N.N. Rajan - Remembering Ramana

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REMEMBERING RAMANA

N. N. Rajan

 

Miracles and Bhagavan

 

It is common to see people flock to those who exhibit

occult powers and perform miracles like curing ailments,

floating on water, sitting buried under earth etc. but Self-realisation

and miracle mongering are poles apart. The jnani

does not care for miracles. To the jnani the control of the senses

leading to realisation of the Self is the only aim. This is really

the greatest miracle, and to achieve it is the jnani’s goal.

 

The great jnani that he was, Bhagavan Sri Ramana always

revelled in the natural state of supreme bliss. He did not wish to

perform miracles. In fact, he warned people against it. This

does not mean that he had no powers. He had them in

abundance, as witnessed by many, only Bhagavan never liked

to exhibit them.

 

He behaved as any ordinary man would. Regarding the

manifestation of powers seen by devotees, it might be due to

his infinite compassion that the miracles happened and he might

not have been particularly intent on them.

 

One evening, while I was sitting outside Sri Bhagavan’s

hall, just in his view, suddenly I noticed an expressive gesture in

his face as he leaned forward from his reclining position. It

looked as though he was calling me to say something. I was

impelled to respond to the gesture by getting up and going

near him but he did not tell me anything. I resumed my seat

only to find, in a couple of minutes, another jerk and a similar

expressive movement in him as before. This time also I was

stirred and when I went nearer there was no further indication.

I took my seat again but now became restless. I could not resist

the urge to leave the place at once with the expectation of some

urgent matter demanding my presence. I prostrated to Sri

Bhagavan and I left the hall without a word.

 

A major train accident had happened at my headquarters

station about nine miles off. I had been forewarned by Bhagavan

in a strange manner as recorded above and due to his grace, I was

free from the blame of not being on the spot in the emergency.

Obviously Bhagavan’s warning was quite in advance of the actual

happening. The way he did it is most noteworthy. There was no

public demonstration or publicity. An act of grace to a devotee, in

his own unique way and with no means of others knowing that a

miracle was actually performed. This is typical of our Bhagavan.

 

from The Silent Power