--- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "matrixmonitor" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > ---Sure. Ramana was devoted to the Arunachala Hill, a murti of the > static form of Shiva . (p.2 Bhagavan Sri Ramana, A Pictorial Biography, > published by Sri V.S. Ramanan, President, Sri Ramanasramam). > Bhagavan spoke these words: > (p.1): "Siva, the Lord Supreme whom all adore, Us'd once His trident in > a mighty act of Grace; > That trident He made in times of yore, > Proclaims for e'er Tiruchili a sacred place.
describes the procewss and the diety perfectly. > In "Necklet of Nine Gems", Bhagavan is quoted as saying: > "To rescue me--born of virtuous Sundara and Sunari in the holy town of > Tiruchili, seat of Bhuminatheswara--from this barren worldly life, He > raised me to His state that His Heart might so rejoice, the immanence > of Siva so shine forth, and the Self flourish. Such is Arunachala, > famous throughout the universe!'. (page 1). > > In "Marital Garland of Letters", his transcribed words are: "From my > home Thou didst entice me, then stealing into my heart didst draw me > gently into Thine, such is Thy Grace, O Arunachala". (p. 17). > > Bhagavan saw the Arunachala Hill for the first time in 1896, and then > later said "From here Jnana Sambadha beheld the peak of Arunagiri and > sang verses out of excess joy and installed an image of Arunacheleswara > in the same spot." (p. 21). > Then, Bhagavan wrote out (in his own handwriting) a quote of Saint > Sambandha: "On the hill Arunachala, little animals like deer, bears, > and pigs along with big ones like elephants roam about fearlessly. Here > Lord Arunachala abides as Supreme Knowledge, santified with the Holy > name Annamalai, and blesses His devotes with his characteriscally > unfailing grace by removing their shortcomings". > Then, at the last stage of journey to Arunachala, Bhagavan (then > Venkataraman), entered the Arunacheleswara Temple and beheld the > Arunacheleswara Lingam". The editor (p 24) states, > > "As though the Father was thus preparing to welcome his 'beloved son > ', Venkataraman walked straight into the inmost shrine and addressed > Arunachaleswara thus: "I have come to Thee at Thy behst. Thy will be > done". > The foregoing thus provides a brief set of statements in Bhagavan's > words attesting to the fact that one can be devoted to "a God - a > Deity, even after realizing the Self. Such devotion by no means implies > a state of dualistic ignorance. Nice.
