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Humility, Vulnerability, Surrender and GRACE | Holy Bhagavan Sri Ramana, the Self Within! Bhakti, poetry

~ Tom Das ~ 2 Comments

by Tom Das

(Please see if the following is helpful for you…)

Total and utter humility and total self-honesty are keys to liberation:
Realise how fragile you are, how little you really know, and how vulnerable you are to suffering.

Your beliefs, your ego, your defences, your conceit and your thought patterns convince you that you will be safe, that you can weather the storm…but admit the truth! That you are totally helpless and totally vulnerable to immense suffering and calamity. Admit it.

At any moment you are liable to crack open, break down and become a nervous wreck. Be truthful with yourself – admit it.

So…

Instead…

Be small, be vulnerable, be humble…

And then you can,
With tears of pining despair flowing,
Admit how much you want to be with HIM,
SAFE IN HIS ARMS:

Take refuge in HIM
– only in HIM are you safe:
Withdraw from the many objects into the SUBJECT,
HIM,
– ‘Out there it is unsafe’…

Therefore,
Timid, vulnerable, cowing,
Withdraw within,
Fearful and quivering,
TAKE REFUGE in HIS PRESENCE
Wherein he will cleanse you and MAKE YOU WHOLE.

Guru Bhavagan Sri Ramana has told us:

“O heart of mine, it is not wise to stay out.
Safe it is to stay within. Conceal yourself from maya
Which plans to draw you out to destroy you.
Stay within.”
(Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 187)

and

“For those who ever think of and cling to the Feet of
the Sadguru, who is the blazing flame of pure Jnana,
through the Grace obtained by such Guru-bhakti, their
minds will become clear and they will achieve Mei-
Jnana [True Knowledge].”
(Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 305)

Abide with HIM, the SELF within,
Immerse yourself in HIS GRACE,
Drown and anihilate your ego-self, the SOLUTE
in HIM, the DIVINE SOLVENT.

As Guru Bhavagan Sri Ramana has told us:

“Worship of [ie. surrender to] the Feet of the Guru,
with Guru-bhakti, is the real mantra, which will
destroy all the rising vasanas and bestow Jnana,
in which there will be no fear of Maya’s delusion.
Thus should you know.”
(Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 306)

You – the ego – who are the source of all suffering and pain,
DISSOLVE YOURSELF in HIM
So that ONLY HIS RADIANT PRESENCE remains

Abiding silently as SELF WITHIN
is to BE WITH HIM
-This is the highest WORSHIP OF HIM

As Bhagavan Sri Ramana says:

“Extinguishing the triple fire,
The Guru’s Feet have given us shelter.
To abide there and control the mind
From craving for the world of sense
Is worship of those Flowery Feet.“
(Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 318)

Do NOT allow the world to take you away from him
Do NOT allow the world to prevent you from BEING WITH HIM
Do NOT allow the world to prevent you from BEING IN HIS BLISSFULL EMBRACE
Do NOT allow the world to prevent you from WORSHIPPING HIM EVERY SPARE SECOND YOU HAVE

Do NOT allow your thoughts to take you away from HIM
Do NOT allow your thoughts to prevent you from WORSHIPPING HIM IN SILENT BLISS
Do NOT allow your thoughts to stop you WITHDRAWING INTO YOURSELF and taking HIM AS REFUGE

Tell yourself:
I will NOT allow the world to take me away from HIM
I will NOT allow my thoughts to take me away from HIM
I will NOT allow the mind and world to take me away from MY WORSHIP OF HIM,
MY BEAUTIFUL REFUGE WITHIN

BE WITH HIM
Be in his PRESESNCE
BE STILL
and
BE WITH HIM

DISSOLVE YOURSELF IN HIM
So ONLY HE,
The Residue,
Remains.

Tell yourself:
I will allow myself to DISSOLVE IN HIM until ONLY HE REMAINS

Holy Mount Arunachala,
The FORM OF THE SELF,
Holy BHAGAVAN SRI RAMANA,
The FORM OF THE SELF,

May I gaze upon thy form,
outwardly and inwardly,
May I take refuge in thee,
May I entrust myself to your BLISSFULL EMBRACE,
WITHIN
And become one with YOU
Destroying myself
Discovering myself
So that only YOU remain

As Maha Guru Sri Bhagavan says:

“By coming near to the Sadguru
and by depending completely upon His Grace,
with great Guru bhakti,
one will have no misery in this world
and will live like Indra.”
(Guru Vachaka Kovai verse 324)

!Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya Om!
!Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya Om!
!Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Arunachala Ramanaya Om!

What Do You Like About Bhagavan Ramana’s Teachings? What Do You Like About the way Tom shares them?

~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

During this Satsang, Tom turned the tables on his Satsang participants, so to speak, and asked us the questions in the title above. The responses were rich and various.

How would you answer these questions? We would love to hear your response in the comments below.

-What do you like about Bhagavan Ramana’s teachings?
-What do you like about the way Tom shares them?
-How is it to hear other peoples responses? Do you resonate with some of them? Do you have a different response.

If moved, please let us know.

This video was recorded live during a Satsang meeting with Tom Das on March13th, 2025 and put together by volunteers.

To download full unedited satsang recordings see here: https://payhip.com/tomdas

To attend satsang, see here: https://tomdas.com/events

🙏🙏🙏

New Testimonial – Sumit

~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

In my spiritual journey, after 7 years of dabbling with Vedanta on and off, the best thing that happened was I came across Bhagavaan Ramana’s teachings. Then going through Bhagvaan’s literature myself for a few months, the best thing that happened was coming across Tom. Like Bhagvaan’s teachings represent the best of Advaita Vedanta recast in a much more practical and direct manner, Tom takes the finest of Bhagvaan’s literature and focuses on the most essential points which helps drive them through our thick layer of mental conditionings to effect faster spiritual progress. He avoids going into lengthy philosophical discussions about Bhagvaan’s verses which might satisfy a scholar but might make no dent in Maya’s stronghold on our minds.

He meets us at whichever stage we are in our spiritual journey rather than speaking from a high podium. He will work on our personality issues too (in 1:1s) very effectively which helps free up the mental energy to focus on our sadhana.

His Satsangs have a powerful effect of calming the mind and driving home the simple but profound teachings of “turning within” and surrendering to Bhagvaan. After his satsangs, we walk away with increased clarity about the path, renewed confidence in our ability to abide as the Self and that liberation is possible in this very life.

I love Tom’s guided meditations Youtube videos (my favorite:Turn Within & Be Still) with carefully chosen verses from Guru Vachaka Kovai representing Bhagavan’s core teachings. The conviction with which Tom reads them significantly enhances the chances that the verses might trigger a real intuition in you; all the chosen verses packed with power hence even if a single verse sticks with you, it will go a long way in your spiritual journey.

I strongly recommend folks to go through “Introductory articles” on tomdas.com and Michael Langford books in his recommended reading list – they will make a profound impact on you. Team of Bhagvaan & Tom has really made the path to liberation accessible for me and increased my conviction in it – I will always remain grateful to them.
Sumit, USA

New Testimonial – Claire

~ Tom Das ~ Leave a comment

Tom speaks only from love. My heart can feel this and it is this resonance that has made our 1:1 sessions so powerful. Through Tom, this love gently reveals the lies of the ego. There is no judgement, just the opportunity to let go and rest in truth; in peace. This pure and unconditional love cuts through the darkness of past traumas, unconscious beliefs and fears.

I came to Tom not being able to trust love and through a journey of 6 sessions (which went in many different directions and covered many different aspects of my life) I have experienced the most profound healing. The mind still has the capacity to take me out and get lost in the drama of illusion, but now I am always able to return to love and find peace.

Instead of not trusting love, I now know with every fibre of my being that love is the ONLY thing I can trust. I feel so incredibly blessed to have met and worked with this amazing Being called Tom
Claire, Canada

See here for more testimonials