Here is the version we put together. The portions that appear in bold type are the suggested corrections. The remaining text, in roman, is the translation that currently appears in Collected Works.
INVOCATION
I seek refuge at the sacred feet of the blessed Ramana, who performs the entire work of creation, preservation and destruction, while remaining wholly unattached, and who makes us aware of what is real and thus protects us, that I may set down his words fittingly.
IMPORTANCE OF THE WORK
Worshipping with the instruments (of thought, word and body) the sacred lotus feet of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi, the very embodiment of the beginningless infinite supreme Brahman, the Satchitananda (existence, consciousness, bliss), I have gathered this bouquet of the flowers of his instructions (upadesamanjari) for the benefit of those who are foremost among the seekers of Liberation and who are adored by learned persons, in order that they might adorn themselves with it and attain salvation.
This book is an epitome of the immortal words of that great soul, Sri Ramana Maharshi, whose teachings entirely dispelled the doubts and wrong notions of this humble person even as the sun dispels darkness.
The subject of this book is that eternal Brahman which shines as the pinnacle and heart of all the Vedas and Agamas.
That incomparable Self-realization (atmasiddhi) which is praised by all the Upanishads and which is the supreme good to be sought by all noble aspirants (brahmavids) is the supreme benefit of this work.
Chapter 1
INSTRUCTION (Upadesa)
1. What are the marks of a real teacher (Sadguru)?
Steady abidance in the Self, looking at all with an equal eye, unshakeable courage at all times, in all places and circumstances, etc.
An intense longing for the removal of sorrow and attainment of joy and an intense aversion for any other attainment.
The word ‘upadesa’ means : ‘near the place or seat’ (upa - near, desa - place or seat). The Guru who is the embodiment of that which is indicated by the terms sat, chit, and ananda (existence, consciousness and bliss), prevents the disciple who, on account of his acceptance of the forms of the objects of the senses, has swerved from his true state and is consequently distressed and buffeted by joys and sorrows, from continuing so and establishes him in his own real nature without differentiation.
Upadesa also means showing a distant object quite near. It is brought home to the disciple that the Brahman which he believes to be distant and different from himself is near and not different from himself.
Although in absolute truth the state of the Guru is that of oneself it is very hard for the Self which has become the individual soul (jiva) through ignorance to realize its true state or nature without the grace of the Guru.
All mental concepts are controlled by the mere presence of the real Guru. If he were to say to one who arrogantly claims that he has seen the further shore of the ocean of learning or one who claims arrogantly that he can perform deeds which are well-nigh impossible, “Yes, you learnt all that is to be learnt, but have you learnt (to know) yourself? And you who are capable of performing deeds which are almost impossible, have you seen yourself?”, they will bow their heads (in shame) and remain silent. Thus it is evident that only by the grace of the Guru and by no other accomplishment is it possible to know oneself.
It is beyond mind and speech.
It is like the elephant which wakes up on seeing a lion in its dream. Even as the elephant wakes up at the mere sight of the lion, so too is it certain that the disciple wakes up from the sleep of ignorance into the wakefulness of true knowledge through the Guru’s benevolent look of grace.
In the case of the individual soul which desires to attain the state of true knowledge or the state of Isvara and with that object always practises devotion, when the individual’s devotion has reached a mature stage, the Lord who is the witness of that individual soul and not separate from it, comes forth in human form with the help of sat-chit-ananda, His three natural features, and form and name which he also graciously assumes, and in the guise of blessing the disciple, absorbs him in Himself. Since this is a well-established conclusion, saying that the Guru is the Lord is absolutely true.
To a few mature persons the Lord shines as the light of knowledge and imparts awareness of the truth.
It is to learn the truth that all one’s actions performed with unselfish devotion, with the aid of the three purified instruments (body, speech and mind), in the capacity of the servant of the Lord, become the Lord’s actions, and to stand forth free from the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’. This is also the truth of what the Saiva-Siddhantins call para-bhakti (supreme devotion) or living in the service of God (irai-pani-nittral).
It is to know the truth that the ‘I’ does not exist separately from the Lord (Isvara) and to be free from the feeling of being the doer (kartrtva, ahamkara).
Whatever the means, the destruction of the sense ‘I’ and ‘mine’ is the goal, and as these are interdependent, the destruction of either of them causes the destruction of the other; therefore in order to achieve that state of Silence which is beyond thought and word, either the path of knowledge which removes the sense of ‘I’ or the path of devotion which removes the sense of ‘mine’, will suffice. So there is no doubt that the end of the paths of devotion and knowledge is one and the same.
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NOTE: So long as the ‘I’ exists it is necessary to accept the Lord also. If any one wishes to regain easily the supreme state of identity (sayujya) now lost to him, it is only proper that he should accept this conclusion.
12. What is the mark of the ego?
The individual soul of the form of ‘I’ is the ego The Self which is of the nature of consciousness (chit) has no sense of ‘I’. Nor does the insentient body possess a sense of ‘I’. The intermediate appearance of a delusive ego between consciousness and the inert body is the root cause of all the troubles. Upon its destruction, by whatever means, that which really exists will shine as it really is. This is called Liberation (moksha).
CHAPTER II
PRACTICE (Abhyasa)
1. What is the method of practice?
As the Self of a person who tries to attain Self-realization is not different from him and as there is nothing other than or superior to him to be attained by him, Self-realization being only the realization of one’s own nature, the seeker of Liberation realizes, without doubts or misconceptions, his real nature by distinguishing the eternal from the transient, and never swerves from his natural state. This is known as the practice of knowledge. This is the enquiry leading to Self-realization.
This is suitable only for the ripe souls. The rest should follow different methods according to the state of their minds.
They are (i) stuti, (ii) japa, (iii) dhyana, (iv) yoga,(v) jnana, etc.
As meditation functions in an exceedingly subtle manner at the source of the mind it is not difficult to perceive its rise and subsidence then and there.
Fixing their minds on psychic centres such as the sahasrara (lit. the thousand-petalled lotus) yogis remain any length of time without awareness of their bodies. As long as this state continues they appear to be immersed in some kind of joy. But when the mind which has become tranquil emerges (becomes active again) it resumes its worldly thoughts. It is therefore necessary to train it with the help of practices such as vichara or dhyana whenever it becomes externalised. It will then attain a state in which there is neither subsidence nor emergence.
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NOTE: (1) All practices are followed only with the object of attaining one-pointedness of mind. As all the mental activities like remembering, forgetting, desiring, hating, clinging, discarding, etc., are modifications of the mind, they cannot be one’s true state. Simple, immutable, mere being is one’s true nature. To know in this way the truth of one’s being, and to be it, is said to be release from bondage and the destruction of the knot (granthi nasam). Until this state of tranquillity of mind is firmly attained, the practice of not losing hold of the Self, keeping the mind unsoiled by other thoughts, is indispensable for an aspirant.
(2) Although the practices for achieving strength of mind are numerous, all of them achieve the same end. For it can be seen that whoever concentrates his mind on any object, will, on the cessation of all mental concepts, ultimately remain merely as that object. This is called successful meditation (dhyana siddhi). Those who follow the path of enquiry realize that the mind which remains at the end of the enquiry is Brahman. Those who practise meditation realize that the mind which remains at the end of the meditation is the object of their meditation. As the result is the same in either case it is the duty of aspirants to practise continuously either of these methods till the goal is reached.
It is not an effortless state of indolence. All mundane activities which are ordinarily called effort are performed with the aid of a portion of the mind and with frequent breaks. But the act of communion with the Self (atma vyavahara) or remaining still inwardly is perfect effort, which is performed with the entire mind and without break.
Maya (delusion or ignorance) which cannot be destroyed by any other act is completely destroyed by this perfect effort, which is called ‘silence’ (mouna).
Maya is that which makes us regard as non-existent the Self, the Reality, which is always and everywhere present, all-pervasive and self-luminous, and as existent the individual soul (jiva), the world (jagat), and God (para) which have been conclusively proved to be non-existent at all times and places.
Wherever particular objects are known it is the Self which has known itself in the form of those objects. For what is known as knowledge or awareness is only the potency of the Self (atma sakti). The Self is the only sentient object. There is nothing apart from the Self. If there are such objects they are all insentient and therefore cannot either know themselves or mutually know one another. It is because the Self does not know its true nature in this manner that it seems to be immersed and struggling in the ocean of birth (and death) in the form of the individual soul.
As the Lord denotes the Self and as Grace means the Lord’s presence or revelation, there is no time when the Lord remains unknown. If the light of the sun, shining effulgently throughout the world, is invisible to the owl, it is only the fault of that bird and not of the sun. Similarly can the unawareness by ignorant persons of the Self which is always of the nature of awareness be other than their own fault? How can it be the fault of the Self? It is because Grace is the very nature of the Lord that He is well-known as ‘the blessed Grace’. Therefore the Lord, whose ever-present nature itself is Grace, does not have a job, such as bestowing grace. Nor is there any particular time for bestowing His Grace.
The heart on the right side of the chest is generally indicated. This is because we usually point to the right side of the chest when we refer to ourselves. Some say that the sahasrara (the thousand-petalled lotus) is the abode of the Self. But if that were true the head should not fall forward when we go to sleep or faint.
The sacred texts describing it say:
Between the two nipples, below the chest and above the abdomen, there are six organs of different colours1. One of them resembling the bud of a water lily and situated two digits to the right is the heart. It is inverted and within it is a tiny orifice which is the seat of dense darkness (ignorance) full of desires. All the psychic nerves (nadis) depend upon it. It is the abode of the vital forces, the mind and the light (of consciousness). (See Supplement to the Reality in Forty Verses 18 -19).
But, although it is described thus, the meaning of the word heart (hrdayam) is the Self (atman). As it is denoted by the terms existence, consciousness, bliss, eternal and plenum (sat, chit, anandam, nityam, purnam) it has no differences such as exterior and interior or up and down. That state of stillness in which all thoughts come to an end is called the state of the Self. When one realises its nature and abides as That, there is no scope for discussions about its location inside the body or outside.
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1 These are not the same as the Chakras.
All such thoughts are due to latent tendencies (purva samskaras). They appear only to the individual consciousness which has forgotten its natural state of stillness, pure being, and become externalised. Whenever particular things are perceived, the enquiry “Who is it that sees them?” should be made; they will then disappear at once.
From the Self there arise in succession
(i) Chidabhasa (reflected consciousness) which is a kind of luminosity.
(ii) Jiva (the individual consciousness) or the seer or the first concept.
(iii) Phenomena, that is the world.
Wise men say that there is a connection between the source of the various psychic nerves and the Self, that this is the knot of the heart, that the connection between the sentient and the insentient will exist until this is cut asunder with the aid of true knowledge, that just as the subtle and invisible force of electricity travels through wires and does many wonderful things, so the force of the Self also travels through the psychic nerves and, pervading the entire body, imparts sentience to the senses, and that if this knot is untied the Self will remain as it always is, without any attributes.
This is, in a way, like the working of a cinema as shown below:-
| | CINEMA SHOW | | SELF |
| 1/ | The lamp inside (the apparatus) | 1/ | The Self |
| 2/ | The lens in front of the lamp | 2/ | The pure (sattvic) mind close to the Self. |
| 3/ | The film which is a long series of (separate photos). | 3/ | The stream of latent tendencies consisting of subtle thoughts. |
| 4/ | The lens, the light passing through it and the lamp, which together form the focused light. | 4/ | The mind, the illumination of it and the Self, which together form the seer or the Jiva. |
| 5/ | The light passing through the lens and falling on the screen. | 5/ | The light of the Self emerging from the mind through the senses, and falling on the world. |
| 6/ | The various kinds of pictures appearing in the light of the screen. | 6/ | The various forms and names appearing as the objects perceived in the light of the world. |
| 7/ | The mechanism which sets the film in motion. | 7/ | The divine law manifesting the latent tendencies of the mind. |
Just as the pictures appear on the screen as long as the film throws the shadows through the lens, so the phenomenal world will continue to appear to the individual in the waking and dream states as long as there are latent mental impressions. Just as the lens magnifies the tiny specks on the film to a huge size and as a number of pictures are shown in a second, so the mind enlarges the sprout-like tendencies into tree-like thoughts and shows in a second innumerable worlds. Again, just as there is only the light of the lamp visible when there is no film, so the Self alone shines without the triple factors when the mental concepts in the form of tendencies are absent in the states of deep sleep, swoon and samadhi. Just as the lamp remains unaffected despite illuminating the lens, and so on, the Self remains unaffected despite illuminating the ego [chidabhasa].
It is abiding as the Self without swerving even slightly from the state of the Self in any of the avasthas [the three states of waking, dreaming and sleeping], and without giving room for even the thought ‘I am meditating’. As the differences between the avasthas do not appear at all in this condition, sleep is also regarded as dhyana.
Dhyana is imagination of the mind, made through one’s own effort; in samadhi there is no such effort.
It is important for one who is established in his Self (atma nishta) to see that he does not swerve in the least from this one-pointed absorption. While swerving from his true nature he may see before him bright effulgences, etc., or hear (unusual) sounds or regard as real the visions of gods appearing within or outside himself. He should not be deceived by these and forget himself. If the consciousness that knows objects is itself not real, then how can the objects known, which are ‘the seen’, be real?
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NOTE: (i) If the moments that are wasted in thinking of the objects which are not the Self, are spent on enquiry into the Self, self-realization will be attained in a very short time.
(ii) Until the mind becomes established in the state of the Self, some kind of bhavana (attitude or imagination; an imagined relationship with God or the Self) is essential. Otherwise the mind will be frequently assailed by wayward thoughts or sleep.
(iii) Without spending all the time in practising bhavanas like ‘I am Siva’ or ‘I am Brahman’, which are regarded as nirgunopasana (contemplation of the attributeless Brahman), the method of enquiry into oneself should be practised as soon as the mental strength which is the result of such upasana (contemplation) is attained.
(iv) The excellence of the practice (sadhana) lies in not giving room for even a single mental concept (vritti)
17. What are the rules of conduct which an aspirant (sadhaka) should follow?
Moderation in food, moderation in sleep and moderation in speech.
Until the mind attains effortlessly its natural state of freedom from concepts, that is till the sense of ‘I’ and ‘mine’ are totally destroyed.
As the Self is all-pervasive it has no particular place for solitude. The state of being free from mental concepts is called ‘dwelling in solitude’.
Its beauty lies in remaining free from delusion after realising the truth once. There is fear only for one who sees even the slightest difference in the Supreme Brahman. So long as there is the idea that the body is the Self one cannot be a realizer of truth whoever he might be.
Prarabdha concerns only the out-turned, not the in-turned mind. One who seeks his real Self will not be afraid of any obstacle. The thought of an obstacle is itself the greatest obstacle.
The effort that is made to get rid of attachment to one’s body is really towards abiding in the Self. Maturity and enquiry alone removes attachment to the body, not the stations of life (asramas), such as student (brahmachari), etc. For the attachment is in the mind while the stations pertain to the body. How can bodily stations remove the attachment in the mind? As maturity and enquiry pertain to the mind, these alone can, by enquiry on the part of the same mind, remove the attachments which have crept into it through non-enquiry. But, as the discipline of asceticism (sanyasasrama) is the means for attaining dispassion (vairagya), and as dispassion is the means for enquiry, taking sannyasa may be regarded, in a way, as a means of enquiry through dispassion. Instead of wasting one’s life by taking sannyasa before one is fit for it, it is better to live the householder’s life, from which many benefits accrue. In order to fix the mind in the Self which is its true nature it is necessary to separate it from the family of fancies (samkalpas) and doubts (vikalpas), that is to renounce the family (samsara) in the mind. This is the real asceticism.
As there is no rule that action should depend upon a sense of being the doer it is unnecessary to doubt whether any action will take place without a doer or an act of doing. Although the officer of a government treasury may appear, in the eyes of others, to be doing his duty attentively and responsibly all day long, he will be discharging his duties without attachment, thinking ‘I have no real connection with all this money’ and without a sense of involvement in his mind. In the same manner a wise householder may also discharge without attachment the various household duties which fall to his lot according to his past karma, like a tool in the hands of another. Action and knowledge are not obstacles to each other.
Although he is entirely unmindful of the maintenance of his body, if, owing to his past karma, his family have to subsist by his efforts, he may remain as someone who does service to others. If it is asked whether the wise man derives any benefit from the discharge of domestic duties, it may be answered that, as he has already attained the state of unlimited contentment which is the sum total of all benefits and the highest good of all, he does not stand to gain anything more by discharging family duties.
25. How can cessation of activity (nivritti) and peace of mind be attained in the midst of household duties which are of the nature of constant activity?
As the activities of the wise man exist only in the eyes of others and not in his own, although he may be accomplishing immense tasks, he really does nothing. Therefore his activities do not stand in the way of inaction [nivritti] and peace of mind. For he knows the truth that all dharmas exist depending on him, whereas he does not exist being dependent on any of the activities. Therefore, he will remain calm, as a mere witness to all the activities that take place, being himself their support.
Only one who is free from all the latent tendencies (vasanas) is a Sage. That being so how can the tendencies of karma affect him who is entirely unattached to activity?
Only enquiry into Brahman should be called brahmacharya.
As the various means of knowledge, such as control of senses, etc., are included in brahmacharya the virtuous practices duly followed by those who belong to the order of students (brahmacharins) are very helpful for their improvement.
Those who are competent need not formally enter the orders of brahmacharya, etc., in the order laid down. One who has realized his Self does not distinguish between the various orders of life. Therefore no order of life appears as either a help or a hindrance to him.
The attainment of jnana is the supreme benefit of all other practices. Irrespective of whatever order of life one may be in, for the one who is constantly practising jnana there are no caste or asrama rules that have to be observed. If such a person follows the rules of caste and asramas, he does so for the good of the world. He does not derive any benefit by observing the rules. Nor does he lose anything by not observing them.
CHAPTER III
EXPERIENCE (Anubhava)
1. What is the light of consciousness?
It is the self-luminous existence-consciousness which illumines for the seer the world of names and forms both inside and outside. The existence of this light of consciousness can be inferred by the objects illuminated by it. It does not become a separate, known object.
It is that state of stillness, pure consciousness, which is experienced by the aspirant and which is like the waveless ocean or the motionless ether.
It is the experience of joy (or peace) in the state of vijnana free of all activities and similar to deep sleep. This is also called the state of kevala nirvikalpa (remaining without concepts).
It is the state of unceasing peace of mind which is found in the state of absolute quiescence, jagrat-sushupti (lit. sleep with awareness) which resembles inactive deep sleep. In this state, in spite of the activity of the body and the senses, there is no external awareness, like a child immersed in sleep1 (who is not conscious of the food given to him by his mother). A yogi who is in this state is inactive even while engaged in activity. This is also called sahaja nirvikalpa samadhi (natural state of absorption in oneself without concepts).
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1 The acts of sleeping children like eating and drinking are acts only in the eyes of others and not in their own. They do not therefore really do those acts in spite of their appearing to do them.
The Self means the embodied being (dehi). It is only after the energy, which was latent in the state of deep sleep, emerges with the idea of ‘I’ that all objects are experienced. The Self is present in all perceptions as the perceiver. There are no objects to be seen when the ‘I’ is absent. For all these reasons it may undoubtedly be said that everything appears, remains and disappears within the Self.
If the idea ‘I am the body’ is accepted,2 the selves are multiple. The state in which this idea vanishes is the Self. Since in that state there is no trace of a second object, it is said that the Self is only one.
It cannot be apprehended by the impure mind but can be apprehended by the pure mind.
When the indefinable power of Brahman separates itself from Brahman and, in union with the reflection of consciousness (chidabhasa) assumes various forms, it is called the impure mind. When it becomes free from the reflection of consciousness (abhasa), through discrimination, it is called the pure mind. Its state of union with the Brahman is its apprehension of Brahman. The energy which is accompanied by the reflection of consciousness is called the impure mind and its state of separation from Brahman is its non-apprehension of Brahman.
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2 The idea that one is one’s body is what is called hridaya-granthi (knot of the heart). Of the various knots this knot, which binds together what is conscious with what is insentient, is what causes bondage.
9. Is it possible to overcome, even while the body exists, the karma (prarabdha) which is said to last till the end of the body?
Yes. If the agent (doer) upon whom the karma depends, namely the ego, which has come into existence between the body and the Self, merges in its source and loses its form, will the karma which depends upon it alone survive? Therefore when there is no ‘I’ there is no karma.
Although the Self is real, as it comprises everything, it does not give room for questions involving duality about its reality or unreality. Therefore it is said to be different from the real and the unreal. Similarly, even though it is consciousness, since there is nothing for it to know or to make itself known to, it is said to be different from the sentient and the insentient.
CHAPTER IV
ATTAINMENT (Arudha)
1. What is the state of attainment of knowledge?
It is firm and effortless abidance in the Self in which the mind which has become one with the Self does not subsequently emerge again at any time. Everyone, when he thinks of his body, usually and naturally has the idea, ‘I am not a goat or a cow, or any other animal, but a human being’. Similarly, when he naturally has the Self-awareness, ‘I am not the tattvas, beginning with the body and ending with nada [sound] but the Self which is existence-consciousness-bliss’, this is said to be the attainment of firm knowledge.
He belongs to the fourth stage.
The marks of the stages
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1 The seven jnana bhoomikas are:-
1. subheccha (the desire for enlightenment).
2. vicharana (enquiry).
3. tanumanasa (tenuous mind).
4. satwapatti (self-realization).
5. asamsakti (non-attachment).
6. padarthabhavana (non-perception of objects).
7. turyaga (transcendence).
Those who have attained the last four bhoomikas are called brahmavit, brahmavidvara, brahmavidvariya and brahmavid varistha respectively.
4. As liberation is common to all, why is the varistha (lit. the most excellent) alone praised excessively?
So far as the varistha’s common experience of bliss is concerned he is extolled only because of the special merit acquired by him in his previous births which is the cause of it.
It is not to be attained by mere desire or effort. Karma (prarabdha) is its cause. As the ego dies along with its cause even in the fourth stage (bhoomika), what agent is there beyond that stage to desire anything or to make efforts? So long as they make efforts they will not be sages (jnanis) . Do the sacred texts (srutis) which specially mention the varistha say that the other three are unenlightened persons?
If that were so there would not be any difference between that state and the state of deep sleep. Further how can it be said to be the natural state when it exists at one time and not at another? This happens, as stated before, to some persons according to their karma (prarabdha) for some time or till death. It cannot properly be regarded as the final state. If it could it would mean that all great souls and the Lord, who were the authors of the Vedantic works (jnana granthas) and the Vedas, were unenlightened persons. If the supreme state is that in which neither the senses nor the mind exist and not the state in which they exist, how can it be the perfect state (paripurnam)? As karma alone is responsible for the activity or inactivity of the sages, great souls have declared the state of sahaja nirvikalpa (the natural state without concepts) alone to be the ultimate state.
In ordinary sleep there are not only no thoughts but also no awareness. In waking sleep there is awareness alone. That is why it is called awake while sleeping, that is the sleep in which there is awareness.
Turiya means that which is the fourth. The experiencers (jivas) of the three states of waking, dreaming and deep sleep, known as visva, taijasa and prajna, who wander repeatedly in these three states, are not the Self. It is with the object of making this clear, namely that the Self is that which is different from them and which is the witness of these states, that it is called the fourth (turiya). When this is known the three experiencers disappear and the idea that the Self is a witness, that it is the fourth, also disappears. That is why the Self is described as beyond the fourth (turiyatita).
The sage who is the embodiment of the truths mentioned in the scriptures has no use for them.
Only knowledge [jnana] obtained through enquiry can bestow Liberation. Supernatural powers are all illusory appearances created by the power of maya (mayashakti). Self-realization which is permanent is the only true accomplishment (siddhi). Accomplishments which appear and disappear, being the effect of maya, cannot be real. They are accomplished with the object of enjoying fame, pleasures, etc. They come unsought to some persons through their karma. Know that union with Brahman is the attainment of the sum total of all the siddhis. This is also the state of Liberation (aikya mukti) known as union (sayujya).
It is only if bondage is real that Liberation and the nature of its experiences have to be considered. So far as the Self (Purusha) is concerned it has really no bondage in any of the four states. As bondage is merely a verbal assumption according to the emphatic proclamation of the Vedanta system, how can the question of Liberation, which depends upon the question of bondage, arise when there is no bondage? Without knowing this truth, to enquire into the nature of bondage and Liberation, is like enquiring into the non-existent height, colour, etc., of a barren woman’s son or the horns of a hare.
No, they do not. On the contrary, the delusion of bondage fabricated by ignorance from time immemorial can be removed only by knowledge, and for this purpose the term ‘Liberation’ (mukti) has been tentatively accepted. That is all. The very fact that the characteristics of Liberation are described in different ways proves that it is imaginary.
No, they are not. The firm conviction that there is neither bondage nor liberation is the supreme purpose of all efforts. As this purpose of seeing boldly, through direct experience, that bondage and liberation do not exist, cannot be achieved except with the aid of the aforesaid practices, these efforts are useful.
This is decided on the strength of experience and not merely on the strength of the scriptures.
‘Bondage’ and ‘Liberation’ are mere linguistic terms. They have no reality of their own. Therefore they cannot function of their own accord. It is necessary to accept the existence of some basic thing of which they are the modifications. If one enquires, ‘for whom is there bondage and Liberation?’ it will be seen, ‘they are for me’. If one enquires, ‘who am I?’, one will see that there is no such thing as the ‘I’. It will then be as clear as an amalaka fruit in one’s hand that what remains is one’s real being. As this truth will be naturally and clearly experienced by those who leave aside mere verbal discussions and enquire into themselves inwardly, at least for a moment, there is no doubt that all realized persons uniformly see neither bondage nor Liberation so far as the true Self is concerned.
They appear to be real only when one swerves from one’s real nature. They will never appear in the natural state.
There is no need at all to doubt that it is possible.
It is the experience of everyone that even in the states of deep sleep, fainting, etc., when the entire universe, moving and stationary, beginning with earth and ending with the unmanifested (Prakriti), disappear, he does not disappear. Therefore the state of pure being which is common to all and which is always experienced directly by everybody is one’s true nature. The conclusion is that all experiences in the enlightened as well as the ignorant state, which may be described by newer and newer words, are opposed to one’s real nature.
BENEDICTION
Sri Ramana is the jnani who establishes us in liberation as the primal entity whose nature is all mauna, which is the source of jiva, the God and the world and which, after consuming us, is left over as the sole reality. May His feet live forever!
2 comments:
I appreciate your devotion David & your work. Thankyou so much. It was so wonderful to come across your post here & read it & be inspired so deeply to discover & be completely present to the Self, to know it is possible, to trust it is possible, to explore & open to being the Self. How wonderful!
When Bhagawan was often asked questions unrelated, unhelpul, inappropriate in any way to the sadhaka or unresolvable, he used the Brahmaastra(who is that is asking this question or the only thing you can be certain of is that 'You' exist; find out who you are[not exact words]).
Buddha too was asked many such questions and his Brahmaastra was silence.Such questions are termed as the 'Unmentionables' in Buddhism or as 'Transcendental Lies' by some Dvaitas and others.
Here is a classic example where The Budhdha is pointing out that the only thing one can be sure of is suffering and so better concentrate on how to end that rather than delve into theoritical discussion on concepts:
Chapter 12 of Bhikkhu Ñanamoli's classic compilation, The Life of the Buddha according to the Pali Canon.
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FIRST VOICE:
Once when the Blessed One had gone into Rajagaha for alms the naked ascetic Kassapa went up to him, and after greeting him, he said: "We would ask Master Gotama something, if Master Gotama would consent to give an answer." -- "It is not the time for questions, Kassapa; we are among houses." He asked a second and a third time and received the same reply. Then he said: "It is not much we want to ask, Master Gotama." -- "Ask, then, Kassapa, whatever you like."
"How is it, Master Gotama, is suffering of one's own making?" -- "Do not put it like that, Kassapa." -- "Then is suffering of another's making?" -- "Do not put it like that, Kassapa." -- "Then is suffering both of one's own and another's making?" -- "Do not put it like that, Kassapa." "Then is suffering neither of one's own nor another's making but fortuitous?" -- "Do not put it like that, Kassapa." -- "Then is there no suffering?" -- "It is not a fact that there is no suffering: there is suffering, Kassapa." -- "Then does Master Gotama neither know nor see suffering?" -- "It is not a fact that I neither know nor see suffering: I both know and see suffering, Kassapa."
SN 12:17
-Z
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