Mantras

I'm still speechless. The last few days have been dominated by thoughts of the Vedic scriptures. A companion from another life took me to Nishtha Muller, an Aurovillian who has dedicated his life to the Vedic scriptures. For almost 2 hours, in his very humble dwelling in the forest, which he planted himself, he told us about Sanskrit, its roots, grammar, pronunciation, the deep spiritual power of mantras, and its cultural and historical dimensions. His explanations about the power of the word have stayed with me the most. In the beginning was the word… which is, of course, sound. In the Vedic tradition, writing was preceded by millennia of oral transmission. The mantras are composed in rhythmic verses and are logically or narratively structured in their sequence to make them easier to remember. The method of recitation has been passed down very precisely over many millennia. These mantras are therefore a testament to the beginning of the word. In the beginning was the word… words, sound, vocalization, memory, communal recitation, worship of the gods. Perhaps this is where the reason for consciousness lies. OM.

Yoga

These texts are yoga, the yoga of the body and Ayurvedic philosophy are part of this primordial ground. That companion from another life strongly advises me to learn Sanskrit and yoga. And from the masters here, not the new age bloggers. With these thoughts in my heart, I accompanied her and a group from the guest house to Tiruvannamalai.

Tiruvannamalai

The Ramana Maharshi Ashram is located in Tiruvannamalai. Ramana Maharshi lived in a cave and meditated for many years. There is only a small text about him: Who am I. Otherwise, recordings of other people's conversations. His statement that reading is not really necessary because all essential texts ultimately say the same thing disturbs me. I partly understand why he thinks that, but I'm not sure if you should say that. It sounds very arrogant.

Quite different Arunachaleswara Temple. I am still speechless here. Photos and video recordings are not allowed, but audio is, so here is a short clip from inside the temple complex:

Tiruvannamalai