Lord’s presence is our strength and HIS absence our weakness

Once a new  disciple  approached   Acharyar Bhattar  and asked him………..

… Swamin ..

Please  clear my  doubt . What qualifications are needed to recite the Lord’s names ?

Bhattar smiled and replied ,

My dear child  ,

When you stumble on the road  OR  unknowingly face a danger .., what do you say instantly ..the disciple said I will scream AMMA …. …

Now tell me what qualifications  were needed to call AMMA ….

The disciple did not have any answer ….

My child !!  continued Bhattar ….

One who goes to bathe in the Holy ganges indeed need not cleanse himself beforehand by dipping in a  salt water pool  .

When we wish to be saved what more qualifications do we need than simply to desire it and forthwith fly to our savior LORD who saves us and also make us fit for salvation too .

When we go to a  pure fountain,    is not the fountain itself the purifier .

The disciple continued ..

Swamin …….

some  say that besides the visible body there is nothing like what is called as   soul there is no moral order and there is no God  whereas other say this body is transient and admit its  turbulent nature and therefore say  we must aim something permanent beyond this body .

The disciple begged again …

Swamin please elucidate what give rise to these two different opinions .

Bhattar replied 

My child !!!

This  body is a loathsome abomination if only one would turn its inside out and examine  the contents .

Then NO body’s teaching would be needed to detest it .

And , yet our long habituation with  it is the cause that we love it in spite of the immediate visible evidence that is disgusting.  Bhattar continued ….

Lord Krishna says in Srimad Bhagavad Gita  chapter 7-14 ..

To pure hearts LORD gives sufficient enlightenment to realize the detestable nature of the body and thence to endeavor to rid oneself of it but for sinful hearts the love for body persists and as a consequence to , in its company they commit more abominations and hence ………………….

Lord weighs us in HIS scales of justice each according to the merits and demerits of KARMA .

Bhattar used to feel low  during the darshan of the processional deities  after   Abhishekam ( Thirumanjanam ) wearing wet clothes and  used to contemplate …..

Oh Supreme  Lord !! when your Highness are not able to convince obstinate people like me with your abundant compassion for our  final upliftment are you………………….

My LORD……………….

.My savior ……………………………………………………………..

adorning yourself with the wet clothes so as to take an oath and convince us ??

Lord’s presence is our strength and HIS absence our weakness …………

Adiyen Ramanuja dasan

Pics credits : Google images