Achalatwam-Part-7

January 4, 2008

Dear LP,

There was lots of sunshine couple of days ago. There were again some gentle zephyrs which grazed the rooftops of houses here at Albany. That sent a powder of snow falling off and this coruscated like diamonds in the sunshine. Though Aditya shone with vim and vigor, it was deceptive warmth. The moment I stepped out of my parking garage, I could sense a chill in my spine! The sun had apparently burnt the snow-laden cloud veil of the upper stratas of atmosphere and thus the greenhouse effect had bared thin.This reminded me of the deceptiveness of Maya. Looking warm from inside but when one ventures out it doth send a chill!

suuryaspardhikiriiTamuurdhvatilaka

prOdbhaasiphaalaantaraM

kaaruNyaakulanetramaardra hasitOllaasaM

sunaasaapuTam .

gaNDOdyanmakaraabha kuNDalayugaM

kaNThOjvalatkaustubhaM

tvadruupaM vanamaalyahaarapaTala

shriivatsadiipraM bhaje

"I pray to the divine form of Lord Krishna adorned by the diamond crown more brilliant than the sun, the upright sandal mark on the forehead, the compassionate eyes, the charming smile, the shapely nose, the cheeks reflecting the light of the earrings brushing against them, the neck resplendent with the Kausthubha jewel and the chest decorated with flower garlands, pearl necklaces and the holy Srivatsa beauty mark."

I stopped last part at the fourth principle of anger.

Let me go on to the fifth principle of anger.

Fifth principle of anger is : Don't procrastinate in dealing with your anger.

This step is really hard for many people.Just as we should not be in a hurry to express our anger, we must also not go to the opposite extreme and delay dealing with it.This is an extremely important point.If another person makes you feel hurt or angry and you know that you need to talk to him/her about it, you should try to take action in a matter of seconds or minutes, or at the most, a few hours. Mnay people wait days,weeks,months,or even years. The emotional weight that untold millions of people carry simply because they have procrastinated in dealing with their hurts and anger would stagger your mind!

Even Bible says: "Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger."(Ephesians 4:26). To not let the sun go down on your anger could be interpreted as to mean that one should not wait long in dealing with the anger that the intensity of the feeling decreases and sets within you(your subconsious mind) before you take proper action.

However, one should take care not to "sin"(as Bible puts it). In Tantra there is soemthing called Tatwa-shuddhi. And in that there is a concept called "Papa-purusha". "Papa-Purusha" is the "sin-body" immanet within us which emboldens with each negative act being committed with ego-consiciousness(act by itself has not negativity or positivity unless ego-component is attached to it).This "purusha" is akin to the concept of Satan which chrisitians seek outside of themselves(while it remains within them all the while in the form of "Papa-purusha"). Tatwa-shuddhi aims at burnign this "Papa-Purusha". Those who are conversant with Srividya Navavarna Puja also must be aware of a similar procedure whereby they burn the "Papa-purusha" in them and then give birth to a "divya-deha" from the ashes of the burnt "Papa-purusha".

When a person is in anger, this "Papa-purusha" prods the person to commit a sin.So, remember, anger by itself is not negative but when acted upon at the behest of Papa-purusha into say 1.abusing the perosn mentally or outwardly or 2. physically or 3. in any other manner--- without any yogic powers to cleanse the person thereof(like say Shirdi Sai Baba who used to beat some of his devotees with a satka in anger and reduce their karmic loads), then it is worth not acting upon such anger.

This is a subtle point and needs lot more deliberation and vichara by the person who reads these lines of mine.Please do not misunderstand me that Iam encouraging anger in all manners!

Sixth principle: When you are angry you are much more vulnerable to sin.The above discussion on Papa-shareera must have made you understand what this statement means.One must be angry yet hear the intuitive message which Devi is tryignt o convey.Our anger can drown out the voice of Devi and make us listen to the voice of Papa-shareera in us.

Since this aspect of anger is there, ancients used to tell that "anger is an enemy" Krodha is an enemy.

Krodha means a negative form of anger. This is not understood properly. There are other words too in sanskrit like "Roudra" and "Manyu" which also mean anger. They did not say "reduce your roudra" or "reduce your manyu"...they merely say "decimate your krodha"

This is interesting. Because "Krodha" refers to the exact same concept of being prodded by the Papa-shareera and the negative vibes in the form of anger thereof.This is the enemy and not any form of anger as it is.

Many people/gurus and even texts write mushy-mushy sweet things about being peaceful and loving all and behaving in a dharmic fashion,etc. I would say that they have no clue as to what they are talking about and they just give people what they "want" not what they "need". People come already with their minds filled with concepts as to how a Guru should be and even teach about concepts and "Gurus" either consciously or subconsciously. This is a case of blind leading the blind!They end up going nowhere!

From this follows the seventh principle: Anger may be wrong because it is due to sin.

Without a doubt, there are times when anger is absolutely wrong because it is inappropriately based.When a Guru says something and if it is not to our liking we might become angry and do the opposite and this anger is very wrong as this is a clear form of sin(Gurudroham).This anger is far from righteousness-dharma.If we have expectations which are inapprorpriate and sinful and we become angry because we don't get our way, we are sinning in our anger.

I fear only one perosn really and that is my Gurunathar! One might say-why fear? just love Him. But the case is, my mouth shuts up before Him, His presence. I might blabber a lot outside but before Him I just keep silent and remain ina corner and look at Him as Mahatripurasundari. This does not mean, I have not tested Him! Oh YEAH! i DID test Him a lot. He just remains silent, doe snot talk much and is sometimes very curt! But I know Rajagopala Swamy is the very incarnation of Mahashodasi Devi. Whatever little Iam is because of Him. I simply quiver like an aspen leaf if he even raises his eyebrows in anger.The anger here is very different and my reaction to it is very different.

I will broach upon the eighth to tenth principles of anger next e-mail. For now, let me chant my Guru-mantra! Ima inebriated with joy just thinking of my Guru!

pApAndhakArArkaparamparAbhyAm tApatrayAheendrakhagEsvarAbhyAm |jADyAbdhisamSoshanabAdavAbhyAmnamO nama: srI gurupAdukAbhyAm ||

Salutation, salutation to the Padukas of the Holy Master which are like a multitude of suns for the darkness of sins, which are like an eagle for the great serpent of the three-fold suffering, and which are like the submarine fire drying up the ocean of ignorance

Yours Yogically,

Shreeram Balijepalli