Note de l'éditeurLumières initiatrices présente les initiations yogiques que l'auteur tamoul indien Shuddhananda Bharati a reçues de sages accomplis et de saints yogis tels Sri Aurobindo, Sai Baba, le Mahatma Gandhi, Jnana Siddha, Ramana Maharshi et Sai Ram ainsi que les leçons de sagesse qu'il a tirées des oeuvres de Ramathirta, Sadashiva Brahman, saint François, Arunagiri et bien d'autres.Cette compilation est un guide précieux pour les sadhaks. C'est pour moi une grande joie de vous la proposer. Rédigé à Madras, dans le sud de l'Inde, cet ouvrage a été publié le 11 mai 1976 dans son édition originale anglaise.Un chaleureux merci à Mme Johanne Lebel Calame pour sa traduction minutieuse et son aide pour l'édition du livre Lumières initiatrices.Et une inifinie reconnaissance à Martin Brofman pour son amitié et la rédaction de la préface pour cet ouvrage.Merci à Shuddhananda Bharati de nous avoir transmis ces Lumières, composées avec amour et générosité !Christian PiagetPréfaceDans un livre d'une grande ferveur, Shuddhananda Bharati partage sa perception et son expérience personnelle des Ames qu'il considère comme des Lumières initiatrices pour sa vie mais aussi pour l'évolution de notre conscience planétaire. Ces pages impressionnent tant par le savoir de l'auteur que par la profondeur des philosophies qu'il transmet.Ce livre s'adresse à toutes celles et ceux qui s'intéressent à l'Inde, à son histoire, à ses philosophies et aux personnes qui y ont contribué. Les lecteurs pour qui ces idées sont nouvelles entreront, fascinés, dans la conscience d'un sage qui a passé des années aux pieds des Maîtres ; ceux qui connaissent déjà la culture et la religion de cette région de haute spiritualité y trouveront une évocation appréciable de ses philosophies vivantes.Pendant que l'auteur raconte ses rencontres avec les Ames évoluées qu'il a côtoyées, le lecteur pourra observer la démarche qui se déroule en parallèle dans sa conscience : les idées que stimulent ces vies remarquables et leur dévouement aux idéaux qu'elles incarnent.A voir le nombre étonnant d'Ames remarquables avec qui l'auteur a vécu, on reste émerveillé et l'on se demande si sa voie n'avait pas en fait pour but la narration de ses expé-riences, qu'il nous fait partager de façon circonstanciée dans ce beau texte.Martin Brofman
Alvar SaintsA land is known by its saints and seer-poets. There is a galaxy of them in the annals of the Tamil land and its literature. Lack of adequate translation in popular languages keeps them shimmering in obscurity.Dr. Shuddhananda Bharati, the author of this book, has written many works upon the saints, seers, poets and heroes and critical interpretations upon their messages. In the words of the great savant, Dewan Bahadur K. S. Ramaswami Sastriar, Shuddhananda Bharati (Swamiji) is a yogi, a mystic, and a poet who has much kinship with Kalidasa and Keats as well as Valmiki and Wordsworth. Our sincere gratitude is due to Dewan Bahadur K. S. Ramaswami Sastriar for his critical and luminous foreword. Sri Sastriar was a profound scholar, a prolific writer in whom the oriental and occidental cultures find their rational synthesis. Our thanks are also due to Sri Bhaktavatsala Aiyangar, Headmaster, who has written an appreciation to this work, after carefully going through the message and the proofs.Let the Divine Will and the public sympathy lead us to the realisation of our sincere aspirations!It is a real pleasure for me to present this treatise on Alvar Saints to you. Thank you, Dr. Shuddhananda Bharati for having transmitted Alvar Saints to us. The first edition of this book is dated on January 1, 1942.Editions ASSA, Christian Piaget
Editor's NotesSaint Thyagaraja is the triumph of Indian art and music. India is celebrating the bicentenary of the seer-poet. This book commemorates his bicentinary. We have delight in publishing this book by a modern seer-poet to honour the occasion. Seer-poets live in tune with the Divine and their art is an efflorescence of the inner beauty. Thyagaraja is the eternal voice of India's soul. His songs are our spiritual heritage. Their influence on the hearts and minds of the people at large is widening. He is a reincarnation of Valmiki and an apostle of Bhakti Yoga.Kavi Yogi Maharishi Shuddhananda Bharati is a votary of Thyagaraja since his boyhood and imbibed his spirit. His songs, which are popular in the land, draw their inspiration from Thyagaraja. One of his ancestors was very close to the saint and could sing many kirtans of Thyagaraja. On hearing them daily our Kavi Yogi too was fired with psychic devotion for song-offering.Kavi Yogi has sung more than 5000 kirtans. His outstanding genius as a modern poet and composer has been acknowledged by the Madras State Sangita Nataka Sangham which granted him Rs. 1000 to publish his Kirtananjali and awarded him the title of Sahitya Karta (Sahitya Akademi awards). His life, his poems, his writings and his very breath are consecrations to God. He is the author of 1000 works in several languages.In part two, the soul-thrilling hymns of Maharshi Thayumanar are sung in every Tamil home. They are sublime Upanishads. They inspired the author of this book, Yogi Shuddhananda Bharati, in his boyhood. The Yogi dedicates this humble flower of love to the Jnani Thayumanar. We hope that a study of this book will kindle the Divine spark latent in every heart.It is a real pleasure for me to present Saint Thyagaraja and Maharshi Thayumanar to you. We have much to learn from this wonderful text! Thank you to Dr. Shuddhananda Bharati for having transmitted Saint Thyagaraja and Maharshi Thayumanar to us. With the blessing of Aum Shuddha Shakti Aum.Editions ASSA, Christian Piaget
