The main tool we use for Self-enquiry, at least in the early stages, is attention. In this context the word ‘attention’ means the deliberate, volitional choice of what is evident. When attention succeeds, we become or remain aware of the object of attention. The reason I’m analyzing this common word in microscopic detail is that […]
Tag: Sri Ramana Maharshi
Which books present Ramana’s teachings most accurately?
When you see a book or pamplet that says “by Sri Ramana Maharshi” on the cover, or one that contains records of his conversations, you might assume that the words inside are his. Unfortunately things aren’t so straightforward. To take one example, some of the conversations in Talks With Ramana Maharshi were paraphrased and written […]
Exit signs in the dream
People often say that the world is like a dream and that when we wake up from it, we become enlightened. The first half of this idea has probably occurred to people in all times and places. In the words of the children’s song, “Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.” The second […]
Ramana Periya Puranam
After I posted this, a friend emailed me the following paragraph: We have read and re-read Ramana Periya Puranam and every time I read it, tears start to flow down my face. I feel an outpouring of grace whenever I read it. It’s one of the most powerful books that both my husband and I […]
The Sturdy, Stable Thing
My friend Jyothi sent a message yesterday. She was very excited about an experience that had just happened to her. Earlier in the day, in the morning, she had meditated with voluntary effort. Then later in the afternoon she fell into involuntary meditation. This pattern of intentional meditation in the morning and natural meditation in […]
Ramana Maharshi 2
There are many books of Ramana’s dialogs; some report his words more faithfully than others. According to David Godman, the great scholar of Ramana’s life and works, Maharshi’s Gospel is among the more reliable ones. In Chapter III of that book we find the following dialog: Devotee: There are times when persons and things take […]
Ramana Maharshi 1
Update to this page (2024) I just happened to see this page for the first time in years. I no longer agree with it. I know now but didn’t know nine years ago when I wrote it that there are many mental states in which consciousness is evident. Only one of those states is what […]
Ramana Maharshi and Meenakshi Amman Temple
The first two posts on this blog pay homage to my guides and protectors, the Goddess and Sri Ramana Maharshi. No amount of thanks could ever be adequate. The house where Ramana Maharshi lived as a teenager is about 300 feet from Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, India, as shown in this picture from Google Earth: […]