You are the Light

Bhagavan, You are the Light !

For more, see this.

God shines in their hearts

For those who say that God exists, He exists in their Heart as consciousness. But in the venomous mind (of those who do not believe in Him), He will never exist (never shine). If by purifying the venomous mind, one sees without delusion, He will shine triumphantly and unalloyed as Self.

-- GVK (1083)

"I am also Bhagavan"

... I (Annamalai Swamy) had tried to give Bhagavan some nungus (palmyra fruit). ... When Bhagavan came past, He looked at me suspiciously and asked several times, "Why have you come here?"

After some hesitation, I told Bhagavan, "I came here to cut and give these nungus to Bhagavan." Bhagavan accepted the fruit, but said at the same time, "You should have eaten them yourself, and while you were eating them you should have thought, 'I am also Bhagavan'."

Bhagavan then dug out many of the fruits and with His fingers sucked the juice. Finally after exclaiming, "Appadi*! I cannot carry the stomach", He walked away.

[* expression of contentment]

Oho! You belong to us!

Some people cane from the south for Bhagavan's darshan. Among them was a 5-year old boy. He did namaskar and then approached Bhagavan and looked at Him very lovingly. Bhagavan placed His left hand on the boy's head and asked Him, "What do you want?"

The boy replied firmly, "I don't want anything."

"Oho!", said Bhagavan, "You belong to us."

Then, addressing the people he came with, He added, "If he remains in the "dont wan't" state, everything will come to him".

Last year of Bhagavan thru Annamalai Swamy's eyes

The last year of Bhagavan Ramana as experienced by Sri Annamalai Swamy (please read Living By the Words for account) forms perhaps the most moving account of a devotee of Bhagavan. For those of us for whom Bhagavan's life on earth was the most beautiful event in the history of the "phenomenal" world, the last year of Sri Annamalai Swamy is a most heart-rending account. Although he does not recount it in that way, (his account is very factual), but
one can gather what he would have felt given his life-long devotion to Bhagavan.

In addition, Bhagavan once remarked to another devotee, that those who were physically present had their minds elsewhere, whereas Annamalai Swami who was elsewhere always had his mind on Bhagavan.

Sri Annamalai Swamy was most blessed to be showered with Bhagavan's love and concern
(most deservedly). In the end, he was asked to meditate away from Ashram, and eventually asked not to interact with Bhagavan, so that he may find the real Bhagavan in his Heart.

So in Bhagavan's last year, He never got to speak with Bhagavan at all. When Bhagavan's health began to fail, and He could not walk past Palakottu, Sri Annamalai Swamy would have not had a darshan of His most beloved Bhagavan. During Bhagavan's last "mortal" moment, Sri Annamalai Swamy was in great physical pain, and praying for his own death, and praying that he should die before Bhagavan.
Although, that was not to be, however Bhagavan took with Him Sri Annamalai Swamy's physical pain.

Sri Annamalai Swamy described his last (second-hand) "contact" with Bhagavan's physical body -- the factual account indicates the deep emotions running within.(Spoiler: Annamalai Swamy did not get to have a darshan of Bhagavan even after Bhagavan's mahasamadhi.)

Last words between Annamalai Swamy and Bhagavan

The last words exchanged between Bhagavan and Sri Annamalai Swamy form a very moving account of how a guru attempts to break the discples attachment to his form. Some excerpts:

"If one has no faith in God one will commit a lot of sins and be miserable. But you, you are a mature devotee. When the mind has attained maturity, in that mature state, if one thinks that one is separate from God, one will fall into the same state as an atheist who has no belief in God."

I left the ashram and never went back again, Although my room is only about 200 yards from the ashram gate, I have not visited the ashram once since that fateful day in the 1940's.

Though Bhagavan has asked me not to come to the ashram any more, I still thought that I had the freedom to talk to Him when He visited Palakottu. Bhagavan disabused me of this notion shortly afterwards, when I went to see Him while He was walking on the hill.

He turned to me and said, "You are happier than I. What you had to give, you have given. What I had to give I have given. Why are you still coming to me?"

These were His last words to me. I obeyed his instructions and never approached Him again.

Bhagavan had once told me: "Do not cling to the form of the Guru for this will perish; do not cling to His feet for His attendants will stop you. The true Bhagavan resides in your Heart as your true Self. This is who I truly am."

Source

The benefit of reciting Bhagavan's verses

The benefit of reciting Bhagavan's verses

When one group of villagers who had just been given Arunachala Stuti Panchakam (Five Hymns to Sri Arunachala) to recite left the hall, a devotee asked, ' How can such uneducated people understand the literary Tamil in these poems?'

'They don't have to understand the meaning,' replied Bhagavan, 'they will get some benefit from merely repeating the verses.'

On another occasion, with respect to Echammal's granddaughter, Bhagavan said, 'In future when trouble comes to her, the remembrance of these verses (Essence of Instruction) will help her.'

This girl is now an old woman. When I saw her a few months ago, she told me, 'The verses have stayed in my memory all my life, but it is only recently, by the grace of Bhagavan, that I have begun to understand their meaning.'

(Memories of Sri Annamalai Swamy)

Related:
Echamma (Sri Ramana Leela) and her passing away
Echamma (Letters from Sri Ramanashramam)

Peanut Parayana

I recollect one amusing incident that took place early one morning, just before the Parāyana (ed: reading of scriptures) was to be chanted. For several weeks, Bhagavan had not been eating much food in the evening. As a result he tended to get a little hungry at about 4 a.m. the following morning. To assuage his hunger Bhagavan used to roast peanuts on His kumutti (ed: charcoal grill) and eat them. After he had roasted them He would offer some to Krishnaswami, His attendant, and to anyone else who happened to be in the hall at that time.

On this particular morning Bhagavan took out his peanuts and told Krishnaswami, 'Before they start the Veda Parāyana let us do peanut parāyana.'

(Recollections of Sri Annamalai Swamy)

Bhagavan mistaken for stone image !

23rd November, 1938

Talk 584.

A certain visitor began to pull the pankah (fan). Sri Bhagavan said: "Because it is cold , they have placed fire by my side. Why should the pankah be pulled?"

Then he continued: "On a cold morning, when I was in Virupaksha cave, I was sitting in the open. I was feeling cold. People used to come, see me and go back. A group of Andhra visitors had come. I did not notice what they were doing. They were behind me. Suddenly a noise `tak' - and water over my head! I shivered with cold. I looked back. They had broken a coconut and poured the water on me. They thought that it was worship. They took me for a stone image."

Photo of Bhagavan's statue in Mother's temple taken by author, free to copy/use.
Acalayoga

God is not separate

You now think that you are an individual, there is the universe and that God is beyond the cosmos. So there is the idea of separateness. This idea must go. For God is not separate from you or the cosmos. The Gita also says:

अहमात्मा गुडाकेश सर्वभूताशयस्थितः ।
अहमादिश्च मध्यं च भूतानामन्त एव च ॥१०- २०॥

The Self am I, O Lord of Sleep, In every creature's heart enshrined. The rise and noon of every form, I am its final doom as well.
B. G., X. 20.

Thus God is not only in the heart of all, He is the prop of all, He is the source of all, their abiding place and their end. All proceed from Him, have their stay in Him, and finally resolve into Him. Therefore He is not separate.
(Talk 649)

Bhagavan Reminisces

When He was sitting under a tree in the temple compound He was covered with dirt, for He never used to bathe.

In the cold nights of December He used to fold up the legs, place his head between his legs and remain there without moving. Early in the morning the layer of dirt on His body was soaked with dew and mist and appeared white. After drying up in the sun it appeared dark.
(Talks 357)

Surrender Oneself

Talk 208

It is enough that one surrenders oneself. Surrender is to give oneself up to the original cause of one's being. Do not delude yourself by imagining such source to be some God outside you. One's source is within yourself. Give yourself up to it. That means that you should seek the source and merge in it. Because you imagine yourself to be out of it, you raise the question "Where is the source?" Some contend that the sugar cannot taste its own sweetness and that a taster must taste and enjoy it. Similarly, an individual cannot be the Supreme and enjoy the Bliss of that state; therefore the individuality must be maintained on the one hand and God-head on the other so that enjoyment may result! Is God insentient like sugar? How can one surrender oneself and yet retain one's individuality for supreme enjoyment? Furthermore they say also that the soul, reaching the divine region and remaining there, serves the Supreme Being. Can the sound of the word "service" deceive the Lord? Does He not know? Is He waiting for these people's service? Would not He - the Pure Consciousness - ask in turn: "Who are you apart from Me that presume to serve Me?"
Full Story: http://benegal.org/ramana_maharshi/books/tw/tw208.html
--
The Self alone, the Sole Reality,
Exists for ever.

Let Her See ! Let Her See!

From Portrait of a Guru:
One day the Sarvadhikari came accompanied by a man
who was limping, whom he introduced to Bhagavan. He brought an electric lamp with a big mother of pearl shade and presented it to Bhagavan. Bhagavan said that he had been reading an illustrated Tamil encyclopaedia just an hour before, and a doubt had come whether a big mother of pearl could exist. He was surprised at the coincidence. Some people took it and examined it and it was sent to the office. Suri Nagamma came and Bhagavan asked her whether she had seen it. Then it was sent for. Bhagavan was saying: "Let her see, let her see!" At that time his mood and expression were like those of a child exhibiting his toys to another child.

Bhagavan's Humor

From: Surpassing Love and Grace

WHEN I asked whether Bhagavan ever made jokes and whether he was ever in a lighter mood, Sri Kunju Swami jumped at me, as it were, to correct me and went into an ecstatic mood. With tears in his eyes he said: "Bhagavan is the most natural man you can ever conceive of. He had a very subtle sense of humour; it never hurt anyone and was never aimed at anyone. He also appreciated others' jokes, even those at his cost!" I became impatient and wanted him to tell me a few instances. He narrated the following:

Once, a boy was seated in front of Sri Bhagavan. Flies were troubling him and he was killing them. Seeing this Bhagavan told him: "Don't kill them; it is wrong." After some time the boy looked at Bhagavan intensely and remarked: "You say killing is wrong. I was only killing little flies which were giving me trouble, but you have killed a big tiger and you are sitting on its skin. How can it be?" Bhagavan laughed and said: "Yes, what he says is quite right!"

The same boy had the habit of wasting food served on his leaf-plate while seated with others. Once Bhagavan told him that he should not leave anything on the plate when he finished eating. That day too the boy could not eat everything, but stuffed something into his mouth and took out the empty leaf. Bhagavan saw him take out the empty leaf. However, the boy after throwing away the leaf also spat out the food that he had stuffed in his mouth. It was reported
to Bhagavan. He enjoyed the trick of the boy and gave a hearty laugh.

The Tremendous Flood

When I left home (in my seventeenth year), I was like a speck swept on by a tremendous flood. I knew not my body or the world, whether it was day or night. It was difficult even to open my eyes; the eyelids seemed to be glued down. My body became a mere skeleton. Visitors pitied my plight as they were not aware how blissful I was. It was after years that I came across the term `Brahman <sup>[?]</sup>' when I happened to look into some books on Vedanta <sup>[?]</sup> brought to me. Amused, I said to myself, `Is this known as Brahman'! "

-- To read full story, See Surpassing Love and Grace, recounted by Sri Vishwanath Swamy.

Bhagavan on Surrender

GOD WILL BEAR WHATEVER BURDENS WE PUT
on Him. All things are being carried on by the omnipotent
power of a Supreme God. Instead of submitting ourselves
to It, why should we always be planning, `We should do this
or that'. Knowing that the train carries all the load, why
should we, travelling therein, suffer by carrying our small
bundle on our heads, instead of leaving it on the train and
being happy.

The story of Ashtavakra teaches that in order to experience
Brahma Jnana all that is necessary is to surrender yourself
completely to the Guru, to give up your notion of `I' and
`mine'. If these are surrendered, what remains is the Reality.

There are two ways of achieving surrender.
One is looking into the source of the `I' and merging into that source.
The other is feeling, `I am helpless myself, God alone is all
powerful, and except by throwing myself completely on Him,
there is no other means of safety for me '; and thus gradually
developing the conviction that God alone exists and the ego
does not count. Both methods lead to the same goal. Complete
surrender is another name for jnana ^[?] or liberation.

Bhakti is not different from mukti ^[?]. Bhakti is being as the Self.
One is always That. He realizes It by the means he adopts.
What is bhakti ^[?]? To think of God. That means only one thought
prevails to the exclusion of all other thoughts. That thought is
of God, which is the Self, or it is the self surrendered unto
God. When He has taken you up, nothing else will assail you.
The absence of thought is bhakti ^[?]. It is also mukti ^[?].
Source: http://benegal.org/ramana_maharshi/books/gems/gem005.html

Glimpses into Bhagavan's state

Day by Day with Bhagavan gives fascinating insights into Sri Bhagavan's state. A short excerpt:

After all this talk Bhagavan drank a little water from his kamandalam  and turning to his attendant enquired whether he had already drunk some water (i.e., after he returned to the hall about 3-30 P.M.). The attendant said `yes', and thereupon Bhagavan said he had forgotten it, and to make sure he drank some again.
He further added, almost in an unguarded moment, as he rarely gives expression to such experiences of his, that sometimes he does not even know whether it is morning, mid-day or evening and has to look at the clock and try to remember before he knows what time of day it is. On one occasion, he has told me that he scratched his skin, where there was eczema once, as we scratch during sleep. And once when I was concerned over some physical pain of his, he told me he feels that pain, i.e., it was a passing and faint experience like that in a dream. These are clues to the sort of life Bhagavan leads in our midst, seeming to act and move and feel as we do, but really living in a world of his own where the things we experience don't exist.

Bhagavan later shared two reminiscences from his early days, one amusing and one touching. Here is one:

Then Bhagavan narrated, very dramatically as is usual with him, an incident which occurred when he was about 22 and living in the Virupakshi Cave. It seems he was sitting on a rock near the cave and a boy of about 8 or 10 years came there,
looked at Bhagavan and, not being able to bear the sight of such a young and bright person taking to such a hard life of penance, was so moved to compassion that he started to sob and sobbed violently for some time. Bhagavan said, "Who could say what was the reason for his sobbing and why tears flowed out of him merely at his seeing me?"

For more please see this.