Vallalar

[Guest guest]

The Supreme Light Divine

 

 

The Birthday of Arut Prakasa Vallalar, poet saint Ramalinga, is celebrated on

October 5 every year. He is a saint of Universal love who explained the mission

of man and his destiny within the mystery of creation. He worshipped the creator

or God in the form of supreme light and supreme grace. To him God was the

embodiment of light and grace.

 

 

 

His declaration that God is above all religions and nations, caste and creed,

race and clime has brought the whole world into the fold of Universal oneness

Universal brotherhood and Universal harmony. Saint Ramalinga preached

self-purification, oneness of God, Universal brotherhood, non-violence and

vegetarianism. He is the personification of love, simplicity, humility and jeeva

karunya. When all scriptures proclaimed that God is merciful, Vallalar said that

mercy itself is God. When other religions preached of love of human beings, the

poet saint went a step further and preached love to all living creatures

including animal and plant kingdom. (Anmaneyam). He believed in empathy rather

than sympathy. He coined the word "Thaniperum Karunai" — the unique compassion

in his great Mahamantram to depict God. In keeping with Vallalar's doctrine, the

Tamil Nadu Government has implemented his doctrine (in August 2003) by enacting

the law passed in 1950 prohibiting animal sacrifices in all

Hindu temples. Saint Ramalinga formulated the concept of Samarasa Suddha

Sanmarga Sathiya Sangam.

 

 

 

This is not another religion but a way of life, beyond all religions. Suddha

Sanmargam advocates four disciplines — Discipline of the body (diet, yoga,

etc.,), discipline of the mind (meditation, willpower, etc.,) discipline towards

other people - social and professional character and discipline towards other

lives on earth — Jeevakarunya, Dharma, etc.

 

 

 

In 1871, the saint established Sathya Gnana Sabai at Vadalur where he kept an

oil lamp burning constantly day and night. It is placed in the centre of a Lotus

symbolising the God of Light in the human soul.

 

 

 

Vallalar could not bear the agony of people suffering from hunger. So he

established Sathya Dharma Saalai in 1897 at Vadalur to eradicate hunger. This

has been feeding the poor, sick and the hungry twice a day for the past 135

years, thanks to the benevolent sanmargis. The Dharmasalai trust has 2,830

members and a fixed deposit of two crores of rupees. Saint Ramalinga believed in

the immortality of man. He vouches that by constant practice of moral

discipline, ceaseless prayers and selfless service to the living beings,

immortality can be achieved. The body becomes more and more pure and light and

transforms itself by chemical changes as "Body of Love" the visible, the "Body

of grace" the visible and the invisible and finally the "Body of space," the

invisible. The changes can be compared to the metamorphosis of a crawling

caterpillar transforming into a butterfly. He preached and practised this art at

Siddhi Valagan where his body, dematerialised and merged with the Almighty in

1874

without any residue.

 

 

 

Vallalar's Thiruarutpa is a monumental work. It contains 6,000 inspiring poems.

Vallalar's mission has been taken up by three persons who have lakhs of

followers. Utilising this theory of longevity and deathlessness by Universal

love Vedhadri Maharishi instituted the "Temple of consciousness" at Azhiyar,

Pollachi. In 1986, Swami Sachidananda took his message of Light worship and

built the Lotus temple (Light of Truth Universal shrine) at Virginia (U.S.)

preaching integrated Yoga.

 

 

 

Swami Sarvananda found an Institute of Compassion at Chinnalapatty, Dindigul.

 

 

 

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/2004/01/30/stories/2004013001770600.htm