Treasure Trove of Sri Bhagavan’s Grace
Introduction
Does anyone of us know what are we doing as ‘human beings’? What is this ‘body’? What is a ‘thought’? What is the immense ‘object’ projected out of our body as the ‘World’?
These are vital questions not expected to be ‘answered’ by anyone but to be ‘felt’, ‘experienced’ and ‘inwardly understood’ by everyone!
The strongest, strangest question is: “What is ‘God’? ‘Who is God’? ‘Where is God’?”
Most complicated and never answered questions (more than all the above questions) is: ‘What is the SELF? Whose is the SELF? Where is the SELF?” Have faith in yourself and raise, put to yourself all these questions!
The single, solid and sacred answer is very, very simple!
Our Being, (our aliveness), is the SELF !
Its nature is constant Inner Silence and Stillness. It is the ‘I AM’, the Truth of and in each one of us. It is always here and now. But, this Eternal Truth can never be grasped by the ‘intellect’ — logically analysed and understood through the ‘brain’! For the simple reason — Truth is Pure Being and it is always the ‘subject’, and never an ‘object’. To the ‘intellect’, which can only perceive and understand ‘objects’, the SELF is unreachable. Yet, the SELF, ‘I AM’, is felt intuitively by all. In fact, the ‘intellect’, ‘buddhi’, which thrives only in the aspect of ‘understanding’, is by its very nature, the strongest obstacle to ‘feeling’, ‘understanding’ and ‘realising’ the SELF. The ‘intellect’ logically demands an objective — pointing out of the SELF — as one can point out to a Tree or to a Mountain.
The SELF, is always the ‘subject’ and never an ‘object’ !
Sri Bhagavan clarifies this very same point in Talks No. 502.
“The desire for permanency of happiness and of peace bespeaks such permanency in his own nature. Therefore he seeks to find and regain his own nature, i.e., his SELF. That found, all is found.
Such inward seeking is the path to be gained by man’s ‘intellect’. The ‘intellect’ itself realises after continuous practice that it is enabled by some Higher Power to function. It cannot itself reach that Power. So, it ceases to function after a certain stage. When it thus ceases to function, the Supreme Power is still there all alone. That is “Realisation”; that is the “Finality”; that is the “Goal”.
It is thus plain that the purpose of the ‘intellect’ is to realise its own dependence upon the Higher Power and its inability to reach the same. So, it must annihilate itself before the “Goal” is gained. … What is wanted for gaining the Highest Goal is loss of ‘individuality’. The ‘intellect‘ is co-extensive with ‘individuality’. Loss of ‘individuality’ can only be after the disappearance of ‘buddhi’, ‘intellect’ — good or bad.
One must know the right thing, choose the right path, practice the right dharma and hold fast to it.”
This is the True Essence of Sri Bhagavan’s Direct Teaching, and so, very important that the spiritual aspirant adheres to it and thus emancipates himself/herself.
As guided by Sat-Guru Sri Ramana through the Siddha Purusha Yogi Ramsuratkumar — I took exclusively to Spiritual Sadhana1 by inwardly practising Atma Vichara; and as a Blessing remaining alone and in Silence, most of the time. Nochur Ramana was staying in ‘Retreat’ at “Yoga Nikaya”, Hosur; and in spiritual Sat-Sangh. In 2020, he invited me and Anu Ma to come there and join them, by myself giving Sat-Sangh practical courses.
I feel grateful to Sri Nochur Ramana that he has fulfillingly followed the ancient dictum: “Be a Channel for the ‘White Light’ to pass through”! How many yearning spiritual aspirants are de-alienated from their ‘dreams’ that they are the ‘body’, they are in the ‘World’, to the Truth : “they are Atma”, through his series of talk, throughout the year, all over India !
Perhaps, as part of exhausting my Prarabdha Karma very strangely, I had an unexpected fall, which caused the urgent necessity of undergoing a major Hip Surgery. I was, thus, bed-ridden for two years, during which time, I feel I should share with you — I underwent many layers of Consciousness — high and low!
Though I was under great pain; and, feeling very weak, this gave me a great fillip. I felt deeply that I should start the Book and its Title could be "SRI RAMANA BHOKKISHAM". But still, I was not fully comfortable with the word "Bhokkisham". As I was pondering over what else to call the Book, Sri Nochur Ramana walked into my room.
I put the matter before him and sought his help to replace "Bhokkisham" with a better word. He smiled and replied, “Why worry, Anna! SRI BHAGAVAN has already given you the Perfect Title for the Book! In verse 49 of "The Marital Garland of Letters", has He not said, “Thedaadhu Utttra Nal Thiruvarul Nidhi", meaning, "Treasure of Benign and Holy Grace"? "Thiruvarul Nidhi"! What better Title can there be for the Book!”
1 Refer to Vasana Kshaya and Guru’s Anugraha page 377
And, thus, was born the title of the Book — with the Full Blessings — of SRI BHAGAVAN Himself:
"Treasure Trove of Sri Bhagavan’s Grace"
"Sri Ramana Thiruvarul Nidhi"
In one of my “altered Consciousness” states — as I call them — Sri Bhagavan intuitively commanded me that “I should write one more book!” Sri Bhagavan further guided me very specifically that the content of the book should bring out as how He had directed the spiritual aspirants to other Specific Spiritual Texts to give them greater grip on the abject necessity of their following scrupulously the Atma Vichara. More so, how He took intimate care of them by going to them and revealing the TRUTH to them in the most intimate way of personal benefit — in mysterious ways!
As a humble and reverential expression of surrendered devotion to Sat-Guru SRI RAMANA, I am enclosing a Colour ‘Supplement’ on the Divine Life of SAT-GURU RAMANA — so very well composed and brought out by our dear Editor-Brother SURESH KAILAASH. Sri Suresh helped me by editing passages freshly written by me — as introduction — to a few important and specific spiritual topics of absorbing interest. My grateful thanks go to him, whole-heartedly! My Heart overflowed with gratitude, fulfilment and contentment that by bringing it out, I should refer and draw the reader’s attention to this Greatest Event!
Please also pay specific attention to the specially designed “Book Mark” — perhaps, the best essence of Vedanta is reflected therein by the Two Greatest Spiritual Masters!
To make it clear about His State of Ati Ashrama, compassionately He referred to the Three ancient Ati Ashramis — Suka, Jada Bharata, King Rishaba. His reference to these three ancient great personalities had a confirmation — as it were — by the recent reputed Shankaracharya of Puri (the World-recognised great Mathematician) by his comparing Sri Ramana Maharshi with the ancient Sage Vasishta! (“After Sage Vasishta, only Sri Ramana Maharshi !” affirmed the Shankaracharya in his leadership speech while presiding over an International Spiritual Conference in New Delhi !).
For the scholastic minds, Sri Bhagavan referred to ancient Texts, like Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Tamil Vedantic Texts to quell and solve their scholarly doubts2.
Perhaps, the interesting features that follow might be the sections dealing with ‘Old Devotees’, ‘Rare Experiences’, ‘True Efficacy of Spiritual Sharing’, ’How to give up the ‘me’! ’ and ‘Vasana Kshaya and Guru’s Anugraha operate simultaneously’. Then follow the ’Appendices’. For serious aspirants, this section would be of absorbing interest !
2 Refer to Appendices page 407
Oh! Dear Brother Seeker! Who are reading this — right now — be assured, that every page of this “Treasure Trove” would give you not only interesting reading but also would be of very great practical interest and use for your maturing in spiritual sadhana!
Everything is Great ! Every one is Great !
Everything is purely ‘Spiritual’ only, in content !
Everything is BHAGAVAN RAMANA’s Blessings !
My Heart brims with gratitude, contentment and Ananda that Sat-Guru Sri Ramana blessed the “TREASURE TROVE” to be made available to you — earnest and yearning spiritual aspirant — for helping you attain Emancipation, Inner Perfection and Silence of AWARENESS!
Such assurance of ‘Grace’ is available to all aspirants who turn to the Direct Teaching of Bhagavan Sri Ramana! My humble plea to you, therefore, is to read these pages with one-pointed attention and with an attitude of surrendered faith.
Feel blessed, that His Grace is ever on You! This has repeatedly been assured to us by Sri Bhagavan!
One day — in a state of ecstasy — on realising the immensity of having been Blessed, I realised the necessity of re-recognising (‘pratyabhijna’) the TRUTH of “I AM”, I wrote:
"இன்று இங்கு இப்போதே இருப்பாய் இருந்து ஆழ் உள் ஆனந்தத்து என்று பணித்திடும் பகவான் ரமணர் பரனே —பற்றிடு! நீ கன்றுக் குரங்கு நல் தாய் பூனை ஞான நாதன் ரமணனே! நன்று நில் இப்போதே பூரணனாய் அருள் உற்று."
“BHAGAVAN RAMANA IS now commanding you to dive WITHIN into the OCEAN OF BLISS by remaining ever as the AWARENESS per se — HERE and NOW — consciously ! ‘AWARENESS’ alone is the ETERNAL TRUTH ! ‘AWARENESS’ alone is GOD the SUPREME !
“To successfully abide by His Commandment, we have to necessarily make the effort of ‘clinging’ like the baby-monkey to HIM. On His part, He assures us — like the Mother-Cat by holding our hands and by taking us to the shore of Self-Realisation — the TRUTH of AWARENESS!”
NAMASKAR
Ganesan.
“Ramanaarpanamastu” !
Seated on a Rock up on Arunachala, showering His Gracious Blessings