About Ramesh Baleskar (1917-2009)
A commerce graduate from the University of London, Ramesh S. Balsekar worked as the General Manager of a leading nationalized Bank and retired as its President in 1977. Even during his working life, he always felt he was enacting some role in a play that must, and would, end soon. Deep within, he believed that there had to be more to life than merely getting ahead of the other man.
What was he seeking? The answer came soon after his retirement when he had an encounter, which soon led to daily meetings, with the well-known sage, and his Guru, Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. The total understanding that ‘no one does anything’ happened in 1979. Ramesh began translating many of the daily talks held by Nisargadatta Maharaj. He himself began teaching in 1982. The ‘command’ to talk was given by his Guru. These talks or ‘conversations’ began on the day when an Australian man showed up at his door early one morning. The next day, this Australian returned with a few of his friends. Gradually, the number of visitors who came to listen to Ramesh began to grow. Since then, he wrote over 25 books and held several seminars in Europe and the USA. Talks used to be held every morning with visitors all over the world, at his residence in Mumbai, almost right to the end which came on September 27, 2009. As Ramesh used to say, “No one is invited, and everyone is welcome.”
Recognized as one of the foremost contemporary sages and considered a Master of pure Advaita around the world, Ramesh, who was married and a father of three children, was widely regarded as a ‘householder’ Guru. He elaborated his own concepts with those of his Guru Nisargadatta Maharaj, the Buddha, Ramana Maharshi, selected Hindu scriptures as well as the teachings of Taoist Masters and Wei Wu Wei. All serve as pointers to the Truth ‘The Ultimate Understanding.’