Sri Ramana Teachings

In this episode Michael James answers the question: “In verse 2 of Patikam [Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam], Bhagavan talks about total surrender (thy will be done). However, the more one surrenders, the more difficult it appears to be to take that final leap. Is total surrender possible at all with the ego still intact in some form?” ----more---- This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-08-02d Is it possible for us as ego to surrender ourself entirely?, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

In a Zoom meeting with Ernesto, Carlos and José of ‘Yo Soy Tu Mismo’ (a group of Spanish devotees of Bhagavan Sri Ramana) on 7th September 2022, Michael James discusses the question: ‘Is it possible to reconcile some form of planning with surrender and a life without expectations?’ ----more----  This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-09-07 Yo Soy Tu Mismo: Can we reconcile planning and expectation with surrender?, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

In a Zoom meeting with the San Diego Ramana Satsang (ramana-satsang-sd@googlegroups.com) on 7th September 2022 Michael answers various questions about Bhagavan’s teachings, particularly the practice of self-investigation and self-surrender, and concludes by quoting what Bhagavan sometimes said about the English term ‘realisation’, namely: ‘What is real is always real, so there is no need to realise it. The problem is that we have realised what is unreal, so all that is necessary is for us to unrealise the unreal, then the real alone will remain’. ----more---- This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-09-04 San Diego Ramana Satsang: ‘If we unrealise the unreal, the real alone will remain’, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

In a Zoom meeting with Sri Ramana Center, Houston, on 3rd September 2022 Michael James discusses verse 6 of Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu: ----more---- உலகைம் புலன்க ளுருவேறன் றவ்வைம் புலனைம் பொறிக்குப் புலனா — முலகைமன மொன்றைம் பொறிவாயா லோர்ந்திடுத லான்மனத்தை யன்றியுல குண்டோ வறை. ulahaim pulaṉga ḷuruvēṟaṉ ḏṟavvaim pulaṉaim poṟikkup pulaṉā — mulahaimaṉa moṉḏṟaim poṟivāyā lōrndiḍuda lāṉmaṉattai yaṉḏṟiyula kuṇḍō vaṟai. பதச்சேதம்: உலகு ஐம் புலன்கள் உரு; வேறு அன்று. அவ் ஐம் புலன் ஐம் பொறிக்கு புலன் ஆம். உலகை மனம் ஒன்று ஐம் பொறிவாயால் ஓர்ந்திடுதலால், மனத்தை அன்றி உலகு உண்டோ? அறை. Padacchēdam (word-separation): ulahu aim pulaṉgaḷ uru; vēṟu aṉḏṟu. a-vv-aim pulaṉ aim poṟikku pulaṉ ām. ulahai maṉam oṉḏṟu aim poṟi-vāyāl ōrndiḍudalāl, maṉattai aṉḏṟi ulahu uṇḍō? aṟai. அன்வயம்: உலகு ஐம் புலன்கள் உரு; வேறு அன்று. அவ் ஐம் புலன் ஐம் பொறிக்கு புலன் ஆம். மனம் ஒன்று உலகை ஐம் பொறிவாயால் ஓர்ந்திடுதலால், மனத்தை அன்றி உலகு உண்டோ? அறை. Anvayam (words rearranged in natural prose order): ulahu aim pulaṉgaḷ uru; vēṟu aṉḏṟu. a-vv-aim pulaṉ aim poṟikku pulaṉ ām. maṉam oṉḏṟu ulahai aim poṟi-vāyāl ōrndiḍudalāl, maṉattai aṉḏṟi ulahu uṇḍō? aṟai. English translation: The world is a form of five sense-impressions, not anything else. Those five sense-impressions are impressions to the five sense organs. Since the mind alone perceives the world by way of the five sense organs, is there a world besides the mind? Say. Explanatory paraphrase: The world is a form [composed] of five [kinds of] sense-impressions [sights, sounds, tastes, smells and tactile sensations], not anything else. Those five [kinds of] sense-impressions are impressions [respective] to the five sense organs. Since the mind alone [or since one thing, the mind] perceives the world by way of the five sense organs, is there [any] world besides [excluding, if not for, apart from, other than or without] the mind? Say. This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-09-03 Sri Ramana Center, Houston: Michael James discusses Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu verse 6, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

In this episode Michael James answers the question: “Did Bhagavan give any advice on sharpening one’s vigilance, so that one can reduce the gap between attention drifting outwards and one becoming aware of it? I understand that this is dependent on the strength of one’s viṣaya-vāsanās. Although this gap has reduced considerably over a period of time, instant awareness still eludes me”. ----more---- This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-08-02c What advice did Bhagavan give about how to sharpen our self-vigilance?, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

In a Zoom meeting of the ‘Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK’ on 27th August 2022 Michael James first discussed the meanings and deep implications of verse 11 of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai, and that first portion of this meeting has been posted here as a separate episode: Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 11. ----more---- After discussing this, Michael answered questions on this and other aspects of Bhagavan’s teachings, particularly the practice of self-investigation and self-surrender, so this second portion of the meeting is posted here as this episode. This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-08-27b Ramana Foundation UK: Michael answers questions on Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai 11, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

In a Zoom meeting of the ‘Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK’ on 27th August 2022 Michael James discusses verse 11 of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai: ----more---- ஐம்புலக் கள்வ ரகத்தினிற் புகும்போ       தகத்தினீ யிலையோ வருணாசலா aimbulak kaḷva rahattiṉiṟ puhumbō       dahattiṉī yilaiyō varuṇācalā பதச்சேதம்: ஐம் புல கள்வர் அகத்தினில் புகும் போது, அகத்தில் நீ இலையோ அருணாசலா? Padacchēdam (word-separation): aim pula kaḷvar ahattiṉil puhum pōdu, ahattil nī ilaiyō aruṇācalā? English translation: Arunachala, when the five sense-thieves enter the heart, are you not in the heart? Explanatory paraphrase: Arunachala, when the five sense-thieves [namely viṣaya-vāsanās, which are the seeds that sprout as desires for the pleasures that are seemingly derived from the five kinds of sense-objects] enter [my] heart [to steal my attention away from you], are you not in [my] heart? [So why do you not protect me from them?] This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-08-27a Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK: Michael discusses Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 11, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here. After discussing this verse of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai Michael answers questions about this and other aspects of Bhagavan’s teachings, particularly the practice of self-investigation and self-surrender, and this part of the meeting is recorded in a separate episode: Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 11 Q&A.

In a Zoom meeting with ‘Yo Soy Tu Mismo’ (a group of Spanish devotees of Bhagavan Sri Ramana) on 21st August 2022, Michael James answers questions about the practice of self-investigation and self-surrender and other aspects of Bhagavan’s teachings such as the cinema analogy and whether or not a physical guru is necessary. ----more---- This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-08-21 Yo Soy Tu Mismo: Michael answers questions about practising self-investigation, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

In a Zoom meeting of the ‘Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK’ on 20th August 2022 Michael James first discussed the meaning and deep implications of verse 10 of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai, and that first portion of this meeting has been posted here as a separate episode: Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 10. ----more---- After discussing this, Michael answered questions on this and other aspects of Bhagavan’s teachings, particularly the practice of self-investigation and self-surrender, so this second portion of the meeting is posted here as this episode. This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-08-20b Ramana Foundation UK: Michael answers questions on Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai 10, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here.

In a Zoom meeting of the ‘Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK’ on 20th August 2022 Michael James discusses verse 10 of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai: ----more---- ஏனிந்த வுறக்க மெனைப்பிற ரிழுக்க       விதுவுனக் கழகோ வருணாசலா ēṉinda vuṟakka meṉaippiṟa riṙukka       viduvuṉak kaṙahō varuṇācalā பதச்சேதம்: ஏன் இந்த உறக்கம், எனை பிறர் இழுக்க? இது உனக்கு அழகோ அருணாசலா? Padacchēdam (word-separation): ēṉ inda uṟakkam, eṉai piṟar iṙukka? idu uṉakku aṙahō aruṇācalā? English translation: Arunachala, why this sleep, when others are dragging me? Is this beauty for you? Explanatory paraphrase: Arunachala, why this [pretended] sleep [seeing what is happening to me but remaining unconcerned, as if you did not see it, like one who is asleep], when others [who have no right over me, namely viṣaya-vāsanās, which rise as likes, dislikes, desires, fears and so on] are dragging [attracting or alluring] me [outwards, away from you, my rightful lord]? Is this beauty [befitting or becoming] for you? This episode can also be watched as a video, 2022-08-20a Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK: Michael discusses Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 10, and a more compressed audio copy in Opus format (which can be listened to in the VLC media player and some other apps) can be downloaded from here. After discussing this verse of Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai Michael answers questions about this and other aspects of Bhagavan’s teachings, particularly the practice of self-investigation and self-surrender, and this part of the meeting is recorded in a separate episode: Śrī Aruṇācala Akṣaramaṇamālai verse 10 Q&A.