Happiness and the Art of Being: A Layman's Introduction to the Philosophy and Practice of the Spiritual Teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana
Michael James spent more than eight years studying the original Tamil writings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana and his foremost disciple, Sri Muruganar, in minute detail under the clear guidance of another close disciple, Sri Sadhu Om.Together with Sri Sadhu Om, Michael translated into English most of the original Tamil writings of Sri Ramana, and also Guru Vācaka Kōvai, which is the most comprehensive and reliable collection of the sayings of Sri Ramana, recorded in 1255 Tamil verses composed by Sri Muruganar, with an additional 42 verses composed by Sri Ramana himself.In addition to his translations, Michael has written Happiness and the Art of Being, which is a detailed introduction to the philosophy and practice of the spiritual teachings of Bhagavan Sri Ramana, and which contains accurate and carefully worded translations by the author of the whole of Sri Ramana's prose treatise Nāṉ Yār? (Who am I?) and of most of the verses of his philosophical poems such as Upadēśa Undiyār, Uḷḷadu Nāṟpadu,Ēkātma Pañcakam, Āṉma-Viddai and Upadēśa Taṉippākkaḷ.In all his writings on the teachings of Sri Ramana, Michael focuses on their actual practice, which is ātma-vicāra (self-investigation or self-enquiry), a state of simple self-attentiveness - clear and calm contemplation upon our fundamental consciousness of being, 'I am' (which is also sometimes described in more devotional terms as the practice of complete self-surrender). While describing and discussing this practice, Michael also discusses its philosophical basis, explaining the rationale for seeking to experience true self-knowledge - perfectly clear consciousness of what we essentially are.For more information about Michael's translations and writings on the teachings of Sri Ramana, please visit his website and blog:happinessofbeing.comhappinessofbeing.blogspot.com