Undoubtedly, Shri Ranjit Maharaj (1913-2000) is far less widely known than Nisargadatta Maharaj, but it is definitely a deep inpiration to get acquainted with his teaching. Curiously enough, both these teachers of Advaita had Siddharameshwar as their guru and essentially, there is in my opinion no difference between their respective teachings. Contrary to Nisargadatta, Ranjit Maharaj spoke English, making him able to communicate without an interpreter with the Western people coming to him. He also partially uses other words and terms than Nisaragadatta, and his "style" seems more relaxed and at times rather quick-witted. But those are all external and, in the final analysis, unimportant attributes. In each their fashion, both teachers impart non-duality in a lucid and cogent manner.
Ranjit Maharaj did not begin to teach until he reached the age of 70, but then he also managed to travel to both Europe and America, along with giving his regular satsangs in Mumbai (Bombay). A large number of the dialogues with Ranjit Majarah have been documented in the outstanding book "Illusion vs. Reality", which in my view holds a key position within the advaita/non-duality literature. One can only be grateful to Robert Wolff for his extensive work with transcribing and publishing these dialogues.
Reading the 36 dialogues in "Illusion vs. Reality" from one end to the other, I felt the same "message" being hammered into my head all the time. Subsequently, I experienced getting the same good "medicine" whenever I opened the book at any random place. Ranjit Maharaj has a keen ability to dismantle one's mental concepts, so that they disintegrate into the nothing they truly are. For instance, it becomes evident that both "Ignorance" and "Knowledge" are illusions, in the final analysis. But I shall refrain from any further dissection of this book's contents - I suggest you allow yourself the pleasure of absorbing it on your own!
As will be no surprise in these times of YouTube, several video clips with Ranjit Maharaj are available. For example, this one from one of his dialogues in Germany. It is a delight to watch him and others speaking "live" about non-duality. But the video clip culture easily becomes a fragmentary and superficial approach. Almost needless to say, time invested in sitting with a book in peace and quiet is likely to have a more penetrating effect and take one to a more profound understanding of non-duality.
The teachings of Ranjit maharaj and nisargadatta maharaj are almost one and the same except that Nisargadatta uses some very complicated terminologies very difficult to be grasped by common man. But both of them are highly realized mahatmas, taking us to the flights of non-dual wisdom.
ReplyDeleteranjit maharaj's book knowledge versus illusion, where is it available in chennai, could someone tell me?
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