Ramesh Balsekar

I met Ramesh Balsekar in Mumbai, in his apartment where he organized daily satsangs.

One guy sold fruits near his house. When I talked to him willing to specify Ramesh' address, he treated me with bananas.

While he stretched me bananas and smiled, I noticed he had no right hand. He had no right hand, but he smiled, worked, and treated... It has touched me very deeply... We became friends with him...

It was winter 2007-2008, my first visit to India.

At that time I did not speak English yet, and simply sat at satsangs and opened to knowledge shared by Ramesh verbally, at all other levels. But last day before departure, in a hotel at night, I composed a question using dictionary. Having come to satsang and while asking my question to Ramesh, I have suddenly received the answer: a deep insight concerned illusiveness of the Ego. It was another one deep, awakening flash.

Ramesh was the person who persuaded me that the maker is illusory.

Last time I met him shortly before he left his body.

In this article I would like to tell a little bit about my dear Ramesh Balsekar.

Ramesh Balsekar (May, 22nd, 1917 - September, 27th, 2009) - follower of Nisargadatta Maharaj. Since the early childhood Balsekar was fond of Advaita, non-dual doctrine. These were mainly doctrines of Raman Maharshi and Wei Wu Wei.

 He wrote more than 20 books, was the president of Bank of India, and had guests every day in his house in Mumbai, till the end of his life.

Ramesh Balsekar was well educated young man who graduated London school of Economy. He married at the age of 40; was chief executive of Bank of India in Bombay for 10 years till retirement with 60 years (1977). Ramesh was one of translators of Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897-1981) for 3 years (1978-1981).

Ramesh got the full realization that nobody does anything in 1979. After that Ramesh started to translate day conversations of Nisargadatta, and hosted in his own house since 1982.

Ramesh learnt traditions of Adaita, Non-duality. His doctrine begins with idea of the Absolute, Brahman from whom everything arises. While people believe they accomplish some deals, make choice, have free will - this all is an illusion actually. All acts come from the Absolute, and the spirit of this source is pure consciousness which is not able to make any choice. This false identity built on the idea «I am a body» or «I do it», does not allow to see pure Consciousness.

Balsekar says that the life exists, but there is no individual agent.