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The Potency In The Pictures Of Ramana-Part II

Ramana Maharshi Photos
Continued From The First Part

With Ramana's pictures, a devoted heart finds Himself relating to Him even on the mundane level as relating to one's loved ones. This can obviously happen only when one is led naturally to believe in His Ramana Maharshi's presence even after Him shedding His body in 1950.

Numerous are the ways Ramana's folks relate to Him. Some worshipped Him as God, some looked upon Him as a friend, some related to Him as a father and some saw Him as their own self apart from the common way of seeing Him as their Guru. His pictures only intensified their feelings towards Him. Relating to Bhagavan then becomes a way of life . An urge to see Ramana arose all of a sudden in a devotee while at work. Immediately a colleague,unaware of it, called out to the devotee on finding an old video of Bhagavan descending the hill of Arunachala! An old picture abandoned somewhere in the attic made a devotee ecstatic on the very sight of it when a family member handed it over to her when she had just finished her brief prayer to him !

A small girl once observed some people bringing food and offering it to Bhagavan and distributing it to people around. One day she wrapped some pappads in her dress and upon Bhagavan asking what it was, she offered it to Him. Bhagavan and the girl shared the pappads. The next day she came with some fruits and shared it with Bhagavan. Bhagavan then asked her to offer the food to His picture at her home and eat it herself thinking that He had accepted it! What more is required of His consent in relating to Him through His pictures. The purpose could vary according to our spiritual progress but the import that it carries remains the same.

The life of a Master is equally important as His teachings as His very life itself is a massive teaching for devotees to imbibe. An alert and spontaneous mind soaked in devotion grasps instructions hidden in every little happening of His life. The numerous photos of Ramana are pictorial representations of His life especially for those who are charmed by Him post His Nirvana. For example Ramana with cow Lakshmi, Ramana with squirrels, Ramana with a rabbit etc all speak of His compassion and impartial extension of His attention to all beings alike.

When one gets accustomed to Ramana's teachings, one somehow tends to drop off the form of the Master. Sometimes it becomes a conscious effort with a little intellectual knowledge about the formless self which causes to let go Bhagavan's form. However one has to understand that consciously dropping His form again for realising the formless self is the way of the mind, the ego where one is actually going against one's very purpose of the practice. The dropping off the form happens naturally with self realisation only, where there is absolutely no sense of doership. Until then Ramana's form constantly lures the devotee. A heart that relates to the master in the truest sense sees Him in and around himself. Hence one cannot exclude Him in His pictures.

When one is carried away in the current of the mad mind beyond control, just a look at His picture is enough to silence it or slow down the mad rush of thoughts. One is immersed in His infectious silence. Surrender becomes natural and spontaneous, for conflict exits without a trace with just a glance of Bhagavan! The mind takes a dip into the source and on further rising gets back to the source with the slightest probe of self enquiry, made easier by His pictorial presence.

May we all bask in the sunshine of grace flooding us through Ramana's innumerable pictures that the Master benevolently allowed Himself to be photographed.

Chat With The Devotees Of Bhagwan Ramana Maharishi

Story first published: Thursday, January 21, 2010, 14:19 [IST]