Menoflecting; a little surrender

"G" is for Guru.

This week, here in OZ, Emm and I shall be attending discourses sponsored by the Chinmaya Mission. The Head of Mission, Swami Swaroopananda will be here to give practical pointers. He is most erudite and Loving.

When I first went to CM Sannidhi, (seems like a lifetime ago!) it was in complete ignorance. Having been met at the door by the resident 'monk', he was introduced to me as Br. Gopal. ("G") He was my first 'guru'. The short translation is 'teacher'. This Sanskrit word actually means 'remover of darkness'. It is applied to those we might, in the Western tradition, call 'professor', but there are other dimensions to it.

The term is one of those which has been adopted rather loosely in business and other secular areas when referring to an expert in a given field, but this is not really appropriate, for a Guru most definitely has an ecclesiastical purpose as well as providing all secular knowledge to the shishya (disciple/student).

Sw. Advayananda

It was not until attending Sandeepany, however, that the full impact of what it is to surrender oneself to a Guru made itself clear to me.

Now, I didn't go blindly. There are many 'false gurus' out there, or that is to say, charlatans. Then there are those who are teaching what appears to be the same stuff, and many people gain benefit from their teachings, but there somehow lies a contradiction within them. It is so important that we have proof of living as preached.

I found this in the parampara of Gurudev, Swami Chinmayananda. It lives through Gopal-ji (who is now in the orange robes as Sw. Shrikarananda), and in Swaroopananda-ji and in my own direct Guru, Sw. Advayananda, in whose presence I spent two and a half incredible years.

Why is surrender important, what does it even mean?

It boils down to having full faith, total trust, deep devotion, and bright belief that the philosophy of Vedanta can be made one's own if one can, just a little bit, drop the ego and permit a free-flowing channel of communication between oneself and the Guru. To have all those things in alignment... well, that's Glorious!

🙏

First Friday Filmclub

Is your year to be filled with peace and silence?

Menoracular; On Higher Teaching pt 4

On the morning the 16th, a few things were announced. For the 17th and 18th, both gurus would be absent for a function elsewhere, so there would be time for contemplation and watching of a recording of Gurudev on the Kaivalya Upanishad. On the 19th would be the major day of handover of headship of the global mission from Sw. Tejoymayananda (Guruji) to Sw. Swaroopanandaji (Mukhya Swamiji) and a followup function on the Friday for this... more on that in due course.

© Yamini MacLean

On the 16th itself, though, was the grand reopening of the area around Gurudev's old kutia. There was much 'murmuration' about this. When the land was gifted to Sw. Chinmayananda for his first gurukula, which he named Sandeepany Sadhanalaya, first was built his little cottage from which to write his letters, oversee building and planting and to carry out his own saadhana. The ashram is on a hillside in the Northern area of Mumbai - originally forested around the lake of Powai, it is now fully urbanised in all directions. The ashram somehow managed to hold onto a level of sanctity and peace. After the kutia, the first building was the Jagadeeshwara mandir at the very peak of the hill. Then came the residential rooms and teaching hall and eating hall for all the students that were to come.

For long, that was all. In the early 1970s, the need for upgraded accommodations for guest students and seniors and such like resulted in Chinmaya Vihar seven-storey building rising. At this time, too, the CCMT offices were added.

Shortly before the course I attended started in 2011, another seven-storey building at the bottom of the hill was raised, due to increasing residential staff and need for better accoms for those in yellow and orange robes. Anand Vihar took a lump out of the land, but did add value and ambiance.

Throughout the land, there were lots of mango trees, orange trees, banana plants and various beautification plantings. The mangos, thankfully, still stand. They provide an annual cash crop and lots of deliciousness for residents! Most of the orange trees have died away and the banana crops were decimated by Anand building. A few have been replanted... most of the grand Ashok trees and Eucalypts plus others have been decapitated and delimbed in a manner tantamount to massacre.

© "Emm", used with permission. YAM ponders...

Around the kutia was Gurudev's rose garden and a lotus pond. The pond is still there, but virtually nothing else. In the last year, the Mumbai devotees had decided that they wanted to make a visitor centre, incorporating all the history, purpose, and meaning of the mission which arose from the teachings and leadership of Sw. Chinmayananda. How this has been done has become the source of much debate and it would be safe to say there are two camps of thinking; that it is a white elephant or that it is a grace to the ashram.

Where do I stand? Well, initially, it must be owned, there was shock and horror. First, the original statue of Gurudev has been moved out (though it's new place by Saraswati Nilayam - the teaching hall - is actually rather fine) and a new, rather inferior and - to put it bluntly - skeerysome waxen thing stands at the entry instead. The first held the augustness and essence of our founding Guru; the second will have to work hard at this! Then there is all the museum-like gallery presentation of the story of it all. Not a wrong thing in and of itself, but one is inclined to think that much of it ought to have been housed in an entirely separate area and not outside. The Mumbai climate will have it looking dingy and unworthy in  no time, unless they can raise the funds for daily cleaning.

For those of us who are close and familiar, it all seems rather over-stuffed; however, there are a few gems in the pile, which I shall share separately. There can be no faulting the devotion and love which drove the initiative, but one cannot help but feel that the essence of 'less is more' somehow slipped the knot!

© Yamini MacLean - a giant conch. Conches (of hand-size) are used for the call to prayer and worship.

© Yamini MacLean - at the entry to Pradeep, night-vision; from journalist and doubter to realised master.

A couple of photos to give an inkling and more of these on next Tuesday, to complete the 'tour' of what is now referred to as Chinmaya Pradeep.  For those who visit only the temple, this may indeed provide a drawcard and bring some fresh interest in the philosophy of the culture, however, the long-term benefit will have to be awaited - if it comes.

Menoracular; On Higher Teachings pt 3

From Monday 9th to Monday 16th there followed a pattern of class at 0730 with Swaroopananda-ji and then a study group at 1030 for one hour, then Guruji classes at 4:30pm - 5.30pm and again 7pm till 8pm.

© Yamini MacLean - YAM, Brni Deepa, "Gurudev" and Emm.

Emm and I were assigned to the study group of Brni. Deepa Chaitanya, a most delightful and clear-thinking teacher who regularly serves at the Secunderabad centre in Andhra Pradesh. We benefitted greatly from her clarifications and summaries of Guruji's talks - particularly in the first five days, when the offerings were very high indeed. Both gurus actually began high, but gradually each of their teachings came to a point where all could latch on again, plus the union between one and the other became very clear. Mukhya Swamiji's morning lessons were on the Narada Bhakti Sutra - an often visited text but one which needs constant revising, for there is much of practical use in it. Bhakti is the path of devotion. Jnaana (Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Brahma Sutra and such) is the path of Knowledge. There are those who would argue the two are opposed. Gurudev always called them the two wings of the spiritual bird, and one without the other was crippling. Guruji and Swamiji furthered and deepened our understanding of this fact... so subtly and suitably did they do this, actually, that it was not until about two or three days before close that everyone started going, "oooh... ahhhh... got it!!!" The light in folks faces then was something to behold.

It took some time though, because the early days challenged us. Even those of us who had been through the rigours of the gurukula. Guruji threw in a couple of 'checks and balances' on us and turned a couple of things around. Not in a way that destroyed or spoiled the knowledge, but in a way to ensure that we all had our intellects working as they ought. If we weren't questioning, then why were we there?! To discover, then, that the slight shift of thinking only added further and detracted nothing to our existing knowledge was exquisite.

Around this fitted regular days; 4am rising bell, ablutions, saadhana (morning prayers etc), 8:30 breakfast; 12:30 lunch and for those who needed more food, dinner served at 8pm. Chai was on hand morning and afternoon. As this was a public camp, many participants being local residents, there was also lots of promotional material with texts on sale and logo gifts. What institution doesn't have that these days? In between, there were auto trips to the shops and restaurant and a fair bit of contemplation.

On Monday 16th, things changed pattern...

Menosukhi Monday

Long-term readers will know that menosukhi is about fond memory, melting heart, a little nostalgia or a soppy happening. It verges just the right side of maudlin, for the YAMster is not an overly emotional being.

Sorting through some piccies last week (trying to come up with something to help the father with the calendar he likes to produce each year), I happened upon a file which had kinda been ignored for a while. Just a few pretty shots in there... but also this.

It struck me with some force that it was already three years and one week since I had left Sandeepany ashram. Crikey. Where did those 1100 days go???

It is rare for me, but there was one of those moments which definitely crossed the line into maudlin and it took a bit of self-management to bring it back to merely menosukhi. It had been such a blessed and focused time, those two plus years in Mumbai. To a large extent, the sattvika life has been maintained. One of the reasons for choosing Scotland's West coast is that it is out of the way and one can simply 'be', without too much of the world invading one's psyche. That said, it is also very difficult to keep it at bay.

When staying with the father, it is hard even to maintain daily prayers and dietary restrictions. Vegetarianism is never lost, but there are certainly more of the processed and 'nonsense' foods here. As mentioned last week, the festival of Navratri has been on the go - today is final night and tomorrow is day of feasting.

The menosukhi deepened the more for not being able to stick to fast and proper foods for the week. This is not to blame the family situation; it is to say that one must work around and with the situation. The simplicity of ashram living has been lost.

Then there is the wondering what is there to show for those three years? Well, perhaps am being a bit hard on myself. The teaching bloggy did get up and running and continues well. That is another box ticked. Further travels; box also ticked. However, these are secondary to the spiritual path and for the personal saadhana, this little review has to face up to the fact that not as much progress has been made as might have been. A little too much Star Trek and not enough astral travel!!! Soon it will be Deepavalli and this will be the time to reset one's spiritual goals. Need to get my list started...

This was the little moment of menosukhi. It is being mended. Thanks for listening.

YAM xx

Menosundays; Life Lived Lovingly

Today, something slightly different and, perhaps, slightly indulgent from my side - but not from the point of view of the message.

Today, you see, is the Guru Jayanti (teacher's birthday); HH Pujya Gurudev Swami Chinmayananda is no longer with us in the flesh, but his written words will last forever, as well as (thanks to the blessing of 20th century technology) his spoken words. Thus, a short video with some of his pearls of wisdom.

ॐ  श्री सत्-गुरु महाराज कि जय !!!

OM Shree Sat-Guru Mahaaraaja ki jay

Menorise [men-oh-rIse]; the process of inculcation.

MenoSunday; What Is Life? Who Lives it?...It's a West-East, None is Least Thing...

A somewhat different take for you today... As with the post on the lotus flower, there has been a confluence of things which prompt the insertion of another post from the spiritual blog. What contributed?

• The media is so very very full of all that is going wrong in Europe at the moment. It is being presented so negatively, feeding the need for folk to feel the glass got half empty instead of encouraging them to find the other half and share it. Like fellow blogger Mara, I am almost avoiding the news at the moment - not because I don't care what's happening in the world, but because I DO care and I detest how it is being presented.
• The double standards of governments and the growing insularity. No country is immune from this in the current global situation. Rather than the global village opening its doors and generosity, it is bedding down, reinforcing territory and permitting prejudices to harden.
• There are people in my circle who are hurting. Some will talk, others draw into themselves and push the world away. I can only hold them in my heart and prayers, for inner hurts in the end can only be resolved inwardly. 
• Then I had shown a photo on my wall of Gurudev (Swami Chinmayananda). His place in my development will become known eventually, if I last long enough to write that bit of the MacHistory! (Of course, the legacy is all there on Aatmaavrajanam - when you're ready...) I noted, however, that for majority of my readers here, the idea of a bearded man all swathed in orange is something very exotic and - possibly - a bit scary. I remembered this video - (which I play regularly for I love the reminder that nothing we are reading, hearing, seeing now in the news is any different from any other part of history) - and could not think of any better introduction to Advaita Vedanta and it's place in the philosophical spectrum, as well as a fantastic introduction to Gurudev, who knocks spots off the questioners here!  It is a very general talk - nothing too technical - but the vid quality is not best; 8mm film converted to digital and not in 'super' condition. I do hope you will find something here to surprise and intrigue you.

NB; it is a film of its time; reference to only males is because it is males who predominantly attended Sandeepany at that time.  However Gurudev was always a man of 'equality' and many women have also passed through the course - yours truly included!

Hari OM

Sounds-day is for listening/viewing a variety of devotional items from and for all ages and traditions.

Today, a full length video from Australia. Gurudev first visited Australia in the 1980s and on this visit, the first CM centre was being opened in Melbourne. An opportunity arose to take a discussion at the Deakin University on generalities of Vedanta and relevance to those who are other than Indian - or indeed whether still relevant in 'modern' India. In this 45min film, questions are asked and Gurudev, in his usual erudite and engaging manner, pulls no punches and makes clear the basics. What is very striking is how, even after more than three decades, the same issues and arguments are present. The condition of 'mankind' is the same now as it has always been since society began and will remain so until the end of society. No amount of scientific or technological advancement can change our basic nature, wishes, needs etc. 

For some who are not accustomed, Gurudev's accent may prove a challenge, but he is really quite clear and you should by all means rerun the parts you feel you missed. You will not regret investing time in watching and listening to this. It is an absolute favourite item here at Aatmaavrajanam, and is watched at least twice yearly - for each time something more is firmed up in understanding and clarity. Please both enjoy and learn.