13 June 2006

Swami Ramdas at Arunachala


Either at the end of 1922 (soon after Sri Ramana Maharshi permanently moved to the base of Arunachala) or the beginning of 1923, Swami Ramdas of Kanhangad arrived at Tiruvannamalai and had a brief meeting with the young Sri Ramana Maharshi. The meeting powerfully affected Swami Ramdas and immediately after it, he moved into an unoccupied cave on the Southside of Arunachala. It was in this cave he lived for nearly a month in deep meditation.

... He was actually rolling in a sea of indescribable happiness ... Once during the day, when he was lost in the madness of meditation he came out of the cave and found a man standing a little way from the mouth of the cave. Unconsciously, he ran up to him and locked him up in a fast embrace. This action on the part of Ramdas thoroughly frightened the friend who thought that it was a madman who was behaving in this manner and so was afraid of harm from him. It was true, he was mad ... At times, he would feel driven to clasp in his arms the very trees and plants growing in the vicinity of the cave ... Thus passed his days in that cave. It was altogether a simple and happy life that he led in that mountain retreat.

[Excerpt taken from In Quest of God autobiography by Swami Ramdas]
For more information about Swami Ramdas please check link at: http://www.anandashram.org

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