#61 | Enlightenment & Self Realization: What is it (not)? The teachings of Ramana Maharshi: The most important Indian saint of the 20th century | David Godman

My guest David Godman has extensively written on the life,
teachings and disciples of Ramana Maharshi, an Indian sage who
lived and taught for more than fifty years at Arunachala, a
sacred mountain in Tamil Nadu, India. He first visited the
Tiruvannamalai ashram of Ramana Maharshi in 1976. And for 8
years, between 1978 and 1985, he was the librarian of the ashram.
In the last 30 years he has written or edited 16 books on topics
related to Sri Ramana, his teachings and his followers.


Quote: ‘The thinking mind and the I-thought are one and
the same. The thinking mind is an illusion.’


As the author of the book 'Be, As You Are', David is deeply
familiar with the teachings of Ramana Maharshi, who is considered
the most important Indian saint of the 20th century.


In this conversation he answers questions such as:
- Who Ramana was and why he was considered the most important
Indian saint of the 20th century?
- How did Ramana experience Self-realisation?
- What did Ramana mean by ‘No effort is required to realize
the omnipresent Self. In fact, it has always been realised. Only
the illusion of the I-thought has to be overcome in order to
realize this.’?
- Did he recommend any practices or ‘character’ qualities to
realize the Self?
- Could you explain Ramanas way of teaching? How did he lead his
devotees to realize the Self?
- Were there spontaneous Self-realisations? If so, how did they
manifest or express?
- How would one describe life after Self-realisation?
- Does Self-realisation mean you have to meditate until you pass
through different states of consciousness, such as samadhi, or
did / could it occur instantaneously?
- How did Ramana define the mind and what was reality to
him?
- Did Ramana believe everyone who wanted to could realize the
Self in this lifetime?
- What did Ramana mean by ‘There is neither creation nor
destruction, neither destiny nor free will, neither path nor
achievement. This is the final truth.’? Should we (our ego) still
strive for something, e.g. Self-realisation?
- How did his teaching differ / was similar to other advaita
teachers, such as Papaji / Nisargadatta Maharaj?
- How did your life change working and spending so much time with
many great gurus?


About David Godman:
https://www.davidgodman.org/
https://www.youtube.com/c/DavidGodmanArunachala


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