In the winter , right before the coronavirus pandemic, I traveled to Tiruvannamalai with my sister.

What a magical journey!

The moment we climbed to Arunachala mountain we fell in love with it! The grace we felt walking barefoot on the holy mountain of Arunachala is indescribable!

Then sitting in meditation in the caves where Ramana , Papaji, Amma and so many sages sat there for hours in silence…

The experience is unique and so graceful that you will never forget and your heart is touched forever.

The grace of Shiva…

You can just imagine why the beautiful silent sage Ramana spent all his life meditating in the hidden caves in the mountain and climbed the mountain everyday in silence.

There is a hidden magic there. As you walk it feels like the whole mountain is embracing you with total heart. You feel the power and the grace of Shiva.

When I arrived in Tiruvannamalai, it was a new moon and Amma , the loving hugging sage was there. I received her blessing. A hug from her huge , loving heart and my heart just melted in the moment.

I knew this trip was going to be very special…

Everyday going to Ramana Ashram and sitting in his meditation room,taking part in the daily pujas. Chanting mantras with all the people coming there to be in the presence of the silent sage…

Although he left his body many years ago, his presence is deeply felt in his temple and especially in the holy mountain of Arunachala…

I left right the day after the full moon and took part in Girivalam or also called Giri Pradakshin. The walk around the holy hill of Arunachala. It is 14 Kms long walk around the mountain. Thousands of people take part walking barefoot surrounding the Arunachaleshwara Swami temple which is the biggest Shiva temple and Pradakshina ( meaning the path surrounding something, here referring to the holy hill of Arunachala ) is performed.

It was a unique experience , walking ,chanting shiva mantras and passing through all the temples around the mountain where they were all performing puja and prayers.

There are 8 small Shrines of lingams ( Ashtalingams) located around the holy hill. Lingam is a symbol of divine generative energy;A symbol of Shiva or Mahadeva , who is one of the three main Gods in Hinduism. Shiva is the destroyer and re creator of the universe.

When it is referred to as the Destroyer , it means that He destroys the Ego, the arrogance, the anger, the Lust, the evil in us, preparing us for a new beginning…

I will share with you more about this trip and my experience with the impactful power of Shakti I felt there…

For now , I leave you with a story about Ramana by Osho.

I hope that you enjoy and see you soon for more stories and delightful sharing.

With Love & a warm hug to your beautiful soul.

Nobieh

“Ramana, The Silent sage and the enlightened caw “

A story told by Osho about Ramana

“””Not many years ago, just a few years ago, there was a great Master, Ramana Maharshi — a Perfect Master, In his DARSHANS — because he was a silent man, would speak rarely and very few words — each morning when he would sit for the darshan for one hour and people would come to sit with him, a cow would also come. The cow was so regular that no other disciple was so regular — the cow was just like Teertha! Regular…. It might rain, it might be summer, it might be winter — whatsoever! — the cow might be ill, or healthy, whatsoever, but the cOne of the greatest enlightened men was Raman Maharshi, in South India, on the mountain of Arunachal. He was not a man of many words; he was not very educated either. He was only seventeen when he escaped into the mountains in search of himself. He was a very silent man, and people used to go particularly to have a taste of his silence.

One thing very miraculous was watched by every comer: whenever he sat in the veranda of the temple, waiting for people who wanted to sit with him in silence, a cow used to come without fail, exactly at the right time. She would sit there, and people could not believe it: “What kind of cow is that?” And when Raman Maharshi moved inside his room, and everybody dispersed, the cow would come close to the window and put her head inside — just to say goodbye, every day. And then she would go back. Then tomorrow she would come again.

It went on continually for years. But one day she did not turn up, and Raman Maharshi said, “She must be either very ill or she must be dead. I must go in search of her.”

The people said, “It doesn’t look right for a man of your heights to go in search of a cow.” But Raman Maharshi did not listen to the people, he went. People followed, and the cow was found. She had fallen in a ditch.

She had become old. She was coming, she was on the way, but she had slipped and had fallen into the ditch.

But she was still alive, and as Raman Maharshi reached her, sat by her side, the cow had tears in her eyes. And she put her head into Raman Maharshi’s lap and died.

Raman Maharshi told his people,”A great temple should be made in her memory here, because she has died enlightened — she will not be born even as a human being.” And even today the temple stands there, with a statue of the cow inside.

Perhaps we have not made much effort to communicate with animals, with trees, with mountains, with rivers. Certainly their language cannot be our language; some other ways have to be found. But in silence many people have experienced harmony with the trees, with the animals, with the birds.

So it is not only a parable, it is also an indication of a possibility for the future. Man just has to explore… there is so much to explore! But we are engaged in trivia. We are not concerned with the real and great values of life. We are not concerned even with life itself and its different forms. All these are different forms of the same life which we are made of — the same stuff. There must be some way of communion.”””

OSHO

Zarathustra: The Laughing Prophet