Fwd: Fw: [Newsletter] Arunachala; Information and News - May, 2008 - excerpts

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ARUNACHALA GRACE NEWS

MAY, 2008

 

 

Arunachala Grace Network

 

 

 

 

Arunachala Mythology

 

 

Not Crossing the Summit

Since Arunachala itself is the Lord and Shiva Lingam,

legend has it that one should not cross over It. Puranic mythology

states that once Vali, son of Indra, was flying over the mountain and

in spite of noticing that the great Hill was worshipped by all the

Gods, Vali choose to ignore it. On venturing to cross over

Arunachala, Vali lost all his strength and fell to the ground! On

command of Lord Indra, Vali acted to make amends and worshipped the

Shiva Lingam, and immediately regained his strength and powers.

 

Once a Gandharva named Pushpaka, tried to cross the

mountain and instantly got the face of a tiger. His followers were

wonderstruck by the extraordinary phenomenon. Brahmarshi Narada came

to his rescue and enlightened him about the sanctity of the mountain.

With great repentance, Pushpaka offered puja to the Lord of

Arunachala and quickly recovered his looks.

 

 

 

Dakshinamurti Strotra

 

 

Verse 6

 

" He who is in the state of sleep due to dissolution of

the mind caused by the veiling power of Maya -- like the sun or the

moon eclipsed (by Ketu or Rahu), upon waking recalls self-existence

in the manner of 'I have slept till now', to him be this adoration,

the one who is the Lord incarnate as the preceptor in physical form. "

 

 

 

Advaita examines experience as a whole; waking, dreaming

and sleep. Sleep is not a state of emptiness. While in waking and

dreaming, consciousness is related to a world of objects and images,

in sleep it shines as Existence unrelated to anything else. In sleep

there is no mind, and yet there is consciousness. Sleep shows that

the Self, which is pure consciousness is not realised as such because

of the veil of maya. Even during the eclipse the sun shines without

change. It is our vision of the sun that is obstructed by the

interposition of the moon. The Self does not suffer, by maya. It is

our view that is distorted, and it is this distorted vision that is

removed by the Preceptor Daksinamurti.

 

 

 

Verse 7

 

" In all states of flux like the childhood (youth and old

age) and the waking (sleeping and dreaming) state, with the

consciousness within shining as 'I', at all times, that one who also

reveals the real nature of the Self to those who seek refuge in him

as by means of the symbol that is auspicious, to him be this

adoration, the one who is the Lord incarnate as the preceptor in

physical form. "

 

 

 

The Self is to be realised as the same unchanging reality

in the states that keep on changing. What dominates one state

disappears in the others. But what persists in every state without

itself changing is the Self. It neither rises nor sets. It is the

eternal, immutable, pure consciousness. The states, which are

illusory, inert, and of the nature of misery -- change and pass away.

But the Self persists in all of them as the constant imperishable

witness. The 'I' is witness of all experiences. It is existence,

consciousness, happiness. It is the inmost being, self luminous

awareness, the seat and centre of supreme bliss. It shines always as

the 'I' within.

 

 

 

*************************

 

 

 

[in Cidambaram, Dakshinamurti is the most important

initial murti for devotees after Ganesha; and the passageway of his

shrine (on the outer wall of the Mulanatha), is often impeded by

worshippers prostrating themselves before him. The importance of this

aspect is further shown by the placing of another Dakshinamurti

shrine in front of the main balipitha -- the first shrine seen on

entering through the South Gopura of the Cidambaram Temple].

 

 

 

Logic vs. Mysticism

 

" The greatest mystics of the world were often the

greatest logicians too. Shankara (author of Dakshinamurti Strotra)

was a great logician and yet illogical. They will go as far as

possible with logic, and then suddenly take a quantum leap -- and

say, " Up to this point, logic helps, beyond this, logic has to go. "

 

 

 

Shankara travelled all over India and defeated thousands

of scholars. This was his whole life’s work, to go and defeat

people. And still he was very illogical. In the morning you would

find him arguing so logically that the greatest logicians would look

childish. And in the evening you would find him praying and dancing

in the Temple and crying and weeping like a child.

 

 

 

He had written beautiful prayers, and somebody

asked, " How can you write such beautiful prayers? You are such a

logician -- how can you be so emotional that you cry and weep and

tears fall down? " Shankara said, " My intuition is not against my

logic, my intuition is beyond my logic. My logic has some function to

fulfil; I go with it. I go with it wholeheartedly, but then there

comes a moment when it cannot go beyond . . . and I have to go beyond

it too. "

 

[by Rajneesh]

 

 

 

Buddhabrot

 

 

In honour of the Buddha's birthday, a beautiful link to a

website featuring fractuals** Of particular interest is Buddhabrot, a

special rendering of the Mandelbrot set which, when traditionally

oriented, resembles certain depictions of the Buddha.

**geometric objects with both aesthetic and scientific

uses

 

Fractual Buddha

 

 

Animal Lovers

 

 

Henry Beston

 

" . . . the animal shall not be measured by man. In a

world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and

complete, gifted with the extension of the senses we have lost or

never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not

brethren, they are not underlings: they are other nations, caught

with ourselves in the net of life and time, fellow prisoners of the

splendour and travail of the earth. "

 

 

 

Black Elk

 

" We should understand well that all things are the work

of the Great Spirit. We should know the Great Spirit is within all

things: the trees, the grasses, the rivers, the mountains, and the

four-legged and winged peoples; and even more important, we should

understand that the Great Spirit is also above all these things and

peoples. When we do understand all this deeply in our hearts, then we

will fear, and love, and know the Great Spirit, and then we will be

and act and live as the Spirit intends. "

 

 

 

Thomas a Kempis

 

" And if thy heart be straight with God, then every

creature shall be to thee a mirror of life and a book of holy

doctrine, for there is no creature so little or so vile, but that

sheweth and representeth the goodness of God. "

 

 

 

St. Francis of Assisi

 

" Not to hurt our humble brethren [the animals] is our

first duty to them, but to stop there -- that is not enough. We have

a higher mission: to be of service to them whenever they require it. "

 

 

 

Fyodor Dostoyevsky

 

" Love the animals, love the plants, love everything. If

you love everything, you will perceive the divine mystery in things.

Once you perceive it, you will begin to comprehend it better

everyday. And you will come to love the whole world with an all-

embracing love. "

 

 

 

" Love animals: God has given them the rudiments of

thought and joy untroubled. Do not trouble their joy, don't harrass

them, don't deprive them of their happiness, don't work against God's

intent. Man, do not pride yourself on superiority to animals; they

are without sin, and you, with your greatness, defile the earth by

your apppearance on it, and leave the traces of your foulness after

you -- alas, it is true of almost every one of us! "

 

 

 

" Love all God's creatures, the animals, the plants. Love

everything to perceive the divine mystery in all. "

 

 

 

Anatole France

 

" Until one loves an animal, a part of one's soul remains

unawakened. "

 

 

 

Albert Schweitzer

 

" Affirmation of life is the spiritual act by which man

ceases to live unreflectively and begins to devote himself to his

life with reverence in order to raise it to its true value. To affirm

life is to deepen, to make more inward, and to exalt the will to

live. At the same time the man who has become a thinking being feels

a compulsion to give to every will-to-live the same reverence for

life that he gives to his own. He experiences that other life in his

own. He accepts as being good: to preserve life, to promote life, to

raise to its highest value life which is capable of development; and

as being evil: to destroy life, to injure life, to repress life which

is capable of development. This is the absolute, fundamental

principle of the moral, and it is a necessity of thought. "

 

 

 

" Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of

any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the

idea of worthless human lives. "

 

 

 

" We must never permit the voice of humanity within us to

be silenced. It is man's sympathy with all creatures that first makes

him truly a man. "

 

 

 

" The human spirit is not dead. It lives on in

secret . . . It has come to believe that compassion, in which all

ethics must take root, can only attain its full breadth and depth if

it embraces all living creatures and does not limit itself to

mankind. "

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arunachala Tidbits

 

 

 

 

 

This Issue

Welcome to the May, 2008 Arunachala Grace News. In

dedication to the upcoming Buddha Poornima on May 20, we have

included an article on the Wesak Festival and information and link to

Buddha Fractuals. The Lord Buddha was renowned for his love and

compassion towards animals, so it is a fitting time to include an

article on the history of the Arunachala Sanctuary (animal shelter)

at Tiruvannamalai. Also in tribute to the Buddha, we have included a

fun narrative on Smokey the Bear and some beautiful, inspirational

quotes on animals.

 

 

 

 

Website

Sri Lakshmana Swamy and Sri Sarada now have an website

with photographs, teachings and several videos.

 

 

Website

 

 

Caged Birds

 

 

 

 

Wesak is the holiest day in Buddhism and a season of

special significance to all Buddhists around the world. On this day;

the birth, Enlightenment, and death of the Buddha are celebrated. The

day is observed in diverse ways throughout the world. One such

observation is that caged birds are freed to symbolize humanity and

compassion. If you decide to do this, please remember do not release

birds in a town or area that will make it difficult for them to chart

a course to freedom. The countryside or open area is preferred. Also

please be aware of appropriate climate for bird release.

 

Celebrate Wesak Day

 

 

Smokey the Bear

 

 

 

 

 

[in good nature frivolity dedicated to our American

Readers, who will immediately recognise the character of Smokey].

 

 

 

Once in the Jurassic Era, about 150 million years ago,

the Great Sun Buddha in this corner of the Infinite Void gave a

discourse to all the assembled elements and energies: to the standing

beings, the walking beings, the flying beings, and the sitting

beings -- even the grasses, to the number of thirteen billion, each

one born from a seed, assembled there: a Discourse concerning

Enlightenment on the planet Earth.

 

 

 

" In some future time, there will be a continent called

America. It will have great centres of power called such as Pyramid

Lake, Walden Pond, Mt. Rainier, Big Sur, Everglades, and so forth;

and powerful nerves and channels such as Columbia River, Mississippi

River, and Grand Canyon. The human race in that era will get into

troubles all over its head, and practically wreck everything in spite

of its own strong intelligent Buddha-nature. The twisting strata of

the great mountains and the pulsings of volcanoes are my love burning

deep in the earth. My obstinate compassion is schist and basalt and

granite, to be mountains, to bring down the rain. In that future

American Era I shall enter a new form; to cure the world of loveless

knowledge that seeks with blind hunger: and mindless rage eating food

that will not fill it. "

 

 

 

And he showed himself in his true form of -- SMOKEY THE

BEAR

 

 

 

A handsome smokey-coloured brown bear standing on his

hind legs, showing that he is aroused and watchful. Bearing in his

right paw the Shovel that digs to the truth beneath appearances; cuts

the roots of useless attachments, and flings damp sand on the fires

of greed and war; His left paw in the mudra of Comradely Display --

indicating that all creatures have the full right to live to their

limits and that of deer, rabbits, chipmunks, snakes, dandelions, and

lizards all grow in the realm of Dharma; Wearing the blue work

overalls symbolic of slaves and labourers, the countless men

oppressed by a civilization that claims to save but often destroys;

Wearing the broad-brimmed hat of the west, symbolic of the forces

that guard the wilderness, which is the Natural State of the Dharma

and the true path of man on Earth: all true paths lead through

mountains.

 

 

 

With a halo of smoke and flame behind, the forest fires

of the kali-yuga, fires caused by the stupidity of those who think

things can be gained and lost whereas in truth all is contained vast

and free in the Blue Sky and Green Earth of One Mind; Round-bellied

to show his kind nature and that the great earth has food enough for

everyone who loves her and trusts her; Trampling underfoot wasteful

freeways and needless suburbs, smashing the worms of capitalism and

totalitarianism; Indicating the task: his followers, becoming free of

cars, houses, canned foods, universities, and shoes, master the Three

Mysteries of their own Body, Speech, and Mind; and fearlessly chop

down the rotten trees and prune out the sick limbs of this country

America and then burn the leftover trash. Wrathful but calm. Austere

but Comic. Smokey the Bear will Illuminate those who would help him;

but for those who would hinder or slander him . . . HE WILL PUT THEM

OUT.

 

 

 

Thus his great Mantra: Namah samanta vajranam chanda

maharoshana Sphataya hum traka ham mam: " I dedicate myself to the

Universal Diamond be this raging fury be destroyed " . And he will

protect those who love the woods and rivers, Gods and animals, hobos

and madmen, prisoners and sick people, musicians, playful women, and

hopeful children: And if anyone is threatened by advertising, air

pollution, television, or the police, they should chant Smokey the

Bear’s War Spell: " Drown Them, Crush Them, Drown Them, Crush Them " .

 

 

 

And Smokey the Bear will surely appear to put the enemy

out with his vajra-shovel. Now those who recite this Sutra and then

try to put it in practice will accumulate merit as countless as the

sands of Arizona and Nevada. Will help save the planet Earth from

total oil slick. Will enter the age of harmony of man and nature.

Will win the tender love and caresses of men, women, and beasts. Will

always have ripened blackberries to eat and a sunny spot under a pine

tree to sit at. AND IN THE END WILL WIN HIGHEST PERFECT

ENLIGHTENMENT ... thus we have heard...

 

[by Gary Synder]

 

 

 

 

Wesak

 

 

 

 

 

Full moon during Karthigai Deepam is regarded as the most

powerful Arunachala poornima of the year. However the upcoming Wesak

Festival (Taurus full moon) is globally considered to be the most

powerful full moon of the yearly cycle. It is the time of the

Buddha's Blessings. In this respect it is also considered to be a

particularly auspicious time to perform Arunachala giripradakshina.

 

In the year 2008 we actually have two dates for Wesak;

Sunday, April 20 10:27 GMT, the Theosophical Wesak and Tuesday, May

20 02:13 GMT the Buddhist Wesak which celebrates the true sideral or

cosmic date. An ancient legend says it is during Wesak, i.e., the

Taurus Full Moon that the Buddha leaves the High place where He works

and dwells to return to the earth and BLESS the WORLD. This festival

is not only celebrated at Wesak, North India, but also at spiritual

centres throughout the world. To read more about Wesak>>>

 

 

Wesak Legend and Videos

 

 

Indian Treepie

 

 

 

 

 

The Indian Treepie (Dendrocitta vagabunda) is a member of

the Corvidae (crow) family. Its a long-tailed chestnut-brown bird

with sooty head and neck. Black-tipped grey tail and greyish white

wing patches, conspicuous in flight. The bill, legs and feet are

black.

 

 

This bird is common throughout Tiruvannamalai District

and equally happy in open forest, scrub, plantations and gardens. It

is an arboreal species and omnivore. It lives on fruits,

invertebrates, small reptiles and the eggs and young of birds; it has

also been known to take carrion. It is extremely agile while

searching for food, clinging and clambering through branches and will

sometimes travel in small mixed hunting parties with unrelated

species such as drongos and babblers.

 

 

 

This birds' nesting season runs from February to July,

and prefers a shallow nest is built in trees and bushes. It usually

lays 3-5 eggs of pale salmon-white colour, streaked with bright

reddish brown.

 

 

 

This species has a variety of calls, some loud, harsh and

guttural and others pleasing and melodious. One of its commonest

calls is kokila and a bob-o-link.

 

 

Photographs of the Indian Treepie

 

 

Erythrina Indica

 

 

 

 

 

Erythrina Indica (Indian Coral Tree; Tamil=Kalyana

Murungai) is a species of the genus Erythrina which contains

approximately a hundred trees and shrubs. Erythrina is from the Greek

word erythros, meaning red in allusion to the colour of the bloom and

Indica to its country of origin. This tree which is commonly found

throughout Tiruvannamalai District, is cultivated as a support for

various climbing plants (particularly the betel leaf). As it is also

an excellent nitrogen fixer, the Erythrina Indica is often planted in

fields to improve yield.

 

 

 

This highly valued ornamental tree has been described as

one of the gems of the floral world. It grows along the coastal and

inland districts in deciduous forests. The Indian Coral Tree can

reach sixty feet height and spread twenty feet. It has stout branches

armed with black tiger's claw spine and curved prickles on its long

leaf stalks. The leaves of this tree fall once a year, followed by

the blooming of beautiful scarlet blossoms. When in flower, the

tree's scarlet red flowers attracts; crows, mynas, babblers and green

parrots to feed upon the nectar inside the flower and thereby

pollinate the tree.

 

 

 

All Erythrina species contain 'Erythrina alkaloids',

which include erythrane, erythroidine and coralline. These alkaloids

are found in the whole plant, but especially in the seeds. In small

doses the seeds cause sedation, relaxation (especially of the

muscles) and if taken before bedtime a long and deep sleep. In higher

doses (more than a quarter seed) the effects become exponentially

stronger and unpredictable. The seeds are usually too potent for

accurate dosing, but dried flowers or dried leaves are suitable for

teas or smoking mixes. The trifoliate leaves are laxative, diuretic,

anthelmintic, galactagogue (agent inducing milk secretion) and

emmenagogue (promoting menstrual discharge). The leaves are also

employed in the treatment of venereal buboes, inflammatory swellings

of lymph nodes, especially in the groins and armpits. The bark of the

Erythrina Indica is used for fever, hepatosis, malaria, rheumatism,

toothache, the treatment of epilepsy, and boils and fractures.

 

 

 

 

Mind -- the problem

 

 

 

 

 

Meditation is cutting the very roots of problems †" the

mind is the only problem, and unless you go beyond the mind, you will

never go beyond problems. It is strange that even today, Western

psychologists have not even pondered over the fact that the East has

created so many enlightened people, and none of them have bothered

about the analysis of the mind.

 

 

Just as in Western literature †" religious,

philosophical, theological †" there is no idea of going beyond the

mind. In the same way, in Eastern philosophical literature there is

no where any mention that psychoanalysis or psychology are of any

importance. The West has lived with the mind and the East has lived

beyond the mind, so their problems don’t seem to be the same. In

the East that has been the only, single search. The whole genius if

the East has been working for one thing no other problems -- how to

go beyond the mind.

 

 

 

In the East, meditation is something that you can float

in. The whole energy around you is just like a river †" it is

already going towards the ocean. You don’t have to swim, you have

just to float. In the West you have to fight against the current,

because for centuries the extrovert mind has created a totally

different kind of energy, not just different but contrary to the East

†" the outgoing the extrovert. [by Rajneesh]

 

 

 

 

Arunachala Animal Sanctuary

 

 

 

 

 

The Arunachala Animal Sanctuary and Rescue Shelter

(operating as its own Trust since 2007), is located South of the

Hill, off Chengam Road and a kilometre west of Ramana Ashram. The

Sanctuary was started by Leslie Robinson and Gina Suritsch. Leslie,

who hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S, worked as an Actuary in the

States until 1975 when he met his guru, Swami Muktananda. After years

of travelling and living in various ashrams in the U.S. and India,

Leslie now lives at Tiruvannamalai. The Sanctuary's co-founder is

Gina Suritsch; born in Vienna, Austria, who started visiting India in

1985 and who now spends much of her time at Tiruvannamalai.

 

 

 

Leslie Robinson's close involvement in animal welfare has

led him getting involved with many animals throughout India, even an

aging male lion performing with a travelling circus in Kerala. In

February, 2006 while Leslie Robinson was visiting Tiruvannamalai, he

heard that the local Municipality was preparing a street-by-street

cull of an estimated 2,500 homeless dogs in the area. In an attempt

to stop the cull, Leslie telephoned to mobilize animal activists

around the country. With the support of the animal activist, Maneka

Gandhi in Delhi (of the Gandhi family) and Prema of People for

Animals, Chennai (PFA) -- the proposed killing was halted; with the

stipulation that an effective birth control program be put in place.

 

 

 

In late June, 2006 the Municipality offered 12,000 square

feet of land at the foot of Arunachala. On that empty piece of land,

there is now the Animal Shelter, which comprises two main buildings.

One houses a sterile operating theatre, a modern clinic

examination/treatment room, a small isolation ward, a small

dispensary, a reception verandah, and a large retaining cage. The

other building has three large retaining cages -- and a fully

equipped kitchen. A painting of Mahatma Gandhi on the outside wall of

the Animal Sanctuary, bears his famous humanitarian words: " The

greatness of a nation and its moral progress is judged by the way its

animals are treated. "

 

 

 

In utilising an ABC and Anti-Rabies Program, the Animal

Shelter aims to control population and eliminate rabies. Homeless

street dogs are captured, brought in, sterilized, given anti-rabies

injections, allowed to remain at the Shelter for up to six days to

recuperate and then are returned to their original territory. Since

the opening of the Shelter well over a 1,000 dogs have been

sterilized and been given anti-rabies injections. In addition to ABC

sterilization programmes for homeless dogs, many locals bring in dogs

and small animals to the Shelter’s Clinic for veterinary attention.

The Arunachala Sanctuary is open seven days a week and provides

emergency services 24 hours a day. The Shelter also provides hospital

facilities especially in the case of animals that need isolation or

have to be kept in retaining areas. For animals that cannot survive

on their own, the Shelter offers then sanctuary for the rest of their

lives. Dying animals are given intensive loving care at the Shelter,

including IV's, pain killers, antibiotics and good food.

 

 

 

In the creation of Arunachala Animal Sanctuary and

Rescue, a start has been made. And as to the future, in the words of

Leslie Robinson:

 

 

" We're very grateful that our shelter came together as it

did. And we feel deeply blessed that it has been able to lift so much

of the suffering. But there's a lot more to do. There are still many

new injuries, and many new illnesses. There are also the often

overloaded bullock carts. There are the monkeys. The goats. The cats,

cows, birds, and other animals. And there are the difficult

conditions of surviving the hot season and the monsoon. There are the

dogs and other animals in nearby Municipalities. There is helping

lift national awareness. And clearly, we could use your help. "

 

 

Arunachala Animal Shelter

 

 

3 Yojanas

 

 

 

 

 

" There is in the Southern Region, O ascetic, in the land

of Dravidas, a great sacred place named Aruna associated with the

Lord with the crescent-moon for his crest-jewel.

 

 

 

It extends to three Yojanas. It is worthy of being adored

by Sivayogins. Know it to be the heart of the earth, attractive and

thrilling to Siva.

 

 

 

There the Lord Sambhu himself has assumed the form of a

mountain. He has the name Arunachala. He is conducive to the welfare

of the worlds. "

 

 

 

[Chapter 4, The Greatness of Arunachala

 

Skanda Purana -- I.iii(U).4.12-23]

 

 

 

As land has become prohibitively expensive at Arunachala,

here are two beautiful Estates for sale located 10 kms and 25 kms

respectively from the base of the Hill (3 Yojanas = 27 kms). The land

is pristine, silent, and very affordable. To find out more about the

Best Distance from Arunachala, and for information, lots of

photographs and prices of the two beautiful Estates, go to this link

here.

 

--- End forwarded message ---