The original text is in German, translated into English by Victor Ward, with a foreward by Alan Adams-Jacobs.
Often when reading a biography I have found that these books tend to swirl around facts, figures, dates, details - which though important - tend to overshadow the essence of who the person was. This is one biography which fortunately does not fall into that glitch.
Make no mistake, all the details are there. The family background, the great rishi's awakening, the drastic change which then takes place, his teachings, followers have all been sculpted into the book with great care to details, so you come away with the impression of having known the spiritual guru all along.
Where most other books on the Maharishi's life tend to get carried away trying to explain what he said and did, this one tells it like how it is. Careful observations and moving accounts of those close to Bhagawan helps the reader get in touch with the great sage. There is no attempt to glorify Sri Ramana, and indeed there is no need for it - for his very life spoke of his greatness. The substance of a person's life can be weighed not only by his own actions and thoughts, but to a large extent by how that person affected others around him. So while Ramana Maharish - His Life centers around Sri Ramana, his important disciples have also been carefully researched and effectively portrayed. An
adequate background has been provided on most of those people whose lives were touched by Sri Ramana, which gives the reader a better understanding of the life of the spiritual leader.
Sri Ramana's teachings can largely be linked to Advaita philosophy. One cannot say they are based on this philosophy because he never preached what was given in the sacred books, infact he never preached. Whatever he taught and all the books that compile his teachings are in fact a collection of
the answers he gave to queries put forward by devotees and other visitors. He never preached or asked anyone to prescribe to a certain path. He is on par with the Seers of old whose lives and experiences are explained in the sacred texts.
This is what is most remarkable about this sage. He did not explain what was mentioned in the sacred books because he did not gain enlightenment after reading them. He experienced the Truth for himself. When he was enlightened at the age of 17 years, the true knowledge did not come to him after deliberate thought but in a flash. He was overcome with the feeling that he was about to die, and in that moment realised that he was not the body but the higher Self which merely resided in the physical body. The Self contained in his physical form is one with the Universe and is present in each one of us. This realisation was the sole teaching of his life. He never doubted or questioned this knowledge even once in his life. All that he taught to his disciples was based on this one core
philosophy and it never changed - look to where the I comes from and you will find the Self.
Ramana Maharishi - His Life very beautifully and lucidly makes the reader understand this philosophy. There are several sources and tons of information on the Seer, bit this book is a one stop shop for anyone who wishes to understand Sri Ramana Maharishi. This book can form the platform or basic understanding for anyone interested in the sage. Before one moves on to his teachings and writings, it is very important to get a good grounding on the sage's life and baisc philosophy, which is exactly what this biography provides.