Sri Nannagaru arrived at Arunachala on March 14th and will be departing this coming Monday, March 26, 2012. A large number of his Andhra devotees have followed Swami on this trip to Arunachala. Consequently Sri Nannagaru has been giving open-air discourses in Telegu most evenings in his Ashram at Rajiv Gandhi Nagar (some 1 1/2 kms west of Ramana Ashram).
He has also been giving discourses to smaller groups in his own room at his Ashram. To find out more about Sri Nannagaru, please refer to his website at this link.
Looking at the Hill from Ashram
Swamiji today, Saturday March 24, 2012
Devotees waiting for Sri Nannagaru
Sri Nannagaru giving Discourse in Telegu
For those of us unable to speak Telegu, to watch a short video of Sri Nannagaru (which was part of a series of interviews conducted some time ago) and which was conducted in English, please view below.
The question Swamiji is answering is:
Are there any qualifications for enlightenment? Is spiritual practice necessary? If yes, what form do you advise?
To watch the video of Swami answering in English please go to this link here.
An abridged transcription of his reply is thus:
“Qualifications are essential in relative truth. The utmost importance should be given to purity. The essential thing is that mind, speech and deed must be one. Mind-word, mind-heart, mind-word-deed, these things must be one. That is the main qualification for truth-realization. Purity is essential but the topmost qualification is that there should be unity of heart, mind, word and deed. Also for enlightenment there must be purity.
For purity the essential qualification must be mind control. Unless we can learn to control the mind we cannot concentrate it towards the Truth that is already hidden in the heart. Where the mind springs there is Truth, which is not relative Truth. By Truth I mean actual Truth. It is absolute Truth!
The main qualifications are that heart, mind, word and speech must be one. There should also be purity and mind control.
Mind control means that we have to arrest the wandering of the mind. Wandering of the mind brings unnecessary thoughts, sorrow, and also brings physical and mental ill health. Too much wandering of the mind is very bad both for spiritual and also material life, so power of concentration is essential.
For mind control there is upasana. Put your mind on your favourite God. Put your mind on any God or Guru you like and please remember his name and meditate on his form. If you like pranayama you should also do it as it will be beneficial, but the best thing is upasana. Upasana means to constantly think about Arunachala, think about the Hill and its name. If you think one thing, think God. If you think always about absolute Truth then automatically the wanderings of mind will be stopped. There is upasana, this is a Sanksrit word and means Upa – mind control. In the Indian tradition most truth seekers and devotees say unless you are accustomed to upasana you cannot get realization.”
