Gathered Blooms

Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya! The womb of miracles is Grace, which is none other than the Self. Miracles here, may be defined as not the glaring ones as in Physic powers, Clairvoyance or materialising objects etc that bears the stamp of doership. They are simply divine interference in day to day life that are too very natural, and could often escape from even an alert eye. Such were those which took place in the presence of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi. Any ardent seeker's life is peppered with miracles or divine interference. There are two common outlooks towards miracles. While most intellectual seekers on the path of Self realization often have a self imposed indifferent attitude towards miracles, seekers on the path of bakti or devotion often get lost in miraculous happenings. In my humble opinion, I guess focusing on Grace, the underlying factor of miracles than focusing on miraculous happenings themselves, or being aware of miracles rather than b...

Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya Ramana had His own way of eradicating the ego, whenever it showed up in his disciples. Muruganar, one of the greatest devotees of Bhagavan Ramana, a remarkable poet, had an urge to pen something akin to Siva Puranam (a great work on Lord Siva by the great saint Manickavasagar) about Ramana. Devotion took the shape of words as it poured down on paper. Muruganar was however doubtful if he should call it ‘Siva Puranam’ owing to his firm belief that Ramana was none other than Shiva, or ‘Ramana Puram’. Unable to discern the same he left it for Bhagavan to decide. Bhagavan graciously wrote ‘Ramana Puranam’ in each page and also Himself being a poet par excellence, added a few more verses. The work was completed and was presented to Bhagavan for proof reading, Bhagavan found at the beginning of the verses that He had penned, “Written by Bhagavan” added by Muruganar. Picture shows indian mystic Ramana Maharshi, 1879-1950. It was taken by G....

                                                                          Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya On 9th December, I happened to visit the Ramana Maharshi shrine to attend the Poornima puja. In Bhagavan’s physical presence with swarming fellow devotees, how could one describe the bliss and glory? The puja came to an end with devotees going around the shrine chanting ‘Aksharamanamalai’ We then stood engaged in a little Satsang in a small group listening to Ms. Sarada Natarajan (President of Ramana Maharshi Centre for Learning) about Bhagavan and Arunachala and the Karthigai Deepam festival, when the others had taken leave. A person from the group handed some money as a donation for the centre’s activities to Ms Sarada Natarajan requesting her to use it for the Poornima...

Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya Self-Reliant-Are We Really?                            Self-reliance  would normally mean being reliant on work, wealth, intelligence, social strength, relationships etc. Are we really Self-reliant in the truest sense while basing our reliance on these? When one is reliant on the aforesaid aspects, one is indirectly reliant on the mind. They are based on intelligence and emotions which are thought forms which constitute the mind.  In all of these impermanence is engrained. Such reliance is simply attachment which causes pain when their life elapses, or when they fail, while monotony and discontent are unavoidable outcomes of a successful life at some point. The mind hunts for something new. We are reliant on them owing to the belief somewhere; deep down, that they are going to exist for ever. It is only on...

Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya “Grace is both the beginning and the end. Introversion is due to Grace; Perseverance is Grace; and Realisation is Grace” says Ramana Maharshi-Talks 319 It would be the experience of every Ramana devotee, who has dedicated himself to the practice of Self enquiry, to experience the Grace of the Guru enveloping him, taking control of his life. This results in diminishing of the sense of ego-the ‘I’ sense which is identifying oneself with the body and the mind. The showers of Grace in every minute detail of life are inexplicable and beyond one’s imagination; the sudden manifestation of it, yet very subtly and naturally, placing things in order leaves one dumbstruck. Will basking in the ‘thought of Grace’ (in different situations) threaten one’s practice in subduing the ego and rather enriching it? In my humble opinion it depends on the mind-set of the people. When Grace has begun to manifest in one’s material life, it is sure to guide one to t...

Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya To just be is an effortless state of existence or being. It is a state of pure surrender . It is basically shifting of one’s attention from the mistaken conception of one’s identity with the body mind complex to the self, or the ‘I-ness’ throbbing in one. It is the state of dropping the mind, a deep let go of things . Bhagavan Ramana’s teaching is ‘Just be’. Self enquiry was suggested by Bhagavan as it is difficult to detach oneself from thoughts and to realise the true nature of one’s being at one go. It is the pure state of awareness. It is a state of acceptance . Non-acceptance causes rebellion or conflict in the mind. When one is in the state of just b-e-i-n-g, total acceptance has happened whatever be the external situations, with no trace of conflict in the mind. It is pure b-e-i-n-g or existing. It is not a negative state of simply existing, but a vibrant, throbbing existence full of life - a state of consciousness. It is the g...

Om Namo Bhagavate Shri Ramanaya When the mind is worn out and weary, When it needs to be revived, To drink of your glory, The elixir of life Arunachala, the Mount of Grace,        May the mind rest in your eternal embrace. The turbulent mind This time I rushed to the Master’s presence with a turbulent mind. On 7 th October, peace seemed to be something very distant. I went round Bhagavan’s Samadhi over and over again for thoughts to slow down, which of course did. However the storm did not subside. Meditation was rather difficult as there was a counter thought, a worry, ‘the hankering for peace’. On 8 th morning the mind was totally worn out. It suddenly became averse to be engaged in any activity, be it to go round the master or to meditate in the meditation hall. It just dropped its movements. All of a sudden peace descended as I simply sat in the hall in front of the Mother’s shrine, where a black statue of Bhagavan...