Sri Ramana Teachings

In a Zoom meeting with the Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK on 26th October 2024, Michael answers various questions about Bhagavan’s teachings. This episode can also be watched as a video here 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 Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK on 12th October 2024, Michael answers various questions about Bhagavan’s teachings. This episode can also be watched as a video here 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 6th October 2024, Michael answers various questions about Bhagavan’s teachings. This episode can also be watched as a video here 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 5th October 2024, Michael James discusses Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu Anubandham, verses 20. The translation of verse 20 by Michael can be found here.  This episode can also be watched as a video here 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.  

This video begins with Sadhu Om singing verse 3 of ஸ்ரீ அருணாசல பதிகம் (Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam), ‘The Eleven Verses to Arunachala’, then Michael James explains and discusses its meaning: இறையுனை நினையு மெண்ணமே நண்ணா வெனையுன தருட்கயிற் றாலீர்த் திறையுயி ரின்றிக் கொன்றிட நின்றா யென்குறை யியற்றின னேழை யிறையினிக் குறையென் குற்றுயி ராக்கி யெனைவதைத் திடலெதற் கிங்ங னிறைவனா மருணா சலவெண முடித்தே யேகனா வாழிநீ டூழி. iṟaiyuṉai niṉaiyu meṇṇamē naṇṇā veṉaiyuṉa daruṭkayiṯ ṟālīrt tiṟaiyuyi riṉḏṟik koṉḏṟiḍa niṉḏṟā yeṉkuṟai yiyaṯṟiṉa ṉēṙai yiṟaiyiṉik kuṟaiyeṉ kuṯṟuyi rākki yeṉaivadait tiḍaledaṟ kiṅṅa ṉiṟaivaṉā maruṇā calaveṇa muḍittē yēkaṉā vāṙinī ḍūṙi. பதச்சேதம்: இறை உனை நினையும் எண்ணமே நண்ணா எனை உனது அருள் கயிற்றால் ஈர்த்து, இறை உயிர் இன்றி கொன்றிட நின்றாய். என் குறை இயற்றினன் ஏழை? இறை இனி குறை என்? குற்று உயிர் ஆக்கி எனை வதைத்திடல் எதற்கு இங்ஙன்? இறைவன் ஆம் அருணாசல, எணம் முடித்தே, ஏகன் ஆ வாழி நீடு ஊழி. Padacchēdam (word-separation): iṟai uṉai niṉaiyum eṇṇamē naṇṇā eṉai uṉadu aruḷ kayiṯṟāl īrttu, iṟai uyir iṉḏṟi koṉḏṟiḍa niṉḏṟāy. eṉ kuṟai iyaṯṟiṉaṉ ēṙai? iṟai iṉi kuṟai eṉ? kuṯṟu uyir ākki eṉai vadaittiḍal edaṟku iṅṅaṉ? iṟaivaṉ ām aruṇācala, eṇam muḍittē, ēkaṉ ā vāṙi nīḍu ūṙi. English translation: By the rope of your grace, pulling [attracting, dragging or carrying away] me, who did not come close [or adhere] to an intention [or inclination] to think of you, the Lord, you stood [determined] to kill [me] without [leaving even] a little life [or without (leaving any distinction between) God and soul]. What wrong did I, this poor wretch, do [to you]? What little obstacle now [prevents you fulfilling your intention to kill me]? For what [reason or purpose] [are you] tormenting me in this way, making [me] half alive? Arunachala, who are God, fulfilling your intention [to annihilate me completely], may [you] live as the [only] one for all eternity. While discussing the meaning of this verse, Michael explained each sentence of it: இறை உனை நினையும் எண்ணமே நண்ணா எனை உனது அருள் கயிற்றால் ஈர்த்து, இறை உயிர் இன்றி கொன்றிட நின்றாய். iṟai uṉai niṉaiyum eṇṇamē naṇṇā eṉai uṉadu aruḷ kayiṯṟāl īrttu, iṟai uyir iṉḏṟi koṉḏṟiḍa niṉḏṟāy. By the rope of your grace, pulling [attracting, dragging or carrying away] me, who did not come close [or adhere] to an intention [or inclination] to think of you, the Lord, you stood [determined] to kill [me] without [leaving even] a little life [or without (leaving any distinction between) God and soul]. என் குறை இயற்றினன் ஏழை? eṉ kuṟai iyaṯṟiṉaṉ ēṙai? What wrong did I, this poor wretch, do [to you]? இறை இனி குறை என்? iṟai iṉi kuṟai eṉ? What little obstacle now [prevents you fulfilling your intention to kill me]? குற்று உயிர் ஆக்கி எனை வதைத்திடல் எதற்கு இங்ஙன்? kuṯṟu uyir ākki eṉai vadaittiḍal edaṟku iṅṅaṉ? For what [reason or purpose] [are you] tormenting me in this way, making [me] half alive? இறைவன் ஆம் அருணாசல, எணம் முடித்தே, ஏகன் ஆ வாழி நீடு ஊழி. iṟaivaṉ ām aruṇācala, eṇam muḍittē, ēkaṉ ā vāṙi nīḍu ūṙi. Arunachala, who are God, fulfilling your intention [to annihilate me completely], may [you] live as the [only] one for all eternity. Other credits: Extro Song: Lakshmi, Houston Extro Music: Pond5 / Erick Mcnerney . License to use the music purchased by Sri Ramana Center of Houston. Editing/Video: Kumar Saran, Houston - Produced by Sri Ramana Center of Houston This episode can also be watched as a video here 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 Chicago Ramana devotees on 29th September 2024, Michael answers various questions about Bhagavan’s teachings. This episode can also be watched as a video here 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 Ramana group, Helsinki, on 29th September Michael James answer questions about Bhagavan’s teachings. This episode can also be watched as a video here 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 Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK on 28th September 2024, Michael answers various questions about Bhagavan’s teachings. This episode can also be watched as a video here 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 between Ludovic and Michael James, on 25th September 2024, Michael answered questions and talked about the basics of Bhagavan's teachings. This episode can also be watched as a video here 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 an online meeting on 22th September 2024, to celebrate Bhagavan's advent (arrival) to Tiruvannamalai on 1st September 1896, Michael discusses Bhagavan's how Arunachala eridactes ego when thought of. The four main verses Michael discussed in the video are the last two of Śrī Aruṇācala Padigam and first two of Śrī Aruṇācala Aṣṭakam, the meanings of which are: Padigam 10: I have seen a wonder [something extraordinary and miraculous], [this] magnetic hill that forcibly seizes [or attracts] the soul. Subduing the mischievous [outward-going mental] activity of the soul who thinks of it once, pulling [dragging or attracting] [that soul] to be facing towards itself, the one [reality that shines in the heart as sat-cit, pure being-awareness, ‘I am’], [thereby] making it be acala [motionless] like itself, it takes [and consumes] that sweet [spiritually ripened and pure] soul as bali [food offered in sacrifice or alms]. What [a wonder] this is! Souls, be saved [by] thinking of the great Aruna Hill, this killer of the soul, who shines in the heart [as the heart, namely sat-cit, the fundamental awareness of being, ‘I am’]. Padigam 11: Like me who think this hill to be the Supreme, how many are those who have [thereby] been destroyed! O people who are wandering about thinking of a means to give up the body, having given up desire for this defective life due to [its] expanding [or unfolding] misery, there is on earth one rare medicine that when thought of once within the mind will kill [ego] without killing [what we actually are]. Know that it certainly is Aruna Hill. Aṣṭakam 1: It sits calmly as if a hill bereft of awareness [or knowledge], [but] ah, its action is pre-eminent [extraordinary or wonderful], difficult for anyone to know [understand or recognise]. Though from [my] young age, [when I was] bereft of knowledge [of anything else], Arunachalam shone brightly [and clearly] in [my] awareness [or mind] as what is exceedingly great, even [after] getting to know from someone that it is Tiruvannamalai I did not know [understand or recognise] its poruḷ [substance, essence, reality or what it actually is]. When, enchanting [or possessing] [my] mind, it pulled [me] close, at [that] appointed time [proper or opportune moment] of coming close I saw this to be acalam [motionless, still, steady or a mountain]. Aṣṭakam 2: When investigating within the mind who the seer is, I saw what remained when the seer [thereby] became non-existent. The mind does not rise to say ‘I saw’, [so] in what way could the mind rise to say ‘I did not see’? Who has the power to elucidate this [by] speaking, when in ancient times [as Dakshinamurti] [even] you elucidated [it] without speaking? Only to elucidate your state [of silent and motionless pure self-awareness] without speaking, you stood as a hill [or motionlessly] shining [from] earth [to] sky [though actually beyond the limits of both]. This episode can also be watched as a video here 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.