The Death Experience

[Guest guest]

Harsha: Thank you Sri Ramji for your recent encouragement about my Ramana

posts. Although I need no encouragement on this matter, I am nevertheless

grateful. Here is another one that I am posting to other lists. We have

often heard how near death experiences for many have lead to a fundamental

change of outlook in life. One of the most unusual and interesting examples

of such an experience is that of the Sage of Arunachala when he was barely

17. In his own words Sri Ramana later described it. In these simple words

is embedded the open secret of Self-Enquiry leading to Self-Realization.

 

"The shock of the fear of death drove my mind inwards and I said to myself

mentally, without actually framing the words: 'Now that death has come; what

does it mean? What is it that is dying? This body dies . . . But with the

death of the body am I dead? Is the body I? . . . The body dies but the

Spirit that transcends it cannot be touched by death. That means I am the

deathless Spirit.' All this was not dull thought; it flashed through me

vividly as living truth which I perceived directly. . . From that moment

onwards the 'I' or Self focussed attention on itself by a powerful

fascination. Fear of death had vanished once and for all. Absorption in the

Self continued unbroken from that time on. "

 

- Sri Ramana Maharshi.