Holy

Below....Thiruvanammalai

As I wander through the holy grounds of Thiruvanalammai, I find myself with my hands clasped together at my heart. “Namaste” I say, in greeting to people I pass, “I bow to the light in you”. I am realizing that  ‘holy’ is found more in the people I meet, than in the land or in the historical events that took place here.

“Keep a smile on your face”, Sajee reminds me through periods of meditation. So I practise that daily. It has become easier for me to “keep a smile on my face” throughout my day. What’s not to smile about? Our world is so rich. We are full of diversity and culture. We have choice. There are many people sharing the gifts of our Mother Earth. I can only smile to each one as I pass. “Namaste. I bow to the light in you”.

Our meditation walk begins at the foot of Aranachula Mountain. Though many people ascend the mountain daily, it is relatively quiet along the rocky path. It is, for many, a holy place, a mecca for meditation and prayer. There are many westerners here seeking inner growth and enlightenment, several who have been here for years! I can’t help but notice how serene they look; some even look miserable! Some people react to my smile in a responsive manner. Some don’t respond at all. I wonder, “Why does enlightenment mean you have to be miserable?” Self -awareness can bring joy and openness with a love of life and of self. Smiles express that love!

The children along the way want to play. The birds sing from the mountain trees and dogs bark at passersby, sensing danger or intrusion. These sounds blend in to the atmosphere. Other than that, there is silence.

I chose to lag behind Tamara and Paul to experience the journey up the mountain in my own way.

Sadu action along the way

As I sit for a while on a rock, the sounds of Thiruvanammalai are obvious from below. Horns from vehicles, and the rumbling of buses and cars, even the mooing sounds of the cows that walk freely in the streets, are clear. Walking further up, these sounds begin to disappear.

A sadu sits on a rock on the side of the path. “Welcome”, he says to me as I pass. “What’s that book? A journal?” he asks, pointing to what I’m holding in my hand.

“Yes. It’s my journal.” I respond.

“You’re a writer?” he confirms.

“We are all writers”, I answer.

“What do you write?

“I write what is in my heart and my head”, I say to him.

“Ahhh! The head is just a physical organ”, he says. “Everything you need is in your heart. Too much thinking.”

“I know. I know”, I smile, “and I strive very hard to understand what is in my heart!” And my journey continues.

“Good morning” says the Tamil worker as he continues digging. “Beautiful morning. I am working here...working.” he says lifting the heavy scythe with one hand and pointing to his shovel with the other.

“Thank you for working”, I say, “It looks very beautiful”. He responds with a grateful smile and an ‘Indian’ nod. “Tank you. Tank you”, he says.

I am happy I came to Aranachula Mountain with no money. That way I won’t be lying when I say to beggars along the way, “Sorry. I have no money with me.” I don’t usually feel ungenerous when I deny moneys to beggars. I just don’t ‘do’ money, I’ve always said, I give my time, friendship and love. But no money. Where does the giving end? Too many people asking and not enough resources to give to everyone! It’s an endless pursuit. And I think that begging is a poor practise that I don’t want to perpetuate.

Lesson in Tamil

Instead, I stop for a while with a very old looking woman, who, when I tell her I don’t have any money to give her, seems to gesture to me “But please! I’m hungry. I’m tired. I don’t sleep. My head hurts.” I place myself behind her and begin to massage her head. I move my hands along her forehead to her temples, applying a gentle pressure there. She surrenders to my touch, and as she closes her eyes, I continue to massage. In the end, I place a kiss through the wrinkles on her forehead. Standing before her again, I clasp my hands at my heart. “Namaste” I say as I ready myself to leave, “I bow to the light in you.”

Two young boys pass me on the path. We spend some time talking, learning from each other, and writing together in my journal. The Tamil language is a whole different alphabet!

Monkey Business

The monkeys on the mountain are frisky. They frolic with each other avoiding contact with humans, only interested in the food we eat along the way.

My journey up (and down) the mountain brings me to a place of understanding. It is said that Sri Ramana Maharishi lived for 7 years at the top of the mountain, reclusive in a cave, meditating in solitude and quiet.  The trek up the mountain is in reverence to his teachings, which he expressed through modelling as opposed to discourse. I wonder out loud:

1.     How did he get his food to eat while he was in his cave?

2.     Why would he spend 7 years of meditation secluded in a hot, dark cave when, outside there is so much beauty and light that Nature provides?

I am reminded that Gurus seeking enlightenment, search within, and purposely disconnect from the outside world. “No thanks”, I think to myself, as I continue to smile with those around me. “Namaste, I bow to the light in you”.