Bodhicaryavatara

May I be protector for those without one,
A guide for all travelers on the way;
A bridge, a boat and a ship
For all who wish to cross the water.

May I be an island for those who seek one
And a lamp for those wishing light,
A bed for all who wish to rest
And a servant for all who want a servant.

May I be a wishing jewel, a magic vase,
Powerful mantras and great medicine,
A wish-fulfilling tree
And a cow of plenty for the world.

Just like space
And the great elements such as earth,
May I always support the life
Of all the boundless creatures.

And until they turn away from suffering
May I also be the source of life
For all the realms of varied beings
That reach unto the ends of space.

[Bodhicaryavatara 3:18-22
Santideva]

Working Man

Well this is a more novel way of trying to solicit money outside the Tiruvannamalai Bus Stand. I suppose it's a sort of parallel to Western Buskers. For the time I was there, he was actually doing quite well financially and people seemed to enjoy watching him bouncing around on his bamboo stilt! When I asked around, I was rather hoping to hear he proposed doing giripradakshina on his stilt - but no such luck, he planned to stay close to the bus stand all day - rich pickings there!

School Trip

Here is a group of school kids on their way home. They are packed in quite tightly on their bicycle rickshaw - but at least they're safer on this then they would be packed into a tiny auto rickshaw. And believe it or not, yes I have seen this number of kids packed into an auto rickshaw! But now that officials have started to try and regulate this business, hopefully our little kids will be able to travel to and from school in more safety. Keep those feet tucked up a little better babies!

No Guru Zone

The agenda of this Blog is to give information about Arunachala and what's happening here. Every so often that will include information about visiting saints, holy people and/or wannabes. It depends on what I hear and whether or not I feel the person is relevant to what I'm trying to communicate. Sometimes people will be left out and sometimes, even more controversially they will be included. It's not for me to inspect credentials.

Personally, I would prefer to declare Arunachala a NO GURU ZONE as if there is one place on earth that doesn't need Gurus it's here. Even the illustrious Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Seshadri Swamigal bowed their heads and looked upon themselves only as devotees to Arunachala-Shiva.

As for present day Gurus, not many seem to come as devotees - rather preferring to see themselves as World Teachers. Occasionally however we are visited by the genuine article; one of these being a holy man from Andhra Pradesh, Sri Nannagaru. His regular visits to Arunachala are intended as his own pilgrim to his Satguru Arunachala-Ramana, unfortunately he doesn't get much own space as he is followed by a goodly number of people eager for instruction and help, so generally Swamiji makes himself available whilst here.

But by and large in this age of the deification of teachers and saints, there is a shift of emphasis; and some look at Arunachala as just one more stop in the satsang circuit, falling between Sedona and Europe! Be that as it may, what is important is, for whatever reason people are led to this sacred site and thereby come under the auspicious influence of Arunachala, this Vortex of Impeccability. So everything will work out just fine!

Ganesha Chaturthi

Ganesha or Ganapati is an extremely popular God in India. One of his many names is Vigneswara, the destroyer of obstacles. People mostly worship Him asking for success in undertakings and also so that they may gain greater intelligence. Lord Ganesha is worshipped before any venture is started. He is also the God of education, knowledge, wisdom, literature and the fine arts.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a day on which Lord Ganesha makes his presence known on earth for all his devotees; the day is also termed as, Vinayaka Chaturthi, (it is not the birthday of Lord Ganesha!).

The festival is observed in the Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapada, starting on the fourth day of the waxing moon period. It typically comes sometime between 20th of August and 15th of September. The festival lasts for 10 days, ending on Ananta Chaturdashi. This year the final day falls on August 29th.

On the last day, i.e. Ganesha Chaturthi, final puja is undertaken and this particular idol seems to be patiently awaiting his final procession to the tank for immersion.

When taking Ganapati for immersion one should also bring such things as: curd, puffed rice, coconut, modak, as provision for the journey. In this picture you can see a whole procession of idols on their way to various tanks for immersion you will also be able to see the Raja Gopuram of the Arunachaleswarar Temple in the background.

Here are some very excited kids travelling on the float with one of the Ganesha idols

And here is one of the aarti trays the youths are carrying along with them to offer to spectators on the side of the street.

This is the Tamari Nagar tank waiting for some of those idols to reach. Arunachala is in the background.

And here at the corner of the tank the immersion of the statues begins. Beside the banks of the flowing water where the idol is to be immersed, one should perform aarti (waving of lighted camphor) once again and then release the idol along with the provisions into the water. After immersion it is customary to bring home the earth from that place and to sprinkle it all over the house.

HAPPY GANESHA CHATURTHI TO US ONE AND ALL

Day Trip

This is my friend Valli, who went with me for a trip to visit some folk on the other side of what in the rainy season, is Samudra Lake.

This is some of the pretty agricultural land in the area.

The reservoir is currently empty but during the last rainy season, all the land you can see in both photos was over a foot under water. I've been told it was the most rain we've had in over 18 years. And in fact I think it was a very good thing as it may have provided a warning reminder to locals about the importance of maintaining reservoirs and water catchment areas. We can learn a lesson from Bangalore where high land prices persuaded the municipality to reclaim lakeland and convert it into estates. Unfortunately the plan went sadly belly-up when the rains fell and fell last season. And instead of beautiful housing estates they have one enormous sea of knee deep mud and silt.

Whoops!

I guarantee if you weren't nervous travelling by bus in Tamil Nadu before, by the time you finish reading this, you will be terrified! It so happens that there is an acute shortage of bus tyres in the Villupuram division of the State Transport Corporation in the Tiruvannamalai district.

Apparently out of roughly 350 State Transport Corporation buses operating, as many as 90 buses have been dormant for the last two months because they did not have wheels.

The situation has occurred due to the Corporation's norm, which bars authorities from purchasing tyres according to local requirements. Thus tyres have to run for up to 160,000 kilometres.

Trade unions, agree they could attain this target but are pressing officials to encourage the State Corporation to equip Branches with the requisite amount of tyres to ensure buses run on schedule and there is no undue delays in services.

To maintain an official record that no bus stands in the depot for more than a week for want of tyres, buses have their tyres removed on rotation to provide tyres to those which have been without tyres for a week.

Union representatives state that labourers are often forced to remove tyres by employing unsafe methods like stationing bus tyres on wheel drums, which could easily cause the bus to lose balance and roll over onto any hapless worker working nearby. Whoops!

Correction

I just had the most revelatory shock regarding the 'Poor Romeo' blog posting for August 22. Going over Romeo's romantic dalliance the night before his unfortunate encounter with the snake - and dusting off years of forgotten frog biology, I've suddenly realised that Romeo is no guy - in fact he's a Juliet. It makes the tragic tale even worse - poor little Juliet - she lost it all for love!

John de Ruiter

Continuing the series about different teachers and/or holy people who have a connection with Arunachala here is a painting of John de Ruiter done by a guest staying at Gopi and Chitra's ashram Ananda Niketan.

Although John de Ruiter hasn't paid a visit to Arunachala for over 5 years, he is in fact no stranger to Tiruvannamalai. Previously he would come and stay and make himself available for public talks at Sri Seshadri Ashram in Ramana Nagar. Part of his fundamental teaching is:

'Honesty is the most profound happening that one could ever experience. It finally takes us from the illusory path to Truth directly onto the road of Truth. Every other path leads directly away from Truth.'

Ananda Niketan

Yesterday took an auto rickshaw out of Tiruvannamalai on highway NH 66 west for about 7 kms and came to a very nice ashram called Ananda Niketan which is owned and managed by a husband and wife team Gopi and Chitra. Ananda Niketan takes its name from two Sanksrit words: ananda, meaning bliss and niketan, meaning abode.

So, this blissful ashram is located in the countryside with the nearest village being Periyapaliyapathu. The couple bought the land in 1998 and have since added small cottages bit by bit until they now have 10 small units and a dormitory, which in total is able to accommodate 30 people.

The 4 acre facility is very popular for Retreats as it provides an idyllic, peaceful setting whilst being only about 5 kms from the base of Arunachala. However it is also a perfect location for those who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of Tiruvannamalai and yet be close to Arunachala.

Gopi and Chitra's guru is John de Ruiter (who they originally met at Arunachala) and they have just returned from Canada after a short visit with him. The couple, both of whom used to be successful professionals in Chennai before their move to Tiruvannamalai, believe Ananda Niketan Ashram is their vocation to provide a 'home for everyone that comes'. Gopi told me that his guests often remark that staying at Ananda Niketan is just like being at home.

While visiting, I took a walk about and there is nice hillock close by with a Murugan Temple on top; so for just a few minutes legwork one can get a sublime view of the countryside.

Pool with a View

The pool at our premier Hotel, the Arunai Anantha is finally finished and very inviting it looks too! For non-residents, I may seem to be having an over-reaction - but if you were familiar with the recent history of this area - you would understand. The rural areas in India are not the same as the metropolitian ones. Until recently being outside one of the major cities in this country meant living in a time warp. Even 10 years ago at Tiruvannamalai, if you didn't have contacts - it was impossible to put up at a decent place. But now everything's different - our infrastructure is improving each day and suddenly services are available that previously were just a dream!

We now have three good hotels at Tiruvannamalai, but two of them, Trishul Hotel and Ramakrishna Hotel are located in the city leaving only our premier Hotel, the Arunai Anantha in Ramana Nagar (photograph below) - conveniently close to the countryside, pradakshina outer pathway and major Ashrams, including Ramana Ashram.

Just because you're on pilgrimage doesn't mean you can't be comfortable - and I assure you at Arunai Anantha you will be very comfortable. Makes a difference to the old days and living in a room with no air conditioner and sharing a bathroom with no hot water and Indian style toilets! Long Live Luxury.

Exciting Times

These are exciting times at Arunachala, as increasingly diverse groups are being attracted to the magnetic pull of the Mountain. It has been recently stated that: 'Arunachala will become the Rishikesh of South India', 'It will be the most famous and visited pilgrimage site in Asia' and 'What is beginning to happen here is only the beginning'.

There is no doubt that there is tremendous change in the air, it feels like a 'sleeping giant' has 'awoken'. Who knows the extent of the Glories Sri Arunachala will bring to Humanity.

This Blog is part of a developing, interlinking Arunachala resource called Arunachala Grace Network, which is committed to documenting, circulating and archiving information about the Holy Hill. We feel as an independent concern, we are able to lend a disinterested and unbiased voice in communicating information about Arunachala.

Currently our offering is comprised of:

Arunachala Grace Newsletter (monthly)
http://www.arunachalagrace.blogspot.com

http://www.arunachalasamudra.org/

We will be vigorously developing these vehicles and others, to not only provide information and inspiration to Arunachala devotees, but to also make the Holy Hill accessible to a wider public; to one who perhaps previously would not have been interested in something to be found in esoteric India!

As well as the above offerings we will also be involved in producing high-quality paintings, photographs and videos of the Holy Hill and sponsoring translations of rare Tamil works about Arunachala into English and thereafter making the translations available on the worldwide web.

This is a new time, an exciting time. One in which Arunachala will truly shine as a beacon in the darkening skies of a sad and crushed world populace. At this important juncture we invite your loving support for the continued development of this worthy work. For details on how to help please contact:

Meenakshi Mammi at arunachalana@fastmail.fm

[picture above of Pandurang Vithala]

Free Land

It was officially announced this week that around 1,500 farmers would get free land (without encroachments) currently belonging to the Government through the first phase of the Government's planned land allocation in the Tiruvannamalai District.

Local farmers, who cultivate directly and whose family annual income is below Rs.16,000/-, would be given priority. The purpose of the land allocation scheme is for the poorest of the poor would be benefited.

Poor Romeo

This is rather a tragic story about a frog that ended up as dinner to one hungry snake. Yesterday evening as I was coming down from my roof I had to pass by a pair of love-struck frogs on the outside stairwell. Whatever they were performing they were approaching with an inordinate amount of vigour. My dogs were too astounded to actually do anything and I was quite easily able to shepherd them around the moonstruck couple and back into our home.

This afternoon my maid servant, Jaya Laxmi came to me quite distraught. There was something in the garden under one of the bushes and she wanted me to come out immediately. When I got out to the garden I looked around in the general area in which Jaya Laxmi was pointing and quickly spotted the reason for her consternation. There right in the mouth of a snake was one part of the love duet from yesterday evening. Can't really get a better indicator of the transitory nature of life than that! From bedroom to dining-room in one day and ending up as the main course! Poor little Romeo!

Ascension

Lots of people are getting upset about the increasing development and urbanisation of the area surrounding Arunachala. I don't worry about it that much and I'll tell you why.

A couple of years ago, one New Year's Day, I climbed to the top of Arunachala for the first and I'm sure the last time. I am a little plumpy and also made the mistake of believing all those people who say, 'It's easy, no problem!' Well for me it was a mighty problem as I went up wearing a sari, flip-flip shoes and with only a small amount of water. By the time I got halfway up the Hill I was reduced to acting like a beggar outside Egmore Railway station; but instead of piteously rubbing my stomach and asking for 'Paisa', my plaintive cry was, 'Water, Water!' Happily, I met with help and was able to complete my ascension and successfully make it to the top of Arunachala.

At that time Hill Swami Narayana (check out blog entry August 7th) was living on top of the Hill, in something that could be termed Tent City. Although he originally lived as a recluse on the hill-top, over the years he had accumulated a large coterie of followers including a group of young lads who would daily go up and down the Hill with food and water for Swami and the Tent-City community. Mercifully the lads refilled my plastic water bottle and gave me a nice rice prasad.

After I had recovered from the ordeal of my Hill ascension, I sat on the edge of Arunachala looking down at Tiruvannamalai and surroundings. The thought that came to mind was the movie 'The Time Machine'; the old one with Rod Taylor playing the role of the 'Time Traveller'. In the movie the 'Time Traveller' is sitting on his machine watching the passing of time. He sees the house around him disappear and the landscape change. Although, in the real world aeons of time pass and the very geological formation of the earth changes, for the 'Time Traveller' on his time machine, just a few moments pass.

That day on top of Arunachala, I thought of that movie and tried to see it from Arunachala's perspective. One moment to be surrounded by forests and then suddenly the forests are denuded, buildings come up, crumble, are demolished, and then replaced, and the scenario inexorably repeats, again and again.

Not just one lifetime but aeons upon aeons have passed whilst Arunachala has stood as silent Sentinel to the World. I wondered at our vanity to think we have the power to actually DO anything that could in anyway limit, circumscribe or diminish the impeccability and Glory of Arunachala.

That day, I felt really good to finally get it that Arunachala is in total control and has everything well taken care of. WE ARE LOVED.

World's Heart

Nandi said:

'Arunachala is truly the holy place. Of all holy places it is the most sacred. Know that it is the heart of the world. It is truly Siva himself. It is His heart abode, a secret Kshetra. In that place the Lord ever abides as the Hill of Light named Arunachala.'

[Skanda Purana]

Milk Plant

Plans have just been announced that a large powdered-milk plant is going to be set up in the Tiruvannamalai District. The plant, expected to cost a whopping Rs. 29 crore (US $6.3 million) will be funded by NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development).

It seems a pity that such an enterprise should be started up in the heartland of Tamil agriculture. Specially nowadays as the debate on processed food is becoming so controversial. It would have been nice if that huge (by Indian standards) amount of money could have been directed in some way towards popularising indigenous and organic methods of farming.

Micro-irrigation

It was officially announced yesterday, August 18th that the Government plans to set up micro-irrigation systems in 630 hectares (one hectare = 2.5 acres) of agricultural lands in the Tiruvannamalai District.

The Government estimates that depending on crop patterns, the total cost of installing micro-irrigation systems will be somewhere between Rs.17,000-Rs.58,000 (US$370-$1,300) a hectare. 50% of that amount will be given to farmers as subsidy, with the rest being the responsibility of the farmer.

It is also planned to establish micro-irrigation demonstration fields at 20 places within the Tiruvannamalai District. These fields would be set up in lands belonging to self-help groups, cooperative bodies, NGOs, scientific organisations and pioneer farmers.

Museum

Work has just started on the construction of a Visitor's Centre which will be the focal part of the Mountain of Medicine eco-park. As soon as agreement was reached with the District Collector regarding the development of this Centre, an architect set to work and came up with a concept envisaging three separate blocks in one harmonious complex.

The blocks will house; a museum, environmental centre and office with herbarium of Hill plants, library, craft shop and cafe. To make use of the cooling mass of the earth, the buildings will be sunken into the ground around the base of a small hillock in the eco-park.

The eco-park is set just off the outer pradakshina path on Chengam Road, next to Palakothu Tank and close to Ramana Ashram.

Laksmana Swamy

Laksmana Swamy's was born at Gudur, Andhra Pradesh on December 25th, 1925. In 1949 in his search for a Guru, he spent time at Ramana Ashram. Whilst there he practiced the 'Who Am I?' enquiry suggested by Ramana Maharshi. It was as a result of this enquiry that led him to pass a note to Sri Ramana saying:

'O Bhagavan, in your presence and by the quest (Who Am I?) I have realized the Self'.

Since his realisation Sri Laksmana Swamy, a direct disciple of Sri Ramana, has taught disciples through silent sitting. Mathru Sri Sarada came later into Lakshmana Swamy's life. She became his adopted daughter and successor and as a result of devotion to her Guru Sri Laksmana, she realized the Self.

Laksmana Swamy and Saradamma live in a secluded house set in a beautiful tree and peacock-filled compound. The compound is not available to visitors, however sometimes devotees choose to sit and meditate outside the compound gates.

Laksmana Swamy and Saradamma are available for satsang only on special festival days. Previously Laksmana Swamy elected to give satsang about 5-6 times a year, but as his health and circumstances change, the frequency of his public meetings have decreased.