Be As You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi (Compass)

Very to the point question and answer book. The teachings are for any spiritual seeker.

In this book, Sri Ramana Maharshi presents a clear path and a workable plan -- a "System of Enquiry" as he calls it -- for overcoming anxiety, stilling the mind, finding eternal internal peace and contentment, and discovering your true Self -- or as he might put it better, "Being" Your Self. I have read literally hundreds of books hitherto to help me achieve these goals, and this book, in my humble opinion, is head and shoulders above the rest, in its directness, simplicity, and effectveness. He himself, without false modesty, claims in this book that the "atma vichara" approach that he shares is the one plan that will help a practitioner achieve these goals more than any other. I believe him. For this is what I have experienced. It does not require "controlling your thoughts," embracing an external Deity, following a specific arduous path of meditation, renunciation, or discipline, or any more of the heavy mind-and-body-stuff which often adds more a burden to your already established thought-baggage than it is worth. He helps you get directly to your soul -- to your Self. It is more like learning to let go of all the illusions and discover and resonate with and be the eternal Self that you are, at one with all life, underlying all. I have heard this put in many ways in many teachings old and new, quite well, before. But the difference here, with the "I Am That I Am" and "Who Am I?" (or "Who Is It That Is Experiencing This Difficult Experience?") approach (repeating one of these consistently when in the face of doubt over external object-identification problems or just as an awakening agent for the soul), as well as the stable, calm, Self-assured, egoless way in which Sri Maharshi presents his tools and philosophy, through this I have found great inner peace, possibly for the first time in my entire life -- And I have just begun! Yes, I have put his teachings to work and they work for me -- wonderfully well -- in: * Finding peace of mind. * Overcoming all my fears, including the fear of ageing, illness, poverty, and death. * Discovering and being my true Self. And I can see myself becoming stronger and more stable and peaceful and happier all the time with these techniques. What more can anyone say than this? Except that I will continue to study and practice his teachings, and sooner or later, share them with my thousands of psychic astrology clients, for their health and happiness too. The world certainly needs peace at this time -- and there is no other place for it to begin than within.

An excellent book describing Ramana Maharshi’s teachings in a thorough, systematic, and logical manner. The questions posed to Ramana Maharshi are excellent. Maharshi is very intelligent and and gifted teacher. I would highly recommend this book to learn about self-enquiry which he is famous for, as well as all of his other important teachings.

Just purchased my third copy of this book…the best presentation of Bhagavan’s teachings that I’ve ever read! Highly recommend this publication to any sincere true seekers driven to discover the deepest truths of life and their own selves!!

David Godman, who has created this lovely compilation of Sri Ramana Maharshi’s teaching, was born in 1953, three years after Sri Ramama Maharshi passed away. Yet at an early age David Godman, while reading Arthur Osborne’s compilation of Ramana Maharshi’s teaching, felt his whole view of the world and himself transformed. That was the beginning of a life time dedicated to studying and sharing Ramana Maharshi’s teaching, and bringing forth this remarkable compilation. During his life Ramana Maharshi didn’t think it important to write down his teaching. He gave his energy to connecting with people directly. Some call it Darshan. This book comes from Godman’s interview with those who had experienced Maharshi’s Darshan, the embodiment and direct transmission of these ‘teachings’ by their teacher. In Godman’s clear compilation, I recognize the description of the living vibrations that I have benefited from experiencing as they are currently embodied by Dave Oshana. He also like Sri Ramana Maharshi seems to feel writing down teachings is unimportant. Direct connection is what he is focused on giving, “darshan’ if you will, although Dave would never call it that. He is a contemporary with no religious, spiritual trappings or even spiritual verbiage. He is available online, on his website, on Youtube. He enlightened spontaneously after decades of seeking on June 19, 2000. The Enlightenment Transmission that emanates from him changes the lives of those who connect with him. Since I met him April 29, 2002 my life has benefited from it in ways that those around me notice, but are too numerous to mention here.

David Godman is, along with his friend and colleague Michael James, the leading interpreter of the teachings of Ramana Maharshi to the western world. The Master himself, however, preferred to teach in silence, wrote very little, and when he did speak the only thing that he advocated consistently was the technique of 'atma vichara' or 'self-enquiry. For these reasons the dialogues recorded in this book cannot be regarded as essential reading. Many will find them hard to comprehend. But for disciples, as well as anyone reasonably acquainted with the Hindu spiritual vernacular, this is a fascinating document. The remarkable comprehension of Indian philosophical concepts and much else - that was somehow 'absorbed' from his thousands of visitors by one who had barely attained a tenth grade formal education himself - is combined with unsurpassable humility and patience. He treated everyone equally, from royalty to the humblest illiterate peasant. He spoke to everyone at their own level, and on many occasions words were not needed. But this did not stop others from throwing everything they could at him, intellectually and emotionally, in a bid to find for themselves the source of the peace and happiness that he radiated. The mere words here can never do justice to what they were given.

I was introduced to spirituality through The Power of Now, and even though I found the book incredibly useful, one thing that annoyed me was that Eckhart Tolle refused to give concrete analogies for God because he said that it is not something we can understand with our mind. The analogies in this book were priceless, and I now have a much deeper understanding of the world and can communicate it to other people rather than speak about it in abstraction. Don't get me wrong. I am not the type of person who is caught up in notions. I am much more focused on the practical aspects, and this is what Sri Ramana preached throughout this book. He did not care too much about theory, and he always emphasized the importance of practice. I had trouble applying the techniques of The Power of Now as I found it nearly impossible to stop my mind from wondering and to focus my attention on the present moment, but Self Enquiry seems to be the best way to gradually disintegrate the Ego and to realize who you really are. While reading the book, it seemed to me that the basis of Eckhart Tolle's teachings were taken from Sri Ramana's, and this is not something Tolle denies. He did, however, leave out the most important bit for realizing your Self which is Self Enquiry. I suppose it is one of Sri Ramana's trademarks and cannot be touched. I find it amusing that this book only costs 13$. A book which contains the secret of life is worth merely a fraction of a fraction of a new iPhone, but that is the world we live in, isn't it? Buy the book. It may be the only one on the subject you will ever need.

One of the great challenges in understanding the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi and numerous other spiritual authors is that their teachings are passed on, for the most part, by books that record their conversations in question and answer format. That is, their answers to questions put to them by individual seekers. What most are unaware, is that the answers provided by spiritual teachers are different for different seekers to accomodate their level of development and differing interests. That is why some of the answers 'appear' contradictory. This can cause difficulty in adopting a spiritual practice strictly from reading a book, as we do not know which teachniques best fit us and may get confusted on the essence of their teaching. Well, after 12 years of study and practice of the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi and numerous other authors I recently 'happened' upon this wonderful puplication. The editor did a wonderful job of organizing the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi into chapters covering the essence of his different teachings that he tailored for each different type of seeker. He also provides an introduction to summarize the essence of his teachings. This book brought an amazing clarity to Sri Ramana's teachings as well as an improved understanding of all spiritual paths and practices. This book is a must read for anyone on the path of Sri Ramana Maharshi as well as for anyone on any other spiritual path as it covers the essence of all spiritual paths (e.g., surrender and self-enquiry). Enjoy.

This is a must read for anyone who wants to experience our true reality, great advices and practical questions to ask yourself on this extraordinary journey to discover your true self

The Core Practice is Self-Inquiry: The method of “Who am I?” inquiry leads to the dissolution of the ego and the realization of the true Self. This direct path bypasses complex rituals and philosophies, focusing instead on experiential self-realization. The True Self is Beyond the Mind and Body: The teachings emphasize that the real Self is pure consciousness, beyond the limitations of the physical body, mind, or thoughts. This Self is always present and can be realized through inward attention. Ego is the Source of Suffering: The identification with the ego and the sense of individuality is the cause of human suffering. By realizing that the ego is an illusion, one can experience lasting peace and liberation. Silence and Stillness are Powerful: True understanding and realization often come through silence, not through intellectual analysis. When the mind becomes still, one can experience the truth directly. Surrender and Grace: In addition to self-inquiry, the path of surrender to a higher power or the divine Self is also a potent means of liberation. Grace is always available and works to help those who sincerely seek the truth. The World is an Appearance: The world of forms, thoughts, and experiences is ultimately an illusion (Maya). However, instead of renouncing the world, one should live in it with the understanding that it is not the ultimate reality. Detachment from Thoughts: By practicing non-identification with thoughts and feelings, one can remain in a state of peace and awareness, unaffected by external circumstances. Be As You Are is a powerful introduction to the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi, offering practical guidance on the path of self-inquiry and spiritual realization. Its simplicity, clarity, and focus on direct experience make it a timeless spiritual classic. For those sincerely seeking inner peace and liberation, the book provides a roadmap to realizing the true Self and transcending the limitations of ego and thought.

I haven't read any other Ramana books but having read this one by David Godman, I have no need to explore anything else. When you are ready for it, this book can light the way towards liberation. Be awareness, knowingly. I heard Rupert Spira give this instruction many times but it didn't click with me until recently. Be awareness, knowingly. Or in Ramana's terms, "Be the Self". To know the Self is to be the Self, knowingly. Couldn't be simpler.

My favorite book, together with Rupert Spira's Being aware of Being aware and Alessandro Sanna's The Direct Experience.

This book describes the best theory and practice to enlightenment by Self-realization method. It is amazing that we can read such detailed theory of Self right now. I read the Japanese version and it was also excellent translation. I would like to read again both of them from now on.