Introduction

[Ravisankar S. Mayavaram]

        I am posting an introduction about my (spiritual)
background as suggested by shrii Vidyasankar Sundaresan.

        My search began when I was in final year of my engineering. I
was an agnostic till then. I continued to be in that state, utterly
confused with God, world and its ways, till I completed my M.S. at
IIT, Madras. But it was in Aug 1991, through sequence of events I was
not only led to Madurai and was also shown I that belong to HER. It
was in the temple of shrii miinaakshi amman my conversion took
place. SHE not only took over me, but also offered unmistakable
evidence or proof ( which I cannot state) that I belong to HER. Now I
have no goal but reaching HER. I imagine myself like little child
crawling back to HER, after straying away due to ignorance.

During this period through to my younger brother I was introduced to Sai
Baba. After reading many books on both shirdi sai baba and satya sai
baba, I was convinced of their divinity. I worship Shirdi Sai Baba
with heart-felt love and I believe that satya sai baba is none but
Baba of shirdi himself. BTW my family is affiliated to kaanchi mutt and
I love and respect HH chandrasekhara sarasvati.

        But only recently I got my navigator who has the road-map
which will guide me back to my Mother. He is shrii paramaha.nsa
yogananda, when I think of him, I can only think of love incarnating
itself. He has given more than I could take.

        It was after coming to the US, I got a chance to read shrii
paramaha.nsa yogananda's "Autobiography of an Yogi". It did the magic
to me. Later I enrolled myself as a student in Self-Realization
Fellowship. I have completed a year of their lessons, but I have not
taken kriya yoga initiation yet. But soon I will do that and establish
a formal guru link with shrii yogananda. I was taken over by his love
for God, even though he talks pure advaitaM, his profound love for God
is seen everywhere in his teachings. Through his books and lessons, he
has offered me more than I could take. Now I am convinced that all I
have to do is to follow him. He will definitely reform this scoundrel
and place me back on my mother's lap.

        For the last ten years I have been reading books only related
to philosophy during my free time. But it did not transform me or
remove my negative tendencies. But few months of meditation ( less
than an hour a day) has done wonders to me. I finally understood that
both theory and practice are required.

        But still my mediocrity prevents me from following the
teachings of my guru sincerely, inspite of the definite knowledge that
it will take me back HER. But now I don't mind struggling, there is a
new strength. It may take many births to reform this scoundrel, but
now  I have someone to lift me up even if I fall again and
again, ultimately place me back on Mother's lap.

Thanks for listening. I hope to learn a lot about advaita through the
discussions here.
--
Ravi
msr at tamu.edu
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shabda-brahma-mayii charaachara-mayii jyotir-mayii vaaN^mayii
nityaananda-mayii niranjana-mayii tatvaM-mayii chiN-mayii |
tatvaatiita-mayii paraatpara-mayii maaya-mayii shrii-mayii
sarvaishvarya-mayii sadaashiva-mayii maaM paahi miinaMbike  ||8||
                                aadi shankaracharya
                                shrii miinaakshii stotram
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