Part-I
The series of ‘Who are you?’ posts was wrapped up beautifully and the results rewarding. In the process of its completion which lasted for more than three weeks, I too have been floating in benign sublime thoughts because it pertained to issues such as our beautiful Divine Soul.
The theme of this new segment is about our Soul and how to find it; it is critical. We began with who we are in this new segment and it will gradually lead us to how to find our soul. However, in between these two themes, we take a halt and will focus on an important issue-Why is it important to know our soul?
The next subject matter of why it is so important to know our soul is a very gentle one. This will demand our sensitivity to understand the sublime ideas and require enough mental strength to hold on to those sublime thoughts long enough. And by doing so when we are successful in these attempts, it will enable us to catch hold of the unseen, our secret Self, our own Soul.
About two weeks ago, when I returned from Pondicherry, I randomly turned the leaves and read a few beautiful lines from the epic Savitri by Sri Aurobindo. It is Sri Aurobindo’s major literary work inspired by a narrative in Mahabharat. It is based on the mythological story of Savitri and Satyavan where Savitri brings back her dead husband from the clutches of Yama, the lord of death in a forest. The return of Satyavan to life was possible only because of her austerity, nobility, penance, purity, devotion and strength of character.
Through the story as a backdrop, the poet conveys how the soul degenerates and falls because of covering of the Supreme Truth. The degeneration is caused because of darkness produced by ignorance. But with the arrival of Supreme knowledge, the darkness disintegrates slowly progressively and the Soul ascends towards the bright Sun or the Truth of God.
Quoting just two lines for you as each word is enough to convey the theme.
The Absolute, the Perfect, the Immune,
One who is in us as our secret Self-the Absolute .
Part-B
Dear friends, I leave this post at this point only to finish it in the next one as I have just returned home a few hours ago. I visited a place that is connected to Shri Mahavatar Babaji’s spiritual life called Palani in Tamil Nadu near Madurai. It is the resting place or samadhi of Shri Boganathar. The mountain top in Palani has a big temple of Murugan Swami as well in the same place. Shri Boganathar was the disciple of Swami Murugan and he has installed the idol of Swami Murugan there and had worshipped him. Shri Mahavatar Babaji took deeksha from these two great spiritual luminaries during his early years. I meditated for only a short while in the cave of Shri Boganathar since there was a big population visiting the temple from neighbouring states.
I have visited Kanya Kumari as well, it is one of the char dhams or places of liberation and mukti of India. Kanya Kumari has an ancient rock temple of Goddess Parvati as a young girl or kanya called the Kanyakumari temple. I visited the Vivekananda Memorial Rock and the nearby rock where Goddess Parvati did penance to get Yogeshwar, the Lord of Yoga, Lord Shiva as her husband- oh my God! what a dynamic place this is in spite of countless visitors thronging everyday!!!
I am unable to write more than this today, nonetheless I would like to share with you some pictures of Kanya Kumari only. Photography was prohibited in Palani and other temples. I can show the full moon- light pictures of Kanya Kumari and hazy sunrise as well as Swami Vivekananda’s Rock Memorial too- please enjoy them, they were mesmerizing moments! We woke up very early to catch the phenomenon of the rising Sun in the Indian Ocean.
Updated on 24.04.2020
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Significance about Kanya Kumari temple and Vivekananda Memorial Rock.
The Sage came closer and invited me with a gesture. I took his hand and we both instantly reached a bed of a very, very quiet, rather soundless ocean. In the water bubbles were erupting from below the many big rocks and boulders. Inside the water, I saw an opening which resembled the mouth of a cave. Indeed, it was a cave and the next moment I saw this Sage sitting in deep Samadhi unaware of anything around him. His eyes were closed and his contour was made of pure, white Light and his countenance was radiating unseen peacefulness. I went on looking at the towering figure first then his very serene face and found his presence extremely captivating.
I was quick to understand that it was an encounter with an advanced Sage but beyond that my capacity to understand lapsed.
He only told me, “I come here to meditate, this is a cave under an ocean.”
It is the same place, Kanya Kumari at Indian Ocean.