The Sage Who Never Speaks
As I see it, meditation is easy to learn but hard to master.
I have learnt various methods of meditation from different masters over umpteen years without success. I am rather embarrassed to tell people that I have practised meditation, and practised it on and off for many years as 'I am still knocking on the door' without being able to gain full admission into the hall of the meditation proper.
Some might wonder, "What is meditation?" and "Why meditate at all?"
To the these questions,Paul Brunton has this to say in his book, A Search of Secret Egypt[page 146]:
"We have lost the old art of being alone and do not know what to do with ourselves in solitude. We do not know how to make ourselves happy out of our inner resources,and so we must pay entertainers or other persons to make us temporarily happy. We are not only unable to be alone, but less able to sit still. Yet, if we could keep the body in the posture for a time and use our mind in the right manner, we might win a deep wisdom worth having,and draw a deep peace into our hearts"
I first heard of the name Ramana mentioned many years ago by a former colleague,Mr.Hooi Weng Chee. I came to know he has been practising meditation through either books written by Ramana himself, or the books written by others about Ramana's method. At that time I did not pay much attention to all of it as I did not know who Ramana was and much less heard his name mentioned by anyone else.
Some might wonder, "What is meditation?" and "Why meditate at all?"
To the these questions,Paul Brunton has this to say in his book, A Search of Secret Egypt[page 146]:
"We have lost the old art of being alone and do not know what to do with ourselves in solitude. We do not know how to make ourselves happy out of our inner resources,and so we must pay entertainers or other persons to make us temporarily happy. We are not only unable to be alone, but less able to sit still. Yet, if we could keep the body in the posture for a time and use our mind in the right manner, we might win a deep wisdom worth having,and draw a deep peace into our hearts"
I first heard of the name Ramana mentioned many years ago by a former colleague,Mr.Hooi Weng Chee. I came to know he has been practising meditation through either books written by Ramana himself, or the books written by others about Ramana's method. At that time I did not pay much attention to all of it as I did not know who Ramana was and much less heard his name mentioned by anyone else.
Last August,Mr.Hooi advised me through a tele-conversation to read the book, 'The Power of Now' by Eckhart Tolle, which he claimed has helped him tremendously in his practice of meditation.
In yet another conversation a few days later, Mr. Hooi recommanded two books written by Paul Brunton, 'A Search in Secret India' and 'A Search in Secret Egypt' which he mentioned to be absorbing.
Paul Brunton was a British journalist. He came to India in the early 1930's in search of the Truth behind the ancient mysteries. This journey led him to many yogis and fakirs, but he was singularly unimpressed by any of them until he was guided mysteriously by an unknown force to see Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, the Sage of Arunachala. In the book written by him, A Search in Secret India, Paul Brunton recounted the story of his retreat at the foot of Arunachala, and his extraordinary experiences in the company of Maharshi.
Sri Ramana Maharshi was born in 1879. In his seventeenth year he attained enlightenment through a remarkable experience, as if undergoing death of the physical body while remaining in full consciousness. Following this transformation, he left his home and was drawn irresistibly to the sacred hill of Arunachala, where his ashram was formed.
Unlike other sages before him, he did not proclaim or propagate a new religion to recruit followers. He never tried to preach to anybody. It was the people themselves who came to him on their own free will to learn meditation from him.
Mr. Hooi adopts the Self Enquiry method of meditation as expounded by Baghavan Sri Ramana Maharishi. It is through reading the book A Search in Secret India during 1960's that he came to know and be interested in the teachings of Ramana. Although Mr.Hooi never had any personal contact with Sri Ramana Maharshi,he believed Maharshi would guide him along the way in his practice of meditation as Maharshi had said to the devotees before his death, "I am not going away. Where could I go?". On another occasion, he did mention, "If you remember Bhagavan, Bhagavan will remember you" ; "Even if you let go of Bhagavan, Bhagavan will never let go of you."
Ramana had led a simple life at Arunachala. He never left the foothill of the Holy Hill of Beacon all his life.
In yet another conversation a few days later, Mr. Hooi recommanded two books written by Paul Brunton, 'A Search in Secret India' and 'A Search in Secret Egypt' which he mentioned to be absorbing.
Paul Brunton was a British journalist. He came to India in the early 1930's in search of the Truth behind the ancient mysteries. This journey led him to many yogis and fakirs, but he was singularly unimpressed by any of them until he was guided mysteriously by an unknown force to see Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, the Sage of Arunachala. In the book written by him, A Search in Secret India, Paul Brunton recounted the story of his retreat at the foot of Arunachala, and his extraordinary experiences in the company of Maharshi.
Sri Ramana Maharshi was born in 1879. In his seventeenth year he attained enlightenment through a remarkable experience, as if undergoing death of the physical body while remaining in full consciousness. Following this transformation, he left his home and was drawn irresistibly to the sacred hill of Arunachala, where his ashram was formed.
Unlike other sages before him, he did not proclaim or propagate a new religion to recruit followers. He never tried to preach to anybody. It was the people themselves who came to him on their own free will to learn meditation from him.
Mr. Hooi adopts the Self Enquiry method of meditation as expounded by Baghavan Sri Ramana Maharishi. It is through reading the book A Search in Secret India during 1960's that he came to know and be interested in the teachings of Ramana. Although Mr.Hooi never had any personal contact with Sri Ramana Maharshi,he believed Maharshi would guide him along the way in his practice of meditation as Maharshi had said to the devotees before his death, "I am not going away. Where could I go?". On another occasion, he did mention, "If you remember Bhagavan, Bhagavan will remember you" ; "Even if you let go of Bhagavan, Bhagavan will never let go of you."
Ramana had led a simple life at Arunachala. He never left the foothill of the Holy Hill of Beacon all his life.
Rarely did he speak. He spoke only when it was absolutely necessary. Most of the time he was seen to be seated for hours in stillness like in a trance. That was the reason he was renowned as 'the Sage Who Never Speaks'.
