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27th Dec 2012:
Participants at The Art of Silence course held in Kumbakonam experienced the aura of Kumbh in their deep silence. The visits to the Navagriha sthals with descriptive coverages were invigorating and served to deepen their roots and broaden their horizons. The host team did a spectacular job in ensuring that every one felt at home with care and hospitality. One of the participants from a leading IT firm wrote an interesting critique which is reproduced below:
"Who is this Arunji everyone keeps talking about? I was inquisitive. I met him for the first time during his birthday bash in ashram a couple of years ago. I crashed the party so that I could see Guruji. But, at the corner of the eye, I was wonder why is this fella getting so much attention from Guruji. His music was playing in the background, like the ones mom used to play on the cassette in the early mornings during my childhood. Not my type, I said to myself. But again and again, people kept telling me about him; i kept ignoring. And opportunity knocked when I got to know about the Kumbakonam course in Dec. I badly needed time out from work. Apparently, it wasn’t just AMC, but AMC with Arunji plus Navagraha tour. I was skeptical, because I hated to go to temples, I never believed in idol worship. But I did enroll.
The day arrived, I entered T.S Mahal the location was just adjacent to a large paddy field. I have never seen a field up-close. Ah, that’s something to cheer about. Then, Arunji entered while people sang Vazhiya Vazhiya song. I was like, OK, this man’s got style (including his dress code) but not my type I reminded myself again.
He started with course points. At this point of time, I already had couple of Advance courses, so I had expectations. I was watching closely what he was up to next. Then he opened up a PPT, my first impression "he is not a tech-savvy" was trashed. Good start. Then he went on to talk about a lot of course points plus his own variations of it with humor and stories– along with 'Life, a movie' (Yoga Vashishta),in which he mentioned something about opening a lot of windows (laptop). I could relate to his example. I will never forget this in my life. I had a huge yearning to learn more about death and dispassion, just as I sat, he was explaining about lotus (dispassion/detachment) and Yoga Vashishta (death and movie).
It was time for temple visits, I wished so much there would be just 1 navagraha temple to visit, sadly there were 9, 5 were to be covered on a single day! I was like are you insane!? I wouldn’t go to 5 temples even if you were to trade you i-pad for it. But I did go and it was because of Arunji. Before we left for the temples, he started explaining science behind it (I am not going to say what it is, sit in his course J to know about it). That was the moment I started to fall for him. Somehow, he knew I needed to know why, or I was taking his course because he knew why. Either way, I felt really grateful.
People kept talking about his satsang. I was waiting for him to open his musical notes to our ears and to my happy feet. He did, I didn’t fall in love instantly. But then he started explaining the songs. It was like expressing one’s feeling/thought in ancient language (Sanskrit or Tamil). Made sense, by then I was in that “feeling” level. Thanks to a butt load of meditation sessions, temple visits and silence. Then he talked about “thought, words and action”. How thoughts transform in to happenings. We are alone responsible for what is happening to us nobody else period. The conscious/unconscious thoughts, we attract the events in our lives. Ok, so I did experiment in the course. Yeah, he was right - another huge dive into his magnetic field. I was hooked.
Gratefulness - a word I often come by, but I never felt it so deep. Temples that we went to he explained how we take things for free and how much little importance we give to the things that is bestowed to us. There was a magical course, that most of it was feeling level than logical and yet there was logical reasoning behind it.The story of challenges in our lives are to make us strong was a big take a way for me. Looking back at my past, he was right. Absolutely right.
Well, it was not the AMC I had in mind, not even close it, but it gave me a purpose, reassured something really deep. I have so much to look forward to in life now! Thanks Arunji!
Jai gurudeva, Rock & Roll
Aparna
Reminiscing on the Kumbakonam
experience:
Imagine
being on vacation. Imagine what it feels like when your mind comes to
stillness, when your heart fills with peace and when your body lets go of all
stress, tension and relaxes to such a profound level that you begin to feel
rejuvenated and alive again! This is the place of natural being; the place we
were meant to experience life from. It is where your peace, your love and your
power come from. Silence takes you deeper into yourself. Meditation
creates and revitalizes one’s energy. Celebration maintains the energy and
elevates consciousness .Service is how the energy is channeled.
Observance
of silence allows the mind to become still. It is a powerful process that lets
you get in touch with a deeper wisdom within yourself, a place of calm and tranquility.
Meditation allows you to release deep-seated stress and tension from your body.
As a result you get a chance to feel your true self. Celebration lets you
experience the newfound enthusiasm for life with all the other participants
Enjoyed such perfect
spiritual vacation at the Kumbakonam Advanced course (27th to 30th
Dec’12), with Dr Arun Madhavan ji.It was a retreat with a bonus of visiting all
the Navagraha Parihara Stalas located in & around the venue. The town
is home for its four large, well known temples dedicated to 1) Sarangapani, 2)
Kumbeswarar 3) Brahma and 4) Nageswarar.Located in the vicinity are all the
Navagraha Temples.
It is said that planetary
transits bring about change in certain people's well-being and fortunes for
better or worse. The worshipping of planets gives us great relief; the process known
as propitiation (Dosha Pariharam).
Planet
|
Temple
|
|
|
Suryanar
Koil
|
|
|
Thingalur
Koil
|
|
|
Vaitheswaran
Koil
|
|
|
Tiruvenkadu
|
|
|
Alangudi
|
|
|
Kanchanoor
|
|
|
Tirunallar
|
|
|
Tirunageswharam
|
|
|
Keezhperumpallam
|
Kudos to the hosting
team who had pre-visited the places, studied the traveling time and the time
that would take for darshan at each temple. Such meticulous planning before the
course ensured that there were no setbacks such as having to skip one or two in
the agenda. I appreciate their organizing skills & take back home
this learning of organizing skill. Dr. Arunji was co-relating the visits with our
course sessions so well that it was a perfect blend. Participants got an
answer as to why the visits & the course were combined together.
This is my first AMC
outside the Ashram & had a wonderful experience. Dr Arun Madhavanji
was fantabulous. He was available with us all the time right from the early
morning yoga sessions to the end of the day concluding sessions. I have
lot of things that I (or rather we) carry back home from Dr. Arunji’s AMC
course. I have a big list but I shall shortlist them. His
Simplicity, Punctuality, Presenting skills, Dress Code, Concerns towards the
participants, be it local or from outside states, Command over the languages,
his sessions were awesome, filled with knowledge, Blissful satsangs, and humor.
He is gifted with a Golden Voice. He was enquiring us every now &
then to see to our comforts, be it with the travel or the stay or during our
course sessions or & even before & after reaching our destinations, he
was finding if we had reached the venue & have we reached back
safely. Really appreciate his concerns that he has for every single
participant. Felt like we were in the safe hands with the divine &
were feeling at home always. He established the course points so well
co-relating with our tour to various Navagraha places. We could
experience it practically & all of us just witnessed the events & every
moment was enjoyable.
I
learnt from Dr. Arunji that if we visit a temple, we should know a few things
that I would like to share with you all. First is the stala purana,
energy centers in & around the premises, stala vruksha & also about the
central sanctum sanctorum (high energy place). We used to all assemble in
these energy centers & used to pray & sing together & experience
was just awesome & no words to explain the blissful feeling. In every
temple, the temple main priest used to explain us in details of the stala
purana & the powers and such history.
I would like to share
this wonderful experience as to how Mother Nature answers our prayers. On
Thursday the 27th Dec’12, we all gathered in Suryanar Koil. The weather
was warm & sunny that day. We stood near the Kalyani of the temple
& prayed to the Divine to rain frequently & take care of the farmers
who are solely dependent on natural rains. To our surprise, the same
evening it started drizzling & the next whole day from early morning till
night it was continuously raining. We consider living in harmony and
understanding with life's myriad forms as a religious act. Our commonality lies
in our reverence and connection with Nature and Mother Earth, seeing Her as a
conscious, living entity.
All four days were
filled with fun filled sessions of yoga, deep guided meditations, and profound
processes that cleansed, renewed, and led us to an experience of inner peace
and freedom. We used to conclude with the mesmerizing satsang or the knowledge
sessions & not to forget Arunji’s power point presentations on Yoga
Vasistha –Life, a movie. Simply Superb. I sincerely thank Arunji
for giving me an opportunity to take fun filled sessions of dance yoga. All the
participants too really enjoyed the sessions. Also, Ashokan ji’s Sukshma
Vyayam was amazing along with his singing talent. It was a good learning
experience from him.
Food was amazing
& was completely Satvik. Perfectly designed menu, which suited the place
& the weather. Last day’s meal was very grand &
outstanding. In each break there was a surprise waiting for us & we
were curious to know what the surprise would be. Not to forget Mr. Ravvichandran’s
filler stories – humorous yet with morals.
To support the host team
were couple Sunderesanji & Dr.Sarada, Smt.Sivakami and the vibrant Satish
ji. How can I forget Sri.Rajesh who exemplified the planning of infra
structure. Many more names behind the scenes & hope they excuse me for not
mentioning every name incase if I have forgotten to mention it here. Aside
from the host district, people turned up from Delhi, various districts of TN
and AP. What a way to celebrate & start the New Year!!! I think it’s
one the best gifts that I have gifted to myself.
The
course was typically held at a perfect place & was really a retreat in a
place of natural beauty and tranquility. I conclude here by saying that
it’s no wonder that many course participants refer to it as the ideal vacation
for body, mind, and spirit. I would look forward for another course with
Dr. Arunji shortly.
Wishing you all a
Happy & Prosperous New Year 2013.
With lots of Love
& Wishes,
Srinivasa G V
Ps: Only sign of
disappointment was that my camera stopped functioning on the 3rd day
of the course. Lens error!!! I need to get this fixed. I will
shortly share all the snaps captured by me.
