The Saint-Scientist Vallalar has a precise answer for what you came here for, which is how to stop suffering emotionally.
If you are looking for this, something real is happening. Emotional pain can be one of the most isolating experiences a person can have, a private reality that words from the outside cannot seem to touch. No amount of good advice makes the weight feel lighter in the acute moment. Vallalar knew this state, and he offered a path that begins not with explanation, but with action.
Much of the writing about emotional pain stays at the level of concept without a precise path for the moment of crisis. Vallalarβs teaching is different because it gives you something to do right now, a physical and spiritual anchor when everything else feels like chaos. To understand why this matters, we need to look at the man who offered it.
The Life and Teachings of Vallalar
Ramalinga Swamigal, known as Vallalar, was a 19th-century Tamil mystic whose collected writings, the Thiru Arutpa, remain one of the most extraordinary spiritual records ever produced. His life was filled with remarkable featsβthough he dismissed anything supernatural, insisting that everything he did was a science. He established a center for feeding the poor that has operated continuously for over 150 years, serving food to anyone regardless of background. On January 30, 1874, accounts from those present record that he locked himself in a room in Mettukuppam and was never seen againβhis body never found. This event is documented by government records and by British Collector John Henry Garstin.
An Anchor for the Mind When Everything is Chaos
When the mind is overwhelmed by grief or pain, it cannot be reasoned with. Vallalar understood this. He did not begin his teaching with philosophy or complex doctrine. He began with a single, practical tool to hold onto: the Maha-mantra.
He taught this mantra not as a prayer asking for something, but as an anchor. It is a set of words that gives the mind a place to rest when it is spinning out of control. Reciting it, even mechanically at first, interrupts the cycle of painful thoughts.
The mantra is:
AruαΉ Perum JΕti β AruαΉ Perum JΕti β
TaαΉi Perum KaruαΉai β AruαΉ Perum JΕti
The translation is:
The Vast Grace-Light. The Vast Grace-Light.
The Incomparable Great Compassion. The Vast Grace-Light.
This is not about belief. It is about sound and focus. The repetition of these words provides a steady rhythm for a mind that has lost its own. It is the first step in creating a small, quiet space inside the storm of emotion.
The First Step in How to Stop Suffering Emotionally: Do Not Try to Understand It
The modern approach to emotional pain often involves analysis. We are encouraged to understand the βwhyβ behind our suffering. Vallalarβs path is counterintuitive. He taught that in the acute moment, the attempt to understand your pain only feeds it more energy. The mind in a state of suffering is not a reliable instrument for its own healing.
Instead of turning inward to analyze the grief, Vallalarβs first instruction is to establish an outward anchor. The Maha-mantra is that anchor. By focusing on the sound and vibration of the words, you gently pull your attention away from the narrative of your pain.
This does not mean suppressing or ignoring your feelings. It means you are choosing not to fuel the fire while you are standing in the middle of it. The goal is to stabilize your awareness first. Understanding can come later, from a place of calm, but it is not the prerequisite for relief.
A Diet Free From the Suffering of Others
Vallalarβs solution to suffering was holistic, addressing the body as well as the mind. He taught that the food we eat carries more than just nutrients; it carries the consciousness of its source. When we consume animals, we are consuming the fear and pain they experienced at the time of their death.
This creates a subtle but constant agitation within our own nervous system. It adds a layer of suffering that is not our own, making it harder to deal with the emotional pain that is. Vallalar taught that a clean, plant-based diet is a foundational step in calming the mind.
This practice is part of what he called Jeeva Karunyamβactive compassion toward all living beings. By choosing food that does not involve violence, you are actively reducing the total amount of suffering in the world. This act has a direct and clarifying effect on your own inner state. It removes an external source of agitation, allowing your system to find its own balance more easily.
Compassionate Service: The Path Out of Your Own Pain
Perhaps Vallalarβs most radical instruction for dealing with personal suffering is to turn your attention to the suffering of another. When we are in deep emotional pain, our world shrinks. It can feel as if our pain is the only reality. This inward focus creates a feedback loop that intensifies the suffering.
Vallalar taught that the most direct way to break this loop is through a simple act of compassion. This does not have to be a grand gesture. The teaching is intensely practical.
Find one living being who is hungry and feed them. It could be a person on the street, a stray dog, or even a bird in your yard. In the moment you are focused on relieving their hunger, your own pain has to step aside. For that one minute, your awareness is on them, not on yourself.
This act of service is not a distraction. It is a realignment. It reminds your entire being that you are connected to a world beyond your own pain. Vallalar taught that this outward flow of compassion naturally creates a space for grace to flow inward. You do not need to understand it for it to work. You only need to do it.
One Concrete Action You Can Take Today
Vallalarβs path is not about theory; it is about practice. If you are in pain, the most important thing is to take one small, manageable step.
Spend five minutes reciting the Mahamantra, βAruαΉ Perum JΕti, AruαΉ Perum JΕti, TaαΉi Perum KaruαΉai, AruαΉ Perum JΕti.β Do it for someone you know who is also in pain. Direct the compassion of the mantra outward, toward them. Do this before you do anything else today. Notice the small shift that occurs when your focus moves from your own suffering to a wish for anotherβs relief.
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