பூரண உள்ளொளி கண்டடைதல் Book Review

On Women's Day, I had the opportunity to read a short booklet (spanning just 20 pages) titled "Attaining Complete Inner Illumination," written and published by one of our own—Mrs. Radha Parasuram.

In the preface, the author begins by sharing her own profound experiences while striving to focus her mind; she further piques our interest by highlighting the works of authors such as Keith Miller and Michael A. Singer.

In the pages that follow, the author provides a detailed account of "how she embarked on her meditation journey, the challenges she encountered, and how she subsequently achieved success by adopting various different techniques." Interspersed throughout this narrative, she also touches upon the diverse challenges we face in our daily lives—most notably, the examples she cites regarding "how various ordinary, everyday occurrences impact the minds of children" are truly excellent!

For someone like me—who possessed absolutely no prior introduction to meditation techniques—the life-related insights she shares proved both fascinating and relatable to my own personal experiences; furthermore, I was able to gain a clear understanding of the benefits that accrue from stabilizing and focusing the mind.

It is particularly noteworthy that she makes no attempt to *teach* us exactly how to begin or sustain a meditation practice!

The adage, "The mind is a deceitful, monkey-like phantom," resonates profoundly with the context of our present-day environment! We find ourselves unable to patiently watch even short video clips lasting just two or three minutes—such is the extent to which our "attention span" has dwindled, particularly among children. In my view, it seems we are now under a greater imperative than ever before to master the art of focusing the mind.

Writing about two immensely difficult practices—"simply being" (or *Summa Iruthal*) and "unceasing observation"—the author weaves into her own reflections the wisdom of figures such as "Karai Siddhar," "Manimekalai," "Kaviperarasu Vairamuthu," and "Perarignar G." The author frequently draws upon the works of figures such as Krishnamurti, Dr. Abdul Kalam, and Edward Bach—most notably, the *Thirukkural*—citing them throughout the text.

I would like to highlight here a few lines from this book that particularly resonated with me:

"We must accept with an open mind those circumstances that lie beyond our control and cannot be altered by us, thereby refraining from ego-driven speech."

"True silence—that which is not artificially manufactured but arises spontaneously—leads us toward the state of *Samadhi*."

"Dissatisfaction and fear are the inner prisons of the mind; when these forces intensify, they breed feelings of inferiority in the face of failure, and arrogance in the wake of success."

"The consequences of the actions performed by those who dwell in a state of thought-free awareness prove to be truly beneficial."

This book, published in Tamil, served as an introduction to the practice of meditation for me. Others may have a different experience. Should you have the opportunity to read it, please do share your own reflections with others!

To contact the author—832-533-8242.

— Nirmala Ganesh