Issue 9

Selfless Service at Arunachala Which is the punya boomi (holy land) that multiplies the effects of good deeds a thousand fold? Which is the punya boomi where millions and millions of Siddhas, Yogis and Rishis are present in their concrete or subtle forms? Where’s the largest Siva Lingam in the world located? Which is the punya boomi where every cubic inch of space is filled with thousands and thousands of Siva Lingams in their concrete, subtle and Jothi forms? The answer to all these questions is Arunachala, also known as Thiru Annamalai, 100 miles southwest of Madras. The town of Arunachala is built around the Arunachala Hill. This Arunachala Hill is like no other; it’s the largest Siva Lingam in the world. It’s the sthoola (concrete) form of Siva. It’s the brahmanda svaroopa (universal form) of the Universal Lord. It’s the quintessential Jothi Lingam. It’s a divine form that must be worshipped with bakthi (love). Arunachala, The Pinnacle of Spirituality Arunachala the Hill and Arunachala the Lord are non different. They are one and the same. The Arunachala Hill is that form of the Lord that is visible to our naked eyes. But every cubic inch of space in and around Arunachala is made up of thousands and thousands of Siva Lingams in their concrete, subtle and Jothi forms. What we see is the world’s largest Siva Lingam; what we don’t see are the countless sookshma (subtle) Lingams and Jothi Lingams. But these are visible to the Siddhas, Yogis and Rishis who flock to this place in millions. They are the ones who truly understand the spiritual splendour and uniqueness of this divya kshetra. Millions and millions of Siddhas, Yogis and Rishis are ever present in Arunachala in their concrete or subtle forms. Why? Because Arunachala, the great spiritual magnet has drawn them there. Sri Arunachala draws all spiritual seekers from everywhere unto Himself. He’s the eternal refuge of all spiritual seekers. There’s no other place like Arunachala for the spiritually minded. These Siddhas, Yogis, Rishis and other great souls constantly replenish the spiritual sakthi (potency) of this place thus maintaining it as the spiritual power center of the universe. This punya boomi has been home to great Siddhas like Arunagiri, Gugai and Guru Namasivaya, Seshadri and Ramana Maharishi. These great souls have deposited their punya sakthi in this place for our spiritual upliftment. In fact, the millions and millions of Siddhas who are ever present here have been commanded by Sri Arunachala to work for the spiritual upliftment of all of humankind. Spiritual Upliftment at Arunachala Caught in the web of Maya (the grand delusion of the material world), the spiritual progress of humankind is blocked by a pleasure seeking attitude which leads to vices like dishonesty, corruption, immorality, selfishness, miserliness, jealousy, enmity, covetousness and others. But the Siddhas are aware of our sorry state and they have prescribed a solution by which we can become free from the grip of Maya and make spiritual progress. What’s this solution? Charitable deeds and selfless service performed under the guidance of a Sathguru. This is the only way to relieve ourselves from the vices of Kali Yuga. The punya sakthi generated from these good deeds obliterates the karma of many lifetimes and thus leads us to higher spiritual planes. This is the only permanent remedy for the ills of Kali Yuga. But how can we reach this state of sublime spirituality? Only by absolute surrender to the Sathguru, the embodiment of all knowledge. How can one get a Sathguru? Simple, say the Siddhas. Perform Arunachala giri valam. Circle the Arunachala Hill as many times as you can. This spiritual exercise will lead you to your Sathguru. Why? Because Arunachala giri valam is the foremost of all spiritual exercises, say the Siddhas. As you go around the hill, look at the peak of the hill with every step. Each of these visions (darisanam) will be a bit different from the previous one. Each of these visions can destroy significant portions of our bad karma. Thus the more darisanams that we see, the more karma we get rid off. This is the reason that the Siddhas say that we must do Arunachala giri valam whenever possible. The Power of Charitable Deeds If Arunachala is the foremost divya kshetra (place of pilgrimage) in the world, if a Sathguru is an absolute requirement on the spiritual path and if good deeds must be performed for one’s spiritual upliftment, imagine the positive effects of performing these good deeds under the guidance of a Sathguru at Arunachala! It’s the most potent spiritual combination there is! While good deeds performed anywhere result in punya sakthi, those done in Arunachala have their effects multiplied a thousandfold. This is because everything that we do in Arunachala is witnessed by the numerous concrete and subtle Siva Lingams that fill every cubic inch of this kshetra (holy land). Thus every good deed is blessed a thousand times and thus the effects of every good act are magnified a thousandfold if performed in Arunachala. The Universal Lord accepts the service that we render to the poor and the needy, the old and the infirm, the blind and the handicapped as pooja (worship) offered unto Him. But it’s only those who realize that even this service is possible only through the Lord’s grace who are accepted as true devotees by God. Such true devotees are the Siddhas, Yogis, Rishis, Nayanmars and Alvars. They worshipped God with true love and they want us all to do the same too. And the way to do this is through selfless service. Timing! Are there special times when we should engage in these services? Every day is a good day for serving and worshipping Sri Arunachala, but the Pournami full moon days and the Karthigai Deepam day are particularly important, say the Siddhas. The Pournami day marks the the apex of spirituality in each month and the Karthigai Deepam day commemorates the appearance of the Lord as a jothi sthambam, an infinite pillar of light at Arunachala. Thus these days are particularly significant. While we must perform giri valam and good deeds every day at Arunachala, the Pournami days and the Karthigai Deepam day are particularly important. True to the word of the Siddhas, we at the Sri La Sri Lobha Matha Agasthiar Ashram at Arunachala, perform anna dhaanam (giving the gift of food) on the Pournami day each month and during the Karthigai Deepam festival every year. This is done in accordance with Siddha procedures under the guidance of the Sathguru, Guru Mangala Gandharva Venkataraman with the blessings of his divine teacher Sri Idiyaapa Siddha. The Ashram's Role The Sri La Sri Lobha Matha Agasthiar Ashram is dedicated to the spiritual upliftment of all beings everywhere. The ashram’s goals and activities include: Conscious effort towards the spiritual upliftment of all beings everywhere Spreading the bakthi (love) and saranagathi (surrender) approach to God Establishing faith in God as the foundation of human life Spreading the word of the Siddhas through books and the monthly magazien, Sri Agasthia Vijayam Selfless service to the poor and the needy without any race, religion, nationality barriers Offering free medical help to the poor Renovation and upkeep of ancient temples Spreading the importance of Arunachala giri valam Involving one and all in charitable deeds like anna dhaanam (the gift of food), vastra dhaanam (the gift of clothes), vidya dhaanam (the gift of knowledge), gnaana dhaanam (the gift of spiritual wisdom) in Arunachala and other places Offering aid and assistance to the old and the infirm, the handicapped and the helpless. In this Pramaadhi year (mid April 1999 to mid April 2000), the anna dhaanam dates at the ashram are November 21, 1999 to November 24, 1999. The ashram will also perform anna dhaanam at Aiyar Malai (near Trichy) from November 21, 1999 to November 25, 1999. In addition to this, the ashramites will also light a jothi on the Aiyar Malai Hill just like the one lit on the Arunachala Hill, thereby spreading Arunachala deepa jothi worship procedures. This effort of the Sathguru has received the full support of Aiyarmalai townsfolk, those in the nearby villages and the Aiyar Malai Ratnagireesvara temple administrators. Share It With Everyone The Sathguru's divine teacher Sri Idiyaapa Siddha would repeatedly say that it's not enough that we do good deeds, but we must involve others in good deeds too. This is the secret of the Siddhas. Learning the Siddha way and following it is only the beginning. To walk the Siddha path, one must communicate the Siddha way to everyone and involve them in good deeds and selfless service too. This is the teaching of the selfless Siddhas of the Agasthiar lineage. Om Salutations to Arunachala Om Salutations to Sri Agasthiar Om Salutations to the Maha Guru Om Salutations to the Agasthiar Lineage Om Salutations to the Siddhas