SEVA - The Purpose of Life

Daily Sutras...

2009-01-30T12:50:00.000-08:00

Below are sutras, told by SRI SRI Ravi Shankar Guruji

The future is very comfortable. Glorifying the past is very comfortable. Seeing God now, here, is difficult. Seeing God in yourself is even more difficult
If you just fall in love with a flower, you go on appreciating it and go deep into that, and you will see that flower dissolves into the formless. You will see the space which is hiding deep inside that flower
In whomsoever you see whatever good quality---appreciating it, honoring it, heightening it, enlightening it---this is Divine Love, this is bhakti, this is devotion
Nature loves fun
A big Mind---that is God. And your mind is part of that big Mind.
All this universe you see, but you don't see God---which is the life of the whole universe
The whole universe is one body

More to come...

Bliss - the way to experience it

2008-12-27T07:55:00.001-08:00

Sorrow is simply thinking about the past and worrying about the future. If we train our mind to stick to the present, i.e. LIVE WITH THE PRESENT, there would be no sorrow. For eg: when we bathe, we should enjoy that. Though this may seem simple, this is not. Just try it, u ll realize. (I have been trying for a long time, its tough :)).

8 ways to peace in mind

2008-11-28T16:51:00.001-08:00

Courtesy: AOL community, Orkut

8 ways to peace in mind

1. Smile - Only 4 muscles are used to smile. To have a serious face 72
muscles are used. Intelligent people work less by keeping a smile.
Doesn't matter if it is not natural. Fake it till you make it.

2. Sadhana – Why we should do sadhana every day? Our body has billions
of cells and these cells function in rotation. The cells that are on
duty today will get their slot to work only after some days. That is
why we cannot afford to miss even a day's sadhana. Do at least 20
minutes of meditation daily.

3. Sing for a few minutes every day. Just for yourself. During this
time you need not have to bother about your voice (just like during
satsang) and what others will think of it(we have done enough thinking
for others lets now take a break from it).

4. Take a walk for yourself. Sort of Nature work. Feeling the
surroundings and feeling our own Self.

5. Have a bigger goal in life – 'I want to know the TRUTH'. 'I want to
realize myself' etc., would be worthy goals.

6. Seva –Gurudev says – If you do not do seva, you are a burden on the
planet. No where He speaks harsh like this. To that extent seva is
important.
In one of the AMCs Some one asked Guruji how to attain Equanimity of
mind.Gurudev answered if you feel sad then Meditate; If you are happy
do seva

7. Once in a while reflect your life in the context of time and space
– Who am I? What i am doing to this world?It makes our worries
insignificant and makes us realize how tiny our problems are.

8. Have faith, shraddha in ourselves, in the Divine or/& in the Master.

All these eight ways are equally important and should be followed daily.

KARMA EFFECT AND NEWTON'S THIRD LAW...

2008-07-23T06:23:00.000-07:00

Its been long since I wrote a post in this blog... Now, this has been an issue keeping me occupied for quite some time. Just think, there are some children, born at rich, comfortable and happy homes and some others who are born in radically opposite situations. On one hand, there are people who are hale and healthy and on the other people with many ailments or deformities. There are people who die a very peaceful death and there are others who die in a Sudden & horrible manner.

The very thought of this discrimination haunted my mind. I used to think, why certain people experience more difficulties in their lives than others. Finally, I got an answer for all these - KARMA. Through the law of karma, the effects of all deeds actively create past, present, and future experiences, thus making one responsible for one's own life, and the pain and joy it brings to him/her and others. The results or 'fruits' of actions are called karma-phala. In religions that incorporate reincarnation, karma extends through one's present life and all past and future lives as well.

Karma is analogous to Newton's third law!

Karma effect : For every deed you do(good or bad), there is an equal result you experience.

Newton's third law : For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.

While speaking about Karma, it is essential to mention about Karma Yoga. Karma Yoga is a concept given by Lord Krishna. To put it simply, Karma Yoga is the art of performing actions without expecting the results. Such a person is called KARMA YOGI. Karma yoga focuses on the adherence to duty(dharma) while remaining detached from the reward.

Let us all try to do good and be good all the time...

God doesn't exist

2008-07-17T02:28:00.000-07:00

This is a mail I got from my friend... Nice one, enjoy...

God doesn't exist
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed.As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: "I don't believe that God exists.""Why do you say that?"asked the customer."Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist.
Tell me, if God exists,would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine loving a God who would allow all of these things."The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop. Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and un-kept.The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber: "You know what? Barbers do not exist.""How can you say that?"asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber.And I just worked on you!""No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.""Ah, but barbers DO exist! What happens is, people do not come to me.""Exactly!"- affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! What happens, is, people don't go to Him and do not look for Him. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."

Devotee's experience with Paramacharya (Mahaperiyava)

2008-06-20T09:30:00.000-07:00

R.Krishnan, I D.A.S.(Retd.)

On 10.10.57, I was to leave for Pune to join duty in Defence Accounts Department as an Upper Division Clerk. It was by chance I came to know that Paramacharya was camping at Ramakrishnapuram in west Mambalam. I was dressed in pant and shirt. I just took a chance and on 9.10.57 I went for darshan. I removed my shirt and did 'Pranam'. I proceeded to Pune with His blessings. Now I have retired as a Class I Officer.

During 1968 my sister was in a very serious condition and had been admitted in the Tanjore Medical Hospital. On my way back from Tanjore to Pune I went to have the darshan of Paramacharya who was observing silence. Through His assistants I handed over some fruits as homage and told Him about my sister's plight. Paramacharya took one orange and asked me to give it to my sister. When I told him that I was not going back to Tanjore He asked me to make juice of the orange and drink it for the welfare of my sister. On reaching Pune I got a letter saying my sister was better and was being discharged from the hospital. This was a surprise as on the day I left Tanjore, the doctors never gave any hope about her life.

In 1985 when I was entering my 50th year, I had the darshan of Paramacharya along with my wife and my mother-in-law. My wife's grandfather, Navaneetham Sarangapani Iyengar, Advocate of Kalyanapuram was a trusted devotee of Paramacharya in Kumbhakonam Matha in the 20's. When my wife just mentioned his name, there was a pause. Then to our surprise He called her and narrated many instances involving Sarangapani Iyengar and enquired about everyone and blessed us. This really is a surprise as Paramacharya has thousands of devotees and to remember one after a lapse of 50 years is something hard to believe.

Maha Periyavaa darisana anubavangal - 2

2008-04-24T22:08:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting and emotional anubavam, I read from kanchiforum.com

"I feel very privileged in giving the translation of an episode, published in a tamil magazine. For copyright issues, please pray to MahaPeriyava - SRI KRISHNAN"

Tiruvidaimarudoor, near Kumbakonam in Tanjore district is famous for a Siva Temple, Sri Maha Linga Swami.

Many years ago, on a Chitra Pournima day, an Abhishegam for Sri Maha Linga swami was performed with the chanting of Rudra Japa. It was a grand success. With 11 Vedic Pundits, it started at 8am and finished by 1pm. Sri Narayanaswami Iyer (NI), the head of the village (Mirasudar), an ardent Maha Periyava devotee, organised the whole event.

Very eager to offer the Rudra-Prasad to Maha Periyava, NI reached Kanchi the very next day. He had packed the Prasad in a plantain-leaf covered with a new silk shawl.

At Kanchi, after finishing the daily Puja, Sri Maha Periyava was giving dharshan. A lot of people were waiting for the dharshan. When his turn came, NI was shivering and lost his voice. He did a sashtanga namaskaram. Maha Periyava looked at him and raised his brows, meaning “Whats the news?”

NI opened his prasad packet, kept it in a plate and offered it to Maha Periyava – still shivering in reverence. The Prasad offering had vibhuthi, Kumkum, chandan, vilva leaves, 2 half coconuts, and bananas.

Maha Periyava: “ This prasad is from which Kshetram?”
NI: “ Periyava, I organized a Rudra abhishegam yesterday in Tiruvidaimarudoor for Maha Linga Swami. I brought this Prasad for Periyava from there. I am offering it for Periyava’s anugraham”.

MahaPeriyava was looking at that plate containing the Prasad. And then asked him: “Narayanaswami, you are a rich man; still did you share the expense with someone else for this Abhishegam?”
NI: “No Periyava…I bore all the expenses myself”
Maha Periyava was smiling after hearing the emphasis on “I, myself”.

Maha Periyava: “You performed this abhishegam for Loka Kshemam?”
NI: “No Periyava…for the last 2 or 3 years we are not getting good harvest from the fields…..some lands have not yielded anything…..Muthu Josiyar asked me to conduct a Rudra Abhisegam on Chitra Pournima day for the best yields….I did that after believing him, Periyava”

The Acharya still has not accepted the Prasad. “ This means that you did not do it for aathmaartham or Loka Kshemam….!”, saying this, Maha Periyava closed his eyes and meditated for 15 minutes. When He opened His eyes, one could understand that He was very clear as to what had happened.

Maha Periyava: “Ok. How many Brahmmanals were there?”
NI: “Eleven Pundits were there, Periyava”
“ Who are they, you only organised them, right? From which place are they ?” this was Maha Periyava.

By now the devotees around were wondering why Sri MahaPeriyava was so inquisitive. NI took out a paper and read out the names. ".......Tiruvidaimarudoor Venkatrama Sastrigal, Srinivasa Ganapadigal, Rajagopala Swouthigal…..” MahaPeriyava intervened, “ Oh… all of them are great Vedic Pundits….just see in your list, if you have Thepperumanallur Venkatesa Ganapadigal”.

NI was very happy to find that name in his list. He exploded: “yes, yes, Periyava, he was there yesterday….”

Mahaperiyava : “besh….besh…..Venkatesa Ganapadigal was also there…Very good. He is a great Vedic Pundit! He is getting very old now. Nowadays he chants Rudra Japam with great difficulty.”

As if he got the point, NI immediately said: “ You are very correct, Periyava. He did not do the Rudra Japam properly. Most of the times he was sitting with his eyes closed without chanting…..and the number of Japams got reduced because of that……I was wondering why I invited him”.

Maha Periyava got annoyed with NI. “ Just because you have money, you cannot assume you can say anything! Do you know the qualification of Thepperumanallur Venkatesa Ganapadigal? You are not even comparable to the dust in his feet. How can you say that about him? Now I understand what happened yesterday. Now you answer me. When he was sitting with his eyes closed, did you not go to him and shout at him saying ‘ For the money you are getting, why is your mouth keeping shut?’

There was absolute silence there. The devotees were stunned. NI, who was at ease a minute ago, started shivering again, fell down on his knees, got up, closed his mouth with his palm and with tears in eyes said, “ I was wrong, Priyava…please, please forgive me. To Ganapadigal, I said exactly what you just now described. Please forgive me”

“ Wait, that is not it. There is more. Did you give dhakshina to every Pundit? How much did you give?” – Maha Periyava.

“ I gave ten rupees to each of them” – NI, with great difficulty.

“ I know everything….tell me again. Did you give ten rupees to everyone?” – Maha Periyava.

NI was quiet. But Maha Periyava did not leave him. “ You are ashamed to tell me. I will tell you what happened. You offered the ten rupee sambhavana to each Pundit. When you came near the Thepperumanallur Ganapadigal, you reduced the sambhavana to seven rupees since you thought he did not do the Japams continuously. You felt vindicated by this! And you were happy! But the Ganapadigal did not care. He smiled at you and took it……Tell me all this is true?”

The devotees did not know how Maha Periyava knew all this. NI was stunned and silent. He repeatedly pleaded guilty and said he would never ever do such things in future.

While Narayanaswamy Iyer was feeling ashamed and was pleading guilty, Maha Periyava did not stop there. “Wait…I would have been happy if it ended here. Did you organise lunch for all of them at Ramachandra Iyer’s house?”

“Yes, Yes, Periyava” – NI.
“ You served very well……the Chakra Pongal was like Amrut, made with a lot of cashews and raisins; overflowing with ghee… was served personally by you. Right?” – Maha Periyava.

“ Yes Periyava, I served the Chakra Pongal myself” – NI was pleased to say this.

“While serving, did you do it with clear conscience and follow the proper etiquette and decorum? “ – Maha Periyava.

No response from NI. “OK. I will tell you. Since it tasted very good, all the Pundits enjoyed it and asked for more Chakra Pongal. You also served them more and more. But when you saw Thepperumanallur Ganapadigal asking for more, not once but many times, you pretended as if you did not even hear him! So many times he asked for more! Yet, not once did you respond. Is this dharma? You cheated him off….You played so dirty. You deceived him, you betrayed him, you insulted him!”. Acharya looked very upset and sad.

NI was standing there, fully ashamed of himself. Maha Periyava changed his position and sat straight as if Lord Parameshwara was sitting there. After 15 minutes of silence and meditation, Maha Periyava opened His eyes. “Mirasudarvaal, you must understand one thing. The Ganapadigal is now 81. He has been chanting Rudra Japam from the age of 16 at many Siva temples. Sri Rudram is embodied in every nerve of his, and runs in his breadth and his blood. He is such a Maha Purush. What you displayed was absolute sin. Nothing but sin”. Maha periyava could not talk any more. After a while, He continued.

Maha Periyava continued: “The insult you heaped on him affected him thoroughly. Do you know what he did? He did not go back to his village. Yesterday evening he went straight to Maha Linga Swami temple. After three pradhakshinas, he stood in front of the Swami and do you know what he prayed for?”

Maha Periyava had difficulty talking. He continued after some time…”with tears rolling down his cheeks, ‘Appa Jothi Maha Lingam! You know I am your ardent devotee. You have heard my Rudra Japams so may times in your Sannidhi, from my young years. I am now 81. Am very strong at heart, but the strength in my voice has diminished. You are well aware of what happened during lunch today. That Chakra Pongal.... was so tasty…. And leaving aside my shame, I was pleading for some more….so many times. That Mirasudaar just pretended as if he did not hear me and went away. You know I like Chakra Pongal so much….I felt so bad that he did not serve me more in spite of my pleading. But later on, I realised that I should not have that kind of attachment to a mere dish. That’s why I am standing in front of you. When people go to Kasi, they give up a vegetable and a fruit. You are the same Lingam in Kasi as well. That’s why I am promising you that from this minute on, till my jeevan leaves this body, I am giving up not just Chakra Pongal, but any sweet dish. I will not touch. Maha Lingam, this is my promise… I am taking leave of you’. So saying, with more tears from his eyes, the Ganapadigal left for his village. Now you tell me, Narayanaswamy Iyarvaal, was it not a sin you committed? Will Maha Linga Swami accept your actions?”

Maha Periyava stopped here. It was 3pm. He refused the Biksha for the day. No one left that place. Tears in everyone’s eyes.

NI fell on Maha Periyava’s feet. He was sobbing, uncontrollably. Unable to speak, but still managed to say, “ Periyava, I feel very very ashamed. I made a big mistake. I will never do this mistake in my life. Please pardon me. Please, Periyava. Please tell me that you forgive me….Please take this Maha Linga Prasad and pardon me. Please Periyava”. Even then Maha Periyavaa didn't touch the Prasadams brought by NI but firmly said
“ Wait for a while, that Maha Linga Swami himself will give me anugraham for Prasadam”.

Just then a Pundit aged around 65, looking fresh with rudraksha around his neck holding a plate arrived there. He told Maha Periyava: “ My name is Maha Lingam. I am the Archagar in Tiruvidaimarudoor temple.

The Pundit continued: ”Yesterday there was a Rudra Abhishegam for Maha Linga Swami. I came to offer the Prasad to Periyava and take His blessings”.

When he was going to do Namaskaram, Maha Periyava stopped him saying “ those who got Siva Dheeksha should not do Namaskaram to me”. MahaPeriyava took the Prasadam and offered Matam’s ‘return gift’ – prasad. By then the Archagar saw NI and said, “ Periyava, he is Narayanaswamy Iyer. He was the one who organised the Abhishegam yesterday.” Then the Archagar took leave from Maha Periyava and left.

NI told Maha Periyava repeatedly that he made a big mistake and asked for Prayaschittam- ‘how can I wash this sin?’

Acharyal got up and said, ” I cannot tell you the Prayaschittam for this. Only Thepperumanallur Venkatesa Ganapadigal can tell you”. “But will he tell me, after whatever I did?” asked NI. In a loud voice, Maha Periyava said: “ If you have the Praaptham he will tell you”. So saying, He went inside to His room.

Maha Periyava did not come out for long. NI now decided to meet the Ganapadigal. He took a bus and reached Thepperumanallur next day. He wanted to plead for pardon from the Ganapadigal, get his blessings and then only go back to his place. When he reached the Ganapadigal’s house, he saw a lot of people there………the Ganapadigal left for his heavenly abode early that morning! What Maha Periyava said hit his head: “ If you have the Praaptham, he will tell you”.

He said to himself, “Maha Periyava knew I did not have the Praaptham – what a big sinner am I”. However, he did Namaskaram to the Ganapadigal’s body and left for his village back.

Later on, Narayanaswamy Iyer did a lot of service for the Mutts in the North and obtained Mukhti in Kasi.

Jaya Jaya Sankara Hara Hara Sankara.

Maha Periyavaa darisana anubavangal...

2008-04-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the experiences of devotees with MAHAPERIYAVAA... I will continue to upload posts in this topic...

You Want to Know the Greatness of mantra siddhi?"Author: Sri Ramani Anna (in Tamil)Source: Sakthi Vikatan issue dated Oct 6, 2006
Once a brahmachary (bachelor) youth came to have darshan of Kanchi Mahaswami (HH Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati). He prostrated before the sage and got up.Swamiji looked at him keenly and said, "Are you not Kulitalai Sankaran? You are fine?""With your blessings, yes, Periyavaa", said Sankaran."Alright, what is your age now?""Thirty, Periyavaa."Periyavaa laughed: "So you have decided to lead your life as a brahmachari, without any idea of marriage.""Yes, Periyavaa", said Sankaran."Alright, anything special about your coming here now?" Periyavaa laughed. "And you wouldn't come without a reason!""Yes, Periyavaa. I have come to get a doubt cleared.""Is it so? Come on, tell me" said Periyavaa. "What is that big doubt you have?""It is a doubt about mantra japam, Periyavaa", replied Sankaran.Periyavaa asked quickly: "If it is about mantra japam... Are you doing any mantra japam?""Yes, Periyavaa"."Oho... You have had an upadesam?""Yes, Periyavaa"."Whoever is that Guru?""Mysore Yajna Narayana Ganapadigal", said Sankaran."Good, very learned; whatever the mantra?"Before Sankaran could open his mouth, Swamiji said, "Wait, wait. You should not tell me the mantra. That should remain with you as a secret. Just tell me which devata (God) it is about.""Hanumat upAsanA paramAna mUla mantra, Periyavaa" said Sankaran."Alright. What is it that you want to get clarified in this mantra japam?""It is like this, Periyavaa. I am performing this mantra japam since my twenty-third year which was when I got the upadesam. I am doing it for the last seven years, still I don't know anything.""What do you mean by saying 'I don't know anything'?", asked Swamiji with surprise."What I mean, Periyavaa, is that I am not able to find out if I have got the siddhi of that mantra" replied Sankaran, his voice echoing his sadness.Swamiji said without hesitation: "What are you going to do by knowing it? Anyway, are you doing the japam for AtmArtam (to know the self) or kAmyArtam (for a specific purpose)?"Sankaran said: "I am doing it only for AtmArtam, Periyavaa. Still, I am at a loss to understand if I have got the mantra siddhi and the grace of the devata. I pray to you to kindly tell me about my progress". As Sankaran said this with all humility, tears started rolling down his eyes."Only the person who does the japam can understand if he has got the mantra siddhi, by personal experience. There will be a time when the person will experience it, Sankara," said Swamiji with vAtsalyam (affection).Sankaran wasn't satisfied. "No, Periyavaa. I haven't had any personal experience so far. And I don't understand anything about it, though I continue to do the japam, as advised by my Guru, for the last seven years. Sometimes my mind becomes very tired, Periyavaa. You should kindly inform me about any way that I can know it." As he spoke this, Sankaran joined his palms in reverence and prostrated before Swamiji.Acharyal (Swamiji) was quiet for sometime. He understood Sankaran's confusion. He decided to make the disciple understand what he wanted to know.

He asked Sankaran to squat on the floor near him and began talking:"Many years back, in Sringeri Sri Sarada Peetam, a mahaan named Nrusimha Bharati Swamiji was the peetathipathi (pontiff). One day, a sishya (student) of the matam (hermitage) belonging to that region came to have a darshan of the Swamiji. He did not come for nothing. He bore the same question that you asked me now."After prostrating, he presented the guava fruits to Swamiji."'Come, you are fine? Tell me what you want', said Swami Nrusimha Bharati with utmost kindness. The sishya told him politely, 'Swami, I am doing japam of a mantra that was given to me by an upadesam. I am doing the japam for many years now. Still I am not able to know if I have got the mantra siddhi. How do I know it Swami?'"Swamiji said at once, in a bid to persuade him, 'You continue to do the japam in an AtmArta way. That devata itself will bless you with the siddhi phala (fruits of the efforts) eventually.'"The sishya was not satisfied with this reply from the Swamiji. He persisted, 'No, Swami. I need to know if I have got the siddhi of the mantra. You must tell me a way to know it, I pray to you.'"Swamiji understood the sishya's mental state. He called him near and said enthusiasticaly, 'Don't worry, my child. There is a way!""'Is there a way, then kindly bless me with the knowledge, Swami!' The sishya was in a hurry of excitement."Nrusimha Bharati Swamiji said laughingly, 'Every day, before you start your japam, spread paddy grains on a wooden seat, and cover it with a vastram (cloth). Sit over the grains and do the japam. Continue in this fashion day after day. On that day when the paddy grains on the seat fry and blossom into flattened rice, you will understand that you have got the mantra siddhi you have been seeking to know. You understand this?'"Even though the sishya understood it, he thought confusedly that if the Swamiji was telling him this way just to satisfy him or if this would really be possible. Suddenly he asked an unexpected question to the Swamiji."'Gurunathar should excuse me. I pray this to you with an intention to know. I should not be mistaken for testing a sage in the guru stAnam (the position of a guru). Spreading the paddy grains, covering them with a cloth... and they will fry...'"Before he could finish it, Swamiji laughed and said, 'You want to know if I have had any such experience, right?' He asked for a wooden seat to be brought then and there and placed facing the direction of east. He asked for a lot of paddy grains to be spread over the seat. When this was done, Swamiji placed his vastram (cloth) over the grains, seated himself in padmaasana and closed his eyes. By this time a large crowd had gathered in the place."Only a few seconds later, there was a continuous noise of the paddy grains getting fried and flattened. There was a little amount of smoke also. Swamiji got up and removed his vastram (cloth) that covered the grains. On the seat were dazzling white flowers of fried and flattened rice! The crowd was amazed."Nrusimha Bharati Swamiji looked at the sishya who asked the question. The sishya was standing sobbing. No one could speak anything more..."As Kanchi Swamiji finished his narration of this episode, Sankaran was standing amazed, with tears in his eyes.When he started to say something soon after, Swamiji interruped him and said, "What Sankara, are you going to ask me to demonstrate to you?" and laughed heartily. Sankaran fell at Swamiji's feet, his eight limbs touching the floor, and said, "Enough Periyavaa! You have made me understand the mahima (greatness) of mantra siddhi.
Kindly bless me, and permit me to return to my place."

The Science of breath...

2008-02-08T03:51:00.000-08:00

I had been yearning to write a post on 'breath and its value' in this blog. I was unaware of the relationship between breath and our body(including mind) till I attended the 'art of living' course. I have been reading some good books regarding Pranayama and Yoga, which confirm the importance of 'breathing excercises'.

Our mind is closely connected with the breath. Just think of the way we breath when we are in emotions like anger, joy, sorrow etc. The way of our breathing would vary from emotion to emotion, i.e, when we are angry, we breath rapidly... It is evident from the lives of great sages and yogis that by controlling our breath, we can have control over our mind. If we practise breathing excercises like 'Pranayama' daily, it would benefit us in many ways. If you take my case, I have wheezing trouble and due to these breathing excercises, I find that the wheezing trouble is in control.

I pity those who smoke, because they dig their own graves by polluting their lungs. It is important that we understand the value of breath and get control over our mind by regulating our breath. Meet you with more posts on BREATH & PRANAYAMA soon...

SEVA Friends Group

2008-01-26T08:04:00.000-08:00

Loads and loads of hearty thanks to my friends(Members of the SEVA Friends Group) who have contributed generously for helping a spastic youngster. May God give all of us more oppurtunities to help others, as far as we can.

I WANT PEACE...

2008-01-08T09:07:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favourite SMSs. I wish to share this with all of you.

A man went to god and told, "I want peace". God said, "Remove the 'I' which is ego, 'want' which is desire and you get peace. "

Simple, yet powerful message...

Donate food just with a click !

2007-12-29T19:39:00.000-08:00

Kudos to my friend Arun abraham and others who are spreading the following message. My only request is that, we can visit those sites and give a click daily, atleast once!

"Hi buddy ,
Please can u do me a favour ? I hope u’l do it for me ! As per the latest Indian survey 7000 hungry people die in India . This is really disgusting ! A day earlier I came across two websites in which just by clicking the box in the websites , u donate a cup of food to an hungry indian at no cost. So I request u to visit these sites , and click the GREEN BOX in the first website and the YELLOW BOX in the second website. Plz visit this link daily and just give a click on the box so that u help a Indian daily.
1 . http://www.bhookh.com/
2. http://www.thehungersite.com/

And one more , just FORWARD this to all of your frnds so that they also form a part of this campaign. Thank you !"

Maha periyava s thoughts for us - PART 1

2007-12-20T09:21:00.000-08:00

*The medicine of Grace to wipe out our sorrows is to develop unshakable faith in God and tolerance is the medicine of Grace to wipe out our sorrows. Bhakti alone can give us the capacity to put up with sorrows. Temples are the agencies for developing that Bhakti. Hence, the need for temples at all places. All offerings to the deities in the temples are tokens of our gratitude to God.

*That which is within all, which is seen as "This" is the source. He who is within and sees as "This" is God. It is the reality. It is in yourself. What is limited is Sadhana; what is unlimited is the end.

*He alone is an Acharya, who, after clearly understanding the conclusive teachings of the Sastras, makes the people of the world gain their welfare by making them stick to the path shown in the Sastras and also himself does everything according to Sastras and remains in that experience

*Many acts relating to God, like building temples, digging tanks are performed. While executing them, there would be many difficulties. There would come also several kinds of dishonour. Not minding any of these, they would complete their tasks with mental one-pointedness removing impurities from their minds and letting the mind wander. By straightening their mind, they acquire mind control and at the end, they realise the Reality that is to be known. Digging tanks, building temples and such other acts are called poorttam. The performance of sacrifices, etc., is known as ishtam. Combining these two, we have the word Ishtapoortam

*In all that you do, let love be the sole motive. Any need must be with reference to another. Let action be out of love. Passions such as desire and hatred , anger and malice must be totally eschewed. If love becomes the grounding principle of all deeds . then most of the ills of the world will vanish. to be contd...

PICS OF MAHA PERIYAVA...

2007-12-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

The ideal prayer...

2007-12-09T08:11:00.000-08:00

Prayer plays an important role in day-to-day life. From childhood, we have the habit of making requests to god regarding our needs. This kind of prayer is known as 'ego-centric' prayer. If the wish is answered, we thank him or else be in displeasure.

But, this is a misconception regarding prayer. Prayer should not be 'ego-centric'. We consider god to be a Genie who has to fulfill our wishes. Prayer, as said by SWAMI RAMA of the Himalayas, should be a thanking process to God('God-centric'). If a wish has to be made, let it be for the whole world (Let all be happy).

It may be difficult for you to understand this initially, but if you ponder over what the saints have said, you will realize and understand the truth.

Please spend few minutes by hearing to Swami Rama's thoughts on Prayer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TP2c0gLHH0

The Ideal Seva...

2007-11-25T05:10:00.000-08:00

There are certain points which have to kept in mind while or after doing Seva... These are points which I learnt through various forms.

We should keep in mind that we are not giving our property... What this means is that, whatever we (assume to) own in this world is taken from here only, as said in the GITA.
We should not remember the service which we did to others and we should not forget the help rendered to us by others.
We should realize that, though we are doing the SEVA, the doer is the SUPREME...
Seva should not just be monetary-based, it should come from the heart.

SEVA IN OUR DAILY LIFE... - PART II

2007-11-04T03:46:00.000-08:00

I wish to add some more points (as a continuation of the PART I) which i feel like sharing with you all.

Service to parents and ancestors is service to GOD. Spending time with them, amidst all our work, will give them immense happiness. I have seen my grandma happy, whenever I enquire about her health.
I see a lot of people(youngsters), who feel that there is some particular age for service. I strongly feel that factors like AGE, MONEY etc do not matter if we have the interest for doing service.
Service is not just donating money. It has to be done whole-heartedly. People who have not settled in life can do service by spending their valuable time, acting as a vounteer for various organisations.

I wish to share 3 Points ( which I learnt from ART OF LIVING program) with all of you. I recite this (not orally) before taking my food. If you feel like following this, you may do so.

Thanks to those, because of whom, I am eating this food (parents, farmers etc)
Let this food be available to all other living beings in this world.
Pranams to GOD.

MAHAPERIYAVA - THE GREAT SAINT...

2007-10-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

I am writing this post with ultimate satisfaction as it is about the great saint of Kanchi.

I dedicate this post to my beloved grandfather ( LATE SRI K.SANTHANAM).

H.H. Jagadguru Shankaracharya Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Paramacharya Swamigal (1894–1994) or the Sage of Kanchi is considered to be one of the greatest saints of India (or Bharatavarsha). He is usually referred to as Shri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati.

Early Life:

Swaminathan was born at Villupuram, a small town in Tamil Nadu, on Sunday 20 May 1894.Swaminathan started his early education under his father’s own tutelage until he was seven. In 1905, the parents performed his Upanayanam, a vedic ceremony for empowering a brahmin boy to begin his vedic studies under a guru.

In 1906, the 66th Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham performed the annual Chaturmasyam (a forty-day annual ritual performed by the Hindu ascetics remaining at one place (normally the ascetics are supposed to roam at large and not stay put at any place for long)in a village near Tindivanam in Tamil Nadu. This was Swaminathan’s first exposure to the Math and the Acharya then. Swaminathan accompanied his father whenever he visited the Math, and the Acharya was deeply impressed by the young boy.

At the beginning of 1907, the 66th Acharya attained siddhi ('attainment' of godhead), and Swaminathan's maternal cousin was anointed as the 67th Acharya. On hearing, the news Swaminathan's family travelled to Kalavai to console his aunt. The family reached Kanchipuram en route to Kalavai. In the meantime, the 67th Acharya died too, after a brief seven days as the head of the Math.

Thirteen-year-old Swaminathan was inducted into the ascetic order on February 13, 1907, as the 68th Acharya of Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, as Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati. After performing the various ceremonies for the two previous Acharyas, he left on a tour to Kumbakonam. The young Acharya spent several years in the study of the scriptures and dharma shastras, and acquainted himself with his role as the Head of the Math.

He soon gained the reverence and respect of the devotees and people around him. To millions of devotees he was simply "Periyava" — the revered one or Maha-Periyava. "Periyava" in Tamil means a great person, and conveys endearment, reverence, and devotion. "Mahaswami" and "Paramacharya" are his other well-known appellations.

To be contd...

PLS SAVE A LIFE...

2007-10-09T06:58:00.000-07:00

Father of R.Karthick (III E&I - SASTRA) , Shri.S.Ramamurthy has to undergo a heart surgery(Vijaya Heart Foundation). They cannot manage the expenses due to financial constraints. Please be generous by donating as much as you can. Students of SASTRA can give their donations to Muthuram ( IV MECH - SASTRA) mob:9894765282. Please contribute before 11.10.2007 (thursday).

Donations can also be sent to account no:10124, Indian Overseas Bank.

Please forward this message to your near and dear...

Thanks to muthu and JS for their efforts...

The young boy - A Paradigm of self-confidence...

2007-10-04T22:11:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, Me and my mom were passing by Nilgiris (trichy) at about 7 o clock in the evening . I stopped the car for gettin corn for us, at that time, a young boy approached us with a bag of phenyl(toilet cleaning liquid) bottles and requested us to buy some. On speaking further with him, we understood that his family situation is worse and he doesnt want to burden his parents . So, he is managing his school fees by selling such items. We were moved by his nature of 'being on his own' at this young age & we bought some bottles for home. Later ,we confirmed with his school ( we got his schools name from him) that, his family is financially weak and this boy is a deserving one.

We also got to know that our respected Mayor ( Trichy) and our District collector are also helping for the boy's education. kudos to the boy and all those who help him...

You can see that boy in front of Nilgiris in the evenings (particularly weekends)...

Thank you...

2007-10-03T08:15:00.000-07:00

There are no words to express my thanks to ambi anna and dhanasekar for contributing generously to the organisation- HELPTOLIVE. Kudos to both of you...

Good job ITC...

2007-09-29T09:04:00.000-07:00

The company(ITC ltd) which gives us Bingo chips(yummy!) ,Mint-o-fresh etc also mfgs note books. What is so special about those notebooks is that , for every classmate notebook we buy, ITC contributes Re 1 to its rural development scheme.

About ITC:

ITC ranks among India's top 10 'Most Valuable (Company) Brands', in a study conducted by Brand Finance and published by the Economic Times.

ITC has a diversified presence in Hotels, Paperboards & Specialty Papers, Packaging, Agri-Business, Packaged Foods & Confectionery, Information Technology, Branded Apparel, Greeting Cards, Safety Matches and other FMCG products.

Their Chairman calls this source of inspiration "a commitment beyond the market".

Some of their popular products are John Players, Sunfeast biscuts, Aashirvaad etc.

About various service schemes of ITC:

Empowering Farmers
Greening wasteland
Creating Women entrepreneurs
Educating Rural children
Irrigating dry lands

Though we may not be able to do all the above said services directly, we are given an oppurtunity to serve (indirectly), by buying ITC notebooks . ( The paper quality is good and there are lot of interesting facts too).

PERSONALITY OF THIS MONTH - PART I

2007-09-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Mother Teresa
"The other day I dreamed that I was at the gates of heaven....And St. Peter said, 'Go back to Earth, there are no slums up here."

These words, once spoken by Mother Teresa, vividly recall the life of the late Roman Catholic nun and missionary known as "the Saint of the Gutters." For Mother Teresa, who devoted her life to the succor of the sick and the outcast, earthly sufferers were nothing less than Christ in "distressing disguise."

EARLY LIFE

Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born on 26 August 1910, in Skopje, which today is capital of the Republic of Macedonia. She was the youngest of the children of an Albanian family from Shkodër, born to Nikola and Drane Bojaxhiu. Nikola was involved in the politics of the day and devoted to the Albanian Cause. After a political meeting he fell ill and died. Agnes at the time was about eight years old. After her father's death she was raised as a Roman Catholic by her mother. According to a biography by Joan Graff Clucas, during her early years, Agnes was fascinated by stories of the lives of missionaries and their service, and by the time she was twelve, she was convinced that she should commit herself to a religious life. She left her home at age 18 to join the Sisters of Loreto as a missionary. Agnes would never again set eyes on her mother or sister.

Agnes initially went to the

Loreto Abbey in Rathfarnham, Ireland in order to learn English, which was the language the Sisters of Loreto used when instructing school children in India. Arriving in India in 1929, she began her novitiate in Darjeeling, near the Himalayan mountains. She took her first vows as a nun on 24 May 1931. At that time she chose the name Teresa after the patron saint of missionaries. She took her solemn vows on 14 May 1937, while serving as a teacher at the Loreto convent school in eastern Calcutta.

Although Teresa enjoyed teaching at the school she was increasingly disturbed by the poverty surrounding her in Calcutta A famine in 1943 brought misery and death to the city; and the outbreak of Hindu/Muslim violence in August 1946 plunged the city into despair and horror

MISSIONARIES OF CHARITY

On September 10, 1946, Teresa experienced what she later described as "the call within the call" while traveling to the Loreto convent in Darjeeling for her annual retreat. "I was to leave the convent and help the poor while living among them. It was an order. To fail would have been to break the faith." She began her missionary work with the poor in 1948, replacing her traditional Loreto habit with a simple white cotton chira decorated with a blue border and then venturing out into the slums." Initially she started a school in Motijhil; shortly thereafter, she started tending to the needs of the destitute and starving. Her efforts quickly caught the attention of Indian officials, including the Prime Minister, who expressed his appreciation.

Teresa wrote in her diary that her first year was fraught with difficulties. She had no income and had to resort to begging for food and supplies. Teresa experienced doubt, loneliness and the temptation to return to the comfort of convent life during these early months. She recorded in her diary:
“
Our Lord wants me to be a free nun covered with the poverty of the cross. Today I learned a good lesson. The poverty of the poor must be so hard for them. While looking for a home I walked and walked till my arms and legs ached. I thought how much they must ache in body and soul, looking for a home, food and health. Then the comfort of Loreto [her former order] came to tempt me. 'You have only to say the word and all that will be yours again,' the Tempter kept on saying ... Of free choice, my God, and out of love for you, I desire to remain and do whatever be your Holy will in my regard. I did not let a single tear come.
”

Teresa received Vatican permission on October 7, 1950 to start the diocesan congregation that would become the Missionaries of Charity.Its mission was to care for, in her own words, "the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the crippled, the blind, the lepers, all those people who feel unwanted, unloved, uncared for throughout society, people that have become a burden to the society and are shunned by everyone." It began as a small order with 13 members in Calcutta; today it has more than 4,000 nuns running orphanages, AIDS hospices, and charity centers worldwide, and caring for refugees, the blind, disabled, aged, alcoholics, the poor and homeless, and victims of floods, epidemics, and famine.

In 1952 Mother Teresa opened the first Home for the Dying in space made available by the City of

Calcutta. With the help of Indian officials she converted an abandoned Hindu temple into the Kalighat Home for the Dying, a free hospice for the poor. She renamed it Kalighat, the Home of the Pure Heart (Nirmal Hriday). Those brought to the home received medical attention and were afforded the opportunity to die with dignity, according to the rituals of their faith; Muslims were read the Quran, Hindus received water from the Ganges, and Catholics received the Last Rites. "A beautiful death," she said, "is for people who lived like animals to die like angels — loved and wanted."

NOBEL LECTURE

TO LISTEN TO THE NOBEL LECTURE BY MOTHER VISIT http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1979/teresa-lecture.html

"As we have gathered here together to thank God for the Nobel Peace Prize I think it will be beautiful that we pray the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi which always surprises me very much - we pray this prayer every day after Holy Communion, because it is very fitting for each one of us, and I always wonder that 4-500 years ago as St. Francis of Assisi composed this prayer that they had the same difficulties that we have today, as we compose this prayer that fits very nicely for us also. I think some of you already have got it - so we will pray together..."

Through the years, Mother Teresa's fame grew, as did the magnitude of her deeds ...

· In 1950, the community she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, was officially recognized by the Archdiocese of Calcutta. The Vatican recognized the organization as a pontifical congregation the same year. What began as an order with 12 members has grown to more than 4,000 nuns running orphanages, AIDS hospices and other charity centers worldwide.

· In 1952, she established a home for the dying poor -- the Nirmal Hriday (or "Pure Heart") Home for Dying Destitutes. There, homeless people -- uncared for and unacceptable at other institutions -- were washed, fed and allowed to die with dignity.

· In 1979, she won the Nobel Peace Prize. Accepting the award in the name of the "unwanted, unloved and uncared for," Mother Teresa wore the same $1 white sari she had adopted when she founded her order. It was to identify herself with the poor.

· When Pope Paul VI gave her a white Lincoln Continental, she auctioned the car, using the money to establish a leper colony in West Bengal.

· In 1982, during the siege of Beirut, she convinced the Israeli army and Palestinian guerillas to stop shooting long enough for her to rescue 37 children trapped in a front-line hospital.

· When the walls of Eastern Europe collapsed, she expanded her efforts to communist countries that had shunned her, embarking on dozens of projects.

"There are many people to do big things. But there are very few people who will do the small things. These very humble work, that is where you and I must be."- Mother Teresa.

References:

www.wikipedia.org
www.nobelprize.org
www.cnn.com
www.pbs.org

SEVA IN OUR DAILY LIFE... - PART I

2007-09-09T04:33:00.000-07:00

Hi all, these are certain points which we may follow in our daily life...

We may allot a part of our income/pocket money for service.
We may act as a volunteer and help various organisations in organising their activities.
We may spend our family functions in any such organisations(thereby spending our time and other resources) , which would give us immense satisfaction.
We may spend a part of money (which we spend for non-fruitful activities) for the welfare of children.
We may create awareness for SEVA among our near and dear(which would benefit both the doer and receiver).

As Swami Rama said "We should do atleast one act of kindness daily"

DONATE WHILE YOU SURF... - PART I-CONTD...

2007-09-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

In addition to the details given in the previous post, I would like to furnish it with some additional details...

Name of the Organisation : HELPTOLIVE

To donate:
Donations can be made by sending a crossed cheque in favour of "HELPTOLIVE". A direct transfer can be done to ICICI Bank, Velachery, Helptolive acc. No. 0385 0100 0388. For online transfer, please give your username in transaction comments. eg: ramesh@gmail.com .

In addition to contributing money/material, we can spend our time by volunteering ( we can offer to teach those children whenever we can...) To know more about volunteering requirements, check this link : http://www.helptolive.org/volunteering.asp.

To know more about (and to become a member of)this organisation, visit www.helptolive.org .

DONATE WHILE YOU SURF... - PART I

2007-09-03T06:42:00.000-07:00

It was really fantastic to know(THANKS TO "NEEYA NAANA"-VIJAY TV) that a group of software engineers are running an organisation(for the past 8 years) to serve the needy, especially CHILDREN who are deprived of EDUCATION. Their group grew over a period of time and there are about 300 members from different parts of our country. Their ideas are worth appreciating, as they are for a noble cause. It requires a great deal of enthusiasm and dedication for doing this, amidst all their commitments .

To know in detail about them , to JOIN THEIR ORGANISATION & TO DONATE pls visit http://www.helptolive.org/ .

To contact them,

HELPTOLIVE

C4, Sai Ayush Ramesha Apts, Golden AvenueDevi Karumari Amman NagarVelachery, Chennai - 42 Tamil nadu - India.

E - mail : helptolive@yahoo.com

In addition to providing education, they are doing a lot of activities like :

Vocational Training Centre for Deprived Women
Resource Centre for the Physically Handicapped
Tuition Center at Corporation Schools for the deprived children
Sponsoring medicines for Destitute home
Helping Individuals for employment / Medical expenses and so on...

I found their website and projects really interesting. I hope you would also become a member of the organisation and help the society( http://www.helptolive.org/ ).

LIVES OF GREAT PEOPLE - AN AWARENESS

2007-08-31T09:02:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Before starting to give details of various organisations, I felt that it is essential to create an awareness of various eminent personalities , who dedicated their lives for Seva(Service). From now, I would like to post details on ONE PERSONALITY A MONTH.

The first personality would be MOTHER TERESA...

Welcome to SEVA - The Purpose of Life

2007-08-29T04:55:00.000-07:00

hi ,
this blog is about SEVA(SERVICE) for the upliftment of needy. This is a place where we can share details of (and help) various organisations such as orphanages, old age homes, home for physically and mentally challenged etc.In the words of sri sri ravishankarji - "our first and foremost commitment in this world is to do seva (service).when you make service your sole purpose in life, it eliminates fear, focuses your mind and gives you meaning"

Chandrasekharan,K