How I came to the Ramana Maharshi By Francis Allen

This is the story of how Bhagavan, whom I never met, came, I believe, into my life.

During World War II, I was posted from England to Ceylon, where I became so interested in Theravada Buddhism that I deter-mined to enter the Sangha. I was informed by monks there that they could not give me ordination without first obtaining my parents' consent.

After being demobilised in England I joined a small London group studying Theravada, another member of which was a lady who, it transpired, had been to Tiruvannamalai.

For the first time in my life I then heard the name Sri Ramana Maharshi.

I made up my mind there and then to break my return journey to Ceylon at Tiruvannamalai.Unfortunately, although my father had agreed to my ordination as a Buddhist monk, my mother withheld her permission, fearing it was merely a passing impulse(A sudden desire) on my part.

That day was April 14th, 1950. The very day that, miles and miles away from London, Bhagavan left the body. It was not until I arrived in Bombay that I discovered this; and imagining that Bhagavan was no more, I went on to Colombo ...

After that, with the assistance of Ronald Rosa, I arrived at Sri Ramanasramam.

Sources:

1) Published in The Mountain Path, October 1965
2) http://www.sriramanamaharshi.org/pdf/Saranagathi_eNewsletter_July_2010.pdf