Chapter 6: Mission Continues in India - 2005🔗

Swamiji returned to India on November 7, 2005 after an amazing third world tour. The ashram received Swamiji in a very celebrative mood. He was away in US for good part of 2005. These were formative years in the mission and therefore Swamiji spent a lot of time touring the USA. The Indian devotees organized several programs for Swamiji. Our first program was a three day discourse series on Ashtavakra Gita, which are some of the most profound teachings on enlightenment. Swamiji’s discourses were aptly titled, “Enlightenment – It is Possible”, “Enlightenment – Guaranteed”, “Enlightenment – Have it”. The discourses were held at St Joseph’s auditorium right next to Mallya Hospital in Bangalore from 7 pm – 10 pm every evening. He was addressing a packed audience at the auditorium. The crowd, 2,000+ strong completely filled the auditorium and some people had to leave due to lack of space.

It was the morning of November 12, 2005. It was around 8 am. Swamiji came out of his quarters and went to the laughing temple. As most of you know this is a revered spot in the ashram. Laughing temple was the first structure built in the Bidadi ashram. It is a small, circular open hut where Swamiji spent almost the entire 6 months when we did not have any structure in the ashram. It is where he slept, ate and delivered some of the most profound and intimate discourses to the early ashramites and devotees. Ma Sachitananda and I were near to the laughing temple. Swamiji called us to the laughing temple and said, “My father somehow did not take care of his health. What to do? Leave it.” Little did we know of the day and the events that would unfold that night and the days to come.

November 12, 2005 was the third and final day of Ashtavakra Gita discourses. By now the word of the profound truths being delivered by Swamiji spread since the auditorium was completely filled up. Swamiji delivered a spectacular discourse on this final day of Ashtavakra discourse series. This was the first time he talked about being unclutched. Ten minutes into the discourse, Swamiji’s secretary Sri Nithya Sadhananda (Ayya as we call him) received a call from Thiruvannamalai that Swamiji’s father, Sri Nithya Arunachalananda passed away from a massive heart attack. Ayya went up to the podium, something that is never done during the discourse and briefly interrupted Swamiji. He conveyed the message to Swamiji. He smiled and gazed upwards for a moment. Swamiji then called ayya a few minutes later and told him, “I have scanned his consciousness while passing away and he was enlightened for a full 12 minutes before he left the body. I have taken care of him. Just do not let anybody know about this incident until this discourse is over. Arrange cars and buses for all of us to go to Thiruvannamalai”. With these words he got back into the discourse and delivered one of the most profound discourses on the breakthrough topic of “Being Unclutched.”

The discourse was over and only 2 or 3 of us knew about what had happened. One of us asked Swamiji after the discourse, "Swamiji can we cancel darshan and blessings and proceed to Thiruvannamalai?" He looked up and asked, "Why? So many devotees came to seek my blessings. What needed to be done for my father has been done. I do not want to disappoint my devotees. They need my help now". He then looked up and said, "Until now you have just seen the theory of Vedanta that was delivered during my discourse. Now see how Vedanta is practiced live!" Swamiji completed the blessings, which lasted another 1 ½ hours. He then asked his mother, and brother to accompany him in the car. It was only then Swamiji told Swami amma (Swamiji’s mother, we call her Swami amma) about the passing of her husband.

Swami amma is a true inspiration for all of us. The way she handled this incident, with utter grace, calmness and composure was a true a learning experience for all of us. She did not shed a tear and said with all confidence, "When Swami said he has taken care, what is the reason to worry? He knows what is best for my husband". Such was her utter trust in Swamiji. Swami Amma is such a simple and unassuming person. In the ashram unless you are told, no new visitor will know she is the mother of Swamiji. She takes care of the gurukul children and never comes to the limelight. Even when Swamiji’s father was alive, he too was quite unassuming. He would always stand in the line and take Swamiji’s blessings. When Swamiji would ask him, "What do you want?" He would say, "Swamiji, what else can I ask you. You have given us the greatest gift by taking birth in this family. There is nothing else I need."

We reached Thiruvannamalai around 2 am. Swamiji was busy instructing everyone on what all needs to get done for the cremation. He talked to ahramites that when he heard of the passing away of Sri Nithya Arunachalananda, "I scanned his consciousness in the time shaft (Kaala chakra which is the past, present and future which can be accessible for someone in a no mind state. It is this kaala chakra that Nataraja dances in!) and found that at the time of his passing, he was completely surrendered to the existence. A small thought arose in him at the time of leaving his body which asked, "What will happen to my wife and sons?" Soon another thought came which said, "Swamiji is there, he will take care". This thought, at the time of passing was the only doubt that was raised and from the deepest core of his consciousness; his faith and trust in the Master completely erased this worry from his consciousness." Swamiji then said, "The moment this was completed, his whole prarabhda was erased and he merged into the nirvanic layer. For full 12 minutes he experienced this state of enlightened consciousness before he finally left the body." The body of Sri Nithya Arunachalananda Swami was that of an enlightened person, and all rituals, ceremonies and celebrations performed for an enlightened being were now being prepared.

There were no tears or crying during Swami Appa’s (Father) passing away ceremony. There was kirtans and chanting and arthi performed to the body of this enlightened being. Swamiji put on the kavi cloth and initiated him formally into poorna sanyas (the final sanyas initiation given by a master to his/her enlightened disciple). Sri Nithya Arunachalananda Swami was the first poorna sanyasi (enlightened one) in the Nithyananda Order of Paramahamsa Nithyananda. After the poorna sanyas disksha, arthi was performed and Swamiji blessed the physical remains of Sri Nithya Arunachalananda Swami. The energy, the vibrations during the bhajans, kirtans and energy darshan given by Swamiji to Sri Nithya Arunachalananda Swami was intense. We could feel the heat and energy generated during this ceremony. Just when Swamiji touched the ajna chakra to bless Sri Nithya Arunachalananda Swami, the energy was so intense, the electric bulb popped and there was darkness for a moment. After the energy darshan and kirtans, we then proceeded to the place where he was going to be cremated. The family wanted the Samadhi of Sri Nithya Arunachalananda Swami to be in their ancestral property. Swamiji’s grandfather, a wealthy businessman in Thiruvannamalai donated land to build the ashram in Thiruvannamalai and to also have the Samadhi of Sri Nithya Arunachalananda Swami on this land.

13 Nov 2005 - Arathi being offered to Sri Nithya Arunachalananda by Sri Nithyeshwarananda, Ashramite and Younger Brother of Swamiji

A large procession followed and we walked almost 6 km to the new ashram land. It was a beautiful and tranquil property overlooking the sacred hill of Arunachala. The final ceremony was also quite historical. In most funerals held in villages, women per tradition did not attend the funeral. Swamiji announced that everyone would attend the funeral. In fact the pyre was lit by Swami amma, which is also another historic moment. Swamiji stayed until 2-3 hours for the cremation to be completed. He then told us another profound truth. He took us to the ashes and said anyone who does not have any more prarabhdha karma left, there will not be any bones left in the ashes. Everything will be turned to ash. It was quite interesting to see that ashes were completely converted to powder. Ashes were collected for immersion into various sacred rivers including Ganga in Varanasi and Triveni Sangham (the union of the three sacred rivers, Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati) in Allahabad.

We returned back to Bidadi ashram the same evening. These were spectacular days. It was one of the greatest lessons for us that passing away of someone need not be with sorrow and suffering. He beautifully turned this event around to be a joyous celebration of Sri Nithya Arunachalananda Swami's life. We learnt from Him death of someone near and dear can be turned into a joyous celebration of their life. In fact Ma Sachitananda and I know now that he already knew on the morning of November 12 that Appa was going to leave us. He never would make any comments about his father, and yet, that day he mentioned to us about father not taking care of his health. The Master knows the past, present and future. Then there was Swami Amma, her graceful behavior, her utter confidence and surrender to the Master was quite an inspiration to all who were present. This by far was one of the greatest teachings given by the Master to his disciples.

14 Nov 2005 - Swamiji makes His Mother place a pyre stick over the body.

Swamiji offered the first enlightenment intensive, Nithyanandam in December 2005. He warned all participants that he does not know what he may put them through during this intensive course. He told us it is possible that he may send us out to beg, as a technique to shed the ego. He also said that unless people were prepared to anything and everything the master instructs, they should not attend this program. Nithyanandam was held for 18 days, where over 200 people from all over the world came and sat with the master. There were large contingents from France, USA and India.

Throughout this program, Swamiji worked directly upon the cancerous tumors of ego in each and every participant, making them intensely aware of the various forms of ego deeply hidden in them. Swamiji continuously put the participants through various activities including subtle meditations, Ananda Seva (blissful service), or simply sitting with the master (called Upanishad in Sanskrit). He used every occasion to churn our beings and to help purify us.

The core message of the program in Swamiji's words was: Man is by nature made up of un-clutched, abstract, unconnected, irrational and illogical thoughts. Each thought arises in him and dies before the next thought comes. But he tries to connect similar thoughts and form shafts of either pain or pleasure and because of this he suffers. Clutching into this shaft is the Original Sin. This clutching is the root cause that is preventing man from experiencing the liberated or enlightened state while living on planet Earth. To be un-clutched from this shaft at all times is the greatest liberation for man.

The Nithyanandam program was really all Master's esoteric work. All we did was a little bit of Seva in the morning and we sat with him for hours together. He would joke and laugh so that our mind eases up and drops its constant analytical nature so that he can allow the super conscious state He lives in radiate and grace us. There were several energy darshans he gave to us to transmit the energy of enlightenment. Several meditations and discourses were conducted under the banyan tree.

During one of the meditations where Swamiji was giving us a technique to feel our presence beyond our body, I had this intense feeling of being there in a state beyond my skin. It is quite difficult to describe this state, but a sense that you exist beyond this body was quite clear and profound. Whatever needed to get done was getting done at Nithyanandam. For me there was this feeling of lifting of heaviness. Since this experience, there has always been a sense of lightness in me; there is no feeling of any pressure whatsoever.

Nithyanandam program ended into Jayanthi celebrations. All of us went to Thiruvannamalai where the temple authorities honored Swamiji. Thiruvannamalai boasts an unbroken lineage of living stream of enlightened masters for the last 2,000 years. In recent years, Seshadri Swamigal, followed by Ramana Maharishi, Visiri Swamigal (Yogi Ram Surat Kumar) and now our beloved Master, Paramahamsa Nithyananda is recognized as the living master. Every year on his birthday, the temple authorities invite him and pay respects. We then go to Swamiji's first Samadhi experience site where Swamiji typically addresses us and puts us into meditation. I will discuss more on experiences at the first Samadhi experience place including the darshan of Arunachala in the next chapter.