81. Intensity for my first spiritual experience

I had mentioned about my deep spiritual experience where I felt one with Existence and had a 360 degree vision of everything around me. There are so many people practicing so many different meditation techniques. What is the difference, what is the reason why the experience happened to a small boy?

I can say that one important reason is that my whole inner space was ripe, ready for this small technique to awaken and open it. Constantly I used to be in that high frequency of the masters without even my conscious awareness.

See, especially in the young age, whoever inspires or impresses you becomes the hero of your inner space. These great masters impressed me so much that in every situation I would think, 'How would these great masters behave?' For example, if I had some fear, I would remember, 'How will Annamalai Swamigal* face this fear? He won't bother. He is enlightened. Let me also be like that.'

The inner space was so inspired and impressed by these great masters, that before every step I took in my life I would think, 'How will he behave? Let me also do that.' The inner space was so pure also at the young age and I had no heroes other than the masters. At every step I used to think, 'How will he behave? Let me behave like that. How he will do? Let me do like that.'

Walking in burial grounds

I used to go for a circumambulation of the Arunachala hill. It is more than twelve kilometers around the hill. I used to go late at night. When I had a little fear I used to say, 'How will Annamalai Swamigal * behave? He won't bother about fear. Then let me also be like that.'

Let me tell you about one incident.

It was raining heavily that night as I went around the hill. I had some fear seeing the heavy rain, thunder and lightning. Immediately I thought, 'How will Annamalai Swamigal behave? He

Annamalai Swamigal - Disciple of Ramana Maharishi in the temple town of Tiruvannamalai, South India whose teachings inspired Nithyananda towards his deep spiritual experience as a young boy.

won't bother. He will just walk. Let me also do the same way.'

I was walking through the traditional crematorium. In India both cremation and burial are done in the same place. I was walking in that place because when you go around the hill the path goes through that crematorium.

Suddenly I saw a dog biting something and eating. When I went near, the dog started barking at me. At first when the fear came up I thought, 'How will Annamalai Swamigal behave? He won't bother. Let me just go.' I started moving. Anyhow when I started moving the dog got scared and ran away.

When I got nearer I saw that it was a dead body which was not completely buried. It had come out in the rain and it was lying on the road. Just imagine a twelve or thirteen year old boy, alone at midnight, seeing a dead body without a head, since the dog had the head in its mouth.

The fear started but it did not even reach my being completely. The shock, the fear stroke did not even happen completely. As soon as the first thought started coming up, with intense awareness I thought, 'How will Annamalai Swamigal react now? He will just walk around and go. Just walk around and go.'

I continued to walk. That's all. I took a detour and walked away. I did not even turn back and see. The fear stroke, which was like a bubble, which was about to start, did not even open up, did not even reach my body. The heat or the shivering from fear was not even there in the body. It just died.

Intense, innocent inner space

Intensely, the whole conscious inner space was ready. That is the reason, just a punch, just a small inspiration was able to put me into that experience. That is what I call 'living enlightenment'.

When you live the master's body language you live enlightenment.

Whenever any thought came into my inner space, whether it was related to clothes or food or anything, the first thing I would think was, 'How will Annamalai Swamigal behave? Naturally he won't have any desire. Then forget about it!'

If I felt a little lazy to meditate or to circumambulate the hill, I would think, 'How will Annamalai Swamigal think? How will he handle this situation? Naturally he will not bother about this laziness. He will just get up and meditate, that's all! So just do that!' So constantly, from morning until night, these masters became the reference. They became my life center.

I asked Annamalai Swamigal once, 'I saw Devi in my dream. Do you also see her in the dream?'Annamalai Swamigal replied, 'No, I don't have dreams.' I was shocked, 'You don't have dream! Then how can I have dream!'*

That night I said to myself, 'Now, no dream. Annamalai Swamigal said 'no dream' so I cannot have dream.' You will be surprised, that night when some dream started happening, I said clearly from inside the dream, 'No! Annamalai Swamigal doesn't have dreams. How can I have dreams?'

The dream disappeared. Just the dream disappeared. The inner space was so thorough, so innocent, so direct, it just happened.

Even if I felt cold or anything, I would remember, 'How will Annamalai Swamigal behave? He won't bother. Then don't bother. That's all.' There were no further questions or arguments inside.

Message of Living Enlightenment – 'how will master behave?'

You can also use this simple, powerful technique. It is so simple your mind cannot find any excuse to escape.

In any situation, ask yourself, 'How will master respond? How will master face this situation?' Do the same. You will see that a new door opens. This is what I call 'living enlightenment'. You don't need anything else. This one thing is enough.

Even if you are sitting, if thoughts come up, ask your mind, 'If master is sitting what will be coming up? Naturally silence. Then why are you thinking? Silent!' That's all. Nothing else.

If your mind says, 'No, no, I know it is true. I know this but it is too much.' Then think, 'If master's mind says this, how he will behave?' He would have finished the mind that moment! That's all. Just be very clear.

Take this one message and let this message become life in you, the message of Living Enlightenment. Understand, from the age of ten when I was inspired and impressed by Annamalai Swamigal, I started doing this technique. I didn't even know then that it was a meditation technique.

It just started, 'How will Annamalai Swamigal behave in this situation?' As a boy, many times in my home I have seen my brothers or family start fighting for some share in something and I would think, 'How will Annamalai Swamigal behave? He won't even bother! Forget about it. Let them have.' That's all.

Devi - Supreme goddess in Hindu tradition, Cosmic Mother.

True relationship with the master

Actually this is what I call relationship with the master. Relationship with the master is not just doing some worship or putting some flowers or worshipping him once in a while. No!

Relationship happens when you are thoroughly impressed by the master. Whenever anything comes up, say fear or insecurity or greed or anger, just see, 'How will master behave?' Simply it will disappear. It will just disappear.

Many times I tell people, just feeling strongly connected with the master is enough. You don't need anything else. It is not just your ordinary relationship. In an ordinary relationship, you neither try to understand nor imbibe the master. Just some feeling is there. I can't even call that as a relationship. It is an ordinary, regular interaction.

Feeling connected to the master means just living him. When you live the master, then you feel intensely connected to him. Only then you are expanding. Only then something is happening to you. This has not happened in us because of so many other relationships. So many other persons occupy your inner space and so many others have inspired you or impressed you or given the idea that they are heroes. Just fill your inner space with the master and watch your problems simply dissolve.