Linda: Shri Ramana Ashram – Day 2 Jan 7

Shri Ramana Ashram – Day 2

Today was a day spent entirely in the ashram, for most of us. Patrick worked in the morning, but spent the afternoon climbing Mt. Arunachula with his father. Eleanor, Matthew, and I attended a simple puja at 6:45 in the morning, followed by breakfast in the dining hall.

Breakfast was a wonderful meal and experience. Anyone who wants to eat washes their hands, comes in, and sits, one next to each other, behind a “plate” made from leaves. At breakfast, our plate or eating mat was several leaves sewn together by some kind person. One washes the leaves with water and then several priests and helpers come by, doling various foods onto the leaf plate. This morning, we had 3 idly (rice cakes), some vegetable curry, and delicious hot coffee (in a cup). Second servings are offered, and when one is finished, one merely folds your plate in half so the helpers can clean up. Oh – no utensils. You eat everything with your right hand (never the left), scooping everything together and somehow managing to get it to your mouth without spilling it onto your clothes. It actually works quite well – and NO DISHES!! I could definitely get use to this. It was so simple, so quiet, so dignified. There was no real conversation, one just ate and left and went on with whatever the day was to bring.

Afterwards, we thought there was to be more chanting and prayers, but either there wasn’t or we were not in the right place. We wandered out of the back of the compound, and started up the mountain, intending to go just a little way. We were barefooted, as one leaves one’s shoes at the gates of the ashram. Up the path is the place where Shri Ramana had lived in a cave for 20 years in silence, before a place further down the mountain was built for him (actually built more for the pilgrims who wished to see him). Instead of going right, Eleanor chose left, where there was a small shelter residence of a sadhu with a lovely shrine – a perfect little home (something my wilderness survival spirit was particularly drawn to). It had a leaf roof with low sides and flat boulders making two low walls/beds/backrests. The roof did not quite meet the top of the boulders, and one could sit in the shade and shelter, looking over the valley and breathing the scent of aromatic flowers. One corner was a fire pit and there was a little shrine to Shiva at the back of the hut. That was all – and it was everything. Just up the path was a little pool to go to bathe every day (the streets here may be dirty, but the people are usually clean), something required in the religion. So, shelter, water, fire, food at the ashram, a hospitable environment, and a simple cloth for clothing. No need. No want. Perfect contentment.

As with most mountain paths, when it comes to Eleanor and me, going up a little way always means going a little way more. We ended up walking almost all the way up the mountain in our bare feet. I love the mountains so much. Up high with the sky and the wind. Unfortunately, one never got away from the tooting of the horns below, and I was vastly wishing for the quiet of the west. That is something America has in great measure – pristine, silent, wilderness. What a blessing. When we neared the top, we stopped and sat for awhile. I watched a family of monkeys scampering about and saw an eagle soaring over the top of the mountain. And with that eagle, yesterday and today came together. Our time on the mountain was much too brief, but I was aware of the movement of the sun and knew that what little shade we had would be gone in another hour, making the rocks hot as well as rough. (Grateful again for all those tracking/survival skills.) After our climb, Eleanor went back to soak her feet (climbing sandstone barefooted leaves its mark) and I went to wait for lunch. Then rest and … the remainder of the day much like yesterday – and tomorrow.

We may hike around the bottom of Arunachula tomorrow. Going around the bottom is something people from all over India come to do. It is a road/track peppered with little temples and shrines. It is 14 km and should take a good part of the morning. Thank goodness it is “winter”, with temperatures in the 80’s rather than summer – with temperatures in the 100’s! Eleanor and I still hope to make it to the top of the mountain as well.