Origin of Spiritual Instruction
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi
Society of Abidance in Truth
Copyright 2006 by the
Society of Abidance in Truth
Printed in U.S.A.
First Edition 2006
ISBN: 0-9703667-3-6
For All Inquiries Contact the Publisher:
Society of Abidance in Truth
SAT
1834 Ocean Street
Santa Cruz, California 95060 USA
(831) 425-7287
www.SATRamana.org
Introduction to This Edition
Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya
In 1939, under the auspices of Niranjanananda Swami, Sri
Ramanasramam published a book in the English language entitled, A Catechism of Instruction, bearing the subtitle of Being a
Translation of the Original Instructions of Bhagavan Sri Ramana
Maharshi. The book was brought out in a second edition the following year, in 1940. The name of the author, that is to say the
recorder, of the text did not appear in these editions, though a
passage said to be from the authors preface to the Tamil original appeared at the beginning of the text positioned opposite a
black and white photograph of the Maharshi depicting Him in
His middle age. The book is the first English translation of
Upadesa Manjari, which may be translated as A Bouquet of
Spiritual Instruction. The book is in the form of dialogues,
though when and with whom these dialogues occurred are not
stated in the book.
At a later time, the text was recast in the form of a work that
is still published by the Asramam as Spiritual Instruction, and
the authors name was revealed as Sri Natanananda. In this later
edition, many of the passages have been re-translated, edited,
abbreviated, or otherwise altered, doubtlessly for the sake of
clarity for the spiritual seekers who read this sacred work filled
with Sri Bhagavans liberating spiritual instructions. There are,
though, passages in the original edition that may be of great
benefit in their original form also, and so this present edition is
being published for the purpose of the preservation of these
expressions of the Maharshis sublime teachings.
This present edition has been entitled Origin of Spiritual
Instruction for several reasons. The first is that the text is the
teaching about the Self, and the Self is the Absolute Source of all
spiritual instruction that reveals itself as the Absolute Self. The
second is that the teachings contained herein are the profound
revelations of the Truth of the Self and how to realize it from
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, who, abiding as the Self, is,
Himself, the Origin of the instruction revealing the Self, which is
Himself. The third is that the contents of this book represent the
original manner in which the teachings of Spiritual Instruction
were published.
In this present volume, the 1940 edition has been reproduced
completely. Passages marked as Note are as they appear in the
original, presumably representing Sri Natananandas understanding or additional instructions heard by him at a time other than
that during which the dialogues that constitute this book
occurred. In the original, these insertions were labeled as notes
and inserted into the text itself, as well as, in other passages,
placed at the bottom of the page as footnotes. In this present edition, the sections marked Note and the forty-one footnotes do
not indicate any editorial insertions by the present editor, but are
these original notes and footnotes, set in a different font to render them easily recognizable. In addition, the footnotes have
been placed in vertical columes next to the passages to which
they pertain. The only changes that have been made to the original text are for minor corrections of grammar and punctuation
and the usage of American English spelling. In addition, in order
to aid the reader, at several points, the corresponding passages of
the later editions of Spiritual Instruction have been included in
the form of footnotes marked with asterisks located at the bottom
of the page when such later versions contain more instruction
than the original, when the later versions exhibit a greater clarity of expression of the essential teachings, or when they provide
additional information.
The Society of Abidance in Truth wishes to express its deep
gratitude to Sri Ramanasramam and to Sri V. S. Ramanan, the
President of Sri Ramanasramam, for so kindly granting permission to SAT to publish this present work and for all Sri
Ramanasramams devoted dedication to the preservation and dissemination of the teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi.
SAT also wishes to express its thankfulness to Nome for editing the present work, to Sasvati for design, layout, and seeing to
the printing of this book, and to Sangeeta Raman for her careful
proofreading.
May Sri Bhagavans Grace bless those who imbibe these
teachings of Self-Knowledge so that they ever abide in the unwavering, silent Bliss of the Realization of the Self.
Om Sri Ramanarpanamastu
Om may this be an offering to Sri Ramana
A Catechism of Instruction
Being a Translation of the Original Instructions of
Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi
From the Authors Preface to the Tamil Original:
Worshipping in thought, word, and deed the sacred lotus feet
of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, the very embodiment of the
universal, eternal Sat-Chit-A<nanda, I have gathered together this
bunch of flowers for the benefit of the foremost among those
who seek Liberation and are adored even by the learned that they
may enjoy the Bliss of their fragrance and attain Salvation.
Later Editions:
Invocation
I seek refuge at the sacred feet of the blessed Ramana, who
performs the entire work of creation, preservation, and destruction, while remaining wholly unattached and who makes us
aware of what is real and thus protects us, that I may set down
his words fittingly.
Importance of the Work
Worshipping with the instruments (of thought, word, and
body) the sacred lotus feet of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi,
the very embodiment of the beginningless, infinite, supreme
Brahman, the Sat-Chit-A<nanda (Existence, Consciousness,
Bliss), I have gathered together this bouquet of the flowers of his
instructions (upade*ama&jar#) for the benefit of those who are
the foremost among the seekers of Liberation and who are
adored even by learned persons in order that they might adorn
themselves with it and attain Salvation.
This book is an epitome of the immortal words of the great
soul, Sri Ramana Maharshi, whose teachings entirely dispelled
the doubts and wrong notions of this humble person, even as the
sun dispels darkness.
The subject of this book is that eternal Brahman, which
shines as the pinnacle and heart of all the Vedas and A<gamas.
That incomparable Self-Realization (A<tmasiddhi), which is
praised by all the Upanishads and which is the supreme good to
be sought by all noble aspirants (brahmavid-s), is the theme of
this work.
Contents
Chapter I Upade*a or Spiritual Instruction..........................
Chapter II S0dhana or Practice ............................................ 15
Chapter III Anubhava or Experience.................................... 33
Chapter IV A<r$6ha or Firm Abidance ................................ 37
Om /r# Rama80ya Nama3
CHAPTER ONE
Upadesa or
Spiritual Instruction
Disciple: What are the distinctive marks of a
Guru,* or Master, that enable one to know and
recognize him as such?
Master: The Guru is one who at all times abides
in the profound depths of the Self.** He never
sees any difference between himself and others, and he is not in the least obsessed by false
notions of distinction, that he himself is the
enlightened one (j&0ni, i.e., has realized Truth)
or is the liberated one (mukta), while others
around him are languishing in bondage or
immersed in cimmerian darkness of ignorance.
His firmness or self-possession can never be
shaken under any circumstances, and he is
never perturbed.
D.: What are the requisite qualifications of a disciple?***
M.: He should have an intense and incessant
longing to get free from the miseries of life1
and to attain supreme spiritual Bliss. He should
not have the least desire for anything else.
D.: What is the essential feature of upade*a, or
spiritual instruction, to the disciple by the
Master?
* of a real teacher (Sadguru)
** Steady abidance in the Self, looking at all with an equal eye,
unshakable courage at all times, in all places and circumstances.
*** of an earnest disciple (sadsishya)?
1This does not consist
in running away from
life, but in transcending
mind and thought by
realizing the eternal
Spirit that is beyond
birth and death. Such a
Sage remains for all
time a source of spiritual strength and power.
M.: The term upade*a literally means restoring
an object nearest to its true and proper place.
The mind of the disciple having become differentiated from its true and primal state of pure
Being, or the Self, which the scriptures describe
as Sat-Chit-A<nanda, Being-ConsciousnessBliss, slips away from it and, assuming the form
of thought, ever runs after the objects of sense
gratification. Thus, the mind gets buffeted and
battered by the vicissitudes of life and becomes
weak and dispirited. Now, upade*a, or spiritual
instruction, consists in the Master* restoring the
mind of the disciple to its primal state and effectively preventing it from slipping away from
that state of pure Being, of absolute identity
with the Self, or, in other words, the spiritual
Being of the Master.**
The term upade*a may also be understood
as presenting an apparently distant object to
one's near view; i.e., it consists in the Master
showing to the disciple, as immediate and identical with the disciple, that which he has been
considering (viz., the Self, or Absolute***) as
distant and different from himself.
2These include
a8imadi siddhi-s, or
thaumaturgic powers to
work miracles, etc.,
which do not connote
spiritual awakening or
enlightenment. The
desire for these powers
is a positive hindrance
to ones spiritual
progress.
D.: If, as the above statement implies, the spiritual Being of the Master is really identical with
that of the disciple,**** why then have the
scriptures categorically declared that however
great the attainments2 of a seeker may be, he
cannot have spiritual awakening***** except
with the Master's Grace?
* The Guru who is the embodiment of that which is indicated by
the terms sat, cit, and 0nanda (existence, consciousness, and
bliss).
** and establishes him in his own real nature without differentiation.
*** Brahman
**** the Guru is ones own Self
***** attain Self-Realization
10
