Anchoring into Turiya🔗

Annamalai Swamigal was a direct disciple of Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi. Paramahamsa Nithyananda beautifully described an incident between the two of them that happened much before the avatar was born. Annamalai Swamigal was once bathing Ramana Maharishi. Often, the sensation of water falling on the body sends enlightened masters into a blissful state of meditation. Ramana Maharishi was relaxed in this space as his disciple attended to him. Stroke by gentle stroke the fresh water rolled down his back when suddenly, Annamalai Swamigal caught the space of his guru. He fell into a deep samadhi as well. Unaccustomed to this space, he remained there well after Ramana Maharishi came out of samadhi. Now, the guru helped the disciple. Ramana Maharishi took care that his body was in a comfortable position until he resurfaced from the ocean of bliss. “Now, just sit” he told his disciple.

Annamalai Swamigal deep in samadhi.

And his life was decided. Annamalai Swamigal remained there, where Ramana Maharishi told him to sit down, for the rest of his guru's life. He had been the construction manager at that time and one of his most trusted devotees but all of that came to an abrupt stop that day as instructed by the guru. Even years later in early 1950 when devotees gathered around Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi as he was leaving the body, Annamalai Swamigal remained there in the distant corner of his quarters. It was this great being who gave the technique that took Paramahamsa Nithyananda beyond thoughts at the age of 12. He describes, "Once when I visited him with my parents, he was addressing a group of seekers and was saying , 'We are not the body, we are athman; no pain or suffering touches us'.

I wondered how this could be, for if my mother beat me, I could feel the pain!"

As an intense seeker even at a young age, Paramahamsa Nithyananda decided to experiment. He went home and took the blade that his father uses to shave to cut himself in the thigh and see if he had pain.

In his own words, he said, "Naturally, it not only pained me but I had to be taken to hospital for the wound to be stitched, with more puja from my mother! I had both pain and suffering. I wondered what this Swami had taught us- 'no suffering or pain'"

Later on the young avatar approached Annamalai Swamigal and related what happened after. He remembered, "I approached the Swami and related what had happened to me. He then made a profound statement which transformed my life.

He said, 'You may have pain and suffering now but do not worry. Your attitude of analyzing and searching the truth, your courage to experiment with truth will liberate you from all pains, go ahead!' He then advised me to start searching for the source of thoughts. Of course, at that age I was only irritated by his comments and my attention was rather on the fruits and sweets that devotees had brought him, hoping he would give me some in consolation! Honestly, I neither understood nor was convinced of what he said.

However, after a few days I began to playfully and casually try out the technique of trying to see the origin of thoughts. I did not do this with any expectation or idea. All I knew was what the Swami had told me: that I would go beyond pain or suffering if I did this technique. I had no concept of God, Brahman, Atma or Gnan. One evening, at the foothills of Arunachala, I was trying out the same technique with eyes closed. I had fallen into deep meditation ; suddenly something opened “The next moment it was as if a door had opened inside me and that I were all just me. The experience was so intense and ecstatic that it had complete 360 degree vision, both laterally and vertically. I could was more than 3 or 4 hours before I opened my eyes. I felt feverish see all four sides – the temple behind me, the hill in front of me, the with bliss and this mood continued for 3 days. city on my sides. I could see vertically too – the sky, the rock on which I was sitting. For normal people who have only a maximum of 180 If hundred of thousands of suns were to rise at once into the sky, their degree of these visions, I know this is very difficult to comprehend. All radiance might resemble the effulgence of the supreme person in that I can do is promise solemnly that it did happen. No other intellectual universal Form. These concepts can never be understood by ordinary explanation is possible. Not only was I able to see all round, I was also intellect. In my experience, it was like the light of a hundred suns and able to feel that whatever I was seeing was me. Whether they were the cooling effect of a hundred moons. Such was the pleasance of the plants or rocks or the city or the hill, whatever I could see, I felt they experience.”

Ebook ISBN: 979-8-88572-463-0