A Search in Secret India

This is the book that introduced the Indian sage Ramana Maharshi to the Western world.

An enlightened being, Ramana Maharshi’s teachings have transformed the lives of millions and his influence is growing around the world.

Brunton was a spiritual seeker who came to India in colonial times and toured widely. His accounts of meetings with holy men and charlatans comprise about two-thirds of the book and they are entertaining.

The final third is about his meeting with Ramana Maharshi and the impact the silent sage had on him and how his fevered, relentlessly restless mind finally became quiescent. This book… show more.

In my teens, I came across this book during a summer vacation visiting my dear grandparents. It felt like Paul Brunton had the same yearning as I did for uncovering hidden but profound truths. Such truths are buried but alive. Luckily, they can be rediscovered through the experiences of remarkable mystics who have dedicated their life to realization. 

I was spellbound reading Paul’s adventures from nearly a century back. And the account of how his quest finally led him to a great sage who taught primarily through silence and transmission is fantastic!