The ways of Maharishi Ramana

by Thilaka Vivekanandhan Wijeyaratnam

It is said, "All are called, but few are chosen." The chosen few are the beacon lights leading the way for our dropouts.

So it is that when on the night of 29th of December 1879 at 1 a.m. in a place called Thiruchulial, a son was born to one Sundaram Iyer and Alagammai. There was an old woman attending on the mother. When the baby was born the old woman uttered a cry. "What is this bright light surrounding the baby?" she shouted. As in the case of the birth of prophets this child also came into the world radiating an intense light, the brightness of which stunned the woman attending to the chosen mother.

This child, second in the family was named Venkataraman. He was also called Venkataramanan and later Ramana. Ramana started schooling at Scots Mission Middle School at Madurai. He enjoyed sports and excelled in boxing, wrestling and chaduguddu and all other games. Like any young school boy, he enjoyed playing by the bank of the river Vaikai along with his friends on full moon nights. He was not much interested in studies. He had heard about the sacred shrine called Arunasalem. This was actually Thiruannamalai where Lord Siva manifested himself as a column of fire.

Ramana's thirst was to go to that shrine. One day unable to control the yearning he had for Arunasalem, he left a note behind for the mother, and left for Arunasalem in search of Truth in August 1896, when he was just 17 years.

At Arunasalem, people were astonished to see a young 'Gnani' sitting silently in meditation. He was silent and whenever he came out of the spell of meditation or nishtai, people asked him questions as to who he was and his whereabouts. He had only a smile as an answer for their numerous questions.

However word got around that a young Gnani was seen at Arunasalem and news reached Madurai too. At first Ramana's uncle came to see him. When he saw the tender Sanyasi, he could not talk to him. He only stared at the meditating young man in awe and left for home. Later Ramana's mother and elder brother Nagasamy came with the intention of taking him home. The mother cried loudly and uncontrollably. Ramana as usual looked at them dispassionately in detached silence. Finally, a devotee begged him to give the mother a message and Ramana wrote, "Everything is happening according to destiny determined long long ago. What will happen will happen. Nothing can stop it." The mother and brother could not persuade him to go home with them and they left in sorrow. Later the mother used to come there often and serve him and his devotees. The mother found him an immovable force as the sacred mountain Arunasalem looming above the temple.

In the meantime Ramana's elder brother passed away and the mother came to stay permanently at Thiruannamalai. She also adapted herself to the way of life there and found satisfaction in cooking meals for the devotees there. Ramana regarded her as another inmate there and never gave her special attention as a mother. The place was known as Ramana Ashram. Ramana's mother fell sick and Ramana nursed her and when he knew her last hours have come, sat beside her with her head on his lap. Her life left her body on May 19, 1922.

A samadhi was built over her grave and a temple known as Mathru Pootheshwar Temple was built there. After six months Ramana took up permanent residence there and the place was named Ramana Ashram, the present one there.

The Ashram like any other is in the midst of a lush vegetation. Monkeys and peacocks walk, run and play around the place accepting the devotees as their fellow beings. There is immense peace and serenity about the place. The environs are clean and well-maintained. The devotees who come to the Ashram could stay there and follow the routine of meditation and pooja and partake of the meals.

The day Ramana attained Maha Samadhi, a great ball of light appeared in the skies and went to the peak of the Arunasalem mountains, and disappeared, as many watched it in deep reverence.

On April 15, 1950, the day after this amazing sight, Ramana Maharishi's remains was laid to rest and a temple built over his Samadhi.

Devotees walk among frolicking monkeys who were Ramana Maharishi's special friends. Whenever there was a feast at the Ashram, Swamy Ramana would insist on giving the monkeys too a special treat. The Maharishi's Upadesa Saram is described as a great masterpiece of Hindu tradition. In Maharishi's words Advaita or non-duality means only one reality. All forms of phenomenal existence are 'in themselves' illusory. Bakthi is the path of devotion as a means of salvation. Jnana is wisdom or absolute knowledge. Ramana Maharishi stressed on Vichara - the way of self inquiry. In Maharishi's verses on reality, it is said, "Being the self is knowing the self, because there is only one self, and not two. This being and knowing the self is abiding by the Reality."