Guest guest Posted July 29, 2006 Report Share Posted July 29, 2006 Today we had a wonderful day! All days are filled with wonder, but this was special! It is a nice story, with an interesting moral! Last year in early spring, a storm with wild winds and rains caused the old Peepal Tree in the Mandala Garden east of the Samadhi to fall. It is an old tree, perhaps even 200 – 300 years. As it crashed, it broke the granite statue of Amman (Shakti – Devi – Divine Mother) which had been installed under it. We buried the broken statue at the base of the tree. Over the years, the Yoni – Heart Shaped Mandala around the tree had been cracked and broken as well. Last summer we planted three baby Peepal trees in August. When I went to Mahabalipuram for a few days to work on my book without disturbance, I looked for a new Amman statue, as this lovely historical town on the Bay of Bengal which is located north of Pondy by 100 km, is also a well known centre of traditional stone sculpture. The first shop I entered, I saw a beautiful statue of Amman in front of me. These statues, usually installed in village temples or under trees, consist of only the head of the Goddess. This Murthi (stature) of Devi had exquisitely refined features and a lovely smile. (Sometimes the village Murthis have thick set features and look vicious). In the same shop, standing next to her, was a statue of Patanjali. It is rare to find a statue in granite of Patanjali in the south. So, though I looked after that in several other shops, I could find no better. Thus Patanjali and Amman found their way to us in Pondicherry. One cannot just put Devi – Amman in her place – just like that – Proper time and ceremony must be observed. Patanjali was installed in the new small building in the back garden of ICYER, and Devi – Amman was placed in the Samadhi Shrine of Sri Kambliswamy at Thattanchavady, where daily Abhishekam, (cleansings) and Aarthi could be performed to her. Three months ago I decided to install Devi in her place under the Neem – Peepal tree on the Purnima (full moon) of the Guru (July 10th this year) which is also Swamiji’s birthday according to the astrological calculations. We had to rebuild the Mandala, making it larger and slightly higher so it could also be used as a stage. We gave it over to a contractor and he had two months to accomplish what I thought was a simple task. We are very busy in June with our Annual Day Celebrations where we put 300 – 400 kids on stage with dance, music and Yoga. So, I did not put much energy into supervision of the Mandala work, but entrusted that work to a devotee. After the Annual Day, I checked and found to my horror the contractor had done next to nothing. Though I pushed and pleaded, ranted and raved, he was unable to complete the Mandala and the Peetam (base on which the statue must sit) before July 10th. At every stage, resistance rose, though I persisted. Finally on July 9th I bowed to the inevitable and said to Ananda, “All right! We will have to install Shakti at another time”. Some things cannot go as we think they must go. Then things just started to almost miraculously fall into place. The Peetam was constructed incorporating the original, broken one in an ingenious manner. We realised that the calendar date of Swamiji’s birthday – July 24th this year – for the first time coincided with the Annual Aradhana Pujas (Samadhi – death date ceremonies) of two of the important Gurus of Kambliswamy Madam – Ambalavana Swami and Subramanian Swamiji. Further, July 24th this year was Amavasya (new moon) in Adi (The Tamil month most sacred to Devi – Amman). So, today, July 24th, with appropriate ceremony and pomp, we installed our Devi under the Peepal – Neem tree once more in her new incarnation after performing the Guru’s Samadhi Pujas. It was really a lovely, harmonious event. More than 50 devotees gathered, and we served a nice banquet lunch to everyone. Muralidharan of Australia arrived in time to share the Pujas with us and great satisfaction was felt all around. When we put the yellow sari cloth around the base of Amman, her face reflected the yellow colour in a great glow! It is a good omen for the energy rising to repair and renovate the Madam! The Guru is great! He knows when to do, how to do and what to do! We must just let his blessings work through our hands! May all of us be vehicles of The Good, The Great, The Gracious and The Graceful Guru Spirit! Jaya Guru! Affectionately yours in Yoga, AMMA Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi Bhavanani Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER Hon General Secretary, Pondicherry Yogasana Association 25, 2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry, South India-605 013 Tel: +91-413 - 2622902 / +91-413 -3203314/+91-413 -2241561 Website: www.icyer.com www.geocities.com/yognat2001/ananda Open multiple messages at once with the all new Mail Beta. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted July 30, 2006 Report Share Posted July 30, 2006 Thank you for the vivid description - I almost feel I was there. I love my books and add my thanks to everyoe elses. Jai Guru Sangeet --- " Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Bhavanani " <yognat2001 wrote: > Today we had a wonderful day! All days are filled > with wonder, but this was special! It is a nice > story, with an interesting moral! Last year in early > spring, a storm with wild winds and rains caused the > old Peepal Tree in the Mandala Garden east of the > Samadhi to fall. It is an old tree, perhaps even 200 > – 300 years. As it crashed, it broke the granite > statue of Amman (Shakti – Devi – Divine Mother) > which had been installed under it. We buried the > broken statue at the base of the tree. Over the > years, the Yoni – Heart Shaped Mandala around the > tree had been cracked and broken as well. Last > summer we planted three baby Peepal trees in August. > When I went to Mahabalipuram for a few days to work > on my book without disturbance, I looked for a new > Amman statue, as this lovely historical town on the > Bay of Bengal which is located north of Pondy by 100 > km, is also a well known centre of traditional stone > sculpture. The first shop I entered, I saw a > beautiful statue of Amman in > front of me. These statues, usually installed in > village temples or under trees, consist of only the > head of the Goddess. This Murthi (stature) of Devi > had exquisitely refined features and a lovely smile. > (Sometimes the village Murthis have thick set > features and look vicious). In the same shop, > standing next to her, was a statue of Patanjali. It > is rare to find a statue in granite of Patanjali in > the south. So, though I looked after that in several > other shops, I could find no better. Thus Patanjali > and Amman found their way to us in Pondicherry. > > One cannot just put Devi – Amman in her place – > just like that – Proper time and ceremony must be > observed. Patanjali was installed in the new small > building in the back garden of ICYER, and Devi – > Amman was placed in the Samadhi Shrine of Sri > Kambliswamy at Thattanchavady, where daily > Abhishekam, (cleansings) and Aarthi could be > performed to her. Three months ago I decided to > install Devi in her place under the Neem – Peepal > tree on the Purnima (full moon) of the Guru (July > 10th this year) which is also Swamiji’s birthday > according to the astrological calculations. We had > to rebuild the Mandala, making it larger and > slightly higher so it could also be used as a stage. > We gave it over to a contractor and he had two > months to accomplish what I thought was a simple > task. We are very busy in June with our Annual Day > Celebrations where we put 300 – 400 kids on stage > with dance, music and Yoga. So, I did not put much > energy into supervision of the Mandala work, but > entrusted > that work to a devotee. After the Annual Day, I > checked and found to my horror the contractor had > done next to nothing. > > Though I pushed and pleaded, ranted and raved, he > was unable to complete the Mandala and the Peetam > (base on which the statue must sit) before July > 10th. At every stage, resistance rose, though I > persisted. Finally on July 9th I bowed to the > inevitable and said to Ananda, “All right! We will > have to install Shakti at another time”. Some things > cannot go as we think they must go. Then things just > started to almost miraculously fall into place. The > Peetam was constructed incorporating the original, > broken one in an ingenious manner. We realised that > the calendar date of Swamiji’s birthday – July 24th > this year – for the first time coincided with the > Annual Aradhana Pujas (Samadhi – death date > ceremonies) of two of the important Gurus of > Kambliswamy Madam – Ambalavana Swami and Subramanian > Swamiji. Further, July 24th this year was Amavasya > (new moon) in Adi (The Tamil month most sacred to > Devi – Amman). So, today, July 24th, with > appropriate ceremony and pomp, we installed > our Devi under the Peepal – Neem tree once more in > her new incarnation after performing the Guru’s > Samadhi Pujas. It was really a lovely, harmonious > event. More than 50 devotees gathered, and we served > a nice banquet lunch to everyone. Muralidharan of > Australia arrived in time to share the Pujas with us > and great satisfaction was felt all around. When we > put the yellow sari cloth around the base of Amman, > her face reflected the yellow colour in a great > glow! It is a good omen for the energy rising to > repair and renovate the Madam! The Guru is great! He > knows when to do, how to do and what to do! We must > just let his blessings work through our hands! > > May all of us be vehicles of The Good, The Great, > The Gracious and The Graceful Guru Spirit! Jaya > Guru! > > Affectionately yours in Yoga, > > AMMA > > > Yogacharya Dr.Ananda Balayogi > Bhavanani > Chairman : Yoganjali Natyalayam and ICYER > Hon General Secretary, Pondicherry Yogasana > Association > 25, 2nd Cross,Iyyanar Nagar, Pondicherry, South > India-605 013 > Tel: +91-413 - 2622902 / +91-413 -3203314/+91-413 > -2241561 > Website: www.icyer.com > www.geocities.com/yognat2001/ananda > > > > > > > > > Open multiple messages at once with the all new > Mail Beta. _________ Try the all-new Mail. " The New Version is radically easier to use " – The Wall Street Journal http://uk.docs./nowyoucan.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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