Fw: [Newsletter] Arunachala, July 2007; information and news of Shiva sacred mountain, South India

June 29, 2007

Friday, June 29, 2007 12:01 AM

[Newsletter] Arunachala, July 2007; information and news of Shiva sacred mountain, South India

Arunachala Grace News - July, 2007

Arunachala Tidbits

Helmet Rule On June 1st, 2007, a rule mandating motorcyclists and pillion riders to wear helmets (while on their vehicles) went into affect. It was intended that initially the rule would affect: Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiurchy, Salem and Tirunelveli, and later be imposed throughout the rest of Tamil Nadu. However, as a result of the public's continued opposition to the rule, Tamil Nadu, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi has directed that the new regulation not be implemented 'very vigorously'. Swami Nithyananda Ashram We hope to bring news about the progress of work going on at Tiruvannamalai in regards to the development of a Swami Nithyananda Ashram in the next newsletter. Free Medical Camp A free medical camp is conducted every 2nd Sunday in association with Yogi Ramasuratkumar Ashram. Over 7 doctors from Chennai regularly attend the camp and see up to 1,200 patients during that day. Specialisations include allopathy, homeopathy, ayurveda and siddha medicine. The next FREE medical camp at the venue of Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram will be held on July 9th from between 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Animal Shelter Noortje Kloek from Utretch, Holland took over veterinary duties from our previous vets, Kim Schriek and Rogier Van Leeuwen who had been working at the Tiruvannamalai Animal Shelter for 5 months. Noortje came to India through Animal Welfare of Holland to participate in voluntary work at the Karuna Society, Puttaparthi, who kindly allowed her to come to Tiruvannamalai to replace the departing Kim and Rogier. Noortje who is 27, qualified as a veterinary doctor in Holland. She has been performing up to 5-6 neutering operations a day on female dogs (male dogs on Sundays), as well as attending to orthopaedic patients, injuries, trauma and various surgical procedures. She has been very happy with her experience both at Puttaparthi and Tiruvannamalai, although she feels that the introductions of x-ray machines and in-house blood testing would be invaluable in improving animal care at both facilities. So far the demands of the clinic have not allowed Noortje much free time, but she does hope to see some of the area while she is here.

Karuna Society

Sparsa Tiruvannamalai

Work on the construction of the new Sparsa, Tiruvannamalai Hotel (an affiliate of Day's Inn) is going well and the Hotel's Grand Opening is set for the beginning of August. The hotel will have approximately 30 accommodation units, all with a view of Arunachala, including one luxury villa room with a private swimming pool. The compound of the Hotel which is set in nearly 3 acres west of girivalam road and east of the NH-66 to Bangalore; comprises a swimming pool, health club, ayurveda treatment centre, restaurant, coffee shop, internet facility, flower shop, gift shops, conference hall and private mandapams available for quiet sitting, talks and retreat groups. Rates at the Hotel will be calculated in U.S. Dollars. Daily room rates start at $75 per single and $90 per double. For help in making either enquiries or reservations at Sparsa, Tiruvannamalai, please contact us here at: arunachalana

Progress Update

Common Babbler

The Common Babbler (affectionately known as 7 sisters) is probably one of the most populous birds in this area. This bird is a slim, earthy brown with upper plumage streaked darker, and long, graduated, loosely attached tail which is finely cross-rayed. It prefers dry open country and semi-desert with thorn scrub and shrubby vegetation. The Common Babbler feeds on the ground and scuttles along like a rat through thorn scrub and thickets, as it is loth to fly. It has a feeble flight which is comprised of a few rapid flaps, followed by a glide on outspread wings and tail. Most people will notice the Common Babbler while in the area as the bird is usually found in flocks of over 6-7 birds, scuttling along and thereby making themselves very prominent. Its call is a short pleasant trilling whistle but when agitated it utters a musical whistling as it nervously twitches its wings and tail and hops from bush to bush, with the whole of its accompanying 'sisterhood' hurling invectives at intruders in a disorderly chorus; such a racket! The Common Babbler eats insects, berries, grain, flower nectar and fruits. The bird's nesting season is generally between March and July and it makes its nest in a compact cup of grass and roots in low, thorny bushes. 3 to 4 turquoise coloured, glossy eggs are laid at a time with both sexes sharing domestic duties.

Quo Vadis Harmony Function

On June 21st, 2007, an evening cultural programme put on by Quo Vadis was held at the venue of the Danish Mission School, Tiruvannamalai (run by the Arcot Lutheran Church). Such events known as 'Quo Vadis Harmony' are intended to be the engagement of music and arts to promote cultural dialogue and will be henceforth held at regular intervals. The 42 members of the 'Quo Vadis Forum' put on a programme of over 2 hours in front of an audience of nearly 500 people, comprising; a violin recital, drama, performing arts and a dance programme which included Indian classical (Bharat Nityam) folk and modern dance. The cultural and performing arts sketches and short dramas included both men and women enacting lessons of morality and righteous living. The main highlight of the evening was a recital by 12 violins playing music by Western composers including Beethoven and Bach. The recital, an 'arangettram' (debut public musical recital) included some violinists that had been playing for only a very short time. The violinists had been trained by Rt. Rev. Dr. Gideon Devanesan The function held in the open air at the foot of Arunachala, was a great success and well enjoyed by the large audience which included a smattering of young kids. It is proposed that 'Quo Vadis Harmony' will have similar cultural programmes in the future.

Photographs and information

Lawsonia Inermis

Lawsonia Inermis is also more popularly known by the names, Maruthani in Tamil and Henna in Hindi. At a height of 2 to 6m, the plant can be considered a tall shrub or a small tree. It is glabrous, multibranched with spine tipped branchlets. Leaves are short, tapering or oval which yield red color on pasting. Flowers are fragrant, whitish or creamy and pyramidal. Fruits are round which contain many, short, pyramidal and smooth seeds. Flowers in October and November. The parts used of this plant included the flowers, leaves and fruit. Its medicinal properties: are aromatic, antifungal, anti-bacterial, coolant and astringent. Leaf paste is applied as a prophylactic against skin diseases, and is also used in the case of headache, joint pain, sleeplessness, diarrhea, jaundice, heart diseases, fever and burning sensation in feet. Leaf powder is used on boils and burns. A decoction of leaves, if gargled, is useful for sore throats. The plant is also a natural hair dye. The leaves have medicinal properties like halting secretion or bleeding and preventing skin diseases. The bark and seeds of the plant are used in Ayurvedic and Unani medicine. The seeds of the henna plant are effective in the treatment of dysentery. They are powdered, mixed with ghee and made into small ball of the size of a betel nut. It is also very helpful in this condition, when taken with water. The bark of the plant is effective in the treatment of liver disorders like jaundice and enlargement of the liver. Henna, Lawsonia Inermis helps in the treatment of baldness, relief in the case of prickly heat, and its flowers also cure headaches caused by the heat of the sun. A paste of the leaves is applied on the soles of the feet to relief cracked and dry skin. It is also affective in the case of skin diseases, sore throat and pessaries or suppositories in the case of various women's ailments. Henna, Lawsonia Inermis is mainly used as a colouring agent. It is mixed with other natural dyes and is largely used as hair dye and even for textiles. The oil obtained from its flowers is used in perfumes. Henna produces a red-orange dye molecule, lawsone. This molecule has an affinity for bonding with protein, and thus has been used to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather, silk and wool. Henna, Lawsonia Inermis has been used for body art and hair dye since the Bronze Age, but is now experiencing a renaissance in body art due to improvements in cultivation, processing, and the diasporas of people from traditional henna using region. In Tamil Nadu Henna, ‘Maruthani’, is most often used as ground fresh leaves rather than as dried powder. As well as being cultivated throughout the Tiruvannamalai District, ‘Maruthani’ also grows wild throughout the area as a result of natural seed dispersal.

Henna medicinal information

Lasting Happiness

[by Deepak Chopra] Behind the curtain of your intellect and emotions is your self-image or ego. The ego is not your real self; it is the image of yourself that you have slowly built over time. It is the mask behind which you hide, but it is not the real you. And because it is not the real you, but a fraud, it lives in fear. It wants approval. It needs to control. And it follows you wherever you go. You break free when you feel neither beneath anyone nor superior to anyone, when you shed the need to control other people, when you no longer use stereotypes or harbor extreme likes or dislikes toward people you hardly know. You break free when you refuse to follow the impulses of anger and fear, when your speech is nurturing rather than scathing, when you choose to express only your love. You break free when you surrender to the moment, to what is, and trust that the universe is on your side. You break free when you let go of grievances and choose to forgive. Grievances are the melodrama of the ego that overshadows the spirit. When you relinquish all grievances, you truly break free and find your soul. The soul is the source of creativity, understanding, peace, harmony, laughter and all possibilities. It is a place of stillness, which is beyond labels. But as soon as we use labels – good or bad – we create an image that overshadows the inner self. Without those labels, we are the free spirit and the free flow of the Universe. The world of the ego is time-bound, temporary, fearful, self-centered and attached to the known. It clings to pleasure and recoils from pain. The world of spirit is timeless and eternal, joyful, undivided, unshakable, dynamic, creative, powerful and free of every limitation. The world of spirit is the source of all power. There never was and never will be any other source of power. What the world calls power is really fear that leads to manipulation and control of others, which in turn leads to violence and suffering. Real power is the power to create, the power to transform, the power to love, the power to heal and the power to be free. Real power comes from our connection to our deepest self, to what is Real . . . Both a positive mind and a negative mind can be a turbulent mind, and sometimes one can switch to the other very quickly. Courage can become fear in the twinkling of an eye. Love can transform into jealousy in the twinkling of an eye. These are turbulent minds. More important than a positive mind is a silent mind. Why not go beyond both a positive mind and a negative mind to become a silent, nonjudgmental, non-analytical, non-interpretive mind? In other words, the silent witness. In the process of silent witnessing, we experience inner silence. In the purity of silence, we feel connected to our source and to everything. In silence, we flow with the tide, and the tendencies that emerge from here are evolutionary. In silence, inner energies spontaneously wake up and bring about the appropriate transformation for every situation . . . The key to happiness is to stop looking for it, and to know that you already have it. The key to lasting happiness is to live and play in the field of intelligence that is beyond positive and negative. That field is your source, and it is magical, holy, joyful and free.

Lasting Happiness

Pachaiamman Temple

In 1996, the Sri Pachaiamman Mannarswami Trust was formed comprising 6 hereditary Agamudaiyar families of Tiruvannamalai whose ancestors have been traditionally serving Goddess Pachaiamman at a location at the south east slope of Arunachala for many generations. The site of the current Temple is believed to have originated sometime during the Chola period (8th to 11th Century). But the Temple, as we now know it, is only about 120 years old. In 1904 it was known as “arthamandapam”, however recently completed renovation and enlargement has led to the new name “mahamandapam”. This new enlarged Pachaiamman Temple was inaugurated in 2004, and additional construction work continues. A legend of Pachaiamman (an aspect of Parvati) has it that after completing her penance at Kanchi, the Goddess started off for Arunachala. She travelled with 7 rishis and 7 virgins (Sapta Kanniyars) as part of a protective entourage. Halfway from Kanchi to Arunachala, the entourage stopped and made camp at the village Vazhapanthal. At that place the local king tried to molest the Goddess and the 7 rishis became as munishwaras (guardians) and killed the king. In the Pachaiamman Compound there are 14 statues of Pachaiamman’s warrior guardians set out in two lines, with two representations of each warrior. There are also statues of Lord Munishwara’s vahanas (vehicles) in the form of an elephant, a dog and five horses. Pachaiamman means ‘Green Mother’ and there are several stories connected with this Goddess which explains the history of her name. In one story, the sage Gautama Rishi in readying his Arunachala ashram to receive the Goddess, prepared a ‘parnasala’ (a holy seat). For this purpose durbai grass was used (a variety of pale yellow green grass used for yagnas). When the Goddess arrived and came to the ‘parnasala’, the durbai changed colour from the pale yellow green to an intense green. Another story of how the Goddess received the name Pachaiamman, is that during her journey from Kanchi to Arunachala, while staying at Vazhapanthal, Amman sat under a covering of lush green banana leaves – hence her name. Shantimalai Trust has been involved in financing various works at Pachaiamman Temple; Elevation work on the eastside of the mahamandapam including construction of 6 pillars and 150 statues and the creation of God statues at the WaterTank inside the Temple Compound. As well as support from Shantimalai, Pachaiamman Temple is also raising money for the building work that remains to be completed at the Temple, which includes; tiling for weather protection on top of the Temple’s concrete roof, grills to be put up throughout the Mandapam and also elevation work on the north side, west side and south side of the Temple. A Community Hall (for marriages and functions) will be built next to the WaterTank. A new, shorter roadway, giving easier access to pilgrims and eliminating the need for them to climb the current long steep hill to the Temple, is being built by the local Panchayat. The roadway will have 2 small culvert bridges to allow for passage of water underneath during rainy season. Pachaiamman hitherto has not drawn the crowds one would expect, but doubtlessly that will change with time. Its quite lovely.

Pachaiamman Temples

Samudram Land

Occasionally I will post news of land for sale, in the hope that the land will be acquired by a single owner (or independent group) who intends using the land for his/their own purpose, and thereby prevent it from being cut up and sold as individual housing plots which will eventually become densely packed urban areas. My belief is that LAND AT ARUNACHALA IS SACRED AND WE NEED TO REVERE AND PROTECT IT. The above land is approximately 7 acres and is currently owned by a private individual who wishes to sell. Over the last years I have often visited this particular land on my way through the Samudram area. It is a VERY special, sacred place. If you wish to find out more about this land please get in touch with: arunachalameenakshi

Land Photographs

In This Issue:

Arunachala Tidbits

Sparsa Tiruvannamalai

Common Babbler

Quo Vadis Harmony Function

Lawsonia Inermis

Lasting Happiness

Pachaiamman Temple

Samudram Land

Arunachala Grace Network

Kali Yuga

Inspiration

Origin of Ardhanarisvara

Links

Arunachala Grace Network

Aum! Let us listen with our ears to that which is auspicious, adorable one. Let us perceive with our eyes what is holy and auspicious. With strong, stable body and limbs, may we seek the Divine Grace and accept the noble order of all our life. *************************

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Kali Yuga

Satya Yuga and Treta Yuga had ended and it was the Dwarapa Yuga. Only one month remained for Dwarapa Yuga to end and after that would begin the age of the Kali Yuga. Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Mahesh and Dharma Raj went to Kali and said, “Your age, the Kali Yuga will begin after one month. How will this new age be? What will be your influence on it? The Goddess replied, “I will tell you now that during my time wealth will reign supreme. There will be treachery and fraud. People will stoop to any depths to get wealth.” Before Kali could say anymore, the Gods witnessed the following scene: A merchant was holding a large copper vessel filled with treasure. He said to the Brahmin, “After I bought your house, I found this vessel filled with treasure. I think your forefathers must have buried it in the house. Therefore, it belongs to you.” The Brahmin said, “This treasure is not mine. As, I sold the house to you, along with the earth below it and the sky above it. Therefore, whatever you get from it, belongs to you alone.” “No,” said the Merchant, “It belongs to you.” “Of course not,” argued the Brahman, “It belongs to you only.” Soon the argument turned into a quarrel between the Merchant and the Brahmin. At last they decided to give the treasure away to the Village Head. But even the Village Head refused to accept the treasure. So they went to the King, and said, “Your Highness, this treasure does not belong to anyone. So please deposit it in the State Treasury.” But even the King refused to deposit it in the State Treasury. After a long debate, it was decided to keep the treasure with a money lender for a month. Everybody there present said, “We will think about this after a month.” And in their presence the money lender buried the treasure deep in the ground. One month passed and the Kali Yuga had begun. And with the beginning of the Kali Yuga, the merchant thought, “I found the treasure in my house, so it belongs to me.” Meanwhile the Brahmin thought, “The treasure was buried by my forefathers so it belongs to me.” The Village Head thought, “Neither the Merchant nor the Brahmin wanted the treasure so it belongs to the Village. We can use the money to have a lavish feast for the village. And by hosting the feast I can make some money.” The King thought, “The people have no right over any treasure. Whatsoever is found under the ground belongs to the King.” And so with the beginning of Kali Yuga, everybodies way of thinking changed. Their intentions were no longer noble. They became selfish, greedy and dishonest. As decided earlier, the work of digging up the treasure began in the presence of all who had taken part in the debate about the treasure. When the vessel containing the treasure was pulled out and opened, everybody was shocked and surprised as the casket was only full of charcoal. Kali said to the Gods, “Did you see that? The money lender cheated everyone. Did you see my influence?” Then pointing towards a pond, Kali said to the Gods, “Now look at what is happening there.” Four thieves were sitting near the pond. They were very hungry. Two trusted their accomplices with the job of guarding their stolen gains, and went off to buy sweets at a nearby village. On their way to town, they thought, “If we poison the sweets, we can kill the two men waiting back at the pond, then we can have their share of the wealth.” So the thieves ate to their hearts content and then mixed poison in the remaining sweets. When they returned to the pond and their accomplices, they said, “We have already eaten our sweets, here are the remaining ones for you.” The thieves who had gone to town were tired and drowsy from the food they eaten and quickly fell asleep under the tree. One of the remaining thieves, said, “We will eat the sweets later, first let us kill these men. Then we can have a share of their wealth also.” Thinking thus they stabbed the sleeping thieves. They then unknowingly ate the poisoned sweets and themselves went into a never ending sleep.” In this way the four thieves lost their lives because they had deceived each other. Just then four maidens came by to fill water from the pond. When they saw the men lying dead under the tree, the maidens hearts filled with compassion. Each of the maidens sacrificed whatever they had gained by their virtuous deeds at the feet of Shiva and Parvati, and prayed that the thieves be brought back to life. As a result the four thieves came back to life. The first maiden’s virtuous deed was her pilgrimage. The second maiden’s deed was her penance. The third maiden’s act of virtue was her fasts and prayers on the behalf of others. And the fourth maiden’s virtue was in her acts of truthfulness. It was then asked by the observers of this drama, “Of the four maidens, whose virtuous deeds was it that had the power to bring the men back to life?” The answer was, “It was the virtuous deed of the fourth maiden’s Truth that could restore life. As during the Kali Yuga, all go on pilgrimages, meditate, perform penances and fast to show they are virtuous . . . But very few speak the truth.” [adapted from the stories of Vikramaditya]

Inspiration

Winston Churchill Of this I am quite sure, that if we open up a quarrel between the past and the present, we shall find that we have lost the future. . . . . . The only guide to a man is his conscience; the only shield to his memory is the rectitude and sincerity of his actions. It is very imprudent to walk through life without this shield, because we are so often mocked by the failure of our hopes and the upsetting of our calculations; but with this shield, however the fates may play, we march always in the ranks of honour. . . . . . . . . we have to gain the victory. That is our task. ************************* Look Within Look Within, Approach with all Devotion, Stay as Heart. Only Adore Yourself, worship your Self, and seek your Self, the rest will be taken care of. Avoid useless pleasures and activities and simly Keep Quiet. This is the natural state. If you want to wake up, don’t think and do not make effort. This is the only way. This may appear as Wisdom with inquiry or as Love by devotion, but both are the same. True wisdom is the Love of Self. [HWL Poonja] *************************

Origin of Ardhanarisvara

Ardhanarishvara is an androgynous deity composed of Shiva and his consort Shakti, representing the synthesis of masculine and feminine energies. The form also illustrates how the female principle of God, Shakti is inseparable from the male principle of God, Shiva. Ardhanari in iconography is depicted as half-male and half-female, split down the middle. "It was as though two objects were simulataneously perceived in close proximity. In one half it was as white as camphor and in the other half it is as red as red lead. The body of a single unit was highly wonderful. In one-half there was flowing tresses. In the middle of the necklace there was a flower. The body of the crescent moon-crested Lord had silk in one-half that was beautiful with a single anklet, ear-ring and bracelet. The body of the companion of Kubera shone with a single breast . . ." Siva said: " . . . This Durga, the destroyer of Mahisa, the deity born of your part, shall be present here itself, yielding the Siddhi of Mantras to men . . . Here in the sacred place of Aruna I shall also remain by the name of Aruna. You shall also be here by the name of Arunadevi. Since Aruna and the Lord are always present here, all the siddhis will be easily accessible in this holy spot of Aruna to those who entertain a desire for them." [skanda Purana]

The Legend

Links:

Daily Arunachala informationArunachala WebsiteArunachala News ArchiveQuo Vadis Harmony FunctionHerbal FarmLasting HappinessHenna medicinalHenna cosmeticSparsa Tiruvannamalai UpdateDeepam mythologyArdhanarisvaraWinston ChurchillKaruna SocietyLand PhotographsPachaiamman Temples