Saturday, November 24, 2012

Shri Aurobibdo's Siddhi Diwas (24-11-1926) at Aurobindo Ashram

All around the world, Shri Aurobindo's and the Mother's desciples, devotees and people desiring their grace and blessings celebrate the Siddhi Divas of Shri Aurobindo on November 24 every year, mostly by joycely conducting and particiapting in group mediations and prasad distribution. This is one of the most important Darshan day, on par with darshan days of Aurobindo's and the Mother's birthdays. At Shri Aurobindo Ashram, a large number of devotees visit Shri Aurobindo's room pay their respect and meditate at the Samadhi of Shri Aurobindo and the Mother on this day. Sri Aurobindo himself wrote on several occasions about the significance of Sidhhi Diwas in his own sadhana for supramental realisation and light leading spiritual progress of the world to a new level.

In October 1935 he wrote the following : “The 24th November, 1926, was the descent of Krishna into the physical. Krishna is not the supramental Light. The descent of Krishna would mean the descent of the Overmind Godhead preparing, though not itself actually, the descent of Supermind and Ananda. Krishna is the Anandamaya; he supports the evolution through the overmind leading it towards his Ananda.” Thus "the Delight consciousness in the Overmind which Sri Krishna incarnated -as Avatar- descended on this day into the physical, rendering possible the descent of the Supermind into Matter". (http://nextfuture.aurosociety.org/the-day-of-siddhi).

I too have visited Ashram many a times on this day and participated in all the programmes. These events have been very important in my life's journey. May Shri Aurobindo and the Mother bless us all on this occasion. 

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

DIVINE PLYAS (LEELAS) OF SRIPAD BABA: EXPERIENCE GYAN PRAKASH

My guru Sripad Baba has exhibitted a number of miracles in different periods of his life. All his miracles have been quite subtle. They were mainly aimed at incentivising the efforts of his devotees toward God realisation and increasing their devotion towards various gods and goddesss, particulry Radha-Krishna. Sometimes, these miracles were also the outward reflections or manifestaions of his enternal or inner state of consciousness. Many people have seen or found him in the state of deep trance with no sign of life. Once, when Temple of Bdrinath was opened after winter season, Baba then a teen ager was found inside. Many a times he apeared in two three bodied in various palces, sometimes glittered with  divine light. He could reach from one far off place to another in no times. He showed visions of gods and goddes and visions of some past or upcoming events to several devotees. Some devotees also saw him in vision or dream in the form of Shiva or Vishnu or Radha or Shri Krishna. One thing used to be common with most of the people having his first darshan is that they used to feel inward bonding with and love for him. They also used to miss him after going away from him. 

One of the Baba's devotees, Shri Gyan Prakash, resident of Chennai in the 1970, narrated his experience in his letter to Shri Umanath. While having Darshan of Poondi Swamigal along with a group of other devotees at Poondi Gyan Prakash saw "Sripadji Swamiji glittered with very great effulgence and resembled to Lord Narayan Himself".

 
Poondi Swamigal-A great Siddha of Tamilnadu
Young Sripad Baba
This extraordinay event happened when Gyan Prakash  with Baba and a group of devotees went to have darshan of Poondi Swamigal on the day of Thai Pushyam (i.e. 22-01-70)- a great day with extreme spiritual significance. The greatness of Poondi Swamigal is inexpressible and unpaparalel. Baba said "He is of Divine advent. Sripadji Swamiji revealed us all about this great saint Sri Poondi Swamigal at Poondi village." Baba said on another occasion that "Poondi Swamigal belonged to the same siddha tradition of Thiruvannamalia as that of Ramana Maharshi and Seshadri Swamigal.  One can read more about Poondi Swamigal in mrugan.org/bhaktas/poondi.htm