Dear Harsha,

I would like to share my current thoughts on Ahimsa, the Indian Philosophy of Nonviolence advocated by Mahatama Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King.

As I look around me at the high school shootings, bombings of embassies, and wars going on all over the world, I can’t avoid looking at Ahimsa. The state of the world is obviously a manifestation of the current level of consciousness and I believe that until we raise the level of consciousness, wars and violence will continue.

Once Sri Ramana was asked, “How does a grihastha (householder) fare in the scheme of Moksha (liberation)?” The Maharshi said, “The obstacle is the mind. It must be got over whether at home or in the forest. Renunciation is always in the mind, not in going to the forest or solitary places, or giving up one’s duties. The main thing is to see that the mind does not turn outward but inward.” (Talk 54).

We often have the idea that our spiritual and religious beliefs and truths are absolute. However, psychologists tell us that where we are born, how we are brought up, the values of our parents and friends, and systems of education we are exposed to have an enormous influence on our thinking and how we perceive reality.

We must never lose sight of the Holy Task, that of Self Knowledge, or Self-Realization.

This is the main thrust of Bhagavan Ramana’s teaching. Bhagavan leaves to us to make intelligent use of our lives as we follow his teachings of self awareness and being a witness to all that is happening. Following his guidance and example, we discover the God or Guru within; the Inner Ruler, the Heart.

I am fortunate to be a member of the family of sincere devotees of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi in which we share our heart-melting love for Bhagavan with each other. Not only are we siblings in Bhagavan, but more than that Bhagavan is found inside everyone of us as the true Self.

Since every word Bhagavan spoke was an utterance from God appearing as a man, every submission of Bhagavan’s words is an act of Bhakti and is an aid to anyone who reads it. To me there are three important reasons that we provide a reference for every quote by Bhagavan that we share by posting online:

Dear Friends:

The most frequent question that I am asked, especially from newcomers to Bhagavan Ramana’s teachings, is: “What books do you recommend for studying the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi”?

Here is my answer. Please keep in mind that everyone has their favorite sources for Bhagavan Ramana’s teachings and I am simply sharing mine. In addition, my attempt is to keep the list of recommended sources small for the most practical benefit of people just getting introduced to Bhagavan’s teachings. So there is an element of subjectivity here. However, I am happy to add to this list as Bhagavan devotees give me feedback as to what sources they would personally recommend.

Ramana

One time I recall a visitor asked Bhagavan Ramana something like how one could have visions. Bhagavan said, “What are you having now?”

Bhagavan’s point was that any state of consciousness is essentially a vision, an altered state, that is superimposed on the Self, which is the true natural and easy state.

Since we consider many possibilities about the future, we can consider the possibility, that thoughts and imagination can come to a complete halt in the presence of the supreme and true love. There is a saying in English that poets and lovers use, “You take my breath away.” It has deep meaning. Whoever or whatever takes your breath away is your Guru, Guide, and the Goddess.