Sunday 31 August 2014

PACKAGING & MARKETING

I do not usually watch movies. When my family comes across a good movie or scene they share it with me. This was one of those movies. For one who has seen the movie SAGUNI would have come across a very poignant message delivered through a comic scene. A Guru who was a good orator, unfortunately could not capture nor sustain the attention span of his devotees who were more interested in his handout of get cure and get rich quick talisman and other stuffs, is observed by a lad from a distance. He approaches the Guru with an idea and offers to bring a change. The lad mentions to the Guru that what he needed to do was to repackage and market his "product" anew. The Guru was asked to stop talking! When the Guru stopped speaking everyone is anxious as to when he (the Guru) would speak next and whether he would speak to them or chose another. It turned out to be a successful move. Although it was a comedy sketch it made some sense too. 

When Arunagiri was asked to remain silent by Lord Murugan, he eventually adopted that stance for 12 long years. So have many saints and gurus refrained from speaking for many long years. Many Siddhas are supposed to be in this meditative pose for years. When one stops speaking externally and internally the Lord starts speaking to him. Arunagiri listened to the Lord for 12 long years and upon coming out of his meditative state sang 16,000 verses of the THIRUPUGAZH, of which, I understand, only 3,000 remain and only 300 is in print . Ramalinga Adigal is supposed to have gone into oblivion for 12 long years only to emerge again in Chennai and deliver the THIRUARUTPA for us. While driving to our next destination in Malaysia, Tavayogi Thangarasan Adigal asked me what the song was that was played on my CD player. I told him it was Ramalinga Adigal's ARUTPA. He immediately told me that one could attain Gnanam by just listening to the THIRUARUTPA. Tavayogi too once told me a disciple will have to wait 12 years where the Guru shall evaluate and finally if he favors, confer on him what the guru feels he (the student) deserves.

My mother told me that as a child I used to fall sick often. Once I was purging badly. Fearing that they would loose me just as they lost two of my siblings earlier for the same reason, they brought me to their neighbor at that time. He was a Chinese and he was a medicine man and shaman. I was cured and since then seeked him out for all my illnesses until I was 13. He used to go into a trance hitting his back with the blunt edge of a sword and would start to chant, write certain Chinese characters on a yellow strip of rice paper, burn it and place the ashes in a glass of water which he passes to me to drink. At his altar was a magnificent huge painting of a Chinese deity who became my God Father. There were Chinese characters that were worshiped too at his altar.  

I knew the efficacy of the character or word later as it kept me alive all these years.

I just came back from attending a 3 day course in acquiring certain mind mastering skills under the program known as the Law of Attraction and Neuro Linguistic Programming. I had attended this course earlier in 2012 and it captivated me a lot. I used to promote it to friends and family alike. I had another opportunity to attend again last week. After a series of lectures and hands on practice of certain techniques, I returned home to campaign this program to all.

At many junctures during the course, I realized basically what was taught was in line with the teachings of the Siddhas too, only packaged and marketed in a different form. We are taught to think out of the box. We are taught to understand that there are many solutions to a problem; that there are many possibilities available for enhancing oneself too. We are taught to recognize and use the very tools we have in hand to tackle a situation and use it to find a solution.We are taught to respect all opinions as everyone is entitled to his views and opinion which was also right if viewed from his "point of view" and perspective. We are cautioned against using negative words as it would attract negative things; instead we are told to strengthen the positive traits in us.

Agathiyar has always said the same. He starts with the very basic – characteristics of a good person. They speak about good morals and attributes. Agathiyar expects one to have good thought, speak good and perform good deeds too. Agathiyar ask to refrain from bad or evil since it has repercussions that are passed on to generations and these negative vasanas will be etched very deeply in time.

Tiruvalluvar in the TIRUKURAL, reminds us of the following: be righteous; be kind in speech; be grateful; maintain self-control; do not desire another man‘s wife; be forgiving; do not envy; do not covet; do not slander; perform charity; be truthful; abstain from anger; and be courteous.

Avvai in her work entitled ATHI CHUDI has 109 advises for us, among them: do good; control anger; do not hinder aid to others; feed the hungry; help the needy; keep reading; do not be jealous of other‘s achievement; help your relatives and friends grow with you; look after your parents; do not forget those who have come to your aid; do not secure what does not belong to you; do not venture into things that are degrading by nature; abstain from using harsh language; refrain from thinking degrading thoughts; do not harm others; give your best in every venture that you undertake; lead an honest life; respect others.

The very first lesson that the Siddhas teach us is to bring change in our behavior, speech and beliefs. The Siddhas emphasize on character building, good behavior, right conduct, right knowledge, and yogic practices. They ask us to restrain our anger, lust and ego. Once we take care of these, then perception and understanding will changed accordingly. The world will still be the same, nevertheless we shall see the world differently. We shall see it in a different perspective then. When man drops all forms of differentiation, hence none of the negativity will arise in him. Instead only compassion will arise. Good deeds will then multiply, and eventually a closely knitted family and society will emerge.

My department chose the perfect venue to host this course as it required calm and peace to set in before one could take on the techniques to bring change within us. I wish to share some photos of this hill resort, Frasers Hill in Malaysia. The place reminded me of the dense jungle of Kallar and the beauty of Ooty.