An autoibiographical excursion into spiritual introspection

[Guest guest]

Namaste all.

 

Recently, in the past two months I went through two noteworthy experiences

which are worth entries in my personal diary. The experiences are not

spiritual in any sense of that word, but they have spiritual implications.

 

Let me take the later one first. I have been on a complete no-salt diet for

the past four days as per medical advice, which itself is a consequence of

the fact that the blood pressure (which was high) did not come down even

when medication was increased. Well, after four days of no-salt diet, the

BP came down from 160/90 to 120/80. But that is not what I want to write

about here. The four days of no salt (which I am going to continue for quite

some time now) experience prompts me to write the following.

 

In Gita 17th chapter, shloka No. 9, the Lord says *kaTvamla-lavaNAtyushhNa

...* the literal meaning of which I certainly knew. But the fact that

*lavaNa* (salt) is included there as contributing to a Rajasic type of food,

did not sink into my system until I had the experience of 'no salt diet' for

the past four days. There is a Tamil folklore which says: *uppu poTTu

thinnAt-tAn rosam varum*, meaning, "Only if you add salt to your food you

will have *rosam*". (The Sanskrit word "roSha" means 'rage and furyt'). I

do not know the English for the Tamil *rosam*. But it certainly includes,

anger, particularly a justifiable anger at adharma or an insult to one's

self-respect or personality. Well, these four days I have had the feeling

of a complete internal calmness of the mind. There was no anger ever.

Whether there was any provocation for anger is a question of research into

the archives of memory. But that research I don't think is necessary or

relevant. What matters is the fact that the no-salt diet for four continuous

days - with all other conditions as well as medication being the same as it

was for several weeks before the four days - produced an enviable calm in

my mind. This has great implications for my spiritual aspirations.

Krishna's shloka XVII - 8,9 and 10, at least the single word *lavaNa* in

Shloka 9, thus stands lab-tested in my own experience!

 

The other autobiogreaphical note I wanted to write about is what happened

two months ago. I was laid up for three days in bed-rest, as per Doctor's

advice, consequent to a hip pain which developed suddenly and made me almost

immobile for my daily walk. During those three days I could do nothing else

but read a book. I read a book in Tamil entitled *kuRai onRumillai* (Vol.2)

by Mukkur Lakshmi Narasimhachariar (familiarly known as "Mukkur"). This

gentleman is a famous religious expositor in Chennai. Though I was in

Chennai for several years and knew of the lectures by Mukkur, I did not have

the good fortune to listen to his lectures. The book in question (in three

volumes) is a written account of his own lectures by Mukkur himself -

written in a masterly free style, with fantastic amounts of religious and

puranic information communicated in a most humorous and captivating manner..

His book elevated me spiritually and that is why I am including mention of

it in this post. The general theme is *Vishnu Sahasranamam*, but instead of

a dry explanation of the meanings of the different names of the Lord he goes

into raptures even at a single name and wades through the labyrinths of

Hindu religion, philosophy and tradition in an effortless encyclopaedic

fashion, that never tires you.

 

As I read the volume, I took notes. I present some tit-bits below which I

hope will be interesting to our readers here.

 

Here is how he brings in the *patram pushhpaM phalaM toyaM ..* shloka of the

9th chapter of the Gita. The following are Mukkur's words, but in a digest

form. (from pp.13 to 15 of the book):

 

A devotee was not finding fruits to offer to the Lord, so he did not do

anything. But the Lord would not leave him like that. 'Alright', says

Bhagavan, 'if you don't have ripe fruits give me the unripe ones'.

'I don't find even unripe fruits', says the devotee.

'Alright. Let it be so. But then give me a flower'.

'No. I don't have even a single flower'

'I see. Then why don't you give me just a leaf?'

Actually the Lord could have said 'Tulsi leaf'. But he only asked for any

leaf!

And the devotee says: 'I don't also have any leaf'

Bhagavan replies: "You don't have a fruit, ripe or unripe. You don't have a

flower or even a leaf. Then take some water and offer it to me with the

words 'Om VishhNave namaH'"

 

Even when the Bhagavan gave so much hint, this ajnAni-devotee says " There

is no water available"!

"Not even water?", asks the Lord.

" Yes, Not even water"

"Truly?"

"Yes", says the devotee.

"Don't your eyes have water? The fact that you are not able to offer even

either a fruit or a flower or a leaf -- does it not bring a tinge of sorrow

in your mind and tears in your eyes? Don't you have that at least?"

 

The moral of the story is: When we are not able to offer anything to the

Lord, the very regret that we are not able to offer Him is enough to satisfy

Him!

 

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

 

Incidentally the above is a graphic explanation of the word *toyaM*

(=water) in that shloka of the Gita. There are several several titbits from

this book like this that I would like to share with you. I have collected

about twenty of them. But we should wait for the next post in this

direction!

 

PraNAms to all sAdhakas.

Profvk

 

Latest on my website is an article on Kanchi Mahaswamigal. Go to

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/VK2/Seeing_a_JIvanmukta_in_blissfulstate.htm

l

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk But

it certainly includes,

> anger, particularly a justifiable anger at adharma or an insult

to one's

> self-respect or personality. Well, these four days I have had the

feeling

> of a complete internal calmness of the mind. There was no anger

ever.

> Whether there was any provocation for anger is a question of

research into

> the archives of memory. But that research I don't think is

 

Respected Sir, The great master Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj was a very

practical and pious man. Here are some extracts from his writings :

 

Dietetic Discipline: Take Sattvic food (Suddha Ahara). Give up

chillies, tamarind, garlic, onion, sour articles, oil, mustard,

asafoetida. Observe moderation in diet (Mitahara). Do not overload

the stomach. Give up those things which the mind likes best for a

fortnight in a year. Eat simple fool. Milk and fruits help

concentration. Take food as medicine to keep the life going. Eating

for enjoyment is sin. Give up salt and sugar for a month. You must

be able to live on rice, Dhal and bread without any chutney. Do not

ask for extra salt for Dhal and sugar for tea, coffee or milk.

 

 

Salt is the worst enemy. Too much salt excites passion. Even if you

do not take salt separately, the system will derive the necessary

quantity of salt from other foodstuffs. All foodstuffs contain salt.

Giving up of salt helps you in controlling the tongue and thereby

the mind and all the other Indriyas.

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri. Mahadeva,

 

On Sat, 2006-09-09 at 00:39 +0000, mahadevadvaita wrote:

> ... Give up those things which the mind likes best for a

> fortnight in a year. Eat simple fool. Milk and fruits help

> concentration. Take food as medicine to keep the life going. ...

 

But even simple fools will resist if someone tries to eat them :-)

 

Best regards,

Ramachandra

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "V. Krishnamurthy" <profvk wrote:

 

>

> The moral of the story is: When we are not able to offer anything to

the Lord, the very regret that we are not able to offer Him is enough

to satisfy Him!

>

>

SrIgurubhyo NamaH

 

Namaste Sri,

 

Pranams. Thank you very much for that post. Pl. come up with many

more. When Brahmachari Shankara went for alms, a lady could not offer

him anything as food. She searched and searched and could locate only a

dry Amalaka (nellikkaai), goose-berry. With a heart full of love and

eyes full of tears she offered that juiceless fruit into the bowl that

Shankara held. Her heart could be read by that divine Brahmachari and

what resulted was a rain of golden berries on that house. Goddess

Lakshmi, the Mother of Wealth, was appeased with prayers by Shanakara

and She rained fortune on that penniless but large-hearted household.

 

It is said that one should never miss to perform the Shraaddham of

one's parents. If stark poverty is the reason for non-performance, the

shastra prescribes this for him: He should go to a forest, away from

human habitation and weep loudly for a whole day and return. Someone

said that the prescription to go away from human habitation is to do

this praayashchittam in secret. If people come to know of his doing

this, it could encourage the miserly and foolish among men to skip the

shraaddham and go to a forest and weep and stay in peace. The shastra

is so keen about the performance of this sacred duty.

 

Just some thoughts.

 

Warm Regards,

subbu

Pranams.

[Guest guest]

Profvk said:

 

> In Gita 17th chapter, shloka No. 9, the Lord says

*kaTvamla-lavaNAtyushhNa

> ..* the literal meaning of which I certainly knew. But the fact that

> *lavaNa* (salt) is included there as contributing to a Rajasic type

of food,

 

Hi Profvk,

I also stopped salt three months ago, mosts things we do with

mindfulness within sadhana decrease aggression and unrest, like

brahmacarya, or not drinking coffee/tea, not eating animals, changing

life style and having to go against the general stream; i have to

'make' my own good time and pace in most matters and for example

carefully shop and prepare my own food (only raw since July) and for

my kids when they are home (they keep searching in the now-unplugged

fridge for things they won't find); keep drinking much water in times

of dry weather, my hip blocks too when i dehydrate, the blessed man

who told me this ten years ago saved my life, after doctors and

examinations at the American Hospital in Paris found nothing; sadhana,

minfulness on every organ/limb feedback is the only doctor.

 

Let there be peace.

 

Eric

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "K.B.S.Ramachandra" <ram wrote:

>

> Dear Sri. Mahadeva,

>

> On Sat, 2006-09-09 at 00:39 +0000, mahadevadvaita wrote:

> > ... Give up those things which the mind likes best for a

> > fortnight in a year. Eat simple fool. Milk and fruits help

> > concentration. Take food as medicine to keep the life going. ...

>

> But even simple fools will resist if someone tries to eat them :-)

>

> Best regards,

> Ramachandra

 

 

Dear Ram-ji, I noticed the mistake but that is how I copied it from

the website. See http://www.dlshq.org/download/easysteps.htm

 

I know that you said this is lighter vein but just to clarify the

above sentence

 

Eat simple fool

 

should read

 

Eat simple food.

 

regards,

Om Namah Sivaya

 

 

 

>