Yogi Ramsurathkumar

Yogi Ramsuratkumar (December 1, 1918 – February 20, 2001) was an Indian saint and mystic. He was also referred to as "Visiri samiyar" and spent most of his post enlightement period in Thiruvannaamalai, a small town in Tamil Nadu which is famous for attracting spiritual seekers worldwide and has had a continuous lineage of enlightened souls. He acknowledges the contribution of three of the most well known saints of his time in his evolution to enlightenment. These individuals were Sri Aurobindo, the founder of Integral yoga, Ramana Maharishi, one of the "spiritual superman" of his time, and Papa Ramdas, Yogi's eventual guru.
Pre Enlightenment History
Yogi Ramsuratkumar was born in a village near Varanasi on December 1, 1918. In his childhood, he loved very much to meet the yogis and monks. He was befriended by a number of holy men who built their huts on the Ganges shore or simply wandered nearby.
He grew up as a Grihasta but eventually, the tugs of spirituality in his heart took over. In search of a guru, he visited and spent time in the ashrams of both Sri Aurobindo and Ramana Maharishi. He later moved to Kerala at the ashram of Swami Ramdas. In his own assessment, Sri Aurobindo gave him Jnana, Sri Ramana Maharshi blessed him with Tapas and Swami Ramadas gave him the nectar of Bhakti. Swami Ramadas initiated him into the holy mantra : " Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram ", by pronouncing it thrice in his ears. Yogi Ramsuratkumar often refers to this instance as his "death", since from this moment on, his ego no longer existed, and he had a profound spiritual experience.

Post Enlightenment History
Yogi Ramsuratkumar travelled across India from 1952 to 1959. Not much is known about the exact whereabouts of the yogi in this period. He finally reached Thiruvannamalai in the Southern India in 1959. He was a "hidden" saint during this early period, with not too many individuals realizing that this "beggar" was someone who would bring riches to the lives of countless many. He was seen near the Temple chariot, at the corners of the Road,under the trees of the Temple. As more and more people started acknowledging the divine presence in him, Swamiji then began living in a small house in Sannadhi Street beneath the Temple. He continued to bless the devotees who thronged by the thousands to his house at the Sannadhi Street. At a point, his devotees became too many to be handled in a small house and the devotees wished him to have an Ashram which he gently accepted after much persuasion for the sake of his devotees. The Yogi Ramsuratkumar Ashram was constructed at Agrahara collai and occupies total area of 3.5 Acres. Yogi Ramsuratkumar attained samadhi on February 20th 2001 at Tiruvannamalai in the Ashram premises.
Yogi Ramsuratkumar's Message to the world.

To his followers, he assures that the mere thought of him and meditation with the repetition of the following mantra would address any difficulties that they have in dealing with their day to day problems.

Yogi Ramsuratkumar Yogi Ramsuratkumar
Yogi Ramsuratkumarara Jaya Guru Raya

The following excerpts are taken from one of his addresses to his followers. He often referred to himself as a "beggar" as a message for followers to not take their egos seriously.

"This beggar learnt at the feet of Swami Ramdas the divine name of Rama, and beg, beg all of you not to forget the divine name Rama. Whatever you do, wherever you are, be like Anjaneya -Maruthi thinking of Rama and doing your actions in this world. Live in the world and the problems will be there. If we are remembering the Divine name, we are psychologically sound. May be, we may feel a little some of the problems. Even then the intensity with which we feel if we don't have faith in God is much more than a man of faith - a man who remembers the name of Rama. So this beggar is always begging, begging for food, begging for clothes, begging that you should compose songs on this beggar, build a house for me - a cottage for me - this thing - that thing - so many things. But this beggar will beg of you this also, and you are always giving what this beggar has begged. So this beggar begs please don't forget the name of God. This Divine name has been always of great help to all in the world. You read Kabir, Tulsi, Sur, Appar Swamy, Manickavasaga Swamy - how they emphasized Namasivaya. Don't forget it- this is your heart- this is your soul. Whether it be Om Namasivaya or Om Namo Narayana whether Rama, Siva or Krishna whatever name you choose, whatever form you choose doesn't matter."

"But remember the lord with any name, with any form of your choice. Just as when there is heavy rainfall, we take an umbrella, and go on doing our work in the factory, in the field, wherever we go for marketing and catching hold of the umbrella we go though the rain is falling there. But still we work-still we work-do our work. Similarly we have got so many problems all around. This divine name is just like an umbrella in the heavy rainfall. Catch hold of the divine name and go on doing your work in the world. This beggar begs of you and this beggar has received all he has begged of you. So I think none of you will shrink away, when this beggar begs of you, don't forget the divine name. This beggar prays to his father to bless you all who have come here. My Lord Rama blesses you- My Father blesses you. Arunachalaswara blesses you. It doesn't matter to me what name it is. All the blessings of my father for all of you! Well, that is the end. That is all."

Yogi's sayings
“This name Yogi Ramsuratkumar is not this beggar’s name. It is my Father’s Name. My Father has invested in this Name. Whoever remembers this name my Father will come to their rescue.”
“This beggar has three Fathers. Ramana Maharishi, Sri Aurobindo and Swami Ramdas. Ramana kindled, Aurobindo did a little more and my Father Swami Ramdas completed the process."
“My Father alone exists. Nobody else. Nothing else. In the past, in the present and in the future, My Father alone exists.”

"Ramana Maharshi was suffering from cancer. There was much pain. He cried once. Someone said, "Bhagavan, you are crying. You are suffering like this!". They felt, "Bhagavan is dying." Then Ramana Maharshi sat upon the cot and said, "Have I been teaching only this all these years?" It is the body. All diseases, all sufferings come to the body only. Not to the soul. If you are firmly established that we are the eternal spirit, not the body, suffering will not touch us. That is the meaning. There will be no fear of death. You are the soul - all pervasive, all intelligent, all powerful soul. All sufferings, pain, disease, death come to the body only."

Main Reference: Wikipedia

References:
Rangarajan, Sadhu (1987). Glimpses of a great Yogi. Sister Nivedita Academy.
Wadlington, Truman Caylor (1972). Yogi Ramsuratkumar, the Godchild, Tiruvannamalai. Diocesan Press.
Parthasarathy, S. (2006). Amarakavyam, biography of Yogi Ramsuratkumar. Parthasarathy.
Mani, A. (2004). A Man and His Master: My Years with Yogi Ramsuratkumar. Hohm Press. ISBN 9781890772369.
Ammann, Olga (2008). Yogi Ramsuratkumar, the miracle of becoming God. Yogi Ramsuratkumar Bhavan.
Young, M (2003). Yogi Ramsuratkumar: Under the Punnai Tree. Hohm Press.
Ryan, Regina Sara (2004). Only God: A Biography Of Yogi Ramsuratkumar. Hohm Press.