Quo Vadis Compound

Finally building work at Quo Vadis Compound is complete and now all that remains is to populate the library with books and fit out the kitchen ready for the opening of the Center's two restaurants. In the below photograph is Ole Madsen from Denmark, who has been working with Quo Vadis as representative of Dan Mission. On the right of the photograph is the co-ordinator of Quo Vadis and Lutheran pastor of this area, Rev. Joshua Peter.

To find out more about the purpose of Quo Vadis you can check at this link.

In the next photograph is Penita, the wife of Rev. Joshua Peter, and the person who will be in charge of the Center's kitchen and restaurants.

Now that the building work is complete, most have been engaged in a big clean up and also in landscaping the compound.

One of the restaurants will be on the roof of the Center and has a sublime view of Arunachala.

The original site of the Center had trees that had to be felled before construction work could be started. Wherever possible the trees were saved with the idea of later turning them into sculptures. The logs in the below photograph are soon to be turned into two matching sculptures by a local Tamil artist named Ravi who, it is hoped, will be working with apprentices from a local Catholic Center.

Another view of the two giant logs.

Once finished they will be put on either side of the gateway into the Compound and thus provide a striking and memorable entry into Quo Vadis.

The two sculptures will be completed within a month and when ready I will post photographs of them.

Arunachala Secret

The Self reveals itself in a multitude of forms in order to attract and take captive the souls of men. Some forms are made of flesh, in human likeness; others are elemental, such is the mystery of holy places, kshetras, of this Mountain Arunachala, for example . . . The secret of what passes between the human guru and his disciple is beyond anyone's grasp, even though the words they exchange may be spoken aloud and listened to. Who has ever fathomed the mystery of the Word from which Being has sprung? But still more inexplicable is the secret message which is communicated by the Mountain of stone to those who, in solitude and nakedness, meditate silently in its rocky clefts. Who will ever know the secret of the mutual communion between the mother and the child that nestles in her womb?

Many indeed in the course of centuries have found in Arunachala the place of a new birth, the gateway to a world hitherto unknown, to which suddenly, marvellously, they find that they belong!

Let him who does not venture to believe this, even so enter the cave and close the door to all comers; let him strip himself of every covering, whether of body or mind; let him keep silence and recollect himself; let his thirst be slaked with these waters, let him be scorced with this fire, then very soon he will find that he too understands the secret of Arunchala! So much the worst for him, if, as happened to Ramana Maharshi, he is never able to return to this world; for, as the Rishis of the Upanishads repeat with nostalgic insistence; "from there you can never come back, never . . . "

[Swami Abhishiktananda]

The Mountain

Tiruvannnamalai, is most of all, the mountain, a conical peak, isolated and visible from more than a radius of 20 Kms. The mountain, represented as an emblem in the shape of a triangle, appears in relief on many sculptures of the Hoysala period.


Among the lingams of the 5 elements, earth at Kanchipuram, ether at Chidambaram, wind in Kalahasti, water in Tiruvanaikovil, the lingam of fire in Tiruvannamalai is the one which has the most interesting history, a legend which has the highest resonance and consistency for the faithful.

Tiruvannamalai with its lingam of fire has a particularly evident character. The legend is a re-make of an ancient theme in the Kenopanishad in which Brahman manifests as the Supreme Divinity in front of whom Agni and Vayu are obliged to bow down. In the Puranas, instead of Brahman, Shiva in the form of a column of fire dominates over Vishnu and Brahma. Tiruvannamalai is the place of this manifestation of which the religious anchorage is, compared to the four other Pancha Bhutas, much more solid in that Siva has been identified as Agni, fire.

The mountain itself is imposing like a mythical image of the Centre which every mountain represents in Hindu thought. Arunachala is the object of circumambulation and the linga of the temple. Shiva in the form of a great spontaneous lingam (Swayambhu Linga) fixed himself there in response to the prayers of his devotees in order to perpetuate the lingam fire mountain.

Lastly, the mountain plays a great role in religious life both physically and mythically. At a height of 800 metres the mountain receives enough water to feed the reservoirs and lakes which have facilitated the setting up of little ashrams and also fill up the numerous ponds (tirthams) around the pradakshina that the pilgrims make use of.

[By Francoise L’Hernault]

Pradakshina Practice

The practice of pradakshina is very highly regarded in India. It consists of making the circuit on foot of a sacred place, a temple, a statue or of some person who is the object of reverence. The circuit is always clockwise, starting from the east towards the south, so that what is thus venerated is always on one’s right hand. In the great Temples people may perform a series of pradakshina in each of the three, five, and sometimes seven courts which surround the central sanctuary, one within the other. People sometimes take a vow to carry this out for forty-eight consecutive days, with a view to obtaining certain blessings or else in thankfulness to God for his mercies.

On great festivals the temple-murtis (images), mounted on their colossal cars, themselves make the pradakshina of their own sanctuary, accompanied by the crowd of their worshippers.

[Swami Abhishiktananda]

Inner Summons

The world has developed over the last fifty years, so that unlike ancient times many people are able to visit Tiruvannamalai from all corners of the world. We walk, take a bus or train, and cross the oceans by sea and air. Some of us may have undergone an inner experience and actively make a decision to visit blessed Arunachala, while others may not know why they decide to make the journey. I personally believe it does not matter if we think we make the choice or not, because all of us, even if we are unaware of it, have heard the 'inner summons' and have taken a step closer to Lord Arunachaleswarar Siva.

The Divine lifts up the humble soul and takes it on a spiritual journey. This soul has lived a life of service, where silent before its maker it has only asked: "What am I and what is my life, so that I may offer up my blood and ardor to Thee?"

The 'inner summons', that which draws us towards Arunachaleswarar Siva, is the magnetic movement of the Divine as He draws souls closer towards Himself. This summons is the mystic meal of the soul, the Supreme Mystery living in the breast of souls who seek after Divinity; known in their longing, slumbering in the germ of their ecstasy, and firmly linked to the rhythm of their actions. Most wonderfully, it is also the fulfillment of that longing, streaming out of the ecstasy of the soul, as does the finding of God out of the seeking after God.

This is the Supreme Path of the Gods and the Angels, and the same path that great saints have been able to tread for countless centuries. And, while there are many of us mortals living on this earth who have not yet gained our angel's wings, there is nonetheless, something most glorious within all of us, a most wonderful inner spirit of knowing, which like a bud, is waiting to flower. This is important for the soul to understand while it is wandering from place to place upon this earth, as it is the knowledge that links us to the Supreme Path of Arunachaleswarar Siva.

Every soul upon this earth has to enter this path and stand before Siva and His Shakti. The bud of all our souls has to open and flower. Everything within this mortal world lives, grows, rises, eventually to sing and praise the Lord. We are not unlike the plants in the fields, where even though there is an appearance of death in the cold season, at the approach of the sun's light they come to life again, reborn and refreshed. Like the flowers in the field we are also reborn again and again and have to open our faces to the sun and the rain and see Lord Arunachaleswarar Siva and Mother Apeethakuchambal in everything of this world.

This leads me to the words of a wise guru who once said; "That, which we see is only external, the visible, and that which is concealed from our view is the internal, and this is the root of all. Know that the Divine, is in the here and now yet only seems hidden in every secret place in the secret of secrets."

[By Iswari Kamalabaskaran]

Garuda

I received an invitation this week, to attend a July 1st, Garuda Puja and Function to be held at a nearby farm. Garuda (eagle) is revered as the vahana (vehicle) of Lord Vishnu. So wherever an eagle is spotted, devotees believe that the Lord is nearby. For the past five years a pair of eagles have claimed the palm trees and banana trees of this farm, as their own. So, this nice annual function is in fact the third year of Garuda Puja. I arrived at the farm and noticed the hive of activity going on in preparation of the 1,000 guests that were expected to participate.

Below is the young man, who is resident nearby, who so excellently co-ordinated all the arrangements of the Function. He is actually by trade an autorickshaw driver.

Next is the professional cook who was hired from a restaurant in town to come and cook the feast for us. Here he is making a potato side dish.

In the below photograph, a lady with a tremendous amount of determination is stirring up a giant pot (one of many) of rice; it looks like hard work.

Once she had finished with cooking the rice she dashed off to another spot and started preparing the vadai. Here the yellow mixture is waiting to be flattened into individual flat cakes and fried in hot oil.

Just some of the kids at the function; and there were many of them. A very nice afternoon with lots of laughter and larking around.

In the below photograph these men are cutting up banana leaves in individual plate size for our lunch; it works better than plastic and the cows just love munching on the leaves afterwards.

One of the trees which is a particular favourite of our heroes; the eagles!

Even though a thousand people are dashing around, making lots of noise and the smells of curry, vadai and rice are in the air; this little puppy is having a peaceful and deep snooze right in the middle of all the action. Absolutely an Indian dog!

Every so often one of the eagles would go for a soar around the neighbourhood, I really think he was aware that the crowds had turned out just for him. Everytime he flew around, people would look up and call, 'Hari, Hari' (Lord Vishnu).

A local village man looking very hungry and ready for what would prove to be a most delicious lunch.

A temporary Garuda altar was set up next to the tent and a local priest performed the worship.

In more of a close-up, a photograph of an eagle (Garuda) that received very special attention during the puja.

Below is one of our stars, Garuda, trying to act like he was totally unaware of the excitement he was completely responsible for.

And in the below photograph, Garuda in flight.

A nice Mum and her sweet baby, who was kind enough to stop crying for just long enough for me to take this photograph.

Waiting for lunch and below the little girl in brown in the middle of the photograph made me laugh, as she had so much attitude!

Now that the puja is over and Garuda is safely back in the trees, we can have a nice lunch of the deliciously prepared foods; and it was really yummy. In the below you can see the traditional Indian way of serving meals to large numbers of people. This is how it is done everywhere in Tamil Nadu.

So many people had turned up for the function that there had to be several sittings. I feel grateful to have been invited as it was a most special day, and even our star, the Eagle seemed to have been completely satisfied with how things went.

Wedding at Pachaiamman

Today I went to Pachaiamman Temple situated on the south east slope of Arunachala to meet with one of the Temple Trustees. I didn't realise when making the programme that the day would be a very auspicious one and that many of the Mandapams and Temples would be the venue of marriages. Here is the Raja Gopuram at the entrance of the Temple with Arunachala in the background.

Inside the Temple compound the statue of Pachaiamman (the green Goddess in the centre) sits looking out over her domain. Pachaiamman means 'Green Mother' and there are several stories connected with this Goddess which explains the history of her name. In one story, the sage Gautama Rishi in readying his Arunachala ashram to receive the Goddess, prepared a 'parnasala' (a holy seat). For this purpose durbai grass was used (a variety of pale yellow green grass used for yagnas). When the Goddess arrived and came to the 'parnasala', the durbai changed colour from the pale yellow green to an intense green. Another story of how the Goddess received the name Pachaiamman, is that during her journey from Kanchi to Arunachala, while staying at Vazhapanthal, Amman sat under a covering of lush green banana leaves; hence her name.

And in this her Arunachala domain, she sits watching over her guardian warriors. A legend of Pachaiamman (an aspect of Parvati) has it that after completing her penance at Kanchi, the Goddess started off for Arunachala. She travelled with 7 rishis and 7 virgins (Sapta Kanniyars) as part of a protective entourage. Halfway from Kanchi to Arunachala, the entourage stopped and made camp at the village Vazhapanthal. At that place the local king tried to molest the Goddess and the 7 rishis became as munishwaras (guardians) and killed the king. In the Pachaiamman Compound there are 14 statues of Pachaiamman’s warrior guardians set out in two lines, with two representations of each warrior.

When I arrived at the Temple a marriage was in progress. The ceremony was performed inside the Goddess shrine and afterwards the wedding entourage came outside into the compound to perform the rest of the wedding ritual. In the below photograph, the groom is putting on wedding 'toe rings' onto the toes of his new wife.

And here are the young couple.

The below shows the wonderfully extravagant hairdo of the bride; a lot of work went into that!

The following shows in more detail the intricacies of the bride's hairdo.

As in Western weddings, the bride and groom receive presents on the same day of the wedding ceremony. In India the favourite presents are usually to do with the kitchen. Sounds familiar!

Next the sister of the bride with whom I was having a nice chat. I had never attended a wedding at Pachaiamman Temple, and it seems a wonderful venue for such a function.

Below are the statues of Lord Munishwara's vahanas (vehicles) in the form of an elephant, a dog and five horses. I rather like the incongrous inclusion of the cotton candy seller!

Now that the function is over, time for tiffin. And snacks of sambhar rice with kurmar, bhajis and sweet kesari bath was served to all wedding guests on banana leaves in the Temple compound.

Once the wedding was over, the Compound emptied out quickly and suddenly everything was back to normal, the Hill and Pachaiamman silently watching over us all.

Hail to thee! Part 5

Verses 1-9 inc
Verses 10-20 inc
Verses 21-31 inc
Verses 32-50 inc

51. Revealed have Thou the nature of Maya
As naught but the surf of Thy Leela
When all action is but Thy movement
Where is room for my achievement?

52. Oh! Glorious indeed is this infinite freedom
Neither sunset nor sunrise in this kingdom
Gone the incessant drumbeat of the worldly race
Vanish'd as the morning mist before Thy Face

53. When even Death is at Thy Feet abiding
Why need I worry about the morning?
Fearless do I stride amidst men with bowed crown
Favoring none with fawning smile or scowling frown

54. All lifetimes are now dreams for me
Stretching ever onwards to infinity
Truly there is neither bondage nor liberation
The thought of either is fevered delusion

55. No world, no galaxy, nor heaven nor hell
Nothing save "I" exists with none other to tell
And in this glorious silence of unitary existence
Occurs eternal cycles of creation and destruction

56. Springing forth eternally as dream thoughts within Me
Where satisfaction and frustration are but dreams to see
Can I sport in aught else, having tasted the Bliss of My Self?
Who bathes in foam when spring waters pour off the shelf?

57. Gone the doubts of petty existence
Who is there for their persistence?
Neither are these thoughts denied
Who remains for them to be belied?

58. Let them stand or fall on their own accord
Attention to them I can no more afford
I did'nt call them forth so sustain 'em I can't
Let the power that birth'd 'em meet their want

59. Indeed in this state divine powers do accrue
But none remains to wield 'em, that is true
Gone forever is the fantasy of omnipotence
As also the dark nightmare of impotence

60. Gone the prayer as well as the supplicant
Consumed by a matted hair mendicant
No blazing light here nor darkness of ignorance
Nothing save Consciousness's Blissful Existence

61. Still dream creation needs action to fulfill
So this dream body is moved by Thy Will
While I remain as "I" and this as this
Silent I AM, none to claim as his.

62. Paltry indeed is the common tongue of duality
That speaks of MY state in terms of plurality
Indeed no word can exist when all is One
Nothing but Silence indeed is MY tongue

63. Undifferentiated and pristine I remain supreme
But to say even this is verily to blaspheme
Who is there to describe MY condition
Where redemption exists not nor any perdition

64. Unbound by good and evil do I freely roam
Neither fortune nor calamity shakes my bones
No auspicious date or time for me exist
Indeed in Me does all creation persist

65. All duties, roles and action are as play to me
Unfettered by their results I now walk free
Intoxicated by Bliss, in Thee do I drunkenly roam
To passersby, the lights are on but nobody's home

67. If duality has to be assumed for creation perchance
Then let it be said that this is Thy Cosmic dance
Where creation, expansion and dissolution
Cycle endlessly in harmonious perpetuation

68. Galaxies arise spontaneously from the Self
Shooting like spray from a rocky shelf
Untouched by all action is this Consciousness
As the ocean beneath the cyclone's viciousness

69. No slothful slumber of blankness is My state
Though outwardly I may assume that fate
Vibrant in incessant action I do remain
Eternally moving in Stillness all the same

70. Simple indeed is the path to Thee
No effort needed to simply Be
Indeed that is where I always am
To believe otherwise is delusion's span

Taj Mahal

Not that this has anything to do with Tiruvannamalai District, but it is so wonderfully weird I just had to post it.

The photograph was recently taken of a hot air balloon replica of Taj Mahal flying near the actual monument at Agra.

Life's Heart

Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.

He threshes you to make you naked.

He sifts you to free you from your husks.

He grinds you to whiteness.

He kneads you until you are pliant.

And then he assigns you to his sacred fire that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.

All these things shall love to unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.

[The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran]

Samudram Land

Occasionally I will post news of land for sale, in the hope that the land will be acquired by a single owner (or independent group) who intends using the land for his/their own purpose, and thereby prevent it from being cut up and sold as individual housing plots which will eventually become densely packed urban areas. LAND AT ARUNACHALA IS SACRED AND DEVOTEES NEED TO HELP PROTECT AND REVERE IT.

The below land is approximately 7 acres and is currently owned by a private individual who wishes to sell. In the course of a year this is the fourth person who has owned the land. It started off in the hands of a Jeweller, who owned and maintained it for some years, from there it went to a local Guru who surprisingly let it go into other hands and from there to the current owner.

As one would expect in the last year the land has increased in cost fourfold and doubtedlessly with the vertical increase in land prices, this same land will be double its current cost within one year.

Over the last years I have often visited this particular land on my way through the Samudram area. It is a VERY special, sacred place.

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The first photograph is inside the land compound facing the gate. My dogs are having a good root around.

In the second photograph we are facing north towards Arunachala and are in a central part of the land.

The third photograph is a view of the land facing west. The concrete posts in all the pictures are the perimeter boundary of the 7 acre enclosure.

The below is from the land facing north.

The trees have been planted around a nice open agricultural tank and the small house on the left is the pumphouse for the tank.





Below, the well maintained tank with a high water table; so no question of having to make borewells 400'+ deep like other areas in Tiruvannamalai. Water shortage can be a serious problem in some areas around Tiruvannamalai.

The next picture is facing east and towards the Samudram Lake, of which this land is adjacent and has direct access.

Below the view to the south.

In the last photograph; west the front and north the right.

This land is adjacent and with direct access, to the 600 acre Samudram Lake. The lake is a natural water reservoir for this area so it cannot be converted or used for housing development. It is also hoped that Samudram Lake may soon be turned into a protected area for migratory birds. So this land is ideal for an ashram, retreat centre, spa, or animal sanctuary.

To find out more about Samudram, the current position and the hopes for the future, check here, here and here.

If you wish to find out more about this land please get in touch with:
arunachalameenakshi@rediffmail.com

Rudraksha Beads

According to scriptures, the Rudraksha bead was created from tears shed by Lord Shiva when the world was facing destruction. Legend says that tears from his eyes dropped onto the ground in different places on earth and produced Rudraksha trees. The bead's scientific names is Elaeocarpus Ganitrus and it comes in an irregular oval shape with clefts on its surface called "faces". Most of the Rudraksha’s powers are believed to be associated with the number of "faces" it has which can vary from one through 21, although four, five and six faceted beads are the most common.





The bead, which is widely used by seekers, is said to have electromagnetic power, which affects both the physical and mystical aspects of the wearer. The bead which is believed by some to regulate and formulate an individual’s consciousness and sub-consciousness, is like a transmitter that can tap into energy fields in a way that helps the wearer to compensate for energy depletion.

Vasthu Sastra Master, T. Selva states:

"Modern day researchers have proven that the bead has powerful electromagnetic, paramagnetic and inductive properties that vary according to the different faces. It creates specific electric impulses that are sent to the brain stimulating certain centres that then transfer information to the neurophysiology. This is the main way in which the bead has an impact on the human body.

These electromagnetic impulses can affect the heartbeat, blood pressure, stress levels and hypertension on a physical level. On the mental level, the bead's impulses can relieve anxiety, depression, mood disorders and neurotic conditions, while on the spiritual level, it promotes meditation."

When choosing a Rudraksha, the lighter the bead the better. The lines on the face of the bead should be clean and without any breaks. The Rudraksha should be worn around the neck on a gold or silver chain or on a cotton thread. It should hang low on the chest. The best time to first start wearing it is either on a new or full moon day.

For more information on Rudraksha check.