Arunachala calls us all

 

I had a conversation the other day with a young woman at a cafe I go to regularly. It didn't flow very well since she spent most of the time insistently relaying the progression of her spiritual life. Well, rather the chronology of her psychedelic drug use and resulting insights. Not a bad way to spend an hour however it then morphed into an infomercial selling her services. 

There are many Travelers I have met that are doing the same thing. Leaving their homes and comfort zones, having life changing experiences and then selling these experiences to others. Somehow it always leaves a slightly bitter taste. In many cases it is a version of Multi Level Marketing where the original teacher then becomes the teacher of teachers and so on creating a pyramid of never ending students flowing upwards.

I saw her again at the Friday night Bhagan session at the Nomad Cafe in Tiruvannamalai. We talked for a bit and I mentioned where I was renting a small apartment. Her comments made it clear that this was not the cool part of town and when I asked why she paused and pointed out that they were killing the deer to develop that land and those building there were too good. By this she meant they were well off Indian citizens.

I guess this is classism, or prejudice against a particular social class. It runs rampant here with travelers, hippies and western spiritual seekers. Such a perspective is ironic given the background of Tiruvannamalai as a pilgrimage site that grew up around the sacred mountain Arunachala. It is often said that people are drawn here by the power of Arunachala. If this is so it means that all are drawn here regardless of social class, place of residence or other qualities.

Yogi Ramsuratkumars' words come back to me, "If you want God alone, why do you accept the existence of anything else." Such a perspective comes after long and consistent practice of looking into the source of who we really are. To discriminate based upon outward qualities and not inner realities is an obstacle created by and cultivated within the mind that is focused outward. It causes endless passions, desires and disappointments.

Back in Tiru

 

The sacred mountain Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai , Tamil Nadu, India

This picture was taken in the early 2022 while riding my scooter in the countryside around the mountain. It doesn't take long to get away from the press of people, dogs, trucks, cars and two wheelers to a calmer environment. Believe me when I say India isn't for everyone. No shame in not being able to handle it!

So what am I doing back here in 2025? It's not your typical tourist attraction although thousands of people come here each month on Full Moon day to walk the 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) around the mountain participating in the Girivalam tradition. Like them, I am here for the spiritual experience.

There is a very real and important, some would say crucial, reason for focusing in this way. Life without it is a slog, with ups and downs, wanderings and self imposed goals (or those set by others). It is a way to answer the question "Is that all there is? By no means is this easy in the sense that you can apply some method like a lotion and in 3 easy steps find the source. But for many who have come here the power is felt as living truth and is transformative. 

And so, I have returned to Tiru once more to swim in the energy and grace of it all. As I soak it all in there is a sense of recharging, of being among like minded beings. A sense of being Home.

Bloom Where I'm Planted

 

Recently a friend asked me why I was happy living back in the United States when before I was planning to continue traveling in Europe, SE Asia and India. After a short pause I replied, reflexively, that I bloom where I am planted.

There are many interests that I can pursue no matter where I am. To be sure self-inquiry can be done anywhere. Once I have a bicycle and/or a motorcycle the world of travel opens up to me and my days are filled with wonder. Interactions with people are easy. A smile. A kind word and conversations open up in unexpected ways. 

Later in the conversation they said that this reminds them of a quality they have seen in me. That of being stable in my life; firm on my feet, as it were. Of course, this isn't how I perceive myself and can understand this interpretation given my inner sense of being. Always following the next right thing is the secret to this. One always knows what is not right although we may choose to act on it anyway. If it is the right thing then I am content with my action no matter what the outcome. It may cause difficulties to be sure. However, that requires discernment to evaluate the next right action, not regret the initial choice. 

The metaphor begins to break down when actions take us to another geographic location which happens continually when I am traveling. Anyway, I believe the intention of the saying is clear enough.

Contra-Para-Is

The search for an inner life is frustrating. Two helpful guidelines: don't expect fairness and don't hold on to old ideas.

Most of us begin this search because of a painful experience or sense of 'is that all

O

there is'. The lives we lead are based on years of learned behaviour, thoughts and memory complexes. In the end they are not lasting, ever changing.

We also possess a sense of awareness that goes deeper and illuminates. Consistent trust in this can guide us out of dependence on the external, world. 

The effort is not to attain something rather eliminating all that hinders resting inwardly.

What appears as contradiction softens to paradox and eventually reveals itself as simply what is.

Moving on - holding on

 

What is it that keeps is from this moving on? Maybe it's what we are holding on to. But if that's simply memories and thoughts what are we doing?

In relationships I hold on too much to thoughts and expectations. No matter how clear the communication we tend to hold on too these thoughts, impressions and interpretations. Seldom so our take aways align perfectly with others take aways. I'm not possessive or obsessive what I'm saying is that when we form a mental map we tend to want to follow it. No matter if it's flawed. Of no one noticed the flaws then no discussion!

On top of this we heap a flawed interpretation of what we want to move on from. Big problem. We didn't get the whole picture then and have less chance of accuracy when we try to move on. It sucks.

It seems that letting go of all that useless crap is a big part of moving on. And there are many giving advice on how to do that. Isn't it a matter of stopping. Just stop? Minute to minute whenever the old thoughts and memories arise.

One of those simple but not easy things 😉☺️

Moving On - from what

 

Moving on in the physical realm is made easier by a map. Go from here to there. Simple. Two dimensions. Get out and start walking it's a different matter entirely. Shit happens. Obstacles appear.

Moving on in the matter of relationship begins in multiple dimensions and gets more difficult! No map. A cluster of hopes, fantasies, memories, thoughts and interpretations. 

So we want to move on from this construct that we think is real, or thought was real. Does anyone ever question this ❓ Part of the breaking up is realizing we didn't know what we thought we knew, right?

Moving on - prep

 I hear that a lot. In film, in print, online. What does moving on mean to you? Here are a couple choices:

     Moving on means not thinking of your ex with anger, resentment or hatred. It means not spending hours looking at their social media activity, or trying to find who they're with now. It means not making it your life's mission to avoid them, or to “accidentally” bump into them.

     Let's put that issue aside and move on. We should move on to the next item on the list. After 10 years working for one company, she felt it was time to move on to a new job.

Both sound pretty good right. To me the first is going around and the second jumping over the 'object' moved on from.

The object in these cases is a mental construct of thoughts, memories and projections. So we want to move on from what we think is real, or thought was real.

Maybe that's where we should start.