Beyond Perception #61 | Enlightenment & Self Realization: What is it (not)? The teachings of Ramana Maharshi: The most important Indian saint of the 20th century | David Godman
My guest David Godman has extensively written on the life, teachings and disciples of Ramana Maharshi, an Indian sage who lived and taught for more than fifty years at Arunachala, a sacred mountain in Tamil Nadu, India. He first visited the Tiruvannamalai ashram of Ramana Maharshi in 1976. And for 8 years, between 1978 and 1985, he was the librarian of the ashram. In the last 30 years he has written or edited 16 books on topics related to Sri Ramana, his teachings and his followers.
Quote: ‘The thinking mind and the I-thought are one and the same. The thinking mind is an illusion.’
As the author of the book 'Be, As You Are', David is deeply familiar with the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, who is considered the most important Indian saint of the 20th century.
In this conversation he answers questions such as:
- Who Ramana was and why he was considered the most important Indian saint of the 20th century?
- How did Ramana experience Self-realisation?
- What did Ramana mean by ‘No effort is required to realize the omnipresent Self. In fact, it has always been realised. Only the illusion of the I-thought has to be overcome in order to realize this.’?
- Did he recommend any practices or ‘character’ qualities to realize the Self?
- Could you explain Ramanas way of teaching? How did he lead his devotees to realize the Self?
- Were there spontaneous Self-realisations? If so, how did they manifest or express?
- How would one describe life after Self-realisation?
- Does Self-realisation mean you have to meditate until you pass through different states of consciousness, such as samadhi, or did / could it occur instantaneously?
- How did Ramana define the mind and what was reality to him?
- Did Ramana believe everyone who wanted to could realize the Self in this lifetime?
- What did Ramana mean by ‘There is neither creation nor destruction, neither destiny nor free will, neither path nor achievement. This is the final truth.’? Should we (our ego) still strive for something, e.g. Self-realisation?
- How did his teaching differ / was similar to other advaita teachers, such as Papaji / Nisargadatta Maharaj?
- How did your life change working and spending so much time with many great gurus?
► About David Godman:
https://www.davidgodman.org/
https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidGodmanArunachala
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