Guest guest Posted January 7, 2004 Report Share Posted January 7, 2004 Dear Alan, > it does state in the inroduction to Talks "the whole > had the seal of approval of Sri Bhagavan himself,as the records > were always shown him for his approval or the necessary > alteration after they had been entered in the notebook",your > correspomdent does not quote this Very good point, Alan. As you may know, the anonymous correspondent cites two kinds of evidence in his letter that suggests the contrary. Maybe I'll send this quotation to him and ask his reaction. > However the works written > by Bhagavan himself in Collected Works do not suffer from > interpretation only from the problems of translation I wish we could assume this, but I don't think we can. Some of the works that carry his byline were actually written by other people, and in some cases, there are good reasons to doubt whether the texts have come down to us in a form of which Bhagavan would approve. As an example of this, see the following page of David Godman's website where he discusses an interpolated paragraph in "Who Am I?" which is no longer identified as such in current editions (search on "interpolated"): http://davidgodman.org/rteach/whoami1.shtml > We must > remember that Bhagavan had a good working knowledge of > English having been educated in an American Mission School > until he went to Arunachala ,and was well capable of correcting > English translators and interpreters . Yes, certainly. Nobody here is suggesting that Bhagavan was incapable of reviewing the book. His English was quite good, and among his many gifts was a brilliant talent for language and literature: composing poetry, interpreting the scriptures, editing other people's work, etc. > Chadwich recounts in his > Memoirs that Bhagavan was scrupulous in correcting his Poetic > Rendings of Ramana's Writings.. As you probably know, my correspondent reports that Bhagavan wasn't always so scrupulous about corrections. According to him, there are numerous well-known instances where Bhagavan reviewed written material and returned it to the author without making corrections, even though there were many inaccuracies. I wonder whether anyone else tends to feel as I do about these written works. I feel a tremendous reverence for Bhagavan, and this reverence transfers over to these books. For example, I always wash my hands before I pick one of them up. Perhaps it takes a certain effort to avoid having one's critical judgement be clouded by such feelings. I try to remember that these books are only books, written by fallible human beings as all books are, and that they contain numerous mistakes of all sorts. And I try to remember that it suggests no disrespect for Bhagavan to regard the books in this way. On the contrary. A proper respect requires an exercise of the same critical judgment that we would bring to bear on any texts that we wish to study carefully. Best wishes, Rob - "Alan Adams-Jacobs" <alanadamsjacobs <RamanaMaharshi> Wednesday, January 07, 2004 11:29 AM [RamanaMaharshi] Talks > Dear Rob , it does state in the inroduction to Talks "the whole > had the seal of approval of Sri Bhagavan himself,as the records > were always shown him for his approval or the necessary > alteration after they had been entered in the notebook",your > correspomdent does not quote this .However the works written > by Bhagavan himself in Collected Works do not suffer from > interpretation only from the problems of translation .We must > remember that Bhagavan had a good working knowledge of > English having been educated in an American Mission School > until he went to Arunachala ,and was well capable of correcting > English translators and interpreters .Chadwich recounts in his > Memoirs that Bhagavan was scrupulous in correcting his Poetic > Rendings of Ramana's Writings..Hope this throws some light on > a thorny problem.Every best wish and regards ,as ever ,Alan > > > > Post message: RamanaMaharshi > Subscribe: RamanaMaharshi- > Un: RamanaMaharshi > List owner: RamanaMaharshi-owner > > Shortcut URL to this page: > http://www./community/RamanaMaharshi > > Links > > > RamanaMaharshi/ > > > RamanaMaharshi > > Your > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2004 Report Share Posted January 7, 2004 ---Dear Rob ,I agree that you are right to sound this warning note .We should as you suggest never suspend our critical discrimination when confronted by the printed word .I feel however that the essence of his Teaching is conveyed adequately by Talks , and that where a passage resonates strongly for you, one should give it full attention .Thank you for bringing this question to our notice .Renewed best wishes , Alan ______________________ Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" your friends today! Download Messenger Now http://uk.messenger./download/index.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2004 Report Share Posted January 7, 2004 Dear Alan, > I feel however that > the essence of his Teaching is conveyed adequately by Talks , and that where a passage resonates > strongly for you, one should give it full attention. I agree with you completely. The book remains immensely valuable even after we understand what it is and is not. More valuable, perhaps. Best wishes, Rob - "Alan Jacobs" <alanadamsjacobs <RamanaMaharshi> Wednesday, January 07, 2004 12:30 PM Re: [RamanaMaharshi] Talks > ---Dear Rob ,I agree that you are right to sound this warning note .We should as you suggest > never suspend our critical discrimination when confronted by the printed word ..I feel however that > the essence of his Teaching is conveyed adequately by Talks , and that where a passage resonates > strongly for you, one should give it full attention .Thank you for bringing this question to our > notice .Renewed best wishes , Alan > > > ______________________ > Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" > your friends today! Download Messenger Now > http://uk.messenger./download/index.html > > > Post message: RamanaMaharshi > Subscribe: RamanaMaharshi- > Un: RamanaMaharshi > List owner: RamanaMaharshi-owner > > Shortcut URL to this page: > http://www./community/RamanaMaharshi > > > Links > > > RamanaMaharshi/ > > > RamanaMaharshi > > Your > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 7, 2004 Report Share Posted January 7, 2004 Dear Michael L., Miles, Rob, Alan and ALL, By now we are familiar with this thread. It is an interesting topic. This is the story of the history of religion. After the death/samadhi of an acharya, there isn't a common understanding among the devotees. Even someone who lived as recently as Bhagavan is not clearly understood. There is confusion which spawns discussion. Persons quote various sources that may or may not be authoritative or translated properly. That isn't all bad. But in the end I think that the only thing that can be ascertained is that there are a number of techniques by which one can do sadhana. I came to the knowledge of the Maharshi and atma vichara rather late in my life. I'm sure that it was just as well for me because it came at a time when it was just right and it was easy to do and there wasn't anybody to talk to about how to do it and so there wasn't any confustion. Even though I've never been a good person, I have always been led to effective spiritual practices at the right time for me. I think that my life has been that way because in my life I was a desparate seeker. I was like a madman. In the days of my sadhana I did it like I was a man dying of thirst and seeking water. Then what happens is that all existence becomes your guru. We awaken to the sadguru. To the few the sadguru mmanifests in the form of a human. To others the guru manifests in other ways and in other things. But it is our awakening to the guru that is important. Having obtained the grace of the guru through ardent desire and by through the practice of effective means one is not drowned in this vast ocean of existence. Call it what you will. And the whole discussion began about how to practice Self Inquiry and what did Bhagavan really mean by the direct path and which literay sources are authoritative and what can we believe? Hence, what to do? Invoke the guru. Surrender to your guru. Give it up to your guru. Then follow your guru and I think that in the end you must do whatever you really think is best. Warmest regards, michael --- Rob Sacks <editor wrote: > Dear Alan, > > > I feel however that > > the essence of his Teaching is conveyed adequately > by Talks , and that where a passage resonates > > strongly for you, one should give it full > attention. > > I agree with you completely. The book remains > immensely valuable even after we understand what > it is and is not. More valuable, perhaps. > > Best wishes, > > Rob > > > - > "Alan Jacobs" <alanadamsjacobs > <RamanaMaharshi> > Wednesday, January 07, 2004 12:30 PM > Re: [RamanaMaharshi] Talks > > > > ---Dear Rob ,I agree that you are right to sound > this warning note .We should as you suggest > > never suspend our critical discrimination when > confronted by the printed word .I feel however that > > the essence of his Teaching is conveyed adequately > by Talks , and that where a passage resonates > > strongly for you, one should give it full > attention .Thank you for bringing this question to > our > > notice .Renewed best wishes , Alan > > > > > > > ______________________ > > Messenger - Communicate instantly..."Ping" > > your friends today! Download Messenger Now > > http://uk.messenger./download/index.html > > > > > > Post message: RamanaMaharshi > > Subscribe: > RamanaMaharshi- > > Un: > RamanaMaharshi > > List owner: > RamanaMaharshi-owner > > > > Shortcut URL to this page: > > > http://www./community/RamanaMaharshi > > > > > > Links > > > > > > RamanaMaharshi/ > > > > > > RamanaMaharshi > > > > Your > > > > > > > > Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes http://hotjobs.sweepstakes./signingbonus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 14, 2004 Report Share Posted March 14, 2004 Dear Sri John, >From the Introduction to "Talks" by Sadhu Arunachala ....Though the conversation was in various south Indian languages most of it was recorded in English, the rest in Tamil and Telugu, which passages were translated for the purpose of this book. ... om gurave namaah suri John <bharani (AT) onetel (DOT) com> wrote: Sri Munagala S Venkataramiah kept a record of the Master's words from 1935 — 1938.Does anyone know in which language the record was kept?ThanksjohnSiva—SivaPost message: RamanaMaharshiSubscribe: RamanaMaharshi-Un: RamanaMaharshiList owner: RamanaMaharshi-ownerShortcut URL to this page:http://www./community/RamanaMaharshi Links<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:RamanaMaharshi/<*> To from this group, send an email to:RamanaMaharshi<*> Your use of is subject to: India Promos: Win a trip for 2 to Britain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2005 Report Share Posted March 25, 2005 6th November, 1935 Talk 86. The Master gave the true significance of the Christian faith thus: Christ is the ego. The Cross is the body. When the ego is crucified, and it perishes, what survives is the Absolute Being (God), ( cf. "I and my Father are one" ) and this glorious srvival is called Resurrection. Talk 87. Major A.W.Chadwick, an ardent English devotee, asked, "Why did Jesus call out 'My God! My God!' while being crucified?" Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi.: It might have been an intercession on behalf of the two thieves who were crucified with Him. Again a 'jnani' has attained liberation even while alive, here and now. It is immaterial as to how, where and when he leaves his body. Some 'jnanis' may appear to suffer, others may be in 'samadhi', still others may disappear from sight before death. But that makes no differance to their 'jnana'. Such suffering is apparent only to the onlooker and not to the 'jnani', for he has already transcended the mistaken identity of the Self with the body. Talk 88. The same gentleman asked.: What is the significance of Christ in the illumination of St.Paul? Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi.: Illumination is absolute, not associated with forms. After St.Paul becomes Self-conscious he identified the illumination with Christ-consciousness. D.: But Paul was not a lover of Christ then? Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi.: Love or hatred is immaterial. The thought of Christ was there. It is similar to Ravana's case. Christ-consciousness and Self-Realisation are all the same. India Matrimony: Find your life partner online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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