Arunachala is Fire

 Sri Annamalai Swami 

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

AS: You can say that Arunachala is light. It shines whether you believe in it or not. If you go near a lamp, it will shine on you whether you believe in it or not. Arunachala is the light of the Self, and the light of the Self will continue to shine, even if you refuse to believe that it is there.

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

AS: Bhagavan himself said that Arunachala is greater than all other religious places. There are other holy, powerful places in the world, but none has the power of Arunachala. Bhagavan has written about this in his verses. 

There is a huge amount of shakti, spiritual energy, here. We can take as much as we want, but no matter how much we take, the original amount is never diminished. It is an inexhaustible source. Even before Bhagavan came and lived here, there were innumerable sages who had discovered the power of Arunachala for themselves. Many came here, realized the Self and attributed their realization to the power and grace of this mountain. Bhagavan has praised this mountain in his poetry, and other sages have talked about the spiritual greatness of Arunachala in their verses and in their other teachings.

Though others have praised the mountain, they did not succeed as well as Bhagavan in making Arunachala and its power all over the world. Bhagavan has revealed the secret of Arunachala, which is why so many foreigners now come here.

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, you will feel the cool shade. This is a physical fact, not a matter of belief. Then he went on to say that Arunachala worked in the same way. It affects the people who are here, whether they believe in it or not.

He once said, 'Arunachala is like a fire. If you go near it  you will feel the heat whether you believe in it or not.'

I also heard him say once, 'If you go round this hill, it will give you its grace, even if you don't want it.'