Miscellaneous - Religion   

Path of Self-enquiry

CHENNAI : Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) has often been misunderstood because of a surfeit of rituals and practices. Without dismissing them outright it is necessary to understand their significance to appreciate why they have been prescribed. Worship of the holy abode, Arunachala, is an example. One of the greatest saints of recent times, Sri Ramana Maharshi, was drawn to this hill as a young boy and spent his lifetime there, and continues to grace his devotees with his presence in this hallowed spot. This sage taught the highest truth by the process of Self-enquiry (by constantly enquiring `Who am I?') and looked upon this sacred hill as the Guru. Traditionally this hill is revered as the manifestation and visible form of Agni (fire-god).

The Agni Sukta is one of the earliest and important hymns of the Rg Veda. To this day the practice of lighting a fire on the top of the hill on certain auspicious days continues. At the gross level this may seem a ritual but its import must be understood to benefit spiritually.

In his discourse, Nochur Sri Venkataraman said the Self shined within, which could be only experienced by directing the search inward. As introvertedness is not possible for a beginner, rituals like lighting a lamp are necessary to grasp the idea. Normally we are familiar only with the world of sensory experience and hence spiritual practices also have to start from this gross level and proceed to subtler levels of experience. It is the same seers who categorically declared that the Self (Atman) must be experienced within who have also indicated that the Arunachala could be experienced as its gross manifestation. It can be likened to the mirror that reflects the Self.

Sri Ramana made this sacred hill his abode to enable his devotees to experience the Self because it has the power like the Guru to redirect the mind inside. Just as a lamp does not need light to illumine its existence, so also, the Self is self-evident. Then why is this awareness not there in the majority of people making spiritual quest an arduous exercise? It is the mind that plays tricks on the `I' consciousness making it identify with the body-mind-intellect personality instead of the Self. By being attentive to the `I' awareness one can trace it to its source (the Self) and experience it, which will enable the seeker to realise that he is not the body.

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