English translation - 4th afternoon speech - Part II

[Guest guest]

Next take the example of Vallal Ramalinga Adigalar. He used to live

in Tiruvottiyur in his elder brother's house. One day he slept on the

Thinnai (concrete bench outside a typical old house) of the house

afraid of going in as he might be beaten by his brother. He was very

hungry. At that time, Vadivudaya Amman Herself came in the form of

his brother's wife with a plate full of food. She left after feeding

him. After half an hour when the real brother's wife appeared and

asked him to eat, that's when Adigalar realized that it was

Vadivudaya Amman.

 

Guru Namachchivaayar, who lived in Thiruvannamalai was asked by Ambal

to go to Chidambaram once. While he was on his way, he sat underneath

a tree to rest himself. He was very hungry. After another half an

hour, Unnamalai Amman brought prasadam (offering to God) for him on a

silver platter, which he ate. At the same time in the Thiruvannamalai

temple, people were searching frantically for a missing silver

platter. Guru Namachchivaayar returned the plate to the temple

saying, " In Her hurry, Amman forgot to take back the plate. " These

incidents really took place. So for those who really perform service

to God, those who believe God is everything, there will be no dearth

for food, clothing or shelter.

 

On Monday of last week the journalists of Arul Bhumi took me to read

a Naadi (sacred leaflet with predictions). It predicts, " Whoever's

leaflet this is, he is Brahma, he is Vishnu, he is Shiva. He can

discard the body and leave this world whenever he wants to. He has

pierced the 7 veils and has become a God of the skies. " It also

says, " He has such grace bestowed on him by Ambal that She would

provide food for him. With this power he has been able to provide for

other people who come to him. And because of this, his power is

increasing day by day. " Not everybody can get this kind of grace. For

this you have to perform Daanam (charity) and penance. Charity means

giving people what you have.

 

A couple of days back, they had telecast the movie Karnan in Raj TV.

In the last scene, Karnan is on the lap of his Mother and is about to

die. At that time another lady in a white dress joins and cries

profusely. When people ask why she is crying, she says, " In this

world I had only one son. I am weeping because he is going to die. "

When asked who she was, she replied, " I am the Goddess of Dharma

(righteousness). And Krishna has killed my only son. " It is a

beautiful scene.

 

In this world there are a few Goddesses, that watch out whether

people follow Dharma. They are called Dharma devatas

(Gods/Goddesses). This is more prevalent in Jainism. That's because

the philosophy of Jainism is based on doing Dharma and attaining

Moksha (liberation). They don't waste their time in discussing

existence or non-existence of God. They say it is enough to have

performed actions of Punya (goodness). Let's say someone is sick.

What's the point in trying to find out why he became sick? Hindu

religion says, he is sick because of the karmas he had accumulated in

the last birth. Buddha and Mahavira did not accept that. They say

that they don't care about karmas that have accrued in the past. Now

the man is a sick patient and our intention should be to cure him and

not to go for a post mortem of what resulted in the sickness or what

went wrong. We have to only think about what has to be done now. Jain

philosophy says, " Perform good actions and good things will happen to

you. "

 

In Dharmasthala, about 150 years back there was a gentleman who was

equivalent of a Panchayat (village self rule government) President.

One day a Dharma devata (Goddess of Dharma) came on a horse and said

to him, " I am going to do good things to this village for which you

will be my instrument. I will give you all comforts. With the wealth

you have you should perform philanthropic activities. I will come

once each year and ask whether everything is OK. You should say yes.

If you lie to me I will kill you. " So even now if you go to

Dharmasthala, you will be given free lodging and two meals a day. The

temple has become commercial. That's a different issue. In temple

they demand fees according to their whims and fancies. Even for a

small coconut they demand an exorbitant amount. But to this day you

can get free lodging and meals. May be the place is not clean but

they provide it. This is all due to the Jain celestial power.

 

You people also should not analyze whether you are comfortable

enough. Start doing something then you will see that resources start

flowing. Think that you will do daanam and start performing it,

automatically the resources will come to you. What did I have when I

started this organization? My condition was worse than yours. I had

nothing. But as I kept doing things the organization kept growing.

This is my experience.

 

In Vallakottai, one Reddiar decided to offer food to people every

Krithigai (star). At some point, 2000 to 3000 people used to eat

sumptuous food but he never had any problems. He would have never

even thought that he would get the means to serve food to so many

people. If the thoughts with which you approach God are good ones,

events will happen even beyond your fate. If you ask for yourself,

your karma will come into play. If you think about doing God's work

or welfare for the people, resources will accrue by themselves.

That's because God does not have any karma.

 

First take care of your family. If you have the time, mood and

resources, perform charities at least in a small way. Don't perform

it for pleasing your ego. Don't do it so that people should respect

you, garland you or give you an award. If you do it that way, you

won't get any result. Do it for your own happiness. Do it without

public knowledge. That's the real way of performing philanthropy.

What the right hand gives left hand should not know is a popular

saying. Keep doing charity without expecting anything. The rain comes

down without expecting anything, the wind blows and the waves rise

and fall without expecting anything. You can become like that. If you

do things like that, you will become divine. If you keep living for

yourself, you will remain a human being, you cannot raise your spirit

up.

 

The fourth chakra in our body belongs to Lord Subramanian, Murugar.

By performing pranayama and performing other exercises, you can

elevate the spiritual energy up to the heart somehow. To go above the

heart, your heart has to mellow. It should be filled with mercy and

love. Then only will Muruga allow the energy to go up. Then

Parasakthi will unite you with Shiva. These are what are called the

seven veils. Anyone in the path of yoga, until he mellows his mind,

he cannot go to the 5th chakra. That quality is called motherhood,

it's is the embodiment of Parasakthi Herself.

 

We talk of Mahalakshmi. In scriptures, it is said that Mahalakshmi is

in the heart. Does it mean that she is sitting physically on a lotus

flower like they show in movies? No. She resides in the heart of

anyone that performs charity and good deeds. Such a person gets the

grace of Mahalakshmi. The feelings have to come from the heart,

that's why it is said Mahalakshmi resides there. It's not a physical

person. Its a quality, a personality trait.

 

Why do you want to hide wealth, which is more than what you really

require? There are lots of rich people who don't perform charity.

Once they acquire lot of wealth, they will call up on an actress and

gift her a house and deposit Rs. 5 lakhs ($10000) in her account. You

would have seen this happen many times with the politicians and many

others. These people don't do good. They keep the money they earned

for their own purpose. All these actresses will leave these people

once they are broke. Things happen to pass like this in the world.

There are lots of people with wealth but they don't have the mind to

perform charity.

(Quote from Kural)

Nachcha padaadavan selvam naduvuurul

nachchu maram paluthatru

 

When he whom no man loves exults in great prosperity,

'Tis as when fruits in midmost of the town some poisonous tree

 

So if someone has wealth and does not do daanam, its like a poison.

If someone has wealth and the mind to distribute it, then

(Quote from kural)

Ooruni Neer niraithattre Ulagavaam

Per arivaalan thiru

 

The wealth of men who love the 'fitting way,' the truly wise,

Is as when water fills the lake that village needs supplies

 

If there is a good large well in the center of the village, there

will be people using it to draw water from all sides.

(Quote from Kural)

Nallar Kan patta varumaiyin innathe

kallar kanpatta thiru

 

To men unlearned, from fortune's favour greater-evil springs

Than poverty to men of goodly wisdom brings

 

The quality of non-giving in a rich man is worse than the the poverty

that strikes a good man, because the rich man even though has wealth

refuses to part with it for charity.

 

(To be continued...)