The Sathguru, the Bhaktha, Self-Realization

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

One who cultivates the heart’s natural love obtains the guidance of a Guru, and starts his Sadana (Path of spiritual discipline). He becomes a pravartaka, an initiate.

“Man, when endowed with the heavenly gift of pure love, naturally becomes disposed to avoid the company of what is Asath and to keep the company of what has been described as Sath.”

– The Revelation- Sutra6. The Holy Science,

– Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri (1855-1936 – Disciple of Sri Lahari Mahasaya and Guruji of Sri Yogananda Paramahansa)

By affectionately keeping the company Sath he may be fortunate enough to please one whom may kindly stand to him as his SathGuru or Spiritual Preceptor. By keeping his preceptor’s God-like company there grows an inclination, Pravritti, in the disciple’s heart to save himself from the creation of darkness, Maya, and he becomes Pravartaka, an initiate in the practices of Yama and Niryama, the ascetic forbearances and observances necessary to obtain salvation.

Self-Realization:

God makes the law of karma and if God cannot set aside the law, then the law is greater than God. This cannot be. Generally God does not interfere. He allows the karma to work out. But He may in special case go beyond His law and by His grace free the soul from the bondage of karma. God’s grace comes without deserving it. We cannot get grace by virtue of our so-called merit. Worst sinners have received grace and become pure and glories.

Without initiation, all actions and rituals are fruitless. Without initiation, spiritual perfection cannot be attained. The Guru transmits His own innerself, His Divine Shakthi (Universal Energy or Cosmic Energy or Kundalini Shakthi), and His message directly into the disciple. Only a Guru (Sathpurushas or SathGuru) who has been empowered by the blessings of the Supreme Power can awaken the Kundalini permanently.

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“Guru is all the Gods,” – Shirdi Sri Sai Baba

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

The Chandogyopanishad lays down that a spiritual aspirant must approach a self- realized Guru in a proper manner. Even when the need to seek a perfect master (Sathpurushas – SathGuru) is accepted, it is no easy matter to recognize whom, among the galaxy of religious personalities, is indeed the perfect one. For, as in all other matters, the fakes who claim realization, which they do not have, are legion.

A typical saint of the Guru – tradition, Sri Sai Baba of Shirdi says,

“Guru is all the Gods,”

and addressing those who wished to be accepted as his chelas, he said,

“It is not the Guru that makes himself your Guru. It is you who must regard him as your Guru, i.e. place faith in him and meditate on him.”

To those who had accepted Him as the object of their contemplation, He said,

“Sai Baba does not mean this body of five and a half feet. He who thinks that Sai Baba is at Shirdi only has not seen Sai Baba at all.”

It may even be said that for most people, the devout study of the life and teaching of a saint is more useful than the immediate presence of a saint. For human nature being what it is, even though a seeker stays with a sage, he comes to focus his attention on the physical frame of the sage than on His state of realization, which is the essence of it all. This is the reason why devotional reading of holy biographies came to enjoin as a form of spiritual endeavour in itself.

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“You buffalo, do you play tricks with me?”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

Hazrat Tajuddin Baba of Nagpur* ¹(1861-1925AD.)

“You buffalo, do you play tricks with me? Run away.” ” I will kill you if you don’t obey.”

Many were the people who flocked to Tajudddin Baba to cure them of deformities of body. A wealthy Marwari Seth came from Delhi to Sakardara. His legs were mere useless appendages and he had to crawl his way to Baba whom he found in a restless mood: At the approach of the Seth, he sprang to his feet in a rage and kicked him saying: “You buffalo, do you play tricks with me? Run away.” The Marwari was so frightened at this unwelcome gesture. But Baba Tajuddin did not calm down. He shouted: “Don’t you hear? I’ll kill you if you don’t obey. I say run or I will beat you.” The Seth immediately ran from the place to the wonder of the people who saw this amazing feat of the saint!

So many people need helping in this world. And God or Guru does help them, through those who are willing instruments (Medium) of His Love.

Nobody in the world is able to understand a Sathpurusha’s actions.

1* Nagpur is well connected by road, railways and air.

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Ways to God-Realization

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

• In order to realize God a devotee should relate to God in a certain way – one should regard Him as either a friend, a parent, husband or a child.
• You find no difficulty in driving a nail into a mud wall. But its points break if you try to drive it against a stone wall and still it will not pierce it. There are people whose spiritual consciousness is not at all awakened even though they hear about God a thousand times. They are like a crocodile, on whose hide you cannot make any impression with a sword.
• What good is there in reading a whole lot of scriptures? What good is there in the study of philosophy? What is the use of talking big?
• In order to learn archery one should first aim at a banana tree, then at a reed, then at a wick, and last at a flying bird.
• At the beginning one should concentrate on God with form.
• The harmful effect of the study of the scriptures is that it encourages reasoning and arguing. If you repeat the Gita ten times it is reversed into ‘tagi’, which indicates renunciation.
• The way to realize God is through discrimination, renunciation, and yearning for Him.
• What kind of yearning? One should yearn for God as the cow, with yearning heart, runs after its calf. One can attain spiritual consciousness through both affirmation and negation. There is the positive path of love and devotion, and there is the negative path of knowledge and discrimination.

  When you preach the path of knowledge (addressing a pundit), it creates a very difficult situation: the guru and the disciple do not see each other!

• Sukadeva went to Janaka for instruction about the knowledge of Brahman (Para-Brahma – the Lord of Universe). Janaka said to him: “You must pay me the Guru’s fee in advance. When you attain the knowledge of Brahman you won’t pay me the fee, because the knower of Brahman sees no difference between the Guru and the disciple.”
• Both negation and affirmation are ways to realize one and the same goal. Infinite are the opinions and infinite are the ways. But you must remember one thing:
  • The injunction is that the path of devotion described by Narada is best suited to the Kaliyuga. According to this path, first comes bhakthi: then bhava, when bhakthi is mature. Higher than bhava, are mahabhava and prema.
    • He who has achieved these has realized the goal that is to say, have attained God.
• While preaching (addressing the pundit), eliminate the ‘head and tail’, that is to say, emphasize only the essentials.
• “Immerse yourself for evermore, O mind, In Him who is pure knowledge and Pure Bliss.”
• Live in the world like an ant. The world contains a mixture of truth and untruth, sugar and sand. Be an ant and take the sugar. Live in the world like a mudfish. The fish lives in the mud, but its skin is always bright and shiny.
• The world is indeed a mixture of truth and make-believe. Discard the make-believe and take the truth.
• Dedicate every action to the Lord and there will be no place for ego. That is the quickest way for the ego to subside.
• Energy arises from surrender to God. God is positive. Man is negative. If contact is made, the divine current flows from positive to negative (the Indian tradition of touching a divine person).

THE ROSE IS BEAUTIFUL, FRAGRANT AND VERY SOFT TO TOUCH. EVERY ONE IS FOND OF A ROSE BECAUSE OF THE QUALITIES IT POSSESSES. BUT THE ROSE ITSELF IS SURROUNDED BY THORNS.

EVEN AS ONE PLUCKS THE ROSE BY CAREFULLY REMOVING THE THORNS, ONE MUST LEARN TO MEET THE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS OF THE EARTHLY EXISTENCE WITH PATIENCE, AND WORSHIP GOD WITH UNFLAGGING FAITH AND CONVICTION.

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“Om Shiva, Shiva, Om Rama, Rama.” (Palaaathipalaa mantra)”

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

“Om Shiva, Shiva, Om Rama, Rama.” (Palaaathipalaa mantra)”

Shri Siva Prakasa Mudaliar received this Upadesa Mantra from Avathar Sri Seshadri Swamigal. Swami imparted this to him saying that it was a very useful mantra.

The “Palaaathipalaa Mantram” is contained in the Savithri Upanishad and is interspersed with Gayatri Mantram and consists of 100 letters interspersed in a very secret manner. Its Rishi, Chandas and Devathas are also mentioned.

In the Mantra Sastras, it is referred as, “Sathaaksari”, “Kshoocchathi” and every letter has to be doubly pronounced. Swami did not impart it to Mudaliar.

As per the Sastras anything that emanates from the mouth of a Guru is equivalent to Vedas. The disciple should devoutly follow his instructions. As Swami mentioned “Om Shiva, Shiva” as “Palaa Mantra and “Om Rama, Rama” as “Athipalaa” Mantra, one should follow the same with sincere devotion. Such an Upadesam is not usually imparted to anyone.

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Who awakens the Kundalini?

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

Disciple:

What techniques do you consider most useful to stimulate Kundalini?

Master:

Practices for awakening the Kundalini are not the concern of the disciple. It is the Guru’s responsibility to awaken the disciple’s Kundalini. The Guru may have certain secret methods, but these are disclosed to one who is ready to attain Guruhood, not to one who is still a disciple.

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Kundalini and Initiation

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

Disciple:

What is true initiation?

Master:

Without initiation, all actions and rituals are fruitless. Without initiation, spiritual perfection can’t be attained. The Guru transmits his own inner soul, his Shakthi, his teaching, and his message directly into the disciple. According to scriptures, this initiation merges the individual soul into Shiva and annihilates its separateness. Initiation leads to spiritual perfection. How can such an initiation be a mere formality?

A Master whose Kundalini has been completely activated through the grace of the Guru and who has the blessing of the Kundalini can fully awaken the Kundalini of his disciples. To transmit just a partial awakening is not of great importance. It is possible for one to experience partial awakening by just being in the company of disciples whose Kundalini has been activated by a Guru. One must also consider how far such an awakening will take a person. There are many in the world who are able to induce a partial awakening, but to awaken the Kundalini effectively, one must have attained complete realization, been blessed by one’s own Guru and the Supreme Power and received their command to perform Kundalini awakening. One should receive as the gift of his Guru, the blessing that empowers him to awaken the Kundalini of others. Only a Guru who has been empowered by the blessings of the Supreme power and his own Guru can awaken the Kundalini permanently.

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Awakening the Kundalini

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

Disciple:

Is it possible for a person, even without faith, to awaken his own Kundalini through practice of Kundalini Yoga?

Master:

The Kundalini may awaken, but what will the person do if he is without faith? If he is without understanding, he won’t progress. He will stop half way. However, if the Guru’s Grace awakens the Kundalini, the grace itself will lead the Kundalini on the proper path; faith will come automatically, in due course.

Disciple:

Are there any dangerous in awakening the Kundalini?

Master:

Some people attempt to awakening the Kundalini forcibly through self- effort or by means of Hatha Yoga. In such cases anything can happen; one can even become mad. But when the Kundalini is awakened by the grace of the Guru, it rises spontaneously and transforms the human body, making it divine. Ultimately, it completes its journey and merges into God.

Disciple:

Can Kundalini be awakened accidentally?

Master:

Yes, but only if an ‘accident’ takes place between a Guru and a disciple. When a disciple who is full of devotion meets a Guru who is saturated with Shakthi (Sheathe), the Kundalini is awakened immediately.

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Mantra and Meditation

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

Disciple:

Does it matter if you repeat a mantra or can you just look at something? There are many ways to meditate. Is one better than the others?

Master:

There are many so-called techniques of meditation that are mere mental exercise. There are people who try to get into meditation by gazing at a tree, or a spot, or by looking in a particular direction. Real meditation however, happens spontaneously, as a result of grace; you do not have to learn it.

Mediation should happen automatically. However, a Guru in whose presence you get automatic meditation is rare.

There are two kind of meditation – one is with Japa, and the other is without Japa. Japa is mantra repetition. Mantra has great power and is very necessary. If you meditate with a mantra, (Om SathGuru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae) you would be absorbed very quickly. However, in pure meditation there is absolutely no thought or object in mind, not even the mantra. But you reach that only through the mantra. As you repeat a mantra more and more, the mantra begins to disappear, and you get into a state in which you are aware of neither yourself nor God.

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The Guru’s grace

Om Sathguru Sri Seshadri Swamigal Thiruvadikkae

Disciple:

How does the Guru’s grace occur?

Master:

By a disciple’s love for the Guru.

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