Sri Ramana Maharshi

Sri Ramana Maharshi is a towering influence in the assimilation of Vedanta in the modern world. He was born in 1879 and died in 1950. From humble beginnings he became a spiritual giant spending his life naturally absorbed in the rays of the Self. As a  consequence his life was extremely simple and lived often in silence. As time went on he engaged with people to answer the deepest questions on the spiritual nature of reality. Due to his obvious spiritual stature an organisation gradually formed around him and a thriving ashram came into being. This continues today as Ramanashramam which is situated at the base of the sacred mountain known as Arunachala. The mountain is striking to experience and conveys a remarkable spiritual presence that strongly effects those who travel there.

Without doubt Sri Ramana is a living example of the great Guru. He is a person of mighty significance in the evolution of our spiritual potential

Two profound and magnificent teachings from Sri Ramana

Sri Ramana Maharshi’s teachings are world renowned and are easily available. Two of his specific teachings had great impact upon me when I was seeking to understand. I found these materials so profound and influential, they moved in me with energetic impact. During a period of several months I was motivated to work with each and every word, striving to gain the depth of meaning that was obviously present but often obscure. Later on I wanted to do something with this passion, to act on it. In 2006 a strong motivation emerged  to represent the text in plain English, accessible phrasing, rather than what often seemed overly complex and dense wording in some other translations. I could not translate from the original Sanskrit because that was beyond my abilities, instead I evaluated several English translations, applied my own insight and followed the enthusiasm and confidence I felt in my heart. The results are these fresh revisions. They are presented here freely for anyone who feels a similar inspiration to study them just as I did. I hope that you too find them to be beautiful, compelling and transformative.

Lineage

Following a fascinating spiritual incident and what seemed a compellling invitation I first travelled to Arunachala in 1998. My trip there and my encounter with the energetic presence of Ramana was a milestone in my life. Amidst the emotion I experienced it was abundantly clear that Ramana represented the close spiritual presence I had felt  from childhood. A presence that had always been a force of intervention and encouragement propelling me into the deepest of spiritual investigations. That voice was revealed there and then most tangibly as the Guru. As a consequence of that influence Vedantarama has evolved into a highly confident source of Self-realisation teachings.

It would be incorrect to say that we represent a lineage of Sri Ramana Maharshi. There is no formal linkage and no such claim is being made. It is however correct to say that there is a wider lineage of Vedanta. It is within this current that these timeless teachings reveal themselves in teachers and are then communicated to students.

That very same power of spiritual evolution that flashed in me in 1998 now thrives in the work that we do. This potency is the source of all that has been achieved. To that our salutations