Arunachala

The Arunachala Hill has been regarded as a holy place and had an unbroken line of saints living on or around it for thousands of years. It certainly does have a magnetic special quality, and is my favourite place in South India. I usually stay at the ashram of the saint Sri Ramana Maharshi, who died in 1950. It is a quiet place and designed for the meditator - apart from traffic on the nearby road, the only noise is from the numerous peacocks honking. The basic teaching of the saint Ramana was that all we can see think or feel, all ideas, beliefs and concepts belong to the movie and what is Real is the screen. When the movie stops the screen remains, and that is called here The Self; One without a second. Beyond time and space, the non-dual Real. If you can say "my" in front of something, then he exorted people to ask "Who is it who makes the claim?"
On a more prosaic note, the trip from Bangalore was effortless and comfortable; another a/c bus with few people aboard. Much warmer here than Bangalore although the threatening thunder and storm clouds produced no rain here. Cathy remarked that she feels more relaxed and happy here than at any time since arriving in India. It's a bit like that. I have received some happy smiles of recognition and that is always nice (including from the stone carver who made our Ganesh). This morning we walked up on the hill and meditated in a tiny cave Ramana lived in for 17 years. It was named after a saint who lived there about 400 years ago. Without going into a long story, instead of dying like normal folk, he turned himself into a pile of ash, which is still in the cave under a cloth and is venerated. To say it is a powerful place to meditate is an understatement. We headed further up the hill to a spring for some fresh water, then followed a path back towards the ashram (more than 1 km). Although it used to be totally barren, an Australian sadhu who lived on the hill for decades planted and watered an entire forest. It has taken on a life of its own now - there are birds of different types, a tribe of Langour monkeys (black faced forest dwellers), and I caught a glimpse of an animal about the size of a possum with a thick bushy tail. No idea what it was. What a wonderful legacy.