Martin Wolff, In Memoriam

om namo bhagavate śrī ramaṇāya

The first time I heard of Martin was from a friend of mine who had nothing to do with Bhagawan or his devotees. When I mentioned to her that I had been to the Arunachala Ashrama in the late 90s, when I came to the U.S. for the first time, she mentioned that she was an international ticket agent, that she buys tickets for this gentleman who visits Tiruvannamalai every year and mentioned that his name was Martin Wolff. That name stuck to me and the next time that I visited Arunachala Ashrama, I saw Martin there, reciting the vedas, but did not know who he was at that point in time. So subsequently I got to know him well when he attended the New Jersey Satsangs. At one of the Satsangs, he recited the rudram along with Peter and Swami. I was amazed by the ease with which he chanted the rudram. He also recited the 'nirvana śatakam' and the 'ganapati atharva-śirśa at some of the other Satsangs that he attended here in New Jersey.

I also had the privelige of meeting Martin and Billee in Tiruvannamalai when I visited there. I vivdly remember him with the Ramasramam bag slung over his shoulder and his large smile and his deep laugh when he spoke. I could see how Bhagavan influenced his life and the love he had for Bhagavan. I remember after one of the recitals, my wife Leena told him he must have been a priest in his previous life because he chanted so well. He laughed and agreed, saying "yes! I must have been."

Martin has reached the lotus feet of Bhagawan, but to paraphrase Bhagavan's words, "where can Martin go, he is always with us."

om namo bhagavate śrī ramaṇāya