From a sadhak

Last night i was a bit early to go back to my sleeping quarters from work. On the way we met "U". U is a very senior resident and a regularly practicing sadhak (spiritual aspirant). We were near our big hall, when U met two of us. We remarked how tired we were after almost 2 days of no sleep at all. Immediately he said "Well, the best is to tire the mind so one will go into deep sleep and without thoughts. Once you wake up from such a sleep the mind automatically settles into meditation. The goal of meditation being controlling your thoughts". we laughed and said "in our condition one would naturally move into that mode". He smiled but seriously led us to one of the early stories.

In the very early days, the place where we have our meditation hall was a marshy pool. Sand used to be brought from the sea to the banks and mounds of it were dumped close to the banks of the backwaters. Amma then used to instruct the sadhaks to carry them and dump them at this spot. The task was strenous and went late into night atleast until 2am. Amma used to be with Her children working, making black coffee and making sure the job was well supervised. Around 2 am, physically and mentally exhausted they used to go to bed only to wake 2 hours later when the Mother was already awake for their morning practices. Such were the old days. But those days were special, he said. After that tiring work and constant japa(repetition of the Divine name) and a little rest, the body used to settle into a posture very easily and the mind into a dynamic meditation state where the Self shined through the Divine effulgence.

As we walked on to our rooms, he said, "perhaps you should find time to read some scriptures too!". Some of the ancient Upanishads talk of the path of knowledge where knowing the Self was knowing All. U took off saying "we have got to get up in 3 hours. So lets catch some sleep." U had been in the surrondings for more than 25 years. He knew and taught many scriptures and Sanskrit, the ancient language of Gods. As i had in my mind, what a depth he had and yet how simple he looked, he turned back from a few feet away and said "we are extremely lucky to be in this place not just with a Mahatma but a Mahapurush(personified Divinity). all we can pray and ask for is this presence alone. That itself will take us leaps ahead in our journey. So lets not dream of anything more but be thankful for what we are already! Have a good night!" It was 1 am but the heart had already woken up. The compulsion of sleep had left.

"Svayam lokaguruh sakshajjayate lokatattvavit
Yajnabratatapodana japatirthanusevanam
Gurutattvamvijnya nishphalam natra samshayah
Gurubhuddhyatmanonanyam satyam satyam na samshayah"



"Fire ceremonies, vows, offerings, austerities, pilgrimages – All are fruitless without having the knowledge of Guru. Have no doubt about this."
-Guru Gita

Om Lokah Samsthah Sukhino Bhavantu: