Talks on Sri Ramana Maharshi: Narrated by David Godman - Recognising Enlightenment

This is a talk I gave at Gurumurtham Temple after I had finished describing all the events that took place there during Sri Ramana Maharshi's stay in the 1890s.
In this film I talk about the various beings, both human and non-human, who recognised Sri Ramana's high state when they visited him. These include devotees and visitors who first encountered him when he was a teenager in the 1890s. The film also includes stories of unknown siddhas and mahatmas who used to visit Sri Ramana incognito, and in various forms, and it concludes with a survey of those devotees whom Bhagavan considered (directly or indirectly) to be enlightened.

[@jaynarayanan5812]

Dear Mr. Godman.............I can't thank you enough for these 'enlightening' videos...your true devotion and dedication comes through ! Your clarity of explaining makes any novice interested in self-enquiry!!! With your blessings and Sri Ramana's ,may my ego be annihilated for good!!! God bless you to get more and more people interested in this method.......most logical of all!

[@Time364]

It is so calming watching​ and listening to your videos. Love from Ethiopia.

[@yogifrombrooklynnewyork6901]

Bhagavan is still at times there meditating on the hills of arunachala. In my meditation I am sitting next to Bhagavan overlooking arunachala and I am so happy.

[@mariluzaguilar9108]

Thank you David for your amazing work that brings bliss to us all around the world! Thank you because you let me get closer to Bagavan in a blissful devotional way . Warm regards from Guatemala, Central America !

[@stefaniaquaretti3558]

Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you , THANK YOU from the HEART for this videos , for your devotion to the guru, to the supreme Self in the form of Ramana Maharshi, for your Great Seva to the SELF and to the umanity

[@unkdaved]

A video each day keeps the blues away.

[@bryanleovy7273]

unkdaved ask yourself Who gets the blues?

[@kimparish1982]

@@bryanleovy7273 Who is asking who is asking?

[@xanbex8324]

What a service Mr. Godman provides.......we are all very fortunate for his guidance! Thank you David.......love and much respect from Canada.

[@kimparish1982]

Thank you David Godman for all your devoted efforts and service.

[@luisvargas1526]

Thank you David for producing these videos. They have been a great blessings. Although, new to these teachings, I understand them very well. Not in its entirety, for the language used to expressed these truth are sounds that I'm just beginning to get fully used to. These videos have, inspired, moved and made an impact in my personal life. The quest for liberation and the self has been turned on. Thank you again for these blessings.

[@magnusnilsson2531]

I have visited Sri Ramana Asram two times. Arunachala is a beautiful place, vibrating with spiritual energy. Thank you David for spreading Ramanas teachings.

[@sachinmonty]

thankyou ..so much David Godman and Bhagwan Ramana maharishi . for your passion and devotion towards Ramana maharishi and bringing out these pearls of a divine being which is still felt in all those who sincerely seek that wordless!! within Om

[@harishsubramaniangopal6463]

This is the most wonderful series of lectures on Bhagavan. Thanks

[@sugannatarajan4507]

Sir, thank you very much.. am not an avid reader, but a good listener, your thoughts have been absorbing. Gratitudes. Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanayah !

[@riccardoc1711]

Thank you David for your incredible passion and work and love

[@KiranKumar-dr3kc]

Another interesting read from TPR words: TPR(a devotee) gave not just an account of these incidents but also an insight into Bhagavan‟s teachings. He once informed Bhagavan, “Bhagavan, I came to you not because I adored your personal form. Your teaching „Who am I?‟ was so logical that it attracted me to you. Although I am practicing it, I am still not getting anywhere. I am not able to experience it.” Bhagavan looked at him steadily and said, “The man who wants to catch a fish attaches a very tempting worm to the fishing rod. Does he want to feed the fish? He only wants to catch it.” The eleven page gem of a book, Who Am I? is only a tempting worm to catch us all and destroy the ego!

[@indianeinstein1978]

wow nice & thanks. so we are fish that got caught !!

[@parth6115]

@@indianeinstein1978 It's cruality !

[@untilhowlong10]

This journey within is so fascinating! just listening the stories of enlighten being moves us.. Imagine being there! Om Namo Bhagvan Sri Ramana

[@BlissfulSilenceCome]

Thanks for taking the time to do this Mr. Godman. These are very inspiring stories.

[@OBIrish]

Thank you David!

[@Michael-gs2uq]

Thank you very much +David Godman.

[@pilarzamora5705]

Gracias por tan excelente reportaje. Seres Únicos.

[@listentoSYSTEM]

Thank you, God Bless!

[@aclearlight]

Very blessed work. Thank you so much for sharing this wisdom.

[@johnin02]

Thank you brother.

[@jeffgeorge9681]

Thanks David for giving us this video..keep posting

[@santsu8392]

I was in a space in oness with guru watching this video. Thank you Mr. Godman

[@RandyM5]

I discovered Ramana a last year. I wondered from that moment on why there wasn’t a comprehensive telling of the story relating to this beautiful man’s life and teachings( if you can call them teachings) His gaze, even through picture or video moves me deeply. I can only imagine the power of his gaze in person. It must have been life changing.

[@ramdas3634]

Thank you very much!!

[@victoriahangula382]

The world of technology is a blessing that enables millions far and near to receive the teachings on the wisdom who ar what am I. Thank you🎉🎉🎉

[@celebratinglife6075]

Thanks David

[@anneholloman8517]

peaceful to watch these. David G o d man - how interesting!

[@WichalRangai]

THANK YOU...!

[@wally3086]

Thank you for this Video

[@synchronicity67]

Fascinating... thanks for sharing 🙏

[@prasadp8265]

Thanks very much David.

[@bohdeesvaha1243]

This is very interesting point. The one in the state can tell another in the same state. My guru David 🙏💜✨

[@1ananda]

Gracias David Godman por los subtítulos!

[@matthewz2065]

blessings mr godman ,peacepeacepeace

[@soniaveness7648]

Thankyou so much.

[@indianeinstein1978]

David Godman is like to paul brunton, maurice frydman in the aspect of his contribution to spreading bhagwan ramana's and nisarga maharaj's teachings. and dedicated & faithful as Per Alexander wertin (swami ramanagiri) from sweden who settled in kutlaadampatti falls madurai of Tamilnadu, .

[@TheSubpremeState]

I found the book I am that in an abandoned or unkempt granny flat beside my home. It was first time I felt something in my solar plexus but that may have been my imagination. I was so fascinated with it I could not work full days for weeks after wards. Only when I reached new levels did more and more of it make sense. I am suffering still even though I at one stage in my life had some kind of ego death. My personality was seen as a ridiculous notion but my body still suffers fatigue and sickness. The pain I can deal with but I wish I was as detached from my body bagwan 🙏🏻

[@saikishorevadluri1606]

I Bow myself to the great sage Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi.I came to know about bhagavan about 2months.I liked Bhagavan teachings alot and how to achieve spiritual enlightment.From the day i was really reading bhagavan books which you worte i was felling really unknown to myself,one whole day i felt that feeling that i was lost completly and i went to my work place that day and i felt unconscious about myself my frnds tld that are you lost somewhere.Some how i got out of that now.But, wt i really need to understand is how to practice the self enquiry that is "who am i"..In,this 21st century the world is running like a rocket and more over i have lot of responsibilites on myself to look after my family and earn money for future.And, if don't want anything from life also there are some relationships & responsibilites in life that one can not deny they are mother and father.Now i cant say i'll go and practice self realization my whole life even if i want to do also, i need to leave home, all bondages in my life.How it is possible can you tell me please?I am totally confused help me out.

[@David_Godman]

+v saikishore v saikishore You don't need to give up on any of your circumstances. You just need to allocate some time to looking at your mind. And when you do, try to see what it is inside you that is thinking your thoughts and perceiving your perceptions. Keep your attention on that entity, and don't be distracted by anything else that your mind wants you to play with. If you have already read some of Bhagavan's teachings, then you must have found out all you need to start the practice of enquiry.

[@DavidSmilerSmilex]

+David Godman Thank-you for sharing David. I find your video very interesting! David

[@sundareshanml7574]

+v saikishore v saikishore HI DEAR DONT GO AWAY ANYWHERE DO YOUR DUTY FULLFILL YOUR RESPONSIBILITY IN ALL RESPECTS BUT STILL PRACTICE AND ENQUIRE WITH IN YOU WHO AM I AND CHANT OM AS MUCH AS YOU CAN EVERY DAY MORNING IN YOUR PRAYER ROOM IT TAKES LOT OF TIME TO KNOW WHO YOU ARE GOD BLESS YOU SUNDARESH

[@joeurbreviewandcopyvids]

Thank You

[@supremeconsciousness1769]

Hm ramana said also... It is the self which sees only itself. If you are enlightened you see only enlightened. If you are angry you see everyone angry or supporting your anger.

[@poornimarajesh91]

Thank you sir 🙏

[@roshmet]

Fascinating & beautiful, thank you.

[@Dan0101010101010]

This enlightened bloke probably shites out his curry like a brown fountain but going downwards

[@johnmc3862]

Good man David.

[@lisatowner5407]

David's Great 👍 MissinG india 2day 😭😭😭😭😍😇 My favorite. Ramana-david Vid. PheW LOVE 💘

[@Seanb33ee]

I’ve had a bout of peace and I could see the ego additions people would bring to our interactions. For a receptive person it wouldn’t take too long of me not playing any ego games, they recognised my ease and it eased them. I don’t know about enlightenment, but lots of people could recognise my peace (I needed nothing from our interaction). So there’s a part in them that sees it just might not make it all the way to the surface of thoughts.

[@martinshannon7632]

Thanks David, hope you well, bless from ukx

[@padmavathimenakshisundaram8466]

Thank you for yet another beautiful video. Just wanted to add the following Devotees' Names whose realisation was recognised by Bhagawan: Ramanatha Brahmachari (knock on the head and confirmation even when He was alive, Mudaliar Patti (As Bhagawan asked them not to cremate her) and Sivaprakasam Pillai (As Bhagawan had said Sivaprakasam Sivaprakasamaanaar). Indirect and Honorable mentions can be given to Chadwick (As Bhagawan said He was one of us but had a desire to be born in the West ans so was born there), The Maharaja who met Bhagavan in private and washed Bhagavan's feet with his tears, and all the people who had his Hastha Diksha and Paada Diksha because it was so rare and surely those lucky devotees dereserved it!

[@johnmaynard3989]

You may still visit the samadhis of Sw. Achutadasa, Sri Vithoba, and Mastan, two of whom were mentioned here by David in the talk, in the vicinity of Tiruvannamalai. Some believe that the tombs or samadhis of realized saints hold a very special power, helpful for meditation and Self Inquiry. In nearby Polur there is a small mutt with large portraits of Vithoba and Achutadasa.

[@mikemartian6217]

thanks

[@stevenkok1926]

The World's Great Sage.

[@stop_and_smell_the_roses]

Thanks for putting the videos out. Am presently experiencing something different and not wanting anything of the world at all. Many things, ideas etc coming at me to pull me to choose external stuff. i went in deeply and heard a phrase, "you made an agreement". Then deeper in and am not sure what is happening now... have went online to try find something and read about Nisagardatta and some Dilgo Rinpoche and Ramana which info helps know what is happening inside. So the ''game'' is dropping and then I find this Aranachula information. It is pulling me like you said, a magnet. The thing is that there's the issue arising that there is both hollowness and fullness at the same time; and giving up on all the game, and then wondering if this pull is just like all other external pulls in past, which have been to trap and distract me in a maze to keep it going. The game is just not one I'm interested in. This video allows more deeply in exploration of this Aranachula mountain calling to me. Does it call as a trap to keep those who are leaving the game-dream trapped or as assistance to leave the game-dream. This is what the discernment is looking for inward at the moment.

[@arumugamsethu6]

You are the man met God....so you are Godman.....om guru ve namaha

[@diegonayalazo]

Thanks

[@mageliberty957]

🙏🙏🙏

[@magma9138]

🙏

[@pdevika3629]

💙🌺🙏

[@cyndiependleton7930]

🕉🙏🕉

[@arurukshu1]

What's the name of the song put at the start of the video? Please tell. I m not getting it

[@Rakes250]

David Godman, please reply to me. Ramana Maharishi got the transformation experience when he had to confront "The Fear" at time of his teenage following his father's death. Did he had any preparation before to face "The Fear" and separate his true being from "Self" and realise?

[@PhotonShower]

Once i saw a mad man..he grinned at me and i grinned at him..and we went other ways..

[@esneliamunoz4475]

🕉🕉🕉🙏

[@netzerx]

David is enlighted too

[@johnmc3862]

He isn't.

[@markf2720]

If you could tell us about Yogi Ramaiah who was with Bhagwan in the early days, would be great. he also met Yoganand

[@soniaveness7648]

❤️🦋🦄🕊🌹

[@JyoSco007]

8:11 "That was the first time I realised: You have to be in that state to recognise that state in another." This reminds me of the saying, "It takes one to see/know one." (Like Ramana recognized Arunachala as God.) Another thing that happens is, What we perceive ourself to be - is what we project on others, thereby influencing the receptive ones to come to the same state. (This happened with Lester Levenson, Founder of The Sedona Method, and of course, Ramana too.) This is pretty interesting.

[@JyoSco007]

So, if I see fault in another, it's in me too. If I see beauty in another, it's in me too.

[@19792403]

Sri Maharishi Ramana must have gone through numerous births to become enlightenment without any help. My own personal estimation is going through 10 to 20 times CONSCIOUSLY seeking enlightenment.

[@tapmijyo]

I am also a Jnanj. Self - declared Jnani

[@ernestweber5207]

So, a Jnani needs to declare the status of being so? Is this your teaching?

[@gamemaniac7303]

Hope u r, good for u

[@KarthikSoun]

In 2004 once i asked "Who am I, i was suddenly able to see or witness my whole thought structure separated from consciousness, as question saw the question was asking the question. So as it saw itself it disconnected and another I of my childhood was there. I didn't stay there as it seemed very easy and acheaivable any time also i would have acted fearlessly and different, So i shook it of. Is this authentic or what was that?

[@valapetbadri]

.." Sooma IRU" a Tamil phrase , loosely translated "be still" or its equivalent , in English is seen as strongest universal philosophy. There are times in which this makes all the sense and times in which it makes no sense. Such is the nature of mind.

[@othernewsid2]

Kind of like highlander - sensing other immortals :) no I don't mean it disrespectfully. I revere Ramana

[@bryanleovy2163]

Dear David has Ramana ever talked about his previous lives?

[@Dan0101010101010]

My mate Darren he lost his jobseekers money because he gobbed on the adviser and he had to beg on the street to get his smokes, sometimes he smoked the butts of other peoples smokes when he begged he stopped caring about what people thought about him it kinda destroyed his pride, but now hes like a world level enlightened being, so its hes massive innit

[@christiandoran707]

Unless you encounter your Guru, you can not attain Moksha. The Guru takes the disciple beyond discipleship, merging into the one Guru-consciousness, the One Self. Enlightenment is absolutely (without exception) IMPOSSIBLE without the Grace of the Guru.

[@gipsy8122]

This thought is only a concept, a conviction. It has got no reality.

[@ShuddhabhaktiChatterjee]

Dear David Godman, I sometimes wonder how the two jivanmuktas, Ramana Maharishi and Swami Vivekananda never met each other or we find nothing about Swamiji from Maharishi's account.

[@irinalanza679]

Можно включить русские субтитры?? Пожалуй ста, очень прошу

[@quake3quake3]

Namaste #David Godman You didn't mention anything about his meeting with Yogananda. Om tat sat

[@prana8660]

quake3quake3 nothing to say as he was ignored

[@sakthivelb9074]

I don't know sir whether I'm doing it right or wrong. When I focus on the observer (the self), the breath is disturbing to me. Because when I inhale or exhale my attention is just going towards my breath, meaning that I'm observing the breath. I don't know how to stop observing the breath and put full attention on self. Anybody please help me with the process.

[@ramkij]

As you observe your breath and calm down, the breath itself slows down to a point where you could say it has almost stopped, all by itself, naturally and not by force. Since breath has slowed down, your mind (thoughts) would have calmed down too. All you are left with is a sort of voidness or Nothing which people might call Awareness, God or the Self. In this condition, you don't need to observe your self through any effort. You are now BEING the self. So just REST in it for as long as you can. What this does is slowly severs the link with your mind (that is, cuts of all your attachments) and you become more and more established in the Self. Until now, your home base is your mind (ie. thinking). You always think, think, think and there's no respite from it. Once you're grounded in your Self, what you call your Home changes to the Self itself. The nature of the Self is peace unlike the mind (thoughts) that thrives and lives by creating problems. A complete relief from your mind is freedom or enlightenment. Right now, we are slaves of our mind and it dictates to us what we should or shouldn't do. Once free from the mind, it doesn't mean you can't think. You think when you want and drop it when you don't need to.

[@filoblack]

...:)

[@deepaknatraj1394]

Ramana say that it is not a requirement for one's liberation that he must give up his life(illusory)/family/job and search for the self . Will that be still valid in the present day scenario of Internet, Entertainment and other technological advancements? He would himself suggest to leave them behind and go to a forest :)

[@David_Godman]

Deepak Natraj Bhagavan said that if you retire to a forest, you still take your mind with you. He added that it is the mind that has to be given up, not one's circumstances.

[@sundareshanml7574]

+Deepak Natraj yes you are absolutely correct one need not give up any thing full fill your duties and responsibility and still enquire with in you WHO AM I SUNDARESH

[@ernestweber5207]

What could possibly be left to give up or not give up upon realization? Where is there to actually go and with what?

[@batsinhell8117]

if you are reading this mr. Goodman, i would really like to know what did Yani Ramana say about good bad deeds, if you could reply it would be great. Thank you kindly

[@jamesaustin7943]

i think in "Talks", Ramana Maharshi said i have never called myself enlightened, only other people apply this term to me (paraphrased) that said, it is a useful term for the ego's journey back home, and so is sometimes used by jnani's

[@David_Godman]

James Austin Bhagavan's point was that 'enlightenment' and its antonym 'unenlightenment' are just ideas and distinctions that arise in those who identify with a body and a mind. When one does not recognise the real existence of individual people, one cannot divide them up into those who are enlightened and those who are not.

[@SaithMasu12]

Im not entirely sure on this one, but enlightenment is a term used for a path and can be most of the time mistaken as a state that differs from your own state. It is seen as some people might have it and others not. I think that can be a very dangerous misconception. Enlightenment isnt really a state to go to. It is to remain in the state you are anyway. Only when you are going out and say: "This is my body", or "this is me", you become different from your natural state. (Although your nature is changless and unmoveable, the believe this is not so, now placed itself over your reality). Im really not sure why one insists into planes of relativity, where enlightenment is something gained after years of practice, spanned over multiple lifetimes, or only by great effort and so on. How can this ever be so? How can you ever reach anythng other than yourself?

[@tapmijyo]

There is no Jnani. Only jnanam exists

[@ravindrapuli5788]

4:53

[@sankarakrishnan8707]

David. Didn't lakshmana sarma give a note to ramana that he got enlightenment by ramana grace and ramana read it, smiled and kept the note in his bureau.

[@richardconner15]

ONLY 3 OTHER BEINGS HAS MY RESEARCH UNCOVERED THAT WERE ENLIGHTENED :SRI RAMAKRISHNA, NEEM KAROLI BABA & GOPI KRISHNA.

[@toannguyen-nb4rj]

3:47 Didn't Papaji mention Krishnamurti?

[@peanutbutterseeds5681]

24:13

[@moesypittounikos]

So who does David Godman consider enlightened today?

[@caleb-ct5vi]

id say an enlightened person is someone who can recognize the maya (illusion) of this world.

[@gerardgrimardia3274]

The Mother & Cow Lakshmi were illiterate;they did not care about philosophy:Vedanta;advaïta,non-duality,etc.They only surrendered to B..I remember,maybe in Nagamma's letters,that B. said that the Mother used to sing songs with vedantic background about the making of different meals.So,He composed the song of the poppadum.

[@youhavenoprivacyandownnoth8289]

Passivity and begging are no prerequisite for enlightenment. Ramana must've been on a mind trip (which he said it himself)

[@CanadianMang]

What about Papaji, was he not realized?

[@David_Godman]

Bhagavan never publicly recognised any of his living devotees as realised. Most of the stories in this film are about his reaction when devotees had passed away.

[@GopiKrishnaSGarge]

Erik Westerveld

[@bryanleovy7273]

Yes Papaji was enlightened.

[@SaithMasu12]

What makes you think you are not enlightened? Ramana always pointed out to that you have to inquire and all his teachings were about this inquiry. It is of no use to debate if you are enlightend or not, as long as you dont ask this simple question: "who am I". If you would do that, you would find out you are no different from an enlightend being.

[@abxicimab]

...

[@KarthikSoun]

In last century there where atleast 10 authentic enlightened masters in India. In this century not even one. What has changed in India?

[@sariss7203]

I was just thinking: who is the ramana maharshi of this age? I dont know of any well-known Indian gurus as of now, besides Sadghuru who I am not much a fan of. Besides that, I know some western teachers and a few Chinese/Japanese monks.

[@KarthikSoun]

@@sariss7203 Who are you talking about? Eckhart Tolley and Thich Nhat Hanh?

[@unspecifiedusername8820]

This is making me rethink my whole view of enlightenment and spirituality... it sounds more like mental illness. This kind of behaviour, neglecting your body to the point of letting it rot, is pathological! I think his enlightenment may have been some kind of stroke / brain damage. Fuck, what have I been doing with my life?!

[@unspecifiedusername8820]

I would be afraid to undergo a shift in consciousness that could leave me so detached from reality that I neglected my body to the point where maggots were eating my flipping legs! Yes, I would be scared of anything that would do that to me. It sounds like some kind of dissociative disorder.

[@unspecifiedusername8820]

Adam - Mate, listen to yourself. You sound like you are part of a cult. Why wouldn't I be afraid of having maggots eating my legs?! How is that not a massive red flag to you?! This is not some spiritual state, this guy was clearly suffering from a terrifying mental illness. It's not enlightened to just lie down and let your body rot, that is seriously wrong. Is that what you call 'enlightenment' then keep it.

[@unspecifiedusername8820]

I don't have to 'justify' my opinion that being so mentally detached from your experience that you would let your body rot is pathological. To any sane person that is a self justifying statement. You need to justify why that is anything other than pathologically deranged.

[@unspecifiedusername8820]

Adam Naperty fair play. Just don't get eaten by maggots! Peace

[@rajeshwardoraisubramania7138]

Your just pongolin not guru. So you don't know what between heart and other parts.

[@2TheAbbeyClinic]

Well, my enlightenment can kick the living crap out of your enlightenment. I'm so enlightened, let me tell you how enlightened I am, I have to sew my ears closed so I don't hear myself talk and become even more freakin' enlightened and die of enlightenment toxicity. I'm not crazy, just so enlightened that no one can understand a word I say, I'm just that enlightened. Sucks being you!

[@bryanleovy7273]

W.J. Kelly get passed your anger first and then Listen.

[@roxannamostatabi7791]

Lol

[@puneethhegdeable]

It's Irony that how a foreign ppl get to minute details and explain it to the native.

[@rbtestya1250]

nie ma dziada.

[@deansheridan]

Omg i wanna throw away my phone