Ramana Maharshi teaches moderation in sleep, diet and movements by his own practical example

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He does not take milk and is nowadays eating only one iddli for breakfast daily

saying that a man who sits without doing any physical work does not require two.

So also with his midday meal.

 

Mixed with curry etc., each meal amounts only to about a handful. Even that he

does not eat each dish separately as we do for taste.

 

He makes a ball of the vegetable, chutney,soup, etc. and then mixes it with rice

and eats. In the course of the conversation one day, he said, “It would be more

tasty to eat the rice with only one dish instead of so many.

 

Why so many dishes? We used to eat only a single dish in the olden days. I have

not given up that practice even now. While I was on the hill many people used to

bring rice, fruit and sweets.

 

Whatever they brought, I used to eat only as much as could be lifted with three

fingers. I used to eat some of whatever they brought so that the whole day’s

intake of the food eaten did not amount to a handful.

 

That method of eating used to give me more than happiness. Nowadays they spread

a leaf and serve several things on it. As I cannot waste anything, I eat them

and feel heavy thereafter.”

 

So also as regards sleep. On special festival occasions such as the birthday

celebrations (Jayanthi) and Maha Puja,the students do not commence the Vedic

recitations at the Brahma Muhurtham time (a couple of hours before sun

rise),being tired with work on the previous night, but Bhagavan gets up as usual

and keeps himself ready.

 

If he is ever in ill health and his personal attendants request him to sleep a

little longer, he replies, “What is the point in sleeping at the time of the

Brahma Muhurtham? If you want, you may sleep.”

 

In Dhanurmasam (December-January), puja starts in Arunachaleswara temple early

in the morning. Bhagavan wakes up here by that time.

 

Source: Letters from Sri Ramanasramam VOLUMES I, II & Letters from and

Recollections of Sri Ramanasramam By SURI NAGAMMA Translated by D. S. SASTRI

 

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Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Prasanth Jalasutram

 

Love And Love Alone