Swami Tapovanji and Swami Chinmayananda's accounts of their meetings with Bhaga

[Guest guest]

Dear fellow members,

 

I received an emai from a friend with these wonderful accounts of Swami

Tapovan and Swami Chinmayananda on their meetings with Bhagavan Ramana

Maharshi.

Since it is a powerfull emotionally charged text I felt to share it with

you all.

Since I am not actively reading the list anymore, if any of you have

comments, you may address them to me personally at " maunna " .

 

Thank you,

Yours in Bhagavan,

Mouna

 

****

 

The Soul of Silence

Sri Swami Thapovanji Maharaj, Uttarkasi, Himalayas

 

Silence is Truth. Silence is Bliss. Silence is Peace

and hence, Silence is Atman. To live this Silence is

the Goal. It is Moksha. It is the end of this endless

cycle of births and deaths. Sri Ramana Maharshi was an

embodiment of Silence. He was Silence Itself.

Therefore he did not preach the Silence. Only when one

comes back to the 'noise' from the Silence, can one

preach the Silence. How can the Silence preach itself

through Silence ?

 

Nearly forty years ago, I had the good fortune of

having the darhsan of the Maharshi at Tiruvannamalai

when he was living there in a cave along with his

mother and brother. One midday I, a young Brahmachari

at that time, climbed to the cave, saw the Maharshi

there, and placing a bunch of bananas at his feet,

bowed and sat before him. At the same moment some

monkeys jumped onto the scene, scrambled for the

fruits and ran away with them.

 

The Maharshi looked lovingly into my face. That was

all. He spoke but Silence; not a word passed between

us. A supreme, a dynamic and Divine Silence prevailed.

An hour passed by, all in Silence. He rose for his

bhiksha. I too rose from my seat, bowed again and

walked down the Hill. The Divine Silence sank deeper

and deeper into me with each step! Someone came

running behind me and pressed me to take some prasad.

Thankfully, I declined. I was full, so full with the

Silence. The Maharshi called him back and advised him

not to press me. Then I continued walking away.

 

Maharshi was an image of Peace and Silence. It is the

first duty of all those who admire and follow him to

seek that Divine Silence. The enquiry into that Divine

Silence is but the enquiry 'Who am I?'

 

O Man! Enquire and be immersed in that inner Silence.

Do all works of this world to reach that goal, to

attain that Divine Silence. The ocean's surface dances

in waves, laughs in sparkling foam, roars as its

thunderous waves clap and clash! And yet deep in its

inner vaults it rests in eternal Silence and Peace.

Without such a divine and spiritual depth, the works

and activities of this universe prove worthless and

aimless.

 

" Works should be undertaken and pursued to take us

ultimately to the workless Abode of Divine Silence and

endless Peace. " This is the secret doctrine of all our

Vedas and ancient Scriptures.

 

˜ The Call Divine, 1953

 

-------------

Here is Swami Chinmayananda's first hand account of

what happened, excerpted from " Mananam, " a magazine

published in America by the Chinmaya Mission in the

late 70's early 80's.

 

" It so happened that I had sat down at the foot of the

wooden couch. The Maharshi suddenly opened his eyes

and looked straight into mine; I looked into his. A

mere look, that was all. I felt that the Maharshi was,

in that split moment, looking deep into me ˜ and I was

sure that he saw all my shallowness, confusions,

faithlessness, imperfections, and fears.

 

I was ashamed. But I did not want to take my eyes away

from his embracing look. Yet I could not stand that

honest, kind, and pitying look of pure love and deep

wisdom. In fact, it was I who had to look away – and

the next moment, when I gazed at his face again, he

had again closed his eyes.

 

I cannot explain what happened in that one split

moment. I felt opened, cleaned, healed, and emptied! A

strange feeling – fear mixed with love, hate colored

by affection, love honeyed with shyness, joy drowned

in sorrow.

 

A whirl of confusions: my atheism dropping away, but

skepticism flooding in to question, wonder, and

search. My reason gave me strength: " It is all

mesmerism, my own foolishness. " Thus assuring myself,

I got up and walked away.

 

But I knew. The boy who left the hall was *not* the

boy who had gone in some ten minutes before.

 

After my college days, my political work, and after my

years of stay at Uttarkashi at the feet of my master,

Sri Tapovanam, I knew that what I had gained on the

banks of the Ganges was that which I had been given

years before by the saint of Tiruvannamalai on that

hot summer day – by a mere look. "

 

****

[Guest guest]

Thank you Mouna-ji:

 

I love these stories. Here is an article containing the account of a visit

by my teacher to Sri Ramana.

 

sri-ramana-and-my-teacher-gurudev-sri-chitrabhanu-ji

 

Namaste and love to all

 

Yours in Bhagavan

Harsha

 

 

advaitin [advaitin ] On Behalf

Of Mouna

Sunday, March 01, 2009 1:50 PM

advaitin

Swami Tapovanji and Swami Chinmayananda's accounts of

their meetings with Bhaga

 

Dear fellow members,

 

I received an emai from a friend with these wonderful accounts of Swami

Tapovan and Swami Chinmayananda on their meetings with Bhagavan Ramana

Maharshi.

Since it is a powerfull emotionally charged text I felt to share it with

you all.

Since I am not actively reading the list anymore, if any of you have

comments, you may address them to me personally at " maunna " .

 

Thank you,

Yours in Bhagavan,

Mouna

 

****

 

The Soul of Silence

Sri Swami Thapovanji Maharaj, Uttarkasi, Himalayas

 

Silence is Truth. Silence is Bliss. Silence is Peace

and hence, Silence is Atman. To live this Silence is

the Goal. It is Moksha. It is the end of this endless

cycle of births and deaths. Sri Ramana Maharshi was an

embodiment of Silence. He was Silence Itself.

Therefore he did not preach the Silence. Only when one

comes back to the 'noise' from the Silence, can one

preach the Silence. How can the Silence preach itself

through Silence ?

 

Nearly forty years ago, I had the good fortune of

having the darhsan of the Maharshi at Tiruvannamalai

when he was living there in a cave along with his

mother and brother. One midday I, a young Brahmachari

at that time, climbed to the cave, saw the Maharshi

there, and placing a bunch of bananas at his feet,

bowed and sat before him. At the same moment some

monkeys jumped onto the scene, scrambled for the

fruits and ran away with them.

 

The Maharshi looked lovingly into my face. That was

all. He spoke but Silence; not a word passed between

us. A supreme, a dynamic and Divine Silence prevailed.

An hour passed by, all in Silence. He rose for his

bhiksha. I too rose from my seat, bowed again and

walked down the Hill. The Divine Silence sank deeper

and deeper into me with each step! Someone came

running behind me and pressed me to take some prasad.

Thankfully, I declined. I was full, so full with the

Silence. The Maharshi called him back and advised him

not to press me. Then I continued walking away.

 

Maharshi was an image of Peace and Silence. It is the

first duty of all those who admire and follow him to

seek that Divine Silence. The enquiry into that Divine

Silence is but the enquiry 'Who am I?'

 

O Man! Enquire and be immersed in that inner Silence.

Do all works of this world to reach that goal, to

attain that Divine Silence. The ocean's surface dances

in waves, laughs in sparkling foam, roars as its

thunderous waves clap and clash! And yet deep in its

inner vaults it rests in eternal Silence and Peace.

Without such a divine and spiritual depth, the works

and activities of this universe prove worthless and

aimless.

 

" Works should be undertaken and pursued to take us

ultimately to the workless Abode of Divine Silence and

endless Peace. " This is the secret doctrine of all our

Vedas and ancient Scriptures.

 

~ The Call Divine, 1953

 

-------------

Here is Swami Chinmayananda's first hand account of

what happened, excerpted from " Mananam, " a magazine

published in America by the Chinmaya Mission in the

late 70's early 80's.

 

" It so happened that I had sat down at the foot of the

wooden couch. The Maharshi suddenly opened his eyes

and looked straight into mine; I looked into his. A

mere look, that was all. I felt that the Maharshi was,

in that split moment, looking deep into me ~ and I was

sure that he saw all my shallowness, confusions,

faithlessness, imperfections, and fears.

 

I was ashamed. But I did not want to take my eyes away

from his embracing look. Yet I could not stand that

honest, kind, and pitying look of pure love and deep

wisdom. In fact, it was I who had to look away - and

the next moment, when I gazed at his face again, he

had again closed his eyes.

 

I cannot explain what happened in that one split

moment. I felt opened, cleaned, healed, and emptied! A

strange feeling - fear mixed with love, hate colored

by affection, love honeyed with shyness, joy drowned

in sorrow.

 

A whirl of confusions: my atheism dropping away, but

skepticism flooding in to question, wonder, and

search. My reason gave me strength: " It is all

mesmerism, my own foolishness. " Thus assuring myself,

I got up and walked away.

 

But I knew. The boy who left the hall was *not* the

boy who had gone in some ten minutes before.

 

After my college days, my political work, and after my

years of stay at Uttarkashi at the feet of my master,

Sri Tapovanam, I knew that what I had gained on the

banks of the Ganges was that which I had been given

years before by the saint of Tiruvannamalai on that

hot summer day - by a mere look. "

 

*

[Guest guest]

Namasthe,

 

"One time I asked my teacher, “Gurudev, in case someone ever asks me, what is our central teaching in a nutshell?†Chitrabhanu-Ji said, “Live and Let Live.â€

Chitrbhanuji said it right, Harshji. Perhaps this attitude of 'live & let live' makes this country carry on with all its oddities and still remain an enigma for most. The country & its culture still keep attracting all those who LOOK UP to find answers.

 

Regards

 

Balagopal

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