In Quest of God
Fifty Years on the Direct Path of Ramana Maharshi
Sharon Maas
Foreword by David Godman
Paperback
ISBN 9781966608578
$22.95 US
eBook available
November 3, 2026
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.
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.“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
