It was just noon.

A young 16-year-old boy, Bhagavan, is just lounging on his bed.

Suddenly and unexpectedly, he felt a surge of unknown fear.

Without external causes. This distress was not linked to any stimuli. A crushing wave of mortal fear was rolling over him, completely naked, though invisible, from somewhere inside, from the region of his heart.

And young Bhagavan did something unexpected.

He decided to go towards that mysterious wave.

He, although theoretically and mystically without any prior study or preparation, asked his heart. Boldly. Courageously. Unyieldingly. But also completely surrendered, with infinite openness: "Who or what am I when I die?"

Without even realizing it at the time, he began a method of radical introspection, the so-called self-inquiry – that's how quickly the method of direct questioning, known by the Sanskrit word ātma-vicāra , opened up to him and was implemented.

Full of determination, he maintained a firm stance as an inquirer. And at the same time, he did not escape from it into the world of ideas. He did not let himself be carried away and did not slip into the landscape of inner images, intellectual and other philosophical junk. HA!

And the entrance to ..... ABSOLUTELY opened.

It consumed him, his personal awareness of his little self practically died at that moment.

And there he remained firmly anchored, until he was 71 years old, when he left his body and the sacred mountain of Arunachala.