SRINATHA RAGHAVAN'S THOUGHTS 1

I had written to Srīnāthā Rāghavan some years back suggesting that he compile his postings on fb into a book. He is really good in bringing out great wisdom, and also relevant and much needed criticism and beatings in a very subtle way. We seem to think alike, Sri, thats why I love to read all your postings.

While waiting eagerly for his book to come out (Are you coming out with it Sri?), I could not help but pick some of his best messages for Siddha Heartbeat (and for me to go back and read it again and again serving me as a reminder too). I hope you don't mind Sri? (Sri has given permission in the past to post his writings in Siddha Heartbeat)

Now to his post.

This one is an advice to disciples not to over sensationalize the Guru, making them Godly. 

I'm kinda averse to these spiritual societies and spiritual groups, which revolves around larger than life personalities, ultimately transforming them into some living Godhead and the rest into herd mentalities.

Despite my ardent pleas to not include me in this Spiritual Guru's Fan club Whatsapp group, someone I know went ahead and added me. Within a few hours, my phone was flooded with so many "Divine" messages, that I began to feel totally undivine about it.

So without much consternation, I silently exited the group, but to my utter dismay, the Administrator, who I don't even know, along with a few others began to message me personally, demanding an explanation as to why I quit the group. The height of it was when one said, "Please come back, as you are missing out on the Enlightenment that only our Guru can give?"

Seriously?

I'm a least argumentative and non-intrusive person, who won't really break anyone's bubble (mine included), but when people unnecessary pull me into such spiritual propaganda, where all they do is discuss miracles and super powers of their living Godlike Guru, forcing the new comers to unwittingly accept their views or give them veiled threats, then I have a sure shot problem and I will unhesitatingly voice out my views.

God! What's wrong with the educated, why do they want others to forcibly accept and comply with their spiritual views, why can't we have different views and yet remain at peace with each other. Sure your Guru must be a Superman, but I'm a fan of the Bat. Can't we leave it at that?

People fail to realize that one Guru doesn't fit all. He sure must be a god for millions, but please excuse me and my half baked views, I ain't worship no god in the form of no man. 

Peace out.

P.S ~ Please don't add me into any fan groups, especially of the living gods and goddesses. I'm much happy without any of them, more so I'm happy being with imperfect and faltering humans, than the ever perfect ones. Also this rant is not against any person in particular, just my honest views.

I can relate to the above message very well. I only have to thank Tavayogi for giving me a "beating" the very same day he arrived at my home for the very first time. Leaving my home after his visit, I was on cloud nine, so full of joy at having a Gnani grace my home and take a morsel of food, well he hit me hard. He said straight to my face that he was not a Samy but an Asamy, that he had nothing hidden within his saffron colored robes, and that I was living in Maya or Illusion. Although initially I was hurt, confused and angry, today after 13 years, I understand the deeper meanings of each and every statement he made which were very rare too.

Another post on asking us to be just grateful, which I share and do it often.

Over the years, some habits & patterns that you consciously develop, turns into a life style. As a young man, I had the opportunity of meeting the ever young Dada J.P Vaswani on a few occasions. He was and still remains (aged 99) the most unbiased and most approachable Spiritual Teacher. I remember asking one question to him, "Dada, what's the most simplest way to lead a God Centric life?"

Dada was silent for a while, looking at the Questioner with eyes filled with compassion and later with a smile on his face said, "By learning to be grateful to all of Creation, you can be connected to the Creator at all times?"

Bang! It hit me hard, no big talk, no sermons, no personal experiences, no nonsense...just a simple practical suggestion to a straight forward question. Since then I am trying my level best to put that one suggestion to use and have failed many times. But now when I see that I am unconsciously saying a mental, "Thank you" to the bed, to the fan, to the clothes, to the food, to the body, to the mind, to everything and everyone, that help me live, I feel deeply indebted to that most humble human being, who once sowed the seed of gratitude in me. 

Ah! Now I realise that Gratitude is a Bhava (Emotion) which has to flow naturally and seldom can be forced. Yet like a seed it'll take a hell lot of time to sprout, but when it does, it will be like a gentle breeze filling your heart with peace.

Truly as someone said - A mere "Thank you!" becomes the greatest prayer, if uttered with a heart full of gratitude. 

Another masterpiece, on the needlessness of gaining Siddhis in this era of science and technology, an opinion that I share too.

A great Spiritual Adept and Master (Name withheld) once happened to meet Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa on the banks of the Ganges. After the initial pleasantries, the old Adept told Sri Thakur, "Let me show you something remarkable?"

Telling so, he entered the flowing waters of the Ganges only to walk over it, without drowning. Sri Thakur seeing this one perform the stunt, danced and clapped like a child.

When the Water Walking Master came back to the shore, Sri Ramakrishna went into Samadhi and muttered inaudibly, "Why have you wasted so much time and effort, when you could have paid the boatman a few Annas and he would have steered you to the other shore?"

Sri Thakur then implored the other Master, with tears in his eyes, "Please promise me to drop all this magic show and be sincere towards the Ultimate goal?"

Ah! That's real spiritual beauty and grandeur. That gentleness of speech and spirit is what is sorely missed in todays freak shows.

Yet another gem follows. 

Nope! Nothing you do will ever make you realise the Ultimate,

Be it crores of Japa or even the most severe of penances,

Maybe a few out of the world experiences you might get,

That's it!

But nothing, absolutely nothing will get you to Her,

Except if She decides to come to you and reveal Herself,

Then even if you do nothing forever, it won't matter,

To Her or Yourself!Ah! It's sheer grace alone that redeems, nothing else; and to earn that grace you have to become absolutely graceless enough to demand it constantly like a hopeless idiot.

I am beginning to see this take place. Very true. "It is grace alone that redeems."

On the real Guru,

She was not an ordinary child,

For She had all the qualities of the Divine,

Fully and naturally manifested in Her even at birth,

She radiated a love so supreme that Creation itself, became her playmates.

She never cried when She came out of the womb like any other children at birth,

In fact She was smiling like a little Angel who had found Heaven here,

Years later too She seldom cried but always had a blissful smile on Her face.

She would often stare away into Eternity, forgetting everything,

Once when asked, "What do you see Ma?"

She answered blissfully, "I am seeing everything through the eyes of everyone?"

Ah! What an indescribable state She was in, no one knew,

As it was too much for them to even understand the truth,

Those close to Her would later say, "When we were around Her, we would forget everything else, for She helped us to remember our own Divinity?"

That's the real Guru, who doesn't proclaim His/Her own Divinity, but brings out yours silently.

"That's the real Guru, who doesn't proclaim His/Her own Divinity, but brings out yours silently." Absolutely true. A true Guru will make you one at par with him or higher. He does not aspect you to spend your whole life serving him, but instead set you off on your own journey, giving you the tools to survive the wilderness. Tavayogi did the same, showing me the path and stepping aside. 

Yet another beauty.

To think,

I'm doing,

I'm waking,

I'm worshipping,

I'm this,

I'm that,

All is a sense of self-deception.

She is doing what She wants you to do,

Giving you a false sense of Doership,

Be it good, bad or ugly, whatever it is you do,

It is She who is silently playing you,

When you get to realize this truth,

All you will do is cry & laugh at the same time,

Thinking how foolish you were to believe in yourself.

Ah! Real Sadhana is to let go the sense of Doership,

And allow Her to work through you.

Bravo Sri! I am finally beginning to realise this too, that the divine does deceive us too, for pulling a veil across our understanding is one of its five doings too. 

And finally,

I'm just a Story Teller,

Weaving stories out of nothing,

When you read them & feel something,

That's when all the stories I tell,

Will acquire meaning.

Stories are a part of you and me,

The only thing is,

There has to be somebody to listen to it,

Else it'll be like the story of a tree which fell in a far away forest,

But there was no one to listen to the sound of its falling,

So tell me did it make a sound or didn't?

It sure did Sri, LOUD & CLEAR!

Thank you very much for these divine messages. Please keep writing and please let me share them too.