This excerpt is from the book ‘Talks with Bhagavan’ pages 120-121.

Q: Is Guru’s grace required?

Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi: Yes. Discussions, Lectures, Meditations, all these are secondary aids only. Guru’s Grace is needed for Self-Realization.

Mahaprabu read these lines 3 times and then spoke the following:

See, this is the Great Bhagavan’s words. Some words are confused over time, that’s all. Bhagavan is a great Jnani, because he realized the Truth in a young age itself. And after realizing, after getting that Satori, he immediately left Madurai for Tiruvannamalai. That is how it will happen. Once we realize the existence of some other thing in us, by direct experience, if we are able to experience and understand that something else is existing in this body, and we are not.. Then because of that understanding, as we are not, we cannot bind ourselves anymore with worldly people. How can we connect? Because we know what is really existing and what is not. And we truly know that we are not. Then how can we connect with others who believe themselves to be individuals. And one more thing. By seeing others, as they didn’t realize what is existing here and now, and as they think that they are, how much suffering they undergo, why they are not peaceful, all of this will be understood just by experiencing what is real and knowing what is not. Seeing this suffering, and by recollecting our own past life, how we were, and comparing it with how it is now, having realized the Truth, how can we relate with something that is not existing? People are suffering because of this mistake. If we are surrounded with such people who are suffering, then what will be the result for us?

You love your mother and you know that she has given you this body. For everyone it is the same. Just because of that reason, if the mother gives you poison, will you drink it? Knowing that it will kill you? You will reject it. And you will try to clarify to the mother that what she is giving is actually poison, even though she thinks it is milk. Unknowingly she is giving poison. Will you accept it? And if you know that because of ignorance she is giving me poison, out of love, you will be very cautious. You will not drink it. Same thing here. When one realizes what is actually existing here and now and realises that we are not anymore, by seeing others living in suffering because of this ignorance, we will know that what they can give us is suffering only. Like the poison. Even if it is out of love. The people who surround us, every one of them are only going to give us suffering. Then what will you do?

Only one thing is possible. A great escape from that place is the solution. That is what Bhagavan has done. And Bhagavan has done that after having a glimpse. Imagine the confidence it would have given him. Then he fled. But in the case of Buddha and Mahaprabu, without any glimpse, having just a deep question about life as to ‘Who I Am’, where the only thing certain was the uncertainty of life, they left despite so much pressure. Having a glimpse and then escaping is one thing since there was light. But Buddha and Mahaprabu started with darkness. They left in darkness. No light at all. But as their quest was pure, as their resolve was very, very strong, they struggled with the darkness and still fled.

So, Bhagavan, using the light, reached Tiruvannamalai. Slowly he started ripening. Abiding firmly in the light for many, many years. That too in solitude. Isolated. Around 34 years he spent this way. Imagine. Only after 30 to 34 years, he came down. Even when he came down, when Annamalai Swami came to see him, he found Bhagavan sitting alone in a thatched hut. No one was around him. Only after the entry of Annamalai Swami, the various buildings started being constructed in Ramanashramam, and then people began to come to meet him.

But before that, those 34 years in solitude with the light! How much sharpness would have been there in Bhagavan! No distractions. Always with the light. What depth would be his experience! You can’t imagine. With all this background, he is coming and sitting and now facing this question asked by a seeker. Definitely, a Jnani who is very sharp like him would expect his disciple also to be sharp. And what did he say, with all that cumulative experience of his? : Discussions, Lectures and Meditations are all secondary aids. Guru’s Grace is needed for Self-Realization.

When you totally, unconditionally surrender to the feet of the Master and you are ready to give everything to follow his words, if the Master is able to know that you are ready, that you are keeping yourself always in a ready position, that you have dedicated totally for this, and you are waiting for the instruction of the Master, even the slight movement of the eye of the Master, and that you have given your whole heart to him, THAT will touch him. He will fill your heart without any words. Just by understanding your love from your heart, the master starts spreading his love towards you. This is what GURU’s GRACE means. Just by feeling your love, feeling your readiness, something from his heart will start emanating towards you. That something is called Grace.

That Grace has tremendous power, compared to a lecture, a discussion or meditation. That is why Bhagavan said that Guru’s grace is the primary aid. So many attend lectures, discuss, and meditate. These are all secondary. Only those who are ready to give their heart, ready to give their total life, just to understand the Truth, those who have total faith and trust in the Master, that he was interested in the Truth, and now he has reached, and now he is always for that only, he is living for that only… By realizing all these things, that we are with such a Master, we wanted this alone and now we have it… His every breath is that.. By seeing that kind of presence in front of him, if the disciple gives himself totally to the Guru, surrenders to his feet, as this is the man we searched for, this is the man we have to live with, this is what we want; If one is surrendering in this way, it will touch the heart of the Master.

When the Master’s heart is touched, something starts oozing out from his heart. That something is called the Guru’s grace. This Guru’s grace is having tremendous power than any other thing. But most people are interested only in discussions, lectures and practising meditation. Very very few are interested in giving themselves totally to a Master who has lived the very life they want to live, who has experienced what they want to experience. So he should be my only relation in this world. No more relations. The only relation I will have is my beloved Master. O, My Master, I am surrendering at your feet only for this purpose. I have tremendous faith in you O Master, having seen your entire journey. Do whatever you want. Please direct me. You know what I want. There is no more plan for me. No more relations for me. My whole heart is with you. If one sits in front of a Master with this state of mind, the heart of the Master will melt, and the juice will flow out like a waterfall. This waterfall is Guru’s grace. This is Guru’s grace. This grace has tremendous potential and tremendous power. Like a strong powerful magnet. It will take the disciple directly to the Universe. The master is like a pick-and-place robot. He will simply pick the disciple and place it in the cosmic consciousness.

After a period of silence, Mahaprabu continued:
What a wonderful thing which is coming. Everything is going well. We are advancing day by day, moment by moment we are advancing. The only thing you have to have is a strong desire and strong commitment. Everything is set perfectly for you. Perfectly arranged by IT. You are such luckiest people, such blessed ones. Everything is perfectly arranged. Just you have to travel. You should be in the journey. That’s all. Everyone is on the path towards heaven, paradise.

I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU ALL. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH. BE HAPPY AND ENJOY, ENJOY EACH AND EVERY MOMENT. LOVE YOU.