Ashram Bulletin

Soon after our last bulletin went to the press we received a visit from the North Indian woman saint Godavari Mata accompanied by a group of her followers. All who came in contact with her felt her kindliness and goodwill.

JAYANTI, Bhagavan's birth anniversary, fell on December 31st this year. It is always a festive occasion. There was a large gathering of devotees, old and new, representing not only India but Australia, England, Germany, France, Holland and Switzerland. The same outpouring of Grace was felt as used to be experienced in former years.

It was possible to remove the scaffolding for the occasion and reveal the beautiful new structure of Bhagavan's shrine (samadhi) made by a highly skilled group of hereditary stone-carvers out of stone from Aurunachala. This is a peculiar kind of stone which, when polished, goes jet black and as smooth as marble but when unpolished is light grey in colour, so that it is possible to obtain carving in two colours from the same stone. It will be some years yet before the hall which is to enclose the shrine is completed.

On the same date a Board of Trustees for the management of the Ashram was set up according to a scheme previously drawn up by the Madras Government, consisting of the Ashram President and four trustees. The Board consists of the following persons:

Sri T. N. Venkataraman - President.
Dr. T. N. Krishnaswami, Medical Practitioner, Madras.
Mrs. F. Taleyarkhan, Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai.
Sri S. S. V. S. Muthiah Chettiar, Banker, Tiruvannamalai.
Sri K. Srinivasachariar, Advocate, Tiruvannamalai.

The previous managing committee, which was registered in 1950 under the Societies Registration Act, was dissolved on January 1st, 1964. However, Ashram affairs will continue to be run as smoothly and efficiently as before and with no change of direction, especially as all but one of the new Board of Trustees were also members of the previous Committee.

Actually the ordinary devotee or visitor is very little affected by the Ashram management. Facilities are provided for his accommodation and meditation, the premises are kept clean and reasonably quiet, the meals and services are punctual, the library is available for use; and really that is all that concerns him.

The official publication ceremony of The Mountain Path was also held on Jayanti. Three months after the idea first descended upon its originators the copies were here, ready for distribution. That may seem ample time, but actually there was a lot to be done - organisation, publicity, financial support, as well as mobilising a team of writers and obtaining the articles. The guest of honour and chief speaker for the occasion was Prof. T. M. P. Mahadevan, Head of the Philosophy Department of Madras University and a known devotee of Bhagavan and exponent of his teaching. Several other old devotees also spoke.

A little later an inaugural ceremony was also held in Bombay in the hall of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan (Bhavan's Book University), kindly lent for the occasion, by the Sri Ramana Jayanti Celebration Committee, Bombay, with Sri Homi Taleyarkhan, Minister for Civil Supplies and Housing, Government of Maharashtra, presiding. Bombay has always been a stronghold of Bhagavan's followers and there was considerable interest and a wide attendance.

The Publication ceremony of. The Mountain Path at Bombay, under the auspices of Sri Ramana Jayanthi Celebration Committee. Sri Homi J. H. Taleyarkhan, Minister for Civil Supplies and Housing, Maharashtra, is seen with the journal in his hand, announcing its publication. Sri S. K. Patil is in the chair presiding.

The Ashram has usually managed to publish or republish some book on the occasion of Jayanti. This year it republished Crumbs from his Table by Ramananda Swarnagiri. This, as mentioned in the book review section of our previous issue, was the first book of reminiscences of Bhagavan ever written but had long been out of print.

There has been the usual flow of visitors from India and abroad. Outstanding perhaps among those who have come during this period (apart from Godavari Mata, already mentioned) were the concert pianists Jerry Stofsky of New York and Annie Alt of Switzerland. In the midst of a world tour of concerts they found time for ten quiet days at Tiruvannamalai. Annie Alt is an old devotee who had been waiting twenty years for the opportunity of coming here. It was she who made the German translation of The Maharshi's Gospel. Another distinguished visitor was Mr. Robert Linssen, an exponent of Zen Buddhism. He has also written a book on Zen.

ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION

The Ashram intends to build accommodation consisting of four single rooms with bathrooms attached outside the Ashram premises adjacent to the guest houses recently built for Smt. Padmanabhan and Sri Khanna. This is for the convenience of lady visitors, since ladies are not allowed to stay in the Ashram premises. It is hoped to complete the work this year.

RAMANA BHAKTA SABHA

The Ramana Bhakta Sabha of Alwarpet, Madras, has been absolutely regular in its weekly Sunday meetings ever since its foundation in 1950. Its Jayanti meeting on December 29th, 1963, was addressed by Mr. Justice M. Anantanarayanan who, elaborating on his preface to Part 1 of Ramana Anubhuti quoted examples from Muruganar and other Tamil poets to show how poetry stands midway between the ever-fresh wonder of childhood and the still, wordless experience of Infinity-in-an-instant.

Swami Ramanananda Saraswathi, compiler of 'Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi', about whom we wrote in our January issue.

IN MEMORIAM

It seems appropriate to mention one or two old devotees who have passed away.

We still occasionally receive enquiries about YOGI RAMIAH on account of the high praise bestowed on him by Paul Brunton in A Search in Secret India. He passed away in 1962. He came of a simple agricultural family in Andhra and had no higher education. He approached Bhagavan for spiritual guidance in the early twenties, before Bhagavan was widely known, and remained a staunch devotee ever after. He made considerable use of pranayama (breath control) which Bhagavan permitted in certain cases, although he did not actually prescribe it. It was for his benefit that Bhagavan translated his Upadesa Saram ('Thirty Verses') and Ulladu Narpadu ('Forty Verses on Reality') into Telugu, as Yogi Ramiah did not speak Tamil. A man of generous disposition, he gave freely to religious causes. He contributed liberally to the Ashram in its early days.

M. V. RAMASWAMI IYER was a retired engineer and a gifted musical composer who first came to Bhagavan as early as 1909 when Bhagavan was still living in Virupaksha Cave. He followed bhakti-marga, the path of devotion, worshipping Bhagavan as God. Some of his songs are very popular, especially the one called 'Saranagathi' (Surrender). He passed away two years back.

N. S. RANGANADIER of the Trichinopoly bar, who passed away a few years ago, was a diligent student of the Bhagavad Gita and its commentary by Sri Sankara. His deep advaitic understanding drew him to the feet of the Maharshi, to whom he surrendered himself. He was of great help to the Sarvadhikari in the work of Ashram management and also in the founding of the Sundara Mandiram at Tiruchuzhi, the Maharshi's birthplace, and of the Sri Ramana Mandiram at Madurai, the town where Ramana was living when he attained Realization as a schoolboy of sixteen. He managed this latter institution until his death. His whole family are devoted to Bhagavan, who is for them the Supreme Lord.

RANGA RAO served Bhagavan for more than 30 years. He was a tireless worker in the Ashram kitchen during the thirties and forties. He also had knowledge of ayurvedic medicine. When he passed away a few months ago the Ashram lost a devoted and sincere worker.

SWAMI RAJESWARANANDA passed away quite suddenly and unexpectedly at Sri Ramanasramam on January 31st this year. He had been the editor of The Call Divine since its inception twelve years ago. For the past two years, although it continued to be published in Bombay, he had been resident here and edited it from here.

Born in Madras, he was early drawn to a religious life and approached the Ramakrishna Math and its President, Swami Sharvananda, inspired by contact with whom he took the name of Satchidananda. Later, however, while travelling in North India, he was initiated into formal sannyas by Swami Shivanandaji Maharaj, known widely as Mahapurusha Maharaj, who was then the President of the Ramakrishna Order, and was given the sannyas name of Rajeswarananda.

After becoming known as a writer, editor of periodicals and swami, he came to Tiruvannamalai to seek the Grace of Sri Bhagavan, whose devotee he remained thereafter.

The Mountain Path Life Subscribers

INDIA:

V. Subramanian, Durgapur.
B. S. Ranganatham, Nellore.
Dr. T. N. Krishnaswami, Madras.
Miss Ethel G. Merston, Sri Ramananagar,
K. K. Nambiar, Bombay.
Dwarakanatha Reddy, Chittoor.
A. S. K. R. Trust, Madras.
Satyanarayan Tandon, Kanpur.
M, A. Chidambaram, Madras.
M. M. Varma, Jaipur.
S. S. V. S. Muthiah Chettiar, Tiruvannamalai.
A. R. Narayana Rao, Madras.
D. S. Sastri, Madras.
Mukund M. Thakore, Ahmedabad.
N. Balarama Reddy, Vutukuru.
Ashok Pal Singh, Bombay.
Rani Padmawati Devi, Bhopal.
Miss Mahalakshmi, Madras.
K. Gopalrao, Bombay.
V. Seshadri, Calcutta.
Lieut. D. Subbanna, Bangalore.
Dr. M. Satyasunder Rao & Sons, Puttur.
Krishna Khare, Lagargawan.
Bhupen Champaklal, Bombay.
Dr. S. Nath, Varanasi.
S. K. Srinivasan, Madurai.
Raja Sadashivrao R. Pandit, Poona.
C. S. Krishnan, Palghat.
K. N. Panday, Bombay.
H. C. Khanna, Kanpur.
P. Venkateswara Rao, Vizianagaram.
Maj. I. J. Taneja.
Umesh Dutt, Jullundur.
K. R. K. Murty, Hyderabad.
Gopi J. Thadhani, Madras.
Sadananda Mukherjee, Calcutta.
Janaki Matha, Thanjavur.
Mrs. Parvati Goenka, Calcutta.
H. W. L. Poonja, Chikmagalur.
Smt. Anjali Ishwarlal Shah, Bombay.

CANADA:

Miss Noella Clavel, Sask.

CORSICA:

Mrs. Francoise Moeyaert Lamote.

FRANCE:

Henri Hartung, Paris.

HONG KONG:

Mrs. Banoo J. H. Ruttonjee.
Dinshaw S. Paowalla.

MONACO:

Mrs. Terence Gray, Monte Carlo.

SOUTH AMERICA:

T. F. Lorgus, Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Renata Gradenwitz, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

SWITZERLAND:

Louise Trachsler, Coppet.

UNITED KINGDOM:

G. J. Yorke, Gloucester.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA:

Joel S. Goldsmith, Honolulu.
A Devotee, Santa Barbara.
Leroy A. Born, Scarsdale, N.Y.

WEST GERMANY:

Miss Gertrude Fugert, Munich.
Dr. Friedrich W. Funke, Seelscheld.
Trudel Elsaesser, Waldhof.
Dr. P. J. Saher, Munster.
Miss Helga Knutzen, Pfronten.

Sri Ramanasramam Life Members

INDIA:

H. C. Khanna, Kanpur.
D. Subbanna, Bangalore.
K. S. N. Rao, New Delhi.
M. Sadasiva Setty, Chikmagalur.
A. R. Narayana Rao, Madras.
V. Venkatakrishniah, Nellore.
C. Padmanabha Rao, Tirupathi.
G. Sesha Reddy, Nellore.
Y. Ramakrishna Prasad, Madras.
Narendra C. Amin, Mangalore.
A. R. Natarajan, Bangalore.
Vegi Venkateswara Rao, Visakapatnam.
G., V. Subbaramayya. Nidubrolu.
Penmacha Jagannatha Raju, Jinnur.
A. K. Ramachandra Iyer, Madras.
Bh. Venkatalakshminarasimha Raju, Jinnur.
Rayavarapu Sankarayya, Nellore.
A. Dasaradharami Reddy, Nellore.
M. Suryanarayana Iyer, Nellore.
R. V. Raghavan, Calcutta.
S. Krishnamurthi, Neyvell.
T. R. G. Kitishnan,,Bangalore.
Mr. & Mrs. Suresh Chandra Khanna, Kanpur.
S, S. Narayan,, Tiruvannamalai.
S. K. Srinivasan, Madurai.
Tallam Satyanarayana, Vijayawada.
Madan Mohan Varnia, Jaipur.
Parekh Navnit Bansidhar, Bombay.
A. P. Venkatesan, Tindivanam.
K. S. Sanyasi Raju, Vizianagaram.
C. Venkata Reddy, Nellore.
K. K. Nambiar, Bombay.
Kaikhushroo Nusserwanji Panday, Bombay.
Mrs. Frenzy K. Panday, Bombay.
Miss Meheroo F. Screwvala, Bombay.
Dr. O. Ramachandriah, Waltair.
M. Subbarayudu, Cuddapah.
Mr. & Mrs. Navin Khanna, New Delhi.
K. Sippy, Coirnbatore.
Mukund M. Thakore, Ahmedabad.
Rajeev Goenka, Calcutta.
Menakuru Sundararama Reddy, Vidavalur.
Gunvantrai Ranchmodi Desai, Bombay.
Biradavolu Venkata Subbamm, Nellore.
K. S. Venkataraman, Madras.
G. Santhanam Iyengar, Orathanad.
Tupili Ramana Reddi, Pedur.
Bansilal G. Jaising, Bombay.
H. W. L. Poonja, Chikmagalu
L. P. Koppikar, Sri Ramanasramam.
M. V. Suryaprakasam, Guntur

AUSTRALIA:

Leonard O. Bowen, Sydney.

FRANCE:

Hazel Stafford, Neuilly.
Fredrick Stafford, Neuilly.

SOUTH AMERICA:

Renata Gradenwitz, Bueonos Aires, Argentina.

WEST GERMANY:

Frau Dorothea Graefin von Matuschka, Berlin.

DONORS

H. C. Ramanna, Bangalore.
Terence Gray, Monte Carlo.
Mrs. Natalia Gray, Monte Carlo.