Shraddanjali

As per Hindu Dharma, if a father dies in war killed by his enemies the son should observe grief for 12 days and wearing Balck/Blue dress takes a holy bath and on the 13th day slaughters his father's killers and does Shraddanjali.

Pulwama attack on Feb 14 and Bombarding the terrorist camp on February 26th the thirteenth Day.
The Prime Minister performed his duty as a dutiful son for the slain soldiers. This was not an attack on Pakistan but a valiant attack on the terrorists breeding fear and terror among innocents in both Pakistan and India.


Rest is history.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Polarisation of the Guru

One way to magnetize a bar of steel is to place it in proximity to another magnet. The reason ordinary steel is not magnetized is not that it doesn’t have that magnetism potentially inside it.

Rather, it is because every molecule cancels out the north-south polarity of the others. When you can get all the molecules pointing in one direction, then the bar of steel becomes a magnet.

Human beings also have a divine power locked within them, but every desire, every impulse, every conflicting tendency that we have cancels out the flow of our inner magnetism. Lacking in magnetism, we don’t have the power to succeed in anything, much less the spiritual quest.

You will notice that there are some people who are extremely magnetic. You don’t know how to define their magnetism, and yet you know it’s there.

In the true guru-disciple relationship, the guru helps the disciple to bring out his own spiritual magnetism. There are so-called gurus who have set the bad example of trying to dominate their disciples. A true guru would never try to do that, because his purpose is to bring out your own inner freedom and to develop your own inner magnetism to release your highest potential.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

A man with a Dual mind is really Blind

A Man with Dual Mind is Really Blind 

In a village there lived a farmer who used to drive his cattle for grazing to the forest nearby. A very rich land-lord living in that village had his cattle driven to the same forest for grazing. This land-lord by virtue of his property and affluence wielded great influence over the entire village and was almost a dictator. One day the farmer's bull and the land-lord's bull entered into a scuffle and the land-lord's bull was fatally wounded. The farmer was terribly scared and felt nervous to report the matter to the land-lord. He hurried to the mansion of the land-lord and said: "Master, today an unusual incident occurred in the forest". "What is it, come on, tell me", said the land-lord. The farmer said: "My lord, your bull and my bull entered into a scuffle". "Oh, is that so? There is nothing unusual about it. Even sensible men are quarreling with each other", replied the land-lord. "My lord, continued the farmer, your bull killed my bull". "Oh, is that so? What is unusual about it, every creature that is born has to die some day or the other" said the land-lord. The farmer realised suddenly that in his nervousness he had reported the matter wrongly. He said: "My Lord, pardon me for the slip of my tongue. It is my bull that killed your bull". "What?," roared the land-lord. How dare you come and report the matter to me in such a way? What were you doing when your bull was wounding my bull? You must be punished suitably". He called the servant and ordered him to give the farmer twenty hard stripes on his back.

The feeling of mine and thine blinds our judgment and degrades our nature. Blessed is the person who identifies himself with others and their sufferings as well as in their joy.

#Sai in #Chinnakatha

Vasthu

Vasthu for Home

Vasthu are aesthetic principles laid down in the Sastharas , but based on scientific and Environmental principles.

Vasthu Sasthra or Indian version of Feng-Shui  can lead to harmony in Home and Ease of living. Please not that not all these can be scored off in any house and no direction per se is good or bad. Because of the orbit of the Sun from East to west these factors are given to position the house favourably in the gravitational orbit.

Drawing Room Entrance/ Main Entrance

The main entrance of the House is usually through the Drawing room. When Locating the entrance ensure there is more space towards the right. The Direction of the main entrance is significant, as a door to prosperity as well as adversities.

1. North or east entrance- Bestows health,wealth,prosperity and fame.

2. South, North-east or south-east entrance- Indicates success but through hard work.

3, West Entrance- Ideal for scholars as it has a calming and quitening influence.

4. North-west entrance- Indicates development in all spheres.

5. South-west entrance- Considered inauspicious. Its negative influence can be countered by shifting the entrance towards east.

Vastu Guidelines for Bedroom

Let us also explore the basic Vastu guidelines that have to be followed, in case of the bedroom:-

1.       Vaastu Shastra does not recommend a bedroom in the South East under any circumstances. It is best to shift from this room to any other room in the South West, South, West or North West. In case there is no choice, keep the bed away from the southeast corner or you will be sleeping on too much fire. Sleep in this room with your head towards the South and feet towards the North to ward off the ill-effects.

2.       2. According to Vaastu Shastra, mirrors should not be located inside the bedroom as this leads to frequent misunderstandings and quarrels between couples. However, if essential, place them preferably along the North East wall.

3.       6. It is best to sleep with the head towards the South or East direction of the bedroom. The South brings a good deep sleep and ensures long life, while the East brings enlightenment. There should be no window behind you, while sleeping

Dining Room

Sitting Arrangement

1. The head of the family must always face east while eating.

2. The rest of the members can face north, east, or west.

3. Avoid the Southern direction

4. Keep the number of dining chairs even to avoid dispute within the family members.

Vasthu for Kitchen

Kitchen is the most effected area of house from where all kind of energies prevails while an expert Vastu consultant would surely identify about the adverse situation of house if kitchen is placed incorrectly. This important part of house must be placed on its corresponding place i.e. South-east governed by element Fire. Kitchen being the important part of home is the primary contributing factor in the general health and well-being of occupants.

Some essential things need to be considered in Vastu of kitchen, read out related Vastu tip for kicthen:

Element Fire governs in the direction South-east, so this portion of house ideal for locating kitchen. However, if choosing alternative then North-west part could be taken for constructing kitchen but avoid making kitchen in any other direction.

Kitchens in north quadrant tend to affect health female members.

Place water sink in the North-east with the maximum distance from cooking gas.

Larger windows in the kitchen should be in Eastern side while small ventilators should be placed in South.

Provision for water storage and taps should be made in North-east of the kitchen.

Avoid placing dining table in the centre of the kitchen instead locate it in the North-west direction.

The sink should be in the Northeast corner of the kitchen.

Electric equipment like microwave, oven or refrigerator should be placed in South-west.

The slope of the water flow should be from Southwest towards Northeast.

The cylinder should be placed in the Southeast corner.

The Geyser should be installed on the Southeast side.

The storage for all the food grains, utensils, the over head almirah should always be on the Southern and the western walls and not on the Northern and the Eastern walls.

A dishwasher can be placed in the north west of the kitchen.

The exhaust fan should be installed either in the Northwest corner or the South wall.

There should be no toilets and bathrooms adjoining, and above or below the kitchen.

The door of the kitchen should never face the door of the toilet.

There are more related to Color and Decorations but in this blog I have considered only the key elements which are Fixed in nature and needs to be considered before building or Moving in.

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Mixed Bag Of Cookies- Sixty years of tossing and turning!!

My Birthday Falling today on 31 January 2018 truly represents my life Pattern. Unique in all ways, truly a mixed Bag of cookies. Some Salty, Some Sweet, Some Bitter Chocolate, Some caramelized. But I truly cherish all those moments.

Today's Birthday falls on a full moon day and a Blue Moon at that , and followed by a Total Lunar Eclipse, for devout Hindus another auspicious day as it is Thai Poosam dedicated to Lord Muruga. You see the pattern, Auspiciousness blossoming to a full rare Blue Moon eclipsed by its shadowy counterpart only to be released to its fullness again. There goes my Life story. Extreme activity like Cycling 360 Kms to Bangalore at one time and sitting on hard flour for Five hours at a stretch at another. To strike the balance was the issue! This is where the Guru came in to rock the boat only to direct it the Right way.

Been fortunate to have a good family, Select Friends who are Friends till date! Inspite of my Vagaries of extremity at times. A Spiritual Guru who pointed out the right Source of Happiness at an Age when the Shimmering Tinsel world was trying to taunt me into its tentacle , and there He was standing like a Rock beside me.

So my Adolescent Age and Teenage and Middle Age was spent on the hard floors of Ashrams and temple hopping when my friends were Pub Hopping. When my Audit seniors would line up for New Cinema Release I would sneak in to Vivekannada Rock Memorial only to spend Three Nights consecutively secluded on the Rock.

True Finding is, Life has come a full cycle. The vanity of the austerities have fallen off, only to find that irrespective of what You think you are doing, God finds you! You do not contribute anything in Finding Him. It is His Grace alone which matters. I have childhood friends who were Atheists and who ridiculed me in my pursuits turning to hard core Spiritualists now. I know of Friends being Communists in College build Temples or Joined Ashrams.

So Past does not count, Future does not exist, It is the NOW which is ever present. Little wiser now, I take care of my present. Do what I want to do. Do not bother myself about absurd rigidities imposed by the Social Norms or get dictated by Religious doctrines. It is more like a Free format drive. Flow with the current Only dictated by the Conscience, nothing else. Life becomes much easier that way and more awareness of the present sets in.

The rush to accumulate Things is gone, it is more like releasing what I have. Less Luggage More comfort- a slogan I have seen on Railway coaches takes on a new twist and winks at me!
At the same time forced simplicity like Diogenes has lost its charm and I do not find using a Luxury item a Tax anymore. Everything has its time and Place. What is there now is gone the next moment. So attaching undue importance to people, place or things only creates misery.

Children have this habit, always comparing things. They can ask for hours question like If Tiger and Hippo fights who will win? If you answer next question will be ready If Superman and Spider man fights who will win? The list is endless. Now do not laugh!! As adults nothing much has changed. Only to be replaced with Who is Bigger? My God or your God? My Guru or Your Guru? So where is the progress? Zilch. I hope coming years will be productive in evolution and just patiently waiting for the next toss or turn!!

So here I am breaking my own promise of posting on Silence posting my Little mind's prattle.

See you at another time!

Krishnamachari Santhanam

Benefits of Silence

Q: Could tell us about the benefits of silence and how we could bring that home with us from this retreat?

A:Many of us have realized in the last few days that silence can be enjoyable. We realize that there are many things that we do not have to say, and that then we can reserve the time and energy to do other things that can help us to look more deeply into ourselves and things around us.

If you are pushed by your habit energy to say something, don't say it. Instead, take a notebook and write it down. A day or two later, read what you wrote, and you might find out that it would have been an awful thing to say. So slowly you become master of yourself, and you know what to say and what not to say.

I remember one time I proposed to a sister that she practice silence. She was an elder nun and she had a few negative seeds in her that prevented her from being happy. She was just a little bit too hard on the other sisters. I proposed to her that she was a very talented person, very skillful in many things, and she could make many people happy if only she knew how to be silent and to say only things that needed to be said.

I proposed to her that she use only three sentences for three months. She could repeat these three sentences as many times as she wanted(laughter) and I told her that if she practiced that for a week, she would feel happiness right away. The first sentence was, "Dear sister,is there anything I can do to help you?" (laughter) The second sentence was, "Did you like what I did to help you?" The third was, "Would you have any suggestion that I can do it better?" (laughter) If she could say that, she would make many people happy and the happiness would go back to herself very quickly.

In the family we can practice silence. We can ask the other members of the family to agree that we will practice silence for three days or for a week. It is very beneficial. There will be a transformation after the period of practicing silence.

Thich Naht Hanh

Miracles and cure

Excerpt from “Baba is God”- H.E.J.R.Jayawardene- Former President SriLanka.

As President of Sri Lanka, I had invited Baba on several occasions to visit Sri Lanka as a guest of Government and People. Though He was keen to visit us, He did not find an opportunity of doing so. However, in April this year, 1990, I visited Bangalore and had two audiences with Him on Thursday and 19th April and Saturday the 21st April. He spoke quite freely to me and to many others from Sri Lanka who meets Him with me.

His advice was always based on the teachings of the religious teachers, namely the Hindu Avatars, Buddha, Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed.
He answered our questions dealing with public matters as well as private ones quite freely and in the contest of the same noble principles He always advocated. We were all deeply impressed by His presence and advice.
I remember several extra-ordinary healings narrated to me directly by persons who experienced them, of whose friends had experienced them.


I will mention one of them, which I heard directly from a reputed and highly qualified surgeon. A patient who needed surgical treatment to remove a portion of his intestines, which were subject to cancer, had seen him. He did not have the operation performed. He had gone away.


Ten years later, the same person whom the Doctor did not recognize, had consulted him again. This time he needed an immediate operation for a prostrate problem.


When they were preparing for an immediate operation, the patient asked him, “Dr; do you know who I am? “ When the Doctor replied “No! “He introduced himself as the patient who had seen him about 10 years ago for the operation mentioned above.


The Doctor was surprised that he was alive today without having the earlier operation.. The patient said, Dr, soon after I left you I paid my respects personally to Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba. His miraculous cure helped me to live without an operation. Baba further advised me that 10 years from that date, you would need an operation for a prostrate problem and then to see the same Doctor and not to delay the operation. That is why I immediately consented to being operated by you.


This doctor, who is not a Hindu and not a devotee, narrated this story to me when he heard that I had visited His Holiness in Bangalore.


I accept Bhagavan Sri Sathya Sai Baba as a Purna Avatar. His presence in this world enables Him to advise with His words of wisdom and love those who live in it.


Swami Says - The nature of divine can be understood only when the divine in human form teaches as man to man, the nature of this love.


Jai Sai Ram