Ramana Maharshi
Ramana Maharshi was known as the great Sage of Arunachala. Arunachala is a sacred mountain in the South of India. Ramana Maharshi talked very little spending most of his time in meditative silence. He taught in the non dualistic tradition. In particular in advocated the use of the enquiry "Who am I" I found out about Ramana Maharshi by reading a book by Paul Brunton " A Search In Secret India"
Sri Ramana Maharshi wrote relatively little. He spent alot of time in silence. He preferred to teach through remaining in a meditative consciousness. Seekers would come to sit in the ashram and soak up the peace which surrounded him and his ashram.
From the age of 18 Sri Ramana Maharshi spent all his life around the holy mountain of Arunachala. To him Arunachala was an extension of his enlarged consciousness. He wrote some devotional poems in the mountains honour.
(photo of Arunachala)
O Arunachala! In You all this picture comes into existence,
is sustained, and is destroyed.
You dance in the heart as Self (or Spirit) as I,
[and hence] they say heart is name to You.
O Red Hill! All this, which is a picture, rises,
stands and subsides only in You.
Since You dance eternally [in] the heart as I,
they say that Your name itself is heart.
Explanatory paraphrase: O Red Hill (Arunachala)! All this world-appearance, which is a picture, rises, stands and subsides only in You. Since You dance eternally in the heart as the consciousness ‘I’, the real Self, those who know the truth (the jnanis) say that Your name itself is heart (hridayam).
More Poems by Ramana Maharshi at Poet Seers
