Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi Complete ... - BrahminVoice.org

Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
FOREWORD*
The “Talks”, first published in three volumes, is now issued a handy
one-volume edition. There is no doubt that the present edition will be
received by aspirants all over the world with the same veneration and
regard that the earlier edition elicited from them. This is not a book to
be lightly read and laid aside; it is bound to prove to be an unfailing
guide to increasing numbers of pilgrims to the Light Everlasting.
We cannot be too grateful to Sri Munagala S. Venkataramiah (now
Swami Ramanananda Saraswati) for the record that he kept of the
“Talks” covering a period of four years from 1935 to 1939. Those
devotees who had the good fortune of seeing Bhagavan Ramana
will, on reading these “Talks”, become naturally reminiscent and
recall with delight their own mental record of the words of the
Master. Despite the fact that the great Sage of Arunachala taught
for the most part through silence, he did instruct through speech
also, and that too lucidly without baffling and beclouding the minds
of his listeners. One would wish that every word that he uttered
had been preserved for posterity. But we have to be thankful for
what little of the utterances has been put on record. These “Talks”
will be found to throw light on the “Writings” of the Master;
and probably it is best to study them along with the “Writings”,
translations of which are available.
Sri Ramana’s teachings were not given in general. In fact, the Sage
had no use for “lectures” or “discourses”. His words were primarily
addressed to the particular aspirant who felt some difficulty in
his spiritual path and sought to have it resolved. But, as the same
difficulties arise in the quest after the Self and as the method of
resolving them is the same, the Maharshi’s replies to questions have
the quality of universality.
It is not all that can ask the right questions or frame them properly.
The “Talks” of the Guru, therefore, is not simply to answer to the
point, as in an examination paper. He has often to get behind the
words that constitute a question and correct the questioner even in
* Originally written for the Second Edition.
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