Before we get into the details of the tour, just an introduction to "Chiguru", it is the name coined for the group of people who met at the "Adhi Shankara Yoga Kendra"
to learn the vedic recitation, with common interests in Yoga, Mediation and Veda, in short a bunch of budding Spiritualists.
One of our chiguru team members got a book on the autobiography of a "Virajeshwara" - a Scientist & Ph.D in polymer physics from Rutgers called the "Scientist's search for Truth" and got inspired to meet this realised personality. We made a plan to visit the swamiji in his ashram at Anusoni, a little far from Hosur in a place called Kelamangalam.
Date Of Visit: 26-Jan-2008.Place of start: We all met at the Ragigudda Arch as the common spot for chiguru members to join.
Starting Time: 8:00AM
Website: http://www.swami-virajeshwara.com/Swami.htm
We had 2 cars with all the chiguru members assembled at the planned time , with the research on the net about the Asharam, route to ashram and visiting hours, mainly by Ms. Sudha our captain for the day.
So with the plan we moved towards Hosur Road, and on our way to ashram we had the breakfast which was specially prepared by our chiguru lady companions, to save our time & also our health. Had some good "Upittu & Idli" with lotz of mint chutney and then made our way towards the ashram.
As we were nearing the ashram around 10:30AM, the atmosphere was caming down and there between the fields was a small road and suddenly on the left of the road we saw a small gate to the "Hamsa Ashram", although nobody to either stop us or welcome us, we parked our cars inside and slowly made our way to the small house in the compound.
There we were eagerly waiting to see the guruji enetered the hall of the Ashram, to find the photographs of the well known godesses Sharada, gods Shiva, Rama, Krishna, Shri Adhi Shankaracharya & Guruji of Virajeshwara - Swami Vidyanandaji Saraswathi, who was a disciple of Swami Sivananda Saraswathi of divine life Society, Rishikesh. Then came a lean person in saffron robes, properly shaved aged around 80 years, but did not speak almost for the first 10 mins, which made us feel that might be the guruji is inside and he might be some disciple. Then our other chigiru team members were preparing the tray of fruits we had brought for Swamiji's service, meanwhile swamiji started speaking to us which made us clear that he was really the Swami Virajeshwara, really excited to hear from a very highly spiritual and concious being.Then we introduced ourselves and made clear of our intentions in meeting him, he invited us to ask some questions on anything about what we have read in this autobiography or our spiritual doubts. So one by one all the chiguru members started asking the questions and swamiji gave answers to all questions very calmly in a mild & serious tone, although after sometime he got really emotional when we questioned about his ultimate realisation and his guruji. He shared some of his experiences about the kundalini realisation and how it feels to one when in Sadhana, how difficult is it to holding on to Sadhana and concentrating the mind.
There was an interesting question to swamiji where he was asked of being a scientist how could he move into this spiritual stream when he uttered the golden words "i no more relate myself to any of these wordly positions as i have realized this as false and the ultimate is only on the progression towards spirituality".
Also on the question of somebody asking that they are not able to concentrate while meditating, when swamiji told that" Start conentrating on your mind, start to isolate yourself from the mind, as if you are saying that you are not able to concentrate then this you must be somebody else than the mind. Also all the energies are the isolated energies of the same shakti which manifests itself as prana, Vak (Speech), Listening power, Seeing Power, also the power which rises in the Kundalini"
Which triggered me to ask him my question "i.e. Is it true that a initial sadhaka has to work in the Dwaita Plane and as he progresses to move on to the Advaitha plane" and to my amusement as an advaitha swami he replied " You're true there in saying that initially one needs to repsect the divinty with the right distinction i.e dwaitha, but the ultimate goal for every sadhaka should be advaitha- Aham Brahma Asmi as the goal".
He was very kind to ask us for our lunch, although our Chiguru team members had arranged for homemade lunch & packaged.Then swamiji blessed all of us, we bought some of his publications on his biography, realisations, etc. Then swamiji autographed these books for us, we had also got the privilage of having some snaps with guruji.
Then we went on to have the lunch which was prepared by the lady members of our chiguru team, we sat down in the same ashram compound, where there were some more disciples living by, with lot of different kinds of trees surrounding. Then we made our way back to Bangalore thinking about the amazing visit to the ashram.
Take aways for me:
1. Adavitha is the goal for any sadhaka - although one has to do his sadhana in the dwaita mindset to get the realisation to move towards the advaitha goal.
2. Sadhana - means Living in Silence, silencing all the senses with the one minded goal toward the supreme lord.
*****************Hare Krishna Hare Krishna - Krishna Krishna Hare Hare***********************
