Meeting Ramana

Sri Ramana Maharshi, a Wise and Holy man, considered by many people as the Master of the Masters from India, frequently affirmed – based on his very own experience of the Truth, and not on studies or assumptions – that the Guru is not the body . As a result, a Guru has no limitations, since he or she works beyond the form, and therefore is able to reach the disciples, that is, people with hearts burning in devotion for the Truth, for Freedom – no matter the time, place or location where these devotees are.

As a confirmation to that, Ramana would appear to several people, physically distant from him, not only during his life in the form, but also thereafter. Many people report the incredible Presence and aura of beatitude, of silence, emanating from Ramanashran – Ramana’s Ashram in Tiruvannamalai, southern India – after Raman’s death until our days.

An American Sage named Robert Adams experienced a curious phenomenon in his early childhood. When he would go sleep at night or wake up in the morning, a very small man, a pygmy, speaking an odd language used to appear in his cradle. He thought it very curious, but he believed it was a normal thing, and most likely every child would also see a pygmy in their cradles. Many years later, already at adult age, he came across Ramana’s picture for the first time, and at that moment, he recognized “the pygmy” of his childhood in that man, the Holy Realized Man of Arunachala. Even though Ramana was not in human form, his Presence in Robert Adams’ life led him to Liberation.

Papaji, another Indian Sage, realized the Truth through the Grace of Sri Ramana Maharshi. In his first appearance to Papaji, Ramana was not in human shape. Papaji reports that once, a Sadhu (renouncer) knocked his door to beg for food. Papaji served him and during this contact, the Sadhu recommended him to go to the Sage of Arunachala, Ramana Maharshi. When Papaji finally had the opportunity to go to Tiruvannamalai city, to Ramana’s Ashram, he recognized the Sadhu who begged for food in Ramana’s face. However, someone near him clarified that Ramana arrived in the city at the age of 17 and was living there – at the foot of Arunachala mountain – for over 40 years, never leaving the city along all these years.

There are many reports that Ramana touched the hearts of those who were open to receive the Truth, both during his life in human form and also thereafter. And so it was also for Master Gualberto.

Regarding this topic, Master Gualberto reported once:

Do you see the photo here in the background [the Master points to Ramana Maharshi’s picture]? I wanted to meet Christ and He came to speak with me about God in the form of my Master. When I was a child, I was told that Christ was in heaven, sitting on a huge throne on the right side of God, and if I spoke with Him, I would achieve a life of happiness, without conflicts, suffering and problems. So, I used to talk to Him, I grew up talking to Him, and at the age of 24, He heard me and appeared to me in my Master’s form.

I remember that, at that time, there was an internal conflict between my image of Jesus, learned at the church, and my Master, who spoke to my heart, who had eyes that touched me deeply. However, it was a matter of making that clear internally, since after praying to God, it could not be the devil appearing to me; if my childhood desire – and I grew up with that desire – was to stop living in sin, doing wrong things, feeling pain and producing pain around me, it was not possible these prayers were now being answered by the devil.

In addition to that, when my Master appeared, his eyes had a brightness and his Silence had a voice. It was a Silence, but with a voice… It was like a music, bringing something to me that nothing in this world could bring, so that could not be the devil, it could not be the evil, but rather it could only be a divine answer for me.

When He found me, I became reinvigorated, not overwhelmed. I was so reinvigorated that, at first, I did not need to further read the Bible, since the “Thing” was already coming to me, from inside-out. When I looked at Him, I was sure about it! And do you know what I was sure about? “He loves me! He understands me! He accepts me! When I am with Him everything is different.” As one of you wrote: “What is this magic, in your Presence, that makes us laugh at our problems?”