The present book is a natural sequel to those three works that are read by English readers in England, America and India. It is properly entitled A Message from Arunachala because it was written in a few weeks at his saintly masters hermitage on the lower slopes of that Hill. He has described this hill in the first chapter, wherein he shows what sacred and inspiring associations it possesses.
This is the first book to treat the impact of religious, philosophical and psychological traditions of the East on Western intellectuals, artists, travellers and spiritual seekers in the twentieth century. Addressed to both general readers and scholars of religion, it is especially valuable for its penetrating and inter-religious analysis of two of the most compelling themes now facing the world: the emergence of cross-cultural religious understanding of the natural order and ecological crisis and the metaphysical basis for both the formal diversity and essential unity of religious traditions of both East and West. The West has long romanticized the "mysterious" East, but it has, also, judged its traditions as "uncivilized." Our notions about Eastern spirituality have been formed by a succession of travellers, scientists, artists, intellectuals, poets, philosophers and missionaries, as well as by Eastern travellers who have spent time in the West. This book helps us to recognize the influence of Eastern ideas upon modern Western thought by tracing the history of engagements between East and West up until the present day. It concludes with a section that helps us to perceive the timeless value of the many Eastern contributions to the West's current intellectual and spiritual state.
The Glory of Arunachala pays an ecstatic homage to the rare liberated souls that wandered through the hallowed region of Thiruvannamalai, who showed the ignorant mankind wherein lay the truth of existence. The peregrination of such souls sanctified the places they visited or stayed and lifted up the people from the mire of samsara. The chronicling of the paths traversed by Seshadri Swamigal and his younger fellow- sojourner Bhagawan Ramana creates a veritable galaxy of spiritual luminaries such as Poondi Samiyar, Vallimalai Swamigal, Mouna Swamigal and others. The impassioned account of Ramanas life from Thiruchuzhi to Thiruvannamalai, is, undoubtedly, the Cereus in the constellation of Orion peopled by countless liberated souls. The textuality of this complex of hagiographies traverses through puranas, sthalapuranas, legends and lore, chronicling the authors efforts to find testimony and corroboration for them. He is eager to prove that such siddhas truly walked this earth and held a light to Reality for posterity to get enlightened. That is his answer to the question, why do we need hagiographies at all? The lofty spirit and style are meant to reiterate the immense possibility for transformation of consciousness that beckons us from the life and teachings of the countless siddhapurushas and jivanmuktas narrated here.
This popular book, recounting the author's visit to the Ashram of Sri Ramana Maharshi in 1949,was first published in 1953.It has been out of print for many years and is now republished in a limited edition by the Asram. Through a narrative that is both simple and profound the author takes us on his journey to the quiet hermitage of the renowned sage of Arunachala in South India.Basking in the radiance of the 'Great Rishi', his mind turns inward, following the path of Self-enquiry of 'Who Am I'? He describes with perceptive insight and emotion, how in the gracious presence of the Master, thoughts are stilled and one rests calmly in the thought free, egoless state, which he calls 'samadhi'. Before his final farewell of the holy Sage, he establishes the link of love that binds him to the Guru in an embrace that leads inevitably to final emancipation. Monui Sadhu has left us a small treasure in this book. Readers will remember and cherish it through out their lives. For seekers, this book may be more than a curiosity: it may be a light kindling a responsive light in the heart and pointing the way where all darkness seemed before.
The Essential Teachings of Ramana Maharshi contains concise, compelling aphorisms that reflect the essence of his teachings. These profound sayings, set against a background of exceptional photographs, help us experience the deep meditative silence which is our natural state. This compilation of wisdom teachings is based in the truth of nonduality and reveals that whichever path we follow, we can realize the profound peace of our infinite nature by turning our attention to the fundamental question that lies at the heart of all spiritual teachings, "Who Am I?"
Inspired by Paul Brunton's years spent with sages in Asia, The Wisdom of the Overself and its companion volume The Hidden Teaching Beyond Yoga were written at the request of these remarkable teachers, who recognized that Brunton had a significant role to play in the transmission of traditional wisdom to the West. Here is a profound re-creation of these teachings, brought to life and made accessible by Brunton's insights. In print since the 1940s, Brunton's works are considered to be among the most comprehensive, clear, and practical guides on the path to enlightenment. Brunton unfolds the grand vision for human development by investigating consciousness as the source of all experience; how to move from ego-centered life to the transcendent reality; the interplay of karma, free will, and grace; the nature of evil and suffering; how to awaken intuition and penetrative insight; the passage through death to rebirth; and psychic experiences and mystic visions. He also provides seven ultramystic exercises to open the door to higher consciousness, including a healing meditation on the sun; practices for transforming the future, dream, and sleep; and a meditation on the timeless self. These techniques lead to the deepest spiritual realizations—to the true "Wisdom of the Overself." This new edition has been updated to incorporate Brunton's final revisions. It includes a new foreword plus supplementary reading material selected from the author's archives by the Paul Brunton Philosophic Foundation. Contents Foreword by the Paul Brunton Philosophic Foundation 1. Prefatory 2. The Meaning of Mentalism 3. The Birth of the Universe 4. Studies in Dreams 5. The Metaphysics of Sleep 6. The Secret of the "I" 7. The Scorpion of Death 8. The Immortal Overself 9. The Shadows of Evil and Suffering 10. The War and the World 11. The World-Mind 12. The Unveiling of Reality 13. Initiation into Mystical Experience 14. The Yoga of the Discerning Mind 15. The Mystical Phenomena of Meditation 16. Some Fruits of Philosophy Appendix: Additional Resources from The Notebooks of Paul Brunton, Compiled by the Paul Brunton Philosophic Foundation Editors
An inspiring and fascinating look at people’s religious experiences and beliefs. Visions of Mary and glimpses of God. Miraculous apparitions witnessed by hundreds in parking lots, along freeways, and at the world’s holiest sites. Weeping statues, exorcisms, near-death experiences, mystical labyrinths, and more than 250 other unusual and unexplained phenomena, apparitions, and extraordinary experiences rooted in religious beliefs are explored in The Encyclopedia of Religious Phenomena. J. Gordon Melton, the Distinguished Professor of American Religious History at the Institute for Studies of Religion, Baylor University, takes readers on a tour among angels, Marian apparitions, and religious figures such as Jesus, the Buddha, Muhammad, and Tao Tzu. Melton reports on dreams, feng shui, statues that bleed, snake handling, speaking in tongues, stigmata, relics—including the Spear of Longinus and the Shroud of Turin—and sacred locales such as Easter Island, the Glastonbury Tor, the Great Pyramids, Mecca, Sedona, and much more. Each entry includes a description of a particular phenomenon and the religious claims being made about it as well as a discussion of what scientists say about it. Transcending the mundane, the entries take no sides on who is right or wrong: the journey is the experience and the experience is the journey. This fascinating encyclopedia is illustrated with 100 pictures and includes a detailed index and additional reading recommendations. It lets you experience the marvels of weeping statues and icons; exorcisms and ecstasy; the grilled cheese sandwich kit for making your own Virgin Mary image; and so much more.
In 1896, a 16-year-old boy called Venkataraman was pulled by some mysterious force to Arunachala and became achala [stationary] for the remaining 54 years, till 1950 This book is about the impact that Ramanachala [ramaṇāchala] has had and continues to have on me through dreams, experiences, and ideas, to be at ease with an exploding/imploding world Most importantly, i don’t have to change the world, it’s enough if i changed myself and the world would change to that extent…
'By far the safest and most rational exposition of Eastern metaphysics and the practice of mental discipline that I have read.' Spectator The Quest of the Overself shows Western readers how to achieve serenity of mind, control of thought and desire, and the power to use higher forces by means of simple exercises. These include breathing and visualisation as well as mental control through meditation. These ideas, which the author gained by extensive travel in India, are as relevant to us today as they were when first published in 1937. Paul Brunton was a British philosopher, mystic and traveler. He left a successful journalistic career to live among yogis and holy men and studied a wide variety of Eastern and Western esoteric spiritual traditions. As he explains in the still fresh and fascinating The Quest of the Overself, meditation and the quest for inner peace are by no means exclusively for monks and hermits but also support those living everyday, active lives in the West.
