Those Sovereign Feet-Part II

We have another instance of one of Ramana's biographers, T.S.Anantha Murthy who sought and got an assurance from Ramana in this regard. Anantha Murthy records the instance of his departure from the asram after a week's stay. He addressed Bhagavan in English "I have enjoyed great peace in your presence. Permit me to return to Bangalore. May I know if I can receive your help when I reach Bangalore? I pray for your benediction."

T.S AnanthaMurthy recalls, "The benevolent sage was till then reclining on the sofa….. He sat up vertically on the sofa and with a kind but loud tone he said in English as follows:- 'What? Is there Time, place or Distance for me?' After putting this question to me, he reclined on the pillows of the sofa and closed his eyes. His words and gestures were charming, instructive and benevolent. They indicated perpetual compassion and love for all who pray for his aid. His gracious words are ringing in my ears, even after thirty-four years".

In this context, one may also refer to the statement made by Ramana in the early years of his stay on the Arunachala hill. A sadhu living on the hill was so struck by Ramana's authentic greatness that he wished to know who Ramana really was. He specifically asked him to identify which of the great gods he was. 'Are you Hari, Sivaguru (Subrahmanya), Yatiswara (Siva) or Vararuchi?' Ramana's reply was an emphatic confirmation of his inner presence in all life. It reads thus "In the recesses of the hearts of all, beginning with Hari, the pure intellect shines as the Self, as Arunachala Ramana. When the mind melts in love for him, the subtle eye of pure intellect opens and he reveals himself as pure consciousness".

One might say that a majority of persons or nearly all of us relate to Ramana as the Omnipresent Supreme Lord. If one stops there it would be a pity. For Ramana is the Sadguru who put on the human garb to bestow on seekers the awareness of their own hidden treasure, their own state of natural happiness. The direct path of self-enquiry taught by him is simplicity itself if only we are ready to put aside our complicated and background ridden mind. Then it would be easy to understand the implications of the Ramana path for spiritual practice. We would readily see that what matters is the 'Now' the need for cutting off the time factor in practice.

It is the present moment and attention to that which is important, because all experience is only in the present. The experience referred to is the experience of natural happiness during practise. If one gets out of that state due to lure of the past which separates the object from the subject then one has to switch attention back to the source of the mind for being restored to natural happiness. The ultimate experience of Self-abidance and its overflowing bliss is of the same nature as that which one experiences if self-enquiry is properly understood and practised.

The fruits of one's effort and in fact the effort itself is possible only because of Ramana Sadguru's grace. He is ready to bestow his own state of steady Self-abidance to those who single-mindedly value it. In his role as the Sadguru Ramana becomes the destroyer of the boon seeker, of the ego, whose desires are insatiable. By his grace one would be 'Born Anew' to a life lived with a pure mind immersed in the fullness of consciousness.

About the author

A.R.Natarajan

Sri A.R.Natarajan has had the opportunity of a long association of over 50 years with the Ramanashram. He was the editor of "Mountain Path" for two years. He was the secretary of Ramana Kendra, New Delhi for ten years. He founded the Ramana Maharshi centre for learning, a non profit institution. He has authored more than thirty six books and eleven pocket books on the life and teachings of Bhagavan Ramana.

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