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Pakva Arunachala
The Pakva Arunachala Retreat, 2006
Arunachala, the Fountain of Happiness, Earth, Sky, Water & Silence Retreat, Water & Silence Retreat, |
The Pakva
Arunachala Retreat
India 2006
“Sri Bhagavan sings, ‘O Arunachala, the
very moment I thought of your name, you caught me and drew me to yourself. Who
can understand your greatness?’ There are
many incidents in the life of Sri Bhagavan that illustrate his great love for
the divine name Arunachala, but perhaps the most striking occurred during his
last moments. About twenty-five minutes before he left his body, the assembled
devotees began to chant Aksharamanamalai. Hearing the name of his beloved
Arunachala, Sri Bhagavan opened his eyes, which shone with love, and tears of
ecstasy rolled down his cheeks.” - Michael
James July, 2006 Dear friends, Namaste and welcome! For some of us
this will be our first journey to India and for some of us this will be a most
anticipated return to the land of grace and transformation. In both cases, it
is impossible to predict the outcome of such an extraordinary happening and so
the best words of advice are to be flexible, accepting and ready for
everything! This is an information letter to prepare you for this unique
pilgrimage. Please take time to read through it completely. Please note that you should send
$400, the remainder of your payment, by August 31st. You can mail it
to 37 Church Hill, Westmount, Quebec H3Y 3A1, Canada, attention of Mollie
Lawson.
For
those of you living in Montreal, the Saint-Luc Hospital on rue St. Denis
(514-890-8000) is a good place to receive your shots. They will inform you of
the recommended vaccines for South India. Call and make an appointment soon.
The best time to go and have your shots is around 7:30 am. For everyone else,
please call your local hospital. They will tell you where you can be vaccinated.
-
2 regular size foam blocks -
Sticky mat -
Eye patch -
Large bath towel -
2 Washcloths -
Strap – a proper yoga strap
(not a dressing gown strap) -
Pillow (also for your bed) Most of
these can be found in Montreal at “La Mer de Tranquillité” at 3513 Swail.
(514-789- 0160). Lee will provide a 10% discount if you mention that you are a
student of Mollie’s. Please call ahead
to make sure someone will be there when you go.
Here are
some items we recommend for a comfortable stay. In general, plan to bring with
you loose-fitting, comfortable and modest clothing. For example, bring t-shirts
rather than tank tops as it is considered disrespectful to show your shoulders
in temples, ashrams, etc. Shorts on women are also considered disrespectful.
Also, white clothes work best for the ashrams. a) Clothing Long or mid-calf skirts – light, cool, and comfortable Linen or light-weight cotton shirts Linen or light-weight cotton pants Comfortable
yoga clothes Shorts
(men) T-shirts Sandals
(ones that are easy to take off) Running
or hiking shoes for Arunachala Bathing
suit Shawl b) General Items Camera Alarm clock Sunscreen Mosquito repellent Ziploc
bags for dirty clothing (there will be plenty of places to have your laundry
done) Flashlight Advil (or any kind of pain reliever) Journal Washcloths Towel Neck pillow for the long flight Hand sanitizer – it can be purchased from your local
drugstore.
In order
to prepare for your trip, I recommend that you read the following books. Most
of these can be purchased from amazon.com, non-dualitybooks.com or bluedove.com a) Final Talks of Annamalai Swami: edited by David Godman b) Presence-Awareness: Just This and Nothing Else by
'Sailor' Bob Adamson c) Shining in Plain View: John Wheeler d) Be As You Are: The teachings of Ramana Maharshi,
edited by David Godman. e) No Mind – I am The Self: edited by David Godman. f) I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
For your
pleasure, you can check the following websites: www.davidgodman.org/index.shtml www.members.iinet.au/~adamson7/
a)
For those in Canada, please go to http://www.hciottawa.ca b)
Those outside of Canada should
find out from your nearest Indian consulate how to get your visa. You don’t
want to get it too early as it will expire 6, or possibly only 3, months after
being issued. Also, ensure that your passport is valid for at least 6 months
from the date of departure.
a)
We recommend that you change
dollars/euros into rupees (Currently
Canadian $1 is worth 41 rupees; 1 Euro is worth 57 rupees) at the
airport in Chennai after clearing customs and while waiting for your baggage.
US dollar travelers cheques can be converted into rupees almost anywhere. Visa
and MasterCard are accepted in a few stores in Tiru though cash and travelers
cheques are probably best there. b) While the focus of the trip is inwardly directed, there will
be opportunities for shopping and to have clothes made. As many of you know,
most items in India are much less expensive than in the West. So, once again,
plan accordingly. c) We have at least one wonderful massage therapist in our
group who will be available to offer massages.
Although it is completely
optional, in India it is customary to make an offering to a master. You might
also bring small gifts for others you encounter along the way. Children love
anything from the West. Once again, welcome to the “Pakva
Arunachala Retreat”! I am overjoyed for all of us. With much love and happiness, Mollie xoxo |
