Āṉma-Viddai (Ātma-Vidyā): The Science of Knowing Oneself

For the bonds beginning with action to be untied, to rise from the devastation beginning with birth, more than whatever path, this path [the path of investigating and knowing oneself by just being without rising as ego] is what is exceedingly easy. When one just is, resting without the least action of mind, speech or body, ah, in the heart the light of oneself alone. The eternal experience. Fear does not exist. The ocean of bliss alone. (Āṉma-Viddai verse 4)

In this and the other four verses of this song Bhagavan Ramana teaches us the nature of the obstruction that seems to prevent us being aware of ourself as we actually are (verses 1 and 2), the path of self-investigation (ātma-vicāra), which is the means to dissolve this obstruction (verses 2, 4 and 5), and the nature of self-knowledge (ātma-jñāna), which shines forth when it is thereby dissolved in such a way that it can never rise again (verses 1 to 5).

In a series of six articles on my blog I wrote a detailed translation and explanation of each of these verses, and these have now been compiled as a book, Āṉma-Viddai (Ātma-Vidyā): The Science of Knowing Oneself, which has been published by Sri Ramana Center of Houston and is available both as a paperback and a Kindle edition on most regional sites of Amazon:

In this book Michael explains the deep meaning and implications of each of these verses, referring copiously to other passages from Bhagavan’s original writings such as Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu, Upadēśa Undiyār and Nāṉ Ār?, thereby showing that in these verses Bhagavan has expressed in seed form many of the fundamental principles of his teachings.