Ramalingam is one of the favorite saints or siddhas of southern India. He underwent a Divine Transformation and wrote 40,000 verses describing this achievement. Every day, millions of school children sing verses written by Ramalingam.
Ramalingam was born on October 5, 1823, in the Tamil village of Marudur. His family name was Pillai. At five months of age, Ramalingam was taken to a Hindu temple for sanctification. During the ceremony, a great atmosphere of sanctity descended upon the temple, so noticeable, that the chief priest ran up to the Ramalingam and declared that he was a child of God.
Ramalingam was a child prodigy and at five years of age, after a few lessons from a tutor, he began composing ecstatic verses to God. At nine years of age, in the family’s home at 9 Pillai Street in Madras, India, Ramalingam gathered writing materials and isolated himself in his room. He then wrote what was termed a “torrent of psalms and hymns.”
At twelve years of age, his elder brother, who taught religion, asked Ramlingam to substitute for him due to an illness. The congregation was so impressed by the teaching of this young boy, that they choose to have Ramalingam complete the lecture series. Throughout his formative years, he continued writing verses, yearning for “descent of the divine grace.”
By 1846, when Ramalingam was 26, he had already attracted disciples. At that time, a scholar named Velayutha Mudalier became his principle disciple, who over the next 25 years documented the life of Ramalingam.
In 1860, at 37 years of age, Ramalingam moved to the village of Vadalur and founded a house to feed the poor. During the inauguration ceremony, which lasted for three days, 10,000 people were fed. Ramalingam taught compassion for all things, condemned the killing of animals, and converted many to vegetarianism.
Ramalingam composed many of his spiritual verses at night. His principle disciple, Velayutha Mudalier, persuaded Ramalingam to allow him to publish his verses to God, which were issued in 1867 as The Divine Song of Grace. Written in poetic form, in Divine Song, Ramalingam describes the attributes of God and the soul, and of the spiritual transformation that he was going through.
As Ramalingam evolved spiritually, his physical body took on a golden hue, as he developed a “body of love.” As he continued to sing in praise of God, he later developed a “body of light.” At this point, his physical body was no longer perceptible to touch and further, this light body cast no shadow. With this transformation, Ramalingam had merged with God.
Not only was Ramalingam’s light body imperceptible to touch, it also could not be photographed. The famous photographer Masilamany Mudalier of Madras was summoned by Ramalingam’s disciples to capture Ramalingam and his light body. Masilamany Mudalier tried to photograph Ramalingam on 8 separate occasions, but the photographic plates only revealed Ramalingam’s clothes. His body was transparent to the camera. During this time, Ramalingam demonstrated telepathy, and miracles and healings were performed by him.
In 1870, Ramalingam moved into a small hut in the town Mettukuppam, three miles south of Vadalur. This hut still exists today. In Mettukuppam, Ramalingam had his disciples built a temple, which at its core had a glass box, 5 feet tall, with a flame burning in its center. The box represented the soul, merged with God, or Supreme Grace Light. In this period of time, Ramalingam alternated spending time in seclusion with giving lectures on “universal spiritual communion,” as described by M. Govindan in Babaji and the 18 Siddha Kriya Yoga Tradition. Madame H. P. Blavatsky, a founder of the Theosophical Society, came to know Ramalingam during this period and was so taken with him, that she wrote that Ramalingam was the forerunner for the Theosophical Society.
On January 30, 1874, at the age of 50, Ramalingam decided to merge with God and leave the physical plane. He wrote a declaration to his disciples, “My beloved ones, I have to be out of your sight for a time…I am in this body now and after a while I shall enter into all the bodies of His creation. Close the door and lock it outside. The room, if ordered to be opened, will only be void.”
Ramalingam then entered his room in the hut, in Mettukuppams, and the door was closed. His disciples remained in the hut, outside the room that Ramalingam had secluded himself in. Later that night, as his disciples chanted “Supreme Grace Light, pour down upon us,” a miracle occurred. M. Govindan narrates the scene. “Suddenly, a flash of violet light emanated from Ramlingam’s room, signaling the merger of Ramalingam “into all the bodies of His creation.” For, when the room was eventually opened it was found to be empty. Ramalingam had disappeared without a trace.”
After receiving a police report of Ramalingam’s disappearance, British colonial officials conducted an extensive investigation. Villagers were interviewed and the hut was carefully inspected by officers. M. Govidan writes, “Finding no evidence which would support suspicion to the contrary, they concluded that Ramalingam was a great soul who had vanished into thin air.” In 1878, an account of Ramalingam’s disappearance was noted in an official British publication, the Manual of South Arcot District.
Ramaligam left extensive documentation of his transformation and in his writings. He related that the Tamil saint Manikavacakar had achieved transformation into a light body before him, in the seventh century AD. Of note, on his web site, Baba Sri Siva reveals that he is also the reincarnation of Manikavacakar. In his lectures, Baba Sri Siva states that he remembers how to transform into light, as he did as Manikavacakar and Ramalingam. Baba Sri Siva promises to transform the world by developing a light body once again, for all to see.
At this point, I would like to identify a few principles of reincarnation observed in the case of Ramalingam/Dattatreya Siva Baba.
- First of all, we see how the phenomenon of a child prodigy can be understood in the light of reincarnation. Ramalingam was recognized as a child of God by a Hindu priest when only five months of age. Ramalingam began writing verses to God at age six and was able to teach religion to a congregation at age twelve. Ramalingam preferred to write his verses to God at night, rather than sleep. Ramalingam’s childhood spiritual gifts can be seen as a reflection of his mastery of meditation in his prior lifetime as Agastyar. In addition, Agastyar and Ramalingam both wrote extensive verses to God. In contemporary times, Dattatreya Siva Baba has demonstrated similar proclivities, for as a child, he scarcely slept and spent most of his time as a young boy in the temple, on the island of Rameswaram where he grew up.
Another example of how a child prodigy can be explained through reincarnation involves the case of James Wilson/Oprah Winfrey. James Wilson was one of the greatest orators of the American Revolution, and when Benjamin Franklin wrote a speech in support of the US Constitution, he chose James Wilson to read it to the Constitutional Convention. Oprah Winfrey, though raised on a pig farm and denied a good education, was a naturally gifted orator. At the age of seven, when only in third grade, Oprah was paid $500 to give a speech in front of a church group. Biographer George Mair commented on her very early “poise and ability to engage an audience.” At the age of seventeen, Oprah participated in a White House conference on youth, as well as a national speaking competition. Oprah’s natural gift of oration can be seen as the continuation of James Wilson’s similar talent.
- Oftentimes, symbols and synchronistic events appear in one’s contemporary life that reflect a past incarnation. For example, regarding my own case as John Adams, for eleven years I worked as a medical director for Unocal Corporation (Union Oil Company), whose slogan is “The Spirit of 1776.” In addition, my reincarnation graphics, which included a past lifetime of Bill Clinton, were delivered to President Clinton at the White House by Reverend Michael Beckwith on John Adams’ birthday. My book contract was also signed on John Adams’ birthday and the first time I presented my work in public was in Sturbridge Massachusetts, at the “Old Publick House,” built in 1772. The room I gave my presentation in was filled with paraphernalia from the American Revolution. In Return of the Revolutionaries, Marianne Williamson is identified as the reincarnation of Abigail Adams, the wife of John Adams. In a synchronistic manner, I met Marianne for the first time on Valentine’s Day, at which point she gave me permission to use her images in my book.
In the case of Ramalingam/Dattatreya Siva Baba, note that Ramalingam’s family name was Pillai, which is also Baba Sri Siva’s family name. Ramalingam sequestered himself in his room and started writing an extensive series of verses to God at age nine. His home, which still exists, was located at 9 Pillai Street, in Madras.
- In the case of Ramalingam we see how personality traits, passions and talents can be maintained across lifetimes. A number of common traits are described below:
- Like Ramalingam, Dattatreya Siva Baba became immersed in spiritual study at a very early age, has attained enlightenment and has become a teacher to others. Indeed, these traits are also consistent with Baba’s lifetime as Agastyar, in the third century.
- Ramalingam liked to write his verses at night. Dattatreya Siva Baba relates that he often does not sleep for several days in a row, choosing to do his spiritual work at night.
- Ramalingam founded a house to feed the poor and on its inauguration, 10,000 people were fed over a period of three days. Similarly, Dattatreya Siva Baba has founded the Tripura Foundation, which feeds 1500 people in India daily.
- In his prior lifetimes as Ramalingam and Manikavacakar, Dattatreya Siva Baba attained the same feat of developing a light body and dissolving into light. Baba Sri Siva states that he remembers how to enact this transformation, and intends to repeat this feat a third time, for the entire world to see.
Though most of us have accomplishments of lesser grandeur, the ability of Dattatreya Siva Baba’s soul to create a body of light in three lifetimes demonstrates a phenomenon that pertains to all of us. That is, over incarnations, we tend to demonstrate the same strengths, talents and weakness; we seem to embody a consistent set of energies.
When we are created as souls, it is as if a die is cast in which we are imbued with specific qualities, which remain consistent over many lifetimes. If one is created with a great deal of aggressive energy, perhaps symbolized by the color red, was well as a generous portion of intellect, symbolized by yellow, we will tend to be an aggressive intellectual over many incarnations. If we are created with an abundance of emotion, symbolized by blue, then we will tend to be sensitive and nurturing in successive lifetimes. If one is created with an energy pattern or energy signature conducive to merging with God, that person will have many lifetimes as a mystic, minister or guru. Over successive lifetimes, we grow by learning how to use our native energies, our energy spectrum or signature, more effectively.
In addition to being a very evolved soul, I would propose that Dattatreya Siva Baba has an energy spectrum that facilitates his ability to experience the mysteries of creation, and to create a body of light, in this lifetime, as well as in past lifetimes. Ramalingam’s transformation into light has been extensively studied and documented in a two volume work written by T. R. Thulasiram, entitled Arut Perum Jothi and Deathless Body, published by the University of Madras. These two volumes, released in 1980, contain 1800 pages. Baba Sri Siva has gifted this rare, two volume set to me, and I am very, very honored and grateful to be entrusted with this treasure.
In conclusion, Dattatreya Siva Baba is a living Tamil Siddha, as he was in prior incarnations. In a conversation with him, Baba has related that he and I have a common purpose, which is to help create a worldwide Spiritual Democracy, where all people are equal and united, where divisions based on conflicting religious doctrines are washed away.
Dattatreya Siva Baba has also announced that Kali Yuga, the Age of Darkness, has come to an end. I believe that the objective evidence of reincarnation that is being brought to awareness today will help in dispelling the darkness. In this light, let the Age of Miracles begin.
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