, and said, ‘My father offers his blessings to you,’ immediately with a sense of satisfaction at the prospect of getting everything they asked for, they whip the upper garment in a show of supreme accomplishment, put it back on the shoulder and leave the premises.

Bālaswāmy was building a raised platform all by himself outside the Virūpāki cave. He arranged small stones in piles, spread red earth on the pile making it firm, and continued the process to build the platform. A man rushed towards him from behind and asked him, ‘Where is the Swamy!’ Bālaswāmy was the only person there. Bālaswāmy said, ‘Swamy has just left.’  The visitor in haste asked, ‘When will he return.’ Bālaswāmy said, ‘I don’t know.’ Thinking Swamy’s arrival will be late, he left the premises fast. When he was going down the mountain, he saw Ecchammāl on her way up and told her, ‘Swamy is not up there.’ Ecchammāl knew for sure Swamy was up there. She told him, ’Follow me, let us try again. I will show you the Swamy.’ The visitor followed her.

She pointed out to Swamy polishing the surface of the newly built platform and said to the visitor, ‘This the Swamy.’ The visitor was surprised. He thought this is the Swamy who claimed no knowledge of the whereabouts of the Swamy, and paid homage to him. He addressed Ecchammāl and said, ‘He told me he did not know where Swamy was. Believing him, I went down the mountain.’ He was put off.  We also face the same dilemma.  Why did compassionate Ramanamaharishi turn away an elderly man?

This was a lesson for the visitor.  This lesson teaches us, it was wrong for the visitor on hearing a negative response from the builder of the platform, to go down in a great haste. Compassionate Periyava wanted to offer Darśan to him.  Periyava spoke through Ecchammāl, brought him back up the mountain so the visitor  can pay homage to him, offered blessings with his eyes of mercy and continued with his construction work.

No true Jñāni admits he is a Jñāni. For the hastener (hasty person) without the patience and tranquility, there is no need for a Jñāni.  At the same time, Jñāni allows for the haste, brings tranquility to them with love and strength and draws him back to him. This is what happened here. Who knows what was in Jñāni’s mind?

Close to Aṇṇāmalaiyār temple, there was a huge Tamarind grove.  A Muslim leased it. The monkeys ate the tender tamarind pods.  They opened the mature pods and threw the wasted pods away. They caused a great loss. He chased the monkeys away by using slingers and stones. The monkeys screeched and scooted out of the grove. When he was unawares, they returned and ate the tender pods and caused damage to the mature pods.  The Muslim gentleman never wanted to kill the monkeys. His object was to chase them away.

 

Once when he swung the slinger fast and discharged the stone, a money sustained head injury from the flying stone and died. The Muslim was afraid. The compatriots (the fellow monkeys) brought the dead monkey to Bālaswāmy, screeched and cried.  Bālaswāmy looked at them with compassion. He offered solace to the monkeys, saying, ‘The born die; the dead are reborn. This is the cycle of life and death. The killer will die one day. Why do you grieve over it?’ The monkeys left the place with the dead monkey.

The Islāmiyar had fever that night. No treatment brought a relief or cure. Someone told the Islāmiyar about simian’s complaint to Periyava; he was more afraid.  His relatives came running to Bālaswāmy. They begged him to offer Vibhūti to them. He told, that giving Vibhūti was not his practice, they persisted and cried. Bālaswāmy took some ash from the nearby hearth and gave it to the Muslim visitors.  That night itself, the Islāmiyar’s illness left him.

If you approach a Jñāni in a proper manner and supplicate to him, he will offer solace without doubt.  Many troubles vanish in his presence.

Love is the greatest Mantra of Jñāni. Rashness is the antithesis of love. Rashness thinks of one’s self and never of anyone else. Thinking of others as himself, the inside moves with rise of love.

One day in 1911 Bālaswāmy with two devotees (Vāsudevar and Pazhaṉisāmi) took an oil-bath in Pacchaiamman temple pond and returned up the mountain along the Āmai Pāṛai path (Turtle Rock Path). Suddenly, Bālaswāmy felt dizzy, could not walk and was short of breath. He sat on the rock. Later, he revealed what happened to him. He explained the near-death experience in his own words.

He narrated his near-death experience, “Suddenly my vision became blurred. A white screen hid my vision. The tree, the plant, the vines began gradually disappearing. Again, a white screen came and everything disappeared. I sat to take rest. The white screen disappeared. The objects appeared in my vision. The tree, the plant…appeared in my vision. But the body lacked strength. Again, the white screen enveloped me.

I reclined on the Turtle Rock and rested. Again, the sight came back. For the third time, the white screen appeared. For the third time, the white screen vanished. I felt the heartbeat losing its strength resulting in slowing and obstruction of blood flow and ending in cardiac arrest. My body turned blue.  Then, the fellow traveler Vasu, younger in age, not knowing what death is, embraced me and cried. I heard Pazhaṉisāmi, older in years, speak.

I felt the presence of devotees. I knew and felt the cardiac arrest. But, I was not afraid. I sat cross-legged on the rock. I witnessed death very carefully with no agitation.  For 15 minutes, I remained in Padmāsaa pose.  A Śakti made a dash from my body’s right side to the left side.  Because of it, my heart beat again. The blood flow was regularized. The body slowly regained its natural complexion.

I was soaking wet in my perspiration. Slowly, I regained physical strength and got up saying, ‘Let us go.’ It is not a state induced by me. I had no desire to witness such an event.  I have no explanation for the event.  I had recurrent episodes like this. This time it was a little longer.

When Bālaswāmy got up and walked, Vāsudevar jumped for joy.  All others sported blossoming faces. They shed tears of joy. Bālaswāmy said to his devotees, ‘Why this crying. Did you think I was dead? If I was to die, would I have not told you beforehand?’

This is like cardiac arrest.  All his descriptions are related to heart disease. This happens with cardiac arrest. Profuse perspiration was an important sign of cardiac arrest. That he remained calm and composed during his near-death experience is noteworthy. Not worried about the pull of the body (to eternity), he pulled himself away from near-death, and remained self-realized in one place; this near-death experience is the witness.  Through this experience, it shows that, not afraid of death, he remained in the loftiest place comfortably.

Many, afraid of dying, die. The self-realized person alone facing death invites death without fear. He could even postpone his death.

Let us get Darśan.

Part 2

Deity of Mercy: Kanchi Mahan

Guru Darsan

Kāmātchidāsan Srinivasan is a gṛihastha (householder). He has no regular income. But there was no lapse in the daily Puja service in the last 50 years, because of want of funds.

    At home, daily three pujas take place.

His home was resplendent with the grace of Srī Kāmātchiammaṉ. His mind was always immersed in the thoughts of Periyava. Kāmātchidāsan Srinivāsan with a rising passion narrated an event to us.

Once nine Sannyasis came to Uththamatṉapuram. They all usually carried staffs in their hands.  Holding the staff is one religious duty (observance). It was winter then.  All nine Sannyasis came to pay homage to Ambal.

They said to me, “Mahāperiyava sent us, saying, ‘I performed Puja for a boy. If you have any doubts, ask him. He will clear them for you.’”

I was shocked. I was enveloped in fear hearing Periyava sent these Sannyasis to a boy like me. I gathered courage and confidence and asked them, “What doubts do you have?

சாதுர்மாசியம் cātur-māciyam. Vow observed by Sannyāsins, which consists in their remaining in the same place for two months in winter.

They narrated their doubts to me. But, I don’t remember what they asked and what I told them in replies. I answered the questions like a boy who committed the answers to memory and rattled them off to the Sannyasis.

Later, the Sannyāsīs narrated to Periyava all that I said to them. They paid Namaskār to him, saying, ‘We are eminently pleased.’

Not knowing any of these, I went to Periyava for Darśan.  He asked me, “I sent nine Sannyasis to see you. Did they visit with you?”

I was trembling. I wondered whether I made any faux pas. I stammered, “Yes Periyava… They came. I replied to their questions, Periyava.”

Periyava said, “They came and told me what all you said to them. You said everything right. You have the favor and blessings of Kāmātchi. That being so, how could you ever say anything wrong? He smiled and raised his hand to offer his blessings.  That is when I was horripilated. With his eyes lighted up in surprise, he narrated another incident.

Sarva Tīrthak Karai.  There Periyava was in Kāṣta Mauam (Turiyatīta state). The body was fragile and famished. The spectators complained with sadness that Periyava did not even drink water.

That day, I was in Kanchipuram. A news out of the blue…’Periyava’s order, Come immediately.’ I ran to see Periyava.   

That day, I composed a poem that described flower decoration of Periyava.  With that poem and his invitation in mind, I stood before him.

உடலைச் சிறிதுகூட அசைக்காமல், இறைசிந்தனையோடு லயித்திருப்பது 'காஷ்ட மௌனம் = Kāṣta Mauam

I heard Periyava’s voice, ‘Call him inside.’ I went inside. What I saw on Periyava was the floral decoration of exquisite nature; it gave me a kaleidoscopic feeling of surprise, confusion, wonder, happiness, fear… From his seat to the crown, every part was decorated with flowers.

I fell flat on the floor and offered Namaskār. Tears rolled down in streams. He asked me, ‘You have put the decoration on me earlier in poetic words. Are you thinking of me all the time in your mind?’

‘To me the servitor, Kāmātchi and Periyava are one:’ Saying those words to Periyava, I offered my Namaskār again. The tears flowed freely from my eyes.

‘Ok, read what you wrote!’ said Periyava. with joy, I read the poem. Its meaning is…

‘Mahan’s lotus feet shine like the feet of Ambāḷ; Mahan’s whole body shines with flower decoration; Mahan’s head is decorated beautifully with flower crown; Mahan’s Yoga Staff is concentrically decorated with flowers; Mahan’s chest shines with universal visual delight of garland with Kadamba, Tulsi, Bael leaves…; Mahan’s lotus feet shining like Spiritual eminence are placed on the flowery sandals: that Mahan’s lotus feet, I carry on my head always and attain supreme joy.

As I finished reading the poem, Periyava picked from the flower pile and sprinkled the flower petals on his own head.

Periyava and the staff were decorated as described by me in the poem. This decoration was the solemn promise and vow made originally by a woman.

It is the grace and mercy of Kāmātchi that made it possible that a servitor like me wrote the poem beforehand, and Periyava gave us the holy appearance in the floral decoration to prove and illustrate my poetic adoration of Periyava.  It is favor and privilege of divine nature that Periyava gave a Darśan to me in floral decoration. What else could it be?  Kāmātchidāsan Srinivasan said it with supreme joy in a moving way.

Darśan will continue.