Messages

511

Ashrams / Re: Ramana Ashram

« on: August 30, 2014, 11:10:56 PM »

Ashram has designed an android App to teach how to chant Aksharamanamalai. You can download the App here
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ramana.learntochantaksharamanamalai

Akshramanamalai was born in the supreme divine Love that Ramana Maharshi experienced in an extremely intense and spontaneous way towards Arunachala, This hymn embodies the potent grace of Ramana Maharshi and is a very rare gift bestowed on humanity. Everyone who chants this hymn will be filled with joy and overcome mental delusions and sorrows. Since not knowing Tamil is a barrier for most people in chanting this hymn, this app will patiently teach English and Tamil speakers how to chant the verses one by one. The meaning of each verse is included so that the prayer behind each verse is clear. The time spent in learning this hymn is well worth it. Arunachala Siva's grace will operate on those who learn and chant even a single verse correctly. Regular chanting of the hymn is a spiritually rewarding experience leading to freedom.

512

Ashrams / Re: Ramana Ashram

« on: August 30, 2014, 01:09:57 AM »

Navarathiri at Ramanashramam

513

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Our Bhagavan-Stories

« on: August 24, 2014, 01:53:15 PM »

MURUGANAR (1890-1973) memorial day will be celebrated on August 25th 2014. He persuaded Ramana Maharshi to compose Ulladu Narpadu ,Upadesa Undiyar, and Atma Vidya which declares self-knowledge is very easy. He composed thousands of poems chief among them being Guru Vachaka Kovai, Ramana Sannidi Murai and Ramana Jnana Bodham.

Muruganar prayed at Arunachala temple on the way to meeting Bhagavan for the first time Will I, an unworthy ignorant one, ever be accepted as a devotee by Lord Siva who, as the Divine Guru with the wealth of grace, showed clearly to the world the greatness of Manikkavachagar? And even if I get such a chance, will I be able to sing of the glories of his grace-showering feet in the same way as Tiruvachakam ? Not only did he compose Sannidhi Murai modelled after Tiruvachakam, but Ramana Maharhsi himself has said ?When Sannidhi Mural and Guru Vachaka Kovai came out, his position among the very foremost devotees became firmly established. Whatever they now say about him, they cannot shake him down ". Thus it is clear that Lord Siva graciously answered His prayers in entirety and more. Once he told Sadhu Om: "I had not only heard of Sri Bhagavan before coming to Him, I had also read some of His works. Therefore I had already decided that he alone should be my Guru. I was simply sitting in His presence. I did not see any vision or such things at that time, nor did I like to have any such experience. I was confident that even the mere Presence of this great Sadguru would do everything for me. Sri Muruganar continued " Be not disheartened. No mediator is necessary for us in order to obtain the light of his Grace. It is certain that Sri Bhagavan, the Ocean of Grace, of his own accord and without the intercession or interference of anyone else, directly contacts the heart of each one who comes to him." It was always the nature of Sri Muruganar to rely upon no one and nothing except Sri Bhagavan.

Sadhu Om who closely associated with him on literary matters writes The cuckoo who sang (in your midst) for eighty-three years with a sweet voice of cultured, spiritual, ancient Tamil has gone, flying off into the great space of Sri Ramana, the exalted treasure of austerity with which the world has been blessed. What will you do now? Know that Muruganar is only the Eye of Self-Knowledge given by Annamalai-Ramana, the ancient Siva.

514

General Discussion / Re: Rough Notebook-Open Forum

« on: August 23, 2014, 03:34:10 PM »

Dear Subramaniam Sir

Thank you very much for posting Chapter 26, Ribhu Gita. It is very easy to read.

515

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Sri Ramanopadesa Noonmalai ஸ்ரீ ரமனோபதேச நூன்மாலை

« on: August 22, 2014, 11:35:06 PM »

                                             ...-உள்ளே
மரணபய மிக்குளவம் மக்களர ணாக
மரணபவ மில்லா மகேசன் -- சரணமே
சார்வர்தஞ் சார்வொடுதாஞ் சாவுற்றார் சாவெண்ணஞ்
சார்வரோ சாவா தவர் நித்தர்...


Mature souls who have intense inner fear of death cling to the Feet of the deathless and birthless Great Lord as (their) refuge.  By their clinging ( thus to His Feet), they have died as individuals and have thereby become one with that deathless Lord.  (Therefore)            Can( such) deathless people (again) have the thought of death?  (They are) eternal.

Note:  Whereas the previous verse describes the path of Self-enquiry , this verse describes the path of self-surrender.   But since the Great Lord ( Mahesan)mentioned in this verse  is described as ' deathless and birthless' (marana-bhavam-illa), it is to be understood that He is not a mere name and form- for every name and form has a beginning (birth) and an end (death)-but is only the nameless and formless Reality 'I am ' mentioned in the previous verse.   Therefore clinging to His Feet is to be understood to mean clinging or attending to the existence-consciousness ' I am'.  As Sri Bhagavan Himself once said," The Feet of Guru ( or God) are not outside you.  They shine within you as 'I'.   Therefore only if  you cling to 'I' you are truly clinging to His Feet".   By this clinging to ' I', the ego will die and one will remain as the deathless and eternal Self.   Such Self-abidance alone is true self-surrender.

Thus we  should understand from these two benedictory verses that though the paths of Self-enquiry and self surrender are described as though they were two different paths, they are in practice one and the same.

516

General topics / Re: Bhajans, Songs, Documentaries, Interviews, Pics and so on

« on: August 12, 2014, 05:02:48 PM »

Mr Ravi Sir

I heard these songs , very nice melody music. Thank you for posting this site

517

General topics / Re: Bhajans, Songs, Documentaries, Interviews, Pics and so on

« on: August 11, 2014, 11:51:41 PM »

Very nice silent video about Sri Ramana Bhagavan

http://richardarunachala.wordpress.com/2014/07/17/sri-ramana-maharshi-video-watch-now/



http://sriramanafilm.com/

518

General topics / Re: Kunju Swami's Liberation Day -07.08.2014

« on: August 08, 2014, 03:54:08 PM »

Bhagavan has referred to Kunju Swamigal as ?Another son has come?. It is truly a very special blessing. Read from Swamigals? reminiscences

I thought a great deal about how I should prostrate, how I should conduct myself before Sri Bhagavan. I decided to accept whatever he said first as his upadesa. When I reached Skandasram and saw Sri Bhagavan, I was thrilled. At that time my friend, Ramakrishnaswami, Perumalswami and Akhandananda prostrated before Sri Bhagavan. I did likewise. Ramakrishnaswami was pleasantly surprised to see me. He said to Sri Bhagavan, "He is from my village. He has been a sadhu from a very early age. It was he who sent me here." Sri Bhagavan nodded his head. Then Ramakrishnaswami said to me, "Please stay here. We shall be back soon." I learned later that Annamalaiswami, an attendant of Sri Bhagavan, had died of the plague and they were going for making arrangements for his burial. I heard someone weeping in the adjoining small room. An old woman cried, ?A gem of a fellow has been snatched away. What a tragedy!" Someone was sitting beside her. Turning towards them Sri Bhagavan said pointing to me, "Why are you all so upset? Another son has come here to fill his place."
Guru's Command is Upadesa

After a little while, there was no one in the place except me and Sri Bhagavan. Sri Bhagavan had not spoken a single word to me. He took some flour from a small tin and put it in a vessel and poured water from his kamandalu and stirred it and put the vessel on the charcoal stove. I thought he was making some elixir and looked forward to it in silence. It was actually some gruel. He poured a little of it on a plate, got up and lifted a basket. Four pups came out with joy to the plate to drink the gruel. Sri Bhagavan tried to restrain them as he thought the gruel might be too hot for them. Sri Bhagavan, who had not spoken to me till then, said, "Catch the four." Immediately I caught hold of the four pups. After the gruel had cooled, he said, "Release them one by one." According to my earlier resolution, I decided to accept his first utterance as the first upadesa. "Catch hold of the four great utterances." I released the pups one by one, feeling that I should also give up my attachments. The pups with their stomachs full tottered along. One of them passed urine. Sri Bhagavan got up, washed the spot with water and wiped it with an old gunny bag. I had an urge to help him. I refrained from doing so, as I thought that I should not do anything without his permission. Sri Bhagavan came back after cleaning up the place. Then another pup fouled up the place, and seeing me restless, Sri Bhagavan said, "Clean it." I cleaned up the place. "Wipe the mind and keep it clean" I considered this his third upadesa. I experienced great happiness and peace.

from the fb Sri Ramana Maharishi

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The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Sri Ramanopadesa Noonmalai ஸ்ரீ ரமனோபதேச நூன்மாலை

« on: August 06, 2014, 04:16:35 PM »

மங்களம்

உள்ளதல துள்ளவுணர் வுள்ளதோ வுள்ளபொரு
ளுள்ளலற வுள்ளத்தே யுள்ளதா-- லுள்ளமெனு
முள்ளபொரு ளுள்ளலெவ னுள்ளத்தே யுள்ளபடி
யுள்ளதே யுள்ள லுணர் வாயே...

Benedictory  Verses
Mangalam

If the Reality 'I' did not exist, could there exist the consciousness 'am' (the consciousness of one's own existence)?" Since ( that ) Reality exists in the heart devoid of thought, how to ( or who can) meditate upon (that) Reality, which is called the Heart? Know that abiding in the Heart as it is ( that is, without thought, as ' I am'), alone is meditating (upon the Reality).

"Rephrase thus:  If the reality( one's own existence, 'I') did not exist, could there exist the consciousness of Being ( the consciousness  of one's existence ' am ')?.

Note:  The last two lines of this verse, " How to ( or who can) meditate upon the Reality?  Know that abiding in the Heart as it is , alone is meditating ( upon the Reality)", were composed by Sri Bhagavan on 7th August 1928, and the first two lines were composed and added by Him four days later.   Therefore the first two lines should be understood to be an explanation of the question and statement made in the mast two lines.   Since the Reality is that which exists within one devoid  of thought , it is beyond the range of mental conception.   Therefore , how can anyone meditate or form a correct mental conception of that thought-transcending  Reality,  But since everyone experiences the consciousness  ' am' it is clear that there does exist a Reality of oneself and that, the Reality is within the range of one's knowledge, though beyond the range of conceptual knowledge of thought.   Since it is we alone who know our own existence or Reality as ' I am', we are not only the Reality (sat) but also the consciousness (chit) which known our Reality ( verse 23 of Upadesa Undiyar) .   Therefore if , instead of rising in the form of a thought  'I  am this ' or ' I am that', we remain as we really are-that is as the thought-free existence-consciousness ' I am '-, that alone is truly the state of Knowing or meditating upon the Reality  (verse 26 of Upadesa Undiyar).

The opening  words of this verse" Ulladu aladu ulla unarvu ulladu" ( If the reality did not exist, could there exist the consciousness 'am' ? may  also be taken to mean either (1) " Can the consciousness (chit) of (one's own) existence (sat) be other than (that) existence?" or (2) " Other than  the Reality (sat) can there exist a consciousness ( chit) to meditate ( upon the reality)?".

In 1929 a devotee named K. Lakshmana Sharma ('who') attempted to  translate some of the verses of Ulladu Narpadu into Sanskrit in the same venba metre in which the Tamil original was composed, but he was unable to translate even a single verse in that metre.  Seeing this, Sri  Bhagavan  himself translated this first benedictory verse into Sanskrit in venba metre as follows:-

Withought reality ( sat) could there  by knowledge of reality ( sat-jnana)? The Reality shines in the heart( devoid of thought.   Therefore, how is one to meditate upon it ( that Reality), the heart? Abuidance in the Heart as it is ?  Is Meditation (Dhyana)  upon the Reality (sat-vastu).

520

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Re: Sri Ramanopadesa Noonmalai ஸ்ரீ ரமனோபதேச நூன்மாலை

« on: August 04, 2014, 10:44:00 PM »

2.  உள்ளதொன் றன்றுபல வென்பார்க ளுட்கொளுமா
    றுள்ளதொன் றென்றேதா னோதியவவ்-வுள்ளது
    நாற்பதுவெண் பாக்களையோர் நற்கலிவெண் பாவாக்கி
    யேற்பவளித் தான்ரமணன் எண்.

Know that Sri Ramana, aptly converted those Forty Verses on Reality, which He had sung to proclaim that the Reality is one, into one excellent Kalivenba and gave ( it to the world) so that those who say that the Reality is not one, but many, may understand ( the oneness of  Reality).

521

The teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi / Sri Ramanopadesa Noonmalai ஸ்ரீ ரமனோபதேச நூன்மாலை

« on: August 03, 2014, 10:51:35 PM »

Sri Ramanopadesa Noonmalai 

ஸ்ரீ ரமனோபதேச நூன்மாலை

                                             

Meaning :  Sri Sadhu Om

Translation: Michael James

Ulladu Narpadu

உள்ளது நாற்பது

பாயிரம்-Prefaratory verses

1.  மெய்யி னியல்புமதை மேவுந் திறனுமெமக்
    குய்யும் படிமுருக னோதுகெனப் - பொய்யுலகின்
    கள்ளமறு மாற்றாற் கனரமணன் கட்டுரைத்தா
    னுள்ளது நாற்ப துவந்து.

                                                      -ஸ்ரீ முருகனார்

When  Muruganar entreated,"(Graciously) reveal to us the nature of Reality and the means of attaining  it so that we may
  be saved ", the noble  Sri Ramana,  being free from the delusion of the unreal world, joyously and authoritatively revealed Ulladu Narpadu ( The Forty verses on Reality).

522

Arunachala / Re: Photos of Bhagavan and Arunchala Temples

« on: August 02, 2014, 02:55:31 PM »

New way from library to Meditation Hall

523

Arunachala / Re: Photos of Bhagavan and Arunchala Temples

« on: August 02, 2014, 02:45:22 PM »

Access to Lord Dakshinamurty shrine is now easier.

524

Arunachala / Re: Photos of Bhagavan and Arunchala Temples

« on: July 31, 2014, 12:49:55 AM »

Devotees doing girivalam

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Arunachala / Re: Photos of Bhagavan and Arunchala Temples

« on: July 31, 2014, 12:48:24 AM »

Ramana Bhagavan devotees