My first exposure to Vedas, Upanishads, yoga and general discipline was at the Ramakrishna Mission, Bangalore, as an eight-year-old. We formed groups named after Markandeya, Vivekananda, Nachiketa and others. We were assigned daily chores like cleaning and gardening. My formative years were spent in this ashram-like atmosphere; the experience is an intrinsic part of my being. This laid the foundation for my spiritual quest. So you could say Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was my first guru.
Years later, meeting Raghavendra Swami evoked a sense of affinity. He meditated most of the time; he hardly spoke. He taught me the art of dhyana and bhakti yoga. We ask ourselves so many questions. Most of them remain un-answered. Why? Because no written scripture can provide all the answers. Mukti or salvation cannot be attained with mere theoretical knowledge. A guru can guide us on this path because he can point out our mistakes. Take mantras, for instance. We can of course read them. But only a guru can teach us the right pronunciation, intonation and rhythm which can create the right vibrations. Why are most mantras repeated 108 times? So that we get it right at least once.
Reading Ramana Maharshi's Who Am I? changed my life. You could say he was my third guru, for, he answered many of my questions. Interacting with Sri Satchidananda Swami, who lived in Yogaville, USA, it took me five years to realise that he was my guru. He would say, "When a disciple is ready, only then the true guru appears".
Sometime before Swami left his mortal coil, he told me that hereafter i should look up to Mahavatar Babaji as my guru to know more about the philosophy of self-realisation. Babaji's life story goes back some 2,000 years. He imbibed the art of Kriya Yoga directly from Guru Patanjali himself, who had learnt it from Arjuna, who was in turn taught by Lord Krishna Himself. Two of Babaji's disciples learnt the art of Kriya Yoga from him and later, Swami Paramahamsa Yogananda carried forward this yoga tradition which is based on a scientific inter-pretation of sound and light.
What is so special about Kriya Yoga? It expands your consciousness; it enables you to move up from the ridiculous to the sublime - from say, matters of state, politics and petty disputes to a deeper understanding of nature of the Self. This divine intuition came to me and it prompted me to travel to Babaji's cave in the Himalayas - he used to meditate there.
It is divine dispensation that initiated me into practising Kriya Yoga. It's a rejuvenating experience. Following it up with fasting did me a great deal of good. My farm is away from the hustle and bustle of the city, with only the rustle of palm trees and Hari and Ganga (Dalmatians) for company. It is my retreat - to be alone, to reflect and meditate... We are part of this world; yet, we also need to learn to live a life apart from it. Why do people persist in asking me questions about politics, inter-state relations, cinema and what not. When we're conversing on a higher plane, why do you want to go back down there (points to the floor)? Who knows what the next divine dispensation will be?
RAJNIKANTH Chennai-based film actor spoke to Narayani Ganesh. This was first published on October 24, 2002.