Conversations with Avant-garde Sages - The Wizard LLC

Conversations with Avant-garde Sages
Shiva, as John just said, or… what name should I use, the Wizard
[Laughs]?
WIZARD: One of my gurus told me when I asked for a spiritual
name, he said love is more gracious than a name, and doesn't need
one [Laughter]. So I've been called all kinds of things.
A. RAMANA: Yes, I'm the same. I can understand that.
WIZARD: Probably rascal more than anything.
A. RAMANA: [Laughs] But the presence that Arunachala is, when
one is a devotee of God, and recognizes that Arunachala represents
the manifestation, the physical manifestation of Lord Shiva, of the
triune aspect of God, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva in the Hindu
system, that if one recognizes Arunachala and just approaches the
hill, goes up on the hill, walks up on the hill, the mind stops,
thoughts cease.
WIZARD: It does.
A. RAMANA: Yes, it does. Thoughts literally cease. And one can
abide in the thoughtless pure awareness of the Self; of I am, just
by nothing more than considering Arunachala, or approaching
Arunachala with an attitude of devotion. It will definitely do that.
So we urge anyone who is interested to visit Arunachala at the
ashram of Bhagavan Ramana, or our ashram.
TRIP: What I find fascinating are these sort of shades of grey
levels of consciousness that exist that I personally had no
understanding of, I experienced them at Arunachala in the
company of conscious others, walking around the mountain. It
was an unbelievable experience. It was off the charts, it was a kind
of peace.
One of the things that I wanted to ask you two about, which I
thought you might have in common, and it's just a little practical
thing, but I know you've had some health challenges, Ramana, and
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