Madhukar - Enter Freedom - You are silence, love, happiness

Morning Grace...

2008-07-21T01:26:00.000-07:00

Morning grace.
What silent wonder.
Nothing to ponder
Eternal love unlimited space.

madhukar

p e a c e

Zen Tarot Card: Silence

2008-07-13T02:24:00.000-07:00

Silence

The energy of the whole has taken possession of you. You are possessed, you are no more, the whole is.

This moment, as the silence penetrates in you, you can understand the significance of it, because it is the same silence that Gautam Buddha experienced. It is the same silence that Chuang Tzu or Bodhidharma or Nansen.... The taste of the silence is the same.

Time changes, the world goes on changing, but the experience of silence, the joy of it, remains the same. That is the only thing you can rely upon, the only thing that never dies. It is the only thing that you can call your very being.

Picture Commentary :

The silent, mirrorlike receptiveness of a star-filled night with a full moon is reflected in the misty lake below. The face in the sky is deep in meditation, a goddess of the night who brings depth, peace and understanding.

Now is a very precious time. It will be easy for you to rest inside, to plumb the depths of your own inner silence to the point where it meets the silence of the universe. There's nothing to do, nowhere to go, and the quality of your inner silence permeates everything you do.

It might make some people uncomfortable, accustomed as they are to all the noise and activity of the world. Never mind; seek out those who can resonate with your silence - or enjoy your aloneness. Now is the time to come home to yourself. The understanding and insights that come to you in these moments will be manifested later on, in a more outgoing phase of your life.

MERE GURUDEV / MY GURUDEV

2008-07-12T05:20:00.000-07:00

Mere Gurudev, charanon par sumana shraddha ke arpita hai
Tere hee dena hai jo hai. Wahi tujha ko samarapita hai

My Gurudev I offer these flowers of my faith at your feet
Whatever I have, you have given to me, and I dedicate it all to you.

Na priti hai pratiti hai, na hi puja ki shakti hai
Meraa yaha man, meraa yaha tan, meraa kan kan samarapita hai

I have no love, nor do I know you.
I don`t even have the strength to worship you,
But this mind of mine, this body of mine,
my every atom is dedicated to you.

Tuma hee ho bhaava men mere, vicharon mein, pukaron mein.
Banaale yantra ab mujhko mere saravatra samarapita hai

You are the only one in my heart and my thoughts.
You are the one who I call out to.
Now Make me your instrument; all I am I offer to you

Sri Krishna ! Govinda! Hari! Madhava! Acyuta Kesava!

2008-07-12T05:07:00.000-07:00

Only the Supreme Self, which is ever shining in your Heart as the reality, is the Sadguru.

2008-07-10T02:04:00.000-07:00

The pure awareness, which is shining as the inward illumination “I”, is His gracious feet.

The contact with these [inner holy feet] alone can give you true redemption.

Joining the eye of reflected conciousness [chidabhasa], which is your sense of individuality, to these holy feet, which are the real conciousness, is the union of the feet and the head which is the real significance of the word asi [the verb in tat tvam asi, “that thou art”] .

As these inner holy feet can be held naturally and unceasingly, hereafter, with an inward-turned mind, cling to that inner awareness which is your own real nature. This alone is the proper way for the removal of bondage and the attaining of the supreme truth”

“The benefit of performing namaskaram [prostrating] to the Guru is only the removal of the ego. That is not attained except by total surrender. Within the Heart of each devotee the gracious Guru is giving darshan in form of conciousness.

To surrender is to offer fully, in silence, the subsided ego, which is a name-and-form thought, to the aham sphurana [the effulgence of the “I” ], the real holy feet of the gracious Guru.

Since this is so, Self-realisation cannot be attained by bowing of the body, but only by a bowing of the ego”.

`Final Talks` by Annamalai Swami, edited by D. Godman,
S. 27 f.

SWAMI ANNAMALAI

2008-07-10T01:58:00.000-07:00

1906-1995

Annamalai Swami was born in 1906 in a small village in Tamil Nadu, southern India. He was named Sella Perumal, and from an early age showed a keen interest in spirituality.

In 1928, when he was 22 years old, he traveled to Tiruvannamalai to meet Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi who lived near the city along the base of the slope of the holy mountain Arunachala. Following in the footsteps of Sri Seshadri Swamigal, who saved the young Ramana from the ravages of insects and vermin in the underground vault he first inhabited, and Palaniswami, who stayed with Ramana in Virupaksha Cave and Skandasraman Cave, he became the Maharshi's personal attendant and given the name Annamalai Swami (Annamalai is another name for Arunachala). Swami Annamalai's duties, after being directed to do so by Sri Ramana, was to oversee all phases of the ongoing construction, continuing expansion, and positive growth of the Ramana Ashram, including the goshala (cow shed), dining hall, dispensary and other projects.

HOW THE ASHRAM LOOKED WHEN ANNAMALAI ARRIVED IN 1928

---
HOW THE ASHRAM LOOKED WHEN ANNAMALAI LEFT IN THE MID 1940s
In 1938, ten years after his arrival in Tiruvannamalai, Swami Annamalai realized the Self, Awakening to the Absolute under the grace and light of Sri Ramana. Five or six years later, sometime in the mid-1940s, Bhagavan instructed him to leave the ashram and engage in intense Sadhana. Interestingly enough, the same year Annamalai's realization occurred, 1938, was the same year British playwright and author W. Somerset Maugham showed up gathering background material for his book The Razor's Edge. What is even more interesting is that the same year Annamalai arrived at the ashram in the first place, 1928, the central character in Maugham's story, Larry Darrell, arrived at the ashram as well. In that Darrell is based on a person in real life (see) most likely the two of them either met or knew each other. Two years after his arrival, according to the narrative of Maugham's story, Darrell exprienced Awakening under the grace and light of the Maharshi.

Following his departure from Sri Ramanasramam, Annanamalai took up a quiet, austere life in his own hut in Palakottu (Palakothu), an area that borders the western boundry adjacent to his master's home. He would occasionally meet the Maharshi on his walks, but never again in the fifty years that followed did he reenter Sri Ramanasramam nor engage in conversation with him. Even so, a few years later, acting on Bhagavan's instructions, he built the Sri Annamalai Swami Ashram. He lived there until his death on November 9, 1995.

The Guru

2008-07-05T22:48:00.000-07:00

About the importance of the Guru:

"The seeker of wisdom does not need any other help than a real master."
(Sankaracarya)

"By His grace the ocean of the cycle of births becomes a puddle."

"Obedient, with constantly loving devotion, respect and moderate speech one may meet the real master and start the journey to self-realization."

One single glance of the enlightened master makes the eyes look bright with joy immediately, the face shines forth and the heart beats faster in bliss. HE destroys the ignorance.

"The infinite darkness inside that even billions of fires, moons and suns cannot light up, the enlightened one banishes with a single look."
(Sankaracarya)

"The Guru is Father,
the Guru is Mother,
the Guru is Vishnu,
the Guru is Shiva,
the Guru is the highest Brahman."

"Praised be the Guru!
He makes the mute eloquent.
He makes the lame climb the mountain."

"I bow down with reverence
to the holy lotus feet of the Guru
who resembles in his compassion
a thick rain-cloud that showers
on the people burnt by the
forest fires of the ever-changing world.
He is the Saviour!
Who attains him, reaches the oceans of salvation."

(Vishvanatha Chakravart)

"The grace of the Guru is God's grace.
Without the Guru's grace where will be shelter?
His glory we praise and reflect on
as a morning, midday and evening prayer.
Full of love I bow down
to the holy feet of the Guru."
(Guru hymn of Vishvanatha Chakravart)

"Until now I have dreamt. In my dream I walked through forests of illusion, birth by birth overwhelmed by all kinds of sorrows and sufferings, subject to rebirth and death and decay. The tiger of selfishness unceasingly jumped at me.Now, by your infinite compassion, o Master, I awoke from my dream. You released me forever! Reverence to You, o great Master, You are one with Brahman. You are one with the shining light that throws a shadow called "world"."
(Shankaracharya)

What is the Guru? Quotations of Ramana Maharshi

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"So long as you seek self realization the Guru is necessary. Guru is the Self. Take Guru to be the real Self and your self as the individual self. The disappearance of this sense of duality is the removal of ignorance. So long as duality persists in you the Guru is necessary. Because you identify yourself with the body you think that the Guru is also a body.You are not the body, nor is the Guru. You are the Self and so is the Guru. This knowledge is gained by what you call Self-realization." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 95)

GRACE IS ALWAYS PRESENT.
THE SADGURU IS INSIDE YOU.

"O Guru! You were always with me, watched over me during many lifes and determined my way until I was liberated." (Kaivalya)

"A spiritually-minded man thinks that God is all-pervading and takes God for his Guru. Later, God brings him in contact with a personal Guru and the man recognises him as all in all. Lastly the same man is made by the grace of the master to feel that his Self is the reality and nothing else. Thus he finds that the Self is the master." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 96)

"Peace, the one thing which is desired by everyone, cannot be attained in any way, by anyone, at any time or in any place, unless stillness of mind is obtained through the grace of the sadguru. Therefore always seek that grace with a one-pointed mind." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 97)

"The Self manifests externally as the Guru when the occasion arises, otherwise he is always within, doing what is necessary." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 95)

"Look upon him as your Guru with whom your mind gets attuned. The one in whom you have faith is your Guru." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 93)

"Guru is the Self. Sometimes in his life a man becomes dissatisfied and, not content with what he has, he seeks the satisfaction of his desires through prayer to God. His mind is gradually purified until he longs to know God, more to obtain his grace than to satisfy his worldly desires. Then, God's grace begins to manifest. God akes the form of a Guru and appears to the devotee, teaches him the truth and, moreover, purifies his mind by association. The devotee's mind gains strength and is then able to turn inward. By meditation it is further purified and it remains still without the least ripple. The calm expanse is the Self. The Guru is both external and internal. From the exterior he gives a push to the mind to turn it inwards. From the interior he pulls the mind towards the Self and helps in the quieting of the mind. That is the Guru's grace. There is no difference between God, Guru and the Self." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 91)

"God, who is immanent, in his grace takes pity on the loving devotee and manifests himself according to the devotee's development. The devotee thinks that he is a man and expects a relationship between two physical bodies. But the Guru who is God or the Self incarnate works from within, helps the man to see the error of his ways and guides him on the right path until he realizes the Self within." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 91)

"Liberation is not anywhere outside you. It is only within. If a man is anxious for deliverance, the internal Guru pulls him in and the external Guru pushes him into the Self. This is the grace of the Guru." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 93)

"The Guru is absolutely necessary. The Upanishads say that none but a Guru can take a man out of the jungle of intellect and sense-perceptions. So there must be a Guru." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 94)

"If you want to perceive the real nature or form of the Guru you must first learn to look upon the whole universe as Guru rupam [the form of the Guru]." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 93)

"Guru is only one. He is not physical. So long as there is weakness the support of strength is needed." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 94)

"For one who, due to rare, intense and abundant love, has complete faith in the glance of grace bestowed by the Guru, there will be no suffering and he will live in this world like Puruhuta [a name of Indra, the king of the gods]." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 97)

"As for grace, grace is within you. If it is external it is useless. Grace is the Self. You are never out of its operation. Grace is always there." (Be as you are, The teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, p. 97)

"Without the Guru's grace neither dispassionateness nor realization of truth can be attained."

Where is the Guru? - Inside.

"O Master thou were inside me in all my past incarnations and thou eventually revealed thyself as human being to speak the language which I can understand and to guide me."

"God, grace and Guru mean the same thing that dwells in all and is eternal. If the devotee delivers himself to the Guru that means that he does not retain the least sign of individuality, so that there is no rason to feel miserably. The eternal being is nothing than bliss. This will become obvious then."

"This false has to disappear. Its destruction is the fruit of service to the Guru."

"Realization is eternal and is not evoked anew by the Guru. He just helps to remove ignorance, that's all."

"The Guru does not cause Self-realization. He just removes the obstacles. The Self is always realized."

"So long as you believe you are this person you believe in God. If you pray to Him, He will come to you as Guru. If you serve the Guru, He will manifest as the Self."

The externally visible Guru causes the mind to go inward.

It is said that the prey which has fallen into the jaws of a tiger is definitely lost. This remark relates to the meeting with the real Guru. Who comes within the ambit of the Guru's gracious look, cannot escape from this grace.

The essential help is the grace of the Guru.

God and the Guru will only show the way to release. They will not by themselves take the soul to the state of release. In truth, God and the Guru are not different.

What is Guru Purnima?

2008-07-04T09:29:00.000-07:00

The full moon in the month of Ashad (July/August) is the especially blessed holy Guru Purnima day.

This day of exceptional adoration of the Guru is a day of pure joy, when the loving devotee is paying reverential homage to his beloved Guru.

For it is the Guru who cuts the bonds and liberates the devotee from the chains of physical existence. The Guru is the only help for mankind to experience the consciousness of supreme reality.

All over the world the Guru is honoured on this day and the specific relationship between Guru and devotee is renewed and strengthened; on behalf of the devotee by showing his loyalty and devotion to the Guru through adoration and reverence.

With other words: Guru Purnima is also the day to reflect upon our spiritual opening and to realize the privilege we have to dedicate our life to a deeper and deeper awakening. It means becoming genuinely aware of the infinite grace of the Guru at whose Lotus-feet we are allowed to sit.

A day of deep gratitude, respect and joy, since worship of the Guru is the sincere worship of the Highest. We are truly becoming aware of the infinite grace of the Guru who bestows in his perfect love the peace of boundless consciousness.

Jaya Madhukarji ki jai!

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Guru Purnima

2008-07-02T09:40:00.000-07:00

In 2009 there will be a well organized Guru Purnima celebration.

This summer 2008 we start this beautiful way to pay homage to the Guru on a smaller scale.

After Yoga of Silence with Madhukar we will celebrate together a party of thankfulness.

Everybody is welcome!

July 18 | Stuttgart, Germany

7 - 10 PM

Location: Literaturhaus Stuttgart (Bosch-Areal), Breitscheidstraße 4

Info: Leela +49(0)7146 862962

stuttgart@madhukar.org

www.madhukar.org

Breathing into Silence

2008-06-18T02:32:00.000-07:00

Beloved Moira,
these emotions are bitches
who steal your peace
and peace is sacred.

Nobody has given us pain
our pain is that we betray this peace
which we are
by wanting something
which is not here.

Emotions visit me too
they enter with promises
of beauty and tenderness
and bite us in the end.

But we love it
to dream and desire.
So enjoy that
and breath deep into the silence
which always is
and never is touched
by anything.

Love
madhukar

Madhukar in Kiev 05/2008 - Parts 1 to 14 - Enjoy!

2008-06-16T02:42:00.000-07:00

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Part 11

Part 12

Part 13

Part 14

A poem by Kabir

2008-06-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

O beloved, let us sing together the song of joy, for the night has gone and dawn has come once again. Everywhere, within and without, the beautiful gardens blossom with fragrant flowers. In every place my steadfast mind is taking care. There is no fear of the darkness, so lets sing the song of joy in the enchanting garden. The blissful showers of the true name sprinkle the fruitful trees. So bountiful are the fruits of nectar, yet only the fortunate few will taste this heavenly juice. Let us sing this song of joy together, beholding the Satguru.

Look in your heart. Here I AM!

2008-06-04T00:14:00.000-07:00

Oh beloved
my trust is with
You
look!
look in your heart
here I am!
m

Exformation instead of information

2008-06-02T23:40:00.002-07:00

Dear Madhukar,

The source of true beauty and truth is the knowledge,
that one has gotten rid off again.

Exformation instead of information.

Thank you.

Andreas

Wondeful Music Video of beloved Arunachala: Marco Marcello - JOY!!!

2008-05-31T01:06:00.000-07:00

Who is Krishna?

2008-05-08T04:30:00.000-07:00

Radha and Krishna in the Spiritual World

Krishna is the Supreme Person, the Godhead. Krishna is the speaker of the Bhagavad-gita, which is recognized throughout the world as one of mankind’s greatest books of wisdom. In the Gita, as it is also known, Krishna says repeatedly that He is God Himself, the source of everything. Arjuna, to whom Krishna is speaking, accepts Krishna’s words as true, adding that the greatest spiritual authorities of that time also confirm that Krishna is God.

Traditions that follow in the line of these authorities have carried Krishna’s teachings down to the present day.

“Unintelligent men, who do not know Me perfectly, think that I, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, was impersonal before and have now assumed this personality. Due to their small knowledge, they do not know My higher nature, which is imperishable and supreme.” —Sri Krishna, Bhagavad-gita 7.24

God, A Transcendental Person

The personhood of Krishna is not an idea invented by human beings naively creating a God in their own image. Nor is personhood a limiting concept when applied to God, or the Absolute Truth. As the source of everything, Krishna naturally has His own personal identity, just as each of us does. The Vedas define God as the one supreme conscious being among all other conscious beings. He is infinite, we are finite, and He maintains us all.

Naturally, the best way to understand God is to learn from Him. In the Bhagavad-gita (“The Song of God”), Lord Krishna—a real person—tells us that He is God and reveals many things about Himself.

A Complete Conception of God

Many people have a hard time conceiving that God can be an actual person. But the Vedas tell us that God’s unique personal identity is His highest aspect. Here’s an analogy to show how God has three main features.

Looking at a mountain from a distance, we can make out only its size and shape. This is compared to comprehending God only as Brahman, His impersonal energy, which emanates from Him just as light shines out from its source.

As we move closer, we’ll start to make out more of the mountain’s characteristics—the colors of its foliage, for example. This is compared to understanding that God is within our hearts as Paramatma, or the Supersoul.

Finally, when we arrive at the mountain we can explore its soil, vegetation, animals, rivers, and so on. This is compared to understanding God the person, or Bhagavan.

Bhagavan is the source of Brahman and Paramatma and is therefore, in a sense, one with them. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Brahman, Paramatma, and Bhagavan are called the three phases of the Absolute Truth.

What is God Like?

As with anyone in our experience, God is unique and complex. He’s the transcendental Supreme Person, so there’s infinitely more to know about Him than anyone else. The Vedas, especially Srimad-Bhagavatam, supply detailed information about Him.

Everything about God is fully transcendental, or spiritual. Because God is absolute, there is no difference between Him and His name, form, activities, qualities, and so on. Contact with any of these gives the same spiritual benefit, namely purification of our consciousness.

Krishna’s Form

Transcendental Form - The Vedas tell us that spirit is composed of eternity, knowledge (or consciousness), and happiness. Both God and we souls possess spiritual forms, which are free of the limitations of material form. For example, each part of a spiritual body can perform the function of any other part.

Krishna’s body never changes; He is an eternal youth.

Unlike we ordinary souls, who may possess a material body, Krishna and His body are always identical.

A Description of Krishna - The Vedas describe Krishna in this way: He is a beautiful youth with a glowing complexion the color of rain clouds. He plays a flute, attracting the hearts of all. His cheeks are brilliant, His smile enchanting. He wears a peacock feather in His curly black hair and a flower garland around His neck. His beautiful garments are the color of lightning. His toenails resemble the light of the moon.

Not only do the Vedas tell us what Krishna looks like, but pure souls have received His audience and written of their encounters. And fifty centuries ago, Krishna revealed His transcendental form to residents of India when He lived there for 120 years, sometimes showing and sometimes hiding His divinity.

“I envy no one, nor am I partial to anyone. I am equal to all. But whoever renders service unto Me in devotion is a friend, is in Me, and I am also a friend to him.” —Sri Krishna, Bhagavad-gita 9.29

Krishna’s Nature

Krishna is loving by nature. In our original pure state, we love Him fully. In the exchange of complete love, Krishna considers His devotees greater than Himself. In the spiritual world He always stays with His devotees, and in this world He resides in every heart as the Supersoul. He wants His children in the material world to return to Him to enjoy with Him eternally.

Krishna is completely independent, and we cannot comprehend him completely. He cannot be conquered by knowledge. But He can be conquered—and seen directly—through pure love.

God has feelings: He is satisfied when someone offers Him a nice prayer. Even though He is great, He can be moved by our love. He responds to us according to how we approach Him.

“The pure devotee is always within the core of My heart, and I am always in the heart of the pure devotee. My devotees do not know anything else but Me, and I do not know anyone else but them.” —Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.4.68

“Even if it were possible to count the atoms after smashing the earth into powder, still it would not be possible to estimate the unfathomable transcendental qualities of the Lord.” —Srila Prabhupada, Bhagavatam, 1.16.26-30, Purport

Krishna’s Qualities

Understanding that God is spiritual, people sometimes conceive of Him as having no qualities. But although Krishna has no material qualities, He is full of unlimited transcendental qualities, and those qualities attract us to Him. Thus great souls who have given up everything cannot give up attraction to Krishna, and they dedicate their lives to finding Him.

The following qualities are considered especially attractive, and Krishna possesses them in full: beauty, wealth, fame, influence, knowledge, and renunciation.

Being God, Krishna has innumerable qualities and seemingly contradictory qualities are resolved in Him.

Hearing of how Krishna shows these qualities can give us a sense of His greatness and of His power to attract all souls.

Krishna’s Activities

While Krishna’s expansions and incarnations perform duties in the material and spiritual worlds, He Himself simply enjoys with His most intimate devotees in His transcendental home, known as Goloka. By His desire, His associates there don’t even consider Him God. They enhance His enjoyment in five loving moods: neutrality, servitude, friendship, parental affection, and conjugal love. In other words, Krishna’s life is filled with unending bliss in the company of His associates.

Krishna enjoys Himself with abandon, frolicking as a youth in expansive fields and forests with His friends and cows. He dances, He plays His flute, He relishes whatever activity strikes His fancy at the moment.

To entice souls in the material world to join Him in Goloka, Krishna comes to this world periodically, as He did 5,000 years ago, and shows His confidential, intimate loving exchanges with His ever-liberated devotees.

Krishna’s Relationships

Krishna savors diversity from various kinds of pure, transcendental love. As we enjoy a variety of relationships in our families and society, so does Krishna, but all of His relationships are eternal, transcendental, and completely free of material contamination.

Each of Krishna’s devotees interacts with Him in one of five primary relationships. In ascending order of intimacy, these five are neutrality, servitude, friendship, parental affection, and conjugal love. Each includes the primary sentiments of the ones before it, and then adds its own flavor. Pure love of God reaches its summit in romantic exchanges with Krishna.

Each devotee eternally feels one of these main moods predominantly:

Devotees in the mood of neutrality witness and support Krishna’s pastimes by their presence as plants, animals, streams, and so on, as well as normally inanimate objects like houses—all of which are fully conscious in Goloka.
Devotees in the service mood run errands for Krishna, pack His lunch, wash His clothes, and perform other demonstrations of love for Him as the moment indicates.
Devotees in the fraternal mood serve Krishna by being His friends. They are sometimes boastful, considering themselves equal to Krishna. In His company, they herd cows and enjoy games in the beautiful country setting.
Devotees in the parental mood see themselves as Krishna’s provider and protector. Krishna behaves with them like a dependent child. His mother cuddles Him, carefully prepares His meals, and thinks only of His protection. His father sees that He has all the comforts of a normal home.
Devotees in the conjugal, or romantic, mood, offer service as Krishna’s girlfriends, relating with Him in the intimacy of lover and beloved.

“The Supreme Lord has nothing to do, and no one is found to be equal to or greater than Him, for everything is done naturally and systematically by His multifarious energies.” —Svetashvatara Upanishad 6.8

Krishna’s Energies

Although Krishna is invisible to us in our present state, we can perceive His presence through His energies, which are everywhere. Although innumerable, His energies fall into three primary categories.

Internal Energy - Krishna’s internal energy expands as the spiritual world in all its variety, including His ever-liberated associates there. The internal energy is eternal and full of knowledge and happiness. Presently beyond our perception, the spiritual world makes up most of reality.

External Energy - Krishna’s external energy consists of all that is matter: the material world, the laws of material nature, material bodies, and so on. The external energy is temporary and full of ignorance and suffering. It is inert by nature and must be moved by spirit. The material world is a tiny fraction of God’s creation.

Marginal Energy - We finite spirit souls are expansions of Krishna’s marginal energy. We can choose to live in the spiritual world or the material world. Or, to put it another way, we can be deluded by matter or illuminated by spirit.

Both the external energy (matter) and the marginal energy (we souls) can become fully spiritualized by contact with the internal energy through acts of devotion to Krishna (Bhakti-yoga).

“That supreme abode of Mine is not illumined by the sun or moon, nor by fire or electricity. Those who reach it never return to this material world.” —Sri Krishna, Bhagavad-gita 15.6

Krishna’s Home

God owns everything, so in a sense His home is everywhere. But He Himself resides in the spiritual world in a place known as Goloka, the highest spiritual region. Reaching Krishna there is the highest achievement of human life.

Goloka is self-illuminated, and everyone there is liberated, shining with pure love for Krishna. Because Krishna is the center of everyone’s heart, there is complete unity and peace. Goloka is built of transcendental gems that yield whatever one wants. The natural surroundings are beautiful, full of diversity and opulence. In Goloka, every word is a song, every step a dance, every moment new, fresh, and exciting.

Krishna’s Names

Just as we may have different names according to our various roles—Mommy, Dr. Jones, Sweetheart, Professor, Your Honor—so does God. And since God is unlimited, He has innumerable names.

The names can be generic terms, such as “God” or “the Absolute Truth.”

They can be in Sanskrit, such as Govinda, Gopala, or Shyamasundara.

They can be in other languages, such as Yahweh and Allah.

The name Krishna, which means “the all-attractive One,” implies that each of us has an eternal relationship with God and we are always drawn either to Him directly or to His energies.

God and His names are identical, so by speaking them we enter His purifying company. Regularly reciting, singing, or chanting His names awakens our innate love for Him and gains us release from bondage to matter.

In contemplating the above, the reader may ask, “Where are you getting this knowledge from?” Apart from Sri Krishna’s own words in His Bhagavad-gita, the ancient Vedas (scriptures) of India extensively describe God in detail, His expansions, incarnations and pastimes.

“Completely rejecting all religious activities which are materially motivated, this Srimad-Bhagavatam propounds the highest truth, which is understandable by those devotees who are fully pure in heart. The highest truth is reality distinguished from illusion for the welfare of all.… This beautiful Bhagavatam, compiled by the great sage Vyasadeva [in his maturity], is sufficient in itself for God realization.” —Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.1.2

Bhagavatam, A Major Contribution to the Understanding of God

The Vedas deal with many subjects. They are the books of a highly developed civilization and cover all departments of knowledge. Among them, Srimad-Bhagavatam (also known as the Bhagavata Purana) deals exclusively with subjects about God. Srimad means “beautiful” or “opulent,” and Bhagavatam means “related to God.” Hence, Srimad-Bhagavatam can be translated as “The Beautiful Story of God.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam describes God, our relationship with Him, and the process for realizing that relationship. Its 18,000 verses give detailed accounts of God’s names, forms, nature, personality, devotees, activities, residences, and much more.

In one of the opening chapters, the narrator explains that the sage Vyasadeva, who wrote portions of the Vedic literature and compiled the rest, felt dissatisfied despite his accomplishments. Under the order of his guru, he then embarked on writing Srimad-Bhagavatam, considered the ripe fruit of the tree of the Vedas.

What would you like to do next?

Read Bhagavad-gita or Srimad-Bhagavatam online.
Listen to Lord Krishna’s Bhagavad-gita.

Sai Baba of Shirdi

2008-05-02T01:29:00.000-07:00

This article is about Sai Baba of Shirdi, an Indian saint who lived from the mid-19th to the early 20th century. See Sai Baba for other persons calling themselves Sai Baba.

Sai Baba of Shirdi (d. October 15, 1918), also known as Shirdi Sai Baba, was an Indian guru, yogi and fakir who is regarded by his Hindu and Muslim followers as a saint. Some of his Hindu devotees believe that he was an incarnation of Shiva or Dattatreya, and he was regarded as a satguru and an incarnation of Kabir.

The name 'Sai Baba' is a combination of Persian and Indian origin; Sāī (Sa'ih) is the Persian term for "holy one" or "saint", usually attributed to Islamic ascetics, whereas Bābā is a word meaning "father" used in Indian languages. The appellative thus refers to Sai Baba as being a "holy father" or "saintly father".[1] His parentage, birth details, and life before the age of sixteen are obscure, which has led to a variety of speculations and theories attempting to explain Sai Baba's origins. In his life and teachings he tried to reconcile Hinduism and Islam: Sai Baba lived in a mosque, was buried in a Hindu temple, practised Hindu and Muslim rituals, and taught using words and figures that drew from both traditions. One of his well known epigrams says of God: "Allah Malik" ("God is Master").

Sai Baba taught a moral code of love, forgiveness, helping others, charity, contentment, inner peace, devotion to God and guru. His philosophy was Advaita Vedanta and his teachings consisted of elements both of this school as well as of bhakti and Islam.

Sai Baba remains a popular saint[2] and is worshipped mainly in Maharashtra, southern Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Debate on his Hindu or Muslim origins continues to take place.[3] He is also revered by several notable Hindu and Sufi religious leaders. Some of his disciples received fame as spiritual figures and saints.

Biography

Background

Although Sai Baba's origins are unknown, some indications exist that suggest that he was born not far from Shirdi. Historical researches into genealogies in Shirdi give support to the theory that Baba could have been born with the name Haribhau Bhusari.[4] Baba was notorious for giving vague, misleading and contradictory replies to questions concerning his parentage and origins, brusquely stating the information was unimportant. He had reportedly stated to a close follower, Mhalsapati, that he has been born of Brahmin parents in the village of Pathri and had been entrusted into the care of a fakir in his infancy.[5] On another occasion, Baba reportedly said that the fakir's wife had left him in the care of a Hindu guru, Venkusa of Selu, and that he had stayed with Venkusa for twelve years as his disciple.[6] This dichotomy has given rise to two major theories regarding Baba's background, with the majority of writers supporting the Hindu background over the Islamic, while others combine both the theories (that Sai Baba was first brought up by a fakir and then by a guru).[7]

Baba reportedly arrived at the village of Shirdi in the Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra, India, when he was about sixteen years old. Although there is no agreement among biographers about the date of this event, it is generally accepted that Baba stayed in Shirdi for three years, disappeared for a year and returned permanently around 1858, which posits a possible birthyear of 1838.[8] He led an ascetic life, sitting motionless under a neem tree and meditating while sitting in an asana. The Sai Satcharita recounts the reaction of the villagers: "The people of the village were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practicing hard penance, not minding heat or cold. By day he associated with no one, by night he was afraid of nobody."[9] His presence attracted the curiosity of the villagers and the religiously-inclined such as Mhalsapati, Appa Jogle and Kashinatha regularly visited him, while others such as the village children considered him mad and threw stones at him.[10] After some time he left the village, and it is unknown where he stayed at that time or what happened to him. However, there are some indications that he met with many saints and fakirs, and worked as a weaver; he claimed to have fought with the army of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi during the Indian Rebellion of 1857.[11]

Residence in Shirdi

Shirdi Sai Baba sitting in front of his mosqueIn 1858 Sai Baba returned to Shirdi with Chand Patil's wedding procession. After alighting near the Khandoba temple he was greeted with the words "Ya Sai" (welcome saint) by the temple priest Mhalsapati. The name Sai stuck to him and some time later he started being known as Sai Baba.[12] It was around this time that Baba adopted his famous style of dress, consisting of a knee-length one-piece robe (kafni) and a cloth cap. Ramgir Bua, a devotee, testified that Baba was dressed like an athlete and sported 'long hair flowing down to his buttocks' when he arrived in Shirdi, and that he never had his head shaved. It was only after Baba forfeited a wrestling match with one Mohdin Tamboli that he took up the kafni and cloth cap, articles of typically Sufi clothing.[13] This attire contributed to Baba's identification as a Muslim fakir, and was a reason for initial indifference and hostility against him in a predominantly Hindu village.[14] According to B V Narasimhaswami, a posthumous follower who was widely praised as Sai Baba's "apostle", this attitude was prevalent even among some of his devotees in Shirdi, even up to 1954.[15]

For four to five years Baba lived under a neem tree, and often wandered for long periods in the jungle in and around Shirdi. His manner was said to be withdrawn and uncommunicative as he undertook long periods of meditation.[16] He was eventually persuaded to take up residence in an old and dilapidated masjid and lived a solitary life there, surviving by begging for alms and receiving itinerant Hindu or Muslim visitors. In the mosque he maintained a sacred fire which is referred to as a dhuni, from which he had the custom of giving sacred ash ('Udhi') to his guests before they left and which was believed to have healing powers and protection from dangerous situations. At first he performed the function of a local hakim and treated the sick by application of Udhi. Baba also delivered spiritual teachings to his visitors, recommending the reading of sacred Hindu texts along with the Qur'an, especially insisting on the indispensability of the unbroken remembrance of God's name (dhikr, japa). He often expressed himself in a cryptic manner with the use of parables, symbols and allegories.[17] He participated in religious festivals and was also in the habit of preparing food for his visitors, which he distributed to them as prasad. Sai Baba's entertainment was dancing and singing religious songs (he enjoyed the songs of Kabir most). His behaviour was sometimes uncouth and violent.[18][19]

After 1910 Sai Baba's fame began to spread in Mumbai. Numerous people started visiting him, because they regarded him as a saint (or even an avatar) with the power of performing miracles.[20] Sai Baba took Mahasamadhi on October 15, 1918 at 2.30pm. He died on the lap of one of his devotees with hardly any belongings, and was buried in the "Buty Wada" according to his wish. Later a mandir was built there known as the "Samadhi Mandir".[21]

Notable disciples

Sai Baba left behind no spiritual heirs and anointed no disciples. In fact, he did not even provide formal initiation. He belonged equally to all, and all belonged equally to him. Some disciples of Sai Baba achieved fame as spiritual figures like Upasni Maharaj of Sakori and Meher Baba of Ahmednagar. After Sai Baba passed away, his devotees offered the daily Aarti to Upasani Maharaj when he paid a visit to Shirdi, two times with an interval of 10 years.

Teachings and practices

Shirdi Sai Baba, leaning against the wall of his masjid, with devoteesIn his personal practice, Sai Baba observed worship procedures belonging to Hinduism and Islam; he shunned any kind of regular rituals but allowed the practice of namaz, chanting of Al-Fatiha, and Qur'an readings at Muslim festival times.[22] Occasionally reciting the Al-Fatiha himself, Baba also enjoyed listening to moulu and qawwali accompanied with the tabla and sarangi twice daily.[23] He also wore clothing reminiscent of a Sufi fakir. Sai Baba also opposed all sorts of persecutions on religious or caste background. (In India at the times when he lived religious intolerance and conflicts were common).

Sai Baba of Shirdi was also an opponent of religious orthodoxy - both Hindu and Muslim.[24] Although Sai Baba himself led the life of an ascetic, he advised his followers to lead an ordinary family life.

Sai Baba encouraged his devotees to pray, chant God's name and read holy scriptures - he told Muslims to study the Qur'an and Hindus texts like the Ramayana, Vishnu Sahasranam, Bhagavad Gita (and commentaries to it), Yoga Vasistha.[25] He advised his devotees and followers to lead a moral life, help others, treat them with love and develop two important features of character: faith (Shraddha) and patience (Saburi). He also criticized atheism.[26] In his teachings Sai Baba emphasised the importance of performing one's duties without attachment to earthly matters and being ever content regardless of the situation.

Sai Baba also interpreted the religious texts of both faiths. According to what the people who stayed with him said and wrote he had a profound knowledge of them. He explained the meaning of the Hindu scriptures in the spirit of Advaita Vedanta. This was the character of his philosophy. It also had numerous elements of bhakti. The three main Hindu spiritual paths - Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga - were visible in the teachings of Sai Baba.[27] Another example of the way he combined both faiths is the Hindu name he gave to his mosque, Dwarakamai.[7]

Sai Baba said that God penetrates everything and lives in every being, and as well that God is the essence of each of them. He emphasised the complete oneness of God which was very close to the Islamic tawhid and the Hindu doctrine, e.g. of the Upanishads. Sai Baba said that the world and all that the human may give is transient and only God and his gifts are eternal.[citation needed] Sai Baba also emphasised the importance of devotion to God - bhakti - and surrender to his will. He also talked about the need of faith and devotion to one's spiritual preceptor (guru). He said that everyone was the soul and not the body. He advised his disciples and followers to overcome the negative features of character and develop the good ones. He taught them that all fate was determined by karma.[citation needed]

Sai Baba left no written works. His teachings were oral, typically short, pithy sayings rather than elaborate discourses. Sai would ask his followers for money (dakshina), which he would give away to the poor and other devotees the same day and spend the rest on matches. According to his followers he did it in order to rid them of greed and material attachment.

Sai encouraged charity and the importance of sharing with others. He said: "Unless there is some relationship or connection, nobody goes anywhere. If any men or creatures come to you, do not discourteously drive them away, but receive them well and treat them with due respect. Shri Hari (God) will be certainly pleased if you give water to the thirsty, bread to the hungry, clothes to the naked and your verandah to strangers for sitting and resting. If anybody wants any money from you and you are not inclined to give, do not give, but do not bark at him like a dog."[28] Other favourite sayings of his were: "Why do you fear when I am here",[29] "He has no beginning... He has no end."[29] Sai Baba made eleven assurances to his devotees:

Whosoever puts their feet on Shirdi soil, their sufferings will come to an end.
The wretched and miserable will rise to joy and happiness as soon as they climb the steps of my Samadhi.
I shall be ever active and vigorous even after leaving this earthly body.
My tomb shall bless and speak to the needs of my devotees.
I shall be active and vigorous even from my tomb.
My mortal remains will speak from my tomb.
I am ever living to help and guide all who come to me, who surrender to me and who seek refuge in me.
If you look to me, I look to you.
If you cast your burden on me, I shall surely bear it.
If you seek my advice and help, it shall be given to you at once.
There shall be no want in the house of my devotee.

Worship and devotees

The Shirdi Sai Baba movement began in the nineteenth century, during his life, while he was staying in Shirdi. A local Khandoba priest - Mhalsapathy - is believed to have been his first devotee. However, in the nineteenth century Sai Baba's followers were only a small group of Shirdi inhabitants and a few people from other parts of India. It started developing in the twentieth century and even faster in 1910 with the Sankirtans of Das Ganu (one of Sai's devotees) who spread Sai Baba's fame to the whole of India. Since 1910 numerous Hindus and Muslims from all parts of India started coming to Shirdi. During his life Hindus worshipped him with Hindu rituals and Muslims revered him greatly, considering him to be a saint. Later (in the last years of Sai Baba's life) Christians and Zoroastrians started joining the Shirdi Sai movement.[2]

The Sai Baba mandir in Shirdi is active and every day worship of Sai is conducted in it. Pilgrims visit Shirdi every day. Shirdi Baba is especially revered and worshipped in the state of Maharashtra. A religious organisation of Sai Baba's devotees called the Shri Saibaba Sansthan Trust is based there.

The devotees of Shirdi Sai Baba have spread all over India.[2] According to the Gale Encyclopedia of Religion there is at least one Sai Baba mandir in nearly every Indian city.[2] His image is quite popular in India.[2] Some ordinary non-religious publishing houses (such as Sterling Publishers) publish books about Shirdi Sai written by his devotees.[30] Shirdi is among the major Hindu places of pilgrimage.[31] The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is partially organised. Only a part of his followers and devotees belong to the Shri Saibaba Sansthan or to other religious organisations that worship him.

Beyond India the Shirdi Sai movement has spread to other countries such as the U.S. or the Caribbean. Sai Baba mandirs and organisations of his devotees have been built in countries including Australia, Malaysia, Singapore and the USA. The Shirdi Sai Baba movement is one of the main Hindu religious movements in English speaking countries.[32] According to estimates the Sai mandir in Shirdi is visited by around twenty thousand pilgrims a day and during religious festivals this number amounts to a hundred thousand.[33]

Miracles

Sai Baba's millions of disciples, followers and devotees believe that he had performed many miracles. Some of them were: bilocation, exorcisms, curing the incurably sick, helping his devotees in need in a miraculous way, reading the minds of others. Numerous inhabitants of Shirdi talked about these miracles. Some of them even wrote about them in books. They talked and wrote about how they (and others) were the witnesses of his unusual Yogic powers: levitation, entering a state of clinical death at wish, even removing his limbs and sticking them back to his body (Khanda Yoga) or doing the same with his intestines.

According to his followers he appeared to them after his death, in dreams, visions and even in bodily form, whence he often gave them advice. With firm faith one can evoke miracles from Sai Baba. Each of his devotees has many stories and experiences to tell.[34]

Historical sources

Biographers of Sai Baba of Shirdi (e.g. Govindrao Ragulnath Dabholkar, Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja, Smriti Srinivas, Antonio Rigopolous) when writing about him base it on what people who knew Sai Baba said and wrote. Another source they use is the Shirdi Diary written by Ganesha Shrikrishna Khaparde, which describes every day of the author's stay at Shirdi. When speculating about the unknown episode's of Sai Baba's life, they mainly base their conclusions on his own words.

The most important source about Sai's life is the Shri Sai Satcharita written in Marathi, in 1916 by Govindrao Ragulnath Dabholkar (translated into English by Nagesh Vasudevanand Gunaji with English title: Shri Sai Satcharitra) whom Sai Baba nicknamed Hemadpant, which is an account of his life, teachings and miracles. Other important sources about Sai Baba are books by B. V. Narasimhaswamiji such as Sri Sai Baba's Charters and Sayings or Devotee's Experiences of Sai Baba. Sri Sai Baba and His Teachings by Acharya Ekkirala Bharadwaja is an indepth study of Sai's life routine and activities.

In various religions

Hinduism

During Sai Baba's life the Hindu saint Anandanath of Yewala declared Sai Baba a "[spiritual] diamond".[35] Another saint, Gangagir, called him a "[spiritual] jewel".[35] Sri Beedkar Maharaj greatly revered Sai Baba, and in 1873, when he met him he bestowed the title Jagatguru upon him.[36][37] Sai Baba was also greatly respected by Vasudevananda Saraswati (known as Tembye Swami).[38] Sai of Shirdi was also revered by a group of Shaivic yogis, to which he belonged, known as the Nath-Panchayat.[39] Swami Kaleshwar publicly worships Sai Baba, and treats him as a great saint and his own guru.[40] Sathya Sai Baba considers him to be an Avatar and his previous reincarnation.[41]

Other religions

In Islamic culture the person of Sai Baba appears mainly in Sufism. Meher Baba declared Baba to be a Qutub-e-Irshad - the highest of the five Qutubs.[42] Baba is also worshipped by prominent Zoroastrians such as Nanabhoy Palkhivala and Homi Bhabha, and has been cited as the most popular non-Zoroastrian religious figure attracting the attention of Zoroastrians.[43]

In culture

Sacral art and architecture

In India in nearly every larger city there is at least one temple dedicated to Sai Baba.[2] There are even some in towns and cities outside India. In the mosque in Shirdi in which Sai Baba lived there is a life-size portrait of him by Shama Rao Jaykar, an artist from Mumbai. Numerous monuments and statues depicting Sai Baba, which serve a religious function, have also been made. One of them, made of marble by a sculptor named Talim, is in the Samadhi Mandir in Shirdi where Sai Baba was buried.[44] In Sai Baba mandirs, his devotees play various kinds of devotional religious music, such as arati.[45]

Una lettera

2008-04-16T03:29:00.000-07:00

Carissimo Amato Maestro Madhukarji,

La ringranzio tanto per questa gran pace che ora in me. Il Satsang di
domenica a Monaco è stato per me un dono meraviglioso.
Essere unita a Lei è diventanto ormai la cosa più importante nella mia
vita. Essere una, essere libera, solo questo mi interessa. Forse è stato
sempre questo che mi ha interessato nella mia vita, ma non ero
consciente di questo. Beh, è uguale ora lo sono, e solo questo conta.
Mi sono resa conto che ci vuole coraggio a dire la verità e che prima
aveva paura della verità. Questo è stato sempre il motivo perchè non
volevo ascoltarla.
Avevo troppo paura di quello che mi avrebbe potuto dire perchè non
dubbio a quello che Lei dice. La verità può solamente dire la verità.
Che dubbio di deve essere, Amore Divino.

Angela

Madhukar Newsletter March 2008

2008-04-08T02:01:00.000-07:00

From Madhukar for You

You are love

Not the concept of love
You are That
In which everything is taking place.
That is truth
It is utmost powerful.
All potential rests in this silence.
You only can thank this love
by remaining in it.

Madhukar

Back in Europe

Madhukar’s first retreat in Europe is the Easter retreat Yoga der Stille in the Swabian Mountains from March 20-25, 2008. A series of evening Satsangs and weekend intensives in Germany and Switzerland follow, until the retreat Quelle des Glücks in Baden-Baden after the Rainbow-Spirit-Festival from May 13-15, 2008. Traveling on to South Tyrol, Berlin, Ukraine, to Moscow and Moldova before the retreats in June in Austria – Herzensfreude in the Bregenzer Wald and Kaernten. Since the retreat Lied der Stille in Kaernten takes place during the European football championship, accommodations should be booked as early as possible. For all information please check the schedule link.

Thank you India

As every year quite a few of us have been in the two retreats with Madhukar in India. In the first retreat in Goa we enjoyed the Satsangs at the beautiful beach of Ashvem. There was also a public Satsang.

You can watch the video of the public Satsang in the Madhukar-Blog under: “Satsang with Madhukar in Goa: Guru is the Self – Love is the only thing” or on www.Jetzt-tv.de. 2009 the Goa-retreat Mystery of Oneness, will be from January 7-31, 2009.

The three week silence retreat Awakening in Tiruvannamalai was marvelous. In a wonderful group we enjoyed oneness and the presence of the Masters of this lineage. Masterji led us into deep silence. One time we were watching videos from Sri Poonjaji (Papaji), Madhukar’s guru, who showed the truth to many people.
It was splendid to watch these records together – to laugh with Madhukar and Poonjaji in these wonderful moments, in which people realize the truth.

The 2009 Awakening retreat in Tiruvannamalai will take place February 15 – March 8, 2009.

India embraces us with the love of a warmhearted mother and we are thankful for this wonderful time.

Book from Madhukar in Russian

At the moment Madhukar’s book “The Simplest Way” gets translated into Russian. It is planned to be finished for the Satsangs in Russia, Ukraine and Moldova.

Russian Poem

You are as sweet as honey
but sting like a bee
Your look breaks
mind and time
alone the heart delights with joy
Oh what a miracle -
the faded flowers
unfold!

Drakon_Han Tatar Russia

Links

New Schedule 2008

Retreat: Yoga der Stille

New Video on Jetzt TV

Madhukar-Blog

With Love
The Madhukar Organisation

www.madhukar.org

NO OLYMPICS IN CHINA

2008-03-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

to everybody who does not have the time ;-) to go demonstrating,
but still has the opinion that it is enough with the abuse of human rights through the government of China :
Go to the next t-shirt-printer – copyshop …
there is a pdf file (vecorised) for the t-shirt-printer 1.
IMPORTANT: It really must go quickly!

Of course you can also make labels, stickers, posters or what ever you wish with the file! But in this case an obvious, CLEAR EVIDENT statement is more than needed.
If you send this mail into foreign countries, please translate the text into the according language, but also leave the other languages in the text.

GO AHEAD! NOW! Within 2 days the initiative shall arrive at least each 3rd country of the world.

ps: this is not only a nice but also a meaningful easter present!

And do not get annoyed if you receive this mail repeatedly – in this case this shows that the networking really makes sense!

PDF-file for downloading

PDF-Datei zum Downloaden

Tibet riots: The true causes and a call for support

2008-03-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

This newsletter was written by the buddhist magazine “Ursache&Wirkung” (Cause&Effect) in collaboration with the Austrian delegate of the Dalai Lama, Geshe T. Dhargye. This newsletter serves to support

a free, peaceful and democratic China!
a free, peaceful and autonomous region of Tibet!
free and peaceful Olympic Games in China 2008!

Below you can read an interview with Geshe T. Dhargye talking about the true causes that have evoked the riots, his view on the current situation and his appeal to the readership of “Ursache&Wirkung„ to support the concern of the Tibetan people.

You can support the Tibetan people…

1. by sending letters and emails to aid organisations, politicians, media and the Olympic Committees in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, as well as within Europe and to all over the world. Further information you will find at the end of the newsletter. Request email-addresses here: info@ursache.at
by getting in touch with us: info@ursache.at and by providing more addresses for the information-campaign or by sharing your experiences with us. We will report on the situation in Tibet the next days and weeks until the Olympic Games start and even longer.
by forwarding this newsletter to your friends.

Geshe Tenzin Dhargye, the delegate of HH the XIV. Dalai Lama in Austria, interviewed by Peter Riedl:

Picture: Dalai Lama and Geshe T. Dhargye (3rd from left). The interview with the team of Ursache&Wirkung, www.ursache.at.

U&W: How did the riots start?
Geshe Tenzin Dhargye: On March 10th elf monks from the Sera monastery in Lhasa have started with non-violent protests. It is said, that two lay persons joined them as well, so they were 13. After about 15 minutes the police came and arrested them. In the middle of Lhasa’s marketplace, in the presence of other people, these peaceful demonstrating persons were hit and then carried off. Until today no one knows where they were brought to.

The next day about 300 monks came from the Drepung monastery, to the west of Lhasa. They were walking peacefully, reciting the prayer for the long-life of His Holiness and halfway to Lhasa they were stopped by the police. About 60 of the 300 monks were arrested and carried away; the others were forced to turn back. Afterwards the police closed the monastery, took the mobile phones from the monks and violently took action against the demonstrators.

Picture: Geshe Tenzin Dhargye. Delegate of HH Dalai Lama for the Tibet Center Hüttenberg, spiritual director in Salzburg: www.tdc-salzburg.at

Some small monasteries and nunneries are located around Lhasa. Ordained people came also from these places and were equally arrested and carried off. Farther away, monks from the monastery of the Phenpo-village and the Ganden monastery went to demonstrate for the release of their brothers and sisters. Then, the population joined these protests and all of them claimed the release of the arrested. Until March 14th the demonstrations proceeded very peacefully, but every now and then the Chinese police arrested demonstrators, hit them and finally carried them off. Nobody knows where.
On March 14th also the monks from the Jokhang temple in Lhasa started to demonstrate, lay persons joined them and claimed freedom of speech and religion, the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and called “Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama!”
Consequently the Chinese police and the military opened the fire and shot into the crowd. They killed two monks, many were injured. Many were arrested and hit and finally the Tibetans lost their patience. That’s how the violence increased, riots were the result and many Tibetans were killed.
On the same day, in the East of Tibet, in the province of Gansu, in Labrang, non-violent protests started, in which about 4000 people took part. The Chinese used teargas and the people shouted: “Free the monks from Lhasa! If we live, we live together; if we die, we die together!”
The next day twice as much people came - around 8000 – to demonstrate again in Labrang. In the end there were also dead and injured people.
That’s how finally the riots extended in many other regions until today and every day new ones emerge.
U&W: Do you know how many people have been arrested so far?
Geshe T. Dhargye: That’s difficult to say. It’s also hard to say how many have been killed. The riots are taking place in various regions. On one single place there was a total count of 80 corpses, but it is very difficult to get information.
U&W: Where do you get your information from?
Geshe T. Dhargye: From the Tibetan government in exile, the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Radio Free Asia, but also through personal contacts. I have friends in Lhasa, but by now the telephone doesn’t function anymore, even mobile phones don’t work.
U&W: Why did the riots start right now?
Geshe T. Dhargye: The unbearable situation and the suffering of the people exist since many, many years. Of course, now on the occasion of the Olympic Games the hope of being heard in the world is real.
U&W: What is the aim, what do monks and demonstrates expect?
Geshe T. Dhargye: According to the ideas of H.H. the Dalai Lama, they don’t want a total separation from China, but at least an autonomous administration and the realisation of the human rights. However, some of them want to be totally free.
U&W: In your opinion, how will the demonstrations proceed?
Geshe T. Dhargye: It’s getting worse every day, more and more areas are under total military control. Nevertheless, demonstrations increase. Even in Beijing 50 Tibetan students have demonstrated. Every day it starts on a different place.

Cause for the protest is the 49th anniversary of a riot in Lhasa.

I really hope that it won’t get worse for the people. At present there is a well directed plan: all foreigners and journalists are being expelled and for the people it’ll become worse day by day. Certainly it’ll continue like this the next months and they will scan through every house and every village in search for ‘incriminating material’, e.g. if the people attended the demonstrations. Many more people will be arrested, it’s really a very dangerous situation!
U&W: Do you know how His Holiness feels in this situation?
Geshe T. Dhargye: He is very concerned and worried about the development and how all these people could be protected, because thousands of them were involved! Many were injured and they fear of going into the hospitals, because they would be immediately arrested.
U&W: How can we support the wish of His Holiness?
Geshe T. Dhargye: I ask you, to kindly ask the readership of Ursache&Wirkung to support us by writing to aid organisations, the Red Cross and to the political leaders in the world and mention the following points:

Chinese arms must immediately stop to fire on Tibetans.
All arrested people should immediately be released.
All imprisonments have to be stopped.

Furthermore, it’s very important that the readers write to the various aid organisations: So far, there are 400 injured people, who don’t get cured in the Chinese hospitals. Aid teams shall be sent to Tibet in order to help on site.
In addition, I ask the readers to write to the Chinese embassies in Europe and in all over the world, that they may allow journalists to enter the country so that they can provide objective reports. Also newspapers should be contacted and asked to send journalists to Tibet, so that they can report on reality. Information is very important. Of course, also on site it’s difficult to get correct information, but here in Austria it’s simply impossible.

U&W: What is your opinion about boycotting the Olympic Games?
Geshe T. Dhargye: We don’t want to provoke a boycott but I think that Olympic Games are closely connected with Human Rights. The organizors can influence the Chinese by demanding to stop the gunfire and by adhering the Human Rights in Tibet. I would be very grateful to the readership of Ursache&Wirkung, if they wrote the Olympic Committees in their countries. The people who demonstrate in Tibet hope, that the world will pay its attention to them and support them. If that happens, then even the death of those who died would make sense in a way.

I make all these requests on my behalf and on behalf of the Tibetan government in exile and all other organisations, who act in the name of Tibet.

Please send your emails and letters to:

the political leaders of the world

* Chinese arms must immediately stop to fire on Tibetans
* All arrested people should immediately be released
* All imprisonments have to be stopped now

the various aid-organisations, the WHO and the Red Cross

* Please send aid groups to Tibet in order to help on the site

the Chinese embassies in Europe and the world

* Please let journalists come to China and Tibet, so that they can report objectively and freely.

magazines, tv- and radio broadcasts

* Please send journalists to Tibet in order to let them report the reality objectively

the Olympic committees

* Please increase the importance of the Olympic Games by recognizing the interrelationship between a peaceful world and the respect of the human rights and by expressing that through your deeds

Arunachala Monkeys

2008-03-15T00:07:00.000-07:00

A picture in praise of Hanuman (the beloved monkey god)