European Journal of Science and Theology, June 2017, Vol.13, No.3, 121-135 _______________________________________________________________________ MYSTICAL DEATH IN THE LIFE AND TEACHINGS OF RAMANA MAHARSHI Martin Dojčár 1* and Slavomír Gálik 2 1 Trnava University in Trnava, Faculty of Education, Priemyselná 4, 918 43 Trnava, Slovak Republic 2 University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius, Faculty of Mass Media Communication, Nám. J. Herdu 2, 91701 Trnava, Slovak Republic (Received 11 September 2016, revised 3 January 2017) Abstract The main aim of our study is to contribute to the understanding of mystical death event on the basis of its retrospective reconstruction in the life and teachings of Ramana Maharshi, a prominent representative of Advaita Vedānta of the 20 th century. Combining biographical, phenomenological and hermeneutical method we reconstruct the course, structure and meaning of spiritual „awakening‟ as the central hierophany of Maharshi‟s life that confirms the universal, i.e., transcultural and transreligious character of the phenomenon of mystical death as a process of „ontological‟ transformation, in which the archetypal matrix life–death–rebirth re-actualises. Keywords: mysticism, Ramana Maharshi, Advaita Vedānta, yoga, awakening 1. Introduction Ramana Maharshi (1879–1950), born Venkatarāman Ayyār (later abbreviated to Ramana), was a Tamil jñānī considered a prominent contemporary representative of Vedānta darśana – one of the six „orthodox‟ philosophical systems of India. After his spiritual awakening in 1896 Venkatarāman left his home and settled down in Tiruvannamalai (Tamil Nadu, India), later in several locations of a nearby mountain Arunachala and finally in an ashram built by his followers (Sri Ramanasramam) so that he would spend the major part of his life there, permanently available to all visitors. Maharshi‟s life story and teachings are the subject of academic interest for several reasons: their research can contribute to our understanding of mysticism, Advaita Vedānta, neo-Hinduism as well as, for instance, the still widely discussed relationship between an experience and its interpretation (constructivism vs. essentialism). In this study, our interest is focused on examination of the phenomenon of mystical death in Maharshi‟s life and teachings, which plays here, as will be shown, the central role as the key hierophany of his life story. However, our interest in comparative morphology of mystical death will not be * E-mail: dojcar@gmail.com