A Pilgrim & His Pilgrimage

Dear All,

I am pilgrim as all are, but the difference is, I know where I am going and I keep walking steadily towards it. In search of happiness or peace we undertake many unplanned journeys, that take us almost everywhere but seldom do we find what we are actually looking for. And finally the journey ends as it began, wanting more but seldom gaining anything.

But some journeys are special as they leave a spiritual mark in your very soul. These journeys are what I call 'Soulful Journeys'. Once such journey was my pilgrimage to my roots, South India, the land of temples and of newly found pop culture. (Well, I chose to give a slip to the latter as it's the same everywhere.)

First stop was Puducherry, as it's now called. It was a French colony pre-independence and the home of Sri Aurobindo and The Mother. They have a beautiful ashram by the sea side and it attracts many wayward souls in search of meaning and peace. Peace is to be found in abundance there as every stone and flower emits the fragrance of divine fulfillment. Also, the classic french architecture of high walls and wooden windows adds to it's ethereal charm.

The Mother, was a French citizen by birth but on a casual visit to India, she so fell in love with the country and it's culture that she settled down here for good. She spread the message of Universal Love and peace through the medium of flowers. Hence you find flowers of myriad variety and colors blooming in every nook or corner of that blessed place. Although the Ashram is situated in the heart of busy Puducherry, the minute you enter the sylvan  porch, you are bound to leave the world behind and plunge into the sheer peace and silence reverberating in every inch of the Ashram space.

The next stop was Auroville, the dream village of Sri Aurobindo, built on the principles of Universal brotherhood. It is situated nearly 15 kms in the outskirts of Puducherry. We pedaled our way through busy streets and cramped gullies till we reached the green spiritual  township of Auroville. The main stay of this modern spiritual retreat is a central meditation dome, which houses a huge crystal sphere known to disseminate powerful spiritual vibrations.  However we weren't fortunate enough to experience it as it required prior permission to enter the dome.

The next day I packed my bags to go to my spiritual birthplace - Mt. Arunachala. The name Arunachala, is itself enough to set my pulse racing and plunges my mind in that One Absolute Consciousness. It is in a quaint little town of Tiruvannamalai, that this majestic hill stands as a spiritual beacon guiding millions of lost souls. It is said in the scriptures that the one who visits Arunachala, shall have his individual ego merged in the Supreme Ego without much effort. Such is the tremendous spiritual effect of this holy place.

I stayed in Sri Ramanashramam, a place of surreal charm and spiritual beauty. It never failed to remind one of the austere and ascetic lifestyle of our ancient rishis or sages of yore. Animals fearlessly mingled with people without the thought of least harm or danger. Peacocks, monkeys, squirrels are but a few of the permanent residents in this wonderful ashram. This place is an apt model of ancient living in modern times - So pure, pristine and peaceful.

My days in the ashram were disciplined to the minute. No time for small talk or making acquaintances, it was well spent in diligent introspection and meditation. The serene atmosphere acts as a catalyst in turning your mind inward without much effort. The sonorous chants of the vedas sung by children made it a treat for the head, heart and soul, which is otherwise accustomed to hear only the rants of world wise fools.  The food was pure, simple and nutritious, aiding to calm your belligerent mind. The people there are least intrusive yet calmingly helpful.

The mantle piece of this beautiful place is the holy hill of Arunachala. It silently stands majestically behind everything, speaking to you in an unknown tongue, beckoning you to come and bask in it's timeless glory and power. Much is said of Mt. Arunachala in our ancient scriptures as being the spiritual center of this world and of being the land of Siddhas or Enlightened beings. The Hill is a spiritual magnet of sorts. It attracts spiritual thoughts and repels the worldly ones. It arrests the very mundane thoughts that has made your mind it's home for years, cluttering all the possible spaces inside.

For the very first time I experienced a deep meditative state of silent unbeing - Shoonya or void; where everything pulsates with consciousness, yet it stays so calm and still.

In my many years of travel and exploration, I rank Arunachala at the top for it's powerful yet silent message of un-being. It seemed to tell me in it's own wordless words, "To know who you are, first drop off all the ideas of knowing who you think you are." Spirituality is a state of being and not knowing. You "Know" through the perception of your mind, but you "Be" from the fullness of your heart. This is the lesson that Arunachala taught me and I intend to remember it forever.

Do not just know, Be.

Forever in peace.

S.R