Last evening between 6 pm and 8 pm, I experienced Mahatria Ra, who spoke to tell the audience (whom he often described as crowd) that “Life hinges on 3 relationships.” The Convocation Hall in the Mukthagangothri campus was full to the last seat. Admission was only to the pass holders strictly and there was no chance for gate-crashers with so many vigilante volunteers, young and grave looking, both boys and girls.

About fifteen days back, a friend called me and asked if I cared for a Pass for a talk by Mahatria. Mahatria who? I asked. But soon I remembered the name, having seen and heard him via WhatsApp a friend had forwarded sometime back. It was funny and interesting. So I said yes and I was there last evening to hear and see the speaker in flesh and blood to enlighten myself on life and relationships.

Returning home ready for dinner, I was curious to know about this man with so much hair on his head and face. I was reminded of Sri Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi, except that he was clean shaven carrying only that bushy, aura-like hair on his head making him very distinctive and different in appearance from other mortal humans. To find out who he was, I went to Google. It said Mahatria Ra is a former software businessman who has founded Infinitheism, a spiritual outfit. And spirituality has hijacked religion these days turning it into a roaring business while providing soup for the fatigued soul of the human beings.

I learn his followers run into millions like other Spiritual Gurus of our Mother India. He was born in 1965 as T.T. Rangarajan, when I was a journalist in Mumbai. He is from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Father T.T. Durai Rajan, mother Vanaja. Marital status: Married, spouse Sucharitha. Apparently, this man of the mundane world first transformed himself as a man of the spiritual world to transform the other lesser mortals to a higher level of life with grace abundance. He is uniting the world divided in the name of God and religion through faith and love.

Now what does the name Mahatria mean? “Mahatria is bringing about a dawn in human consciousness, a way of experiencing a holistically abundant life of health, wealth, love, bliss and spiritual connect.” And Ra? Sun God of Egypt. Alleluia!

On dot at 6 pm, he made his entry to the huge stage as the audience burst into a thunderous applause giving him a standing ovation. There was frequent clapping as he spoke walking the stage accompanied with a comical  body language.

Beginning from the beginning, so to say, he emphasised the importance of history. In military, soldiers are taught of the country’s history to make them patriotic. Family too must know its history to make its members feel proud and know the roots. One should know his connection to the country and his family. There must be a kind of ‘induction programme,’ to start with.

He spoke of the importance of having a sense of belonging to family, an organisation, a country, its legacy and heritage. If we do not teach our children on these lines, we fail in parenting. To drive home the point, he would season the point he was making with a light-hearted banter. For example, the child would tell its father — ‘Appa, do you know Alia has become a mother!’

He underscored the importance of our ability to execute what we know giving example from Bhagavadgita and spoke of the way we should play the game called life. ‘We are here to play the game, not to change the rules.’ He dilated on this theme giving beautiful, hilarious examples from the games of chess, tennis and cricket. ‘I am not the architect of the game, I am only a player.’

‘Don’t expect all family members to be happy with you. It starts with you — take a U-turn.’

‘You may think you are not lovable. No. Love yourself first to love others. Love this creation, then creator will love you,’ a sagely advice and gave a parable-like example similar to the one in the poem ‘Abou Ben Adhem’ which teaches that love of humankind is love of God.

My ego was boosted when he said ‘You are here for a reason.’ Wondered, what could be that reason! He said, ‘You are a wonder, there is none like you in this world and none will be born like you. Never before, never again. There is always only one wonder in the world, Niagara Falls, only one natural wonder of the world. Taj Mahal, only one man-made wonder of the world. And you, you are the only one God-made wonder of the world…’ Ah! I felt flattered. What a wonder I am in this wonderful world! I began to hum.

He spoke of a circle of our life that would lead to finding a purpose in life, enlightenment, moksha. Potential, performance and self-image. Leave behind your past successes. Set new goals. Drop negativity. We lie because we have no courage to face the consequences. Self-confidence is in doing what you have done before. Best cricket player will fail if you ask him to play any other game. If you chase too many rabbits, you don’t catch even one.

Love is love only if you create love-in-action and then he beautifully explains it in the present day world of cell-phone and advanced information technology. He reminded the congregation that today is the Valentine’s Day and expanded the theme in his own purple language. Because of this technology those far away from you look too close but not your parents who are physically close to you. How true, I thought. Always talk about the good that is there in your family members, not the bad. This is where good parenting comes to play later in life. Parenting does not mean ‘Proof Reading’ of your children.  Fault finding. Yes Sir. Indeed.

Towards the end of his, exact to the second, two hours of ‘peroration’, he spoke of religion and spirituality which he declared as having been ‘vulgarised.’ He urged the congregation to ‘introvert’ themselves by ‘non-doing’ at least for 15 minutes and experience silence. He chastised those seeking divine grace for delegating the spiritual practices when it is to be practised by the seeker himself. If so, ‘Why not delegate eating also?,’ he quipped. He said the by-product of spiritual practice is happiness.

There is a force beyond. Play the game of life as per rules. God will come in search of you. He will press the door bell. Open the door. Amen.

Sat Chit Ananda

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