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The Seal of Arunachala

   There are so many expressions of wonder by seekers upon

arrival at Arunachala that it has become commonplace, as

though to be an obvious confirmation of what others felt. It is

a mystery how this seemingly innocuous hill has such a

profound effect on pilgrims. Down through the centuries

various Tamil saints sang in praise of this holy presence

enshrouded by rock. This awe continues today as increasing

numbers of people converge on the town so they can walk

around the hill.

   The question is: how is it that this hill makes such a deep

impact? I do not totally understand but nevertheless I am

enraptured and alternatively bewildered by it. Its silken

tendrils spin snares of attachment which defy rational

explanation. Like an insect in search of nourishment, we are

captured in the net of attraction and are consumed at leisure.

Bhagavan Ramana spoke of a celestial city within

Arunachala. The recorded translation from the Tamil into

English of his remarks is sketchy and perhaps it would be

better to say that there is a parallel universe concomitant with

Arunachala for such a city is not physical in our terms as it

would be absurd to think it was encapsulated by gross

physical parameters. Bhagavan also referred to siddhas (those

who are accomplished and have certain powers) who move

around Arunachala and there are reports by those sensitive

enough to other dimensions who speak of higher beings or

devas associated with Arunachala who can tune into our

wavelength and subtly guide us.

   In various traditions there is a saying that the finger of God

establishes the fate of a soul on each forehead and from which

there is no turning back. We could say that it denotes the act

of a higher power, which from then on claims the soul as its

own and will protect it from those forces which may cause it

to deviate from the spiritual path. It may take aeons but it is

unstoppable. Those who come to Arunachala and are open to

its power are marked for life in ways which open their hearts

and alter their destiny. Then what is it that demarcates a

devotee of Arunachala?

   Specifically, in Hinduism, a guru may touch the centre point

between the eyebrows of a disciple, where the ajna chakra, a

centre of higher consciousness is situated. The guru infuses

that person in an act called shaktipat (descent of energy) with

a newborn power that aids them to overcome their ignorance.

In everyday life, both men and in particular, women are seen

with a bindi or red dot or smear on their foreheads. The signs

are a reminder of the chaotic and unfathomable world we

inhabit, in both our dreams and worldly aspirations, that this

stamping is a method of remembrance for us to be alert to

what is important.

   The mark of an Arunachala devotee is less obvious as we

shall see, for the outward displays of commitment are neither

essential nor encouraged. The main challenge for a devotee is

not only the right abidance of ethical behaviour rules and

perhaps rituals and chants that help stabilise us, but an intense

internal struggle to discriminate between what is real and

what is unreal in the complex world of our minds and

emotions.

   Thoughts and feelings are just as real as a physical chair, only

their functions are more fluid and consequential. Nothing is

unreal in the sense that each manifestation however tensile or

dense generates fluctuations which determine the next second

in our lives. Like a web of ripples, the warp and woof of

vibration starting in the world of our dreams we create with

thought, becomes an active manifestation. In our dream world

there is a certain insatiable longing for something which

defies description. The lack of delineation of this longing

doesn’t make it any less real. In fact, the opposite. The

stronger we deny its validity the stronger the undercurrent to

which we are asked to pay attention. We see so many actively

seeking although not sure of what they are in quest, but are

nonetheless driven by this unseen whip.

   That is why silence and stillness are so crucial. For without

them creation would continue, uncontrolled and unabated. It is

like a giant wave that sweeps us along beyond our powers of

comprehension or influence. The aim of spirituality is to step

off the treadmill and no longer be tossed around like a blown-

up balloon at the mercy of the wind. Arunachala, although

inscrutable, has the power to arrest the spinning of the world

and bring us to the natural stillness of our being.

For us to be anchored in truth requires, no it demands, an

indestructible binding vow or sankalpa (intention). This is the

grace of the guru; this is the visitation of angels; this is the

abiding supple but at times harsh power of an authentic

lineage that saves one from drowning.

   For those who are associated with Arunachala and Bhagavan

Ramana who is an external manifestation of this power, they

are imbued with a certain subtle force that shifts their

consciousness. It is not immediately obvious and generally

only one who has experienced the very same change will

recognise the tell-tale indicators in others. One could say

those dedicated to Arunachala belong to a family with

distinctive but familiar traits.

   Anyone with experience of other traditions will quickly know

without words being exchanged, the distinguishing emblems

refined or physical, which indicate the tradition to which

another genuine seeker belongs. It is similar to noticing the

physical characteristics of Europeans, Africans or Asians. It is

obvious.

   But like certain Sufi orders and certain Western secret

mystical orders, the outer appearance seems quite ordinary,

even mundane to avoid attracting negative socio-political

interference. Bhagavan gave an example of the function of the

guru with the analogy of elephants who eat a wood apple, a

hard-carapaced fruit in Kerala. The elephant consumes the

fruit within and eventually the undigested remains in the form

of the original outer shell are ejected. Break open that husk

and there is nothing left of the original juice and flesh. In the

same way Bhagavan’s Grace leaves the external form of the

sadhaka or practitioner relatively untouched while inner work

transforms the heart of the recipient. In Bhagavan’s path we

are not looking forward to a bigger, better, brighter persona

but a quiet, dismantling of the edifice we call our everyday

identity. That is why it is almost impossible to gauge the

spiritual maturity of a person on Sri Ramana’s path because

the accoutrements of accomplishment are so well hidden.

One could say that the more seemingly ordinary a dedicated

Sri Ramana devotee is, it can be a camouflage hiding their

spiritual maturity from everyday eyes, both for the protection

of the seeker and from unwanted delusions of grandeur but

also to shield them from the unnecessary attention of others

who could distract them from their principal task of following

in the footsteps of Sri Ramana. So many become imitation

gurus at their peril.

   If there are characteristics indicative of a follower of

Bhagavan it is this: stillness, silence and kindness. It is not a

coincidence that the 7th Century CE Siva temple in Tiruchuzli,

where Ramana was born, contained the shrines of

Bhuminathar (Lord of the Earth) and Sahayavalli (Sahaya:

help, assistance; Valli: goddess). Sahayavalli epitomises

kindness.

   Kindness above all else was Bhagavan’s outstanding human

quality. Kindness is the seal that binds us to Bhagavan. The

kindness he showers on us and the kindness we share with

others is a bond that is ever enduring. Like the incessant small

drops of water on hard rock, it breaks down all barriers. This

is the invincible soft power of Bhagavans legacy and the seal

of Arunachala.