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So long as you have a trace of ego in you, you cannot see the Lord clearly. Ego is the curtain which even noble saints ask the Lord to remove from their minds. Egoism will be destroyed, if you constantly tell yourself, “Ït is He, not I”. “He is the force, I am but the instrument.” Keep His Name always on the tongue, contemplate His glory whenever you see or hear anything beautiful or grand; see in everyone the Lord Himself. Do not talk ill of others, see only good in them. Welcome every chance to help, console and to encourage others along the spiritual path. Be humble. Never become proud of your wealth, status, authority, learning or caste. Dedicate all your physical possessions, mental skills and intellectual attainments to the service of the Lord and His Glory.
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god
In Lord Rama”s Footsteps….Rameshwaram and Dhanushkodi !!!
The walkway to Villondi Teertham, a sweet-water well that appears mysteriously in the midst of the ocean. A small well here is filled with water. You are allowed a sip and the water is absolutely sweet. “This is where Rama pierced his arrow to ensure sweet water flowed to quench Sita’s thirst,” says the caretaker. Rama’s bow and arrow are said to be buried here. Hence the name Villondi Teertham.
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The Ramanathaswamy Temple in Rameshwaram has the world’s longest corridor. The temple, which has the longest corridor in the world, stretches as stories from Ramayana are painted on every wall. There are many legends here, but the one that is most often reinforced is how Rama prayed to Lord Shiva to absolve him of any sins committed during the war. Rama asked Hanuman to get him a lingam from the Himalayas but as the monkey god took time, Sita carved a small lingam, which is placed in the sanctum here. The RamanathaswamyTemple stands tall inside the town as devotees make their way to cleanse themselves with a sacred bath at the 22 wells or teerthams that surround it. Rameshwaram, has close to 64 theerthams and the holy water is stored in wells, ponds, tanks and one of them, the Agni Theertham, is the sea itself. Even today, it is believed that the tanks around the temple have a perennial source of water.
Road leading to Dhanushkodi from Rameswaram. It was on this island in January 1897 that Swami Vivekananda, after his triumphant visit to Chicago to attend the Parliament of Religions in September 1893, set foot on Indian soil from Colombo. Pilgrims from all over India visit Rameswaram Temple to bathe in the holy wells and in the sea. It is a well-known pilgrimage site. Only a few, though, know the mythological and historical importance of nearby Dhanushkodi.
Dhanushkodi is today a ghost town and human habitation is almost non-existent as only a few fishermen with their families now live here. On the fateful night of December 22, 1964, Indian Railways train number 653, the Pamban-Dhanushkodi Passenger, left Pamban with 110 passengers and five railway staff. It was only a few yards before Dhanushkodi railway station when it was hit by a massive tidal wave. The train was washed away, killing all 115 on board. In all, over 1,800 people perished in the cyclonic storm. Following this disaster, the town was declared unfit for living.
A survivor of the 1964 cyclone who now lives in Dhanushkodi supplies drinking water to tourists from a well on Dhanushkodi beach.
It is amazing that the well, which is just a few yards from the sea, supplies sweet drinking water.
A view from Kothandaramaswamy Temple, located 12 km from Rameswaram. Popular belief goes that Vibishana, brother of the demon king Ravana of Lanka, surrendered before Lord Rama here. The mythological importance assigned to this town is that when Lord Rama returned to India after vanquishing Ravana, Vibhishana pleaded with him to break the setu (bridge) so that no other armies would use it. Rama acquiesced to his request and broke the Indian side of the bridge with the end of his bow. This place came to be known as Dhanushkodi (Dhanush is ‘bow’ and kodi is ‘end’ in Tamil) and remains to this day a holy place for Hindus.
source::::Laksmi Sharath in Yahoo lifestyle..
Natarajan
Message For The Day…Keep Your Spiritual Practices on Till You Have The Bliss Of God …
Just as there is a method to pull down an old building, there is a method to be followed in pulling down the complex structure of your mind. You can definitely achieve success by systematic efforts and become a master of yourself. The ladder must be as tall as the height to which you wish to climb, is it not? So too, your spiritual practice must be carried on till Realization (Sakshathkaram) is gained. The rice in the pot must be well boiled to become soft and tasty. Until that happens, the heat must be on. So too, in the vessel of body, with the water of the senses, boil the rice (mind), until it is cooked soft. The heat is your spiritual practice (Sadhana). Keep your Sadhana on, bright and shining; the jeeva (Individual) will at last become Deva (God).
“சூரியனக்கு அக்னியின் நினைவு இல்லையாம் “!!!
ஒருநாள் காலை தர்சனத்துக்கு ஒரு வயஸான தம்பதி வந்திருந்தனர். பெரியவா ஒரு வாதா மரத்தின் கீழ் அமர்ந்து தர்சனம் குடுத்துக் கொண்டிருந்தார். தம்பதிகள் பழங்களை சமர்ப்பித்துவிட்டு நமஸ்கரித்தனர்.
“இதே மாதிரி வாதா மரம் ஒங்காத்து வாசல்ல இருந்துதே!……இன்னும் இருக்கோ?….”
“ஆமா…இன்னும் இருக்கு! பெரியவா பாத்து இருவது வர்ஷத்துக்கு மேலேயே இருக்கும்….இப்போ நன்னா பெருஸா வளந்திருக்கு; நெறைய காயக்கறது; தெருப் பசங்க கல்லை விட்டெறிஞ்சு வாதம் பழத்தை பொறுக்கித் திங்கறதுகள்..”
“கூடத்ல ஒரு பத்தாயம் இருந்துதே!….அதுல கரையான் அரிச்சு ரிப்பேர் பண்றா..ப்ல ஆயிருந்துதே!..”
“ஆமா….அத அப்போவே ரிப்பேர் பண்ணியாச்சு. அதுலதான் சாப்பாட்டு நெல்லைக் கொட்டி வெக்கறோம்….”
“ஒரு சே…ப்பு பசுமாடு கன்னு போடாம இருந்துதே!…..”
“அது ஆறு கன்னு போட்டுது பெரியவா…..இப்போ, சமீபத்லதான் தவறிப் போச்சு. எல்லாக் கன்னும் நன்னா இருக்கு…நல்ல வம்சம்….”
“ஐயங்கார் கணக்குப்பிள்ளை இருந்தாரே! திருநக்ஷத்ரம் எம்பதுக்கு மேலே இருக்குமோ இப்போ?….”
“சதாபிஷேகத்துக்கு ரெண்டு வர்ஷம் முன்னாடி, வைகுண்டம் போய்ட்டார் பெரியவா….”
“எட்டுக்குடி முருகனுக்கு தைப்பூசம் காவடி எடுக்கற வழக்கமாச்சே! ஒங்க புத்ராள் யாராவுது வந்து காவடி எடுக்கறாளா?…”
“பெரியவா க்ருபைல எட்டுக்குடி முருகன் கைங்கர்யம் நடந்துண்டிருக்கு..”
“வடுவூர் துரைஸ்வாமி ஐயங்கார், வை.மு.கோதைநாயகி அம்மாள்,பம்மல் சம்மந்த முதலியார் நாவல்கள், மதனகாமராஜன், விக்ரமாதித்தன் புஸ்தகங்கள் எல்லாம் அலமாரி நெறைய இருந்துதே! இருக்கா? யாராவுது படிக்கறாளா?….”
“எல்லாப் புஸ்தகமும் இருக்கு…ஆனா யாரும் படிக்கறதில்லே பெரியவா…..”
“ராமாயண பாராயணம் பண்ணிண்டிருந்தியே! நடக்கறதா..?”
“கண் செரியாத் தெரியறதில்லே, அதுனால ஒரு சர்க்கம் மட்டும் படிக்கிறேன்…”
கேட்டுக்கொண்டிருந்த பாட்டிக்கு ஆச்சர்யமான ஆச்சர்யம்! பாட்டி சொன்னாள்….”எத்தனையோ வர்ஷத்துக்கு முன்னாடி பெரியவா எங்க க்ராமத்துக்கு வந்தப்போ, எங்காத்துக்கு வந்து, கொஞ்ச நேரம் இருந்திருப்பேள் …..ஆனா, எப்டி இத்தனை நுணுக்கமா எல்லாத்தையும் பாத்து, இத்தனை வர்ஷத்துக்கப்புறம் கூட எதையுமே மறக்காம, அவ்வளவு ஞாபகமாக் கேக்கறேளே!…பெரியவா கேட்டதுல பாதி விஷயங்கள், அந்தாத்துல இருக்கற நேக்கே நெனைவுல இல்லே!……”
பெரியவா படாரென்று ஒரு பெரிய விஷயத்தை போட்டுடைத்தார்……..
“ஆமா……இதெல்லாம் என்ன ஞாபகசக்தி? ஈஸ்வரன் ஞாபகம் எப்பவுமே இருக்க மாட்டேங்கறதே!…” ஸூர்யனுக்கு அக்னியின் நினைவு இல்லையாம்!!
குறை என்று வரும்போது, பெரியவா மாதிரி மஹான்கள் தங்களை முன்னிறுத்தி சொல்லுவார்கள். நம்மை மாதிரி அல்பங்களோ, குறை என்றால் அடுத்தவர்களைத்தான் முன்னிறுத்திச் சொல்லுவோம்.
source::::periva.proboards.com
Natarajan
Read more: http://periva.proboards.com/thread/4095/eswara-smaranai-prayers-new-year/#ixzz2RlqjYAfJ
Message For The Day…” Panchayatana Puja”..Symbolic of The Unity Of India !!!!
Message For The Day…Give God That Heart , as Pure as HE Gave it to You !!!
Many clamour for the experience of spiritual bliss, but, few earn it, because they find themselves too weak to reject the clamour of the senses! Practice assiduously the larger programme of controlling the senses. A little enquiry will reveal that the senses are bad masters and very inefficient sources of knowledge; the joy they bring is transitory and fraught with grief. So long as one is dominated by sense pleasure, it cannot be said that his spiritual life has begun. For, the senses rush towards the temporary and the tawdry; thus, they foul the heart. God asks from each of you no other gift, no more valuable offering than the heart He has endowed you with. Give God that heart, as pure as when He gave it to you, full of the nectar of love He filled it with. Your devotion to God is best expressed by achieving the control of the senses.
Message For The Day….Live a Simple Life and Reap The Fruit of Eternal Bliss!!!
God Has His Own Plans !!!!
Once there was a sweeper in a temple. Being very devoted and sincere, he thought that the lord standing all the time and giving help must be feeling very tired.
So one day very innocently he asked the lord whether he can take his place for a day so that the lord can have some relief and rest.
The deity of the temple replied, “I do not mind taking a break. I will transform you like myself, but you must do one thing.
You must just stand here like me, smile at everyone and just give benedictions. Do not interfere with anything and do not say anything.
Remember you are the deity and you just have faith that I have a master plan for everything.”
The sweeper agreed to this.
The next day the sweeper took the position. First a rich man came and prayed to the lord. offered a small donation and prayed that his business should be prosperous.
While going, the rich man inadvertently left his wallet full of money right there.
Now the sweeper in the form of deity could not call him and so he decided to control himself and keep quiet.
Just then a poor man came and he put one coin in the bowl and said that it was all he could afford and he prayed to the lord that he should continue to be engaged in the lord’s service.
He also said that his family was in dire need of some basic needs but he left it to the good hands of the lord to give some solution.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the wallet left by the rich man.
The poor man thanked the lord for his kindness and took the wallet very innocently.
The sweeper in the form of the deity could not say anything and he had to just keep smiling.
At that point a sailor walked in. He prayed for his safe journey as he was going on a long trip.
Just then the rich man came with the police and said that somebody has stolen his wallet and seeing the sailor there, he asked the police to arrest him thinking that he might have taken it.
Now the sweeper in the form of deity wanted to say that the sailor is not the thief but he could not say so and he became greatly frustrated.
The sailor looked at the lord and asked why he, an innocent person, is being punished.
The rich man looked at the lord and thanked Him for finding the thief.
The sweeper in the deity form could no more tolerate it, and he thought that even if the real lord had been here, he would have definitely interfered, and hence he started speaking and said that the sailor is not the thief but it was the poor man who took away the wallet. The rich man was very thankful as was the sailor.
In the night, the real lord came and He asked the sweeper how the day was.
The sweeper said, “I thought it would be easy, but now I know that Your days are not easy, but I did one good thing.”
Then he explained the whole episode to the lord.
The lord became very upset on hearing this whereas the sweeper thought the lord would appreciate him for the good deed done.
The lord asked, “Why did you not just stick to the plan? You had no faith in Me. Do you think that I do not understand the hearts of all those who come here?
All the donations which the rich man gave was all stolen money and it is only a fraction of what he really has and he wants me to reciprocate unlimitedly.
The single coin offered by the poor man was the last coin he had and he gave it to me out of faith.
The sailor was to die because of bad weather but if he would’ve been arrested and in the jail, he would have been saved from a greater calamity.
I intended the wallet should go to the poor man because he will use it in my service.
I was going to reduce the rich man’s karma also by doing this and save the sailor also.
But you cancelled everything because you made your own plans.”
Moral — God has plans and justice for everyone….we just have to have patience!
source::::input from a friend of mine
Natarajan
Message For The Day…Let Your Body Not To Go After Mind…
When the One manifests as Nature composed of the five Elements, do not imagine that its value is affected thereby. When a rupee is changed into ten paise coins, its value is not decreased at all. So too, see the Nature as the Supreme One with many manifestations, not as multiplicity of sense-impressions and attractions. Wherever your eye turns, whatever your ears hear, your fingers touch, your tongue tastes, your nose smells… take all to be God-filled. Do not allow mere sound, taste, etc. to captivate your senses. Practice to see the Divine, welcome and accept only such thoughts and feelings and discard the others. Sage Tukaram was once asked how can people keep this monkey-mind controlled from running after sensuous pleasures, the Sage advised, “Let the monkey mind run, you keep the body with you, do not let it go after the mind”. He encouraged, “Tell the mind, I shall not give you the body as your servant. Then the mind will desist and it can be defeated.”
Message For The Day…Conquer Your Tongue….Victory is Yours !!!!
All the five elements have been created by the Will of the Supreme. They have to be used with reverential care and vigilant discrimination. Reckless use of any of them will only rebound on you with tremendous harm. External nature has to be handled with caution and awe. So too, handle your inner ‘nature,’ your internal instruments! While the eye, the ear and the nose serve as instruments of knowledge about one particular characteristic (form, sound or smell) of Nature, the tongue makes itself available for two purposes: to judge taste and to communicate. So you must control the tongue with double care, since it can harm you physically and mentally. Without the control of the senses, spiritual practices (sadhana) are ineffective. If the senses are given full sway, it is like storing water in leaky pot. Pathanjali (the celebrated author of the Yogasuthras) said that if tongue is conquered, victory is yours.
Take off with Natarajan 