We live in such a noisy world that most have lost touch with the wisdom of silence, yet it is in the temple of silence where we will find the answers to our deepest questions. In Santa Barbara I followed Yogananda’s advice and created a “Himalayan cave” in my bedroom closet (fortunately, it was big:). There I sealed myself off from the world so that I could discover my larger Self.

In India stories abound of yogis spending decades in remote caves to delve to the deepest realms of their being. I have always dreamed of visiting such caves, so it was with great delight that I set off this morning from Ramana Ashram in Tiruvannamalai to climb the sacred Arunachala Mountain — considered an earthly manifestation of Lord Shiva and spiritual heart of the world — and explore the numerous caves where masters have dwelled for thousands of years to traverse the infinite reaches of their innermost being.

Many Westerners come to Arunachala Mountain and the city below, Tiruvannamalai, because of Sri Ramana Maharshi, who spent decades of his life in several of the caves here in deep silence and self-inquiry. He learned through this experience that persistent inquiry into the nature of the mind will lead to Pure Awareness. The mind subsists on thoughts, and if we continually ask ourselves, “Who am I? Where do these thoughts arise?”, the mind will eventually subside, leaving the self as residue. Take away the thoughts and all that remains is Pure Awareness, which by its very nature, is Being-Consciousness-Bliss (Sat-Chit-Ananda).

Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough time to go that deep, but I could meditate in the caves where he dwelled and feel the vibrations he has left all over this mountain. And that I did, starting with Virupaksha Cave, where I managed to penetrate the deepest portion of the cave and sit in silence.

A little further down the mountain from this cave sits a small structure in commemoration of Guru Narayana Swami, known affectionately as Guru Ayya, who lived in a cave here subsiding on only a cup of tea and a cup of milk each day. This all happened recently, probably around 1987 – 2005, and deserves much more research than I am able to give it now. There are remarkable stories about this individual.

As I lingered on the mountain somewhere, radiant in the trees and one with the leaves, a man approached me and with broken English offered to show me to his ashram. He took me to a cave where Sri Sadaiswami Gnana Desikar lived for 48 years and attained Mukthi on December 5th, 1927. Raghar motioned me in and waited outside as I meditated inside and felt the deep vibrations of this sacred spot.

Raghar offered to show me many more caves the next day. He took me to drink some “medicine water” and offered me food. I drank the water but declined the food, and then headed to the base of the mountain and Arunachalesvara Temple.

Four gopurams sit at each point of navigation at the edges of this 10-acre complex — one of the biggest in India. The temple is dedicated to that most powerful form of God, Lord Shiva, and construction started as early at the 9th Century CE with major expansion added between the 13th and 15th Centuries.

I made it into one inner sanctum of the temple but skipped the long line to see the deity. Tired from all my mountain climbing and cave exploration, I jumped into a rickshaw back to the hotel for a little rest before further exploration.

Tomorrow I shall return to the mountain. It is on this second day that I will have some inclination of the power of this mountain as it begins to accept my presence. Truly, it will speak to me in myriad ways…