Spiritual Stories: Post #36 “Dakshinamurti”

[Guest guest]

Muruga Saranam

 

1st Apr 2007

Spiritual Stories: Post #36 "Dakshinamurti"

 

Dear Members..

 

This Sunday brings you the 36th story of the series and second in the Brahma Vishnu Shiva trinity by Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi. You might have heard the song "Arithu Arithu Manidarathal Arithu" sung by Avvayar on request by Lord Murugan.

This story proves my understanding that certain spiritual opportunities a human birth can give are enviable by devas and even the rishis of the highest order. You might have heard of the Sanakadhi Rishis (four great rishis who were formed by Lord Brahma) who were highest in devotion and were ascetics of the highest order who received Knowledge from Lord Shiva Himself who in His form of Dakshinamurthi gave them the Upadesa. As per this story Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi seems to have been witnessed in a status of Oneness with The Supreme Lord Himself or as an incarnation of Lord Himself. Such a Highest State of Being is witnessed in human births only I think. So we should be proud of this human birth and follow the path of those great saints who did not aspire to

acquire superlative mystical powers (though it was easy for them) which were mortal, but only followed the path of pure devotion towards the lotus feet of The Master of All Universes Lord Murugan.

 

 

Coming back to the Song Arithu Arithu, Avvayar, When asked by Lord Murugan as what is "big" (or great), lists a series of things starting from earth finally reaching upto The Lord Himself where one in the series is bigger than the previous one, and finally says that even Lord is in the heart of His Devotee, so The Devotee is the Biggest (meaning The Greatest). Human birth is such a blessed one.

 

 

The above idea is only a bye-product of the story where as the main idea of is that any amount of discussions (or even arguments as remarked by Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa) will not reveal the Truth. But only Silence is the best way to see, learn, understand and experience The Supreme Truth which is not explainable in human language due to the Supreme Nature of it and the limitations of human languages. The last story also insisted the same thing and few previous ones also insisted on that. Someone brought in the words of Arunagirinathar from Kanthar Anubhuthi "Summa Iru Sol Ara endralume Amma porul Ondrum Arinthilane.." Such is the greatness of Silence in our journey of life. However we should also remember that The Lord did not immediately preach them through silence but after going through other means. Practicing this silence by seeking His blessings could take us one more step.

 

 

The members are again encouraged to freely discuss the ideas insisted in all the stories while they are free. Remember that your understandings, when expressed, can enrich us and make a big difference to everyone of us.

 

 

May All Glories be to The Merciful Lord of Siruvaburi !

Siruvaburi Muruganukku Arohara !!!

 

 

Muruga Saranam

 

With Best Regards

Meyyappan S

 

 

 

****

The Story begins here

 

 

Dakshinamurti

 

The Self alone, the Sole Reality,Exists for ever.If of yore (*) the First of TeachersRevealed it through unbroken silenceSay, who can reveal it in spoken words?

 

 

– Ekatma Panchakam, Sri Bhagavan.

 

Sri Bhagavan once told the story that follows to Sri Muruganar. This brings out the profound significance of the Supreme Silence in which the First Master, Sri Dakshinamurti is established.

 

 

Sri Bhagavan said,

 

"When the four elderly Sanakadi rishis first beheld the sixteen-year-old Sri Dakshinamurti sitting under the banyan tree, they were at once attracted by Him, and understood that He was the real Sadguru. They approached Him, did three pradakshinas around Him, prostrated before Him, sat at His Feet and began to ask shrewd and pertinent questions about the nature of reality and the means of attaining it. Because of the great compassion and fatherly love (

vatsalya) which He felt for His aged disciples, the young Sri Dakshinamurti was overjoyed to see their earnestness, wisdom and maturity, and gave apt replies to each of their questions. But as He answered each consecutive question, further doubts arose in their minds and they asked further questions. Thus they continued to question Sri Dakshinamurti for a whole year, and He continued to clear their doubts through His compassionate answers. Finally, however, Sri Dakshinamurti understood that if He continued answering their questions, more doubts would arise in their minds and their ignorance (ajnana) would never end. Therefore, suppressing even the feeling of compassion and fatherly love which was welling up within Him, He merged Himself into the Supreme Silence. Because of their great maturity (which had ripened to perfection through their year-long association with the Sadguru), as soon as Sri Dakshinamurti assumed Silence, they too automatically merged into Supreme Silence, the true state of the Self."

 

Wonderstruck on hearing Sri Bhagavan narrating the story in this manner, Sri Muruganar remarked that in no book was it mentioned that Sri Dakshinamurti ever spoke anything. "But this is what actually happened", replied Sri Bhagavan curtly (*). From the authoritative way in which Sri Bhagavan replied and from the clear and descriptive way in which He told the story, Sri Muruganar understood that Sri Bhagavan was none other than Sri Dakshinamurti Himself!

 

(*) Courtesy: Concise Oxford English Dictionary

 

of yore

(noun)

– Long ago or of former times.

 

curtly

(adverb) – rudely brief.

 

Ends

********

[Guest guest]

Thank for your latest posting. I often feel like doing the same when my kids keep asking one question after the other, even when I have answered many questions!!!! Well, the human language is very limited in its power to exactly convey what the experience language teaches us. So after discussing for a while, the student must go and get a hands-on experience of the situation. The discussion is meant to give him/her a set of guiding principles. Only then, the student himself/herself will develop his/her own wisdom. To me, this was Shri Dakshinamurthi's motive for withdrawing into the Self and staying silent

(after having answered many questions from student rishis). Patricia S Meyyappan <smeyyappan wrote: Muruga Saranam 1st Apr 2007 Spiritual Stories: Post #36 "Dakshinamurti" Dear Members.. This Sunday

brings you the 36th story of the series and second in the Brahma Vishnu Shiva trinity by Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi. You might have heard the song "Arithu Arithu Manidarathal Arithu" sung by Avvayar on request by Lord Murugan. This story proves my understanding that certain spiritual opportunities a human birth can give are enviable by devas and even the rishis of the highest order. You might have heard of the Sanakadhi Rishis (four great rishis who were formed by Lord Brahma) who were highest in devotion and were ascetics of the highest order who received Knowledge from Lord Shiva Himself who in His form of Dakshinamurthi gave them the Upadesa. As per this story Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi seems to have been witnessed in a status of Oneness with The Supreme Lord Himself or as an incarnation of Lord Himself. Such a Highest State of Being is witnessed in human births only I think. So we should be proud of this human birth and follow the path of

those great saints who did not aspire to acquire superlative mystical powers (though it was easy for them) which were mortal, but only followed the path of pure devotion towards the lotus feet of The Master of All Universes Lord Murugan. Coming back to the Song Arithu Arithu, Avvayar, When asked by Lord Murugan as what is "big" (or great), lists a series of things starting from earth finally reaching upto The Lord Himself where one in the series is bigger than the previous one, and finally says that even Lord is in the heart of His Devotee, so The Devotee is the Biggest (meaning The Greatest). Human birth is such a blessed one. The above idea is only a bye-product of the story where as the main idea of is that any amount of discussions (or even arguments as remarked by Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa) will not reveal the Truth. But only Silence is the best way to see, learn, understand and experience The Supreme Truth which is not explainable in human language due to the Supreme Nature of it and the limitations of human languages. The last story also insisted the same thing and few previous ones also insisted on that. Someone brought in the words of Arunagirinathar from Kanthar Anubhuthi "Summa Iru Sol Ara endralume Amma porul Ondrum Arinthilane.." Such is the greatness of Silence in our journey of life. However we should also remember that The Lord did not immediately preach them through silence but after going through other means. Practicing this

silence by seeking His blessings could take us one more step. The members are again encouraged to freely discuss the ideas insisted in all the stories while they are free. Remember that your understandings, when expressed, can enrich us and make a big difference to everyone of us. May All Glories be to The Merciful Lord of Siruvaburi ! Siruvaburi Muruganukku Arohara !!! Muruga Saranam With Best Regards Meyyappan S **** The Story begins here Dakshinamurti The Self alone, the Sole Reality,Exists for ever.If of yore (*) the First of TeachersRevealed it through unbroken silenceSay, who can reveal it in spoken words? – Ekatma Panchakam, Sri Bhagavan. Sri Bhagavan once told the story that follows to Sri Muruganar. This brings out the profound significance of the Supreme Silence in which the First Master, Sri Dakshinamurti is established. Sri Bhagavan said, "When the four elderly Sanakadi rishis first beheld the sixteen-year-old Sri Dakshinamurti sitting under the banyan tree, they were at once attracted by Him, and understood that He was the real

Sadguru. They approached Him, did three pradakshinas around Him, prostrated before Him, sat at His Feet and began to ask shrewd and pertinent questions about the nature of reality and the means of attaining it. Because of the great compassion and fatherly love ( vatsalya) which He felt for His aged disciples, the young Sri Dakshinamurti was overjoyed to see their earnestness, wisdom and maturity, and gave apt replies to each of their questions. But as He answered each consecutive question, further doubts arose in their minds and they asked further questions. Thus they continued to question Sri Dakshinamurti for a whole year, and He continued to clear their doubts through His compassionate answers. Finally, however, Sri Dakshinamurti understood that if He continued answering their questions, more doubts would arise in their minds and their ignorance (ajnana) would never end. Therefore, suppressing even the feeling of compassion and

fatherly love which was welling up within Him, He merged Himself into the Supreme Silence. Because of their great maturity (which had ripened to perfection through their year-long association with the Sadguru), as soon as Sri Dakshinamurti assumed Silence, they too automatically merged into Supreme Silence, the true state of the Self." Wonderstruck on hearing Sri Bhagavan narrating the story in this manner, Sri Muruganar remarked that in no book was it mentioned that Sri Dakshinamurti ever spoke anything. "But this is what actually happened", replied Sri Bhagavan curtly (*). From the authoritative way in which Sri Bhagavan replied and from the clear and descriptive way in which He told the story, Sri Muruganar understood that Sri Bhagavan was none other than Sri Dakshinamurti Himself!

(*) Courtesy: Concise Oxford English Dictionary of yore (noun) – Long ago or of former times. curtly (adverb) – rudely brief. Ends ********

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