Quo Vadis

Near Chengam Road and close to several major ashrams, work is almost complete on the primary stage of the development of Quo Vadis; an Interfaith Dialogue Centre being set up by Arcot Lutheran Church.

The co-ordinator of Quo Vadis and Lutheran pastor of this area, Rev. Joshua Peter told me:

"Quo Vadis is Latin and means 'Where are you going?' Because we consider life a pilgrimage, a travel. So in this life we want to stop at one point when we meet people, and stop them as well and try to raise this question, 'Where are you going? Where are you coming from?' By that we start a dialogue."

The below is a photograph of a small hut currently being used for meditation, talks and meetings. As the hut is the original building of the Quo Vadis compound, it will continue to remain centre stage.

When I first saw the below carving, which I think is quite magnificent, I thought it was some kind of African icon. Rev. Joshua Peter told me that it was in fact done by a Tamil artist that had recently come to visit the Centre and it was carved out of a tree that had to be felled before construction of Quo Vadis, could be commenced. It was felt that it would honour the tree and site to transform the felled tree into a permanent sentinel at the compound.

The purpose of the Inter Faith Dialogue Centre is also about faith:

"This is also to share about the faith. Because many so-called ordinary people think that if religion has to be discussed that it should be done by scholars. But here we don't discuss and debate about religion but we dialogue about our own faith. And every individual has the authority to tell his/her story and share the faith.

So sharing becomes the core of our dialogue."

Rev. Joshua Peter

This is the inside of the hut and is quite leakproof. To those who have visited India, the bamboo style of the roof will be no surprise as even, in 2007 Tiruvannamalai, such roofs are commonly to be seen.

The unused area at the back of the compound will, at a later date, be made into accommodation units for visitors and pilgrims to stay at while visiting Tiruvannamalai. This will be the second stage of the development of Quo Vadis, whose concept is:

"On dialogue and building relationships. To go out and cross borders of the Church."
Rev. Joshua Peter

A good photograph of part of Quo Vadis.






The library, reading room will be located upstairs at Quo Vadis. In explanation for the reason that the centre is going to have a library facility, Rev Joshua Peter remarked:

"So, although this Quo Vadis structure was built very recently and this programme actually originated only four years back; Arcot Lutheran Church has a long history of what we call, 'Reading Rooms' and 'Libraries' in many towns, including Chennai, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore and Tirukoyilur. Where we would open up a library and invite all religious people to come in and use the library. Those days it was a good culture of learned people who would come and use the library.

Indian-Christian theology, we claim, was born out of the Reading Room in Chennai. Because great Indian Christian theologians would use our reading room and it was there that they wrote books which became the basis of Indian-Christian theology."

"We will have a cafe because a cafe is a wonderful place to sit and order a cup of coffee or soft drink or fruit juice and a piece of cake and share your faith. So there will be a cafe. And it is not a restaurant running as a business. We will have selected items, tasty items; we want people to come. And also we look for economy for that, whatever we earn will not go into people's pocket, it will be used to maintain the Centre and make it even more beautiful."

Rev Joshua Peter

There will in fact be two cafes at Quo Vadis, one here on the roof and one downstairs.

The upstairs at Quo Vadis is quite spectacular and I have no doubt will become very popular with visiting pilgrims. Such a centre has been needed at Arunachala for many years. Previously, visitors and pilgrims would have to either talk and dialogue at restaurants or share a hurried whisper at ashrams; but now Tiruvannamalai has a multi functional centre which is inviting people of all faiths to come, interact and exchange ideas, read a book or magazine, have a meal, visit, or just sit quietly and meditate.

"It is a new time and organisations and ashrams are going to have to adapt to the new time . . . people are coming with different needs and different ideas . . . unless an organisation deals with that reality and with the new type of person coming then that organisation is going to be very much based on the past."

Interviewer

"It is more of Centre. That is why I keep repeating that it is a Centre where people can come and meet and it should be a place full of life. Of course there is a place where you can go on your own to meditate but most of the places are here to actually share your faith. That is the more beautiful thing. What experience you gain; the enlightenment (whatever you call it); the energy, the experience, is more beautiful if you share with others. Because it enlightens further you and also empowers the other person and inspires them. So this place will be a place to inspire many people. And also to be inspired to love people, to love the others."

Rev Joshua Peter






"All the while Arcot Lutheran Church has believed in many things and we went out and called this “outreach”. But for the first time we have ventured out to build relationships. Actually Quo Vadis, intiated by the Lutheran Church, is the only such official Centre, (including all other Protestant institutions) in the whole of India."
Rev Joshua Peter

Our Heroes

You can read a report from our local Animal Shelters' vets (from Holland), Rogier van Leeuwen and Kim Schriek, at this link. In the link, Rogier, in his own words, tells the story of how they came to Tiruvannamalai to work at the town's new shelter. Sadly Kim and Rogier will be leaving Tiruvannamalai and India in 2-3 weeks and returning back to work assignments at their native place.

In a very short time both Kim and Rogier have made many friends; both animal and people and both varieties will be sad to see them go. They have also contributed to the quality of life and joy of many creatures they have met through their work and time here.

The monkeys in the below photograph have everything to be thankful for to our young vets. Kim and Rogier, tired and exhausted on a hot summer's day were returning to their humble country cottage after a morning's busy and hectic surgery at the Animal Shelter, when they noticed a commotion at the side of the road. As Kim thought she saw a monkey's head peeping amongst the legs of the crowd she and Rogier stopped to look. Lo and behold there were three captured young bonnet macaque monkeys imprisoned in a makeshift cage.

Quickly the crowd around the monkey's cage grew bigger and rowdier. Rogier had the presence of mind to understand that he needed allies that could speak Tamil and help him deal with the situation. He called the Forest Department and asked them to send a representative to help in the situation. The Forest Department, concerned at the illegal capture and imprisonment of the monkeys sent two burly fellows to assist our two vets from Holland.

The man responsible for the monkey capture told the Forest Department officials that he had been told that the monkeys were becoming a nuisance in town and he had been called to capture and release them into a decent, deserted forest. No-one in authority believed his story, and even if they did, his act was completely illegal and all four of the monkeys' saviours were determined to ensure their liberation.

Kim and Rogier recount that the crowd number grew to nearly 50 people and started to get increasingly rowdy and ugly. In the interests of the immediate safety for both monkeys and vets, the Forest Department quickly released the monkeys, who immediately scampered away. Our two heroes from Holland, taking the suggestion from the Forest Department representatives, also quickly departed. Our heroes jumped on their bike and returned home to their country cottage for a much deserved rest. And a very successful morning it was too!

In the below photograph Kim is hand feeding some young puppies. Thankfully a more peaceful and less threatening chore than rescuing monkeys from an unruly mob!

Below is Rogier, Kim's significant other. He definitely seems to have captured a puppy's heart. Its so nice to have such dedicated veterinarians working here at our new Animal Shelter. The Tiruvannamalai Shelter is under the aegis of: http://www.karunasociety.org/ A brilliant society contributing much to the improved quality of life and welfare of many creatures.

Below we seem to have a shy Mum who seems more interested in having a chat with Kim rather than taking care of her young pup. But the distraction was only momentary and dog Mum turned out to be a dedicated and loving care giver to her young pup.

In the below photograph we seem to have a young dog that certainly seems to understand that he is under a considerable protective field. Oh yes! No-one can get me here; safe at last!

Even though the care, attention, and medical expertise exhibited by our young heroes at the Tiruvannamalai Animal Shelter, is exemplary; their attention to detail could sometimes be considered 'unstructured'. And in the below photograph we seem to be witnessing a true 'dog fight' between dogs and various items of clothing and bath towels. Whoops!

So its sleepy time and here is a lucky dog, loved, warm, protected with tummy full, having a nice nap. Its so nice to witness the beginning of a shift in consciousness towards the welfare and care of animals in Tiruvannamalai. Previously there was no where dogs and domestic animals could be awarded sanctuary and/or receive medical treatment. Times are certainly getting better.

Good night sleepy head; you can finish off your rice pudding when you wake up. All that remains for you to do is have your sweet dreams of chasing cats!

Lutheran Compound

Yesterday I visited 'Quo Vadis' an Inter Faith Dialogue Centre, which is being built by the Lutheran church in Tiruvannamalai, near Chengam Road and close to both Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Seshadri Swamigal Ashrams. The 'Quo Vadis' facility which was dedicated on January 25th, 2007 has already started its work. To find out more about the new Inter Faith Centre, I met with its co-ordinator Rev. Joshua Peter, who suggested we visit the Lutheran compound and administration centre in town so we could tape our conversation and also look at more of the work that the Lutheran Church is engaged in at Tiruvannamalai. It was a brilliant idea and I had an excellent and fascinating afternoon.

Currently visiting the Lutheran Compound was the Rt. Rev. Dr. Gideon Devanesan R.J. Who is Bishop of the the Arcot Lutheran Church. We were fortunate to meet and spend time with him, because he is most often resident at the Lutheran headquarters in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu.

We had an interesting and illuminating conversation with the Bishop and I particularly resonated and agreed with a comment he made to the affect: It used to be when you met someone in Tiruvannamalai, they were here because they were interested in spiritual pursuits or to perform service thereby bettering others' lives. People came because they deeply cared. But now one meets many 'business people' who have no interest in anything other than profit, who come to Tiruvannamalai simply because of the financial opportunities it offers.

The below is a photograph of Rev. Joshua Peter, the co-ordinator of 'Quo Vadis' of which I will write about in later postings.

Below is a photograph of the visitors' cottage at the Lutheran Compound that Rt. Rev. Dr. Gideon Devanesan R.J., stays at when he visits Tiruvannamalai. I liked all the houses on the 10 acre compound, as they were built in traditional Tamil style with lots of old fashioned flourishes. The tiled roof on the visitors cottage is repeated on many of the buildings throughout the Compound.

This is the visitors' cottage and other compound housing from another aspect. So many beautiful tiled roofs and nice greenery!

The Lutheran Compound is a 10 acre oasis right in the middle of Tiruvannamalai. The Compound is known by the Biblical name of 'Lebanon'. Of the 10 acres, 3 are used for; housing 40 dalit families who live at 'Lebanon', a teachers' training facility, an accommodation block for teachers undergoing training, a handloom industry, a beautiful old-fashioned colonial style house, and also a 7 acre agricultural farm.

Below is the home of one of the Dalit families. Most of the families are Christian, however other faith based people can apply to live at 'Lebanon'; Lutheran Compound. In most cases the local pastor of surrounding villages recommend families in dire distress and try to arrange permanent help for what is usually deserted, widowed or abused wives with young children.

Accommodation for the families at 'Lebanon' is completely free, as is a fresh and continuous water supply and electricity. The women work either in the handloom section or as agriculturalists on the farm. They get paid a monthly salary for their work. I met and talked with most of the ladies in the handloom, and all seemed to have been there for 20 years plus. They were obviously pleased and grateful to have been given such a gracious and loving home. I took some great photographs of the ladies working on the looms, and look forward to posting them later on this Blog.

Below, is the back gate inside the compound which leads to 7 acres of fields that are used to grown maize, paddy (rice), and vegetables. Next time I visit 'Lebanon', the Lutheran Compound I will find out more about agricultural details and activities. As it was there was hardly enough time to hear details from Rev. Joshua Peter of the new facility, 'Quo Vadis' and something of the history of the Lutheran Church in the Arcot District, Tamil Nadu.

As you can imagine, the 10 acre compound which is situated in a busy part of town is surrounded by large buildings. The buildings in the below photograph, are nothing to do with the Lutheran Compound, and are just clustered around the outskirts of the 10 acre compound.

The below colonial style house is just beautiful. I was surprised that the Bishop, The Rt. Rev. Dr. Gideon Devanesan R.J. doesn't in stay at the lovely house during his regular Tiruvannamalai visits. Instead he prefers to stay in the small, unostentatious, guesthouse mentioned early in this posting.

The below photograph is another view of the grand old house. Quite lovely and also filled with some very nice antique furniture; impossible to purchase nowadays as much of the wood previously used in furniture in this country, is now 'off limits'.

This is the prayer hall which located inside the colonial style house. Much of the administration offices are also located in the building.

The Lutheran Church has many schools and hospital facilities throughout the State of Tamil Nadu. Below is a photograph of the inhouse teachers training college located inside the compound.

The pink buildings below are residential facilities for teachers being trained to work in one of the numerous schools maintained by the Lutheran Church in Tamil Nadu.

The demographics of Tiruvannamalai is approximately 70% Hindu and 30% comprised of Moselm and Christians. Definitely hope in upcoming postings to give alot of information about the great work being undertaken by members of all faiths and nationalities.

Mars Chocolate

My friend in the U.S. just emailed me here in India that the BBC website in the U.K. has an article about the amazing turnaround of the chocolate company Mars (whose products are sold in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu and throughout India) about their decision NOT to replace vegetable products with animal products (rennet) in the manufacture of their famous and delicious chocolate bars. Vegetarians and Hindus inundated the Mars Company with their complaints, demanding that animal products NOT be introduced in their chocolate bar manufacture. Surprised by the size of the protests (and I imagine fearful for their profits), Mars quickly had a change of heart. To read the full article, visit this story.

Universal Form

At that time Arjuna could see in the universal form of the Lord the unlimited expansions of the universe situated in one place although divided into many, many thousands.

Chapter 11, Verse 13

Bhagavad Gita

Shanmurgan

Now this is a very familiar face sitting on the side of Chengam Road, near the entrance of Sri Ramana Ashram. His name is Shanmurgan and he carves statues of Arunachala, Gods and Saints for sale to pilgrims and visitors. He is 52 years old and has been carving for the last 40 years. He is local to Tiruvannamalai, and was born near the Big Temple in town. Years back he set up a stall near Skandashram but slowly competitors moved in, sales went down and so did Shanmurgan who decided to move back to Ramana Nagar. Shanmurgan comes from a family of sculptors and his Father used to carve and then sell his statues near the Big Temple in town.

When I took this photograph of Shanmurgan I didn't notice the plastic bags in the background. We are becoming so inured to seeing trashy plastic lying all over the place, that sometimes one doesn't even notice anymore. Shame! AEED, a comparatively new organisation in Tiruvannamalai is currently doing alot of work in the fields of noise and plastic pollution. You can view them at this link.

Shanmurgan is concentrating on a statue of the God Nataraja and in the below photograph he is lining up the base with the God form.

Below is Shanmurgan's stall and portable showroom. At one corner of the stall is his own private puja area with a nice assortment of various Gods and Saints. Undoubtedly Shanmurgan performs a puja at his altar each morning before starting his day of carving.

He told me that many of the stones they use for the statues come from a place near Sathanur Dam, some 25 kms distance. He also mentioned that this is the third day of his working on the Nataraja statue and he doesn't expect to finish it for another couple of days.

The below represent some of his finished statues and artifacts. Some of the stones come from some distance away. In the case or the red marble Hanuman (on the left), the stone comes from near Gujarat in North India.

The young lad's name is Shiva, Shanmurgan's 16 year old son and apprentice who is currently learning sculpting from his father as his father learnt it from his own father, so many years previously.

So, I left town, on my daily walking exercise and took a photograph of a choultry (rest area for pilgrims) currently being built by the local Municipality. The view is certainly spectacular!





The resthouse (choultry) in more closeup. Its in a perfect position with Arunachala to its right and the outer pradakshina road to its left. the great open space in front of it is part of the temporary bus and coach carpark which is packed during the time of Full Moon.

Off I go home. Maybe I will stop at the nearby Animal Shelter to talk to our wonderful vets from Holland, Kim and Rogier, who sadly will be leaving for their native place in a few weeks. But happily for the very deserving animals of Tiruvannamalai, a lady vet (also from Holland) will be coming from Puttaparthi (Andhra Pradesh) to take over at the shelter.

Gemini Festival

The Festival of Goodwill occurs during the Gemini Full Moon and celebrates the spirit of humanity and is dedicated to right human relations aligned with the will of God. This is a Festival of deep invocation, of an aspiration towards fellowship, of humanity and spiritual unity.

The Festival is the third great lunar festival of the year, following the Easter Festival (Aries Moon) and the Wesak Festival (Taurus Moon) and coincides with the upcoming full moon of May 31.

The Festival of Goodwill will be the third and final one of the three major festivals in the spiritual year and it is called the Festival of Goodwill, or the Festival of Humanity. Whereas the first two of these festivals are concerned with the dispensations being given out to humanity from God's messengers, this one is a uniquely human festival.

It relates us to the Divine in all of us in a way that the other full moon festivals do not. As such, the focus of this full moon is upon brotherhood, fellowship and our collective aspiration to God. It is a kind of dispersing festival, because it shows the effect in human consciousness of the work of Divine Will and Love as given out in the previous two festivals, and it gives some indications as to what we can expect in the fabric of human civilization for the coming year as a result.

Holistic Centre

Today I visited at a Holistic Retreat Centre currently being built southwest of Arunachala near the existing Arunai Anantha Hotel. The administration building is finished and work is currently underway on the guest accommodation block.

You can see from the below photograph the beautiful view and darshan of Arunachala. The young banana trees at the left of the administration building are currently occupying the spot where a meeting hall and treatment centre will be built amongst a garden setting.

Below is a photograph of Ashok Kumar and his wife Malathi, the founders of the Holistic Retreat Centre. They have relocated from Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu, where the family's, Ranganthan Trust run a large English medium matriculation school. Ashok Kumar's recent history and experience is in the development of a herbal cosmetics line, which is marketed in Malaysia, Australia and Sri Lanka. Simultaneously to further developing his herbal cosmetics and health care products, Ashok Kumar will also concentrate on the establishment of the Holistic Retreat Centre here at Tiruvannamalai.

As well as operating as a venue for residental retreats and seminars, the Centre will also host training programmes of the Yoga Master, Arun Kumar, of the Infinite Dimension Charitable Trust. The programmes will include teachers training courses, yoga therapist courses and also yoga vacations for visiting guests.

The next photograph shows construction progress on the accommodation block which will house a total of 16 rooms, all with full a/c, double bedrooms with ensuite western style bathroom and small kitchenette with fridge. Construction of the accommodation block is expected to be completed in approximately two months. A bamboo roof, with lights and fans, will be set up on the roof of the accommodation block. The bamboo structure will face Arunachala and supply a venue for satsangs, meetings, talks and yoga.

There are also later plans for the Centre to construct its own restaurant on land adjacent to the accommodation area. The restaurant will primarily serve Tamil South Indian food.

This Holistic Retreat Centre facility will be in operation this season. We will make regular posting on news and development of the Centre. If you have any particular questions regarding specifics of your own stay or questions about using the facility as a venue for your own Retreat, you can get in touch with this Blog using the email function on the left hand column.

Perception

A human being is a part of the whole called by by us "Universe", a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole nature in its beauty.

St. Theresa's Prayer

Saint Theresa is known as the Saint of The Little WAYS. She is the patron Saint of flower growers and florists and represented by roses.

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly
where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities
that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and
pass on the love that has been given to you
May you be content knowing you are a child of God
Let this presence settle into your bones, and
allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise

and Love.

It is here for each and every one of us.

Bird Sanctuary

Happily great emphasis is nowadays being placed on the reforestation of Arunachala, however attention also needs to be focused on the great swathes of agricultural land surrounding the sacred Hill. As Arunachala was denuded of its natural vegetation, so too surrounding land was stripped of natural plant life in order to support intensive farming with crop cultivation of up to four times a year. Some of these farms have already been sold to property developers for densely packed housing estates, and undoubtedly this trend will escalate over the coming years.

In this respect there is a need to create and maintain sanctuaries around Arunachala providing safe haven for migratory birdlife and other wildlife, thereby adding to the rich diversity of life around the sacred Hill. During the rainy season, several natural reservoirs around Arunachala fill with water and attract a profusion of different types of migratory birds. Including; Cormorants, Egrets, Herons, Ibises, Spoonbills, Grebes, Pintails, Stilts, Teals, White Storks and Painted Storks. Further to this matter at a recent meeting of the Tiruvannamalai Development Board, presided over by the Honourable Justice Venkattasami, and District Collector Sathyabratha Sahoo, ideas were put forward in connection with creating a bird sanctuary at Samudram Erie.

In conjunction with other animal welfare programmes, Arunachala Grace Network is working to raise funding to purchase pristine agricultural land adjacent to Samudram Lake, and return it to its natural state providing sanctuary for migratory water birds in the rainy season, and in the rest of the year offer protected glades and nesting areas for such local birds as; Koels, Mynas, Barbets, Green Parrots and also other wildlife.

By the end of the year's rainy season, the 550 acre Samudram is completely submerged under water and has effectively been transformed into a lake. But over the months and coinciding with the beginning of summer, the water table dramatically recedes, until most of the Samudram area converts into nice, peaceful, undeveloped wasteland. It is during this period that goat and cow herders daily bring their flocks to graze on the rich shrubland.

It seems that groups dedicated to protecting migratory birds are also being set up in other places around Tamil Nadu. And one such group is working to restore Pallikaranai Marshland at Chennai. In this respect, it was announced yesterday that 3 male poachers are being held for killing birds in Pallikaranai Marshland

The men, belonging to the 'narikurava' (gypsy) community, apparently shot down the birds for a celebration in their community. A total of 57 birds, some of them rare and protected species, were allegedly shot before officials were able to apprehend the poachers who have now been remanded in custody.

In a recent posting I mentioned that a local Tiruvannamalai woman faced down a group of similar tribal hunters and confiscated their stash. The birds were later identified to be Siberian Cranes; a rare bird that had made a long and perilous journey from Siberia to spend warmer days here at Tiruvannamalai.

In previous times authorities would have ignored tribal and village poachers thereby allowing the hunting to continue. The important thing now, is that a start has been made and an increasingly larger number of people are focusing on the fact that its time to ‘PROTECT WILDLIFE’.

We have now introduced a PayPal facility on this Blog for the support of Arunachala Grace Network and its dedication to many aspects of animal welfare. In this respect we welcome help and support from friends of Arunachala and from friends of Nature so that together we may provide a safe haven for migratory birds and other wildlife and also address on every level the subject of animal welfare. For more information and details on how to help please use the email facility at the left hand side column of this Blog.

Archaka Centres

Six 'Archaka' training centres were recently inaugurated in Tamil Nadu, which would offer a one-year certificate course in 'Agama Sastras'.

The centres were set up at Sri Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane, and Sri Ranganathar Temple, Srirangam, for giving training in Vaishnavite (Vishnu) customs. For training in Saivite (Shiva) customs, the centres have been established at Sri Arunachaleswarar Temple, Tiruvannamalai, Sri Meenakshi Temple, Madurai, Sri Subramania Swamy Temple, Tiruchendur and Sri Dandayuthapani Temple, Palani.

Apart from a monthly stipend, students are to be given free board and lodging. Those who complete the course will then be eligible to perform regular pujas in Temples. As well as opening six more centres, it is also planned to start three-year degree courses in the 'Agama Sastras*', thereby making students eligible to perform Temple Kumbhabishekam.

40 students are to be given training at each centre with selected students coming from various communities.


* Agama - The Scriptures

A sacred text used as source of spiritual ritual. The Agamas are an enormous collection of Sanskrit scriptures which, along with the Vedas, are revered as revealed scripture. The Agamas (i.e. "that which came down") are part of an oral tradition believed to be 7,000-8,000 years old.

The Agamas are the primary source and authority for ritual, yoga and temple construction. In the South Indian Saivite tradition, there are 28 Saiva Agamas.

Arunachala Power

Even though the same consciousness pervades the Universe, in Sri Arunachala Ashtakam [by Sri Ramana Maharshi Bhagavan] explains the Power of Arunachala and how the Hill acts upon the 'individual'.

"Thou art Thyself the One Being, ever aware as the self-luminous Heart! In Thee there is a mysterious Power (Sakti). From it proceeds, the phantom of the mind emitting its latent subtle dark mists, which, illumined by Thy Light (of Consciousness) reflected on them, appear within as though whirling in the vortices of prarabdha, later developing into the psychic worlds and are projected without as the material world and transformed into concrete objects which are magnified by the outgoing senses and move about like pictures in a cinema show. Visible or invisible, O Hill of Grace, without Thee they are nothing!"

Sri Arunachala Ashtakam (Verse 6)
[Ramana Maharshi]

"Though it is the only One, yet by its wonderful power it gets reflected on the tiny dot 'I' (the ego) otherwise known as ignorance or the aggregate of latent tendencies; this reflected light is relative knowledge. This, according to one's past karma now fructifying (prarabdha), manifests the inner latent tendencies as the outer gross world and withdraws the gross external world as the subtle internal tendencies; such power is called mind in the subtle plane and brain in the physical plane.

This mind or brain acts as the magnifier to that Eternal One Being and shows It forth as the expanded universe. In the waking and dream states the mind is outward bent and in sleep it is inward bent; with the mind as the medium, the one Supreme Being seems diversified in the waking and dream states and remains withdrawn in the sleep state. Therefore you are only That and cannot be otherwise. Whatever the changes, the same one Being remains as yourself; there is nothing besides yourself."

[#323; Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi]