A Devotee's Reminiscences

Hneri Hartung (1921-1988), a Swiss, ran a Ramana Centre in Swiss for many years. His French translation of Ulladu Narpadu went into several editions. Influenced by Frech philosopher Rene Guenon, he authored analogies of interim between Guenon and Ramana Maharishi.

" I came to Bhagawan in 1947. the long path to the Ashram became for me the royal road to the discovery of oneself. I had learnt of  Bhagawan as an authentic representative of the traditional wisdom. 

In Bombay I met a Brahmin who told me without astonishment as if it were an item of everydayness and even before greeting me  --" I was waiting for you , I have to escort you to Maharishi". Two days and two nights of train travel followed, while adoring the Indian landscape and especially the noisy and colourful scenes, which occurred during the stops. I tried to asses myself. Finally I found some ten questions that remained essential for me, the meaning of my presence on earth ,what happens after death, why? how? etc. I reached the Ashram. During the next ten days I shared the ritual life of the ashram, sitting for hours in front of Sri Ramana in the meditation hall. On the day of departure pre-sue answers to all my questions were given to me, without my asking them. Sometimes through few words written y Himself, sometimes through sheer domestic chores, especially in the kitchen, most b  silence. All this being rally subtle transmission as an exceptional spiritual reality Till his last day, the Maharishi will make it possible for his visitors from the next town or from remote place on foot and penniless or in luxurious cars , to see him, even talk to them.they come to bow in front of the living incarnation of the divine reality in human form. He was those amongst us , without ever showing any sort of ambition or particle of pride.

A smile of love and peace and the look which I feel while writing these lines can never be described in words. Thirty years after the first meeting  I am once again at Thiruvannamalai with my wife. A pilgrimage , which goes to the depths of my soul as it did 30 years ago. The Maharishi life seems as a concrete reference to our personal growth. He was the last link of chain of wise and holy men whose origin is beyond time and whose influence gives a meaning to our life, a harmony to our behaviour and peace to our hearts

SRI RAMANAYA NAMAHA

Mind and Spiritual progress

BHAGAWAN :

Mind binds man, and the same mind liberates him. Mind is constituted of sankalpa and vikalpa -desire and disposition. Desire shapes and governs disposition. Desire is of two kinds -the noble and the base. The base desires are lust and greed. Noble desires direct us towards enlightenment and emancipation. Base desires contaminate and cloud the understanding. Sadhana is easy for the aspirant who is endowed with noble desires. Calmness is the basis of spiritual progress. Plunge the purified mind into the Heart. Thenthe work is over. This is the essence of all spiritual discipline!

God's Grace and More Conversations.

Once a devotee sought Bhagavans' blessings on the ground that all his efforts to abide at the source of the mind had proved futile.

When Bhagavan asked, "What is the obstruction?".

He answered " It is my deep-rooted tendencies. I need your grace"

Bhagawan replied "Your repeated effort is bound to erase them. All sadhana is meant for this purpose only." He further observed, "Keep up your practice. There is no need to remind God about his business which is to keep an eye always on our welfare. The mistake one is prone to make is to abandon effort under the mistaken impression that God's grace is absent. But one should not slacken, for God's grace is bound to operate at the ripe time".

A devotee who was an advocate had a limited clientèle and wanted to shift his practice to another place in expectation of better luck. He sought Bhagavans's opinion about it.

Bhagawan replied softly " Is that so? why don't you consult an astrologer about it?".

Another devotee complained " I am unable to have peace of mind. I am planning to go to the Himalayas in search of it".

Bhagawan said " You travelled 250 miles from Madhurai and come here. how much mental quietness have you got? Multiply it by the distance from here to the Himalayas to measure the happiness you would get by going there".

TEACHINGS OF BHAGAWAN

In the centre of the Hear-Cave there shines alone the one Brahman as the 'I-I', the Atman. Reach the Heart by diving deep in quest of the Self, or by controlling the mind with the breath, and stay established in Atman.
                                                          v.8 Reality in Forty Verses, Supplement

Though Bhagawan taught for the most part through silence, he did instruct through speech also and that too with clarity, directness and simplicity, without in the least baffling the minds of the listeners.

The teachings of Bhagawan are intensely practical. He expounded theory only in answer to the specific needs and questions of devotees and as a necessary basis for practise. He would often refuse to gratify curiosity, turning the questioner's attention to himself, to enquire into the reality of his own existence.

The direct path of Atma Vichara (Self Enquiry) eliminates the preconditions usually equated with the traditional Jnana Marga ( path of knowledge), since it goes straight in to the root of all problems, the mind.

Only after the rise of the mind, everything else rises; enquiring into its nature, that is, enquiring from where the mind emerges, the mind dissolves into the Self.It is thus a new and integral path that Bhagawan has opened to those who turn to him.Adapted to the conditions of our age, the path of enquiry can be followed in city or household no less than in forest or Ashram.

SELF ENQUIRY

Self Enquiry is really possible only through intense introversion of the mind. What is finally realised, as a result of such enquiry into the source of Aham vritti ( 'I'- thought) is verily the Heart as the undifferentiated light of Pure Consciousness into which the reflected light of the mind is completely absorbed.

As each thought arises one must be watchful and ask: to whom is the thought occurring? the answer will be To me .If you enquire Who am  I? the mind will return to the source from whence it issued. The thought which arose will also submerge.

PRACTICE 

Abhyasa consists in withdrawal within Self every time you are disturbed by thought. It is not concentration or destruction of mind by withdrawal into the Self.

You can never find mind through the mind.Pass beyond it in order to find that it is non-existent.

GRACE 

The Guru is both within and without. So he creates conditions to drive you inward and prepares the interior to drag you to the centre. Thus he gives a push from outside and exerts pull from within sot hat you may be fixed at the centre. This is the Grace of the Guru.

Grace is both beginning and the end. Introversion is due to Grace. Perseverance is Grace, Realisation is Grace.

SURRENDER 

What Bhaktha calls surrender , the man who does vichara calls Jnana. Both are trying to take the ego back to the Source from which it spring and make it merge there.

We will know in due course that our glory lies where we cease to exist. In order to gain that state, one should surrender oneself saying LORD! Thou art my Refuge!

NAMO BHAGAWATHE SRI RAMANAYA 

God's Grace

These are verses from Sivaprakasam Pillai's poetry

" You have taught me that though we may plan corers of things , nothing fructifies without God's Grace and that therefore the best devotee is he who does not plan anything.And yet I have not taken your teaching firmly to heart or controlled my mind"

"I do not follow the supreme path which you, my rare Guru, have taught. I do not give up my attachments to the world. You have made me mentally aware of the truth that I am not this perishable body.But you have not vouchsafed me practical realisation of the truth. A kind master should control and save his slave and not abandon him in disgust as an incorrigible brute."

"If you continue thus, leaving poor me to go my ways, how am I  to be saved? Weakling that I am , I will not correct myself, and you , my Lord and master will not correct me. Have I any help except you in this life or the next? Tell me, what exactly do you intend to do with me? Is this right of you, my Guru?"

These stanzas suit all devotees of Bhagavan and only thing we  can do is complete surrender to Bhagavan's Feet.

SRI BHAGAWAN AND CHITOOR NAGAIAH

Nagaiah V. Chittoor was a legendary Telugu cine artiste, Known for his films Bhaktha Pothana and Bhaktha Thaygaraja , visited Sri Ramana in 1930s.

"When wife died, the whole world looked bleak to me. Everything seemed like an arid desert with no oasis in sight. I would be reading Gita again and over again. The slightest thought of my wife would sink me into deep sorrow. To overcome it I would let my friends force me into giving music concerts.

One day I left my house, wandering here and there, reached Sri Ramanashramam. To me it was like entering the heaven on earth. The atmosphere of profound peace which surrounded the Maharishi and which enveloped the place sank into me. At long last, my mind knew some rest. The majestic silence of Bhagawan ended my suffering and my self concern about the bereavement.

Paul Brunton and I became friends, and time passed happily. One day a friend from Chittoor spotted me and cajoled me into accepting a recording programme for his film. I told him that unless the Maharishi gave his consent, I would not budge. I had not spoken a single word to Bhagawan all this while nor had he to me. But there was some imperceptible yet strong bond of love between us. To leave the majestic master who filled my heart with peace was unthinkable. Still the seeds of desire had been sown. I was looking for an opportunity to get the Maharishi's permission. When the permission was sought he said " Yes, you can go. There is still a lot of work for you to do". I could not comprehend the implications of the statement at that time. The recording assignment took me to the film world where name and fame came to me in a big way.

I would have withered away unhonoured and unsung but for the grace of Bhagawan Ramana. He poured new life into me. The Maharishi had an uncanny perception of each person's need and would lead one along the path best suited to that person.

SRI RAMANA

TALKS WITH BHAGAWAN SRI RAMANA MAHARISHI

Everyone knows "I am" .There is the confusion that "I" is the body. Because the "I" arises from the Absolute and gives rise to buddhi (intellect).In buddhi "I" looks the size and shape of the body, na medhaya means that Brahman cannot be apprehended by buddhi. Brahman >aham >buddhi. How can such buddhi crossing over aham discover Brahman? It is impossible. Just get over the false conception of the "I" being the body. Discover to whom the thought arise. If the present "I" ness vanishes the discovery is complete. What remains over is the pure Self.

A sannyasi asked: It is said that Self is beyond the mind and yet the realisation is with the mind Manono Manute, Manasa na matam, and Manasaivedamaptavyam ( " The mind cannot think it.It cannotbethought of by the mind and the mind alone can realise it"). How are these contradictions to be reconciled?

 

Bhagawan Said: " Atam is realised with mruta manas (Dead mind) i.e. , mind devoid of thoughts and turned inwards. Then the mind sees its own source and becomes THAT. It is not as the subject perceiving the object. When the room is dark a lamp is necessary to illumine and eyes to cognise objects. But when the sun is risen there is no need of a lamp, and the objects are seen; and to see the sun no lamp is necessary, it is enough that you turn your eyes towards the self-luminous sun. Similarly with the mind. To see the objects the reflected light of the mind is necessary. To see the Heart, it is enough that the mind is turned towards it. The mind loses itself and Heart shines forth.

 

 

 

D: What is mouna?

Bhagawan: That state which transcends speech and thought is mouna.

D: How t achieve it?

Bhagawan: Hold some concept firmly and trace it back. By such concentration silence results. When practice becomes natural it will end in silence. Meditation without mental activity is silence. Subjugation of the mind is meditation. Deep meditation is eternal speech.

D: How will worldly transaction go on if one observes silence?

Bhagawan: When women walk with water pots on their heads and chat with their companions they remain careful, their thoughts concentrated on the loads on their heads. Similarly when a sage engages in activities these do not disturb him because his ming abides in Brahman