More Ramana Reminiscences Uniqueness of Bhagavan - Dr. TMP Mahadevan

Bhagavan was unique. He was unique in that he was not unique. What struck even a casual visitor to the Ashram was Bhagavan’s naturalness. He did not impress any one as if he were non-natural, even supra-natural. There was no affectation at all in Sri Ramana. Let me illustrate what I mean. In South India sadhus refer to themselves, while speaking, in the third person. They would say ‘this was walking’ or ‘this wants to go there’ while referring to themselves. They would not use the first person singular ‘I’. But Bhagavan quite naturally used to say ‘I go’, ‘I walk’, ‘I sit’ and so on. One who has the experience of the plenary illumination constantly, naturally, has no use for such affectations. And always he used to behave in the most natural manner. There was nothing which would make others think that there was some unnaturalness about Bhagavan. But yet once in his presence there was no need for prompting from outside. One would be convinced in one’s own heart that one was in the presence of the non-dual Reality. Now, this was an experience that almost everyone had in the presence of Bhagavan.

He was an open book for all at all times. He did not make any distinction between what is private and what is public. So far as Bhagavan was concerned, there was no privacy. In those days, devotees used to be with him in the small meditation hall all day and night. We used to sleep in the same hall where we used to sit during daytime. And he was a silent witness to all that happened around him. Any one could walk in at any time. He was easily accessible not only to humans but also to animals. Squirrels used to play with him. The cow Lakshmi used to walk in at her own pleasure. The monkeys used to come into the Ashram without any let or hindrance. Bhagavan remarked about a trespassing cow, "Who is to be taken to task? If you had no fence and the cow walked in through your garden, who was responsible for this, you or the cow?"

© "The Ramana Way" (July, 2003) published by Ramana Maharshi Center for Learning, Ramana Maharshi Heritage Building, Post Office Road, Sanjay Nagar, Bangalore 560 094. Website: www.ramanacentre.org. Reprinted with permission.

<< Back