The Truth of Existence is ultimately simple and never absent. It could not be otherwise. Sri Ramana used to say that the Eternal Divine nature cannot be present at one time and absent at another. So we must become aware of our Self in this present moment. It is only in the present that the Self is Realized. That is because the very nature of the Self is Pure Presence. It is Pure Being.

Truth is always Self-Seeing and Self-Being. Self Sees It Self by the power of its own inherent Truth. It needs no external agency for validation.  You do not need anyone to tell you that you exist. You know you exist. Your existence announces itself perpetually and continually. That is the nature of the Self. It is unbroken and the whole mass of Awareness-Existence-Bliss. In Sanskrit, we refer to it as Sat-Chit-Ananada.

Advaita says that Self is…

The most authentic sources for Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi’s teaching are Bhagavan’s own words and also the recollections of Bhagavan devotees. How Bhagavan spoke and acted in the world also is noteworthy as the purest teachings of the Self emanated from his very being.  I will be sharing some of my favorite stories of Bhagavan as told by the devotees.

A most beautiful account by Varanasi Subbalakshami of Bhagavan Ramana. Bhagavan Devotees will enjoy reading it immensely.

I LOST MY HUSBAND when I was sixteen. I went back to my mother’s house and lived there as a widow should, trying to pray to and meditate on God. My mother’s mind too was devoted to the spiritual quest and religion was the main thing in her life.

I went to Arunachala for the first time with Sri Rami Reddi. We had our food in the town and then went to the Ashrama. In those days there was very little there – a hut for Bhagavan and another over his mother’s samadhi (place of burial). Bhagavan had just finished his food and was washing his hands. He looked at us intently. “Did you have your food?” He asked. “Yes, we had it in town.” “You could have had it here,” he replied.

I stayed with him for three days. He made a great impression on me. I considered him to be a real Mahatma, although his ways were very simple. Most of the cooking was done by him in those days. The Ashrama lived from hand to mouth and usually only rice and vegetable soup were prepared.

When I was about to leave, I asked Bhagavan: “Bhagavan…