Author: Sri Ramana Maharshi
Publisher: Sri Ramanasramam
Year: 2015
Language: English
Pages: 71
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8188018031
Description
This book consists of who am I?, self – Enquiry and spiritual instruction which are the answers given by Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi to questions put by some of his earliest devotes, namely, Sivaprakasam Pillai, Gambhiram Seshayyar and Swami Natanananda.
Who am I? contains answers given by Bhagavan in 1902 to Sivaprakasam Pillai’s questions. Between 1900-1902, Bhagavan replied to various questions put by Gambhiram Seshayyar. These were later divided into twelve sections by Sivaprakasam Pillai and published under the title Self-Enquiry.
Later Swami Natanananda wrote down the answers given by Bhagavan to his questions during the years 1920-1928 and published them as Spiritual Instruction. These three texts convey the essence of Bhagavan’s teachings. All the other books containing Bhagavan’s teachings are but the commentaries on these three texts.
These texts, that embody Bhagavan’s Grace to us, will inspire all who study them with an unshakeable aspiration to realise the eternal knowledge. Further “It is certain that this work in the form of Bhagavan’s grace will give liberation to all who aspire to eternal truth and bestow on tham supreme bliss and the removal of all sorrow.”
COMMENT:
Sri Ramana Maharshi (Tamil: ) (December 30, 1879 April 14, 1950), born Venkataraman Iyer, was a Hindu sage. He was born to a Tamil-speaking Brahmin family in Tiruchuzhi, Tamil Nadu. After having attained liberation at the age of 16, he left home for Arunachala, a mountain considered sacred by Hindus, at Tiruvannamalai, and lived there for the rest of his life. Although born a Brahmin, after having attained moksha he declared himself an "Atiasrami", a Sastraic state of unattachment to anything in life and beyond all caste restrictions. The ashram that grew around him, Sri Ramana Ashram is situated at the foothill of Arunchala, to the west to the pilgrimage town of Tiruvannamalai. Sri Ramana maintained that the purest form of his teachings was the powerful silence which radiated from his presence and quieted the minds of those attuned to it. He gave verbal teachings only for the benefit of those who could not understand his silence.His verbal teachings were said to flow from his direct experience of Consciousness (Atman) as the only existing reality. When asked for advice, he recommended self-enquiry as the fastest path to moksha. Though his primary teaching is associated with Non-dualism, Advaita Vedanta, and Jnana yoga, he recommended Bhakti to those he saw were fit for it, and gave his approval to a variety of paths and practices. This book is a tribute to the great sage.
--- Wikipedia --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Contents
Who am I?
Self-Enquiry
1. Who am I?
2. The mind
3. The world
4. The ego
5. The supreme being
6. Knowledge of the supreme self
7. Worship of god
8. Liberation
9. The eightfold path of yoga
10. The eightfold path of knowledge
11. Renunciation
12. Conclusion
Spiritual Instruction
13. Importance of the work
14. Instruction
15. Practice
16. Experience
17. Attainment