Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.6/5)
Genre: Religion (Hinduism), Philosophy, Spirituality, Biography, Non-Fiction

Book Review:
Sri Ramana Maharshi is one of the most revered spiritual figures of modern India, a sage whose simple but profound teaching of self-inquiry has inspired seekers from around the world. In The Mind of Ramana Maharshi, Arthur Osborne, a devoted disciple who lived at the Maharshi's ashram for many years, offers one of the finest and most accessible introductions to his life and message.

The book begins with a gripping account of Ramana's extraordinary spiritual awakening. As a sixteen-year-old boy in 1896, he was suddenly overcome by a fear of death. Instead of panicking, he decided to confront the fear directly, dramatizing the experience of death to see what would remain. He lay down, imitating a corpse, and asked himself, ''If this body dies, am I dead?'' He realized that the body dies, but the consciousness that witnesses the death—the ''I''—does not. This spontaneous realization led to his permanent enlightenment, and he left home soon after, drawn to the sacred hill of Arunachala in South India, where he would remain for the rest of his life.

Osborne then explains the core of Ramana's teaching: the path of atma-vichara, or self-inquiry. Ramana taught that the only way to liberation is to turn the mind inward and constantly ask the question ''Who am I?'' By tracing the source of the ''I'' thought, one can eventually transcend the ego and realize one's true nature as pure consciousness, identical with the ultimate reality, Brahman. This is the essence of Advaita Vedanta, the non-dual philosophy that Ramana embodied.

The book is filled with Ramana's sayings, dialogues with devotees, and stories from his life, all of which illuminate his teaching in a practical and accessible way. Osborne also includes chapters on Ramana's attitude toward other religions, his silence as a teaching method, and the power of his presence.

This Jaico edition is enhanced by a foreword from Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, the distinguished philosopher and former Vice-President of India, which adds further weight and authority to the volume.

The Mind of Ramana Maharshi is an essential book for anyone interested in Indian spirituality, Advaita Vedanta, or the life of one of the world's greatest sages. It is a clear, compassionate, and deeply inspiring guide to a path of self-discovery that is as relevant today as it was a century ago. As The Times Literary Supplement noted, it ''gives an attractive picture of one who belonged to the true line of India's spiritual teachers.''