SIGNIFICANCE OF MOUNTAINS IN CHRISTIANITY

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SIGNIFICANCE OF MOUNTAINS IN CHRISTIANITY

 

Arunachala is dear to us as Siva. In fact it is Siva Himself. The

only object to which Sri Ramana could be said to have an attachment,

it was Arunachala. The following, which is meant to show the

significance of mountains in Christianity, would be of interest to

Sri Ramana devotees.

 

Mountains tower over us. They convey a sense of mystery. They are

considered holy in many faiths. They are believed to be abode of

gods, even a place where one can find salvation. Christian

literature reveals the symbolic role of mountains. In the Old

Testament, God was depicted as God of mountains. Mountains also

provided the backdrop to many key events in the unfolding story of

the Bible. Sinai was the mountain where Moses received the Ten

Commandments.

 

The 121st Psalm says: " I look to the mountains; where will my help

come from? " According to Psalm 125: " Those who trust in the Lord are

like Mount Zion, which can never be shaken, never be moved. " In the

New Testament, mountains play a significant symbolic role. Jesus

often went away to the hills to pray and be alone. He delivered the

famous Sermon on the Mount from here. When Jesus showed his divine

form to his three disciples – Peter, James and John, they were alone

with him on a high mountain.

 

Mountains have provided refuge to truth-seekers, hermits, and even

to ordinary men. With their beauty, mystery and transcendence, they

can help lift our lives above the grime and dirt associated with the

plains below. Therefore we long to visit Tiruvannamalai --

Arunachala Siva Arunachala, and have giri pradikshna. (Source: Times

of India)

 

 

prof laxmi narain (prof_narain)

 

Source and courtesy: Sri Ramana Kendram, Hyderabad

This article was published in Sri Ramana Jyothi,

monthly magazine of the Kendram.