The whole universe is made of five elements which will come under the categories of sound and light. Likewise, the spirituality is the end of sound and light which are realized through one’s own experience.
The bases of science are sound and light. Science explores the external elements but spiritual wisdom (metaphysics) explores what are inside the mind and soul. What we explore outwardly is the same as what we explore inwardly. This is an accepted truth.
Science has been exploring new concepts and making discoveries and initiatives. There is no end to these explorations.
Saints explore what is inside and have come to definite conclusions realizing the nature of universe, human soul and God. The saints after receiving the complete knowledge, tell us what is required for our well-being. They live a disciplined quiet life with love for fellow beings.
Thunder and lightning show us the significance of sound and light.
As we do penance, we concentrate on the light in our eyes, and the light enters the body through the eyes. The light reaches the place in between top of the skull and above the throat. Right eye represents the sun and the left eye stands for the moon. The light goes inside and becomes warm, then hot and afterwards the light (Jyothi). During this process, we hear the sound in ten different notes. Finally, we get the divine vision of light.
In temple during the time of worship we start with sounds of musical instruments. The sounds are followed by lamp of lights showed before the main God or Goddess. Finally, a single light is offered to the main deity. We undergo the same steps in our meditation process. What we experience in our body and mind are symbolically demonstrated in the temple worship.
Arunagirinathar in one of his songs (Thiruppugazh) says: “Naada Vindhu Kalathi namo nama”. “Naadham” means “sound” and “Vindhu” means “light”.
Lord Muruga, as narrated by saints, was born from the rays of light which came from the third eye of Lord Shiva. Lord Muruga destroys the demons and converts one of them to a “cock” and another one a “peacock”. The cock crows in the morning . It makes noise. Peacock give colourful feathers which stands for light. There are seven colours in the feathers. The rainbow colours are reflections from the sunlight. As we do penance we first of all see the seven colours. Finally, we have the Jothi darshan (seeing the great light). Based on this philosophical concept, Ramalinga Swamigal showed the great light after opening seven curtains, one after another. This is performed in Vadalur on Thaipoosam day. The divine experience is sung in the following lines :
Vaanaththin meethu mmayil aadakkanden, mayil kuil aachchuthadi
As we proceed in the path of penance we see the seven colours as divine vision and then hear the divine sound which finally ends in Jothi dharishanam Everlasting life is possible only through some spiritual process. Our body is made of flesh, bone, nerves and other elements. The seed of past actions must be fried and made impotent in the fire of wisdom. Thus we are washed off all three impurities – pride (ego), Past actions ( karma ) and illusion ( maaya, transitory nature of the world we see) by the fire of wisdom. Then we can attain self-realized state of salvation in the present birth itself.
Thirumoolar and other siddhars (enlightened souls) have explained ten divine sounds experienced by wise saints. All temples have the religious ritual based on light and sound in order to show the divine experience through penance.
The great poet, Bharathiar has sung:
“Oh, the people with bright light in the eyes, you are thrice welcome!”
The sound of music has been used as a holy path to attain divinity. As the devotees sing sweetly, their heart melts with divine love and eventually God appears before them. Saint Thiyagarajar sang songs in praise of Lord Rama. As he rendered the songs with so much devotion, Lord Rama used to appear before him. The devotees experienced the divine presence and had inexplicable divine bliss. So many saints have attracted the divine light through the sound of sweet holy music.
So long as the body has the light and heat, man is alive, once they leave the body, man becomes a corpse. The basis of life is light. If we search for the sound with the help of the light in our body, we will become the self-realized souls.
Let us think about “beauty”. clothes, ornaments, physical beauty, youthfulness, flowers, garlands or decorations are not beautiful. When we light a lamp or series of lamps in the house or temple, the place becomes bright and beautiful. The festival of lights symbolically represents that only light will lead you to an eternal life. Thus the light makes other things bright and sparkling.
The Bible guides us through this meaningful message: “The Lord manifests himself in the form of light. If you walk in the path of light, you can see the Lord. Eyes are the guiding lamp for the human being. If your eyes are bright, your body will also be bright”.
This is enough to know and realize the state of divine wisdom.
The human mind must understand the truth behind the spiritual thoughts and start thinking about the truth and do research again and again, constantly thinking about the ways and means to attain salvation. One must approach the persons who have complete knowledge about the path of salvation. Consult the persons who have already realized the divinity through the path of spiritual wisdom, follow the guidelines offered by them. This is the beginning of the state of spiritual wisdom.
Many people came to spread religion and were dead and gone because of their arrogance and ego centric nature. However, Caldwell and G.U.Pope learnt Tamil; translated “Thirukkural” and “Thiruvasagam” into English; and thus did a remarkable service to humanity. Moreover, it was Arumuga Navalar from Yazhpanam, Sri Lanka who first translated the Bible into Tamil.
When we go beyond the religious fervour, the humanity and universal love for all living things will be realized as the ultimate path to salvation.
Vallalar says: Once I gave up dirty mean arguments about the caste and creed, I experienced the divine light of grace. Caste and creed are the dangerous viruses – stumbling blocks – that hinder our path leading to divinity.
Saints who have divine spiritual wisdom aim at the same goal even if they belong to different religions. Gunangudi Masthan, Thayumanavar, Thakkalai Peer Muhamed, Pattinathar, Agasthiar and Vallalar have spoken differently but the message is one – the path of wisdom.
They have shared their experiences with us about the God who has been in the form of light. Appar, Sundarar, Gnana Sambanthar and Manickavasagar have discussed the complete wisdom about divinity.
Man, wherever he is, has more or less the same body temperature. Likewise, the God is present in all living beings inside the soul as life giving light.
The secrets of birth and death of human beings is beyond the scope of science. Once a human being identifies, realizes the presence of light, and becomes a part of it, he can control his life.
When man acquires the complete wisdom, he becomes a saint whose knowledge and wisdom shine brilliantly and transform himself as a powerful saint called “Siddhar”.Bharathiar asks : “Do these two eyes represent the sun and the moon?”
Abhirami Pattar refers to Goddess: “ the eye which emits the potential light”.Avvaiyar says: “The basis of salvation lies in the light and heat emerging from the Sun when they reach the powerful Moon”
Vallalar proclaims: “I was blessed with the power to transform this perishable body into an ever-shining body of light”.
We can develop the limited heat already present in the body into an immensely great fire through austere penance. As a result, the body becomes illumined body of light. This is what great saints (Siddhars) have achieved. We can also achieve this state when we try. The enlightened saints will rush to help such souls.
All these saints have reached the supreme state, with the blessings of God. They will surely lend a hand to uplift our souls into the higher state of wisdom and liberation. They will be with us and protect us forever. Let us achieve our supreme goal with the blessings of enormously powerful saints.
Electrical and Electronic goods are made for the worldly comforts. Should we not kindle the light in us and make ourselves enlightened souls?
Let us light the lamp of wisdom in our souls to remove the darkness called ignorance. As a result, our face glows with brilliance which spreads throughout the body and an “aura” develops around the body. Eventually, there should be “aura” ( circular glowing light ) around one’s head
We must increase the power and lead the life with the light of wisdom.
Once Vallalar was returning from Chidambaram along with some friends and followers. Suddenly it started raining and everyone except Vallalar got drenched in the rain. Vallalar was not at all wet as the rain drops were evaporated by the heat transmitted from his body.
Once a disciple wanted to ask why Vallalar covers his head with cloth. Immediately Vallalar read his mind, and uncovered his head. There was a bright aura around his head and on seeing this the disciple could not withstand the bright light and fell unconscious.
Vallalar is the embodiment of light. That is why he insisted that enormous light is to be worshipped as God. That is why he had given us the short and succinct new adage in praise of light. The holy chant, “Arutperum Jyothi”.
Vallalar preached what he practised. He made his body into an illumined one in order to lead a perennial, everlasting life of deathlessness. Vallalar was born in Maruthur on 5th October 1823. He mingled with the divine light on January 30, 1874, the Thaipoosam day. One who lived and moved with human body became a saint with illumined body of light. This is the most recent incident of becoming an illumined body in the history.
Nandanar, the great devotee of Lord Natarajar was asked to pass through the fire – pit by the Brahmins of Chidambaram. This was a severe test for Nandanar to show that he was a great devotee born in a humble low-caste family. Nandanar made his body into a light filled body and made himself fiery (fire could not burn the fiery body). He passed through the fire and stood firm against the ill-will of the priests. As a result, he was appreciated and honoured by the temple priests at Chidambaram. Nandanar was a saint who made his body full of light and heat. In our country, there are so many saints who made the physical body into a body of light and lived a perennial, everlasting life. Manickavasagar merged and mingled with Lord Natarajar in Chidambaram after becoming embodiment of light. Let us have some more examples. Badragiriar became the light at Thiruvidaimaruthur. Saint Gnanasambanthar reached heavenly Mount Kailash along with his wife and relatives. Andal became one with Ranganathar in Srirangam. There are so many instances to show us that many saints, and enlightened souls became one with God in the form of light.