RAMANA Newsletter

RAMANA MAHARSHI CENTRE FOR LEARNING January - February 2015

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The Manifestation of the Radiant Self

Ramana Jayanti is a reminder of the manifestation of the radiant Self, to draw us from without in order to merge with the radiance within.

Was Ramana Hari, Sivaguru (Subramanya), Yativara (Siva) or Vararuchi? A devotee named Amritanatha Yati implored thus to Ramana on a piece of paper. Ramana replied in a verse that He is the very reality itself-‘Paramatman’ or the pure Consciousness, ‘Arunachala Ramanan’.

If one looks at Ramana’s life, we see that there was no division between the real and apparent. Ramana was the perfect embodiment of the perfect Self. One can only perceive the Self in each event of his life. He simply and easefully embodied the Self.

To own a copy of the ‘Timeless in Time’, a complete biography of Bhagavan Ramana by Sri A.R.Natarajan, please contact

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Let us recall his eventful birth. A blind nurse, who assisted his mother during the delivery, had a vision of enveloping light at the moment of his birth and proclaimed that the child was divine. The oneness between the apparent and the absolute is visible naturally. He is the Self-supreme whose radiance shone forth to dispel the darkness of ignorance that blinds humanity from knowing it and being it.

Sri A.R.Natarajan, states in his biography on Bhagavan Ramana, ‘The Timeless in Time’, that Ramana belongs to the lineage of the ancient rishi, Parasara. The rishi was the first to recognise the all-embracing nature of Agni, the Vedic God.

In the words of Sri ARN, “Agni glows in every heart and whoever perceives this in-dweller in the heart cave becomes one with the fullness of Consciousness”. The author explains, “The reference to the heart and fullness of consciousness is significant for Ramana’s role as a universal Guru was to awaken the source consciousness and some have termed his teachings as the ‘Science of the Heart’. The first form of Arunachala was also of a blazing column without beginning and end”.

May we by his Grace, awaken into the radiant Self and abide in it.

It is a known fact that Ramana was a composer in no ordinary terms. His works were results of a natural and spontaneous outpouring of Reality and unbounded love for Arunachala.

To bask in the radiant Self is every sincere seeker’s prayer. The verses below light up the mind to merge in the brilliance of the Self.

‘Self’ Written – From Ramana’s Writings

Ramana on celebrating his birthday

The devotees of Ramana wanted to celebrate his birthday and Ramana expressed his disapproval in the form of two verses. Any one verse picked up from the Ramana literature is enough to turn the mind inwards. These little verses, strongly penned by Ramana, explode the wrong identification with the body mind complex in order to know the Self and be it.

1. You who wish to celebrate a birthday, inquire first who was born. One’s true birthday is when one enters into the Eternal Being, which shines forever without birth and death.

2. Of all days on one’s birthday one should mourn one’s fall (into Samsara). To celebrate it as a festival is like adorning and glorifying the corpse. To seek one’s Self and merge in it is wisdom.

Celebrating Ramana Jayanti is an opportunity to celebrate our own Being, our true Self, we who have swerved from our original nature and stature. Celebrating Ramana’s form on the Jayanti day is celebrating Reality, the underlying formless essence of all forms. It is the celebration of the absolute.

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Ramana in this verse invokes the grace of Arunachala, the light supreme of Self-knowledge, which swallows up every trace of unreality. He further implores Arunachala to cause the mind-lotus to blossom by His Grace, shining as the sun.

Ocean of Nectar, full of grace,O Self supreme, O Mount of Light,

Whose spreading rays engulf all things,Shine as the Sun which makesThe heart-lotus blossom fair.

Sadhu Om Swami’s explanatory paraphrase of the verse.

O Ocean of amrita (the ambrosia of immortality), which is the fullness of Grace! O Arunagiri, the Supreme Self (Paramatma), who swallows everything (the entire world – appearance) by spreading the rays of the light of Self Knowledge! Graciously shine as the sun of Self-knowledge that will cause my mind lotus, which is swelling with love and ready to blossom, to blossom fully.

Arunachala Pancharatnam – Verse 1

This is a common statement made by parents while correcting their children. It so happened that I heard a father admonish his daughter in this manner. What seemed casual always, rang a bell in my mind this time. True! The Self in its natural state is pure. We swerve from our original state when the mind starts playing games, unmindful of its pristine, pure state. Ramana has said, “The mind turned inwards is the Self and the Self turned outward is the mind.” The manipulative ways of the mind have their origin in the ‘I thought’, or the ego. We deprive ourselves of the joy, surging from our original state for some trivial benefit with the outward turned mind. Ramana always asked us to remain in our natural state, for life will unfold itself according to our Prarabdha, our destiny, without the least interference from our side. The sense of doership stemming from the ‘I thought’ is responsible for our interference in the otherwise free flowing life. It is also the mind, which determines the happenings in life as good and bad. If not for the intervention of the mind, there is no participation from our side as we rest in the

You are cheating yourself!

natural state of awareness. It is not a thoughtless state but rather a thought free state. Awareness aware of its own self is the original state. It is the outward going mind turned inwards to be the Self. May we seek Ramana’s Grace to abide in the natural state.

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Events @ RMCL

Karthigai Deepam Celebrations (5th December, 2014)

Rangollaasa – a thematic Bharatanatyam Arangetram by Kum.Revathi Sankar (6th December 2014)

Sri Ramana Jayanthi – ‘Tiruvembavai’ a music programled by Smt.V.Radha

(28th and 30th December 2014)

Founder’s DayInaugurated by Sri Muralidhara Hegde

(23rd, 24th of January 2015)

On the 23rd, Sri Nandakumar spoke ecstatically about the Founder President Sri A.R.Natarajan

Founder’s Day Cultural Presentations

Founder’s Day Cultural Presentations (continued...)

Special Events in April

At Ramana Shrine and Meditation Hall, Mekhri Circle, Bangalore

April 4th, Saturday, 6.45 p.m.Moon Magic – Pournami CelebrationsDevotional Music Aksharamanamalai congregational singing

April 12th, Sunday, 10.30 a.m. Ramana Aradhana CelebrationsDevotional Music by Smt.V.Radha, Self-enquiry by N.NandakumarCongregational hymns - Ramana Sahasranama

April 14th, Tuesday, 6.30 p.m. Ramana Aradhana CelebrationsRamana Pada Pancharatnam Group presentation led by Smt.Sulochana Natarajan

At Ramana Maharshi Heritage Auditorium,Sanjaynagar, Bangalore

April 13th, Monday, 6.30 p.m.,Ramana Maharshi Summer Camp 1 - Valedictory

April 22nd, Wednesday, 11.00 a.m. onwardsEarth Day Celebrations Contests for all students in essay, painting, music, dance, story telling(Material can be collected on or after 31st March from the Heritage Centre)

April 30th, Thursday, 6.30 p.m.,Ramana Maharshi Summer Camp 2 - Valedictory