நோக்கு வர்மம் - Nokku Varmam

Recently i saw movie called 7aam Arivu (ஏழாம் அறிவு) and the key concept of the movie is around Bodhidharma and his teachings to Chinese esp. Nokku Varmam. Nokku varmam is a branch of the martial arts where you can subdue an opponent without any contact by using the energy from your eyes. It is really sad that these arts are almost dead in the main land and is probably flourishing in places where it is adopted some time back.

Our ability to neglect our rich past is shocking and also very saddening. When you see such a powerful subject as a movie you can't escape getting inspired by it. This art is given to us by Sage Agasthiyar who lived in south India and is the head of Sidha parampara. He was married to a lady called Lopamudra and he lived in South India in Sanga Kalam. You can google to find out more about him.

This blog is about i saying that Nokku Varmam - the art of managing energy through our eyes is very much alive in Tamil Nadu and you may enjoy if you can read Tamil. I am attributing this art to his wife, that the sage has learnt this from his wife's eyes and given it to us. I am suggesting that the art which is used to kill or control an opponent is refined to fit our culture of non-violence (கொல்லாமை, இன்னா செய்யாமை) and we have preserved this in a better form. Hope you would like it.

ஆழிசூழ் அண்டத்தில் நல்லமிழ்து பொங்கும் தமிழகம்

ஊழிசூழ் அழிவிலும் நற்பெருமை நீங்கா நானிலம் 

நாழியும் சங்கமாம் நன்னிலம் தென்பொதிகையாம்

வாழவே ஞாலமும் வந்தானே அகத்தியனும்!

சாஸ்திரமும் சூத்திரமும் சித்தியும் யோகமும்

லோபமுத்ரை வழியாலே இல்லறத்தின் போகமும்

இலக்கணமும் மருத்துவமும் கரைகண்ட தாயச்சித்தன்

வர்மமென்ற உயர் கலைக்கு குருமுனியும் உயிர் கொடுத்தான்!

விந்தியனை வென்றுயர்ந்து, வாதாபியை உணவாக்கி

இராமனுக்கு நலம் சேர்த்து, சிவத்தை உணர்வாக்கி  

இல்லாளும் உடனிருக்க போகமில்லா யோகியாகி 
தீண்டாமல் தீண்டியே வளர்த்து வந்த மெய்க்கலையோ 
உன் இல்லாள் விழிவிளிம்பில் கற்றுணர்ந்த போர்கலையோ

நோக்கு வர்மமெனுமுறை, மெய்த்தீண்டா கலையன்றோ !

நீ கொடுத்த கலை இன்று  தமிழகத்தில் இல்லையென்று

மடமை பேசும் மக்கள்காள் மாநிலத்தில் இருக்கின்றார் 

விழி வழியே வரும் சக்தி இல்லாமல் போயிற்றோ

வழி வழியாய் வரும் நெறியை மறந்து பேசும் மூடர்காள்!

வள்ளுவனும் கண்டறிந்த விழி மேன்மை தொலைந்திடுமோ?

கண்ணோடு கண்ணினை நோக்கக்கின் என்றதும்

கூற்றமோ கண்ணோ பிணையோ மடவரல் என்றதும்

இன்றும் 

பளிங்குபோல் நெஞ்சம் கடுத்தது காட்டுவது கண்ணன்றோ?

விழி வழியே வரும் சக்தி இல்லாமல் போயிற்றோ

வழி வழியாய் வரும் நெறியை மறந்து பேசும் மூடர்காள்!

கம்பனும் காட்டிய விழி மேன்மை தொலைந்திடுமோ?

வரிசிலை அண்ணலும் வாட்கண் நங்கையும்

கண்ணொடு கண்இணை கவ்வி ஒன்றைஒன்று 

உண்ணவும் நிலைபெறாது உணர்வும் ஒன்றிட இல்லையேல் 

வில் முறிப்பது எங்கனம்? ராம காதை எங்கனம்?

விழி வழியே வரும் சக்தி இல்லாமல் போயிற்றோ

வழி வழியாய் வரும் நெறியை மறந்து பேசும் மூடர்காள்!


உறுதி கொண்ட நெஞ்சும், தெளிவு பெற்ற மதியும்
களி படைத்த மொழியும், ஏறு போல் நடையும் 
ஒளி படைத்த விழி வழியே விளக்ககூவிய 
பழிப்பிலா பழுதிலா பாரதி சொல் கேட்கிலையோ? 

விழி வழியே தாய்மை கண்டேன், விழி வழியே கருணை கண்டேன் 

விழி வழியே பாசம் கண்டேன், விழி வழியே அன்பும் கண்டேன் 

விழி வழியே வறுமை கண்டேன், விழி வழியே வலியும் கண்டேன் 

விழி வழியே வன்மை கண்டேன், விழி வழியே மெண்மை கண்டேன்

விழி வழியே பெண்மை கண்டேன், பெண்மையின் பெருமை கண்டேன்

பெண்மையின் பொறுமை கண்டேன், பொறாமை எனும் கருமை கண்டேன்

பன்மையிலும் மடமை கண்டேன், வன்மையிலும் நன்மை கண்டேன்   

கடைக்கண் பார்வை தன்னில் மலைப்பெயர்க்கும் சக்தி கண்டேன் 

கற்பு நெறி பார்வையிலே பேராண்மை வளர கண்டேன் 

வாள் கொண்ட கண்களினால் போராண்மை  மிளிர கண்டேன் 

குறுமுனியே, நீ கொடுத்த நோக்கு வர்மம் 

எனும் கலையை ஆண்டாண்டு வாழவைத்தோம்!
எம் ஆசான் வள்ளுவனின் வாய்மொழியில்
ஒறுத்தாரை பொறுத்து 
பிறிதின்நோய் தன் நோய்ப்போல்  போற்றி 
கொலையுணர்வைக் கொன்று, 
கொல்லாமை வளர்த்து
நீ ஈன்ற தீண்டாக் கலையில், 
வன்மை அகற்றி 
இன்னா கலையாக இனிமையைக் கூட்டி 
வாழ்வாங்கு வாழவைத்தோம்! 

மங்கையவள் மைவிழியில் நாணமாக பூட்டி வைத்தோம்

மடந்தையவள் வாள் விழியில் காதலாக தீட்டி வைத்தோம் 

அரிவையவள் கயல் விழியில் அம்பாக மாட்டி வைத்தோம் 

தெரிவையவள் வேல் விழியில் கற்பாக கட்டி வைத்தோம் 

அன்னையின் முது விழியில் தாய்மையாக போற்றி வைத்தோம்  

அன்பே சிவமென்று கருணையாக ஏற்றி வைத்தோம்! 

Happy Reading!

(happynhandsome@gmail.com)

PS: Some of you may not know that each stage(based on age) of a male and female has a name in Tamil and this is as follows. You may notice them above.

பெண்களின் 7 பருவங்கள் : பேதை(till 8) , பெதும்பை(9-10) , மங்கை (11-14), மடந்தை (15-18), அரிவை (19-24),தெரிவை (25-29), பேரிளம் பெண்(above 30).

ஆண்களின் 7 பருவங்கள் : பாலன் (till 7), மீளி (8-10), மறவோன் (11-14), திறவோன் (15), விடலை (16), காளை (17-30), முது மகன் (above 30).

Tongue Analysis - Part 1

No, it is not what you think. Yeah, it is not analysis with another tongue, La Leçon- a lesson with a French touchJ. I was reading a book called Ayurvedic tongue analysis by Walter Shantree Kacera – (ISBN 978-81-208-3231-2).

Two emotions overwhelmed me – Awe and shock. Awe because of the depth of knowledge we Indians had for ages and our ability to see interconnection between spirituality, health, taste, environment and what not. Shock because despite having such a legacy we have to read and understand this from a foreigner who dedicated his life to learn our scriptures and share it with the world. The author has done a brilliant job of integrating and correlating Ayurveda with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and modern day allopathy in many places.

·         Have you ever wondered as to why tongue tastes bitter or sweet early morning when you wake up?

·         I am sure you have wondered as to why you have bad breadth – for some it may be a way of life and for many it is triggered on few days.

·         Do you know the non-invasive visual analysis of tongue can clearly state the current physical, mental and emotional state of a person?

·         Do you know that most of the imbalances in your system, potential diseases can be detected at an early stage for corrected before disease manifests?

·         Above all you don’t need a doctor to do all the above and you standing in front of the mirror early morning for few minutes would do the trick?

Sounds too good to be true isn’t? Read on.

The key point that got reinforced to me is Ayurveda is not a medical system but a holistic science of life which is absolutely aligned with nature – a scientific way of balancing and harmonizing your unique prakruti with that of your environment.

In the current allopathic medical world most of the clinical diagnostic procedures are invasive and expensive. In this scheme of things it is important to emphasis that almost all of the diagnostic techniques in Ayurveda are non-invasive like Nadi reading, visual analysis of eyes, tongue, feces and Urine.

How do we go about this?

Step 1: Understand the basics

·         Ayurveda is a bio-energetic, bio-spiritual and bio-chemical science on how the dynamics of environment around you affects – physiologically and psychologically and how to harmonize the same.

·         Ayurveda considers that every individual has a unique prakruti. The book very nicely explains 5 elements, 3 doshas, 10 categories of prakruti, 6 tastes and its effect on the physiology and psychology of a human being, 3 qualities of food and its impact, and the physiology of the human being like 7 dhatus, 7 updhatus, 3 malas and its dynamic relation to all the above.

·         The relation between 5 elements was nicely explained like 1/10^th of ether becomes Air, 1/10^th of Air becomes Fire, 1/10^th of Fire becomes water, 1/10^th of water becomes earth. This was significant for me since for every gross form (Earth) we see the inter & intra cellular space is 10 power 4 times the size of the gross form.

I can’t help but recollect great words of a Siddhar and Lao Tzu in the Tao te Ching and correlate both with the above:

“காயமே இது பொய்யடா, வெறும் காற்றடைத்த பையடா!”

This means the body is not true and is a bag filled with air.  This means not just the body but for any form which includes the world.

‘The Tao is an empty vessel; it is used but never filled…”

“Thirty spokes share the wheel's hub; it is the center hole that makes it useful.

Shape clay into a vessel; It is the space within that makes it useful.

Cut doors and windows for a room; It is the holes which make it useful.

Therefore benefit comes from what is there;

Usefulness from what is not there!”

Step 2: Under your nature (Prakruti).

·         So first understand what your prakruti is and align for harmony and balance. Learn what you are and be such.

·         It is said that every individual is a unique combination of the 3 dosha (Vata, Pitta, Kapha). But one of the components is always strong and that defines your personality, emotional state, taste preferences et al.

·         Then comes the 4 important concepts:

o   Like increases like

§  This means if your constitution is strong Pitta and if your food also contains strong pitta then the pitta in the body aggravates.

o   Everything affects everything else.

§  Be it climate, food or any external environment or internal mental state everything is interconnected and there is a continuous and dynamic correlation of these factors.

o   Weakness grows out of strength.

§  The strongest element in our constitution tends to increase the most leading us to illness. And also people with good immunity tend to abuse their health and when they fall ill they find it difficult to recover quickly. Hence people with weaker and delicate constitution tend to live longer. Hence strength kills the strong. J

I am quoting my other blog where I argue that the nature favors the weak http://ragsgopalan.blogspot.com/2010/11/musings-hail-frailty.html

o   Will supersedes structure (Adaptability)

§  Ayurveda does not seem to believe that your constitution and nature are fixed and hence your personality, tastes, attitudes and behavior are predetermined. The concept of adaptability where by the sheer power of our will we can change the structure is highlighted.

Hence we need to be aware of our own constitution and these 4 important concepts.

Continuing this blog in the next part… Part 2.

Happy reading!

Oil bath - எண்ணெய் குளியல் - சனி நீராடு

Auvaiyaar (ஔவையார்) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avvaiyar one of the greatest philosopher-poets from Tamil nadu has created many works and one of them is Aathichudi (ஆத்திசூடி), in which she urges us "சனி நீராடு" which means "Take oil bath on Saturdays". Her words are always attributed with divinity and I just want you to wonder along with me as to what did she find so useful that she requested us to take Oil bath on Saturdays, among others. That sounds silly? But not when you complete reading this blog - hopefully!

I am not sure about your childhood but I can vouch that taking oil bath is one of the hated things during my childhood but neither my parents nor my grandma had any consideration for our objections and they used to force us. The way it used irritate our eyes was the prime reason why we hated it so much.

So what is oil bath? Coconut / herbal / Til Oil (traditionally its Gingelly Oil - நல்லெண்ணெய்) is applied all over the body especially on Saturdays and you take bath with Shikai powder (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acacia_concinna). This was a tradition in most of the families I know and was a strict regimen.

Lets looks at some of the basics and then its benefits.

• Ayurvedic view of life is that every being is a unique combination of 5 elements (Space, Air, Fire, Water and Earth). These 5 elements combine to form three doshas (Vata - Combination of Air and Space , Pitta - Combination of Fire and Air and Kapha - Combination of Earth and Water). You can google for more. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dosha   
• Each living organism is a unique combination of this and your unique combinations are classified under 10 categories. You can find out what is your combination. (This is just a sample http://www.drsanjeevsood.com/TridoshaTest/index.html)
• The 3 gunas (Rajas, Tamas, Satvic), the 3 doshas as above, the 6 tastes and the 12 months are all interrelated and you can again google to find out this interesting correlation.
• Disease according to Ayurveda is primarily because of the imbalance in any of the 3 doshas. 
• Thiruvalluvar had a gem of a Kural which explained this: "மிகினும் குறையினும் நோய் செய்யும் நூலோர் வளி முதலா எண்ணிய மூன்று". This means any increase / decrease of the three doshas create disease according to experts / doctors.
• Hence it is very important as to how you keep them in balance. You can keep Vata under control by taking laxatives / purgatives regularly aka "Virechana" in Ayurveda. This cleans the large intestine and colon. Recommended twice a year.
• You can keep Pitta under control by emetic means. Ayurveda prescribes "Vaaman dhauti" and this cleans the stomach, small intestine and the esophagus. Recommended once a month. 
• You can control Kapha by taking Oil bath. Kapha is the water component in the body and is seated in the head, neck region. But why is controlling Kapha more important than Vata or Pitta that the great poet found it necessary to mention it in her works?
• Probably for the reason that the body has an inherent mechanism to create a balance for Pitta or Vata either through occasional or event based diarrhea or puking, but it does not have a mechanism to eliminate Kapha, at least not so effective.
• A human being when he is born is grown by the quality of vata (till the age of 40) and between 40 to 80 he is protected by the quality of pitta and then he is killed by Kapha (after 80 years... this is assuming a human being would live for 120 years.). Hence balancing Kapha is very important for longer life.

Benefits:

• If you notice the best of the treatments for anti-ageing or healing lies in ensuring that the effects of gravity on the body is reversed or neutralized. Remember Sirasasana is the king of asanas. Blood which always flows easily to the lower parts of the body but Oil bath ensure that blood flows easily to your head. This is a great boon to people who can't perform the head stand pose.
• Maintaining a cool head is not just about the EQ of an individual but also has an impact on health, ageing and even as to how long we live. Oil bath obviously cools the head, body and eyes, restores youth, vigor in an individual and also stops early balding or loss of hair. Increase in body heat is damaging for many of the internal organs and hence Oil bath is a boon as it acts as a thermostat.
• Eyes are the seat of the sun (per Ayurveda) and excess Kapha is the enemy of good vision. Blood to the eyes flow through very thin vessels and when the body / head is hot the blood flow is constricted to the eyes and hence the vision is affected leading to sore eyes or burning sensation in the eyes. Watering from eyes during the bath is good for the eyes though it is very irritating.
• Men should take bath on Wednesdays or Saturdays only before 8 AM. Females should follow this on Tuesdays and Fridays only. 
• The don'ts are as follows:
• You are not supposed to take bath on other days and may lead to cold and cough including deficiency in eyesight if you take bath on Sundays.
• Never take bath after 10AM even on all the days including the prescribed days. 
• Don't sleep in the afternoon and avoid having sex on this day.
• Avoid eating cold items on that day. 
• This is generally not advised for people who have sinus or frequent cold attacks. Check out with your doctor before doing this.
• Traditionally they add lot of herbs to the oil and heat it. You can buy this preparation and heat the oil or use pure Til or coconut oil. Allow the oil to cool down to room temperature before applying this.
• One Siddhar in his poem says the secret for living for 120 years. "நாள் இரண்டு, வாரம் இரண்டு, மாதம் இரண்டு , வருடம் இரண்டு."
  "Twice Daily, Twice Weekly, Twice Monthly , Twice Yearly"
  Here twice weekly is asking you to take Oil bath two times a week. 

The number of life style related disorders and diseases are on the rise and this is primarily attributed to us either ignoring or staying ignorant to our healthy ways of life which has been traditionally followed. We are fine to spend Rs. 1000/-+ for an Ayurvedic massage without understanding its benefits. It is important that we are rational in our approach to reject traditions which has been followed for long and ignored in the name of modern lifestyle, 21st century civilization or as superstition.

The reason I wrote about this is today is it is a tradition to take Oil bath on the day of Diwali before sunrise and if you not taken bath yesterday, I hope you would start this from the coming Friday / Saturday.

Oil bath keeps you cooler, younger, better invigorated, with better vision, without baldness, increases your life span and as a well oiled machine :).

If you are ignorant as i had been for long then this blog may help. I would be happy if you decide to do this to your kids and inculcate this habit and continue the tradition. Under the pretext of superstition or life style definitions let us not deprive the future generation of the benefits of our traditional secrets. We have the responsibility to pass them on.

Happy reading!    

The nicest and safest place in the world!

What is the safest place on earth? This was the question i was mulling as i saw pictures of Muammar Gaddafi being dragged out of a sewage pipe and given the treatment that isn't different from the ones meted out by him to most of his opponents for the last 4 decades.

With due respects to the departed soul, i was giving myself a dry smile at his very "karmic"ally apt last words 'Don't shoot me". Do you need any more proof that "Time is great leveler"?

I would not disgaree if you call him "mad dog from the middle east" with a nauseating sense of dressing, usurping power with a single tool called "merciless elimination of dissent" and who ruled with an iron hand on the foundation of nature's oil reserves. But my memory of Gaddafi from my college days were firmly rooted in adulthood jealousy when i read about his female virgin body guards :). His quotes like, 

"Were it not for electricity we would have to watch TV in the dark" 

"A woman has the right to run for elections whether she is male or female"

were quite revealing and inspiring in making me realize that nature isn't entirely logical and it can endow power and wealth to absolute merciless morons like Gaddafi. Then nature started revealing more such morons exist in the world like Dubya Bush and i think i am quickly reaching a stage where nature is suggesting that vast majority of our world leaders are rooted in ignorance, idiotic and dogma driven without any trace of logic and rationality in their genes.

The Gaddafi's clips on screen led me to recollect the images of Saddam Hussein being pulled out of a underground pit and hanged but the ending was a shade more gracious than his African counterpart.  

News of Jaya being questioned in Bangalore was also noticed by me on the day. A trial for 66cr, has been going on for the last 15 years and with more than 1500 policemen deployed for 2 days and the cost of just these 2 days should be more than 25 lacs to the state. I am sure by now the overall cost of trial is more than the tax from the wealth that could have been realized. 

Irrespective of country, creed, religion, and nationality, corruption has attained the qualities of god - Omnipresent and Omnipotent. With most of our leaders being mentally corrupt usurping power and wealth without any limits, but all the accumulated power and wealth does not provide the safety and protection when the time is not on their side. 

Chanakya in his "Chanakya sutra" says "Stinking riches are not possible without evil" 

(नास्त्यपिशाचमैश्वर्यम् । - nāsti apishācham aishvaryam)

So coming back to the question i started this blog with, what provides safety against the vagaries of time and life? This is not just for our leaders but for all of us in general. If enormous Power and wealth does not seem to provide that safety consistently, then what provides this safety.

Then i read this old email accidentally which said, the most valuable places to be,

"The nicest place in the world to be is in someone's benign thoughts

The safest place in the world to be is in someone's prayers"

Be it Saddam or Gaddafi or Bush or most of our leaders neither existed in benign thoughts nor in people's prayers. I understand that there cannot be a sweeping generalization and the argument that a person can never exist in everyone's prayers.

So, the next question i have, "Is there a easy way to be present in everyone's prayers that gives us an affordable ticket and visa to be on the safest place?'.     

I don't know the answer to this question but thinking logically about the “Law of reciprocity of nature” or you call it “Law of Karma” which states that "As you sow, thou shall reap", then the easiest way to be in the safest place / in everyone's prayers is to have "everyone in our prayers". So the trick seems to be,

For a healthy life, pray health for all, 

For a wealthy life, pray wealth for all

For a prosperous life, pray prosperity for all

For a safe life, pray safety for all

For a peaceful life, pray peace to all,

To be in everyone's benign thoughts, be benign to all

To be in everyone's prayers, pray for all!

2 aspects of this concept is concisely captured as under:

• தீதும் நன்றும் பிறன் தர வாரா - Theedhum Nandrum piran thara varaa (Translitt) (In Tamil it means Good and bad things to you does not come because of any one else but because of your thoughts and deeds only.)
• Shreyo-bhooyat-sakala-Janaanam (In Sanskrit, it means may the whole humanity be blessed with excellence).

From time immemorial nature has been teaching us the same lesson with many characters Ravans, Kamsas, Hitlers, Gaddafis, Saddams et al, and that does not seem to register with us. Guess, we shall continue to do what we would and nature would continue to teach us what it should!..

I am signing off wishing you and your family a very happy Diwali. 

May the festival of light help us lit the light within.

Happy reading!