It was at a prayer meeting in 2006, in Cochin that I met Dhanesh, then a youngster just above twenty years of age. He looked so meek and spoke in a gentle voice, with deep thoughtful yet gleaming eyes reaching the soul of those listening to him! He told his story to the gathering with such authority that needed an extra amount of honesty and candour for a youth of that age.

It happened about four years ago, an amazing real life story of miraculous transformation. The only child of his parents, Dhanesh grew up with little responsibility and got addicted to undesirable habits usually connected with pampered youth. Such habits combined with an unusual amount of boldness made him the hero of many similar youngsters and before he himself realized, he had become the leader of a gang. His friends enjoyed his company and celebrated life in their own way almost every day. His mere presence was enough to inspire any of them. Dhanesh soon had an enormous list of brawls appended to his name and fame as a gang leader. Decent youngsters would avoid him without giving him any inkling that they were avoiding him purposefully.

In the meantime, he was also working in an automobile workshop as a mechanic. The owner of the workshop, Mr. Das, a very pious gentleman was a devotee of beloved Sri Amma Bhagavan. He and his wife used to try their level best to reform Dhanesh but in vain. Mrs. Das gave him the “Srimurti” (sacred picture of Sri Amma Bhagavan) two or three times, and asked him to pray to Sri Amma Bhagavan. With a modest smile Dhanesh remembers how he had given away all those Srimurtis to the proprietors of toddy shops while leaving after consuming local liquor. He adds that all those who received the sacred pictures have prospered in their life.

The ominous day arrived without any warning and Dhanesh had an unexpected encounter with the notorious leader of a senior gang. The hefty man was too much for poor Dhanesh but somehow, during the fight, he happened to grab the heavy steel rod from his opponent’s hands and dealt quick blows in succession. There was little time for Dhanesh to celebrate his victory as danger loomed large and he had to flee from the place with what all he could gather. For a couple of months he wandered in some distant cities without giving anyone any hint of his whereabouts. But when all the money was spent, he had to return to his home with much hope. But there he found all his close friends asking him to leave again for their safety. Even his own parents insisted that he should better go away. Dhanesh was literally in deep dilemma. He was not rich or educated enough to run away and yet lead a comfortable life. He wanted to continue in his style for which he had to stay at home. But he had become the most undesirable person for his own family and friends. The threat to life also made him restless. Somehow, he spent a couple of days in hiding. His mind wandered and wandered in search of a suitable solution. At last in utter disillusionment, he decided to commit suicide by jumping in front of a moving train.

At this time, Mr. Das called him and his friends and asked all of them to go for a picnic so that for a few days they can be away from the place and the seniors could think of some solution to the issue by the time they would come back. Dozens of packets of cigarettes, pouches of strong chewable tobacco and other such materials were immediately collected as they were all thrilled at the prospect of going on a picnic. The van left in the evening with the eleven or twelve youngsters and a senior to guide them.

The next morning the group found themselves in a remote village far away from Kerala where they were asked to stay for a couple of days. Initially they didn’t like the idea but somehow they acceded to the urge of the senior companion.

They had actually reached Oneness UniverCity and a three day process began there. By no means could anyone call the protests little. In every possible way they expressed their resentment and openly said that they didn’t want any sessions of the Oneness Guides for them. By the evening of the first day, the protest became intolerable for the saintly guides who finally agreed to the demand that the youngsters could be freed to go back.

Soon came the word that beloved Bhagavan was giving a “darsan” (sacred appearance) before the inmates in less than an hour. With great difficulty, the guides managed to get their nod to leave only after having beloved Bhagavan’s darsan.

Behind a crowd of a few hundreds, the youngsters grouped restlessly waiting for the “unknown so-called holy man” to come. Slowly appeared beloved Bhagavan’s imposing figure and Dhanesh remarked sarcastically to his friends, “What has he fixed on his head, as if in films, to give a sort of light around his head?” Before their laughter ended Bhagavan reached the spot and got seated showering boundless grace on the waiting devotees. But Dhanesh had another remark up his sleeve to ridicule Bhagavan, comparing Him with some popular Hindi film star.

Let us listen to Dhanesh himself speaking of his experience. “I had hardly opened my mouth to speak when a bright effulgent golden light from beloved Bhagavan’s face struck me down! And I was out! (A loud laughter from the depth of the heart) When I regained consciousness, it was about two am and we all were seated in the dormitory chanting the moola mantra aloud. One of the Dasajis was at the door requesting us to stop the chanting and to sleep as there were many devotees in nearby dormitories. None was able to sleep because of our loud chant. While lying down to sleep, there was only one thought in mind – of the numerous deekshas that I would be receiving the next day onwards from the blessed saints of the Oneness University!...”

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Today Dhanesh is a wonderful angelic darling devoutly involved in spiritual pursuit and invaluable service of mankind.

Streams of love


Streams flow from nowhere in caves
In high mountains close to heavens
Down the slopes and rugged ravines
To the lovely valleys blessed green!

On its way it travels by mosques
Or tombs or burial grounds,
Harems or palaces of might;
Glides over rotten flesh and filth
Blessing them with herbs and weeds,
Transforming into flowers and seeds!

The gurgle-chanting goes on and on
Whatever be it passes by!
Embracing the earthly sons,
Yet never judging nor going wild,
Quenches the thirst of all that comes
Man or brute or bird it be!

Silent as it passes by
Sunshine silver sparkles fine
Soothing souls of changing times
Growing fruits for days to come!

*** *** ***
(Aside)

This day is but a fleeting truth
Tomorrow too may hold a flash of light
Till evening signs set in again.

Million eggs are laid here
To hatch and fly in sunny weather
Spreading wings of spritely feather
Till the cycle turns all over again.

Who am I to judge “good” or “bad”
What is there in nature’s nest?

Sweet is life and sweet are you
Blessed am I to be with you
When love is all that binds us true
Why bother about a different hue?!

Oneness blessing or deeksha is the transfer of divine energy for various purposes. In fact, there is nothing that deeksha can’t do! It is the divine intent that makes everything possible, not the intent of the deeksha giver or even the intent of the deeksha recipient. Hence the power or effect of deeksha is not dependant on either the giver or the recipient. Actually, the deeksha energy is endowed with its innate intelligence that makes it work on the recipient even for a cause that the recipient might not be aware of.

It has been the benevolent “sankalpa” or divine will of beloved Amma Bhagavan that this energy should pour into the seekers and work on its own to bring about miraculous changes in the recipient. The effect may be very quick and drastic or slow and gradual. As well, the way it is experienced by different people also differ from one to another.

The divine energy flows from the Supreme Divine Source and enters the recipient through the seventh chakra called Sahasrara Chakra of the recipient. It affects the working of the brain lobes, especially the left and right parietal lobes as well as the left and right frontal lobes.

Nevertheless, there are a few things that we can do to facilitate the giving and receiving of this most wonderful energy. The following guidelines may be helpful for all those who seek to do so.

1. Sit in a relaxed posture, not necessarily any posture in “yoga”. The recipient should feel most comfortable in the posture.

2. Take a long and deep breath. Release the breath more slowly with effortless ease. Go on breathing the same way.

3. Focus on the tip of the nostrils. Feel the coolness of the air entering while inhaling. As well, feel the warmth of the exhaled air.

4. If thoughts come to your mind, please don’t resist it. Let thoughts come, allow them and observe them.

5. Chant the “moola mantra” three times, internally, if it is not possible to chant aloud. Invoke the Presence! It means to request beloved Divine to come into you and fill you with the Presence! Thank the Divine for filling you with the Presence!

6. While inhaling, visualise the divine energy flowing into you and filling you completely, as a golden fluid from your favourite deity, beloved Amma Bhasgavan or God or higher self or what you may call IT!

7. While exhaling, visualize yourself as entering and filling the Divine!

8. As the energy flows in, enjoy the feeling, make your prayer request and thank beloved Divine for the blessings showered on you!

9. Once the deeksha is over, go into “shavasana” and relax for fifteen to twenty minutes for the energy to sink in. This posture is very simple. Lie down on your back on level ground keeping your whole body and limbs straight and relaxed. Keep both the palms open upwards.

10. Later, get up by turning to the side of the nostril through which more breath is coming in and going out. Though both nostrils are open, you may see that breath passes more through one nostril when you are fully relaxed.

May beloved Amma Bhagavan shower incessant grace and choicest blessings on you, beloved one! May the beloved Divine help you awaken into your truth and attain Oneness resulting in Enlightenment and God realization! Thank You, beloved Amma Bhagavan! Thank you, beloved blessed angels!

Venu
:meditation:

My beloved Lord! My beloved Lord!
The joy in this heart crosses all bounds
when divinity tends sparkling light
to the misty angels dancing around!
The sense of being witness to all
celebrating the joy of being
is Your greatest blessing for this soul,
my beloved Lord, for which,
how shall I say thanks to You!

I don’t know, my beloved Lord,
whether I am alive or only You!
I don’t know whether I’ve got to seek for You!
“I am not or I am” is not a matter that troubles now!
This heart just feeds on manna dew
that flows from You in golden hue!
Should I start to question You
or ponder over a purpose new?!

When questions stop as “you are you”
and all that one can hold in view,
life starts to follow a path anew
where I am always alive in You!


Venu
:meditation:

As far as considering Amma and Bhagavan as God or Parents, there is no need to worry at all. Bhagavan says, "I am not a teacher, I am only a technician." He doesn't claim even the status of a teacher, let alone the image of God. But while during one of His sessions with a group of whichI too was a member, He discussed the three ways in which God can be thought of or conceived of.
First, the Primordial Power or What-so-ever IT was, that which existed before any creation took place. At that time there was nothing else, no universe, no space, nothing, no void even: all that existed was only IT.
So without anyone to know IT, IT remained and remains unknown and, more correctly, unknowable. Because, to know something is to objectify it; and to objectify it, another entity is necessary to be there as the subject. As this God is formless, all that we can do about IT is just leave IT!
The second is what we all carry inside as a powerful Presence. This we call as the In-dweller ("Antaryamin") of all animate* beings in the universe. This Presence can be felt when the consciousness increases; and when it goes on increasing further, the Presence can be felt more and more clearly and powerfully in various ways. This is what is called "Iswara" (pronounced /eeshwara/) in Sanskrit.
Then, at given points of time over ages, the Presence in the entire humanity chooses to take a body and appear on the earth for certain very essential reasons, especially to re-establish "dharma" on here. This is called the "Avatar" (Divine Incarnation), and it is actually a synergic emergence of the consciousness in the entire humanity. For example, if there are 1000 individuals with 180 Lux consciousness in each, the Consciousness of the Avatar will not be merely 180 X 1000 but several times more than that. May be like 180 raised to the power of 1000, ie. 180X180X180X................1000 times, producing a very very high resultant. Bhagavan has said this in front of me that He and Amma are such Avatars. And He has also said that several Avatars can co-exist at the same time. And the purpose for which Bhagavan has come now is enlightenment of humanity through the transfer of the Divine Energy called "Deeksha".
But Bhagavan has already stated it elsewhere that it is quite immaterial whether you consider the "deeksha" energy as originating from Him and Amma. Because, for Amma and Bhagavan, whether you consider Them as the Supreme Source is of the least significance when compared to the spiritual progress that you would make and help in serving the purpose of Their advent to earth. So, please don't worry if you are unable to consider Them as God.
Now, as we understand, the process of enlightenment is a very long process, and please note, that it is not a state of achievement in spirituality. It means there can be and there are several stages in the process of enlightenment. It is, as the old adage says, like peeling the onion. With every peeling you reach a fresh new stage after which always you see another skin to be peeled off. And this peeling continues till the very end. At every level, we experience some marvellous things, so to say, but that is not the end of the journey; many things are yet to come. And, it finally results in what is in fact total liberation from all the conditionings, including those caused by personal experiences, knowledge acquired, concepts arrived at etc at different times from different sources because ultimately there is going to be "nothing". "Nothing" can come out of nothing only. "Nothing" cannot be there if something is there.
So, there will come a time when even the conditioning of resistance to the idea of somebody as God in human form or the Supreme Source too will wither away from each one of us, very soon. Then, it will not matter if there is somebody or nobody. When the idea of God as the in-dweller of all sinks into the core of one's existence, the resistance will cease to be. And then quite naturally, I shall begin to feel that everyone around me too is God, with no doubt about it. And then there won't be any resistance, no feeling of cutting off from the source, etc.
To be frank, I had been very stubborn not to accept anyone even as my Guru (Spiritual Master), believing myself to be empowered to get self-enlightened, until from 2006 May my experiences changed everything radically. Actually the way my experiences have given me more clarity about things, I felt fascinated to the fold of Amma Bhagavan and am today, a humble part of it, stopping by the seashore during a starry night, dreaming with wide open eyes, of myself, as a star in the centre of a remote galaxy, in absolute wonderment!
It is the sincere desire of everyone with existential quest to feel as God himself or herself, to realise the God in himself or herself. So anyone can, and I should say, anyone must seek enlightenment. And those who seek it through Oneness shall certainly find that Amma Bhagavan is not projected as the Divine Source and that They have equal consideration for all religions and faiths! Bhagavan has time and time again stated that His purpose is not to found any new religion, nor to promote any religion; it is to connect each one with his God. Hence whichever religion you are, your faith will only become stronger through the teachings of Bhagavan.

Lots of love to you all!

Your understanding of a phenomenon is always affected by your own perspectives, at the first place, I mean, by your samskaras or rather your conditionings, may be over several life times. Usually we talk of subjectivity and objectivity in assessing and judging others. But in experiencing others as well as the truth and power of such phenomena as Divinity, there is no question of objectivity as we refer to in the usual sense of the term. The reason is that your experience of a person, thing or phenomenon is simply subjective and may not be the same for another person. So, the criticism levelled against all the teachers and spiritual masters are always limited by the limitations of the subject to comprehend, or rather experience such a phenomenon. We need not consider that someone is higher or lower in spiritual evolution for not being able to “experience” divinity.

Again, hundreds of self-proclaimed critics have changed stance all of a sudden, after really “getting in touch” with the divine phenomena once. One such case has been that of R.K.Karanjia, the erstwhile editor of a famous journal named “Blitz” published from Mumbai. He used to voice his scathing remarks on Sri Sathya Sai Baba but finally after an interview, became a staunch believer and ardent devotee of Baba.

People usually treat incidents and related reflections of people in their own ways, without understanding the deeper meanings of them as I have said above. There is a funny side to it that most of these critics have no problem in believing “dead messiahs”; their logic gets awakened only when the living spiritual masters are considered.

But, there is no need to worry about any of these criticisms, if your faith is firmly founded on your own experiences!

Next, everyone including the critic is doing his lot in furthering the mission of the great spiritual masters, in their own way; believe me. If you feel shaky, please do not worry; just ask the Lord in earnestness to prove it to yourself whether your belief is right or wrong. Don’t rely on a devotee’s statement or the critic’s account. Experience it yourself. Do have the patience to wait till God allows it to happen in your life. Look inside continuously and find out the answer for yourself as and when God reveals it to you. Because there can be no better judge for it than yourself.

And as the old adage goes, the proof of the pudding lies in eating.

Rejoice that a blessed life has been given to you!

My humble pranaams at the lotus feet of beloved AmmaBhagavan!
:meditation:

Here, I would like to recall a story, very popular in our part of the world.

A youth once went to a master of "Kalarippayattu", the ancient martial art of Kerala, considered the fore-runner of Karate. He began learning the tough art under his master with absolute diligence.

After one year, the master asked him, "How many rivals can you beat single-handedly, with all the training you have received?"

He replied, "Master, I believe I can beat fifty well trained ones at a time!" The youth was very excited.

Without a word, the master continued the boy's training. After a year, the same question was put to him again. The answer came soon. "I can beat twenty-five of them easily."

Again the training continued for another year. This time, when asked, the youth replied, "I feel I can beat five at a time."

After a couple of years of rigorous training, when asked again, after a moment of introspection, the boy gave the answer that he could be just equal to one who had undergone training like himself. The master smiled and asked the student to get ready for his return home.

The real import of learning, especially in spirituality, is for the self to experience. And, most ironically, the experience is "the loss of self"! So, the loss of self has to be experienced by the self - sounds very strange, but, yes, it is the truth.

And when one feels like resisting, judging, denying et al, it can be considered as indicative of the situation of the student of martial art during the initial years of his training. Once the goal is reached, there is no argument because there won't be the self to argue, no self to resist, no self to repudiate, no self to assert, no self to justify! A word, a look, a soft touch, a sweet sound, an otherwise ordinary sight, a simple smile, anything can be the last lesson; so, please accept what comes our way, who knows where it might lead us to ?!

Let us all wish one another to cross over to that day of Ultimate Bliss when the self is lost and all of us just look straight into the FACE of the Absolute Truth and experience IT!

Beloved ones,

Lots of love to you all!

We often do something and later regret about what we have done. Because in the later analysis, we usually observe the act more clearly from a different angle compared to the angle from which we had seen it before doing it. This is why we say ”If I had known about it, I wouldn’t have done so, or I would have done it a bit differently.” This shows how our perception of a very ordinary thing in life too changes over time.

Our actions, opinions and decisions are mostly based on the perspective we hold at a time. As our perspective changes over time, the actions, opinions and decisions too are liable to change.

Sri Bhagavan gives a beautiful analogy to understand the differences in the perspectives of different people. People in a multi-storied building “see” the garden in front of it in various ways. The way those living on the ground floor see it is different from that of those living on the first floor. The same way the people on every floor have a different perception of the same garden. The same person will have different perceptions of the same truth when he moves from one floor to the next. The moment one “realises” this reason for the difference in perception, one becomes free of judgment. And when judgment is gone, it results in acceptance.

In spirituality, where tangible empirical proofs are yet very difficult to provide, experience is the greatest thing. And as there are various paths followed by various seekers, the experiences as well as mystical abilities are certain to be varied.

The ancient masters have always warned the seekers not to be deluded by these, and to go forward to the ultimate enlightenment. And ultimate enlightenment doesn’t need any testimony from anywhere. Again it is much different from the different states of enlightenment. Ultimate enlightenment is a stage and not a state that comes and goes. States do come and go; they may stay for a long or short duration. But once your brain lobes are regulated and modified to function at the right frequencies, you reach the stage of enlightenment. Once there, the way you experience life and the world is so singular that there is no comparison to it. Then you really begin to live in the present. And as Bhagavan says, “To be in the Presence is to be in the present.”

There, all questions end and all seeking stops! There is no need to judge or choose based on the judgment! Because what is “IS”!

Hence, whether you believe that you can do it yourself or only with a master’s help, that can be understood as views from different floors of the same monumental tower of spirituality. If we keep on voicing the differences and press all to accept our thoughts and beliefs, it would be like disallowing the freedom of others to have their own beliefs and experiences. For one who has really had a glimpse of this truth, the differences in views do not matter. For one who holds on to a faith, even if he proclaims that he does not belong to a cult and that he stands for individual seeking or search, if he doesn’t accept the freedom of another to follow a path different from the one he stands for, it is worse than a cult. Respect the individuality, whether it is to follow a cult or whether it is to stand alone and search.

And I feel so strongly, that this is one of the many things that make Oneness distinctly singular. Oneness embraces everyone, even a non-believer too. Oneness gives you absolute freedom, much more than the advocates of individual search could ever provide.

Surrendering at the lotus feet of beloved AmmaBhagavan!

Lots of love to one and all beloved souls!

About prayer

As Bhagavan says, prayer is a form of communication with the Divine.

One may pray to the God of his/her own choice, not necessarily to Bhagavan or Amma alone.




1. Invoke the PRESENCE

Invoke the PRESENCE of beloved Amma Bhagavan before you start the prayer. The best way to invoke the PRESENCE is by chanting the "moola mantra". You may chant the moola mantra 21 times or 41 times and invite the PRESENCE to fill you or take over you completely. And request beloved Bhagavan to fulfil your prayer even if there are flaws in your prayer or possible errors in your belief system. You may note that mantras, vedic chants and havans have been identified as very powerful means by latest NLP practitioners.


2. Emotional bond

The first and most important thing in a prayer is the personal bond or relation you establish with God. Consider Bhagavan as your child, father, mother, friend or master. Bhagavan usually says that He is the happiest if the relation you choose is that of a friend. But then, look at yourself and ascertain that you too are a true friend who responds to the request of your friends immediately. Bhagavan's response will be similar to your response to the request of your friends.


3. Surrender and helplessness.

The prayer should always be prompted by a feeling of surrender and helplessness. If you feel that you can manage even without Divine grace and that you are just trying one more way, then, that is not the way of a genuine prayer. Surrender to Bhagavan's will that you are prepared to accept whatever the outcome may be. And that you are absolutely helpless. Whatever effort you put in is just as an instrument of the Divine and not as per your own volition.


4. Pray from the heart not from the head.

Prayer should come from the heart, not from the head. It is the feeling that is important, not the thought. When the feeling is intense, it creates waves of a higher frequency that get connected with the cosmic energy easily and make the fulfilment easily possible. The passion that you feel for God is very significant in raising the emotional intensity.


5. Clarity and completeness

Next, your request should be clear and complete in all respects. It is like a sort of communication with cosmic energy, and so, what you communicate is very important. If you communicate something different or incomplete, the response too may be what you do not expect. Hence before you pray, consider all aspects of your request and make it a perfect one.


6. Speak internally

As already mentioned, prayer is a communication. You have to speak internally to God. You can say it aloud also. But it is better to speak internally as it will not distract others. The involvement increases as you go on talking to God and there will come a time when you shall feel God with you everywhere, as an inseparable PRESENCE.


7. One request at a time

You should see that you request for only one thing at a time. It is much similar to cooking a delicious dish. You should not mix two recipes at the same time. Because what we finally get will not be either of the two, but a third distortion of both. Hence stick to the principle of "one at a time".


8. Visualisation

As you pray to God visualise the expected result of your prayer, that is, what you want to achieve in great detail. That means, visualise yourself in a state of having fulfilled your prayer, and then enjoy the happiness and joy. Accept that the situation has changed as you have been blessed.


9. Pray with full faith

Such an acceptance comes from full faith in God. As you know, it is very important to have faith without which nothing can ever happen. Have full confidence in the efficacy of prayer and the benevolence of Bhagavan.


10. Enjoy the feeling of Grace

Enjoy the blessing and flow of Grace into you. And request Bhagavan to fulfil your prayer even if there are flaws in your prayer or possible errors in your belief system.



11. Thank Bhagavan for the blessing received

Naturally, you shall be filled with immense gratitude for Bhagavan. Express it freely and sincerely to beloved Amma Bhagavan from the depth of the heart. Prostrate at the lotus feet of Bhagavan in deep gratitude and surrender.

Beloved angels!

Namaste! Sri AmmaBhagavan Saranam!

Last year, in December I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful darsan of my beloved AmmaBhagavan! I happened to be the first to go in that morning to have the beatific darsan! The enlightened spiritual guide there allowed me to wait there for as long as the crowd gathering could make it necessary for me to move out to make it convenient for others. So I waited after my darsan simply "glueing" my eyes on beloved Bhagavan. Many devotees came in and took beloved Bhagavan's blessings and I stood virtually feasting on the tremendous grace that was filling the air! Finally when there was a sizeable crowd inside, the Guide gestured to me asking me to move out.

For the first time, I didn't feel disappointed while going towards the exit. And suddenly it happened to me! A strange giggle sort of laughter started and tears gurgled down my cheeks! This was happening to this mortal for the first time in life that had almost crossed fifty years of existence in this form. And it felt very strange and wonderful for me that the mind started to look in for the reason for it. Strangely again, the mind could not identify any reason for the JOY that was there! I just "flowed out" of the hall like a river of love-joy-bliss and suddenly the devotees waiting outside came running towards me to take deeksha, which went on without any effort as long as there were recipients!

Later having reached my home I explained it all to my mother and tried to mimic myself with the giggle, and I was really surprised to see that I could not reproduce it at any cost. Soon, being a considerably excellent mimic, I realised that the giggle was not my "product". Wonderfully, I realised a lot from that experience, from the reflections on that experience. My beloved ones, in fact that experience was of the Absolute and the tremendous joy had no reason too. Again, my mind was very much alive and active but I was seeing it all from a distance so as to see myself and the mind quite objectively. What was there was a blissful "nothing", and it was the most exhilarating experience for the "nothing" in me! My deep gratitude to beloved Bhagavan for the wonderful experience!

Today I am fully convinced that the ultimate experience of the Absolute will really be inexplicably wonderful! The drop that Bhagavan blessed me with on that day has proved to me what the ocean is going to be!

Thank You, my beloved Bhagavan! Thank You! Thank You!
I love You, Ammaaaaaaaaa! I love You, Bhagavaaaaaaaaaaaan!