Srīnāthā Rāghavan posted the following on fb some hours ago.
On the Spiritual Path, we shall get to meet many Walkers, Talkers, Stalkers, Stoppers, Admirers, Bystanders and a very few Well Wishers and Helpers as well. Spiritual Maturity is how you deal with each one of them, so they don't influence your Mind from walking your chosen path, coaxing you to become one of them instead.
Unfortunately the Spiritual Path is a solitary one, where you can't reach the destination in groups. You have to walk it all alone, despite of all the wanted and not so wanted company, you'll get to keep now and then. Stop not, walk alone if you must, till the end in faith!
How true is Sri's statement. I too made the mistake of expecting others to follow the Siddha path. Since I derived immense joy and bliss, comfort and peace, from treading the path, it was only natural of me to talk to others of its greatness and convince them to come on board ship. Then it dawned on me and I soon realized each person has to voluntarily take the first step, and make the journey for themselves. You can only take the horse to the stream, but it has to drink on its own. No one will be magically lifted off to Never-land on a magic carpet. You have to walk miles to reach the destination.
Incidentally Never-land is where its residents, ".. cease to age, its best known resident famously refused to grow up. The term is often used as a metaphor for eternal childhood (and childishness), immortality, and escapism." Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neverland
"Spiritual Maturity is how you deal with each one of them, so they don't influence your Mind from walking your chosen path, coaxing you to become one of them instead." This is the trend I see now taking place too where preachers and institutional heads try to push their faith and practices on unsuspecting commoners aspiring for something spiritual and elevating for both their soul and spirit. I too have listened to them speak of the greatness of their path and the merits of adopting certain practices, sadly at the expanse of belittling others faith and practices. They take the safe and easy way to address, convince and convert people already spiritually aligned to a path. I wonder should not their target be to bring their teachings to those who are aimlessly roaming out there for a bank to dock or a place to ditch? Or maybe to those unaware of the very existence of the divine. That would be a lifetime achievement.
Say what you may there might be hundreds out there who look the other way and shun from all these spiritual talks, satsangs and gatherings. They stay away from worship and rituals of any form. Does that equate to and mean that they are being less spiritual then us?
For those who shun certain faiths, beliefs and rituals might do so for a reason unknown even to them. For all I know they could have gone through all these stuffs in previous lives and hence something in them tells them it was no more necessary and keeps them away. Can we belittle and ridicule them for their stand?
Thinking that we have outwitted Maya, taking on the role of a spiritual or religious leader, we give sermons, drawing crowds to our teachings. The greatest Maya that we fall for, without even realizing it, is we judge others to be less religious or spiritual. We begin to judge, divide and rule based on a persons faith, belief, religious practice, external behavior and sadly even the diet they take. I liked the part of an interview by someone, where he says do not classify people purely on their diet and do not reduce religion to the menu in the kitchen. Sadly this is what the preachers of many faiths stress on these days. They take the stage and talk about the menu but not the magic of transformation within.
Thinking that we have outwitted Maya, taking on the role of a spiritual or religious leader, we give sermons, drawing crowds to our teachings. The greatest Maya that we fall for, without even realizing it, is we judge others to be less religious or spiritual. We begin to judge, divide and rule based on a persons faith, belief, religious practice, external behavior and sadly even the diet they take. I liked the part of an interview by someone, where he says do not classify people purely on their diet and do not reduce religion to the menu in the kitchen. Sadly this is what the preachers of many faiths stress on these days. They take the stage and talk about the menu but not the magic of transformation within.
It is sad that we are classified spiritual and non spiritual based on our eating habits. I became a vegetarian overnight 20 years ago for no reason. Nobody brainwashed me. It just happened. Many in AVM have turned vegetarians overnight too without any reasons. It just happened.
In their eagerness to convert others they forget that in event a vegetarian needs blood transfusion is he going to seek for "vegetarian" blood? The very body itself is meat. Throw us into the den of the tiger and we become food for them.
The very idea is to turn this meat body into light body. This takes place only by the grace of the divine and not by other means. When the divine comes within us a major transformation takes place. All things happen on its own then.
We have indeed diverted from the path, lost sight of the supreme goal, seeking to score points by stopping to address other issues on the way.
Buddha went through both extremes and finally decided to choose the middle way. Lets be moderate in all things we hold and do.
Then everyone wants to give free advice, give initiation, give mantras, give techniques and leave, leaving the poor soul unguided, not watched and not monitored further. Everyone wants to jump into the robes of a guru without knowing its consequences. When someone takes on a disciple, the disciple's life comes under the purview of the Guru and his karma is the responsibility of the Guru too. Many did express surprise that Tavayogi being a Guru, should succumb to the blockages and undergo surgery some time back. I told them that he went through all the pain for me and my family, so that we were spared any form of suffering.
Buddha went through both extremes and finally decided to choose the middle way. Lets be moderate in all things we hold and do.
Then everyone wants to give free advice, give initiation, give mantras, give techniques and leave, leaving the poor soul unguided, not watched and not monitored further. Everyone wants to jump into the robes of a guru without knowing its consequences. When someone takes on a disciple, the disciple's life comes under the purview of the Guru and his karma is the responsibility of the Guru too. Many did express surprise that Tavayogi being a Guru, should succumb to the blockages and undergo surgery some time back. I told them that he went through all the pain for me and my family, so that we were spared any form of suffering.
The difference between us and Erai is that Erai only sees the Atma and guides us to work towards strengthening it gaining Atma Balam. We see everything else except the Atma.
After my visits to India, after I was gifted with two wonderful physical Gurus and Agathiyar and his league of Siddhas, I stopped seeing saintly men and attending spiritual talks, rituals and religious ceremonies. Agathiyar mentioned in subsequent Nadi readings to see several Gurus. I turned his requests down stating that since I had him, that was enough. My search had ended. He was my world. Period. He too dropped that talk. The only time I turned up at a Vizha for Agathiyar organized by others was when Tavayogi asked that I represent him at the function.
Lately I did attend several talks, rituals and events as it was organized by some friends but again I understood that it was all not necessary, at least for me. As Srinatha says, "Spiritual Maturity is how you deal with each one of them, so they don't influence your Mind from walking your chosen path, coaxing you to become one of them instead", I guessed I have learnt to deal with these distractions by going back into my cocoon, my space and my thoughts as spelt out clearly by Saint Nakirar in his Vinayagar Thiruagaval, to be an intimate and prestigious space where both the guru and disciple share some sacred moments in understanding and comprehending the wisdom, experiencing and absorbing the bliss and eventually merging with the other. Indeed bliss is at the feet of the Guru.
Lately I did attend several talks, rituals and events as it was organized by some friends but again I understood that it was all not necessary, at least for me. As Srinatha says, "Spiritual Maturity is how you deal with each one of them, so they don't influence your Mind from walking your chosen path, coaxing you to become one of them instead", I guessed I have learnt to deal with these distractions by going back into my cocoon, my space and my thoughts as spelt out clearly by Saint Nakirar in his Vinayagar Thiruagaval, to be an intimate and prestigious space where both the guru and disciple share some sacred moments in understanding and comprehending the wisdom, experiencing and absorbing the bliss and eventually merging with the other. Indeed bliss is at the feet of the Guru.
மோனா ஞான முழுதும் அளித்து
சிற்பரிப் பூரண சிவத்தைக் காண
நற்சிவ நிட்கள நாட்டமுந் தந்து
குருவுஞ் சீடனுங் கூடிக் கலந்து
இருவரும் ஒரு தனியிடந் தனிற் சேர்ந்து
தானந்தமாகித் தற்பர வெளியில்
ஆனந்த போத அறிவைக் கலந்து
ஈசனிைணயடியிருத்தி
மனத்தே நீயே நானாய்
நானே நீயாய்க்
காயா புரியைக் கனவெனவுணா்ந்து
எல்லாமுன் செயலென்ேற உணர
நல்லா உன்னருள் நாட்டந் தருவாய்
காரண குருவே கற்பகத் களிேற
வாரணமுகத்து வள்ளலே போற்றி
mona gnana muluthumalitthu
sirparipoorana shivattai kaana
narshiva nitkala naattamum thanthu
guruvum seedanum koodi kalanthu
eruvarum oru tani edam thanil sernthu
thaananthamaagi tarpara veliyil
aanandha pootha arivai kalanthu
esan enaiyadi erutthi manathay
neeye naanaai naane neeyaai
gaayaa puriyai kanavena unarnthu
yellaam un seyalendray unara
nallaa un arul naatham tharuvaai
kaarana guruve karpaga kalire
vaarana mugatthu vallale potri