"Dr.Bheshajam-bhishak" - The Unseen Healer - Part 4 (CONCLUDED)

[Guest guest]

(Continuing from Part 3 posted earlier)

--------------------

 

Dear friends and members.

 

Is the diminution of our intense identification with

the ‘sarIra’ ever possible at all? Can we really

dissociate ourselves from our “samsAric”

pre-occupation with the Body and its “health”? Is

freedom from “sarIra-bandham”, with all its attendant

worries and anxiety holding us captive in its

stranglehold all our lives, a practicable idea or is

it merely an unattainable Vedantic ideal?

 

Vedanta says such freedom arising from the cessation

of absolute identification with the reality of the

‘sarIra’ is very much in the realm of human

possibility. To realize such freedom is, in fact, the

very purpose of human existence. It ought to be Man’s

highest aspiration, his “summum bonum” in life, or as

Vedanta itself calls it, it is his

“parama-pUrUshArtha”.

 

Vedanta categorically states that freedom from

“samsAra”, that sure and permanent cure from the great

affliction called ‘sarIra-sambhandham’, is not some

other-worldly pipe-dream. It is very much attainable

in this world itself with the aid of 3 important

tools: (a) discriminative intelligence (“vivEkam”) (b)

spiritual ardor (“shraddha”) and © sincere

application of effort (“upAsana”). Many men in this

world, in all ages -- men who eventually came to be

called saints, mystics, wise-men, yogis, ‘gnyAni-s’,

“rshi-s” -- they have clearly shown us this Vedantic

way through their very own personal example in life.

 

The first is Sri Parashara Bhattar himself, our own

renowned Sahasranamam commentator (11th century AD) of

SriRangam who was a disciple and protégé of Sri

Ramanujacharya (10th century AD). Bhattar was the

chief "purOhit" (priestly administrator) of the

SriRangam temple; he was also SriVaishnava theologian

and scholar. Although he was not generally given to

outward expression of mystical fervor, an incident in

Bhattar's life does leads us to infer his ability to

easily withdraw bodily association or identification.

Bhattar died young at the age of 32. He was diagnosed

to be suffering from a malignant tumor that grew so

painful that attending doctors of those days ventured

to perform surgery on him. Knowing the procedure would

be excruciatingly painful, they advised Bhattar to

consume a crude concoction (probably a heavy sedative)

that would serve as general anesthesia. Bhattar is

reported to have replied: "I do not need anesthesia.

Just let me recite the blessed verses of the

"tiruppAvai" (the sacred Tamil hymns of the saint

AndAL). You can then perform any surgery on me you

want." To Bhattar, reciting the sacred verses of the

"tiruppAvai" possessed power far greater than that of

any medicine or anesthesia, and enough to simply

convey him far away from the realms of “samsAra”, away

from all the distress, pain and indignities of

affliction. He could leave the confines of his

“sarIra” at will and into the deep regions of the

spirit where no mortal pain could ever touch him.

 

The second example is a similar one and it is an

incident in the life of the sage of Tiruvannamalai,

South India, Sri Ramana Maharashi (19th century AD).

In his advanced years, Ramana was afflicted with a

virulent form of cancer that in an ordinary man would

have caused unbearable pain and distress. Doctors

wanted him to undergo surgery but the sage would have

none of it. "The cancer is in my body," he is reported

to have said calmly, "The pain is the body's problem.

I am not the body and the pain is not mine." (This

event has even been reported with amazement in a

published clinical dissertation of the world-renowned

neurosurgeon from Madras, Dr.B.Ramamurthy.) Once again

we see here a living example of a yogi shrugging off

bodily pain by remaining oblivious to the ordinary

conditions of “samsAric” reality. It is only complete

dissociation from the "sarIra" state (in which lesser

mortals like us are irretrievably mired) that could

have made it possible for Sage Ramana.

 

*****************

 

The question that we are now faced is this: How to

cultivate the three Vedantic qualities of “vivEka”,

“shraddha” and “upAsana” in our personal lives in

order to rid ourselves of the great disease afflicting

us?

 

The answer is simple: When you know are afflicted with

the disease of “samsAra”, there is no point going to

other ordinary doctors and medicine-men. You need

“specialist attention” and the best possible “expert

advice”. The Vishnu-Sahasranamam says that the best

doctor in town in this particular field of illness is

none other than the great “Dr.Bheshajam-bhishak”. He

is the only “specialist” who can put us on the path of

recovery from the deadly disease called “samsAra” ---

the Mother of all Disease, who has us gripped in her

malevolent tentacles. Go to Him, approach the Unseen

Doctor, says the Sahasranamam, offer prayers unto Him,

and implore Him to cure you once and for all time...

 

This was exactly what two great Vaishnavite saints of

Tamil Nadu, Sri NammAzhwAr and Sri Peria-AzhwAr

echoed too in their famous mystical hymns called the

“naalayira divya-prabhandham” (“The 4000 sacred

verses”). Lovers of that Tamil devotional classic will

not fail to recall the verses of these two saints who

hailed the great Unseen Healer, the Almighty, our

“Dr.Bheshajam-bhishak” in these wonderful words:

 

“arindana vEda porUL noolgaL

arindana kOLga arum porUL aadhal

arindanar ellAm ariyyai vaNanggi

arindanar nOyygaL arUkkUm marUndhE”

(tiruvoimozhi 9.3.3)

 

The Vedic texts, one and all,

Reveal Him, Hari, as the substance

Of all Consciousness –

So good men of the world

Who know what it is to suffer

The disease of knowing

And unknowing --

They pray to Him:

The ultimate Cure of all ills.

 

 

“eruttuk-kOdi uDayanUm piramanUm indiranUm marrUm

oruttarUm ip-piravi ennUm nOyykku marUndhu arivarUm

illai:

maruttuvanaay ninra maa maNivannA! maru piravi

tavirath

tirutthi wUn kOvir kadaip-pugap-pEyy tirumAlirunchOlai

enthaay!”

(peri-azhwAr tirumOzhi” 5.3.6)

 

Not Siva nor Brahma nor anyone anywhere knows of a

medicine to cure the sickness of rebirth. O dark gem-

hued lord! You that appeared as the divine healer

Dhanvantari! Pray cut asunder my re-birth! Lead me to

the portals of your grand temple, O lord of

Tirumalirumcholai, my Master!

 

***********************

 

Dear friends, it is about 8 weeks now since I

accidentally suffered a broken tail-bone, my “coccyx”.

Thanks to “Dr.Bheshajam-bhishak”, I am now relieved of

my bodily distress, and more importantly, I think I

have become much wiser after the event since I have

now been blessed to have glimpsed and experienced a

little at first-hand the magical wonders of the

"Unseen Healer".

 

It was 8 weeks ago that my neighborhood orthopaedician

had the wisdom in him not to administer his own brand

of medicines and drugs on me but to refer me and my

case to the only true Specialist Healer that I now

have come to realize lives and works in the world ---

“Dr.Bheshajam-bhishak”!

 

Thank you, good Doctor!

(CONCLUDED)

 

Regards,

 

dAsan,

Sudarshan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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