wish upon a star. RC

Casually garbed in a lumber jacket and a green Tyrolean hat, Walt Disney stood with a group of his executives, talking excitedly. It was a brilliant October day in 1965, and the setting 16 miles south west of Orlando, was an undeveloped wilderness, twice the size of Manhattan, which Walt Disney productions had just purchased. Where the ordinary observer saw only swamps and cypress groves, WD could see the beckoning future an unparalleled vacation kingdom called Walt Disney world, which would encompass a massive amusement area, revolutionary new hotels, camp grounds, championship golf courses, monorail, lagoons, lakes and white sand beaches. what a fathoming he even asked "wouldn't it be something if we could build a city here, a community of tomorrow, where people could live without traffic or smog or slums?" he continued "The city would be free of pollution, completely enclosed for climate control" when he was interrupted by his vice president "that would cost hundreds and millions of dollars" WD immediately said "Joe can't you keep your mind on the subject and away from inessentials." WD indeed was a great dreamer who was so passionate that he was able to fantasize and build on that dream, what a great visionary. 
As a child he had live farm animals as his companions and toys:
Skinny the piglet squealed deliriously through games of hide and seek. all games were played according to rules and the animals seemed to understand them. Pete the farm terrier proved adept in tug of war, charley the buggy horse seemed to play a game of his own when ever WD climbed on his back he headed towards the vast five acre orchard. WD was a great artist discovered by chance when he used the side of the horse as his canvas using the melting tar from the barrels where they were storing rain water to draw a picture of a pig who seemed to be snoring with a satisfied contention. his aunt discovering his talent got him crayons and a tablet on which he spent many hours drawing all that he liked. he drew a mocking bird in a sycamore tree, a setter drowsing in shade etc. WD used to usually accompany a elderly physician on his rounds in the villages nearby. who one day requested him todo a portrait of Ruppert. the doctor was so impressed that he framed the work loading a lot of praise for the good work. 

workings of the lords grace in shaping lives.
his life is well known on the canvas of the world but how many of us wants to see what is behind all the fun one experiences in the kingdom of WD.
to be continued.

meditatio.n

There are two words used in English to express the Indian idea of dhyana, ''meditation'' and ''contemplation''. Meditation means properly the concentration of the mind on a single train of ideas which work out a single subject. contemplation means regarding mentally a single object, image, idea so that the knowledge about the object, image or idea may arise naturally in the mind by force of the concentration.  Both these things are forms of dhyana, for the principle of dhyana is mental concentration whether in thought, vision or knowledge. There are other forms of dhyana. There is a passage in which Vivekananda advises you to stand back from your thoughts, let them occur in your mind as they will and simply observe them and see what they are. This may be called concentration in self-observation.

This form leads to another, the emptying of all thought out of the mind so as to leave it a sort of pure vigilant blank on which the divine knowledge may come and imprint itself, undisturbed by the inferior thoughts of the ordinary human mind and with the clearness of a writing in white chalk on a blackboard.  You will find that the Gita speaks of this rejection of all mental thought as one of the methods of yoga and even the method it seems to prefer.  This may be called the dhyana of liberation, as it frees the mind from slavery to the mechanical process of thinking and allows it to think or not to think, as it pleases and when it pleases, or to choose its own thoughts or else to go beyond thought to the pure perception of Truth called in our philosophy Vijnana.

Meditation is the easiest process for the human mind, but the narrowest in its results; contemplation more difficult, but greater; self-observation and liberation from the chains of Thought the most difficult of all, but the widest and greatest in its fruits.  One can choose any of them according to one's bent and capacity.

The perfect method is to use them all, each in its own place and for its own object; but this would need a fixed faith and firm patience and a great energy of Will in the self-application to the yoga.

Meditation that can bring about liberation must be of the nature of love. The Upanishadic doctrine of grace according to Ramanuja this Meditation of the nature of loving contemplation is bhakti turning finally to adoration. 

The devotee must hold himself as living moving and having his being for the sake of the object of his devotion. It is worshipful love it is object centered and not subject centered attachment. It is love for the sake of the beloved and in service of the beloved. The enjoyment of the devotee is consequent upon and is in proportion to this spirit of self abnegation to the deity.

the above should not be taken lightly it needs a lot of sadhana even to understand this type of meditation. it is not for the common man and is not a band wagon that you can climb on to and disembark at will. By the Lords grace if you are the chosen one it will lead you to the goal. but those who can identify the path of perfection may try as the path itself is illumined and may help one to reach the final if they are true to the devotion in mind word and deed.

self by ssr trans.

The nature of the self consists of knowledge and joy. the self is also a center of self initiated activity and it is in this aspect that moral autonomy and responsibility are in alienable attributes of the self. In their natural perfect state to be attained in release the selves are equal and in their mundane condition they are subject to adventurous inequalities. the selves are not only immortal but pass through countless births or lives in accordance with the rigorous law of justice. this is a consequence of the principal of moral self determination and the operation of the law keeps open opportunities for moral betterment in the future. The cycle of such transmigration comes to an end only when the self in question attains life eternal. Even as physical nature is neither all explanatory nor self sufficient the finite self is absolutely dependent upon under the control of the subservient to the purpose of the supreme spirit. It forms a part of the realm of Divine glory.
That the inward life the intellectual discipline which in its nature facilitates and brings about the required self discovery needs tranquility and freedom from sensuous distractions and externally induced inertia is an obvious fact. These well known obstacles to the tranquil pursuit of self knowledge are not accidents or workings of fate. They are in reality the consequences of the law of moral causation. Our deeds of the past, acts of depravity conditioned by earth bound desires are responsible for them. The effects of such a past in the form of hindrances and the contemplative life can be suppressed only by a life of virtue for its own sake. A life of disinterested ethical endeavours in the present. hindrances to the cultivation of the inward life. Such a life at once disinterested and full of zest and activity is what is termed Karma yoga. It is this Karma Yoga that produces the psychological equipment for Jnana Yoga. Thus Karma Yoga comes into the scheme of Sadhana as conceived by Ramanujacharya. The Order of progression in Karma Yoga paves the way to Jnana Yoga through its frutition in self realization brings about Bhakti Yoga. Bhakti Yoga is the final and immediate pathway to the ultimate goal of life.

Another technique is prapatti or Sharanagathi. It is a self surrender to God. {This is different from the self dedication that is the integral part of the realized ideal of moksha and also from the element of service that is part of the total reality of Bhakti.} It is a self surrender as a means or pathway to God realization. It  consists of total surrender of ones burden and responsibility to God in the matter of achieving ones goal. The full significance is an all sufficient omnipotent and unfailing means. It can be used as a preliminary to the emergence of Bhakti, when is already progressing by way of Bhakti but is not convinced of the adequacy of his bhakti. It can also be adopted as an alternative to bhakti and for achieving through it what accrues from Bhakti. Its efficacy is all embracing. It can bring about bhakti, can complete the work of bhakti when the latter is adequate and can also by itself bring to actualization the ultimate ideal of moksha independent of the arduous process of Bhakti. this conception of prapatti is a special and outstanding contribution of Sri Ramanuja to the theory of Sadhana.

how N/S needs to be remembered

The verses that indicate how we ought to remember Satakopan.
1-5-11  VELAVEZ

male mayapperumane ma mayane enrenru
male erimal arulal mannu kurugur ccadagoban
paley tamizar isaigarar pallar paruvum ayirattin
pale patta ivaipattum valarkku illai parivade;

who lives by the grace of Mal astonished and crying repeatedly. Mal wondrous lord wondrous one.

1-9-11  IVAIYUM

ucciyulle nirkum deva devarku kkanna pirarku
iccaiyul sella unartti van kurugur ccadagoban
icconna ayirallul ivaiyum or pattembirarku
niccalum vinnappam seyya nil kazal senniporume.

who spoke about how he desired the lord kannan. God of gods who stands the very highest.

2-1-11  VAAYUM

sorada epporutkum adiyam sodikke
arada kadal kurugur ccadagoban
orayiram sonna avarul ivai ppattum
sorar vidar kandir vaigundam tinnenave

who possessed the insatiable love for the cause of all things without exception. the light.

4-3-11  KOVAI

uyuu payam marrinmai teri kkannan on kazalgal mel
seyya tamarai ppazana ttennan kurugur ccadagoban
poyyil padal ayirattul ivaiyum pattum vallargal
vaiyam manni virrivundu vinnum alvar mannude

who knows there is no other way to rise than kannan's bright lotus feet.

4-9-11   NANNADAAR

tiruvadiyai narananai kkesavanai pparanjudarai
tiruvadi servadu karudi ccezungurugur ccadagoban
tiruvadimel uritta tamiz ayirattul ippattum
tiruvadiye adaivikkum tiruvadi serndonrumine.

who thought only about reaching the holy feet of Narayana Kesava the highest light.

5-10-11  PIRANDAVAARUM

naganai misai mam piran sarave
saran namakkenru naldorum
ega sindaiyanay kkurugur ccadagoban maran
ag a nurravandadi ayirallul ivai or pattum vallar
maga vaigundattu magizveyduvar vaigalume.

who daily has only one thought one refuge in the feet of the Lord on the snake.

6-5-11  JUVALLIL

sindaiyalum sollalumseygaiyinalum teva piranaiye
tandai tay enradainda van kuruguravar sadagoban sol
mundai ayirattul ivai tolaivilli mangalattai cconna
sen tamiz pattum vallar adimai seyvar tirumalukke.

who has reached the point of calling the Lord of Gods his mother and father by thought word and deed.

7-9-11   ENRAIKKUM

ingum angum tirumal anri inmai kandu
annane van kurugur ccadagoban
innane sonna or ayirattippattum
ennane sollinum inbam payakkume.

who was the sort to see that nothing here nor there can exist without holy Mal.

8-10-11   NADUMAARKADIMAI

nalla kotpallul agangal munrinullum tan nirainda
alli kkamala kkannanai andan kurugur ccadagoban
solla ppatta ayirattul ivaiyum pattum vallargal
halla padattal manaivazvar konda pendir makkale

whoes mind is purely for the pure one who thinks there is no other refuge after knowing the pure one.

9-9-11   MALLIGAI

avanai vittaganruyir arragilla
aniyizai aycciyar malaippusal
avanai vittagaluadarke irangi
ani kurugur sadagoban maran
avaniyundumizndavan meluraitta
ayirattul ivai pattum kondu
avaniyul alarri ninruymmin tondir
acconna malai nannittozude

who grieved about parting from him of whom the lovely decorated cow herd woman cry out in the evening unableto live apart from him.

10-5-11   KANNAN

nediyan arul sudum
padiyan sadagoban
nodi ayiratti ppattu
adiyarkkarul pere

who is crowned with the grace of the tall one.

10-10-11  MUNIYE

avavara ccuzariyai ayanai alarri
avavarru vidu perra kurugur ccadagoban sonna
avavil andadigalaivaiyayiramum mudinda
avavil andadi ippattarindar pirandar uyarnde

who has destroyed desire and gained release who calls on aran and ayan and ari who encompasses and fulfills desire.

7-7-11  composed in awe.
7-8-11 uttered from knowledge
4-1-11 1-1-11 5-6-11 etc a work of humble service.

the gradation can be seen how well composed . its no wonder then that this work is equal to the Vedas themselves.

Nammalvar Tiruvadigale sharanam.

Tradition.

Vedic knowledge is a living tradition of spiritual realization and communion with the infinite that is relevant to everyone who exists more as an inner than as an outer reality.
The Vedic tradition is not so much a collection of books or set of codified teachings. It is a way of life. a way of natural and conscious living yoga and meditation that is passed on from individual to individual. This transmission does not occur merely through reading books nor can it be understood from the outside. Much of it occurs from a direct contact with living Vedic teachers who provide us a living example and practical guidance in how to use and adapt these teachings which may be mantra, meditation and the like. Living a Vedic life following Vedic values and participation in a Vedic community are important aspects of really learning what Vedic tradition is all about. No other ancient tradition has demonstrated such endurance and adaptability. This is owing to both its firm foundation in universal truth and its capacity to renew itself in every generation.
The Vedic process of spiritual advancement promotes individual freedom of thought complete liberty of inquiry and the privilege of independent and personal development through ones own spiritual experiences. 

Sulaba sutra.

Sulaba sutra is actually a portion of a larger text on mathematics known as Kalpa Sutra. These are Vedic Mathematics recognized for their developments in Arithmetic and algebra. Indians were the first to use letters of alphabets to represent the unknown. Their specialty was in geometry. The Geometrical instruments found in Indus Valley goes to prove this. The oldest known as the Pythagorean theorem was existing in the Boudhayana the earliest of the sulaba Sutra 8th century. This was however presented by Pythagoras around 540 BC after he discovered it during his travels in India. Arya bhatta in the 6th century introduced sines and reversed sines. Brahmagupta 7th century Mahavira 9th century and Bhaskara 12th century. Mahavira made great strides in the use of fractions and figuring out how to divide one fraction by another. Bhaskara made progress in spherical trigonometry and principles of calculus 500 years before Newton.
The Vedic system of math explained in the sutra reduces the no of steps in the calculation to merely a few and is still worthy of study today. the conventional method requires many more steps.

as a man tinketh JA quotes

Act is the blossom of thought and joy and suffering are its fruits. A man garners in the sweet and bitter fruitage of his own husbandry.
A noble and God like character is not a thing of favour or chance. It is the natural result of continued effort in right thinking.
He who cherishes a beautiful vision a lofty ideal in his heart will one day realize it. Like Columbus cherished a vision of another world and he discovered it. Copernicus fostered the vision of multiplicity of world and a wider universe and he reveled it. Buddha beheld a vision of a spiritual world of stainless beauty and perfect peace and he entered into it. so cherish your vision, cherish your ideas, cherish the music that stirs in your heart, the beauty that forms in your mind, the loveliness that drapes your purest thoughts for out of them will grow all delightful conditions. Dream lofty dreams and as you dream so shall you become.
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom it is a result of long and patient effort in self control. its presence is an indication of ripened experience and of more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and operations of thought.
Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of thought. In the bark of your soul reclines the commanding master. He does but sleep, Wake Him;
Self control is strength.
Right thought is mastery
Calmness is power.