Create ghosts or gods; the clay is yours. Attracted to one, repelled by the other, ghosts and gods are changing, while the clay remains the same.
Brahman is bliss, a changeless Love; sorrow is our creation and needless.
You feel happy, you start loving. In love, happiness blooms.
Yet, my friend, understand, it’s one coin but the sides are two.
Love is happiness expressed, happiness is love experienced.
Feel the joy of sharing. Giving is life, taking is death.
Share what you have, always full; the wellspring refills itself. Your talent, skills or knowledge, your health, wealth or love, your time, words or smile.
lacking in nothing, children of Amrita, the blissful Brahman; you are That.
it was in May of 1979 when I first visited Ayodhya. the temple of Lord Sri Ram temple was not there, it was just iron fencing surrounding the statue of Ram Lala, guarded by few police officers with guns.
the top of the statue was covered with just a blue tarpaulin, an image that is still vivid in my mind.
in 1979
i remember standing, feeling helpless and sad about our Sri Ram, as we were not allowed to go near the statue and had to be at a distance of 50 meters.
a few drops of tears rolled down my cheeks to the ground, as I sincerely prayed and wished to see the real temple of Sri Rama come up there. That was a long time ago… 41 years !!!
in 2000
on two other occasions I tried to go, but could not even enter that area.
with a lot of tapas and sacrifice of so many good people, today is the stone laying ceremony for the foundation of Sri Rama temple in Ayodhya. the very birthplace of Sri Rama who has inspired millions and millions of people, who influenced our culture, music, arts, tradition, lifestyle, family and everything else.
for me Rama means everything, when we learn Sanskrit, we begin with रामः रामौ रामाः
even in the modern age Ram & Sita are relevant, computers cannot work without RAM! SITA is also a system integrated teaming assistant
in 2020
i am very happy and overjoyed to see that, at last, our land has recognised its master and decided to honour him. may he continue to inspire the coming generations to live the life of dharma.
Media cell during AmritaVarsham50, Sep 2003 at Kochi
For continuous four days (24×4) webcast, photo, video and news updates on Amma’s website and press releases to the media around the world… marathon updates.. around 50 people were working to prepare the news items, cover the events and make reports, to capture images and videos..
Ajai N, Rajesh Burman & Sushil Kumar with me
Jaan Jap & Rajesh Burman – photographers
the media team managing the news and webcast of AmritaVarsham50
many people find the country lockdown time now really boring. do you want to live each day with thrill and full of enthusiasm? do you want to make use of this time in a creative and useful way? we have a lot of potentials within. this is the time to unlock it. here are some 108 suggestions. this knowledge will empower you. when you start learning out of love, you will enjoy life.
1 create posters on Gita 2 create haiku poetries on Gita 3 write poetry on Gita (in your mother tongue) 4 draw paintings and sketches, based on the ideas discussed in Gita 5 by heart the slokas of at least one chapter 6 write articles based on Gita 7 create #GitaChallenge videos 8 create one-line messages of Gita. 9 do embroidery of Gita slokas on the pillow cover, hanky etc 10 collect “Gita moments” from celebrities/leaders life biography (either statement in text or video clippings) 11 find out 5 good qualities of each family member and talk to them every day about how much you appreciate it. 12 find out the childhood hobbies of your grandparents 13 what are the names of flowers of your garden/courtyard and its use 14 how many types of birds visit your courtyard? how many at night? what are the names? 15 learn to calculate time without any other instrument just by looking at the length of the shadow 16 find out the langue skills of people around you (how many languages they can speak and write) 17 learn to make a film on mobile, edit it, post on youtube 18 lean-to take a film w/o editing for 2-3 minutes but as a final product 19 learn to take good pictures with mobile (which you can be sent for photography competition) 20 take a good pic of a butterfly 21 take a good pic of a housefly 22 find an interesting/transforming incident from a mahatma’s life story 23 find the number of musical instruments available in your state 24 find out the number of curries/cuisines of your place/state 25 learn to scan and make a quality digital copy of documents 26 learn to organise all digital documents and images 27 learn to write in the left hand (if you used to use right hand) 28 do hand painting using kitchen waste 29 learn one of Amma’s bhajan with meaning 30 try to live with no cell phone or laptop or TV for a day 31 one day, you will speak the only regional language. decide. do it. 32 memorise month names in regional language 33 memorise names of 27 Nakshatras 35 cut your hair, with the help of someone in the home 36 learn to clean the toilet 37 learn to one new yoga asana 38 draw your face on a paper by watching it on a mirror 39 learn to tell a joke as a joke 40 learn to put rangoli in front of the house with rice powder 41 learn 5 new names & meaning from Lalitha Sahasranama 43 Tell one mahatma story to a child/friend/parents 44 learn to clean your room/mop with disinfectant 45 go through all of your old stuff and cleanup. 46 learn to fix the bulb 47 learn to fix the tube light 48 learn to fix the leaking tap 49 learn to fix broken/loose button of your shirt/pants 50 learn to open/close the gas cylinder 51 learn the basics of Indian classical music from youtube 52 learn to paint in water, then print on cloth 53 write really ‘short stories’ of max 4 lines from our life, bringing gita principles/values. 54 learn vedic maths 55 learn to tell stories 56 teach elder your family members to chant gita and its meaning 57 learn to paint with thread 58 learn to make local cuisines and traditional food items 59 learn the names of 10 major Upanishads 60 learn the names of all chapters of Bhagavad gita 61 learn to wash the laundry by hand 62 learn to iron the dress 63 learn to cut different vegetables /preparing for different curries 67 learn to cook rice 68 learn to make chappati in a round or triangle shapes 69 learn to make round dosa w/o breaking 70 learn to make masala dosa 71 learn to do food decoration 72 learn to make different chai/black/ginger/masala 73 learn to make coffee 74 learn to make different curries 75 learn to make rasam 76 fry pappadam without burning your finger 77 teach your parents to uninstall/install apps in the mobile 78 learn to customise your mobile/laptop 79 read new amma stories every day. make a painting or cartoon out of it 80 learn a new word in your mother tongue 81 learn a new language 82 learn alphabets – read and write – of your mother tongue 83 learn to arrange bedroom/study table/dining room 84 learn to make origami – for birthday /festival greetings share with friends/neighbours 85 find out different names of Sri Krishna in Bhagavad Gita 86 find out different names of Arjuna in Bhagavad Gita 87 learn names of 8 directions in your regional language 88 watch a horror movie muted and watch again unmuted. what did you learn from that? 89 list then names of kings mentioned in Bhagavad Gita. 90 clean up your email inbox. read/reply/archive and keep empty every day. 91 learn to dance and express the ideas of a chapter of Bhagavad Gita 92 give a tune to each sloka you learned from Gita 93 learn to be silent while eating 94 find out Gita slokas starting with all vowels (Sanskrit) 95 learn to write with your leg 96 start writing/blogging every day about your passionate subject. if you don’t have a passion start with anything that impressed you that day. 97 listen to the chirping of birds and try to understand what they talk about 98 learn to look at the sky and sit silently with a single thought 99 look at the sky at night and find out the stars (Google sky map) 100 learn to smile at everyone without any reason. 101 clean up your contacts in email/FB/WhatsApp who never contacted you 102 create puzzels 103 learn to write invitations in calligraphy 104 learn braille language 105 learn to sleep peacefully 106 getup from the bed as soon as you wake up from sleep 107 learn to practice silence every day for 30 minutes 108 learn to meditate at any time, anywhere for at least 5 minutes
One of the most influential characters of history who held the fabric of values and family relations ships even after 8000 years !!! Without Sri Rama and Sri Krishna, all our literature, dance, music, sculptures, festivals all will be void. They are the fabric of our culture. Sri Rama showed man can become God. Sri Krishna showed God can come down to man. Both are fantastic.
Read more about Sri Rama in these 14 days of lockdown. How he lived his 14 years in the forest will be very interesting. Valmiki Maharshi is the one who wrote Sri Rama’s biography. He wrote, taught this to Sri Rama’s children – Lav & Kush. They recited this in front of Sri Rama and he approved it. That is Valmiki Ramayan. Have look at this wonderful scripture https://www.valmiki.iitk.ac.in/
शरीरं सुरुपं तथा वा कलत्रं यशश्चारू चित्रं धनं मेरुतुल्यम्। मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्।।1।।
Shareeram Suroopam Thatha Vaa Kalatram, Yasascharu Chitram Dhanam Meru Tulyam, Manasche Na Lagnam Guro Ranghri Padme, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim……….1
The Body is handsome, the wife is attractive, Fame spread far and wide, wealth is enormous and stable like Mount Meru; But if the mind is not immersed in devotion to the lotus feet of the Guru Really of what use is all these, what use, what use, what use?
Kalatram Dhanam Putra Poutraadi Sarvam, Gruham Bhaandavaa Sarva Mettadhi Jaatam, Manasche Na Lagnam Guro Ranghri Padme, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim……….2
Wife, wealth, son, grandson, and the like, House, relations and relations all are born in a great family; But if the mind is not immersed in devotion to the lotus feet of the Guru Really of what use is all these, what use, what use, what use?
Shadangaadhi Vedo Mukhe Shastra Vidhyaa, Kavitva Aadhi Gadhyam, Supadhyam Karoti, Manasche Na Lagnam Guro Ranghri Padme, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim……….3
Expert in six parts of Vedas, knowledge of Scriptures on the lips, With poetic skill, prose and beautiful verses he composes; But if the mind is not immersed in devotion to the lotus feet of the Guru Really of what use is all these, what use, what use, what use?
Vidheseshu Maanyaha, Swadheseshu Dhanyaha, Sadhaachaara Vrutteshu Matto Na Cha Anyaha, Manasche Na Lagnam Guro Ranghri Padme, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim……….4
Well respected in foreign lands and affluent in the homeland, with the thought ‘In righteous deeds and conduct, no one is like me’; But if the mind is not immersed in devotion to the lotus feet of the Guru Really of what use is all these, what use, what use, what use?
Kshamaa Mandale Bhupa Bhupaala Vrindihi, Sada Sevitam Yasya Paadaaravindam, Manasche Na Lagnam Guro Ranghri Padme, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim……….5
The emperors and kings on this earth have been incessantly serving one’s feet: But if the mind is not immersed in devotion to the lotus feet of the Guru Really of what use is all these, what use, what use, what use?
Yasho Me Gattam Dhikshu Dhaana Prataapaath Jagadvastu Sarvam Kare Yatprasaadaath Manasche Na Lagnam Guro Ranghri Padme, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim……….6
My reputation is spread in all directions owing to the glory of my charity All worldly possessions are within my reach as the rewards of these virtues; But if the mind is not immersed in devotion to the lotus feet of the Guru Really of what use is all these, what use, what use, what use?
न भोगे न योगे न वा वाजिराजौ न कान्तासुखे नैव वित्तेषु चित्तम्। मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्।।7।।
Na Bhoge, Na Yoghe, Na Vaa Vaajiraajaa, Na Kaantaa Mukhe Naiva Vitteshu Chittam, Manasche Na Lagnam Guro Ranghri Padme, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim……….7
Neither in indulgence nor in the discipline; in horses or in kingdoms neither in the women’s enchanting face nor in riches the mind engrossed; But if the mind is not immersed in devotion to the lotus feet of the Guru Really of what use is all these, what use, what use, what use?
अरण्ये न वा स्वस्य गेहे न कार्ये न देहे मनो वर्तते मे त्वनर्घ्ये। मनश्चेन्न लग्नं गुरोरंघ्रिपद्मे ततः किं ततः किं ततः किं ततः किम्।।8।।
Aranye Na Vaa Svasya Gehe Na Kaarye Na Dehe Mano Vartate Me Tvanargye Manasche Na Lagnam Guro Ranghri Padme, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim, Tatah Kim……….8
Not in the forest, not in one’s own house, not in work not in the body, nor in the invaluable things my mind dwells; But if the mind is not immersed in devotion to the lotus feet of the Guru Really of what use is all these, what use, what use, what use?
Result of reading: That pure one who recites this octad on Guru whether be an ascetic, king, a brahmachari (celibate) or a householder achieves the wishes परम पुरुषार्थम् for the highest state known as Brahman by keeping his mind on the words of Guru.
— गुर्वष्टकम् – श्रीमद् शंकराचार्यविरचितम् — Guru Ashtakam by Shri Adi Sankaracharya
Listen to the beautiful rendition of that song by Kuldeep M Pai & Surya Gayatri
today we had a heritage trip with the students of amrita vidyalayam from pulpally. visited 3 places connected with ramayana in wayanad – valmiki ashram where sita devi and her children lav & kush were living, jadayatta kav – where sita devi disappeared into the ground, and sita devi – lav & kush temple.
Valmiki ashram, pulpally
the ‘mandaram’ plant
at the valmiki ashram there is a flowering plant – mandaram (bauhinia acuminata), pink in colour – which will bloom throughout the year – at least 2 flowers will be there on any given day. the belief is that they represent lav & kush.
it was a beautiful trip. spending sufficient time in each place, we discussed the importance of valmiki and his work, about sri rama & sita devi and their understanding and practice of dharma.
at Sita Devi – Lav & Kush temple, pulpally, wayanad
at Sita Devi – Lav & Kush temple, pulpally, wayanad
