Mahapuja 2009 - May 18th

For performing the supreme act of Self-enquiry, there is no other auspicious day than today.

(GVK 518)

Being-awareness is the true guru

The Self, the Being-Awareness, shining
As all things and in all things
Is the true guru.

-- The Garland of Guru's Sayings

All is Self

O people who are longing and grieving so much, not knowing in the least the means to destroy the mind so that it will function no more, the means is to experience clearly that the seen (the world appearance) and the seer (the jiva) are nothing but oneself (the Self).

Like ornaments (seen) in gold, like water in a mirage, and like a dream city with battlements, everything that is seen is nothing but Self alone. To take them as being other than Self is wrong.

-- Guru Vachaka Kovai 922, 923

Wishing all readers joy on the anniversary of Bhagavan's enlightenment. Please see this and this..

Worshipping the form of God

Let those who have become a prey to the delusion of action, being unable to follow the original path of the light of Self, existence-consciousness, worship the form of their beloved God. Then they will gradually lose their delusion (towards names and form and action) and finally attain the Supreme Self.
--Guru Vachaka Kovai, Sri Muruganar.

Thought-free Self awareness

To worship the formless reality through thought-free thought (that is by attending to the thought-free Self-awareness, 'I am') is best. If one is incapable of doing this formless worship of God, to worship God in form is proper.
--Guru Vachaka Kovai, Sri Muruganar.

Misery

If you love others only for their bodies or their souls (egos) you will suffer from grief when their bodies die and their souls depart. Therefore, in order to be free from such grief, have true Love towards Self, which is the real Life of the soul.
--GVK 370
(Photo of Skandasramam, taken by author, free to use)

Misery

If the jiva who is ever deluded and is always suffering from a feeling of deficiency, wants to get rid of all miseries and to be happy, he need only know the Supreme One, his Lord, and be his own Self.
--GVK 367

Obstacles

Discriminating and knowing well that all the sufferings that come by prarabdha in his life are send to him by God's Grace in order to make his mind stronger and thereby save him, let an aspirant bear with them patiently as tapas without being alarmed even in the least.

-- GVK 618, Sri Muruganar

Obstacles

The many afflictions which occur with severity like thunderbolts in the life of the great devotees are only to establish their pure mind more and more firmly (in tapas, that is Self-abidance) and not to shake them down from it.

-- GVK 617, Sri Murugunar

Cause of suffering (cont'd)

Those who do not know through Self-enquiry what is the truth of their natural state (Self) mistake the alien body to be "I" and see the world as different from themselves and hence suffer in delusion.

All other things except that ("I"), which shines as the one undeluded Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, are seen on account of the deceitful play of Maya.
-- (GVK 430)

Do not make any real and firm effort to annihilate the feeling "I am the body" (the ego). Know that the ego, "I am the body", is the sole cause of all samsara-dukkha (miseries of life)
-- (GVK 846)

Cause of suffering

It is only due to the delusion which is caused by not learning the Truth of the Self that jivas are suffering. Therefore, always take to the practice of Jnana -- the inward enquiry "Who am I that is suffering?"

-- (GVK 405)

The Garland of Guru's sayings

53. Guru's Grace

Those on whom the guru's glance
Of grace has fallen are like the deer
Caught in a tiger's jaw. They are bound
To have their wretched ego slain
And know the one supreme Awareness.
They will never be forsaken.

56. Reverence to the Guru

After surrendering to the Guru
Body, mind and all belongings,
To still regard these as "I'' and "mine''
Is taking back a gift once given.
Strict avoidance of this sin
Is pure worship of the Master.

68. Freedom from Bondage

The separate self is but the mind
Drunk with and reeling under the notion
That it is bound. This very mind
When it stands steady, still, desiring
Nothing and proud of nothing
Becomes the Self supreme.

71. Awareness

Is it not because of you and yourself
Awareness that you now perceive
This universe? If you observe
Awareness steadily, this awareness
Itself as Guru will reveal
The Truth.

80. Self Surrender

"Give yourself to God'', they say.
But is it ours to give, not His already?
Now at least let us repent
The theft and at His lotus Feet
Restore what we had stolen.

84. Meekness

Beholding in all beings but the Self,
Meeker than all and even meeker
Than His humblest devotees,
By virtue of such meekness the Supreme
Achieves supremacy.

The gracious light of Self one sees not
When looking for it as an object.
But when one looks not, then it shines.

65. Pure Being

What our Master clearly teaches
By way of great, good, powerful tapas
Is only this and nothing more
BE STILL.
Apart from this, the mind has no
Task to do or thought to think.

Taken from Guru Vachaka Kovai

Translated by Prof. K. Swaminathan from the Tamil original of Sri Muruganar