Bhagawan is BHAGAWAN

One was often impressed by the tolerance and kindliness of Sri Bhagawan. It was not merely that he recognised the truth of all religions, for that nay man of spiritual understanding would do, but if any school or group or ashram was striving to spread spirituality he would show appreciation of the good it was doing, how ever far its methods might be from his own or its teachings from strict orthodoxy.

Raghavachariar, a government official at Tiruvannamali, used to visit Sri Bhagawan occasionally. He wanted to ask his opinion of the Theosophical society but whenever he went he found a crowd of devotees there and he shrank from speaking before them.One day he went and determined to submit three questions.This is how he tells of it:

The Questions were.
1. Can you grant me a few minutes of private personal talk, free from all others?

2. I should like to have your opinion of the theosophical society of which I am a member.

3. Will you please enable me to see you real form? if I am eligible to see it?

When I went and prostrated and sat in his presence there was crowd of no less than thirty persons,but one and all they soon dispersed. So I was alone with him and my first query was thus answered without my stating it. That struck me as noteworthy.

Then he asked me of his accord if the book in my hand was the Gita, and if I was a member of the Theosophical society and remarked even before I answered his questions "It is doing good work" I answered his questions in affirmative.

My second question also being thus anticipated I waited with eager mind for the third. After half an hour I opened my mouth and said, "Just as Arjuna wished to see the form of Sri Krishna and asked for darshan , I wish to have a darshan of your real form, if I am eligible.

He was seated on the pial with a picture of Dakshinamurthy painted on the wall next to him. He silently aged on as usual, and I gazed in to his eyes. Then his body and also the picture of Dakshinamurthy disappeared from my view. There was only empty space, without even a wall, before my eyes. Then a whitish cloud in the outline of the Maharishi and of Dakshniamurthy formed before my eyes.Gradually the outline with silvery lines of these figures appeared. Then eyes, nose etc other details were outlined in lightning like lines. These gradually broadened till the whole figure of the Sage and Dakshinamurthy became ablaze with very strong and unendurable light. I closed my eyes in consequence. I waited for few minutes and then saw Him and Dakshnimurthi in the usual form.. I prostrated and came away.For a month thereafter I did not dare to go near him , so great was the impression that above experience made on me. After a month I went up and saw him standing in front of the Skandashramam , I told him  ' I put a question to you and had this experience' narrating the above experience. I requested him to explain. Then after a pause, he said " You wanted to see my form you saw my disappearance, I am formless So that experience might be real truth. The furthur visions may be according to your own conceptions derived from the study of Bhagawath Gita.But Ganapati Sastri had similar experience you may consult him ' I did not in fact consult Sastri,After this Maharishi said "Find out who the I is the seer or thinker and his abode.

Sri Ramanaya Namaha

Giri Pradakshina Map and Arunachala Temple Guide

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Guru and Disciple

Let us examine Sri Bhagawan's statements carefully.He sometimes said he had no disciples and never stated explicitly that he was the Guru, however, he used the expression " the Guru" as equivalent to "the Gnani " and is such a way as to leave no doubt that he is the Guru and he more than once joined in singing the song Ramana Sat-Guru.

Moreover, when devotee was genuinely distressed and seeking a solution he would sometimes reassure him in a way that left no room for doubt. An English disciple, Major Chadwick kept a record of such an assurance given to him in the year 1940 :


Ch: Bhagawan says he has no disciples?

Bh :Yes

Ch: He also says that Guru is necessary if one wishes to attain Liberation.

Bh:Yes

Ch: What then must I do? Has my sitting here all these years been just waste of time? Must I go and look for some Guru in order to receive initiation seeing that Bhagawan says he is not a Guru?

Bh: What do you mean think brought you here such a long distance and made you remain so long? Why do you doubt? IF there had been any need to seek a Guru elsewhere you would have gone away long ago.

The Guru or Gnani sees no difference between himself and others.For him all are Gnanis, all are one with himself, so how can Gnani say that such and such is his disciple? But the unliberated one sees all as multiple, he sees all as different from himself, so to him the Guru-disciple relationship is a reality and he needs that Grace of the Guru  to waken him to reality. For him there are three ways of initiation, by touch look and silence.
Ch: Then Bhagawan does have disciples!

Bh: As I said from Bhagawan's point of view there are no disciples, but from that of the disciples the Grace of the Guru is like an ocean.If he comes with a cup he will only get a cupful.It is no use complaining of the niggardliness of the ocean , the bigger the vessel the more he will be able to carry. It is entirely up to him.

Ch: Then to know whether Bhagawn is my Guru or not is just a matter of faith, if Bhagawan will no admit it.

Bh: ~(Sitting straight up and turning to the interpreter and speaking with great emphasis) Ask him ,does he want me to give him in written document?

Sri Ramanaya Namaha

In conversation with Bhagawan

Mr.P.C Desai introduced Mr.P.C Deanji (Rtd Sub-Judge) who was returning from Trivandrum where he had presided over a section of the Philosophical conference.Mr.Dewanji asked Bhagawan, "What is the easiest way to attain one-pointedness of mind"?

Bhagawan said " The best way is to see the source of the mind. See if there is such a thing as mind. It is only if there is a mind that the question of making one-pointed will arise. when you investigate by turning inwards, you find there is no such thing as the mind".

Then Mr. P.C Desai quoted Bhagawan's Upadesa Sara in Sanskrit to the effect "When you investigate the nature of mind continuously or without break, you find there is no such thing as the mind. This is the straight path for all".

The visitor asked again " It is said in our scriptures that God it is that creates, sustains and destroys all and that He is immanent in all. If so and if God does everything and is all what we do is according to God's niyati( Law) and has already planned in the Cosmic Consciousness, is there individual personality and any responsibility for it.

Bahagawan: " Of course, there is. The same scriptures have laid down rules as to what men should or should not do. If man is not responsible , then why should those rules have been laid down? You talk of Gods niyati and things happening according to it. If you ask God why this creation and all, He would tell it is according to karma again. If you believe in God and His niyati working out everything completely surrender yourself to Him and there will be no responsibility for you. Otherwise find out your real nature and thus attain freedom".