On The Trial

By Staff

Monday, December 15, 2008, 11:43

To understand Ramana's teachings aright one has to turn to the original sources 'Ulladu Narpadu', 'Upadesa Undiyar', 'Ramana Gita' and 'Garland of Guru's Sayings'. Fortunately for those who are not familiar with Tamil or Sanskrit, we have very good English translations and commentaries. There is need to supplement these sources by studying Ramana's instructions to his disciples, Gambiram Seshier and Sivaprakasam Pillai, covered in 'Self Instruction', and 'Who am 'I'?' respectively. All these works should be read and understood in the backdrop of Ramana's experiences, initially when he was twelve years old and his father's dead body was laid on the floor for the last rites, and the 'death-experience' subsequently when he was sixteen after which he became an Enlightened seer, ever remaining in the state of steady wisdom.

It is also important to remember that in spiritual practice one has to give pride of place to being sensitive to Ramana's guidance. All this is said because there is a tendency to understand the teachings through recorded conversations and replies to doubts of a seeker. A young and ardent seeker from Canada was spending a month at Sri Ramanasramam and he had thought that booklets like 'Sayings', 'Thus Spake', 'Gems' or 'Silent Mind' were sufficient. He is in a way typical for one might shy away from the original prose works for fear of lack of knowledge of Tamil or Sanskrit. The replies of Ramana in the thirties and later need to be understood keeping in mind the varying intensity of the questioners interest which depends on their backgrounds. They would keep holding on to it.

When his father died the question which gripped Ramana was, 'Why is my father's body declared to be a corpse while his body is still here?' On reflection he came to the conclusion that there is some force in each one the presence of which alone makes the body alive. The question as to what this force was remained unanswered.

On the 17th July 1896, when Ramana was gripped by the fear of death he began an enquiry which he later labeled as 'Who am 'I'?' enquiry. While his body was stiff and ready for cremation he could feel simultaneously the full force of his personality, as the divine current within, as 'I'. He thus discovered that the 'I' was a force or current working despite the rigidity or activity of the body.

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