thanks for aiding our digestion!
--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, Dick Mays <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Forwarded from a friend:
>
> Dear Friends,
>
> Bevan managed to connect to us this morning
> (20th). It was evening in India and he was in a
> car going through the streets of Allahabad on his
> way to a meeting. As he spoke we could hear the
> sounds of India - many honking car horns and at
> one point a lot of noise he told us was for a
> wedding procession that was passing by. It all
> made us feel we were right there with him, but
> from the comfort and safety of home -- he was
> also sneezing a lot from the fumes!
>
> He told us of the last part of the rites which
> happened today. Someone sent a report (see
> below). Bevan added about 200 Dandi Swamis had
> been expected, but actually 600 arrived along
> with many man other Swamis. (I hope that I got
> the name right - this was Guru Dev's order - you
> can tell them as they always carry a staff.)
> It's amazing how they all got to know - they
> don't have cell phones! There were also many
> Indian dignitaries and officials.
>
> Then the Movement leaders (men only) and all of
> Purusha (about 150 there Bevan said), met with
> the Shankaracharya in the Shankarcharya's house
> which Guru Dev purchased with his "magic money"
> that would just miraculously appear as needed in
> a box under his bed. They all squeezed in the
> room where Guru Dev had sat on the
> Shankarcharya's seat. It must have been amazing,
> to be there and to talk with the Shakarcharya,
> who asked them questions about their experiences
> with TM.
>
> Afterwards everyone was led to a large Pandal to
> eat (separate enclosed areas for each class:
> saints, mortals, and women!). It is customary for
> the family to feed all those who attend the
> rites. Maharishi's close family were there
> (Girish, Anand and Prakash Shrivastava, plus the
> eldest member of the family, 96 years old) and,
> as is their duty, they went around making sure
> everyone ate fully. Seems it was a very rich
> full, banquet!
>
> So read below to find out more about this last rite.
>
> Jai Guru Dev
>
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
> The final part of the last rites is known as
> Uthawala and Brahman Bhojan, i.e. Feast (Meal)
> for the Brahmins.
>
> On February 20, 2008 under the auspices of the
> Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math, successor to GURU
> DEV on the Shankaracharya Seat of Jyotir Peeth,
> Himalayas, the last celebration is performed in
> Prayag at Maharishi Ashram in Arail
>
> According to Ayurveda all experiences should be
> metabolized fully so that no residues (ama)
> remain back. The end result of full
> metabolization of food to their most refined
> state is Ojas or Soma. But experiences must also
> be fully metabolized in order to produce bliss as
> their end-result.
>
> Now we all had the chance to fully metabolize our
> beloved Maharishi's full transformation (even of
> the little leshavidya =veil of avidya or
> ignorance that the restriction of the body
> somewhat represents ) to Brahman and
> Maharishi-jis ascent to Heaven and that means
> everyone should feel now fully at home with the
> ever blissful - most intimate to our own
> innermost self - nature of Maharishi's divine
> presence now. He is always with us and having
> participated in all the ceremonies now we know
> that even the sanctified remains of his body flow
> now in the veins and arteries, i.e. rivers of
> ´Ved Bhumi Bharat, our Motherland India and from
> there into all the oceans of the world and all
> the rivers of the world, so that the morsels and
> atoms of Maharishi's body this way travel into
> all the rivers, i.e. veins and arteries, of all
> the 192 countries of the world.
>
> What remains is Bliss!
>
> Jai Guru Dev
>
> =============================================
>
> "Radiating that same divine influence and that
> same purity and nobility of thought and action
> which our forefathers were accustomed to imbibe
> at the foot of our mighty mountain and on the
> Sacred banks of our Holy rivers. I say that in
> the person of Maharishi Bala Brahmachari Mahesh
> Yogi of Uttarkashi we have secured to ourselves
> the presence of a blessed soul who has attained
> an extra-ordinary level of spiritual perfection.
> A brilliant product of the Allahabad University,
> His Holiness has taken to the ascetic way of life
> undergoing a period of training in renunciation
> and self-abnegation under the great Jagadguru
> Bhagavan Sankaracharya Swami Brahmananda
> Saraswati Maharaj of Jyotirmutt, Badarikasram."
>
> Thus was Maharishi formally welcomed by Sri S.
> Kuttikrishna Menon at the start of the Spiritual
> Development Conference in Cochin, October, 1955.
> Significantly, Maharishi was characterized as an
> "ascetic" who had trained himself in
> "renunciation and self-abnegation" under the
> Shankaracharya of Jyotir Math. As a result he had
> "attained an extra-ordinary level of spiritual
> perfection" and had been "blessed" with a "divine
> influence" and a "purity and nobility" akin to
> that of the "sacred" and "holy" ancestors of
> Indian culture.
>
> From Maharishi's Introduction to his comment to the Bhagavad-Gita
>
> "It was the concern of Guru Deva, His Divinity
> Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, to enlighten all men
> everywhere that resulted in the foundation of the
> worldwide Spiritual Regeneration Movement in
> 1958, five years after his departure from us.
> India is a country where Truth matters most and
> Indians are a people to whom God matters most.
> Indian soil has witnessed many times the revival
> of life's true philosophy. The people of India
> have never hesitated to return once more to the
> right path whenever it was convincingly pointed
> out to them that their way of life had taken a
> wrong course. This age has, however, been
> fortunate. It has witnessed the living example of
> a man inspired by Vedic wisdom in its wholeness
> and thus able to revive the philosophy of the
> integrated life in all its truth and fullness -
> His Divinity Swami Brahmananda Saraswati, the
> inspiration and guiding light of this commentary."
>
> From the Guru Gita:
>
> Those people are fools who engage in sacrificial
> rites, vows, penance, japa, charity, and also
> pilgrimages without knowing the Guru principle.
>
> Always remember the Guru's form. Constantly
> repeat the divine name given by the Guru. Always
> follow the Guru's commands. Think of nothing
> other than the Guru.
>
> If Shiva is angry, the Guru saves you, but if the
> Guru is angry, even Shiva cannot save you.
> Therefore, with every effort take refuge in Sri
> Guru.
>
> I worship the Lord Guru, even a few particles of
> dust from whose feet form a bridge across the
> ocean of the world.
>
> Salutations to Sri Guru, who by imparting the
> power of Self-knowledge burns up all the karmas
> acquired through countless lives.
>
> The root of meditation is the Guru's form. The
> root of worship is the Guru's feet. The root of
> mantra is the Guru's word. The root of liberation
> is the Guru's grace.
>
> -Sri Guru Gita
>
