Ramana has often been described as 'an incarnation of Advaita'. The description is an intriguing philosophical oxymoron as the thunderous truth of Advaita boldly declares that no one has ever been born, lived, or died, and yet it is, without doubt, an astonishing powerful image in conveying the profound affinity that exists between the teachings of Advaita and Ramana. As one passes the philosophically relevant portions of Ramana's life and teachings through the lens of Advaita, they will be seen to be in perfect accordance with the essence of Advaita's philosophical teachings. What is all the more astonishing is that Ramana's teachings emerged spontaneously as the fruit of his sudden Great Awakening and only subsequently, almost by accident, did he learn of the ancient Upanisadic and Advaitic teachings. This book is an attempt to view, to see (have darsan) the life and teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharsi through the lens of the philosophical system (darsana) known as Advaita Vedanta. Not only does the word 'darsan' mean 'being in the presence' of a Sage or deity, but in is also the nearest equivalent Sanskrit word for 'philosophy'. Darsana, from the Sanskrit root drs, meaning 'to see' implies not only vision (which includes insight, intuition, and vision of the truth), but also the instrument of vision (such as viewpoint, worldview, doctrine, philosophical system).
