BHAGAVAN RAMANA
MAHARSHI AS SEEN BY A
BENGALI DEVOTEE

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Jagannath Chattopadhyaya

TO A BENGALI who has been accustomed to hear the
Lord's name chanted with fervour and devotion,
accompanied by dancing and sankirtan, as introduced into
Bengal by Lord Gouranga more than four hundred years ago,
Bhagavan's method of enquiry in absolute stillness of the mind,
presents a sharp contrast. In the life of Bhagavan I am confronted
with a towering personality, the like of which I have never seen
or heard of or come across in books.

He never ran down any religion or the traditions sponsored
by a religion. For instance, the Hindu caste system has become
the target of criticism by preachers and reformers but Bhagavan
would never attack it outright. When asked whether we should
ignore caste rules he said, "Not in the beginning. Observe them
to start with. They serve as a check on the vagaries of the mind
and it is thus purified. On the same subject he says, "Differences
always exist, not only in human beings but also in plants, animals,
etc. This state of affairs cannot be helped. You need not notice
these distinctions. There is diversity in the world but a unity
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runs through the diversity. The Self is the same in all. There is
no difference in spirit. The differences are external and
superficial. Find the unity and you will be happy."

I myself am a disciple of Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnath
Maharaj, the strict follower of sanatana dharma ^[?], the eternal
dharma ^[?] based on the Vedas and Upanishads, to which foreigners
have given the name `Hinduism'. He is also an upholder of our
varnashrama dharma or caste dharma <sup>[?]</sup>. I therefore very much
appreciate the Maharshi's respect for every religion. Once, for
instance, he told a Muslim devotee to try to understand and
follow what the word `Islam' means -- `the total surrender of
the ego'.

Bhagavan's courageous message, reminding us of our
heritage of the rishis of old, gives us faith and courage despite
the gloom of present day materialism, to seek liberation from
bondage to the non-self, the fake ego, which causes the sorrows
and frustrations of life.

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