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This is an introduction to the legendary 20th century Indian sage, Ramana Maharshi, told through the personal voice of Sharon Maas’ own 50-year spiritual journey following his teachings. This book introduces Ramana to Western readers in a relatable and personal format.
The April/May 2025 edition of Hinduism Today featured Ramana on its cover because he’s recognized in Hindu/Vedantic circles as of that very rare stature of Maha-rishi—Great Sage. He was the most significant 20th century figure in the Vedantic tradition, and has gained prominence in recent decades. Popular teachers today such as Eckhart Tolle mention or quote him to validate their own teaching. In his lifetime (1878-1950), Ramana was a mentor of Mahatma Gandhi, who regularly corresponded with him and occasionally sent his followers to the ashram to recharge their flagging batteries; and C.J. Jung referred to him as the “whitest spot” in all of India.
At 22, Maas left her home in Guyana, South America, for a remote ashram in South Indian where she immersed in Ramana’s teachings, before returning to the West to consolidate the spiritual with the material world.
In Quest of God is a memoir by a westerner that reflects on the practical application of Ramana’s teachings both in India and the West, yet without watering them down, and putting them into a digestible and personal form. It is illustrated with many anecdotes from Ramana’s life and of his close disciples, with examples from the author’s life and that of people she has known.
“I recognize in Sharon a spiritual fellow traveler whose passion to imbibe and practice Ramana’s teachings compelled her to cast herself off from her western moorings and embark on an immense and perilous pilgrimage that culminated in a new life in Tiruvannamalai…. I feel I have established a gurubhai (disciples of the same Guru) connection with you. It was a genuine pleasure immersing myself in your life’s story.” —David Godman, author of Be as You Are: The Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi
“In Quest of God gives readers an inkling of what it was like in the early 1970s when a new wave of Western seekers was attracted to Tiruvannamalai, the Tamil town where the ashram of Sri Ramana Maharshi is situated. It was a different world from the hustle and crowds today and charmingly introduces us to the simplicity and challenges faced by those who followed the initial waves of discovery by Paul Brunton, W.Y. Evans Wentz, Arthur Osborne, and other pioneers in quest of something greater which could not be satisfied by the stock intellectual answers provided by the then Western culture and religion.
“Sharon Mass has a marvelous gift of making us see with fresh eyes and wonder how her own quest unfolded in the context of that time and how as her life progressed, she faced and absorbed the lessons her initial years at Sri Ramana Ashram and Arunachala gave her. It is a story of bravery and hope in the midst of seemingly intractable challenges. The book is a wonderful addition to the ever-growing literature about Ramana Maharshi and the implications and consequences to one who dedicates their life to the path.” —Christopher Quilkey, former editor of The Mountain Path, the official magazine of Ramanashram
Sharon Maas was born in Guyana in 1951, went to school in England, and then worked as a journalist. She has lived in India, Germany, France, and the U.S. She has continued to return to Ramanashram in India year after year. In 1999, and the early aughts, she had three novels published by HarperCollins in London. This is her first book after a long absence from writing, and the first time she has turned her attention to her most abiding concern, the life and teaching of Ramana Maharshi. She is now living permanently in India. Her website is www.sharonmaas.com.