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"Our Great Mother does not take sides.

She protects only the balance of life.

She comes to him, intertwining her long fingers with his".

The above are the golden words spoken by NEYTIRI, in the magnificent celluloid by James Cameron. These words winnow out the chaff that cover the spiritual message of all the religions. Ignorance of  this fundamental Truth, by all religions is the cause for religious wars. Lack of this understanding also causes Individuals to disconnect their spirit from the Cosmic spirit (Nature). Corporate organization greediness stems out from this disconnection, wiping out wisdom-rich primitive societies of the world.

Religious wars are fought ironically by both the groups with a fanatic belief that they are fighting for their "God", without the knowledge that God does not take sides. Nature is interested only in protecting "Dharma", the balance of life. When Tsunami happened (like shown in Cameroon's movie Abyss"),  all beings were washed off without the discrimination of species, race, gender and religious background. Nature is only interested in protecting the balance of life, the law of karma. 

Similarly, through our prayers, when most of our desires go unfulfilled, we do not hesitate to get converted into another religious group. We are ignorant that Nature does not cater much to the individual's carnal desires, but provide opportunities  to strengthen the inner power of the individual. This continues till the individuality dissolves to the Universal Cosmic identity. All primitive and native societies, formulated their life-style based on these principles.

Modern corporate societies have adopted the stressful life style to fulfill their material desires than to their "Spiritual" needs. There is nothing wrong in fulfilling carnal desires with Consciously aware of our "True Spiritual Nature".

By the greed for material wealth we have not only destroyed  externally the native cultures, but also internally our own inner Self. Instead of being connected like the cells in a human body, we have turned into cancerous nuclear cells threatening our own existence.

As Jake says

       " Sooner or later though, you always have to wake up..."

Symbolism of Avatar: In the movie, a Nuvi body of Jake is created that can live and interact with the beings in the Pandora planet. Jake controls the Nuvi body through his human mind by going to "sleep like" state in the chamber. When he wakes up in his Human body, his  Nuvi "Avatar" body goes unconscious. When he sleeps in the chamber, his Nuvi body in Pandora planet gets life. 

According to Vedic Spiritual tradition, we are all Avatars inhabiting Earth. Avatar in Sanskrit means incarnate (in carnal body form). In deep sleep, we forget our "Avatar" body on Earth. Our real Self is the "Consciousness" which controls our human body.  We love to go to deep sleep to remind us of our real "Self". But sleep is an unconscious state. Meditation is a process to consciously awaken  our real Self.

Let us imagine, if Jake's Nuvi-body in Pandora does Meditation. Through meditation he will transcend  to his real nature, who is nothing but the Jake in the sleep Chamber.  Knowing the "True body" is Spirituality and the process is called as  "Enlightenment". Thinking his Nuvi body to be real is known as ignorance (Ego) in spiritual language.

With our Avatar Body we can bring reality by integrating with Nature, but instead we are being mere "corporate" (bodily) and so function as Egoistic beings.

We are not aware that our real body, the "Consciousness" is activating our physical bodies on Earth. So we literally live in a dream world, ignorant of the True world.

 "Everything is backwards now. Like out there is the true world,

and in here is the dream".

Similar to the hero in the Matrix movie, the Avatar body of Jake undergoes a birth and growth shown as

Blood circulating  through a synthetic UMBILICAL in the abdomen. As the figure turns in the amniotic fluid, we see that it has a lemur-like TAIL. The skin is cyan-blue.

Blueness is the color of Vishnu, the symbolism of the protecting Nature (Consciousness) in Vedic tradition. The whole creation of Universe bangs out from Vishnu's cosmic slumber as shown as

            Jake's  eyes moving under the lids, like a dreamer in REM sleep .......

Though the name and the theme of the movie resonates the core  Vedic Spiritual philosophy, the director protects the sentiments of other religions by making the characters utter words like "Jesus" and naming Hallelujah Mountains. He beautifully interwines the spiritual message of the Native Indians, aboriginals and other Spiritual traditions into one Universal Spiritual message,  because all Spiritual traditions speak the same Truth.

In all spiritual traditions, there is a concept of "Second birth" or "Enlightenment", through a Shamanic ritual. NeiTri smears the white paste over Jake's body. This external ritual  activates the Inner Spiritual Energy, which is same in all beings.

They see a network of energy that flows through all living things. They know that

all energy is only borrowed-- JAKE (V.O.)

-- and one day you have to give it back.

The movie tries to project the Universal spiritual message symbolically not to the extent of the Matrix movies.  Still Avatar with its overwhelming artistic and stunning entertaining visuals in 3D,  successfully delivers the message to the audience.

Highlight of the movie: In all movies, we wish a happy ending where Human Beings win the war over aliens. Only in Avatar, we pray and wish for the defeat of Human beings, and  finally triumph over the victory of the Nu vi's. This is the success of James Cameroon's Avatar. It has kindled and reminded us of our all- pervading, inter-connecting infinite "Spiritual Being". In other words, we get a glimpse of our non-corporeal Conscious nature.

Let us continue to live our life on Earth with Conscious-Awareness, to eternity.

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Nan Kadavul       நான் கடவுள்   

 Who is the God in Nan Kadavul?

Please click to read the article in Tamil.

When the blind (heroine?) girl is brutally beaten and disfigured by the villain, she asks the Hero the question, why none of the  Christian , Muslim or Hindu Gods did not rescue her?.   This statement gives an impression that the Movie tends to be atheistic by questioning  the very basic  belief of all religions that there exists a God that is protective and compassionate.  If such a God exists, then why should many innocent people suffer and why not God save them? 

Like the heroine we  should ask this question to ourselves, if we are a religious person believing in the existence of a God that creates us, controls us and protects us. And is that God a Hindu, Muslim , Christian, a Buddhist or a Zorastrian?. 

Compassion Needed: If there is such a God then why should innocent people suffer?   When people suffer and cry for help, who actually helps them?. Only a compassionate human being  alone can wipe the tears of suffering. The more we are educated and getting civilized, the less compassionate we are. We grow and cling on to more of our  belief systems and then finally becoming fanatic, which then emerges in the form of terrorism threatening our own existence.

Why God? Most human beings, when helpless in life, turns towards God. The heroine in the movie is no exception, who first pleads Hindu gods, then turns towards Christian God, then the Muslim God and again Hindu Gods. But none of them saves her from the brutal inhumane villain.

When no God(s) help her,  the heroine finally takes refuge in a young man named Rudran, who self proclaims “I am God” (Aham Brahmasmi).  The same death that he employs to punish the villains, he also uses to relieve the heroine from suffering in life. Can we accept his action of giving her death to end suffering in life, as divine?  How can we approve the Director’s portrayal of  a mortal Man as God?. How can a Director who himself claims to be an atheist, use an Agori, who Self claims to be God (Aham Brahmasmi) to give relief to suffering?   This aspect has confused many viewers wondering what the Director exactly is conveying through the movie.

The director who spoke through the heroine that no God helped her and all religions are only commercial business corporations, then portrays Rudra who chants "I am God - Shivoham, Shivoham". Does this mean that the director says that only Rudra-Shiva is the True God?.  Certainly not. Through various symbols he has beautifully given the answer that religions does not help mankind but only spirituality (in the form of Compassion) can save mankind. (Click here to read the difference between religion and spirituality).

Story of Beggars

The core story of this movie is about the Villan "Thandavan" who uses handicapped people for his own materialistic interest by employing them in begging. He uses fear and physical abuse as a way to control the group. The whole group lives in a underground construction, not known to common public. Thandavan has few other gundas to run his business.

In that village, several years back, a father believing in an astrologer's prediction, leaves his son in Kasi. After many years , due to the mother's plea, the father goes to Kasi in search of the boy. He finds Rudra among a unique sect of ritualistic people called Agori’s. Obeying his Guru’s command, Rudra returns to his village.

Thandavan’s assistant forcefully brings a blind-singer girl (heroine) to the group. A Malayali   business agent tempts thandavan to trade some of his beggar-individuals, bringing pain of separation in the group. Tempted for more profits, the agent brings a repulsive mummy-faced guy who wants to bed with the blind girl. When the blind girl refuses, the angry Thandavan brutally beats her with a stone disfiguring her face and body. She finally takes refuge in Rudran, who kills the villains as an act of punishing anti-social guys and also kills the girl to end her painful life. Rudra then returns to his Guru.

Symbolic message of the Movie

Outwardly this movie seems to be a story of about beggary, a commercial exploitation of people, both born handicapped born and forcefully handicapped  by a group of villains.  The director has poignantly portrayed the pains and emotions of joy in  this group. A realistic sketch of the lives of beggars is shown in the movie which is a commendable job. Through these characters the director has indirectly pointed out the materialization in all walks of life.

Everyone a begger? Beggars use various costumes of Gods and Goddesses, Godmen, movie artists  businessmen etc. The Symbolism of this core theme is that human life is merely lived begging for materialism. The very human body, education, and   talents are used like beggars for materialism.  All commercial corporations and religious organizations are only doing materialistic business in this world.  In the name of divinity,  temples and churches and  religious organizations are only interested in materialistic wealth using the Gods and Goddesses to beg.  This is symbolized as beggars using the cosmetics of Murugan, Krishna, Hanuman, Andal and even as movie stars etc.

The  concept of using the human body for begging is reiterated   in Ilayaraja's melodious musical score - Pichai pathiram enthi vanthen). The lyrics mean that we come to this world with a begging bowl which is nothing but made of blood, flesh and nervous tissues. The cause for this birth is our own itchai or desire.

Business-love

The director has shown  this vested materialistic interest in all walks of life including human relations. Look at the emotional business that the mother does to Arya. "I have given birth to you with so much difficulty for 10 months". Most of the human relations have no real-love, everything is for give and take business policy. The word “love” is used to someone only if there is a reciprocating benefit. This benefit-based-love is the opposite of Compassion or un-conditional love. Unfortunately the business-love is mistaken for un-conditional-love . Each member in such a business-relation-love begs for each other’s love.   Love is no more for love sake. It is only for benefits.  

When Rudra quotes the Pattinathar song, explaining the role of the mother and her role in life, we see a clear-faced mother who utters the word "He is a Swyambu", which means that which is not created, it is Self.  

Spirit and Matter:  In Indian spiritual philosophy, Spirit (Self or Aham) is Swyambu which means that which is uncreated or that always exists.  Matter originates or is created from this Spirit or Consciousness. According to Ancient Indian Science, since matter is created , then it is subjected to undergo changes.    This is in tune with the Modern science that the matter undergoes evolution to different non-living and living-beings. Vedas says finally after reaching the pinnacle of Human evolution, through the Human body, one realizes one self as not as matter but as  Spirit (Aham).  The Indian Spiritual masters symbolized this matter recognizing the Self as  Sakthi merging with Shiva.

Ego - the Villain: The feeling of "I" as matter (materialization) instead of the Self (Aham)  is called as “Ahamkaara” or Ego. The villain   “Thandavan” represents the Ego that controls our  life through fear and insecurity feeling.  The few moments of pleasures keep our life going, but on the whole the life is only a commercial business for the Ego.  It is the Ego in us that controls all our thoughts, like Thandavan controlling all the beggars. We are unaware of this Ego controlling us and take it for granted, which is termed as Maya.

This reality, we conveniently ignore and finally get frustrated with life when we face deep sorrow in life due to our Ego. This is the time we seek for complete relief from suffering in life. The only thing that can relieve us from suffering is knowing our real Self as the Spirit or Self (Aham). This Spirit (Aham) which is free from bondages can only relieve us from the bondages of the Ego control.  This is very beautifully symbolically shown when the heroine grasps the legs of Rudra, the Hero for help, like Sakthi (Energy-matter) merging with Spirit (Shiva).   She wears a red-skirt symbolizing Sakthi and finally merging with Shiva. The unification is symbolized though the red- eye like symbol in Rudra’s forehead and the throat of the Blind girl.

Aham Brahmasmi – I am God

The blind girl awakening the sleeping Rudra  is the best scene in the movie. It is the awakening of sleeping spirit in us.   If we are not aware of this spirit, then Ego in us will exploit us and we will go into a life of of frustration.  This spirit is the Aham, which Rudra identifies as Aham Brahmasmi – Nan Kadavul. This Maha vakya is from BrihadAraNya- Upanaishad, the explanatory notes of Vedas.

This Spirit is the Consciousness in us, which is also the source of all creation and is the only one reality. This Consciousness is called as God (many names) in different religions.  This awakening is the very purpose of life. This can happen only under the tutelage of a Guru. This is why the Guru is shown the beginning and the end of the movie.

Rudra in Indian Spiritual philosophy represents the awakened power of consciousness to destroy "Ego".  The destruction of Ego alone can give us liberation. This is what the heroine cries for. She says not only this birth but all future births she wants to avoid. This is symbolically given in the movie. She suffers from the Ego represented as the villain who controls her and is the cause of her suffering. The same message holds good for us too. We are not the Ego, but the Ego in us control us and end up in suffering. Moksha or Mukthi is our liberation from the control of Ego.   We keep taking births after births step step to get release from the Ego. 

Birth & Re-births: The blind heroine in the end cries that she is tired of being changed hands (group)  after hands (group)  symbolizing  our own births and rebirths. She says she is sick of it and wants to end it. The births and rebirths are very painful (death and birth) because we already get attached to members of family and friends. It is painful at both the ends. This reminds us the scenes when heroine is separated from her old group to a new group of Thandavan. The feeling of separation from the old group is akin to our lamenting for death of our relative. In the new birth (new place) it is painful for accustoming to the new relations. Guru's says this is why new-born babies cry. All relations are temporary and so are considered as unreal (changing) . This is symbolized through the dialogues of the heroine who talks about the father she misses, was not her real father. 

Cosmic creation: Nan Kadavul is one the best movies ever produced with the deep questions of our own inner quest. The movie starts with the beautiful cosmic creation and our own being (remember the pictures of galaxy and revolving planets). 

What we see is not always real, example, the Earth looks like stationary and the Sun revolves. The truth is the opposite, so do not believe the senses. The director aptly has chosen the old "Kannadasan's song - kannai Nambathe, unnai emattrum.

Modern science has helped us to understand many natural phenomenon of the universe, but is struck with the very basic question of our Human Consciousness. Science can only quench this thirst with the help of Spirituality and not through Religion.  

Discovering our own spiritual nature is the ultimate purpose of Mankind. We are not just this material body but the spirit (Self or Aham). This inner awakening burns out all desires that spews new karmas, the seed for future births. When desires later transforms into lust, the Ego tortures us. The lust (kaama veri) has an ugly face which is symbolized as the character who wants to have sex with the blind heroine. 

The malayali Nair agent shows the ways of how changing the products for season and location can bring better business. This is shown as his interest to trade the beggars in his custody. These different faces of Ego has to be transcended. This is shown as killing of the villains. Only by killing the Ego villain within us, we can attain liberation. This death is a punishment for the Ego, but a varam (blessing) for the Individual. In Indian spirituality, this killing of Ego is depicted through various rituals.

Rituals: All rituals have this aim of inner transformation. Unfortunately rituals are done in religion without an understanding of this inner transformation. These are indirectly criticized  through the prostitute who laments that in December month because of ritualistic marghazhi month and Sabarimalai season she has to starve. Rituals are done just for ritual sake without the awareness of the inner transformation. Hence people continue to do evil actions even after performing the rituals.

There are many many deep information coded in this wonderful movie. All the actors especially Arya and Pooja, and the supporting actors have done a very commendable work. It is a life time opportunity they have got which they have done the best.  Arya's walk is so commendable, showing the energy of Rudra. Puja depicts the pathetic state especially in the climax. All the handicapped children and villains have done a great job in the movie.

Where and who is the God?

A Hindu or Christian might worship in front of on idol or image of Jesus or Ganesha or kaali. A Muslim might pray without an idol or image in open air. However the mode of worship it is , all their prayers are   spoken to within their Self (Aham). No one prays so loud to an unseen God far up in the sky. Every religious person says the prayer silently to one Self (Aham) with the belief that God is hearing their prayer.

Then the question is where and who is God?.

The closest distance between us and God is our own Self (Aham). What we share with us and God is the “Self” (Aham). It is the Self (Aham) that prays to the Self (Aham), silently. So the prayers are towards our own Self (Aham) and the results also comes to the Self (Aham). A religious person believes that the God to whom he or she is praying is somewhere outside in the universe.   They do not realize that they speak silently to their own Self (Aham).

A spiritual person is aware of this truth that the Self (Aham) is God and sees this Self, as the same in everyone and everything. This is the key difference between a religious and Spiritual person. This truth is what is proclaimed as “Aham Brahmasmi” – I am God, the God in Nan Kadavul movie.

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Shadow Kill - Nizhalkuthu

      Nizhalkuthu is a brilliant movie portraying the highest spiritual message through the story of a mentally traumatized  hangman who feels guilty of hanging innocent convicts.  Though the royal tradition,  patronized the family of the hangman by giving him a piece of land, an annual income and some reward after each execution, he stabs his every   "present-moments" of his life with the haunting "past" professional actions.

     He tries to dissolve his "karmic" deeds through self-destroying alcohol and  not through Self Realization , in spite of his studious prayers to  Kali, the goddess of destruction. The hangman merely repeats ritualistically the kali prayers instead of living the prayer "Oh divine mother kali, it is all your acts...I am just your tool". The Vedic message  is that we are just shadows of one great Reality, which we call as God,  or supreme Consciousness.

    Most of us are like the hangman, merely chanting prayers without living it and so we undergo mental trauma performing actions (karma).  According to Indian spiritual tradition,  suffering in life is due to our inability to distinguish real from unreal. This is the illusion of mind which projects unreal for the real.   This is magnificently depicted in the climax of the movie, when the warden tells a  story of a love, rape and murder,  the hangman  projects the story in the context of his own family and confuses facts with fiction.

       To take the "heard-story" as his own family story is the illusion the hangman created similar to the  illusion of taking  responsibility for the hanging-act which he is not responsible.  Our mind  is exactly like the fictionizing  mind of the hangman and so we undergo repeated birth and death.      

         The director mirrors our own acts like the hangman who cannot bear the idea of him in the shoes of the father who punishes his son-in-law and thus condemns his surviving daughter to widowhood. Kaliyappan dies leaving his son to carry out the unfinished task.

          The son taking up the father's profession as hereditary represent  rebirth. Vedic tradition says that when we are born several lives to complete the "unfinished task". Only  when we have "Self Realization" we attain freedom , otherwise we are fated like the hangman's rebellious son  condemned to give up his revolutionary ideas  but  forcefully continue his father's profession.

        If the hangman had not brought his own agonized death with this illusion of projecting another story as his own, his son muthu would have taken up the "freedom" profession rather than the excutioner's job and undergoing the same trauma. The movie ends with the note that short after the son performed the hang, the king's pardon letter followed. Now the son will end up with the same fate of the father -death, birth, rebirth cycle.

       The genius director Adoor Gopalakrishnan symbolically ends the movie showing "shadows" of men going in a line depicting birth after birth. The core of the movie is woven like the threads that make rope for the death in the prison or that made by "Charka" (the wheel like tool to make cotton threads) which is a symbol of freedom. The director brings the contrasts in life in every frame with these symbols. he shows the very same rope that kills a man , gives life to a diseases man. There is the father executing  state orders while the son is busy working against the state order.  In the classroom the teacher talks about death, while the student bleeds blood which is the first step creating ground for birth.

    These contrasts of life, continues like the hangman rope in his prayer room.       The shortening of hang man rope  represents passage of time which never ends but continues through new executionary acts.

   Kali is also hailed as the "Sarva-sakshini" or the great witnessor. The palm tree  which the cameraman focuses often in the film  represent the witnessor  the "Sakshi". The tree witnessess the plight of the hangman who knowing the truth still suffers by attributing the karmic deeds as his own. The movie reminds Krishna's words in Bhagavad Gita, "Oh Arjuna, all are my acts and you are merely a tool. If you witness this truth you become one with me, freedom from your samsara of rebrith and death

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Chocolat - A review

Chocolat is a a simple interesting movie which talks about freedom using metaphors and symbolism. Juliette Binoche arrives one day in a small town in France with her young daughter in tow. Much to the villagers' initial resistance, she opens up a chocolate shop. The mayor (Alfred Molina) of this church-going community feels he cannot keep the community under control because of the chocolat shop. The villagers also  gossip about Binoche behind her back, making her totally isolated.  

             Binoche's chocolate shop is a metaphor for the inner freedom  we all strive to achieve in life. This freedom is sweet and tempting but controlling forces like of the religion does not want the community to taste freedom and lose its control over them. This spiritual freedom is opposed to institutionalized  religions which  does not want to lose its member's by tasting freedom. The real motive of all spiritual traditions is to free man from his or her limitations, but when it becomes an organization then  the whole focus is to convert people to their organization.

          This denial of freedom is revolted by some rare individuals who are unfortunately  unwelcome in any society. The religious  fanatics look them as threat to their organization and so brain wash the public portraying these "free spirits" as evil and the sweetness  (taste of freedom) as destructive.

         But these free open minded spirit symbolized by Binoche, spread their message of freedom and move to the next place like the free wind with no walls. In the end of the movie she allows the chocolat powder to be carried away by the wind,  symbolizing that her message of freedom has been delivered.

        The  spirit of freedom comes from all ancient cultures  and so does Binoche's chocolat  recipe. Religions do not allow free thinking and taste freedom and that is the message of chocolat, while giving us the various colors of life.