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| Sri Ramana Maharshi (1879-1950) |
All agitations will cease the moment one enters on the inquiry, “Who am I?” This was the spiritual discipline that Ramana Maharshi achieved and taught to his disciples. This is also the easiest of all the disciplines.
- “Use the ‘Who am I’ Inquiry to Cease the Agitations”, Jnana Vahini
Someone came to Ramana Maharshi and asked him thus, “Swami! I have been doing intense Dhyana for the last 18 years; but I have failed to realise the Ideal on which my Dhyana is concentrated. How many more years should I continue thus?” Ramana answered, “It is not a question of a certain number of years. You have to continue Dhyana until the awareness that you are doing Dhyana disappears. Forget the ego; let it melt and merge, with all its layers of consciousness”.
- “Follow His Footprints”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 05, January 29, 1965, Prasanthi Nilayam
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| Sri Ramana Maharshi at Arunachalam |
Ramana Maharshi was once questioned as to how long a person should perform Dhyana every day. He smiled and replied that one should perform meditation till he forgets that he is doing so.
- “Dhyana Yoga”, Summer Showers in Brindavan 1979, Brindavan
‘Dharana’ is another important aspect of ‘Yoga.’ One pointed concentration is called Dharana. Ramana Maharshi used to practise this by concentrating his vision on a single star in the sky by lying down on the ground. ‘Dharana’ (concentration) enables us to practise ‘Dhyana’ (meditation).
- “The Philosophy of Yoga”, Summer Showers in Brindavan 1993, Brindavan
As Ramana Maharshi used to tell everyone who went to him, “Know who you are”. When asked, “Who are you?” you invariably give the name that someone fixed on you as a label. But, who are you, really? Have you tried to know that correctly and well?
- “Pay the Price”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 05, September 30, 1965, Prasanthi Nilayam
Someone asked Ramana Maharshi, “How long am I to engage myself in Dhyana?” The Maharshi replied, “Until you lose all awareness of the experience of Dhyana.”
- “Meaning of Mendicancy”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 8, September 29, 1968, Prasanthi Nilayam
To forget God is to forget your own Divine essence. Ramana Maharshi always told the devotees who came to him, “Know who you are.” ‘Know thyself’ does not mean knowing facts about your body, mind or senses. It is to know the one who claims ownership of the body, the mind, etc.
- “Vital Role of the Buddhi”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 30, October 8, 1997, Prasanthi Nilayam
In this vast expanse of the universe, right from the minutest atom to the mightiest, everything is permeated by the Atmic reality. It appears as the minutest of the minute and mightiest of the mighty. In fact, the principle of oneness that pervades microcosm and macrocosm is the fundamental reality which you have to enquire into. That is why Ramana Maharshi used to say:
“Enquire, who you really are?
You are not a single entity. You are, in fact, three-in-one,
The one you think you are, (body)
The one others think you are (mind) and
The one you really are (Atma)”.
- “The Atma Tatwa is One in All”, Sathya Sai Speaks, Volume 36, October 21, 2003, Prasanthi Nilayam
About Ramana Maharshi
Known as Venkataraman Iyer at birth, Ramana Maharshi was born in 1879 in Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu. He was a philosopher, Yogi and a saint, whose views on Monism and Maya (illusion) is similar to the Advaita philosophy expounded by Sri Adi Shankaracharya. At the age of 16, he had his first spiritual experience and was inspired to head towards Arunachala Mountains in Tiruvannamalai, Tamil Nadu.
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| Young Ramana Maharshi |
For the next two decades, he lived an austere life in different parts of the mountain range and practiced silence and severe spiritual Sadhana.
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| Sri Ramana Maharshi with devotees at the Ashram |
In 1922, he founded Sri Ramana Ashram. He always expounded the concept of Vichara (Self-Enquiry) as the principle way to realize the Self. His teachings and philosophy attracted devotees from India as well as abroad and many among them compiled and published his life and teachings. He attained Mahasamadhi in 1950 at his Ashram.
Source: Sai Vani: Avatar on Mahapurushas
WHO AM I ASKING THIS QUESTION BY WHOM, THAT IS BEHIND THE MIND SEEING THRUTH THE EYES,SMELLING & BREATHING THROUGH THE NOSTRILS, CHEWING THE FOOD, TASTING & SWALLOWING TO KEEP THE BODY ALIVE & SPEAKING THRU' THE MOUTH, HERING THRU' THE EARS, FEELING BY TOUCH THRU' THE SKIN OF THE HAND, MOVING THE BODY THRU' THE FEET & WHO HAS CREATED THIS FORM ITSELF,OPERATING,MONITORING & MAINTAINING IT THROUGHOUT ITS LIFESPAN & WHO IS EXPLAINING THIS PHENOMENON TO WHOM IF NOT ITSELF THE WITNESS OF ALL THAT IS HAPPENING
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