As a Travel Guide !

This post is a TRIBUTE to my Grand Father.
I have noticed that every year during the  "The Journey of Tat-Tvam-Asi season" (OR) the "Sabarimala Mandala season" that falls between Mid - November to Mid - January many visitors come to my blog using the key word - Sabarimala. Hence I thought of writing this post once again.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sabarimala_Temple

As informed earlier my grand father was a  A Spiritual Guide - A Travel Guide who helped thousands of Ayyappa devotees HIKE THE SABARIMALA HILLS to experience TAT-TVAM-ASI.

The entire Journey is guided by the Inscription Tat-Tvam-Asi found written on the top of the Sanctum Sanctorum of Sabarimala Temple - But does the devotee experience the same ? The Job of a Travel Guide is to help devotees experience Tat-Tvam-Asi.

Before I was born my grand father ceased his earthly connections ; but at the age of 8 during my trip to Sabarimala Hills my father taught me the meaning of Tat-Tvam-Asi.

Let me take on the ROLE OF A TRAVEL GUIDE. 

Today IAM YOUR TRAVEL GUIDE !

Lets begin with the JOURNEY OF TAT-TVAM-ASI.

Tat-Tvam-Asi is an INWARD JOURNEY.

A devotee will practice celibacy-Brahmacharya for 41 days prior to the pilgrimage. It is believed that all kinds of DESIRES starts from SEXUAL DESIRES.

Brahmacharya is the absolute control of all SENSES and a spotless Chastity.

What does practicing Brahmacharya teach you?

You dont have to lay on your back to catch a man.

You dont have to compete with another woman to win a man.

You dont have to compete with another man to win a woman.

You dont have to turn yourself into a bait to catch a mate.

The fundamental instinctual desire is SEX ; only after fulfilling sexual desire comes POWER ; WEALTH ; STATUS.  

The Travel bag which a devotee carries on his head should contain the following. 

Camphor , Rice , Rose water , Ghee , Sandal wood paste and Coconut. Coconut represents Human Body.  Coconut is broken and the water from the coconut is drained out. Metaphorically it means you have drained out EGO, LUST,  JEALOUSY AND DESIRES from your body. Coconut is now filled with Ghee. Ghee represents the "Life source - Soul".

You carry all the items on your head during the hike barefoot to the top of the Sabarimala Hill. 
The path to the Peak of the hill is strewn with stones, dense forest, wild animals and ridges.

Once you reach the top of the hill and enter into the temple premises called Sannidhanam, you will now encounter with holy 18 steps. After mounting  the holy 18 steps the first thing you see is "Tat Tvam Asi" written on the sanctum. 

"Tat Tvam Asi" means "You are that which you SEEK". GOD lies within.

 Everything that we SEEK  lies within.

Above the complexities of the dense thick hilly forest, inside the sanctum you see Lord Ayyappa sitting in the Naishtika Brahmachari Pose.
The sitting pose is called Ardhasana in Yoga. It is also called as Brahmacharya Pose.

To a man or a woman who knows how to conserve sexual energy  what is there unattainable in the world ?.  

Once you get a holy glimpse of Lord Ayyappa, Ghee is now removed from the coconut and offered  to Lord Ayyappa for Abhishekam and the coconut which  represents Perishable Body is put into fire.
This clearly means that our body is perishable.

Application of Tat-Tvam-Asi in Everyday  Life  : 

The solution to every problem in life lies WITHIN US.

If it is applied to Romance and Love !

Irrespective of our gender each one of us have both Masculine and Feminine Energies within us.

When there is INNERBALANCE ; Outer balance happens by CHOICE

When there is NO INNER BALANCE ; Outer balance happens by COMPULSION.

The same philosophy is taught in Yoga and any form of Martial Arts.

Sports ; Martial Arts ; Classical Dance or Yoga ; all this can help BALANCE the INNER DIVINE ENERGIES.

In India both Masculine and Feminine Energies are celebrated in the form of Ardhanareshwar ; 

In Japan in the form of Wabi - Sabi ;

In China in the form of Yin and Yang ;