ஆருத்ரா தரிசன நன்னாள்.............

 

இதே நன்னாளில் தான் 133 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்னால் பகவான் ரமணர், மதுரையை அடுத்த திருச்சுழியில் அவதரித்தார். திருவாதிரையை அடுத்த புனர்பூச நட்சத்திரத்தில் அவர் ஜனனம் நிகழ்ந்தது. பிரசவத்தின் போது ஒரு பார்வையற்ற கிழவி உடனிருந்தாள். அவர் ரமண அருட் குழந்தையாக அவதரித்த அச்சமயத்தில் ஒரு சில கணங்கள் மட்டும் “பேரொளி”யை தரிசிக்கும் பாக்யம் பெற்றாள். அப்பேரொளி பின்னர் அருணாசலத்தை நாடி வந்து, அங்கேயே வாழ்ந்து, அதனுடனேயே இறுதியில் இரண்டறக் கலந்தது.

அந்த ரமண ஒளி அவதரித்த இந்த நன்னாளில் அவரது அருண்மொழிகள் சிலவற்றை அவரது மொழியிலேயே நினைவு கூர்வோம்.

 

கே: ஸர்வவியாபியான ஈசுவரனைக் காண்பதெப்படி?

ப: கடவுளைக் காண்பதென்பது கடவுளாயிருப்பதே. வியாபித்தற்கு அவருக்கு அன்னியமாக ‘எல்லாம்’ என்பது இல்லை. அவரே இருக்கிறார்.

கே: நான் சரணாகதி அடைந்தால் ஈசுவரனை வேண்டுதல் தேவையில்லையா?

ப: சரணாகதியே மகத்தான பிரார்த்தனை.

கே: ஆனால் சரண்புகு முன் அவரது தன்மை இன்னதென்று அறிய வேண்டாமா?

ப: நீ விரும்புவதையெல்லாம் ஈசன் உனக்காகச் செய்வாரென்று நம்பினால், நீ உன்னை அவரிடம் ஒப்புக் கொடுத்து விடு. இல்லாவிட்டால் அவரைச் சும்மா விட்டு விடு.

கே: யோகிக்குப் பூர்வஜன்மமெல்லாம் தெரியுமா?

ப: இந்த ஜன்மத்தைப் பற்றி முதலில் உனக்குத் தெரியுமா? பூர்வஜன்மமெல்லாம் தெரியவேண்டுமென்கிறாயே! இந்த ஜன்மத்தைப் பற்றிய உண்மையை இப்பொழுது தெரிந்துகொள்; மற்ற ஜன்மங்களைப் பற்றிய உண்மையெல்லாம் தானே தெரியும். இப்போதுள்ள இச்சிற்றறிவை வைத்துக் கொண்டே இவ்வளவு கஷ்டப்படுகிறாய். இன்னும் அதிக அறிவை மனத்தில் ஏற்றிக் கொள்வானேன்! இன்னும் அதிகக் கஷ்டப்படவா?

கே: படித்தவனுக்குக் குருகிருபை தேவையில்லாததால் அவன் ஞானோதயத்துக்கு விசேஷ யோக்கியதையுடையவனல்லவா?

ப: படிப்பற்ற ஞானியின்முன் பண்டிதனும் பணிய வேண்டியதுதான். எழுத்து வாசனையில்லாதது அறிவின்மைதான். படிப்போ, கற்றும் அறிவின்மை. இரண்டு பேரும் உண்மை லக்ஷியத்தை அறிந்தவரல்லர். வேறோர் விதத்தில் ஞானியும் அறியாதவனே; ஏனென்றால் அவனுக்கு ஒரு லக்ஷியமுமில்லை.

கே: ஆத்ம ஞானமடையக் குரு உதவி செய்வாரா?

ப: குரு உன் கையைப் பிடித்துக்கொண்டு காதில் ஓதுவாரா? நீ எப்படி இருக்கிறாயோ அப்படியே அவரும் இருப்பதாக நீ எண்ணிக் கொள்ளலாம். உனக்கு உடம்பிருப்பதனால் அவருக்கும் உடம்பிருக்கிறதென்றும் உனக்கு அவர் ஏதோ பிரத்தியக்ஷ அனுகூலம் செய்வாரென்றும் நீ கருதுகிறாய். ஆனால் அவர் வேலை அந்தரங்கத்தில் ஆத்ம சம்பந்தமானது.

ஓம் நமோ பகவதே ஸ்ரீ ரமணாயா!!

ரமணர் மொழி!

 

"நான்' என்ற அகந்தையுடன் அனைத்து செயல்களையும் செய்கிறோம். உண்மையில் "நான்' என்பது ஒரு சிறு கருவியே. உன்னை கடவுளாக எண்ணாதே. இதை உணர்ந்து விட்டால், அகந்தை நம்மிடமிருந்து வெளியேறிவிடும்.

1. ஒருவர் முக்தியடைய விரும்பினால் முதலில் நல்ல ஒரு குருவை நாடவேண்டும். இது அனைவராலும் ஏற்றுக் கொள்ளப்பட்ட ஓர் உண்மை.
2. கடவுளும் குருவும் முக்தி அடைவதற்கான வழியை மட்டும் தான் காட்டுவார்கள். நாம் தான், அவர்கள் காட்டிய வழியில் சென்று முக்தி பெற வேண்டும்.
3. நீ ஒருவருக்கு கொடுத்தால் அது உனக்கே கொடுத்துக் கொண்டதாகும். நீ ஒருவரைத் திட்டினாலோ, ஏமாற்றினாலோ உன்னையே திட்டியதும், ஏமாற்றிக் கொண்டதுமாகும். நீ பிறருக்கு தீங்கு செய்யும் போது, உனக்கே தீங்கு செய்து கொள்கிறாய். ஏனெனில் பிறர் வேறு, நீ வேறல்ல.உண்ணாவிரதம் என்பது ஒரு நோன்பு, அது மனதளவில் மட்டுமே இருக்க வேண்டும். உணவை மறுத்து பட்டினி இருந்தால், அது மனதைப் பாதிக்கச் செய்யும். ஆன்மிக விரிவுக்கு சாத்வீகமான உணவு அவசியம்.

Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi and Creatures

Luxmi the cow first came to Sri Ramana December, 1926. Lakshmi was 6 months old.One day the cow Lakshmi came to the Hall. She went straight to Bhagavan, put her head on Bhagavan’s shoulder and wept. Bhagavan sat very quietly and gently stroked her head. “Why are you so sad?” he would whisper in her ears. “Who has hurt you? Cheer up, my dear, stop crying. I am here to befriend you.” Lakshmi stopped crying, gave Bhagavan a few licks and went away, comforted. The Bhagavan I Knew by Voruganti Krishnayya As told to G. Vankatachalam. Translated from Telugu by Surya Prasad Ramana Smrti Souvenir Jackie the dog ~~~ When Bhagavan was living on the hill, a big monkey came one day when he was having his food, and sat near him. Bhagavan was about to put a morsel of food into his mouth, but when he saw the monkey he gave it the morsel. The monkey took it, put it on the plate and gave Bhagavan a square slap on the cheek. “What do you mean, you fellow? Why are you angry? I gave you the first morsel!” exclaimed Bhagavan. Then he understood his mistake. It was a king monkey and he had to be treated in the right royal manner. Bhagavan called for a separate leaf plate and a full meal was served to the king, who ate it all with dignity and proudly went away. Tales of Bhagavan Ramana Smrti Souvenir Translated from Telugu by Surya Prasad Sri Ramana Maharshi with cheetah cubs 18th January, 1946 About a year ago, some person who was rearing two baby cheetahs brought them into Bhagavan's presence. When they were fondled and given milk, not only did they move freely amongst the people in the hall, but they got on to the sofa with Bhagavan's welcome and slept soundly thereon. One of the Ashram devotees took a photo of that unusual group. From about 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Bhagavan confined himself to one end of the sofa keeping the cubs on the sofa in the same position all the time. They woke up afterwards and were there till about 4 p.m., moving about freely in the hall. Once again, before Bhagavan went up the hill at the usual time, photos were taken with the cheetah cubs on the sofa and also on the table in front of the sofa. They were published in the Sunday Times later. The wonder of it was that even the cheetah cubs lay down happily on the sofa, overpowered by sleep induced by the touch of Bhagavan's hands. While they were there, the squirrels came and ate nuts and the sparrows came and ate broken rice, as usual. In olden days, when animals and birds of all sorts moved about together without enmity in any place, people used to think that it was perhaps a Rishi Ashram. ~ Suri Nagamma, Letters from Sri Ramanasramam ~~~ Once a monkey tried to bring her new born baby through a window near Ramana’s couch. The attendants were preventing her. Ramana chided them as follows, “Don’t all of you bring your newborn babies to me? She also wants to do so. Why should you prevent her?” ~ A R Natarajan, Timeless in Time When Bhagavan was staying in the Old Hall, he was literally surrounded by squirrels. They would run all over his couch, on his body, and even under his pillows. Ramana had to be extremely careful before he sat or leaned lest some squirrels be crushed by the weight of his body. ~ A R Natarajan, Timeless in Time On June 17, 1948, Lakshmi fell ill. The following morning June 18 it looked as if her end was near. At about 10 o’clock in the morning Ramana went to her. He found her breathing hard and she was lying prostrate. Taking her head into his arms, stroking her neck, Ramana fixed his gaze in her eyes. Her breathing became steady immediately. Tears began to trickle from her eyes. Ramana’s eyes too overflowed as he looked at her with great love. How could those nearby hold by their emotions? He asked tenderly, “Amma (mother), do you want me to be near you? I must go now as people are waiting for me in the hall. But wherever I may be, I am always with you.” Then he placed his hand on her head as though giving diksha. He put his hand over her heart also and then caressed her, placing his cheek against her face. When he convinced himself that her heart was pure, free from all vasanas entailing rebirth and centred solely on him, he took leave of her and returned to the hall. Her eyes were calm and peaceful. She was conscious up to the end and left the body at 11:30 a.m. quite peacefully. On her tomb was engraved an epitaph by Ramana which makes it quite clear that she attained liberation. ~ D.: Does one who has realized the Self lose the sense of ‘I’? R.: Absolutely. D.: Then there is not difference between yourself and myself, that man over there, my servant. Are all the same? R.: All are the same, including those monkeys. D.: But the monkeys are not people. Are they not different? R.: They are exactly the same as people. All are the same in One Consciousness. ~ A R Natarajan, Timeless in Time ~~~ At Skandasramam a peacock would follow Bhagavan everywhere. One day a huge black cobra appeared in the Ashram and the peacock attacked it fiercely. The cobra spread its hood and the two natural enemies were poised for a fight to the death, when Bhagavan came quite near the cobra and said: "Why did you come here? That peacock will kill you. Better go away at once." The cobra immediately lowered its hood and slithered away. ~ from At The Feet of Bhagavan ~~~At about 4 p.m. Sri Bhagavan, who was writing something intently, turned his eyes slowly towards the window to the north; he closed the fountain pen with the cap and put it in its case; he closed the notebook and put it aside; he removed his spectacles, folded them in the case and left them aside. He leaned back a little, looked up overhead, turned his face this way and that and looked here and there. He passed his hand over his face and looked contemplative. Then he turned to someone in the hall and said softly: "The pair of sparrows just came here and complained to me that their nest had been removed. I looked up and found their nest missing." Then he called for the attendant, Madhava Swami, and asked: "Madhava, did anyone remove the sparrows' nest?" The attendant, who walked in leisurely, answered with an air of unconcern: "I removed the nests as often as they were built. I removed the last one this very afternoon." M: That's it. That is why the sparrows complained. The poor little ones! How they take the pieces of straw and shreds in their tiny beaks and struggle to build their nests! Attendant: But why should they build here, over our heads? M: Well-well. Let us see who succeeds in the end. (After a short time Sri Bhagavan went out.) ~~~ Can a cracked egg be hatched? It was the early hours of the morning in the Hall of Sri Bhagavan. He had had His bath, and now went to the farther end of the Hall to take His towel that hung from a horizontally suspended bamboo, at one end of which a sparrow had built her nest and laid therein three or four eggs. In the process of taking His towel Sri Bhagavan's hand came against the nest, which shook violently, so that one of the eggs dropped down. In this way the egg was cracked; Sri Bhagavan was taken aback, aghast. He cried out to Madhavan, the personal attendant. "Look, look what I have done today!" So saying, He took the cracked egg in His hand looked at it with His tender eyes, and exclaimed: "Oh, the poor mother will be so sorrow-stricken, perhaps angry with me also, at my causing the destruction of her expected little one! Can the cracked eggshell be pieced together again? Let us try!" So saying, He took a piece of cloth, wetted it, wrapped it around the broken egg, and put it back in the mother's nest. Every three hours He would take out the cracked egg, remove the cloth, place the egg on His roseate palm, and gaze at it with His tender eyes for minutes together. What was He really doing at this time? How can we say? Was He sending with those wonderful looks of gentle Grace life-giving beams into the cracked egg, putting ever newer warmth and life into it? That is a mystery none can solve. Yet He kept on saying: "Let the crack be healed! Cannot this be hatched even now? Let the little one come from this broken egg!" This anxious concern and tenderness of Sri Maharshi continued from day to day for about a week. So the fortunate egg lay in the nest with its wet bandage cloth, only to be fondled by Sri Maharshi with divine touch and benign look. On the seventh day, He takes out the egg, and with the astonishment of a schoolboy announces: "Look what a wonder! The crack has closed, and so the mother will be happy and will hatch her egg after all! My God has freed me from the sin of causing the loss of a life. Let us wait patiently for the blessed young one to come out!" A few more days pass, and at length one fine morning Bhagavan finds the egg has been hatched1 and the little bird has come out. With gleeful smiling face radiant with the usual light, He takes the child in His hand, caresses it with lips, stroking it with His soft hand, and passes it on for all the bystanders to admire. He receives it back at last into His own hands, and is so happy that one little germ of life has been able to evolve in spite of the unhappy accident to it in the embryo. from At The Feet of Bhagavan ~~~ Mudaliar Swami, son of the lady who brings bhiksha every day to Sri Bhagavan, related the following interesting incident: During the time Sri Bhagavan was staying in Virupaksha Cave, Sri Bhagavan and Mudaliar Swami were walking together behind the Skandasramam site. There was a huge rock about 15 feet high; it was a cleft, a girl (a shepherdess) was standing there crying. Sri Bhagavan asked the reason of her sorrow. She said, "A sheep of mine has slipped into this cleft; so I am crying." Sri Bhagavan descended into the cleft, took the sheep on his shoulders, climbed up to the surface and delivered the sheep to her. Mudaliar Swami says that it was a very remarkable feat for any human being. from Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi ~~~ Once the Maharshi set out on giripradakshina with his disciples by a short-route across the hill. He asked Jacki to go down the hill to the town. Accordingly, Jack left and was sighted by the Maharshi on its way down. Midway on their walk the Maharshi changed course and walked down the hill. As they were descending, Jack was returning from the town. The Maharshi then directed Jack to go back to the ashram. Though reluctant to leave Bhagavan's company, as an obedient fellow, Jack went back to the ashram. Jack was soft and austere in his ways. His daily routine was like this: early in the morning he would visit a devadasi's (temple dancer's) house for breakfast and then go to a priest's house to accompany him to the shrine at Guha Namassivaya. After that he would go to Virupaksha cave for Bhagavan's darshan and later to a resting place nearby. Around 9.30 in the morning he would visit the shrine at Guha Namassivaya for prasadam and get back to his place of rest. Again by evening he would visit the devadasi's house for food. After supper he would go to a math to keep company with the priest. To the extent possible he would spend his time in the vicinity of Arunachaleswara, much like a yogi. ~ from Ramana Leela

Sri Ramanarpanamastu

Sri Ramana Maharshi on Suffering and Grief

One of the problems about which Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi (B) was often asked was suffering. The questions were usually personal rather than academic, since it was often the experience of grief which drove people to seek solace from him. The real solace came as a silent influence, but he did also answer theoretical questions. The usual answer was to bid the questioner find out who it is that suffers, just as he would bid the doubter find who it is that doubts; for the Self is beyond suffering as it is beyond doubt. Sometimes, however, on a more contingent level, he would point out that whatever makes a person dissatisfied with his state of ignorance and turns him to the quest of the Self is beneficial and that it is often suffering which is the means of doing this.
B.: The Bliss of Self is always yours and you will find it if you seek it earnestly. The cause of your misery is not in your outer life; it is in you, as your ego. You impose limitations on yourself and then make a vain struggle to transcend them. All unhappiness is due to the ego. With it comes all your trouble. What does it avail you to attribute the cause of misery to the happenings of life when that cause is really within you? What happiness can you get from things extraneous to yourself? When you get it, how long will it last?
If you would deny the ego and scorch it by ignoring it, you would be free. If you accept it, it will impose limitations on you and throw you into a vain struggle to transcend them. That was how the 'thief' sought to ruin King Janaka.

To be the Self that you really are is the only means to realise the Bliss that is ever yours.

A very devoted and simple devotee had lost his only son, a child of three. The next day he arrived at the Asramam with his family. Referring to them Bhagavan said: "Training of mind helps one to bear sorrows and bereavements with courage; but the loss of one's children is said to be the worst of all griefs. Grief only exists as long as one considers oneself to have a definite form; if the form is transcended, one knows the One Self to be eternal. There is neither death nor birth. What is born is only the body and this is the creation of the ego. But the ego is not ordinarily perceived without the body and so is identified with it. It is thought that matters. Let the sensible man consider whether he knew his body while in deep sleep. Why, then, does he feel it in the waking state? Although the body was not felt in sleep, did not the Self exist? What was his state when in deep sleep and what is it now when awake? What is the difference? The ego rises up and that is waking.

  Simultaneously thoughts arise. Find out who has the thoughts. Where do they come from? They must arise from the conscious self. Apprehending this even vaguely helps towards the extinction of the ego. The realisation of the One Infinite Existence becomes possible. In that state there are no individuals but only Eternal Being. Hence there is no thought of death or grieving.

"If a man thinks that he is born he cannot escape the fear of death. Let him find out whether he was ever born or whether the Self takes birth. He will discover that the Self always exists and that the body which is born resolves itself into thought, and that the emergence of thought is the root of all mischief. Find where thought comes from, and then you will abide in the ever-present inmost Self and be free from the idea of birth and fear of death."

D.: If some one we love dies, it causes grief. Should we avoid such grief by either loving all alike or not loving at all?

B.: If someone we love dies, it causes grief to the one who continues living. The way to get rid of grief is not to continue living. Kill the griever, and who will then remain to grieve? The ego must die. That is the only way. The two alternatives you suggest amount to the same. When all are realised to be the one Self, who is there to love or hate?

Source: Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in his own words by Arthur Osborne, Chapter Two, section Suffering

Devotees of Sri Ramana Maharshi

Over the course of Sri Ramana's lifetime, people from a wide variety of backgrounds, religions, and countries were drawn to him. Some stayed for the rest of their lives (or his) and served him with great devotion, and others came for a single darshan and left, deeply affected by the peace he radiated. 
Many other creatures came to him as well and received his love and blessing.Human DevoteesTemple Period (September 1, 1896 - early 1897)
Akhilandamma -- born in 1871 in Desur. First saw Sri Ramana in 1896 when he was living in the Arunachaleswara Temple.
Uddandi Nayanar -- came to Sri Ramana in late 1986. He was the first regular devotee to become attached to Sri Ramana.
Annamalai Tambiran
Gurumurtam Period (early 1897 - )Venkatarama Aiyer
Palaniswami
Pavalakkunru (September 1898 - )
Virupaksha Period (1899-1916) (Mango Tree Cave during summers)
Sivaprakasam Pillai
Gambhiram Seshier
Echammal -- born in Mandakolathur, a village about 20 miles from Arunachala. Came to Sri Ramana in 1906
Ganapati Muni -- met Sri Ramana Nov 18, 1907
M. V. Ramaswami Iyer -- first came to Sri Ramana in 1907 or 1908F.H. Humphreys -- the first Westerner, met Sri Ramana November, 1911.
Ramanatha Brahmachari -- first encountered Sri Ramana in 1912.
Mastan-- born in 1878 in Desur, accompanied Akhilandamma to Tiruvannamalai and saw Sri Ramana for the first time in 1914.
N. R. Krishnamurti Aiyer -- born in 1898 in a village near Tiruchirappalli. First saw Sri Ramana in April, 1914.
Skandasramam Period (1916-1922)
Sri Bhagavan's Mother settled at Skandashram in 1917.
Sri Bhagavan's younger brother Nagasundaram
Kunju Swami -- born 1887, came to Sri Ramana in his teens in 1920 and served him until 1950.
Sadhu Natanananda -- born in 1898. First saw Sri Ramana in 1918.
Swami Viswanatha -- (1904-1979) first had Sri Ramana's darshan in January, 1921.
Mother's Samadhi Site (became Sri Ramanasramam) Period (1922 onwards)
Sri Muruganar-- (1893 - 1973). Came to Sri Ramana in September, 1923.
Shantammal -- first came to Sri Ramana in 1927
Annamalai Swami -- born in Tondankurichi in 1906. Came to Sri Ramana in 1928.
Lakshman Sarma -- came to Sri Ramana in the late 1920's.
Krishna Bhikshu -- came to Sri Ramana in May 1929.
Paul Brunton -- (1898-1981) first saw Sri Ramana in January, 1931.G. V. Subbaramayya -- first came to Sri Ramana 8, 1933.
Sri Janaky Matha (also spelled Sri Janaki Mata) -- born in 1906. Came to Sri Ramana April 20, 1935.
Sundarammal -- came to Sri Ramana in 1935.Santha Rangachary -- came to Bhagavan in 1935
Major Chadwick (Sadhu Arunachala) -- came to Sri Ramana on November 1, 1935
S. S. Cohen -- first saw Sri Ramana February 3, 1936Chalam (1894-1979) -- first saw Sri Ramana in 1936.
Souris -- came to Sri Ramana in May, 1938.
Chhaganlal V. Yogi -- came to Sri Ramana in December, 1939.
Suri Nagamma -- born in a small village in the Guntur District in Andhra Pradesh in August, 1902. Came to Sri Ramana in July, 1941.
Swami Madhavatirtha (1895 - 1960) -- first Darshan of Sri Ramana was 14 August, 1944.
Papaji (H.W.L. Poonja) (1910 - 1997) -- came to Sri Bhagavan in 1944.
Sadhu Om -- born in 1922 in Tamil Nadu. Came to Sri Ramana on June 6, 1946.
Lakshmana Swamy -- Came to Sri Ramana in 1949.
Sri Ramana Maharshi and Children
The Bee StingMy sister was again left with my aunt at Tiruvannamalai. She would visit Bhagavan daily and play there. Once there was a cry from the garden and Bhagavan said, "It is Shantabai's voice," and sent someone to fetch her. My sister was reeling with pain. She came to Bhagavan crying and said that a bee had stung her hand. Bhagavan took her hand and caressed it. Immediately the pain of the sting vanished. Being innocent the child told Bhagavan, "Why did you make me cry so long? If you had wanted it you could have stopped it then and there." My Aunt who was there at the time was shocked at the audacity of my sister's complaint. However, Bhagavan smilingly asked what she had done to the bee before it stung her? She said that she was pelting stones at the mangoes and one of the stones disturbed the bee. Bhagavan smilingly said to her, "You see, the stone you threw hurt the bee and so it stung you. So hereafter never harm anyone." Young as she was she understood what Bhagavan meant and thereafter never hurt any living being. Later, whenever she recalled this incident, she felt grateful to Bhagavan for giving her this lesson on non-violence.
~ account by Chakkubai Srinivasan, recorded at Sri Ramanasramam. For full story, please go to Chakkubai Srinivasan's Account
~~~
On Kartika day in 1931, when K. Venkataraman was about 11 years old, he was staying with his grandmother Echammal. Finding her busy with the sraddha ceremonies for her late husband, he took her permission to go to the temple for puja.
Before going into the Sanctum Sanctorum, he decided to have his bath inside the temple compound. He went down the steps and entered the water carefully, as he did not know how to swim, but despite his care, he slipped and went down deep into the water. With great effort he was able to come to the surface several times and shout for help, yet no one took any notice of him.
After his third unsuccessful attempt, he sank deep into the water, without any hope of survival. Suddenly he saw a very bright light inside his head in the midst of which Sri Bhagavan's face shone. This phenomenon came in a flash, and disappeared immediately. A little later he felt something catch his ankles and he experienced a similar flash in exactly the same manner and intensity as before. By then he was unconscious.
When he awoke as if from a deep sleep he found himself on the steps of Siva Ganga tank. After looking around carefully and reassuring himself that he was really alive, he asked people around him how he had come there. He was told that an old man who was doing pradakshina of Kambathu Ilayanar had run down the steps, jumped into the tank, brought him out of the water and laid him down, and then had gone away as swiftly as he had come. Venkataraman then quickly had his puja performed and went straight home, without mentioning a word about it to his grandmother.
The next morning they went together to the Ashram as usual and prostrated before Sri Bhagavan. Bhagavan looked at them and asked how deep Siva Ganga tank was. The lad could not understand the import of question, and ran out of the hall silently. It was only later in life that he realised that his saviour had been none other than Sri Bhagavan himself. It is true that Sri Bhagavan shunned occult powers as an obstacle to pure sadhana but it is also true that Sri Bhagavan is all grace and compassion and never fails his devotees.
Another incident he recalls happened about a year later when he had come from his father's home to stay with Echammal for his school vacation. One morning at the Ashram he noticed that almost everyone had copies of a new book which he found was Suddhananda Bharati's biography of Sri Bhagavan, Sri Ramana Vijayam, fresh from the press, and presented it to all inmates. Disappointed at not getting a copy, he went to Chinnaswamy to ask for one. After Chinnaswamy refused to give him one, he went where Sri Bhagavan was and stood weeping. Bhagavan asked why he was crying and Venkataraman told him what had happened. Bhagavan then sent an attendant to the book stall for a copy of the book. After writing "Ramanan" on the flyleaf, he handed it the boy, who was filled with joy and thanked him for it. Sri Bhagavan then observed: "Oho! You are all joy now and your weeping vanished so soon." Venkataraman then went out of the Hall to tell Chinnaswamy that he had got what he wanted from the hands of Sri Bhagavan himself.
~ from Surpassing Love and Grace
When my brother Adam was about four years old he was sucking a sweet when he came running into the hall to tell Bhagavan something. Bhagavan asked him if he was enjoying his sweet and Adam, without a thought, took it out of his mouth and offered to put it into Bhagavan’s hand. There was a gasp of shock from the orthodox individuals around, but Bhagavan understood the spirit in which the offering was made and smiled at Adam. He said something along the lines of “No, no, you keep it.” Completely unbothered Adam popped the sweet back in his mouth and went on with what he wanted to say ...

Sri Ramana and Adam Osborne
I was a little girl of around eight years of age. I was playing on the hill when Bhagavan came walking down with a number of people around him. Looking at him I was filled with such an overwhelming feeling of love that I burst out with:
“Bhagavan, I love you so much.” There were coos of approval from those around and I thought that they were approving of me without knowing how naughty I could be. I didn’t want unearned praise so I hastily added:
“Of course I love the monkeys too.” Gasps of shock naturally followed. The wonderful thing about being around Bhagavan was that one knew that he could see into our hearts. Bhagavan knew exactly what I meant and he just laughed and walked on.
~ Katya Osborne, from The Mountain Path, Sept 2004
The single most powerful memory of those days in my personal experience of Bhagavan occurred one day when I accompanied my mother to the ashram. I was about 5 years old at the time. Bhagavan was sitting on a small pial (raised platform) in the thatched room adjoining the Old Hall. The place is where Bhagavan's samadhi is now. The platform faced east whereas in the Old Hall Bhagavan faced south. My mother prostrated before Bhagavn in the traditional way and I who was standing next to her, suddenly climbed on her back, and sat there as if riding a horse or an elephant. My mother became very angry and tried to push me down. But Bhagavan, seeing my innocent mischief, smiled and enjoyed the fun. He bade my mother not to scold or push but stay in that prostrated posture for a few seconds more. When I recollect this incident I become enthralled at the memory of his beautiful, smiling countenance. He loved children and their playful mischief.
~ D. Rajaram, The Mountain Path, June, 2003

Ramana Maharshi spending last moments with Lakshmi (Cow)

In my letter to you under the caption “Worship of theCow,” I described to you the grandeur of Lakshmi, the queenof the cows, and the amount of love Bhagavan had for her. Tothat queen, as for his own mother, Bhagavan on Friday the18th of June gave Videha Mukti (liberation). That morningwhen I went to the Ashram, I was told that Lakshmi wasseriously ill and would not survive the day. So I went straightto the cow shed, without seeing Bhagavan even.

The roombuilt for the calves was vacated, cleaned and Lakshmi wasgiven a bed of straw to lie down upon. As it was Friday, shewas as usual decorated with turmeric paste, vermilion markon the forehead and a garland of flowers round the neck andhorns. Venkataratnam was sitting by the side fanning her.

Lakshmi was lying down with her majestic look spreadinglustre all round. She reminded me of Kamadhenu going toKailas to do abhishekam with milk over the great Lord Siva. When I went to Bhagavan and prostrated before himand got up, he looked at me with a divine look. Taking it as an order, I said I would go and stay with Lakshmi. He noddedhis head in assent and I went immediately. Venkataratnamgave me the fan and left. Sitting in that place I began epeatingRamana Dwadasakshari (twelve letters of Ramana Mantram),Ashtotharam (108 names of Ramana), etc. and Lakshmiappeared to hear them attentively.

When Bhagavan came to the cowshed at 9-45 a.m. asusual he came to see Lakshmi. Bhagavan sat on the hay byher side, lifted her head with both his hands, and passingone of his hands lightly over her face and throat, and thenplacing his left hand on the head, began pressing with theright hand fingers her throat right down to the heart.

After pressing like that for about a quarter of an hour he said,addressing Lakshmi, “What do you say, mother? Do you wantme to stay here alone? I could stay, but what to do? All peoplecould be around you as in the case of my mother. Even so,why? Shall I go?” Lakshmi remained calm, devoid of all thebonds of this world and of the pains of her body as thoughshe were in samadhi.

Bhagavan sat there unwilling to moveand with a heart full of compassion. I was overwhelmed atthe sight and exclaimed involuntarily, “Oh! MotherAlagamma had the greatest luck. So has Lakshmi now.”

Bhagavan looked at me with a smile. Subramaniam cameand said, “It seems the doctor will not be coming till 10-30as there is no immediate danger to Lakshmi.”

“All right. So Doctor will not be coming now. Have you brought themedicine for injection?” asked Bhagavan. Turning towardsLakshmi and gently stroking her head and neck, he said,“What do you say? May I go?”

Subbulakshmi said, “She willfeel happy if Bhagavan is by her side.” “That is so, but whatto do?” So saying and looking into the eyes of Lakshmi,Bhagavan said, “What? May I go? Won’t you tell me?”Lakshmi looked at him proudly. What reply Bhagavan got,we do not know but he got up and went away saying, “Seethat the flies do not get into the mouth.” I assured him thatwe would take due care of Lakshmi and Bhagavan left theplace very reluctantly.

With the divine touch of Bhagavan, the outer breath ofLakshmi began subsiding and the movement of the bodybegan to decrease. When the doctor came at 10-30 and gavean injection Lakshmi remained unaffected as if the bodywas not hers. There was no death agony. Her sight was calmand clear. The doctor turned her over into the posture ofNandi, put some medicine on the boils and went awayinstructing us to keep some support for the head. As it was11-30 by then, Venkataratnam came back after having hismeal. He asked me to hold up the head saying he wouldbring some more hay. The tongue touched me and it was icycold; the life of Lakshmi reached the feet of Sri Ramana andwas absorbed in Him.
Ten minutes later, Bhagavan came into the shed saying,“Is it all over?” and squatted by her side, took her face inboth his hands as though she were a little child, and lifted itand said, “Oh Lakshmi, Lakshmi,” and then, to us,controlling his tears, he said, “Because of her, our family(the Ashram) has grown to this extent.”

 When all werepraising Lakshmi, Bhagavan asked, “I suppose the doctorhas not troubled her much, did he? How did her life cease?”We told him all that had happened. “That is all right. Didyou notice this? The right ear is uppermost now. Tillyesterday she was lying down on her other side. Because ofthe boil she was turned over to this side. So this ear had tocome up. Look, in the case of people who die in Kasi, peoplesay Lord Siva will whisper into the right ear. Lakshmi toohas her right ear up,” said Bhagavan, and showed that earto all people there.
By that time, crowds gathered. After aquarter of an hour, Bhagavan got up and said, “Ramakrishnahas been saying for the last ten days that a good tomb(samadhi) must be built for Lakshmi.” Bhagavan then wentaway to the hall.

source: From Letters From Sri Ramanasramam

இறைவனிடம் சரணடைந்து விடு- ரமணர்

 

* "ராமா' என்ற சொல்லில் "ரா' என்ற எழுத்து ஆன்ம சொரூபத்தை குறிப்பதாகும். "மா'என்ற எழுத்து "நான்' என்ற ஆணவத்தை குறிக்கிறது. ஒருவர் "ராமா' என்று இடையறாமல் ஜெபித்துக் கொண்டே இருந்தால், "மா' என்ற எழுத்து "ரா' என்ற எழுத்தில் ஐக்கியமாகி மறைந்துவிடுகிறது.
* "சரணாகதி' என்பது வலிமை மிக்க பிரார்த்தனை. கடவுள் உனக்குத் தேவையான எல்லாவற்றையும் செய்வார் என்ற நம்பிக்கை இருந்தால் அவரிடம் முழுமையாக சரணடைந்துவிடு.
* இன்பம், துன்பம் இரண்டையும் கடக்கும் வரை சாதனைகளை தொடருங்கள். இறுதியில் உண்மை மட்டுமே எஞ்சி நின்று அதன் முழு பலனை தந்து விடும்.
* நான் பலவீனமானவன், தீயவன் என்று நினைப்பதுகூட மனிதன் செய்யும் பெருந்தவறாகும். உண்மையில் அவன் பலவீனனும் அல்லன்; தீயவனும் அல்லன், ஒவ்வொரு மனிதனும் தெய்வீகத்தன்மையும், வலிமையும் படைத்தவனே ஆவான். அவனது உலகியல் பழக்க வழக்கங்களும், எண்ணங்களுமே அவனை பலவீனமாக்குகின்றன.

கடவுளிடம் பாரபட்சம் இல்லை - -ரமணர்

இவ்வுலகில் உள்ள இன்பங்கள் அனைத்தும் அழியக்கூடியவை. எல்லா இன்பங்களும்
இறுதியில் துன்பத்தையே தரும். இவையெல்லாம் நம் அறிவிற்கு தெரிந்த போதிலும் நாம் இன்பத் தையே நாடுகிறோம். இதற்கு முடிவு தான் என்ன? கடவுளை நினைத்து வழிபட்டால் அன்றி, ஆசைகளில் இருந்து விடுபட முடியாது. எல்லா இன்பங்களையும் அனுபவித்து விட்டு, இறுதியில் இறைவனை அடையலாம் என்றால் காலம் தான் கடந்து போகும். ஒரு மனிதன் தன் வாழ்நாள் முழுவதும் எதை நினைத்துக் கொண்டிருக்கிறானோ அதை இறக்கும் தருவாயிலும் நினைப்பான். இல்லறத்தில் உள்ளவன் குடும்பத்தை பற்றி நினைக்கிறான். துறவி கடவுளைப் பற்றி நினைக்கிறான். ஒருவனுக்கு அமைதியின்மையையும், ஒருவனுக்கு சுகத்தையும் தருவதற்கு கடவுள் என்ன ஓரவஞ்சனைக்காரரா? படைப்பில் எல்லாவற்றுக்கும்

கடவுளிடம் பாரபட்சம் இல்லை

இடமுண்டு. மனிதன் நல்லவற்றை பார்க்க மறுக்கிறான். அழகையும், ஆரோக்கியத்தையும் பார்ப்பதில்லை. ருசியுள்ள உணவுப்பதார்த்தங்களை தன் முன்னே இருக்க அவற்றை உண்ணாமல் கவலையுடன் அமர்ந்திருக்கும் பசித்த மனிதனைப் போல் நடந்து கொள்கிறான். இது யாருடைய குற்றம்? கடவுளுடையதா? மனிதனுடையதா? நல்ல விஷயங்களில் கவனத்தைச் செலுத்தி மனநிம்மதியுடன் வாழ கற்றுக்கொள்ளுங்கள்.
 

உன்னை முதலில் திருத்திக் கொள்

ஒரு மனிதன் தன் மனம், மொழி, மெய்களால் தம்மால் இயன்ற நன்மைகளைத் தான் சார்ந்திருக்கும் சமுதாயத்திற்குச் செய்ய கடமைப் பட்டவனாக இருக்கிறான். தனக்கு நன்மை செய்வதோடு பிறருக்கும் நன்மை செய்ய கடமைப்பட்டவனாகவே அவன் இருக்கிறான். மரணத்திற்கும், மறுபிறவிக்கும் இடைப்பட்ட காலம் நீண்டதாகவோ அல்லது குறைந்ததாகவோ இருக்கலாம். ஆனால் தெளிந்த ஞானம் உள்ள ஒருவன் இதனால் எந்த மாற்றமும் பெறுவதில்லை. முதலில் உன்னைத் திருத்திக் கொள். அப்படி ஒவ்வொருவரும் தானே திருந்துவதற்கு முற்பட்டால் சமுதாயம் தானே திருந்திவிடும். மனிதன் சமயநம்பிக்கை கொண்டவனாக இருத்தல் அவசியம். சமயநம்பிக்கை இல்லாத மனிதன் வாழ்வில் ஒழுக்கத்தை இழந்து விடுவான். மனிதன் நல்லவனாக வாழ சமயமே வழிவகை செய்கிறது. அமைதியான தூய நிலையில் செய்யப்படும் செயல்கள் அனைத்தும் நற்செயல்களாகும். கலங்கிய மனத்தால் ஆசை வயப்பட்டு செய்யும் அனைத்து செயல்களும் தீமை தருவதாகும். இறைவனின் கட்டளையன்றி எதுவுமே நடப்பதில்லை. இந்த வாழ்வில் ஒருவனுடைய நடத்தைகள் அனைத்துமே அவனுடைய முற்பிறப்பின் வினைப்பயன்களாலேயே நிர்ணயிக்கப்படுகின்றன.

அளவான விரதம் போதும்

* சாத்வீகமான உணவை மிதமாகச் சாப்பிடுவது நல்லது. மிளகாய், அதிகஉப்பு, வெங்காயம் போன்ற உணவுவகைகள் ஜீரண கருவிகளை எரிச்சல்படுத்துகின்றன. மூளையை மந்தமாக்குகின்றன. கீழான உணர்வுகளை உண்டுபண்ணுகின்றன. தூக்கத்தை அதிகப்படுத்துகின்றன.
* தேவையான அளவை விட சற்று குறைவாக உண்பது எப்போதும் நல்லது. ரொட்டி, பழம், காய்கறிகள், பால் போன்ற சாத்வீக உணவுவகைகள் நம் எண்ணங்களை சீர்படுத்தும் ஆற்றல் கொண்டவை. இவ்வுணவால் உடல் வலிமை குறைந்து விடுமே என்று அஞ்ச வேண்டியதில்லை. அசைவத்தை விட வேண்டும். உள்ளத்தின் பக்குவநிலைக்கேற்ப உணவுவகைகளை மாற்ற வேண்டும்.
* உள்ளமும் உடலும் ஒன்றை ஒன்று சார்ந்தவைகளே. அதனால், உள்ளம் சாத்வீக எண்ணங்களை நாட வேண்டும் என்று எண்ணினால் உணவிலும் சாத்வீகத்தை கைகொள்வது மிகவும் அவசியம். விரதம், பட்டினி போன்றவைகளால் உணவின் மீது கொள்கின்ற பற்று மெல்ல மெல்ல குறைய ஆரம்பிக்கும். ஆனால், பட்டினி என்பது மட்டுமே ஆன்மிக சாதனம் ஆகாது. உடல் வலிமை குன்றும்படியாக விரதம் மேற்கொள்ளக்கூடாது. அளவான விரதம், மிதமான உணவோடு, அமைதியான சிந்தனை இருந்தாலே ஆன்மிகம் கைகூடி விடும்.
-ரமணர்

இறைவனிடம் நம்மை அர்ப்பணிப்போம்

* ஒருவர் முக்தியடைய விரும்பினால் முதலில் நல்ல ஒரு குருவை நாட வேண்டும். இது எல்லோராலும் ஏற்றுக் கொள்ளப்பட்ட உண்மையாகும். உள்மனதில் யார் அமைதியை ஏற்படுத்துகிறார்களோ அவரையே குருவாக ஏற்றுக் கொள்ள வேண்டும்.
* பிறர் வேறு; நீ வேறல்ல. ஒருவருக்குக் கொடுத்தாலும், அது உனக்கே கொடுத்துக் கொண்டதாகும். நீ ஒருவரைப் பழித்தாலும், ஏமாற்றினாலும் அது உன்னையே ஏமாற்றிக் கொண்டதாகும். அதனால், ஒவ்வொரு உயிரையும் தன்னுயிராக எண்ணி நேசிக்கக் கற்றுக்கொள்ளுங்கள்.
* சரணாகதி என்பதே வலிமை மிக்கப் பிரார்த்தனை.
கடவுள் நம்மைப் பற்றிய எல்லாச் செயல்களுக்கும் பொறுப் பேற்கிறார் என்ற நம்பிக்கை அவசியம். சரணாகதியாக இறைவனை நாடுபவர் முழுமையாகத் தன்னைக் கடவுளிடம் அர்ப்பணித்து விட வேண்டும்.
* சமுதாயம் என்பது உடம்பு போன்றது. தனி மனிதர்கள் அதன் அங்கங்கள். ஒருவன் தன்னைத் தானே திருத்திக் கொண்டால் சமுதாயச் சீர்திருத்தம் தானே நிகழும். எனவே, ஒவ்வொருவரும் சுயசீர்திருத்தம் செய்து கொள்வது அவசியம்.
-ரமணர்

புலம்புவதால் பயனில்லை

* உள்ளபடி உள்ள இடத்தில் உள்ளவாறு உணர்ந்து அடங்கி இருப்பதே உண்மையான சித்தியாகும். மற்ற சித்திநிலைகள் எல்லாம் வெறும் கனவேயாகும்.
* ஒருவன் எவ்வளவு பாவியாக இருந்தாலும், ""நான் பாவியாக இருக்கிறேனே! எப்படி கடைத்தேறப் போகிறேன்!'' என்று அழுது கொண்டிருப்பதனால் பயன் சிறிதும் இல்லை.
* வெறும் வருத்தத்தினாலும், புலம்பலினாலும் நேரத்தை வீணாக்காமல் ஆக்கபூர்வமாகச் சிந்தித்து ஊக்கத்தோடு நம் கடமைகளைச் செய்தால் நிச்சயம் உருப்படலாம்.
* மனங்களில் நல்லமனம் என்றும், கெட்டமனம் என்றும் இருவேறு மனங்கள் இல்லை . மனம் என்பது ஒன்று தான் இருக்கிறது.
* நாம் அனுபவிக்கும் இன்பத்தை அறியாமையால் புறவுலகத்தில் இருந்து பெறுவதாக எண்ணுகிறோம். ஆனால், உண்மையில் இன்பம் நமக்குள்ளே தான் இருக்கிறது.
* கடவுளின் பேரால் எவ்வளவு பாரத்தைக் கொடுத்தாலும் அவ்வளவையும் அவரே ஏற்றுக்கொள்வார். ஆனால், நாம் நம் மனதில் சுமைகளை சுமப்பதால் துன்பத்திற்கு ஆளாகித் தவிக்கிறோம்.
* உழைப்பும் சமூகசேவையும் உலகத்திற்கு நன்மை செய்வனவாகும். உழைப்பின் மீதும், நம்மால் முடிந்த சேவைகளையும், பிறருக்கு உதவி செய்வதையும் உங்கள் அடிப்படைக் கடமையாகக் கொள்ளுங்கள்.
-ரமணர்

மவுனமே பூரண ஞானம்

ராமரும், லட்சுமணரும் சீதையும் தாண்டகாரண்யத்தில் தங்கியிருந்த போது, ஒரு ஆஸ்ரமத்திலிருந்து மற்றொரு ஆஸ்ரமத்திற்கு சென்றனர். அப்படி கிளம்பும்போது, ராமனின் வயதில் ஒத்த சில இளைஞர்களும் அவர்களுடன் கிளம்பிவிட்டார்கள். இப்படி ராமர் தொடர்ந்து சொல்லும் போது கூடவே பல ரிஷிகுமாரர்களும் தோற்றத்தில் மரவுரி தரித்து ராமலட்சுமணர்களைப் போலவே தோற்றம் அளித்தனர். தொடர்ந்து காட்டுவழியில் செல்லும் போது சில பெண்கள் ராமசீதா வருகையை அறிந்தனர். ராமலட்சுமணர் மற்றும் சீதையைப் பார்க்கும் ஆவலில் ஓடிவந்தவர்களுக்கு ஓர் ஆச்சர்யம் காத்திருந்தது. சீதையை மட்டுமே அப்பெண்களால் அடையாளம் காணமுடிந்தது. பெண்கள் சீதையை சூழ்ந்து கொண்டு நின்று ஒவ்வொரு இளைஞராக ""இவர் ராமரா அல்லது இவர் ராமரா''? என்று கேள்வி கேட்டனர். ஒவ்வொரு இளைஞரையும் கண்ட சீதை "இவர் ராமர் இல்லை, இவர் ராமர் இல்லை' என்று பதில் சொல்லிக்கொண்டிருந்தாள். கடைசியாக லட்சுமணரை காட்டி, இவர் ராமரா என்று அப்பெண்கள் கேட்டனர். சீதை அதற்கும் இல்லை என்று மறுத்தாள். கடைசியாக ராமரையே சுட்டிக்காட்டி கேட்டபோது மவுனம் சாதித்தாள் சீதை. மவுனம் சம்மதம் அல்லவா?
பக்தனுக்கும் இது தான். கடவுளைக் காணும் வரை அவரைப் பற்றிய கேள்விகள் எழும். பரம்பொருளை தரிசித்தபின் பேசத் தோன்றாமல் மவுனம் வந்துவிடும். மவுனம் என்பது முழுமை. அதுவே பூரண ஞானம் ஆகும்.