Happy New Year - 2011

I pray that all of us have a healthy, prosperous and successful 2011!

May the blessings of God and the guidance of the Master help us!

Fear and Worry

If you have fear of some pain or suffering, you should examine whether there is anything you can do about it. If you can, there is no need to worry about it; if you cannot do anything, then there is also no need to worry.

Dalai Lama

Reality

Reality is at once Being and Consciousness.

From "Erase the Ego" by Ramana Maharishi

Truth

“Truth can not be suppressed and always is the ultimate victor. So, we should tread on the righteous path.”

The Yajur Veda

Love

The one who loves all intensely
begins perceiving in all living beings
a part of himself.

He becomes a lover of all,
a part and parcel of the Universal Joy.
He flows with the stream of happiness,
and is enriched by each soul.

From the Yajur Veda

Joy

“Where there is joy there is creation. Where there is no joy there is no creation: know the nature of joy.”

The Upanishads

Prayers

It is very important to inculcate the habit of chanting prayers among children. Earlier a lamp used to be lit during the mornings and evenings and prayers were chanted. Changing lifestyles and nuclear families have made this practice redundant slowly.

Working couples who return late from office, should pray together at least in the mornings. Ask what you want with faith and you shall receive it!

Life

The greatest tragedy in life is not death; the greatest tragedy takes place when our talents and capabilities are underutilized and allowed to rust while we are living.

Mata Amritanandamayi

Excellence in what we do!

A parable on dedication and excellence in what we do:

A person once visited a temple under construction where he saw a sculptor making an idol of God. Suddenly he noticed a similar idol lying nearby. Surprised, he asked the sculptor,
"Do you need two statues of the same idol?" "No," said the sculptor without looking up, "We need only one, but the first one got damaged at the last stage."
The gentleman examined the idol and found no apparent damage. "Where is the damage?" he asked.
"There is a scratch on the nose of the idol." said the sculptor, still busy with his work.
"Where are you going to install the idol?"

The sculptor replied that it would be installed on a pillar twenty feet high. "If the idol is that far, who is going to know that there is a scratch on the nose?" the gentleman asked.
The sculptor stopped his work, looked up at the gentleman, smiled and said, "I will know it."

The desire to excel is exclusive of the fact whether someone else appreciates it or not.
"Excellence" is a drive from inside, not outside. Excellence is not for someone else to notice but for your own satisfaction and efficiency...

Kindness

Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.

Dalai Lama

I

Get rid of the "I" and open your "inner eye".

Love & Compassion

If you don’t love yourself, you cannot love others. You will not be able to love others. If you have no compassion for yourself then you are not able of developing compassion for others.

Dalai Lama

Luck

Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
Dalai Lama

Truth and Duty

Satyam Vada, dharmam chara

Tell the truth and do your duty.

True self

Wanting to reform the world without discovering one's true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes.

Meditation

Remembrance is an awareness whereas meditation is a trance where you lose yourself.

Karthigai Deepam

Hope everyone had a wonderful Karthigai Deepam!

Please visit the following website for images and videos.

http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/karthigaifestival2010.html

The Truth

Studying the truth speculatively is useful as a way of collecting preaching material. But remember that unless you meditate constantly your light of truth may go out.

Bravery

Gold is tested by fire and the devout by adversity.

Time to Die - A Zen Story

Ikkyu, the Zen master, was very clever even as a boy. His teacher had a precious teacup, a rare antique. Ikkyu happened to break this cup and was greatly perplexed. Hearing the footsteps of his teacher, he held the pieces of the cup behind him. When the master appeared, Ikkyu asked: “Why do people have to die?”

“This is natural,” explained the older man. “Everything has to die and has just so long to live.”

Ikkyu, producing the shattered cup, added: “It was time for your cup to die.”

The Mind

The "mind" is the instrument that supports your personality with thoughts, and those thoughts are the instruments that will forever prevent "peace of mind"; in fact, there is no such thing as "peace of mind." There is only peace if freed of the "mind."

Self-Enquiry

'I am' denotes Self and 'who' stands for the enquiry. It does not mean enquiring into a second or third person object. Also, Self (atman) does not exist as an object to be known by us who seek to know it!
Ramana Maharishi

Truth

The world is indeed a mixture of truth and make-believe. Discard the makebelieve and take the truth.

Ramakrishna Paramhansa

Happy Diwali

With Diwali just a couple of days away, here's wishing all my readers a "HAPPY DIWALI".

While bursting crackers spare a thought for the elderly, ill and the animals on the road.

Be safe, be happy, opt for a noise-free Diwali!

Compassion

If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.

Dalai Lama

Self-Realization

By negating "what you are not",
Vedanta helps you realize the Self.
You are Existence, Awareness and Bliss.

Adi Shankara.

Flowers and Prayers

Enhance the power of your prayers by offering flowers to your "ishta-devata"

Peace

At the end of it all, a majority of humanity wants peace of mind.

Dalai Lama

Vijaya Dashami

As the Goddess vanquished Mahishasura,
May God give us strength to vanquish our inner demons.

Wishing everyone a Happy Vijaya Dashami.

Renunciation

A man should surrender the personal selfishness which binds him to this world. Giving up the false self is the true renunciation.

Ramana Maharishi

Self

Since the Self is the reality of all the gods, the meditation on the Self which is oneself is the greatest of all meditations.

Ramana Maharishi

Self-realization

The state of Self-realization, as we call it, is not attaining something new or reaching some goal which is far away, but simply being that which you always are and which you always have been.

Life

If you really pay attention to life, life will blossom within you. If you do not pay attention, you are somewhere else, then life could go wrong.

Jaggi Vasudev

The Mind

Is it the mind that wants to kill itself? The mind cannot kill itself. So your business is to find the real nature of the mind. Then you will know. that there is no mind. When the Self is sought, the mind is nowhere. Abiding in the Self, one need not worry about the mind.

Ramana Maharishi

Tatvamasi

The best place you can find God is within yourself.

Perseverance

No one succeeds without effort... Those who succeed owe their success to perseverance.

Ramana Maharishi

Self-Realization

Increase your capacity. Purify yourself. Acquire that gentle strength within. God will come and say to you, “I want to enter this living temple that you are.” Prepare yourself for that situation. Remove the impurities – and you will find that he who wants to know reality is himself the source of reality.

Swami Rama

Knowledge

Knowledge of theories that prove the existence of God is not as important as learning to discipline oneself, so that God can be experienced directly.

Swami Rama

Knowledge

Freedom from the desire for an answer is essential to the understanding of a problem.

Jiddu Krishnamurthy

Atheism

It takes all kinds of people to make a world and the atheists by their tirades continue to unwittingly spread the cause of God.

Anonymous

History and Religion

The dead never return; the past night does not reappear; a spent-up tidal wave does not rise anew; neither does a person inhabit the same body over again. So from the worship of the dead past, we invite you all to the worship of the living present; from the regretful brooding over bygones, we invite you to the activities of the present; from the waste of energy in retracing lost and demolished pathways, we call you back to broad new-laid highways lying very near. Those that are wise, let them understand.

From an essay by Swami Vivekananda

Prayers

When in doubt, pray and give it your best shot.

Anonymous

Knowledge & Perfection

Although the world and knowledge thereof rise and set together it is by knowledge alone that the world is made apparent. That Perfection wherein the world and knowledge thereof rise and set, and which shines without rising and setting, is alone the Reality.

Ramana Maharishi

The Philosopher

The true philosopher strives to destroy nothing, but to help all.

Swami Vivekananda

The Two Monks - A Zen Story

Two traveling monks reached a river where they met a young woman.
Wary of the current, she asked if they could carry her across.
One of the monks hesitated, but the other quickly picked her up onto his shoulders, transported her across the water, and put her down on the other bank. She thanked him and departed.

As the monks continued on their way, the one was brooding and preoccupied. Unable
to hold his silence, he spoke out. "Brother, our spiritual training teaches us to avoid
any contact with women, but you picked that one up on your shoulders and carried
her!"

"Brother," the second monk replied, "I set her down on the other side, while you are
still carrying her."

Concentration

He who has conquered the internal nature controls the whole universe; it becomes his servant.

Swami Vivekananda

The World

The world is nothing more than an embodiment of the objects perceived by the five sense-organs. Since, through these five sense-organs, a single mind perceives the world, the world is nothing but the mind. Apart from the mind can there be a world?

Ramana Maharishi

Supreme Spirit

"Heart" is merely another name for the Supreme Spirit,
because He is in all hearts.

Ramana Maharishi

The Mind and the World

The world is nothing more than an embodiment of the objects perceived by the five sense-organs. Since, through these five sense-organs, a single mind perceives the world, the world is nothing but the mind. Apart from the mind can there be a world?

Ramana Maharishi

Happiness

The source of happiness is not money, nor is it pleasure or gratification of the senses. These are temporary and ephemeral, like a bubble. Happiness is within you.

Truth

Truth does not pay homage to any society, ancient or modern. Society has to pay homage to Truth or die. Societies should be moulded upon truth, and truth has not to adjust itself to society.

Swami Vivekananda

HAPPY ONAM

May King Mahabali bless you with joy and riches.

Wishing everyone a HAPPY ONAM

God

Can you see your own eyes? God is like that. He is as close as your own eyes. He is your own, even though you can't see Him.

Swami Vivekananda

Perception

From our perception of the world there follows acceptance of a unique First Principle possessing various powers. Pictures of name and form, the person who sees, the screen on which he sees, and the light by which he sees: he himself is all of these.

Ramana Maharishi

The Princess and the Sannyasin Parable

A certain king used to inquire of all the Sannyasins that came to his country, "Which is the greater man--he who gives up the world and becomes a Sannyasin, or he who lives in the world and performs his duties as a householder?"

Many wise men sought to solve the problem. Some asserted that the Sannyasin was the greater, upon which the king demanded that they should prove their assertion. When they could not, he ordered them to marry and become householders.

Then others came and said, "The householder who performs his duties is the greater man." Of them, too the king demanded proofs. When they could not give them, he made them also settle down as householders.

At last there came a young Sannyasin, and the king similarly inquired of him also.

He answered, "Each, O king, is equally great in his place."

"Prove this to me," asked the king.

"I will prove it to you," said the Sannyasin, "but you must first come and live as I do for a few days, that I may be able to prove to you what I say."

The king consented and followed the Sannyasin out of his own territory and passed through many other countries until they came to a great kingdom. In the capital of that kingdom a great ceremony was going on. The king and the Sannyasin heard the noise of drums and music, and heard also the criers; the people were assembled in the streets in gala dress, and a great proclamation was being made.

The king and the Sannyasin stood there to see what was going on. The crier was proclaiming loudly that the princess, daughter of the king of that country, was about to choose a husband from among those assembled before her.

It was an old custom in India for princesses to choose husbands in this way. Each princess had certain ideas of the sort of man she wanted for a husband. Some would have the handsomest man, others would have only the most learned, others again the richest, and so on. All the princes of the neighbourhood put on their bravest attire and presented themselves before her. Sometimes they too had their own criers to enumerate their advantages and the reasons why they hoped the princess would choose them. The princess was taken round on a throne, in the most splendid array, and looked at and heard about them. If she was not pleased with what she saw and heard, she said to her bearers, "Move on," and no more notice was taken of the rejected suitors. If, however, the princess was pleased with any one of them, she threw a garland of flowers over him and he became her husband.


The princess of the country to which our king and the Sannyasin had come was having one of these interesting ceremonies. She was the most beautiful princess in the world, and the husband of the princess would be ruler of the kingdom after her father's death. The idea of this princess was to marry the handsomest man, but she could not find the right one to please her. Several times these meetings had taken place, but the princess could not select a husband. This meeting was the most splendid of all; more people than ever had come it it. The princess came in on a throne, and the bearers carried her from place to place. She did not seem to care for any one, and every one became disappointed that this meeting also was going to be a failure. Just then came a young man, a Sannyasin, handsome as if the sun had come down to the earth, and stood in one corner of the assembly, watching what was going on. The throne with the princess came near him, and as soon as she saw the beautiful Sannyasin, she stopped and threw the garland over him. The young Sannyasin seized the garland and threw it off, exclaiming, "What nonsense is this? I am a Sannyasin. What is marriage to me?"

The king of that country thought that perhaps this man was poor and so dared not marry the princess, and said to him, "With my daughter goes half my kingdom now, and the whole kingdom after my death!" and put the garland again on the Sannyasin.

The young man threw it off once more, saying, "Nonsense! I do not want to marry," and walked quickly away from the assembly.

Now the princess had fallen so much in love with this young man that she said, "I must marry this man or I shall die"; and she went after him to bring him back.

Then our other Sannyasin, who had brought the king there, said to him, "King, let us follow this pair"; so they walked after them, but at a good distance behind. The young Sannyasin who had refused to marry the princess walked out into the country for several miles. When he came to a forest and entered into it, the princess followed him, and the other two followed them. Now this young Sannyasin was well acquainted with that forest and knew all the intricate paths in it. He suddenly passed into one of these and disappeared, and the princess could not discover him. After trying for a long time to find him she sat down under a tree and began to weep, for she did not know the way out. Then our king and the other Sannyasin came up to her and said, "Do not weep; we will show you the way out of this forest, but it is too dark for us to find it now. Here is a big tree; let us rest under it, and in the morning we will go early and show you the road."


Now a little bird and his wife and their three little ones lived on that tree, in a nest. This little bird looked down and saw the three people under the tree and said to his wife, "My dear, what shall we do? Here are some guests in the house, and it is winter, and we have no fire." So he flew away and got a bit of burning firewood in his beak and dropped it before the guests, to which they added fuel and made a blazing fire. But the little bird was not satisfied. He said again to his wife, "My dear, what shall we do? There is nothing to give these people to eat, and they are hungry. We are householders; it is our duty to feed any one who comes to the house. I must do what I can, I will give them my body." So he plunged into the midst of the fire and perished.

The guests saw him falling and tried to save him, but he was too quick for them.

The little bird's wife saw what her husband did, and she said, "Here are three persons and only one little bird for them to eat. It is not enough; it is my duty as a wife not to let my husband's effort go in vain; let them have my body also." Then she fell into the fire and was burned to death.


Then the three baby-birds, when they saw what was done and that there was still not enough food for the three guests, said, "Our parents have done what they could and still it is not enough. It is our duty to carry on the work of our parents; let our bodies go too." And they all dashed down into the fire also.


Amazed at what they saw, the three people could not of course eat these birds. They passed the night without food, and in the morning the king and the Sannyasin showed the princess the way, and she went back to her father.


Then the Sannyasin said to the king, "King, you have seen that each is great in his own place. If you want to live in the world, live like those birds, ready at any moment to sacrifice yourself for others. If you want to renounce the world, be like that young man to whom the most beautiful woman and a kingdom were as nothing.

"If you want to be a householder, hold your life a sacrifice for the welfare of others; and if you choose the life of renunciation, do not even look at beauty and money and power.

"Each is great in his own place, but the duty of the one is not the duty of the other."

Seeing God

Can you see your own eyes? God is like that. He is as close as your own eyes. He is your own, even though you can't see Him.

Swami Vivekananda

It's in your Hands - Zen Story

A young man caught a small bird, and held it behind his back. He then asked, “Master, is the bird I hold in my hands alive or dead.” The boy thought this was a grand opportunity to play a trick on the old man. If the master answered “dead”, it would be let loose into the air. If the master answered “alive”, he would simply wring its neck. The master spoke, “The answer is in your hands”.

The Dog's Tail

A parable narrated by Swami Vivekananda


There was a poor man who wanted some money; and somehow he had heard that if he could get hold of a ghost, he might command him to bring money or anything else he liked; so he was very anxious to get hold of a ghost. He went about searching for a man who would give him a ghost, and at last he found a sage with great powers, and besought his help. The sage asked him what he would do with a ghost. "I want a ghost to work for me; teach me how to get hold of one, sir; I desire it very much," replied the man. But the sage said, "Don't disturb yourself, go home." The next day the man went again to the sage and began to weep and pray, "Give me a ghost; I must have a ghost, sir, to help me." At last the sage was disgusted, and said, "Take this charm, repeat this magic word, and a ghost will come, and whatever you say to him he will do. But beware; they are terrible beings, and must be kept continually busy. If you fail to give him work, he will take your life." The man replied, "That is easy; I can give him work for all his life." Then he went to a forest, and after long repetition of the magic word, a huge ghost appeared before him, and said, "I am a ghost. I have been conquered by your magic; but you must keep me constantly employed. The moment you fail to give me work I will kill you." The man said, "Build me a palace,", and the ghost said, "It is done; the palace is built." "Bring me money," said the man. "Here is your money," said the ghost. "Cut this forest down, and build a city in its place." "That is done," said the ghost, "anything more?" Now the man began to be frightened and thought he could give him nothing more to do; he did everything in a trice. The ghost said, "Give me something to do or I will eat you up." The poor man could find no further occupation for him, and was frightened. So he ran and ran and at last reached the sage, and said, "Oh, sir, protect my life!" The sage asked him what the matter was, and the man replied, "I have nothing to give the ghost to do. Everything I tell him to do he does in a moment, and he threatens to eat me up if I do not give him work." Just then the ghost arrived, saying, "I'll eat you up," and he would have swallowed the man. The man began to shake, and begged the sage to save his life. The sage said, "I will find you a way out. Look at that dog with a curly tail. Draw your sword quickly and cut the tail off and give it to the ghost to straighten out." The man cut off the dog's tail and gave it to the ghost, saying, "Straighten that out for me." The ghost took it and slowly and carefully straightened it out, but as soon as he let it go, it instantly curled up again. Once more he laboriously straightened it out, only to find it again curled up as soon as he attempted to let go of it. Again he patiently straightened it out, but as soon as he let it go, it curled up again. So he went on for days and days, until he was exhausted and said, "I was never in such trouble before in my life. I am an old veteran ghost, but never before was I in such trouble." "I will make a compromise with you;" he said to the man, "you let me off and I will let you keep all I have given you and will promise not to harm you." The man was much pleased, and accepted the offer gladly.

This world is like a dog's curly tail, and people have been striving to straighten it out for hundreds of years; but when they let it go, it has curled up again. How could it be otherwise?

One must first know how to work without attachment, then one will not be a fanatic. When we know that this world is like a dog's curly tail and will never get straightened, we shall not become fanatics. If there were no fanaticism in the world, it would make much more progress than it does now. It is a mistake to think that fanaticism can make for the progress of mankind. On the contrary, it is a retarding element creating hatred and anger, and causing people to fight each other, and making them unsympathetic. We think that whatever we do or possess is the best in the world, and what we do not do or possess is of no value. So, always remember the instance of the curly tail of the dog whenever you have a tendency to become a fanatic.

I

You and I are the same.
What I have done is surely possible for all.
You are the Self
now and can never be anything else.
Throw your worries to the wind,
turn within and find Peace.

Ramana Maharishi

Self-Realisation

Your own Self-Realisation is the greatest service you can render the world.

Ramana Maharishi

God

Nobody doubts that he exists, though he may doubt the existence of God. If he finds out the truth about himself and discovers his own source, this is all that is required.

Ramana Maharishi

Self-reformation

Wanting to reform the world without discovering one's true self is like trying to cover the world with leather to avoid the pain of walking on stones and thorns. It is much simpler to wear shoes.

Ramana Maharishi

The Gist of Ramana Maharishi's Teachings

Ulladhu Narpadhu and Upadesha Saaram are two of the most important works of Ramana Maharishi.

The gist of his teachings are presented in the following verse.

Hridaya Kuhara Madhye Kevalam Brahmamathram
Hyaham Aham Ithi Sakshath Atmaroopena Bhathi
Hridhvisha Manasa Swam Chinvatha Majjathava
Pavana Chalanarodhat Atma Nishto Bhavatwam.


In the inmost centre of the Heart cave Brahman alone shines in the form of Atman (Self) with direct immediacy as‘I’ — ‘I’. Enter into the Heart with questing mind, or by diving deep within, or through control of breath, and abide in the
Atman, dissolving the ego.

Pranayama

Breath-control is only an aid for mind-control(manonigraha); it will not bring about annihilation of the mind(manonasa). Like breath-control, meditation on some form
of God, repetition of mantras, diet-regulation, etc., are butaids for rendering the mind quiescent for the time-being.

Ramana Maharishi

I

The thought "I" is the first thought of the mind; that is the beginning of ego.

Ramana Maharishi

An Apology

An apology to all the readers and followers of this blog. I was down with typhoid and very ill. Hence I could not update the blog regularly. By God's grace I am better now and regular posting will resume.


Pranam,
Sishya

July Program Updates

Dear listeners and followers of Brahmasri Nochur Venkatraman, some important news.

People in Chennai are in for a real treat as July is loaded with discourses.

From July 10 to July 16, Brahmasri will be holding discourses on Bhagvata Darshanam. The program will be held at Narada Gana Sabha and held in the evenings from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Please contact Mr. Anantharaman on 98404 28506 for further details.

From July 11 to July 17 in the mornings from 6:30 AM to 8:30 AM Brahmasri will be holding discourses on the "Ulladhu Narpadhu" at Narada Gana Sabha, Alwarpet. Mr. Anantharaman can be contacted on 98404 28506 for further details.

More details regarding remaining programs coming soon.

Let us make the discourses a grand success.

Love and Divinity

It is love which is ready to receive and bless everyone and which has the magic touch to open the gate to the true identity,that remains locked up forever to intellect.

From Ramana Smriti

I

The ‘I’ casts off the illusion of ‘I’ and yet remains as ‘I’. This appears to be a paradox to you; it is not so to the jnani.

Ramana Maharishi

June Program Updates

June Program Updates are as follows:

JUNE 6-13 at Guruvayur, Topic-BHAGAVATHA SAPTHAHAM (Malayalam)


Venue-Rukmani Mandapam

Contact-Mr. Murthy -- 09447023832


June 24-28 at Rajapalayam, Topic-BHAGAWAN RAMANAR (Tamil)


Contact-Mr. Srinivasan -- 94433 78369


Many readers have inquired where they can purchase books written by Brahmasri Nochur Venkatraman.

Books are not sold in any book-stores.

Books are sold at the venues where Pravachanam takes place.

So if you are in Guruvayur or Rajapalayam in June you may buy the books.

In July events are scheduled in Chennai. Details to be posted soon.

Self-Enquiry

In one of his verses the Maharshi says:

Plunge deep into yourself, in the inner most depths of your
heart, as the pearl diver holding speech and breath plunges
deep into the waters and so secure with mind alert the
treasure of the Self within.

From the book "Ramana Smriti".

A Zen Story

I received this short Zen story, worth publishing here.

A university professor went to visit a famous Zen master. While the master quietly served tea, the professor talked about Zen. The master poured the visitor’s cup to the brim, and then kept pouring. The professor watched the overflowing cup until he could no longer restrain himself. “It’s overfull! No more will go in!” the professor blurted. “You are like this cup,” the master replied, “How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup.”

Reflections

Only when a person attains inner quietude sanity will bloom.

From the book-"In the Still Lake of Contemplation" by Sri Nochur Venkatraman.

Hope and Sorrow

Hope is the tong with which Nature holds man and with the hammer of sorrow, she gives him good blows to shape him according to her wish.

Page-15 of the book "Reflections" by Nochur Sri Venkatraman.

The Mind

The mind keeps wandering like a mischievous monkey. The challenge lies in fine-tuning one's faculties to control the mind.

Aspirations

You need not aspire for or get any new state. Get rid of your present thoughts, that is all.

Ramana Maharishi

Shiva Rathri

May Lord Shiva guide you in your quest for knowledge and peace.

Happy Shiva-Rathri.

Peace

Peace is God. Peace is Mukti. Do not seek any God other than peace. Peace is the highest Bhakti. With the flowers of peace, worship Shiva who is none other than peace.

From page 36 of the book "In the Still Lake of Contemplation" by Sri Nochur Venkatraman.

Sri Nochur Venkatraman in Chennai

Sri Nochur Venkatraman will be holding discourses in Tamil and Malayalam at the Ayappan Temple in Mahalingapuram, Chennai.

The event will be held from Jan 28 to Feb 4.

Program Updates

Sri Nochur Venkatraman will be holding discourses at Bengaluru on January 23 and 24.

Details of Venue:

Ramana Centre for Learning, Sanjai Nagar Main Road (Next to Food World) Bengaluru 79

The Teacher

From the translation of the Gurupaduka Stotram

Salutations to the holy padukas(sandals) of the Teacher, which symbolise the boat that takes us across the limitless ocean of samsara. They invoke devotion in us for the Teacher and their worship gives us the kingdom called dispassion!

Happy Pongal/Sankranthi

Wishing all readers and devotees a Happy Pongal and Sankranthi!

May the sweetness of the sugarcane juice fill all our lives with joy and happiness.

The Self

In the words of Ramana Maharishi- When the veil we put on as actors on this world drama is destroyed, the true self within is revealed. This is when we discover that the form of god and our own form is one.

Program Updates

Sri Nochur Venkatraman will be in Madurai from Janyary 6 to January 9.
He will be holding discourses at Chokkanathar Kalyana Mandapam and Ramana Kendra in Madurai.

Happiness

Happiness is a state of mind. A man living on the streets might be the most contented and happiest while a king living in a palace may be bereft of all joy and lead a life of worries and perpetual fear.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wishing everyone a safe, healthy, prosperous and happy new year 2010.