Factors: Ramana's awakening

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Attention is to be drawn to his samadhi like sleep when he was totally oblivious

to the existence of his body for many hours.

 

One should also remember Ramana's first association with death and what its

implication was, when his father died in 1892. At that time by deep

introspection he had arrived at the conclusion that his father's 'I' had left

the body while his 'I' was in his body making for the difference between life

and death.

 

One must give due significance to the fact mentioned by Ramana in one of his

autobiographical verses on Arunachala that from his "unthinking infancy the

immensity of Arunachala had shone in his awareness". Here one has to remember

that Arunachala is regarded as the embodiment of Lord Shiva. the greatest of

yogis. It is said that even the thought of Arunachala has the power to liberate

a person. In Ramana's case he was in constant awareness of it from his infancy.

In his mind Arunachala surpassed all grandeur. It may be because of this that in

later years Ramana referred to Arunachala as his Guru. For it is the Guru who

guides one on the path to Self-realization.

 

Therefore, despite appearances to the contrary, Ramana was already totally ripe

and ready for the awakening of Self-knowledge which happened next day

spontaneously. His enlightenment, on the following day, July 17, 1896, has

served to demonstrate to the entire humanity that, given the necessary passion

for the goal of Self-knowledge and Ramana's guidance of it through the direct

path of self-enquiry taught by him, discovery of the truth about oneself would

be 'very easy' 'very easy indeed.

 

Timeless in Time by Natarajan