SARANAGATI MAY 2022 EXTENDED EDITION

SRI RAMANASRAMAM VOL. 16, NO.5

D. Thiyagarajan and Michael Highburger

MAY 2022 EXTENDED EDITION IN THIS
VOL. 16, NO.5 ISSUE

Dear Devotees,
In Profile: T.R. Kanakammal (Pt II) 3
In the recent weeks of preparation for various
upcoming functions, the Ashram got a makeover with Events: Sw. Ramanananda Memorial Guest House 4
cleaning, polishing and painting. Sri Vidya Homa took Events at Sri Ramanasramam: Nirvana Room 6
place on the 8th April, followed by Rama Navami on Events at Sri Ramanasramam: Bhagavan’s 72nd Aradhana 7
the 10th, the Tamil New Year on the 14th, Chitra Ramana Reflections: Flaws in the Wood 8
purnima on the 16th, Major Chadwick Day on the Announcement: Sri Ramana Maharshi Heritage 11
17th and Bhagavan’s 72nd Aradhana on the 28th. Ashram Gardens: Planting the Kashi Bilva 13
In this May 2022 Extended Aradhana Edition, we
Events at Sri Ramanasramam: Sri Vidya Homa 14
continue the life story of T.R. Kanakammal in this her
The Ashram Dispensary: Free Medical Camps 14
centenary year.
For videos, photos and further news of events, go to Announcement: Ashram YouTube Channel 14
http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org or write to us at Obituary: Sri John Grimes 15
saranagathi@sriramanamaharshi.org. Obituary: Sri M.R. Bharathan 15
In Sri Bhagavan, Announcement: Sri Ramanasramam Centenary 15
Saranagati

Calendar of Ashram Events

7th May (Sat) Punarvasu Day 30th June (Thu) Punarvasu
13th May (Fri) Pradosham 10th July (Sun) Cow Lakshmi
15th May (Sun) Full Moon 12th July (Tue) Pradosham
24th May (Tue) Mahapuja 13th July (Wed) Guru Poornima
3rd June (Fri) Punarvasu Day 26th July (Tue) Pradosham
12th June (Sun) Pradosham 27th July (Wed) Punarvasu
13th June (Mon) Full Moon 11th August (Thurs) Full Moon
 about her daughter-in-law’s unceasing devotion to the
Lord. When Sakkubai wanted to go to Pandaripur for
darshan, her mother-in-law tied her to a pillar in the
family home. But the Lord, knowing of his devotee’s
devotion, entered the house late at night and untied
Sakkubai so that she could proceed to Pandaripur. Only
when Sakkubai merged with the Lord of Pandaripur
did her mother-in-law understand her greatness.
In Kanakammal’s case, the Lord was Ramana, and
the one that would bind her to the pillar of household
life was her mother. If there was a standoff between
the calling of God and the decrees of Kanakammal’s
mother, her father stepped in to settle the matter.
He knew how Bhagavan had often reminded
devotees, including his own mother, Alagammal,
not to be overly attached to tradition. This is not to
say that Bhagavan was an iconoclast or would ever
urge devotees to abandon tradition outright. He
understood that both flagrant neglect of tradition
and fanatical adherence to it served ego’s purposes
equally well. Bhagavan understood that the task of
the virtuous is to follow the mid-line between the two,
namely, honouring tradition as much as possible, but
making exceptions if the Lord intervenes to invoke
some higher principle.
Kanakammal spent her youth in prayer and could
verify that Bhagavan’s call on her life was genuine.
IN PROFILE The challenge for her had been demonstrating it to
her parents. Once this was accomplished, her struggle
was over and, as we saw in the last issue, her father
T.R. Kanakammal (Part II) allowed her to come to settle in Tiruvannamalai—
albeit under one condition:

I
Just before I left home, my father said to me, ‘You are going
n the first segment we saw how young Kanakammal to Ramanasramam to follow your spiritual calling under the
struggled to manage family expectations regarding guidance of Bhagavan. You have my blessings. But before you go,
marriage. Tradition dictated that she follow the rules I would like you to promise me something. If ever I send for you,
laid down by her elders. But God sometimes intervenes you should not hesitate to come home.’ I knew that my father’s
and upsets traditional expectations of how things affection and concern for me were the reason for his extracting
should be. If ego is a legalist, as has been said, and is keen such a promise from me. So I agreed to his condition, and left for
on imposing strict interpretations of social norms, ego Tiruvannamalai. 2
is also content to keep one from following God’s call. After years of dreaming of this day, Kanakammal’s
We remember Bhagavan recounting the story of fervent prayers had at long last been answered and
Sakkubai1 whose mother-in-law became infuriated she made her way to Ramanasramam. Now that her
1 Talks §83 2 Cherished Memories, p. 69.

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 dream had become a reality, her heart was bursting I do?’ Anandammal smiled and remained silent. The next day
with anticipation, so much so that once in Bhagavan’s I wanted to go for a pradakshina around Arunachala. As I
presence, she was overcome with shyness and could could not go alone, Anandammal agreed to accompany me. When
hardly look directly at her chosen master: I went to take Bhagavan’s permission at about 5 am, no one
else was present. I thought that this was my opportunity. As I
In those days, Bhagavan was sitting in the Jubilee Hall. I would prostrated before him, I thought, ‘What do I ask him?’ On such
enter from the Old Hall and Bhagavan could see me only after I occasions I would think, ‘What do you know? What will you ask
turned into the Jubilee Hall. A wall would obstruct his view until this divine being at whose sight you become tongue-tied?’
then. In the Old Hall, I would muster courage and resolve that I All my questions would then remain bottled-up inside me. On that
would speak to Bhagavan on that day, but the moment I entered day, somehow mustering courage, I managed to say, ‘Bhagavan! I
the Jubilee Hall, all my courage would evaporate. I almost felt am going for pradakshina.’ I did not know what else to say.
something tangibly dropping away from me, as if something were Bhagavan, who was reclining on the sofa, leaned forward and said,
being emptied out. My gait would slow considerably. Beyond a ‘Uh! What?’ I then realized that although I requested permission
point, I would practically have to drag myself towards Bhagavan. to go for pradakshina, no sound had come from my mouth. Only
To compound matters, on such days Bhagavan would look directly my lips had moved. Again, I tried telling Bhagavan, with the
at me. I could not bear it when Bhagavan looked directly at same result. Bhagavan then said, ‘Oho! So you are going for the
me. The intensity of his gaze would push me inwards. In such pradakshina? Who is accompanying you?’
situations, I would just prostrate and sit down quietly, not even Anandammal, who had come to the hall by then and was standing
bothering to go up front near him. Bhagavan’s look would push beside me said, ‘Bhagavan, I am going.’ Bhagavan said ‘Very
me inside and I would sit quietly there for the whole day. This is good! Very good!’ and gave a beatific smile. Thus, despite several
what happened to me again and again in his presence. 3 opportunities to do so, I was never able to speak to Bhagavan. So
Kanakammal observed devotees like Devaraja how could I ask him anything? And what was I to ask? 4
Mudaliar, G. V. Subbaramayya, Sambasiva Rao and The Jubilee Hall
others conversing freely with Bhagavan and wondered Not long after Kanakammal’s arrival, preparations
why she could not do the same. She continues: for the Golden Jubilee of Bhagavan’s advent to
Eager to talk to Bhagavan I sought the help of Anandammal, Arunachala were underway:
who often sat next to me. ‘I want to talk to Bhagavan,’ I told her, On the 1st of September 1946, the 50th anniversary of
‘but I am unable to bring myself to do so. However, despite the Bhagavan’s arrival in Tiruvannamalai was celebrated with a
absence of words, I still get peace and satisfaction. What should grand function to mark the occasion. Special pujas were performed.
3 The Maharshi, Mar/Apr 2000, Vol.10 No.2. 4 Ibid.

Events at Sri Ramanasramam: Sw. Ramanananda Memorial Guest House

O n the morning of 6th April, Bhumi puja for the new Swami Ramanananda Memorial Guest House was performed by
Ashram priests with Ashram President Dr. Venkat S. Ramanan and Mrs. Nitya Ramanan in attendance. To be
constructed in Osborne Lane, the new compound will have 21 double rooms and should go a long way to resolve the
Ashram’s accommodation shortage. The new compound is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2023. —

page 4
 A large hall with a thatched roof was constructed and served as
the venue for all the functions connected with the celebrations. This
hall, situated next to the Old Hall, came to be known as the
Jubilee Hall.
After the Golden Jubilee celebrations, Bhagavan used to spend
a large part of the day in this hall. This was because the old
hall had become too cramped. Sri Ramanasramam was attracting
more and more people every day and sometimes, the Old Hall
just could not accommodate all the visitors. Some had to sit in the
outer verandah, or just outside the window on the western wall.
The Jubilee Hall, being large and spacious, could accommodate
many people. Moreover, Bhagavan’s special friends—peacocks
and monkeys, squirrels and dogs—could come and visit him much
more easily! 5
Incensing the Swami
The winter of 1946 was quite cool and since the
Jubilee Hall was an open-air pandal, the cold damp
morning air came right in. During the month of
Margazhi (December-January), Tamil Parayana began
at 4 am (just prior to Vedaparayana) and consisted
of Muruganar’s Sri Ramana Sannidhi Murai as well
as Tiruppalliyezhuchi, Tiruvenbhavai, Tiruvammanai and
Tirupallandu and portions of Manickavachakar’s
Tiruvachakam-Tiruvembhavai. Bhagavan was seated by Bhagavan in the Jubilee Hall, 1946

3.30 am. Kanakammal describes the scene:

Since the Jubilee Hall was open on all sides, the cold was really day, Bhagavan was returning to the Jubilee Hall from
biting. Yet Bhagavan would wear only a shawl, which covered his the gosala. At the entrance to the men’s guest room
head. Incense was burnt and when sprinkled on the live charcoal, next to the stores a lady had drawn kolam of a peacock.
the smoke would spread, freshening the entire atmosphere. The The peacock design had come out so well and life-like
urn with burning charcoal stood on a stool near Sri Bhagavan. that the Ashram’s white peacock was stunned looking
Occasionally he would spread out his palm and fingers over the
at it and took it to be another of his species. Bhagavan
fire and enjoy the warmth. His doing so was a beautiful sight!
observed that he would not eat the grain that had been
Sometimes when an overenthusiastic attendant offered a lot of
incense, waves of thick, heavy smoke gushed out and smothered scattered there for him but only stared at the lifelike
Bhagavan’s face and he could hardly breathe. Bhagavan laughed image. Kanakammal narrates Bhagavan’s conversation
and said: ‘Pour more and more of it on the fire. Who is affected? with this grand white bird:
Only Swami is affected! In temples too, the Swami is thus ‘What? Are you feeling that a competitor has come to confront
smothered’. After a pause he would add: ‘Perhaps that is why you?’ After Bhagavan said this, the white peacock, as if
in temples the Swami is always made of stone! Otherwise, how understanding his retort, gave up his staring and started eating the
troublesome would all this worship become for him. I am troubled grain. Bhagavan commented: ‘The greatness of a piece of art lies
only once a day. Imagine the predicament of the temple God. For in another artist of the same calibre appreciating it wholeheartedly.
him it is six times a day; sometimes even more!’ 6 If you stitch a cloth and if a tailor appreciates it then it must be
Around this time, just before Bhagavan’s Jayanthi really first rate. Likewise, if a peacock looks at and appreciates
a drawing of a peacock, it proves the excellence of the artwork!’ 7
5 Cherished Memories, p. 66.
6 ‘Paramount Ramana’, The Mountain Path, Jan 1986, p. 27. 7 ‘Noble Ramana’, The Mountain Path, Oct 1985, p. 266.

page 5
 Important Visitors Sri Krishna Prem said that ‘Everything is pervaded by Lord Vasudeva’
Kanakammal apprenticed herself to life in Bhagavan’s and asked Bhagavan: ‘Is this not the highest ideal?’ Bhagavan said,
Ashram by simply observing the master’s actions in and ‘Yes, yes! It is an exalted state of consciousness. Vaishnavism is based
on this. Yet, who is it that thinks, ‘All that is perceived is Vasudeva’?
around the Ashram and his interactions with devotees
Is it not you, yourself? Do any of the things perceived come forward
in the hall. She noticed how ordinary standards were
announcing themselves as Vasudeva? While seeing the earth, trees, and
revised in this unique world at the feet of the sage and plants as Vasudeva, don’t you wish to see yourself as Vasudeva? If
the common rules regarding social standing did not you who see everything as Vasudeva learn to see yourself as Vasudeva,
seem to hold sway in the presence of this penniless you will become Vasudeva. After that there will be no need to perceive
sadhu clad in a kaupinam. Kanakammal comments: everything as His Form. If he who sees is transformed into Vasudeva,
S everal prominent personalities and people of high social standing, then that which is seen automatically becomes Vasudeva! 9
wealth and prestige visited Bhagavan. Seated inside the hall, when A Message from Home
I observed them coming to meet Bhagavan, I could see that they A few months after her arrival, Kanakammal, who had
were very conscious of their status, position, and power. Their walk
completely forgotten the world beyond the confines of
and bearing displayed such a consciousness. However, the moment
Ramanasramam, received a telegram. It was from her
they crossed the doorway into the hall and walked into Bhagavan’s
presence, there would be a remarkable transformation in their father who was not well. He wrote to ask her to return
behaviour, almost like from that of a tiger to a kitten. Without home. The news was shocking, and she did not know how
being told anything, they would automatically fold their hands and to respond. She had not forgotten the promise she made
stand bowing in respect before Bhagavan. before leaving home. She went to see Appu Sastri, a family
We may see a form sitting on the couch, but the real Bhagavan is friend who was close to both her father and her uncle.
the spiritual force that radiates everywhere and subdues every ego as When Appu Sastri showed the message to Bhagavan,
they enter his presence. Everyone leaves their ego outside, as it were, Bhagavan asked, ‘Who will take her to the station and
and just sits quietly in Bhagavan’s presence.8 put her on the train?’ Appu Sastri replied, ‘I will see to
It was not just those of worldly accomplishments the arrangements myself, Bhagavan.’ Bhagavan appeared
but those of repute in the religious domain who also satisfied with this. All was arranged and the train was
felt chastened in the sage’s company. Krishna Prem, a scheduled to leave Tiruvannamalai at 6 pm:
renowned Vaishnavite, became meek as a schoolboy at the I reached the station, caught the train, and travelled to Katpadi.
feet of Bhagavan. Kanakammal describes the exchange: At Katpadi, I had to get off and catch another train to reach our

8 The Maharshi, Jan/Feb 2010, Vol.20 No.1. 9 Cherished Memories, p. 112.

Events at Sri Ramanasramam: Nirvana Room Celebration

O n New Year’s Day, 14th April, devotees gathered in the hall in the afternoon to hear the reading of the panchangam for
the coming year. Later that evening, all gathered at Bhagavan’s Nirvana room for the singing of Aksharamanamalai.
This tradition was started more than 20 years ago when T.R. Kanakammal proposed it to former President V.S. Ramanan.
The gathering during this year’s Nirvana Room recitation was the largest to date. —

page 6
hometown. When I reached home, I was relieved to find that my to get back to the Ashram immediately. I showed Appu Sastri’s
father’s condition had improved considerably. He was now out of letter to my father. After reading it, my father said, ‘Oh! I am
danger and was gradually regaining his strength. very sorry. I should not have been so hasty. But the situation really
Unknown to her, as soon as she left the Ashram, a appeared quite bad and that is why I wanted you to come at once.
second telegram arrived: ‘Father better. You need not But after despatching the telegram, there was some improvement. I
thought I should save you the trouble of coming all this way. So, I
come now.’ Bhagavan was keen that someone go and
arranged for the second telegram to be sent, hoping it would reach you
intercept Kanaka at the station, but it was too late. The before you left the Ashram. But it seems to have arrived too late. My
train had already departed: dear girl, now that you have come, please stay with us for a few days.
Appu Sastri wrote me a letter giving all these details and enquiring We would all love to have you with us for a while.’ 10 —
about my father’s health. When I read that letter, I was overcome by
emotion. I was moved by Bhagavan’s concern for me. I felt thrilled (to be continued)
that Bhagavan had made such kind enquiries about me, and I longed 10 Cherished Memories, p. 70.

Events at Sri Ramanasramam: Sri Bhagavan’s 72nd Aradhana

S ri Bhagavan’s 72nd Aradhana was observed Thursday the 28th April with abhishekam starting around 8 am and
final arati at 10.30 am. Three thousand devotees received Bhagavan’s prasad from six buffet stations, two in the
pandal behind the dining hall, two in a tent erected behind the dormitories, one in the large dining hall and a sixth
at the site of daily Narayana Seva. Smt. Ambika Kameshwar offered a musical feature on Bhagavan in the evening.
The following day, RMCL hosted the Ramana Pada Pancha Ratnam with verses from Sivaprakasam Pillai set to the five
ghana ragas of St. Thyagaraja’s famous Pancharatna Kritis. —

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 up his emaciated form in darshan so that devotees might
receive a parting blessing. Bhagavan once commented
on the challenge of being constantly sought after:
Swamihood is very difficult. You cannot imagine it. I am speaking
from fifty years of experience. 1
It is hard for most devotees to picture what it would
be like to be in the public view around the clock.
How many of us could bear that kind of exposure
even for a week much less decades on end? But then,
one wonders where the need for privacy comes from.
What underlies the need to be out of view? Who is
this one that wants to avoid scrutiny? Who is this one
that fears being seen? The English word shame means
‘to cover.’ But what is it we are covering?
In the Bereishith, the first of the five books of the
Jewish Torah, is a fabled scene where God enters the
garden and not seeing Adam and Eve asks, ‘Why are
you hiding?’ They replied, ‘Because we are naked’.
‘Who told you that you are naked’? In other words,
who told you that you were separate from God, separate from
one another? Who told you that you should say ‘I’? God then
asks, ‘Did you eat of the tree I forbade you to eat of ?’
Prior to this Adam had lived in the innocence of the
garden, at one with the garden, at one with his created
nature in God. By eating the fruit of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, however, he gained the
sense of duality, the sense of self and other. Through
RAMANA REFLECTIONS the self-concept he had become an actor in the world
and had begun to see himself as one apart from
creation. Here we have an allegorical representation
Flaws in the Wood of the birth of ego, the birth of separation.2
It is the sense of separation that brings shame, and

A mong the outstanding features of Bhagavan’s

life is how available Bhagavan was to the public.
Reading the chronicles of life in the hall, we see how
shame invariably causes us to want to hide. Imagining
a small self within that is imperfect and flawed, we
may want to conceal it. The need to hide from others
day and night he was in the public view, living out every comes from the fear of being seen. As one is, one is
detail of his life before an audience, his every action not enough, says shame. But in Bhagavan’s case, this
observable by onlookers. We see in Bhagavan a being illusion had evaporated entirely and there was no
that was absolutely transparent, concealing nothing. In longer any confusion, no little man within, but only
the night when he laid down to rest, he was not alone, as the Self. What need did Bhagavan have to hide? What
unvaryingly several devotees would take their rest in the could he ever be ashamed of ?
hall as well. Even some of the surgical procedures in the
1 Day by Day, 28-12-45 Morning.
dispensary in the late 1940s were performed before a 2 The English sin is cognate with ‘sunder’ (from Norse synd and
small group of onlookers and on his last day, he offered German Sünde) which means ‘apart’ or ‘separate’.

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 As stated above, shame means ‘to cover’, but in its toxic The Veiling Impulse
form it can be seen as a projection of a negative self- Theravadin monastics have a saying, to become zero, you
image where we imagine we know what ‘they’ think of have to become one. What does this mean? It means that to
us. In other words, toxic shame (as opposed to healthy dissolve the ego, we must make whole the loose ends
moral shame) is a kind of self-directed condemnation of the egoic nexus. We must first identify, uncover,
that makes use of others as surrogates for the all-seeing and openly acknowledge them. To bring this about,
Eye, for God, who we fear would negatively estimate our there should be a willingness to see ourselves as we
ultimate worth. Stated another way, shame is inwardly are and allow ourselves to be seen by others. But the
directed blame (as opposed to scapegoating which is drive to concealment precludes such an uncovering.
blame that is outwardly directed) and we may imagine ‘Putting our best foot forward’ or ‘being on our best
shame as a form of self-correction and a sign of our behaviour’ are common idioms for legitimizing this
humility. But actually, shame is a form of false humility veiling impulse. Here we actively avoid being seen as
that only more deeply entrenches our narcissism. we really are, fearing that if we were to do so, our
Outward approval is the compensatory mechanism for peers would turn away from us in disgust. We conceal
the sense of lack caused by shame. Traditionally referred what we perceive as our flaws to protect our public
to as fame, this is the need ever to be acknowledged persona. Embellishment, exaggeration, secrecy, and
and affirmed by others. Yet, no matter how much outright fabrication may be brought in to moderate
acknowledgement is gained from without, it can never the fear of humiliation and feelings of insecurity.
fill the hole within. Bhagavan was keenly aware of this Colleagues and acquaintances, if unconsciously
feature of the egoic complex and addressed it once making use of similar strategies, are often unable to
when commenting on the gifts of the talented artist: identify the motive behind our vigorous efforts at
For [a gifted artist,] Self-enquiry and realisation would be very easy to public-image management. They may imagine that
attain. But unfortunately, such people do not show much interest in the the desire to conceal ourselves from them means
quest for truth…[Instead] the urge will always be to attain perfection we distrust them. What had been intended to ensure
in the artistic ability, and not to seek the perfection within. 3 meaningful connection and safeguard our acceptance
Regrettably, each of us is the artist, at least in one by society may turn out to confuse others and set us
significant respect, namely, in fashioning an illusory apart from them.
separate self and trying to beautify and embellish it If ego has extended its tentacles throughout the
before the eyes of the world. Each of us is creating, worldwide web in the hyper-digitized era, social
re-creating, and sustaining this illusion moment by anxiety has become an epidemic. Strategies to calm
moment. Outer approval gives short-term relief for the fear and discomfort concerning our place in the
the sense of lack born of the illusion. But the gnawing overall scheme of things may include self-deception.
sense of lack always returns, and one must perform Self-deception is tricky because, by definition, we
attention-seeking behaviours afresh. cannot be aware of it at the time of its arising.
Shame is an inverted form of narcissism arising out Plato wrote, everything that deceives can be said to enchant.
of the need to improve. But to improve what? A non- What did he mean? Enchantment is the willingness
existent entity? Indeed, our sense of insufficiency is well- to be deluded for personal benefit, and denial
founded—not because we are an ego that is imperfect invariably pushes the delusion further down into
but because we are not an ego at all, says Bhagavan. The the unconscious. Of course, these mechanisms can
ultimate insecurity comes in identifying with something be appealing in the short term, but if our secrets make
that is non-existent. Then we magnify the dilemma by us sick, as goes a common therapeutic saying, what
seeking to conceal this root insecurity. While our artistic we hide away hurts us. Why? Because concealment
creation is unreal, the pain it brings is tangible. stems from shame and what would not otherwise be
3 T.R. Kanakammal, Cherished Memories, p. 119. blameworthy appears so by the act of concealing it.

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Most of what we attempt to conceal is not blameable
at all but originates from a diminished sense of self-
worth. The saying sin thrives in darkness really just
means that consigning anything to the shadows of the
unconscious makes it darker.
Of course, sadhakas throughout the ages have prized
seclusion for the sake of following the path to God, and
indeed, everyone has the right to privacy. But how we
use it and our motivations for it are key. Rudolf Steiner
once wrote that a single lie causes kundalini to close up. That
is, transgressions, which would include the attempt to
appear to others as more than we are, cut us off from the
spiritual heart. Very often the need behind concealment
and misleading behaviours is quite innocent. It is just
the need to belong, to be accepted, and to that end, to surrounding our denial lighten and the occluding veil
present ourselves in the best possible light. However, only of shame begins to disperse. Bhagavan says:
straightforward speech and action can help us discover The seeker of liberation realizes his real nature by distinguishing
what needs care and attention. If we use falsehood to the eternal from the transient, never swerving from his natural
conceal our pride stemming from a sense of lack, then state. People think that moksha is somewhere yonder and should
we have no means of healing it. Concealed conceit is be sought outside. They are wrong. Moksha is only knowing the
hazardous while revealed conceit, pride that is openly Self within yourself. 4
acknowledged, is benign. The blind spot in the old paradigm is two-fold. First,
Forests of the Heart we imagine that banishing our impurities frees us from
them. And second, we imagine that what is leftover
While walking in the woods, we invariably find trees
is the Self. Both assumptions are mistaken. In exiling
that are knotty, crooked, and ill-formed. Beneath the
the unwanted parts of ourselves, we are not in any
bark, the tree’s inner make-up is likewise asymmetrical.
way free of them but are simply relegating them to
Swirls in the grain twist about here and there.
the unconscious. Secondly, what remains leftover is
Nevertheless, we accept every tree no matter how
not the Self but an idealised virtual self. Idealisation,
distorted its shape and patterning. We understand it
born of the comparing mind, is the root mechanism
as nature’s way. How is it then that we are unwilling to
in the narcissistic apparatus and simply means crafting
grant similar license to the inner forests of the heart?
a self that takes on the appearance of the Self. But no
If regions within us appear irregular and disfigured,
matter how pristine its appearance, the idealised self
we deem them unacceptable. Here begins the chain of
is still just the ego. To make matters worse, we have
samsara and here, Bhagavan’s vichara proves to be out
complicated things by driving orphaned fragments of
of reach and his surrender, inaccessible. A fractured
the psyche out of reach. If we employ magical thinking
ego cannot be let go of. Fragmentation carries with it
to keep what is distasteful out of sight, we unwittingly
the longing for wholeness and anything we loathe has
cut ourselves off from the penetrating insight born of
the power of continuance. What we wish away is hidden
investigation. We never arrive at virtue because of our
from view, amplifying our troubles. If ego comes from
unwillingness to take stock of our non-virtue. On the
the impulse to resist, vichara thrives by the opposite
other hand, if we befriend our non-virtue, we begin to
instinct, namely, the willingness to differentiate the real
see our imperfections impartially. In allowing ourselves
from the hidden, the innate from the adventitious, and
to behold our non-virtue—in openly acknowledging
to behold conditions as they truly are. In taking the
small step from refusal to acceptance, the habit-forces 4 Spiritual Instructions, Chapter II, §1; Talks §31.

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it and confessing it to ourselves and others—virtue (‘blood-seed’) by making use of her long tongue to catch
begins to arise out of nowhere. How can that be? every drop of blood that spills from Rakthabij’s severed
Virtue begins with disclosure, namely, bringing what head. Overtly, we know that Raktheshwari does this to
is hidden into view. This might at first feel counter- prevent any drops of blood from touching the earth lest
intuitive because we really believe we are flawed and a new Rakthabij spring up. But at the level of archetypal
that the cure for our flaws is simply wishing them away. symbol, her action expresses a universal theme: the need
But when hidden behind the veil of denial, they work to commune with what opposes you. You must befriend
against us whereas if they are brought out into the and become intimate with that which threatens you to
open, we can work with them. Becoming intimate with overcome it, after all, whatever you pit yourself against,
the shadow by the light of our own simple awareness, grows stronger, whatever you steadfastly resist, remains,
the inner darkness is illuminated, and the urge towards and whatever you hate, gains authority over you.
concealment falls away on its own. The universal law is past actions bear fruit,6 but when
Dharmic Aikido we resist the fruit-bearing within, it invariably comes
Ancient wisdom from cultures around the world to us from without. A revered Tibetan monk tolf that
tells us that greeting inner darkness and the chthonic in Tibet it had always been part of the tradition to
forces of the unconscious leads to their purification. ceremonially appease the fiercest of the demons in a
Fables from the West, for example, often centre on special annual puja. When the centuries-old practice
themes like the princess kissing the clammy wart- was discontinued in the late 1940s, it was only a couple
covered toad, an archetypal expression of assimilating of years later that the Chinese invaded Tibet. For him,
what is ugly within us to make it beautiful. The kissed the two events were linked.
toad is transformed into a handsome prince, which Blows from the Carver’s Hand
here, symbolises the Self. Other themes may consist There’s a poem from the Welsh poet, David Whyte,
of a hero descending into a dark cave to battle a set in Nepal. The poet comes to a temple guarded by
multi-headed dragon to rescue the captive princess. the ‘fierce-figure’ Vajrapani (a half-male/half-female
The cave represents the hidden realms of the heart, deity; vajra: ‘diamond’, pani: ‘water’) and upon entering
the dragon, unconscious egoic fears, and the princess, the sanctum by lantern-light beholds on the temple
again, the Self. A line from Rilke speaks to this: ceiling ‘one hundred beautiful faces of Bodhisattvas
Perhaps everything that frightens us is, in its deepest essence, carved in devotion’. He wonders at the monks who
something helpless that needs our help.5 in some former century carved them, that they
In the East we have the dramatic scene from the Devi must have been made of the same ‘vibrant stillness’
Mahatmyam (Saptashatī) where Durga takes the form otherwise how could they have brought out ‘such love
of Kali and sets out to vanquish the demon Rakthabij in solid wood’. Then comes the following lines:

5 Letters to a Young Poet. 6 Upadesa Saram, v. 1.

Announcement: Sri Ramana Maharshi Heritage

S ri Ramana Maharshi Heritage (SRMH) is a newly created 501 (c) (3), registered non-profit
in the United States. The organization’s purpose is to preserve Sri Ramana Maharshi’s
heritage and to serve devotees who are drawn to the life and teachings of Bhagavan. The
new entity’s objectives are aligned with those of Sri Ramanasramam in India. Devotees
in the United States who wish to donate towards and participate in Sri Ramanasramam’s
charitable initiatives in India can learn more by visiting the SRMH website: https://www.
srmh.org/ or by sending an email to: sriramanamaharshiheritage@gmail.com.

page 11
 into quantitative striving. In denying our vulnerability,
we imagine our flaws are the cause of our suffering
whereas in fact they are the golden string that would
lead us out from it. If embraced, our flaws could show
us who we are. But fighting with our failing is ignoring
the entrance to the shrine itself because the shrine is the
sanctuary for the orphans of the heart, and the deity
there is called, ‘Acceptance’. The poet concludes:
If only we could give ourselves
to the blows of the Carver’s hand,
the lines in our faces would be the trace lines of rivers
feeding the sea
where voices meet, praising the features of the mountain and the
cloud and the sky.
If only our own faces
Our faces would fall away
would allow the invisible carver’s hand
until we, growing younger toward death
to bring the deep grain of love to the surface.
every day, would gather all our flaws in celebration
If only we knew to merge with them perfectly,
as the carver knew, how the flaws impossibly,
in the wood led his searching chisel to the very core. wedded to our essence,
What the poet seems to be talking about here are the full of silence from the Carver’s hands.7
fault-lines within us, our flaws, disappointments, and Gather our flaws in celebration? How would we ever
regrets. Rather than things that need hiding away, they celebrate what we most dislike in ourselves?
are the portals to lasting freedom and point to the If overcoming illusory bondage finds its entry in
very essence of us, to ‘the very core’. Yet, many spend investigating what is not yet perfected, the Ramana
their lives covering them over, hiding them from way begins with vichara. Vital and vibrant enquiry
others. The flaws that led his searching chisel have depends on a heart that is self-accepting. We gather all
the power to guide us beyond the shoals of egoic our flaws in celebration not just because they lead to
delusion. Picking up with the previous line: the core of us—the Self—but in allowing ourselves to
If only we knew receive benediction, we are able to give benediction in
as the carver knew, how the flaws return, thereby enlarging our capacity for acceptance.
in the wood led his searching chisel to the very core, If we extol a mother who cares for her children
We would smile, too, no matter how outwardly flawed they appear, why
and not need faces immobilized should we not extend the same kindness to ourselves?
by fear and the weight of things undone. What has gotten into us that we imagine that shame
When we fight with our failing and self-reproach can help us? The American poet,
we ignore the entrance to the shrine itself. Galway Kinnell had this to say:
And as we fight Sometimes it is necessary to reteach a thing its loveliness, until it
our eyes are hooded with grief flowers from within, of self-blessing. 8
and our mouths are dry with pain. Reteaching us to flower from within is Bhagavan’s
Fighting with our failing means being preoccupied with forté. Bhagavan is practised in getting devotees to
shortcomings, trying to appear as someone else, favourably negotiate the fine line between heaven and
someone better, thinking we need something from 7 ‘Faces at Braga’.
outside to improve us. In fighting with our failing, we fall 8 ‘St Francis and the Sow’.

page 12
hell. He brings this about by reminding us of what is the veil of denial, we uncover the disquietude behind
already there within us. Kanakammal illustrates this it. When we allow ourselves to rest in the discomfort,
point in a story from the hall: we learn the art of adjusting to conditions. Here
Muruganar had seen devotees come before Bhagavan who were surrender and vichara begin to work in tandem. The
distraught and who shed tears about their life. They would sit apparent flaws in our created nature now appear as
before Bhagavan, morose in their grief, hoping Bhagavan might nothing before the light of the Uncreated Self and we
relieve their distress. The poet addressed them in a verse: find we have no further need for shame, secrecy, and
‘You are like ones digging a well on the bank of the Ganga crying dressing ourselves up in the guise of someone better.
out in thirst.’ Then, in the following line, he corrected himself: ‘No, you If earlier we imagined that perfection is gained when
are like ones neck deep in the Ganga crying out in thirst’. there is nothing left to add, now we see it is gained when
When Muruganar showed the verse to Bhagavan, Bhagavan
there is nothing left to take away. What is it that needs taking
said, ‘You forgot one further correction: “It is not that you are neck
away? It is simply the illusion that we are separate from
deep in the Ganga, rather, you are GANGA HERSELF,
crying out in thirst.”’ others and separate from God.
Upon hearing and understanding the implication of these words The astonishing fact in all this is how easy it is to
from the Master, anyone in the hall suffering anguish at that make inroads into this corner of the egoic complex.
moment would have found their difficulty dramatically diminished.9 If we don’t like what we see in ourselves or, for that
Conclusion matter, what we see in this strife-ridden world, then let
us be the first ones to witness a new paradigm emerge
Bhagavan’s two-pronged teaching—surrender and
within. Let the frequency of the higher vibration we
vichara—is simple. Surrender is disinterested action offered
manifest through Bhagavan’s teaching be our silent
up to the Lord,10 giving ourselves over to the hard knocks
contribution to the collective, trusting it will ripple
that come to us woven in the pattern of our destiny11.
out and have its effect. Let us be the change we want
Vichara is investigating the one that stands in the way
to see in the world, to quote Gandhiji, because the
of this giving-over. If the practice of enquiry demands
cynicism and bitterness we imagine we see in the world
great care, it is because self-deception asserts itself at
only signals a corresponding cynicism and bitterness
every turn. But such care will stand us in good stead for
unconsciously hidden away within our own hearts. Let
by it we build a rapport within, and the light-bearing
us recover our innocence using the healing power of
power of Bhagavan’s enquiry can begin to illumine and
enquiry, knowing all the while that when we illumine
restore all that lies hidden within us. As we penetrate
the shadow within, we break the shackles of shame and
9 Various versions of this sotry have circulated. The details of self-judgment. If the shackles within get broken, the
this one come from Aparna Krishnamoorthy. shackles in the collective begin to break up too, and we
10 Upadesa Saram, v. 3.
11 From Marcus Aurelius: What could be more apt for our needs than
end up being of service to this poor suffering world
that which comes to us woven in the pattern of our destiny. trying against all odds to become whole. —

Ashram Gardens: Planting the Kashi Bilva

R ecently the bhadam tree in front of Bhagavan’s hall died and was
removed. As a kashi bilva tree stands at the rear of Bhagavan’s
samadhi hall, it was deemed appropriate to plant the same species in
the corresponding spot in front of Bhagavan’s hall. Ashram President,
Dr. Venkat S. Ramanan planted the sapling on 25th April. According to
the Siva Purana, the bilva is the manifest form of Lord Siva Himself. —

page 13
 Events at Sri Ramanasramam: Sri Vidya Homa

A fter Bhagavan’s Mahasamadhi, Chadwick began to solicit funds to initiate and support the Sri Chakra Puja. In
March,1953, under Chadwick’s stewardship, the Sri Chakra Puja commenced and Sri Vidya havan was established as
the annual rite to reconsecrate the Sri Chakra and the Mother’s Shrine. This year, Sri Vidya Homa took place on Friday 8th
April with Kalasasthapana, Lalita Sahasranamam, Trisathi, and concluding with poornahuti and arati. A procession into
the Mother’s Shine with consecrated kalasas was followed by abhishekam, alankaram and deepaaradhana. The usual Friday
evening Sri Chakra puja was performed in the Mother’s Shrine the following morning. —

The Ashram Dispensary: Free Medical Camps

M edical camps with free treatment are being offered at the Ashram Dispensary. On the third Sunday of the month, the
not-for-profit Sankara Eye Hospital of Coimbatore offers an eye camp with free medications and surgeries. Aravindh
Herbal Labs of Rajapalayam sponsors an Ayurveda and Siddha Vaidyam camp on the last Sunday of the month with free
Siddha and Ayurvedic medicine. An Orthopaedic camp is headed up by Dr Niranjan Rao, a devotee of Guntur who makes
the 10-hour drive each month to conduct the camp. A Neuro camp is scheduled for early May, supplementing regular video
consultation in neurology led by Dr. Sanjay Raghav of Australia. Additional camps are being initiated to meet the various
medical needs of the local population. [For information on dates and timings, please contact Mathavan at: +91-9600325724] —

Announcement: Ashram YouTube Channel

To access Ashram videos, go to: <https://www.youtube.com/c/SriRamanasramam/videos>
To subscribe, go to: <https://www.youtube.com/c/sriramanasramam?sub_confirmation=1>

page 14
 Obituary: Sri John Grimes

B orn 1948 in Berkeley, CA, John Allen Grimes was a sophomore at the University of Washington
on a full tennis scholarship when he had an existential experience that led him to India. His
father took up the Self-Realization yoga of Paramahamsa Yogananda just as John was setting off for
India. Once there, John met various spiritual masters and became one of the first Western devotees
of Sri Satya Sai Baba. By the time of his second visit in 1973, his love for India had become so
pronounced that when disembarking the plane, he took off his sandals and left them on the plane.
When asked by immigration why he was not wearing shoes, he said, India is punya bhumi (holy land).
John got his B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of California at Santa Barbara
and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Indian Philosophy from the University of Madras. A gifted
lecturer, John taught at numerous Universities in the United States, Canada, Singapore, and
India. Among his numerous publications are, The Vivekachudamani: Sankara’s Crown Jewel of Discrimination; A Concise
Dictionary of Indian Philosophy; Ganapati: Song of the Self; Problems and Perspectives in Religious Discourse: Advaita Vedanta
Implications; and Quest for Certainty. A staunch advaitan, John took to Bhagavan Ramana and in 2015, published Ramana
Maharshi: The Crown Jewel of Advaita. John also wrote varous articles for The Mountain Path, including a large number of
‘Keywords’ which have been compiled and are to be published soon by Indica Books, Varanasi.
Recently, John suffered a series of health set-backs, among them, a diabetic seizure and a small stroke. Five days before his
demise, he stopped taking food, and two days later, stopped taking water. His sole occupation was japa recitation and silence.
On April 18th 2022 at 5:50 pm with his wife and son lovingly at his side, John merged at the Feet of Sri Bhagavan.
His son performed the cremation rites that evening and on the following morning, consigned his father’s mortal
remains to the Bay of Bengal. John is survived by his wife Meera, his son Isa, and two grandchildren, Devan and
Kiran. He will be remembered as gentle and kind by all who knew him. —

Obituary: Sri M. R. Bharathan

S ri M.R. Bharathan took retirement and came to the Ashram where he served in the Ashram
library in the late 1990s, and afterward, for a time in the Ashram office. He found his place
in the Ashram bookstall where he assisted in the parcel department. He was appreciated for his
unassuming gentle nature. In recent years Bharathan suffered various health conditions. He fell sick
during the Omicron outbreak in late January and was hospitalised with pulmonary complications.
Released in February, he returned to the Ashram but continued to have lung issues and was
eventually hospitalised in Pondicherry. He passed away peacefully on the 13th March 2022. —

Announcement: Sri Ramanasramam Centenary

(1st September 2022- 28th December 2023)

S ri Ramanasramam’s Centenary celebrations officially begin on the 1st September,

2022 and will be spread out over a 16-month period until Jayanthi Day, 28th
December 2023. It is recorded in one place that Bhagavan came down the hill to stay
permanently about one week before Jayanti which fell that year on 3rd January 1923.
If so, this means the Ashram would have been established around this time in 1922.

Publisher: Dr Venkat S. Ramanan

page 15 saranagathi@sriramanamaharshi.org