Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK

03/06/2026

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya


Dear Devotees,

Our next In-Person Satsang will be on Saturday 6 June from 2 pm to 5 pm. The meeting will be held at The Study Society, Colet House, 151 Talgarth Road, London, W14 9DA.

TfL have announced that from 19 January until early June, the eastbound platform at Barons Court (the nearest tube station) serving both District and Piccadilly line trains, will be closed. Then, from mid-July, the westbound platforms to Ealing Broadway, Richmond, Heathrow Airport, Uxbridge and Rayners Lane, will shut until the end of 2026. Trains will still run through the station – but will not stop. Passengers are being advised to use West Kensington or Hammersmith stations instead. Another suggestion is that people can go one stop beyond Barons Court and then travel back.

When you arrive, we will be in the Study which is halfway up the main stairs on the right, along a passage and through a kitchenette.

The meeting will start with 30 minutes of meditation. Please try and come earlier, to avoid disturbing others during meditation. It will be followed by a talk or a video and discussion. We would also like volunteers to contribute in whatever way they can e.g. short readings that people have found particularly moving or helpful from Sri Ramana Maharshi or related teachers, especially on self-inquiry, stories about Ramana, poems or short texts.

After the tea break, which will be for 45 minutes, we’ll have chanting of Upadesha Saram, followed by Aksharamanamalai, Arunachala Pancharatnam, and chanting of Gayatri mantra and Shanti Mantras.

We would also like a few volunteers to help with setting up, clearing away and packing up.

These meetings are funded by donations. Contributions are entirely voluntary although something in the region of £10 per person would again be appreciated given the hire charge for the room and the various other incidental expenses involved.

You may bring any suitable vegetarian snack to share with others during the tea break.

We have increased our stock of books for sale, and all books are now at reduced prices.

There is no need to book, please just turn up.

In Sri Bhagavan,
RMF U.K. Committee


Dates for future In-Person Meetings in 2026: 4 July, 1 August, 5 September, 3 October, 7 November, 5 December

28/05/2026

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya


Dear devotees,

Our next satsang with Michael James is via Zoom on Saturday 30 May, at the normal time of 2 p.m. (British time). Michael will talk about verse 160 of Guru Vacaka Kovai, for which the link is: https://sriramanateachings.org/gvk-translations.html

Michael will also answer questions sent to him by devotees in the chatbox on the day,

The meeting will run for about 3 hours and will start at 1.50 p.m. to allow everyone to "settle in."

Please be aware that the satsang is recorded and then posted on YouTube. If you would like to ask Michael a question during the meeting, send your question in the chatbox to Christopher Pegler, who will be chairing this meeting, or if you would prefer to ask your question yourself, just tell him in the chatbox that you would like to ask a question. Michael can then be asked the questions in the order in which they appear. You may of course like to add to the question and continue the conversation with Michael.

The meeting will start with an opening mantra and ‘OM’, followed by a period of 10 minutes of meditative silence.

If you haven't already joined our email list then please do to receive joining instructions.

Namo Ramanaya,
RMF U.K. Committee

07/05/2026

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya


Dear devotees,

Our next satsang with Michael James is via Zoom on Saturday 9 May, at the normal time of 2 p.m. (British time). Michael will talk about verse 130 of Guru Vacaka Kovai, for which the link is: https://sriramanateachings.org/gvk-translations.html

Michael will also be answering questions sent to him by devotees, or they could be asked on the day,

The meeting will run for about 3 hours and will start at 1.50 p.m. to allow everyone to "settle in."

Please be aware that the satsang is recorded and then posted on YouTube. If you would like to ask Michael a question during the meeting, send your question in the chatbox to Shalini Sinha, who will be chairing this meeting, or if you would prefer to ask your question yourself, just tell her in the chatbox that you would like to ask a question. Michael can then be asked the questions in the order in which they appear. You may of course like to add to the question and continue the conversation with Michael.

The meeting will start with an opening mantra and ‘OM’, followed by a period of 10 minutes of meditative silence.

Please email us for joining instructions.

Namo Ramanaya,
RMF U.K. Committee

06/05/2026

Demystifying the Term ‘Sphurana’
by Michael James
(5)

After Bhagavan explained to him that sphurana means vilanguvadu (shining or being clear) or vilakkuvadu (making clear), Devaraja Mudaliar went somewhat off-topic by asking, ‘Is it not a sound we hear?’ Since his original question was about the meaning of the word sphurana in aham-sphurana, it was not relevant to then ask about a sound, unless he imagined that aham-sphurana is somehow a sound of some sort. However, just as aham-sphurana is not literally a light, it is also not literally a sound, but just as it can be described metaphorically as a light, it could also (at a stretch of the imagination) be described metaphorically as a sound, so it seems that Bhagavan replied implying that it is not a sound that we can hear but a ‘sound’ (figuratively speaking) that we become aware of. That is, the nature of ‘I’ (aham) and hence of the shining of ‘I’ (aham-sphurana) is silence, so if it is described metaphorically as a ‘sound’, it is a ‘soundless sound’, and hence it cannot be heard but can only be experienced in silence.

In English books on the teachings of Bhagavan, though the noun sphuranam is used, the verb sphur, from which this verbal noun is derived, is not used, whereas in Sanskrit he used this verb (as he did for example in verse 20 of Upadesa Saram, where he used it to describe the shining forth of oneself as ‘I am I’ after the ego is destroyed by self-investigation) perhaps as frequently as he used its noun form, sphuranam, and in Tamil he sometimes used its equivalents, spuri or puri. The Sanskrit verb sphur means to shine, be bright, be clear, be evident, make itself known, flash to mind, appear clearly, become visible, manifest, arise, shine forth, burst out plainly, start into view, spring, dart, flash, sparkle, glitter, gleam, glisten, twinkle, twitch, tremble, throb, palpitate, jerk or kick (and thus it is etymologically related to the English words spurn and spur, which like it are believed to be derived from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning to twitch, push or kick). In Tamil the frequently used verb puri, which means to shine, be manifest, be clear or be understood, and its much less frequently used form spuri, which tends to mean more specifically to strike one’s mind, are both derived from this Sanskrit verb sphur.

Since some of these various meanings of sphur and spuri, such as to shine forth, spring into view, become clear or strike one’s mind, imply an experience that is somehow new, one of the connotations both of these verbs and of their various derivatives, such as the verbal nouns sphuranam in Sanskrit and spurippu in Tamil, is newness or freshness. Therefore in the context of Bhagavan’s teachings, sphurana generally does not mean only clarity of self-awareness but more specifically a fresh clarity (or fresh degree of clarity) of self-awareness.

Hence, after Bhagavan explained to him that sphurana means vilanguvadu (shining or being clear) or vilakkuvadu (making clear), if Devaraja Mudaliar had asked, ‘But is not ‘I’ always shining or making itself clear? In what sense, then, is aham-sphurana any different to the ordinary shining of ‘I’ that we already experience?’ he would probably have replied by explaining that the term aham-sphurana does not denote merely the ordinary shining of ‘I’ or the ordinary manner in which it makes itself clear, but more specifically a fresh and more clear shining of ‘I’.

Mountain Path January 2016

30/04/2026

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya


Dear Devotees,

Our next In-Person Satsang will be on Saturday 2 May from 2 pm to 5 pm. The meeting will be held at The Study Society, Colet House, 151 Talgarth Road, London, W14 9DA.

TfL have announced that from 19 January until early June, the eastbound platform at Barons Court (the nearest tube station) serving both District and Piccadilly line trains, will be closed. Then, from mid-July, the westbound platforms to Ealing Broadway, Richmond, Heathrow Airport, Uxbridge and Rayners Lane, will shut until the end of 2026. Trains will still run through the station – but will not stop. Passengers are being advised to use West Kensington or Hammersmith stations instead. Another suggestion is that people can go one stop beyond Barons Court and then travel back.

We will be in the West Studio, which is the first room on the right when you enter.

The meeting will start with 30 minutes of meditation. Please try and come earlier, to avoid disturbing others during meditation. It will be followed by a talk or a video and discussion. We would also like volunteers to contribute in whatever way they can e.g. short readings that people have found particularly moving or helpful from Sri Ramana Maharshi or related teachers, especially on self-inquiry, stories about Ramana, poems or short texts.

After the tea break, which will be for 45 minutes, we’ll have chanting of Upadesha Saram, followed by 20 verses of Aksharamanamalai, Arunachala Pancharatnam, and chanting of Gayatri mantra and Shanti Mantras.

We would also like a few volunteers to help with setting up, clearing away and packing up.

These meetings are funded by donations. Contributions are entirely voluntary although something in the region of £10 per person would again be appreciated given the hire charge for the room and the various other incidental expenses involved.

You may bring any suitable vegetarian snack to share with others during the tea break.

We have increased our stock of books for sale, and all books are now at reduced prices.



In Sri Bhagavan,
RMF U.K. Committee


Dates for future In-Person Meetings in 2026: 6 June, 4 July, 1 August, 5 September, 3 October, 7 November, 5 December

28/04/2026

Talk 569

A mirror, as we know it, is an insentient object which reflects light. What corresponds to a mirror in an individual? The light of the Self-luminous Self is reflected on the Mahatattva [The Great Cosmic Intelligence]. The reflected light is the mind-ether or the pure mind. This illumines the vasanas (latencies) of the individual and hence the sense of ‘I’ and ‘this’ arises.

20/04/2026

Michael Highburger spoke to the Ramana Maharshi Foundation UK on April 18th. He discussed how to make the practice of Self Enquiry relevant to us in the modern world and how to make it come alive within. He discusses how Vichara is not a mantra or a recitation, but a prompt to investigating the Self within the Heart. There is also a short question and answer section at the end of the talk. Michael will publish this talk in full, including some notes he did not get time to discuss, in the next edition of Sri Ramanasramam e-Newsletter 'Saranagati'.

2 likes. "Michael Highburger, of Sri Ramanashram, talks about Atma Vichara and the obstacles encountered."

12/04/2026

SATSANG WITH MICHAEL HIGHBURGER

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Dear devotees,

This Saturday 18th April from 12 noon to 1.45 pm (British time), Michael Highburger has kindly agreed to talk to us on Self Enquiry. He will explain Sri Bhagavan Ramana Maharshi's method of Self-Enquiry. Michael will focus on how to make the practice of Vichara relevant to our times and daily life and make it come alive for us. Self-Enquiry is then not a mantra or a recitation, but a prompt to investigating the Self within the heart.

Michael has been a spiritual seeker his entire life - studying philosophy and anthropology at universities in USA and Copenhagen. He did seven years of training in Buddhist meditation in the Kapleau lineage. He later joined the hermit order within the Benedictine Confederation, where he took temporary vows as a junior monk.

Michael moved to Sri Ramanasramam where he has been living for the last 26 years. He is the editor of the monthly Sri Ramanasramam e-Newsletter 'Saranagati'. He is also engaged in inter-faith dialogue among Hindu, Buddhist and Christian traditions. Michael has been giving retreats and talks in Europe for both governmental and non-governmental organisations.

Michael will be talking to us online on Zoom. If you are not already on our Zoom mailing list, please email ASAP to [email protected]
and ask to be included.

Namo Ramanaya,
RMF UK Committee

11/04/2026

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya





Dear devotees,



Our next satsang with Michael James is via Zoom on Saturday 11 April, at the normal time of 2 p.m. (British time). Michael will talk about verse 46 of Guru Vacaka Kovai, for which the link is: https://sriramanateachings.org/gvk-translations.html

Michael will also be answering questions asked on the day, For joining instructions please email us.

The meeting will run for about 3 hours and will start at 1.50 p.m. to allow everyone to "settle in."



Please be aware that the satsang is recorded and then posted on YouTube. If you would like to ask Michael a question during the meeting, send your question in the chatbox to Shalini Sinha, who will be chairing this meeting, or if you would prefer to ask your question yourself, just tell her in the chatbox that you would like to ask a question. Michael can then be asked the questions in the order in which they appear. You may of course like to add to the question and continue the conversation with Michael.



The meeting will start with an opening mantra and ‘OM’, followed by a period of 10 minutes of meditative silence.

Namo Ramanaya,

RMF U.K. Committee

01/04/2026

Om Namo Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya

Dear Devotees,

Our next In-Person Satsang will be on Saturday 4 April from 2 pm to 5 pm. The meeting will be held at The Study Society, Colet House, 151 Talgarth Road, London, W14 9DA.

TfL have announced that from 19 January until early June, the eastbound platform at Barons Court (the nearest tube station) serving both District and Piccadilly line trains, will be closed. Then, from mid-July, the westbound platforms to Ealing Broadway, Richmond, Heathrow Airport, Uxbridge and Rayners Lane, will shut until the end of 2026. Trains will still run through the station – but will not stop. Passengers are being advised to use West Kensington or Hammersmith stations instead. Another suggestion is that people can go one stop beyond Barons Court and then travel back.

When you arrive we will be in the Study which is halfway up the main stairs on the right, along a passage and through a kitchenette.

The meeting will start with 30 minutes of meditation. Please try and come earlier, to avoid disturbing others during meditation. It will be followed by a talk or a video and discussion. We would also like volunteers to contribute in whatever way they can e.g. short readings that people have found particularly moving or helpful from Sri Ramana Maharshi or related teachers, especially on self-inquiry, stories about Ramana, poems or short texts.

After the tea break, which will be for 45 minutes, we’ll have chanting of Upadesha Saram, followed by 20 verses of Aksharamanamalai, Arunachala Pancharatnam, and chanting of Gayatri mantra and Shanti Mantras.

We would also like a few volunteers to help with setting up, clearing away and packing up.

These meetings are funded by donations. Contributions are entirely voluntary although something in the region of £10 per person would again be appreciated given the hire charge for the room and the various other incidental expenses involved.

You may bring any suitable vegetarian snack to share with others during the tea break.

We have increased our stock of books for sale, and all books are now at reduced prices.

In Sri Bhagavan,
RMF U.K. Committee


Dates for future In-Person Meetings in 2026: 2 May, 6 June, 4 July, 1 August, 5 September, 3 October, 7 November, 5 December