The Sadguru in Bhagavan Ramana's Own Words

In many ways this is a long overdue collection of Ramana’s own words on Sadguru. Though what is stressed is the need for steadfast practice and guru’s grace, what matters is guru’s guidance. The reason for this is obvious the ego ridden mind is enfeebled by thoughts and is more often than not distracted from the needed focus for source abidance. Sanjay’s selections have the seeker in mind for he is himself one and is therefore valuable as the readers of his earlier six collection of pocket book would have known by now.

Over many years collecting the teaching of Bhagavan Ramana under different heads and then making a selection from then for being shared with other seekers of the direct path of Ramana has been and integral part of my sadhana. By his grace this is my sixth of a series of such pocket books which have been published by Ramana Maharshi Center for Learning. The first was Karma Marga in Bhagavan’s own words. This book has had a wide appeal and this has encouraged me to gather similar material under different heads.

The importance of the Sadguru in sadhana cannot be overstated. I am confident that this pocket book too would be useful by the readers.

When divine grace as Sadguru Ramana enters in one’s life one can rest assured that the purpose of life which is to discover one’s own nature and to be established in it could be taken for granted. The timing of it of course is known only to him. For in a discovery there are known milestones. However growing awareness of that enveloping grace would be felt to a greater or lesser extent to which one relates to that force.

The usual way of sharing the talks and the teaching or Ramana is the time honoured method of questions and answers. In this context, Tals or Day by Day’ or Centre’s forthcoming publication years in the presence of Ramana by Maha Krishna Swami are of great value because one often find himself in the shoes of the questioner. It is a almost as if he himself is asking question and Bhagavan Ramana is answering them. It has the value of an expression of a doubt and a clarification by the Guru.

The other method though seldom adopted is that selected by the jnani Muruganar in Guruvachakovai which is to collection the Ramana’s statements under various heads. This would enable independent reflection on them with all its plusses and minuses. In Sanjay’s collections he chooses only the answers without questions. He has tried to follow this way, which too has tried to follow this way, which too has its won appeal.