1. Nature and Subnature

2. The One with a Thousand Eyes

3. On the Dimensions of Religion

4. Religion and Poetry

5. Manickavachagar - His Life

6. Lamentations over Vain Religious Disputes - Tayumanavar

7. Appar in Manikkar: The Essential Autonomy of the Soul

8. Religion and Art

9. Love and Metaphysical Insights - Vallalar

10. Religion and Politics

11. BEING is Beyond All Religions - Tayumanavar

12. Steps to Liberation, then Merging

13. Religion and Music

14. The Sources and Human Intelligence and Competence - Appar

15. Religion Vs Modernity

16. BEING and the Different Icons - Appar

17. The Mystery of the Play of BEING - Vallalar

18. The Indeterminacy of BEING and the Humility it Breeds - Appar

19. The Birth of Mantra Worship and Sivalokam - Appar

20. Religion and History

21. Theism and the Moral Sense - Appar

22. Mysticism: Scientific Perspectives

23. Appar Meditating on Death

24. Religion and Philosophy

25. Science and Philosophy

26. Religion and Aesthetics

27. Going Beyond Even the Agamas - Vallalar

28. On Agreement Among the Great Ones - Vallalar

29. Going Beyond Vedantas - Vallalar

30. Mahamritunjaya mantra and Vidhi

31. The Vishnu of Appar

32. The Profound Achievements of Tamils in Metaphysics - Vallalar

33. Individualized Self and BEING - Vallalar

34. The Projective Essence of BEING - Vallalar

35. The Poisonous Heart and Premature Death - Appar

36. The Meaningful Behavior

37. The Distorting Sense Organs - Manikavasagar

38. Spiritual Confusion and Existential Repetition - Vallalar

39. BEING is Brahman and Beyond - Manikavasagar

40. Introduction to Sivajnaana Botam

.

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Nature and Subnature

Whereas religion, in its inspiration, speaks of something above nature, science,
in its quest, has found a good deal below nature in terms of which many
features of the physical world can be explained in great detail.

In other words, instead of supernature, science unveils subnature: a world in
the core of palpable matter that is different from ordinary nature. Physics has
penetrated into the substratum of perceived reality and discovered a whole realm
of entities there-under, beyond the imagination of the most creative minds of
the past. Through sophisticated labyrinths of theory and mathematics, aided by
an array of experimental ingenuities, science has uncovered a microcosm that is
abundant in minute bits which are not like sand grains, but more like smeared
out mini-clouds of electric charge and other features. That deep-down reality is
dense with a plethora of particles: dubbed with names like hadrons, mesons,
leptons, and field-bosons. Hadrons and mesons are composite, made up of still
smaller quarks, while leptons are of two kinds: electrons and neutrinos. These
ultimate bricks of the substantial world are subject to mutual interactions,
transmitted via photons, gluons, W & Z, and gravitons. Makes one feel
jargon-giddy? But that's the framework of serious physics today: the so-called
standard model.

From all this subnatural splendor arise the atoms of a hundred elements, where
negatively charged electrons whirl around positively charged nuclei. There is a
cosmic culinary complex, as it were, by which nature concocts an incredible
richness from its atomic ingredients. These are the molecules of chemistry,
forming salt and sugar, wine, water and whatever. All the substances we see and
feel, and a multitude that we don't, are made up of molecules, mostly with two
or more atoms. A molecule barely stretches to a few millionths of a millimeter.
The number of molecules in a teaspoon of water is of the order of a trillion
trillion: more than there are stars in the entire universe.

Some molecules are mammoth and magical: those of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)
are stupendously large, a hundred and twenty million times as m***ive as a
hydrogen atom. With variations here and there, they intertwine in pairs, then
as spirals, often in a few thousand turns, forming a structure known as the
double helix. They are the most precious formations in the entire universe, for
they encode every bit of information pertaining to the throb of life. The
combined m*** of all DNA molecules on earth is minuscule compared to that of
the water in the oceans, but they are like the libraries in which are stored all
the information relevant to life.

Thus, science has uncovered that all that we see and feel in nature, admire and
enjoy, is like an incredibly complex building, constructed from a variety of
invisible bricks with specific properties. Some of the molecular configurations
at the basis of life have blossomed into myriad patterns of beauty and
complexity. Some of them are at the basis of the marvel of the human brain
from which emerge the wonders of mind, thought and creativity, as also the raw
p***ions of love and hate.

The religious vision of supernature has instigated great art, glorious music,
epic poetry, colorful festivals, magnificent architecture, and more. Scientific
understanding of subnature has led to some of the most fantastic wonders of
technology from LCD and lasers to computer chips, space ships that explore
distant planets, and much, much more.

Whether the notion of supernature emerges from subnature, or supernature creates
and sustains subnature, is at the crux of science-religion dialogues.

V. V. Raman
December 15, 2006

'Namah Sahasraakshaaya'

Salutations to Him with a thousand eyes.

Explanation:
One of the first spiritual experiences to occur when one undertakes
maunam (observing silence in contemplation) or in meditation is the
experience of seeing the 'eye'. This is seen when our physical eyes are
closed and in the inner sight a single kindly looking full of comp***ion
beautiful metaphysical eye is seen. When it is first experienced it is
usually brushed of as imagination. Later on it persists.

Later this 'eye' can be seen even with the physical eyes open. When the
'eye' is seen with eyes open, and then when our physical eyes are closed
the same 'eye' is seen in the inner sight. And vice versa. In other words
the image is seen whether our physical eyes is open or closed.

Much later on, we begin to have the experience of seeing many such
'eye' at the same time. When one is lying face up on the bed with the
physical eyes wide open, we see this 'eye' on each of the four walls and
many on the ceiling, all looking comp***ionately at the experiencer with
eyeball to eyeball contact. Wherever one looks the eye is there. Over time
one gets accustomed to it.

When pujas are conducted in the home shrines, we see many pairs of eyes
crowding around, and hovering around, and superimposed on, or above
the murthis in the shrine, and its observing the person doing the puja.
Presumably these are the eyes of the devas gathered for the puja. It seems
like you are a VIP and these 'eyes' are crowding around waiting to hear
from you like media reporters or like people waiting to get your
autograph. It is not a p***ing image but lasts for several minutes. The
'eye' watches each detail and the eyeball is seen moving from side to
side slowly observing each worshipper and the actions of the pujari in
presenting each item to the murthi. Everything is observed; whether
you are wearing a teeshirt, scratching yourself or shifting your legs.

This situation happens _all_ the time in _every_ home shrine _without_
exception except that in most cases the worshipper does not see it or
is unaware of it.

The eye can be seen all over the house and even when watching TV,
reading a book or even in the toilet. It gives the impression that we
constantly under watch and care, like under a closed circuit TV. A deep
sense of relief and contentment arises from within.

Many pilgrims to temples especially the temples in India like Palani have
had such experiences where they have seen the 'eyes' superimposed on
the Diety, and blinking, and have seen the lips too chanting along with
the priest while puja is going on.

Even later still the 'eye' is identified with a Being. Thus the 'the One with
a thousand eyes'. It has to be taken literally.

Its just that many people don't believe in the spiritual realm of
experiences but just worship perfunctorily, thereby miss these
experiences and readily conclude that temples and icons are mere
points of worship rather than the 'great doorways' to the inner
worlds where the Beings are seen. Murthis are space-time machines.
Too bad if the worshipper misses the 'inner show'.

All Hindus must strive to get to this stage which is the very beginning of
spiritual life and experiences.

A religion is a system of thought, belief, and practice, based on what its
followers regard as higher revealed truths. Religions several dimensions.
Religions differ in the expressions and structures of these dimensions.

First there is the doctrinal dimension. The doctrines of a religion refer to at
least four important aspects of its belief framework: cosmogenesis: how the
world came to be; anthropogenesis: how human beings came to be; eschatology:.
what happens to humans eventually (post mortem); the nature and attributes of
what is regarded as the Divine. [In non-theistic religions, there are equivalent
notions, such as bodhisattvas in Buddhism.] The roots of the doctrinal
dimensions are in sacred writings and sayings.

Next we have the ethical dimension. All religious prescribe what is good and
right conduct, and proscribe what is bad and wrong behavior. These rules could
be general as in the Ten Commandments; they could be presented as the preaching
of a sage or a prophet, as in the Dhammapada, the Sermon on the Mount, or as in
some chapters of the Bhagavad Gita; they could be very specific as in the
various dharma-shastras in the cl***ical Hindu world; or legally binding as in
the Sharia of the Islamic tradition.

The third dimension of religion consists of its aesthetic aspects. With every
major religion are ***ociated songs and symbols, art and sculpture and poetry
which enrich the culture. There is also magnificent architecture in places of
worship.

All these arise from what is perhaps the most important dimension of all
religions: the spiritual. This again finds expression in different modes, from
prayer directed to visualized representations of the Divine and collective
worship to abstract meditation on the unfathomable Mystery. One may also include
under this category rites and rituals, and the sacraments ***ociated with
birth, marriage, and death.

Religions also have a sacred historical dimension. Episodes relating to the
Buddha, the thirtankaras, Zoroaster, Krishna, Moses, Christ, Mohammed and Guru
Nanak, are examples. They may not stand the scrutiny of critical history's
microscope, but they carry great weight and meaning to the followers. A
disservice that science and Enlightenment have done to traditional religions is
to reduce sacred history into little more than imaginative and meaningful
stories in the traditions.

Then there is the social dimension. Religion is a collective institution. People
may have personal sets of beliefs and practice, but these don't constitute a
religion. A belief system becomes religion only when shared by a group, and
leads to practices ***ociated with the beliefs. The social aspect includes
collective prayers in places of worship, and gatherings in places of pilgrimage.
It is also there in feasts and festivals which reflect practically all the
dimensions of the religion: the doctrinal, the aesthetic, the spiritual, and the
sacred historical

When we talk about religions, it is good to bear in mind that religions are
complex systems with a variety of dimensions whose specific expressions might
change with time. Few religions persist with exactly the same doctrinal,
ethical, aesthetic, sacred-historical, and social manifestations as when they
first came to be. It is fair to say that the degree to which religions change
and adapt themselves to new knowledge and changing values reflects their
capacity to evolve. This capacity prevents religions from stagnating in
anachronistic and sometimes harmful modes with outworn beliefs. The challenge
for practitioners is to determine which elements of their religion need to
change, and which must be kept untouched to keep it meaningful and spiritually
fulfilling.

V. V. Raman
Wilmette, IL
December 18, 2006

Poetry is a pristine manifestation of the human spirit, and is rooted in
human culture and civilization. Its impact is inescapable, its ancient vestiges
are still powerful, and it resonates with our innermost being. Evocative poems
to the Divine are in all cultures. The goal of those literary compositions was
perhaps to persuade the deities into propitious actions. We find such appeals in
the majestic meters of Vedic verses, in Biblical psalms, in the divyaprapandam
in the Vaishnava tradition, and in other hymns and prayers in humanity's
heritage. The magic of religious poetry touches the soul, it transforms and
transports us to realms beyond space and time.

Naïve realism argues that reality is concrete stuff and naught else. But the
visions of ancient poets led to the flowering of art, architecture, and music.
The fabric of cl***ical Greek society was shaped by Homeric poetry, as that of
Indic culture was by Vedic visions.

The poet's painting sometimes renders more visible what the people already
know. A hundred poets have rhymed and sang about the horrors of Hell and the
glories of Heaven, about saints and God Himself. Dante's immortal Commedia is
a veritable guided tour of heaven and hell and in-between. Like the
Satya-narayan-katha, it also describes in spine chilling triads what awaits
sinners and those who don't bow to a particular God.

In all cultures poets narrated religion-related stories, cladding them
in colorful words. Poetic utterances often p***ed from age to age through rote
repetition. In our own times, not many learn to recite verses of even a dozen
lines. But all the lines of the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Iliad, the
Odyssey and the Üligers of Mongolia were once transmitted from generation to
generation through the oral tradition.

Epics played important roles in intertwining religion and culture. Through
their noble heroes they conjure up a splendid past when mighty men arose to
subdue the agents of mischief, fought valiant battles for truth and honor, and
stood tall after virtuous victories. The mind's eye and the heart's throb
perceive epic heroes as historical figures, and their accomplishments stir
people to cultural pride.

Virgil wrote an epic history of Rome with fantastic encounters between
Roman gods, and lifting up the spirit of every responsible Roman. Firdusi, the
Persian, constructed the immortal Shahnama in 120,000 lines for his beloved
land. He spoke of Gayamurth, Jamshid and Rustam who lived for centuries. The
sage-poet Valmiki gave the ideal hero of the Ramayana a birth date and birth
place. The day of Rama's birth is still observed in worship and devotional
singing. In the Tamil tradition we have Kandapuranam, leading to Kandasashti.

The grand epics narrate momentous sagas in majestic meters, but they also
infused the listeners with a sense of action and participation, sometimes
inspiring them to lofty ideals. When the heroic Hector declares in the Iliad,

Let me at least not die without a struggle, inglorious,

but do some big thing first, that men to come shall know of it,

a subtle value is imprinted in our minds: that we should aspire to do something
of significance in our lifetime. The events and heroes of the epics also infuse
the characters and episodes with historical authenticity.

These hoary narratives which reflect on life and morals, and refer to
divine interventions have touched the heart and mind of millions, giving
meaning and purpose to generations, and engendered feasts and festivals, are
among the cultural treasures of humanity, as precious as pyramids, temples,
cathedrals, pagodas and mosques.

V. V. Raman
December 21, 2006

In Tiruvadavur in South India there lived a pious Brahmin. He and his dutiful wife, due to merit earned in past lives, got a worthy son whom they named Vadavurar, after the native place.

As the child grew, his wisdom increased as well. Soon he had mastered all the scriptures. He also shone as the embodiment of all virtues and won the love and esteem of all. Even learned Pundits and saints were attracted by his personality and wisdom. The king of Madura, Arimardana Pandyan, heard of Vadavurar’s qualities and discovered that he was an all-rounder and was proficient in administration also. The king made him his Prime Minister. Even here Vadavurar shone with extraordinary brilliance and won the title of Tennavan Paramarayar.

As days p***ed, however, disp***ion grew in Vadavurar’s heart. He had realised the unreality of the world. To him everything was painful: birth, disease, death, rebirth, etc. He wanted to enjoy the eternal bliss of Sivanandam. Even while he was administering the affairs of the state, his mind was fixed on the Lotus Feet of the Lord. He would invite learned men and discuss with them the intricate points in the Vedas. Soon, he realised that a Guru was necessary for real spiritual progress. He longed to meet the real Guru. Whenever he went out on duty, he also searched for his Guru.

One day, while the king was holding his Court, the head of his cavalry entered and informed him that the cavalry needed immediate replenishment, as age, death and sickness had greatly depleted its strength. The king immediately ordered the purchase of good horses. The task of buying good horses from the right place was entrusted to Vadavurar. He was extremely happy, as he was sure that he would find his real Guru, during that tour. It was a God-sent opportunity for him. He offered sincere prayer to Lord Somasundarar in His temple and, besmearing His holy ash on his body and with His name on his lips, Vadavurar started on the errand of buying horses, with enough money. He reached Tiru Perunturai.

Lord Siva, Who is the Indweller of all hearts and so knew Vadavurar’s mental condition, had decided to take him to the divine fold. In the guise of a Brahmin and with a copy of the book Siva Jnana Bodam in his hand, the Brahmin was seated under a Kurunta tree near the temple at Tiru Perunturai. He was surrounded by others (the celestial servants in disguise). Vadavurar entered the temple and stood motionless before the Lord, in intense prayer. He shed tears of God-love. Then he went round the temple. Near the tree he heard the holy vibrations of the Lord’s Name (Hara, Hara) which melted his heart. The Brahmin’s magnetic personality attracted him. With overflowing love and devotion, Vadavurar ran to the Brahmin, as a calf to its mother, after a long separation: and he fell at the Brahmin’s feet.

By His grace, Vadavurar was able to recognise him as his real Guru. Holding his feet with his hands Vadavurar prayed: ‘Oh Lord, kindly accept me as your slave and bless me.’ The Lord was waiting for this! He cast a graceful glance on Vadavurar. This at once removed all his sins and purified his heart. Then the Lord initiated him into the divine mysteries of Siva Jnana. This very initiation entranced him. He tasted the divine bliss and was self-forgetfully absorbed in it. Then Vadavurar regained his consciousness and again fell at the Guru’s feet. He prayed: ‘Oh Lord, Who has come to initiate me into the divine mysteries! Oh Lord Who has captivated me by a mere look! Oh Lord Who has melted my mind! Oh Lord Who has made me surrender all wealth, body, mind and soul! Oh my Jewel! Oh Wealth Imperishable! Oh Ocean of Bliss! Oh Nectar of Immortality! Prostrations unto You!’ Singing His glories thus, Vadavurar removed all his belongings and offered all at the Feet of the Guru. He had become a Sanyasi. Smearing his body with sacred ashes, fixing his mind on the lotus feet of the Guru, Vadavurar plunged into deep meditation. When he awoke from this meditation, he was filled with an eagerness to sing the glories of the Lord. With love as the string and his nectarine words as the gems, he made a garland and offered it at the Guru’s feet. The Lord was highly pleased with it, and called him ‘Manickavachagar’ since the hymns sung by him were like gems in wisdom. The Lord asked him to stay on at that place, and disappeared.
Separation from the Lord and Guru, made Manickavachakar suffer intense pain and anguish. Soon, he consoled himself and lived in the remembrance of the Lord and Guru. The king’s servants who had accompanied Vadavurar thought that he had forgotten the mission, and, so, after waiting for a few days, gently reminded him. Manickavachagar sent them back to the king with the message that the horses would reach Madura within one month. When he heard of what had happened to Vadavurar, the king was angry: but, waited patiently for a month.

At Tiruperunturai, Manickavachagar was devoted to the Lord, forgetting the king and the mission: and he spent the money he had brought, in the construction of a temple. After waiting for a month, the king sent him an angry note reminding him that one should be as alert in dealing with the king as one would be when dealing with a cobra, and asking him to appear before the king at once. Manickavachagar was upset. He went to the temple. He prayed for the Lord’s protection. Moved by his sincere prayer, the Lord appeared in his dream that night in the same form of the Guru who initiated him and said: ‘Oh noble soul, fear not. I myself will bring the best horses to Madura. You can go in advance. Tell the king that the horses will arrive there on Avani Moolam.’ The Lord disappeared after placing a very costly diamond in his hands.

The next morning, Manickavachagar took leave of the Lord of Perunturai and donning his ministerial robes started for Madura. He bowed before the king and gave him the diamond. He explained: ‘Your Majesty, I have already purchased the horses for the entire money I had taken. I was waiting for an auspicious day on which to bring the horses here. Avani Moolam is an auspicious day. In the meantime, as commanded by Your Majesty, I have returned. The horses will reach here on the auspicious day.’ The king apologised to him for the rash note he had sent. Manickavachagar built a big stable for the horses.

His relatives, apprehensive of the real state of Manickavachagar’s mind, appealed to him to look after them and not to renounce the world. He laughed and said: ‘Oh friends, the day the Lord initiated me. I have offered everything at His Feet. I have now no relatives except the Lord and His devotees. I have no connection with this body, even. My only attachment is with the Lord Who is the remover of all our sins and bestower of Immortal Bliss. Birth is painful. Death is painful. Everything that is not connected with the Lord is painful. I do not worry about anything in the world now. I will beg happily with my palm as my begging bowl and appease my hunger with the food that is received by chance. When the earth is ready to give me shelter, why should I resort to a special dwelling place? The perfume I smear my body with is the sacred ash. My only belonging is the garland of Rudraksha which destroys the sins of many births. Oh friends, when I am under His protection, why should I fear anybody?’

With his thought fixed on the Lord, Manickavachagar was expecting the auspicious day. In the meantime, one of the ministers had told the king that in truth Manickavachagar had spent all the money in the construction of temples and that Manickavachagar’s statement was false. The king’s suspicion increased. He sent some messengers to Perunturai to see whether the horses were really there. They returned with a negative reply. Only two days remained now. The king did not get any information about the horses. So, he ordered his soldiers to torture Manickavachagar and get the money back. They informed Manickavachagar of all that had happened in the Court. He kept quiet. They tormented him, according to the king’s orders. He bore everything, fixing his mind on the Lord. The Lord Himself bore all the torture, and the Bhakta was relieved. The soldiers could not understand the secret of his endurance. They tortured him further! He prayed to the Lord. The Lord heard His Bhakta’s prayer and wanted to play His Lila. He willed that all the jackals of the place should ***ume the form of horses. He also sent His celestial servants to act as horsemen. He Himself ***umed the form of a trader in horses. He reached Madura. The dust raised by the gallopping horses filled the sky. The people were wonderstruck to see the fine horses. That day was Avani Moolam. The thought that he had unnecessarily tortured Manickavachagar pained the king’s heart. He at once released him and apologised to him. Both of them went to the place where the horses had been stationed. The king was happy to see the good quality of the horses. The merchant was also very handsome. Manickavachagar knew that it was the Lord Himself and so mentally prostrated to Him. The king’s servants led the horses to the stable.

Sivaya Namah

From: Selvaratnam Selvakumar

Lamentations over Vain Religious Disputes - Tayumanavar

In India especially among the Dravidian folks philosophical disputes were encouraged so that only TRUTH triumphs. There is a tendency for the human mind to fixate itself, and with that move in a definite groove without ever thinking seriously of other possibilities. The mind become closed and hence virtually dead.

In Sumerian literature, the Tamil of the First CaGkam, we find ample evidences to suggest that verbal disputes were institutionalized as part of the culture of the e-dub-ba the school for children. In Sulgi Hymn B we find Sulgi boasting that he encouraged freedom of speech in his ***embly.

In the Upanishads and Tolkaappiyam we find intelletual combats, the Tarkka institutionalized as part of important festivals.

So it is not surprising that Indian philosophical thinking has been very productive and which is so to this day. If there were a school of thought, a darsana as something solid and important and where we have a group of adherents identifying themsemves with it (and creating a caste of a kind) then there will emerge an alternative darsana quite opposed to that. This is how the philosophical thinking of the Dravidian folks developed and after the burst of Bakti there arose many different schools of thought seeking to spell out the relationship between the soul and BEING at the point of Moksa. Here we have some saying that the soul and BEING absolutely DIFFERENT and others saying that they dissolve all the differences and become the same. These are the Beeta and Abeeta schools of thoughts and which have produced endless disputes and whch continue to this day.

The solution was already there (perhaps shown initially by Buddha) that in Deep Silence the TRUTH is known and which cannot be expressed in words. The verbalization brings along with the ALIENATION of the soul and BEING and because of which there will be deitic thinking, the CudduNarvu as Meykandar observed. Once the soul transcends TIME and hence the referential understanding, the the-tic consciousness, the soul enjoys a SAMENESS with BEING and which is called Siddhadvaita.

The point is all differences dissolve and the various religious and philosophical disputes will be seem as childish once the soul practixes the reals tapas as Sukar did and enjoy the Deep Silence and with that shining resplendently with the Njaanam.

32.

[b]ootariya cukar poola een een enna
oruvar illaiyoo? Enavum uraippeeb taanee
beetam abeetaG kedavum oru peesaamai
piRavaatoo ? aal adiyiR periya moona
naatan oiru taram ulakam paarkka iccai
naNNaanoo> enTenRee naanaavaakik
kaatan miku maNiyizaiyaar ena vaaduRReen
oaruttaRintu puRapatu unmeet kadan mukkaalum[b]

Meaning:

There was the great Cukar who was very profound that it is very difficult to fathom his depths. Then noticing that there is no one of the caliber of Cukar now, I exclaim; why and why there are no such great philosophers? Then noticing that the little minds pretending to be profound enter into endless disputes about difference or non-difference about BEING and soul. I wish these people would enter the state of Deep Silemce and realize the absolute TRUTH that are beyond words. At this point I also implore the Great Siva who siiting beneath the Bodhi Tree taught the Njaanam through pulling the souls into Deep Silence would just have a desire to see all these vain things in the world. I wonder thus and in many other ways lamenting deeply like a young maiden in deep love lamenting over the absence of her lover. O my Lord! It is Your eternal duty to see such wishes of your devetess like myself and come to their rescue!

Appar in Manikkar: The Essential Autonomy of the Soul

It is very interesting to note in this verse of Manikkar the profound influence of the hymns of Appar especially the one that declares human freedom in very absolute terms. The very pregnant phrase “yam aarkkum kudi allom’ of Appar and which means “we are not subject to any one” declares the real and the most authentic essence of the soul where it is NOT bound by the rules of the political powers social and religious norms.

The soul that is totally individuated remains ABOVE all political and social obligations and hence frees itself from the dictates of a King priests and hence the political and religious rules of the country where the ordinary people are obliged to follow, suffering imprisonment and so forth once they are transgressed.

Perhaps in the whole of world history it was Appar who declared for the first time such a unique and fundamental essence of the human soul - a far cry from the Brahmin dominated VarNasrama Dharma that throws millions into perpetual slavery to the priestly and the royalties and all in the name of Vedic Dharma or simply Hindu Dharma, a mischief that continues to this day.

Appar declared and Manikkar recalls here that man in NOT subject to such political and religious leadership and that there is NOTHING to FEAR in declaring one’s own fundamental autonomy.

But what is the source of such an immense courage and which became lost with the decline of Sacred Tamil with its displacement with Sk literature that never fails to inculcate the evil VD?

As mentioned by Manikkar where in thus verse he recalls the essence of that immortal Patikam, once the soul locates itself as the subject of BEING Himself and who is NOT subject and subservient to any other power, then the soul has also no other powers - kings, priests, gods and what not- as its lord and whom they have to follow serve etc.

Manikkar despite being born a kind of Brahmin, eschews the whole of Brahmanism and acknowledges his indebtedness to Appar and how he also, like Appar, became individuated and absolutely FREE and FEARLESS

BEING- as- Siva is not an enslaving God but rather one who free the soul from all bondages and enjoy dancing in the joy of being absolutely FREE. Soba is freedom itself and hence He develops also human freedom.

10.

Teevar koo aRoyaata teeva teevan
cezumpozilkaL payantu kaattu azikkum maRai
muuvar koonaay ninRa Mutalvan, Muurtti
muutaatai maatu aaLum paakattu entail
yaavar koon; ennaiyum vantu aadkoNdaan
yam aarkkum kudiy alloom yaatum anjcoom
meevinoom avan adiyaar adiyaarodu
meen meelum kadaintu aadi aaduvoomee!

Meaning:

My Lord Siva is One not known fully even to Indra the King of the gods and who is in fact the God of the gods. He is the Supreme Power who brings forth fertile lands maintains them and then destroys them, Himself remaining indestructible in all these. Because of this He stands as the King of the Brahma VishNu and Rudra the gods of the three primordial processes. He is also the primordial source of all illuminations that are the icons- the muurtties. He stands also as One who holds as an equal part of Himself the Woman who generates all the different generations of all the species. Such a One, the Lord unto all also overpowered and made me (as Appar declared) fully autonomous, subject to no one and also fearing nothing in declaring it. Thus fully freed from all bondages, I joined the servants of the servants of Siva dancing merrily bending and winding even more.

Art is humanity's creative expression of profoundly experienced truths in ways
that are aesthetically fulfilling, spiritually uplifting, and easily shared with
others. Given that religions also embody deeply felt truths and have a
collective dimension, it is not surprising that there have been artistic
creations in all religious traditions.

The grand temples beautifying India's landscape from Kashmir to Kanya Kumari are
magnificent works of art. Their extensions into Laos, Kampuchea and other
regions in the cl***ical world, and into Europe and America in the modern, show
how art, like the religious spirit, can move from land to distant land. The same
is true of the awe-inspiring cathedrals of Europe which are marvels of religious
architecture. Their majesty should invoke reverence in all but the most
hard-hearted. And what to say the magnificent mosques of Islam! The one in
Cordoba - now a relic of a by-gone era and tourist site - is but one instance of
their breath-taking grandeur Or again, consider the glorious Golden Temple of
the Sikhs wherein is enshrined the original of the Holy Book of the tradition.
One can go one and on, referring to Buddhist pagodas, Jain temples, Shinto
shrines, and more.In all places of worship, the faithful came by the hundreds to
pay homage to the Unfathomable.

Innumerable sculptures have been chiseled to transform amorphous alloy and rock
into replicas of gods and deities and saints worthy of reverence. Then there are
frescoes and paintings, in Ajanta and in the Sistine Chapel, in ancient Egyptian
tombs and in countless basilicas, all inspired by religion. Religions have also
given rise to individual artistic creations ranging from rangoli (Hindu) to the
adorning of Christmas trees.

There was/is stringent prohibition of figures and figurines in the religious
context of Islam, inspired by the Jewish commandment against graven images. Some
scholars believe that such an inhibition was also there in the early phases of
Buddhism. But as geometrical patterns, balanced symmetry, and beautiful
calligraphy, in carvings and weaving, some of the finest works of art have
originated from the Islamic world of Syria, Persia, Iraq, Turkey, and Egypt. At
one time they flooded European countries, and enriched with their artistry even
church adornments,

In the Christian world, based often one Pope Gregory's idea that the written
word is for the learned, and pictures are for the illiterate, religious
depictions were the rule. But since Giotto in the 14th century and the
Renaissance there came about an outburst of masterpieces of painting that
portrayed with extraordinary depth and color scenes and personages from the
Bible and the saints of the tradition.

In the Hindu world there had been mystical art in various regions, and
sculptures of epic episodes for centuries, as in Mahabalipuram. But in the 19th
century Raja Ravi Varma revolutionized Hindu art by painting epic scenes and
divine figures in modes that were not unlike in European paintings. They have
had tremendous impact on how modern Hindus visualize Rama and Krishna, Sita and
Radha, Sarasvati and Lakshmi.

If religions inspired great works of art, some heinous crimes of art-destruction
have also been committed by mindless iconoclasts in the name of their religion..
Temples have been destroyed and religious symbols desecrated by the fanatical
followers of a faith that brooks no representation of the Divine. The most
recent example of such barbarity and crime against humanity was the destruction
of the Hadda sculptures during the civil war, and the Taleban's vandalism of
the two tall Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001 in Afghanistan.

The human mind is like a soil where the most beautiful flowers and the most
venomous weeds can grow.

Love and Metaphysical Insights

In the long history of Indian civilization that includes also the Harappan Sumerian and so forth, the chief quest has been metaphysical and perhaps no path has been overlooked in that search. Very early the Rishis recognized that there is already the Njaanam deep in their soul but just present without being fully resplendent. So there were many heroic attempts to make this Njaanam shine forth brilliantly in the soul so that the soul is freed of the quest for metaphysical illuminations, the most fundamental PURPOSE of existence and which constitutes the Moksa.

VaLLalaar notes that this Njaanam, the Pure Consciousness shines in the lofty metaphysical realms of Cin Patam, also the CiRRambalam, the Tillai, the Til Mun of the Sumerians, the Paradise where there is only purity and love unto all.

Thus anyone who does not cultivate Love and Comp***ion will not access this lofty realms where once accessed the Njaanam will shine forth on its own.

But who are those who, despite their earnest desire, go the wrong way?

First are the peculiar kind of yogis who torture their body mercilessly by standing on needles in the midst of blazing fire, fasting and refusing to sleep and hence with the body that becomes so thin that the bones can be seen. Such people also strive to cut off all the five senses so that no information from the world fo not reach their soul.

BEING remains concealed to such people because such yogis do not LEARN at all. Their efforts are misdirected as their understanding is led to suffocate and remain closed.

Next come those who spend all their time in the serious studies of scriptures claiming that the Njaanam is there and anyone who understands the scriptures will understand it. In India the typical Vedic Brahmins are exemplars of such individuals. They remain forever trapped as they do not go beyond WORDS and hence cannot even get a glimpse of Njaanam which is beyond words.

Then comes the Munivar, the Rishies who spend their time in many tapas and many other yogas quite indifferent to the world at large. Such yogis are lost in their quests and remain because of that, BLIND to the happenings around that demand the expression of LOVE and COMP***ION but which they refuse.

BEING remains distant and quite beyond the reach of such individuals for the simple reason Njaanam comes only with LOVE and those who do not cultivate love are also denied this Njaanam. This applies even to the celestial beings who are forever in search of Amutu and always in combat with Asuras because of that.

56,

kaRpaGkaL palakoodi cellat tiiya
kanalin naduvee uuciyin meel kaalai uunRip
poRpaRa mey uNavinRi uRakkaminRip
pularntu elumbu pylappada aumpoRiyai oombi
niRpavarku olittu, aRaiiku oLittu yooka
niiN munivarkku oLittu amarku oLittu meelaam
ciRpatattil vinmayamaay niRaintu njaanat
tiruvaaLar udkalanta teeva teevee

Meaning:

O Maha Deva!

There are many yogis who practice very severe penances where they stand firmly on sharp needles in the midst of burning fire, remain foodless and sleepless without worrying about their body which loses its luster and becomes weak and thin where even the bones show up. They also guard their five senses so that the information form the world is not allowed to enter their mind. To such people You remain very distant and inaccessible, hiding Yourself from them, You do the same with those who pour over the scriptures, to the rishis who with ardent and severe tapas remain forgetful of the world around. You also remain as such even for the celestial beings (who are always in search of Amutu), But for those who develop LOVE unto all, You lift them to the realm of Pure Consciousness and fill them with Your great presence so that they glow in Njaanam.

Politics involves the grabbing, wielding and sharing of power. It is generally
***ociated with governments, but it can be part of any institutionalized
system. It is therefore not surprising that all through history
institutionalized religions have also had a political side. Sometimes they have
usurped, sometimes competed with, governments for power over the people.

Religions regard laws as coming directly from God. That is why a government
that is based on such laws (the Ten Commandments, the Bible, the Sharia, etc.)
is described as theocracy (Rule by God). Usually such countries are not tolerant
of religions that don’t subscribe to their own holy book. There are some member
countries of the United Nations which prohibit religions they don’t regard as
valid. Some Islamic countries are notorious for such violations of the basic
human right of religious belief. Hindus, Bahais and Zoroastrians are all banned
from such countries.

In ancient India, Hindu kings often had religious men as their counselors: the
illustrious Vasishtha and Vishvamitra were among them. Councils to formally
promulgate the teachings of the Buddha have been formed since ancient times in
the Buddhist world. However, though Tibet was once a theocratic state under the
Dalai Lama, it was tolerant of others religions in its midst.
The cl***ic trial of Socrates in ancient Greece was an early instance of
confrontation between government and a religious leader.
Until the Middle Ages,
the Roman Catholic Church wielded power over European kings and lords.

Derelictions from the Church’s pronouncements were not brooked. The practice led
to the notorious Inquisition. In some cases, representatives of the Church had
to choose between the Pope and the King as the higher authority. Thomas Becket’s
decision to put Pope Alexander III on a higher pedestal over King Henry II of
England cost him his life. Protestant monarchs who broke away from Papal
authority, established their own versions of the church, and made themselves
head of the church also, often ***uming a Divine Right of kings.

The establishment of the caliphate after Mohammed’s death saw the emergence of
a vast empire which divided the world into Dar-al-Islam (where the Sharia ruled)
and Dar-al-Kufr (where unbelievers ruled). The Caliphs were Commanders of the
Faithful.

Karl Marx famously called religion the opium of the m***es: a sedative to
exploit the common people. Many minds have been enslaved by narrow religious
doctrines and charismatic religious leaders. But mistaking religions for
spiritual fulfillment led to atheistic and pseudo-socialist regimes, such as the
Soviet Union, Nazi Germany and Maoist China which perpetrated more genocidal
crimes than all theocracies put together.

The United States was the first country to incorporate the principle of
separation of church and state in its constitution. The secularist principle is
that no religion, ruled by this scripture or that dharmashastra, this acharya or
that bishop, will have authority in the governance of the nation. However, some
traditional religious values and perspectives are implicit in the laws and
ideals of secularist countries. Also, beliefs and non-hurtful practices of
religions as also non-religions and anti-religions are given equal rights in the
land.

In recent decades, even in some secular countries the more ardent religious
enthusiasts are trying to insinuate themselves and their doctrines into
governmental affairs. They are not content with providing spiritual anchor to
the faithful. They wish to enforce their particular convictions in the
promulgation of statutory laws. This can become unhealthy because some
traditional religious perspective are anachronistic, and are linked to parochial
doctrines which don’t always have universal appeal or relevance.

BEING is Beyond All Religions

If there is something very useful and quite lasting in its world importance from Tamil culture, it is the notion of Transcendence of Religions that they speak about so eloquently and for at least for the two thousand years.

Over and above the intensive philosophic battles the Tamil philosophers have conducted against the criminal VarNasrama Dharma and which is promoted to this day as Hindu Dharma, as part of Sanatana Dharma and so forth, they have also battled vigorously against religious fanaticism and violence that we see among the various religions to this day.

Such battles that have been waged even in India for millenniums slowly but surely opened up their eyes and made them see that BEING (God) is beyond all religions and that the best of the mystics eschewed religious fanaticism and promoted being ABOVE all religions and which goes by the name of Indian secularism at its best.

This deep truth comes out in this final verse as another Secret of Sitambaram, a metaphysical truth that is axiomatic, a truth that is already in the bosom of all.

It was Tayumanavar more than any other Tamil philosopher who devoted many verses to this theme despite him being a staunch Saiva Siddhantin who was very deeply influenced by Meykandar in addition to all the great Saiva saints of the Bakti movement. It is the Fundamental Ontology- the greatest achievement of the philosophic Tamils that can in fact make one understand that BEING is vaakku manaatiita koosram, a movement that cannot be captured by the mind and words.

The Way of life where BEING is seen as the one who created countless number of religions but Himself remaining above all of them, is the AruL Marabu, the Way of Life of Love and Comp***ion. Each religion embodies a certain truth but arrests the mind so that it remains a slave to certain scriptures, rituals and icons. However BEING-as-Siva, the destroyer, destroys such enslavements and freeing the mind makes the soul TRANSCEND all religious but only after benefiting from each. Thus a Saivite understands all religions, has a metaphysical space for setting out every religion but he remains essentially ABOVE all of them with hatred towards none. There is an attitude of ‘letting it be’ in the sense that if a person wants to follow a certain religion then let him do so. When he lives that religion BEING is there in that religion as the Deep Structure and who in due course will perform the Diksa from within and makes him arise ABOVE all religions.

Such individuals who are open and accept all religious but without belonging to any is the Adi-taar, those who are devoted to serve BEING in whatever Way that is possible and impelled by BEING within

Tayumanavar is thankful to BEING for helping him to bring into words the camayaatiitam, matatiitam and so forth - the transcendence of religions.

The Adiyar is not the arrogant Brahmin a Prophet a Messiah and so forth but simply an ordinary person deeply in love with BEING and lives a life of love and comp***ion unto all, sometimes even battling vehemently against the evils in society even in the name of religion,

The Tamil culture has seen many individuals who are superficially irreligious but deeply are really so such as Periyar of recent times. (Though his followers, as usual, have become a degenerate lot)

33.
Kaalamodu reesa varttanmaana aati
Kalantu nin nilai vaazi! karuNai vaazi!
Maal aRavunj saiva mutal mataGkaLaaki
Mataatiitamaana aruL marabou vaazi!
Saala mikum eLiyeen iv vazakku peesat
Tayavu vaittu vaLartta aruL tanmai vaazi!
aaladiyiR paramakuru vaazi! Vaazi!
akaNdita aataara aruL adiyaar vaazi!

Meanning:

Praise is to BEING who despite being above all has descended upon the historical world and remains one with it creating temporality ecological grounds of various sorts and various kinds of processes! Praise to the KINDNESS that is shown by BEING here! There is the tradition of Love and Comp***ion and which transcends all religions. Praise is to BEING who has created the world religions from Saivism to many others to help human beings to gain metaphysical illuminations but who stands ABOVE all religions promoting the transcendence of all of them. I am also full of gratitude to BEING for blessing me with the task of talking about this transcendence of religions and its importance. I praise BEING who taught the Njaanam as the TadciNaamurtti sitting beneath the Bodhi tree pulling all into Deep Silence to enjoy the Njaanam. Praise also to the devotees who have destroyed their finitude and have arisen with a universality of understanding so that there are no more prejudices!

This is why you were born. The one and only reason why you are existing in your material body is first to unfold into your clear white light....

... then penetrate deeper and deeper, touch into the Self, become a knower of the Self, Satchidananda, and then deeper still into nirvikalpa samadhi, Self Realization, preparing for the next steps on the cl***ical yoga path --moksha, freedom from rebirth, and vishvagrasa, merging with Siva.

The aesthetic dimension of religion finds expression in different ways. One is
through music. The Vedas of the Hindu world are said to be the earliest
religious hymns in humanity?s cultural history. And they are chants: verses
sung, often in groups, as per canonically prescribed intonations. The Sama Veda
is entirely musical in construction. In Hindu mythopoesie, there are said to be
minstrels in Heaven (the gandharvas). In the Vaishnava tradition, Sri Chaitanya
sang exhilarating melodies dedicated to the Divine, which sent him in a trance.

The composer-saint Thyagaraja, like his counterpart Johann Sebastian Bach in the
Christian tradition, carved out the gana-marga or musical path for spiritual
fulfillment. Collective devotional singing called bhajans and
divya-nama-sankirtanam induce ecstatic experience.

In a Buddhist treatise on the Perfection of Great Wisdom we read: "the
Bodhisattvas make use of beautiful music to soften people's hearts. With their
hearts softened, people's minds are more receptive, and thus easier to educate
and transform through the teachings." In the Buddhist tradition, music is part
of ceremonial offerings. In the Chinese Buddhist tradition, Emperor Wu of Liang
Dynasty composed musical pieces to propagate dhamma. He also initiated choirs
for children. We are reminded of the medieval Pope Innocent VI who composed the
Eucharistic hymn Ave verum corpus.

In the Judaic tradition, music is given high place. Its role in spiritual
experience is fully recognized. Jewish prophets and mystics sang inspired tunes,
called nigunim. Already in ancient Jerusalem music was part of the worship
service in Jewish temples. One of the psalms in the Old Testament says: "Praise
the LORD with harp: Sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten
strings. Sing unto him a new song..."

The Christian tradition has some of the most beautiful music in humanity's
heritage. Not just the Gregorian chants which have their counterparts elsewhere,
but pieces like Bach's P***ion which movingly conveys Christ's suffering;
Exultate Jubilate which Mozart wrote when he was barely seventeen; and the
Messiah during whose composition, Handel said, "I think I did see all Heaven
before me and the great God himself." A Non-Christian could exclaim that the
birth and crucifixion of Christ was worth it because they gave rise to music of
such magnificence.

And yet, whereas in the Eastern religions music is regarded as always great and
sublime, in the Abrahamic traditions, one makes a distinction between acceptable
and unacceptable music, often depending on the theme in a song or in the use of
instrument. There is often the fear that certain types of music could corrupt
the mind. As late as in the 19th century, some churches did not allow
instrumental music in their services, except perhaps for the organ. Nowhere is
this attitude more explicit than in Islam. According to one Muslim scholar,
"music is haram in Islam, while songs without music is (sic) halal if the words
are halal? He goes on to say that music is Satanic. Indeed it is/was believed
by some in these religions Satan inspires the composition of certain music. The
famous violinist and composer Paganini was suspected of having made a pact with
the devil to enable him to write his tempestuous music. For this alleged
offence his bones were removed from his grave. By and large, Christianity and
Judaism have overcome such negative attitudes, but some orthodox Jews are still
touchy about the themes of songs.

Music is certainly one of the most pleasing of art forms. Singing, however
crudely, is within reach of everyone. Besides the auditory pleasure it gives,
music stirs the soul, be it a national anthem or a religious invocation. So it
has played a role in religious traditions.

V. V. Raman
12 Jan 2007

The Hymns of Humble Appar 1-1

The Sources and Human Intelligence and Competence

One of the objects of Fundamental Ontology that was brought into words by the giants of Tantric spirituality like Tirumular Namazvar and so forth is that of MALAM, the Metaphysical Darkness that makes the anmas BLIND and hence unable to SEE anything at all. This metaphysical notion is as ancient as the Sumerian Suruppak’s NeRi ( c. 3000 BC). The Sumerian philosophers have also noted that whatever human competence, including the technical skills like inventing a script for writing down language is there only because BEING emerges in the depths of the soul as the Inner Sun that violates the inner darkness and let there be the light of Intelligence ( Utu ude-a uRu iGanamee aam - 505 Enmerkar and Araata)

Appar interprets his own intelligence against a metaphysical understanding as founded by this Fundamental Ontology and in that also records a continuity with the Sumerian philosophers.

Here Appar contrasts his present ability to compose metaphysically illuminating verses in chaste Tamil with his earlier state of incompetence for such skills. He also laments his inability to understand and appreciate the various divine arts and sciences that have been honed to perfection by continuous reflections on them

But now he can as the voluminous verses he has composed would indicate.

How has this transform come about?

He notes here, just as the ancient Sumerians that it is because of BEING who with a LOVE like that of mother and father and in shape of Cezunjcudar, brilliant and benevolent light, has ERUPTED into the depths of his soul and destroying the BLINDNESS and hence metaphysical ignorance there has transformed him into a competent soul capable of all that he lacked initially.

Not only that. Appar also recognizes that BEING stays one-with and along-with him always showing continuously deeper and deeper truths so that he evolves and develops as an individual enjoying competencies that are novel.

This kind of progress is again like climbing up a hill and reaching BEING in the shrine at the top and in the form of Illuminating Light.

Against the metaphysics of total BLINDNESS as that which is intrinsic to the souls, it turns out that whatever intelligence and competence a person enjoys is a BLESSING of BEING an nothing else. A person cannot be intelligent and competent on his own efforts.

Thus with this realization of his total dependence for whatever competence he enjoys to BEING, he becomes extremely HUMBLE towards BEING

1.

panniya centamiz aRiyeen kaviyeen maaddee
eNNoodu paN niRainta kalaikaLaaya
tannanaiyum tan tiRattaRiyaap poRiyileenait
tan tiRamum aRivittu neRiyuG kaadi
annaiyaiyum attaniyaiyum poola anbaay
adaiteenait todarntu ennai aaLaak koNda
ten eRubiyuur malameel maaNikkattai
cezunj cudaraic cenRadaiyap peRReen naanee

Meaning:

I am because of my inherent ignorance, not familiar with the beautiful cl***ical Tamil. I also lack the necessary competence to compose hymns and poems in that idiom. I am also ignorant of the sciences of numbers and the various musical and artistic traditions full of fine rhythms. I am also ignorant of BEING and His various functions and guNas, but nevertheless BEING overpowered me and on His own accord informed me of His essences showing also the Way of Moksa nurturing me all along like my own father and mother with love and care. This all happened only because I happened to go to ERumbiyuur and worshipped BEING as the crest jewel in the temple at the hill top there.

Loga

Modernity deals with the secular whereas religions deals with the sacred
- the relationship between man and god. They are 'deemed competitor'
because they both wish to draw attention of the 'consumers' away from the
other; modernity externalises awareness, religions internalises it. In this
they are competitors.

In so far as human values in our relationship between man and man, I
think in this day and age, religions and modernity mostly overlap and reinforce each other. Modernity
also serves to keep religions in check with reason and rationale. It dispels
superstition and blind belief with juxtapositions of stark reality and
demonstrable science. Religions serves to check modernity in that it
attempts to cap and roll back 'total externalising' making sure that human
values are not eroded. Both feed on each other too. Its a loop.

Therefore religion and modernism complement, supplement and compete with each other at
the same time. As to our competance in our strategic areas of concern, we
slack and stagnate far too often to our own detriment, and in this regard I
say that we should allow modernity larger space and depth, a sort of
strategic withdrawal, so as to allow modernity to drive out the vestiges of
medievalism that Hinduism reeks of, and which some sections sing of.

I would like to see India attain political, economic and social modernity in
the likes of the Netherlands, Japan, Korea and Scandinavia. Koreans and
Japanese are highly religious people inspite of their modernisation.

TirumuRai 6:91

The Hymns of Humble Appar 1-2

BEING and the Different Icons

The best of Dravidian philosophers or mystics like Appar here, while they appreciate different icons deities and so forth but they do not become excessively sectarian and promote their sects by belittling others. The reason for this very tolerant view of the matter is that they have witnessed BEING as Pure Light and which is the form of BEING at the deepest.

There can be countless number of icons deities but at the deepest of the deep Structures of all these is the BEING-as-Pure-Radiance. So when they see a certain deity, say VishNu, at the deepest level they also see the non-figural Pure Radiance. When they see all deities along these lines, with a DUALIITY of structure then they perceive a SAMENESS despite a surface level difference. This accounts for their tolerance of different deities.

Now Appar adds a profound insight as to why such a metaphysical understanding is not that commonly available and which causes noisy sectarian violence.

BEING implants Himself as the Pure Radiance in the shadows of all souls i.e within the part that is taken up by the Mummalam, fetters or Paacaas that introduce a BLINDNESS. But this Inner Radiance already available in the soul of all, is blocked off by the ARROGANCE or EGOISM caused by these paacaas. Thus they become the Asuras like Salantaran, those who readily make loud noise, become clamorous and seek to defeat any contrary view by drowning them with their abuse verbal dominance and so forth. Thus BEING ***umes the form of Paacupata, the one who destroys the Paacaas so that such individuals learn to withdraw into themselves and begin to witness BEING-as-Pure Light already available deep within their soul.

Once this is accomplished then all the icons like Indira VishNu Brahma Rudra and so forth are seen simply as various presentational forms of BEING and who destroys the differences created by such icons by presenting Himself as the most neutral Pure Light, an experience of BEING that is common to all great mystics throughout the world and from very ancient times.

2.
paLiGkin nizal udpatitta cootiyaanai
pasupatiyai paacupata veedattaanai
viLittezunata slantaranai viiddinaanai
veetiryanai viNNavanai meevi vauyam
aLantavanai naanmukanai allal tiirrkum
arumaruntai aamaaRu aRinteen uLLan
teLintu eRumbiyuur malaimeel maaNikkattaic
cezunjcudarai cenRu adaiyap perreen naanee!

Meaning:

BEING has implanted Himself as a Pure Radiance in the depths of the soul like in the shadows of a crystal. He is also Pasupati, the Lord of all souls bonded by the fetters, the Paacaas. He also has generated the figure of one who seeks to destroy the fetters so that souls can become free of them. There is the Asura Salantaran the clamorous and who was defeated by Him and made to be silent. He is the Lord of scriptures, the celestial beings, the One who measured out the entire manifest world i.e VishNu, the Brahma and so forth. He ***umes all these iconic forms to destroy the ignorance and because of which He is the rare but very powerful medicine. I understood all such deep truths of BEING only because I ascended the hill of ERumbiyuur where Siva stays as the Jewel and Great Radiance.

The Mystery of the Play of BEING

The concept of TiruviLayaadal or the Leella of BEING is how the Dravidian metaphysicians understand the happenings in the world as well as the existence of all. BEING is a DANCER, a player of Sacred Games where He enacts dramas after dramas with His Sakti and all for the pedagogic purpose of teaching the ignorant souls the Njaanam so that they can be redeemed. To redeem is to INFORM them and the existential struggles of various kinds are in fact various kinds of dramas enacted by BEING so that souls caughtt in that dramas LEARN whether they like it or not. We can call this the existential learning which is also the most primordial kind of learning.

When the individuals are full of Ego, they remain egocentric where they understand that whatever that happens to them is their own making, a result of their own actions and so forth. So when they fail, they ascribe the failure to themselves and suffer chronic depressions and so forth . But in the course of such experiences they gradually begin to understand that there is an AGENT within their own human agency and that it is only seemingly that soul is the agent but actually it is BEING who is the real AGENT. BEING plays a skillful game whereby by concealing Himself but remaining the real agent, He leads the souls to imagine that they are in fact the real agents and so forth.

As BEING discloses Himself gradually so that the souls begin to understand the PLAY of BEING everywhere including in his own existence, an utter bewilderment takes over and he ends up respecting BEING more than ever.

Now VaLLalaar notes here that long before individuals become spiritually matured they enjoy a misplaced courage and confidence that they can explore this vast universes and fathom all the workings in it. They believe they can count the enormous range of individuals, their shapes dynamics and so forth. They also believe that they can explore the various galactic systems that are organized into a helical form with one galaxy giving birth to another and so forth. They also affirm they can see how the different souls acquire different biological forms and so forth.

However when it comes to seeking the various games BEING plays, they are completely lost to fathom them to their utter dissatisfaction. BEING turns out wholly mysterious, just too deep to spell out clearly who He is what kind of games He plays, when He would play what game and so forth.

This si the dawn of spiritual wisdom - they bow down before the MYSTERY of BEING and begin to worship Him in all humility awaiting for His grace and nothing else.

63.
antarmum iGky aRivoom maRRu atani; aNdam
adukkadukkaay amanita uLa vaRivoom aGkee
untum pala panda nilai aRivoom ciivan
Urra nilai aRivoom maRRaianittu naaddum
Entail ninatu aruL viLaiyaaddu antoo antoo!’
eL aLavum aRintilool enRu
munti anantan maRaikaL elaam vaaztta ninRa
muzumutalee anbar kuRai mudikkum teevee!

Meaning

O Maha Deva!
There are many who claim that they can explore the vast space and understand everything in it. They also claim that they can measure out the various galactic systems and how they remain packed on top of one another in a helical progression and so forth. They also claim they can count the various individual objects and the sources of their dynamics and so forth. They also claim that they understand quite well how the different souls acquire different biological natures and survive in different ecological regions and so forth. But what the ancient scriptures affirm is the mystery that surrounds the GAMES You play and because of which all these happen. They remain praising You as the Primordial Cause and the LOVING Power who would remove all the miseries of all.

The Hymns of Humble Appar 1-5

The Indeterminacy of BEING and the Humility it Breeds

One of the root mythical tales that Appar and other Nayanmars mention quite frequently is that of the defeat of Brahma who flies on his swan and VishNu who digs deep down as the Boar through a presentation of Himself as a huge Pillar of Flame that has no bottom or terminus. The action of Brahma is that human beings who venture into the manifest world, the Sky and studying it as the only way to determine the essence of BEING. This also can be taken as an attitude where scriptural exegetics and theological speculations as well as the exploration of the unconscious can completely REVEAL the essence of BEING. Both are defeated by BEING by showing Himself as an immeasurable FLAME without any point of origin and termination. The point is BEING shows Himself here as the wholly INDETERMINATE and always a SURPLUS never to be completely grasped by thinking alone.

So the human penchant for determinacy in whatever way in relation to BEING is defeated and in that defeat the human intellect itself vanquished. The human mind is let just to wait for the GRACE of BEING and in that truly humble in relation to BEING, something Appar is well known for. He overcomes the human penchant for determinate knowledge and becoming truly humble and awaits for the GRACE of BEING to fall upon him for further metaphysical illuminations having understood very well that whatever he enjoys is in fact a GIFT of BEING and nothing else. Thus he becomes like the Muni-s, the truly illuminated individuals who simply praise BEING and leaves it to BEING to dispense them with wisdom as He pleases and sees fit.

Now in this connection what is the function of music and dance that are instituted by BEING as the most becoming religious rituals?

The aesthetical arts like singing and dancing subdue the analytical mind and lead it to experience the world in terms of FEELINGS. When man forgets himself by his complete absorption in the melodies of the songs and rhythms of the dance, not only his mind but his soul as well is transported into a metaphysical realm where being in it itself is already is a way of acquiring the germs of metaphysical insights that can later be brought into words and so forth. Thus THINKING becomes a secondary activity - something that ought to follow the primordial and primary dancing and singing which alone transports the soul into new and deeper metaphysical ecologies. When such DIRECT singing and dancing is forsaken and the mind is made to preoccupy itself with THINIING alone, we do not have such ecological transportations but only vain and endless disputes sometimes even violent.

Now such violence in religious matter is to be met with violence and for promoting which BEING becomes the dancer of the War Dance where He rains the sharp -pointed Trisuulam in the heart of all. There is the birth anger indignation and hence all kinds of conflicts and combats but eventually raising the question of RIGHTEOUSNESS.

BEING is absolutely PURE ( Nimalan) and therefore the combats he installs also lead people towards becoming PURE and CLEAN and in that truly HUMBLE.

5.

paaridaGkaLudan paadap payinRu naddam
payilvaanai ayilvaay suulameenti
neeridum poor mikavalla nimalan tannai
ninmalanai ammalarkoNdu ayanum maalum
paaridantum meeluyarntuG kaaNaavaNNam
parantaanai nimirntu muni kaNangkaL eettunj
siir eRumbiyuur malameel maaNikkattaic
cezunjcudaraic cenRadaiyap peRReen naanee

Meaning

BEING installs Himself becoming the DANCER, singing and dancing among all. He also becomes the very powerful war dancer shooting His very sharp Trisuul (to defeat all arrogant individuals). Now He is absolutely Pure and Clean and in order to make even Brahma and VishNu pure and clean as such, he defeats them by showing Himself as the immeasurable FLAME that has no beginning or end. Brahma who flies into sky (on his vehicle of white swan) and VishNu who digs deeps (as the Boar) fail in their attempts to the fathom the real essence of BEING. Those illuminated individuals, understanding all these, simply remain praising the glories of BEING, awaiting for His Grace for any further metaphysical illuminations. Today I was fortunate enough to climb up the hill of the beautiful ERumbiyuur and witness for myself the gem-like BEING over there as the everlasting flame of such merits.

The Hymns of Humble Appar 1-6

The Birth of Mantra Worship and Sivalokam

The body of BEING is Mantrat Tirumeeni, i.e. a mantra complex as said by Tirumular in many places.  It appears the worship of BEING in terms of mantras such as Si-Vaa-Ya-Na-Ma and finally the Primordial Logos Om is something that became very closely ***ociated with the worship of BEING-as-Siva and something that was not focused upon in the worship of Brahma VishNu and Indra and so forth. These religions remained fixated to Icon Worship and hence unable to rise above the non-iconic Mantra Worship and Mantra Thinking.

Now the most sophisticated among these is Sri VaishNavism and which expounds VaikuNdam as the Paradise but viewed as the most excellent life full of happiness and where the souls becoming Krishnas and Gopies enjoy a life of pure love and romance. Ultimately this is a form of life within ***uality but certainly pure and clean - it depicts an ideal kind of earthly life where along with ***uality LOVE rules the human relationship driving away all miseries of life. The Indira worship in the past was mainly in terms of Indra Viza, a month long festival and even now the VishNu worship promotes a form of religious life where festivals after festivals are celebrated. Such ‘vaibavam’(celebration) is extended even to the Acaryas so much so that a serious VaishNava bakta will spend all his time celebrating such vaibavams.

Now Appar notes  even this kind of life is a blessing like showers of the dark clouds in the sky - a spontaneous aruL on the part of BEING. And most importantly, the ***uality that such festivals presuppose is a GIFT of BEING who roams around the world on His Majestic White Bull , the symbol of virility that was also celebrated as such in Sumeria and many other ancient cultures.

But despite all these BEING-as-Siva does not remain confined to icon worship. His essence is the Mantra Om, the One Great Letter and hence promotes the dissolution of Icon Worship and the installation of the abstract and figureless mantra forms  and hence non-iconic forms of worship where the souls ascend the mantra world in stages and reach the peak where resides the Primordial Logos Om. This truth leads Appar to say that Brahma VishNu Indra and such other deities belonging to the world of Icon Worship, in fact turn to Siva worship and in terms of Mantras.

Now it should be noted the Sivalokam or Tillai (the Sumerian Til Mun) and which contains within itself the TiruCiRRampaalam, the vast expanse of Pure Consciousness is the Deep Structure of VaikuNdam , something that lurks within that world of divine happiness but beyond it. For it belongs to a form of life the souls enjoy after Moksa i,e. after freeing themselves from being thrown into repeated embodiment. The life of Sivalokam, the vast world of mantras alone, is the life of the souls after freeing permanently from being embodied and attain being there in the world purely as mantra bodies without any Malam that would throw them into embodiment.

This Sivalokam, the world of Mantras is also a world of Pure Light and BEING shows as such to those gifted individuals who manage to have a glimpse of Moksa.  Appar implies this and notes that this is another source of human humility for it installs the understanding that even the world of divine pleasures, a life of Krisha leelas is after all a gift of BEING-as-Siva,

6.

kaar mukilai pozivanaip pozintu munniir
        karappanai kadiya nadai vidaiyonRu eeRi
uurpalavum tirivaavan uurataaka
        oRRiyuur udaiyanaay muRRum aaNdu
peer ezuttonRu udaiyaanai piramanodu
        maalavaun intiran mantirattaal eettunj
siir eRumbiyuur malaimeel maaNikkattaic
        cezunjcudaraic cenRu adaiyap peRReen naanee

Meaning:

BEING while showers His blessings like the dark rainy clouds also dries them up even when they swell into an ocean.  He roams around all the cities on His majestic White Bull (to bless the souls with KuNdalini Sakti) taking every city as His own.  He also shows Himself as the Primordial Logos with which he rules all completely because of which icon-worship promoting deities like Brahma ViushNu and Indira turn to worship Him, but in terms of Mantras. This BEING who is resplendent Pure Light resides as the diamond in the temple on top of the hill of ERumbiyuur and today I am fortunate enough to witness Him as such in this temple.

Every religion has a history, in so far as the origin of religion was a human
event. How old that history is depends on whether one approaches the question
from an inquiring perspective or on the basis of ancient writings and cultural
inspiration.

The sacred books of every major religion contain parts that sound very
historical. The Old Testament has names of kings and dynasties and chronologies,
specifying how many years they ruled. Abraham and Moses are regarded as
historical figures. Some allow the same historical authenticity to Adam and Eve,
as well as to the story of Noah and his ark. The New Testament speaks about the
birth of Jesus, the places where he traveled and preached, as well as specific
episodes in his life, including miracles, all of which read very much like
historical texts.

If the spiritual framework of Hinduism rests on Vedic hymns, Upanishadic
writings, and the Agamas, the tradition itself relies on the grand epics of the
Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the Kanda Puranam of the Tamil world. All these
are regarded as reporting on historical personages and events by most Hindus.

Some scholars have gone so far as to calculate the years and dates when some of
the major events in the lore occurred, such as the Kurukshetra Battle and the
flourishing of Ayodhya (notwithstanding the temporal framework of the epics in
different yugas: i.e. hundreds of thousands of years ago) and the emergence of
Kali Yuga. To a degree, various Sanskritic Puranas are also given historical
weight by many practicing Hindus.

The Jatakas of Buddhism and the stories ***ociated with the Jaina Thirtankaras
are also regarded as historical verities by the followers of those faiths. The
statement to the effect that the Prophet of Islam received his messages from
Archangel Gabriel is taken as historically true by the followers of that
religion, as also the events recorded in the Hadith. And all these have sacred
significance. Those who doubt this are looked down upon as kafirs: unbelievers.

Thus, there is more to religions than doctrinal ***ertion and spiritual
experience. Every religion is linked to personages, episodes, and places that
not only carry the weight of tradition, but also the affirmation and semblance
of factuality.

Normally there are discernable dividing lines between fact and fantasy. But this
is seldom the case in the religious context. Those who are faithfully affiliated
to specific religions take most of the scriptural narratives to be literally
true. In their view, whereas the sacred history of other religions seem
obviously non-factual, their own is a true representation of historical events.

Some people in all traditions do recognize the difference between parable and
moral, between symbol and substance. But it is always a sensitive matter when an
external observer wonders about which elements of the religious narratives are
plausible and which are clearly not.

One would imagine that to people in the twenty-first century, certain claims of
antiquity must be clearly unrealistic. For example, from the orthodox
perspective the world and Judaism had their origin just a few thousand years
ago. In some traditions it is believed that the value of a work and of a
tradition is directly proportional to its antiquity. Thus, for example, some
Jain scholars state that the Thirthankara Rishabha who is regarded as the
founder of their religion, lived "a few billion years ago."

According to a
recently published Encyclopedia of Authentic Hinduism, which has been highly
acclaimed by some respected professors in accredited universities, the religion
is "155.521072 trillion years." The utter disregard for, or perhaps knowledge
of, any scientific knowledge is glaringly evident in such ***ertions.

V. V. Raman
January 22, 2007

The Hymns of Humble Appar 1-8

Theism and the Moral Sense

In the long history of Dravidian metaphysical thinking that begins at least around 3000 BC if not earlier, there has been a concern with what is right and wrong. In fact Surupak’s Nari (> Ta. neRi, c. 3000 BC) is said to be a text on moral instructions  The key word NeRi already occurs at that time itself and which shows that there is a WAY and which was also vaguely understood but put in metaphorical forms as trhe way that leads to Moksa.

In the mantra texts like Udug Hul, Er Semma and so forth, we come across the technical term pabgal (> Ta, paavaGkaL), the evil actions and which were identified as the real causes of mental and physical ailments showing that the Karma doctrine was already well understood and was linked with the actions a person does.

An important advance is made during the period of Third Academy where the right is said to be actions ruled by LOVE (anbu) and issues forth only when the souls are in the inner ecological realms ordained by the deities like  Muruka KaNNan and so forth.

Now Appar continues this kind of understanding of ETHICS and where the Ethical Way of Life was called Tiru NeRi, a way of life where it is shaped by BEING through becoming the inner guide leading to the intuitive understanding that the actions leading towards Moksa are good (puNNiyam) and those actions which throw the souls towards the Darkness of aaNavam as evil (paavam) and so forth.

Such an understanding of ETHICS requires a theistic metaphysics and which was disallowed by the Buddhists  and Jains where instead of BEING they had the words of Bodhisatvas and Tirtankaras. Thus despite the Jains writing many ethical treatises like Naladiyar and so forth, the metaphysical understanding was lacking as they did not acknowledge BEING.

But it also appears that the Jains at the time of Appar where he in fact lived as one for several years, were a degenerate lot given over to violence and metaphysical ignorance that disgusted Appar and which made him return to Saivism. With this he also recovers the ancient  LOVE based ethics and which goes along with theism such as that of Saivism of Appar here.

One remains not born as a human being at all as long as one lives the life of the ethically ignorant where the RIGHT is not seen as that which is consistent with what is SHOWN by BEING. To be born is to live the most authentic existence where there is acknowledgement of the presence of BEING and that the RIGHT is that which He shows from within.
8.

aRanteriyaa uuttai vaay aRivil cintai
        aaramba kuNdarodu ayarntu naanum
maRantu maaN tiruvadikaL ninaiya maaddaa
        matiyiliyeen vaazvelaam vaaLaa maNmeeR
piRanta naaL naaLall vaaLaa iisan
        pper pitaRRi cir adimait tiRattuL anbu
ceRintu eRumbiyuur malaimeel maaNikkattaic
        cwlunj cudaraic cenRadaiyap peRReen naanee!

Meaning:

When I was one of them I realized that the Jains were ignorant of the sources of moral principles and kept on saying great many evils with their foul mouth. They were also thoughtless aggressive and simply the beginners in metaphysics. In ***ociation with them I lost my mind and spend my life without ever thinking the Dancing Feet of Siva, so stupid was I. The birth that leads to such a way of life is not at all a birth. The right birth and the most authentic existence is that in which one keeps on reciting the name of Siva and with that becoming a servant of  BEING-Siva ruled by LOVE and nothing else. I understood all these when I went ERumbiyuur, climbed up the hill and saw the jewel and the Brilliant Light there.

As with other matters of religious import, modern science has intruded into the
mystery of mysticism also by trying to explain it in its own way. First,
science has been underscoring the role of ****s in the experience. In certain
religious rites, intoxicants are shared, whether chewed as a pulp, imbibed as a
potion, or inhaled as mind-numbing fumes. Soma juice, opium, and mescaline are
not recent inventions. In some religious contexts, the stimulant is consumed
voluntarily as part of a rite whose goal is spiritual excitation. Or an
unwitting victim might consume a mushroom in the wild, which contains chemicals
that work wonders on the brain, kindling it to mystical modes. In the
scientific paradigm, every experience, whether normal, abnormal or supernormal,
can be traced to state-of-brain chemistry. But while simple **** intoxication
can lead to fright and trauma, mysticism is often joyful.

Another interpretation of mystical experience is from psychiatrists who describe
it as arising from a deranged mind. But one must differentiate between sickness
and mystical vision: Whereas an ailing mind is pathetic and erratic, a
visionary mind experiences what is not accessible to minds in their normal
states. Transrational is not the same as irrational.

The third scientific approach to mysticism is to probe into different regions of
the brain and determine if some parts of it are particularly mysticism-prone.
For example, Andrew Newberg and Eugene D'Aquili pointed out on the basis of
experimental findings that the region of the brain called posterior superior
parietal lobe is responsible in some ways for enabling us to orient our bodies
in three-dimensional space. It also helps us recognize our individual selves as
distinct from the external world. If, for some reason, this lobe is affected or
damaged in certain ways, the differentiation is erased, and one experiences the
oneness of which mystics speak.

The neuroscientist V. S. Ramachandran has demonstrated that divine visions are
closely related to the functioning of the left temporal lobe. He has called it
the God-module. One of his epileptic patients is said to have confessed that
during some of the episodes he felt an "Oneness with the Creator." In principle,
it is possible to excite this lobe and make anybody "see God." This kind of
reduction of theology to a subset of neuroscience has popularized in this
context the term neurotheology which was coined by Aldous Huxley more than four
decades ago. Jean Richter said: "God is an unutterable sigh, placed in the core
of the soul." As per science, he should have said brain, not soul.

Others have suggested that physical factors in th