Ramana devotee Paul Brunton #2

[Guest guest]

Paul Brunton's 'Search in Secret India' published in 1934 has remained a best

seller since. From then onwards and even now, sixty five years later, more and

more seekers, particularly in the West, have been drawn to Ramana through this

book. Its fascination has been and is such that there can be little doubt about

its being inspired by Ramana. Paul Brunton had a powerful pen, being a

journalist from London. But it is Ramana's grace which has made his book a

mighty instrument for spreading Ramana's message.

 

Surprisingly, though Brunton had come to India specifically for finding out the

secrets of scared India, his list of holy personages did not include Ramana

Maharshi. He went knocking at different doors, to an Egyptian magician in

Bombay, to Meher Baba the Parsee messiah in Aurangabad, to Yogi Brahma and to a

Sage who never speaks, both at Madras, only to be increasingly disappointed. At

this stage one Subrahmany, a devotee of Ramana, met Brunton and suggested he

could find in Ramana a Master in the mould of the ancient rshis of India.

Brunton firmly refused to meet him not knowing the divine scheme of things which

started working. Venkataramani, a journalist friend of his took him to H. H.

Chandrasekhara Saraswate Swami of Kanchi. The sage not merely suggested but

insisted that Brunton should go to Ramana. He said, 'He is called Maharshi. I

have not met him but I know him to be a high master. Shall I provide you with

full instruction, so that you may discover him?' In his negative frame of mind

Brunton demurred saying, 'All arrangements are made for my departure from the

South tomorrow'. Then out of compassion the Sage insisted on Brunton meeting the

Maharshi before leaving South India.