S. S. Cohen

S. S. Cohen as sadhu

Sulaiman Samuel Cohen was a Jewish Theosophist who became a disciple of Sri Ramana Maharshi and wrote about his experiences in the ashram.

Early years

Cohen was born in 1895 in Basra, Iraq to a Jewish family. In 1027 while still young he moved to India, where he stayed for the rest of his life. For a few years he worked in Bombay as an accountant. He joined the Theosophical Society and lived at its headquarters in Chennai (then Madras) for five years. He was one of the founders of the Association of Hebrew Theosophists, along with American Henry C. Samuels, and was Honorary Secretary of the Synagogue Committee.

Connection to Sri Ramana Maharshi

Cohen became interested in the teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi about Advaita Vedanta. On February 3, 1936 he visited the sage's ashram, intending to stay for two weeks. Instead, he fully embraced life in the ashram and built a cottage in Palakothu, with the other sadhus [ascetics]. He remained there until the Maharshi's death in 1950.

Final years

After Ramana Maharshi passed, Cohen lived in Tiruvannamalai for some years before retiring to Vellore, where he died in 1980. Cohen is buried in the Koranug Thottam compound of Ramanasraman. He is said to have been a realized jnani.

Writings

Cohen wrote several important books on his guru and on Hindu scriptures:

• Guru Ramana: Memories and Notes. [Chetput, Madras, India] : S. Viswanathan, 1950. It has been published in numerous reprintings and editions in English, German, Spanish, French, Romanian, Korean, and other languages, and as an audio book. Available for limited search at Internet Archive.
• Reflections: On Talks with Sri Ramana Maharshi. Fourth edition Tiruvannamalai: T.N. Venkataraman, 1990.
• Self-realization: Life & Teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Written with Swami, B. V. Narasimha. Eighth edition was published by Tiruvannamalia, Sri Ramanasramam, 1976. Translated into French. 269 pages.
• Residual Reminiscences of Ramana. Tiruvannamalai, South India : Sri Ramanasramam, 1975.

• Advaitic Sādhanā: or The yoga of direct liberation: containing English translation of Māṇḍūkyopaniṣad and Ātmabodha. Delhi : Motilal Banarsidass, 1975.
• Srīmad Bhāgavata. Madras, Chinmaya Publications Trust, 1965.

Additional resources

Video

• As I Saw Him: SS Cohen's Divine Experience with Ramana Maharshi. The words of S. S. Cohen read by Chakravarthi. Posted on YouTube on June 18, 2020.
• S. S. Cohen and Ramana Maharshi. Posted on YouTube by Ashrams of India on January 18, 2023.

Audio

• Guru Ramana as audiobook narrated by Virtual Voice. 4 hours, 49 minutes.