RAMANA MAHARSHI – THE SAGE OF THE MILLENNIUM

[Guest guest]

RAMANA MAHARSHI – THE SAGE OF THE MILLENNIUM

 

(Abstracts from the presidential address by T.Satyanarayana, former

president of our Kendram, at the above-captioned symposium held at

Tulsi Bhava,Osmania University.)

 

Indian soil is fertile for soul culture. For centuries India has

accepted renunciation and union of the Self with the Supreme as the

summum bonum of human existence. The country is known for the divine

light and wisdom of her sages, yogis and self-realised souls. Among

such divine rishis, Ramana Maharshi stands out as a beacon of jnana

jyothi.

 

 

Sri Ramana's message to the mankind is conveyed through his

compositions and cryptic and profound answers to questions from the

devotees and visitors. But it was his thunderous silence which had

the greatest impact on those who had the good fortune of his darshan

and flow of his grace. Such persons found in him a true manifestation

of the divine on this earth.

 

Sri Ramana presents the age-old wisdom in a new form. It is the

teaching of the unity of `Being', which is accessible through atma

vichara or

Self-enquiry – the search for the self. Sri Ramana's approach does

not solve the question. It dissolves the question, nay, the very

questioner. The method is simple to the prepared one. All that the

Maharshi wants us is to ask ourselves: " To whom does the question

arise? " This shifts the mind, making it introverted. The only truth –

he says, is " I AM " . When we seek the Self we become silent and

without thoughts. To remain without thought is jnana. It is the final

state of fullness.

 

The thought can be eliminated by persistent enquiry. It is the

understanding that the suffering `I' is not me. The suffering `I' is

only an illusion that arises between the body-mind and the truth. On

enquiry the suffering ego or `I' disappears. I AM neither the body,

the mind nor the ego, but the truth. Sri Ramana used to tell stories

to drive home his point. The following story relates to the

disappearance of the ego.

 

A newly married couple, along with the relatives who had come for the

marriage, left for the bride's house for a few days' stay, as was the

custom. When they boarded the train, a well-dressed man, but in

reality a rouge, accompanied them. The bridegroom people took him as

a person from the bride's side and vice versa. Since both the sides

considered that he belonged to the other, he was treated well. The

rouge taking advantage of the situation started demanding extra

attention and behaved rudely. Things came to such a pass that

everybody got fed up with him. The bride then asked her

husband, " Who is that person, your friend? " " Not at all " he replied

and added, " All the while I thought he was your relative " . Thus, the

enquiry into the real nature made the arrogant rouge smelt the

danger, and before long he disappeared.

 

The rouge of the story is the ego. The bride is the body-mind

complex, and the bridegroom is the Self. The ego neither belongs to

the matter nor to the Self. It borrows its existence from the both.

But it has no existence of its own. How long will it take them for a

ride or make them suffer or ill-treat them? Only so long as its real

nature is not enquired into. Enquire who the ego is, and it will

disappear!

 

 

prof laxmi narain (prof_narain)

 

Source and courtesy: Sri Ramana Kendram, Hyderabad

This article was published in Sri Ramana Jyothi,

monthly magazine of the Kendram.