Ramana Maharshi's Forty Verses On What Is: The ultimate truth on being as you actually are | A compilation of the writings and talks on Uḷḷadu ... Wisdom: Based on the Work of Michael James)

This work shines as the core and crest-jewel of Ramana Maharshi’s teachings, being the quintessence of all of them.To deeply understand Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi’s teachings, his philosophical poem Forty Verses on What Is (Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu) is key. In no other place does he give the core of his metaphysical philosophy of pure non-duality (advaita) in such a simple, complete and coherent manner as he does here. This work shines as the core and crest-jewel of his teachings, being the quintessence of all of them.The principle aim of this work is to teach the nature of reality and the means to attain it. The nature of reality is equivalent to what we always are: pure, infinite, indivisible, eternal and immutable awareness, which is aware of nothing other than itself. It is the perfectly clear non-dual state of true self-knowledge, which always shines within us as the existence-awareness ‘I am’.However we do not experience ourself as what we really are, because we rise as ego, the false awareness ‘I am the body’. This ego is the root of all duality and problems, and it is only in the view of ego that duality, multiplicity and problems seem to exist. Hence getting rid of ego is getting rid of duality and, by doing so, the solution to all problems.Ramana Maharshi thus explains in a clear and detailed manner the nature of ego, how it rises, the effects of its rising and the means to prevent its rising. He makes it abundantly clear why the simple and direct means of self-investigation (ātma-vicāra) is the only means by which we can eradicate ego. In doing so he clarifies in a clear and unique way what the true practice of the entire advaita philosophy actually is. In the absence of this false ego-awareness our problems cease and we alone remain as infinite and hence eternal peace and satisfaction.Compiled independently by Sandra DerksenPart of the series:Ramana Maharshi’s Wisdom: Based on the Work of Michael James Read more