Beautiful beings do not sing in melodious tones” is the unwritten legendary indigenous postulate in Tamilnadu and this note of German missionary Pressier very much appears to have been accepted by the Germans also! Example: the beautiful peacock‟s voice is not bearable – let alone being pleasant. Conversely, the cuckoo and the lark which are not as beautiful as the peacocks sing very pleasantly. Yet another example is the parrot. It looks beautiful; but its voice is not melodious. And it is a matter of extreme surprise and appreciation to us today, to note that these Germans keenly observed not only the birds and animals here in Tamilnadu; but also our heritage legends and fables, associated with zoological and ornithological beings, all of which they came to know of during their tenure in Tamilnadu as Lutheran „missionaries‟ for nearly two centuries.

It is all right. When a person is unmarried he remains fresh. After marriage reality takes over, imagination is absent. Then, the partner becomes a possession, a part of one's self. Also, there may be fear of losing the person - though not in Hinduism, especially among Brahmins. Yet, tastes change. When a person is a child he may want a tricycle, then a bicycle. Later, that will have no meaning and he'll want a motorcycle. So it is with the mind

Ramaswami Pillai

For spiritual life, infinite patience is needed - not just for one lifetime but for many lifetimes.... The sense of time should disappear

Sri Balarama Reddiar

When I arrived at the Ashrama, Bhagavan gave me a warm welcome with a benign smile. As He was seeing me for the first time, His two spontaneous utterances surprised me. Like an affectionate mother, He asked me, "When did you come?" and "How is your right hand?" My right hand was badly fractured when I was 14-years-old and though it healed up the hand remained bent and short. I used to cover it up with full sleeves and even my friends did not know of this serious deformity. How did Bhagavan know about it? And what affectionate concern He showed! After Bhagavan inquired about it, my sense of inferiority because of the defect totally disappeared. More than all this, He asked me to be seated in front of Him. Gazing at Him I sat down and I do not know what happened to me then. When I got up two hours had elapsed. This was an experience I had never had before and I have always cherished it as the first and foremost prasad and blessing received from my Sadguru. That day I understood the purport of the statement, "The Sadguru ever gives unasked!" That moment I knew I had been accepted into His Fold. This strong bond He allowed me to enjoy until His Mahasamadhi, and even after.

M.G. Shanmugam
in remembering Bhagvan Ramana Maharshi