THE THREE TIER APPROACH
Bhagavan would accept a new pencil or pen, only when the old one was completely exhausted or totally damaged. He would then take a piece of paper and scribble a few times with the new one to see whether it was working properly. TPR told me, “Most of us, on similar occasions, sign our own names, write Om or some god’s name. So, I was very inquisitive, to know what he scribbled. On a few such occasions, Bhagavan, the ocean of compassion, permitted me to see what he wrote. I will reveal that secret to you now. Even those who were close to him did not know about it. Either he wrote, Arunachalavaasi, meaning, one residing in Arunachala, or panilenivaadu, meaning, one without any work.
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He scribbled either one of these in Malayalam script. Venkataratnam, Salem Rajagopala Iyer and I, his educated attendants, learnt to read and write Malayalam, as Bhagavan was interested in that south Indian language. He used to tell us, ‘You have a system, called short–hand writing, isn’t it? Likewise, Malayalam alphabets are very easy to write down fast as most of them have oval formations only, like the letter ‘O’. One need not raise the pen in between writing two alphabets. Like a chain, all alphabets can be joined effortlessly, thus saving time and energy.’ Whenever he wanted to note down any passage, be it in Sanskrit, Tamil or Telugu, the other three languages in which he was equally proficient, he would use only Malayalam alphabets.”
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Arunachalavaasi means one residing in Arunachala. Bhagavan, who did not identify with anything in the world, including his own body and mind, chose to identify himself with Arunachala through an open declaration, “I am an Arunachalavaasi!” And how true the declaration is! Our glorious master stepped into Arunachala on September 1, 1896, and for fifty four years, till he dropped the body in April 14, 1950, he did not stir out of this holiest of holy places!
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Just as the verbal teaching that he expounded are the highest expressions of para vidhya and apara vidhya, instructions to the mind, his gapless staying in Arunachala and identifying himself as Arunachalavaasi, are his direct instructions for us to put into practice, physically. Likewise, his true, direct teaching for every seeker, spiritually is, “Dive within”, “Be still” and “Be as you are”.
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Therefore, it is only apt that serious spiritual seekers take up a three tier approach to his unique teaching to realize the Self. (i) Physical: Stay in Arunachala and thus become an Arunachalavaasi (ii) Mental: Understand and practice Self-enquiry, ‘Who Am I?’ (iii) Spiritual: Be absorbed in Silence.
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