Spiritual Stories as told by ramana maharishi

by Ramana Maharshi

A collection of stories told by Ramana Maharshi, with notations by followers about the incidents that inspired the telling of the stories. As the Foreword explains, "Everyone knows that Sri Bhagavan Ramana was a master story teller! Sri Ramanasramam publications... abound with marvellous accounts of how Bhagavan picturesquely narrated, rather enacted, incidents that took place in the lives of sages and saints, and traditional stories of great spiritual content." Second edition, enlarged. 134 pages.

Genres: Spirituality

Paperback

About the author

Bhagavan 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.

Reviews

[Ajitabh Pandey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of message giving short stories. As written in the book, Sri Ramana Maharshi used to narrate these stories in order to explain some of his teachings in more depth. My mother has told me some of these stories during my childhood, so it was a pleasure to read them again here especially this time as a lesson/message rather than a plain story.

The stories might sound unrealistic to people who are not familiar with Indian religion and culture as most of the mythological and other stories in Indian culture are symbolic and have a hidden meaning behind it.

I would definitely recommend this book to you, the only suggestion being the use of heart rather than the mind to understand the teachings.

[Venkatesan Natarajan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is simple yet profound. Stories as told by Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi is easy in language, simple to understand and conveys the profound philosophy behind the saint's teaching. They have been collected by the devotees who heard these stories from Bhagavan himself. They are good for every spiritual aspirant and pointers to several sources from where these have been picked from.

[Navneet Bhushan · Rating 3 out of 5]

a small book on various stories and context on which these stories were shared by Ramana Maharshi. Some of these stories or anecdotes we must have read before. But it is the part of the context, a question or a conversation that Ramana Maharshi chose to share the story that makes the book and stories interesting ...

yet the book could be made more complete by addition of overall teachings of Maharashi. I guess the book is suppose to be read along with other books so it assumes certain teachings are known to the reader . I liked the book .. finished in single reading .. but may be one can read it regularly from time to time