These are all the articles that appear on this site. Some of them appear in more than one section.
Ramana Maharshi
An Introduction to Sri Ramana’s Life and Teachings
This extended interview chronicles the life and teachings of Ramana Maharshi. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know the basics of who he was and what he taught.
For those who know little or nothing about Ramana Maharshi, here is a brief summary of his life, his teachings and his teaching methods.
Teachings
An Introduction to Sri Ramana’s Life and Teachings
This extended interview chronicles the life and teachings of Ramana Maharshi. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know the basics of who he was and what he taught.
These are filmed talks or dialogues in which I attempt to explain Bhagavan’s teachings on self-enquiry.
Guru Vachaka Kovai is the most authoritative collection of Ramana Maharshi’s spoken teachings. Compiled by Muruganar and edited and corrected by Bhagavan himself, it covers the whole spectrum of Sri Ramana’s teachings. This excerpt contains the first 57 verses of the work, taken from the edition made by T. V. Venkatasubramanian, Robert Butler and David Godman.
Upadesa Tiruvahaval is one of the poems of Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai. In addition to lines that praise Bhagavan and express gratitude to him, Muruganar also includes explanations of the first two benedictory verses of Ulladu Narpadu.
In this excerpt from Sri Ramana Darsanam Sadhu Natanananda describes events that took place in Bhagavan’s presence and then goes on to explain their inner significance.
Dialogues and Teachings recorded by Swami Madhavatirtha
Teachings and dialogues recorded by Swami Madhavatirtha on his visit to Ramanasramam in 1944.
Bhagavan’s 1926 essay, entitled Who am I? is one of the key presentations of his teachings. This annotated translation is supplemented by additional citations from Sri Ramana’s works that elaborate on many of the points that are being presented.
This is the first dialogue from Final Talks. In it Annamalai Swami explains the nature of the Self and the means by which one can experience it for oneself.
This is the chapter from Be As You Are that explains the practice of self-enquiry. A brief explanatory introduction by the editor is followed by dialogues in which Bhagavan himself explains the method and answers questions about it put to him by visitors.
Nothing Ever Happened, Volume Three
This is a conversation taken from volume three of Nothing Ever Happpened. In it Papaji speaks about the role and function of the Guru.
‘I’ and ‘I-I’, a Reader’s Query
In this article I discuss the meaning and significance of the term ‘I-I’ in the writings and dialogues of Sri Ramana. I attempt to make the case that the experience of it is a precursor to Self-realisation, not a consequence of it.
In 2008, in response to some comments and queries that had appeared on my blog, I put together this post in which I outlined what I had learned from Ramana Maharshi, Lakshmana Swamy and Papaji on the nature of temporary experiences of the Self.
In this article I discuss the relationship that should exist between the Guru and disciple. The primary sources are Bhagavan himself and some of his senior devotees such as Muruganar, Lakshmana Sarma and Annamalai Swami.
Revisions to ‘Spiritual Instruction’
In 2006 I helped T. V. Venkatasubramanian make some changes to Spiritual Instruction (Upadesa Manjari), a small book of dialogues with Ramana Maharshi that was compiled by Sadhu Natanananda. Since they were never published, I have included them here.
This is an article I assembled in 2008 and posted on my blog. It was a response to several readers who were discussing Bhagavan’s teachings on renunciation.
Through Knowledge or Through Practice
I wrote this article in 2008 in response to online discussions about whether knowledge of Vedanta was a prerequisite for Self-realisation. One school of Vedanta was claiming that Ramana Maharshi couldn’t be enlightened because he hadn’t studied Vedanta properly. I found this proposition to be so absurd, I wrote this article as a kind of refutation of this point of view.
There was a lively debate on my blog a few years ago about whether it was necessary to desire the Self to attain liberation, or whether even that desire should be given up. One of the readers following the debate asked me to contribute and to restrict my citations to what Bhagavan himself had said on this topic.
This is an article I wrote on my blog many years ago in response to a query about whether jnanis, liberated beings, ever incarnated again.
Bhagavan’s Letter to Ganapati Muni
Ramana Maharshi usually never replied to letters that were addressed to him, but in 1931, at the request of Ganapati Muni, he dictated a letter to T. K. Sundaresa Iyer that responded to several philosophical points that Ganapati Muni had raised in a letter.
The Authenticity of Bhagavan’s Recorded Teachings
This is a slightly updated and revised version of an article that appeared on my blog. In it I explain why I believe that some texts that record Bhagavan’s teachings are more reliable than others.
Swami Siddheswararananda’s Views on Bhagavan’s Teachings
In this article I take issue with the views of Swami Siddheswarananda, a monk of the Ramakrishna Order who taught in Paris for many years. He made a few comments on Bhagavan’s teachings on creation that I felt obliged to contest.
The Qualifications Necessary to do Self-enquiry
B. V. Narasimhaswami started to edit a collection of dialogues with Bhagavan around 1929. After he left Ramanasramam around 1930 the project was abandoned and was not published until a few years ago. In this article I discuss one of the claims that his manuscript contained: that certain qualifications are necessary in order to do self-enquiry.
There is a traditional classification that ranks jnanis on the basis of how well they ‘know’ Brahman. Bhagavan was asked about it on a couple of occasions and his response was that there were no grades or hierarchies in the world of jnana.
In this article, first posted on my blog, I attempt to address the topic of why some enlightened beings have the power to awaken others, and some don’t.
Meditation on the Heart-centre
This was my response to questions I had been asked about self-enquiry, and whether it should be done while focusing on the heart centre of the right side of the chest.
Attend to What You Came Here For
Here are four accounts by devotees (Robert Adams, Rangan, Kunju Swami and Sadhu Natanananda) that stress the importance of focusing on what is truly important when one comes to Bhagavan.
In the 1930s, as a result of a case brought against Ramanasramam by a devotee, Bhagavan was required to make a deposition about the ownership of the ashram. Bhagavan’s replies to the lawyer’s questions give an insight into his claim that he was ativarnasrama, beyond all castes and asramas.
Bhagavan and the Politics of his Day
A few years ago I was invited to comment on Bhagavan’s views on the politics of his era, and specifically what his attitude was to the struggle for independence that was being led by Mahatma Gandhi. This was my response.
This is a short rumination on Bhagavan’s teachings on ‘Being still’.
This is an article I wrote many years ago on the Guru’s feet. I have updated it by adding translations of many Muruganar verses that will appear in one of my forthcoming books.
This is an outstanding exchange between Ramana Maharshi and a visitor on the practice of self-enquiry. It comes from a little-known magazine article, which is why I am reproducing it here.
In this article I examine some of the statements made by both Muruganar and Ramana Maharshi that seem to equate abiding in the Self with laziness.
The Role of the Heart-centre in Self-realisation
In this article I attempt to provide an overview of the spiritual heart-centre and the role it plays in realisation of the Self.
I am slightly out of my comfort zone on this one. Around 1992 I was asked by the editor of The Mountain Path to write an article about Bhagavan and Christianity. I decided to focus on the common theme of ‘I am’ as the name of God.
This is an explanation of Bhagavan’s views on Iswara, the personal god, and the role he plays in allocating karma to jivas.
The ajata doctrine takes the position that since the world was never created, there can be no jivas within it who are striving for or attaining liberation. Though it violates common sense and the experience of the senses, Bhagavan regarded it as ‘the ultimate truth’.
This is probably the most widely read book on Ramana Maharshi’s teachings. Since its first appearance in the mid-80s, it has been, outside India, the standard introduction to Bhagavan’s teachings. Dialogues with Sri Ramana are arranged by topics, with the most important teachings on each subject differentiated from the remainder. Introductions to each chapter summarize Bhagavan’s views on each subject.
Archived Articles: Sri Ramana Maharshi’s Teachings
Links to articles and texts on Bhagavan’s teachings from my old site that I have not reformatted.
Writings
In this essay Michael James expounds on the greatness and power of Arunachala primarily by citing and elaborating on written and spoken statements made by Ramana Maharshi.
Bhagavan’s 1926 essay, entitled Who am I? is one of the key presentations of his teachings. This annotated translation is supplemented by additional citations from Sri Ramana’s works that elaborate on many of the points that are being presented.
Ramana Puranam is a poem jointly composed by Muruganar and Ramana Maharshi. This excerpt narrates how Muruganar came into contact with Bhagavan and how the two them eventually collaborated on this project.
The Authenticity of Bhagavan’s Recorded Teachings
This is a slightly updated and revised version of an article that appeared on my blog. In it I explain why I believe that some texts that record Bhagavan’s teachings are more reliable than others.
Ulladu Narpadu Anubandham, Verse 39
This is my commentary on one of the verses, composed by Bhagavan, that appears in Ulladu Narpadu Anubandham (Supplement to the Forty Verses).
Archived articles: Ramana Maharshi’s Teachings
Links to articles and texts on Bhagavan’s teachings from my old site that I have not reformatted.
Archived Articles: Ramana Maharshi’s Writings
These are links to translations of writings by Ramana Maharahi that originally appeared on my old site. They have not been reformatted for the current site.
Devotees
Talks on Sri Ramana’s Devotees
This is a collection of videos in which I speak about devotees of Ramana Maharshi – how they came into his presence, how they were transformed by it, and how, in some cases, even liberated by it.
A Youtube talk on Lakshmana Swamy’s Life
This is a talk I gave on Lakshmana Swamy in 2014. It was filmed outside the room he stayed in after he realised the Self in Ramana Maharshi’s presence in 1949.
Two Annamalai Swami films are featured here. The first was an interview he gave to Jim Lemkin in 1993. The second is a talk I gave on him in 2014.
In 2014 I gave a series of filmed talks on Bhagavan, his teachings and his devotees. This one, recorded in Annamalai Swami’s ashram, was about Muruganar.
Youtube talks on Papaji’s Life
Here are two films in which I talk about the principal events in Papaji’s life, and one in which I speak about Papaji’s relationship with the Buddha.
This is an expanded edition of a book that previously appeared as Non-Dual Consciousness, The Flood Tide of Bliss. The original title was published in the 1990s by the Ramana Maharshi Centre for Learning, Bangalore, and is unlikely to ever be reprinted. This is Robert Butler’s own publication. It contains over 1,000 verses by Muruganar, most of which describe his experience of the Self and the gratitude he feels towards Ramana Maharshi for revealing this state to him. The book also contains a number of teaching verses in which Muruganar summarises key aspects of Ramana Maharshi’s teachings.
This is one of the poems from Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai. Following the style of his literary predecessor, Manikkavachagar, Muruganar incorporates spiritual advice into a game for young girls.
The Blessed Days with Muruganar
This is an account by Padma Venkataraman of the time she spent serving Muruganar in the 1950s. It also contains a film of her speaking in Tamil about her association with Bhagavan.
The Shining of my Lord is a new collection of verses that have been selected from Sri Ramana Jnana Bodham and other Tamil works by Muruganar. The translation has been done by T. V. Venkatasubramanian and David Godman.
I run a Facebook page on Muruganar. I update it occasionally with translations of his verses and articles written by people who knew him. the link is inside.
This is an interview I had with Papaji in 1993. The interview is available as a DVD and it was included as the final chapter of Papaji Interviews.
Guru Vachaka Kovai is the most authoritative collection of Ramana Maharshi’s spoken teachings. Compiled by Muruganar and edited and corrected by Bhagavan himself, it covers the whole spectrum of Sri Ramana’s teachings. This excerpt contains the first 57 verses of the work, taken from the edition made by T. V. Venkatasubramanian, Robert Butler and David Godman.
Upadesa Tiruvahaval is one of the poems of Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai. In addition to lines that praise Bhagavan and express gratitude to him, Muruganar also includes explanations of the first two benedictory verses of Ulladu Narpadu.
This is Lakshmana Swamy’s account of how he became a devotee of Ramana Maharshi and eventually realised the Self in his presence in 1949.
Mastan was an extraordinary devotee of Ramana Maharshi whose liberated state was more or less confirmed by Bhagavan himself. This is the story of Mastan’s association with Bhagavan, along with an introduction on how I managed to find information about his life.
In this excerpt from Sri Ramana Darsanam Sadhu Natanananda describes events that took place in Bhagavan’s presence and then goes on to explain their inner significance.
In this excerpt from the first chapter of Living by the Words of Bhagavan Annamalai Swami describes how he first heard of Bhagavan, how he travelled to Tiruvannamalai to meet him, and how he ended up becoming a devotee of Bhagavan.
Ramanatha Brahmachari served Bhagavan and his devotees for many years. This is an excerpt from a chapter on him that appears in The Power of the Presence, part three.
Chhaganlal Yogi was the Ramanasramnam printer for several years. This is his account of how he heard about Sri Ramana, visited him, and ultimately ended up working on ashram projects.
Dialogues and Teachings recorded by Swami Madhavatirtha
Teachings and dialogues recorded by Swami Madhavatirtha on his visit to Ramanasramam in 1944.
This is a collection of accounts, all written in 1955, by devotees who were asked to share their experiences of being in the presence of Ramana Maharshi.
Padamalai contains well over a thousand teaching statements made by Sri Ramana Maharshi, none of which has appeared in English before. They were recorded in two-line Tamil verses by Muruganar, one of Sri Ramana’s foremost devotees. It was at Muruganar’s behest that Sri Ramana composed both Ulladu Narpadu and Upadesa Undiyar, two of his principal philosophical works. Muruganar himself composed Guru Vachaka Kovai, an extensive and authoritative compilation of Sri Ramana’s sayings that was personally checked and revised by Sri Ramana himself.
This is the first dialogue from Final Talks. In it Annamalai Swami explains the nature of the Self and the means by which one can experience it for onself.
This is the first chapter from The Fire of Freedom. It is primarily a dialogue between Papaji and a visitor on the nature and practice of self-enquiry.
Nothing Ever Happened, Volume Three
The third volume of Nothing Ever Happened covers the period when Papaji travelled extensively in the West in the 70s and 80s, as well as further adventures and meetings with devotees in India. The book concludes with two important chapters: a long selection from his journals, written in the early 1980s, and extensive dialogues in which Papaji explains the role and function of the Guru in the process of liberation.
In the 1920s and 30s Muruganar wrote Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai, an anthology of devotional poems in praise of Bhagavan that was modelled on the Tiruvachakam of Manikkavachagar. While he was composing, in Bhagavan’s presence, the poem that would eventually be called Ramana Puranam, he took a break to go out and think about the title. When he returned to the hall, he was astonished to discover that Bhagavan had not only named the poem Ramana Puranam by writing this title on every page of the manuscript, he had also completed it by composing and adding about 300 extra lines. In his contribution to Ramana Puranam Bhagavan not only continued with some of Muruganar’s own devotional themes, he also expanded the range of the work by including many lines that summarised key aspects of his own teachings, particularly ideas that he had written about in Ulladu Narpadu. This work, larger than any of Bhagavan’s other poetical works, has languished in an undeserved obscurity for many decades, accessible only to those few who knew enough literary Tamil to read the original.
This is the story of how Ganapati Muni gained his title ‘Kayvakantha’ (‘One who has poetry in his throat’) from an assembly of pandits while he was still a teenager.
Lakshmi the cow was one of the two devotees of Bhagavan to have her liberation publicly confirmed by Bhagavan himself. This article contains a long account I wrote on her about fifteen years ago. I originally posted it on my blog to refute a highly misleading account of her life that had appeared online.
Akhilandamma, Ganapati Muni and Jealous Sadhus
When Ramana Maharshi lived at Virupaksha Cave in the early years of the last century, there were several sadhus who tried to drive him away because they were jealous of the numbers of devotees he was beginning to attract. This is an account of those early turbulent years.
Here is an account of how Robert Adams met Ramana Maharshi, followed by a dialogue in which he explains the process of self-enquiry.
Attend to What You Came Here For
Here are four accounts by devotees (Robert Adams, Rangan, Kunju Swami and Sadhu Natanananda) that stress the importance of focusing on what is truly important when one comes to Bhagavan.
Sadhu Natanananda first met Bhagavan at Skandashram. In later years he edited or arranged many texts relating to Bhagavan’s teachings, including Spiritual Instruction, Self Enquiry and Guru Vachaka Kovai. This article focuses on his personal struggle to transcend his mind.
This is an interview that Sadhu Om gave in the early 1980s.
Ramanapadananda was a devotee of Bhagavan for several decades. In the 1930s and 40s he published all the books of Muruganar’s poetry that were published during Bhagavan’s lifetime.
In this article I have collected all the stories on or by Narayana Iyer about his time and his relationship with Bhagavan.
In this article I give a brief assessment of some scholarly articles that appeared about Paul Brunton and Bhagavan. Links to the articles are given so readers can come to their own conclusions about their author’s opinions.
Swami Ramanagiri came to India in the 1940s and travelled in North India for while before coming to Ramanasramam. He took Sri Ramana as his Guru and eventually became a distinguished and well-respected yogi in an ashram that was located near Madurai.
Prof. T. M. P, Mahadevan was a professor of Indian philosphy at Madras University as well as being a devotee of Bhagavan. This is an interview he gave in the 1980s about Bhagavan’s life, state and teachings.
Somerset Maugham and the Razor’s Edge
In 1938 Somerset Maugham visited Bhagavan. Years later, in 1944, he used some of his experiences there to write a novel about a westerner who visits an Indian ashram and gets transformed. The Guru in that ashram is clearly Ramana Maharshi. Two years later the novel was turned into a Hollywood film.
In this article I examine some of the statements made by both Muruganar and Ramana Maharshi that seem to equate abiding in the Self with laziness.
Arunachala Cave-dwellers and Sadhus
This is a collection of stories about devotees who spent time living and meditating in the caves of Arunachala. It includes accounts of Swami Abhishiktananda, Narikutti Swami, Keerai Patti and Swami Ramdas.
Accounts of two of Bhagavan’s women devotees, both called Sundarammal, who lived in Tiruvannamalai and on Arunachala in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.
Here are some anecdotes about N. R Krishnamurti Aiyer, and about Ramanasramam texts that disappeared and occasionally resurfaced.
Muruganar
In 2014 I gave a series of filmed talks on Bhagavan, his teachings and his devotees. This one, recorded in Annamalai Swami’s ashram, was about Muruganar.
Sri Guru Ramana Prasadam is a collection of devotional verses composed by Muruganar. In this work he speaks movingly about his own liberation and the grace of his Guru, Sri Ramana Maharshi, which brought it about. The verses have been translated by Robert Butler.
This is one of the poems from Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai. Following the style of his literary predecessor, Manikkavachagar, Muruganar incorporates spiritual advice into a game for young girls.
The Blessed Days with Muruganar
This is an account by Padma Venkataraman of the time she spent serving Muruganar in the 1950s. It also contains a film of her speaking in Tamil about her association with Bhagavan.
The Shining of my Lord is a new collection of verses that have been selected from Sri Ramana Jnana Bodham and other Tamil works by Muruganar. The translation has been done by T. V. Venkatasubramanian and David Godman.
I run a Facebook page on Muruganar. I update it occasionally with translations of his verses and articles written by people who knew him. the link is inside.
Guru Vachaka Kovai is the most authoritative collection of Ramana Maharshi’s spoken teachings. Compiled by Muruganar and edited and corrected by Bhagavan himself, it covers the whole spectrum of Sri Ramana’s teachings. This excerpt contains the first 57 verses of the work, taken from the edition made by T. V. Venkatasubramanian, Robert Butler and David Godman.
Upadesa Tiruvahaval is one of the poems of Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai. In addition to lines that praise Bhagavan and express gratitude to him, Muruganar also includes explanations of the first two benedictory verses of Ulladu Narpadu.
Guru Vachaka Kovai is the most authoritative collection of Ramana Maharshi’s spoken teachings. Compiled by Muruganar and edited and corrected by Bhagavan himself, it covers the whole spectrum of Sri Ramana’s teachings. This excerpt contains the first 57 verses of the work, taken from the edition made by T. V. Venkatasubramanian, Robert Butler and David Godman.
Padamalai contains well over a thousand teaching statements made by Sri Ramana Maharshi, none of which has appeared in English before. They were recorded in two-line Tamil verses by Muruganar, one of Sri Ramana’s foremost devotees. It was at Muruganar’s behest that Sri Ramana composed both Ulladu Narpadu and Upadesa Undiyar, two of his principal philosophical works. Muruganar himself composed Guru Vachaka Kovai, an extensive and authoritative compilation of Sri Ramana’s sayings that was personally checked and revised by Sri Ramana himself.
In the 1920s and 30s Muruganar wrote Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai, an anthology of devotional poems in praise of Bhagavan that was modelled on the Tiruvachakam of Manikkavachagar. While he was composing, in Bhagavan’s presence, the poem that would eventually be called Ramana Puranam, he took a break to go out and think about the title. When he returned to the hall, he was astonished to discover that Bhagavan had not only named the poem Ramana Puranam by writing this title on every page of the manuscript, he had also completed it by composing and adding about 300 extra lines. In his contribution to Ramana Puranam Bhagavan not only continued with some of Muruganar’s own devotional themes, he also expanded the range of the work by including many lines that summarised key aspects of his own teachings, particularly ideas that he had written about in Ulladu Narpadu. This work, larger than any of Bhagavan’s other poetical works, has languished in an undeserved obscurity for many decades, accessible only to those few who knew enough literary Tamil to read the original.
Papaji
Youtube talks on Papaji’s Life
Here are two films in which I talk about the principal events in Papaji’s life, and one in which I speak about Papaji’s relationship with the Buddha.
This is an interview I had with Papaji in 1993. The interview is available as a DVD and it was included as the final chapter of Papaji Interviews.
This is the first chapter from The Fire of Freedom. It is primarily a dialogue between Papaji and a visitor on the nature and practice of self-enquiry.
Nothing Ever Happened, Volume Three
This is a conversation taken from volume three of Nothing Ever Happpened. In it Papaji speaks about the role and function of the Guru.
Annamalai Swami
Two Annamalai Swami films are featured here. The first was an interview he gave to Jim Lemkin in 1993. The second is a talk I gave on him in 2014.
In this excerpt from the first chapter of Living by the Words of Bhagavan Annamalai Swami describes how he first heard of Bhagavan, how he travelled to Tiruvannamalai to meet him, and how he ended up becoming a devotee of Bhagavan.
This is the first dialogue from Final Talks. In it Annamalai Swami explains the nature of the Self and the means by which one can experience it for oneself.
Lakshmana Swamy
A Youtube talk on Lakshmana Swamy’s Life
This is a talk I gave on Lakshmana Swamy in 2014. It was filmed outside the room he stayed in after he realised the Self in Ramana Maharshi’s presence in 1949.
This is Lakshmana Swamy’s account of how he became a devotee of Ramana Maharshi and eventually realised the Self in his presence in 1949.
Biography
Introduction to the Life and Teachings of Ramana Maharshi
This extended interview chronicles the life and teachings of Ramana Maharshi. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know the basics of who he was and what he taught.
For those who know little or nothing about Ramana Maharshi, here is a brief summary of his life, his teachings and his teaching methods.
Talks at Various Places where Ramana Maharshi Lived and Taught
This is a series of talks I gave in 2014 in which I visited most of the places in Tiruvannamalai where Ramana Maharshi had lived and taught.
In this article I have collected and analysed all the various original sources that relate to Bhagavan’s 1896 Self-realisation experience in an attempt to provide a more authoritative account than the ones that have appeared in most of Sri Ramana’s biographies.
Bhagavan’s Deposition on Arunachala
In the late 1930s Bhagavan made a legal deposition on behalf of the Arunachaleswara Temple which was fighting to retain control over a portion of Arunachala. In his submission Bhagavan spoke about his own relationship with the hill and provided evidence of the historical sanctity of the mountain.
Akhilandamma, Ganapati Muni and Jealous Sadhus
When Ramana Maharshi lived at Virupaksha Cave on the early years of the last century, there were several sadhus who tried to drive him away because they were jealous of the numbers of devotees he was beginning to attract. This is an account of those early turbulent years.
Attend to What You Came Here For
Here are four accounts by devotees (Robert Adams, Rangan, Kunju Swami and Sadhu Natanananda) that stress the importance of focusing on what is truly important when one comes to Bhagavan.
In some of the stories that B. V. Narasimhaswami collected around 1930 Bhagavan spoke in a very forthright way about the poor state of his health in his early years at Tiruvannamalai. Many of these stories were omitted from Self Realization, Narasimhaswami’s biography.
In the 1930s, as a result of a case brought against Ramanasramam by a devotee, Bhagavan was required to make a deposition about the ownership of the ashram. Bhagavan’s replies to the lawyer’s questions give an insight into his claim that he was ativarnasrama, beyond all castes and asramas.
Bhagavan and the Politics of His Day
A few years ago I was invited to comment on Bhagavan’s views on the politics of his era, and specifically what his attitude was to the struggle for independence that was being led by Mahatma Gandhi. This was my response.
In this article I examine the belief of many devotees that Bhagavan was an avatar of Subramanian, the second son of Siva.
I was asked about a specific incident in which Muruganar paid for food to be served to devotees at Ramanasramam and then went out begging for his own lunch. In response I wrote a lengthy article about the tradition of begging for one’s food during Bhagavan’s early years at Arunachala.
Evolution of the Mother’s Temple
In this article, which I wrote in the early 90s, I tell the story of of Bhagavan’s association with the Mother’s Temple at Ramanasramam and how it evolved from a thatched hut to its current state.
Pandava Tirtham is a small body of water at the base of Arunachala. Ramana Maharshi frequently swam there in the Skandashram era, and also in the years that followed.
Self-enquiry
These are filmed talks or dialogues on which I attempt to explain Bhagavan’s teachings on self-enquiry.
This is a chapter from Be As You Are in which the practice of self-enquiry is explained, mostly in Ramana Maharshi’s own words.
This is the first section of The Fire of Freedom in which Papaji takes one of his visitors through the process of self-enquiry.
Bhagavan’s 1926 essay, entitled Who am I? is one of the key presentations of his teachings. This annotated translation is supplemented by additional citations from Sri Ramana’s works that elaborate on many of the points that are being presented.
This is the first chapter from The Fire of Freedom. It is primarily a dialogue between Papaji and a visitor on the nature and practice of self-enquiry.
Here is an account of how Robert Adams met Ramana Maharshi, followed by a dialogue in which he explains the process of self-enquiry.
The Qualifications neded to do Self-enquiry
B. V. Narasimhaswami started to edit a collection of dialogues with Bhagavan around 1929. After he left Ramanasramam around 1930 the project was abandoned and was not published until a few years ago. In this article I discuss one of the claims that his manuscript contained: that certain qualifications are necessary in order to do self-enquiry.
Meditation on the Heart-centre
This was my response to questions I had been asked about self-enquiry, and whether it should be done while focusing on the heart centre of the right side of the chest.
This is an outstanding exchange between Ramana Maharshi and a visitor on the practice of self-enquiry. It comes from a little-known magazine article, which is why I am reproducing it here.
This is the chapter from Be As You Are that explains the practice of self-enquiry. A brief explanatory introduction by the editor is followed by dialogues in which Bhagavan himself explains the method and answers questions about it put to him by visitors.
Arunachala
This is a talk I gave a few years ago. It covers the mythology of Arunachala before explaining its importance to Ramana Maharshi and the attraction it holds for millions of Saiva devotees.
In this essay Michael James expounds on the greatness and power of Arunachala primarily by citing and elaborating on written and spoken statements made by Ramana Maharshi.
Bhagavan’s Deposition on Arunachala
In the late 1930s Bhagavan made a legal deposition on behalf of the Arunachaleswara Temple which was fighting to retain control over a portion of Arunachala. In his submission Ramana Maharshi spoke about his own relationship with the hill and provided evidence of the historical sanctity of the mountain.
The Arunachala Puranam is a long Tamil poem that contains most of the mythological information pertaining to the mountain of Arunachala. The excerpt I have chosen, translated by Robert Butler, explains how Siva manifested as a column of light to teach Brahma and Vishnu a lesson in humility.
Tales from the Life of Guhai Namasivaya
Guhai Namasivaya was a Tamil saint who lived on Arunachala about 400 years ago. Like Ramana Maharshi he attributed his liberation to the power of the mountain, and like Sri Ramana he composed a substantial body of poetry that expressed his gratitude to Arunachala for liberating him.
This is an account of Guru Namasivaya, the chief disciple of Guhai Namasivaya. It follows him from his climactic encounter with his Guru on the slopes of Arunachala to Chidamabaram where, with Siva’s assistance, he raised funds for the improvement of the temple.
Isanya Jnana Desikar was a Tamil saint who lived in Tiruvannamalai in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was a devotee of Arunachala who was liberated through its power and grace. The article contains a biography and verses in which he speaks of his own experiences and his love for the mountain.
King Vallalan of Tiruvannamalai
King Vallalan was a South Indian ruler who was based in Tiruvannamalai in the first decades of the 14th century. His exploits are chronicled in the Arunachala Puranam. In this article I compare the puranic version of his life with the known historical facts.
Arunachala Cave-dwellers and Sadhus
This is a collection of stories about devotees who spent time living and meditating in the caves of Arunachala. It includes accounts of Swami Abhishiktananda, Narikutti Swami, Keerai Patti and Swami Ramdas.
There are two parts to this article. First, there is a translation of a poem by Sadhu Om whose subject is the greatness of giri-pradakshina. The second half is an excerpt from Arunachala Mahatmyam which provides background information to one of the verses from Sadhu Om’s poem.
Accounts of two of Bhagavan’s women devotees, both called Sundarammal, who lived in Tiruvannamalai and on Arunachala in the 1920s, 30s and 40s.
Pandava Tirtham is a small body of water at the base of Arunachala. Ramana Maharshi frequently swam there in the Skandashram era, and also in the years that followed.
Tamil Saints
Tales from the Life of Guhai Namasivaya
Guhai Namasivaya was a Tamil saint who lived on Arunachala about 400 years ago. Like Ramana Maharshi he attributed his liberation to the power of the mountain, and like Sri Ramana he composed a substantial body of poetry that expressed his gratitude to Arunachala for liberating him.
This is an account of Guru Namasivaya, the chief disciple of Guhai Namasivaya. It follows him from his climactic encounter with his Guru on the slopes of Arunachala to Chidamabaram where, with Siva’s assistance, he raised funds for the improvement of the temple.
Sorupananda was a distinguished Tamil Guru who lived about 500 years ago. His chief disciple, Tattuvaraya, was a prolific author of Tamil spiritual works. In this article I narrate the relationship that existed between the two of them and then add translations of their poetry.
Allamu Prabhu, Prabhulinga Leelai
Prabhulinga Leelai is a 15th century Virasaiva work, written in Kannada and comprising 1,111 verses. It was translated in Tamil by Sivaprakasa Swami in the 17th century. This is a translation of a portion of the Tamil version of the work that Ramana Maharshi sometimes summarised.
Thayumanavar was a distinguished Tamil poet-saint who lived in the first half of the eighteenth century, from 1705 to 1742 AD. In this article I retell his life story and include new translations of all his poetry that was cited by Ramana Maharshi.
Isanya Jnana Desikar was a Tamil saint who lived in Tiruvannamalai in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He was a devotee of Arunachala who was liberated through its power and grace. The article contains a biography and verses in which he speaks of his own experiences and his love for the mountain.
Bhagavan, Manikkavachagar and the Tiruvachagam
Manikkavachagar was a Tamil saint who lived over 1,000 years ago. Tiruvachakam, an anthology of his devotional poetry, is one of the most celebrated poetic texts in Tamil literature. This article chronicles his life and focuses on the incidents and verses that Ramana Maharshi cited in his replies to visitors.
Umapati Sivam is one of the major figures in the Saiva Siddhanta tradition, composing many of the works that now comprise the Saiva philosophical canon. He was also involved in an incident in which a thorn bush was granted moksha. This article chronicles his life and gives full details of the thorn bush incident.
This is an account of Kumaradeva, a distinguished Tamil saint and scholar who lived several centuries ago. It contains extracts from his hagiography and translations of verses in which he declares his liberation.
Maragathamma was a devotee of Murugan who was blessed by him to sing spontaneous compositions in his praise. Her story is a scarcely credible account that seems to belong in an ancient purana, rather than the twentieth century.
King Vallalan of Tiruvannamalai
King Vallalan was a South Indian ruler who was based in Tiruvannamalai in the first decades of the 14th century. His exploits are chronicled in the Arunachala Puranam. In this article I compare the puranic version of his life with the known historical facts.
Arunagirinatha was a Murugan bhakta who lived in Tiruvannamalai in the late 1300s and early 1400s AD. This article narrates the traditional story of his life and compares it to the biographical material that appears in his poetry.
Archived Articles: Tamil Saints
Articles on and translated texts by Tamil saints that originally appeared on my old site. They include Manikkavachagar, Guhai Namasivaya and Guru Namasivaya.
Robert Butler and his Tamil Translations
Robert Butler has been translating Tamil texts for decades. In this article I outline the many projects he has worked on, both with me and by himself.
Personal Stories
Talking About How I Came to India and Bhagavan
There are two halves to this talk. In the first I narrate what drew me to Bhagavan’s teachings and then to India. And in the second I speak about some of the teachers I have been with and written about.
Mostly About Books (Expanded Version)
About fifteen years ago I gave an interview in which I gave background information on all the books I had written. In 2014 I updated it by adding stories about all the book projects I had been involved in since the original interview was posted.
Interview with Viorica Weissman
A few years ago I started an email interview with a Romanian translator who wanted me to give some biographical information about my first experiences in Tiruvannamalai. The interview was never completed. This is as far as we got …
Remembering Nisargadatta Maharaj
These are my recollections of the time I spent with Nisargadatta Maharaj in the late 1970s. I was prompted to write them down after a brief meeting with a casual visitor who wanted me to talk about that era of my life.
This is my account of a period of my life when I decided to live in an abandoned temple just off the Arunachala pradakshina road.
Here are some recollections from 1983, from a time when I was temporarily in London and looking for a way to return to India.
I was not planning to write anything today, but when I opened my online UK newspaper I discovered that it was Father’s Day. Eight people were telling the story of their relationships with their fathers, and their collective efforts inspired me to do the same. I am also prompted to do so by my memory of his funeral service at which a minister who barely knew him gave a eulogy that I thought was under-informed and uninspiring.
This is the story of how my mother tried to come to terms with the life I had chosen for myself.
My House, Garden, Friends and Sister, 2008
In 2008 my sister Geraldine, a professional tour guide and photographer, visited me in Tiruvannamalai and took a number of photos that featured my house, my garden, my friends and neighbours, some of my compound workers, and Arunachala. She arranged these photos as a slide show with a background track of Arunachala Ashtakam.
Here are some anecdotes about N. R Krishnamurti Aiyer, and about Ramanasramam texts that disappeared and occasionally resurfaced.
Interviews
An Introduction to Sri Ramana’s Life and Teachings
This extended interview chronicles the life and teachings of Ramana Maharshi. I recommend it to anyone who wants to know the basics of who he was and what he taught.
Mostly About Books (Expanded Version)
About fifteen years ago I gave an interview in which I gave background information on all the books I had written. In 2014 I updated it by adding stories about all the book projects I had been involved in since the original interview was posted.
Interview with Viorica Weissman
A few years ago I started an email interview with a Romanian translator who wanted me to give some biographical information about my first experiences in Tiruvannamalai. The interview was never completed. This is as far as we got …
Remembering Nisargadatta Maharaj
These are my recollections of the time I spent with Nisargadatta Maharaj in the late 1970s. I was prompted to write them down after a brief meeting with a casual visitor who wanted me to talk about that era of my life.
Living the Inspiration of Sri Ramana Maharshi
In 2002 I had an extended email exchange with an Indian professor who was teaching at a US university. He sent me questions about my life and the teachers I had been with, and I did my best to answer them. This interview is an edited summary of our interaction.
An Interview with David Godman
This is an interview I did by email with Rob Sacks around 2001. It initially appeared on Realization, a site he was running at the time. Rob has very generously hosted my site free of charge for many years. During that period he has provided invaluable technical help and support.
Books
Nothing Ever Happened, Volume Three, excerpt
The third volume of Nothing Ever Happened covers the period when Papaji travelled extensively in the West in the 70s and 80s, as well as further adventures and meetings with devotees in India. The book concludes with two important chapters: a long selection from his journals, written in the early 1980s, and extensive dialogues in which Papaji explains the role and function of the Guru in the process of liberation.
Nothing Ever Happened, Volume Two, excerpt
This is the second volume of Papaji’s authorised biography. It begins with Papaji enjoying his early retirement in Rishikesh and Haridwar, where he encounters a number of young foreigners who were coming to India in search of spiritual goals. One of them, Mira, had an intense relationship with him that culminated in marriage. Later in the book Papaji travels to the West at the invitation of people he had met. Throughout the book there are accounts of encounters with seekers who were utterly transformed by brief meetings with Papaji.
Nothing Ever Happened, Volume One excerpt
This is the first volume of a massive (over 1,200 pages) biography of Papaji, a disciple of Ramana Maharshi and one of the most influential advaitic teachers of modern times. In addition to the biographical narrative that spans more than eighty years of his action-packed life, there are teaching dialogues, extensive extracts from Papaji’s diaries and letters, along with many accounts by devotees who were utterly transformed by him. This is the definitive account of Papaji’s life.
The Shining of my Lord, excerpt
When Muruganar away in 1973, the task of preserving and organising the approximately 20,000 verses of his that had yet to be published fell to Sadhu Om, his literary executor. Over the next decade he edited this body of work, eventually bringing it out in a series of nine Tamil volumes entitled Sri Ramana Jnana Bodham. This title can be translated as The Experience of Jnana Bestowed by Sri Ramana, or Experiencing the Jnana that is Sri Ramana.
Annamalai Swami: Final Talks, excerpt
This small book contains dialogues that took place between Annamalai Swami and visitors to his ashram that took place during the last six months of his life. It is a continuation and a fitting conclusion to the talks that were recorded in Living by the Words of Bhagavan.
This is probably the most widely read book on Ramana Maharshi’s teachings. Since its first appearance in the mid-80s, it has been, outside India, the standard introduction to Bhagavan’s teachings. Dialogues with Ramana are arranged by topics, with the most important teachings on each subject differentiated from the remainder. Introductions to each chapter summarize Bhagavan’s views on each subject.
Begegnungen mit Sri Ramana Maharshi, Teil Eins, excerpt
Im ersten Band dieser deutschen Übersetzung der Trilogie The Power Of The Presence beschreiben acht Personen unterschiedlichster Herkunft, wie sie die Gegenwart des großen Weisen Indiens – Sri Ramana Maharshi – aus nächster Nähe erlebten. Die einen Berichte waren bisher noch nie gedruckt und die anderen nur in indischen Sprachen oder gänzlich unbekannten Zeitschriften veröffentlicht worden.
Das von Markus Horlacher übersetzte Buch enthält zahlreiche, erst kürzlich restaurierte Fotos von Personen und Orten, die darin erwähnt werden. In der englischen Version sind diese Bilder nicht enthalten.
This is a completely new collection of teaching dialogues between Papaji and visitors who came to see him in Lucknow in the middle of 1991. At that time only about fifteen people would come each day, and all the satsangs were held in the living room of Papaji’s house.
Guru Vachaka Kovai (The Garland of the Guru’s Sayings) is the most authoritative collection of Ramana Maharshi’s spoken teachings. The first Tamil edition of the book, published in 1939, was personally checked and revised by Ramana Maharshi himself.
Living by the Words of Bhagavan, excerpt
An absorbing account of the trials and tribulations of Annamalai Swami’s life with Bhagavan. Annamalai Swami spent many years supervising building work at Ramanashram under Bhagavan’s direct supervision. This is a classic Milarepa-like tale of unwavering commitment to the Guru and his words. Many previously unpublished dialogues with Bhagavan are included, and the book also contains teaching dialogues that took place between Annamalai Swami and his own devotees in the late 1980s.
No Mind – I am the Self, excerpt
The subtitle, ‘The Lives and Teachings of Lakshmana Swamy and Mathru Sri Sarada’ explains the subject matter. Lakshmana Swamy realised the Self in Ramana Maharshi’s presence in 1949. Mathru Sri Sarada realised the Self in Lakshmana Swamy’s presence in 1978. The book contains fascinating details from both their lives, along with teaching instructions that were given out to devotees in the early 1980s.
Padamalai contains well over a thousand teaching statements made by Sri Ramana Maharshi, none of which has appeared in English before. They were recorded in two-line Tamil verses by Muruganar, one of Sri Ramana’s foremost devotees. It was at Muruganar’s behest that Sri Ramana composed both Ulladu Narpadu and Upadesa Undiyar, two of his principal philosophical works. Muruganar himself composed Guru Vachaka Kovai, an extensive and authoritative compilation of Sri Ramana’s sayings that was personally checked and revised by Sri Ramana himself.
The Power of the Presence, Part Three, excerpt
This is the third of three volumes that comprise lengthy first-person accounts by devotees whose lives were transformed by Ramana Maharshi. The narratives span the entire fifty-four year era of Bhagavan’s teaching career. Some of these accounts have only appeared previously in Indian language publications, some have never been published anywhere before, and some have been taken from books and journals that are hard to find outside India. Taken together these books reveal what it was like to live with and be moulded by one of the greatest spiritual teachers that India has ever produced.
Sorupananda was a powerful Tamil Guru who lived several centuries ago. His ability to silence the minds of his visitors was praised on several occasions by Ramana Maharshi. Though his chief disciple, Tattuvaraya, wrote prolifically, Sorupananda himself only wrote one small work: Sorupa Saram. Sri Ramana thought so highly of this work, he included it on a list of six must-read books that he gave to Annamalai Swami in the 1930s.
Sadhu Natanananda was a Tamil scholar who edited many of Ramana Maharshi’s works, even some that appeared in Sri Ramana’s Collected Works. This work is a penetrating analysis of Bhagavan’s life and teachings, illustrated by many quotations and stories that have never appeared in English before. Also included are two long poems that Natanananda wrote in the 1950s which explain key points of Bhagavan’s teaching and give intimate details of Natanananda’s own inner experiences.
The Power of the Presence, Part Two, excerpt
This is the second of three volumes that comprise lengthy first-person accounts by devotees whose lives were transformed by Ramana Maharshi. The narratives span the entire fifty-four-year era of Bhagavan’s teaching career. Some of these accounts have only appeared previously in Indian language publications, some have never been published anywhere before, and some have been taken from books and journals that are hard to find outside India. Taken together these books reveal what it was like to live with and be moulded by one of the greatest spiritual teachers that India has ever produced.
The Power of the Presence, Part One, excerpt
This is the first of three volumes that comprise lengthy first-person accounts by devotees whose lives were transformed by Ramana Maharshi. The narratives span the entire fifty-four year era of Bhagavan’s teaching career. Some of these accounts have only appeared previously in Indian language publications, some have never been published anywhere before, and some have been taken from books and journals that are hard to find outside India. Taken together these books reveal what it was like to live with and be moulded by one of the greatest spiritual teachers that India has ever produced.
This is a biography of the Tamil saint Manickavasagar whose devotional hymns, collected in the Tiruvacagam, are a classic of Tamil devotional literature. There are two principal sources for biographical information: four chapters in the Tiruvilaiyadal Puranam (a work that chronicles the divine acts of Siva in Chidambaram) and the Tirvadavur Adigal Puranam, a much later work that expands on the original text. In this new translation, which includes the full Tamil text, Robert Butler utilises both sources to reconstruct Manickavasagar’s life, his beliefs and his world view. The book also contains key translations from the Tiruvacagam.
Homage to the Presence of Sri Ramana
At one of their early meetings Bhagavan asked Muruganar if he could write like Manikkavachagar, a Tamil saint who lived more than a thousand years ago. His most famous work, Tiruvachagam, is one of the classics of Tamil devotional poetry. Muruganar said that he could not, but he took this as an invitation and an order to at least attempt to create a similar work that praised Bhagavan, his Guru. The resulting work, entitled Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai, took more than ten years to complete. When it came out, Bhagavan praised it effusively and arranged for it to be read communally in the old hall. This text has never been fully translated into English.
Face to Face with Sri Ramana Maharshi
This is an anthology of accounts recorded by devotees of Ramana Maharshi which chronicles their experiences with him. The narratives are brief, but they encompass a wide range of experiences and sources.
In the 1920s and 30s Muruganar wrote Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai, an anthology of devotional poems in praise of Bhagavan that was modelled on the Tiruvachakam of Manikkavachagar. While he was composing, in Bhagavan’s presence, the poem that would eventually be called Ramana Puranam, he took a break to go out and think about the title. When he returned to the hall, he was astonished to discover that Bhagavan had not only named the poem Ramana Puranam by writing this title on every page of the manuscript, he had also completed it by composing and adding about 300 extra lines. In his contribution to Ramana Puranam Bhagavan not only continued with some of Muruganar’s own devotional themes, he also expanded the range of the work by including many lines that summarised key aspects of his own teachings, particularly ideas that he had written about in Ulladu Narpadu. This work, larger than any of Bhagavan’s other poetical works, has languished in an undeserved obscurity for many decades, accessible only to those few who knew enough literary Tamil to read the original.
This is an expanded edition of a book that previously appeared as Non-Dual Consciousness, The Flood Tide of Bliss. The original title was published in the 1990s by the Ramana Maharshi Centre for Learning, Bangalore, and is unlikely to ever be reprinted. This is Robert Butler’s own publication. It contains over 1,000 verses by Muruganar, most of which describe his experience of the Self and the gratitude he feels towards Ramana Maharshi for revealing this state to him. The book also contains a number of teaching verses in which Muruganar summarises key aspects of Ramana Maharshi’s teachings.
The Arunachala Puranam is a long Tamil poem, composed several centuries ago, that retells the principal divine stories that are associated with Arunachala and the temple town of Tiruvannamalai. Its content is similar in many ways to the Arunachala Mahatmyam, an earlier Sanskrit rendering of these stories that appears in the Skanda Puranam, but the Tamil version has interesting additions and stories that did not appear in the earlier texts.