Sri Ramana Maharshi, born as Venkataraman Iyer, a South Indian sage, born in Tiruchuli, Tamil Nadu, India. He was one of the greatest spiritual figures of the 20th century. He lived from 30 December 1879 to 14 April 1950. At the age of 16, he underwent profound experience - ‘Death- experience’, here he truly became aware of a powerful current or force known as ‘avesham’ (a Telgu word, meaning- charged), which he recognized as his true “I” or “self”. This realization led him to identify the force with personal god or Ishwara, the manifestation of Shiva. The state of mind evolved by this experience, was described by him as "the state of mind of Iswara or the jnani" (enlightment).
He journeyed to sacred mountains of Arunachala in Tiruvannamalai and took lifestyle of sanyasi. Here he transcended from the false limitations of ego, duality, attachments and merged himself with divine essence within. Visitors came to Sri Ramana Maharshi, and some became devoted followers. One of them, Kavya kantha Sri Ganapati Sastri, proclaimed Ramana Maharshi as “Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi” after receiving his guidance on self-enquiry.
Sri Ramana Maharshi’s teachings offer a profound impact on one’s life by guiding seekers to realize their true nature, and experience inner peace. His teachings offer valuable life lessons like embracing self-inquiry & self-realization, Silence & stillness, Transcending illusion & dualism, Cultivating Love & Compassion, and letting go of ego & attachment. In this article, we will learn the life lessons from teachings of Sri Bhagvan Ramana Maharshi in detail by exploring the path of wisdom, peace, and transformative growth.
Life Lessons from Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi
Self Realization through self inquiry
The practice of inquiring to self (Atma Vichar) leads to transformative self-realization. It motivates individuals to start an introspective journey to learn about the mysteries within, guiding them towards self-discovery, inner awareness of “I AM” and a profound understanding of existence.
Sri Raman Maharshi summarized his insight of awareness & self-inquiry into "Aham sphurana" (Self-awareness). The journey of self-realization through self-inquiry imparts valuable life lessons:
Self-inquiry acts as mirror, it reflects our thoughts, emotions, and behavioral patterns and provides valuable insight into workings of our inner mind and peace.
Self-realization involves peeling away layers of societal expectations and allows us to explore our true essence.
It helps in uncovering the hidden truths about “I” or “I AM” (aham), this helps in building deep understanding with true self.
Self-inquiry leads to self-awareness, and this empowers us to make conscious choices.
Self-inquiry helps us to navigate life’s complexities with increased clarity, purpose, and wisdom, making informed choices which align with our true selves.
Through self-inquiry, our perception of reality profoundly shifts. It transcends the boundaries of Dualism & Illusion, recognizing the interconnectedness of all things. By building the understanding of self-inquiry with awareness, we can now go further deep into the realms of consciousness as this liberates us from dualistic thinking and illusion.
Transcending dualism and illusion
Advaita Vedanta teaches us that ultimate reality is non-dual, where the Atma (individual self or soul) is fundamentally identical to the Brahman (universal consciousness). On lines of Sri Sankara:
“Brahman is real, the universe is unreal, and The universe is Brahman.”
Sri bhagvan Maharshi said that universe is real when perceived as non-dual Brahman from the Self within, and unreal when seen through the dualistic conditioning of the persona. Maya and reality are considered one. Only those who abide in the Self perceive the universe as Brahman. This includes three stages of practice- hearing, thinking, meditation. Through transcending illusion and dualism, one realizes the underlying unity and experiences oneness of all beings.
One of the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi- TRANSCENDING DUALISM & ILLUSION holds intense importance of recognizing the illusory nature of duality and interconnectedness of all beings. This journey of transcending dualism & illusion teaches us various life lessons:
Transcending dualistic perceptions and illusion leads to liberation from suffering and lasting peace.
It helps individuals in awakening to truth and connecting with eternal, unchanging essence within themselves.
Transcending dualism and illusion are a transformative practice that deepens our connection to our true nature and the unity of existence through self-inquiry and mindfulness.
This leads to the realization of one's true Self, bringing about a profound shift towards pure awareness, love, and bliss.
This understanding transcends our limited perspectives, cultivates self-inquiry, and leads to pure awareness and unconditional love.
Transcending illusion and dualness enables individuals to discover profound sagacious truth beyond surface existence. This realization leads to embracing silence and stillness to access that truth. By quieting the mind and fostering introspection, silence and stillness help individuals transcend illusions, inner wisdom, and deepen their understanding of interconnectedness.
Embracing Silence and Stillness
Transcending illusion and dualism open the way for embracing silence and stillness by shifting our perspective from illusory nature of dualism to moving beyond the constant mental chatter and losing the grip of conditioned thinking. This shift creates space for silence and stillness to emerge. Recognizing interconnectedness leads us to seek tranquility in silence and stillness.
According to Ramana Maharshi, meditation and moments of silence is important because it allows us to transcend the ego's control, realize our true nature, and connect with the eternal essence within. His teaching upon Silence and Stillness imparts valuable lessons which can be applied to our own lives:
Silence communicates more effectively than words. A realized master's silent presence holds profound spiritual influence, surpassing lengthy lectures and verbal teachings.
Silence transcends language, enabling profound understanding beyond words. It is the highest and most effective way to convey spiritual knowledge and realization.
By questioning the source of our thoughts without getting entangled and recognizing that thoughts fluctuate, we can detach ourselves from their transient nature and experience a profound sense of freedom and liberation.
By cultivating moments of tranquility and prioritizing inner stillness it helps in bringing clarity, peace and deeper connection with ours true selves.
A realized master's presence has a transformative effect by purifying the mind, dissolving doubts, and facilitating self-realization. Physical proximity is powerful but true contact transcends the physical, happening at a deeper, mental level.
The practice of embracing Silence and Stillness leads to the wellspring of Love and Compassion that flows from our core. Embracing silence & stillness quiets the mental noise, false ego and desires, creating a space for genuine connection. By nurturing this inner connection, we naturally cultivate understanding, empathy and kindness towards others.
Cultivating Love and Compassion
By being still and silent, we allow ourselves to cultivate love and compassion within us. Love and compassion are powerful forces and by nurturing it, we not only bring joy and happiness to others, but we also experience profound inner fulfillment and a sense of purpose. Raman Maharshi emphasized the importance of teaching- cultivating love and compassion as a path to self-realization and liberation, and it holds valuable life lessons including:
By cultivating love & compassion, focusing on the well-being of others and serving them selflessly, we can transcend our self-centeredness and experience greater fulfillment.
Through Love & Compassion, we learn to respond to challenging situations like fighting with our own negative emotions and difficult people with patience, understanding, and forgiveness.
When we cultivate love and compassion, we recognize that our actions and choices affect others. This awareness inspires us to act with kindness and empathy, fostering harmony and understanding.
By shifting our focus from external desires to nurturing our innate qualities of love and compassion, we can experience fulfillment with peace.
By embracing the inherent divinity within all beings, we cultivate a love that transcends labels, cultures, and beliefs, fostering unity and harmony in the world.
So, Ramana Maharshi’s teachings on Cultivating Love & Compassion provide valuable life lessons and guide us towards a more compassionate and fulfilling life. But, to develop genuine love and compassion, it is essential to let go of ego and attachments because ego creates a false sense of self-importance and obstructs our ability to empathize with others. So, to foster love & compassion, one must let go of ego and attachments with an open heart.
Letting go of Ego and Attachments
By letting go of ego & attachments, we open ourselves to a deeper understanding of interconnectedness, fostering empathy and compassion. As ego creates a false self-identity and attachments to material possessions, relationships, and outcomes bring suffering when they inevitably change. Letting go of ego & attachments allow us to align with the flow of life, embracing impermanence and embracing the present moment fully, with greater acceptance and peace.
The life lessons we can take from Raman Maharshi’s teaching on releasing egoic identification and attachments that leads to inner freedom and peace are:
By recognizing the illusion of ego by understanding that it is false identification with thoughts, we can feel free or liberated from its control.
By accepting the transient nature of life, we can let go of attachments to experience peace at the present moment.
By releasing ego & attachments, we can cultivate self-awareness to connect with inner self “I”, a part of God, and getting answers to “Who am I? (Nan yar?)”, we can seek fulfillment with ourselves rather than relying on external validation.
By practicing detachment, we can develop a healthy relationship with responsibilities.
Letting go of attachments implies letting go of past regrets and future worries. By practicing it, we can fully embrace the present moment to experience freedom, peace and acceptance.
So, these were the main lessons one can take from Maharshi’s teaching of letting go and surrendering. By recognizing the illusion of the ego, embracing impermanence, shifting our focus inward, practicing detachment, and embracing the present moment, we can walk on a transformative path towards liberation, acceptance, and inner peace.
Summarizing
By acquiring knowledge of the life lessons of self-realization through self-inquiry, transcending illusion & Dualism, Embracing Silence & Stillness, Cultivating Love & Compassion and letting go of ego & attachment from teachings of Sri Bhagvan Raman Maharshi, we can start our transformative journey of Self-discovery & interconnectedness by incorporating it in our lives.
Self-inquiry leads to the recognition of the power of silence and stillness. And from there, the illusion & dualism transcends, it deepens our understanding of interconnectedness. By letting go of ego and attachments we can cultivate love and compassion, which fosters our transformative journey. All this reveals the truth of our interconnected existence, and therefore we should integrate these life lessons into our lives for our personal growth and spiritual transformation.
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