Monday 29 June 2020

UNDERSTANDING THE JOURNEY 2


Srinivasan continues to describe the state or release from these bondages.
The moment these bondages and shackles are removed, there is the dawn of Grace of God in the individual which alone can put down once and for all the miseries of life. The achievement of the soul, therefore, rests upon the conquest of the shackles one by one.

All these steps have to be trodden one by one and conquered with the help of Grace. After passing all these steps the Soul is said to reach the stage of Paranatham (பரநாதம்) where it realizes the Supreme Grace. At this very high spiritual plane, the soul is freed from the shackles and no longer are they able to bind and stupefy the soul. Now the soul losing the self and individuality imbibes the Divine Grace. In other words, the soul has become divine and dwells in the Grace of the Supreme God at this state of spiritual experience called உயிரனுபவம் or the achievement of the soul. By now the human body of the five elements has transformed itself into Suddha Deham சுத்த தேகம் or purified body or golden body composed of pure atoms of purified elements.
The body is composed of several millions of minute particles, the atoms of unpurified elements (அசுத்த தேகம்).  This impure body of impure elements can be and will be converted into a pure body of pure elements.  The impure elements of the impure body are merely the means of composition amalgamated with the causative and impure particles of primordial matter (Prakrithi). This will be converted into a pure body of pure elements (சுத்த தேகம்).
Ramalinga Adigal has detailed the nature of this Suddha Deham.
They will not be affected either directly or indirectly, internally or externally by the five great elements.  Hence the Swami says that earth or stone in any form afflicted  against them will not strike on them.  The coolness of water will  not affect them nor can they be subjected to immerse in water.  The heat of the fire both internally and externally will not affect them.  Not even a scar will be formed on their body.  Air in any form will not impinge on them.  Space will not have any effect on them.  
Similarly all their senses can perceive of the respective feelings without being barred by distance and obstruction.  Hence their eyes can see anything of the universe though generally they are not bent upon seeing things of the world.  They can hear any sound produced anywhere in the universe.  They can smell anything from being in their own place and their body can feel anything of the universe at will.  Their limbs can give anything to anybody irrespective of distance.  They may walk anywhere with out any regard for space.  They may speak to anybody at any place in the universe and beyond.  Their knowledge is universal and omniscient.  All the bonds of nature such as space, time and the like and even the natural order and regularity of the universe will not bind them.  As already pointed out, food, sleep, and sex are no longer necessary for them.  There would not be any perspiration, shadow, ageing or death for their body.  It is not necessary to point out repeatedly as the Swami  does, that their body cannot be disturbed by the great elements, devils, weapons of any kind, animals including human and superhuman beings in any place at any time.  With regard to their power, it is said that they are capable of any creation or destruction at will.  They can bring the dead of life; they can change or convert the old into young.  In short, their knowledge, their action and their experience and every thing about them will be Godly, They are all-powerful, eternal and omni-potent.  
They have mastered or conquered the elements. The planets and their effects are redundant. Fate and destiny is now in their hands. 

That is not all. 
The purified and perfected body may undergo a metamorphosis further into the body of Grace known as Pranavadeham. The next higher transformation is the greatest and the ultimate evolution of the human body ever contemplated.  The Swami realized this transformation also.  This is the highest transmutation into Godhead.  It is known as merging with the body of Supreme Wisdom - Gnanadeham.
Let us see what science has to say. From https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/chemistry--of-life/elements-and-atoms/a/matter-elements-atoms-article we learn the following.
At the most basic level, your body—and, in fact, all of life, as well as the nonliving world—is made up of atoms, often organized into larger structures called molecules. If you learned in chemistry that some atoms tend to gain or lose electrons or form bonds with each other, those facts remain true even when the atoms or molecules are part of a living thing. In fact, simple interactions between atoms—played out many times and in many different combinations, in a single cell or a larger organism—are what make life possible. One could argue that everything you are, including your consciousness, is the byproduct of chemical and electrical interactions between a very, very large number of nonliving atoms! So we are an incredibly complex being made up of roughly 7,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 atoms.
An atom is the smallest unit of matter that retains all of the chemical properties of an element.
The term matter refers to anything that occupies space and has mass—in other words, the “stuff” that the universe is made of. All matter is made up of substances called elements. Gold, for instance, is an element, and so is carbon. There are 118 elements, but only 92 occur naturally. The remaining elements have only been made in laboratories and are unstable. The four elements common to all living organisms are oxygen (O), carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and nitrogen (N), which together make up about 96% of the human body. 
Srinivasan fills in the details: oxygen 65 parts, carbon 18 parts, hydrogen 10 parts, nitrogen 3 parts, (which together make up about 96% of the human body), calcium 2 parts, phosphorus 1.1 parts, and others in small proportions.

Ramalinga Adigal tempered with the constitution of the physical body with the grace of Erai and brought a tremendous change within his physical body purifying the elements of the primordial matter or Prakrithi. This made it possible for him to beat death.

Srinivasan writes,
Now, supposing that these particles of the elements and those of the primordial matter which are causative for the synthesis of the human body are by a sudden and miraculous power metamorphosed into the so called perfected and pure particles, the transformation is quite possible.  The power that is involved in this is the power which the aspirant has gradually attained by the descent of Divinity in him. I mean that the Supreme Grace of the Lord has manifested itself in him for this transformation. In a word it could be stated that it was the Grace of Love Supreme which alchemised him. He says that God Supreme granted him an elixir of wisdom to convert the mortal body into a body of light. This is called the principle of Light (ஒளிநெறி) which alone can save this body from decay.  
Oli Neri is the adoption of two tools, Paropakaram and Satvicharam, universal reverence for all life and devotional meditation respectively. Spiritual communion with all living things brings compassion and love. Coupled with ardent devotion brings the grace and mercy of Erai upon us. Ramalinga Adigal shares both the visible changes and those within taking place in him in these divine moments of communion.
The skin-the dermis and the epidermis-has become extremely soft.  All the nerves and the tendons have become gradually loosened.  All the bones membranous and cartilaginous have become automatically pliable.  All the muscles and the muscular tissues have become loosened.  All the blood has become internally coagulated.  The semen has become not only hardened but concentrated in a unit.  The brain and all its parts the cerebrum, the cerebellum and the medualla oblongata have loosened as an opening blossom.  Throughout the body an elixir oozes out and flows and fills up all the parts. Externally the forehead perspires.  The face becomes brilliant.  There is delicacy, soft and mild, sweet and hormonious in the tender and cool breathing.  The internal beauty is evident outside.  The hair splits.  The tear glands are so profusely pouring in the eyes that it flows through the feet.   The mouth gasps with a trembling note.  The ears and their delicate parts are filled with melody.  The entire body has become cool.  The chest and the heart are throbbing. The palms are folded.  The legs are staggering.  The four different aspects of the mind have respectively attained a melting mood, have the sparkling filled, have harmoniously heartened and have then and there, the repurcussions put down.  The heart swells with anxiety to see the whole world (of love).  All the visible parts of the body are blooming with ecstacy.  The life-bound ego which spurts out through the senses has vanished.  All the blemishes that surround the heart and the mind have extinguished.  The tender and soft loving and affectionate, mercy and compassionate quietism stands out.  All the world and the worldly affairs are hidden.  The ardent desire for receiving the Supreme Grace is increasing and overflowing.  Now the God Supreme in the form of Supreme love fills up the body fully enshrining divine life. 

When Agathiyar had us leave Sariyai and Kriyai and venture into Yogam and Gnanam, he made us cleansed the body and nerves (breath) through Dega Suddhi and Nadi Suddhi, making the body the appropriate vessel for the divine to channel its energy and light. We were reminded by Agathiyar and Ramalinga Adigal numerous times that both Prana and Arutjhothi need to swell within and burn brightly for the internal combustion to take place. Fanned by the Prana the Arutjhothi engulfs all the impurities just as we light a Yagam or Homam externally to burn our Karma. He forewarned of the discomfort and pain that one shall have to go through to achieve and bring the desired changes in the body. If the body begins to stink moments after we die, so shall the body stink during this process of inner cleansing. There is a need to take purgatives to expel the impurities. Impurities will be expelled from the body in several ways: the skin, stool, urine, and as phlegm. The three dosas will be expelled if in excess and a perfect balance brought about. Nerves will start to pull; limbs might go numb, and boils would appear due to the intense heat generated known as Tava Kanal. Hence Patanjali recommends the need to adhere to a strict diet of sattvic food. Kaya Kalpa or herbs that help strengthen the physical body has to be taken. This is only the beginning says Ramalinga Adigal. There is much more to go through. He assures that he would be right beside us to lead, guide, and monitor till the gates of our heavenly father's kingdom. We are blessed to hear these words from one who had to find his own way and has come back to lead us along. Tavayogi too is striving to bring us to our destination he says. We are glad that we could come this far. Whether we achieve the above-mentioned states that Ramalinga Adigal spoke about is immaterial for the journey this far itself has been satisfying and fulfilling. We look upon his grace to shower and bring us to these states if he feels we are worthy of it.