 Ramana Maharshi was born in 1879. As a teenager he experienced a very deep fear of death that led to his experience of self-realization. Soon after his awakening he left home, drawn to Tiruvannamalai, and the holy hill, Arunachala. Many regard him as the greatest saint of the 20th Century. He had no human Guru (although he did indicated that God appeared to him and guided him in the form of the hill, Arunachala). His teaching is pure Advaita. His "technique" was to point people toward "self-inquiry." His teachings are very simple and very profound. One look into his eyes, even in a photograph, should be enough to convince anyone of the depth of his realization. Although most of his teachings were really transmitted through silence, there are three books reviewed below which we highly recommend. In fact one of them made it to our very exclusive The Greatest list. 
$19.95PaperbackSilence of the HeartRobert AdamsAll true knowledge comes from the transmission of silence. Words can confuse and are subject to various degrees of interpretations. Opinions justify the ego structure… they lead from truth to ignorance. Robert Adams, a direct disciple of Ramana Maharshi, is a powerful conveyer of truth, not because of the words but for the underlying transmission of silence that occurs between the written word. Robert’s main theme is that "all is well." This is a powerful book. Reading it had a powerful effect on the state of my consciousness… there are many passages that cause tears to flow and the heart to open. I highly recommend Robert Adam’s book for any Spiritual seeker. Review by Tony Kainauskas 
$26.95HardcoverTalks With Sri Ramana MaharshiT. N.Venkataraman, Sri RamanashramThis long but very easy to read book is regarded as the "bible" of the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, the highly regarded 20th-century exponent of Advaita Vedanta. Its 600-plus pages contain nothing but questions to, and answers from, Sri Ramana on a wide range of topics, recorded during the period from 1935 to 1939. The material is presented in roughly chronological order, with no attempt to organize along topical lines. It thus offers a glimpse into the natural flow of conversations at Sri Ramanashram during this four-year period. Sri Ramana always preferred that both teaching and learning occur in silence, rather than on the basis of verbal discussion. From his side, he preferred simply to sit and radiate a current of pure consciousness with which seekers could effortlessly align. From the aspirant's side, he encouraged actually engaging in the practice of self-enquiry, rather than posing questions to satisfy the mind while keeping it active on its surface level. Fortunately however, he did answer a few questions each day. According to the interests of the his visitors, many topics are discussed here, including all of the favorites of spiritual aspirants throughout the ages, such as the nature of enlightenment, states of consciousness, the role of the witness, knowledge versus devotion, effort versus grace, etc. At some point while reading this book one begins to notice that, while addressing various questions, Sri Ramana's replies all seem to follow a similar pattern. Intellectual understanding, initially in the foreground, gradually gives way to an intuitive recognition of this pattern as being somehow very personal to the reader himself. This is because Sri Ramana persistently brings one's wandering mind back to its true purpose, the recognition of its own source. He does this by pointing out that every question asked is actually an extrapolation of the primal question, "Who am I?" and then by offering an experiential answer to this all-important question. In this way, even "horizontal" theoretical discussions are used as opportunities for experiencing "vertical" self-enquiry, thereby coming full-circle to Sri Ramana's eternally practical purpose. This persistent switch from fascination with external objects (in which frame the question is posed) to fascination with the subject of enquiry (in which frame the answer is experienced) is Sri Ramana's special gift. With its comprehensive scope, great depth, and reader-friendly style, Talks, as it is known by its many fans, is my second favorite book of all time. The journal-type entries are all very short. I recommend reading one or more of them each night right before falling asleep. An added advantage to this approach is that the calm, settled feeling one gets from the readings may well continue throughout the night and result in a wonderful rested feeling of inner wakefulness. Review by Michael Baxter 
$16.95PaperbackEssential Teachings of Ramana Maharshi: A Visual JourneyMatthew GreenblattAn A+ introduction to the philosophy of Ramana Maharshi. Contains bullet points of his philosophy as well as incredible black and white photos. This makes a wonderful gift for any one on the spiritual path. 
$14.95PaperbackRamana Maharshi and the Path of Self-KnowledgeArthur OsborneBoth a biography of the great saint and an explanation of his teachings. This book has a very special place in my heart. If we had not put Godman’s book in Books You Can’t Live Without, this book would have been there. It was difficult to choose between the two. This is a book you cannot afford to miss reading. Review by Len Oppenheim. 
$24.95PaperbackA Search in Secret IndiaPaul BruntonThis book is included in our very select category Books You Can’t Live Without Not only is Brunton given credit for introducing Ramana Maharshi to the West, but this book stands out, at least in my opinion, as a great classic among all the books ever written by Western seekers who have gone to the East, seeking truth and/or a guru. This is a fantastic chronicle of a spiritual journey. It is also a real "period piece" describing both England and India in an earlier age of greater innocence. Brunton does a perfect job of describing his pursuit and his meetings with many miraculous saints and miracle men. I rank this book right up there with Autobiography of a Yogi, books that everyone, not just seekers, must read and will almost certainly enjoy. If you have not yet read this book, you have a real treat in store for yourself. Review by Len Oppenheim. 
$45.00Hardcover, PaperbackSpecial Set: Two of the Greatest Spiritual Books of All TimeT.N. Venkataraman, Sri Ramananashram, Nisargadatta MaharajTalks with Sri Ramana Maharshi I Am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj Reading either one of these books may well change your life. If you're ready for a change, reading the two of them together almost certainly will. I'd like to tell you how reading them together changed mine. Please don't be put off by my use of specialized terminology. If you encounter terms that you are not familiar with, I invite you to do what my wonderful wife, Intesar, does. She tells me that "truth rings its own bell" and listens with her heart. I've been a seeker all of my life. I was bitten by the "spirituality bug" and started mantra meditation in 1970. At that time, I felt sure that I'd be 'enlightened' within ten years. Just to be on the safe side, I gave it twenty. On my twentieth anniversary I quit meditating, telling myself that I must have internalized the spirit of it by now. This felt like the right thing to do, but it left an enormous feeling of emptiness inside. It was then that I discovered experiential Advaita Vedanta, although at first I didn't know it by that name. One day I had an interesting experience. I had been considering the thought process from two points of view and then comparing the subjective feelings of veracity between them. The first way of thinking had to do with adding up a number of parts to create or recreate a feeling of wholeness. The second way began with this feeling and moved toward the parts without ever quite losing it. On this particular day, the scales in my mind tipped quite suddenly and decisively in favor of this second way of thinking. I don't think of this as any kind of realization. After all, it was purely mental. I think of it as a sort of "intellectual inversion," a sudden abandoning of one governing paradigm for another. I simply found myself looking at things in a new, upside-down sort of way. I now had a new batch of questions, or rather, a feeling of having some new answers to questions that I did not fully understand, questions like:
I found myself re-evaluating things that I thought I knew. It occurred to me for the first time that the term "spiritual knowledge" might be something of an oxymoron, referring to something better divested than acquired. And I knew, like a child first hearing the truth about Santa Claus, that I could not go back to my previous way of thinking even if I wanted to. All of this transpired so vividly that, scooping up all of my ready cash (about $250), I literally ran to The 21st Century bookstore to consult with my friend, Tony, as to how best to explore this new perspective. My plan was to buy the seminal work of each of the great masters of the east and see which of them were speaking this new language, as I felt sure some of them must be. Two teachers jumped out at me, Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Everything they said seemed to make perfect sense, but only in this new way. I later found out that they were the two main proponents of the ancient school of thought known as Advaita Vedanta (lit. 'non-dual end-of-knowledge') of the last century. Enter the books I had bought one book by each of these great teachers. They were, Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi and, I am That: Talks with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. Each is about 600 pages of questions and answers and has (or had) a yellow jacket. I thought of them as my "yellow pages," because I felt sure that anything I really needed to know could be found between their covers. Each book presents the theory and practice of gyan yoga, the "path of knowledge." Each has a strong emphasis on the technique of atma vichara, or "self-enquiry," to locate and stabilize awareness in the unbounded Self that we are told is within us. But this is where their similarity ends. Although I believe both of these men to have been enlightened sages, or jnani's, they could hardly have been more different in personalities and teaching styles. Where Sri Ramana was a gentleman, it seems that Sri Nisargadatta was a bit of a rascal. Where Sri Ramana preferred not to speak much, Sri Nisargadatta appears to have enjoyed heated discussions. Where Sri Ramana was an ascetic who led a very pure lifestyle, Sri Nisargadatta was a family man who earned his living selling strong Indian cigarettes. Where enlightenment had dawned unbidden on Sri Ramana at an early age, Sri Nisargadatta appears to have earned it through sheer courage and strength of will, perhaps even stubbornness. I decided to read these two books together, right before bedtimes, in the hope that the feeling of their teachings would permeate my sleep. First, I would read about fifteen minutes of Sri Nisargadatta. I found his style to be supremely bold and direct (not to mention entertaining) and therefore perfect, I thought, for a "spiritual warrior" like me. He pulled no punches and protected no egos. I deeply appreciated Sri Nisargadatta's directness. I felt that I was finally being treated like an adult, like someone who could digest facts unmixed with fiction. I also felt just a little bit beaten up by the end of the quarter hour, so rigorous were his demands on me as a reader. I would then read about fifteen minutes of Sri Ramana and he would somehow, while being equally direct, manage to soothe my mind and send me off to sleep on a settled note. Within about three months I had finished reading both books. I enjoyed them immensely and especially admired the fact that both teachers began with the feeling of wholeness and never left it, no matter what detail was being considered. I felt vastly enriched and much more clear about my path. You may want to find out for yourself what the current interest in experiential Advaita Vedanta is all about. This bookstore has prepared a special discount when you buy both of these books. I encourage you to get them for yourself, or for someone you love, and read them together as I did. Have fun with it.. Honestly, I envy you the adventure! Review by Michael Baxter 
$14.95PaperbackThe Collected Works of Ramana MaharshiArthur OsborneOnce, during a workshop on Advaita Vedanta at The 21st Century Bookstore, Tony asked me to name my favorite books. I had brought four with me, but mentioned only three of them (reviewed separately). When he asked me why I hadn't mentioned the fourth one, Collected Works, I told him, 'I don't really think of this as just a book, because it's not something to be read once or twice and understood in the sense that one might attempt to grasp the principles of Gyan Yoga ('the path of knowledge').'As the complete written teachings of possibly the greatest teacher since Adi Shankara, it seems more like a description of mySelf than a map to it. Alongside the myriad classical texts (Shruti, Smriti, Puranas, etc) that constitute the formal body of the Ved (the sacred literature of ancient India), this book stands alone as perhaps the only truly accessible authoritative treatise on the immortal Self written by a contemporary Rishi (sage or seer) of the highest order. At the risk of sounding as if I'm saying, 'my teacher is better than yours', I submit that I was originally trained as a scientist and, after years of applying my most objective 'physics–nerd research techniques', I have come to view Sri Ramana Maharshi as 'the sadguru (teacher of highest truth) of the millennium', the kind of teacher who comes along only once every thousand years or so. This high regard appears to be widely held, as I have yet to encounter an author or teacher who, in referring to Sri Ramana, did not accord him their very highest respect. Even my other favorite teacher has a large portrait of him on his wall. Sri Ramana often compared his teaching style to that of Dakshinamurti, a mythical Vedantic Rishi, said to be a form of the god, Shiva. In fact, throughout most of his fifty–four years of living and teaching on the 'holy hill', Arunachala, he bypassed words altogether and rarely spoke or wrote anything down; this book is well under two hundred pages long. He read only those texts which were placed in front of him by devotees, thus in time he became erudite without seeking or valuing erudition. 'Collected Works' includes virtually all that was written by him since his spontaneous enlightenment in 1896 at the age of sixteen, having undergone no previous spiritual training. Sri Ramana was a supremely practical man. Since some of his writings may appear to be purely theoretical, this would seem to be an appropriate reminder. As the editor says in his introduction, He attached little importance to theory. That expounded in the following works is all turned to the practical purpose of helping the reader towards Self–knowledge—by which is not meant any psychological study, but knowing and being the Self which exists behind the ego or mind. Questions that were asked for mere gratification of curiosity he would brush aside. Thus he was turning the questioner from mental curiosity to the spiritual quest. I would like to briefly introduce you to each of the writings in this book. It is my great honor to do so. I must acknowledge the excellent introductory comments of the editor, and shall draw upon them freely. Original Works Self–Enquiry This is Sri Ramana's first work. It was written in about 1901 in response to a request for guidance from one of his earliest disciples and is concerned with practical questions on the path to realization. Section titles include, 'The Supreme Being is the Self', 'Enquiry into the Self', 'Worship is only Self–Enquiry', and 'The Eightfold Path of Knowledge'. This last section is a wonderful interpretation of the classical 'Eightfold Path of Raj Yoga' in terms of the technique of self–enquiry (atma vichara). This technique was vigorously and consistently prescribed by Sri Ramana as the single most effective way of gaining inner freedom. It is a unique process which is introduced more fully in another review. Who Am I? 'Who am I?' was written during the same period as 'Self–Enquiry'. It began as a series of answers to fourteen practical questions asked by another early disciple. It is the last prose exposition Sri Ramana ever wrote; thereafter he answered questions verbally. Records were kept of his discussions, but he himself wrote down nothing other than the few verse items that follow. Five Hymns to Sri Arunachala Arunachala is the name of the hill in south India where Sri Ramana spent his entire adult life. According to Sri Ramana as well as ancient Hindu scriptures, it is also a manifestation of Shiva. Sri Ramana was drawn to live on the side of this hill shortly after his enlightenment and regarded it as his Guru. The verses in the collection known as the 'Five Hymns to Sri Arunachala' are the first real poems written by Sri Ramana. I will refer to them by numbers 1 through 5. The 'Marital Garland of Letters' (1) was written in response to a request by some of his followers circa 1914 when he was about thirty–five years of age. This hymn beautifully describe the love between man and God. The next three hymns, written at about the same time, adopt the same attitude of devotion and aspiration, whereas Sri Ramana's later poems are directed more toward gaining a clear understanding of Vedantic theory and practice. The 'Eleven Verses' (2) and the 'Eight Verses' (3) are among the very few poems that were written spontaneously, without any request. According to Sri Ramana, The opening words of the 'Eleven Stanzas' came to me one morning and even though I tried to suppress them saying, 'What have I to do with these words?', they would not be suppressed till I composed a song bringing them in, and all the words flowed easily, without any effort. In the same way, the second stanza was made the next day and the succeeding ones on following days, one each day. Only the tenth and eleventh were composed the same day. The 'Eight Stanzas' (4) were composed in a somewhat similar manner. The last hymn, however, is of a different nature. Sri Ramana was asked to write a poem in Sanskrit. He replied that he knew scarcely any Sanskrit and no Sanskrit meters. A meter was explained to him and by the same evening the 'Five Stanzas' (5) had been written in flawless Sanskrit verse. It is a somewhat cryptic account of the different margas (paths to Self–realization). A commentary is included. Forty Versus Sri Ramana was asked to write a 'cycle' of forty verses which would provide a succinct synopsis of his Upadesa (teaching). Later, a supplement consisting of a second forty verses was added to the first. Taken together, these eighty verses are considered to be the most comprehensive exposition of Sri Ramana's teaching. The Essence of Instruction A disciple of Sri Ramana's, the great poet Muruganar, was writing a legend in Tamil verse in which Shiva is said to be instructing a group of Rishis in the supreme truth. When he came to the part of the legend in which the final teaching is concisely stated, he deferred to Sri Ramana, who then went on to describe the various margas, grading them in order of excellence and showing that the most direct path is self–enquiry. The section on 'Original Works' is concluded with several short poems, including 'The Self in the Heart', which contains a verse written by Sri Ramana in both Sanskrit and English, although in general he did not write in English and his knowledge of it was not great. Here is that verse just as he wrote it:
Adaptations and Translations The Song Celestial Sri Ramana was once asked to select a single verse from the Bhagavad Gita which could be regarded as the embodiment of the entire epic poem. He thereupon mentioned book 10 verse 20, 'I am the Self dwelling in the Heart of every being. I am the beginning and the middle and also the end of all beings.' He then selected forty–two verses and arranged them in an appropriate order, giving them the title, 'The Song Celestial'. Translations from the Agamas The twenty–eight Agamas are used widely in temple worship in India. Among them, 'Atma Shakshatkara' and 'Devikalottara' are outstanding expressions of Vedanta which were spontaneously translated by Sri Ramana into Tamil. Both are instructions in Gyan Yoga, said to have been given by Shiva, the former to his son, Guha, and the latter to his wife, Parvati. Poems by Sri Shankara In the eighth century A.D., Vedantic teaching had sunk to a low ebb and was then restored to full vigor by the great spiritual teacher, Sri Shankara. Sri Ramana accepted Sri Shankara's teaching as his own. From time to time he translated one or another of his poems, either spontaneously or at the request of devotees. 'Guru Stuti' and 'Hymn to Dakshinamurti' are excellent examples of these works. The 'Vivekachudamani', or 'Crest Jewel of Discrimination', is a major work by Sri Shankara which has been well known and loved by millions of people since it was written twelve centuries ago. Sri Shankara wrote this piece after completing formal commentaries on the three major works of classical Vedantic literature (the 'Bhagavad Gita', the 'Upanishads' and the 'Brahma Sutras'), in order to present the essence of his teaching in a readily–accessible format. Sri Ramana's fifty–page rendition of this poem is his longest work. It is a very free translation, even the order of the paragraphs being changed to some extent, which perhaps shows the degree to which Sri Ramana identified Sri Shankara's teachings with his own. The final piece included in 'Collected Works' is a translation of Sri Shankara's 'Drik Drishya Viveka'. The Sanskrit word, 'drik' means 'subject of experience', 'drishya' means 'object of experience' and 'viveka' means 'discrimination'. In this short essay is examined the precise difference between the inner experience of 'subject' versus 'objects', and the vital importance of this difference in the practice of self–enquiry. The Central Importance of Discriminating Between the Subject and Objects of Experience Sri Ramana stated repeatedly that the most important use of the intellect is to bring one to the understanding that lasting happiness is supra–mental and that the true purpose for which the faculty of discrimination exists is only to distinguish between the real and the unreal. He also taught that an earnest and sustained enquiry into the nature of the 'I'–thought is the key to re–establishing awareness of the true Self. In practical terms, therefore, Sri Ramana is telling us that the ability to distinguish between the 'I'–thought (the subject of experience) and all other thoughts (objects of experience) is the highest use of the intellect, and leads to liberation. The capacity to exercise this distinction, over and over again if necessary, is at the very core of the process of self–enquiry, which is itself the distilled essence of all of Sri Ramana's teachings. And just what is the difference between one's experience of the singular subject versus any object? Sri Ramana tells us that, (1) the 'I'–thought is the only thought that is always available, and that, (2) it is always the most intimate feeling inside of us. In a nutshell, the thought, 'I', simply feels different from all other thoughts, and is therefore a uniquely qualified tool for inner work. It seems that it takes the greatest teachers to point out the simplest truth. I believe that a deep familiarity with Sri Ramana's translation of Sri Shankara's 'Drik Drishya Viveka' is an invaluable aid to personal growth. Conclusion Although Collected Works is not the least demanding of books, I believe that it is one of the very best to own and absorb over the years. To be able to hold all of the writings of perhaps the greatest sage of the millennium in one's hands is a unique opportunity indeed. I know that, however far I may be able to grow in life, this book will always direct me to deeper and deeper aspects of mySelf. What more can any book offer? Review by Michael Baxter. 
$20.00PaperPadamalaiMuruganarThe original Tamil work comprises 3,059 two-line verses that either praise Ramana Maharshi, record his teachings, or express Muruganar’s gratitude to him. This collection contains representative samples from all these categories, while concentrating on the teachings. Of the book’s 1,750 verses approximately three-quarters of them contain direct statements by Ramana Maharshi on all aspects of his teachings. 
$21.95PaperbackTimeless in Time: Sri Ramana MaharshiA.R. NatarajanA divine addition to one’s spiritual library. It contains many splendid color photographs of Ramana Maharshi from his earliest years to his last days. The text contains many sayings and lectures of Ramana as well as talks by his disciples and western admirers. This is most highly recommended. |
