They put the probes in place, then stressed my heart into an arrhythmia, mapped where the short circuits were happening, snaked another deal through whichever hole was closest to burn the tissue inside my heart that was causing the problem.
The procedure took just over 3 hours, then had to lie flat on my back for 6 hours so they know my veins won’t pop open and make a huge mess.
Feels worse than it looks. I am sparing you the groin shots.
It’s good though because the arrhythmia was becoming a serious problem (3 incidents in 6 months requiring medical intervention, one requiring defib). No more. All fixed.

click for big!

I’ve never even had a broken bone. Dislocated a knee when I was about 6- still have arthritis from that. No tonsillectomy, no appendectomy (all original equipment); I did have a vasectomy many years ago, but that was nothing.

At 57 years old, this is the most intrusive medical procedure I have ever had.

Even with the arrhythmia gone that still leaves me with a couple serious chronic illnesses. Oh, well-  life goes on.  Balanced on a thread. Life, as they say, is fleeting, insubstantial. Death only is certain; the time and place of death is unknown.

Each moment of being a human being is precious. The fulfillment of my innate purpose is the only worthwhile goal. That fulfillment lies in the choices I make each moment. That purpose lies in my devotion to the essence of my heart’s desire.

I love the poetry of Tagore (there are many examples of this throughout this site).  From Gitanjali:

If thou speakest not I will fill my heart with thy silence and endure it. I will keep still and wait like the night with starry vigil and its head bent low with patience.

The morning will surely come, the darkness will vanish, and thy voice pour down in golden streams breaking through the sky.

Then thy words will take wing in songs from every one of my birds’ nests, and thy melodies will break forth in flowers in all my forest groves.

That longing that I knew before I was even born, all the desires, sacred and profane, that have driven my every moment through this rich tapestry of life- all come from the same deep yearning for wholeness. And even as my heart yearns, I know deeply and certainly that I am already whole, that the clear light is my own nature, closer than my name, closer and more real than my own “I” feeling.

Also, going through my head this past month-

Pitr Purushe Bhyo Namah,
Rsi Deve Bhyo Namah,
Brahma Arpanam Brahma Havir,
Brahmanao Brahmana’hutam,
Brahmaeva Tena Gantavyam
Brahma Karma Sama’dhina’.

Salutations to the ancestors, salutations to the god-like rs’is. 

The act of offering is Brahma; that which is offered is Brahma; the One to whom the offering is made is Brahma; and the person making the offering is Brahma.

One will merge in Brahma after completing the duty assigned to him/her by Brahma.

The above translation is not how I remember it. Especially I always understood the phrase Brahma’g’ nao as having to do with the burning of the offering. It has been a long time since I was a serious student of samskrta bhajans. Someone please correct me if I am wrong (I know there are many very knowledgeable folks who read this and will know better than I the meaning) but I have always thought this part of the mantra says:

“God is the offering, God is the Offerer, God is the fire which consumes the offering and the ashes that remain; The one who remembers God in everything they do will merge with God when the work is done.”

The point being that I have been remembering this verse, this puja, in my daily work, especially now because I have been feeling discouraged and even exhausted by the seva.

That reminds me of this- Shirdi Sai Baba and a wonderful book of bhajans here. More Shirdi Sai Baba on this site, especially in the tab “This Here” above.

Everything that arises in this moment is the perfect teacher- so there is some chance that the following random stuff that has been invading my head is relevant-

Accomplishing_the_aim_of_meditation

Nine_considerations

Huge, I make no apologies:

Ten Thousand Miles Without a Cloud – Sun Shuyun

Mahaprabhu Vallabhacharya -

(also, see this)

Bhakthi Saint 14th Century proponent of
“Krishna Bhakthi” in North India

Madhuraashtakam by Saint Vallbhacharya

adharam madhuram vadanam madhuram
nayanam madhuram hasitam madhuram
hrdayam madhuram gamanam madhuram
madhuraadhipaterakhilam madhuram
“His lips are sweet; His face is sweet; Hiseyes are sweet; His smile
is sweet; His heart is sweet and His walk is sweet. Every single thing
about the Lord is completely sweet!”

vachanam madhuram charitam madhuram
vasanam madhuram valitam madhuram
chalitam madhuram bhramitam madhuram
madhuradhipaterakhilam madhuram
“His words are sweet; His acts are sweet; His dress is sweet; His
posture is sweet. His walk is sweet, and His wanderings are sweet.
Every single thing about the Lord is completely sweet!”

venur madhuro renur madhurah
panir madhurah padau madhurau
nrityam madhuram sakhyam madhuram
madhuradhipaterakhilam madhuram
“His flute is sweet; the dust of His lotus feet is sweet. His hands
are sweet; His feet are sweet. His dancing is sweet; His friendship is
sweet. Everything about the Supreme Lord of sweetness is sweet.”

geetam madhuram peetam madhuram
bhuktam madhuram suptam madhuram
roopam madhuram tilakam madhuram
madhuradhipaterakhilam madhuram
“His song is sweet, His drinking is sweet; His eating is sweet, His
sleeping is sweet. His beauty is sweet, His tilaka is sweet. Every
thing about the Lord is completely sweet.”

karanam madhuram taranam madhuram
haranam madhuram smaranam madhuram
vamitam madhuram shamitam madhuram
madhuradhipaterakhilam madhuram
“His acts are sweet, His delivering is sweet, His stealing is sweet,
His enjoyment is sweet. His heartfelt outpourings are sweet, His peace
is sweet. Everything about the Supreme Lord is fully sweet.”

gunja madhura mala madhura
yamuna madhura veechee madhura
salilam madhuram kamalam madhuram
madhuradhipaterakhilam madhuram
“His Gunja necklace is sweet, as is His garland. His Yamuna River is
sweet, her waves are sweet, and her waters are sweet. The lotus
flowers there are also sweet. Everything is completely sweet about the
Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Lord of sweetness.”

gopee madhura leela madhura
yuktam madhuram bhuktam madhuram
drishtam madhuram shishtam madhuram
madhuradhipaterakhilam madhuram
“His foremost devotees, the gopis, are sweet. His pastimes are sweet.
meeting with Him is sweet. Being enjoyed by Him is sweet. Being
noticed (seen) by Him is sweet. His character is sweet. Simply
everything about the Lord of sweetness is all-sweet.”

gopa madhura gavo madhura
yastir madhura srishtir madhura
dalitam madhuram phalitam madhuram
madhuradhipaterakhilam madhuram
“His cowherd friends are sweet; His cows are sweet. His cane is sweet;
His creation is sweet, His destruction is sweet, and His fruition is
sweet. Everything about the Supreme Lord is totally sweet.”

And already I’m thinking again of Rumi- he continues to inspire me every day. Here is a good copy of the Mathnawi, 1 & 2.

and this, I am thinking:

and then again…

WayoftheBodhisattva

makin bagels

Wait for it….

When!!

Kittehs- Blizzard the Blind holds her own.

I’ll have the Tortoise Basket with fries, please.

water drop in sand

And here’s some other stuff.

Lovejoy is one badass comet.

More other stuff-

Drunk Santa

That was Lauren Bacall, btw.

I was reading an article, can’t recall now where it was from, in which a young Syrian Alawi was telling how he was glad that the government gave them weapons to attack the Sunnis because, “It’s only a matter of time before they try to kill us all.”

The conflict seems to involve over 1100 years of sectarian hatred and sporadic violence or even attempted genocide.

Recently the LA Times reported:

The Local Coordination Committees, another opposition group, said security forces were targeting “homes and anyone who moves in the neighborhood” with mortar, artillery and other heavy weapons fire.

“There are no words to describe the situation today,” said an activist reached in Bab Amro who did not want his name published for safety reasons. “The shelling has not stopped since 6 a.m. Whole families are being killed under the rubble of their houses. … The apartment I’m in right now had a shell dropped on the floor above us and five shells around the building.”

…

Violence has escalated in Syria as the government sends tanks and troops to subdue restive neighborhoods and a growing number of military defectors join the ranks of the opposition. Some civilians have also taken up arms to defend their communities, raising the chances that the country could slide into civil war.

…

Atlantic Sentinel:

Violence and intimidation have been Damascus’ high cards, but provoking the Sunni Islamist boogeyman has long been the option of last resort for Bashar, an Alawi president who gains most of his support from Syrian Christians, Druze and Alawis who fear a Sunni takeover of the country. The men and women who pour into the streets know this full well and have been well disciplined not to retaliate against the Alawi community, even as armed Alawi militias have entered a number of cities to shoot up the demonstrators.

Ah! Now we are getting somewhere! This sent me to Wikipedia-

The Alawis, also known as Alawites, Nusayris and Ansaris (‘Alawīyyah Arabic: علوية‎, Nuṣayrī Arabic: نصيريون‎, andal-Anṣāriyyah) are a prominent mystical and syncretic religious group who are a branch of Shia Islam centred inSyria.

It turns out that Alawis have been targeted for over a thousand years by the majority Sunnis, with various unsuccessful attempts to wipe them out. Through most of this time they have been considered, officially, apostates and therefore subject to death. Only in the past century have Alawis been considered to be Muslims at all by the majority Sunnis.

An interesting discussion of the Alawi between young Muslims will be found here.

What beliefs set Alawi apart from other Muslims? Traditionally, the group has been very secretive. They are considered to be mystical and much of their “knowledge” is not known outside of the inner circle of initiates. While in the past 30 years there has been a deliberate effort by Alawi leaders to make the group appear more “Islamic”, for over 1100 years they have diverged quite distinctly from mainstream Islam.

Orthodox Alawi do not believe in the importance of prayer, they have not (until recently) participated in the Haj, they have not believed in temples or mosques as special places of worship. They include Jesus, some apostles and the Muslim Imams up to the 3rd, Ali, as prophets, maybe even incarnations of the deity. They have embraced several Christian practices including celebration of Christmas and the Holy Sacrament.

From Wikipedia:

According to some sources, Alawis have integrated doctrines from other religions (Syncretism), in particular from Ismaili Islam and Christianity. According to scholar Cyril Glasse, it is thought that “as a small, historically beleaguered ethnic group”, the Alawi “absorbed elements” from the different religions that influenced their area from Hellenistic times onward,^[33] while maintaining their own beliefs, and “pretended to adhere to the dominant religion of the age.”^[33] Alawites are reported to celebrate certain Christian festivals, “in their own way”, including Christmas, Easter, and Palm Sunday, and their religious ceremonies make use of bread and wine. According to Matti Moosa, a “leading scholar of the Nusayris”,

The Christian elements in the Alawite sect are unmistakable. They include the concept of trinity; the celebration of Christmas, the consecration of the Qurban, that is, the sacrament of the flesh and blood which Christ offered to his disciples, and, most important, the celebration of the Quddas (although Shia scholars dispute these allegations) (a lengthy prayer proclaiming the divine attributes of Ali and the personification of all the biblical patriarchs from Adam to Simon Peter, who preached the gospel sermon originating the Church (Matthew 16:18, Acts 2), who is perceived as the embodiment of true Islam).

As I mentioned- these unique beliefs seem to have become more streamlined recently-

Some sources have suggested that the non-Muslim nature of many of the historical Alawi beliefs notwithstanding, Alawi beliefs may have changed in recent decades. In the early 1970s a booklet entitledal-`Alawiyyun Shi’atu Ahl al-Bait (The Alawis are Followers of the Household of the Prophet), was issued in which doctrines of the Imami Shi’ah were described as ‘Alawi, and which was “signed by of numerous `Alawi` men of religion”. This book and Musa Sadr’s proclamation have led one scholar to wonder whether “a mass conversion from Nusairism to Shi’ah Islam” has taken place. Another scholar suggests that factors such as the high profile of Alawi in Syria, the strong aversion of the Muslim majority to apostasy, and the relative lack of importance of religious doctrine to Alawi identity may have induced Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad and his successor son to press their fellow Alawi “to behave like ‘regular Muslims’, shedding or at least concealing their distinctive aspects.”

In the 19th century, however, an Alawite named Sulaiman al-Adni converted to Christianity and in 1863, compiled a book called Al-Bakurah as-Suliamaniya fi Kashf Asrar ad-Diyanah an-Nusairiyah (The First Fruits of Sulaiman in Revealing the Secrets of the Nusairi Religion). This book was embraced immediately by the English Freemasons as a “proof” of the Eastern origin of Freemasonry.

The only copy I could find of the book was published by the Freemasons. I’ve included it below, in text format more for curiosity than any religious meaning.

secretsofsyria

In the next few posts I hope to explore some of Islam’s more distinct, mystical and less known off-spring. In the meantime, I would love to hear from any out there who have a better understanding of this topic than I do.

]]> http://rickpdx.wordpress.com/2011/12/26/syrian-complications/feed/ 1 rickpdx photo_1291993249399-1-1 416D+N5B22L._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_ Alawite-map1 http://rickpdx.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/must-be/ http://rickpdx.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/must-be/#comments Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:21:44 +0000 rick s http://rickpdx.wordpress.com/?p=5761 ]]> Caturday. And so on and so forth (ASOASF).

Thanksgiving:

Other stuff(ing):

May your day be sweet

by tomorrow, back to
usual degree of grief

[Carrot cake because, well, we know who will actually eat it and trying not to be too destructive to life...]

I pray each day to keep my heart open. Really I do.
And I work in a place where the suffering is so intense it burns-
Oregon State Hospital-
and I think it’s the right thing.

I always wish I had not been blind.
Wish I had done this and that different.
But I did the best I could without access to a time machine.
I did the best I could.

Made me a better parent.
I knew better what was important.
I raised my boys really good.
They have become the sweetest, most gentle men-
that is worth something.

I still cried. Worse than last year.
A sucker punch.
Thank you, Erin, and Mike Tyson-
The pain doesn’t go away.
It deepens.
Maybe that’s all it was meant to do.

For all the years sucked up in madness and despair,
I can’t give away even one moment.
Nothing else would bring me here.
Right here is the right place.

Thank you lord-

you have shown me the path of love:

devastation.

Now, just so we don’t lose track of the punchline…

Babelfisj sez:

私達は彼女の場所にケーキを持って来ることを行った Zipcarを得なければならなかった 、彼女に話されて叫ばれる、 誕生日おめでとうを歌った 今we’ 再飲むこと(決して私飲み物) 明日までに、に戻って 通常の程度の悲しみ 、よく、私達が知っているので[ニンジン・ケーキだれが実際にそれをおよび食べるか生命に余りに有害ではないべきを…試みる] 私は私の中心を開いた保つために毎日祈る。 実際に私は。 そして私は苦労がある従って強い燃える場所で働く オレゴンの州立病院 そして私はit’を考える; s正しいこと。 私はずっと私が盲目ではないことを常に望む。 願いIは別のこれおよびこれをした。 しかし私は私によってタイムマシンへのアクセスなしでできた最善を尽した。 私は私によってできた最善を尽した。 私によりよい親をされる。 私は重要だったものをもっとよく知っていた。 私はよい私の男の子を実際に育てた。 彼らは最も甘くのほとんどの穏やかな人なった それは何かの価値がある。 私はまだ叫んだ。 ひどくより去年。 不意打ち。 あなた、ErinおよびマイクTyson-に感謝しなさい 苦痛doesn’ tはなくなる。 それは深まる。 多分that’ sすべてすることを意味した。 狂気および絶望で吸われるすべての年のため I can’ tは1時を与える。 何も私をここに連れて来る。 右の場所はここに正しくある。 主ありがとう 私に愛の道を示した: 荒廃。 今度は、ちょうどそう私達don’ tは失うパンチラインのトラックを…

Back to English-

We must obtain Zipcar which does, you speaking to her, you shout, you question that it comes having the cake in her place with your birthday [me] now we’ when you sing returning to the thing (never my beverage) tomorrow which re-drinks, usual sorrow, to be good, because we have known, [carrot cake someone really and eats that, it should not be excessively harmful in life…Everyday you pray because try] I opened my center and maintain. Actually as for me. The Oregonian state hospital which works at the place where and I is hardship and therefore it forces and burn and I think it’[wo]; s be correct. I always desire the fact that directly I am not the blind person. Request I did difference remains and this. But as for me without access to the time machine depending upon me the best which it is possible was exhausted. As for me the best which it is possible with me was exhausted. The good parent is done by me. I had known those which are important better. I raised the good my boy really. As for them that you have become the sweet most calm people is some value. I shouted still. It is terrible from last year. Surprise. You, Erin or microphone Tyson-[ni] do to appreciate there is no pain doesn’ t. That becomes deep. The fact that’ s it does perhaps entirely was meant. Because of all years which are inhaled in insanity and despair I can’ t gives 1 o’clock. What comes accompanying me here. Just there is a place the right here. The main thing the road of love was shown thank you in me: Devastation. This time, the track/truck of the punch line which so we don’ t lose exactly…

HST photos of Neptune

07 – Happiness

First, Caturday:

not cats-

Ouch Potato

click above for full size

Chocolate eggs

star trails above Australiaclick for big- suitable for wallpaper

baby albino porcupine

Milky Way over Lake Tyrrel

sad Panda

Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī (born as Sudhamani Idamannel; Malayalam:മാതാ അമൃതാനന്ദമയി, Devanagari: माता अमृतानन्‍दमयी born September 27, 1953), sometimes known simply as Amma ["Mother"], is a Hindu spiritual leader and guru, who is revered as a saint by her followers. She is widely respected for her humanitarian activities. She is sometimes referred to as “The Hugging Saint.”

When You Go Beyond the Ego

You Become an Offering to the World

An interview with Mata Amritanandamayi by Amy Edelstein

posted in http://www.enlightennext.org/magazine/Interview

WIE: What is ego?

MATA AMRITANANDAMAYI: You are actually asking, what is unreality? But how can unreality be described? What use is there in talking about something that isn’t real, that is nonexistent? And how can you speak about that which is real? Amma can only give you a few hints. The mind is the ego. But the ego is a big lie—it is a liar. It is unreal.

There was a cowherd boy who took his cows to the meadows every morning and brought them back to the cowshed at the end of the day. One evening, as he was tying the cows up for the night, the boy found that one of them was missing her rope. He feared that she might run away, but it was too late to go and buy a new rope. The boy didn’t know what to do, so he went to a wise man who lived nearby and sought his advice. The wise man told the boy to pretend to tie the cow, and make sure that the cow saw him doing it. The boy did as the wise man suggested and pretended to tie the cow. The next morning the boy discovered that the cow had remained still throughout the night. He untied all the cows as usual, and they all went outside. He was about to go to the meadows when he noticed that the cow with the missing rope was still in the cowshed. She was standing on the same spot where she had been all night. He tried to coax her to join the herd, but she wouldn’t budge. The boy was perplexed. He went back to the wise man who said, “The cow still thinks she is tied up. Go back and pretend to untie her.” The boy did as he was told, and the cow happily left the cowshed. This is what the guru does with the ego of the disciple. The guru helps untie that which was never there. Like the cow, due to our ignorance, we believe that we are bound by the ego when, in fact, we are completely free. We need to be convinced of this, however.

The ego is an illusion with no existence of its own. It appears to be real because of the power it derives from the Atman [Self]. It is animated by the Atman. The ego itself can be compared to dead matter; for without the Atman, it would have no life. Stop supporting the ego, and it will withdraw and disappear. We ourselves lend the unreal ego its reality. Expose it for what it is, or rather, for what it isn’t, and that will be the end of it.

A dog wags its tail—the tail does not wag the dog. If the tail were to wag the dog, it would be disastrous! The same is true with the mind. The mind, or the ego, should be nothing more than a useful tool; a sadhaka [spiritual seeker] shouldn’t let him- or herself be ruled by the whims and fancies of the mind.

The ego consists of our thoughts and our mind. Our thoughts are our own creation. We make them real by cooperating with them. If we withdraw our support, they will dissolve. We simply have to observe our thoughts. The clouds in the sky assume different shapes, and they change constantly. You may see clouds drifting by that look like faces of the gods or different animals or sailing ships. A small child may believe that these shapes are real, but, of course, they are only illusions. In the same way, our ever changing thoughts drift through the mind, which is the ego. They assume different forms, but they are no more real than the shape of a cloud in the sky. If we simply witness our thoughts as they drift by, they will no longer have any effect on us or influence us in any way.

A lion made of sandalwood is real to a child, but to a grown-up it’s a piece of sandalwood. For the child, the wood is concealed, revealing only the lion. The grown-up may also enjoy the lion, but he knows it is not real. For him, the wood is real, not the lion. In the same way, to a Self-realized soul, the entire universe is nothing but the essence, the “wood” that comprises everything, the Absolute Brahman or Consciousness.

WIE: What is ego death for the true seeker of moksha[liberation]?

MA: If the ego is unreal, what death are you talking about? We superimpose the unreal on the real. What really exists is Brahman.There is no discovery, only uncovering.

WIE: What are the signs of true ego transcendence?

MA: One who has gone beyond the ego becomes an offering to the world, like an incense stick that burns itself out while bestowing its fragrance to others. For such a person there is no sense of otherness. It is difficult to say what a clear sign would be. People pretend or they imitate this and that quality—but for a real master, one who truly doesn’t identify with the ego, his or her entire being, and every action, is a pure expression of divine love and self-sacrifice. Divine love and self-sacrifice cannot be imitated.

WIE: Is it possible for a master to completely annihilate their ego?

MA: A mahatma [great soul] is one who disidentifies with the ego; they see everything as an extension of the Self. Due to our ignorance, we identify with the ego, with that which is not real, but a mahatma is not identified at all with the ego, with that which is unreal.

WIE: How does the guru help to annihilate the ego of the disciple?

MA: A true master creates the situations that will allow the seeker to come out of his or her dream. The disciple wants to continue to sleep and to dream, but the master wants to awaken him or her. The whole effort of the master is to somehow bring the disciple back to the reality of his or her true existence.

WIE: It is said that the ego will go to any length to maintain its grip on the individual, even masquerading as our own spiritual longing. What are the most important qualities for success in the fight against the endless tricks of the ego?

MA: Performing one’s own dharma with utmost shraddha. Shraddha is very important at the beginning stage on the spiritual path; it is absolutely essential.

WIE: What is shraddha? Is it faith in the possibility of transcending the ego in this life?

MA: Shraddha is more than just faith. It is trust and love. Both trust and love are necessary to transcend the ego—trust in the existence of a higher reality, love for that reality and an intense longing to realize it.

WIE: What is the best way to cultivate discrimination in the face of all the temptations of the ego?

MA: Just as a little boy grows out of his teddy bear and other toys, a true seeker gains the power to discriminate between the eternal and noneternal as his understanding grows and as he advances along the path. The power of discrimination dawns within us as we gain proper understanding and as we mature. As we learn how to evaluate life’s experiences in the proper manner, we automatically begin to use our discriminative intelligence. It is an inner blossoming that takes place—like a bud opening up. It is part of a slow but steady process.

There is a divine message hidden behind every experience life brings you—both the positive and negative experiences. Just penetrate beneath the surface and you will receive the message. Nothing comes from outside; everything is within you. The whole universe is within you.

There will be many temptations and challenges along the way. Only an experienced person can help you. The way to moksha is very subtle, and it is easy for a spiritual aspirant to become deluded.

WIE: What is the role of the spiritual master in guiding the seeker on the path to moksha or liberation?

MA: If you want to learn how to drive, you need to be taught by an experienced driver. A child needs to be taught how to tie his shoelaces. And how can you learn mathematics without a teacher? Even a pickpocket needs a teacher to teach him the art of stealing. If teachers are indispensable in ordinary life, wouldn’t we need a teacher even more on the spiritual path, which is so extremely subtle?

Though that subtle knowledge is our true nature, we have been identified with the world of names and forms for so long, thinking them to be real. We now need to cease that identification. But in reality, there is nothing to teach. A master simply helps you to complete the journey.

If you want to go to a distant place, you may want to buy a map. But no matter how well you study the map, if you are heading toward a totally strange land, an unknown place, you won’t know anything about that place until you actually arrive. Nor will the map tell you much about the journey itself, about the ups and downs of the road and the possible dangers on the way. It is therefore better to receive guidance from someone who has completed the journey, someone who knows the way from his or her own experience.

On the spiritual journey, we have to really listen to and then contemplate what the master says. We have to be humble in order to receive. When we really listen and then sincerely contemplate, we will assimilate the teachings properly.

WIE: Why is submission to a guru said to be so important in helping the disciple transcend the ego?

MA: The seat of the ego is the mind. Any other obstacle can be removed by using the mind except the ego, because the ego is subtler than the mind. It is only through obedience to the one who is established in that supreme experience that one can conquer the ego.

WIE: You didn’t have an external guru, yet you completely transcended your ego. It seems you depended on the formless as your guru to take you all the way.

MA: Yes, you could say that. But Amma considered the whole of creation to be her guru.

WIE: Is perfect obedience to the guru ultimately the same as ego death?

MA: Yes. That is why the satguru [realized spiritual master] is depicted in the Kathopanishad as Yama, the lord of death. The death of the disciple’s ego can take place only with the help of asatguru.

Obedience isn’t something that can be forced on the disciple. The disciple is tremendously inspired by the master, who is an embodiment of humility. Obedience and humility simply happen in a true master’s presence.

WIE: It takes rare courage to face ego death.

MA: Yes, very few can do it. If you have the courage and determination to knock at the door of death, you will find that there is no death. For even death, or the death of the ego, is an illusion.

WIE: There have been some very powerful spiritual teachers who seem to have been driven by the impure motives of the ego. Do you think that spiritual experiences could at times empower the ego rather than destroy it?

MA: Amma doesn’t agree that those teachers to whom you are referring are realized. A Self-realized master is completely independent. Such beings don’t have to depend on anything external for their happiness because they are full of bliss, which they derive from within their own Atman. Amma would say that everyone forms part of a crowd, except the realized masters. In fact, except for those rare souls, there are no individuals. Only one who is realized is uniquely individual and totally independent of the crowd. Only such a soul is alone in the world of bliss.

True spiritual masters have to set an example through their actions and their lives. Those who abuse their position and power, taking advantage of others, obviously do not derive all their happiness and contentment from within themselves, and so they cannot be realized masters. Why would a realized master crave adulation or power? Those who do are still under the grip of the ego. They may claim to be realized, but they are not. A perfect master doesn’t claim anything. He simply is—he is presence.

Until the moment before realization takes place, a person is not safe from the temptations of his or her desires.

WIE: So would you say that people like this have become more proud as a result of having had spiritual experiences? Can spiritual experiences at times strengthen the ego in a negative way?

MA: The people to whom this happens are deluded, and they confuse others as well. They will actually push others into delusion. Some people gain a glimpse of something, or have a spiritual experience, and then think they have attained moksha. Only someone who is not realized will think, “I am spiritual, I am realized,” and this will create a strong, subtle ego. A subtle ego is more dangerous than a gross ego. Even the individuals themselves won’t understand that the subtle ego is leading or motivating them, and this subtle ego will become part of their nature. Such people will do anything for name and fame.

Amma also feels that this kind of pride makes people lose their capacity to listen. And listening is extremely important on the spiritual path. A person who does not listen cannot be humble. And it is only when we are truly humble that the already existing pure Consciousness will be unfolded within us. Only one who is humbler than the humblest can be considered greater than the greatest.

WIE: Since it is possible for spiritual experiences to feed the ego, is it necessary to cultivate purity first?

MA: There is no need to get obsessed with purity. Focus on your dharma, performing it with the right attitude and with love. Then purity will follow.

WIE: What is dharma, in the way you are using it?

MA: Dharma is the right action in the right place at the right time.

WIE: How can one know what one’s dharma is?

MA: By loving life with the right attitude and having the right understanding, we will know what the right thing to do is. And then, if we perform our dharma, purity will come.

WIE: How do you cultivate that kind of love?

MA: Love isn’t something that can be cultivated—it’s already within us in all its fullness. Life cannot exist without love; they are inseparable. Life and love are not two; they are one and the same. A little bit of the proper channeling of your energies will awaken the love within you.

You need to have a strong intent to reach the goal of liberation; you need to be focused on that goal. Then such qualities as love, patience, enthusiasm and optimism will spring forth within you. These qualities will work to help you attain your goal.

WIE: You are revered by so many as the embodiment of unconditional love, and you literally hug everyone who comes to see you. But I have heard that you can also be very fierce with your students. How do these two very different methods of teaching go together?

MA: For Amma there are not two different methods; Amma has only one method, and that is love. That love manifests as patience and compassion. However, if a deer comes and eats the tender flower buds in your garden, you cannot be gentle with the deer and say softly, “Please deer, don’t eat the flowers.” You have to shout at it and even wave a stick. It is sometimes necessary to show this type of mood in order to correct the disciple. Kali is the compassionate mother in her disciplining mood. But look into her eyes—there is no anger there.

Amma only disciplines those who have chosen to stay close to her, and she only does this when they are ready to be disciplined. A disciple is one who is willing to be disciplined. The guru first binds the disciple with boundless, unconditional love so that when the disciple eventually is disciplined, he or she is aware of the presence of that love in all situations.

Amma helps her children to always be aware and alert. Love has many aspects. When Amma disciplines her children, she does this with the sole purpose of guiding them along the path to help them to fully blossom. This blossoming will happen only if a conducive atmosphere is created. It can never be forced. A true master does not force his or her disciples because pure consciousness cannot force anything. The master is like space, like the boundless sky, and space cannot hurt you. Only the ego can force and hurt. Amma will patiently continue to create opportunities for that inner opening, that blossoming, to take place within her children.

The guru-disciple relationship is the highest. The bond of love between the guru and shishya [disciple] is so powerful that one may sometimes feel there is no guru and no shishya—all sense of separation disappears.

WIE: What do you do when the ego takes hold of one of your disciples?

MA: Amma lovingly helps her children to realize the danger of being under the grip of the ego, and she shows them how to get out of it.

WIE: Some Western psychotherapists and spiritual teachers believe that we must develop strong egos before we seek ego transcendence. They say that most of us have weak or wounded egos as a result of the emotional and psychological traumas that we have suffered over the course of our lives, and they advocate various forms of therapy to help us build up our character, ego and sense of individuality. You had quite a difficult childhood; you had to bear harsh treatment and even physical abuse, and yet you transcended your ego completely. Would you agree with these teachers that in the pursuit of enlightenment, we first need to build up the ego before we endeavor to transcend it?

MA: Most people are deeply wounded within in some way, and those wounds have been caused by the past. Those wounds usually remain unhealed. They are wounds not only from this life but from previous lives as well, and no doctor or psychologist can heal them. A doctor or psychologist can help people to cope with life to a certain extent, in spite of those wounds, but they cannot actually heal them. They cannot penetrate deeply enough into their own minds to remove their own wounds, let alone penetrate deeply enough into the patient’s mind. Only a true master, who is completely free from any limitations and who is beyond the mind, can penetrate into a person’s mind and treat all those unhealed wounds with his or her infinite energy. Spiritual life, especially under the guidance of a satguru, does not weaken the psyche; it strengthens it.

The ultimate cause of all emotional wounds is our separation from the Atman, from our true nature. It may be necessary for a person to go to a psychologist, and that is fine—but to put spirituality aside in order to first strengthen the ego is to perpetuate that sense of separation, and it will only lead to further suffering. What is the use in thinking, “I will go to the doctor as soon as I feel better”? To wait for either the inner or outer circumstances to be “just right” before we embark on the spiritual journey is like standing on the seashore waiting for the waves to completely subside before we jump into the ocean. This will never happen. Every moment of life is so utterly precious, such a rare opportunity. We should not waste it.

Sri Guru Raghavendra Swamy (Tamil: ஸ்ரீ ராகவேந்திர சுவாமிகள் Telugu: శ్రీ గురు రాఘవేంద్ర స్వామి ,Kannada: ಶ್ರೀ ಗುರು ರಾಘವೇಂದ್ರ ಸ್ವಾಮೀ) (1595–1671) is a respected 16th century Hindu saint who advocated Vaishnavism (worship of Vishnu as the supreme God) and SriMadhvacharya‘s Dvaita philosophy.

He was born in Bhuvanagiri in Tamil Nadu and ascended Brindavana at Mantralayam in present day Andhra Pradesh in 1671.

His Brindavanam in Mantralayam situated in Andhra Pradesh, India is a pilgrimage destination.

Hey! He has a website! Not bad for someone 350 years old.

click for big

Written records do not exist that can reliably be attributed to Raghavendra Swamy.  The selection below is believed by devotees to be the final words spoken to his followers.

A few minutes were left to Rayaru to enter the Brindavana, Rayaru seeing the devotees, smiling raised the hands and blessed them. Looked at the devotees with immense affection and love. Rayaru offered the Padukas to Sri Yogeendrateertharu and asked him to continue the Mutt in the same traditional style:Paatha,Pravachana, Grantha Rachana and Bhakta’s Uddhaara.

Dear Devotees the day has come that I have to disappear from your sight. From tomorrow you cannot see me like this. At the sametime I am not giving up my body(Deha Tyaaga), I will not be away from my body and at the same time I am obeying the Sankalpa of Sri Hari and the prerana of Sri Vayudevaru, so entering the Brindavana today Sa Shareera and stay there for sevenhundred years to Bless the Devotees of the world. As per the order of Sri Hari and Sri Vayudevaru and the opinion of the great Yatis to whom I respect and regard them as guru. They will be always blessing me while sitting in the Brindavana. Do not feel sorry that I am disappearing from your vision.As per the sankalpa of Sri Hari and the blessings of Praanadevaru I will be quite comfortable in the Neela Brindavana. Devotees I assure you that Sri Hari is too kind towards me that Sri Hari will take care of me in the Neela Brindavana when I will be inside with yoga. Do not feel agony. I

am with you always here in M,antralaya. When ever you call me I will immediately listen and solve your problems whether it is small or big. The Brindavana stones are very sacred and most holy.

My successor Sri Yogeendrateertharu will look after the Mutt Vidya Mutt and the same tradition of Paatha Pravachana Grantha Rachana Bhakta’s Uddhaara will be continued. You all have to obey him as you were regarding and respecting towards me. The Punya will be distributed to the devotees by the Anugraha of Sri Hari. Do not feel sorry for my absence. I will be in Mantralaya Neela Brindavana. Sri Narasimhadevaru, Rama, Krishna, Vedavyasadevaru, Jeevottama Vayudevaru’s have ordered me to stay at this Brindavana in the Mantralaya for the uddhaara of the devotees. Mantralaya will be the most sacred place Pavitra Yaatra Sthhala Devotees will acquire all the required chaturvidha purushaartha. Not only Indian devotees, but also the devotees of the world who are living across the sea. My Sri Hari is sarvaswa for me, Sri Hari has provided broad outlook, universal affection to all.

Devotees respect and regard the Vedas,upanishadas,Geeta, Brahmasutra and the philosophy of our Sri SriMadacharyaru. Our Culture, universal mankind always throbs for the welfare of all the chetanas, jeevas as per their ability and nature. We have to worship SriManNarayana.He is the only God who can free from all these births and deaths and impart Moksha to us:

NarayanosowParamoVichintayahaMumukhshubhiKaramaPaashaadmushmaat.

Our divine shruti says this.Sri Hari is the only God to bestow permanent happiness i. e. Moksha.

Sri Hari has to Bless all of us, so I am entering Brindavana sitting with padmaasana in the japa of Sri Hari always. So I am concluding my avatara today on this shraavana bahula bidige. From this day onwards till seven hundred years I will be in the Brindavana as per the adesha of Sri Hari. The accumulated punya and the punya acquired in the japa in the Brindavana is completely reserved for all the devotees of the world, irrespective of caste, creed, religion and nation.

Dear Devotees, please do not have hatred towards other religions and sects. Other caste people they may offer the Naivedya in their own way and style. But our Sri Hari will accept the things which are dear to him in his own form of purity and sanctity. Sri Hari is the only God who can impart Moksha to the able jeevas.Shruti is describing that Sarvottama Sri Hari Narayana is the only God to relieve us from all the sorrows and miseries and take us to Permanent happiness i. e. Moksha:

Narayanosow Paramo Vichintyaha Mumkshubhihi KarmaPaashad Mushmaat.

Devotees in order to fulfill the will and the Desire of Sri Hari, today I am concluding my avatara and stay in the Brindavana for seven hundred years and always engage myself in the Japa of Sri Hari. For this noble task I am entering Brindavana Sa Shareera. As per the Manudharma love and respect your own religious formalities and the traditions with unalterable faith and devotion .Live with peace and harmony. Be kind and courteous to others feelings and ideas. Do not hurt the feelings of others. Don’t be proud, be away from egoism. Think about others act softly, be selfless, polite and kind. We are all the servants of Sri Hari. Always speak true, Universal affection and love of mankind one should have in his life. Respect and regard the elders Stottamaru and Swaottamaru. Repentance feeling one should have when ever he does some mistakes. Be kind towards all the living animals, creatures, maintain good character and always be in touch

of noble philosophy of Sri Madhwacharya which inculcates the real values of life and become a reader of Sadgranthas. Though I enter Brindavana the Granthas of Sri Madacharya,The Teekas of Malkheda Sri Jaiteertharu and the granthas composed by me are all here, read them, follow them and act accordingly.

Dear Devotees today I wish to say that Strong faith belief and devotion towards Sri Hari is the only way to liberate from all the sorrows and worries. Sri Hari is the only omnipotent and omniscient who can impart Chaturvidha Purushaartha to us.

YOU ALL MUST LEAD A HAPPY LIFE THAT IS THE ONLY INTENTION FOR THIS I AM GOING TO BE HERE IN THE NEELA BRINDAVANA FOR A LONG JAPA OF SRI HARI:

Samaayaat Samaayaat Purushaarthhino Janaaha SamaashrayadhvamasmachreeHrutpadmasthalam Ramaapatim

Devotees you are all desirous of Dharma Artha Kaama Moksha, So pray him,worship him, Ramaapati Laxmipati Sri ManNarayana is in my heart. You will really acquire all the good things in your lifetime.

SARVAE JANAAHA SUKHINO BHAVANTU SAMASTU SANMANGALAANI BHAVANTU.

So Mantralaya Sri Raghavendrateertharu with great concern and affection addressed in Mantralaya to the gathered mass on that day of Shraavana Bahula Dwiteeya. With smile raised his hands towards the devotees Blessed and gave Abhaya to all.

Then Rayaru climbed the steps of Garbhaalaya one by one while entered the 6×6 square Antarguha, Rayaru holding the hand to Sri Yogeendrateertharu, bade farewell with a smile. spread the krishnajina sat in Padmaasana with Danda Kamandalu and Japamaala. At that moment there are no words to describe shining face of Rayaru with Divine Bliss. Completely involved in the world of Sri Moola Rama,Narahari,Rama,Krishna, Vedavyasa and egaged in the JAPA : OM OM OM OM OM OM holding the Japamaala in the hand. All took the Divya Darshana of Gururayaru. The Omkaara filled the whole universe at that time. Devotees with emotion cried with loud voice:

From now on wards we cannot see you,you will be in this Brindavana, this is your last Darshana:

GURUSARVABHOUMA DAYAAGHANA BHAKTAVATSALA KALIYUGA KAMADHENU KALPAVRUKSHA NAMO NAMO

This from Hindupedia:

Sant Dariya was born in Vikram era 1691(1634A.D.) on Sunday in Ashwin month at Dharkandha in Rohtas District of Bihar (India).He was brought up and remained at that place for most of his life. It is said that the ancestral place of the Saint is Rajpur which is at a distance of 10 miles from Dhakandha,the maternal place of the Saint.Dharkandha is situated at a distance of about 52 miles from Arrah and about 6 miles from Suryapura.

Sant descended on the scene when the Mughal Empire was on decline and the British were consolidating their feet.There was absence of a powerful central Govenrnment which resulted in termoil in the society.Public was on the whims and mercy of the then local rulers and suffering immensely.Marathas power was on ascendance in the west.There was moral degradation all around and people were looking for a savior. The savior appeared on the scene in Sant Dariya.

He wrote many poems- here are some examples:

Who can describe the Source of the universe
by Dariya
(1634 - 1780)
English version by
K. N. Upadhyaya

Who can describe the Source of the universe,
Containing this world, the underworld and clusters
 of galaxies manifested in higher regions?
The One whose luster, like a luminous gem,
 illumines the universe,
Which poet can comprehend and follow
 the pattern of His manifestations?

It is the Merciful Lord
 who bestowed His grace on me,
And I could see the glory
 of His entire manifestations.
The play of love of the Limitless Primal Being,
 I did see in entirety.
This is an inaccessible and unfathomable Divine Wonder,
How can any poet give its description?

You Have Nothing to Worry About

by Dariya

(1634 – 1780) Timeline

English version by

K. N. Upadhyaya

You have nothing to worry about.

Be free from worries,

And remain immersed in love for the Beloved.

He shall take you across the ocean of the world,

If you seek support of his boat sailing in this ocean.

No amulet, charm, yogic practice

or other holy repetition is of any avail.

Only he provides the technique which destroys sins,

and removes vices from the heart.

By seeing and reflecting within your heart,

says Daria,

You will be freed from all ills

Just by kindling the wick of Nam

with the Satguru’s lamp.

Without love there can be no devotion and wisdom (from Love Chapter)

By Dariya

(1634 – 1780) Timeline

English version by
K.N. Upadhyaya

Without love there can be no devotion and wisdom.
With love arisen, they can be experienced
with the Satguru‘s grace.
With intensification of love, one comes in contact
with the True Sound,
And like a lotus in water, abides in its peace and bliss.

When love and endearment are firmly engrained,
One attains the elixir of Nam, and enjoys its bliss.
Being firmly entrenched in love and endearment,
And being well-steeped in devotion,
one obtains the true love.

Have love for the lotus feet of the Satguru, 0 wise men.
This life is short.
Give up needlessly extended discussions.

With love and wisdom arisen,
One moves with detachment in the world.
He who finds a Satguru,
Has the true recognition of the path, says Dariya.

So long as the lover is not immersed in love,
His sins and evil thoughts are not washed off.
If one’s attention is not absorbed in the inner sky,
How can he see the wondrous inner sights?

So long as the intense longing for the Beloved
does not arise,
And the heart is not filled with love;
The spiritual goal cannot be attained
By mere observance of religious practices,
vows and rituals.

Whatever be the bulk of one’s charity and virtuous deeds,
One can find no foothold anywhere without devotion.

Have firm faith in love and devotion.
Love is the essence of spiritual truth.
Reflect on this saying of the Saints,
By this alone, one is saved from the ocean of the world.

Without love, one goes to the abode of Yama,
But being endowed with love, one attains the immortal fruit.

Blessed is the eye which is permeated with love.
Without love it is like a pebble or stone.
Like a gardener without a garden,
the eye remains empty without love.
What is the state of a human being without love?
He is like one who is denied all delicacies,
and whose mouth is filled only with dust.
Without love one does not find the flow
of the Sound Current.
But when the flower of love blossoms,
its fragrance is praised by all.

Many are the paths prevalent in this world
Knowing the proper wisdom, work out your own salvation.
He who obtains a wise and discriminating Saint,
Recognizes the path of salvation.

The technique of love is truly the root of spirituality.
Follow this technique as imparted by the Master.
When with his grace the inner lamp is lighted,
The true Nam, the support of all, comes to sight.

Just as the lotus resides in water,
It does not come to bloom by water.
Only when the light of the sun appears,
Does the lotus open its petals,
As the contemplative (inner) eye opens to see.

The spiritual lotus likewise resides in the human body
which is like a pond.
Its sustaining water is close to the lotus.
But only when love for the Satguru arises,
Does the inner lotus bloom,
And one becomes a devotee of the Lord’s holy feet.

Without love, there is no spiritual path.
The path lives in love.

With intensification of love, one comes in contact
with the True Sound,
And like a lotus in water, abides in its peace and bliss.

When love and endearment are firmly engrained,
One attains the elixir of Nam, and enjoys its bliss.
Being firmly entrenched in love and endearment,
And being well-steeped in devotion,
one obtains the true love.

Without love one does not find the flow
of the Sound Current.
But when the flower of love blossoms,
its fragrance is praised by all.

BhagavadGita