Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi

An Ongoing Philosophical Exploration of World, Self and God

This series is an attempt to present the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi in a philosophical style while remaining as faithful as possible to the spirit of his teaching.

Rather than beginning from scripture, belief, or mystical claims, these essays begin from ordinary experience — the experiences available to everyone: waking, dream, sleep, and more importantly the sense of “I”.

The approach adopted may apper analytical rather than devotional (in the initial parts), though devotion related essays are planned for later parts. The aim is not to construct a new metaphysical system, but to examine experience carefully enough that certain familiar assumptions may be questioned: What is the relation between mind and world? What exactly is the ego? What persists across waking, dream, and sleep? What is meant by self-awareness? What role do God, karma, and freedom play?

Sri Ramana’s teaching is often associated with advaita vedānta, yet his presentation is distinctive in its directness and in its insistence on self-investigation (ātma-vicāra) as the central method. These essays therefore do not attempt historical reconstruction or textual scholarship. They are philosophical reflections inspired primarily by Sri Ramana’s own works.

The series proceeds progressively. Later parts assume familiarity with earlier ones, so reading in order is recommended.

Reading Order

**Part 1 — The Three States and the Reality of the Self [Part 2 — Ego, Projection, and the Appearance of the World](https://medium.com/@n.r.sathya.swaroop/teachings-of-sri-ramana-maharshi-part-2-b97e087a7a87) [Part 3 — Body, Mind, Attention, and the Five Sheaths](https://medium.com/@n.r.sathya.swaroop/teachings-of-sri-ramana-maharshi-part-3-cf9088223035) [Part 4 — Sat–Cit–Ānanda and the Question of Happiness](https://medium.com/@n.r.sathya.swaroop/teachings-of-sri-ramana-maharshi-part-4-c820209a3001) [Part 5 — God, Karma, and the Limits of Agency](https://medium.com/@n.r.sathya.swaroop/teachings-of-sri-ramana-maharshi-part-5-d592e63da287)**

Further parts are planned and this page will continue to be updated.

The inquiry remains unfinished — appropriately so. For if the central question of the series is “Who am I?”, then no conceptual answer can conclude it. At best, philosophy can clarify, remove confusion, and point. What remains must be discovered directly.