Luthar.Com: HarshaSatsangh » Luthar.com

Ramana Maharshi Timeline and Places – by Richard Clarke

Richard Clarke — Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:34:40 +0000

Ramana at Virupaksha Cave

Below is a listing of Ramana’s timeline and the place where he was at the time. We visited on photographed each location where Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi is known to have visited or resided. Double click a place name to see the posting.

Every place associated with Sri Ramana Marharshi is shown. You can use the links to visit each of the places. If you know of others that should be shown, let me know.

Dates
Location / Site

1879 – 1891
Tiruchuli Birthplace

Bhuminatheswara Temple

1892 – 1896
Madurai Realization Room

Meenakshi Temple

1896
Arayaninallur Temple

1896
Viratteswara Temple

1896
Arunachaleswara Temple

1896
Ayyankulam Tank

1898
Gurumurtam Temple

1899
Pavala Kundru

1899
Banyan Cave (Alamarathu Guhai Cave)

1899
Guhai Namasavaya Temple

1899 – 1916
Virupaksha Cave

1899 – 1905
Mango Tree Cave

1905
Pachaiamman Koil

1912
Tortoise Rock

1916 – 1922
Skandashram

Seven Springs

1922 – 1950
Ramanasramam

Ramana’s Bridge

There are a number of other timelines for Sri Ramana. Here, here, and here are three of them.

The photos below show Ramana at different ages. The body aged. He did not.

Temples and Shrines along Arunachala’s Outer Pradakshina Route. by Richard Clarke

Richard Clarke — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 03:41:56 +0000

Arunachala’s ‘Outer Path’ is a place where you can visit many temples and shrines in one place while circumambulating this Holy Hill. Temples and shrines line the way of the 14 km pradakshina route. Circumambulating of holy sites – pradakshina – has long been a special spiritual experience in India. In the Skanda Purana, it is said:

The sins committed by the mind are destroyed by the first step (of pradaksina), the sins committed in speech by the second and the sins perpetrated by the body by the third step…

Skanda Purana Ch.9 v.28

Last century, pradakshina of Arunachala was extolled by Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. It is recorded that he said:

‘”Pradakshina is ‘All is within me.’ The true significance of the act of going round Arunachala is said to be as effective as circuit round the world. That means that the whole world is condensed into this Hill.”

Talk 212, Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi

In Ramana’s days he walked pradakshina around Arunachala usually with a group a devotees. They would take all day, stopping frequently to sit and absorb the grace of Arunachala. They would chant holy verses along the way. The ‘road’ was just a dirt track in those days, used by villagers, bullock carts, and goat herders. Many of the temples and shrines that one sees now did not exist then. It was a quiet, peaceful track through the South Indian countryside, always with Arunachala in view on the right.

In the past ten years, Arunachala Pradakshina, or Girivalam in Tamil, has become very popular in South India. Each full moon night, throngs of 300,000 to over 1,000,000 come to the ancient temple town and spiritual center of Tiruvannamalai to perform Girivalam. Hundreds of buses bring devotees from all over South India. They park on the outskirts of town, make group meals behind the bus, and sleep in the bus. Most walk girivalam in the moon light.

Today there are perhaps one hundred holy places along this route. This post shows many of them. The route shown is one usually used by devotees of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. It starts (and ends) at Sri Ramanasramam. Many South Indians, not devotees of Ramana, will start and end at the big temple, ancient Arunachaleswaraya Temple. Shown are most of the places mentioned in the book, A Guide to Giripradakshina, published by Sri Ramanasramam. The place names used are from that book, as is some descriptive text.

Here is a map of the Outer Pradakshina Path. Link to the map here.

Pradakshina starts at Sri Ramanasramam. Below is the front gate. It is early in the morning and not many people are here yet.

Leaving Ramanasramam, one turns right. Across the street is Pali Mantapam, no longer in use. Often sadhus are gathered here.

Next to Ramanasramam is Pali Tirtham, which gets much use for various rites and functions. It is also called ‘Manakkula’, which means ‘marriage’. Newly married couples come here for blessings. On the roadside bank of the tank, a majestic Peepul Tree (Ficus religiosa) is seen. It has a raised platform around it. Under this tree, you will see statues of Ganesha and other deities carved in stone.

On the left, further down the street is Manakkula Vinayaker Temple, one of the many temples dedicated to Ganesha. (Vinayaker is another name of Ganesha). The Vinayaker Temple is historically linked with the Pali Tank.

Turning right onto the street at the end of the ashram property, one moves into Palakothu, where today you will find sadhus, and where, in Ramana’s time, devotees such as Sri Muruganar, Ganapathi Muni, and Paul Brunton used to live. During these days it was a thickly wooded forest, where Ramana often used to go for a walk and visit the sadhus living in Palakothu.

You are greeted by the Kuru Mariamman Shrine. She is the main South Indian mother goddess, predominant in the rural areas of Tamil Nadu, and is associated with fertility, rain and prevention of disease.

You pass by Vinayaka Temple.

And come to Agastya Tirtham, where you will still see monkeys frolicking and swimming in the water of the tank. Somewhere in here is Narasimha Swami Cave. (We have not located it yet.)

This tirtham is dedicated to Agastya Rishi who is one of the seven great Rishis of the cosmic dimension. They are known for their knowledge of the Self. It is said that Lord Siva asked Agastya to teach Tamil grammar to the great saint-poet Nakkirar. When mention was made one day of this tank being called Agastya Tirtham, Bhagavan was asked if that sage ever visited the Hill. Bhagavan remarked “Yes, of course, everyone must come here eventually,” meaning that everyone must eventually return to the source, Arunachala.

Next to this street is a Devi Temple.

Continuing to walk, you arrive at the Peace Park, also called Children’s Park. This can be used as an entrance onto the Inner Path.

On the grounds of the park is Pandava Tirtham.

Next to the park grounds is Draupadi Amman Temple (or the Dharmaraja Temple). This run down temple has now been partially renovated. Draupadi was the wife of the Pandavas. and Dharmaraja was the eldest of the Pandavas of Mahabharatha epic.

A bit further along is one of the entry points to The Inner Path. This is at the intersection of Perumpakkam Road and Bangalore Road (also called Chengam Road). Turn right here and go towards Arunachala about two hundred meters, and turn left onto this path. The path is well marked.

Further down Bangalore Road, on the right, is Simha Tirtham. You can see the colorful lion, guarding the tank.

Across the street, on the left, is the Lord Subramanya Shrine. It is a beautiful, peaceful temple framed by an imposing, well-kept mantapam. This was the location of a friend’s wedding, shown in the post, Wedding in Tiruvannamalai. Lord Subramanya is a son of Lord Siva. Lord Subramanya (also known as the Jnana Guru) in the aspect of Arumuga (six faces and six pairs of arms), is seated on his mount, the peacock. Skanda, another name for Lord Subramanya, is the personification of the power gained by celibacy.

This is the Mantapam.

Walk through to arrive at the Lord Subramanya Shrine.

Next, on the right, is a small Rajeshwari Temple. Drivers, leaving on a trip, will stop here and get their cars blessed.

It is a very small temple with small figurines adorning the gopuram (temple tower). Its architecture reveals it to be very old and of pure Dravidian style. Just inside and on the right, there is a stela (a tall vertical stone) on which the figures of Lord Siva and Parvati, sitting on their mount Nandi, are beautifully sculpted. It is also called Aravan Temple. Aravan is a Siddha Purusha, who is said to have granted all requests made by his devotees.

Above us on the left is Idaichi Mantapam, high above us on a rock. Idaichi means shepherdess. At one time, it was shelter for shepherds, as it was an excellent lookout for watching over the flocks. The stones of this hillock are famous as they are used for carving figures of deities.

Here is a close up of Idaichi Mantapam.

Next, on the left is one of the eight cardinal lingams placed at intervals around Arunachala. This is the Yama Lingam. This is the South lingam. Yama is the God of Death, and the guardian of the South. Yama is associated with the death of the ‘I -thought’, the assumed idea that one’s identity is as this body.

Behind the lingam is Yama Tirtham, said to be dug by Yama, himself.

Further along, on the left, is this big Nandi, facing Arunachala.

A close up of Nandi. If you want to get a message to Siva, whisper it into Nandi’s ear. Nandi is Siva’s mount, vahana in Sanskrit. Nandi is Siva’s prime worshipper. Nandi is facing Siva in every Siva temple. You can approach Nandi, but may not be able to approach Siva.

Past Nandi, still on the left, is another Mandapam, pillared hall, presently unused (except for cows you may see laying in it). After this you will turn right onto Girivalam Road (Hill Round Road in English).

Immediately at the corner, on the left, is Valamuri Ganesha Temple. Usually Ganesha’s trunk curves to the right (as you face Ganesha). Valamurti’s trunk curve the the left. This form of Ganesha brings good luck. Ganesha’s mount is the rat.

This is the view of Arunachala from the start of Girivalam Road. As one walks pradakshina around Arunachala, one should keep the mind on Arunachala, and notice the many forms that the Holy Hill presents.

Next, on the left is another temple. I do not know its name.

A few hundred metres down the road is the temple of Sage Durvasa. Locally this is known as a women’s temple.

The statue of Durvasa appears seated in padmasana (lotus posture), his legs short, his body stocky; one hand is in abhayamudra (giving protection) and the other in varadamudra (fulfilling wishes), bestowing knowledge to the seeker. He has the reputation for being very meticulous and sensitive to tradition. He punishes those who breach dharma (duty, law). He is known for his short temper. There is a story in Arunachala Puranam that he cursed two Gandharvas (celestial musicians) for trespassing into his ashram garden. They got over the curse by circumambulating Arunachala.

Woman near the temple will offer to sell you ‘wish bags’ to tie to take advantage of Durvasa’s wish fulfillment.

Behind it is a tree (a wish fulfilling tree) tied with many wish bags. When your wish is fulfilled you should remove a bag. I don’t think that everybody does this.

Across the road, on the right, is a path that leads to Kaattu Siva Tank and Hermitage. Kaattu means ‘jungle’ in Tamil, so this is ‘Jungle Siva.’ Kaattu Siva lived at the same time as Sri Ramana Maharshi, and was said to be a siddha, one with special powers. This is also an entrance to The Inner Path, and to the new Yellow Path (called by Inner Inner Path by some). In the morning, sadhus can be seen bathing and washing their clothes at Kattu Siva Tank.

Here is Arunachala from this point. It was hazy today, so the Arunachala pictures are not as bright as they can be.

This is the Nandi by the Sona Tirtham, to the right of the road.

Next to Nandi is Jyoti Vinayakar Temple. This is in a heavily forested area. Bhagavan Ramana used to rest for a while at this cool place and often took refreshments here while on Giripradakshina.

Down the road, also to the right is a small temple, Kalinga Mardhana Krishna Temple.

Across the street is another wish bag place, the Mariyamman Shrine. Wish bags here usually ask for children.

Here is the lingam. It is one that shows a face. You can see the eyes in the photo.

To the left down the road is the next of the eight lingams, Nirudhi Lingam. Nirudhi is the guardian of the southwest. He is chief of the rakshasas – evil beings. He is domineering and likes the pleasures of this world. He is propitiated to obtain victory in any endeavor. The dog is his attendant.

It is on a short street to the left. There usually are many sadhus here. There is a tank here as well.

Past this, here is a place were you can view the Nandi on the side of the Holy Hill. It stands out on a ridge to the right from near this spot. Though there is a sign here, you actually have to walk a bit back up the road to see Nandi.

Here is the Nandimukha Darshana.

This is a place not in the Guide book, the Nava Lingam.

The lingam is inside this building, along with other idols.

Next to it is Ramalinga Swamy Ashram. A saint portrayed as white, Ramalinga Swamigal, was popularly known as Vallalar. He is a 19th century Saivite saint known for miracle cures and for thousands of verses breathing universal love and peace, which are all available today as a single six-volume work called ‘Tiru-arut-paa‘, (Holy Poems Sweeter than Nectar). He is shown as white, since it is said that his body never cast a shadow–an extraordinary case of being visible yet transparent. Some of his miracles were reported by the British authorities. Though he has nothing to do with Arunachala, there are several shrines to him here.

This will be his main shrine. It is being rebuilt, in a much bigger and better building.

About 150 metres down the street are five temples in a row. First, on the left, is Edirner Annamalai linga.

Next to it is Unnamalai Amman Temple.

Then is a small Gayatri shrine. She was Brahma’s second consort. The goddess Gāyatrī is considered the veda mata, the mother of all Vedas and also the personification of the all-pervading Parabrahman, the ultimate unchanging reality that lies behind all phenomena.

Next are the nine planets, the Navagrahas. The Navagrahas have great importance in Hindu Rituals. They are considered to play a major role in deciding the destiny of man. All the nine grahams – Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Rahu (Snake’s head) and Ketu (Snake’s tail) – give us pleasure and serenity and remove obstacles from our way. Navagrahas are in many Hindu temples.

Across the street is the Hanuman Temple. A devotee of Sri Ramana Maharshi built this temple. Hanuman, the monkey god, is the son of Vayu, the wind god, and Anjana. He is a great bhakta of Sri Rama and played a major role in liberating Sri Rama’s consort, Sita, from Ravana in Sri Lanka, according to the epic Ramayana. It is written in the Skanda Purana that when Sri Rama asked Hanuman to bring a medicinal herb called Sanjivini from Mount Dunagiri a.k.a Mahodaya in the Himalayas to revive his unconscious brother Lakshmana, Hanuman could not find that herb so he lifted the whole Hill and flew to Sri Lanka. As he was flying over Arunachala, a piece of the Hill, along with its medicinal plants, fell on Arunachala. So there are a great variety of medicinal plants all around the Hill, whose scents, wafted by breeze, are beneficial to health.

Next to the Hanuman Temple is a shrine to Sri Raghavendra Swami, a 16th century Hindu saint who advocated Vaishnavism (worship of Vishnu as the supreme God) and Sri Madhvacharya’s Dvaita philosophy. This is one of the few Vaishnivite shines along the way.

Down the road, on the left is the Lord Palani Temple. Lord Palani is a form of Murugan, Siva’s second son, brother to Ganesha.

Here are idols in this temple.

To the right is the last entrance to The Inner Path. This also goes to Kannapar Temple.

Across the street is the entrance to Aham Road. Our house is down this street.

Next to Aham Road is the Raja Rajeshwara Temple. This is another name for Parvati. Nine statues are in the temple, depicting various appearances of the deity.

From here Arunachala is almost obscured by Parvati Hill. Parvati Hill is the west-most extension of Arunachala. Near here is a place where Parvati HIll completely blocks the view of Arunachala. For this reason, some consider this hill to be the ego, which obscures our vision of the real Self.

On the left down the road is another lingam in a small mantapam, and a lion shrine.

Further down the road, again to the left is Gautama Rishi Temple. Gautama Rishi is one of seven great cosmic Rishis. He is a regional Rishi of Tiruvannamalai and of Sri Ramana’s birthplace. Ramana mentions this Rishi in one of his verses.

In a chamber attached to the mantapam is the magnificent statue of Gauthama sitting in padmasana ( lotus posture). Bhagavan Ramana used to rest for a while at the Gauthama Rishi Temple during his Giripradakshina days. Many times Bhagavan’s Pradakshina party cooked food and had their meal here.

Following, on the left, is the Surya Lingam. Surya is the Sun God. There is a story that Surya tried to cross over Arunachala and lost the splendor of his brightness. After Surya worshipped Arunachala here, he regained his luster and his brightness. From that time onwards, Skanda Purana says that Surya, while moving from east to west during the course of the day, never crosses over the peak but only over the slopes.

Walk through the mantapam to get to the lingam. Surya Tirtham is next to the lingam.

Down the road, to the left is one of several Shakti shrines, formed around termite mounds. These are considered to be places of great power (Shakti).

Next, to the left, is the Vishnu Paadam feet Temple. This is a newly constructed temple of Sri Rama. The feet usually face a god in a temple. Here they face Arunachala.

The Elephant can now be seen on the north side of Arunachala. The peak forms the head, and the ‘knob’ is the end of the trunk.

Half a kilometer from the Vishnu Paadam feet Temple is the Varuna Lingam. Varuna is the guardian of the west and the lord who dispenses the celestial water as life-giving rain. Together with Indra, he gathers the clouds and the rain. He is the master of destiny and guardian of all rituals. His consort is Varuni and his mount is the king of fishes. The snare is his weapon.

Arunachala from this vantage. Parvati Hill is to the right, the peak to the left.

The Elephant again.

This is a shrine to Ardhanariswara, the form where Siva and Parvati are merged into one god. On the other side of Arunachala, Pavalukkundru is the location where this is said to have happened.

Next you come to the town of Adi Annamalai. Turning to the right and following the signs you get to Adi Annamalai Temple. The big temple, Arunachaleswara Temple, is said to be 2000 years old. ‘Adi’ means ‘first’, so this temple is the older of the two, most ancient.

Sometimes Bhagavan Ramana used to spend the nights here while going around the Hill. On one such occasion, he heard celestial beings chanting the Sama Veda in this temple. Knowledgeable people have said that there is a tunnel running right through the Hill from east to west. One end of the tunnel opens inside the strong room of the main Arunachaleshwara Temple in the northeast side of the second prakara (corridor). This room is permanently closed and locked. The other end of the tunnel is in the Adi Annamalai Temple premises on the other side of the Hill. The tunnel is said to provide access to the caves inside the Hill where many yogis and siddhas are immersed in the bliss of union with Arunachala. Bhagavan Ramana advised that the opening at the Adi Annamalai Temple side be closed, probably to stop the uninitiated and the curious from entering the tunnel. Temple renovations in 1994 revealed a tunnel entrance. The entrance to the tunnel was permanently closed. Now nobody knows where the tunnel is.

On the street out from Adi Annamalai Temple, is Manikkavachakar Temple. Manikkavachakar is a saint from the Pandya period, known for his devotion to Siva. His story as told by Sri Ramana Maharshi can be found here. He was one of the four great founding saints of South Indian Saivism.

Bhagavan mentioned that at this place Manikkavachakar stood looking at Arunachala and composed Tiruvembavai. It is one of the most famous Tamil Poems, which is sung early in the mornings during Margali month (mid December to mid January)

Across the street, on the left side of Girivalam Road, is another Ganesha temple.

Next to it is the Grama Devate Shrine, a village deity. She is another form of Mariyamman, the ‘smallpox goddess’. the protector from plagues.

Next to it is this temple. I am not sure to whom.

Arunachala from this point.

Down the road, to the right, is the Entrance to Suddhananda Ashram. He is a living teacher, steeped in Advaita Vedanta.

On the right, another brightly decorated Shakti shrine.

Further along, also on the right is this Vediyappan Shrine, with the two white horses, ready to be ridden to right a wrong. Vediyappan is a village protector, common in South India.

Then, on the left, we come to Vayu Lingam. Vayu is the guardian of the northwest, the lord of the air. He symbolizes jnana, the knowledge of the Self. He is the driving force behind all action.

Further down the road is the location where Bhagavan’s Bridge once stood. This is another location where Sri Ramana Maharshi would stop and sit during Pradakshina.

After Bhagavan’s Bridge, you pass by the intersection of Kanji Road. Past this, on the left, is Eluthu Mantapam which is also known as Ezhuthu and Vettavalam Zamindar Mantapam. This is now a dilapidated structure. Only twenty years ago, the roof was intact and pilgrims could rest inside its spacious quarters. It is sad to see this ancient structure, which has served devotees and pilgrims down through the centuries, in such a decrepit condition today.

Here is Arunachala from this point of view.

Next, on the left, is Agastya Lopamudra Ashram.

Further along, again on the left, is the Sapta Kannika Shrine. This shrine of the seven sisters of Mariyamman represents the seven aspects of Shakti. Sadly, it has fallen into disrepair and is no longer accessible.

Then, still on the left is the Kubera Lingam, also called the ‘Diamond Lingam.’ Kubera is the guardian of the north. He is the guardian of treasure, both earthly and celestial. In some Siva statues, Siva is standing with one foot on Kubera’s head, indicating that Siva is the sole master and dispenser of the treasure.

Another beautiful view of Arunachala. The view of Arunachala keeps changing as we round the hill.

Next, on the right is Idukku Pillayar Koil, known also as the ‘Squeeze-though temple.” It is a miniature shrine dedicated to the Lord Ganesha.It is believed that sincere desires are fulfilled by going through this passage with a prayer in the heart.

After 100 meters, you can see the Pancha Mukha Darshan (Five Faced Vision). From this spot one can see the five faces of Siva that appear on Arunachala.

Naturally there are five lingams here, representing each of the faces.

Here is the view of Arunachala from the Pancha Mukha Darshan.

Just before the Pancha Mukha Darshan there are two other shines. Here is the main idol in one of them.

Here is the other. First from the road.

Then inside the shrine. I do not know what god this is.

At the corner of Girivalam and Velore roads is a Balaji (Vishnu) Temple.

Continuing on the main Pradakshina route, bearing left after the junction of Girivalam and Velore roads, you arrive at Esanya Lingam. Esanya is the guardian of the northeast. Esanya is one of the names of Rudra Siva, who worshipped Lord Arunachala here. He represents the purifying principle. It is the name given to the summit of Mount Arunachala. Rudra Siva is the one who is surrounded by bhootha ganas and pramathas (ghosts and spirits). He wears a tiger skin and his body is smeared with ashes. He often plays a damaru (drum) and lets out great bursts of laughter, which echo in all the heavens.

Opposite this lingam and ahead about 50 meters is the Sri Esanya Jnana Desikar Mutt and Samadhi Temple. Kandappa Desikar was later called Esanya Jnana Desikar, since he settled down near Esanya Tirtham. Kandappa Desikar ministered to the sick and suffering, and his fame spread far and wide. A European Collector suffering from incurable Asthma met him, and was cured miraculously. It is said that Lord Arunachala took the form of tigers to keep guard around this sage when he was absorbed in meditation on the Hill Arunachala. He attained Mahasamadhi (merged with the Almighty) in 1829. Here Bhagavan Ramana was made to give a discourse on the Bhagavad Gita. This was the first and the last time Bhagavan ever gave a public discourse.

You can also turn right at the intersection of Girivalam and Velore Roads, and see the arch to Pachaiamman Koil to the right. Go up the hill to the temple.

As you continue to walk, you will pass by the bus stand, then come to an intersection with a obelisk in the center of the intersection. Across the road, on the right side is the Shanmukha (Subramanya) Temple. Shanmukha is the Lord depicted with six faces and is the son of Lord Siva.

Look up to see its gopuram.

In this temple, a mirror is kept behind the deity, which allows the devotee full darshan of the six-faced Lord.

Continuing on the walk, at the third corner, turn right and you will see Kamakshi Temple directly ahead at the end of the street. Kamakshi is one of the aspects of Siva’s Sakti (Parvati). She is said to grant all the wishes of those who invoke her, merely by her gracious glance.

Return to the main road, turn right, and soon, to the right, you will see a Durga Temple. Inside the Durga Temple, there is the Khadga Tirtham on the left as you face the deity. It was formed when Durga struck her sword against the rock.

The colorful gopuram of the Durga Temple.

IF you walk to the right of the Durga Temple, you will have a good view of Pavalakkunru Temple sitting high on a hill. Pavalakkunru is where Bhagavan was met by his mother for the first time after he left Madurai and came to Arunachala. Pavalakkunru is the site where Parvati merged with Siva to become Ardhanariswara.

Continue on the walk until you arrive at Arunachaleswara Temple, one of the grandest Siva temples in India. Some call it the home of Saivism.

The temple occupies about 25 acres of land. The walls on the East and West measure 700 feet each. The South wall is 1479 feet long and North wall is 1590 feet. The Rajagopuram which adorns the East Gateway is 217 feet high, making it the tallest in India.

Walking out of the East Gate, to the street (Car Street, so named because of the chariots of the gods, their ‘cars’, which are parked on this street) turn right and go about 200 metres, almost to the vegetable market, and you will see, to the left, Indra Lingam, nestled in between shops that line the street. Indra is the guardian of the east. The lingam that is here is worshipped by Indra, who represents the element ether. He is the king of the devatas. His mount is Airavata the white elephant. He carries lightning, Vajra, as his weapon. Along with Varuna (guardian of the west), he is associated with clouds and rain. The Vedic hymns tell us that Indra contains all that exists, just as the fulcrum of a wheel holds all the spokes

Looking inside Indra Lingam.

Turn right, walk up the hill, and turn left at a “T” intersection. This road will take you back to Sri Ramanasramam.

Along the way you will find, to the left, Agni Mantapam.

Across the street is Agni Tirtham.

Follow along the road, and you will see an arch for Agni Lingam.

Turn right and walk up the street about 50 metres. There you will find Agni Lingam, the last of the eight cardinal lingams that surround Arunachala. Agni is the God of fire, the sacrificial fire, and the principal god of the Vedas. There are three aspects of Agni: Agni, the gross one which burns; Agni, the gross-subtle, which the sacrificial fire through which oblations are given to the gods; and Jnanagni, the subtle fire which burns within one’s own self to have Self-knowledge. Agni’s mount is the ram. He appears with three heads representing the Creator, Sustainer, and Destroyer. When he has two heads, he represents two paths; one of manifestation and the other of liberation. The forked flame of Agni consumes the impure and liberates the pure. Agni is the mediator between men and the gods.

Walk back down the street and turn right. On the left side of the street is Mahakali Temple. Mahakali, literally translated as Great Kali, is a Hindu Goddess, considered by some to be the consort of Siva, and by others as the basis of Reality. Mahakali in Sanskrit is etymologically the feminized variant of Mahakala or Great Time (which is interpreted also as Death), an epithet of the God Siva in Hinduism. Mahakali is not another name of the dark Goddess Kali, who is the force of the anger of Durga but an aspect of the Mahashakti and therefore her color is light blue.

Mahakali’s mythology is contained in various Puranic and Tantric Hindu Scriptures (Shastra), where She is variously portrayed as the Adi-Shakti or Primeval Force of the Universe, identical with the Ultimate Reality or Brahman, the (female) Prakriti or World as opposed to the (male) Purusha or Consciousness, or as one of three manifestations of Mahadevi (The Great Goddess) that represent the three Gunas or attributes in Samkhya philosophy; in this interpretation Mahakali represents Tamas or the force of inertia

Next to the temple there are vendors selling items with which to worship Mahakali: flower malas, camphor, and especially limes. You will see crushed limes littered on the ground near the temple, and impaled on the Trishul (Siva’s trident) in front of the temple.

Continuing the walk, near the entrance to Sri Ramanasramam you fill find the Dakshinamurti Shrine on the right. Dakshinamurti means ‘Southward Facing.’ The Guru is the spiritual north Pole and therefore traditionally faces south. Dakshinamurti, the primordial Guru, is Siva incarnate in a youthful form, teaching in silence. He is one of the five aspects of Lord Siva. He taught the four sons of Brahma Self-Knowledge while sitting near Lake Manasasarovar, at Mount Kailas in the Himalayas. On Thursdays the Dakshinamurti shrine is opened and devotees line up for His darshan.

Bhagavan Ramana has been compared to Dakshinamurti, as he continues to teach in silence, and usually sat facing the south.

This takes you back to Sri Ramanasramam. It is customary to then go into the Ramana shrine and give thanks for the Pradakshina.

Acknowledgements

I want to thank the authors of A Guide to Pradakshina for the use of some descriptive materials and place names.
Wikipedia searches also provided background information on many Hindu gods, etc.

Related Posts

Inner Path Guide (Index page)
Full Moon Night – 27 April 2010
Arunachala Pradakshina May 2008 – Part One
Arunachala Pradakshina May 2008 – Part Two
Scenes from Arunachala Full Moon Night – November 2009

Caves of Arunachala – July 2009 Update

Richard Clarke — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:34:15 +0000

As we have been exploring Arunachala we keep finding ‘caves,’ some already widely known, and some not. A friend suggested that we write about these caves in a blog. This seems a good idea, so here it is. We can find nothing like this available now.

Our exploration of Arunachala is ongoing, and any additional caves we find will be added. In this post 1 refer to other postings where there are more photos and information about each of the caves.

I put quotes around the first instance of ‘caves’ since what are called caves here are often nothing more than a sheltered space under a big rock. Some are natural, some have been improved, usually by building walls and adding a concrete floor. Some have been dug out under rocks.

Is some cases the individual caves already have names in common use. Most do not, and for the purposes of this listing I am calling these by names that I made up. If other caves are known, or names of caves shown are known, let me know, so I can update this listing.

The December 2008 posting showed 18 caves. In July 2009, it now shows 23 caves. Maps, developed from GoogleEarth tm are also added that show the location of each of these caves.

Caves Associated with Sri Ramana Maharshi

Virupaksha Cave

Virupaksha is, for most, deeply associated with Sri Ramana Maharshi. Ramana lived where he lived for 17 years [1899-1916].

Below is a famous photo of the young Ramana at Virupaksha cave.

The cave is named for a famous saint, Virupaksha, who lived in this cave in the 1500′s, around the same time as Guhai Nama Shivaya lived nearby (see below). At Virupaksha’s demise, called here ‘maha samadhi,’ it is said that his body was transformed into vibhuti (sacred ash). In the interior of this cave there is a mound in the shape of Arunachala. It is said to be made of this vibhuti.

More on Virupaksha Cave is in this post.

Mango Tree Cave

During the Virupaksha days, Sri Ramana would come down to Mango Tree Cave during the summer. It was cooler, and there was water here when there was none at Virupaksha Cave. Mango Tree Cave is on the common way up the hill to Virupaksha Cave.

Inside the building, to the back, there is the actual cave. I think the building has been added since Ramana’s time.

Now this small cave is filled with lingams and murtis of many gods.

More on Mango Tree Cave can be round in this blog entry.

Guhai Nama Sivaya

This is another cave in which Ramana lived in 1899. It is here that he wrote the notes which later because the pamphlet, Who am I?

A bit more on this cave is in the post New Access to Ramana Sites below Virupaksha.

A short clip from Arunachala Grace Blog:

Guhai Namasivaya is known to have been born around the year AD 1548 in Karnataka to a pious Saiva couple. His spiritual nature became evident at an early age: he was virtuous in his conduct, adept at his studies and evinced no attachment to worldly matters.

He practised his system of yoga for many years and as a result of the dream guidance of Lord Mallikarjuna, the presiding deity of Sri Sailam, Guhai Namasivaya came to Arunachala and remained as a Guru, giving teachings to mature disciples who approached him.

Tortoise Cave / Tortoise Rock

Tortoise Cave (also called Turtle Cave) was frequented by Sri Ramana during the Virupaksha days. In those days, there were few trees on Arunachala, and not many places with shade. Tortoise Cave has a good flat stone at its entrance to sit on. Here you are in the shade, and there is often a breeze.

This is also the place made famous in the story of Sri Ramana’s ‘second death experience’. This happened when Ramana stopped at Tortoise Cave / Tortoise Rock on his way back from Pachiaimman Koil. More of Tortoise Cave and Rock, and Ramana’s second death experience is in this post. More about Tortoise Cave is also in this post.

From places like Pavala Kundru, Tortoise Cave can be seen as a dark triangle up on the mountain. It is a bit of a climb to get up here. We think it is worth it. You will want to take a Mountain Guide the first time, I think.

Arunachaleswara Temple for Tortoise Cave. A wonderful view.

This rock at the entrance of the cave is where Sri Ramana would have sat and rested. And meditated.

Pavala Kundru can be seen toward the left.

Here is a close up view of the face of the turtle on Tortoise Rock. Tiruvannamalai is in the background.

This cave is a great place to sit in the shade and meditate.

Skandashram

More on Skandashram is in the post Walking up to Skandashram.

Sri Ramana lived at Skandashram from 1916 to 1922. His mother joined him during this period, and for the first time cooking was done there. This is where the mother had her maha samadhi in 1922. Her room is now a shrine.

The map below shows all of the caves associated with Ramana, as well as other caves in the Virupaksha Cave area. Double click to expand.

Seven Springs Caves

The next four caves are shown in the Seven Springs posting. They are all located on the hill above Skandashram, on one of the paths that goes to the top of the hill. Only one is associated with Ramana, the top one at Seven Springs. They are shown on this map:

Godman’s Cave

This is a cave, said to be greatly improved by the work of David Godman in the 1980s. Maybe ten people can fit into this cave.

Altar in the cave.

Looking out the entrance. John, the archivist at Ramanasramam, stands outside the entrance.

Seven Springs 1

This is first of three caves found at Seven Springs. There is a stone entrance built, and a good altar in the cave. Maybe four people can fit in here.

Up the hill you can see stonework.

The entrance, from the inside.

Richard, offering incense to the altar.

Carol, exiting the cave.

Seven Springs 2

This is a small cave, behind Seven Springs 1. Maybe two people fit inside. Many stone and concrete improvements have been made.

Richard, meditating in the cave.

Ramana’s resting cave

I call it ‘Ramana’s Resting Cave’ since this is the cave that is documented in writing about Ramana where he was known to rest, while others made the climb up to the top of Arunachala.

It is in the shade all day with a nice breeze through it, and a view out through green trees.

The entrance is a bit tight, though.

Caves in Virupaksha Cave Area

(these are shown on the map at the end of the Ramana Caves section.)

Palamaram Ashram Cave

The Palamaram Ashram and is ‘generations’ old and has been run by one family for these generations. Palamaram is the Tamil word for ‘jackfruit’ (but we did not see a jackfruit tree). The guru who was most recently active here, per our mountain guide, was Palamaram Swamy, who was here for 40 years and for the last 15 years has been in the Himalayas.

Steps lead up the the ashram. The flag pole can be seen from down the hill.

The cave is under this rock. The doors into the cave are locked, and you will have to see if you can find someone who can open them. Often you cannot find the person.

For more on this place, see the Palamaram Ashram Post.

Wedding Cave

Wedding Cave is a small cave to the north of Virupaksha. It is rarely visited by westerners. We just discovered it by accident, looking for some other place.

It is at the base of the hill. You have to travel through residential areas, then up hillside trails to reach it.

To get to the cave, you have to climb up the rock, to the right of what can be seen in this photo.

Krishna is painted on the rock, with a peacock feather on his head.

A great view of Pavala Kundru can be seen from here.

Arunachaleswara Temple, too.

More is found in Wedding Cave Post.

Dugout Cave

Dugout cave is a made made cave under a rock below Tortoise Cave.

To get to it, you go through the hillside,m like shown below.

A nice spot has been bug out under this rock. There are several cushions laying in the cave. Maybe there was a smaller cave, that was ‘improved’ to make a better space. I know nothing of the history of this cave.

Another photo of the terrain around this cave.

This is seen as a part of this post.

Caves below Virupaksha Cave

These caves are described in the post New Access to Ramana Sites below Virupaksha.

Below Virupaksha 1

This cave is big enough that one or two people can sit in it.

Below Virupaksha 2

This cave is very small. One person can lie down in it.

Below Virupaksha 3 – Associated with Ramana?

This cave is said by local villagers to be one used by Ramana in the early days. Recently, people have built walls and a door and an altar in it.

The altar.

Southwest Side

This map shows (right to left) Papaji’s Cave, Aum Amma’s Cave, Kattu Siva Cave, Unused Cave, Gameplayers Cava (Mankala Cave), and Pathside Cave.

Caves on Papaji’s Knoll

These caves are shown in the posts Papaji’s Cave and Aum Amma’s Cave.

Papaji’s Cave 1

The first ‘cave’ of Papaji’s is in the area where part of his ashes were scattered. This is a nice place to sit and meditate at the altar that has been set up there.

Papaji’s Cave 2

The next of the caves named for Papaji, and one that he is said to have lived in, is near the first cave, down the rock and a bit up the path.

Carol enters the cave from the path.

Richard and Carol, meditating in the cave.

Below is part of a mother goddess statue, placed in this cave.

Aum Amma’s Cave

Aum Amma’s cave is the most developed of any cave we have found so far (except for those, like Virupaksha, which have had buildings constructed around them).

Many bags of cement were carried up the hill to make these cave improvements. Aum Amma lived her for several years until just a few years ago.

Stairs lead down into a main room.

There is a good view out the “window” in the main room. It looks like sometimes that people sleep in this cave, though you are not supposed to, and if you stay too long, the Forestry Department people will chase you out.

Caves in Kattu Siva area

Kattu Siva Cave

This cave is shown in the post Kattu Siva Cave.

There is a nice cleared area around the cave. this is good place to come during the heat of the day. There is plenty of shade.

Climbing over the rocks at the end of the clearing, a hole in the rock appears.

This is Kattu Siva’s cave. A big rock, in front of Richard, has fallen into the cave. Will someone be able to remove it?

On the top of the rock over the cave, a cement water catching area was made. The photo below looks over this to the Arunachala hillside behind Kattu Siva’s cave.

Cave Above Kattu Siva Meditation Perch – Unused Cave

This is a small unused cave. Rocks need to be cleared from the floor to make a good sleeping area.

Mankala Cave (or Gameplayers Cave)

This cave is shown in the post Kattu Siva path Renewal – Part 1. It is under a rock that looks like a natural lingam as you approach this cave.

Cave next to Inner Path near Kannappa Temple – Pathside Cave

This cave is shown in the post Inner Path – Around Parvati Hill.

A path leads to it from the Inner Path.

This cave was improved with a stone and cement wall in front.

A nice cement floor has been put in the cave.

Caves on Northside of Arunachala

Naga Cave is shown in the map, below.

Naga Cave

This is not too far from Pachaiamman Koil. It is between the Inner Path and Arunachala, just barely visible from the path. You may notice a bit of color towards Arunachala.

As you approach you see a small cave.

To the left is a primate altar, featuring Nagas, snake gods.

The colors noticed from the path are the fine clothes that the Nagas are wearing.

The cave is small. Only one person can sit in it. Not good for sleeping, either.

More is to be found in the Naga Cave Post.

More caves to find, more of Arunachala to explore

I have heard of more caves. I have been told:

There are four caves on the hill above the Mountain of Medicine Arunachala reforestation facility.
There is another cave high above Papaji’s cave.
There are three caves on the north side.
There is a cave near Virupaksha occupied by a sadhu that does not like to be bothered.

What else is there? We have to explore to know more. If you know of any more caves that haven’t been listed, please let me know.

Undifferentiated – Satsang Discourse by Nome

Richard Clarke — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:03:19 +0000

Satsang, April 6, 2008

Om, Om, Om (Silence)

Undifferentiated and, thus, doubtless is Being, which is the real Self. Every doubt, every notion of illusion, is based upon some false supposition of differentiation, as if that which alone is could become two or other than what it is. A doubt is always of differentiation, and the resolution of the doubt is always the relinquishment of the supposed differentiation.

Thus it is with questions and answers. The explanations in the teaching are, in one sense, based on the differentiation, yet the purpose of them is the dissolution of that very differentiation. The primary differentiation is the assumed identity as an individual, “I.” This assumed differentiation is integral to every other differentiation, such as a conception of a mind, a conception of a world, or the conception of anything else. The dissolution of the world and the subsidence of the mind are the abandonment

of this false differentiation. It cannot be negated in an objective fashion because such presupposes the differentiation as existent, and that is the very thing that one wishes to abandon.

Abandonment of differentiation is the Realization of the Truth. The direct approach is the inquiry into your own nature: Who am I? This inquiry does not presuppose differentiation and then attempt to explain or transform such. The inquiry asks if there is any such differentiation, and, since the way is subjective and not objective, the inquiry is, “Who am I to perceive some difference? Who is it that perceives a mind, and who is it that supposedly perceives a world?”

The undifferentiated state is the state of Reality. It is innate.

(silence)

The natural, or innate, Self does not transform itself into anything else. There is nothing else to act upon it to transform it into something that it is not.

(silence)

If your desire is to realize the Supreme Truth, to know Reality as it is, find within that which has no birth, no death, no change at any time, which does not undergo any kind of modification or transformation, and which does not enter or exit anywhere. The one who finds that is himself that. It is not that you become Brahman, but, rather, Brahman is what you are. Such is the immutable Self.

If differentiation appears to persist for you, inquire for whom it is. Who am I? Upon inquiry, there is Self-Knowledge. In Self-Knowledge, you realize that, not only does differentiation not persist, but it did not start. That which truly is always is just as it is.

(silence)

———————————————————————————–

Nome is an American spiritual teacher of Advaita Vedanta, in the tradition of 20^th Century Indian sage Ramana Maharshi.

Biographical Info

Nome was born on January 23, 1955 in Long Island, New York, and spent most of his childhood in New Jersey. His family was opposed to all religions.

Early Spiritual Experiences and Practice

Despite having no training in any religious tradition, Nome’s first spiritual experience, of nirvikalpa samadhi, occurred at age 15 spontaneously in a park in New jersey. At age 16, without graduating from high school, he left his home and family in New Jersey and traveled to California in search of enlightenment.

In San Francisco Nome met Swami Swanandashram, who introduced him to the traditional scriptures of Hinduism such as the Upanisads, the Avadhuta Gita, and the Astavakra Gita, and to the teachings of Adi Sankara and Sri Ramana Maharshi.

After three years of intense spiritual practice (Ramana’s Self-inquiry), on May 14, 1974, at 19 years of age, Nome gained Self-Realization.

Early Teaching

For several years Nome was mainly silent, and sometimes answered questions from spiritual seekers.

In 1978, a group of spiritual seekers, first called “The Avadhut Ashram,” formed around Nome. He held satsang in Boulder Creek, Santa Cruz and San Francisco. Later, the Society of Abidance in Truth was created from this group, and a temple, dedicated to Sri Ramana Maharshi, was built in Santa Cruz, CA, USA, and opened in 1989. Satsang and retreats have been offered in this temple since that time.

Books – Translations, commentaries and original works

Although he had no formal education in Hinduism, Nome dedicated himself to reading and studying the classical scriptures and the Sanskrit language. From 1988 to 2001, Nome worked with Dr. H. Ramamoorthy, a scholar of Hinduism and the Sanskrit and Tamil languages, to translate classic Advaita Vedanta works into English (many for the first time). This work encompassed xx manuscripts, and continued until the death of Dr. Ramamoorthy at age xx in 2001.

Many works have been published, including classics of Hindu thought such as both the Sanskrit and the Tamil versions of the Ribhu Gita, and Sankara’s Svatmanirupanam. There are more manuscripts still to be published. This collaboration produced the only complete English translation of the Tamil-language Ribhu Gita, titled Song of Ribhu. This work has been reprinted in India by Ramanasramam, and has been translated into Hindi and Italian.

Original written works by Nome include Timeless Presence and Self-Knowledge. A commentary on Sri Ramana’s “Self-Inquiry,” Essence of Inquiry has also been published and is available from the Ramanasramam book store.

Since the founding of SAT

Nome was invited by Sri Ramanasramam to participate at the 1996 centenary celebration of Sri Ramana Maharshi’s arrival at Arunachala. He has also spoken at The Ramana Centre for Learning in Bangalore, by request of A.R. Natarajan. Both Ramanasramam and The Ramana Centre for Learning have published books written or translated by Nome.

More about SAT can be found at www.satramana.org. More about Nome is on Wikepedia, at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nome,_Spiritual_Teacher

Nome, an American teacher of Sri Ramana’s Self-inquiry
The Ribhu Gita

“ ALL IS ONE ” – No.1 by V Ganesan

Richard Clarke — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:52:43 +0000

This posting is from a series of ‘sharings’ given by V Ganesan in the winter of 2008/2009 in Tiruvannamalai.

=================================================================================================

How to give up the “me” ? Even to contemplate on its being given up, poses us with an enormous hurdle. No theoretical methods, postulated throughout the past centuries seem to have helped us, at all. The only solution to this Herculean problem, perhaps, lies on a practical, experiential approach to it.

Who will guide us with a direct and simple, yet natural experience-oriented practical solution to the dissolution of the “me” ? Most assuredly, Bhagavan Ramana has already solved the insoluble conundrum !

ANNAMALAI SWAMI had elicited it from the Great Guru, Bhagavan Ramana ; and, years later, he shared it with fellow-seekers. Annamalai Swami came to Sri Bhagavan in 1928 and was made an attendant to the Master. Noticing the potentiality in him as a hard worker, he was entrusted with the supervision of all important construction projects of the then growing up ‘Sri Ramanasramam’ . He did it with an exemplary zeal, under the direct stewardship of Sri Bhagavan, for ten years — from 1928 to 1938.

In 1938, he had a great spiritual awakening through an embrace of him by Sri Bhagavan.** That totally changed him. Then on, he wanted to dedicate his whole time in meditation and contemplation. He sought the guidance of the Master. He approved of his living alone outside the Ashram. Sri Bhagavan encouraged him to construct a dwelling at the adjacent ‘Palakottu’, helping him with practical advices during the construction. Bhagavan gave a few personal advices, as well; for instance, not to move out towards the southern side of his tenement, but should wander about only towards the north, at the foot of the Hill. Annamalai Swami studiously put that instruction into daily practice to its very letter – he had not stepped into the road, which lay on the southern side, the rest of his life ! He had not also moved out of Arunachala, even for a single day !

In Annamalai Swami’s own words : “I went to Bhagavan’s bathroom to help him with his morning bath. Madhava Swami and I gave him the usual oil bath and massage. When the bath was over, Madhava Swami asked a question : ‘ Bhagavan ! The people who take Ganja Lehiyam [ an Ayurvedic medicine whose principal ingredient is cannabis ] experience some kind of Ananda [ bliss ] . What is the nature of this Ananda ? Is it the same Ananda the scriptures speak of ? Bhagavan replied: “Eating this Ganja is a very bad habit”. Then, laughing loudly, he came over to me, hugged me and called out : Ananda ! Ananda ! This is how these Ganja-taking people behave ! It was not a brief hug. After the first few seconds I completely lost all awareness of my body and the world. Initially, there was a feeling of bliss and happiness, but this soon gave way to a state in which there were no feelings and no experiences. I did not lose consciousness, I just ceased to be aware of anything that was going on around me…..This experience completely changed my life. As soon as I regained normal consciousness I knew that my working life at the Ashram had come to an end.”

Sri Bhagavan told him to lead a quiet, reclusive life and to meditate continuously on the Self. After many years of arduous and unremitting effort, he was able to stabilize himself in Self-Awareness, uninterruptedly and with effortless ease. Annamalai Swami pleaded with the Maharshi as how to give up the ‘me’ . He used the term ‘the little self’ instead of the ‘me’ . The Master not only gave him an answer but also totally eradicated the ‘me’ in him. This is well brought out through a dialogue a Westerner had had with Annamalai Swami, long after the Master had dropped the body.

Question : What is the easiest way to be free of ‘the little self ’ ?

Annamalai Swami : Stop identifying with it. If you can convince yourself, ‘This little self is not really me ’ , it will just disappear.

Q : But, how to do this ?

AS : The ‘little self’ is something which only appears to be real. If you understand that it has no real existence it will disappear, leaving behind it the experience of the real and only Self. Understand that it has no real existence and it will stop troubling you.

Consciousness is universal. There is no limitation or ‘little self’ in it. It is only when we identify ourselves with and limit ourselves to the body and the mind that this false self is born. If, through enquiry, you go to the Source of this ‘little self’ , you find that it dissolves into nothingness.

Q : But, I am very accustomed to feel ‘ I am this little self ’ . I cannot break this habit merely by thinking ‘ I am not this little self ’ .

AS : This ‘little self’ will give way to the real Self only when you meditate constantly. You cannot wish it away with a few stray thoughts. Try to remember the analogy of the rope which looks like a snake in twilight. If you see the rope as a snake, the real nature of the rope is hidden from you. If you see only the rope, the snake is not there. Not only that, you know that there never was a snake there. When you have that clear and correct perception that the snake never at any time existed, the question of how to kill the snake disappears. Apply this analogy to the ‘little self’ that you are worrying about. If you can understand that this ‘little self’ never at any time had any existence outside your imagination, you will not be concerned about ways and means of getting rid of it.

* * * * * * *

Bhagavan Ramana clearly points out that there is only one way not to be affected by the miseries caused by the ‘me’ :

Talks No.532 :

Devotee : Is there no way of escape from the miseries of the world ?

Maharshi : There is only one way and that consists in not losing sight of one’s Self, under any circumstances.

To enquire “Who Am I ?” is the only remedy for all the ills of the world. It is also perfect Bliss.

**************************

Why has Sri Bhagavan been consistent in insisting on one experiencing the Self ?

Talks No.536 :

“The person soaked in the “I-am-the-body” idea is the greatest sinner and he is a suicide. The experience of “I-am-the-Self” is the highest virtue. Even a moment’s dhyana to that effect is enough to destroy all the stored up age-old tendencies [ sanchita karma ] . It works like the Sun before whom darkness is dispelled. If one remains always in dhyana , can any sin, however heinous it be, survive his dhyana ? ”

*************************************

Bhagavan Ramana not only explained why one should do dhyana but also insisted that one should constantly be in touch with one’s Self.

Talks No.540 :

Once Annamalai Swami asked : There is more pleasure in dhyana than in sensual enjoyments. Yet, the mind runs after the latter and does not seek the former. Why is it so ?

M : Pleasure or pain are aspects of the mind only. Our essential nature is happiness. But we have forgotten the Self and imagine that the body or the mind is the Self. It is that wrong identity that gives rise to misery. What is to be done ? This vasana [tendencies] is very ancient and has continued for innumerable past births. Hence it has grown strong. That must go before the essential nature, viz., happiness, asserts itself.

***************************

Talks No.541 :

A certain visitor asked Sri Bhagavan : There is so much misery in the world because wicked men abound in the world. How can one find happiness here ?

M : All are gurus to us. The wicked say by their evil deeds, ‘ Do not come near me ’ . The good are always good. So then, all persons are like gurus to us.

****************************

Should one not run away to solitude to obtain peace ?

Talks No.542 :

Annamalai Swami asked : I often desire to live in solitude where I can find all I want with ease, so that I may devote all my time to meditation only. Is such a desire good or bad ?

M : Such thoughts will bestow a janma (another birth) for their fulfillment. What does it matter where and how you are placed ? The essential point is that the mind must always remain in its source. There is nothing external which is not also internal. The mind is all. If the mind is active, even solitude becomes like a market place. There is no use closing your eyes. Close the mental eye and all will be right. The world is not external to you. The good persons will not care to make plans previous to their actions. Why so ? For, God who has sent us into the world has His own plan that will certainly work itself out.

******************

In the day-to-day working, one generally experiences that doing good to others one suffers. On the other hand, one doing wicked deeds enjoys happy environments and success. How is it ? This is a common doubt, to all !

Talks No.546 :

Annamalai Swami asked : A person does something good but he sometimes suffers pain even in his right activities. Another does something wicked but is also happy. Why should it be so ?

Maharshi : Pain or pleasure is the result of past karma (past actions) and not of the present karma. Pain and pleasure alternate with each other. One must suffer or enjoy them patiently without being carried away by them. One must try to hold on to the Self. When one is active one should not care for the results and must not be swayed by the pain or pleasure met with occasionally. He who is indifferent to pain or pleasure can alone be happy.

******************************

Why did Sri Bhagavan repeatedly emphasize the efficacy of “Self-enquiry” ?

Talks No.551 :

A man asked Sri Bhagavan : “How is it that Atma Vidya is said to be the easiest ?”

M : Any other vidya (learning) requires a knower, knowledge and the object to be known; whereas this does not require any of them. It is the Self. Can anything be so obvious as that ? Hence it is the easiest. All that you need do is to enquire, “Who Am I ?”.

A man’s true name is Mukti (Liberation) .

******************

The topic chosen for this session’s “Sharing” is entitled : “All Is One” . What is the significance ? “All Is One” is an old Tamil publication commended by Sri Bhagavan. This tiny book incorporates ideas of immense use to spiritual aspirants, at every level and of any faith. Sri Bhagavan himself had gone through it and given chapter headings for the benefit of seekers. He told Annamalai Swami to read it “if he desired Moksha (Emancipation) ” .

In our next session, we will further deal with it, perhaps, bringing out the worth and greatness of the work.

———————————————————————————————————————————————

***********************************************

Satsang with Ganesan
Self nature, Faith and Attention
Wisdom and Action (No. 1)
Wisdom and Action (No. 2)
Wisdom and Action (No. 3)

V. Ganesan Bio

Born in 1936, up to the age of 14 years old, Ganesan grew up in the presence and proximity of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. His sacred memory of the Great Master is rich in its content; and, even at that tender age he could see Sri Ramana as the greatest compassionate human being.

On April 14, 1950 – the day the Great Master chose to leave the body – the adolescent Ganesan stood near the entrance to the room where Sri Ramana was lying and was fortunate to witness the brilliant flash of Light that later moved towards the top of the Holy Hill – Arunachala.

Ganesan obtained a Master’s Degree in Philosophy; and, then came to stay permanently at “Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai” – the sacred abode of Sri Ramana Maharshi – taking care of the Old Devotees of Sri Ramana. He did it as his sole sadhana (spiritual practice). In that way, he collected the reminiscences of Sri Maharshi from those Old Devotees which have never before been recorded.

His close contacts with sages and saints, including Swami Ramdas, Mother Krishnabai, J. Krishnamurti, Nisargadatta Maharaj and Yogi Ramsuratkumar, he says, have deepened and widened his understanding of the ‘Direct Teaching’ of the Maharshi. However, he feels himself to be an insignificant ‘dust’ at the Holy Feet of Bhagavan Ramana.

He has traveled widely and spread the ‘Direct Teaching’ of Sri Ramana Maharshi, in its pristine purity, wherever he was invited to give talks.

He has authored a few books on the life and teaching of Bhagavan Ramana. Among others, “Purushothama Ramana”, “Be the Self”, “Moments Remembered”, “Direct Teaching of Bhagavan Ramana” and “Practising Self-Enquiry” , are very popular.

Inner Path to Pachaiamman Koil

Richard Clarke — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 18:41:43 +0000

This concludes the series that shows details of Arunachala’s Inner Path used by devotees of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi for the sacred walk around this holy hill. This walking is called pradakshina, or in Tamil, girivalam.

This series shows the Inner Path in some detail all the way from Sri Ramanasramam, around Arunachala, and onto the streets on the Eastern side of Arunachala.

Part One shows the path from Ramanasramam. Part Two shows the walk around the southwest side of the hill. Part Three details the section of the path around Parvati Hill, at the west end of Arunachala. Part Four shows the path on the north side, under the Elephant. Part Five follows the path through the trees. This is part six, the final section of the Inner Path.

Below is a map of the entire Inner Path, that shows the six sections as well as some other landmarks along the way. The final section is in yellow.

The final section of the Path goes for a bit through trees and brush, near to (but not visible from) Pradakshina Road. It then goes behind a few houses of local villagers, then up a small hill to Pachaiamman Koil, then down the hill back to the road. And the way we walk, finally to Ramakrishna Hotel for breakfast of Indian coffee, vadas and dosas.

Starting from the Big Rock

Looking towards Arunachala, the peak rises behind the trees.

The Path continues straight ahead.

Arunachala through the trees.

Continue through the brush and small trees.

Here is a clearer view of the Arunachala peak. The trunk element of The Elephant rises on the right of the peak.

Continuing down the Path. This is a shortcut where Carol cleared the brush and now is the main part of the trail. Before only cows could get through here, and everybody else took a jog to the left.

We turn a bit right and there is a nice red and white Om painted on a rock. By now there is quite a bit of road noise, but the road is not yet visible.

A village woman walks ahead, with a container of dry branches on her head. This is fuel for the day’s cooking fire. So much of this brush is gathered that it does not have a chance to compost back into topsoil. This is a long standing issue in India, where much of the soil has been depleted by the last 2000 years of continual use.

Trash heaps line the path. And sometime piles of human waste, since the typical houses here have no toilets, and the people are used to going outside their houses to do their business. Watch where you step!

Behind these houses, you can see into their back yards. Here a man is standing in his undershorts in a brick-lined bathing area taking his morning bath.

The Path continues through more refuse. Paper products are burned, but the ubiquitous plastics have nowhere to go. Some towns are beginning to address this serious problem by banning plastic bags. The real problem is to educate and sensitize the people to “littering.”

Village children start to greet us. We go through here often and are known by many of them. It seems that children always want their picture taken. They will come and ask ‘photo’ or ‘camera.’ The children will often ask us for pens. Their schools don’t supply them, so there is no way to practice their writing skills. Amazingly, the little girl in the foreground here actually offered to give US two pens. What beautiful children, physically and spiritually.

More path through more trash.

Now we walk directly behind a few houses. Be respectful to the people here. This is their home. A silent smile is usually enough.

At this house Carol has been greeting the two kids with a ‘fist bump.’ She started doing this as a way to divert the children’s request for a pen, etc. It really seems that what they want is just some kind of contact, and the fist bumps provide an easy way. She calls them ‘Obama bumps’ after the photo of Obama and his wife taken during the election.

Proceeding through the village.

The skeleton of a dead rickshaw sits by the path.

This is a small thatched hut, some family’s home.

There are a number of cows here. Arunachala is in the background.

This long yellow sign is a predictable landmark. The Path turns to the right.

Here is Arunachala again. Clouds are forming around the peak.

The Path goes up and to the right.

Now Arunachala is shrouded in clouds. It is said that there are five faces of Siva that are visible in these eastern hillside rocks. This how you can be sure that it is Siva, since he, apparently, really has five faces.

Near the Path are newly built homes, with bright paint jobs. Much care was taken with these houses. The bright colors conform to the principles of Vaastu, the Indian equivalent of Feng Shui.

Now the Path goes over two concrete bridges.

Arunachala is nearly hidden by the hill in the foreground.

Below is the first glimpse of Panchiamman Koil, rising out of the trees.

Patties of cow manure mixed with straw are drying here. They are used a fuel for cooking fires.

More Vediyappan mounts and guardians.

This group also has an elephant as a mount.

In front of Panchaiamman Koil are two rows of Guardians. If you look closely, the two on the left are resting their feet on heads.

Outside Panchaiamman Koil is a small shrine.

Inside is an ancient figure of a male and female. Siva and Parvati, maybe?

Here is the front of Panchaiamman Koil. The vertical red and white stripe indicate that it is is temple. You will see these many times in South India, marking temples.

The Arunachala peak is entirely hidden here.

The road down the hill to the main street.

There are monkeys here today. This one is sitting on a rock. I wonder if monkeys meditate.

There is a tank down the hill from the temple. Usually in the morning there are men bathing in the tank.

On the other side of the road through the trees is another temple. There is a path here that goes a bit further around the mountain. After a rough bit and a scramble up a rock face, you come out to a small village built on the face of a very large hillside.

Down the road.

Often you will see this billy goat along the road here. He seems like the king of this hill.

We turn right at the first street. You could keep going straight down this hill. We think of this as the ‘scenic route.’

A nice Ganesh shrine in the doorway of this house insures that things go well within the house.

In the mornings, many women with water jugs are gathered around this tank, getting their day’s supply of water. This is a hard job. Naturally it is mainly done by the women.

Kids gather, asking, ‘photo, photo, photo.’

Sarees are spread out to dry.

They were probably just washed in this community clothes washing area.

Across the road is a sweet little shrine.

Many primitive Nagas (Snake Gods) are set out in front of the central shrine. All are dressed in their dhotis. This shrine is very well taken care of.

The road continues on.

We take the first left turn, down the hill.

This is a nice clean street to walk down.

It passes by a large tank. This has water year round.

A Ganesh shrine is next to the road. It was recently repainted, and is brightly colored.

Down the hill we go.

Now we come to the main street. Hotel Ramakrishna rises ahead.

Arunachala is obscured by the main buildings and phone/electricity lines.

Almost to the hotel. We can’t wait to eat breakfast!

First is coffee. We have coffee before the meal. Indians have it after. The staff here know us, and know to bring the coffee to begin with.

It is served in a metal cup and small pan. The waiter, Raja, pours it from one to the other to cool the coffee. If I tried it from this height, the coffee would be all over the table.

Then the dosas and vadas are served. Since the staff knows that we LOVE the chutneys, they bring us big bowls of it.

This concludes the inner path portion of Arunachala Pradakshina.

From here you can complete it by walking through town on the main street, or on back streets closer to the mountain. We usually have our rickshaw driver, Rajan, pick up us after breakfast and ride through town.

The Inner Path Pradakshina is something that gives many people a deep sense of the holy maintain, and its peace and tranquility. The walk can be made year round. In the summer months start as early as you can (6 am?) and take lots of water. Take your time. Be willing to explore. Near the path are many places of wonder, beauty and peace. Savor it all, if you can.

Inner Path – Southwest Side
I nner Path – South Side from Ramanasramam
Inner Path – Around Parvati Hill
Inner Path – The Elephant
Inner Path – Through the Trees

Inner Path – "Trees"

Richard Clarke — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 14:22:12 +0000

This post continues the series that show Arunachala’s Inner Path, used by devotees of Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi for the sacred walk around this holy hill. This walking is called pradakshina, or in Tamil, girivalam.

A map is below. The Trees section of the Inner Path is shown in red.

In this section of the Path, tall trees, planted about 20 years ago, are a main feature, first away from the Path, near the road, then next to the Path, then the Path goes through these trees. Also the Path gets closer to the road, and is less quiet.

Starting from the Stone Post

It is about 7:30 in the morning when we start from here. There is sunlight on the trail already. It is late March, and moving towards summer, so the plants are drying out.

At this spot there are paths leading both towards and away from the mountain. Go straight: the Path is marked here.

Sometimes you will see camphor burning in a pit in this marker. If you brought camphor, you might want to light a piece of it here.

Looking away from Arunachala, you can see trees rising far away.

The Elephant ‘compass’ is now pointed almost directly at us.

Ahead, there is a ridge that slants down towards the Inner Path. This is a landmark on this part of the path. When this ridge comes down to the Path, there is a nice place to sit, rest and have a drink of water. There is also a little-known feature of Arunachala at this spot, called by some the ‘Ringing Rock.’

The path is well marked. Sometimes it goes through thickets.

Sometimes through open scrub brush. There is a black and white dog walking with me today. He sometimes joins us on the walk. I bring doggie biscuits for him (and two other dogs that are friends).

Looking back towards the mountain, the ridge seen when walking The Elephant rises to the right. In the center here you can see a low hill, where it will be worth exploration trips in the future.

Ahead on the Path we see the ridge angling down to the Path.

Trees are now closer to the Path.

The Path continues through open brush.

We pass a stone retaining wall intended to reduce erosion during the rainy season.

Now it looks like we are heading into the trees.

They are closer to the Path here.

We wind down a small hill.

And come to a well-made rock-and-cement structure that is part of the system to slow down water running off the Holy Hill.

Below, we have crossed to the other side of the Elephant ‘compass’.

The path goes through trees for a short bit, then back into the brush.

Here is a short set of stone stairs. Again and again we see work that has been done by someone who loves Arunachala, and provided some service to the mountain by working on the Inner Path.

Winding through the low trees and brush.

Here is a survey marker. The date is 1909.

Now the Path is next to the trees.

The Elephant ‘compass’ shows we are on the north east side of Arunachala.

We see many trees to the right of the Path.

In the foreground, notice the green ridge coming down towards the path.

This two-rock marker also shows where we are. We are near a group of rocks were we can sit and rest.

To the right, through the trees, we can see a spot of yellow color. This is from a house by the Girivalam Road. You can hear traffic on the road now.

Here are the rocks. We usually sit here for a bit, and have a drink of water.

Off the right side of the Path is a rock with an arrow painted on it. (In the photo above, it’s the rock to the right in the middle ground.) If you look closely, you will see that it is scuffed (above and to the right of the arrow). Grab a hand-sized stone and strike it in the scuffed area.

Listen and know why it is called ‘The ringing rock.’ Have you ever heard anything like this before?

Now the Path continues through the trees.

More houses and commercial buildings are visible to the right of the Path.

The peak of Arunachala is behind us. We see The Elephant from the other side now.

These trees are planted in rows.

Take the right fork of the Path.

Below is the peak through the trees.

We cross a couple of paths. The Inner Path is well marked. Go straight.

Now a rock formation rises to the left of the Path.

It is maybe 20 feet high. Recentlyl we saw a photographer here, having gone ahead of his group to get a shot from a great angle.

We cross the path that goes by this rock. This is the end of this section of the Inner Path.

We will post the next and last section of the Inner Path soon.

Inner Path – Southwest Side
I nner Path – South Side from Ramanasramam
Inner Path – Around Parvati Hill
Inner Path – The Elephant

Inner Path – The Elephant

Richard Clarke — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 08:14:43 +0000

A map is below. The Elephant section of the Inner Path is shown in orange.

Note from the map that this section of the Path has many small streams that cross it. The terrain here features small ‘hills’ as you enter into and out of the creek bed. These creeks are all pretty small, and only have water when it rains.

It is in one of these that Sri Ramana found the banyan leaf, and followed the stream upstream, only to be stung by hornets, and then abandoned his search for the banyan tree.

Starting from the Frog Pond

The Frog Pond is dry by mid March when these pictures were taken. The season is getting hot, so we started early and were here by 7 AM, before the sun rises over Arunachala. The bright sun can be seen behind the ‘trunk’ of The Elephant. We will have sunlight in a few minutes.

The Path starts off across an area pretty dry and flat.

Looking to the right side, first you see the gap between Arunachala and a small hill. There is a path over this gap that is shown in A Path Across Arunachala.

Looking behind is Parvati Hill, and the pass at the other end of the hill. This is where the original Path was. This is shown in the postings: Kattu Siva Path Renewal – Part 1 and Kattu Siva Path Renewal – Part 2 .

Next the Path crosses the first of many creek beds …

Then rises up to the Northside Catchment Basin. Notice that there is a path across the basin that is usable much of the year. Some people take this path here.

The main route of the Path goes to the left, and follows along the dirt berm that makes up the retaining wall for the catchment basin.

Walking across this berm, farmers’ fields come right up to the path. This is the only place where this occurs.

In the photo below, looking over the basin, a big rock can just barely be seen rising through the trees. On the other side of the basin here is a trail nexus where a number of paths go towards and along the mountain side. This is shown better in Under the loving gaze of The Elephant.

There is an old small trail next to the mountain in this area that we call ‘The Inner-Inner Path.’ This will be detailed in subsequent postings. Easy exploration can be done here.

Between the Path and the fields, the farmer has made ‘fences’ of dry thorny branches. This keeps cattle from entering the fields.

At the end of the basin the Path crosses another dry stream bed …

Then goes off across the gentle hills.

In this section a power line crosses the Path. This is the only place where this happens.

Now the sun is starting to rise above the Holy Hill, and there is better light for photography.

The Path lights up …

And crosses yet another creek bed. We walk down and up the little hill.

Looking to the left, the gopuram of Adi Annamalai Temple rises through the trees.

Often this man will be seen, asking for coins. Sometimes it looks like he is working, clearing rocks off the Path and doing other work to improve the Path.

Looking to the left of the Path, not a house can be seen. More mountains rise up on the horizon. There is no motor noise here; all we hear are bird songs.

The Path proceeds across the hillside.

Looking towards Arunachala, a rocky hill can be seen in the foreground, rising from below. More places to explore. I have seen a group here, up on one of the rocks. It seems they were with a teacher and meditating.

Past another creek bed. This on has a stone wall to prevent erosion. These are seen in other places as well. This is all a part of the task of protecting the hillside and bringing as much water into the water table as possible.

The Elephant is in the background. A face of the hill rises in the foreground. Water can be seen flowing down rock faces during the rainy season.

The Path winds on.

And on.

We are getting close to the face of the hill that rises here.

Reminding us of the desert-like environment, here is another cactus, well protected from the heat that is soon to come.

Just barely visible here on the hill face is a small white box. This once housed an idol. This idol has been taken by vandals. You can walk up to this spot and get a great overlook of the surrounding area.

On the other side is a steeper area of the rock face. Back towards this hill it is greener, a sign of better water. There is a trail that leads into this greener area. Sometimes village women can be seen carrying bundles of dried grasses down this trail. The local people know the plants that can be used here, and make good use of everything.

Now the angle between the trunk and head of The Elephant has become more acute. This means we are nearing the end this section of the Inner Path. I think of this as the ‘Elephant Compass’ and use the angle as a way to know where I am on the Path.

The Path continues to wind through the countryside.

The ‘Elephant Compass’ gets yet more acute. Getting closer to the end the of the section.

Now, through the trees, houses can be seen far away. Road noise is also sometimes heard.

The Path continues through the dry brush.

Look at the ‘Elephant Compass’ now. Where are we? We’re reaching the end of this section.

Looking back, we can see the hill face rising behind us. There is a big area on this side of the hill that needs to be explored. This will be done in other posting, later.

Down a bit more of the Path.

A stone post with a painted Inner Path marker defines the end of The Elephant section of the path. Sometimes camphor will be seen burning in a pit on the top of this post. Notice that there are paths that lead both to the right and the left here. One set goes towards the road, the other towards the mountain. The Inner Path goes straight, past the post.

The next section of the path, we call ‘Trees.’ We will post this soon.

Inner Path – Southwest Side
I nner Path – South Side from Ramanasramam
Inner Path – Around Parvati Hill
Under the loving gaze of The Elephant
Adi Anamalai Temple

Wisdom and Action – No. 3 – by V. Ganesan

Richard Clarke — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:13:07 +0000

This is from a series of ‘sharings’ from V. Ganesan in Tiruvannamalai in the winder of 2008/2009.

Today, we are going to share on the third and fourth principles of what we have been sharing for the past few sessions. They are :

3. Sri Bhagavan said :“If one identifies oneself with the body, ‘Karma ’ [destiny] is inevitable and unavoidable (which means, that one is bound, one is in ‘bondage’ ). If one’s attention is turned inwards, one is always ‘free’ . One is ever a ‘Free Man’ .”

4. When asked whether His Direct Teaching could be put in a single word, Sri Bhagavan answered : “ ATTENTION ” [ “Ulladunar ” in Tamil, meaning, “Attention paying attention to ATTENTION.” ]

______________________________________________________________

( 1. In 1936, Paul Brunton asked the Maharshi : “Can a man of the world, viz.,one who is involved in worldly activities, practice this Jnana Marga or this Wisdom Path ?”

Sri Bhagavan’s cryptic answer was : “There is no contradiction between work and Wisdom.”

2. On another occasion, Sri Bhagavan said : “The only purpose of life is to realize the SELF. All other activities are a waste of time.” )

__________________________________________________________________________________

There are two stories – like the two sides of the same coin – to elaborate on the “third principle”. We are all children in one way – each one’s heart is that of a child – and hence, throughout our living span of existence we are always absorbingly interested in listening to stories !

The First story to affirm that “if one identified with a body, destiny is inevitable” :

Major A.W. Chadwick was the first Westerner to settle permanently as a resident at the Ashram from 1938, till he dropped the body in the 1960s. He had adopted himself in such a harmonious traditional Ashram-way that viewers wondered over his way of life ! Once a devotee who was amazed looking at Chadwick, asked Sri Bhagavan as how it was possible for Chadwick to adopt himself to such a pious Hindu way of living.

Bhagavan gave the following reply : “Chadwick was with us. He had a great fascination for the Westerner way of life that he is born in the West. Now, he has come back to us !”

Paying attention outward of oneself and getting involved with activities outside of oneself traps one into the octopus grip of the ‘Law of Karma’ , giving effect to the series of birth and deaths !

The Second story confirms : ‘ If one’s attention is turned inwards, one is always ‘free’ . One is ever a ‘Free Man’. ’

Once a stranger from North India came to Sri Bhagavan and was firmly seated in the Hall. When almost all had left the Hall, he approached Bhagavan and pleaded, thus : “Bhagavan ! I had committed four murders in my life. I had escaped uncaught; not even my wife knows about it. Yet, my conscience now pricks me, very deeply too. Is there a redemption for me, my Lord ?”

Bhagavan gave him a Glance of Grace. After a few moments, slowly yet most assuredly he replied : “ Yes, there is redemption. Yes, there is redemption !

Give up the thought that you had murdered !” There ruled absolute silence.

The stranger shed profuse tears of joy and gratitude. He prostrated to

Sri Bhagavan and left. Many years after that, an old devotee, H.C. Khanna of Kanpur, happened to travel in the Himalayas. Bhagavan had already dropped the body. Khanna met a Swami with impressive countenance seated in a cave.

He introduced himself as a devotee of Bhagavan Ramana. The Swami got up and touched the feet of Khanna, saying : “You have come from Arunachala ! My God and Guru is Bhagavan Ramana. How fortunate and how blessed I feel in the proximity of a fellow-devotee of the Supreme Master ! “ He, then, narrated the whole story of “his Four Murders” and how there was no trace of affectation left in him; and, how following the commandment of Bhagavan, instantly released him from the grips of ‘Karma’ . After narrating this wonderful story to me, Khanna added : “Once, Bhagavan told me in the Hall : ‘ If one accepted the ‘Prarabdha Karma’ , it will start operating. And, if one refused to identify oneself with ‘Prarabdha Karma’ , operation of ‘Prarabdha Karma’ is totally nullified.’

Is it not clear that a true seeker should ever be a “dheera” [ bold & courageous ] ? How to deny the ‘Karma’ ? This will be the obvious next question ! Only by turning within and surrendering oneself to the Inner Guru.

Silence is the Inner Guru.

The fourth principle is of supreme importance : “Attention paying attention to ATTENTION.” Sri Bhagavan repeatedly guided us : “ Go within, Plunge within, Dive inwards.” To take one’s attention inwardly, one has to have a correct grasp of Bhagavan’s ‘Direct Teaching’ of “Wisdom Realistion”.

Read the following verses from Bhagavan’s “ Forty Verses on Reality ” :

Though the world and mind rise and fade together, the world shines by the light of the mind. The ground whence the world and mind arise, and wherein they set, that State of Perfection does not either rise or set, but ever shines supreme.

That is Reality.

Under whatever name or form we worship IT, IT leads us on to Wisdom of the Nameless, Formless Absolute. Yet, to see one’s true SELF as the Absolute, to subside into IT and be one with IT – this is the True Wisdom of Absolute Reality.

‘Twos’ and ‘Threes’ ** depend upon one thing — the ego. If one asks in one’s Heart, ‘What is this ego ?’ and finds it, they slip away. Only those who have found this, know the Absolute Reality. And, they will never be perplexed.”

[** ‘Twos’ = names & forms; ‘Threes’ = God,World,Jivas (beings) ]

There is no Wisdom without ignorance and without Wisdom. ignorance cannot be. To ask, ‘Whose is this Wisdom ? ‘Whose is this ignorance ?’ and thus to realize the Primal SELF – this alone is True Wisdom.

— “ FORTY VERSES ON REALITY “ , v. 7,8,9,10

Sri Bhagavan has sung : “Easy is Self-Wisdom; the easiest thing there is.”

Let us adhere to his guidance and boldly take a plunge ‘within’ NOW and be the SELF !

***********************************************

Satsang with Ganesan
Self nature, Faith and Attention
Wisdom and Action (No. 1)
Wisdom and Action (No. 2)

V. Ganesan Bio

He has traveled widely and spread the ‘Direct Teaching’ of Sri Ramana Maharshi, in its pristine purity, wherever he was invited to give talks.

At the veranda of his cottage – “Ananda Ramana” – he meets earnest seekers, every Monday and Thursday, between 9.30 and 11 a.m., sharing with them the spiritual treasure entrusted with him by all these holy and sacred souls.

Wisdom and Action (No. 2) – by V. Ganesan

Richard Clarke — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 08:37:01 +0000

“Everything as they are, is perfectly all right” — Bhagavan Ramana.

“Accept things as they are” — Bhagavan Ramana.

“Have faith” — Bhagavan Ramana.

“Surrender the ‘me’ to the ‘I AM’ “ – Bhagavan Ramana.

God and Guru are one and the same. Guru is ‘God’ in human form. Guru knows what is best for you and what is to be given to you, including your emotional fulfillments. He anticipates as how best he could extend his help to you.

Read the following fascinating ‘story’ :–

In the far South India there is an area where the lady-inmates would never be permitted to go out of the house, at all. There, the usual joke was that no lady ever knew the shape of the front door of the house !

A teen-age girl came upon a book on Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and was captivated by his life and teachings. She started reading books by Swami Vivekananda. Appreciating her deep interest in the lives of Saints, his uncle who had been to Arunachala, brought a book on the life and teachings of BHAGAVAN SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI, in Tamil [entitled: “Sri Ramana Vijayam”]. When she received the copy on her hands, she lost her body consciousness – the first time it was happening to her ! She kept the book in her Puja Room and whenever she wanted to open the book and read it, the very touch of it sent her into that state of ‘no body experience’. She understood that something great was contained in that book. At long last, she could succeed in opening the book. Lo ! The picture of the Maharshi in the frontispiece sent quivers of joy and ecstasy ! She then and there decided that Bhagavan Ramana was her Sadguru and that her place of residence was not that home but only at ARUNACHALA, at the Holy Feet of her Sadguru !

Her younger brother fully understood her spiritual aspirations and helped her to “run away” from home, without anyone’s knowledge. One dark night, he took her to the Railway station, bought her ticket to Tiruvannamalai and assured her that everything would be well. He had to stay back at home to tackle the terrible commotion that would be raised.

Safe did she reach Arunachala. But, her mind started haunting her with tremendous guilt of having ‘deserted’ her kith and kin and having run away from home like a ‘thief’ . She was crying all her way from station to the Ashram, uncontrollably. She suffered from great emotional trauma.

When she neared the Old Hall where her Sadguru Ramana was seated, she heard him talking loudly : “ I ran away from home, in the dark night, hiding myself behind trees and buildings. My brother had given me money to pay his school fees which I did not do, but ‘stole’ a portion of it. I was afraid all the way to the Railway Station lest any one should notice me, catch and hand me over to my uncle and brother. Inside the train compartment I hid myself till the train left the station. I was feeling terribly ‘guilty’ that I was deserting my kith and kin and was running away from home ‘like a thief’ ! But, no sooner the train left the station, there was total composure that ‘this was venturing only to fulfill a good cause’…….”

What a relief, what a blessing ! The pious girl’s ‘guilt’ took to flight ! She stepped into the Hall, prostrated to her Sadguru Ramana and when she looked up at Him, He was pouring His Blessings on her through His ‘Glance of Grace’ ! Was not the nod of His head total approval of her act ! To whom else she could totally surrender other than to her God, Guru Ramana ! Till she dropped her body at a ripe old age she lived at Arunachala, having a home in front of the Ashram – all her life, basking herself in His Glorious Presence ! Even after the Brahma Nirvana of Sri Bhagavan, she immersed herself in devotion to the teaching of her Sadguru.

Surrendering one’s “me” is the only ‘loss’ a seeker has to meet with. But, what a great gain it brings about : the Absolute Truth – “ I AM “ ! The Truth that is extolled in all scriptures and by all sages and saints !

Has not Jesus Christ proclaimed : “Only he who gives up his life [ ‘me’ ] will find it [ “I AM” ] ” ? Staying in the state of “I AM” brings about spontaneously the act of giving up the ‘me’. The ‘me’ is a never-existed state and “I AM” is the ever-existing state. Remember, Sri Bhagavan repeatedly said :”Affirm the Truth, the non-truth will drop off of itself” !

In this light, shift your attention from ‘work’ outside, to ‘Wisdom’ inside.

If you pay exclusive attention to ‘work’ , you will miss even tasting the ‘Wisdom’. Jesus Christ said: “Attain first the Kingdom of Heaven and all else shall be added to you”. Arthur Osborne, in one of his brilliant Editorials, wrote: “If one seeks to attain all else, the Kingdom of Heaven is not likely to be added !”

Bhagavan Ramana, on the very first day of his arrival at Arunachala, in 1896, declared before his Father – ARUNACHALA : “Thy Will be done”. The rest of his stay of 54 years, there was no ‘me’ for him to decide over ‘actions’ done, to say either ‘yes’ or ‘no’ . Actions happened in his presence – that’s all ! In a court case, when the Judge who came to the Ashram to examine him and asked him to sign the document, the Maharshi didn’t, as he had no name to sign, nor any form of identification as a ‘me’ to affix a signature as an individual ! All the time immersed, as he ever was in the Perfect State of “I AM”, where was any possibility of a ‘me’ to put out its hood !

One might say, ‘It is all right for the Great Maharshi. But how about me, an ordinary person ?’ For an answer to such a query, we have to turn once again only to the very same Great Maharshi’s life. Take up one cue from many of Maharshi’s utterances, say : “Everything stated in the ancient texts are word by word true.” Have complete ‘faith’ in those sacred words of the Great Master.

Look ! How and what happened in his life :–

__________________________________

During Bhagavan’s Virupaksha Cave days, many supernatural visions and experiences occurred. Generally, he disapproved of giving importance to visions and supernatural happenings. But where Arunachala was concerned he did not conceal anything – rather, he was ever jubilant in describing them.

When questioned about the Siddhas [ realised beings] residing on the Hill and inside the Hill, Bhagavan narrated the following scintillating experience of his : “I was wandering on the Hill and suddenly I found a big cave. When I entered the cave, I saw a number of waterfalls, beautiful gardens, tanks within those gardens, well-laid paths, fine lighting – everything there was most pleasing. As I went further and further I saw a Realised Person [ Siddha Purusha ] seated, like Lord Dakshinamurti under a tree on the bank of the tank. Around him, a number of saints [ munis ] were seated. They were asking questions and he was replying to them. That place appeared to me as a very familiar one. That is all. I opened my eyes ! Subsequently, when I saw “Arunachala Puranam” [ “Ancient History of Arunachala” ] in Sanskrit, I found two verses in this regard. That cave and that Siddha Purusha have been described in them and so I was surprised that what had appeared to me was to be found in “Arunachala Puranam”. So, I translated those two verses into Tamil :

“O Arunachala ! Though you are in the Form of Fire, you have kept away the Fire and have taken the shape of a Hill mainly to shower your Blessings on people. You are always living here in the Form of a Siddha, in the interior of the cave. In you is Transcendental Glory, with all the enjoyments of the world, as well.”

Bhagavan continued : “Some time back, when the temple in Adi Annamalai was renovated, it has been reported that in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple, a large tunnel was found and when people tried to find out its extent they said that it was extending to the very centre of the Hill. I thought that which occurred to me and is in the Arunachala Purana appears to be true and that the tunnel was the way to the place I had seen. It is reported that the siddhas come from the cave inside to the temple through that tunnel !”

————————————————————

As a true seeker, one has to listen to the holy words of the Sadguru. Even a look, a gesture, a nod from the Guru is enough ! Look at how a wandering seeker “ Ramdas ” [ Swami Ramdas ] got enlightened in the presence of the Maharshi. And, listen to his words of spiritual advice to us, seekers :–

—————————————–

Ramdas went to Ramana Maharshi in a state of complete obliviousness of the world. He felt thrills of ecstasy in his presence. The Maharshi made the awakening permanent in Ramdas. How ?

Ramdas addressed Sri Bhagavan, thus : “ Maharaj ! Here stands before you a humble slave. Have pity on him. His only prayer to you is to give him

your Blessings.” The Maharshi turned his beautiful eyes towards Ramdas and looked intently for a few minutes into his eyes, as though he was pouring into Ramdas his Blessings through those orbs; then, shook his head to say he had blessed. A thrill of inexpressible joy coursed through the frame of Ramdas, his whole body quivering like a leaf in the breeze….

After many years, when Swami Ramdas was well-known, some people pleaded with Swami Ramdas : “You went to Ramana Maharshi and you got Illumination. Give us Illumination like that.” Swami Ramdas replied : “You must come to Ramdas in the same spirit and in the same state as he went to the Maharshi. Then, you will also get it. Where was his heart ? How intense was his longing ? What was world to him at that time ? If you come in that state, it is all right !”

—————————————-

We should conserve all our energies to help ourselves deeply spiritually

by again and again turning to the sacred words of the Maharshi. I quote here the words of guidance from another reputed mature soul, Swami Rajeswarananda :–

———————-

“ Sri Ramana Maharshi awakens in every one of us the dormant Divinity, the Potential Power, the Primary Principle, which is hidden behind the flow and flicker of our day-to-day, ordinary life. He sets before us, as the glory and goal of life, the Realisation of the Full Divine Consciousness of our own Self. The Self is not something to be created or attained, but which is fully aware of itself with an awareness that can neither begin nor end, as it is Eternal. He proclaimed the Absolute as the Self, the “I AM” in each individual life, ever being itself.”

—————————————————

In the last days of the Maharshi’s earthly life, the Ashram management sought his guidance as how they should conduct themselves in the future. They were intending to express as to what they should do after he dropped the body ! Bhagavan smiled at them and said : “ The same Higher Power which was running the Ashram till now, would also continue to take care of its further welfare.” The need for total surrender was the message !

How to give effect to total surrender in each one’s life ?

There is only one way and that is to put his direct teaching into effect. When a group of senior devotees, under the leadership of Muruganar, approached Bhagavan and prayed to give them his guidance, his crystal clear instruction was : “ Put my direct teaching into practice !”

Wisdom and Surrender are the two sides of the same coin. Without ‘Wisdon’, Surrender is impossible; and, without ‘Surrender’, Wisdom is incomplete !

In this regard, the following dialogue between Sri Bhagavan and a senior devotee, G.L.Narasimha Rao throws greater light :–

————————

Sri Bhagavan replied to G.L.Narasimha Rao, thus : “ You say that on final analysis all that I see or I think or I do is One. But, that really comprises two notions : the ‘all’ that is seen and the ‘I’ that does the seeing, thinking and doing, and says ‘I’. Which of these two is the more real, true and important ? Obviously, the ‘seer’, since the ‘seen’ is dependent on it. So, turn your attention to the ‘seer’ , who is the source of your ‘I’ and realize that.

This is the real task .

Up to now, you have been studying the ‘object’ , and not the ‘subject’ . Now, find out for what Reality this word ‘I’ stands. Find the entity which is the source of the expression of ‘I’ . That is the SELF — the SELF of all selves.

The simplicity of it made GLN burst out : “Then, Bhagavan ! ‘Self-Realisation’ is very easy, just as you say in your poem : ‘ Atma Vidhya ’ [ ‘Song on Self-Knowledge’ ] ! “

Sri Bhagavan smiled and said : “Yes, yes ! It seems so at first, but there is difficulty too. You have to overcome your present false values and wrong identifications . Therefore, the quest requires concentrated effort and steadfast abidance in the Source when this is reached.”

While giving such a warning, Sri Bhagavan also added words of solace :

“But, don’t let that deter you. The rise of the urge to seek for the ‘I’ itself is an act of Divine Grace . Once this urge gets hold of you, you are in its clutches. The grip of Divine Grace never relaxes and finally devours you ,

just as the prey in a tiger’s jaws is never allowed to escape ! ”

Giving up of the ‘me’ is indicated when Sri Bhagavan said : “You have to overcome your present false values and wrong identifications”. The ‘me’ is nothing but a conglomeration of ‘false values’ and ‘wrong identifications’ !

Long for, pine for experiencing the “I AM” – that’s all that is needed ! Grace will flood one’s Heart that pines for “I AM” experience ! The Great Compassionate Guru Ramana assures our doubting minds, with these assertive words : “The rise of the urge to seek the ‘I’ itself is an act of Divine Grace” and adds : “The grip of Divine Grace never relaxes and finally devours you [ the ‘me’ ].”

All that is required of a seeker is to turn one’s attention within. Then, one can experience the splendour taking place within oneself – the ‘me’ dropping of its own accord and “I AM” spontaneously asserting itself !

The glorious words of Bhagavan Ramana : “Shift your attention from non-truth to Truth” , when adhered to, helps one to transcend the ‘me’ [drowned in one’s endless activities] and get established in “I AM” [the vibrant SELF] !

“Begin with the beginning”, commanded our Great Master. The beginning of the quest for Truth, can begin only in ‘you’; and, its ending also can take place only in ‘you’.

“There are no others”, is yet another powerful guidance from Sri Bhagavan.

How ?

One begins the quest only in oneself — with a ‘me’ — and ends up with the Truth – experience of “I AM” — also within oneself ! That is, one [ say, Ganesan ] begins the quest with a ‘me’ [body-mind] and ends it also in himself with the Illumination : “ I AM THAT I AM” ! The profound declaration made by GOD three thousand years ago !

The ‘me’ has a time and a history !

“I AM” is NOW !

************************************************

Satsang with Ganesan
Self nature, Faith and Attention
Wisdom and Action (No. 1)

V. Ganesan Bio

He has traveled widely and spread the ‘Direct Teaching’ of Sri Ramana Maharshi, in its pristine purity, wherever he was invited to give talks.

Luthar.Com: HarshaSatsangh » Luthar.com

Ramana Maharshi Timeline and Places – by Richard Clarke

Related Articles

Temples and Shrines along Arunachala’s Outer Pradakshina Route. by Richard Clarke

Related Articles

Caves of Arunachala – July 2009 Update

Caves Associated with Sri Ramana Maharshi

Virupaksha Cave

Mango Tree Cave

Guhai Nama Sivaya

Tortoise Cave / Tortoise Rock

Skandashram

Seven Springs Caves

Godman’s Cave

Seven Springs 1

Seven Springs 2

Ramana’s resting cave

Caves in Virupaksha Cave Area

Palamaram Ashram Cave

Wedding Cave

Dugout Cave

Caves below Virupaksha Cave

Below Virupaksha 1

Below Virupaksha 2

Below Virupaksha 3 – Associated with Ramana?

Southwest Side

Caves on Papaji’s Knoll

Papaji’s Cave 1

Papaji’s Cave 2

Aum Amma’s Cave

Caves in Kattu Siva area

Kattu Siva Cave

Cave Above Kattu Siva Meditation Perch – Unused Cave

Mankala Cave (or Gameplayers Cave)

Cave next to Inner Path near Kannappa Temple – Pathside Cave

Caves on Northside of Arunachala

Naga Cave

More caves to find, more of Arunachala to explore

Related Articles

Undifferentiated – Satsang Discourse by Nome

Satsang, April 6, 2008

Biographical Info

Early Spiritual Experiences and Practice

Early Teaching

Books – Translations, commentaries and original works

Since the founding of SAT

Related Posts:

Related Articles

“ ALL IS ONE ” – No.1 by V Ganesan

Related Articles

Inner Path to Pachaiamman Koil

Starting from the Big Rock

Related Posts

Related Articles

Inner Path – "Trees"

Starting from the Stone Post

Related Posts

Related Articles

Inner Path – The Elephant

Starting from the Frog Pond

Related Posts

Related Articles

Wisdom and Action – No. 3 – by V. Ganesan

Related Articles

Wisdom and Action (No. 2) – by V. Ganesan

Related Articles