What do you think?
Rate this book
Maharshi's Gospel
Doubts occur to all seekers on the spiritual path. The precise answers given by Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi in these pages represent the quintessence of Divine Wisdom. Bhagavan Sri Ramana speaks from the peak of spiritual experience. Every word that falls from his lips is the essence of Upanishadic wisdom.The devout reader who studies these pages, to whatever religion he may belong, is sure to gain the conviction that his essential nature is divine. He will be guided to the core of his Being, the Heart.
- GenresSpiritualityPhilosophy
66 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2013
75 people are currently reading
160 people want to read
About the author
Ramana Maharshi
253 books601 followersBhagavan Sri Ramaṇa Mahārṣi (Tamil: ரமண மஹரிஷி) born Venkataraman Iyer, was probably the most famous Indian sage of the twentieth century, he was born on December 30, 1879 in a village called Tirucculi about 30 miles south of Madurai in southern India. His middle-class parents named him Venkataraman. His father died when he was twelve, and he went to live with his uncle in Madurai, where he attended American Mission High School.
At age 16, he became spontaneously self-realized. Six weeks later he ran away to the holy hill of Arunachala where he would remain for the rest of his life. For several years he stopped talking and spent many hours each day in samadhi. When he began speaking again, people came to ask him questions, and he soon acquired a reputation as a sage. In 1907, when he was 28, one of his early devotees named him Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, Divine Eminent Ramana the Great Seer, and the name stuck. Eventually he became world-famous and an ashram was built around him. He died of cancer in 1950 at the age of 70.
Ramana Maharshi was born 30 kilometers south of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India.
His Self-Realization
At age 16, he heard somebody mention "Arunachala." Although he didn't know what the word meant (it's the name of a holy hill associated with the god Shiva) he became greatly excited. At about the same time he came across a copy of Sekkilar's Periyapuranam, a book that describes the lives of Shaivite saints, and became fascinated by it. In the middle of 1896, at age 16, he was suddenly overcome by the feeling that he was about to die. He lay down on the floor, made his body stiff, and held his breath. "My body is dead now," he said to himself, "but I am still alive." In a flood of spiritual awareness he realized he was spirit, not his body.
His Guru
Ramana Maharshi didn't have a human guru (other than himself). He often said that his guru was Arunachala, a holy mountain in South India.
His Teachings
Ramana Maharshi taught a method called self-inquiry in which the seeker focuses continuous attention on the I-thought in order to find its source. In the beginning this requires effort, but eventually something deeper than the ego takes over and the mind dissolves in the heart center.
At age 16, he became spontaneously self-realized. Six weeks later he ran away to the holy hill of Arunachala where he would remain for the rest of his life. For several years he stopped talking and spent many hours each day in samadhi. When he began speaking again, people came to ask him questions, and he soon acquired a reputation as a sage. In 1907, when he was 28, one of his early devotees named him Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, Divine Eminent Ramana the Great Seer, and the name stuck. Eventually he became world-famous and an ashram was built around him. He died of cancer in 1950 at the age of 70.
Ramana Maharshi was born 30 kilometers south of Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India.
His Self-Realization
At age 16, he heard somebody mention "Arunachala." Although he didn't know what the word meant (it's the name of a holy hill associated with the god Shiva) he became greatly excited. At about the same time he came across a copy of Sekkilar's Periyapuranam, a book that describes the lives of Shaivite saints, and became fascinated by it. In the middle of 1896, at age 16, he was suddenly overcome by the feeling that he was about to die. He lay down on the floor, made his body stiff, and held his breath. "My body is dead now," he said to himself, "but I am still alive." In a flood of spiritual awareness he realized he was spirit, not his body.
His Guru
Ramana Maharshi didn't have a human guru (other than himself). He often said that his guru was Arunachala, a holy mountain in South India.
His Teachings
Ramana Maharshi taught a method called self-inquiry in which the seeker focuses continuous attention on the I-thought in order to find its source. In the beginning this requires effort, but eventually something deeper than the ego takes over and the mind dissolves in the heart center.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 4, 2022
What is Maharshi's Gospel? Maharshi believes that our inherent nature is bliss. But this is veiled by the false identification of the Self with the nonself. For Maharshi, the primary issue is the identification with the body. According to him, the "I am the body idea must go before good results follow". The other identifications are also problematic: with the mind, personality, etc. But this one is particularly important for it is the locus of all duality in the world and egoic consciousness. The ego requires objects to grasp onto, without which, like a worm crawling from leaf to leaf, it falls and vanishes. Regarding the mind, Maharshi believes happiness is born of peace. And "peace can reign only whrere there is no distrubance and disturbance is due to thoughts that arisein the mind. When the mind itself is absent there will be perfect peace." Thus, both taking the mind to be the Self and also fueling the ego through giving into its limitations create further disturbances and unhappiness.
One of the great challenges is turning away from the external world that the mind and body both find so enticing. According to him, the first step to doing so is taking it to be entirely unreal. The so called external world is actually an illusion similar to a dream. It is totally dependent on mind and ever changing, thus cannot be real. The way to transcend the body, mind and world is to ignore it and "scorch it". For every form we hold onto just gives more trouble. Ultimately, the end goal is to realize that this blissful state we spend our whole lives seeking is here all along in perfect stillness. "Your duty is to be and not to be this or that. "I am that I am" sums up the whole truth; the method is summarized in be still. And what does still ness mean? It means destroy yourself; because every name and form is the cause of trouble."
One of the great challenges is turning away from the external world that the mind and body both find so enticing. According to him, the first step to doing so is taking it to be entirely unreal. The so called external world is actually an illusion similar to a dream. It is totally dependent on mind and ever changing, thus cannot be real. The way to transcend the body, mind and world is to ignore it and "scorch it". For every form we hold onto just gives more trouble. Ultimately, the end goal is to realize that this blissful state we spend our whole lives seeking is here all along in perfect stillness. "Your duty is to be and not to be this or that. "I am that I am" sums up the whole truth; the method is summarized in be still. And what does still ness mean? It means destroy yourself; because every name and form is the cause of trouble."
May 9, 2024
This book have me a lot of peaceful advise, I like to talk about sushupti or a third entity, while singing, like the way sushupti is together with bigotry that should be seen as spoiler alert in otherwise mellowed peace loving living. I read it in 2020. Some lines goes beyond. I love that mountains exist not only for mountain flowers, for peace loving people too. Trek spoiler alerts, gospels make new ways there! Just to move mountains of despair and rebuild a self strong and mighty as one of the mountains. I really am wishing to go there and meditate!
November 20, 2021
The narrator Frydman is a gifted writer and gets across the Maharshi's message loud and clear. He also wrote 'I am That' about Nisargadatta Maharaj. Hopefully, someone will write a biography about Frydman one day. Maharshi's Gospel is a powerful read and is highly recommended for those interested in the truth.
October 12, 2022
Heard great reviews of Frydman, his character, his life. Apparently he was the only student of Nisargadatta to 'get it'. This book helped bring on glimpses of no-self / kensho / satori. Priceless read.
September 15, 2017
The best book on Bhagavan's talks, way cleaner and direct, much better than Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi.
May 25, 2022
Absolutely fantastic
Read
March 15, 2016Ce petit volume a été publié à l’occasion du soixantième anniversaire de Shrî Ramana, le 27 décembre 1939 ; c’est, comme la plupart des précédents, un recueil de réponses données par lui à des questions posées par différents disciples. Les principaux sujets auxquels elles se rapportent sont la renonciation aux fruits de l’action, le silence et la solitude, le contrôle du mental, les rapports de Bhakti et de Jnâna, le « Soi » et l’individualité, la réalisation du « Soi », le rôle du Guru dans sa double signification « extérieure » et « intérieure ». Nous noterons en particulier l’enseignement donné au sujet de l’action : ce n’est pas celle-ci, en elle-même, qui est un empêchement à la réalisation, mais l’idée que c’est « moi », qui agis, et l’effort qui est fait pour s’abstenir de l’action aussi bien que pour agir ; l’action accomplie avec un parfait détachement n’affecte pas l’être. Signalons aussi ce qui concerne les effets de ce que nous pouvons appeler une « action de présence » : la communication de la Connaissance ne peut s’opérer réellement que dans le silence, par un rayonnement de force intérieure qui est incomparablement plus puissant que la parole et toutes les autres manifestations d’une activité extérieure quelconque ; c’est là, en somme, la véritable doctrine du « non-agir ».
September 29, 2016
Great one
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews