SRI CHINMOY A VISIT TO RAMANASRAMAM

[Guest guest]

My Visit to Sri Ramanasramam

Sri Chinmoy's talk at the N.Y. Arunachala Ashrama on September 5th, 1999

I

n June this year I was in India for a few days to visit my brother who

lives at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. On June 9th, I

decided to go to Ramana Maharshi's Ashram, which is only two and a

half hours away. This was my fourth visit. I went there in 1956, 1958

and again fifteen years ago.

The first thing to greet me when I arrived was a peacock. The peacock

was so beautiful. Then I started moving around the Ashram, here and

there, taking video and photographs. The entire Ashram was full of

peace, peace, peace.

I entered the main meditation hall. The statue of Sri Ramana Maharshi

is most sacred. When I first saw this statue of Ramana garlanded in

1956, 1 felt Ramana Maharshi's living presence inside the statue.

This time also, this particular statue was absolutely living.

Unfortunately, because of the condition of my knee, I was able to go

around the statue only once. Then I sat down to meditate. The

atmosphere inside the meditation hall was so sublime.

Afterwards, I wanted to go to the cave where Maharshi actually

meditated when he arrived at Arunachala. I was told that it was a

fortyfive minute walk and I could not walk at all. When I went there

15 years ago, I saw the cave and I had a very good experience. But

this time it was impossible.

I decided to go and ask the President of the Ashram if it was really

such a long walk. The President was not there, but the VicePresident

was available. I entered into his office and we began talking and

talking. Mani was curious to know if I had known Dilip. We began our

conversation with Dilip Kumar Roy, the Golden Voice. I knew him in my

adolescent years at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. So I was able to tell

the Vice President many stories about Dilipda and my own personal

experiences. He was so pleased to hear them.

Then our marathon conversation touched on South India's greatest poet,

Subramaniam Bharati, and also the immortal Sanskrit scholar, T.V.

Kapali Shastri, who happened to be my Sanskrit teacher.

The VicePresident was extremely, extremely kind to me. He told me his

name was Mani, but when I asked him his position, he said, "I am

nobody, I am nobody." He was very humble. We spent over an hour

together. He repeatedly requested me to stay the night at the Ashram

so that I could meet the President the following day, but I could not

comply with his loving request.

At one point, Mani asked me, "Was it true that the Mother of the Sri

Aurobindo Ashram watched the light?" [The star that appeared and

floated slowly across the sky at the moment of the Maharshi's

Mahasamadhi].

I said, "It is absolutely true. We were at that time in the

playground. I was one of the captains. I was only twenty or thirty

meters away from the Mother. As soon as we saw the column of light,

the Mother immediately folded her hands and we also folded our hands.

We watched the light. It was like a fireball. Then the radio made the

announcement that Ramana Maharshi had passed on."

Mani was very, very moved when he heard that the Mother had folded her

hands and we all did the same. He was thrilled.

As I was taking my leave of Mani, he asked me, "What do you think of our Ashram?"

I said, "I have been to many spiritual places. I live in America, in

New York. In America, sound is sound, and silence is silence. Here,

around the temple and in the vicinity of Ramana Maharshi's Ashram, I

wish to say that the silence is such a deep silence. But inside the

sound also I feel silence."

Mani looked at me. So I added, by way of explanation, "Sound is sound

and silence is silence. But here at Ramana Maharshi's place, even in

the sound, I feel such peace, such joy. I see men and women passing

by, and I see such peace in their faces. There is so much peace. Here

in sound also I feel silence." Then he was very, very happy.

On my way back to Pondicherry in the taxi my soul was swimming and

swimming in the sea of ecstasy. That is when I had the inspiration to

write my song in Bengali about Ramana Maharshi. I translated it into

English upon my return to New York.

In July, I had the blessingful opportunity to speak to Mani's brother,

Sundaram, on the phone. The President and I had a very illumining

conversation about Avatars. I was telling him that each human being

is a Godrepresentative, while Avatars like Maharshi Ramana are the

direct representatives, supreme representatives, of the Absolute

Supreme. We are trying to follow in the footsteps of these mightiest,

giant souls who came to earth and whose consciousness is still here on

earth and will forever remain here to illumine the world and elevate

the consciousness of the world.

My heart is all gratitude to this mightiest soul, Maharshi Ramana. I

also wish to offer my deepest gratitude to my esteemed

BrotherFriends, Sundaram and Mani, who are now shouldering the

responsibility of Maharshi's Ashram.

I am so fortunate to be here with you today on the blessingful

anniversary of the Maharshi's arrival at Arunachala and for that I

offer my heartfelt gratitude to the genuinely aspiring soul, Dennis,

and to all the members of this sacred Ashram.

O Great Sage RamanaA Compassion-Eye, a time immemorial Dream—Great

Sage Ramana!The destruction-illumination of the little "i"AndThe

perfection-manifestation of the big "I"In you we have found.You are

the Supreme UtteranceOf the Land of Immortality.In one Form you are

the Darling, King and LightOf Arunachala.You embody the Supreme

SatisfactionOf earth and Heaven.

— Sri Chinmoy (Bengali words, June 9th, 1999; English translation, June 12th, 1999)

 

THE MAHARSHI

Nov./Dec. 1999Vol. 9 - No. 6

Produced & Edited byDennis HartelDr. Anil K. Sharma

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[Guest guest]

It is very refreshing to see an instance where Sri Chinmoy has

acknowledged another spiritual master as being an Avatar, and not

merely a "partial one", presumably, like Jesus or Sri Aurrobindo.

 

Sri Chinmoy has relegated almost every spiritual master who has ever

lived to rungs on the spiritual ladder far below his own, which of

course, is none other than the rung on the very top.

 

I was not at all surprised that Sri Chinmoy did not confide to Mani

that he (Sri Chinmoy)too, was an Avatar, in fact, the Avatar known in

Hindu mythology as Kalki, the 10th. and final incarnation of the god

Vishnu.

 

That is not something Sri Chinmoy announces publically, although he

has made that claim to at least one group of relatively close

disciples.

 

Just a little anecdote from my experience as a disciple of his when I

was living in Jamaica, Queens, from 1970 thru 1980.

 

After Sri Chinmoy's first visit to Ramanashram, the Mother gave him a

big slap as punishment for what she considered to be young Chinmoy's

disloyalty to Sri Aurobindo.

 

 

Gary

 

 

 

 

 

, michael bindel

<michael_bindel> wrote:

>

> My Visit to Sri Ramanasramam

>

>

>

> Sri Chinmoy's talk at the N.Y. Arunachala Ashrama on September 5th,

1999

>

> I

>

> n June this year I was in India for a few days to visit my brother

who lives at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Pondicherry. On June 9th, I

decided to go to Ramana Maharshi's Ashram, which is only two and a

half hours away. This was my fourth visit. I went there in 1956, 1958

and again fifteen years ago.

>

> The first thing to greet me when I arrived was a peacock. The

peacock was so beautiful. Then I started moving around the Ashram,

here and there, taking video and photographs. The entire Ashram was

full of peace, peace, peace.

>

> I entered the main meditation hall. The statue of Sri Ramana

Maharshi is most sacred. When I first saw this statue of Ramana

garlanded in 1956, 1 felt Ramana Maharshi's living presence inside

the statue. This time also, this particular statue was absolutely

living. Unfortunately, because of the condition of my knee, I was

able to go around the statue only once. Then I sat down to meditate.

The atmosphere inside the meditation hall was so sublime.

>

> Afterwards, I wanted to go to the cave where Maharshi actually

meditated when he arrived at Arunachala. I was told that it was a

fortyfive minute walk and I could not walk at all. When I went there

15 years ago, I saw the cave and I had a very good experience. But

this time it was impossible.

>

> I decided to go and ask the President of the Ashram if it was

really such a long walk. The President was not there, but the

VicePresident was available. I entered into his office and we began

talking and talking. Mani was curious to know if I had known Dilip.

We began our conversation with Dilip Kumar Roy, the Golden Voice. I

knew him in my adolescent years at the Sri Aurobindo Ashram. So I was

able to tell the Vice President many stories about Dilipda and my own

personal experiences. He was so pleased to hear them.

>

> Then our marathon conversation touched on South India's greatest

poet, Subramaniam Bharati, and also the immortal Sanskrit scholar,

T.V. Kapali Shastri, who happened to be my Sanskrit teacher.

>

> The VicePresident was extremely, extremely kind to me. He told me

his name was Mani, but when I asked him his position, he said, "I am

nobody, I am nobody." He was very humble. We spent over an hour

together. He repeatedly requested me to stay the night at the Ashram

so that I could meet the President the following day, but I could not

comply with his loving request.

>

> At one point, Mani asked me, "Was it true that the Mother of the

Sri Aurobindo Ashram watched the light?" [The star that appeared and

floated slowly across the sky at the moment of the Maharshi's

Mahasamadhi].

>

> I said, "It is absolutely true. We were at that time in the

playground. I was one of the captains. I was only twenty or thirty

meters away from the Mother. As soon as we saw the column of light,

the Mother immediately folded her hands and we also folded our hands.

We watched the light. It was like a fireball. Then the radio made the

announcement that Ramana Maharshi had passed on."

>

> Mani was very, very moved when he heard that the Mother had folded

her hands and we all did the same. He was thrilled.

>

> As I was taking my leave of Mani, he asked me, "What do you think

of our Ashram?"

>

> I said, "I have been to many spiritual places. I live in America,

in New York. In America, sound is sound, and silence is silence.

Here, around the temple and in the vicinity of Ramana Maharshi's

Ashram, I wish to say that the silence is such a deep silence. But

inside the sound also I feel silence."

>

> Mani looked at me. So I added, by way of explanation, "Sound is

sound and silence is silence. But here at Ramana Maharshi's place,

even in the sound, I feel such peace, such joy. I see men and women

passing by, and I see such peace in their faces. There is so much

peace. Here in sound also I feel silence." Then he was very, very

happy.

>

> On my way back to Pondicherry in the taxi my soul was swimming and

swimming in the sea of ecstasy. That is when I had the inspiration to

write my song in Bengali about Ramana Maharshi. I translated it into

English upon my return to New York.

>

> In July, I had the blessingful opportunity to speak to Mani's

brother, Sundaram, on the phone. The President and I had a very

illumining conversation about Avatars. I was telling him that each

human being is a Godrepresentative, while Avatars like Maharshi

Ramana are the direct representatives, supreme representatives, of

the Absolute Supreme. We are trying to follow in the footsteps of

these mightiest, giant souls who came to earth and whose

consciousness is still here on earth and will forever remain here to

illumine the world and elevate the consciousness of the world.

>

> My heart is all gratitude to this mightiest soul, Maharshi Ramana.

I also wish to offer my deepest gratitude to my esteemed

BrotherFriends, Sundaram and Mani, who are now shouldering the

responsibility of Maharshi's Ashram.

>

> I am so fortunate to be here with you today on the blessingful

anniversary of the Maharshi's arrival at Arunachala and for that I

offer my heartfelt gratitude to the genuinely aspiring soul, Dennis,

and to all the members of this sacred Ashram.

>

> O Great Sage Ramana

> A Compassion-Eye, a time immemorial Dream—

> Great Sage Ramana!

> The destruction-illumination of the little "i"

> And

> The perfection-manifestation of the big "I"

> In you we have found.

> You are the Supreme Utterance

> Of the Land of Immortality.

> In one Form you are the Darling, King and Light

> Of Arunachala.

> You embody the Supreme Satisfaction

> Of earth and Heaven.

>

> — Sri Chinmoy

> (Bengali words, June 9th, 1999; English translation, June 12th,

1999)

>

>

> THE MAHARSHI

>

>

>

>

>

> Nov./Dec. 1999

> Vol. 9 - No. 6

>

>

>

> Produced & Edited by

> Dennis Hartel

> Dr. Anil K. Sharma

 

>

>

>