Vageesh Express
Vedic
Guru
April 2007
Edition
||Sri Gurubhyo Namah||
In
2006,‘Vedic Guru’ revered the lives of saints who lived in the 19th century and
before.
In
2007, we humbly honor Gurus of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Sri Ramana Maharishi
The mind is born of the ego.
The ego rises from the Self.
Search
the source of the ego and the Self is revealed.
-
From ‘There Is Nothing new To Get’, a poem by Sri Ramana Maharishi
Answering questions on self-enquiry and
instigating hundreds to question themselves with “Who am I”, there lived an
enlightened saint in an ashram atop the hill of Arunachala. Visitors experienced
deep calm and bliss in his presence. He silently guided them on the path to
spiritual realisation. He lived and still lives in the hearts of his
devotees as Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharishi.
Sri Ramana was born to Sundaram Iyer and
Azhagammal, and was named Venkataraman at birth. He was born in a village
called Tiruchuzhi in South India.
When Sri Ramana was 16 years old, he had a life transforming experience. A
sudden fear of death engulfed the young and healthy Ramana, who turned inwards
to analyze death itself. And in that state of motionlessness, he realised that
he was beyond the mere mortal body, that he was an indestructible existence.
After this revealing introspection, Sri Ramana left for Thiruvannamalai where he lived the rest of his
life. Sri Ramana was
distinguished for his silence. He led a modest life. Many became his disciples. Sri Ganapathi Shasthri,
a renowed Vedic scholar, gave Sri Ramana the title Bhagawan and he was then on called Bhagawan Sri Ramana Maharishi.
Sri Ramana Maharishi attained immortality
in the year 1950.
Sri Ramana's teachings follow the Path of
Knowledge or Jnana marga. His
teachings are Advaitic. His teachings
are documented in the book Naan Yaar
(Who am I), originally written in Tamil and later translated in English. His
prime teaching was Self-Enquiry.
“If other thoughts rise, one should, without attempting to complete them,
enquire, 'To whom did they arise?', it will be known 'To me'. If one then
enquires 'Who am I?', the mind (power of attention) will turn back to its
source. By repeatedly practising thus, the power of the mind to abide in its
source increases.” – From “Naan Yaar”
by Sri Ramana Maharishi.
Sri Ramana Maharishi’s disciples established
the Sri Ramanashramam in
Tiruvannamalai to spread his message. There are several branches of the Sri
Ramanashramam all over the world.
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