Ramana Maharshi
1879–1950 — India
“Who am I?”
Primary Contribution
Popularized Atma Vichara (Self-Inquiry). Following a spontaneous death experience at age 16, he recognized that his true nature was the silent Witness. He instructed seekers to trace the 'I-thought' back to its source.
Key Ideas
- Atma Vichara: trace the 'I-thought' back to its silent source — not conceptually, but directly
- The I-thought is the root of all suffering; when it subsides, the Self shines
- The Heart is the seat of the Self — not the physical organ, but pure being-consciousness
- Silence is the highest teaching; the inner Guru is identical to the Self
- The Self was never bound; only the false idea of bondage needs to dissolve
Recommended Works
- Who Am I? (Nan Yar)
- Forty Verses on Reality (Ulladu Narpadu)
- Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi
“The mind will subside only by means of the enquiry 'Who am I?'. The thought 'Who am I?' will destroy all other thoughts, and like the stick used for stirring the burning pyre, it will itself in the end get destroyed.”
Further Sayings
Legacy & Influence
Ramana is the convergence point of Advaita Vedanta and direct phenomenological method. His influence reaches virtually every living non-dual teacher: H.W.L. Poonja (Papaji) was his direct disciple; Rupert Spira and Francis Lucille carry the lineage through Papaji. Paul Brunton's A Search in Secret India (1934) first introduced Ramana to the Western world, initiating a global transmission that continues today.
Knowledge Well & Media
Recommended research papers, debates, and lectures