Love : Universal Particular

Ramana Maharshi

oi-Staff

By Staff

Monday, June 15, 2009, 11:48

It is natural to be happy. It is equally natural to love without the boundaries created by the mind. Ramana would say that the experience of the Self alone enables one to understand love to be one's essential nature. Then you see with loving eyes, hear with loving ears, feel always in love, (not fall in and out of it), what you smell is love, what you taste is love, love percolates through the senses fills the mind and heart.

Ordinarily love is mental, dualistic and particular. I love someone, some things and I hate some others, would rather not have anything to do with the person. Because now love is centred on 'I' and 'mine', based on attachments, based on the feeling of the other's dependence on us, on mutual need. Mother's love for her infant, helplessly dependent on her or that of a chaste wife for her husband who is the centre of her home, are cited as the best examples of individualized love. But all love is love though labeled a particular and universal. Love is common to both. It is heart based. Certainly love is many splendoured, unmatched in its beauty.

Where then is the difference? Attachment based love is by its very nature exclusive. It excludes from its ambit all that is not regarded as one's own, as belonging to one's family, one's social and spiritual circles and so on. Mind always puts brakes on the widening of this base. Superimposed is the society's value system and its permissive or prudish ways.

In contrast stands Sadguru Ramana's universal love which is surprisingly at the same time particular as well. Each and everyone could have his share of it. Monkeys would bring their babies to have his blessings in very much the same way as a human mother would.

'Nondi' the lame monkey tended by Ramana was not only welcomed back by his tribe but also made its chief. Normally they would excommunicate those who had been looked after by humans. Ramana had a thorough knowledge of the habits, behaviour patterns of monkeys and was very sensitive to their needs. Consequently the monkeys could identify themselves with him and feel that he was one of them. Cow Lakshmi would have full freedom to come to Ramana at any time for being caressed or consoled.

Subbaramayya, the author of 'Ramana Reminiscences' would be in continuous correspondence with Ramana reporting every little detail of his household. While at Sri Ramanasramam he would talk freely with Ramana as one would with one's own father. So too would the 'Diarist' Devaraja Mudaliar who would refer to himself as 'Ramanachei' or Ramana's child.

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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