Q and A with Swami Anamali

Swami Anamali was Bhagavan’s private aid for many years and builder of many ashram buildings. He found his enlightenment with Ramana Maharshi.

Question: What is the significance of Arunachala? Last night there were so many people going around the hill!

Answer: It is not an ordinary hill. It is spirituality Itself. It has a powerful, magnetic pull to the Self. Seekers who come to this place with the intention of realizing the Self will have untold benefits to dopradakshina on a full moon. There is water everywhere under the ground, but there are some places where it is easier to get to. 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 the presence of the Self can be more easily felt. In the proximity of this holy hill the presence of the Self is more powerful and more self-evident than anywhere else. Indian mythology speaks of 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. This 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 their complete freedom, for undisturbed peace. All beings are ultimately searching for undisturbed peace, so it is surprising how few people ask directly for it.

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

Answer: Arunachala is a light. It shines whether or not you believe in it. It is the light of the Self, and the light of the Self will continue to shine on you whether you believe it or not.

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

Answer: Bhagavan himself said that Arunachala is greater than all other religious places. There are other holy, powerful places in the world, but none have the power of Arunachala. Bhagavan has continued to write about this. There is a huge amount of shakti, or spiritual energy, here. We can take as much as we want, but no matter how much we take, the original amount is never diminished. Even before Bhagavan came here, there were innumerable sages who discovered the power of Arunachala’s liberation for themselves. Many came here, realized the Self and attributed their realization to the power and grace of the mountain. 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, whether or not you believe in the shade, it is a physical fact. He said, “If you go around this hill enough times, it will give you grace, even if you do not want it.”