SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI:


Timeline


YEAR
***********
EVENT
1879 BLANK December 30 Monday 1 a.m. - Born at Tiruchuli, India. For indepth biographical study please see: Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi
1891 BLANK Moves to Dindigul, after completing elementary education at Tiruchuli.
1892 BLANK February 18 - Death of father, Sundaram Iyer. Moves to Madurai, to live with paternal uncle, Subba Iyer. Studies at Scott's Middle School and American Mission High School.
1895 BLANK November - hears of Arunachala mentioned to him by an elderly relative. About the same time, or perhaps some months later, reads Periapuranam.
1896 BLANK About middle of July - Death Experience at Madurai ending in a nearly complete and permanent Realization of the Self (see 1912, below). August 29, Saturday - Leaves Madurai for Arunachala. September 1, Tuesday - Arrives in Arunachala, reports to inner shrine at the great Arunachaleswara Temple. Upon leaving the temple he goes to Ayyankulam Tank, has his head shaved, and throws all his remaining money into the tank . Stays in temple premises within the Thousand-Pillared Hall, in Pathala Linga [underground cellar] southeast corner. Attended to and guarded by Seshadri Swami.
1898 BLANK February moves to Gurumurtam less than a year and a half after his arrival at Tiruvannamalai. Palaniswami becomes his attendant and remains so for 21 years. After a little more than a year at Gurumurtam moves to neighboring mango orchard in May, staying there for about 6 months. September: Moves to Pavalakkunru [one of the spurs of the Arunacchala Hill] on which there were an Iswara temple, a spring, a cave and a mutt at the foot. December - Mother Alagammal visits Bhagavan at Pavalakkunru, with Nagaswami.
1899 BLANK February - Moves to the Holy Hill, Arunachala. Stays in various caves - Satguru Swami Cave [Alamarathu Guhai], Guhu Namasivaya Cave for short periods, then to Virupaksha Cave. But mostly in Virupaksha Cave where he lived for 17 years [1899-1916], using Mango Tree Cave [near Mulaipal Tirtham] as summer residence.
1905 BLANK Moves to Pachaiamman Koil for six months during the plague epidemic. Returns to the Hill when crisis is over.
1907 BLANK November 18: Ganapathi Muni [previously had visited Sri Bhagavan twice in 1903/1904] visits Bhagavan. Bhagavan imparts upadesa to the Muni. In a letter Muni writes the next day he declares the Swami should be called Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi.
1908 BLANK January to March: stays at Pachaiamman Koli [with Ganapathi Muni and others]. Returns to Virupaksha Cave later in the year.
1911 BLANK First recorded visit of a Westerner - Frank H.Humphreys visits Bhagavan.
1912 BLANK Ramana's Second Death Experience. Roaming off the trails of the holy hill Arunachala, Ramana is confronted by a "spirit" and for the second time in his life, spirals into death. Turning livid blue and with no vital signs, followers hold him assuming he is dead.
1916 BLANK Moves to Skandashram.
1917 BLANK Mother settles at Skandashram [In the beginning of 1916, mother came to stay, initially with Echammal]. Sri Ramana Gita written in Sanskrit by Ganapathi Muni [questions put to Sri Bhagavan between December 1913 and August 1917 on different occasions, and his answers]
1922 BLANK Bhagavan had only just taken up residency at his newly constructed ashram, which was not much more than a thatched hut, when he was visited by Swami Ramdas.
1924 BLANK On June 26th between 11:30 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. - Robbery at the ashram. Bhagavan receives blow on his left thigh.
1926 BLANK Stopped Giri Valam [Giri Pradakshina, or Pradakshina Giki-Dakshina], going around the Holy Hill.
1928 BLANK Following the advice of Swami Ramdas, who he met on a spiritual pilgrimage, an anonymous American that became famous in the novel The Razor's Edge stays at the ashram on and off for two years. It is said he Awakened to the Absolute through the grace of the Bhagavan. His story after The Razor's Edge ends is told in Zen Enlightenment: The Path Unfolds. Additional documentation can be found by clicking HERE . Annamalai Swami arrives. It was under his direction and the Maharshi's guidance that the Old Hall was first constructed. It was dismantled in May 1986 and after renovation was reopened at 7:00 a.m., December 5, 1986. Long time devotees declared the interior decor and outside appearance looked 'absolutely the same'.
1931 BLANK Paul Brunton visits Bhagavan and stays at ashram. His book In Search of Secret India, published in 1934, opens the west to Sri Ramana.
1938 BLANK February - British author and playwright W. Somerset Maugham visits the ashram and faints in the presence of the Bhagavan. In September, seven months after Maugham departs for Europe, American Guy Hague arrives. In November Bhagavan is visited by Mercedes De Acosta.
1939 BLANK September 1, Thursday - Foundation laid by Bhagavan for the Mathrubhuteswara Temple
1940 BLANK October 5 - Bhagavan STOPS eating pan (betel leaf).
1941 BLANK Before May 19 - Bhagavan STOPS going to kitchen to help.
1943 BLANK During the 1943-1945 bracket a young American boy visits the ashram for a short stay. Within an hour of sitting in his only Darshan with the Maharshi, the boy experiences instant transformation into the Absolute. The boy is alive and well living in America today. See: SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI: The Last American Darshan.
1945 BLANK Jan 25 - Foundation of New Hall: June 5 - cornerstone laid in presence of Bhagavan.
1946 BLANK September 1- Golden Jubilee Celebration of Bhagavan's arrival in Arunachala. New Hall in front of Sri Matrubuteswara Temple construction. See: THE MEETING: An Untold Story of Sri Ramana
1948 BLANK June 18 - Cow Lakshmi attains nirvana.
1949 BLANK March 14 - Maharshi was taken to open the new big Hall attached to the temple. Being too weak to turn the colossal key of the door, a young stapati turned it for him. He went to the inner temple and helped over the short flight of steps and made to touch the stone Sri Chakra, the symbol of the Creative Power latent in the Formless Spirit (Chit). Sat for the first time on the stone couch in the new hall, which was covered with red velvet cushions. June 1 - new hall [adjoining Mother's temple] declared open. See: THE MAP AND HISTORY OF THE RAMANA ASHRAM.
1950 BLANK April 14, Friday Brahman Nirvana of Bhagavan at 8:47 p.m. At that moment a shooting star, vividly luminous, coming from the South [the present Nirvana Room] and moving slowly northward across the sky and disappearing behind the peak of Arunachala was observed by many in various parts of India.



Fundamentally, our experience as experienced is not different from the Zen master's. Where
we differ is that we place a fog, a particular kind of conceptual overlay onto that experience
and then make an emotional investment in that overlay, taking it to be "real" in and of itself.


(PLEASE CLICK)


ZEN ENLIGHTENMENT IN A NUTSHELL


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HERE FOR
ENLIGHTENMENT

ON THE RAZOR'S
EDGE

THE RAZOR'S EDGE: TRUE OR FALSE?


SUGGESTED READING: SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI


SRI RAMANA MAHARSHI: THE LAST AMERICAN DARSHAN
RECOUNTING A YOUNG BOY'S NEARLY INSTANT TRANSFORMATION INTO THE ABSOLUTE DURING HIS ONLY DARSHAN WITH THE MAHARSHI


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THE WANDERLING

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THE BEST OF THE MAUGHAM BIOGRAPHIES:


SPIRITUAL GUIDES, GURUS, AND TEACHERS INFLUENTIAL IN THE RAZOR'S EDGE OTHER THAN THE MAHARSHI: