Author’s Introduction to All Is One: A Commentary On Sri Vaiyai R. Subramanian’s Ellam Ondre
“This is the knowledge above all other: purifier and king of secrets, only made plain to the eye of the mystic. Great is its virtue, its practice easy: thus man is brought to truth eternal” (Bhagavad Gita 9:2).
Ellam Ondre was written in the nineteenth century in Tamil. It became widely known by the frequent recommendation of Sri Ramana Maharshi. (The chapter titles were added by him.) Its great value lies in the fact that it does not just speak of principles of the highest Advaitic philosophy, but also includes practical advice on cultivating and becoming established in the non-dual state of consciousness that is liberation. It offers clarity instead of clichés.
When I sent a copy of it by email to my friends Renaat and Denise Vermier, Renaat immediately replied saying that they needed a commentary on it. So here it is.
Abbot George Burke
(Swami Nirmalananda Giri)
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