Sacred Places

Evans-Wentz: Mr. Brunton mentions a yogi in Madras who is said to hold communion with his master in the Himalayas.

Maharshi: It is not more marvellous than telepathy; so commonly known. Telepathy cannot exist without the hearer and television without the seer. What is the difference between hearing from far and from near? It is only the hearer who matters. Without the hearer there cannot be hearing; without the seer there cannot be vision.

Evans-Wentz: So you want me to consider the subject and not the object.

Maharshi: The subject and object appear only after the mind has arisen. The mind comprises them and also the occult powers.

Evans-Wentz: Can the manifestations of light be seen on Arunachala Hill?

Maharshi: Yes.

Evans-Wentz: Is there any psychic effect in visiting sacred places like Mt. Kailas, Benares, etc.?

Maharshi: Yes.

Evans-Wentz: Is there any benefit accruing by dying in Benares?

Maharshi: Yes, the meaning will be clear if the real Benares and real dying be understood.

Evans-Wentz: You mean that they are in the Self?

Maharshi: Yes.

Evans-Wentz: There are six centres in the body and there are corresponding centres in the world.

Maharshi: Yes. What is in the world is in the body; and what is in the body is in the world also.

Evans-Wentz: Is the sacredness of Benares a matter of faith, or is it externally also real?

Maharshi: Both.

Evans-Wentz: Some people are attracted to one place of pilgrimage and others to another. Is it according to their temperaments?

Maharshi: Yes. Just consider how all of you born in different places and living in other lands are gathered here today? What is the Force which has attracted you here? If this is understood the other Force is also understood.

[Talks with Bhagavan]

Light at Deepavali

Light primarily signifies knowledge. All our activities should be governed by the light of knowledge, especially the knowledge of dharma. By this knowledge, ignorance or darkness is dispelled. We bow to knowledge which is the greatest wealth in our lives. Knowledge also backs our good as well as bad actions. So, the lamp which is kept lit for all auspicious occasions, is a witness to our thoughts and actions.

Learned people say that by seeing brightly lit lamps, insects, birds, reptiles, trees and plants, all living things residing in water and light can be permanently liberated from bondages due to that particular janma.

The flame is fed on the oil of clear devotion and enlivened by the breeze of intense love of contemplation on the Lord. The wick is the intellect strengthened by impressions of strivings to cultivate the right values. This is the spiritual significance of a deepam compared to an electric light which can only remove darkness. Like the flame burning upwards, our knowledge must take us towards higher ideals.


Lighting Lamps

To those interested in the more esoteric aspects of the lighting of lamps (which is particularly appropriate during this Deepavali Festival) below are some beliefs about lamp lighting.

1. Using sesame oil in lamps destroys evil and castor oil brings joy to relatives. A mixture of 5 oils available at the market, is very beneficial to use in lamps. Coconut oil for Lord Ganesha, Sesame oil for Lord Narayana and ghee for the Devi.

2. Cotton is the best wick as it heralds prosperity. And a wick made of yellow cloth gives Blessing from the Goddess.

3. Putting the lamp in the east removes sorrow, and in the west to remove debt and enemies.

4. The number of wicks in a lamp have different significance. Two wicks gives family happiness, three wicks denotes the birth of a child, four wicks for wealth, and five wicks for welfare, health and prosperity.

5. Lamps should always be put out be pressing with a flower or sprinkling with kumkum.

6. Keep a cloth near lamp to rub excess oil from hands, excess oil should not be rubbed on hair or on own dress.



Kuthu Vilakku

The five petals of the Kuthu Vilakku are also said to denote the five main elements are supposed to represent the five elements of Nature — earth, water, fire, air and sky or space. The five nozzles are also said to denote the five main elements needed for a successful life — health, wealth, learning, courage and longevity.








The three Gods Bramha, Vishnu and Shiva are believed to be present in the Vilakku. At the base part is Bramha,the middle part Vishnu and the broad part on top is Shiva.The Glow of the Vilakku is represented as Goddess Lakshmi, the Light by Goddess Saraswati and the Heat by Goddess Parvati.

The five wicks in the Kuthu Vilakku represents our five senses and also the Panchaboothangal: 5 elements of the World; Earth, Water, Air, Sky and FireTraditionally.


Laksmi at Deepavali

There are two legends that associate the worship of Lakshmi on this day. According to the first legend, on this day, Lakshmi emerged from Kshira Sagar, the Ocean of Milk, during the great churning of the oceans, Samudra manthan. The second legend (more popular in western India) relates to the Vamana Avatar of the big three Vishnu, the incarnation he assumed to kill the demon King Bali. On this day, Vishnu came back to his abode the Vaikuntha; so those who worship Lakshmi receive the benefit of her benevolent mood, and are blessed with mental, physical and material well-being.

On the day of Lakshmi Puja during Deepavali, "Lakshmi-panchayatan" enters the Universe. This group of five elements, “panchayatan” are comprised of Vishnu, Indra, Kubera, Gajendra and Lakshmi. The tasks of these elements are:

Lakshmi: Shakti which provides energy to all activities
Vishnu: Happiness (happiness and satisfaction:
Kubera: Wealth (generosity; one who shares wealth)
Indra: Opulence (satisfaction due to wealth)
Gajendra: Carries the wealth

Spirits Delay Mountain Path

The following narrative is an extract from Richard Clarke’s fascinating posting at this link here in which he gives detailed information about a recent project to extend a pathway by way of restoration of an old passage between Ganesh and Parvati Hill, west of Arunachala. The path marked in white in the below aerial photograph is about 1.5 km long.

After conforming to procedure by filing an official plan with the Department of Forestry and Collector, through a local Trust organisation, ‘Global Watch Trust’, work on the new pathway commenced.

Pathway with Steps
being Created 1

After commencement of work, the leader of the mountain work group reported problems manifesting in injuries to crew members, slow progress, workers feeling drained of energy and infighting amongst themselves. It was concluded that these problems were happening because of resistance from mountain spirits.

Pathway with Steps
being Created 2

The crew leader also reported a scream heard in the area which he thought to be from the Goddess Mohini who is believed to reside there. He also had a vision of being visited by Goddess Mohini in which he felt her physical presence pushing his body. He reported that the Goddess told him that the spirits were upset because the work crew were moving rocks that the spirits enjoyed sitting upon. The crew leader then had a vision of his Guru, telling him to conduct a puja to placate the spirits and ask for their blessings to continue with the pathway.

Old Path before Work

A special puja was thus arranged in the forest to placate the disturbed spirits. Although the puja was acknowledged a success, the old work crew continued to feel uncomfortable resuming work on the pathway. Thus work was disbanded for a short time until a new crew could be hired to complete work on what is now a finished pathway.

Completed Puja

To read Richard Clark’s fascinating report in full and also to view the many photographs he posted with his narrative please go to his original posting at this link here.

Light of Arunachala

Recently someone asked me whether it was possible to have visions of light or jyoti whilst looking at or circumbulating Arunachala. I have set down the below narrative taken from the beautifully devotional book ‘Aurora of Arunachala’, by V. Suryanarayan, to give information about other peoples’ experiences and visions of the Light of Arunachala:-



“The importance of the sacred place of Tiruvannamalai lies in the secret of its being the centre of the Thejo-linga kshetra and its being the secret abode of the supreme Lord Shiva in his elemental form of fire. While the celebrated linga adorns the temple of Arunachaleswarar, Skandapurana comes out with the exciting fact that the mount of Arunachala is itself the present version of the original fiery linga in the form of pillar that confronted Brahma and Vishnu in times of great antiquity; the Lord having settled himself in the form of the mountain in order to bless all beings who go round it. He is the august divinity living seemingly silent as a pradakshina-priya. But those who have gone round and worshipped him know he is not silent but verily vibrant as a beacon of light – as a jyoti.

“ . . . early in the 1970s, I had not even heard of Sri Seshadri Swamigal. But one day as I was meditating in Bangalore in the early hours of the morning his effulgent figure appeared before me. The vision with golden face and form was such that I had no two opinions about his being a great one. I was only keen on the identity of the central figure of my visionary experience. It was only when I saw his portrait on the same evening in a devotee’s house, that I came to know about his identity. I thanked him silently for his kindness of the type that has no parallel in this world.

As I learnt that his Samadhi and abode of tranquility glorified Arunachala, I embarked on a pilgrimage to Seshadri Ashram shortly thereafter. It was past midnight when my friends and I reached his samadhi. After about two hours of rest, I woke up early and found that the whole landscape around was totally plunged in darkness because it was a New Moon day (Amavasya); even the electrical lights were not visible but lo! It was not dark in one spot behind the Ashram at the foot of the mount of Arunachala where a huge elliptical ball of brilliant light stood from the ground to a gigantic height. The sight of what I would like to call Aruna-jyoti was also shared by another who came out with me at the same time. The Jyoti vanished after two minutes.

I should hasten to add that the Jyoti of Arunachaleswarar is not confined to any particular form or denomination. Everything depends upon His will, grace and illimitable kindness. Indeed, the Lord is everywhere inside every jeevan, inside the mountain of Arunachala and outside. What makes visits to Seshadri Ashram exciting is the rewarding experiences of the jyoti – thanks to Arunachalewara’s manifestations of his jyoti-maya form. What is even greater about the Lord is that, as the scriptures proclaim, he is visible in his Jyoti state both in the Antarmukha and Bahirmukha – in the microcosm and the macrocosm.

The jyoti that becomes visible either as a result of the grace of Sri Seshadri Swamigal or Sri Arunachaleswarar is so variegated that no-one can say anything precise about a great God who defies definition. But it can be categorically asserted as emphasised by Skandapurana that Arunachala offers more vivid experiences of the celestial light or Jyoti than any other kshetra.


Experiences

During a pradakshina on the Western side, I stopped for a while to offer prayers – intently gazing a the mountain peak. What was the wondrous sight? Seven streaks of bright light emerged one after another from the peak – from the bosom of the mountain – and reached the Sapta Rishi Mandala above. We continued our pradakshina. Later in the day we all met for a brief spell. Although I had kept the remarkable sight of the Rishis to myself, another asked me if I had seen the Sapta Rishis in the form of light! She was not in the group that had done the pradakshina with us!

Perhaps the most spectacular of the Jyoti phenomena is the aurora of Arunachaleswarar emerging from the top of the mountain in a fantastic cluster of rays beaming to great heights in all directions. This was visible once on the eve of our pradakshina from Seshadri Swamigal’s Ashram as the starting point of pradakshina. What is significant is the same aurora in miniature form is sometimes also visible form the top of the jyoti-linga in Arunachaleswarar Temple.”

[Extract from Aurora of Arunachala by V.Suryanarayan]

Arunachala -- The Great Monolith

An earlier posting appeared on my Arunachala Grace Blog as a tribute to the then recently deceased great science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke. In that post I wrote about Monoliths and explained that when geologically represented in forms such as a Mountain or as a massive individual stone, are often believed to be stones of transformation and projections – a Philosopher Stone.


The posting is represented in full below:

On March 19, 2008 at the age of 90 years at his home in Sri Lanka, the great Science Fiction writer, Sir Arthur C Clarke died. As a young child I read many of his books and short stories and he (and other Science Fiction writers) powerfully influenced my spiritual impetus. In this respect the transformational movie, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, a 1968 science fiction film written by Stanley Kubrick and Arthur C. Clarke and dealing with human evolution has been hugely influential to many in a very similar way.

Arthur C. Clarke

The reason why ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, is a particularly fascinating subject in relation to Arunachala, is because of the use of a ‘monolith’ as the transformative tool throughout the movie.

The word Monolith comes from the Greek; "Mon" means 'one' and "lith" means 'stone'. It can be a large block of stone or something such as a column or monument or something suggestive of a large block of stone, as in immovability, massiveness, or uniformity. Monolith can also be a geological feature such as a mountain, consisting of a single massive stone or rock, or a single piece of rock placed as, or within, a monument.

In the movie 2001, the stone is black and in alchemy all things that exist come from the black stone, or the 'prima materia'. The black stone is the stone of transformation and the stone of projection. The Philosopher's Stone. This is the object that can change or transmute mankind, according to alchemical lore. It is rare and, when it makes an appearance, it transforms the seeker





The movie, ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, has as its theme, man’s evolution, from ape through earthman to astral being. It starts in prehistoric times where mankind's ancestors are struck by inspiration after a silent black monolith appears in their midst. When the primitive ape-like species is presented with the monolith their curiosity and courage overcomes their fear; and when the innate characteristics of the ape interfaces with the monolithic slab, the species take a dramatic step in their advancement.

***The sun and the crescent moon aligned with each other is a symbol of Zoroastrianism, the ancient Persian religion which predates Buddhism and Christianity and is based on the teachings of the prophet Zoroaster (also known as Zarathustra). This particular alignment symbolises the eternal struggle between light and darkness.***






The evolutionary theme of ‘A Space Odyssey’, from ape through Earthman to astral being, continues millions of years later, when a similar-looking monolith dug up on the moon in 2001, starts to blast a strong radio signal to Jupiter. The culmination of the evolutionary theme occurs when the lone surviving astronaut of a space mission seeking the source of the radio signal has a rendezvous with another monolith and a hallucinogenic journey to the infinite beyond.

With his rasping, dying breath, the Earthman reaches out to the monolith, at last, with deep understanding and wisdom. The body -- container of man's spirit for millions of years, is cast aside forever. And the next evolutionary leap occurs -- the Starchild is born.






‘The cyclical evolution from ape to man to spaceman to angel-starchild-superman is complete. Evolution has also been outwardly directed toward another level of existence - from isolated cave dwellings to the entire Earth to the Moon to the Solar System to the Universe. Humankind's unfathomed potential for the future is hopeful and optimistic. What is the next stage in man's cosmic evolution beyond this powerful, immense, immortal, space-journeying creature? "Then he (i.e. the Starchild) waited, marshalling his thoughts and brooding over his still untested powers. For though he was master of the world, he was not quite sure what to do next. But he would think of something"'
[2001 - The Novel]






Throughout the world there are representations of monoliths many of which have spiritual and transformative powers. The opinion of many is that Arunachala is the definitive, transformative monolith, but throughout the world there are other special, sacred monolithic places. For instance Uluru (previously called Ayers Rock) in Australia is a sandstone monolith; 1,143 feet high and 6 miles in circumference.







"This is the working of the ceremony to save the green ants, the aboriginal people and the dreamtime that holds the world together. The white people are too young to know this and too old to understand. Yet, you must listen to these words now and hear with your hearts, the singing of the mountain. The mountain sings. It sings like it has never sung before...it is singing now for you...for us...for every living creature on this beautiful Earth. The mountain sings its first and last song. The music comes from far, far away yet it is inside you...inside the mountain...inside the trees...inside the rising sun...inside the stars...inside the little pebbles in the river... inside the kangaroo...inside the green ants...inside your mother...inside your father...the song is singing by itself inside every living thing. Now, the mountain sings to keep the world alive. When you hear the song inside your hearts, sing back to the mountain. Sing back to the mountain...sing back to the mountain..."
[Invocation of a Chief Uluru Aboriginal Elder]

Thank you Arthur. Take rest now.

Eclipses During 2011

During 2011, there has already been two partial solar eclipses, the lunar eclipse of these days and thereafter there will be a further three eclipses.

04 January 2011 Partial Solar Eclipse
01 June 2011 Partial Solar Eclipse

15 June 2011 Total Lunar Eclipse
01 July 2011 Partial Solar Eclipse

26 November 2011 Partial Solar Eclipse
10 December 2011 Total Lunar Eclipse


An Indian Eclipse Legend

"When the gods and the demons churned the milky ocean in days of yore, nectar came out of it. Lord Vishnu assumed the form of Mohini, a charming lady, deluded the demons and distributed the nectar only among the gods. But Rahu had disguised himself as a god. The sun and the moon pointed this out to Mohini who immediately slashed off the demon’s head. Since the nectar had by then already reached up to the neck, he did not die. Thus the head came to be known as Rahu and the body as Ketu. To avenge this betrayal, Rahu and Ketu periodically eclipse the sun and the moon".

Rahu-Ketu Dosha

Esoteric Significance and Observances during Eclipse

According to scriptures and tradition at the time of eclipse, one should bathe in sacred rivers and do charitable acts.

The most recommended ritual to be done on the day is believed to be Tarpanam, which is a ritual performed to appease the souls of ancestors.

During the time of the eclipse those that do Japa or meditate, derive great benefits.

On eclipse day one should wear Pearls or Moonstone gems, Green Emeralds or Green Jade.

The day after the eclipse one should feed the poor, Brahmins and Sadhus.

It is said that the effect of an eclipse lasts for three months during which time one is affected by the waves of its influence.

Time Cycles

[Now that the hot season according to the Hindu Calendar of Rithus, has begun this week at Tiruvannamalai, below are some extracts from, 'Health and Longevity' by renowned Ayurvedic practitoner, Robert E. Svoboda, to explain the process of seasons in Ayurvedic terms].


“Ayurveda calls space a substance because, in our world, space possesses qualities, like cold and wetness. Climate is one quality of that space; another is orientation, which is governed by the Earth’s magnetic field. Magnetic fields, both natural (generated by the Earth, the sun and the moon) and artificial (human-generated), also affect our brain waves, pineal secretions and other physical and mental functions. The gravity of the sun and the moon also affects us, as do their heat and cold, their light and darkness, and the seasons that all these influences together generated. The seasons control Earth’s rasa, from which we derive our rasa.

Rhythm is essential to life. The lungs and heart work rhythmically, the intestines produce peristaltic waves and the brain generates brainwaves, all of which are intricately interrelated with one another and with the external environment. Rtam, the rhythm of the universe, appears in our little world as rtu, or season, a ‘time to every purpose under heaven’. The Vedics created the image of cosmic rtam on Earth by establishing a system of days, months and seasons that ‘calendrifies’ the Gods. Ayurveda recognizes four main seasonal cycles: day and night, the seasons of the year, age and digestion.

Right-click to view enlargement

Seasons of the Year

Charaka divides India’s three seasons; winter, summer and the rains, into 6, 2-month seasons to integrate the lunar calendar with the solar year. There are actually two slightly different sets of season. The first contrasts the three intense seasons – cold, hot and wet – with the three milder ‘should’ seasons that separate them. The other emphasizes the natural progression in rasa in the environment, which develops as a result of the cold, heat and wetness of the seasons.

The sun is said to capture rasa from our planet, and the moon to release it again to us. During the 6 months from the Winter to the Summer Solstice, as the sun, the lord of the fire element, grows stronger daily, it progressively withdraws ‘juice’ from the world, drying it out. From the summer to the Winter Solstice, the sun’s power grows daily weaker, releasing that ‘juice’ again to us. This half of the year is ruled by the moon, which is the lord of the water element. The terrestrial environment and its denizens must perpetually adjust to this cyclical withdrawal and release of ‘juice’.”


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The following Ritus (Indian Seasons) are ruled by these planets:

Vasanta by Venus
Greeshma by Mars and Sun
Varsha by the Moon
Sharath by Mercury
Hemanta by Jupiter
Sisira by Saturn