Faith..

Faith? People often equate it as faith in religion and rituals. But to me, faith is far, far away from religion. Faith starts when we accept some energy beyond our physical dimension. We at a subtle level realize that there is something beyond in intellect; something beyond what we  can grasp through the five sense organs. It does not have much nexus with religion. Religion just offers some guidelines at the lowest level to orient oneself to that higher dimension. It starts from reading scriptures about people who had experiences. Initially our mind will deny their reality and say that they are just fiction. Then similar experiences gets into us and we slowly believe that there is a possibility  of such an experience.  Then we start practicing and start seeking it and mostly fails and fall back many times. Life's experiences takes us more and more inward and slowly the experience start inside us also. Then by the grace of the divine, we fall in that notch of divine orientation and finally merge into that as a water droplet merge into ocean.

If faith stays at the level of concepts and scriptural knowledge without experiences, it can fall like a deck of cards in wind. Faith has to become part of you. Then you have elevated yourself. 

You are that...

Now, in Kerala, with regard to Sabarimala temple issue, the big debate is between believer and non-believer. To the non-believers, I would like to comment that, if at all, you haven't experienced the soft touch at the bottom of your heart by any of the life's experiences, please keep your heart open. Keep the heart open and not the intellect or mind. Please don't close yourself thinking that there is no such experience beyond the intellectual rational mind. If so, you may be missing the greatest treasure life is offering you. If you haven't yet experienced tears overflowing with the experience of that(no words can describe it), then, there is something called "that". It can happen when you listen to a touching music, or it may be due to the resonance of nature's beauty(when you are in the middle of ocean, or forest or mountain ranges etc.), or it can be just plain, pure unconditional love. Please be open; don't close. That's all needed. Nothing more is needed because each one of us is hardwired with that essence in your core. "You are that". Just wipe out your spectacles. That's all needed. There can be infinite ways in which it can happen. It does not have any religion, caste, language or anything physical. Its beyond that. Please keep yourself open. That's all.

The Verdict is near

The supreme court verdict regarding the temple entry of young women in Sabarimal temple has got its own role in the overall evolution of human race. Its not just a case of so called gender discrimination. Actually it is not at all. The human mind has reached to a place where it has completely been overshadowed by intellect and rational thinking. The mind fails to grasp beyond intellect and hence it cannot accept what is beyond it. But the fact is that there are many things beyond the intellect or rather,what is inside the intellect domain is much much lesser than what is outside. The sad part is that, with that limited intellect, the mind tries to authoritatively state and impose a rule of law for something which is beyond the intellect.But there are reasons for what is happening now. My intuition says that, the mind has reached a point beyond the self sustaining system of the world. It has gone beyond control of the self sustaining mode. In that case the system has its own mechanism to bring things in control. Anything cannot expand infinitely. After an expansion there will be contraction or may be a destruction. Now the system has entered into its self correction mode. If you look at the happenings around the world you can correlate it. The nature has also entered into to correction mode. You can see it as natural calamities happening around the world. Many natural phenomenons which are beyond logic and the grasp of science is happening around the world. The decisions from the supreme court is also in orientation to it. Peace will be at stake in every aspects; be it inside or outside. The real knowledgeable people will not be heard. They will hide inside. Their knowledge will not be seeked for. And they will never wish to come out and speak for truth. They will surrender. They know that nobody has to protect truth. Truth has the immense power to protect itself. Because truth is;and truth will be;everything else is not.

What Sabarimala Offers??

-It offers a tool to have a glimpse of self realization for the believer. The realization of "Tatvamasi" or "Thou are that" or "Aham Brahmasmi".

-What are the rules in the path?
During the 41 days of severe austerity, the man elevates himself to God. For that he should live a life of celibacy with complete surrender to the divine. He will wake up early morning before sunrise; have showers at least twice a day to keep his physical body clean, he will keep his thoughts as pure as possible and keep his mind clean, Actions will stick to dharma, keep away from alcohol, cigarettes;He will not shave, he will not cut his nails, he will not trim his hair;he will stick to one or two black clothes,eat only satvic food, having darshan at temple twice a day, take part in satsangs, walk bare footed, and so on. And most important transmuting sexual energy into satvic form by practicing celibacy. This is one of the toughest part for a man. It not only include sex, but any downward-pulling desire.

Why all these severe rules?
All these are done to elevate his energy state in every possible dimensions to a level of "tatvamasi". "Tatvamasi" means 'you are that'. You and God are one. Its the highest possible state for a human being. Its not by the darshan that this achieved. Its through the process that this is possible. Its not a vedic way, its a tantric way. Its one of the easiest way offered in the Indian spirituality tailor made for the modern man or Kali Yuga. That's why Ayyappa is also called Kali Yuga varada. The greatest beauty of the Indian spirituality is that there are many different ways to reach God. Depending upon your inclination, you can choose any of them. The process is actually stripping down what you are not and making you the "satva". All the illusionaries are stripped off and reality is shown. The process offers to strip off the Ego which is the beginning of illusion of who I am.

Why 41 days?
If a man practice anything for two cell cycles, it gets deeply imbibed in him. That's why the practice is for 41 days considering one flat cell cycle to be 21 days.

who benefits?
Anyone who practice with belief. Belief is the driving force for practicing this tough austerity. The change is not happening in the God; it is happening in the man who practice. Even if you practice there is no guarantee of any experiences. Its highly personal depending of who you are. But the ever increasing number of Bhaktas can be taken as a direct proof of the experience.

The Tantra
The mantras, the consecration, the deity, the place, the ambiance, the practice rules, the yogic posture; everything has been beautifully and subtly interwoven for the Bhakta to have experience of "Tatvamasi". The energy emanating from the idol reverberates in the devotees who come to its presence if he is an receptive state.

The other side
Are all these so called bhaktas, following these austerities strictly? The answer is a clean no. But still, there are a very few people who follows the rules very strictly and have darshan. Actually, the temple is for them. For others, they may have lighter experiences according to how they practice. But temple is not a public place and it is for the believer and it is only the believer who benefits.

The rituals are evolved out of principles and hence have to be followed. Sabarimala Temple is not a tourist destination and should not be, and hence its sanctity should be preserved.