Bhagavan
Ramana
by T. M. P. MAHADEVAN, M. A., Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy, University of
Published by
V. S. RAMANAN
President, Board of Trustees
SRI RAMANASRAMAM
TIRUVANNAMALAI 606-603
Reprinted from Ramana
Maharshi and His Philosophy of Existence
© Sri Ramanasramam,
Tiruvannamalai 606-603, Tamil
PREFACE
THE present essay was
originally written for a book on The Saints; and it appears as General
Introduction in a work on Bhagavan entitled Ramana Maharshi and His Philosophy
of Existence. As it is felt that this essay may be of interest to the general
readers, it is being issued separately also in the form of a booklet.
May Bhagavan accept this offering!
Aradhana Day T. M. P. MAHADEVAN
INVOCATION
O - Vinayaka, who wrote on a
scroll (i.e., the slopes of Mt. Meru) the words of the Great Sage (i.e.,
Vyasa) and who presides at the victorious Arunachala, do remove the disease (i.e.
maya) that is the cause of repeated births, and protect graciously the great
Noble Faith (i.e., the Upanisadic philosophy and religion) which
brims with the honey of the Self.
This a prayer to Lord
Ganesa, the Remover of all obstacles, composed by Bhagavan Sri Ramana.
Reference is made to the Puranic story that Ganesa served as a scribe to
Vyasa and wrote down the Mahabharata and His Grace is here invoked for
the protection of the Vedanta philosophy. The printed Tamil verse is a
facsimile of Bhagavan's own handwriting.
BHAGAVAN
RAMANA
THE Scriptures tell us that
it is as difficult to trace the path a sage pursues as it is to draw a line
marking the course a bird takes in the air while on its wings. Most humans have
to be content with a slow and laborious journey towards the goal. But a few are
born as adepts in flying non-stop to the common home of all beings - the
supreme Self. The generality of mankind takes heart when such a sage appears.
Though it is unable to keep pace with him, it feels uplifted in his presence
and has a foretaste of the felicity compared to which the pleasures of the
world pale into nothing. Countless people who went to Tiruvannamalai during the
life-time of Maharshi Sri Ramana had this experience. They saw in him a sage
without the least touch of worldliness, a saint of matchless purity, a witness to
the eternal truth of Vedanta. It is not often that a spiritual genius of
the magnitude of Sri Ramana visits this earth. But when such an event occurs,
the entire humanity gets benefited and a new era of hope opens before it.
About thirty miles south of
It was apparently by
accident that Venkataraman heard about Arunachala when he was sixteen years of
age. One day an elderly relative of his called on the family in
Referring to this incident
the Sage says later on in one of his hymns to Arunachala : 'Oh, great wonder!
As an insentient hill it stands. Its action is difficult for anyone to
understand. From my childhood it appeared to my intelligence that Arunachala
was something very great. But even when I came to know through another that it
was the same as Tiruvannamalai I did not understand its meaning. When, stilling
my mind, it drew me up to it, and I came close, I found that it was the
Immovable.'
Quickly following the
incident which attracted Venkataraman's attention to Arunachala, there was
another happening which also contributed to the turning of the boy's mind to
the deeper values of spirituality. He chanced to lay his hands, on a copy of
Sekkilar's Periyapuranam which relates the lives of the Saiva saints. He
read the book and was enthralled by it. This was the first piece of religious
literature that he read. The example of the saints fascinated him; and in the
inner recesses of his heart he found something responding favourably. Without
any apparent earlier preparation, a longing arose in him to emulate the spirit
of renunciation and devotion that constituted the essence of saintly life.
The spiritual experience
that Venkataraman was now wishing devoutly to have came to him soon, and quite
unexpectedly. It was about the middle of the year 1896; Venkataraman was
seventeen then. One day he was sitting up alone on the first floor of his
uncle's house. He was in his usual health. There was nothing wrong with it. But
a sudden and unmistakable fear of death took hold of him. He felt he was going
to die. Why this feeling should have come to him he did not know. The feeling
of impending death, however, did not unnerve him. He calmly thought about what
he should do. He said to himself, "Now, death has come. What does it mean?
What is it that is dying? This body dies." Immediately thereafter he lay
down stretching his limbs out and holding them stiff as though rigor mortis
had set in. He held his breath and kept his lips tightly closed, so that to all
outward appearance his body resembled a corpse. Now, what would happen? This
was what he thought : "Well, this body is now dead. It will be carried to
the burning ground and there burnt and reduced to ashes. But with the death, of
this body am I dead? Is the body I? This body is silent and inert. But I feel
the full force of my personality and even the voice of the 'I' within me, apart
from it. So I am the Spirit transcending the body. The body dies but the Spirit
that transcends it cannot be touched by death. That means I am the deathless
Spirit". As Bhagavan Sri Ramana narrated this experience later on for the
benefit of his devotees it looked as though this was a process of reasoning.
But he took care to explain that this was not so. The realization came to him
in a flash. He perceived the truth directly. 'I' was something very real, the
only real thing. Fear of death had vanished once and for all. From then on, 'I'
continued like the fundamental sruti note that underlies and blends with
all the other notes. Thus young Venkataraman found himself on the peak of
spirituality without any arduous or prolonged sadhana. The ego was lost in the
flood of Self-awareness. All on a sudden the boy that used to be called
Venkataraman had flowered into a sage and saint.
There was noticed a complete
change in the young sage's life. The things that he had valued earlier now lost
their value. The spiritual values which he had ignored till then became the
only objects of attention. School-studies, friends, relations - none of these
had now any significance for him. He grew utterly indifferent to his
surroundings. Humility, meekness, non-resistance and other virtues became his
adornment. Avoiding company he preferred to sit alone, all-absorbed in
concentration on the Self. He went to the Minaksi temple every day and
experienced an exaltation every time he stood before the images of the gods and
the saints. Tears flowed from his eyes profusely. The new vision was constantly
with him. His was the transfigured life.
Venkataraman's elder brother
observed the great change that had come upon him. On several occasions he
rebuked the boy for his indifferent and yogi-like behaviour. About six
weeks after the great experience the crisis came. It was the 29th of August,
1896. Venkataraman's English teacher had asked him, as a punishment for
indifference in studies, to copy out a lesson from Bain's Grammar three times.
The boy copied it out twice, but stopped there, realizing the utter futility of
that task. Throwing aside the book and the papers, he sat up, closed his eyes,
and turned inward in meditation. The elder brother who was watching
Venkataraman's behaviour all the while went up to him and said : "What use
is all this to one who is like this?" This was obviously meant as a rebuke
for Venkataraman's unworldly ways including neglect of studies. Venkataraman
did not give any reply. He admitted to himself that there was no use pretending
to study and be his old self. He decided to leave his home; and he remembered
that there was a place to go to, viz. Tiruvannamalai. But if he
expressed his intention to his elders, they would not let him go. So he had to
use guile. He told his brother that he was going to school to attend a special
class that noon. The brother thereupon asked him to take five rupees from the
box below and pay it as his fee at the college where he was studying.
Venkataraman went downstairs; his aunt served him a meal and gave him the five
rupees. He took out an atlas which was in the house and noted that the nearest
railway station to Tiruvannamalai mentioned there was Tindivanam. Actually,
however, a branch line had been laid to Tiruvannamalai itself. The atlas was an
old one, and so this was not marked there. Calculating that three rupees would
be enough for the journey, Venkataraman took that much and left the balance
with a letter at a place in the house where his brother could easily find them,
and made his departure for Tiruvannamalai. This was what he wrote in that
letter : "I have set out in quest of my Father in accordance with his command.
This (meaning his person) has only embarked on a virtuous enterprise.
Therefore, no one need grieve over this act. And no money need be spent in
search of this. Your college fee has not been paid. Herewith rupees two."
There was a curse on
Venkataraman's family - in truth, it was a blessing - that one out of every
generation should turn out to be a mendicant. This curse was administered by a
wandering ascetic who, it is said, begged alms at the house of one of
Venkataraman's forbears, and was refused. A paternal uncle of Sundaram Aiyar's
became a sannyasin; so did Sundaram Aiyar's elder brother. Now, it was
the turn of Venkataraman, although no one could have foreseen that the curse
would work out in this manner. Dispassion found lodgement in Venkataraman's heart,
and he became a parivrajaka.
It was an epic journey that
Venkataraman made from Madurai to Tiruvannamalai. About noon he left his
uncle's house. He walked to the railway station which was half a mile way. The
train was running fortunately late that day; otherwise he would have missed it.
He looked up the table of fares and came to know that the third-class fare to
Tindivanam was two rupees and thirteen annas. He bought a ticket, and kept with
him the balance of three annas. Had he known that there was a rail-track to
Tiruvannamalai itself, and had he consulted the table of fares, he would have
found that the fare was exactly three rupees. When the train arrived, he
boarded it quietly and took his seat. A Maulvi who was also travelling entered
into conversation with Venkataraman. From him Venkataraman learnt that there
was train-service to Tiruvannamalai and that one need not go to Tindivanam but
could change trains at Viluppuram. This was a piece of useful information. It
was dusk when the train reached Tiruccirappalli. Venkataraman was hungry; he
bought two country pears for half an anna; and strangely enough even with the
first bite his hunger was appeased. About three o'clock in the morning the
train arrived at Viluppuram. Venkataraman got off the train there with the
intention of completing the rest, of the journey to Tiruvannamalai by walk.
At daybreak he went into the
town, and was looking out for the sign-post to Tiruvannamalai. He saw a
sign-board reading 'Mambalappattu' but did not know then that Mambalappattu was
a place en route to Tiruvannamalai. Before making further efforts to
find out which road he was to take, he wanted to refresh himself as he was
tired and hungry. He went up to a hotel and asked for food. He had to wait till
noon for the food to be ready. After eating his meal, he proffered two annas in
payment. The hotel proprietor asked him how much money he had. When told by
Venkataraman that he had only two and a half annas, he declined to accept
payment. It was from him that Venkataraman came to know that Mambalappattu was
a place, on the way to Tiruvannamalai. Venkataraman went back to Viluppuram
station and bought a ticket to Mambalappattu for which the money he had was
just enough.
It was sometime in the
afternoon when Venkataraman arrived at Mambalappattu by train. From there he
set out on foot for Tiruvannamalai. About ten miles he walked, and it was late
in the evening. There was the temple of Arayaninallur nearby, built on a large
rock. He went there waited for the doors to be opened, entered and sat down in
the pillared hall. He had a vision there - a vision of brilliant light
enveloping the entire place. It was no physical light. It shone for some time
and then disappeared. Venkataraman continued sitting in a mood of deep meditation,
till he was roused by the temple priests who were wanting to lock the doors and
go to another temple three quarters of a mile away at Kilur for service.
Venkataraman followed them, and while inside the temple he got lost in samadhi
again. After finishing their duties the priests woke him up, but would not give
him any food. The temple drummer who had been watching the rude behaviour of
the priests implored them to hand over his share of the temple food to the
strange youth. When Venkataraman asked for some drinking water, he was directed
to a Sastri's house which was at some distance. While in that house he fainted
and fell down. A few minutes later he rallied round and saw a small crowd
looking at him curiously. He drank the water, ate some food, and lay down and
slept.
Next morning he woke up. It
was the 31st of August, 1896, the Gokulastami day, the day of Sri
Krishna's birth. Venkataraman resumed his journey and walked for quite a while.
He felt tired and hungry. So he wished for some food first, and then he would
go to Tiruvannamalai, by train if that was possible. The thought occurred to
him that he could dispose of the pair of gold ear-rings he was wearing and
raise the money that was required. But how was this to be accomplished? He went
and stood outside a house which happened to belong to one Muthukrishna
Bhagavatar. He asked the Bhagavatar for food and was directed to the housewife.
The good lady was pleased to receive the young sadhu and feed him on the
auspicious day of Sri Krisna's birth. After the meal, Venkataraman went to the
Bhagavatar again and told him that he wanted to pledge his ear-rings for four
rupees in order that he may complete his pilgrimage. The rings were worth about
twenty rupees, but Venkataraman had no need for that much money. The Bhagavatar
examined the ear-rings, gave Venkataraman the money he had asked for, took down
the youth's address, wrote out his own on a piece of paper for him, and told
him that he could redeem the rings at any time. Venkataraman had his lunch at
the Bhagavatar's house. The pious lady gave him a packet of sweets that she had
prepared for Gokulastami. Venkataraman took leave, of the couple, tore up the
address the Bhagavatar had given him - for he had no intention of redeeming the
ear-rings - and went to the railway station. As there was no train till the
next morning, he spent the night there. On the morning of the 1st of September,
1896, he boarded the train to Tiruvannamalai. The travel took, only a short
time. Alighting from the train, he hastened to the great temple of
Arunacalesvara. All the gates stood open - even the doors of the inner shrine.
The temple was then empty of all people - even the priests. Venkataraman
entered the sanctum sanctorum, and as he stood before his Father
Arunacalesvara he experienced great ecstasy and unspeakable joy. The epic
journey had ended. The ship had come safely to port.
The rest of what we regard
as Ramana's life - this is how we shall call him hereafter - was spent in
Tiruvannamalai. Ramana was not formally initiated into sannyasa. As he
came out of the temple and was walking along the streets of the town, someone
called out and asked whether he wanted his tuft removed. He consented readily,
and was conducted to the Ayyankulam tank where a barber shaved his head. Then
he stood on the steps of the tank and threw away into the water his remaining
money. He also discarded the packet of sweets given by the Bhagavatar's wife.
The next to go was the sacred thread he was wearing. As he was returning to the
temple he was just wondering why he should give his body the luxury of a bath,
when there was a downpour which drenched him.
The first place of Ramana's
residence in Tiruvannamalai was the great temple. For a few weeks he remained
in the thousand-pillared hall. But he was troubled by urchins who pelted stones
at him as he sat in meditation. He shifted himself to obscure corners and even
to an underground vault known as Patala-lingam. Undisturbed he used to
spend several days in deep absorption. Without moving he sat in samadhi,
not being aware of even the bites of vermin and pests. But the mischievous boys
soon discovered the retreat and indulged in their pastime of throwing potsherds
at the young Svami. There was at the time in Tiruvannamalai a senior Svami
by name Seshadri. Those who did not know him took him for a madman. He
sometimes stood guard over the young Svami, and drove away the urchins. At long
last he was removed from the pit by devotees without his being aware of it and
deposited in the vicinity of a shrine of Subrahmanya. From then on there was
some one or other to take care of Ramana. The seat of residence had to be
changed frequently. Gardens, groves, shrines - these were chosen to keep the
Svami. The Svami himself never spoke. Not that he took any vow of silence; he
had no inclination to talk. At times the texts like Vasistham and Kaivalyanavanitam
used to be read out to him.
A little less than six
months after his arrival at Tiruvannamalai Ramana shifted his residence to a
shrine called Gurumurtam at the earnest request of its keeper, a Tambiransvami.
As days passed and as Ramana's fame spread, increasing numbers of pilgrims and
sight-seers came to visit him. After about a year's stay at Gurumurtam, the
Svami - locally he was known as Brahmana-svami - moved to a neighbouring mango
orchard. It was here that one of his uncles, Nelliyappa Aiyar traced him out.
Nelliyappa Aiyar was a second-grade pleader at Manamadurai. Having learnt from
a friend that Venkataraman was then a revered Sadhu at Tiruvannamalai,
he went there to see him. He tried his best to take Ramana along with him to
Manamadurai. But the young sage would not respond. He did not show any sign of
interest in the visitor. So, Nelliyappa Aiyar went back disappointed to
Manamadurai. However, he conveyed the news to Alagammal, Ramana's mother.
The mother went to
Tiruvannamalai accompanied by her eldest son. Ramana was then living at
Pavalakkunru, one of the eastern spurs of Arunachala. With tears in her eyes
Alagammal entreated Ramana to go back with her. But, for the sage there was no
going back. Nothing moved him -- not even the wailings and weepings of his
mother. He kept silent giving no reply. A devotee who had been observing the
struggle of the mother for several days requested Ramana to write out at least
what he had to say. The sage wrote on a piece of paper quite in an impersonal
way thus : "In accordance with the prarabdha of each, the One whose
function it is to ordain makes each to act. What will not happen will
never happen, whatever effort one may put forth. And what will happen will not
fail to happen, however much one may seek to prevent it. This is certain. The
part of wisdom therefore is to stay quiet."
Disappointed and with a
heavy heart, the mother went back to Manamadurai. Sometime after this event
Ramana went up the hill Arunachala, and started living in a cave called
Virupaksa after a saint who dwelt and was buried there. Here also the crowds
came, and among them were a few earnest seekers. These latter used to put him questions
regarding spiritual experience or bring sacred books for having some points
explained. Ramana sometimes wrote out his answers and explanations. One of the
books that was brought to him during this period was Sankara's Vivekacudamani
which later on he rendered into Tamil prose. There were also some simple
unlettered folk that came to him for solace and spiritual guidance. One of them
was Echammal who having lost her husband, son, and daughter, was disconsolate
till the Fates guided her to Ramana's presence. She made it a point to visit
the Svami every day and took upon herself the task of bringing food for him as
well as for those who lived with him.
In 1903 there came to
Tiruvannamalai a great Samskrit scholar and savant, Ganapati Sastri
known also as Ganapati Muni because of the austerities he had been observing.
He had the title Kavya-kantha (one who had poetry at his throat), and
his disciples addressed him as nayana (father). He was a specialist in
the worship of the Divine Mother. He visited Ramana in the Virupaksa cave quite
a few times. Once in 1907 he was assailed by doubts regarding his own spiritual
practices. He went up the hill, saw Ramana sitting alone in the cave, and
expressed himself thus : "All that has to be read I have read; even Vedanta
sastra I have fully understood; I have done japa to my heart's
content; yet I have not up to this time understood what tapas is.
Therefore I have sought refuge at your feet. Pray enlighten me as to the nature
of tapas." Ramana replied, now speaking, "If one watches
whence the notion 'I' arises, the mind gets absorbed there; that is tapas.
When a mantra is repeated, if one watches whence that mantra
sound arises, the mind gets absorbed there; that is tapas." To the
scholar this came as a revelation; he felt the grace of the sage enveloping
him. He it was that proclaimed Ramana to be Maharshi and Bhagavan.
He composed hymns in Samskrit in praise of the sage, and also wrote the Ramana-Gita
explaining his teachings.
Ramana's mother, Alagammal,
after her return to Manamadurai, lost her eldest son. Two years later, her
youngest son, Nagasundaram paid a brief visit to Tiruvannamalai. She herself
went there once on her return from a pilgrimage to Varanasi, and again during a
visit to Tirupati. On this occasion she fell ill and suffered for several weeks
with symptoms of typhoid. Ramana showed great solicitude in nursing her and
restoring her to health. He even composed a hymn in Tamil beseeching Lord
Arunachala to cure her of her disease. The first verse of the hymn runs as
follows : 'Oh Medicine in the form of a Hill that arose to cure the disease of
all the births that come in succession like waves! Oh Lord! It is Thy duty to
save my mother who regards Thy feet alone as her refuge, by curing her fever.'
He also prayed that his mother should be granted the vision divine and be
weaned from worldliness. It is needless to say that both the prayers were
answered. Alagammal recovered, and went back to Manamadurai. But not long after
she returned to Tiruvannamalai; a little later followed her youngest son,
Nagasundaram who had in the meanwhile lost his wife leaving a son. It was in
the beginning of 1916 that the mother came, resolved to spend the rest of her
life with Ramana. Soon after his mother's arrival, Ramana moved from Virupaksa
to Skandasramam, a little higher up the hill. The mother received training in
intense spiritual life. She donned the ochre robe, and took charge of the
Asrama kitchen. Nagasundaram too became a sannyasin, assuming the name
Niranjanananda. Among Ramana's devotees he came to be popularly known as
Chinnaswami (the Younger Swami). In 1920 the mother grew weak in health and
ailments incidental to old age came to her. Ramana tended her with care and
affection, and spent even sleepless nights sitting up with her. The end came on
May 19, 1922, which was the Bahulanavami day, in the month of Vaisakha.
The mother's body was taken down the hill to be interred. The spot chosen was
at the southernmost point, between Palitirtham Tank and the Daksinamurti Mantapam.
While the ceremonies were being performed, Ramana himself stood silently
looking on. Niranjanananda Swami took his residence near the tomb. Ramana who
continued to remain at Skandasramam visited the tomb every day. After about six
months he came to stay there, as he said later on, not out of his own volition
but in obedience to the Divine Will. Thus was founded the Ramanasramam. A
temple was raised over the tomb and was consecrated in 1949. As the years
rolled by the Asramam grew steadily, and people not only from India but from
every continent of the world came to see the sage and receive help from him in
their spiritual pursuits.
Ramana's first Western
devotee was F. H. Humphrys. He came to India in 1911 to take up a post in the
Police service at Vellore. Given to the practice of occultism, he was in search
of a Mahatma. He was introduced to Ganapati Sastri by his Telugu tutor;
and Sastri took him to Ramana. The Englishman was greatly impressed. Writing
about his first visit to the sage in the International Psychic Gazette,
he said : 'On reaching the cave we sat before him, at his feet, and said
nothing. We sat thus for a long time and I felt lifted out of myself. For half
an hour I looked into the Maharshi's eyes, which never changed their expression
of deep contemplation.... The Maharshi is a man beyond description in his
expression of dignity, gentleness, self-control and calm strength of
conviction.' Humphry's ideas of spirituality changed for the better as a result
of the contact with Ramana. He repeated his visits to the sage. He recorded his
impressions in his letters to a friend in England which were published in the Gazette
mentioned above. In one of them he wrote, 'You can imagine nothing more
beautiful than his smile.' And again, 'It is strange what a change it makes in
one to have been in his Presence!'
It was not all good people
that went to the Asrama. Sometimes bad ones turned up also - even bad sadhus.
Twice in the year 1924 thieves broke into the Asrama in quest of loot. On the
second of these occasions they even beat the Maharshi, finding that there was
very little for them to take. When one of the devotees sought the sage's
permission to punish the thieves, the sage forbade him, saying : "They
have their dharma, we have ours. It is for us to bear and forbear. Let
us not interfere with them." When one of the thieves gave him a blow on
the left thigh, he told him : "If you are not satisfied you can strike the
other leg also." After the thieves had left, a devotee enquired about the
beating. The sage remarked, "I also have received some puja," punning
on the word which means 'worship' but is also used to mean 'blows'.
The spirit of harmlessness
that permeated the sage and his environs made even animals and birds make
friends with him. He showed them the same consideration that he did to the
humans that went to him. When he referred to any of them, he used the form 'he'
or 'she' and not 'it'. Birds and squirrels built their nests around him. Cows,
dogs and monkeys found asylum in the Asrama. All of them behaved intelligently
- especially the cow Laksmi. He knew their ways quite intimately. He would see
to it that they were fed properly and well. And, when any of them died, the
body would be buried with due ceremony. The life in the Asrama flowed on
smoothly. With the passage of time more and more of visitors came - some of
them for a short stay and others for longer periods. The dimensions of the
Asrama increased, and new features and departments were added - a home for the
cattle, a school for the study of the Vedas, a department for
publication, and the Mother's temple with regular worship, etc. Ramana sat most
of the time in the hall that had been constructed for the purpose as the
witness to all that happened around him. It was not that he was not active. He
used to stitch leaf-plates, dress vegetables, read proofs received from the
press, look into newspapers and books, suggest lines of reply to letters
received, etc. yet it was quite evident that he was apart from everything.
There were numerous invitations for him to undertake tours. But he never moved
out of Tiruvannamalai, and in the later years out of the Asrama. Most of the
time, every day, people sat before him. They sat mostly in silence. Sometimes
some of them asked questions; and sometimes he answered them. It was a great
experience to sit before him and to look at his beaming eyes. Many did
experience time coming to a stop and a stillness and peace beyond description.
The golden jubilee of
Ramana's coming to stay at Tiruvannamalai was celebrated in 1946. In 1947 his
health began to fail. He was not yet seventy, but looked much older. Towards
the end of 1948 a small nodule appeared below the elbow of his left arm. As it
grew in size, the doctor in charge of the Asrama dispensary cut it out. But in
a month's time it reappeared. Surgeons from Madras were called, and they
operated. The wound did not heal, and the tumour came again. On further
examination it was diagnosed that the affection was a case of sarcoma. The
doctors suggested amputating the arm above the affected part. Ramana replied
with a smile : "There is no need for alarm. The body is itself a disease.
Let it have its natural end. Why mutilate it? Simple dressing of the affected
part will do." Two more operations had to be performed, but the tumour
appeared again. Indigenous systems of medicine were tried; and homeopathy too.
The disease did not yield itself to treatment. The sage was quite unconcerned,
and was supremely indifferent to suffering. He sat as a spectator watching the
disease waste the body. But his eyes shone as bright as ever; and his grace
flowed towards all beings. Crowds came in large numbers. Ramana insisted that
they should be allowed to have his darsana. Devotees profoundly wished
that the sage should cure his body through an exercise of supernormal powers.
Some of them imagined that they themselves had had the benefit of these powers
which they attributed to Ramana. Ramana had compassion for those who grieved
over the suffering, and he sought to comfort them by reminding them of the
truth that Bhagavan was not the body : "They take this body for Bhagavan
and attribute suffering to him. What a pity! They are despondent the Bhagavan
is going to leave them and go away - where can he go, and how?"
The end came on the 14th of
April, 1950. That evening the sage gave darsana to the devotees that
came. All that were present in the Asrama knew that the end was nearing. They
sat singing Ramana's hymn to Arunachala with the refrain Arunachala-Siva.
The sage asked his attendants to make him sit up. He opened his luminous and
gracious eyes for a brief while; there was a smile; a tear of bliss trickled
down from the outer corner of his eyes; and at 8-47 the breathing stopped.
There was no struggle, no spasm, none of the signs of death. At that very
moment, a comet moved slowly across the sky, reached the summit, of the holy
hill, Arunachala, and disappeared behind it.
Ramana Maharshi seldom
wrote; and what little he did write in prose or verse was written to meet the specific
demands of his devotees. He himself declared once : "Somehow, it never
occurs to me to write a book or compose poems. All the poems I have made were
on the request of someone or other in connection with some particular
event." The most important of his works is The Forty Verses on
Existence. In the Upadesa Saram which is also a poem the
quintessence of Vedanta is set forth. The sage composed five hymns to
Arunachala. Some of the works of Sankara like Vivekacudamani and Atma-bodha
were rendered into Tamil by him. Most of what he wrote is in Tamil. But he
wrote also in Sanskrit, Telugu, and Malayalam.
The philosophy of Sri Ramana
- which is the same as that of Advaita-Vedanta has for its aim
Self-realization. The central path taught in this philosophy is the inquiry
into the nature of Self, the content of the notion 'I'. Ordinarily the sphere
of the 'I' varies and covers a multiplicity of factors. But these factors are
not really the 'I'. For instance, we speak of the physical body as 'I'; we say,
'I am fat', 'I am lean' etc. It will not take long to discover that this is a
wrong usage. The body itself cannot say, 'I' for it is inert. Even the most
ignorant man understands the implication of the expression 'my body'. It is not
easy, however, to resolve the mistaken identity of the 'I' with egoity (ahankara).
That is because the inquiring mind is the ego, and in order to remove the wrong
identification it has to pass a sentence of death, as it were, on itself. This
is by no means a simple thing. The offering of the ego in the fire of wisdom is
the greatest form of sacrifice.
The discrimination of the
Self from the ego, we said, is not easy. But it is not impossible. All of us
can have this discrimination if we ponder over the implication of our
sleep-experience. In sleep 'we are', though the ego has made its exit. The ego
does not function there. Still there is the 'I' that witnesses the absence of
the ego as well as of the objects. If the 'I' were not there, one would not
recall on waking from one's sleep-experience, and say; "I slept happily. I
did not know anything". We have, then, two 'I's' - the 'pseudo-I' which is
the ego and the true 'I' which is the Self. The identification of the 'I' with
the ego is so strong that we seldom see the ego without its mask. Moreover, all
our relative experience turns on the pivot of the ego. With the rise of the ego
on waking from sleep, the entire world rises with it. The ego, therefore, looks
so important and unassailable.
But this is really a
fortress made of cards. Once the process of inquiry starts, it will be found to
crumble and dissolve. For undertaking this inquiry, one must possess a sharp
mind - much sharper than the one required for unravelling the mysteries of
matter. It is with the one-pointed intellect that the truth is to be seen (drsyate
tu agraya buddhya). It is true that even the intellect will have to get
resolved before the final wisdom dawns. But up to that point it has to inquire
- and inquire relentlessly. Wisdom, surely, is not for the indolent!
The inquiry 'Who am I?' is
not to be regarded as a mental effort to understand the mind's nature. Its main
purpose is 'to focus the entire mind at its source'. The source of the
'pseudo-I' is the Self. What one does in Self-inquiry is to run against the mental
current instead of running along with it, and finally transcend the sphere of
mental modifications. When the 'pseudo-I' is tracked down to its source, it
vanishes. Then the Self shines in all its splendour - which shining is called
realization and release.
The cessation or
non-cessation of the body has nothing to do with release. The body may continue
to exist and the world may continue to appear, as in the case of the Maharshi.
That makes no difference at all to the Self that has been realized. In truth,
there is neither the body nor the world for him; there is only the Self, the
eternal Existence (sat), the Intelligence (cit), the
unsurpassable bliss (ananda). Such an experience is not entirely foreign
to us. We have it in sleep, where we are conscious neither of the external
world of things nor of the inner world of dreams. But that experience lies
under the cover of ignorance. So it is that we come back to the phantasies of
dream and of the world of waking. Non-return to duality is possible only when
nescience has been removed. To make this possible is the aim of Vedanta.
To inspire even the lowliest of us with hope and help us out of the Slough of
Despond, is the supreme significance of such illustrious exemplars as the
Maharshi.
SRI
RAMANASRAMAM, TIRUVANNAMALAI.
IDEALS AND ACTIVITIES
Sri Ramanasramam, where
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi lived and taught his Eternal Message of Advaita
Vedanta, is situated in a picturesque spot on the western end of the sacred
town of Arunachala - Tiruvannamalai - and the air of calm, peace and beauty
that prevails in the noble buildings that constitute the Asramam, where several
activities are carried on, has to be experienced to be believed.
The entire Asramam is an ideal spot for calm and quiet
meditation. People of all nationalities look upon it as their own home.
Devotees of Bhagavan Sri
Ramana Maharshi who have not been in touch with the Asramam since His Mahanirvana,
have been making constant enquiries about the work of His Asramam ever since.
In response to such enquiries, we bring to their notice that Sri Ramanasramam
is functioning as in the days prior to Sri Ramana Maharshi's Mahanirvana.
The normal activities of the Asramam are as follows:
1. Sri Ramanasramam is
saturated with the Benign Grace of Bhagavan Sri Ramana; and the greatest
benefit that it has been conferring on his devotees of all religions is Mental
Peace, Bliss and Happiness.
The chief aim of the Asramam
is to give every possible aid to devotees who seek the said benefits. Many
devotees gather in the morning and evening for silent meditation and prayer and
they get all the help and convenience they need.
2. Puja is performed
at the Mahasamadhi of Sri Bhagavan both in the morning and in the
evening and also to that of Sri Bhagavan's mother, Sri Mathrubhuteswarar.
3 Veda Parayana
(Chanting of Vedas) is done regularly every day both in the morning and
evening. Devotees gather both times at the Shrines at the time of Arathi
(Waving of Lights).
4. The old Hall in which Sri Bhagavan used to sit, is
a very inspiring place and devotees gather there for meditation.
5. The room in which occurred the Brahma Nirvana
of Bhagavan is a very sacred place for one and all of His devotees.
6 Study groups meet in the new Hall and discuss Sri
Bhagavan's teachings.
7. To give wider publicity
to the teaching of Sri Bhagavan the Asramam is publishing a quarterly The
Mountain Path. which goes to distant parts of the world.
Subscription Rates : Annual
: In India Rs. 30/-, Foreign U.S. $15 by surface mail. Air Mail Surcharge,
differs from country to country. Life Subscription : Rs. 500/- in India and
U.S. $250 abroad.
8. The devotees of Sri
Bhagavan visit the Asramam from far and near and they are accommodated at the
Asramam and every effort is made to make their stay comfortable, so that they
may enjoy the peace of Sri Bhagavan's Being that pervades the Asramam.
9. The Veda Patasala
is a limb of the Asramam and the boys who study there have free education,
boarding and lodging. They are taught the Yajur Veda, Sanskrit literature and
English, Tamil, Mathematics and General Knowledge.
10. The SRI CHAKRA (Meru
Prasthara) which Sri Bhagavan consecrated by His Touch is located within
the precincts of the Mother's Shrine and is offered special puja on all
Fridays, the full-moon day and the Masa Pravesa Day (The 1st day of
Tamil Month). The devotees of Sri Bhagavan are very keen in participating in
these pujas and obtaining the benefit of the worship.
11. The Gosala is
maintained as of old in an ideal condition. Milk supply for the needs of the
Asramites and the visiting devotees is made adequate and self-supporting.
12. The Asramam kitchen
functions as of old, catering to about 75 inmates and visiting devotees and a
number of poor people.
13. The Free Dispensary runs as of old and the doctor
gives his unstinted honorary services three days in a week.
14. The Asramam is also
active in bringing out new publications and reprinting the old, in all
languages. The spoken words of Sri Bhagavan, which were recorded then and there,
are being published. Price lists on application.
15. The Asramam has an
excellent Library of 10,000 to 15,000 books in various languages on
philosophical, religious and other subjects for the free use of the devotees.
16. Every effort is being made to make the Asramam a
centre wherefrom the message of Sri Bhagavan will radiate.
17. The Asramam maintains a
permanent roll of Life Members, and devotees of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi
enlist themselves, by paying Rs.100/- (Foreign £12.50 or U.S.$30.00). They are
kept in touch with the Asramam by communication from here at least prior to and
after the JAYANTHI and the ARADHANA of Sri Bhagavan. ---- No longer
applicable from 1993.
18. The Asramam is run purely out of the voluntary
contributions of the devotees.
May His benign Grace be ever upon one and all.