Visits to Arunachaleswara Temple... into the Temple's Belly. Tracing the footsteps of Ramana Maharshi.

The wandering sadhus wearing orange, 

along with the ancient trees that bordered many roads, seemed like 

surreal guardians. Their presence seemed to be whispering that a 

mystical journey had begun. 

~Bringing Home the Mountain: Finding the Teacher Within

The further we drove from Chennai, with a population of 7.5 

million, the roads became narrow and the landscape rural. 

Tiruvannamalai is 120 miles southwest of Chennai, and has a 

population of around 130,000. However, the population can swell to 

over a million during special full moon and other holy Hindu 

celebrations. I would be staying in a small village about two miles 

away, near Ramana Maharshi’s ashram. When I spotted towering 

lights in the night landscape, I knew we were close. It was my first 

glimpse of the Arunachaleswara Temple, one of the largest in India.

~Bringing Home the Mountain-Finding the Teacher Within

When Venkataraman, later known as Ramana Maharshi, first arrived to Tiruvannamalai as a teenager he mostly sat absorbed in a samadhi, or heightened meditation state. He nestled himself in a tiny room within a dark basement of the ancient Arunacheleswara Temple and lived there. Despite the relentless insects, rodents, and other teens that would physically harass him, he sat unmoving. Finally, a kind hearted man took pity on him, recognizing him as an advanced soul. Ramana was assisted in relocating to a mango grove where he stayed until settling into the caves of Arunachala. 

With a heart filled with devotion, I visited the room where Ramana first stayed. It is now a sacred shrine dedicated in his honor. One of the resident swami's then took a friend and I on a tour into the temple's belly. 

The swami painted our foreheads in traditional Hindu fashion with red, white, and black ash and included us in a blessing ceremony. We were led deeper and deeper into the temple, passing several small fire offerings until we approached the innermost shrine room. It became profoundly quiet. My body was lulled deeper through the winding path into the most inner sanctum. Several Hindu worshipers had gathered around a large, black sacred lingam, their object of devotion. A lingam or Shiva Linga is a phallic-shaped statue said to represent the creative powers of the Universe. We joined the others in the mysterious darkness within the temple’s belly. Suddenly, it became light with a vibrant energy. I looked for the source of light but I could not identify anything to account for the brightness. 

~Bringing Home the Mountain-Finding the Teacher Within.

 Om Namo Arunachaleswara Om...

Om Arunachala. The Mountain of my Heart.

Arunachala! Thou dost root out the ego of those who meditate on thee in the heart. 

~Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi 

It is difficult to explain the spiritual vibration of this 1,600 foot mountain, or sacred hill, called Arunachala. It is located in the Southern State of Tamil Nadu and is said to be part of the oldest mountain range in the world. Hindus believe Arunachala embodies the Hindu God Shiva; thus, it has been an important pilgrimage destination for over a thousand years. Ramana Maharshi first came to Arunachala as a teen following his awakening, and lived there until his death in 1950. This was the reason I had come, as Ramana's ashram is located at its base. However, it wasn't until arriving to Tiruvannamalai did I experience the intense energy of this mountain. My heart felt expansive and pounded with a primal force. I yearned to move closer, to fall into complete union. My gaze was entranced by its splendor, as though I had fallen instantly in love. I knew I was home. I had come home to my own heart. The Mountain and I were One. 

Bringing Home the Mountain-Finding the Teacher Within describes my first union with the Mountain, and the subsequent journey into the heart that began that day. 

"Today I am filled with such a peaceful, radiating energy. I feel at home here, as though I could spend the rest of my life here by the Mountain. Thank goodness, the Mountain is within me as the Self. The power of Arunachala is mysteriously beyond all understanding and words.”  ~Bringing Home the Mountain: Finding the Teacher Within


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The beginning of the journey...

Many have asked me what inspired my first two trips to India. It is with a full and loving heart I utter the name, Ramana Maharshi. I have attached a link to my author's blog where I share select segments from Bringing Home the Mountain-Finding the Teacher Within, as Ramana often graces my book. I never thought I'd have a Guru, especially one that died sixteen years before my birth. Mysteriously, Ramana Maharshi has touched my heart as though his presence has always been with me. This connection led me to visit his ashram and the sacred mountain Arunachala. And with this first visit, the journey to awaken my heart began. 

http://www.freeheartpress.com/2/post/2010/06/sample-of-chapter-two-bringing-home-the-mountain-finding-the-teacher-withi.html