Berkeley denied the existence of Matter. Esse est percipii, perception is essence, Mind is the Substance !
Mentalism postulates that all this is Mind !
Mentalism is essentially Illuisionism, as Mind can conjure up only Illusions ! It is Mind alone which veils Reality !
Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi’s philosophy can be called Illusionism or Mentalism. He advised everybody to abide as the Self. ( ” In the infinite sky of Consciousness, the Sun of Self Realisation shines bright and brilliant. Disperse the cloud of Ego obstructing the moonlight of Consciousness and the bud of Truth begins to blossom. It is the only Absolute. There is no other. The Absolute Brahman becomes so the say the Cosmic Mind and spreads this world. As it thinks, so it becomes. It is the Lord of Creation. Dissolve the Mind by thinking about its real nature. Be beyond the dualities of attraction and repulsion. The Self fills the Universe, being colourless, timeless and spaceless”- Paul Brunton. )
Aurobindo was a Realist. He asseverated that Maya is Real. ” Maya is real, because it is the Self’s experience of the Self”. He averred that Leela, meaning the cosmic play of the Divine, is a better term than Maya. “Leela includes the idea of Maya and exceeds it “, said He. Leela is His play, Himself the play, Himself the player, Himself the playground ! His play which creates and recreates Himself in Himself for the sheer bliss of that self-creation !
This Art is about the dance of Nature, symbolised by the daughter of the Mountains, the mythological Parvathi, the consort of Lord Shiva. It is said that Nature cannot exist without Her Lord and She emparadised His mind !
She flings forth from Him in ecstasy, only to find Him playing in Time, She and He, two in one, inseparable. The entire Universe is nothing but She ! “Sarvam Khalvidam eva aham, nanyadasthi sanathanam” declared She in the Devi Bhagavatam. She deludes even the minds of the Rishies or the Seers and is divine in Her infinite origin. Jnaninam api chethmasi Devi Bhagavathee hi sah !
You can enjoy all Kerala music and arts at Kerala Heritages , a site which deals with the heritage of Kerala !
Spiritual Tourism is enchanting. When you are overworked and when Work takes a heavy toll of your physique and psyche, it is time to take a break. You move away from the Madding Crowd and drown yourself in Nature’s wonders. Remember what Wordsworth said
Nature never did betray The heart that loved her !
Nature will nurse you back to health, physical & mental. When we understand that the Goal of Life is Self Actualisation, we cannot ignore the spiritual. We have to climb from our own earths into our own heavens, rendering to the Caesar of the outer world the things that are lawfully his, at the same time fulfilling the Law of the Mount, which will set us up above the ranks of other men !
Most of the spiritual places where I had been, are blessed by natural beauty. It is this serene ambience which makes the trip really satisfying !
The Sanskrit word Sangeetha for Music is defined as “a confluence of Song, Lyrics & Dance”. ( Geetham Vadyam Thadha Nritham Trayam Sangeetham Uchyathe ) !
Art is defined as that which generates happiness ( Kal Ahladatha iti Kala ).
Kathakali is one of the best art forms of Kerala and is played in almost all temples. The word ” Temple” is derived from the Latin word Tempulum , a place where Law and Justice can be administered.
Kerala culture is rich with Arts. There are other forms of Art, like Ottam Thullam, Theyyam, Kalari Payattu, Mohini Attam, Chakyar Koothu, Nangiar Koothu, Velakali, Thiruvathira Kali etc. The videos of all these arts we have uploaded at www.keralaheritages.com
Art is divine, said Michelangelo. Art is grandchild of Deity, said Dante. Now this confluence of Song, Lyrics and Dance can take man to the altaltissimo, the highest Blissful Summit or Spiritual Zenith, which is only accessible to the divinely-intoxicated mind !
Dance is divine, said Bharata Muni, the Master of classical Dance. Bhavananubhavathvam Bharathathvam
The ancient mystics discovered that Man is a miniature Universe. The physicist Fritjof Capra defined the dance of atoms and sub-atomic particles as the dance of Lord Shiva. ” The Cosmic Dance”, he said, ” is the dance of sub-atomic matter” !
All Indian arts manifest the Law of Correspondences. Between Microcosm and Macrocosm, between Man and the Universe. The beauty of the eternal Universe is celebrated in the beauty of the human body. The rhythmic movements of the dancer symbolise the dance of the Universe, by the Lord of Dancers, the Lord Shiva Himself. ” The Dancing Shiva is the dancing Universe” declared Capra !
The Dance of Bliss of Lord Shiva, called Ananda Tandavam, is the manifestation of the Cosmic Energy in five activities
Srushti – Creation, unfolding, pouring forth Sthithi – Preservation, maintenance Samhara – Destruction or taking back Tirobhava – Concealing and hiding the Transcendent Reality Anugraha – Bestowing Grace
It is He that is immanent in the Play – Himself the Play, Himself the Player, Himself the Playground !
Cruise Tourism is on the rise in Kerala, despite the global recession. Decorative Passenger Ship Touism or Cruise Tourism is on an upward curve in Kerala, as 36 cruise ships are visiting Kochi in 2009 fiscal ! 22000 foreign tourists and 10,000 ship workers will be touring Kochi !
March will see 11 cruise ships. Of which 4 has already reached the Queen of the Arabian Sea. Seven more, inlcuding the big cruise ships – Queen Mary II & Queen Victoria will be visiting Kochi. 12000 foreign tourists will be visiting this month alone. Six thousand sailors also. From Queen Mary II, 2600 foreign visitors and 1300 crew members are expected. This Queen of the Sea will be reaching Kochi on Wednesday and will be in Kochi for one day.
The Kerala Government is considering promoting Spiritual Tourism, after tapping the potential of Ecotourism, Houseboat Tourism & Ayurveda.
Pilgrimage Tourism, said Tourism Minister K V Thomas will showcase Kerala’s formidable and diverse Spiritual Heritage.
Kerala, he said, is rich in places of worship of all major religions. This will be showcased to the world traveler.
The full potential of Pilgrim Tourism has not been yet exploited. Most of the temples, synagogues, churches and mosques have got green ambience and is situated at geographically important places.
Archeometry is the science of identifying important geographical places, based on ley lines of telluric force. The famous Sabarimala and Guruvayur temples, as well as the Kochi synagogue are built at important geographical places.
Two tourism companies, Godsland Tourism and Prakriti Tourism have already joined the bandwagon in this field. It is only a matter of time till Spiritual Tourism takes off in Nature blessed Kerala.
Gems and Jewellery are also important Kerala and Indian exports. Gems are great when it comes to lustre. They have also astrological significance.
What has Gemology got to do with Spirituality ? Everything. Gemology states that the Nine gems are interrelated to the Nine Planets. If you wear the fortunate gem of the fortunate planet, then that gem will confer fortune.
Moon represents Pearl. Moon is an important luminary as he represents Mother and Mind. Mental strength is dependent on him. He is exalted in Taurus and is debilitated in Scorpio.
He represents Prosperity. He represents Medicine. Those belonging to the Medical Profession will get a boost if they wear Pearl. Also those who want to increase their mental strength should wear pearl on a Waxing Moon Monday, the day of Luna or Moon.
Pearl is the primary gemstone of the Moon and Moonstone is its secondary gemstone. Believed to bring mental peace, economic prosperity,higher education and enhanced family status, its use during the period of the Moon brings favours. The Pearl is also used to heal eye related illnesses, any mental disorders and to assist good lactation. The ideal time to commence wearing a pearl is within an hour of sunrise on Monday. It is to be worn on the ring finger. The mantra of the Moon, Om Saum Somaya Namah can be chanted for maximum effectiveness.
M O O N A S T R A L G E M S T O N E
Functional Benefic in your chart – The Moon Cosmic Colour to be enhanced – Orange Recommended GemStone – Pearl Alternate Gemstone – Moonstone Solar/Lunar Metal to be used – Silver Herbal Ashes to be used – Butia frandosa Cosmic Number to be used – Two Most Auspicious Day – Monday Most Auspicious Month – February Hand to be worn on – Left Affected Element – Water Affected sense – Taste Affected Bodily Organ – Tongue Affected Anatomical System – Blood Affected Chakra – 6th Swadhistana Day of Invocation – Monday Time for Invocation – Evening
It numerological number is Two.
Amma is an ordinary woman who rose to the Zenith of Spirituality and rightly regarded now as a World Teacher.
And what made her climb the Evolutionary ladder ? Bridal Mysticism or Bhakthi Yoga.
From her childhood onwards, she was a bridal mystic. She used to spend hours meditating on the Lord and praying to Him. She used to go into ecstatic trances, like the great Ramakrishna Paramahamsa.
Her simple bhakthi drew the Lord to her. She is now a veritable symbol of Universal Love and the world knows her as a hugging saint.
Her simplicity is her greatness. Without having much academic qualifications to her credit, she quotes the Geetha and the Upanishads, like the great Satya Sai Baba.
We find that some prophets were not highly educated. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Prophet Mohammad, Jacob Boehme etc. Their greatness is their simplicity and humility.
On the other hand we find that the highly educated always had ego. Aurobindo confessed that he has a sense of intellectual superiority initially. So did the great Melpathur. Vivekananda exhorted to bring Light to the uneducated, and also to the educated, as tremendous are the vanities of education !
Her advice to the suffering humanity is simple. ” Feel your prayers, feel your mantra and you will feel God ” !
Spiritual Kerala is going commercial. There are 5000 shops in the New Grand Festival of Kerala, which began today thoroughout Kerala.
Commercial Tourism will improve Kerala. So thinks the think tank of Kerala Govt.
From Dec 1 to Jan 15, you will see Kerala rise high on the shopping horizon. This will become the Zenith of shopping revelry.
Relgious harmony is the hallmark of Kerala. Here we find people belonging to all civilizations, Jewish, Islamic, Hindu and Christian, live in peace.
Imagine there are no 189 nations Is it hard to do so ? No Ideology to fight for And no Dogmatic Religion too Imagine all people together Living in peace, a world community !
Ethnic products at throwaway prices and you can find the widest range of products , from Ayurvedic indigenous medicine products to herbal massage parlours, equipped with expert massagers.
Technology is also state of the art with Kerala joining the Net Revolution. Infopark and Technopark have recorded 42% growth and there are IT hubs everywhere.
Most of the tourists ( almost 50% ) come to Kerala to get a glimpse of the spiritual giant, Amma, often recognised as a God Realised soul. Other tourists come for Ayurvedic Tourism, because Kerala provides world class Ayurvedic therapy, with her Ayurvedic hospitals and doctors. Dr Deepak Chopra’s prediction ” In the coming years, Ayurveda will blossom ” has come true.
For the shopaholic, there are diverse products like great jewellery, class furniture, leather products, bronze, great handicrafts, artworks, antiques etc. To the shopper, this will be the ultimate shopping experience, the last bubbling cry.
There is no harm in indulging in sensory pleasures. The great Omar Khayam celebrated Life with the two great intoxicants, verse and the wine. Casanova indulged in the pleasures of the bed.
Sexuality is permitted in Tantra.
The Tantric rite is worshipping the Almighty with wine, meat, fish, mudra and copulation (Madyam mamsam cha meenam cha mudra maidhunam eva cha) This is known as Pancha Makara Pooja or worship with the Five Ms. These are of course symbolic but then Sacred Sexuality is permitted in Tantra.
Kali in Sanskrit means Time Personified, the Kala Swaroopini. She is the Destroyer. Rightly so, as destruction is nothing but Creative Destruction. Only after the evils are destroyed can good rise. She is the destroyer of all that is base, of all that is evil, the destroyer of the base passions of Man. She is extolled by all poets, as they find in Her terrible aspect, seeds of Wisdom and Love !
It was Walter Mendis, the Corporate Creative Director of Mudra, who gave Kerala the name ” God’s own Country”. He meant Kerala is as beautiful as the Lord made it, bearing on every feature the unmistakable stamp of the great Original Creative Artist !
Kerala is amongst the top 40 destinations in the world. National Geographic is of the view that she is amongst the top ten !
More than 13 K cr has come in and more than 5,98,000 foreign tourists visited this beautiful state out of a total of 8.2 million tourists. This 131130 cr is 7.7% of Kerala’s total income.
Kerala has a lot to offer. Houseboat Tourism, particularly in the Venice of the East, Alleppey, Beach Tourism, because of the 586 km coastline, River Tourism, Mountain Tourism & Monsoon Tourism, because of the heavy rainfalls that grace Kerala !
Kerala is just 1.1% of India ! Yet, she hosts 22% of 47 K plants, 35% of varieties of fish and 210 types of oceanic creatures. She has 700 kms of the Western Ghats & 586 kms of coastline. She receives 2000 mm rains. You will find different types of people belonging to different civilisations as she is multi-cultural and multi-religious. That is how Kerala becomes the Lord’s own country !
The foreigners say that ” well kept beaches, good people, tasty and mouth watering cuisine, spirituality and Ayurveda ” are the hallmarks of Kerala !
Beaches are a fascination for tourists and the four out of the five Districts which receive the influx of tourist have beaches ( Trichur, Trivandurm, Ernakulam, Alleppey and Idukki ).
Some fishing villages have been defined as Fishermen’s Village. Farm Tourism is also on the rise !
The Munambam beach is a beautiful place to behold. On the west we have the Arabian Sea, a mouth of the sea on the north and the “Life Line of Kerala”, the Periyar River on the east. This estuary is the place where the Periyar River, 244 km long, flows into the sea.
Munambam Beach is also known as Muziris Golden Beach. It is the farthest end of the famous Cherai beach. On the north west side, you can see the Munakkal beach. On the north we have Azheekode in Trichur Dist. The Munambam Azheekode point is the point where Trichur and Ernakulam Districts meet. You can cross the mouth of the sea on the north by Junkar or boat. Just five minutes from Munambam ( Kochi ) to Azheekod ( Trichur ) !
You can sit and enjoy the views, watching the local fishermen fish in their canoes and colourful boats. Photographers find Munambam enchanting, as the glorious sunset is indeed inspiring !
