Ramana's second death-experience

[Guest guest]

from Nagamma, Letters, 25th January, 1947

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This may be the most detailed report on Ramana's second death-experience at the

tortoise-rock on a hot day. Not sure which biography it is which is mentioned,

but it could be Ramana Leela. It seems it was a kind of collapse of the

blood-circulation and the heart - avery drastical one - whereas the first

death-experience happened without a bodily cause. The experience was the same

though.

 

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" It was Sastry [Vasudeva Sastry] who embraced me and wept when my heart stopped

beating, " said Bhagavan and narrated the incident thus: " One day I went to the

tank in front of Pachiamman Koil with Vasu and others for a bath, and we were

returning by a short cut, when, as we approached the tortoise rock, I felt tired

and giddy and so sat down on the rock. My experience at that time has been

recorded in my biography*{see above], as you all know, " said Bhagavan.

 

Taking up the thread of the conversation, Sastry said: " Yes. While all else

stood at a distance weeping, I suddenly embraced him. I was a bachelor at the

time and had the liberty to do so. No one else used to touch Swami's body. He

was in that state for about ten minutes, I think, and then gained consciousness.

I jumped about with joy. 'Why this weeping? You thought I was dead? If I am to

die, will I not tell you beforehand?' Bhagavan said, consoling us. "

 

 

* " Suddenly the view of natural scenery in front of me disappeared and a bright

white curtain was drawn across the line of my vision and shut out the view of

nature. I could distinctly see the gradual process. At one stage I could see a

part of nature clear, and the rest was being covered by the advancing curtain.

It was just like drawing a slide across one's view in the stereoscope. On

experiencing this I stopped walking lest I should fall. When it cleared, I

walked on. When darkness and a fainting feeling overtook me a second time, I

leaned against a rock until it cleared. And again for the third time I felt it

safer to sit, so I sat near the rock.

 

Then the bright white curtain had completely shut out my vision, my head was

swimming, and my blood circulation and breathing stopped. The skin turned a

livid blue. It was the regular death- like hue and it got darker and darker.

Vasudeva Sastri took me in fact to be dead, held me in his embrace and began to

weep aloud and lament my death. His body was shivering. I could at that time

distinctly feel his clasp and his shivering, hear his lamentation and understand

the meaning. I also saw the discolouration of my skin and I felt the stoppage of

my heart beat and respiration, and the increased chilliness of the extremities

of my body. Yet my usual current of " Self-effulgence " (Atma-sphurana,

Self-awareness) was continuing as usual in that state also.

 

I was not afraid in the least, nor felt any sadness at the condition of my body.

I had closed my eyes as soon as I sat near the rock in my usual padmasana

posture but was not leaning against it. The body which had no circulation nor

respiration maintained that position. This state continued for some ten or

fifteen minutes. Then I felt a shock passing suddenly through the body,

circulation revived with enormous force, as also respiration; and there was

profuse perspiration all over the body from every pore. The colour of life

reappeared on the skin. I then opened my eyes, got up casually and said, `Let us

go.' We reached Virupaksha Cave without further trouble. That was the only

occasion on which both my blood circulation and respiration stopped. "

 

Then the Maharshi added, to correct some wrong accounts that had been obtained

currently about the incident, " I did not bring on the fit purposely, nor did I

wish to see what this body would look like at death. Nor did I say that I will

not leave this body without warning others. It was one of those fits that I used

to get occasionally. Only it assumed a very serious aspect in this instance. "