F.H. Humphreys 1911

F.H. Humphreys, the first foreigner to meet Bhagavan in Virupaksha Cave

F.H. Humphreys came to India in January 1911 to join the Police Department as an Assistant Superintendent. His deepseated spiritual inclination resulted in his meeting Ganapati Muni, and through the help of S.Narasimham, who was the munshi to teach him Telugu, he along with Ganapati Muni had an audience with Sri Ramana. 

Narasimham was serving as a Munshi in Vellore, Kavyakantha Ganapathi Muni was working as a Telugu Teacher in the same town. In 1910, Narasimham and Ganapathi Muni went to Tiruvannamalai and met Bhagavan. At that time, Bhagavan was staying in the Virupaksha Cave. 

In the very first meeting, Bhagavan's look of grace entered deep into Narasimham's heart and destroyed all the doubts that had been troubling him till then. From that moment onwards, Narasimham's heart was full of peace. At that time, Bhagavan was staying in the Virupaksha Cave.

It was during this period that F.H. Humphreys came to India as Assistant Superintendent of Police. He came to India in January 1911 to join the Police Department as an Assistant Superintendent. His deep-seated spiritual inclination resulted in his meeting Ganapati Muni, and through the help of S.Narasimham, who was the munshi to teach him Telugu, he along with Ganapati Muni had an audience with Sri Ramana.

The following account is from his letters to a friend in England, which were later published in the International Psychic Gazette.

 *Frank Humphrey Visits The Maharshi* 

Yesterday I got a day's leave and went on with the Munshi to meet Sastriar. (The Ganapati Muni). The Muni had an audience with Bhagavan Sri Ramana. Sastriar and the Munshi are both chelas (disciples) of the Maharshi.

We heard Ganapati Muni lecture for an hour and a half in Tamil, to a huge crowd, and he appeared refreshed by his efforts. At 2 p.m., he pointed to the cave where the Maharshi lives and we set off up the Mountain to see Him. 

When we reached the cave we sat before Him at His feet and said nothing. We sat thus a long while, and I felt lifted out of myself. Then Ganapati Muni told me to look the Maharshi in the eyes, and not to turn my gaze. 

For half an hour I looked Him in the eyes which never changed their expression of deep contemplation. *I began to realize somewhat that the body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost – I could only feel His body was not the man, it was the instrument of God, merely a sitting motionless corpse from which God was radiating terrifically.* 

My own sensations were indescribable. 

Sastriar then said I might speak. 

I asked for enlightenment– teaching and Bhagavan Ramana spoke and we listened. In a few sentences of broken English, and in Telugu, He conveyed worlds of meaning, and taught me direct, which He seldom does, and made me His chela – not of course such a one as the Sastriar, His own very special chela but as one of the many that great Masters have. 

The most touching sight was the number of tiny children, up to about seven years of age, who climb the Mountain, all on their own, to come and sit near the Maharshi, even though He may not speak a word or hardly look at them for days together. They do not play, but just sit quietly there in perfect contentment. He is a man beyond description in His expression of dignity, gentleness, self-control, and calm strength of conviction.

 *Frank's Second Visit To The Maharshi* 

The Englishman felt the magnetic attraction of the maharsh and paid him two more visits. At this second visit he had motored on his bicycle all the sixty miles of the dusty road from Vellore under a hot sun. 

Raghavachar, the P.W. Superintendent took him upto the Maharshi's cave. This time the District Munsif A.S Krishnaswami Iyer who happened to there acted as the interpreter. 

Frank Humphrey writes : I went by motor and climbed up to the cave. Bhagavan Ramana smiled when He saw me but he was not the least surprised.

 Before I sat down, Bhagavan Ramana asked me a question private to myself, of which He knew, showing that He recognised me. Everyone who comes to Him is as a book, and a single glance suffices to reveal its contents. "You have not yet had any food and are hungry."

I admitted that it was so. Bhagavan Ramana immediately called to a chela to bring me food – rice, ghee, fruit, etc., eaten with the fingers, as natives do not use spoons. 

Though I have practised eating this way I lack dexterity. So Bhagavan Ramana gave me a coconut spoon to eat with, smiling and talking between whiles. You can imagine nothing more beautiful than His smile. I had coconut milk to drink, white like cow's milk and delicious, to which He had himself added sugar. 

When I had finished I was still hungry, and Bhagavan Ramana knew it and ordered more. He knew everything, and when others pressed me to eat fruit when I had had enough He stopped them at once. 

I had to apologise for my way of drinking. Bhagavan Ramana only said: "Never mind." Natives are particular about this. They never sip nor touch the vessel with their lips, but pour the liquid straight in. Thus many can drink from the same cup without fear of infection. 

Whilst I was eating Bhagavan Ramana was relating my past history to the others, and accurately too. Yet He had seen me but once before, and many hundreds in between. He simply turned on clairvoyance as we would refer to an encyclopaedia. I sat for about three hours listening to His teaching. (He had been shown a book, printed from a MS. given me by Mrs. R. W. D. Nankivell, to get His opinion about it. He praised it highly, and quoted from it.) 

 heard that on one occasion, when a chela asked Him a question, He picked up the book, pointed to a passage in it, and said: "There is your answer." 

Later on I was thirsty, for it had been a hot ride, but I would not have shown it for worlds. Yet Bhagavan Ramana knew, and told a chela to make me some lemonade. At last I had to go, so bowed, as we do, nd went outside the cave to put on my boots. He came outside too, and said I might come to see Him again. 

Later on Humphreys resigned from the police force, took to orders and entered a monastery where he spent the rest of his life in meditation. The instructions which Bhagavan gave him when he asked questions are found in the small booklet Glimpses of the Life and Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi. The reader is referred to that book.

Here we end the visit of Frank H. Humphrey's visit to the Maharshi. He was the first European to visit Bhagavan as far as is known or at least the first to record his visit. He has given a beautiful picture of him in VirupakshiCave. 

The teachings are definite and are a guide to all who came after. Of whom else is it recorded that Bhagavan said: 'I am giving these instructions as a guru gives them to a disciple?' Certainly there was some special tie between Bhagavan Sri Ramana and Frank Humphrey.

Source:

Arunachala's Ramana 

Boundless Ocean of Grace 

 🙏Om Namo

 🙏Bhagavate Sri Ramanaya