The pathway to Immortality according to Thiruvalluvar

“Porivaayil aindhavitthaan poyteer ozhukka

Nerininraar needu vazhvaar.”

What is ‘the way’ shown here, in this couplet, by Valluvar? The way is indicated here in two steps. The first step is to transcend the sense pleasures of all the five senses. For every sense operates singly and claims to be the only known dimension of reality at the time of perceiving. They may alter themselves or succeed one another but they never organize themselves into one unity and operate as a whole. When one sees, he only sees. When he wants to see, hear, touch and taste simultaneously, he has only a blurred or a foggy image or impression. That is why when one wants to listen totally and concentrate on a piece of music, he closes his eyes and canalizes all his attention only through the organ of hearing, the ears. Similarly, when one wants to think continuously and concentrate on an object, he closes down all the five senses and enters into his own mind. This is called ‘Meditation’.

The secret, to be understood, is this: Consciousness is life. Cessation of consciousness is death. To have control over consciousness is to gain control over death. So, the removal of obstacles on the way to gaining total control over total consciousness is the way to longevity and immortality.

Death occurs in three ways. One way is to die permanently; the body is separated forever from consciousness. This is called ‘clinical death’, certified by doctors.

The other two ways occur while we are alive, while having a living body. Here death is partial. It is a training or exercise to go into the land of death permanently.

Living through the senses, perceiving through the senses is one way.

Sleep is another way of practical death.

Valluvar calls these two live-deaths by the word ‘POI’ or cessation of consciousness or the operation of only a fragment of consciousness and the remaining parts of it inoperational, or non-functioning. Which means, man, even while alive is only partially conscious, that is, partially alive and partially asleep or partial death and partial cessation of consciousness. As long as this control over one’s own consciousness is not totally won over, one cannot conquer the death of consciousness and later the death of body.

God is total consciousness operating simultaneously everywhere. Man should aim at this role-model. But what is happening to him now, in his body? Each sense fragments and narrows down his consciousness. His sleep extincts his consciousness. Though one is supposed to be alive during sleep, he has, in reality, lost contact with reality, and for all practical purposes dead. The phrase ‘poi theer ozhukka neri’ means the way of unbroken consciousness, like the fall of oil (thaila thaarai). The main thing is to be with no break in the functionality of consciousness. In short, to conquer sleep forever is to be enlightened. Not to lose consciousness even for a second.

Even a machine needs rest. But consciousness never. Consciousness must never, never go to sleep, not even for an iota of a moment. That means gaining total control over your consciousness. This is known by Thirumoolar as ‘Thidampada Mei Gnanam Saerthal. Gnana means enlightened, awakened consciousness, continuous, uninterrupted flow of consciousness through waking hours, dreaming hours and sleeping hours. This eternal vigilance of consciousness must be kept up. That is ‘Mei Gnanam’, true Gnana, or Turiya, the fourth state of consciousness. Then one conquers the laws of physical nature and goes beyond and enters into spiritual reality.

‘Ozhukkam’ means flow, to fall continuously. ‘Tears flow from eyes, water flows from waterfalls’. Examples can be multiplied. Like that consciousness must flow constantly. ‘POI’means interruption, break in continuity.

We say in tamil ‘Mazhai Poaithathu’. It means rain did not come. Manifesting itself at one time and not manifesting at another time is called “POI” in ancient Tamil. To be always there is denoted by ‘MEI’, ‘Poi Theer’ means eradication or destruction or cessation of interruption, in short, to be uninterruptedly, to conquer the break, to be forever, to be one and not to be a fragment.

So, ‘Poi Theer Ozhukka Neri’ means the way of having a continuous flow of consciousness and not to lose control over it. This is called Mukthi or Salvation or Enlightment of Consciousness.

II

Poi means the physical body which is one day bound to die. As long as there is a single physical atom, this physical body will die. This physical body must be totally transformed first into a pure-body,(producing no excretory matter or waste) called Suddha Deham, then into a Pranava Deham or letter-body or sound body or Mantra body like that of gods and goddesses, and finally into a light-body of wisdom or total compassion called ‘Gnana Oli Deham’. The pure body is called ‘Mei’ or True Body as opposed to untrue body, the physical body or ‘Poi’.

How to do it? This physical body contains 1% intelligence and 99% physicality. Increase the degree of intelligence to 100%. Transform the inorganic inert matter in the body into organic live intelligent cells by being totally aware always, by being totally conscious.

What is the penultimate and ultimate degrees of intelligence and consciousness?

LOVE andCOMPASSION. Except love and compassion all the other thoughts-even if they bring you millions of dollars or international fame are sleep and produce poison in your body and will kill you subsequently.

So transform your physical body first into a LOVE-BODY and then into a COMPASSION-BODY which alone is indestructible. For love is subtle heat producing subtle-light and compassion is causal heat (Kaarana agni, says Vallalar) producing causal light. From causal heat are produced innumerable forms of heat like that of sun, moon, stars, fire, and electric bulbs etc.

The only agent that is capable of transforming physical matter into life is LOVE. And the only agent capable of transforming living matter into spirit and divinity is TOTAL COMPASSION.

The process of transformation of the physical body into a pure body and the other two bodies is vividly and scientifically described by Saint Manickavacagar in his Thiruvacagam and more elaborately in all its details by Swami Ramalinga Vallalar in his Arut Perum Jothi Agaval Poem.

In short, all the five senses and the function of mind will be taken over by the Third Eye.

Consciousness will never descend below the head. That is why Swami Ramalinga says, the Yoga of Suddha Sanmarga takes place above the throat. He also says, ‘Always keep your attention at Chid Sabha’ or in the third eye region behind and in between your eye brows. The faculties of the five senses and mind will be taken over by the third eye. One can see, hear, smell, taste, touch and give anything to anyone in any world without the aid of one’s physical organs. Like a wireless, remote control instrument, one’s pure consciousness-force, one’s whole-conscious love-energy will do that.

(vide the book ‘Jeevakaarunya Ozhukkam’ by Swami Ramalinga Vallalar)

Real action, direct action of the king, Atman without the aid of the executive body will take place. Pasu Karanas or instruments of jeeva or soul will be transformed into Pathi Karanas or instruments of God. This is called the process of sublimating the five sensory doors’ (Pori vaayil inthu avithal) and totally eradicating the physical body and transforming and replacing it with a TRUE INDESTRUCTIBLE BODY called MEI. (Poi theer ozhukka neri) Poi means matter. ‘Theer’ means eradicating, totally transforming. Ozhukkam means discipline, regimen. Neri means the way. The way of transforming matter into life, life into mind, mind into soul (jeeva), soul into spirit (atman, pothu), spirit into Arut Perum Jothi or God. Only those who successfully carry out this process in their bodies will become immortals and live forever like God Arut Perum Jothi. Others may live long but will die one day.

What will be the changes in the body during this process of transformation?

There are four types of cells in the human body: Inorganic cells like nails and hair, all the other body cells of seven dhatus like skin, muscle, nerve, blood, bone, nymph and semen are organic cells, and brain cells and finally light-perceiving cells in the brain and eyes. By doing actions of love and compassion and consciousness the cells of nails, hair and other cells will be first transformed into highly evolved brain cells, and they in turn will be transformed into light-perceiving cells which live forever. So, the whole body will be composed only of light-cells of 100% intelligence, that is, light of compassion.

‘Avitthal’ has two meanings in Tamil: both ‘extinction’ and ‘cooking’ – cooking something to a more sublime state to remove the dross and distil the essence and make it endure for a long time. ‘Idli Avithaan’ means to cook the rice-cake. By cooking the rice into a cake in an oven, its longevity is extended. It is more palatable and made easily digestible. In short, the process of transcendence is taking place. In the same way, all the five senses are cooked, their limitations are removed. This means they are made to act wholly, in unison, as different instruments in an orchestra sounding in unison. They become fragments in a whole, water drops in the flow of a river. This holistic state of consciousness is achieved in true love.

“Kandu Kaetu Undu Uyirthu Utrariyum Aimbulanum

Onthodi Kannae Ula”.

In short, the fragmentation of consciousness is death which must be foregone to achieve total, whole, continuous consciousness of God. When such a state of consciousness is achieved, man can have a long life as well as eternity.

For this to be achieved the narrowing down of the five senses and forgetfulness and sleep in man’s present consciousness must be fought against and transcended.

The implication of the couplet is this: Only the five senses and a fragmented and often-interrupted flow of consciousness pave the way for an early death of man. In short, senses kill man. Antithetically, control of and command over senses and sleep will give longevity and sublimation and divinization of them – Immortality. 

Extracted from the Book 'THIRUKKURAL' A Spiritual Commentary

By

Salem R. Kuppusamy