Shri Rama Dootham - 1

Dhyana Mandir Anjaneya

"Attention! Wake up!! This is the time to listen to the music of the Lord. If you close your ears & sleep, how are you going to listen to the music of the Lord? Wake up, start preparing and surrender yourself to THAT and let the music of the Lord flow through you"...

As I felt someone whispering in my ears I woke up immediately from my bed. Though I thought it's only few minutes ago I went to bed in the night, I had to believe it's already the birth of a new day. Reason being the beautiful dawn from the window of my room stretching its wings inside. Does the Sun rises first at Sadhana Dhama Ashram ? I didn't want to go back to my bed as I could still feel someone whispering me to Wake up!  Wake up from what, sleep or something else ?

I quickly got freshened up and decided to make a stroll inside our Ashram. The birds seems to be welcoming my decision too as I could hear them singing joyfully. As I continued strolling aimlessly, I could see swan’s moving around joyfully as if they have already heard the music of the lord. What could be the music of the Lord? When will I get to hear THAT music?

Occupied with these thoughts in my mind, I saw myself standing near the Dhyana Mandir. A thought suddenly filled my mind to make a visit inside the Dhyana Mandir and do pranams to Lord Hanuman. The cool breeze as I was walking on the steps of Dhyana Mandir made me feel that the Mother Nature is at its best and nourishing HER stay there.

Entering the Dhyana Mandir, I saw Lord Hanuman quietly meditating and the silence inside the hall made me conscious not to make any sound to disturb His meditation. So I tip toed and went nearer. The shine of the morning Dawn reflecting on Lord Hanuman was sending me shivers on my spine making me feel that He is indeed physically present there meditating always on Lord Ram.

Moving closer to Him, I can’t resist going around to see HIS meditative posture. How many times our Guruji would have echoed in his classes to keep our back, head & the neck along the same straight line for meditation? What more one need to physically demonstrate other than to watch Lord Hanuman in this meditative posture keeping his back, head & the neck in perfect alignment ?

I had a sense of feeling that Gurudev since his childhood has indeed lived by example to build an Ashram like this and to Pratishtha (install) this beautiful Lord Hanuman when there would have been absolutely no facilities of road transport and basic amenties during that time! Really what an amount of Shraddha (Faith), Veerya (Energy) & Smiriti (Knowledge) would have been required to make this an enriching vibrant place for the Sadhaka's to come & do their Sadhana:

I recollected Guruji's reference to Swami Vivekanada in one of His session:

"When you travel on this path of shraddha, veerya, smiriti, you have to go through three phases. The first phase is Haasya. People will make fun of you. Face them. Accept them. When you are taunted, reply in the same tone of haasya. Then slowly the inner consciousness starts evolving. Then comes the second stage 'Virodha'. The same people will start opposing your stance – Accept all the opposition. Don’t fight with anybody. Don’t argue. The moment you get into the argument, then you are going to suffer. If you argue while you are going through lot of internal turmoil’s, conflicts and confusions, you will not be able to convince anybody. So, during the second part of sadhana, don’t argue with anybody. Convert the negativity into a positive fragrance and give this in return. Then comes the third stage of 'Svekaara'. The same people who laughed at you, the same people who threw stones, will do pranams & accept you.

In my own life, I have experienced this but I had to pay heavily. Those who taught me became my students but only after I did tapas for 10 years continuously and silently. Understand one thing. Inner sadhana is not a revolution but an evolution. Revolution requires force, vengeance. Evolution requires love, humility and a great feeling of universal love. The consciousness has to evolve. This is an evolutionary process where the bud flowers. We have to allow time for the bud to flower. It will not flower in one day. It takes time. It has to receive proteins, vitamins and the necessary energy for all petals to open out. You have to have a great patience. You have to create an environment for the petals to bloom silently. This is Sadhana". 

With these powerful words from our Gurudev vibrating my mind, I decided it's time to do my Sadhana. I took a blanket nearby and placed it on the chilled floor to try & meditate. As I closed my eyes and tried to relax myself by quickly travelling inside the body from head to toe and from toe to head as taught by our Guruji, I heard a feeble, lovely voice, chanting:

Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram…

Is it my own imagination? I was sure no one was there when I entered the Dhyana Mandir. Then how can I hear the voice now? Is it a sort of an illusion? Shall I open my eyes and see from where the voice is coming from? Didn’t Guruji explained about the Obstacles in the path of Sadhana and how the Mind tricks and play the Game to keep the self away from Meditation? I resolved myself not to get distracted and continued my Meditation… But the haunting voice continued…

Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram…

Now I could not resist but to visualize if I am indeed hearing the voice of the Lord Himself chanting! But have I done so much Sadhana to hear the Lord Hanuman’s voice? Oh this Mind! How it plays the game to distract me, let me do my japa..., keep the back, head and the neck along the same straight line, relax the body, concentrate on Sushmna…

Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram…

With no more patience, I accepted my defeat to my mind and decided to open my eyes to see from where the chanting is coming from…

Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram, Ram…

As I opened my eyes, I saw...

(to be contd..)

-'Bansuri'

(the messenger)