A Wish Comes to Fruition
Still in India, December of 2016, I wished to visit some of the prominent spiritual sites in and around Coimbatore and Mettupalyam. Swamiji (Thavayogi Thangarasan Adigal of the Sri Agathiyar Gnana Peedam in Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu, India) guided my quest. I was certain that where he guided was where I needed to go.
When Home is a Cave
We left the hotel around 5am one morning and made our way to a cave purportedly that of the siddha Konganar. A beautiful day was awakening as we arrived at the foothills of the serene location. The terrain was extremely dry, somewhat hilly with large expanses of shrubby vegetation, thickets of bushes and trees, rocky formations and dry foliage. Our driver, Balu led the way and we followed. There was a narrow track with sporadic arrows guiding the path. It was a fairly gentle climb of approximately 2km. Sounds of birds, insects, small animals and the random swishing and swaying of trees and leaves added ambiance to the divinely inspired quest. We trekked in silence which was calming, peaceful and meditative. We reached the cave finding it within a massive rock. It was a privilege to behold and physically experience standing before it; a space sanctified by severe, austere practices, penance, sacrifice, meditation and other spiritual disciplines. The rock was perched high on a peak, enveloped by stillness, solitude and tranquility. It was surrounded by amazing panoramic views way into the distance. The cave was fairly spacious but I am doubtful if one could stand upright inside it. It was an incredible rock formation, with interesting crevices and smaller rocks scattered around. The cave itself was not far from the entrance hence it was not dark enough to prevent visibility. The interior was dry except for what appeared to be oil spillage from burning of lamps. It was also clean and tidy, possibly being maintained by devotees and locals who visited regularly. The image below illustrates a man-made, wall-like structure to the right side. Bricks, stones and small rocks appear to be held together by a mixture of sand and water. Interesting, I was informed by Swamiji (Thavayogi Thangarasan Adigal) that he had built that wall to close off a bit of the entrance. He had apparently spent approximately 10 years at the cave during his time and built the structure to prevent large wild animals from disturbing his long periods of meditation.
I am infinitely grateful for having had the grace and opportunity to visit and experience a place of such sacred stature. One never leaves such a space without something…something relevant to one’s soul’s journey and realization. The energy and vibrational frequency around such divinely charged spots generally enable experience of higher states of awareness and one must be subtly alert to it.
A Different View
Cave or No Cave
I invite you to examine the images above and attempt to decipher the life of Siddha Kongana, in that environment, within that cave, surrounded by raw nature, beauty, peace, tranquility and bliss. What comes up for you relative to your own journey and purpose? Given a choice, would you switch your journey to this environment, if you could? Undoubtedly, this environment presents it’s own limitations and challenges such as the sourcing of food, impact of extreme weather and exposure to dangerous animals to name a few. One could argue that the height or magnitude of self-realization acquired within the environment would (in time) dissipate the mind, body dominance, expose the illusion and reveal all that is true thereby eliminating fear, concerns or discomfort. It does however provoke several questions. Is it easier to acquire enlightenment or realization of the self from living in a cave? The answer may differ from person to person. Posing the question to myself had me scrutinizing; am I looking for ease and speed or am I seeking the truth? My kids crush me repeatedly, with the following dose of reality “You seriously think you could live indefinitely within a cave? You do know that spiders and snakes live in caves, right?”. Those who renounce and head for the hills most likely have a soul calling or contract to attain enlightenment, realization and bliss through that approach. Having visited a few caves, I do not believe it to be a simple approach, not by any stretch of the imagination. However, we are all destined to meet the same end, i.e. death and if the attainment of enlightenment, realization and bliss is the prize, I do not believe that to be dependent on where we live.
A Blessed Close to an Enchanting Quest
On our way down from the cave Balu decided we should stop by at the small dwelling we had passed on our way up. We heard voices of people as we got closer. Upon arrival we were welcomed by three temple priests. The dwelling was a small living accommodation with a little shrine structure of the siddha Kongana beside it. It was apparently an auspicious day hence the presence of priests to conduct prayers and rituals at the shrine. We were invited to stay and participate. We were offered some delicious spiced tea and enlightened around the history and sanctity of the place. Afterwards we were led into the small shrine, provided a space to sit and watched as the bathing ritual (abishegam) of the siddha was performed. We were immersed within the powerful vibrations from the ringing of the bell and chanting of mantras which was both meditative and invigorating. Before departing the priests gifted us with flowers, ash, limes from the prayer and a framed photograph of the 18 siddhas. Acknowledgment from the siddha perhaps. It was a remarkable experience; one I was not expecting but am immensely grateful for. It was the perfect close to a visit from an enchanting cave of a great sage.
