After many days of travel and visiting temples, witnessing and participating in sacred pujas and, being with the people of India I am completely melted like butter on a warm skillet.. lightly sizzling with Shakti. Today I left the group for an outing by myself. I am feeling a bit more brave and decided to take a rickshaw from the hotel back to Ramana Maharshi ashram at 5:30am. While people slept soundly I crept out for my secret expedition- to witness the sacred milk offering puja to Shri Bhagavan Maharshi. Maharshi obtained enlightenment here in Triuvannamalai on Mt Arunchala. The ashram sits at the base of this amazing mountain. After he became enlightened he went to meditate in the cave on this mountain for another 16 years.
The rickshaw ride was fantastically exhilarating as my driver swiftly dodged wandering sandus, cows, dogs, chickens, beggars, zooming motorbikes with 2-4 people balanced precariously on the back and early morning buses Indian people with dotis and sarees and the brave walking tourists who were out at that time. We headed straight into a crimson red sun that I watched rise out of the ash colored sky. A mystical haze made the scene dream like but I was completely taking every sight, sound, and smell in that my awareness could hold. My driver dropped me off and I took off my shoes and entered the ashram. Boys were chanting the vedas, people siting and meditating in the temples and visitors outside sitting quietly as peacocks strolled by.
Chanting signalled the puja was starting so I quickly visited the temple to walk around the Ganesh murtis as he is the God of the threshold. I did pradakshan, a clockwise lap around several different murtis then went to the main site called Samadhi Temple. Inside there was first a Nandi bull who protects and watches over then the Shiva linga and finally a murti of Shri Bhagavan (R. Maharshi). This was the very site his body was buried in the 1950's. The marble floors, walls and statues (murtis) hold incredible power that I could feel pulsing through me the more I tuned in. A brahmin came in to bless the site with flowers and poured blessed mild and ghee mixture that we later drank. Then we waved our hands over the sacred temple fire and placed ash on our foreheads. Completely a beautiful experience.
I sat and meditated in the temple, then his room where it has been left just as he had it when he died then another side temple. I had the most amazing meditations, meaning doors in my awareness opened up that had never been open before,, or that I had never walked through. I witnessed my awareness contracting around experiences then expanding. I could see and feel Ramana Maharshi sweet and powerful presence near me. I was so content and settled in my being that I remained totally still for long periods of time. I am not sure if I was even breathing.
Later in the day I visited the caves where he spent 16 years.. and well, that is for next time. Just as incredible as this morning.
I feel blessed in a multitude of ways being here... no words can express. And, I give enormous thanks to those who made it possible for me to be here. I assure you-- you are all in my heart while I visit these sacred places and are receiving darshan in a variety of forms through our connection. No time and space.. just presence.
In love,
Sienna
The rickshaw ride was fantastically exhilarating as my driver swiftly dodged wandering sandus, cows, dogs, chickens, beggars, zooming motorbikes with 2-4 people balanced precariously on the back and early morning buses Indian people with dotis and sarees and the brave walking tourists who were out at that time. We headed straight into a crimson red sun that I watched rise out of the ash colored sky. A mystical haze made the scene dream like but I was completely taking every sight, sound, and smell in that my awareness could hold. My driver dropped me off and I took off my shoes and entered the ashram. Boys were chanting the vedas, people siting and meditating in the temples and visitors outside sitting quietly as peacocks strolled by.
Chanting signalled the puja was starting so I quickly visited the temple to walk around the Ganesh murtis as he is the God of the threshold. I did pradakshan, a clockwise lap around several different murtis then went to the main site called Samadhi Temple. Inside there was first a Nandi bull who protects and watches over then the Shiva linga and finally a murti of Shri Bhagavan (R. Maharshi). This was the very site his body was buried in the 1950's. The marble floors, walls and statues (murtis) hold incredible power that I could feel pulsing through me the more I tuned in. A brahmin came in to bless the site with flowers and poured blessed mild and ghee mixture that we later drank. Then we waved our hands over the sacred temple fire and placed ash on our foreheads. Completely a beautiful experience.
I sat and meditated in the temple, then his room where it has been left just as he had it when he died then another side temple. I had the most amazing meditations, meaning doors in my awareness opened up that had never been open before,, or that I had never walked through. I witnessed my awareness contracting around experiences then expanding. I could see and feel Ramana Maharshi sweet and powerful presence near me. I was so content and settled in my being that I remained totally still for long periods of time. I am not sure if I was even breathing.
Later in the day I visited the caves where he spent 16 years.. and well, that is for next time. Just as incredible as this morning.
I feel blessed in a multitude of ways being here... no words can express. And, I give enormous thanks to those who made it possible for me to be here. I assure you-- you are all in my heart while I visit these sacred places and are receiving darshan in a variety of forms through our connection. No time and space.. just presence.
In love,
Sienna
No comments:
Post a Comment