Ramana Maharshi, who lived until 1951, is already regarded among the classical sages of India. Although he remained in simple rural surroundings and was never strongly influenced by European culture, Ramana lived at the core of awareness from which radiate the languages and images of all cultures.
Ramana's father was a lawyer. There was a certain atmosphere of piety in the household which involved ritualistic worship of various Hindu Gods and Godesses, but young Ramana underwent no intense religious training.
Ramana's life continued in a conventional manner until, at the age of sixteen, he read about the lives and practices of the South Indian saints. As a result, he experienced an immediate though mild, euphoria which lasted several days.
He did not interpret this euphoria as a spiritual experience but simply assumed he had a light fever. This was the first tremor of his spiritual awakening.
Several months later, Ramana experienced the sudden opening into Ultimate Consciousness in which his individual identity was almost entirely lost.
Yet, a certain life-pattern remained operative for Ramana, regardless of this condition of complete unity, or illumi-nation. His destiny was to reside at Arunachala Mountain.
(''Coming Home, The Experience of Enlightenment in Sacred Traditions'' by Lex Hixon, Larson Publications)
