Wednesday 20 June 2018

BATTLING THE LURE OF MAYA 3

Swami Saravanananda has written an extensive explanation in his English transliteration of Ramalinga Adigal’s “Arutperunjhoti Agaval” published by Ramalinga Mission, Madras. 

Swami Saravanananda wrote,
With this perfection (after his body had attained perfection) comes perfect knowledge. He (Vallalar) also seemed to have been bestowed with the third eye. This third eye enabled him to gain knowledge of the whole universe and all the individual beings contained in it. He assets that his knowledge penetrated and pervaded layer upon layer of the varied types of universes. With the functioning of the third eye, the transformation of the Pranava body is completed and the next and final stage of transformation into the Gnostic body (Gnana Deham) starts. As explained by Vallalar, the person whose third eye is active is verily God Himself because he can raise the dead into life and perform the fivefold primordial functions.
Swami Saravanananda adds that according to Ramalinga Adigal, it takes a long time to perfect the Pranava body; the minimum period required is twelve years and the maximum is 108 years.
The transformation of the Pranava body into a Gnostic body begins with the functioning of the third eye. With the advent of this eye, the body sheds whatever subtle impurities it possesses; consequently, it becomes nearly invisible. The third eye enabled Vallalar to have tier upon tier of divine experiences.

Slowly his body through the intensity of concentration of the mind begins to generate the flame of lapses, popularly known as psychic heat. Slowly the quantity of psychic heat is increased due to intense meditation and concentration on the universal effulgence. The extreme heat generated in the body produces smoke at first; this smoke gathers up in volume and escapes through the junction of the parietal bones of the skull (Brahma Randhra). During this period, the body and mind undergoes untold stress. Vallalar often mentions about the sufferings that he had undergone since he was twelve years old. The psychic smoke clears off and enhanced illumination results. This light (Tegas) is also called as the aura or nimbus.
Similarly Marshall Govindan in his book “Babaji and the 18 Siddhars Kriya Yoga Tradition” (Govindan, Marshall, Babaji and the Eighteen Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition, 1991, Kriya Yoga Publications (Reg), 196 Mountain Road, P.O.Box 90, Eastman, Quebec, Canada, JOE 1PO, reproduced with permission via e-mail), writes,
Ramalinga described several successive transformations:

The transformation of the mortal human body into the perfect body (Suddha Deham), achieved by universal spiritual communion and devotion to god; The transformation of perfect body (Sudha Deham) into the body of grace and light (Pranava Deham); In addition, the transformation into the body of wisdom (Gnana Deham) and into the body of god supreme.

In many verses (of the Thiru Arutpa) Ramalinga sings of how his ‘impure body’ of ‘impure elements’ was transformed into a pure body of pure elements, called a golden body of immeasurable carats (Swarna Deham). He sings that one has to think incessantly, until he feels and melts with love for god. In such a melting mood one bursts into tears and sings praise of god and soothing warmth is produced in the aspirant. When this universal love and sacred warmth develops, the body as well as the soul became prepared for the descent of the grace, in the form of light. When this occurs, the material body of impure elements is transformed into a ‘body of pure light’, emitting a golden hue. This ‘golden body’ appears to be about twelve years of age. The body of grace (Pranava Deham) according to him can be seen visually but it cannot be touched. It appears to be a heavenly child of about five to eight years of age. The ultimate and greatest transformation in human evolution: a transmutation into the godhead, which he referred to as merging with the body of supreme wisdom - the body of god supreme (Gnana Deham).
From the foreword to Kumara Devar in the above mentioned book,
This saint, Kumara Devar, (the author of Sudha Sadhagam), has sung of the progressive transformation of the darkness abounding human body (Irul Deham) into delusive body (Marul Deham) then into the body of grace (Pranava Deham) which could be seen and felt. In an advanced state it is transformed into body of grace (Arul Deham), which could only be seen as a mirage or a rainbow, but with his grace, it merges with Shiva and enjoys eternal bliss in Shivadvaita union.
Dr C Srinivasan, in his foreword to Ramalingam Swami, in the same book says,
Accordingly, the impure human body, susceptible to disease and death, can, by the grace of god, be transformed into a pure and perfect body of love, then into a celestial body of grace and ultimately into an invisible body of bliss and merge with god supreme.
In the foreword to “An Introduction to the Philosophy of Saint Ramalingam” by Dr. C. Srinivasan, Rao Saheb K. Kothandapani Pillai BA wrote about these transformations,
These transformations occur in the body of the aspirant according to the intensity of spiritual warmth produced in him. The body is deprived of all its dross or impurities and made pure, fit for divine absorption (Sudha Deham). These are the practical transformation, which came over the body of the Swami stage by stage on the way to union with the absolute. Not only did he preach this science of deathlessness (Sudha Sanmarga) but actually attained this deathless state. None of the four saints, [Appar, Sundarar, Thirugnanasambanthar, and Manickavasagar] dropped their bodies on the earth nor was buried or burnt. They bodily vanished into the ether or into the lord divine. Conquest of death by imbibing supreme grace is the quintessence of his philosophy. The more he ascended in his holy pursuit the more was the descent of divinity in him.
The body of love or Sudha Deham or Anbu Uru gives the experience, Uyir Anubhavam; while the body of grace or Pranava Deham or Arul Uru gives the Arul Anubhavam and finally the body of bliss or Gnana Deham or Inba Uru gives the Siva Anubhavam. By showering love to others and all of Erai's creation, Erai comes within us bringing us to the state of Bliss.

In an interesting article in the net, the author of the article says,
As an individual begins to be liberated from the influence of the mind-stuff, the divine attributes of the atman or self manifest in the very subtle sheath of bliss (Anandamaya Kosham) that surrounds the soul (atman.). When the transformation of that very subtle part of the being has been given fully to the divine, the individual becomes literally a beacon of bliss-light. Simply being in the presence of such a being is uplifting. Such an elevated individual is often acknowledged as a saint.

Anyone whose spiritual practices have thus resulted in the awareness of the divine working through them has already begun the transformational process and surrendering of the sheath of the intellect (Vinjnanamaya Kosham). When the analytical or intellectual component of the being is fully informed by the divine light attributes we may through the divine grace be in a position to recognize such a being as the Sage that they are. Such an individual is truly a muni or one who has had their accumulated experiences and knowledge enlightened by the higher deeper aspects of self. Such Sage has digested and integrated the informed divine light into the analytical aspects of the being.

As the intellect undergoes this transformation, the mental sheath (Manomaya Kosham), associated with the senses, and is similarly transformed. Of course, this individual is fully aware of the divine as the prime mover. Since the ego has been given to the divine, every action related to the senses is observed and understood to be none other than the indwelling god or goddess doing the experiencing and enjoying. Such a Buddha can enjoy all the senses without fear of confusion or being lost spiritually in them. For the great tantric who have attained to this state, conventional rules which guide and provide stability, safety, and structure are irrelevant.

As the divine light descends into the sheath of energy (Pranayama Kosham) the entity becomes a Siddha in the truest sense of the word. As defined in the Upanishads, a Siddha is one who has progressed from the exalted ‘state of freed while living’ (Jivanmukta) to ‘supremely free with full power over death’ (Paramukta). This state is referred to in Siddhantha literature as Soruba Mukti or Soruba Samadhi. This Paramukta will rarely retain the transformed physical frame and when so, remains as an avatar. The physical body of the Siddha glows with the fire of immortality.

725. தோலெலாங் குழைந்திடச் சூழ்நரம் பனைத்தும்
மேலெலாங் கட்டவை விட்டுவிட் டியங்கிட

726. என்பெலா நெக்குநெக் கியலிடை நெகிழ்ந்திட
மென்புடைத் தசையெலா மெய்யுறத் தளர்ந்திட

727. இரத்த மனைத்துமுள் ளிறுகிடச் சுக்கிலம்
உரத்திடை பந்தித் தொருதிர ளாயிட

728. மடலெலா மூளை மலர்ந்திட வமுதம்
உடலெலா மூற்றெடுத் தோடி நிரம்பிட

729. ஒண்ணுதல் வியர்த்திட வொளிமுக மலர்ந்திட
தண்ணிய வுயிர்ப்பினிற் சாந்தந் ததும்பிட

730. உண்ணகை தோற்றிட வுரோமம் பொடித்திடக்
கண்ணினீர் பெருகிக் கால்வழிந் தோடிட

731. வாய்துடித் தலறிட வளர்செவித் துணைகளிற்
கூயிசைப் பொறியெலாங் கும்மெனக் கொட்டிட

732. மெய்யெலாங் குளிர்ந்திட மென்மார் பசைந்திடக்
கையெலாங் குவிந்திடக் காலெலாஞ் சுலவிட

733. மனங்கனிந் துருகிட மதிநிறைந் தொளிர்ந்திட
இனம்பெறு சித்த மியைந்து களித்திட

734. அகங்கார மாங்காங் கதிகரிப் பமைந்திடச்
சகங்காண வுள்ளந் தழைத்து மலர்ந்திட

735. அறிவுரு வனைத்து மானந்த மாயிடப்
பொறியுறு மான்மதற் போதமும் போயிடத்

736. தத்துவ மனைத்துந் தாமொருங் கொழிந்திடச்
சத்துவ மொன்றே தனித்துநின் றோங்கிட

737. உலகெலாம் விடய முளவெலா மறைந்திட
அலகிலா வருளி னாசைமேற் பொங்கிட

738. என்னுளத் தெழுந்துயி ரெல்லா மலர்ந்திட
என்னுளத் தோங்கிய என்றனி யன்பே

We had a wonderful translation of the above verses made available at http://www.ramalinga.com (now defunct)
Describing in exquisite way the phases of the transformation of his body, Ramalinga says that dermis and epidermis have become extremely soft; all the nerves, muscles and tendons have slackened little by little; the bones, membranes and cartilages have become very flexible; the blood has coagulated; the semen has concentrated being solidified; the brain and all its parts have been opened like a bud. All over the body an Elixir flows; the face glistens; the respiration is smooth and refreshing; from the tear glands abundant tears sprout; the mouth is half-opened tremulous and the ears are filled of sweet melodies. The entire body is refreshed and all its visible parts flourish in ecstasy. The heart swells palpitating Love. The ego vanishes, as the emotional and mental defects. A tender, loving and compassionate quietude dominates the entire organism. The ardent desire to receive the divine Grace overflows. The Supreme Love fills the body, which is the temple of the divine Life.
We look up to http://www.ramalinga.com for more translations of Ramalinga Adigal's songs of bliss and his experience or anubhuti.
"I have realized here the triple indestructible body of Sudha Deha (the pure physical body), a perpetual and blissful Pranava body (Pranava Deha) and an all-pervading and ever-growing or ever-prospering Knowledge-body of the divine Conscious Force (Gnana Deha) in order to make the play of self-giving of myself everywhere."

"The Lord revealed me the chain of Cause and Effect that are spoken of in the respective scriptures of the Vedas and Agamas. I have seen and realized Him here in the world and enjoy the Bliss. I have happily partaken of Amrita (of Bliss) in the Realm where there is neither day nor night (the Truth World of eternal Light)."

"I have discarded all the devious ways and taken to the good Path of Purity, Truth and Harmony, and joined the rank and file of Its Sangha or fellowship. The heavenly beings happily praise it as the Good Path, because it has a firm foundation."

"Oh my shy people of the world! Be careful to see that your heart remains vigilant and watchful without allowing it to indulge in wastefulness (wasting the opportunity). As the Lord has given me today Amrita of Bliss as food, know it to be the day which He has chosen for His manifestation here in the play of Knowledge and Perfection."