The Direct Teaching of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi

To tread the path of true spirituality, the Great Master, Sri Bhagavan Ramana, gave immense importance to inward-turned sadhana rather than to indulge in outward-turned good works. The recorded ‘Talks’ of the Maharshi, contained in the various published books, abound with statements confirming this, like “Practice is very important”, “Practise, practise; practise more”. There can be no two opinions on this.

The real significance of what the Master referred to as “practice” is revealed in the following report of an ardent sadhaka-devotee, S.S. Cohen: “Once, the devotee who was in charge of English Correspondence in the Ashram office was unavailable and the Sarvadhikari [Manager] asked Major Chadwick, who was living in the Ashram, to take his place. Chadwick refused but felt a prick of conscience for doing so. After dinner that night, when we were alone or almost alone with Bhagavan, Chadwick told Him about it and asked whether he had done right. Bhagavan answered that Chadwick was doing Him greater service by meditating, thereby greatly relieving the latter’s mind.” (“Fragrant Petals”, p. 27) (underlining is mine).

There is also another significant incident, reported in Ramana Smrti, in the case of Shantamma, the Ashram lady-cook. Shantamma complained that her working all the time in the kitchen deprived her of doing meditation in the presence of Bhagavan. Sri Bhagavan’s reply is equally important: “Let the hands and legs do the work and the mind be merged in meditation.”

While the apparent contradiction explicit in these two instances makes one face the fact that perhaps one has no choices with regard to the body’s circumstances, one should not fail to notice the inherent freedom that one has to meditate, inwardly, all through, under all conditions.

In His holy presence, there prevailed total freedom, which included identification or non-identification with the course of events ordained. However, the earnest seekers, like B.V.Narasimha Swami, Paul Brunton, Muruganar, S.S.Cohen, Munagala Venkataramaiah, Nayana, Annamalai Swami, Viswanatha Swami, Kunju Swami, did choose only to live in isolated huts put up in an adjoining flower-garden, named ‘Palakottu’, dedicating themselves to the practice of meditation and turning inward, doing Self-enquiry, the enquiry of ‘Who am I? ’. This had the approval of Sri Bhagavan as well. It should be noted that they refrained from engaging in activities that were not related to their sadhana. When a true seeker was seen indulging in any unnecessary outward activity, Sri Bhagavan did reprimand him! These true seekers were thus guided, constantly too, by Him, to delve within and meditate.

And for the fresh seekers this forms a pointer as to where their true choice lies. An effort is made here to genuinely draw the seeker back to the one and only ‘practice’ our Master insisted on — “Self-enquiry”.