my Ramana story

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[...]

Some days later, i went to the bath room to help Bhagavan on his

morning bath. Madhava Swami and I gave him his bath and massaged him

with oil, as usual.

Once the bath finished, Mahadava Swami asked a question: "People who

take 'ganja lehiyam' [an ayurvedic preparation in which the main

ingredient is cannabis] feel a kind of 'ananda' [felicity]. What is

the nature of that 'ananda'? Is it the same 'ananda' the scriptures

talk about?"

"To eat this ganja is a very bad habit", answered Bhagavan. Then

suddenly laughing, he came to me, took me in his arms and

shouted: "Ananda! Ananda! This is the way people eating ganja behave!"

It was only a brief embrace. Mahadava Swami told me later that he had

held me tightly close to two minutes. After the first few seconds, i

completely lost consciousness of my body and the world. At the

beginning, there was a feeling of happiness and felicity, then it

came to a state where there was neither feeling nor experience. I did

not lose completely consciousness, i simply stopped to be aware of

what was going around me. I remained in this state for about fifteen

minutes. When i recovered my regular awareness of the world, i was

alone in the bath room. Bhagavan and mahadava had proceeded to their

breakfast a good while ago. And i had not seen them open the door and

go and neither did i hear the bell ringing breakfast.

This experience completely changed my life. As soon as i regained

consciousness i knew that my life of work at Shri Ramanasramam was

over. i knew than henceforth i would work outside the ashram and

dedicate most my time to meditation.

[...]

David Godman

Annamalai Swami:

Une vie aupres de Ramana Maharshi

(i translated this from french, correct my mistakes)

eric