About the Vision Beyond Enlightenment & Nandhi

 

Visions Beyond Enlightenment: Art Gallery   "In ways diverse, do seek the Absolute Penetrating the Lotus within and going beyond, You shall reach the celestial world, Drunk of the nectar there You shall return Sweet, sweet exceedingly indeed, It is! " - Siddhar Thirumulanathar

Vision of God

Have you seen God? Have you had an urge to see Him? Is it possible? Can we see Him with our two eyes?

When Nandhi was a little boy accompanying his father along with a group of pilgrims on the way to a forest shrine of Swami Ayyyappa in Savarimalai, he was 5 years old. It was nighttime and the pilgrims lost their way and were headed deep into the forest.

They had by then got completely lost without a clue of knowing how to get back to the main path as the moon light was blocked by the canopy of tree making it very dark all around. It was when the pilgrims heard the roar of a tiger that they all froze with cold fear. They were all together chanting the mantras aloud hoping for divine intervention. Nandhi, was sitting on top of his father's shoulders. He suddenly saw a moonlit face glowing out of the dark shadows. When he first tried to shout in happiness of that which he saw, none of the pilgrims could see the person. Then, suddenly, the figure of an illumined youthful person stood next to the pilgrims. There was a strange peace and calm in all the pilgrims.

 Nandhi knew that He was a Divine Entity. Nandhi was aware that He was Swamy Ayyappa have taken form to save the pilgrims. The moonlit face of the person was radiant in the darkness. He showed the way without speaking and the pilgrims turned around to tread through the directions He gave. Just as they looked back to thank Him, He was not there anymore. This 'Moonlit-face' was one of Nandhi's earliest spiritual experience with the divine vision.

Nandhi carried with him this Divine image through his childhood and growing years. This early experience kindled in him a yearning to see God again. In the year 2000, Nandhi had gone on a pilgrimage to Thiruvannamalai, the sacred mountain that has been worshipped as Lord Shiva for over thousands of years by sages. Countless number of seekers are said to have been enlightened here. The renowned sage, Ramana Maharishi, after attaining enlightenment lived near this sacred mountain all his life. Nandhi's Guru, Ayya (means Father) had been meditating in a cave in the mountain for over 18 years. Guru Ayya, an enlightened yogi journeying even beyond had promised to fulfill any desire Nandhi wished for. Nandhi's only deep desire at that time was to 'see God with his two eyes".

During one of the pilgrimages, after observing the usual ritual of walking around the mountain starting at mid-night and then climbing up to be with Ayya Nandhi carried with him the desire to 'see God' with every breath through the pilgrimage.

Ayya was in meditative silence and communications to and from Ayya are on subtle levels. On this occasion with Ayya, Nandhi felt Ayya's presence as in extreme joys as though Ayya was happy to be asked for this request.  Ayya blessed Nandhi with the fulfillment of his innermost desire later that day.

After climbing down Thiruvannamalai, later at the time of sunset, Nandhi was with another devotee of Ayya, a young sage, Mey Nyana Swamy who had been in meditative contemplation in a cave in Thiruvannamalai. Mey Nyana Swamy and Nandhi were meditating before the sacred mountain sitting on the rooftop of their hotel as the sun was setting down. As Nandhi was deep into meditative contemplation, he could feel a glow of golden light absorb him and then explode around him. He opened his eyes and saw his companion, the young sage, looking at the sacred mountain gleaming with astonishment and offering prayers. The sacred mountain, Thiruvannamalai was showing His form as God Himself! Words fail to describe the splendor of splendors!

There was a golden hue emanating out of the mountain as though the sun was within. The mountain was emanating a radiance that was not only the seeing experience of the two eyes, but also the awakening of a bright light within the body.  There was a gigantic tug of immense energy drawing our breath and there was no more thinking. There, as the awe of Eternal Light, He stood! He stood as 'Tejastejas', a Sanskrit word describing God as by sages the 'splendor beyond splendor'.

The next few days, Nandhi was in a daze of intense bliss. He felt tremendous energy overflow within him and did not sleep for several nights in a row while feeling waves of refreshing energies rejuvenate him. He knew that the vision had awakened the 'kundalini', the mystical serpent power within him. 

He knew that the Divine had given him this astounding Vision for a purpose and this sacred energy would take form in its expressions in the near future. Nandhi's spiritual journey's as a yogi woke up a childhood dream that now unfolds as Ariven Community IHC. Later, Nandhi moved to USA and settled in Santa Monica. 

Every Thursday,( the day yogis dedicate to their Guru), Nandhi plunges into deep meditation to unite with his Masters. It is a day of the divine, imbibed in the silent union. Moments after the many hours (7-9 hours) of meditative realms, Nandhi, prepares to draw without any pre-conceived thought in his mind. As he draws, he allows the loud mystical silence in him to emerge as the artist. The first dimension of the painting is normally completed in an hour, after which, another two dimensions are painted. The first dimension is from the divine knowing within his heart. The second dimension is joy behind his spirit and the universal oneness. The third dimension is the human perceptive vision. [Note: look with awareness of the three dimensional nature of each painting!]   

Each painting is an experience of tremendous flow of energy flowing through to bring subtle insights as artistic expression. The painting is usually complete in one sitting- start to complete in 1-4 hours. [Nandhi utilizes the inner guide to paint as he is color blind].This holy vision of divine grace propels Nandhi to paint and capture fragments of the Absolute! Each painting is the attempt to be one with the immense divine; reaching out to fulfill the purpose of presence on the earthly plane as an artist. Attempting to bring God as in the theme of true nature of human depth, Nandhi offers this joyful work of the heart to you! This holy vision of divine grace propels Nandhi to paint and capture fragments of the Absolute! Each painting is the attempt to be one with the immense divine; reaching out to fulfill the purpose of presence on the earthly plane as an artist. Attempting to bring God as in the theme of true nature of human depth, Nandhi offers this joyful work of the heart to you! 

 The common properties of each of the paintings are the abilities to heal, provide divine insight, inspire and create positive energy wherever they are placed. Each painting was done on a different day with a mind that was on a divine high but unique each day like a kaleidoscope in that circumstantial slot; hence, each painting too has a unique energy so different from each.

 

A true story narrated by Nandhi "In the month of April 2002, my mother-in-law, Judy, underwent a critical surgery to remove a brain tumor. It was a major surgery with an element of risk involved. Things could go wrong for one in ten cases. All that could go wrong happened to Judy just after the operation. Two days after the operation, cerebral fluid began coming out from here nose. When the apparent failure of the surgery caught each of us, we were all in despair and shock, Judy was initially afraid of the worst possibility- to be operated again with possibilities of lower success rate and other impairments due to the surgeries. Judy is a wonderful person who is naturally divine and a good human although she does not attach herself to any religious beliefs.  It was at this nervous moment, that my wife, Padmavathi suggested that we put up the painting, "Sacred Darshan" on the walls of her hospital room. We also got Judy a tape recorder to play the ancient powerful mantra called, the Maha-Moksha mantra. When Judy first saw the painting, she said, "I feel a sense of peace and love. I feel safe now". Judy kept playing the mantra CD over and over again.  She said she felt calm with the panting before her. She recovered quickly without need for a repeat surgery. She was discharged on the 9th day from the hospital! Judy's miraculous recovery reaffirms the Sacred Vision and the energies that overflow as art in Visions Beyond Enlightenment.  Nandhi prays for the well being of all around him and he hopes that his paintings reach out to convey the immense divine absolute through this artistic expression of the inner journey."     The painting: Sacred Darshan of Thiruvannamalai     Inspired by the Siddhars of South India, the evolved yogis who journey beyond enlightenment-Yoga Art!   "In ways diverse, do seek the Absolute Penetrating the Lotus within and going beyond, You shall reach the celestial world, Drunk of the nectar there You shall return Sweet, sweet exceedingly indeed, It is! " - Siddhar Thirumulanathar