Significance of Arunachala: In the proximity of it, the presence of the Self is more powerful and more self-evident than anywhere else.

Arunachala

Question: I want to ask one last question. What is the significance of Arunachala? Last night was full moon. So many people went round the hill. I also went. 

Annamalai Swami: It is not an ordinary hill. It is not like other hills in the world. It is a spiritual hill. Those who associate with  it feel a magnetic pull towards the Self. Though it is in the form of a hill, it has the full energy of the Self. Seekers who come to this place with the intention of realising the Self can be much benefited by going round the hill. Walking round the hill can help you a lot with your sadhana. 

There is water everywhere under the ground, but there are some places where it is easier to get at. Likewise, the Self is everywhere. There is no place that is without it, but it is also true that there are certain places, certain people, around which and around whom the presence of the Self can be easily felt. In the proximity of this hill, the presence of the Self is more powerful and more self-evident than anywhere else. However, the great glory of this hill cannot be explained in words. One has to experience it for oneself. 

We often say, ‘I slept happily,’ but if someone asks you to explain in words the happiness you felt in that state, what can you say? You can experience it, but you can’t really explain it. This is how the Self is. You can experience it, you can become it, but you cannot explain this state through words. The same thing can be said about this hill. You can experience it, but you can’t explain it in a satisfactory way. 

In Indian mythology we have a wish-fulfilling tree. If you find this tree and tell it what you want, your wish will be granted. Arunachala also has this reputation. That is why so many people come here on a full moon night and walk around it. But very few people come here and ask for enlightenment, for undisturbed peace. All beings are ultimately searching for undisturbed peace, but who asks for it here? If you are ready to receive peace, Arunachala can give it to you. 

This peace is already within us, but people don’t appreciate this, so they go looking for it all over the place, in external locations. 

Question: Is it faith in Arunachala that produces results, or is there some inherent power here that is independent of my belief in it? 

Annamalai Swami: You can say that Arunachala is a light. It shines whether you believe in it or not. If you go near a lamp, it will shine on you whether you believe in it or not. Arunachala is the light of the Self, and the light of the Self will continue to shine, even if you refuse to believe that it is there. 

Question: Is Arunachala the only place that is like this, or are there other places? I have heard that there are powerful places in the Himalayas. 

Annamalai Swami: Bhagavan himself said that Arunachala is greater than all other religious places. There are other holy, powerful places in the world, but none has the power of Arunachala. Bhagavan has written about this in his verses. 

There is a huge amount of shakti, spiritual energy, here. We can take as much as we want, but no matter how much we take, the original amount is never diminished. It is an inexhaustible source. Even before Bhagavan came and lived here, there were innumerable sages who had discovered the power of Arunachala for themselves. Many came here, realised the Self and attributed their realisation to the power and grace of this mountain. Bhagavan has praised this mountain in his poetry, and other sages have talked about the spiritual greatness of Arunachala in their verses and in their other teachings. 

Though others have praised the mountain, they did not succeed as well as Bhagavan in making Arunachala and its power famous all over the world. Bhagavan has revealed the secret of Arunachala, which is why so many foreigners now come here. Bhagavan always maintained that the power of this mountain was not a matter of belief. He said that if you sit in the shade of a tree, you will feel the cool shade. This is a physical fact, not a matter of belief. Then he went on to say that Arunachala worked in the same way. It affects the people who are here, whether they believe in it or not. He once said, ‘Arunachala is like a fire. If you go near it you will feel the heat whether you believe in it or not.’ I also heard him say once, ‘If you go round this hill, it will give you its grace, even if you don’t want it’.