the sage of arunachala

the sage of arunachala
when he was young
would go to the temple and
look at the photos on the wall
of the saints and mystics
he was very attracted to their
stainless life of devotion, surrender
and quietude
he would stay many hours looking
and looking
without moving
as he was drawn in his heart towards
the final end of liberation
he was drawn to the pure waters of truth
he was drawn to the peace that
passes all understanding

the sage of arunachala

came to the mountain that was Shiva to him 

because he was pulled there
by grace 

he came and lived by the mountain

and regarded it as the light of all

for him this mountain was his focus 

of surrender and love and joy

he walked about it daily and 

sat upon it and 

loved it in his heart as the SELF

this is what a man of seeking is to find 

also 

the divine state of truth

and love that with his heart and soul

like nothing else exists 

it is not like a love that is conditioned 

and hemmed in by attachments to form 

it is a love that is not of the *other* but 

in the heart as one 

the sage of arunachala
lived by himself on the mountain
and did not speak for many, many days
he stayed in silence in himself
he did not move out of stillness
not for any disturbance such as heat and cold
thirst and hunger..
he lived in a cave and almost wasted away
with mosquitoes torturing his skin
and with no food or covering for his body
then a man found him and helped him
he began to take nourishment
and slowly speak about the truth
which was said by him
non-dual, eternally present
and of pristine silence
he spoke in eloquence to what is real
and he lived this way
here for humanity to find rest and joy within
though he would have been happy just being
on his mountain that he loved
he was brought to where the devotees
could be near him
and stayed there in the ashram
he was completely
content with only the SELF
wherever he was
his mind
eternally absorbed in brahman