Who it is for
For readers of Nisargadatta Maharaj who want a plain, argued version of non-dual teaching, and who are ready to engage with a strict view of free will and responsibility.
Life and places
- He was born in Bombay on 25 May 1917 and died there on 27 September 2009. 6
- He studied in India and at the London School of Economics, and worked at the Bank of India from 1940, when he began as a clerk, until he retired in 1977 as its General Manager. 1
- Shortly after retiring, he read about Nisargadatta Maharaj, who was teaching in Bombay, and he began translating for him at his daily morning talks. 1
- Starting in 1982, he met seekers daily at his home in Mumbai. 1
Public context
Works
-
Pointers from Nisargadatta Maharaj
Book · 1982 · Chetana, Bombay
His first book: an account of Nisargadatta Maharaj's teaching, written by a student who translated at his talks.
-
Consciousness Speaks
Book · 1992 · Advaita Press
Conversations with visitors, arranged by theme and edited by his student Wayne Liquorman, with an editor's account of his life.
-
The Final Truth: A Guide to Ultimate Understanding
Book · 1989 · Advaita Press
An early book in which he sets out his understanding of non-duality, subtitled A Guide to Ultimate Understanding.
-
A Net of Jewels: Daily Meditations for Seekers of Truth
Book · 1996 · Advaita Press
Short daily meditations drawn from his talks in Hollywood, edited by Gary Starbuck.
The short summaries are ours.
In their own words
Short passages in the words of Ramesh Balsekar, each with its source. Where the quoted text is not in the language of this page, a translation follows and says whose it is.
-
So the sage accepts an action which has happened through his body-mind organism which has been condemned by society and law as God’s will, and also accepts the punishment for it as God’s will, knowing that it is truly, as far as he’s concerned, not his action.
Two Transcripts of Satsang with Ramesh Balsekar · Talk of 12 January 2001, p. 13 · advaita.org Recorded: Transcript of a morning talk in Mumbai, published by the Advaita Fellowship; transcriber not named. -
So I can have peace of mind only if I can accept totally that everything happens according to the cosmic law.
Two Transcripts of Satsang with Ramesh Balsekar · Talk of 25 July 2006, p. 21 · advaita.org Recorded: Transcript of a morning talk in Mumbai, published by the Advaita Fellowship; transcriber not named.
Documented teaching relationships
-
Learned personally with Nisargadatta Maharaj
Ramesh Balsekar met Nisargadatta Maharaj in Mumbai after retiring from the Bank of India in 1977 and regarded him as his guru until Nisargadatta's death in 1981.
Stated by an institution · advaita.org , rameshbalsekar.com , enlightened-spirituality.org
-
Translated or edited works of Nisargadatta Maharaj
Ramesh Balsekar translated at Nisargadatta Maharaj's morning talks within a few months of meeting him and wrote Pointers from Nisargadatta Maharaj (Chetana, Bombay, 1982).
Stated by an institution · advaita.org , openlibrary.org , enlightened-spirituality.org
-
Personal encounter with Karl Renz
The editor's foreword to his book May It Be As It Is says that Karl Renz met Ramesh Balsekar in Mumbai for one day in 1995 and left for Tiruvannamalai the next day.
Biographical tradition · exoticindia.com
Teaching relationships are documented statements. They confer no trust and do not attest realisation.
Sources
- Ramesh Balsekar · Advaita Fellowship Organisation of his student Wayne Liquorman, which publishes his work; devotional; reproduces the editor's notes from Consciousness Speaks accessed 10 Oct 2026
- A Net of Jewels · Advaita Fellowship Publisher's selection of meditations from the book accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Two Transcripts of Satsang with Ramesh Balsekar · Advaita Fellowship Transcripts of two morning talks in Mumbai, 2001 and 2006, published by the Fellowship; his own words as spoken accessed 10 Oct 2026
- A Net of Jewels · Advaita Fellowship shop Publisher's shop; editor, pages and ISBN accessed 10 Oct 2026
- About Ramesh Balsekar · Ramesh Balsekar Tribute Unofficial tribute website; biography and timeline without sources; its quotations are not sourced and are not used here accessed 10 Oct 2026
- Balsekar, Ramesh Sadashiv (1917-2009) · Bibliothèque nationale de France National library authority record; dates and places of birth and death accessed 11 Oct 2026
Compiled by us from the sources listed. Last checked 12 Oct 2026.
This description is factual. It contains no recommendation, ranking or assurance. Statements about effects are those of the respective source.