Why Creation?

 

Why Creation?

Gajaraj Swamigal: Paramaguru! Devotee of the Absolute! I ask you humbly. Please tell us the secret of creation.

Sage Agastya: Aum. Asking the Absolute, I will humbly respond to the secret of creation, listen with devotion.

No one can understand who the Supreme being is. Who is he? What kind of form does he have? What is his beginning? What is his end? All this cannot even be imagined by people, Rishis like me, or even the one who created him.

One thing certain is that there is something called the Supreme being or the Absolute. This is because it is certain that all the living beings that he created and the several crore Gods that protect them, exist.

So, why did he create Gods, demons, and living beings like humans? When did he create? Why did he create?

Aren’t these questions that are digging into the very truth of creation?

Several micro materials were emitted from the Supreme being when it became conscious. That which was emitted was spiritual knowledge. It was eager to reveal its meaning. This knowledge, because it was part of the Supreme, is called Jeevatman or the soul.

In order for the soul to express its knowledge, it needs a body. That form was given by creation.

This needed a body consisting of the five elements of light, air, water, fire, earth, and ether. However, this body needed another body to encase it. Hence, two types of bodies, known as the man and woman were created.

In order to create the body, Brahma was created. Giving Brahma the power to create, it also made another divine power known as Shiva that could protect this. Vishnu was created to punish those humans that violated the law. These three Gods in turn, in order to conduct their work with loyalty, created different Gods.

Half of Shiva emerged to become Parvati, the personification of power. With their divine powers, Shiva and Shakti created Ganapathi and Muruga. To help with the work they do, they created several Ganas or elementals.

In the same way, Saraswathi, the giver of knowledge emerged from the creator Brahma, and Laxmi emerged from Vishnu.

In the olden days, people created interesting stories based on their imagination and gave those stories to us as Puranas.

It was like this that Gods, demons, humans, and other living things were created. The source of all this is the light of knowledge called the Supreme being or Para Brahman.

So far, I have explained about the creation of living things. Now, let us look at another question. The explanation for why he created it.

So far, no one has been able to explain this secret.

Ask why? Who will you ask? We cannot ask the Supreme being and get the answers. This is because we do not have the necessary tools required to ask or hear the Absolute. That is why all this is called the desireless desire or divine play.

Those nonliving things like stones and soil; microorganisms with minute forms, plants, trees, animals, were all created by the power of divine creation. All of these have souls and form.

But it is only the human that has the complete faculties of mind, intellect, or discriminatory powers. That is why birth as a human is very important.

Gods too are souls like humans. However, they do not have forms like humans. That is why they assume the form of human, and live in the manifested world, and then ridding the form in the manifested world, they return to the upper world as an epitome of knowledge, as epitome of soul and power and become Gods.

God gains form based on the imagination that emerges from the human.

Who is Brahman?

 

Who is Brahman

Gajaraj Swamigal: Who is Brahman, how does one attain the state of Brahman?

Sage Agastya: It is a big question you have asked today. This day that you have posed the question is a special day. This question you have asked today is the highest peak on the mountain of knowledge.

This type of question is a question that is posed by one who is known as a pure Brahmin[1]. This profound knowledge was given secretly by those who were known as Brahmins because of their purified state to those selected disciples who possessed good character, that came seeking knowledge.

This type of knowledge was imparted in the ashrams or hutments in the forests outside human habitats. That is why one of the Upanishads that is an aspect of the Vedas, the Aranya Upanishad is also called ‘Aranya Brahmana.’

 The meaning of ‘aranyam’ is forest. This sermon was given in the peaceful environment of the forest where people meditated.

I will now tell you the meaning of Brahman. In Kaliyuga, forests or nature are not found easily. In such a situation, I will consider the place that I am as forest and changing your heart into a beautiful and natural state of purity, I will impart this knowledge to you.”

Nobody can imagine what Brahman is. Because, that which is called Brahman has no form. That is why it is called formless or unfathomable.

The Supreme Being (Brahman) or the Absolute is that which is beyond time and space. This is not something that can be understood by human intelligence. It is like the wind, which in itself has no form. Yet because of the wind, we see the movement in the trees, the plants, the hair, and the clothes. Because we see this, we understand that it is wind that causes everything to move. In the same way, we understand that there is a Supreme power based on what we see of the creation and based on His play in creation. That is how we know the Supreme one (Brahman).

That is how we can imagine Him and believe in Him. Those who are not believers, know that only they exist. They are not able to understand Brahman, who is above them.

Time is also Brahman. The universe is also Brahman. Time is normally separated into three - ‘the past,’ ‘the present’ and ‘the future.’ The past is an event that has already happened in nature and in the mind.

That which has already occurred, that which we can no longer get, keeping that events that have already occurred as a measure, we consider the present.

Imagining what might happen in diverse ways; and that we have not yet achieved or experienced, we then call it the ‘future.’

What is happening now, we consider as the ‘present.’ If we look at it closely, what is ‘present’ is actually an illusion. This is because, that which you are experiencing is that which has already happened! It is something that cannot be constrained in ‘time’ because what is happening now is already the ‘past’ by the time you realize it!

To understand the passage of time, man has invented the clock. This is something that was invented based on the level of his understanding.

People of today know only how to measure time as seconds, time, days, months, or years. People of the current times are unable to even imagine what it is that occurs before seconds or what is the passage of time after the years.

The wise ones of my time understood the rules of the cosmic law and were able to explain the concept of time that is measured in four cyclic divine years (yugas).

According to this, these four time spans continue to come one beyond the other like a wheel. A wheel has no beginning or end. No start or end.

That which has no beginning or end, does not have rules of past, present, or future.

That state is called the state of the void. That which cannot be seen; that which can be understood but not made to be understood; that which can be experienced but cannot be explained to others; that is what we call the Supreme being or the Absolute.

What must one do to attain this state of the Absolute? What path must one follow? What must one follow? I will now tell you in a short summary, all this to the extent necessary for Kaliyuga.

Different Sages have given different paths based on their own knowledge and experience to people to attain the Absolute.

The most important paths that have been given are Bhakti marga (path of devotion), Karma Yoga (path of service), Laya Yoga, Raja Yoga and Gnana Yoga.

In the Dvapara Yuga, Kanna (Krishna), a great yogi and Gnani, who was the personification of Vishnu, taught karma Yoga to the people of those days through Bhagavad Gita, to the children of the ruling class and people in layers.

After that Maha Yogi Patanjali gave the Raja Yoga. Only a few are able to understand Gnana Yoga. The one who can gain wisdom must be born in a good family, one who is born in a devotional family owing to good deeds he has done in his previous life. Gnana Yoga is the highest among all the Yoga’s.

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[1] Brahmin: It is important to note that the Sage clearly states, a Brahmin ‘because of their purified state.’ It must not be misunderstood with the popular notion of being ‘Brahmin’ by virtue of one’s birth. That is not an accepted or accurate idea of a Brahmin.

 

Sri Lopamudra Agastya Ashrama

 Sri Lopamudra Agastya Ashrama 
RHWQ+284, Basavanapura, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560083

Drawn by Divine Energy

 Sri Lopamudra Agastya Ashrama, on Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore is the sacred place where Gajaraj Swamigal first heard Sage Agastya speaking to him. One day, Gajaraj Swamigal left his house suddenly. His family wondered where he went without saying anything. When he returned, he narrated what happened.

He said he was drawn by a strong force to go to the Meenakshi Amman temple on Bannerghatta Road in Bangalore. As he stood there, someone tapped his shoulder and said, "go to the Agastya temple a little further down the road". Without questioning it, Gajaraj Swamigal went there. The Dharmadhikari of the temple, Sri Shankar who was himself a greatly advanced soul, took one look at Gajaraj Swamigal and asked him to circumumbulate the Sri Lopamudra Agastya shrine. As Gajaraj Swamigal walked around the shrine he heard the words clearly, "Son, you have come". It was just a few days after this, that Sage Agastya started giving the sacred 'Agasthiyar Vazhipaadu' discourses through Gajaraj Swamigal. 

Sri Shankar Swami

The Ashram was established by Sri Shankar Swami. He too had a direct connection with Sage Agastya. It was through him that Sage Agastya designated the exact spot to construct this temple. 

This temple is constructed over the ground where an ancient Shiva temple existed. It is believed that the temple was associated with Sage Agastya. 

Sage Agastya gave clear specifications to Sri Shankar Swami on the deities to be consecrated at the sacred spot. Each temple was constructed to specifications and dimensions given by Sage Agastya. Each temple faces a certain angle also specified by Sage Agastya.

This temple is unique in that, it is not like regular temples. Here, all men must wear dhotis and women Saris. The temple also does not have rituals like breaking coconuts like other temples. This is a Gnana Bhumi. A place one can sit, meditate and absorb the tremendous energy present in this area.

The presiding deity of the temple complex is Gnaneswhara or Lord Muruga in the form where he holds a palm leaf manuscript in one hand. He is the bestower of knowledge. Also, it is in this temple complex that you will find Devi Sharada and Devi Saraswathi together in one shrine. Other shrines are dedicated to Dwimukha Anjaneya,  Agasteeshwara, Agra Ganapathy, Devi Parvathi and Sri Lopamudra and Sri Agastya.

The temple is open from 8.30 am to 2.00 pm. Priests at the temple do not speak while performing the puja. All devotees are requested to silence their phones and enter leaving all their worldly thoughts behind in this sacred place. 

Purpose of Life

 

Purpose of Life

With the question ‘What is the purpose of life? Why do we live?’ in mind, Gajaraj Swamigal prayed: Bowing to the loving Ganapathy, bowing to Divine Mother, I am requesting an appropriate response regarding life and living, for the sake of the world.

It is an undeniable fact that man is born on this earth. Yet, why are we born, what are our duties? I request you to remove this veil and give us light that can be understood by all, with your grace.

Sage Agastya: You are asking a question that will bring light to the people of the world.

First, reflect on who you are? Man is made up of the physical body and the astral body comprising of intellect and senses, that surround the soul.

So, does ‘you’ indicate your body, your mind, or your soul?

When you gain true knowledge that ‘you’ are not the body, nor the mind, then ‘you’ will realize that you are the soul.

The goal of the soul is to return to the place it has come from. However, maya[1] conceals this knowledge for some time in some people, and for some lifetimes in others. It is only when the person reaches self-realization, does he realize that he is but a soul. The moment the soul realizes its true nature, it yearns to return to the Supreme.

 Man is that which is composed of the mind, and the body which has the five senses, that is around the soul. Hence, we must reflect on the three aspects of body, mind and soul when talking about man.

This soul that has intellect and form, is the light of knowledge that has emerged from Paramatma, hence, the soul itself has no duty. Yet, there is a magnetic force that is inherent in this soul that desires to be freed from the body and return to the place it has come from. The soul is caught in the vessel called maya because of its own doing. If the soul must get liberated, then the body and mind must become pure.

That is why the soul is teaching the mind some righteous paths as given by God. The duty of the mind is to show the righteous path to the body that has different limbs. However, the mind is like a drunken monkey and loses its focus sometimes. The five senses that are caught in their grip, slip, and go elsewhere than the path they must take.

The responsibility of taking the physical body on the right path is given to the intellect. However, like a drunken monkey, it sometimes instigates man to act wrongly and leads him down the wrong path.

Understanding what has been explained so far, let us see how an average man must live. The precepts given by God have been changing in accordance with the times.

In the olden days, man’s behavior was in accordance with the guidance of the good, the lessons given by the four Vedas, the knowledge given by the Gurus.

The primitive man lived a simple life in harmony with the nature around him. As time passed, man started looting nature, which can be likened to a tunnel of gold, for pleasure. He did not pay any heed to the fact that it is nature that is vital in sustaining his life and other living things like him.

This is the biggest sin that he is committing without even understanding it. This is the first mistake he has made in his duty. Having been born, he has forgotten that the animal life forms that were born along with him are part of God’s creation. They are souls just like him and he is looting them at an excessive rate. This is the second error that he is committing that is against the duty he was to discharge.

Man has become a great sinner who has forgotten that the thousands of life forms are his own brothers. He is mercilessly hunting, hurting, and eating them. This is a big sin he is committing against the creator. This is demonic behavior.

It is distasteful to see all this. Even though there are many opportunities for man to understand why he was created, he does not have the curiosity to do so. That is why man must consider others as his own family and help them to live a good life. This is one of his primary duties.

Instead of this what is it that is actually happening? Once in a while he attends a spiritual event, sits, and listens intermittently like a cow chewing food that he has hurriedly eaten that day. He then claps his hands along with all the others assembled there, and once the group disperses, returns to his old way of life.

Once he returns home, he closes the door even though it is still daylight and like a blind person brings darkness into his home and to those that surround him.

Many a man who is born, expends all his energy on satiating his carnal appetite, and then once he gains satisfaction in it, spends the rest of his life, struggling to bring up his children.

Every day returning from work, he eats a big meal, drinks alcohol, and medicine, and goes to sleep. When the alarm rings again in the morning, he jumps up from the bed, hurriedly finishes his daily ablutions; without bothering to understand, or appreciate what he is eating, swallows his food, and hurriedly gets into his vehicle.

Then, without even being conscious of the rapid beating of his heart, he returns to his workplace.

Such a man does not understand who he is, why he is born or what the relationship is between him and the world. He does not understand the relationship between him, his family, and others beyond his circle. His limited sphere of thought is confined only to himself and his family. His only idea is that he must enjoy life. Such a man gets caught in the cycle of birth and rebirth and returns repeatedly in an endless cycle.

In order to change the character of such people, we choose some good people and work through them to show humanity the righteous path.

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[1] Maya: Illusion.

Birth and Rebirth

 

Why Birth?

Gajaraj Swamigal: Why are we born on earth?

Sage Agastya: What a question! Creation and birth are respected as God’s play. The soul that comes from the Absolute is pure. It is known as ‘Sat Chit Ananda^[1]’ by everyone. That soul is hidden in the body which has the five elements and the senses. The soul attempts to free itself from the confines of the body. That is why the soul desires to walk on the righteous path and employ the body, mind, and senses in pure, righteous, and clean actions alone.

That which is between the body and the soul is the mind. It is that which makes the physical body transgress by walking on the path of unrighteousness. The karmic fruit of these wrong actions get attached to the soul. So, the soul creates the opportunity for rebirth to get rid of these bad karmas.

I tell you - rebirth is only the desire of the soul, not the will of Absolute as some say.

That drop of water in the rain that forms in the clouds, comes down and assumes different forms like the stream, river, and finally the ocean; jumps, overflows, roars, mixes with the sand, and gathers all the bad and the good things that are on its way into itself, and finally becomes one with the ocean.

Just as a man finally understands his true purpose; the moment the drop realizes that its destination is not the earth, it turns into vapor and returns to become one with the clouds again.

In the same way, it is the nature of the soul when it takes birth in human form, to struggle through life, age, and die, and after that leave the physical body, look upwards and proceed.

To summarize, the soul that comes out of the Supreme Power, is born on the earth, and for some time commits good and bad actions, and finally leaving even that idea of differentiation between good and bad behind; desires to return to that place whence it came. This is the nature of atman, the soul.

Rebirth

Sage Agastya: Man is reborn to experience that which he had not been able to experience in his previous life; to accomplish that which he couldn’t accomplish, in a state where he is not able to see the blessed feet of God. Aside from this, he takes birth to complete what he needs to complete; gain what he needs to gain; and accomplish what he needs to accomplish.

A honeybee that goes in search of a flower dies getting caught in the spider’s web that is on its way, unable to accomplish what it set out to do. Another bee, without getting caught in the web, finds an alternate route, accomplishes what it needs to accomplish, and returns to the place it came from because of the fruit of its good actions.

In the same way, man gets caught in unnecessary webs of illusion that are avoidable in several lives, and struggling, becomes food for the spider.

That is why God creates the circumstances for man to take birth again. That is why each man must keep what he wants to accomplish in mind and keep that as a goal, to go forward in life. While proceeding in this way, some may have to free themselves from some troubles in life that occur like the web of the spider.

Hence, man must follow the path of righteousness in life, accomplishing everything with honesty and then taking the experiences that he is undergoing as the blessings of God and, experiencing them properly; keeping the mind determined; must continue on his path and making progress; achieve his goals.

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[1] Sat Chit Ananda: Truth, Consciousness and Bliss.

The Future of Mankind

Pic Courtsey: Aditya Ayodhya, UK.

Sage Agastya: Where are we headed? This is a burning question and a most practical one. Humanity is in floods; it is in turmoil. Everything seems upside down now. There is no stability, no spiritual guidance.

The flooding water flows over and under, bumps against rocks, squeezes out of holes, scratches the surface, pulls out roots, invites rubbish. It is full of force, and it stinks. This is how I visualize modern society. Devoid of direction but provided with a lot of energy, it knows not in which direction it should flow.

At this stage, it is not possible to stop the flow and create a beautiful lake out of it. It requires significant effort from various sources.

Neighboring mountains have to be blasted; and stones have to be piled one above the other to curtail its speed. Once the speed is slowed down, the banks have to be strengthened, and further inflow should be diverted. In short, this is an analogy to show what is required to change this dangerous course humanity has taken.

Man has lost all knowledge of the great scriptures. These scriptures in the form of Vedas, Shastras and Puranas have no value for him. Enormous knowledge rising out of scientific investigations and technology have created a mirage which is being perceived as the reality. People are searching for a fuller life in a mirage!

Modern man’s entire life is in this direction. He is going deeper and deeper into the process of investigation. It is literally also true that man is digging deeper into the earth, exploiting every bit of useful material available in the womb of mother earth. He has cut her stomach, is stabbing at her heart, and tearing at her lungs. What does all this indicate?

It indicates self-made destruction. We feel pained to witness all this wanton destruction and exploitation of nature and natural resources. Man is a symbol of unlimited greed.

What is the result of all this? The very natural resources that sustain life have been destroyed. That is why man is now buying clean water and clean air!

In the future, he will not be able to buy land. As things indicate, the powdered earth or soil itself will become dearer. This is the present condition of the relationship between man and his environment.

What about the relationship between man and society? Today, man is like a dust particle without stability of its own. A dust particle gets carried around by the wind, bumps against other particles, and finally settles down in a place it was not intended to settle. In the same way, man usually does not get the job he was intended to have. Instead, he settles down in other jobs by sheer force of circumstances.

There is no direction even in marriage. The proper selection process is not undertaken. Selection is based on outer appearance and material acquisition. That is why there are so many failures on the job front and marriages.

So also, his neighborhood. In big cities, people do not want to know their neighbors. This is the result of sheer indifference and lack of confidence in themselves. They do not want their neighbors to know the ills and sins committed by their families. They are afraid of losing their name, fame, and valuables.

I have touched upon three aspects of relationships, between man, his habitat, society, and his immediate neighbors.

What is the result? He has no love for others and others have none for him. In the absence of love, what is it that grows? It is hatred. Lack of love breeds hatred, jealousy, lack of confidence in himself and others. So, what does he do? He seeks all those materials, living and non-living that give him temporary relief.

What are the things that purportedly give him pleasure? In the modern world, it is going to parties, clubs, restaurants, movies, and picnics. These are all connected with the physical pleasures of eating and drinking. There is no end. There is no complete satisfaction. People get attached and addicted to these pleasures.

Addiction leads to submission. Submission leads to surrender and surrender leads to slavery. In short, the life of modern humans is slavery to time and emotions. Though he pretends and expresses that he is happy, this expression is born of his mind, not of his heart. It is superficial and empty. That is why man is neither happy nor content.

Each one of you can analyze your own friends, relatives, or acquaintances, keeping the above factors in mind. Are they happy?

How do you gauge happiness? It is seen in the health, in the glow in the eyes, purity of words, actions, and deeds. You should analyze these things to find out if a person is indeed happy.

Now the question is, how can we make a person really happy? Judge for yourself who is really happy in society? A poor man who can meet his physical needs for the day, appears to be happy. A child who does not know the full details of society is happy. A rich man who spends part of his money and wealth for those in need is happy. Then there are those who serve in old age homes, destitute homes, and so on. They are happy.

What does this show? It shows that those who lead a simple life are happy. Happy are those who share their love and profit with those who have them not. To sum up, it is in giving that you receive. It is in loving others that we get love. It is in pardoning others that we are pardoned. All this amounts to sacrificing and sharing. The moment you feel other souls as your own, you will be happy. So where does this lead us?

This leads to the ultimate point that every one of you must consider the others as your own soul. You are all part of one Absolute. Love every child as your own.

I understand that it is difficult in the modern world. You extend your hand to shake, and the other person does not react. Do not take it to heart. Just regard it as that person’s karma. He will also wake up at an appropriate time because the strength of the body and wealth and power of intelligence are never the same. They dissipate as time goes on. But remember, love multiplies as time passes.

Finally, the significance of this lecture. You[1] have a significant role in putting a dam across this mad stream. You have the ability to change humanity’s direction. One person cannot accomplish this.

So, in the beginning you will start changing the direction of individuals who come to you. When your purpose is pure and your preaching is effective, people who come in contact with you will change their direction. From them, few others will feel the change. When people who have changed their direction enjoy peace, contentment, and inner joy, they will know the purpose of their life. Small springs with pure water are then available for others who need it.

‘Vazhipaadu’ is meant to serve this purpose. It is a spring that is easily available, and easily tested. Give it to all those that need them.

Then addressing Gajaraj Swamigal, Sage Agastya said: People have already started coming to you one after another. A time will come when you address groups of them. When they change, that change will increase in geometric proportions. Once the lamp is lit, the flame can light an indefinite number of other lamps.

The initial flame belongs to the Supreme Knowledge of the Para Brahman. It flows through the Gurus, seen and unseen. You are all part of this wonderful cosmic intention!

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[1] Even though the discourse was given to Gajaraj Swamigal, his wife Vijayalakshmi and daughter Anuradha, as in all scriptures, these words are meant for everyone who reads these sacred words.

The Essence of Thirumandiram

  The Essence of Thirumandiram as given by Appa Agastya in Agasthiyar Vazhipaadu

What is Thirumandiram

A devotee Surya Kumar asked Sage Agastya, “What is the essence of Thirumandiram?”

Gajaraj Swamigal in turn posed the question to Sage Agastya: “Father, my relative (Surya Kumar) has placed this question before me unexpectedly[1]. What is the essence of Thirumandiram?”

Sage Agastya: This is a devotee’s question. In addition, this is a question that has come as a test to my devotee (Gajaraj).

Then addressing Lord Muruga, Sage Agastya said, "God of Knowledge, Vadivela (holder of the spear). Did you not disclose the essence of Thirumandiram to your own father that day? It is rare that such a question is being asked in Kali Yuga. Give me permission to explain this in a simple form."

This was the explanation given by the great Sage. 

A mantra is one that contains layers and layers of meaning and is uttered in a few words or a single word. Many are the great ones that have attempted to give different meanings to this substance at various times.

It is impossible to contain the essence and meaning of the word ‘Thiru’ in books, which bestows meaning to the contents of this great text.

It is that mantra that one chants in complete devotion when sitting in meditation trying to gain the ultimate realization of the Supreme.

That is Thirumandiram.

Essence of Thirumandiram

Combining the three qualities[2] into one,

Bringing together the Trinity that contain these three qualities,

Making the three into one,

Turning the one into light,

Making that light small,

While chanting the Aum mantra in the mind,

When the mantra itself disappears from one’s mind,

When one attains nothingness,

And the soul merges with the Supreme,

That which is the essence of liberation,

That is Thirumandiram!

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[1] Gajaraj Swamigal had not heard the word Thirumandiram before.

[2] Three qualities: Tamas, Sattva and Rajas are considered three important qualities that are present in everyone and everything. The proportion of the quality differs in each. Tamas is ignorance, inertia, violence, and laziness. Sattva is goodness, purity, calmness and harmony and Rajas is passion, activity, dynamism, and movement. It is their interplay that defines physical and psychological character and nature. In cosmology, all these three gunas are combined in the primal matter, the universe. Consciousness or purusha which is changeless is beyond and separate from Prakriti., the created.