RE: [RamanaMaharshi] Arunachala Ashram

[Guest guest]

Thanks for sharing that very moving and beautiful story Rob. I will pass

this on to a as well.

 

Hey, we are brother devotees! :-).

 

With love

Harsha

 

 

Rob Sacks [editor]

Sunday, August 12, 2001 1:52 AM

RamanaMaharshi

[RamanaMaharshi] Arunachala Ashram

 

 

Hi everyone,

 

I just spent an incredibly pleasant evening at

Arunachala Ashram in New York City, the

American branch (I think that's the right way

to describe it) of the Sri Ramanashramam in

Tiruvannamalai.

 

I've been there only once before even though

I happen to live just a few miles away.

My reason for going tonight was to pick up

the new CD that has 570 photos of Bhagavan,

but I made a point of getting there in time for

the nightly service.

 

I got there a bit early and no one was home. The

door was open (later I learned that someone had

left the door unlocked for me since I had called ahead --

can you imagine this happening this in New York

City?) so I went in and entered the room where

services are held. There is a big photograph

of Bhagavan at one end of the room. As I walked

in, I began to cry and lay face down before the

picture. I don't know anything about the customs of

Hinduism but there was an impulse to do this.

It just felt very moving to be in this room dedicated

to Bhagavan and to know his spirit is active

in the world, affecting people so deeply.

 

Nine people attended the service. It consisted

mainly of singing and chanting. I couldn't join

in because I didn't know the words or melodies

so I practiced self-enquiry. The room or the

presence of the other people seemed to have a

pronounced effect on the meditation. It was

very nice.

 

Afterward I hung around for a couple of

hours talking with one of the people who lives

there. (Actually, he's the only person living

there at the moment.) Very nice guy. As soon

as you see him, you know that he's open and jolly

and kind. He has been associated with the

ashram for nearly 30 years. He showed

me the whole place. We listened to a bunch

of CDs and sang a bit. There's a terrific library

upstairs with a couple thousand books.

 

My only reason for posting this is to encourage

other people, if you live near New York City,

to drop by the ashram. It is planning a big

celebration on September 9 to mark the anniversary

of the day that Bhagavan left his uncle's house

and took the train to Arunachala. They call

this the "Advent."

 

Yours in Bhagavan,

 

Rob