Ashram Bulletin

Mountain Path News

Our next issue, that for January 1966, will be dedicated to 'Ramana Sat-Guru.' It will be a special number of large size and on superior paper. No additional charge will be made from subscribers but the cost of a single copy will be Rs. 2.50; 5 sh. $ 0.75.

Contributions for this issue are invited and should reach us early as possible, since we shall have to go to press early with it.

The issue for April 1966 will be on 'Prayers and Powers.'

Our Subscription Rate

From the very beginning the hand of Bhagavan has been felt guiding The Mountain Path. When it was still a project, in September 1963, we were discussing what the annual subscription should be when a letter was received containing a five rupee note as a subscription to whatever journal the Ashram might be publishing. We took this as a sign from Bhagavan, and indeed it was, because later H. R. Chadha of Calcutta wrote: "One night Bhagavan appeared to me with some magazines, so feeling this to mean that there was an Ashram magazine, I sent five rupees to the Ashram President next morning, asking him to make me a subscriber. The reply came back 'We don't publish one yet but are planning one and were just discussing the subscription rate when your letter arrived and gave us the hint, so you are subscriber No. 1'."

The Holy Hill - By Arlette Hans

I was sitting on Arunachala, not actually meditating but relaxing and seeing myself, objectively, as though from outside, when I became aware (I cannot say exactly how) that this was Mt. Sinai on which I was sitting.

What did it mean? That Arunachala-Siva Arunachala-Ramana, is the same as the Mountain where God reveals Himself to Moses and makes known the law? That in coming to a new centre I had not abandoned the old?

A Lecture

Swami Poornananda Tirtha of Jnana Ashram, Parlikad, in Kerala, editor of the monthly journal Kaivalya Sudha, which valiantly and learnedly upholds Hindu traditional lore, paid us a visit in August, during which he gave a lecture on the Maharshi's teaching.

The lecture was delivered in the Old Hall and was well attended. The Swami began by pointing out that the Maharshi adumbrated no new philosophy but presented afresh the traditional Hindu wisdom. He explained that whereas the ordinary man of religion asks about the origin of the world and postulates a God who created it, the Vedantin asks what the world is and finds it to be a mere conglomeration of sense-impressions. From this comes the enquiry to whom the sense-impressions come. Who am I?

The aspect of Self-enquiry as taught by Sri Maharshi on which the Swami dwelt was the attempt to quell thoughts by asking: to whom do these thoughts come? Who am I?

A still youthful Swami, he is rapidly coming into prominence and has already a considerable following.. He did not have the opportunity of coming to Sri Maharshi in his lifetime but makes Sri Maharshi's teaching, especially as expressed in Upadesa Saram and Ulladu Narpadu, the foundation of his own. In his lecture here also he quoted extensively from these two works.

New York

The following announcement of the founding of an Arunachala Ashram in New York reached us too late for inclusion in our July Bulletin, so we are including it here.

The 15th anniversary of the Mahanirvana of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi was celebrated on 30^th April in Carnegie Hall, New York, under the presidentship of Prof. Bernard Tobacman. The principal speaker, Arunachala Bhakta Bhagawata; (whose address is given in our correspondence network in this issue) told how Bhagavan came to him in a dream one night while he was in America. He spoke of the wisdom of Bhagavan in which the essential teachings of all religions merge, telling how seekers and devotees from all over the world used to flock to his lotus feet and how, since he left the body, his influence has been radiating through the world even more powerfully. At the end of the meeting Prof. Tobacman announced the formation of a group which would meet regularly for meditation, discussion and study of Bhagavan's teaching. The meeting ended with chanting of Arunachala-Shiva-OM.

Visitors

Prominent among our visitors during this period was Dr. Das Gupta, Principal of David Hare Training College at Calcutta, who came with his wife and sister and left a convinced devotee.

We also had a visit from Dr. Chandra Sharma, an eminent homeopathic doctor from London, who came first in Bhagavan's lifetime and has been a number of times since. This time he brought with him his aged parents from Gujerat and his wife and two sons from England.

An interesting visitor was Myrta de Barvie from Argentina who has spent several years in India learning Indian classical dancing. She was accompanied by her mother, Argelia de Barvie, who has long been a devotee of Bhagavan and who told us that there is great hunger for spiritual sustenance in Argentina. From indications that reach us, this applies to all the Latin American countries.

Dr. H. Mahadeva Iyer, Scientific Officer, Atomic Energy Establishment, Bombay, and his American wife, Cynthia Iyer, paid their second visit in nine months, Mrs. Iyer first learned of Sri Bhagavan in 1962 while in England from books by Paul Brunton and Arthur Osborne. While in India during 1963-64 she became an earnest devotee and obtained most of the English publications of the Ashram. As soon as The Mountain Path was started she became a subscriber.

The Iyers spent a week at the Ashram last November and were so enchanted by the atmosphere of peace and the pervading presence of Bhagavan, that after their recent trip to the USA, they decided to come for a second visit to Tiruvannamalai before taking up their Bombay life again, and have stayed for a few days.

Dr. Rafael, Lozada Carmona came from Venezuela with a letter of introduction from Irma de Valera. He brought us the names of a few new subscribers and told us of an Arunachala Centre already existing in Venezuela. He already practises Self-enquiry. He plans to stay in our Ashram about six months. He is the professor of Oriental Philosophy in the University of Caracas, Venezuela.

Obituary

Sri A. Sivarama Reddiar first came to the Ashram in 1931 and remained there ever since, a continuous service of 34 years. Even as a boy he was inspired by the (Tamil) advaitic songs of Sri Achuthaswami of Polur. After the death of his wife, quite early in life, he turned his, attention entirely to the spiritual path. He was initiated by a disciple of Sri Achuthaswami and spent three years wandering about India on foot visiting Swamis and holy places. In the course of his wanderings he came to Sri Ramanasramam, and Bhagavan's powerful gaze dispelled all remaining doubts and captivated him completely. He gave up wandering and decided to remain here, and through Bhagavan's Grace the Sarvadhikari put him in charge of the Ashram book depot, a charge which he retained to within a few days of his passing. His grave manner and complete devotion to Bhagavan won him the respect of other devotees. After a short illness he passed away at the age of 70 in his village of Uttaramerur, where he was taken by his daughter. His absence in the Ashram will long be felt. May he rest in peace at the feet of Sri Bhagavan.