A Peacock Teaches Lesson on Advaita Philosophy-The Grace of Arunachala Mountain - Ramana Maharshi Ashram -

I have been in Thiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu, India for two days now. I mainly came to experience the Ramana Maharshi Ashram and the Holy Arunachala Mountain. I am in a very simple Airbnb close to the ashram and with a great view of the mountain.

Arunachala mountain is believed to be the home of Lord Shiva. The great sage and teacher Ramana Maharshi made this area his home and daily worshipped this mountain. People flock here to walk around the mountain and gain the blessings of Lord Shiva. It takes about 4 hours to circumambulate.

Ramana Maharshi was a great exponent of Advaita Vedanta. Believing that the human soul is nothing other than a form of God. He attained the state of enlightenment spontaneously at the age of 16. His whole life was devoted to serving humanity and inspiring people to attain liberation. You can read more about his life HERE.

The Ramana Maharshi Ashram is a true haven of peace and meditation. Unlike a lot of other "holy" spots in India, people here in the ashram are actually silent and contemplative

The room where Ramana Maharshi sat and received students and guests is now the meditation room. Ramana Maharshi attained Mahasamadhi in 1950. (Passed from this world) His sofa and photo are the focal point of the room. 

Here is the story of his enlightenment at the age of 16 in his own words. 

A famous photo of him.

His Mahasamadhi Shrine

A Goshala or cow protection farm is on the ashram grounds. Ramana Maharshi had a special soft spot for animals.

This is called the Jubilee Room and is the spot where he  met students and seekers toward the end of his life when his following became larger.

This is the cemetery of all of his beloved animals: Lakshmi the cow, the blessed Crow, Jackie the dog and Valli the deer

Toward the end of the visit I witnessed a most peculiar scene. This peacock below was circling this shiny black car. It was clear that it saw its reflection and thought it was another peacock.

He continued to pick at his reflection and even jumped up and down trying to fight his "adversary". After watching him for some minutes I had the revelation of Ramana Maharshi's teaching.

The whole world is the manifestation of the One, Eternal Consciousness yet somehow we believe that we are separate and individual. We "fight" ourselves and think ourselves separate from others when in reality it is all the manifestation or reflection of the same Self that permeates all of creation.