Happy Birthday Sri Ramakrishna

Om sthapakaya cha dharmasya, sarva dharma-svarupine;
Avatara-varishthaya Ramakrishnaya te namah.
Om namah shri bhagavate Ramakrishnaya namo namah.









Today is Sri Ramakrishna's birthday according to Thithi.

May He bless you all with happiness and prosperity.

Arunachala 'I'

I was pouring over the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna and am charmed to see it in a new light having been to Arunachala and having read Bhagawan's way.

The gospel too is replete with instances where Sri Ramakrishna has referred to the 'I' and the 'Thou'.

'I' here represents jiva and 'Thou' Paramatman.

Here is one such example of Sri Ramakrishna urging devotees to seek the 'I' to find the 'Thou'


Master: Try to find out what this 'I' is. Is this 'I' the bones, flesh or blood or intestine?

Seeking the 'I' you discover 'Thou'.

In other words nothing exists inside you but the power of God.

There is no 'I' but only 'He'.

Chapter 43, Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Belur Math.

Arunachala Ramakrishna

KALPATARU DAY

Today is the day when Sri Ramakrishna manifested his true identity of Supreme Godhead.

"I shall make the whole thing public before I go,' the Master has said some time before. On January 1, 1886, he felt better and came down to the garden for a little stroll. It was about three o'clock in the afternoon. Some thirty lay disciples were in the hall or sitting about under the trees. Sri Ramakrishna said to Girish (Ghosh), 'Well Girish, what have you seen in me, that you proclaim me before everybody as an Incarnation of God?' Girish was not the man to be taken by surprise. He knelt before the Master and said with folded hands, 'What can an insignificant person like myself say about the One whose glory even sages like Vyasa and Valmiki could not adequately measure?' The Master was profoundly moved. He said: 'What more shall I say? I bless you all. Be illumined!' He fell into a spiritual mood. Hearing these words the devotees, one and all, became overwhelmed with emotion. They rushed to him and fell at his feet. He touched them all, and each received an appropriate benediction. Each of them, at the touch of the Master, experienced ineffable bliss. Some laughed, some wept, some sat down to meditate, some began to pray. Some saw light, some had visions of their Chosen Ideals, and some felt within their bodies the rush of spiritual power."

From the Introduction to THE GOSPEL OF SRI RAMAKRISHNA,
by Swami Nikhilananda

The Arunachala Hill and the Lord of Bengal Sri Ramakrishna are one and the same power. This is my strong conviction.

Om namo Bhagvate Ramakrishnaaya namaha
Om Namo Arunachalaeshwaraaya namaha

Arunachala Darshan 1

MAYA DARSHAN

I think of this as the Maya Darshan. When I first went to Arunachala it was covered in the clouds. I could not see it. I hoped that I would be able to see it the next day when I went for my maiden Pradakshina around the Mountain.

I started along with my cousins early next day at about 4.00 AM. I had slept very little and had rushed out to see whether the cloud cover had receded. Unfortunately it had not.

On the Pradakshina path I walked slowly hoping for the clouds to lift. It was after I had covered a substantial distance that I thought I could see the peak as the clouds were slowing lifting away.

My first thought was the Mountain was sooo small. However I uttered heartfelt prayers to the peak which looked like a pointed triangle.

Stunningly the clouds behind the peak slowly lifted off and I saw awestruck at the Elephant Darshan of Arunachala.

I realized that the peak which I had thought to be Arunachala initially was the Parvathi Peak, a symbol of Maya.

I remebered Sri Ramakrishna's teaching that unless the Mother Goddess who is veruly Maya permits...one cannot see Isvara.

Here too my first full darshan of Arunachala was accomplished only I had 'worshipped' the Maya peak. It looked as if the Goddess in her compassion gave way for me to see the Lord who had smilingly emerged from behind her.

Truly the path to Isvara is by permission from Maya. Here are the photo graphs to explain what I mean.



This is before Arunachala disappears behind Maya. I could not see this becoz the cloud cover was very dense and it was dark.



This is Arunachala hidden behind Maya.



The Lord emeges at this angle and this is the place where I had my first darshana.

Moe Arunachala darshans to follow.