Books
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"Spiritual texts do not read like you were reading a newspaper
or a book of trivia, and don’t read for the purpose of gathering information.
Spiritual texts read as though you were reading instructions about how to
fly that are vital so that you do not crash.
Read to awaken insight. Never confuse intellectual understanding with insight".
~ Michael Langford, The most direct and rapid means to eternal bliss, paraphrase
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Our website is for informational and educational purposes. All content posted here is for informational and educational purposes.
In the Polish-language version of the site here we present translations of the works of Ramana Maharshi, his disciples or related texts. All of them have been translated from English, and we therefore refer the reader to these English-language versions (some of which are available for free, some for charge), limiting ourselves only to giving a list of these works and a brief description of them.
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When reading Ramana Maharshi's teachings, it is worth considering the following:First, language is not a precise tool for conveying spiritual teachings. It is sometimes difficult with its help to convey the exact meanings of certain terms or express the deepest sense of teachings; words were created to describe phenomena in the world of objects while Ramana's teachings go beyond the relative experience of the subject cognizing objects. Language is confined to the dimension of the conditioned life of individuals, while Bhagavan “spoke” the language of the Self, so words can only convey the meaning of his teachings more or less imperfectly. Ramana Maharshi is a teacher who primarily teaches in Silence [mouna upadesa].
Secondly, some of the terms used to describe the spiritual paths have been newly defined by Ramana Maharshi in ways that differ from the previous definitions of Advaita Vedanta, most often by refining and deepening the meanings. A correct understanding of his instructions is only possible if the teachings are considered as a whole, along with the meanings Ramana has given to these terms. It is not a good idea to pluck individual words from the overall context of his teachings and consider them on the basis of old definitions or, even more so, other spiritual/religious systems, as this can lead to completely erroneous conclusions.
Third, it is said that the transmission of Adwaita Vedanta's teachings has always been two levels. The first level was addressed to people who were unaware of being stuck in the snare of ignorance and not striving to break out of it, as for them it would be useless to have teachings teaching about it. The other, on the other hand, was aimed at adepts aware of their ignorance (i.e., ignorance of the Self) and with a sincere desire to free themselves from it. The two teachings are necessarily different. The deeper aspects of the ancient teachings remain hidden from the eye of people not pursuing Liberation. Although Ramana Maharshi taught openly, and with his teachings expounded, completed and clarified the ancient revelations, the proper, deepest meaning of the teachings can only be grasped by those who actively walk toward Liberation along the path shown by Sri Ramana by undertaking ardent Atma-vichara practice. There is no way to merely intellectually understand the totality of Sri Ramana Maharshi's teachings.
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Who Am I?
(Original title: Nan Yar?)The most important prose-written work of Sri Ramana, containing fundamental instructions given in 1902 to one of his disciples named Sivaprakasam Pillai, who wrote them down in the form of questions and answers. These instructions were first published in 1923 as “Nan Yar?” - a short work in the form of 28 questions and answers. Shortly thereafter, Sri Ramana arranged and rewrote them in essay form with his own hands, thus creating a logical, coherent version of “Nan Yar?” based on these 28 questions and answers, to which, however, Ramana Maharshi added and appended several passages, omitted others, and modified, expanded and revised some.
Since only this version was prepared by Sri Bhagavan's own hand, it should be considered the most important, authentic and authoritative version.
*Must read.
[We recommend translation from Tamil to English by: Sri Sadhu Om and Michael James.]
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The Garland of Guru's Sayings: -
Guru Vachaka Kovai.
(Original title: Guru Vachaka Kovai.)
The collection of more than a thousand oral instructions of Sri Ramana Maharshi recorded over the course of several years by Sri Muruganar, who lived with him for many years, being his closest disciple, inspired poet and spiritual giant. As the only instructions were written down in Tamil at the time when Bhagavan was giving them, Sri Ramana personally checked and edited this text by applying numerous corrections, composing an additional few dozen verses himself. This is one of the very few works that has been thoroughly revised by Bhagavan with such care and diligence, proof par excellence of his full acceptance of the teachings contained therein. Many of Bhagavan's oral instructions were written down during his lifetime, but very few were verified, edited and approved by him, for which reason Guru Vachaka Kovai occupies one of the most prominent places among Bhagavan's recorded spiritual teachings.
When one of the editors wrote in the introduction to the first edition: “This work contains the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in flawless form” and showed it to Bhagavan, the latter took up his pen and added one word meaning “only” or “indeed”, so in the end the sentence read: “Only this work contains the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in flawless form” or “This work indeed contains the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in flawless form”.
Guru Vachaka Kovai is the deepest, most reliable and most comprehensive record of Sri Ramana Maharshi's oral teachings, captured in 1255 verses composed by Sri Muruganar with additional verses written by Sri Ramana.
Undoubtedly the most important collection of Sri Ramana Maharshi's oral instructions equaling the level of his own handwritten teachings.
*Must read for those undertaking Atma-vichara practice.
[We recommend translation from Tamil to English by: Sri Sadhu Om and Michael James, comments by: Sri Muruganar and Sri Sadhu Om.]
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The Essence of Instruction.
(Original title: Upadesa Undiyar.)A thirty-verse poem composed by Sri Ramana at the request of Sri Muruganar. In the first 15 stanzas, Bhagavan refers to the paths of karma, bhakti and yoga, which Shiva taught in ancient times to the misguided ascetics in the Daruka forest to gradually raise the maturity of their minds. It is only from verse 16 that Sri Ramana begins to describe his own path of Self-enquiry, the true path of Jnana. It should not be assumed that the practices mentioned in verses 1-15 are the direct path taught by Sri Ramana. Bhagavan accepted them - as long as they are performed with devotion and without selfish intentions - as non-direct and circuitous ways to gradually purify the mind, which in time can lead the aspirant to the path of Self-enquiry, a simple and direct method adapted to the rational and scientific approach of modern man, which is the essence of his teachings.
Some sources claim that this work has been included in the Adwaita Vedanta canon on one shelf with the Upanishads.
*Many know it by heart.
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Reality in Forty Verses.
(Original title: Ulladu Narpadu.)This forty-verse work is considered by many to be Sri Ramana's most important literary work - it reveals the essence of his teachings.
*To be read.
[We recommend translation from Tamil to English by: Sri Sadhu Om i Michael James.]
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Reality in Forty Verses: Supplement.
(Original title: Ulladu Narpadu Anubandham.)
A work in which Sri Ramana compiled some of his instructions and some teachings from various other sources that were not translated into Tamil at the time, translating and adapting them.
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Padamalai.
Padamalai is a collection of Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi's oral instructions as written down by Muruganar, derived from the same first-class records from which Guru Vachaka Kovai was composed. It constitutes a comparably important and valuable work to that of Guru Vachaka Kovai, which we recommend to all bhaktas of Sri Ramana.
*To be read for anyone going deeper into Sri Ramana's teachings, especially those taking up the Atma-vichara practice.
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Bhagavan Ramana about aham-sphurana.
Published in : The Mountain Path, 1982
Ganapatii Muni, who was a well-read pandit, one day wrote down his doubts, which arose from reading the sacred texts, and sent them to Bhagavan Ramana asking for clarification, writing in the introduction that if not him, then who would clarify them. His main question was whether abiding/being in a layer of subtle intellect would gradually lead to realization of the Self. In response, Bhagavan dictated to one of his disciples and sent Ganapati an explanation describing aham sphurana, indicating that staying/abiding/being in the state of aham sphuarna, not intellect, leads to realization of the Self.
*Important text, clarifying one of the key points often misunderstood, we recommend reading it.
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The Shining of my Lord. (by Muruganar)
The teachings come from Muruganar's notes made during his life at the side of Ramana Maharshi and later until his death in 1973, containing records of Bhagavan Ramana's oral teachings, descriptions of Muruganar's own experience of the Self, as well as various aspects of the teachings explained to him by Bhagavan (through words or through Silence).
*A collection of valuable guidance for serious adepts.
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The Path of Sri Ramana, part I. (by Sadhu OM)
One of the most important books describing the practice of Atma-vichara.
Sri Sadhu Om is one of Ramana Maharshi's most famous disciples, an outstanding practiser of Atma-Vichara, particularly revered for his rare gift of explaining Sri Ramana's teachings in a clear and accessible manner, allowing those seeking true knowledge to grasp the practical aspects of Bhagavan's teaching. Of all printed texts this book is considered to be the best and most comprehensive description of the practice of Self-enquiry taught by Bhagavan.
*Must read for those undertaking Atma-vichara practice.
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Vivekachudamani (by Sri Shankara)
An absolute classic. Addressed to adepts seeking Liberation, Sri Shankara's work describing in the form of a conversation between disciple and Master all the important aspects of the path to moksha; designed so that even people unfamiliar with the Vedas and other scriptures will have no difficulty grasping, at least intellectually, what is it all about.
The importance of this work is also evidenced by the fact that Ramana Maharshi himself translated it into Tamil and wrote an introduction to it.
*To be read.
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The works of Sivaprakasam Pillai:
Sri Ramana Sadguru Malai,
Sri Ramanopadesam,
Sri Ramana Pada Malai.
Sivaprakasam Pillai is known as the one who first wrote down the instructions given by Ramana Maharshi when, in 1902, he asked the then keeping silence sage to explain the nature of the Self. The latter wrote the answers with his finger in the sand and chalk on a stone. Sivaprakasam wrote down these words, and they were later published as one of Sri Ramana's most important works, “Nan Yar?” (Who am I?).
The aforementioned works express the characteristic pain of spiritual adepts, when, knowing the teaching and earnestly trying to put it into practice, they are unable to do so.
*worth reading, especially by those who have a similar issue
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Final Talks (by Swami Annamalai)
The book is a record of the teachings given at the end of his life by Swami Annamalai - a disciple of Sri Ramana, the builder of Ramanasramam and an eminent Atma-vichara practiser.
*worth reading
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Living By The Words Of Bhagavan
The book Living By The Words Of Bhagavan is the story of Swami Annamalai's life as seen through the eyes of the protagonist, mainly an account of the years lived in the ashram alongside Ramana Maharshi, in which we find many interesting stories from Sri Ramana's life, interspersed here and there with his teachings. Recommended for anyone interested in Bhagavan, his life and teachings, the Guru-disciple relationship, etc. The text posted on our site is the last chapter of this book, containing dialogues between Swami Annamalai and visiting Western pilgrims written down in the 1980s by an unknown American.
We draw the reader's attention to the fact that while reading this text he may get the impression time and again that Swami here and there contradicts Ramana Maharshi's teachings or even himself. This is primarily due to the fact that these instructions were, for the most part, addressed to not very advanced spiritual aspirants, and were therefore adequately adapted to the level of the listeners. It should be borne in mind that in such a case these are not the essential teachings of Sri Ramana's school, but merely indirect aids whose task is limited at best to leading the adept to his path. This is a two-step method of revealing indirect teachings or pointing out indirect techniques to less mature aspirants, used in the face of their inability to grasp the direct ones. Sri Ramana also used the same method: there were times when in one conversation he seemed to recommend a particular indirect technique to someone, while in another he called it a mere waste of time - and only the latter is part of his essential teaching. When in doubt, we recommend referring to items such as Nan Yar?, Ulladu Narpadu and Guru Vachaka Kovai, which contain the essence of Sri Ramana's teachings undiluted to the beginner's level.
We also emphasize the fact that Swami Annamalai did not write down these teachings with his own hands - the state of mind of the people writing down and translating his word, or editorial procedures may not have remained neutral to the text either (for this reason we have not translated some of the questions and answers). Nevertheless, the text contains quite a few important hints that can be particularly helpful at the preliminary stage of Atma-vichara, which is why it was placed on our website. We caution, however, against taking indirect techniques as direct ones, or mentally superimposing the absolute truths cited here on a relative level in the mistaken belief that this is what it is all about.
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Kaivalya Navaneeta
- The Cream of Emancipation.
Adwaitavedantic teachings on Liberation in a nutshell, collected from Vedanta scriptures and compiled by Swami Tandavaraya.
The word “navaneeta” literally means “butter”. It is said that the ancient teachers acquired wisdom from the mighty ocean of Vednata's milk and poured it into jugs i.e. ancient spiritual texts. Swami Tandavaraya, it is claimed, collected the cream from these jugs and whipped the butter out of it, and thus the Kaivalya Navaneeta was created.
One of the books recommended by Ramana Maharshi to disciples on the path to Liberation.
Note: When asked, Ramana Maharshi recommended for Swami Annamalai reading the following six books:
1. Kaivalya Navaneeta 2. Ribhu Gita 3.Ashtavakra Gita 4. Ellam Ondre (All is One) 5. Swarupa Saram 6. Yoga Vasishta, with special emphasis on Ellam Ondre.
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The Most Rapid and Direct Means to Eternal Bliss.
by: Michael Langford.
The book is written by a Westerner who, colloquially speaking, “caught what it is all about”. Based on his own experience, the author here explains clearly several key issues on the spiritual path, while also drawing attention to certain hot spots where Westerners often make mistakes. A very good position for beginners.
Note: we have included only chapters 1-8 on the site, because in the later ones there are descriptions of indirect techniques, which we do not recommend.
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Ellam Ondre (All is One)
When Swami Annamalai asked Ramana Maharshi about readings suitable for a man striving for Liberation, Sri Ramana recommended six books; this one is one to which Bhagavan ordered Swami to pay special attention to. It is an anonymous 19th century text.