David Godman, an author and researcher who has immersed himself in the teachings of Ramana Maharshi since 1976, shares fascinating insights in this conversation. He discusses the nuances of Advaita Vedanta and the importance of personal presence in spiritual growth. Godman reveals Lakshmana Swami's extraordinary journey and the deep devotion that fueled enlightenment. Highlighting the significant role of spiritual teachers, he also explores the profound concept of non-creation and the complexities of translating ancient teachings into accessible wisdom.
01:39:17
forum Ask episode
web_stories AI Snips
view_agenda Chapters
menu_book Books
auto_awesome Transcript
info_circle Episode notes
insights INSIGHT
Ramana's View on the World
Ramana Maharshi's Advaita view sees the world as what is perceived, not an external, independent reality.
The world is a superimposition by the individual observer, dissolving with the eradication of the sense of separateness.
insights INSIGHT
Ramana's Relationship to Advaita
Ramana Maharshi did not identify as a traditional Advaitan but used their vocabulary to communicate his direct experience.
His teachings stemmed from personal insight, not aligning strictly with Shankara's traditional Vedanta.
insights INSIGHT
World Beyond Good and Bad
The world, from the self-realized perspective, is completeness and bliss, neither good nor bad.
Judgments like good or bad arise from the individual observer, not from ultimate reality.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
The Bhagavad Gita is a central text in Hinduism, embedded within the epic Mahabharata. It recounts a dialogue between the warrior-prince Arjuna and his charioteer, Krishna, who is an avatar of the god Vishnu. The text explores themes of dharma (duty), karma (action), and the path to spiritual enlightenment. Krishna advises Arjuna on the importance of performing his duties without attachment to the outcomes, emphasizing the concept of nishkama karma (nonattached action). The Gita synthesizes various strands of Indian religious thought, including Vedic concepts, samkhya yoga, and bhakti (devotion), providing a coherent vision of Hindu philosophy and spiritual practice[2][4][5].
Host Michael Taft talks with author David Godman about the sage Ramana Maharshi and his nondual view of the world, whether he considered taking sannyasa (renunciation) to be necessary to achieve awakening, the power of the physical presence of the guru, Sri Ramana's seemingly miraculous learning of Sanskrit, an introduction to Lakshmana Swami—a very advanced student of Ramana, with whom David Godman sat in the 1970s and 80s, Tamil poetry of awakening, and—in a surprising reveal—David Godman endorses a new jnani who lives in Tiruvannamalai.
David Godman has been living in India since 1976, studying and practising the teachings of Ramana Maharshi. During that period he has met and written extensively about many direct disciples of Sri Ramana, including Lakshmana Swamy, Muruganar, Papaji and Annamalai Swami. David has also been involved in several projects that have translated Ramana Maharshi’s Tamil teachings and made them available in English for the first time. His anthology of dialogues with Sri Ramana, Be As You Are, is, outside India, the most widely-read book on Sri Ramana’s teachings.
Deconstructing Yourself 